Determining and Validating Barriers to Post-Secondary Vocational, Technical and Adult Education Programs in Wisconsin. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farning, Max; Borden, Sally

A consortium of five Wisconsin Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) Districts (Gateway, Indianhead, Mid-State, Milwaukee, and Southwest) were utilized to identify, verify, and alleviate barriers to enrollment. A VTAE survey in 1976 identified six major reasons for individuals' failing to attend school after indicating an interest in…

Advancing Commercialization of Algal Biofuel through Increased Biomass Productivity and Technical Integration

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

Anton, David

The proposed project built on the foundation of over several years years of intensive and ground-breaking R&D work at Cellana's Kona Demonstration Facility (KDF). Phycological and engineering solutions were provided to tackle key cultivation issues and technical barriers limiting algal biomass productivity identified through work conducted outdoors at industrial (1 acre) scale. The objectives of this project were to significantly improve algal biomass productivity and reduce operational cost in a seawater-based system, using results obtained from two top-performing algal strains as the baseline while technically advancing and more importantly, integrating the various unit operations involved in algal biomass production, processing,more » and refining.« less

Transforming Education Research through Open Video Data Sharing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilmore, Rick O.; Adolph, Karen E.; Millman, David S.; Gordon, Andrew

2016-01-01

Open data sharing promises to accelerate the pace of discovery in the developmental and learning sciences, but significant technical, policy, and cultural barriers have limited its adoption. As a result, most research on learning and development remains shrouded in a culture of isolation. Data sharing is the rare exception (Gilmore, 2016). Many…

Barriers to applying advanced high-temperature materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Premkumar, M. K.

1993-01-01

During the past 25 years, aerospace engineers and material scientists have made significant technical progress toward developing next-generation aircraft. However, while advanced high-temperature materials continue to be developed, the outlook for their future application is uncertain and will depend on the ability of these materials to satisfy a more diverse market.

Analysis of the barriers to renewable energy development on tribal lands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Thomas Elisha

Native American lands have significant renewable energy resource potential that could serve to ensure energy security and a low carbon energy future for the benefit of tribes as well as the United States. Economic and energy development needs in Native American communities match the energy potential. A disproportionate amount of Native American households have no access to electricity, which is correlated with high poverty and unemployment rates. Despite the vast resources and need for energy, the potential for renewable energy development has not fully materialized. This research explores this subject through three separate articles: 1) a case study of the Navajo Nation that suggests economic viability is not the only significant factor for low adoption of renewable energy on Navajo lands; 2) an expert elicitation of tribal renewable energy experts of what they view as barriers to renewable energy development on tribal lands; and 3) a reevaluation of Native Nation Building Theory to include external forces and the role that inter-tribal collaboration plays with renewable energy development by Native nations. Major findings from this research suggests that 1) many Native nations lack the technical and legal capacity to develop renewable energy; 2) inter-tribal collaboration can provide opportunities for sharing resources and building technical, legal, and political capacity; and 3) financing and funding remains a considerable barrier to renewable energy development on tribal lands.

Quantum Chemical Calculations of Amine-Catalyzed Polymerization of Silanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Hongyu; Xu, Wenbin; Zhang, Jinlin; Qi, Zhenyi; Zhang, Tao; Song, Lixin

2018-03-01

Because of the technical importance of organosilicon materials, insight into the related synthetic processes is significantly essential. In this paper, the amine-catalyzed polymerization of silanol has been investigated by the density functional theory (DFT) method. Our data have shown that amines can catalytically promote the hydrogen transfer process by substantially reducing the energy barrier. The activation barrier via hydrogen transfer with catalysis is 38.32 kJ/mol, much lower than that of catalysis-free process (120.88 kJ/mol). The lower energy barrier is in agreement with the much more intense polymerization of silanols with amine catalysts. Based on the above results, amines and other catalysts capable of assisting hydrogen transfer are expected to be used as catalysts for silanol polymerization.

Supporting the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices for Adults with Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biegel, David E.; Kola, Lenore A.; Ronis, Robert R.

2007-01-01

Significant barriers exist to the implementation of evidence-based practices into routine mental health and substance abuse settings. This paper discusses the role and function of technical assistance centers to help support the implementation process using, as a guide, the experience of the Ohio Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Coordinating…

Consumer and Employer Strategies for Overcoming Employment Barriers. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crudden, Adele; Williams, Wendy; McBroom, Lynn W.; Moore, J. Elton

This report on strategies for overcoming employment barriers for persons with visual impairments summarizes comments and suggestions of 7 focus groups comprised of either consumers (n=49) or employers (n=19). The report first reviews the literature concerning employment barriers and how consumers in previous studies suggested these barriers be…

Development of Advanced Environmental Barrier Coatings for SiC/SiC Composites at NASA GRC: Prime-Reliant Design and Durability Perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming

2017-01-01

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are considered technologically important because of the critical needs and their ability to effectively protect the turbine hot-section SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components in harsh engine combustion environments. The development of NASA's advanced environmental barrier coatings have been aimed at significantly improved the coating system temperature capability, stability, erosion-impact, and CMAS resistance for SiC/SiC turbine airfoil and combustors component applications. The NASA environmental barrier coating developments have also emphasized thermo-mechanical creep and fatigue resistance in simulated engine heat flux and environments. Experimental results and models for advanced EBC systems will be presented to help establishing advanced EBC composition design methodologies, performance modeling and life predictions, for achieving prime-reliant, durable environmental coating systems for 2700-3000 F engine component applications. Major technical barriers in developing environmental barrier coating systems and the coating integration with next generation composites having further improved temperature capability, environmental stability, EBC-CMC fatigue-environment system durability will be discussed.

Nonproliferation Uncertainties, a Major Barrier to Used Nuclear Fuel Recycle in the United States

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

Collins, Emory D; Ehinger, Michael H

2011-01-01

A study and comparison of the goals and understandings of nonproliferation authorities with those of used nuclear fuel (UNF) recycle advocates have uncovered (1) some of the basic reasons for the creation of uncertainties by each of the parties, (2) why these uncertainties have become a major barrier to a decision to recycle UNF components in the United States, and (3) what steps can be taken to clarify these uncertainties. Recent papers and viewpoints expressed by nonproliferation authorities and technical consultants were reviewed, summarized, and compared with results of recent fuel cycle systems analyses made at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.more » 1 Similarities and differences were identified, including both technical and policy factors. Nonproliferation authorities and a few UNF recycle advocates have recognized that the reprocessing technologies used for UNF component recycle do not offer significant nonproliferation differences; thus, the methods used can be chosen on some other basis, such as process efficiency, maturity, and/or economics. This paper reviews the safeguards implications beyond the simple assessment of UNF recycle technology selection. Differences in understanding that led to uncertainty barriers to UNF recycle include (1) the vulnerability of unseparated UNF, (2) the effects of time factors on production and accumulation of fissile plutonium isotopes and decay of the ?self-protecting radiation barrier,? (3) the chemistry of UNF components and relative ease of separation, and (4) the significant differences in commercialscale ?safeguards-by-design? UNF recycle facilities and smaller-scale covert operations. Application of safeguards-by-design and engineered safeguards can provide the defense-in-depth necessary for sufficient safeguards. Establishing these requirements for governing acceptable commercial UNF component recycle is essential.« less

Review of Military Mountain Medicine Technology and Research Barriers

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION AC/323(HFM-146)TP/387 www.rto.nato.int RTO TECHNICAL REPORT TR...montagne et les freins à la recherche) Final Report of Task Group HFM-146. Published September 2011 Distribution and Availability...323(HFM-146)TP/387 www.rto.nato.int RTO TECHNICAL REPORT TR-HFM-146 Review of Military Mountain Medicine Technology and Research Barriers (Point

Teachers' Perceptions about the Barriers and Catalysts for Effective Practices with ICT in Primary Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dakich, Eva

This paper presents perceptions of four primary school teachers from two Victorian government primary schools about the barriers and catalyst for effective practices with ICT. Findings of the semi-structured qualitative interviews confirm results of previous studies indicating that access to reliable infrastructure, adequate technical support, and time pressures are still considered to be some of the most significant barriers to successful ICT integration in public schools. Teacher interviews however also reveal that the challenges of integrating ICT in teaching and learning can be counterbalanced by a number of variables, which include: owning a laptop, having access to ongoing professional learning, sharing effective practices, drawing on student expertise and being supported by a whole-school approach to teaching and learning with ICT.

California highway barrier aesthetics

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-06-01

This report will familiarize designers with current barrier design options, and encourage appropriate aesthetic considerations to develop visually pleasing context sensitive solutions for highway projects. Technical guidelines allow integral color, p...

Crossing the Barriers: An Analysis of Market Barriers to Geothermal Development and Potential Improvement Scenarios

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

Young, Katherine R; Levine, Aaron L; Cook, Jeffrey J

Developers have identified many non-technical barriers to geothermal power development, including market barriers. Understanding the challenges to market deployment of geothermal power is important since obtaining power purchase agreements is often cited as one of the largest barriers to geothermal development. This paper discusses the impacts to deployment caused by market challenges, including market demand, price of electricity, policies and incentives.

EVALUATION OF BARRIERS TO THE USE OF RADIATION-CURED COATINGS IN CAN MANUFACTURING

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study to investigate and identify the technical, educational, and economic barriers to the use and implementation of radiation-cured coatings in can manufacturing. The study is part of an EPA investigation of current industrial use and barriers to th...

Technical Report: Installed Cost Benchmarks and Deployment Barriers for

Science.gov Websites

Cost Benchmarks and Deployment Barriers for Residential Solar Photovoltaics with Energy Storage Q1 2016 Installed Cost Benchmarks and Deployment Barriers for Residential Solar with Energy Storage Researchers from NREL published a report that provides detailed component and system-level cost breakdowns for

Farmer Participation in U.S. Farm Bill Conservation Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reimer, Adam P.; Prokopy, Linda S.

2014-02-01

Conservation policy in agricultural systems in the United States relies primarily on voluntary action by farmers. Federal conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, offer incentives, both financial and technical, to farmers in exchange for adoption of conservation practices. Understanding motivations for (as well as barriers to) participation in voluntary programs is important for the design of future policy and effective outreach. While a significant literature has explored motivations and barriers to conservation practice adoption and participation in single programs, few studies in the U.S. context have explored general participation by farmers in one place and time. A mixed-methods research approach was utilized to explore farmer participation in all U.S. Farm Bill programs in Indiana. Current and past program engagement was high, with nearly half of survey respondents reporting participation in at least one program. Most participants had experience with the Conservation Reserve Program, with much lower participation rates in other programs. Most interview participants who had experience in programs were motivated by the environmental benefits of practices, with incentives primarily serving to reduce the financial and technical barriers to practice adoption. The current policy arrangement, which offers multiple policy approaches to conservation, offers farmers with different needs and motivations a menu of options. However, evidence suggests that the complexity of the system may be a barrier that prevents participation by farmers with scarce time or resources. Outreach efforts should focus on increasing awareness of program options, while future policy must balance flexibility of programs with complexity.

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

Ghosh, A.; Hsiung, S.M.; Chowdhury, A.H.

Long-term stability of emplacement drifts and potential near-field fluid flow resulting from coupled effects are among the concerns for safe disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW). A number of factors can induce drift instability or change the near-field flow patterns. Repetitive seismic loads from earthquakes and thermal loads generated by the decay of emplaced waste are two significant factors. One of two key technical uncertainties (KTU) that can potentially pose a high risk of noncompliance with the performance objectives of 10 CFR Part 60 is the prediction of thermal-mechanical (including repetitive seismic load) effects on stability of emplacement drifts andmore » the engineered barrier system. The second KTU of concern is the prediction of thermal-mechanical-hydrological (including repetitive seismic load) effects on the host rock surrounding the engineered barrier system. The Rock Mechanics research project being conducted at the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) is intended to address certain specific technical issues associated with these two KTUs. This research project has two major components: (i) seismic response of rock joints and a jointed rock mass and (ii) coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological (TMH) response of a jointed rock mass surrounding the engineered barrier system (EBS). This final report summarizes the research activities concerned with the repetitive seismic load aspect of both these KTUs.« less

Perceived barriers among physicians for stopping non-cost-effective blood-saving measures in total hip and total knee arthroplasties.

PubMed

Voorn, Veronique M A; Marang-van de Mheen, Perla J; Wentink, Manon M; Kaptein, Ad A; Koopman-van Gemert, Ankie W M M; So-Osman, Cynthia; Vliet Vlieland, Thea P M; Nelissen, Rob G H H; van Bodegom-Vos, Leti

2014-10-01

Despite evidence that the blood-saving measures (BSMs) erythropoietin (EPO) and intra- and postoperative blood salvage are not (cost-)effective in primary elective total hip and knee arthroplasties, they are used frequently in Dutch hospitals. This study aims to assess the impact of barriers associated with the intention of physicians to stop BSMs. A survey among 400 orthopedic surgeons and 400 anesthesiologists within the Netherlands was performed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify barriers associated with intention to stop BSMs. A total of 153 (40%) orthopedic surgeons and 100 (27%) anesthesiologists responded. Of all responders 67% used EPO, perioperative blood salvage, or a combination. After reading the evidence on non-cost-effective BSMs, 50% of respondents intended to stop EPO and 53% to stop perioperative blood salvage. In general, barriers perceived most frequently were lack of attention for blood management (90% of respondents), department priority to prevent transfusions (88%), and patient characteristics such as comorbidity (81%). Barriers significantly associated with intention to stop EPO were lack of interest to save money and the impact of other involved parties. Barriers significantly associated with intention to stop perioperative blood salvage were concerns about patient safety, lack of alternatives, losing experience with the technique, and lack of interest to save money. Physicians experience barriers to stop using BSMs, related to their own technical skills, patient safety, current blood management policy, and lack of interest to save money. These barriers should be targeted in strategies to make BSM use cost-effective. © 2014 AABB.

10 CFR 50.36 - Technical specifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier. (C) Criterion 3. A structure, system... integrity of a fission product barrier. (D) Criterion 4. A structure, system, or component which operating...

Effects of Benthic Barriers on Macroinvertebrate Communities

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-01

Aquatic Plant Control Research Program Effects of Benthic Barriers on Macroinvertebrate Communities by Barry S. Payne, Andrew C. Miller Environmental...Plant Control Technical Report A-93-5Resear h Program Oct ber 1993 Effects of Benthic Barriers on Macroinvertebrate Communities by Barry S. Payne...Effects of benthic barriers on macroinvertebrate communities / by Barry S. Payne, Andrew C. Miller, [and] Thomas Ussery ; prepared for U.S. Army Corps of

Multiple-Barrier Resonant Tunneling Structures for Application in a Microwave Generator Stabilized by Microstrip Resonator

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-06-23

conductivity ( NDC ) effects in double barrier resonant tunneling structures (DBRTS) prove the extremely fast frequency response of charge transport (less...UNCLASSIFIED Defense Technical Information Center Compilation Part Notice ADP013131 TITLE: Multiple-Barrier Resonant Tunneling Structures for...Institute Multiple-barrier resonant tunneling structures for application in a microwave generator stabilized by microstrip resonator S. V. Evstigneev, A. L

HCO3(-) formation from CO2 at high pH: ab initio molecular dynamics study.

PubMed

Stirling, András

2011-12-15

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to study the dissolution of CO2 in water at high pH. The CO2 + OH(-) --> HCO3(-) forward and the HCO3(-) --> CO2 + OH(-) reverse paths have been simulated by employing the metadynamics technics. We have found that the free energy barrier along the forward direction is predominantly hydration related and significantly entropic in origin, whereas the backward barrier is primarily enthalpic. The main motifs in the forward mechanism are the structural diffusion of the hydroxyl ion to the first hydration sphere of CO2, its desolvation, and the C-O bond formation in concert with the CO2 bending within the hydrate cavity. In the reverse reaction, the origin of the barrier is the rupture of the strong C-O(H) bond. The present findings support the notion that the free energy barrier of the bicarbonate formation is strongly solvation related but provide also additional mechanistic details at the molecular level.

Is There a Foreign Language Barrier in Engineering Research?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawks, Carla; And Others

Perception and effects of foreign language publications in engineering research are examined. Through the use of both survey and archival sources, including coverage in major scientific and technical databases as vended by DIALOG, various aspects of the foreign language barrier were measured. A foreign language barrier is said to exist when…

Understanding critical barriers to implementing a clinical information system in a nursing home through the lens of a socio-technical perspective.

PubMed

Or, Calvin; Dohan, Michael; Tan, Joseph

2014-09-01

This paper addresses key barriers to implementing a clinical information system (CIS) in a Hong Kong nursing home setting, from a healthcare specific socio-technical perspective. Data was collected through field observations (n = 12) and semi-structured individual interviews (n = 18) of CIS stakeholders in a Hong Kong nursing home, and analyzed using the immersion/crystallization approach. Complex interactions relevant to our case were contextualized and interpreted within the perspective of the Sittig-Singh Healthcare Socio-Technical Framework (HSTF). Three broad clusters of implementation barriers from the eight HSTF dimensions were identified: (a) Infrastructure-based barriers, which relate to conflict between government regulations and system functional needs of users; lack of financial support; inconsistency between workflow, work policy, and procedures; and inadequacy of hardware-software infrastructural and technical support; (b) Process-based barriers, which relate to mismatch between the technology, existing work practice and workflow, and communication; low system speed, accessibility, and stability; deficient computer literacy; more experience in health care profession; clinical content inadequacy and unavailability; as well as poor system usefulness and user interface design; and (c) Outcome-based barriers, which relate to the lack of measurement and monitoring of system effectiveness. Two additional dimensions underlining the importance of the ability of a CIS to change are proposed to extend the Sittig-Singh HSTF. First, advocacy would promote the articulation and influence of changes in the system and subsequent outcomes by CIS stakeholders, and second, adaptability would ensure the ability of the system to adjust to emerging needs. The broad set of discovered implementation shortcomings expands prior research on why CIS can fail in nursing home settings. Moreover, our investigation offers a knowledge base and recommendations that can serve as a guide for future implementation strategies and policies in CIS initiatives.

Marketing medical devices in Japan.

PubMed

Ohashi, J

1998-01-01

The control of medical devices in Japan has recently undergone significant changes as the country brings its systems into line with those of the United States and Europe. This article discusses pre-market approval, quality system requirements and post-market surveillance. Many technical issues have been harmonized but language is likely to continue to be a barrier to trade. Details of information services that are available to foreign manufacturers and importers are supplied.

Technical Assistance Project Map | State, Local, and Tribal Governments |

Science.gov Websites

), NREL provides research to help stakeholders understand challenges and barriers to the development of offers various types of technical assistance to state and local governments. Clear All Filter by: State (0) All states Year (0) All years Type (0) All types Category (0) All categories Technical Assistance

Addressing Barriers to the Development and Adoption of Rapid Diagnostic Tests in Global Health.

PubMed

Miller, Eric; Sikes, Hadley D

Immunochromatographic rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have demonstrated significant potential for use as point-of-care diagnostic tests in resource-limited settings. Most notably, RDTs for malaria have reached an unparalleled level of technological maturity and market penetration, and are now considered an important complement to standard microscopic methods of malaria diagnosis. However, the technical development of RDTs for other infectious diseases, and their uptake within the global health community as a core diagnostic modality, has been hindered by a number of extant challenges. These range from technical and biological issues, such as the need for better affinity agents and biomarkers of disease, to social, infrastructural, regulatory and economic barriers, which have all served to slow their adoption and diminish their impact. In order for the immunochromatographic RDT format to be successfully adapted to other disease targets, to see widespread distribution, and to improve clinical outcomes for patients on a global scale, these challenges must be identified and addressed, and the global health community must be engaged in championing the broader use of RDTs.

Addressing Barriers to the Development and Adoption of Rapid Diagnostic Tests in Global Health

PubMed Central

Miller, Eric; Sikes, Hadley D.

2015-01-01

Immunochromatographic rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have demonstrated significant potential for use as point-of-care diagnostic tests in resource-limited settings. Most notably, RDTs for malaria have reached an unparalleled level of technological maturity and market penetration, and are now considered an important complement to standard microscopic methods of malaria diagnosis. However, the technical development of RDTs for other infectious diseases, and their uptake within the global health community as a core diagnostic modality, has been hindered by a number of extant challenges. These range from technical and biological issues, such as the need for better affinity agents and biomarkers of disease, to social, infrastructural, regulatory and economic barriers, which have all served to slow their adoption and diminish their impact. In order for the immunochromatographic RDT format to be successfully adapted to other disease targets, to see widespread distribution, and to improve clinical outcomes for patients on a global scale, these challenges must be identified and addressed, and the global health community must be engaged in championing the broader use of RDTs. PMID:26594252

Instrumentation and control of harmonic oscillators via a single-board microprocessor-FPGA device.

PubMed

Picone, Rico A R; Davis, Solomon; Devine, Cameron; Garbini, Joseph L; Sidles, John A

2017-04-01

We report the development of an instrumentation and control system instantiated on a microprocessor-field programmable gate array (FPGA) device for a harmonic oscillator comprising a portion of a magnetic resonance force microscope. The specific advantages of the system are that it minimizes computation, increases maintainability, and reduces the technical barrier required to enter the experimental field of magnetic resonance force microscopy. Heterodyne digital control and measurement yields computational advantages. A single microprocessor-FPGA device improves system maintainability by using a single programming language. The system presented requires significantly less technical expertise to instantiate than the instrumentation of previous systems, yet integrity of performance is retained and demonstrated with experimental data.

Instrumentation and control of harmonic oscillators via a single-board microprocessor-FPGA device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picone, Rico A. R.; Davis, Solomon; Devine, Cameron; Garbini, Joseph L.; Sidles, John A.

2017-04-01

We report the development of an instrumentation and control system instantiated on a microprocessor-field programmable gate array (FPGA) device for a harmonic oscillator comprising a portion of a magnetic resonance force microscope. The specific advantages of the system are that it minimizes computation, increases maintainability, and reduces the technical barrier required to enter the experimental field of magnetic resonance force microscopy. Heterodyne digital control and measurement yields computational advantages. A single microprocessor-FPGA device improves system maintainability by using a single programming language. The system presented requires significantly less technical expertise to instantiate than the instrumentation of previous systems, yet integrity of performance is retained and demonstrated with experimental data.

The Development of 2700-3000 F Environmental Barrier Coatings for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites: Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming

2015-01-01

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) and SiCSiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) systems will play a crucial role in future turbine engines for hot-section component applications because of their ability to significantly increase engine operating temperatures, reduce engine weight and cooling requirements. The development of prime-reliant environmental barrier coatings is a key to enable the applications of the envisioned 2700-3000F EBC - CMC systems to help achieve next generation engine performance and durability goals. This paper will primarily address the performance requirements and design considerations of environmental barrier coatings for turbine engine applications. The emphasis is placed on current NASA candidate environmental barrier coating systems for SiCSiC CMCs, their performance benefits and design limitations in long-term operation and combustion environments. The efforts have been also directed to developing prime-reliant, self-healing 2700F EBC bond coat; and high stability, lower thermal conductivity, and durable EBC top coats. Major technical barriers in developing environmental barrier coating systems, the coating integrations with next generation CMCs having the improved environmental stability, cyclic durability, erosion-impact resistance, and long-term system performance will be described. The research and development opportunities for turbine engine environmental barrier coating systems by utilizing improved compositions, state-of-the-art processing methods, and simulated environment testing and durability modeling will be discussed.

Application of the modified transient plane source technique for early detection of liquid explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bateman, Robert; Harris, Adam; Lee, Linda; Howle, Christopher R.; Ackermann, Sarah L. G.

2016-05-01

The paper will review the feasibility of adapting the Modified Transient Plane Source (MTPS) method as a screening tool for early-detection of explosives and hazardous materials. Materials can be distinguished from others based on their inherent thermal properties (e.g. thermal effusivity) in testing through different types of barrier materials. A complimentary advantage to this technique relative to other traditional detection technologies is that it can penetrate reflective barrier materials, such as aluminum, easily. A strong proof-of-principle is presented on application of the MTPS transient thermal property measuring in the early-screening of liquid explosives. The work demonstrates a significant sensitivity to distinguishing a wide range of fluids based on their thermal properties through a barrier material. The work covers various complicating factors to the longer-term adoption of such a method including the impact of carbonization and viscosity. While some technical challenges remain, the technique offers significant advantages in complimenting existing detection methods in being able to penetrate reflective metal containers (e.g. aluminum soft drinkscans) with ease.

Sociotechnical challenges to developing technologies for patient access to health information exchange data

PubMed Central

Ancker, Jessica S; Miller, Melissa C; Patel, Vaishali; Kaushal, Rainu

2014-01-01

Background Providing patients with access to their medical data is widely expected to help educate and empower them to manage their own health. Health information exchange (HIE) infrastructures could potentially help patients access records across multiple healthcare providers. We studied three HIE organizations as they developed portals to give consumers access to HIE data previously exchanged only among healthcare organizations. Objective To follow the development of new consumer portal technologies, and to identify barriers and facilitators to patient access to HIE data. Methods Semistructured interviews of 15 key informants over a 2-year period spanning the development and early implementation of three new projects, coded according to a sociotechnical framework. Results As the organizations tried to develop functionality that fully served the needs of both providers and patients, plans were altered by technical barriers (primarily related to data standardization) and cultural and legal issues surrounding data access. Organizational changes also played an important role in altering project plans. In all three cases, patient access to data was significantly scaled back from initial plans. Conclusions This prospective study revealed how sociotechnical factors previously identified as important in health information technology success and failure helped to shape the evolution of three novel consumer informatics projects. Barriers to providing patients with seamless access to their HIE data were multifactorial. Remedies will have to address technical, organizational, cultural, and other factors. PMID:24064443

Barriers to the widespread adoption of health data standards: an exploratory qualitative study in tertiary healthcare organizations in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alkraiji, Abdullah; Jackson, Thomas; Murray, Ian

2013-04-01

Although health data standards are perceived to be the essential solution for interoperability barriers within medical IT systems, the level of adoption of those standards still remains frustratingly low. Little is known about the barriers facing their adoption within the healthcare organizations context. In addressing this gap in the literature, based on IT related standards adoption theories such as Diffusion of Innovation Theory and the theories surrounding the Economics of Standards, a qualitative multiple-case study was undertaken in Saudi Arabia to investigate those barriers. The results exposed that few standards were adopted because of four broad reasons, managerial, technical, educational and governmental. While some of the findings can be rooted to those related standards theories, others can be underpinned through the normative literature. Core barriers are the lack of a national regulator and a data exchange plan, and the lack of an adequate policy regarding medical IT systems and information management and national healthcare system; also important are technical barriers and the switching costs to the standards. The outcome of this study can be used in forming effective interventions when planning to use health data standards and, in particular those in developing countries.

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...

FY2013 Energy Storage R&D Progress Report

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

none,

2014-02-01

The FY 2013 Progress Report for Energy Storage R&D focuses on advancing the development of batteries to enable a large market penetration of hybrid and electric vehicles. Program targets focus on overcoming technical barriers to enable market success including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost, (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability), (3) reducing battery weight & volume, and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit, overcharge, and crush.

FY2015 Energy Storage R&D Annual Progress Report

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

None, None

The Energy Storage research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles. Program targets focus on overcoming technical barriers to enable market success including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost, (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability), (3) reducing battery weight & volume, and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit, overcharge, and crush.

Dose Rate Calculation of TRU Metal Ingot in Pyroprocessing - 12202

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

Lee, Yoon Hee; Lee, Kunjai

Spent fuel management has been a main problem to be solved for continuous utilization of nuclear energy. Spent fuel management policy of Korea is 'Wait and See'. It is focused on Pyro-process and SFR (Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor) for closed-fuel cycle research and development in Korea. For peaceful use of nuclear facilities, the proliferation resistance has to be proved. Proliferation resistance is one of key constraints in the deployment of advanced nuclear energy systems. Non-proliferation and safeguard issues have been strengthening internationally. Barriers to proliferation are that reduces desirability or attractiveness as an explosive and makes it difficult to gain accessmore » to the materials, or makes it difficult to misuse facilities and/or technologies for weapons applications. Barriers to proliferation are classified into intrinsic and extrinsic barriers. Intrinsic barrier is inherent quality of reactor materials or the fuel cycle that is built into the reactor design and operation such as material and technical barriers. As one of the intrinsic measures, the radiation from the material is considered significantly. Therefore the radiation of TRU metal ingot from the pyro-process was calculated using ORIGEN and MCNP code. (authors)« less

Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical Environment

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

P. Dixon

2004-04-26

The conceptual and predictive models documented in this Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical Environment Model report describe the evolution of the physical and chemical conditions within the waste emplacement drifts of the repository. The modeling approaches and model output data will be used in the total system performance assessment (TSPA-LA) to assess the performance of the engineered barrier system and the waste form. These models evaluate the range of potential water compositions within the emplacement drifts, resulting from the interaction of introduced materials and minerals in dust with water seeping into the drifts and with aqueous solutions forming bymore » deliquescence of dust (as influenced by atmospheric conditions), and from thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) processes in the drift. These models also consider the uncertainty and variability in water chemistry inside the drift and the compositions of introduced materials within the drift. This report develops and documents a set of process- and abstraction-level models that constitute the engineered barrier system: physical and chemical environment model. Where possible, these models use information directly from other process model reports as input, which promotes integration among process models used for total system performance assessment. Specific tasks and activities of modeling the physical and chemical environment are included in the technical work plan ''Technical Work Plan for: In-Drift Geochemistry Modeling'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 166519]). As described in the technical work plan, the development of this report is coordinated with the development of other engineered barrier system analysis model reports.« less

Independent technical support for the frozen soil barrier installation and operation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (F1 Site)

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

Looney, Brian B.; Jackson, Dennis G.; Truex, Michael J.

TEPCO is implementing a number of water countermeasures to limit the releases and impacts of contaminated water to the surrounding environment. The diverse countermeasures work together in an integrated manner to provide different types, and several levels, of protection. In general, the strategy represents a comprehensive example of a “defense in depth” concept that is used for nuclear facilities around the world. One of the key countermeasures is a frozen soil barrier encircling the damaged reactor facilities. The frozen barrier is intended to limit the flow of water into the area and provide TEPCO the ability to reduce the amountmore » of contaminated water that requires treatment and storage. The National Laboratory team supports the selection of artificial ground freezing and the incorporation of the frozen soil barrier in the contaminated water countermeasures -- the technical characteristics of a frozen barrier are relatively well suited to the Fukushima-specific conditions and the need for inflow reduction. Further, our independent review generally supports the TEPCO/Kajima design, installation strategy and operation plan.« less

Challenges in Commercializing Biomimetic Membranes

PubMed Central

Perry, Mark; Madsen, Steen Ulrik; Jørgensen, Tine; Braekevelt, Sylvie; Lauritzen, Karsten; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus

2015-01-01

The discovery of selective water channel proteins—aquaporins—has prompted growing interest in using these proteins, as the building blocks for designing new types of membranes. However, as with any other new and potentially disruptive technology, barriers for successful market entry exist. One category includes customer-related barriers, which can be influenced to some extent. Another category includes market-technical-related barriers, which can be very difficult to overcome by an organization/company aiming at successfully introducing their innovation on the market—in particular if both the organization and the technology are at early stages. Often, one faces barriers from both these categories at the same time, which makes it necessary to gain insight of the particular market when introducing a new innovative product. In this review we present the basic concepts and discuss some of these barriers and challenges associated with introducing biomimetic aquaporin membranes. These include technical issues in membrane production and product testing. Then we discuss possible business models for introducing new technologies in general, followed by a presentation of beach-head market segments relevant for biomimetic aquaporin membranes. PMID:26556379

Challenges in Commercializing Biomimetic Membranes.

PubMed

Perry, Mark; Madsen, Steen Ulrik; Jørgensen, Tine; Braekevelt, Sylvie; Lauritzen, Karsten; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus

2015-11-05

The discovery of selective water channel proteins-aquaporins-has prompted growing interest in using these proteins, as the building blocks for designing new types of membranes. However, as with any other new and potentially disruptive technology, barriers for successful market entry exist. One category includes customer-related barriers, which can be influenced to some extent. Another category includes market-technical-related barriers, which can be very difficult to overcome by an organization/company aiming at successfully introducing their innovation on the market-in particular if both the organization and the technology are at early stages. Often, one faces barriers from both these categories at the same time, which makes it necessary to gain insight of the particular market when introducing a new innovative product. In this review we present the basic concepts and discuss some of these barriers and challenges associated with introducing biomimetic aquaporin membranes. These include technical issues in membrane production and product testing. Then we discuss possible business models for introducing new technologies in general, followed by a presentation of beach-head market segments relevant for biomimetic aquaporin membranes.

Facilitating 3D Virtual World Learning Environments Creation by Non-Technical End Users through Template-Based Virtual World Instantiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chang; Zhong, Ying; Ozercan, Sertac; Zhu, Qing

2013-01-01

This paper presents a template-based solution to overcome technical barriers non-technical computer end users face when developing functional learning environments in three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW). "iVirtualWorld," a prototype of a platform-independent 3DVW creation tool that implements the proposed solution, facilitates 3DVW…

The Development of Metal Oxide Chemical Sensing Nanostructures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, G. W.; VanderWal,R. L.; Xu, J. C.; Evans, L. J.; Berger, G. M.; Kulis, M. J.

2008-01-01

This paper discusses sensor development based on metal oxide nanostructures and microsystems technology. While nanostructures such as nanowires show significant potential as enabling materials for chemical sensors, a number of significant technical challenges remain. This paper discusses development to address each of these technical barriers: 1) Improved contact and integration of the nanostructured materials with microsystems in a sensor structure; 2) Control of nanostructure crystallinity to allow control of the detection mechanism; and 3) Widening the range of gases that can be detected by fabricating multiple nanostructured materials. A sensor structure composed of three nanostructured oxides aligned on a single microsensor has been fabricated and tested. Results of this testing are discussed and future development approaches are suggested. It is concluded that while this work lays the foundation for further development, these are the beginning steps towards realization of repeatable, controlled sensor systems using oxide based nanostructures.

Bringing Down the Barriers to Information Transfer (L’Abaissement des Barrieres s’Opposant au Transfert de l’Information)

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

FRANCE AGARD CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS 505 Bringing down the Barriers to Information Transfer (LAbaissement des Barrires s’Opposant au ’Transfert de ...NEUILLY SUR SEINE FRANCE AGARD CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS 505 Bringing down the Barriers to Information Transfer (LAbaissement des Barri~res s’Opposant au...Transfert de I’Information) Papers presented at the Technical Information Panel Specialists’ Meeting held at the Instituto Nacional de Industria, Madrid

NASA's Pursuit of Low-Noise Propulsion for Low-Boom Commercial Supersonic Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bridges, James; Brown, Clifford A.; Seidel, Jonathan A.

2018-01-01

Since 2006, when the Fundamental Aeronautics Program was instituted within NASA's Aeronautics Mission Directorate, there has been a Project looking at the technical barriers to commercial supersonic flight. Among the barriers is the noise produced by aircraft during landing and takeoff. Over the years that followed, research was carried out at NASA aeronautics research centers, often in collaboration with academia and industry, addressing the problem. In 2013, a high-level milestone was established, described as a Technical Challenge, with the objective of demonstrating the feasibility of a low-boom supersonic airliner that could meet current airport noise regulations. The Technical Challenge was formally called "Low Noise Propulsion for Low Boom Aircraft", and was completed in late 2016. This paper reports the technical findings from this Technical Challenge, reaching back almost 10 years to review the technologies and tools that were developed along the way. It also discusses the final aircraft configuration and propulsion systems required for a supersonic civilian aircraft to meet noise regulations using the technologies available today. Finally, the paper documents the model-scale tests that validated the acoustic performance of the study aircraft.

NASA's Pursuit of Low-Noise Propulsion for Low-Boom Commercial Supersonic Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bridges, James; Brown, Clifford A.; Seidel, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Since 2006, when the Fundamental Aeronautics Program was instituted within NASA's Aeronautics Mission Directorate, there has been a Project looking at the technical barriers to commercial supersonic flight. Among the barriers is the noise produced by aircraft during landing and takeoff. Over the years that followed, research was carried out at NASA aeronautics research centers, often in collaboration with academia and industry, addressing the problem. In 2013, a high-level milestone was established, described as a Technical Challenge, with the objective of demonstrating the feasibility of a low-boom supersonic airliner that could meet current airport noise regulations. The Technical Challenge was formally called a Low Noise Propulsion for Low Boom Aircraft and was completed in late 2016. This paper reports the technical findings from this Technical Challenge, reaching back almost 10 years to review the technologies and tools that were developed along the way. It also discusses the final aircraft configuration and propulsion systems required for a supersonic civilian aircraft to meet noise regulations using the technologies available today. Finally, the paper documents the model-scale tests that validated the acoustic performance of the study aircraft.

Telemedicine: legal and licensure issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Michael B.; Whelan, Leo J.

1995-10-01

The National Information Infrastructure program offers a great opportunity for the United States to capitalize on remarkable technological advancements over a broad range of applications benefiting society. One such application, telemedicine, has the potential to offer widespread access to sophisticated medical care, curtailed health care delivery costs, and homogeneous health and health-related educational opportunities. However, there are a variety of barriers to widespread application of telemedicine once the technical infrastructure of the information highway is well established and ubiquitous. These barriers include technical limitations, reimbursement issues, equipment and networking costs, and appropriate scientific studies to document efficacy and cost effectiveness. These issues may prove to be only transient disincentives which can be surmounted. Additional barriers exist, however, that may not be as readily resolved by traditional methods of analysis and more widespread practice applications. These political and regulatory obstacles will require clarification of the issues and solutions based on national consensus. It is the purpose of this discussion to amplify on these particular barriers which include licensure and tort jurisdiction.

A Review of Hydrogen/Halogen Flow Cells

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

Cho, Kyu Taek; Tucker, Michael C.; Weber, Adam Z.

Flow batteries provide an energy-storage solution for various grid-related stability and service issues that arise as renewable-energy-generation technologies are adopted. Among the most promising flow-battery systems are those using hydrogen/halogen redox couples, which promise the possibility of meeting the cost target of the US Department of Energy (DOE), due to their fast and reversible kinetics and low materials cost. However, significant critical issues and barriers for their adoption remain. In this review of halogen/hydrogen systems, technical and performance issues, and research and development progress are reviewed. The information in this review can be used as a technical guide for researchmore » and development of related redox-flow-battery systems and other electrochemical technologies.« less

A Review of Hydrogen/Halogen Flow Cells

DOE PAGES

Cho, Kyu Taek; Tucker, Michael C.; Weber, Adam Z.

2016-05-17

Flow batteries provide an energy-storage solution for various grid-related stability and service issues that arise as renewable-energy-generation technologies are adopted. Among the most promising flow-battery systems are those using hydrogen/halogen redox couples, which promise the possibility of meeting the cost target of the US Department of Energy (DOE), due to their fast and reversible kinetics and low materials cost. However, significant critical issues and barriers for their adoption remain. In this review of halogen/hydrogen systems, technical and performance issues, and research and development progress are reviewed. The information in this review can be used as a technical guide for researchmore » and development of related redox-flow-battery systems and other electrochemical technologies.« less

Functions of an engineered barrier system for a nuclear waste repository in basalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coons, W. E.; Moore, E. L.; Smith, M. J.; Kaser, J. D.

1980-01-01

The functions of components selected for an engineered barrier system for a nuclear waste repository in basalt are defined providing a focal point for barrier material research and development by delineating the purpose and operative lifetime of each component of the engineered system. A five component system (comprised of waste form, canister, buffer, overpack, and tailored backfill) is discussed. Redundancy is provided by subsystems of physical and chemical barriers which act in concert with the geology to provide a formidable barrier to transport of hazardous materials to the biosphere. The barrier system is clarified by examples pertinent to storage in basalt, and a technical approach to barrier design and material selection is proposed.

Evaluation of ternary blended cements for use in transportation concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilliland, Amanda Louise

This thesis investigates the use of ternary blended cement concrete mixtures for transportation structures. The study documents technical properties of three concrete mixtures used in federally funded transportation projects in Utah, Kansas, and Michigan that used ternary blended cement concrete mixtures. Data were also collected from laboratory trial batches of ternary blended cement concrete mixtures with mixture designs similar to those of the field projects. The study presents the technical, economic, and environmental advantages of ternary blended cement mixtures. Different barriers of implementation for using ternary blended cement concrete mixtures in transportation projects are addressed. It was concluded that there are no technical, economic, or environmental barriers that exist when using most ternary blended cement concrete mixtures. The technical performance of the ternary blended concrete mixtures that were studied was always better than ordinary portland cement concrete mixtures. The ternary blended cements showed increased durability against chloride ion penetration, alkali silica reaction, and reaction to sulfates. These blends also had less linear shrinkage than ordinary portland cement concrete and met all strength requirements. The increased durability would likely reduce life cycle costs associated with concrete pavement and concrete bridge decks. The initial cost of ternary mixtures can be higher or lower than ordinary portland cement, depending on the supplementary cementitious materials used. Ternary blended cement concrete mixtures produce less carbon dioxide emissions than ordinary portland cement mixtures. This reduces the carbon footprint of construction projects. The barriers associated with implementing ternary blended cement concrete for transportation projects are not significant. Supplying fly ash returns any investment costs for the ready mix plant, including silos and other associated equipment. State specifications can make designing ternary blended cements more acceptable by eliminating arbitrary limitations for supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) use and changing to performance-based standards. Performance-based standards require trial batching of concrete mixture designs, which can be used to optimize ternary combinations of portland cement and SCMs. States should be aware of various SCMs that are appropriate for the project type and its environment.

Structure and content of chronic kidney disease information on the World Wide Web: barriers to public understanding of a pandemic.

PubMed

Calderón, José Luis; Zadshir, Ashraf; Norris, Keith

2004-10-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a pandemic and the need to inform those at risk has never been more important. The World Wide Web (WWW) is no w considered a key source of health information, but the quality and utility of this information has been challenged. In this article, we assess structural, content, and linguistic barriers to accessed CKD information and discuss the implications of limited Internet access to communicating health. Technical (number of hyperlinks), content (number of six core CKD and risk factor information domains included), and linguistic (readability and variation in readability) barriers were assessed for websites offered by 12 kidney disease associations. The Flesch Reading Ease Index method was used to estimate readability scores, and variation in the readability of information was assessed. Eleven websites met inclusion criteria. Six of 11 websites provided information in all 6 domains of CKD information. A mean of 4 hyperlinks (range 3-5) was clicked before CKD information was available and a mean of 6 hyperlinks (range 4-12) was clicked to access all available CKD information. Mean readability scores for all six domains of CKD information exceeded national average literacy skills and far exceeded the 5th grade level readability desired for informing vulnerable populations. Information about CKD and diabetes consistently had higher readability scores. The WWW currently has little utility for informing populations at greatest risk for CKD. Barriers to accessing CKD information on the WWW are socioeconomic, technical, and linguistic. Having lower socioeconomic status, less access to computers and the WWW, multiple website hyperlinks, incomplete information, difficult readability, and significant variation in readability of CKD information on the WWW are social, structural, and content barriers to communicating CKD information. This may contribute to the growing epidemics of diminished public understanding about CKD, and disparities in CKD health status experienced by racial/ethnic minority populations globally.

Technical Standards for Nursing Education Programs in the 21st Century.

PubMed

Ailey, Sarah H; Marks, Beth

The Institute of Medicine (2000, 2002) exposed serious safety problems in the health system and called for total qualitative system change. The Institute of Medicine (2011, 2015) also calls for improving the education of nurses to provide leadership for a redesigned health system. Intertwined with improving education is the need to recruit and retain diverse highly qualified students. Disability is part of diversity inclusion, but current technical standards (nonacademic requirements) for admission to many nursing programs are a barrier to the entry of persons with disabilities. Rehabilitation nurse leaders are in a unique position to improve disability diversity in nursing. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of disability diversity in nursing. The history of existing technical standards used in many nursing programs is reviewed along with examples. On the basis of the concept that disability inclusion is a part of diversity inclusion, we propose a new model of technical standards for nursing education. Rehabilitation nurse leaders can lead in eliminating barriers to persons with disabilities entering nursing.

Community Engagement Compared With Technical Assistance to Disseminate Depression Care Among Low-Income, Minority Women: A Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Study

PubMed Central

Sherbourne, Cathy; Chung, Bowen; Tang, Lingqi; Wright, Aziza L.; Whittington, Yolanda; Wells, Kenneth; Miranda, Jeanne

2016-01-01

Objectives. To compare the effectiveness of a (CEP) versus a technical assistance approach (Resources for Services, or RS) to disseminate depression care for low-income ethnic minority women. Methods. We conducted secondary analyses of intervention effects for largely low-income, minority women subsample (n = 595; 45.1% Latino and 45.4% African American) in a matched, clustered, randomized control trial conducted in 2 low-resource communities in Los Angeles, California, between 2010 and 2012. Outcomes assessed included mental health, socioeconomic factors, and service use at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Results. Although we found no intervention difference for depressive symptoms, there were statistically significant effects for mental health quality of life, resiliency, homelessness risk, and financial difficulties at 6 months, as well as missed work days, self-efficacy, and care barriers at 12 months favoring CEP relative to RS. CEP increased use of outpatient substance abuse services and faith-based depression visits at 6 months. Conclusions. Engaging health care and social community programs may offer modest improvements on key functional and socioeconomic outcomes, reduce care barriers, and increase engagement in alternative depression services for low-income, predominantly ethnic minority women. PMID:27552274

On-site infiltration of a copper roof runoff: role of clinoptilolite as an artificial barrier material.

PubMed

Athanasiadis, Konstantinos; Helmreich, Brigitte; Horn, Harald

2007-08-01

On-site infiltration may be considered as a promising way of managing rainwater runoffs in urban areas, provided the hydrological and ecological conditions allow infiltration, and provided there is adequate treatment of the contaminants to avoid a risk of soil and groundwater pollution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the application of a new technical infiltration system equipped with clinoptilolite as an artificial barrier material for the treatment of the copper roof runoff of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. During the 2-yr sampling period, 30 rain events were examined. The cover material of the roof and the drainage system was responsible for the high copper concentrations in the roof runoff. The rain height and the rain intensity were of great significance regarding the establishment of the copper runoff rate. The technical infiltration system applied was able to reduce the copper from the roof runoff by a factor up to 96%. The mean measured copper concentration in percolation water was lower than the critical value of 50 microg/l set by the German Federal Soil Protection Act and Ordinance, indicating no risk for soil and groundwater contamination.

"State of the Art" of technical protection measures in Austria and the effectiveness documented during bedload and debris flow events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, Markus; Mehlhorn, Susanne; Rudolf-Miklau, Florian; Suda, Jürgen

2017-04-01

Since the beginning of systematic torrent control in Austria 130 years ago, barriers are constructed for protection purposes. Until the end of the 1960s, solid barriers were built at the exits of depositional areas to prevent dangerous debris flows from reaching high consequence areas. The development of solid barriers with large slots or slits to regulate sediment transport began with the use of reinforced concrete during the 1970s (Rudolf-Miklau, Suda 2011). In order to dissipate the energy of debris flows debris flow breakers have been designed since the 1980s. By slowing and depositing the surge front of the debris flow, downstream reaches of the stream channel and settlement areas should be exposed to considerably lower dynamic impact. In the past, the technological development of these constructions was only steered by the experiences of the engineering practice while an institutionalized process of standardization comparable to other engineering branches was not existent. In future all structures have to be designed and dimensioned according to the EUROCODE standards. This was the reason to establish an interdisciplinary working group (ON-K 256) at the Austrian Standards Institute (ASI), which has managed to developed comprehensive new technical standards for torrent control engineering, including load models, design, dimensioning and life cycle assessment of torrent control works (technical standard ONR 24800 - series). Extreme torrential events comprise four definable displacement processes floods; fluvial solid transport; hyper-concentrated solid transport (debris floods) and debris flow (stony debris flow or mud-earth flow). As a rule, the design of the torrential barriers has to follow its function (Kettl, 1984). Modern protection concepts in torrent control are scenario-oriented and try to optimize different functions in a chain of protections structures (function chain). More or less the first step for the designing the optimal construction type is the definition of the displacement processes for each torrent section. The criteria for each process are defined in the technical standard ONR 24800 - series in Austria. According to ONR 24800 the functions of torrential barriers can be divided in process control functional types (retention; dosing and filtering; energy dissipation). The last step is the designing of the construction type. Bedload and debris events in Austria showed the functionality of the barriers. On the basis of these findings and results, some recommendations were derived to improve the function fulfilment of the technical protection measures.

EVALUATION OF BARRIERS TO THE USE OF RADIATION CURED COATINGS IN WIDE-WEB FLEXOGRAPHIC PRINTING

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study to investigate and identify the technical, economic, and educational barriers to the use and implementation of radiation-curable coatings (primarily ultraviolet (UV) curable inks) in the wide-web flexographic printing industry. (NOTE: In suppor...

BARRIERS TO THE USE OF RADIATION-CURABLE ADHESIVES IN THE COATED AND LAMINATED SUBSTRATE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of an investigation of barriers to the use of radiation-cured technology in the coated and laminated substrate manufacturing industry. t presents information gathered from radiation-curable coating and equipment suppliers as well as technical publications....

Barriers to Women Entering the Workforce: Sexual Harassment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Joan D.; And Others

1992-01-01

One of four research projects designed to examine barriers to the entrance of women into nontraditional careers, the study summarized here examined the attitudes held by 638 New Jersey high school students, teachers, and other professionals at comprehensive and vocational-technical high schools toward sexual harassment. Study participants were…

78 FR 5860 - Eighth Meeting: RTCA Next Gen Advisory Committee (NAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-28

...] Preliminary report to identify and mitigate barriers to implementing PBN. Issues associated with Implementing RNAV/RNP [cir] An open discussion by the Committee of Non-technical barriers of PBN procedures... NextGen. Cat Ex 2 Task Group [cir] Preliminary report on the recommendation for implementing new...

Multisectoral Strategies for Advancing Girls' Education: Principles and Practice. SAGE Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Howard

This paper describes issues, experiences, and strategies used in developing successful multisectoral partnerships to advance girls' education, using Guinea and Morocco as examples. Chapter 1 introduces the issue, discussing barriers to girls' education and describing the multisectoral response to interrelated barriers. Chapter 2 defines the…

Theranostic quantum dots for crossing blood–brain barrier in vitro and providing therapy of HIV-associated encephalopathy

PubMed Central

Xu, Gaixia; Mahajan, Supriya; Roy, Indrajit; Yong, Ken-Tye

2013-01-01

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a complex physiological checkpoint that restricts the free diffusion of circulating molecules from the blood into the central nervous system. Delivering of drugs and other active agents across the BBB is one of the major technical challenges faced by scientists and medical practitioners. Therefore, development of novel methodologies to address this challenge holds the key for both the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases, such as HIV-associated encephalopathy. Bioconjugated quantum dots (QDs) are excellent fluorescent probes and nano-vectors, being designed to transverse across the BBB and visualize drug delivery inside the brain. This paper discusses the use of functionalized QDs for crossing the blood–brain barrier and treating brain disease. We highlight the guidelines for using in vitro BBB models for brain disease studies. The theranostic QDs offers a strategy to significantly improve the effective dosages of drugs to transverse across the BBB and orientate to the targets inside the brain. PMID:24298256

Strategies for Internationalisation at Technical Universities in the Nordic Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristensen, Katrine Hahn; Karlsen, Jan Erik

2018-01-01

This article investigates strategies for internationalisation at technical universities in the Nordic countries. The study explores the institutional rationales for internationalisation, the stories told in the strategy documents, the importance of leaders, faculty, administration and students for implementation of the strategy, and barriers and…

Category mistakes: A barrier to effective environmental management.

PubMed

Wallace, Ken J; Jago, Mark

2017-09-01

How entities, the things that exist, are defined and categorised affects all aspects of environmental management including technical descriptions, quantitative analyses, participatory processes, planning, and decisions. Consequently, ambiguous definitions and wrongly assigning entities to categories, referred to as category mistakes, are barriers to effective management. Confusion caused by treating the term 'biodiversity' variously as the property of an area, the biota of an area, and a preferred end state (a value) - quite different categories of entities - is one example. To overcome such difficulties, we develop and define four entity categories - elements, processes, properties, and values - and two derived categories - states and systems. We argue that adoption of these categories and definitions will significantly improve environmental communication and analysis, and thus strengthen planning and decision-making. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthcare e-commerce: connecting with patients.

PubMed

Joslyn, J S

2001-01-01

Electronically connecting with patients is a challenging frontier at which technical hurdles are probably exceeded by political, legal, and other barriers. The rise of consumerism, however, compels a response focused more on revenue and strategic advantage than on pure cost savings. Among the difficulties faced by providers is choosing among various models of connectivity and component function. Emerging models include "free-floating" personal medical records largely independent of the office-based physician, systems with compatible and intertwined physician and consumer relationships using an application services provider office practice system, and systems that connect patients and providers through e-mail, office triage, prescription refills, scheduling, and so on. This article discusses these and other combinations of technology that significantly overcome the barriers involved and that may be woven together to provide solutions uniquely suited to various competitive situations.

Hemodiafiltration: Technical and Clinical Issues.

PubMed

Ronco, Claudio

2015-01-01

Hemodiafiltration (HDF) seems to represent the gold standard in the field of replacement of renal function by dialysis. High convective fluxes have been correlated with better clinical outcomes. Sometimes, however, there are technical barriers to the achievement of high blood flows adequate to perform effective convective therapies. In spite of optimized procedures, the progressive increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP), the blood viscosity due to hemoconcentration and blood path resistance sometimes becomes inevitable. We propose two possible solutions that can be operated automatically via specific software in the dialysis machine: predilution on demand and backflush on demand. Predilution on demand consists in an automatic feedback of the machine, diverting part of the filtered dialysate into a predilution mode with an infusion of 200 ml in 30 s while the ultrafiltration pump stops. This produces a sudden hemodilution with a return of the parameters to acceptable values. The performance of the filter improves, and the pressure alterations are mitigated. Backflush on demand consists in an automatic feedback of the machine triggered by the TMP control, producing a positive pressure in the dialysate compartment due to a stop of filtration and rapid infusion of at least 100 ml of ultrapure dialysate into the hollow fiber. This not only produces a significant hemodilution, but also backflushes the membrane pores detaching protein layers and improving membrane permeability. These are two examples of how technology will permit to overcome technical barriers to a widespread diffusion of HDF and adequate convective dose delivery. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Institutional and environmental aspects of geothermal energy development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Citron, O. R.

1977-01-01

Until recently, the majority of work in geothermal energy development has been devoted to technical considerations of resource identification and extraction technologies. The increasing interest in exploiting the variety of geothermal resources has prompted an examination of the institutional barriers to their introduction for commercial use. A significant effort was undertaken by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a part of a national study to identify existing constraints to geothermal development and possible remedial actions. These aspects included legislative and legal parameters plus environmental, social, and economic considerations.

Navigating Community College Transfer in Science, Technical, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Packard, Becky Wai-Ling; Gagnon, Janelle L.; Senas, Arleen J.

2012-01-01

Given financial barriers facing community college students today, and workforce projections in science, technical, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, the costs of unnecessary delays while navigating transfer pathways are high. In this phenomenological study, we analyzed the delay experiences of 172 students (65% female) navigating community…

Improving Cancer-Related Outcomes with Connected Health - Action Items at a Glance

Cancer.gov

Action Item 1.1: Health IT stakeholder groups should continue to collaborate to overcome policy and technical barriers to a nationwide, interoperable health IT system. Action Item 1.2: Technical standards for information related to cancer care across the continuum should be developed, tested, disseminated, and adopted.

UAS Integration into the NAS Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Jeff

2010-01-01

The goal of the UAS Integration in the NAS Project is to contribute capabilities that reduce technical barriers related to the safety and operational challenges associated with enabling routine UAS access to the NAS This goal will be accomplished through a two-phased approach of system-level integration of key concepts, technologies and/or procedures, and demonstrations of integrated capabilities in an operationally relevant environment. Technical objectives include: PHASE 1: a) Validating the key technical areas identified by this project. System-level analyses, a State of the Art Analysis (SOAA), and a ConOps will identify the challenges and barriers preventing routine UAS access to the NAS. b) Developing a national roadmap and gap analysis identifying specific deliverables in the area of operations, procedures, and technologies that will impact future policy decisions. PHASE 2: a) Provide regulators with a methodology for developing airworthiness requirements for UAS and data to support development of certifications standards and regulatory guidance. b) Provide systems-level integrated testing of concepts and/or capabilities that address barriers to routine access to the NAS. Through simulation and flight testing, address issues including separation assurance, communications requirements, and Pilot Aircraft Interfaces (PAIs) in operationally relevant environments

Barriers to the Integration of Computers in Early Childhood Settings: Teachers' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikolopoulou, Kleopatra; Gialamas, Vasilis

2015-01-01

This study investigated teachers' perceptions of barriers to using - integrating computers in early childhood settings. A 26-item questionnaire was administered to 134 early childhood teachers in Greece. Lack of funding, lack of technical and administrative support, as well as inadequate training opportunities were among the major perceived…

Training as an E-Commerce Enabler.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darch, Helen; Lucas, Trevor

2002-01-01

An investigation into lack of skills and awareness as barriers to the use of electronic commerce by 20 small- to medium enterprises within the food industry in Queensland, Australia, found that lack of knowledge and technical skills and structural issues are barriers. A range of training and development strategies are needed. (Contains 20…

EVALUATION OF BARRIERS TO THE USE OF RADIATION-CURED AND HOT MELT COATINGS IN COATED AND LAMINATED SUBSTRATE MANUFACTURING

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study to investigate and identify the technical, educational, and economic barriers to the use and implementation of radiation-cured and hot melt coatings in coated and laminated substrate manufacturing. (NOTE: In support of EPA's Source Reduction Re...

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

Alderfer, B.; Eldridge, M.; Starrs, T.

Distributed power is modular electric generation or storage located close to the point of use. Based on interviews of distributed generation project proponents, this report reviews the barriers that distributed generators of electricity are encountering when attempting to interconnect to the electrical grid. Descriptions of 26 of 65 case studies are included in the report. The survey found and the report describes a wide range of technical, business-practice, and regulatory barriers to interconnection. An action plan for reducing the impact of these barriers is also included.

Development of Reliability Based Life Prediction Methods for Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coatings in Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Ashwin

2001-01-01

Literature survey related to the EBC/TBC (environmental barrier coating/thermal barrier coating) fife models, failure mechanisms in EBC/TBC and the initial work plan for the proposed EBC/TBC life prediction methods development was developed as well as the finite element model for the thermal/stress analysis of the GRC-developed EBC system was prepared. Technical report for these activities is given in the subsequent sections.

Effect of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy on Negative Career Thoughts of Students in Technical Colleges in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ogbuanya, Theresa Chinyere; Eseadi, Chiedu; Orji, Chibueze Tobias; Anyanwu, Joy I; Ede, Moses Onyemaechi; Bakare, Jimoh

2018-04-01

Negative career thoughts are cognitive barriers that interfere with an individual's career decision-making and successful career development. The current study examined the effect of rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on negative career thoughts of students in technical colleges in Nigeria. The study utilized a pretest-posttest control group design. One hundred and seventy-three participants from technical colleges in the Southeast zone of the country completed a measure of career thoughts at pretest, posttreatment, and follow-up: the College Students' Career Thoughts Scale. An REBT career program manual guided the intervention for 12 weeks. Data collected were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance, chi-square, and t-test. Results show that the negative career thoughts of the REBT group participants were significantly reduced relative to a waitlist control group at the end of the intervention. Follow-up tests conducted after three months and six months revealed that the significant decrease in negative career thoughts of the REBT group participants was sustained. The outcomes of the current study suggest that REBT is an invaluable group therapy for assisting college students in overcoming negative thoughts associated with career choice and decision. It would be helpful if further longitudinal evaluation were implemented in Nigeria and in other countries to evaluate whether and how an REBT-based program can improve vocational maturity and vocational identity of technical college students.

Potential for cogeneration of heat and electricity in California industry, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, H. S.; Gurfield, R. M.; Moretti, V. C.; Slonski, M. L.

1978-01-01

Information collected during an industrial survey of 12 selected plants was organized into four categories: technical, economic, environmental, and institutional. The technical aspects of industrial cogeneration are examined on a site-specific basis. The site-specific economics, environmental constraints, and institutional barriers that impact industrial cogeneration will be further investigated.

School-to-Work Transition of Career and Technical Education Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Packard, Becky Wai-Ling; Leach, Miki; Ruiz, Yedalis; Nelson, Consuelo; DiCocco, Hannah

2012-01-01

This study analyzed the career development of career and technical education (CTE) high school graduates during their school-to-work transition, specifically their adaptability in the face of barriers. Forty graduates (22 men, 18 women) from working-class backgrounds participated in baseline surveys at graduation and phenomenological interviews 1…

Transforming Education Research Through Open Video Data Sharing.

PubMed

Gilmore, Rick O; Adolph, Karen E; Millman, David S; Gordon, Andrew

2016-01-01

Open data sharing promises to accelerate the pace of discovery in the developmental and learning sciences, but significant technical, policy, and cultural barriers have limited its adoption. As a result, most research on learning and development remains shrouded in a culture of isolation. Data sharing is the rare exception (Gilmore, 2016). Many researchers who study teaching and learning in classroom, laboratory, museum, and home contexts use video as a primary source of raw research data. Unlike other measures, video captures the complexity, richness, and diversity of behavior. Moreover, because video is self-documenting, it presents significant potential for reuse. However, the potential for reuse goes largely unrealized because videos are rarely shared. Research videos contain information about participants' identities making the materials challenging to share. The large size of video files, diversity of formats, and incompatible software tools pose technical challenges. The Databrary (databrary.org) digital library enables researchers who study learning and development to store, share, stream, and annotate videos. In this article, we describe how Databrary has overcome barriers to sharing research videos and associated data and metadata. Databrary has developed solutions for respecting participants' privacy; for storing, streaming, and sharing videos; and for managing videos and associated metadata. The Databrary experience suggests ways that videos and other identifiable data collected in the context of educational research might be shared. Open data sharing enabled by Databrary can serve as a catalyst for a truly multidisciplinary science of learning.

Transforming Education Research Through Open Video Data Sharing

PubMed Central

Gilmore, Rick O.; Adolph, Karen E.; Millman, David S.; Gordon, Andrew

2016-01-01

Open data sharing promises to accelerate the pace of discovery in the developmental and learning sciences, but significant technical, policy, and cultural barriers have limited its adoption. As a result, most research on learning and development remains shrouded in a culture of isolation. Data sharing is the rare exception (Gilmore, 2016). Many researchers who study teaching and learning in classroom, laboratory, museum, and home contexts use video as a primary source of raw research data. Unlike other measures, video captures the complexity, richness, and diversity of behavior. Moreover, because video is self-documenting, it presents significant potential for reuse. However, the potential for reuse goes largely unrealized because videos are rarely shared. Research videos contain information about participants’ identities making the materials challenging to share. The large size of video files, diversity of formats, and incompatible software tools pose technical challenges. The Databrary (databrary.org) digital library enables researchers who study learning and development to store, share, stream, and annotate videos. In this article, we describe how Databrary has overcome barriers to sharing research videos and associated data and metadata. Databrary has developed solutions for respecting participants’ privacy; for storing, streaming, and sharing videos; and for managing videos and associated metadata. The Databrary experience suggests ways that videos and other identifiable data collected in the context of educational research might be shared. Open data sharing enabled by Databrary can serve as a catalyst for a truly multidisciplinary science of learning. PMID:28042361

Barriers to exotic weed management

Treesearch

Faith T. Campbell

1998-01-01

In order to increase effective efforts to reduce the impacts of invasive alien plant species· on our natural areas, we must overcome numerous barriers. Some of these are technical in nature, e.g., determining the most appropriate control method for a specific species in a particular ecosystem, or devising a better program to exclude new invasive plant species from our...

Small Groups in a Social Learning MOOC (sIMOOC): Strategies for Fostering Learning and Knowledge Creation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krasny, Marianne E.; DuBois, Bryce; Adameit, Mechthild; Atiogbe, Ronnie; Alfakihuddin, Muhammad Lukman Baihaqi; Bold-erdene, Tergel; Golshani, Zahra; González-González, Rodrigo; Kimirei, Ishmael; Leung, Yamme; Shian-Yun, Lo; Yao, Yue

2018-01-01

Social support and face-to-face learning may enhance outcomes for students who face barriers in accessing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This study investigated how self-identified volunteer leaders guide and foster interactions among small groups of students who face technical and conceptual barriers in accessing MOOC content. Several…

Identifying Knowledge Sharing Barriers in the Collaboration of Traditional and Western Medicine Professionals in Chinese Hospitals: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Lihong; Nunes, Miguel Baptista

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a research project that aims at identifying knowledge sharing (KS) barriers between traditional and western medicine practitioners co-existing and complementing each other in Chinese healthcare organisations. The study focuses on the tacit aspects of patient knowledge, rather than the traditional technical information shared…

High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor for Rotorcraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Medic, Gorazd; Sharma, Om P.; Jongwook, Joo; Hardin, Larry W.; McCormick, Duane C.; Cousins, William T.; Lurie, Elizabeth A.; Shabbir, Aamir; Holley, Brian M.; Van Slooten, Paul R.

2017-01-01

A centrifugal compressor research effort conducted by United Technologies Research Center under NASA Research Announcement NNC08CB03C is documented. The objectives were to identify key technical barriers to advancing the aerodynamic performance of high-efficiency, high work factor, compact centrifugal compressor aft-stages for turboshaft engines; to acquire measurements needed to overcome the technical barriers and inform future designs; to design, fabricate, and test a new research compressor in which to acquire the requisite flow field data. A new High-Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor stage -- splittered impeller, splittered diffuser, 90 degree bend, and exit guide vanes -- with aerodynamically aggressive performance and configuration (compactness) goals were designed, fabricated, and subquently tested at the NASA Glenn Research Center.

Identifying and overcoming the constraints that prevent the full implementation of decommissioning and remediation programs in uranium mining sites.

PubMed

Franklin, Mariza Ramalho; Fernandes, Horst Monken

2013-05-01

Environmental remediation of radioactive contamination is about achieving appropriate reduction of exposures to ionizing radiation. This goal can be achieved by means of isolation or removal of the contamination source(s) or by breaking the exposure pathways. Ideally, environmental remediation is part of the planning phase of any industrial operation with the potential to cause environmental contamination. This concept is even more important in mining operations due to the significant impacts produced. This approach has not been considered in several operations developed in the past. Therefore many legacy sites face the challenge to implement appropriate remediation plans. One of the first barriers to remediation works is the lack of financial resources as environmental issues used to be taken in the past as marginal costs and were not included in the overall budget of the company. This paper analyses the situation of the former uranium production site of Poços de Caldas in Brazil. It is demonstrated that in addition to the lack of resources, other barriers such as the lack of information on site characteristics, appropriate regulatory framework, funding mechanisms, stakeholder involvement, policy and strategy, technical experience and mechanism for the appropriation of adequate technical expertise will play key roles in preventing the implementation of remediation programs. All these barriers are discussed and some solutions are suggested. It is expected that lessons learned from the Poços de Caldas legacy site may stimulate advancement of more sustainable options in the development of future uranium production centers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing Vehicle Weight and Improving U.S. Energy Efficiency Using Integrated Computational Materials Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joost, William J.

2012-09-01

Transportation accounts for approximately 28% of U.S. energy consumption with the majority of transportation energy derived from petroleum sources. Many technologies such as vehicle electrification, advanced combustion, and advanced fuels can reduce transportation energy consumption by improving the efficiency of cars and trucks. Lightweight materials are another important technology that can improve passenger vehicle fuel efficiency by 6-8% for each 10% reduction in weight while also making electric and alternative vehicles more competitive. Despite the opportunities for improved efficiency, widespread deployment of lightweight materials for automotive structures is hampered by technology gaps most often associated with performance, manufacturability, and cost. In this report, the impact of reduced vehicle weight on energy efficiency is discussed with a particular emphasis on quantitative relationships determined by several researchers. The most promising lightweight materials systems are described along with a brief review of the most significant technical barriers to their implementation. For each material system, the development of accurate material models is critical to support simulation-intensive processing and structural design for vehicles; improved models also contribute to an integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) approach for addressing technical barriers and accelerating deployment. The value of computational techniques is described by considering recent ICME and computational materials science success stories with an emphasis on applying problem-specific methods.

Space Electrochemical Research and Technology Conference: Abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The objectives of the conference were to examine current technologies, research efforts, and advanced ideas, and to identify technical barriers which affect the advancement of electrochemical energy storage systems for space applications. Papers were presented and workshops were conducted in four technical areas: advanced concepts, hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells and electrolyzers, the nickel electrode, and advanced rechargeable batteries.

[White House Conference on Aging, 1981. Employment. Report and Executive Summary of the Technical Committee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sykes, James T.; And Others

This Technical Committee Report on Employment begins with a discussion of trends in work and retirement, examines attitudes toward work and retirement, and describes the economic and social consequences of work. An analysis of the present situation focuses on: (1) employment barriers and opportunities; (2) cost of employment; (3) productivity and…

Technical and Vocational Education and Training and the Labour Market in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Eli

2006-01-01

The aim of this report is to contribute to a better understanding of the current status of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for human resources development (HRD) and the labour market in Israel. It describes the role and involvement of the various sectors in HRD and identifies the barriers, challenges, priorities, initiatives…

Incentives and Barriers That Influence Clinical Computerization in Hong Kong: A Population-based Physician Survey

PubMed Central

Leung, Gabriel M.; Yu, Philip L. H.; Wong, Irene O. L.; Johnston, Janice M.; Tin, Keith Y. K.

2003-01-01

Objective: Given the slow adoption of medical informatics in Hong Kong and Asia, we sought to understand the contributory barriers and potential incentives associated with information technology implementation. Design and Measurements: A representative sample of 949 doctors (response rate = 77.0%) was asked through a postal survey to rank a list of nine barriers associated with clinical computerization according to self-perceived importance. They ranked seven incentives or catalysts that may influence computerization. We generated mean rank scores and used multidimensional preference analysis to explore key explanatory dimensions of these variables. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to identify homogenous subgroups of respondents. We further determined the relationships between the sets of barriers and incentives/catalysts collectively using canonical correlation. Results: Time costs, lack of technical support and large capital investments were the biggest barriers to computerization, whereas improved office efficiency and better-quality care were ranked highest as potential incentives to computerize. Cost vs. noncost, physician-related vs. patient-related, and monetary vs. nonmonetary factors were the key dimensions explaining the barrier variables. Similarly, within-practice vs external and “push” vs “pull” factors accounted for the incentive variables. Four clusters were identified for barriers and three for incentives/catalysts. Canonical correlation revealed that respondents who were concerned with the costs of computerization also perceived financial incentives and government regulation to be important incentives/catalysts toward computerization. Those who found the potential interference with communication important also believed that the promise of improved care from computerization to be a significant incentive. Conclusion: This study provided evidence regarding common barriers associated with clinical computerization. Our findings also identified possible incentive strategies that may be employed to accelerate uptake of computer systems. PMID:12595409

Impedance analysis of GPCR-mediated changes in endothelial barrier function: overview, and fundamental considerations for stable and reproducible measurements

PubMed Central

Stolwijk, Judith A.; Matrougui, Khalid; Renken, Christian W.; Trebak, Mohamed

2014-01-01

The past 20 years have seen significant growth in using impedance-based assays to understand the molecular underpinning of endothelial and epithelial barrier function in response to physiological agonists, pharmacological and toxicological compounds. Most studies on barrier function use G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists which couple to fast and transient changes in barrier properties. The power of impedance based techniques such as Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) reside in its ability to detect minute changes in cell layer integrity label-free and in real-time ranging from seconds to days. We provide a comprehensive overview of the biophysical principles, applications and recent developments in impedance-based methodologies. Despite extensive application of impedance analysis in endothelial barrier research little attention has been paid to data analysis and critical experimental variables, which are both essential for signal stability and reproducibility. We describe the rationale behind common ECIS data presentation and interpretation and illustrate practical guidelines to improve signal intensity by adapting technical parameters such as electrode layout, monitoring frequency or parameter (resistance versus impedance magnitude). Moreover, we discuss the impact of experimental parameters, including cell source, liquid handling and agonist preparation on signal intensity and kinetics. Our discussions are supported by experimental data obtained from human microvascular endothelial cells challenged with three GPCR agonists, thrombin, histamine and Sphingosine-1-Phosphate. PMID:25537398

Impedance analysis of GPCR-mediated changes in endothelial barrier function: overview and fundamental considerations for stable and reproducible measurements.

PubMed

Stolwijk, Judith A; Matrougui, Khalid; Renken, Christian W; Trebak, Mohamed

2015-10-01

The past 20 years has seen significant growth in using impedance-based assays to understand the molecular underpinning of endothelial and epithelial barrier function in response to physiological agonists and pharmacological and toxicological compounds. Most studies on barrier function use G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists which couple to fast and transient changes in barrier properties. The power of impedance-based techniques such as electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) resides in its ability to detect minute changes in cell layer integrity label-free and in real-time ranging from seconds to days. We provide a comprehensive overview of the biophysical principles, applications, and recent developments in impedance-based methodologies. Despite extensive application of impedance analysis in endothelial barrier research, little attention has been paid to data analysis and critical experimental variables, which are both essential for signal stability and reproducibility. We describe the rationale behind common ECIS data presentation and interpretation and illustrate practical guidelines to improve signal intensity by adapting technical parameters such as electrode layout, monitoring frequency, or parameter (resistance versus impedance magnitude). Moreover, we discuss the impact of experimental parameters, including cell source, liquid handling, and agonist preparation on signal intensity and kinetics. Our discussions are supported by experimental data obtained from human microvascular endothelial cells challenged with three GPCR agonists, thrombin, histamine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate.

Barriers to Participation of Women in Technological Education and the Role of Distance Education. Occasional Paper No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Karen

Throughout the world, women are underrepresented in technical fields as a result of the segmentation of the labor market and the internalization of expectations for women. Distance education can make an important contribution in overcoming barriers to women's participation in technology in the developed and developing world. The Open University in…

Identifying the Barriers upon Development of Virtual Education in Engineering Majors (Case Study: The University of Isfahan)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikoonezhad, Sepideh; Nili, Mohammadreza; Esfahani, Ahmadreza Nasr

2015-01-01

The present study aims at investigating barriers upon development of virtual education in engineering majors at the University of Isfahan. The study has applied a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) and its population consists all of the department members of the technical and engineering majors at the University of Isfahan including 125…

Human Rights and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

PubMed Central

Jürgens, Ralf; Lim, Hyeyoung; Timberlake, Susan; Smith, Matthew

2017-01-01

Abstract The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was created to greatly expand access to basic services to address the three diseases in its name. From its beginnings, its governance embodied some human rights principles: civil society is represented on its board, and the country coordination mechanisms that oversee funding requests to the Global Fund include representatives of people affected by the diseases. The Global Fund’s core strategies recognize that the health services it supports would not be effective or cost-effective without efforts to reduce human rights-related barriers to access and utilization of health services, particularly those faced by socially marginalized and criminalized persons. Basic human rights elements were written into Global Fund grant agreements, and various technical support measures encouraged the inclusion in funding requests of programs to reduce human rights-related barriers. A five-year initiative to provide intensive technical and financial support for the scaling up of programs to reduce these barriers in 20 countries is ongoing. PMID:29302175

Consumer Engagement in Health IT: Distinguishing Rhetoric from Reality

PubMed Central

Gold, Marsha; Hossain, Mynti; Mangum, Amy

2015-01-01

Rationale: Policymakers want health information technology (health IT) to support consumer engagement to help achieve national health goals. In this paper, we review the evidence to compare the rhetoric with the reality of current practice. Current Reality and Barriers: Our environmental scan shows that consumer demand exists for electronic access to personal health information, but that technical and system or political barriers still limit the value of the available information and its potential benefits. Conclusions and Policy Implications: There is a gap between current reality and the goals for consumer engagement. Actions that may help bridge this gap include: (1) resolving technical barriers to health information exchange (HIE); (2) developing more consumer-centric design and functionality; (3) reinforcing incentives that attract provider support by showing that consumer engagement is in their interest; and (4) building a stronger empirical case to convince decision makers that consumer engagement will lead to better care, improved health outcomes, and lower costs. PMID:26665120

Advanced Thermal Barrier and Environmental Barrier Coating Development at NASA GRC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Robinson, Craig

2017-01-01

This presentation summarizes NASA's advanced thermal barrier and environmental barrier coating systems, and the coating performance improvements that has recently been achieved and documented in laboratory simulated rig test conditions. One of the emphases has been placed on the toughness and impact resistance enhancements of the low conductivity, defect cluster thermal barrier coating systems. The advances in the next generation environmental barrier coatings for SiCSiC ceramic matrix composites have also been highlighted, particularly in the design of a new series of oxide-silicate composition systems to be integrated with next generation SiC-SiC turbine engine components for 2700F coating applications. Major technical barriers in developing the thermal and environmental barrier coating systems are also described. The performance and model validations in the rig simulated turbine combustion, heat flux, steam and calcium-magnesium-aluminosilicate (CMAS) environments have helped the current progress in improved temperature capability, environmental stability, and long-term fatigue-environment system durability of the advanced thermal and environmental barrier coating systems.

The re-emergence of natural products for drug discovery in the genomics era.

PubMed

Harvey, Alan L; Edrada-Ebel, RuAngelie; Quinn, Ronald J

2015-02-01

Natural products have been a rich source of compounds for drug discovery. However, their use has diminished in the past two decades, in part because of technical barriers to screening natural products in high-throughput assays against molecular targets. Here, we review strategies for natural product screening that harness the recent technical advances that have reduced these barriers. We also assess the use of genomic and metabolomic approaches to augment traditional methods of studying natural products, and highlight recent examples of natural products in antimicrobial drug discovery and as inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. The growing appreciation of functional assays and phenotypic screens may further contribute to a revival of interest in natural products for drug discovery.

Evaluation of Flight Attendant Technical Knowledge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunbar, Melisa G.; Chute, Rebecca D.; Rosekind, Mark (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Accident and incident reports have indicated that flight attendants have numerous opportunities to provide the flight-deck crew with operational information that may prevent or lessen the severity of a potential problem. Additionally, as carrier fleets transition from three person to two person flight-deck crews, the reliance upon the cabin crew for the transfer of this information may increase further. Recent research indicates that flight attendants do not feel confident in their ability to describe mechanical parts or malfunctions of the aircraft, and the lack of flight attendant technical training has been referenced in a number of recent reports. Chute and Wiener describe five factors which may produce communication barriers between cockpit and cabin crews: the historical background of aviation, the physical separation of the two crews, psychosocial issues, regulatory factors, and organizational factors. By examining these areas of division we can identify possible bridges and address the implications of deficient cockpit/cabin communication on flight safety. Flight attendant operational knowledge may provide some mitigation of these barriers. The present study explored both flight attendant technical knowledge and flight attendant and pilot expectations of flight attendant technical knowledge. To assess the technical knowledge of cabin crewmembers, 177 current flight attendants from two U.S. carriers voluntarily completed a 13-item technical quiz. To investigate expectations of flight attendant technical knowledge, 181 pilots and a second sample of 96 flight attendants, from the same two airlines, completed surveys designed to capture each group's expectations of operational knowledge required of flight attendants. Analyses revealed several discrepancies between the present level of flight attendant operational knowledge and pilots' and flight attendants' expected and desired levels of technical knowledge. Implications for training will be discussed.

1969 Proceedings of the Technical Information Advisory Committee...

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Security Industrial Association, Washington, DC.

The meetings were set up to find ways to overcome the barriers that regulate or reduce the flow of scientific/Technical information and data to the user. Giving the user what he needs, when he needs it, and at a cost he can afford is the basic challenge faced by information services. Obtaining information depends on: (1) personal habits; (2)…

Bridges or Barriers: Analysis of Logodiversity in College Biology Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Rebecca S.

2011-01-01

When selecting a textbook, college instructors must weigh a variety of factors. One is whether the text is written at a level that is accessible to one's students. An important factor in this is how many technical words are used. I developed an index to calculate logodiversity, a term I coined that reflects the number of technical words and the…

[Understanding the non-use of long-lasting impregnated nets (LLINs) in Niger].

PubMed

Faye, S L

2012-01-01

In Niger, malaria is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among pregnant women and children under 5 years. To decrease these rates, the country initiated a prevention policy of free distribution of long-lasting impregnated nets (LLINs). However, improved physical access to this preventive tool has not led to its regular use in households. A nationally representative quantitative and qualitative survey sought to document the reasons for non-use. The results show that the possession of a LLIN is quite low and confirm the low utilization rate, with significant differences by region. Cultural beliefs are not the main barriers to the use of LLINs in Niger. Knowledge and social, technical, environmental and economic dimensions were all more decisive. These results suggest that while improving awareness and communication is important for changing behavior, it cannot alone remove certain socioeconomic barriers and improve LLIN use.

Removing barriers to educating children in foster care through interagency collaboration: a seven county multiple-case study.

PubMed

Weinberg, Lois A; Zetlin, Andrea; Shea, Nancy M

2009-01-01

This multiple-case study examines interagency collaboration between child protective services (CPS), local education agencies (LEAs), and other public agencies in seven California counties. These agencies were provided technical assistance to remove barriers impeding the education of children in foster care and improve their educational outcomes. Results of this study suggest that making changes to remove educational barriers for foster children and improve their educational outcomes requires successful collaboration between CPS and LEAs and strong leadership within at least one of the agencies.

Legal Barriers to the Growth of Health Information Exchange-Boulders or Pebbles?

PubMed

Mello, Michelle M; Adler-Milstein, Julia; Ding, Karen L; Savage, Lucia

2018-03-01

Policy Points: Historically, in addition to economic and technical hurdles, state and federal health information privacy laws have been cited as a significant obstacle to expanding electronic health information exchange (HIE) in the United States. Our review finds that over the past decade, several helpful developments have ameliorated the legal barriers to HIE, although variation in states' patient consent requirements remains a challenge. Today, health care providers' complaints about legal obstacles to HIE may be better understood as reflecting concerns about the economic and competitive risks of information sharing. Although the clinical benefits of exchanging patients' health information electronically across providers have long been recognized, participation in health information exchange (HIE) has lagged behind adoption of electronic health records. Barriers erected by federal and state health information privacy law have been cited as a leading reason for the slow progress. A comprehensive assessment of these issues has not been undertaken for nearly a decade, despite a number of salient legal developments. Analysis of federal and state health information privacy statutes and regulations and secondary materials. Although some legal barriers to HIE persist, many have been ameliorated-in some cases, simply through improved understanding of what the law actually requires. It is now clear that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act presents no obstacles to electronically sharing protected health information for treatment purposes and does not hold providers who properly disclose information liable for privacy breaches by recipients. The failure of federal efforts to establish a unique patient identifier number does slow HIE by inhibiting optimal matching of patient records, but other action to facilitate matching will be taken under the 21st Century Cures Act. The Cures Act also creates the legal architecture to begin to combat "information blocking." Varying patient consent requirements under federal and state law are the most important remaining legal barrier to HIE progress. However, federal rules relating to disclosure of substance-abuse treatment information were recently liberalized, and development of a technical standard, Data Segmentation for Privacy, or DS4P, now permits sensitive data requiring special handling to be segmented within a patient's record. Even with these developments, state-law requirements for patient consent remain daunting to navigate. Although patient consent requirements make HIE challenging, providers' expressed worries about legal barriers to participating in HIE likely primarily reflect concerns that are economically motivated. Lowering the cost of HIE or increasing financial incentives may boost provider participation more than further reducing legal barriers. © 2018 Milbank Memorial Fund.

Barriers and facilitators to home computer and internet use among urban novice computer users of low socioeconomic position.

PubMed

Kontos, Emily Z; Bennett, Gary G; Viswanath, K

2007-10-22

Despite the increasing penetration of the Internet and amount of online health information, there are significant barriers that limit its widespread adoption as a source of health information. One is the "digital divide," with people of higher socioeconomic position (SEP) demonstrating greater access and usage compared to those from lower SEP groups. However, as the access gap narrows over time and more people use the Internet, a shift in research needs to occur to explore how one might improve Internet use as well as website design for a range of audiences. This is particularly important in the case of novice users who may not have the technical skills, experience, or social connections that could help them search for health information using the Internet. The focus of our research is to investigate the challenges in the implementation of a project to improve health information seeking among low SEP groups. The goal of the project is not to promote health information seeking as much as to understand the barriers and facilitators to computer and Internet use, beyond access, among members of lower SEP groups in an urban setting. The purpose was to qualitatively describe participants' self-identified barriers and facilitators to computer and Internet use during a 1-year pilot study as well as the challenges encountered by the research team in the delivery of the intervention. Between August and November 2005, 12 low-SEP urban individuals with no or limited computer and Internet experience were recruited through a snowball sampling. Each participant received a free computer system, broadband Internet access, monthly computer training courses, and technical support for 1 year as the intervention condition. Upon completion of the study, participants were offered the opportunity to complete an in-depth semistructured interview. Interviews were approximately 1 hour in length and were conducted by the project director. The interviews were held in the participants' homes and were tape recorded for accuracy. Nine of the 12 study participants completed the semistructured interviews. Members of the research team conducted a qualitative analysis based on the transcripts from the nine interviews using the crystallization/immersion method. Nine of the 12 participants completed the in-depth interview (75% overall response rate), with three men and six women agreeing to be interviewed. Major barriers to Internet use that were mentioned included time constraints and family conflict over computer usage. The monthly training classes and technical assistance components of the intervention surfaced as the most important facilitators to computer and Internet use. The concept of received social support from other study members, such as assistance with computer-related questions, also emerged as an important facilitator to overall computer usage. This pilot study offers important insights into the self-identified barriers and facilitators in computer and Internet use among urban low-SEP novice users as well as the challenges faced by the research team in implementing the intervention.

Barriers to integrating information technology in Saudi Arabia science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Alwani, Abdulkareem Eid Salamah

This study examined current level of information technology integration in science education in the Yanbu school district in Saudi Arabia, and barriers to use. Sub-domains investigated included: infrastructure and resources, policy and support, science teachers' personal beliefs, and staff development. Survey determined demographic data and level of technology implementation, personal computer use, and current instructional practice. Mean frequency of information technology use was 1--2 times during a semester. Science teachers rated barriers limiting use of technology in teaching with a scale ranging from 0 (does not limit) to 3 (greatly limits). Results found all four factors were significant barriers: infrastructure and resources (M = 2.06; p < .001), staff development (M = 2.02; p <.001), policy and support (M = 1.84; p < .041) and science teachers' personal beliefs regarding technology (M = 1.15; p < .001). Regression analysis found that locations, level of training, teaching experience, and gender predicted frequency of use (F(3,168) = 3.63, R2 = .10, p < .014). Teachers who received in-service training programs used IT significantly more frequently than those who did not receive any training (t = 2.41, p = 0.017). Teachers who received both pre-service and in-service training used IT significantly more frequently than those who did not receive any training (t = 2.61, p = 0.01). Low technology users perceived that there was no support or incentives for using technology, while high technology users did not perceive these barriers (r = -0.18, p = .01). High technology users had positive personal beliefs about how information technology benefits learning, while low technology users held negative beliefs about technology use (r = -0.20, p = .003). The more barriers science teachers experienced, the less likely they were to be information technology users (r = -0.16, p = .02). There is a need for more computers in school, more teacher training, more time for teachers to learn to use technology, and more readily-available, technical support staff. Further studies are needed to represent all science teachers in Saudi Arabia, assess technology capacity of all schools, and assess in-service staff development strategies.

Creating an enabling environment for WR&R implementation.

PubMed

Stathatou, P-M; Kampragou, E; Grigoropoulou, H; Assimacopoulos, D; Karavitis, C; Gironás, J

2017-09-01

Reclaimed water is receiving growing attention worldwide as an effective solution for alleviating the growing water scarcity in many areas. Despite the various benefits associated with reclaimed water, water recycling and reuse (WR&R) practices are not widely applied around the world. This is mostly due to complex and inadequate local legal and institutional frameworks and socio-economic structures, which pose barriers to wider WR&R implementation. An integrated approach is therefore needed while planning the implementation of WR&R schemes, considering all the potential barriers, and aiming to develop favourable conditions for enhancing reclaimed water use. This paper proposes a comprehensive methodology supporting the development of an enabling environment for WR&R implementation. The political, economic, social, technical, legal and institutional factors that may influence positively (drivers) or negatively (barriers) WR&R implementation in the regional water systems are identified, through the mapping of local stakeholder perceptions. The identified barriers are further analysed, following a Cross-Impact/System analysis, to recognize the most significant barriers inhibiting system transition, and to prioritize the enabling instruments and arrangements that are needed to boost WR&R implementation. The proposed methodology was applied in the Copiapó River Basin in Chile, which faces severe water scarcity. Through the analysis, it was observed that barriers outweigh drivers for the implementation of WR&R schemes in the Copiapó River Basin, while the key barriers which could be useful for policy formulation towards an enabling environment in the area concern the unclear legal framework regarding the ownership of treated wastewater, the lack of environmental policies focusing on pollution control, the limited integration of reclaimed water use in current land use and development policies, the limited public awareness on WR&R, and the limited availability of governmental funding sources for WR&R.

The New Politics of US Health Care Prices: Institutional Reconfiguration and the Emergence of All-Payer Claims Databases.

PubMed

Rocco, Philip; Kelly, Andrew S; Béland, Daniel; Kinane, Michael

2017-02-01

Prices are a significant driver of health care cost in the United States. Existing research on the politics of health system reform has emphasized the limited nature of policy entrepreneurs' efforts at solving the problem of rising prices through direct regulation at the state level. Yet this literature fails to account for how change agents in the states gradually reconfigured the politics of prices, forging new, transparency-based policy instruments called all-payer claims databases (APCDs), which are designed to empower consumers, purchasers, and states to make informed market and policy choices. Drawing on pragmatist institutional theory, this article shows how APCDs emerged as the dominant model for reforming health care prices. While APCD advocates faced significant institutional barriers to policy change, we show how they reconfigured existing ideas, tactical repertoires, and legal-technical infrastructures to develop a politically and technologically robust reform. Our analysis has important implications for theories of how change agents overcome structural barriers to health reform. Copyright © 2017 by Duke University Press.

Vibration arthrometry: a critical review.

PubMed

Abbott, Steven C; Cole, Michael D

2013-01-01

The clinical value of sounds and vibrations produced by biological joints in motion has been studied extensively since 1902, aimed at developing a technology to aid the interpretation of recorded joint vibration signals. Such technology would have clear advantages to current medical imaging systems, e.g. MRI, in speed, cost, and non-invasiveness. However, it has yet to achieve routine clinical use. This review aims to provide a balanced analysis of past and present attempts to progress vibration arthrometry. The literature reveals significant barriers to successful implementation of vibration arthrometry. From a technical standpoint, accounting for the intense variability within recorded signals caused by shifting characteristics of contacting joint surfaces and forces during motion is the primary issue. Additionally, understandable scepticism in the clinical community as to the reliability of vibration arthrometry represents a significant barrier to adoption. In conclusion, until the variability issue is shown to be adequately dealt with, and clear transparent evidence of clinical usefulness to orthopedic medicine demonstrated, it will be difficult to move the field forward. Future work should lead toward proving value to clinicians, and be transparent about how the variability issue has been resolved.

Investigation of the prominent barriers to lean manufacturing implementation in Malaysian food and beverages industry using Rasch Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khusaini, N. S.; Ismail, A.; Rashid, A. A.

2016-02-01

This paper presents a preliminary study on the prominent barriers to lean manufacturing implementation in Malaysian Food and Beverages Industry. A survey was carried out to determine the most prominent barriers of lean manufacturing implementation that are currently being faced in this industry. The amount of barriers identified for this study is twenty seven. Out of 1309 available organizations, a total of 300 organizations have been randomly selected as respondents, and 53 organizations responded. From the variable map, the analysis shows that, the negative perception towards lean manufacturing top the list as the most agreeable barrier, while the technical barriers came after it. It can also be seen from the variable map that averagely, lack of vision and direction is the barrier that is being faced. Finally, this is perhaps the first attempt in investigating the prominent barriers to Lean Manufacturing implementation in Malaysian food and beverages industry using Rasch Model.

Managing barriers to empathy in the clinical encounter: a qualitative interview study with GPs.

PubMed

Derksen, Frans Awm; Olde Hartman, Tim C; Bensing, Jozien M; Lagro-Janssen, Antoine Lm

2016-12-01

Current daily general practice has become increasingly technical and somatically oriented (where attention to patients' feelings is decreased) due to an increase in protocol-based guidelines. Priorities in GP-patient communication have shifted from a focus on listening and empathy to task-oriented communication. To explore what barriers GPs experience when applying empathy in daily practice, and how these barriers are managed. Thirty Dutch GPs with sufficient heterogeneity in sex, age, type of practice, and rural or urban setting were interviewed. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) were applied. The verbatim transcripts were then analysed. According to participating GPs, the current emphasis on protocol-driven care can be a significant barrier to genuineness in communication. Other potential barriers mentioned were time pressures and constraints, and dealing with patients displaying 'unruly behaviour' or those with personality disorders. GPs indicated that it can be difficult to balance emotional involvement and professional distance. Longer consulting times, smaller practice populations, and efficient practice organisation were described as practical solutions. In order to focus on a patient-as-person approach, GPs strongly suggested that deviating from guidelines should be possible when necessary as an element of good-quality care. Joining intercollegiate counselling groups was also discussed. In addition to practical solutions for barriers to behaving empathically, GPs indicated that they needed more freedom to balance working with protocols and guidelines, as well as a patient-as-person and patient-as-partner approach. This balance is necessary to remain connected with patients and to deliver care that is truly personal. © British Journal of General Practice 2016.

Scaffold Translation: Barriers Between Concept and Clinic

PubMed Central

Murphy, William L.

2011-01-01

Translation of scaffold-based bone tissue engineering (BTE) therapies to clinical use remains, bluntly, a failure. This dearth of translated tissue engineering therapies (including scaffolds) remains despite 25 years of research, research funding totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, over 12,000 papers on BTE and over 2000 papers on BTE scaffolds alone in the past 10 years (PubMed search). Enabling scaffold translation requires first an understanding of the challenges, and second, addressing the complete range of these challenges. There are the obvious technical challenges of designing, manufacturing, and functionalizing scaffolds to fill the Form, Fixation, Function, and Formation needs of bone defect repair. However, these technical solutions should be targeted to specific clinical indications (e.g., mandibular defects, spine fusion, long bone defects, etc.). Further, technical solutions should also address business challenges, including the need to obtain regulatory approval, meet specific market needs, and obtain private investment to develop products, again for specific clinical indications. Finally, these business and technical challenges present a much different model than the typical research paradigm, presenting the field with philosophical challenges in terms of publishing and funding priorities that should be addressed as well. In this article, we review in detail the technical, business, and philosophical barriers of translating scaffolds from Concept to Clinic. We argue that envisioning and engineering scaffolds as modular systems with a sliding scale of complexity offers the best path to addressing these translational challenges. PMID:21902613

Barriers and facilitators to implementing electronic prescription: a systematic review of user groups' perceptions.

PubMed

Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Nsangou, Édith-Romy; Payne-Gagnon, Julie; Grenier, Sonya; Sicotte, Claude

2014-01-01

We conducted a systematic review identifying users groups' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementing electronic prescription (e-prescribing) in primary care. We included studies following these criteria: presence of an empirical design, focus on the users' experience of e-prescribing implementation, conducted in primary care, and providing data on barriers and facilitators to e-prescribing implementation. We used the Donabedian logical model of healthcare quality (adapted by Barber et al) to analyze our findings. We found 34 publications (related to 28 individual studies) eligible to be included in this review. These studies identified a total of 594 elements as barriers or facilitators to e-prescribing implementation. Most user groups perceived that e-prescribing was facilitated by design and technical concerns, interoperability, content appropriate for the users, attitude towards e-prescribing, productivity, and available resources. This review highlights the importance of technical and organizational support for the successful implementation of e-prescribing systems. It also shows that the same factor can be seen as a barrier or a facilitator depending on the project's own circumstances. Moreover, a factor can change in nature, from a barrier to a facilitator and vice versa, in the process of e-prescribing implementation. This review summarizes current knowledge on factors related to e-prescribing implementation in primary care that could support decision makers in their design of effective implementation strategies. Finally, future studies should emphasize on the perceptions of other user groups, such as pharmacists, managers, vendors, and patients, who remain neglected in the literature.

A quasi-Delphi study on technological barriers to the uptake of hydrogen as a fuel for transport applications-Production, storage and fuel cell drivetrain considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, David; Anghel, Alexandra T.; Huijsmans, Joep; Vuille, François

The introduction of hydrogen in transport, particularly using fuel cell vehicles, faces a number of technical and non-technical hurdles. However, their relative importance is unclear, as are the levels of concern accorded them within the expert community conducting research and development within this area. To understand what issues are considered by experts working in the field to have significant potential to slow down or prevent the introduction of hydrogen technology in transport, a study was undertaken, primarily during 2007. Three key technology areas within hydrogen transport were selected - hydrogen storage, fuel cell drivetrains, and small-scale hydrogen production - and interviews with selected experts conducted. Forty-nine experts from 34 organisations within the fuel cell, automotive, industrial gas and other related industries participated, in addition to some key academic and government figures. The survey was conducted in China, Japan, North America and Europe, and analysed using conventional mathematical techniques to provide weighted and averaged rankings of issues viewed as important by the experts. It became clear both from the interviews and the subsequent analysis that while a primary concern in China was fundamental technical performance, in the other regions cost and policy were rated more highly. Although a few individual experts identified possible technical showstoppers, the overall message was that pre-commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could realistically be on the road in tens of thousands within 5 years, and that full commercialisation could take place within 10-15 years, without the need for radical technical breakthroughs. Perhaps surprisingly, the performance of hydrogen storage technologies was not viewed as a showstopper, though cost was seen as a significant challenge. Overall, however, coherent policy development was more frequently identified as a major issue to address.

Panel Resource Management (PRM) Implementation and Effects within Safety Review Panel Settings and Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Robert W.; Nash, Sally K.

2007-01-01

While technical training and advanced degree's assure proficiency at specific tasks within engineering disciplines, they fail to address the potential for communication breakdown and decision making errors familiar to multicultural environments where language barriers, intimidating personalities and interdisciplinary misconceptions exist. In an effort to minimize these pitfalls to effective panel review, NASA's lead safety engineers to the ISS Safety Review Panel (SRP), and Payload Safety Review Panel (PSRP) initiated training with their engineers, in conjunction with the panel chairs, and began a Panel Resource Management (PRM) program. The intent of this program focuses on the ability to reduce the barriers inhibiting effective participation from all panel attendees by bolstering participants confidence levels through increased communication skills, situational awareness, debriefing, and a better technical understanding of requirements and systems.

Special Technology Area Review on Vacuum Electronics Technology for RF Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-12-12

systems. QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED AT THE STAR: 1. What are the RF applications and systems that will benefit from advances in Vacuum Electronic...technologies? What are the status and prospects of early insertion efforts? What is the impact if technology efforts are successful? 2. What are the RF...technical barriers best addressed by Vacuum Electronic technologies? What are the technology advancement needs and opportunities? Can the barriers

Addressing the Barriers to Agile Development in the Department of Defense: Program Structure, Requirements, and Contracting

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

approach directly contrast with the traditional DoD acquisition model designed for a single big-bang waterfall approach (Broadus, 2013). Currently...progress, reduce technical and programmatic risk, and respond to feedback and changes more quickly than traditional waterfall methods (Modigliani...requirements, and contracting. The DoD can address these barriers by utilizing a proactively tailored Agile acquisition model , implementing an IT Box

Advances in Permeable Reactive Barrier Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-08-01

technical methods, such as jetting and hydraulic fracturing , has improved the ability to access deeper aquifers. Table 1 describes the established and...34, Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL. Hydraulic Fracturing 120 A series of wells are installed along the length of the PRB. A vertical fracture is...especially helpful with deep instal- lation methods, such as hydraulic fracturing , where the barrier installed is just a few inches thick. A second, new type

Road Safety Barriers, the Need and Influence on Road Traffic Accidents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butāns, Ž.; Gross, K. A.; Gridnevs, A.; Karzubova, E.

2015-11-01

Constantly increasing intensity of road traffic and the allowed speed limits seem to impose stronger requirements on road infrastructure and use of road safety systems. One of the ways to improve road safety is the use of road restraint systems. Road safety barriers allow not only reducing the number of road traffic accidents, but also lowering the severity of accidents. The paper provides information on the technical requirements of road safety barriers. Various types of road safety barriers and their selection criteria for different types of road sections are discussed. The article views an example of a road traffic accident, which is also modelled by PC-Crash computer program. The given example reflects a road accident mechanism in case of a car-to-barrier collision, and provides information about the typical damage to the car and the barrier. The paper describes an impact of the road safety barrier type and its presence on the road traffic accident mechanism. Implementation and maintenance costs of different barrier types are viewed. The article presents a discussion on the necessity to use road safety barriers, as well as their optimal choice.

Automated interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy and computational adaptive optics for improved optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Xu, Yang; Liu, Yuan-Zhi; Boppart, Stephen A; Carney, P Scott

2016-03-10

In this paper, we introduce an algorithm framework for the automation of interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy (ISAM). Under this framework, common processing steps such as dispersion correction, Fourier domain resampling, and computational adaptive optics aberration correction are carried out as metrics-assisted parameter search problems. We further present the results of this algorithm applied to phantom and biological tissue samples and compare with manually adjusted results. With the automated algorithm, near-optimal ISAM reconstruction can be achieved without manual adjustment. At the same time, the technical barrier for the nonexpert using ISAM imaging is also significantly lowered.

The dilemma of BME research projects in developing countries: a case study.

PubMed

Zahedi, Edmond; Attar, Hamid Movahedian

2011-01-01

Researchers are faced with huge challenges when undertaking BME research projects in developing countries. Various administrative, technical, economic and even cultural barriers have to be overcome whereas the quality and quantity of the output has to be comparable with the developed world in order to make results publishable. This paper uses a real project context to highlight the major problems and the necessity of a holistic approach which would take into consideration all stakeholders interests. It is only by tackling problems such as relationship between academia-industry and administration efficiency at their root that significant progress can be achieved.

FY2016 Propulsion Materials Annual Progress Report

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

None, None

The Propulsion Materials Program actively supports the energy security and reduction of greenhouse emissions goals of VTO by investigating and identifying the materials properties that are most essential for continued development of cost-effective, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly next-generation heavy and light-duty powertrains. The technical approaches available to enhance propulsion systems focus on improvements in both vehicle efficiency and fuel substitution, both of which must overcome the performance limitations of the materials currently in use. Propulsion Materials Program activities work with national laboratories, industry experts, and VTO powertrain systems (e.g., Advanced Combustion Engines and Fuels) teams to develop strategies thatmore » overcome materials limitations in future powertrain performance. The technical maturity of the portfolio of funded projects ranges from basic science to subsystem prototype validation. Projects within a Propulsion Materials Program activity address materials concerns that directly impact critical technology barriers within each of the above programs, including barriers that impact fuel efficiency, thermal management, emissions reduction, improved reliability, and reduced manufacturing costs. The program engages only the barriers that result from material property limitations and represent fundamental, high-risk materials issues.« less

Human Rights and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: How Does a Large Funder of Basic Health Services Meet the Challenge of Rights-Based Programs?

PubMed

Jürgens, Ralf; Csete, Joanne; Lim, Hyeyoung; Timberlake, Susan; Smith, Matthew

2017-12-01

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was created to greatly expand access to basic services to address the three diseases in its name. From its beginnings, its governance embodied some human rights principles: civil society is represented on its board, and the country coordination mechanisms that oversee funding requests to the Global Fund include representatives of people affected by the diseases. The Global Fund's core strategies recognize that the health services it supports would not be effective or cost-effective without efforts to reduce human rights-related barriers to access and utilization of health services, particularly those faced by socially marginalized and criminalized persons. Basic human rights elements were written into Global Fund grant agreements, and various technical support measures encouraged the inclusion in funding requests of programs to reduce human rights-related barriers. A five-year initiative to provide intensive technical and financial support for the scaling up of programs to reduce these barriers in 20 countries is ongoing.

Lena Burkett | NREL

Science.gov Websites

technological and implementation barriers faced by the residential construction industry. Prior to working at provides technical research management for DOE's Building America Program. In this role, she works to

Mental health services development in Latin America and the Caribbean: achievements, barriers and facilitating factors.

PubMed

Caldas de Almeida, J M

2013-03-01

Mental health services reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean in the last 20 years have led to a significant improvement of mental health services. They also contributed to the development of new evidence that may help the implementation of future reforms. These advances, however, were clearly insufficient to respond to the huge challenges countries of Latin American and the Caribbean face to improve mental health services. Insufficient funding, one of the most important barriers to mental health services development found in most countries, was related to the absence of a strong consensus among all stakeholders and the weakness of user and family associations. Other barriers were the lack of technical capacity of the coordination unit responsible for development of services in the ministries of health, resistance from professionals towards changing to new models of care and lack of human resources. Transition to democracy in some countries and natural disasters proved to be windows of opportunity for mental health services reform. Facilitating factors included alliance with the human rights defence movement, development of research capacity in Latin American and the Caribbean countries, and international cooperation.

Barriers to reducing climate enhanced disaster risks in Least Developed Country-Small Islands through anticipatory adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuruppu, N.; Willie, R.

2015-12-01

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) classified as Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are particularly vulnerable to the projected impacts of climate change. Given their particular vulnerabilities, climate adaptation investments are being made through both national and international efforts to build the capacity of various sectors and communities to reduce climate risks and associated disasters. Despite these efforts, reducing climate risks is not free of various challenges and barriers. This paper aims to synthesise a set of critical socio-economic barriers present at various spatial scales that are specific to Least Developed Country SIDS. It also aims to identify the processes that give rise to these barriers. Drawing on theories from natural hazards, a systematic literature review method was adopted to identify and organise the set of barriers by focussing both on academic papers and grey literature. The data revealed a notable lack of studies on adaptation within African and Caribbean LDC-SIDS. In general, there was a paucity of academic as well as grey literature being produced by authors from LDC-SIDS to challenge existing discourses related to adaptation barriers. The most common barriers identified included those related to governance, technical, cognitive and cultural. Three key findings can be drawn from this study in relation to formal adaptation initiatives. Firstly, the lack of focus on the adaptive capacity needs of Local Government or Island Councils and communities was a key barrier to ensuring success of adaptation interventions. Secondly, international adaptation funding modalities did little to address root causes of vulnerability or support system transformations. These funds were geared at supporting sectoral level adaptation initiatives for vulnerable natural resource sectors such as water, biodiversity and coastal zones. Thirdly, there is a need to recognise the significance of cultural knowledge and practices in shaping adaptive choices of communities in SIDS.

Scaffold translation: barriers between concept and clinic.

PubMed

Hollister, Scott J; Murphy, William L

2011-12-01

Translation of scaffold-based bone tissue engineering (BTE) therapies to clinical use remains, bluntly, a failure. This dearth of translated tissue engineering therapies (including scaffolds) remains despite 25 years of research, research funding totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, over 12,000 papers on BTE and over 2000 papers on BTE scaffolds alone in the past 10 years (PubMed search). Enabling scaffold translation requires first an understanding of the challenges, and second, addressing the complete range of these challenges. There are the obvious technical challenges of designing, manufacturing, and functionalizing scaffolds to fill the Form, Fixation, Function, and Formation needs of bone defect repair. However, these technical solutions should be targeted to specific clinical indications (e.g., mandibular defects, spine fusion, long bone defects, etc.). Further, technical solutions should also address business challenges, including the need to obtain regulatory approval, meet specific market needs, and obtain private investment to develop products, again for specific clinical indications. Finally, these business and technical challenges present a much different model than the typical research paradigm, presenting the field with philosophical challenges in terms of publishing and funding priorities that should be addressed as well. In this article, we review in detail the technical, business, and philosophical barriers of translating scaffolds from Concept to Clinic. We argue that envisioning and engineering scaffolds as modular systems with a sliding scale of complexity offers the best path to addressing these translational challenges. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Managing barriers to empathy in the clinical encounter: a qualitative interview study with GPs

PubMed Central

Derksen, Frans AWM; Hartman, Tim C olde; Bensing, Jozien M; Lagro-Janssen, Antoine LM

2016-01-01

Background Current daily general practice has become increasingly technical and somatically oriented (where attention to patients’ feelings is decreased) due to an increase in protocol-based guidelines. Priorities in GP–patient communication have shifted from a focus on listening and empathy to task-oriented communication. Aim To explore what barriers GPs experience when applying empathy in daily practice, and how these barriers are managed. Design and setting Thirty Dutch GPs with sufficient heterogeneity in sex, age, type of practice, and rural or urban setting were interviewed. Method The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) were applied. The verbatim transcripts were then analysed. Results According to participating GPs, the current emphasis on protocol-driven care can be a significant barrier to genuineness in communication. Other potential barriers mentioned were time pressures and constraints, and dealing with patients displaying ‘unruly behaviour’ or those with personality disorders. GPs indicated that it can be difficult to balance emotional involvement and professional distance. Longer consulting times, smaller practice populations, and efficient practice organisation were described as practical solutions. In order to focus on a patient-as-person approach, GPs strongly suggested that deviating from guidelines should be possible when necessary as an element of good-quality care. Joining intercollegiate counselling groups was also discussed. Conclusion In addition to practical solutions for barriers to behaving empathically, GPs indicated that they needed more freedom to balance working with protocols and guidelines, as well as a patient-as-person and patient-as-partner approach. This balance is necessary to remain connected with patients and to deliver care that is truly personal. PMID:27884917

STEM integration in middle school career and technical education programs: A Delphi design study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu-Rorrer, Billy Ray

The purpose of this qualitative method study with a Delphi research design sought to determine how STEM programs can be effectively integrated into middle school career and technical education programs by local, state, and national educators, administrators, directors, specialists, and curriculum writers. The significance of the study is to provide leaders in CTE with a greater awareness, insight, and strategies about how CTE programs can more effectively integrate academics into career and technical education programs through STEM-related programming. The findings will increase the limited amount of available literature providing best practice strategies for the integration of STEM curriculum into middle school CTE programs. One basic question has guided this research: How can STEM programs be effectively integrated into middle school career and technical education programs? A total of twelve strategies were identified. The strategies of real-world applications and administrative buy-in were the two predominant strategies consistently addressed throughout the review of literature and all three sub-questions in the research study. The Delphi design study consisted of pilot round and three rounds of data collection on barriers, strategies, and professional development for STEM integration in middle school career and technical education programs. Four panelists participated in the pilot round, and 16 panel members not involved in the pilot round participated in the three rounds of questioning and consensus building. In the future, more comprehensive studies can build upon this foundational investigation of middle school CTE programs.

Enhancing Effective Stakeholder Participation in Local Groundwater Sustainability Planning through Technical Assistance in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weintraub, C.; Christian-Smith, J.; Dobbin, K.; Cullen, K.

2017-12-01

This presentation will share content from UCS's new publication, Getting Involved in Groundwater; A Guide to Effective Engagement in California's Groundwater Sustainability Plans, as well as lessons learned from collaborating with community organizations to provide technical assistance to Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) board members and stakeholders in the San Joaquin Valley on Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) development. California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) mandates extensive stakeholder engagement, presenting an opportunity for unincorporated, low-income communities that have historically been affected by but not included in water decisions. However, implementation requires a concerted, thoughtful effort. Through technical assistance and strategic outreach, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is working to ensure stakeholder engagement in GSP development is robust, diverse, and supported by the best science available. UCS created the GSP stakeholder engagement guide to equip GSA members, scientists and interested community members to meaningfully engage in the GSP development process. The guide serves as a technical primer on SGMA's GSP process and as a resource for understanding groundwater management in California. The guide is just one component of a larger effort to overcome barriers to effective engagement in sustainable groundwater management, especially those presented by technical information. In April, UCS co-hosted a technical assistance workshop for GSA and advisory committee members in Visalia, CA with the Community Water Center (CWC), a local environmental justice non-profit. The workshop was well received and UCS and the CWC were invited to host a second workshop in June. To deepen this engagement and provide one-on-one technical assistance, UCS developed a program to match relevant water experts in the UCS Science Network with GSA members or involved community members in need of specific technical support. Through these efforts, UCS is working to break down barriers to participation and ensure sound science is incorporated into the GSP process.

Approaches to formalization of the informal waste sector into municipal solid waste management systems in low- and middle-income countries: Review of barriers and success factors.

PubMed

Aparcana, Sandra

2017-03-01

The Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) sector represents a major challenge for low-and middle-income countries due to significant environmental and socioeconomic issues involving rapid urbanization, their MSWM systems, and the existence of the informal waste sector. Recognizing its role, several countries have implemented various formalization measures, aiming to address the social problems linked to this sector. However, regardless of these initiatives, not all attempts at formalization have proved successful due to the existence of barriers preventing their implementation in the long term. Along with this, there is a frequent lack of knowledge or understanding regarding these barriers and the kind of measures that may enable formalization, thereby attaining a win-win situation for all the stakeholders involved. In this context, policy- and decision-makers in the public and private sectors are frequently confronted with the dilemma of finding workable approaches to formalization, adjusted to their particular MSWM contexts. Building on the review of frequently implemented approaches to formalization, including an analysis of the barriers to and enabling measures for formalization, this paper aims to address this gap by explaining to policy- and decision-makers, and to waste managers in the private sector, certain dynamics that can be observed and that should be taken into account when designing formalization strategies that are adapted to their particular socioeconomic and political-institutional context. This includes possible links between formalization approaches and barriers, the kinds of barriers that need to be removed, and enabling measures leading to successful formalization in the long term. This paper involved a literature review of common approaches to formalization, which were classified into three categories: (1) informal waste workers organized in associations or cooperatives; (2) organized in CBOs or MSEs; and (3) contracted as individual workers by the formal waste sector. This was followed by the identification and subsequent classification of measures for removing common barriers to formalization into five categories: policy/legal, institutional/organizational, technical, social, and economic/financial. The approaches to formalization, as well as the barrier categories, were validated through the assessment of twenty case studies of formalization. Building on the assessment, the paper discussed possible links between formalization approaches and barriers, the 'persistent' challenges that represent barriers to formalization, as well as key enabling factors improving the likelihood of successful formalization. Regardless of the type of approach adopted to formalization, the review identifies measures to remove barriers in all five categories, with a stronger link between the approaches 1 and 2 and the existence of measures in the policy, institutional, and financial categories. Regarding persistent barriers, the review identified ones arising from the absence of measures to address a particular issue before formalization or due to specific country- or sector-related conditions, and their interaction with the MSWM context. 75% of the case studies had persistent barriers in respect of policy/legal issues, 50% of institutional/organizational, 45% of financial/economic, and 40%, and 35% of social and technical issues respectively. This paper concludes that independently of the formalization approach, the lack of interventions or measures in any of the five categories of barriers may lead formalization initiatives to fail, as unaddressed barriers become 'persistent' after formalization is implemented. Furthermore, 'persistent barriers' may also appear due to unfavorable country-specific conditions. The success of a formalization initiative does not depend on a specific approach, but most likely on the inclusion of country-appropriate measures at the policy, economic and institutional levels. The empowerment of informal waste-workers is again confirmed as a further key success factor for their formalization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Barriers and Facilitators to Home Computer and Internet Use Among Urban Novice Computer Users of Low Socioeconomic Position

PubMed Central

Bennett, Gary G; Viswanath, K

2007-01-01

Background Despite the increasing penetration of the Internet and amount of online health information, there are significant barriers that limit its widespread adoption as a source of health information. One is the “digital divide,” with people of higher socioeconomic position (SEP) demonstrating greater access and usage compared to those from lower SEP groups. However, as the access gap narrows over time and more people use the Internet, a shift in research needs to occur to explore how one might improve Internet use as well as website design for a range of audiences. This is particularly important in the case of novice users who may not have the technical skills, experience, or social connections that could help them search for health information using the Internet. The focus of our research is to investigate the challenges in the implementation of a project to improve health information seeking among low SEP groups. The goal of the project is not to promote health information seeking as much as to understand the barriers and facilitators to computer and Internet use, beyond access, among members of lower SEP groups in an urban setting. Objective The purpose was to qualitatively describe participants’ self-identified barriers and facilitators to computer and Internet use during a 1-year pilot study as well as the challenges encountered by the research team in the delivery of the intervention. Methods Between August and November 2005, 12 low-SEP urban individuals with no or limited computer and Internet experience were recruited through a snowball sampling. Each participant received a free computer system, broadband Internet access, monthly computer training courses, and technical support for 1 year as the intervention condition. Upon completion of the study, participants were offered the opportunity to complete an in-depth semistructured interview. Interviews were approximately 1 hour in length and were conducted by the project director. The interviews were held in the participants’ homes and were tape recorded for accuracy. Nine of the 12 study participants completed the semistructured interviews. Members of the research team conducted a qualitative analysis based on the transcripts from the nine interviews using the crystallization/immersion method. Results Nine of the 12 participants completed the in-depth interview (75% overall response rate), with three men and six women agreeing to be interviewed. Major barriers to Internet use that were mentioned included time constraints and family conflict over computer usage. The monthly training classes and technical assistance components of the intervention surfaced as the most important facilitators to computer and Internet use. The concept of received social support from other study members, such as assistance with computer-related questions, also emerged as an important facilitator to overall computer usage. Conclusions This pilot study offers important insights into the self-identified barriers and facilitators in computer and Internet use among urban low-SEP novice users as well as the challenges faced by the research team in implementing the intervention. PMID:17951215

Sediment Scaling for Mud Mountain Fish Barrier Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-28

2nd Int. Conf. on the Application of Physical Modeling to Port and Coastal Protection – Coastlab ’08, International Association for Hydro...Structure by Jeremy A. Sharp, Gary L. Brown, and Gary L. Bell PURPOSE: This Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory technical note describes the process of... Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory. Questions about this technical note can be addressed to Mr. Sharp at 601-634-4212 or Jeremy.A.Sharp@usace.army.mil

ECUT: Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies program. Biocatalysis project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The Biocatalysis Project is a mission-oriented, applied research and exploratory development activity directed toward resolution of the major generic technical barriers that impede the development of biologically catalyzed commercial chemical production. The approach toward achieving project objectives involves an integrated participation of Universities, Industrial Companies and Government Research Laboratories. The Project's technical activities were organized into three work elements: molecular modeling and applied genetics; bioprocess engineering; and bioprocess design and assessment.

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Proteomic analysis of the kidney filtration barrier--Problems and perspectives.

PubMed

Rinschen, Markus M; Benzing, Thomas; Limbutara, Kavee; Pisitkun, Trairak

2015-12-01

Diseases of the glomerular filter of the kidney are a leading cause of end-stage renal failure. The kidney filter is localized within the renal glomeruli, small microvascular units that are responsible for ultrafiltration of about 180 liters of primary urine every day. The renal filter consists of three layers, fenestrated endothelial cells, glomerular basement membrane, and the podocytes, terminally differentiated, arborized epithelial cells. This review demonstrates the use of proteomics to generate insights into the regulation of the renal filtration barrier at a molecular level. The advantages and disadvantages of different glomerular purification methods are examined, and the technical limitations that have been significantly improved by in silico or biochemical approaches are presented. We also comment on phosphoproteomic studies that have generated considerable molecular-level understanding of the physiological regulation of the kidney filter. Lastly, we conclude with an analysis of urinary exosomes as a potential filter-derived resource for the noninvasive discovery of glomerular disease mechanisms. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

NASA's UAS NAS Access Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Charles W.

2011-01-01

The vision of the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Integration in the National Airspace System (NAS) Project is "A global transportation system which allows routine access for all classes of UAS." The goal of the UAS Integration in the NAS Project is to "contribute capabilities that reduce technical barriers related to the safety and operational challenges associated with enabling routine UAS access to the NAS." This goal will be accomplished through a two-phased approach based on development of system-level integration of key concepts, technologies and/or procedures, and demonstrations of integrated capabilities in an operationally relevant environment. Phase 1 will take place the first two years of the Project and Phase 2 will take place the following three years. The Phase 1 and 2 technical objectives are: Phase 1: Developing a gap analysis between current state of the art and the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) UAS Concept of Operations . Validating the key technical areas identified by this Project . Conducting initial modeling, simulation, and flight testing activities . Completing Sub-project Phase 1 deliverables (spectrum requirements, comparative analysis of certification methodologies, etc.) and continue Phase 2 preparation (infrastructure, tools, etc.) Phase 2: Providing regulators with a methodology for developing airworthiness requirements for UAS, and data to support development of certifications standards and regulatory guidance . Providing systems-level, integrated testing of concepts and/or capabilities that address barriers to routine access to the NAS. Through simulation and flight testing, address issues including separation assurance, communications requirements, and human systems integration in operationally relevant environments. The UAS in the NAS Project will demonstrate solutions in specific technology areas, which will address operational/safety issues related to UAS access to the NAS. Since the resource allocation for this Project is limited ($150M over the five years), the focus is on reducing the technical barriers where NASA has unique capabilities. As a result, technical areas, such as Sense and Avoid (SAA) and beyond line of sight command and control will not be addressed. While these are critical barriers to UAS access, currently, there is a great deal of global effort being exercised to address these challenge areas. Instead, specific technology development in areas where there is certainty that NASA can advance the research to high technology readiness levels will be the Project's focus. Specific sub-projects include Separation Assurance, Human Systems Integration, Communications, Certification, and Integrated Test and Evaluation. Each sub-project will transfer technologies to relevant key stakeholders and decision makers through research transition teams, technology forums, or through other analogous means.

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

Daniel F. Ancona III; Kathryn E. George; Richard P. Bowers

This study, supported by the US Department of Energy, Wind Powering America Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Chesapeake Bay Foundation, analyzed barriers to wind energy development in the Mid-Atlantic region along with options for overcoming or mitigating them. The Mid-Atlantic States including Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, have excellent wind energy potential and growing demand for electricity, but only two utility-scale projects have been installed to date. Reasons for this apathetic development of wind resources were analyzed and quantified for four markets. Specific applications are: 1) Appalachian mountain ridgeline sites, 2) on coastal plains and peninsulas, 3)more » at shallow water sites in Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, and 4) at deeper water sites off the Atlantic coast. Each market has distinctly different opportunities and barriers. The primary barriers to wind development described in this report can be grouped into four categories; state policy and regulatory issues, wind resource technical uncertainty, economic viability, and public interest in environmental issues. The properties of these typologies are not mutually independent and do interact. The report concluded that there are no insurmountable barriers to land-based wind energy projects and they could be economically viable today. Likewise potential sites in sheltered shallow waters in regional bay and sounds have been largely overlooked but could be viable currently. Offshore ocean-based applications face higher costs and technical and wind resource uncertainties. The ongoing research and development program, revision of state incentive policies, additional wind measurement efforts, transmission system expansion, environmental baseline studies and outreach to private developers and stakeholders are needed to reduce barriers to wind energy development.« less

Has Toxicity Testing Moved into the 21st Century? A Survey and Analysis of Perceptions in the Field of Toxicology.

PubMed

Zaunbrecher, Virginia; Beryt, Elizabeth; Parodi, Daniela; Telesca, Donatello; Doherty, Joseph; Malloy, Timothy; Allard, Patrick

2017-08-30

Ten years ago, leaders in the field of toxicology called for a transformation of the discipline and a shift from primarily relying on traditional animal testing to incorporating advances in biotechnology and predictive methodologies into alternative testing strategies (ATS). Governmental agencies and academic and industry partners initiated programs to support such a transformation, but a decade later, the outcomes of these efforts are not well understood. We aimed to assess the use of ATS and the perceived barriers and drivers to their adoption by toxicologists and by others working in, or closely linked with, the field of toxicology. We surveyed 1,381 toxicologists and experts in associated fields regarding the viability and use of ATS and the perceived barriers and drivers of ATS for a range of applications. We performed ranking, hierarchical clustering, and correlation analyses of the survey data. Many respondents indicated that they were already using ATS, or believed that ATS were already viable approaches, for toxicological assessment of one or more end points in their primary area of interest or concern (26-86%, depending on the specific ATS/application pair). However, the proportions of respondents reporting use of ATS in the previous 12 mo were smaller (4.5-41%). Concern about regulatory acceptance was the most commonly cited factor inhibiting the adoption of ATS, and a variety of technical concerns were also cited as significant barriers to ATS viability. The factors most often cited as playing a significant role (currently or in the future) in driving the adoption of ATS were the need for expedited toxicology information, the need for reduced toxicity testing costs, demand by regulatory agencies, and ethical or moral concerns. Our findings indicate that the transformation of the field of toxicology is partly implemented, but significant barriers to acceptance and adoption remain. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1435.

Delivery of high-tech home care by hospital-based nursing units in Quebec: clinical and technical challenges.

PubMed

Lehoux, Pascale; Richard, L; Pineault, R; Saint-Arnaud, J

2006-03-01

The role that hospital-based nurses should play in the delivery of high-tech home care, and how they should be supported in that role, are topics that remain understudied. Our research objective was to document how hospital-based nursing teams perceive and deal with the clinical and technical challenges associated with the provision of high-tech home care. Four home care interventions were selected: antibiotic intravenous therapy, parenteral nutrition, peritoneal dialysis and oxygen therapy. A self-administered survey was sent to all hospital-based units providing these interventions in the province of Quebec, Canada (n = 154; response rate: 70.8%). We used descriptive statistical analyses to derive mean values for scores on either a five- or a six-level Likert scale. Despite variation across the four interventions, our results indicate that while nursing teams believe these interventions increase patients' autonomy, they also recognize that they generate anxiety and impose constraints on patients' lives. Nurses must increase efforts to deal with both clinical and technical challenges and help patients overcome the barriers to appropriate use of home care technologies. While nursing teams generally perceive high-tech home care as beneficial, they still experience significant technical and clinical challenges. Some of these challenges could be addressed by strengthening professional training initiatives, while others require broader home care policy interventions.

Early decision framework for integrating sustainable risk management for complex remediation sites: Drivers, barriers, and performance metrics.

PubMed

Harclerode, Melissa A; Macbeth, Tamzen W; Miller, Michael E; Gurr, Christopher J; Myers, Teri S

2016-12-15

As the environmental remediation industry matures, remaining sites often have significant underlying technical challenges and financial constraints. More often than not, significant remediation efforts at these "complex" sites have not achieved stringent, promulgated cleanup goals. Decisions then have to be made about whether and how to commit additional resources towards achieving those goals, which are often not achievable nor required to protect receptors. Guidance on cleanup approaches focused on evaluating and managing site-specific conditions and risks, rather than uniformly meeting contaminant cleanup criteria in all media, is available to aid in this decision. Although these risk-based cleanup approaches, such as alternative endpoints and adaptive management strategies, have been developed, they are under-utilized due to environmental, socio-economic, and risk perception barriers. Also, these approaches are usually implemented late in the project life cycle after unsuccessful remedial attempts to achieve stringent cleanup criteria. In this article, we address these barriers by developing an early decision framework to identify if site characteristics support sustainable risk management, and develop performance metrics and tools to evaluate and implement successful risk-based cleanup approaches. In addition, we address uncertainty and risk perception challenges by aligning risk-based cleanup approaches with the concepts of risk management and sustainable remediation. This approach was developed in the context of lessons learned from implementing remediation at complex sites, but as a framework can, and should, be applied to all sites undergoing remediation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FIELD TEST INSTRUCTION 100-NR-2 OPERABLE UNIT DESIGN OPTIMIZATION STUDY FOR SEQUESTRATION OF SR-90 SATURATED ZONE APATITE PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIER EXTENSION

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

BOWLES NA

2010-10-06

The objective of this field test instruction is to provide technical guidance for aqueous injection emplacement of an extension apatite permeable reactive barrier (PRE) for the sequestration of strontium-90 (Sr-90) using a high concentration amendment formulation. These field activities will be conducted according to the guidelines established in DOE/RL-2010-29, 100-NR-2 Design Optimization Study, hereafter referred to as the DOS. The DOS supports the Federal Facility Agreement Consent Order (EPA et al., 1989), Milestone M-16-06-01, and 'Complete Construction of a Permeable Reactive Barrier at 100-N.' Injections of apatite precursor chemicals will occur at an equal distance intervals on each end ofmore » the existing PRE to extend the PRB from the existing 91 m (300 ft) to at least 274 m (900 ft). Field testing at the 100-N Area Apatite Treatability Test Site, as depicted on Figure 1, shows that the barrier is categorized by two general hydrologic conceptual models based on overall well capacity and contrast between the Hanford and Ringold hydraulic conductivities. The upstream portion of the original barrier, shown on Figure 1, is characterized by relatively low overall well specific capacity. This is estimated from well development data and a lower contrast in hydraulic conductivity between the Hanford formation and Ringold Formations. Comparison of test results from these two locations indicate that permeability contrast between the Hanford formation and Ringold Formation is significantly less over the upstream one-third of the barrier. The estimated hydraulic conductivity for the Hanford formation and Ringold Formation over the upstream portion of the barrier based on observations during emplacement of the existing 91 m (300 ft) PRB is approximately 12 and 10 m/day (39 and 32 ft/day), respectively (PNNL-17429). However, these estimates should be used as a rough guideline only, as significant variability in hydraulic conductivity is likely to be observed in the barrier extension wells, particularly those in the Ringold formation. The downstream portion of the original barrier, shown on Figure 1, is characterized by generally higher well specific capacity and a larger hydraulic conductivity contrast between the Hanford formation and Ringold Formation. Hydraulic conductivity rates for the Hanford formation and Ringold Formation over the downstream portion of the barrier were estimated at 29 and 9 m/day (95 and 29 ft/day), respectively (with the Hanford formation hydraulic conductivity being greater in the downstream portion than the upstream portion). Once again, it should be noted that the actual conductivities may vary significantly, and the values state above should only be used as a rough initial estimates. Optimum apatite emplacement has been shown to occur when injections targeting the Hanford formation and the Ringold Formation are performed separately. The remainder of this test instruction provides details for conducting these formation-targeted injections.« less

National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bio-Products Final Technical Report

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

Olivares, Jose A.; Baxter, Ivan; Brown, Judith

2014-09-30

The main objective of NAABB was to combine science, technology, and engineering expertise from across the nation to break down critical technical barriers to commercialization of algae-based biofuels. The approach was to address technology development across the entire value chain of algal biofuels production, from selection of strains to cultivation, harvesting, extraction, fuel conversion, and agricultural coproduct production. Sustainable practices and financial feasibility assessments ununderscored the approach and drove the technology development.

Thirty-Seventh Annual Report of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics: Administrative Report Including Technical Report Nos. 1003 to 1958

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1952-01-01

In accordance with the act of Congress, approved March 3,1915 (U.S. C. title 50, sec. 151), which established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics the Committee submits its thirty-seventh annual report for the fiscal year 1951. The United States is engaged in expanding military aviation to levels never before reached except in the midst of a major war. In Korea, our military aircraft are engaged in combat with airplanes of an unfriendly nation evidently able to build military aircraft of increasing capabilities. In this environment, the NACA is responsible for conducting an adequate program of scientific research to open the way for the design of aircraft and missile of superior performance. Since World War II the pace of technical development has increased. Until then, improvement in aircraft performance as a result of the application of scientific research proceeded at what. now seems to be a relatively slow and orderly rate. Modest increases in speed, climb, range, or altitude were set as reasonable goals. Compressibility effects at high speeds were just beginning to be encountered and indicated a formidable barrier near the velocity of sound. This barrier has been found by research and experiment to be lees formidable than supposed, and we now see the possibility of radical gains in airplane performance that are of great military significance. Such gains are ak attainable by a potential enemy. The increased complexity of modern high performance

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FY2014 Propulsion Materials R&D Annual Progress Report

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

None

The Propulsion Materials Program actively supports the energy security and reduction of greenhouse emissions goals of VTO by investigating and identifying the materials properties that are most essential for continued development of cost-effective, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly next-generation heavy and light-duty powertrains. The technical approaches available to enhance propulsion systems focus on improvements in both vehicle efficiency and fuel substitution, both of which must overcome the performance limitations of the materials currently in use. Propulsion Materials Program activities work with national laboratories, industry experts, and VTO powertrain systems (e.g., Advanced Combustion Engines [ACE], Advanced Power Electronics and Electrical Machinesmore » [APEEM], and fuels) teams to develop strategies that overcome materials limitations in future powertrain performance. The technical maturity of the portfolio of funded projects ranges from basic science to subsystem prototype validation. Projects within a Propulsion Materials Program activity address materials concerns that directly impact critical technology barriers within each of the above programs, including barriers that impact fuel efficiency, thermal management, emissions reduction, improved reliability, and reduced manufacturing costs. The program engages only the barriers that result from material property limitations and represent fundamental, high-risk materials issues.« less

FY2015 Propulsion Materials Annual Report

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

None, None

The Propulsion Materials Program actively supports the energy security and reduction of greenhouse emissions goals of VTO by investigating and identifying the materials properties that are most essential for continued development of cost-effective, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly next-generation heavy and light-duty powertrains. The technical approaches available to enhance propulsion systems focus on improvements in both vehicle efficiency and fuel substitution, both of which must overcome the performance limitations of the materials currently in use. Propulsion Materials Program activities work with national laboratories, industry experts, and VTO powertrain systems (e.g., Advanced Combustion Engines [ACE], Advanced Power Electronics and Electrical Machinesmore » [APEEM], and fuels) teams to develop strategies that overcome materials limitations in future powertrain performance. The technical maturity of the portfolio of funded projects ranges from basic science to subsystem prototype validation. Projects within a Propulsion Materials Program activity address materials concerns that directly impact critical technology barriers within each of the above programs, including barriers that impact fuel efficiency, thermal management, emissions reduction, improved reliability, and reduced manufacturing costs. The program engages only the barriers that result from material property limitations and represent fundamental, high-risk materials issues.« less

Consumer Engagement in Health IT: Distinguishing Rhetoric from Reality.

PubMed

Gold, Marsha; Hossain, Mynti; Mangum, Amy

2015-01-01

Policymakers want health information technology (health IT) to support consumer engagement to help achieve national health goals. In this paper, we review the evidence to compare the rhetoric with the reality of current practice. Our environmental scan shows that consumer demand exists for electronic access to personal health information, but that technical and system or political barriers still limit the value of the available information and its potential benefits. There is a gap between current reality and the goals for consumer engagement. Actions that may help bridge this gap include: (1) resolving technical barriers to health information exchange (HIE); (2) developing more consumer-centric design and functionality; (3) reinforcing incentives that attract provider support by showing that consumer engagement is in their interest; and (4) building a stronger empirical case to convince decision makers that consumer engagement will lead to better care, improved health outcomes, and lower costs.

Clinical training alone is not sufficient for reducing barriers to IUD provision among private providers in Pakistan

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background IUD uptake remains low in Pakistan, in spite of three major efforts to introduce the IUD since the 1960s, the most recent of these being through the private sector. This study examines barriers to IUD recommendation and provision among private providers in Pakistan. Methods A facility-based survey was conducted among randomly selected private providers who were members of the Greenstar network and among similar providers located within 2 Kilometers. In total, 566 providers were interviewed in 54 districts of Pakistan. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine whether correct knowledge regarding the IUD, self-confidence in being able to insert the IUD, attitudes towards suitability of candidates for the IUD and medical safety concerns were influenced by provider type (physician vs. Lady Health Visitor), whether the provider had received clinical training in IUD insertion in the last three years, membership of the Greenstar network and experience in IUD insertion. OLS regression was used to identify predictors of provider productivity (measured by IUD insertions conducted in the month before the survey). Results Private providers consider women with children and in their peak reproductive years to be ideal candidates for the IUD. Women below age 19, above age 40 and nulliparous women are not considered suitable IUD candidates. Provider concerns about medical safety, side-effects and client satisfaction associated with the IUD are substantial. Providers' experience in terms of the number of IUDs inserted in their careers, appears to improve knowledge, self-confidence in the ability provide the IUD and to lower age-related attitudinal barriers towards IUD recommendation. Physicians have greater medical safety concerns about the IUD than Lady Health Visitors. Clinical training does not have a consistent positive effect on lowering barriers to IUD recommendation. Membership of the Greenstar network also has little effect on lowering these barriers. Providers' barriers to IUD recommendation significantly lower their monthly IUD insertions. Conclusions Technical training interventions do not reduce providers' attitudinal barriers towards IUD provision. Formative research is needed to better understand reasons for the high levels of provider barriers to IUD provision. "Non-training" interventions should be designed to lower these barriers. PMID:22208449

Training programmes can change behaviour and encourage the cultivation of over-harvested plant species.

PubMed

Williams, Sophie J; Jones, Julia P G; Clubbe, Colin; Gibbons, James M

2012-01-01

Cultivation of wild-harvested plant species has been proposed as a way of reducing over-exploitation of wild populations but lack of technical knowledge is thought to be a barrier preventing people from cultivating a new species. Training programmes are therefore used to increase technical knowledge to encourage people to adopt cultivation. We assessed the impact of a training programme aiming to encourage cultivation of xaté (Chamaedorea ernesti-augusti), an over-harvested palm from Central America. Five years after the training programme ended, we surveyed untrained and trained individuals focusing on four potential predictors of behaviour: technical knowledge, attitudes (what individuals think about a behaviour), subjective norms (what individuals perceive others to think of a behaviour) and perceived behavioural control (self assessment of whether individuals can enact the behaviour successfully). Whilst accounting for socioeconomic variables, we investigate the influence of training upon these behavioural predictors and examine the factors that determine whether people adopt cultivation of a novel species. Those who had been trained had higher levels of technical knowledge about xaté cultivation and higher belief in their ability to cultivate it while training was not associated with differences in attitudes or subjective norms. Technical knowledge and perceived behavioural control (along with socio-economic variables such as forest ownership and age) were predictors of whether individuals cultivate xaté. We suggest that training programmes can have a long lasting effect on individuals and can change behaviour. However, in many situations other barriers to cultivation, such as access to seeds or appropriate markets, will need to be addressed.

Training Programmes Can Change Behaviour and Encourage the Cultivation of Over-Harvested Plant Species

PubMed Central

Williams, Sophie J.; Jones, Julia P. G.; Clubbe, Colin; Gibbons, James M.

2012-01-01

Cultivation of wild-harvested plant species has been proposed as a way of reducing over-exploitation of wild populations but lack of technical knowledge is thought to be a barrier preventing people from cultivating a new species. Training programmes are therefore used to increase technical knowledge to encourage people to adopt cultivation. We assessed the impact of a training programme aiming to encourage cultivation of xaté (Chamaedorea ernesti-augusti), an over-harvested palm from Central America. Five years after the training programme ended, we surveyed untrained and trained individuals focusing on four potential predictors of behaviour: technical knowledge, attitudes (what individuals think about a behaviour), subjective norms (what individuals perceive others to think of a behaviour) and perceived behavioural control (self assessment of whether individuals can enact the behaviour successfully). Whilst accounting for socioeconomic variables, we investigate the influence of training upon these behavioural predictors and examine the factors that determine whether people adopt cultivation of a novel species. Those who had been trained had higher levels of technical knowledge about xaté cultivation and higher belief in their ability to cultivate it while training was not associated with differences in attitudes or subjective norms. Technical knowledge and perceived behavioural control (along with socio-economic variables such as forest ownership and age) were predictors of whether individuals cultivate xaté. We suggest that training programmes can have a long lasting effect on individuals and can change behaviour. However, in many situations other barriers to cultivation, such as access to seeds or appropriate markets, will need to be addressed. PMID:22431993

[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.

Translating a Fall Prevention Intervention Into Practice: A Randomized Community Trial

PubMed Central

Peterson, Donna J.; Christiansen, Ann L.; Mahoney, Jane; Laud, Purushottam; Layde, Peter M.

2015-01-01

Objectives. We examined whether community translation of an effective evidence-based fall prevention program via standard monetary support can produce a community-wide reduction in fall injuries in older adults and evaluated whether an enhanced version with added technical support and capacity building amplified the fall reduction effect. Methods. We completed a randomized controlled community trial among adults aged 65 and older in (1) 10 control communities receiving no special resources or guidance on fall prevention, (2) 5 standard support communities receiving modest funding to implement Stepping On, and (3) 5 enhanced support communities receiving funding and technical support. The primary outcome was hospital inpatient and emergency department discharges for falls, examined with Poisson regression. Results. Compared with control communities, standard and enhanced support communities showed significantly higher community-wide reductions (9% and 8%, respectively) in fall injuries from baseline (2007–2008) to follow-up (2010–2011). No significant difference was found between enhanced and standard support communities. Conclusions. Population-based fall prevention interventions can be effective when implemented in community settings. More research is needed to identify the barriers and facilitators that influence the successful adoption and implementation of fall prevention interventions into broad community practice. PMID:25602891

Translating a Fall Prevention Intervention Into Practice: A Randomized Community Trial.

PubMed

Guse, Clare E; Peterson, Donna J; Christiansen, Ann L; Mahoney, Jane; Laud, Purushottam; Layde, Peter M

2015-07-01

We examined whether community translation of an effective evidence-based fall prevention program via standard monetary support can produce a community-wide reduction in fall injuries in older adults and evaluated whether an enhanced version with added technical support and capacity building amplified the fall reduction effect. We completed a randomized controlled community trial among adults aged 65 and older in (1) 10 control communities receiving no special resources or guidance on fall prevention, (2) 5 standard support communities receiving modest funding to implement Stepping On, and (3) 5 enhanced support communities receiving funding and technical support. The primary outcome was hospital inpatient and emergency department discharges for falls, examined with Poisson regression. Compared with control communities, standard and enhanced support communities showed significantly higher community-wide reductions (9% and 8%, respectively) in fall injuries from baseline (2007-2008) to follow-up (2010-2011). No significant difference was found between enhanced and standard support communities. Population-based fall prevention interventions can be effective when implemented in community settings. More research is needed to identify the barriers and facilitators that influence the successful adoption and implementation of fall prevention interventions into broad community practice.

Selection of organic process and source indicator substances for the anthropogenically influenced water cycle.

PubMed

Jekel, Martin; Dott, Wolfgang; Bergmann, Axel; Dünnbier, Uwe; Gnirß, Regina; Haist-Gulde, Brigitte; Hamscher, Gerd; Letzel, Marion; Licha, Tobias; Lyko, Sven; Miehe, Ulf; Sacher, Frank; Scheurer, Marco; Schmidt, Carsten K; Reemtsma, Thorsten; Ruhl, Aki Sebastian

2015-04-01

An increasing number of organic micropollutants (OMP) is detected in anthropogenically influenced water cycles. Source control and effective natural and technical barriers are essential to maintain a high quality of drinking water resources under these circumstances. Based on the literature and our own research this study proposes a limited number of OMP that can serve as indicator substances for the major sources of OMP, such as wastewater treatment plants, agriculture and surface runoff. Furthermore functional indicators are proposed that allow assessment of the proper function of natural and technical barriers in the aquatic environment, namely conventional municipal wastewater treatment, advanced treatment (ozonation, activated carbon), bank filtration and soil aquifer treatment as well as self-purification in surface water. These indicator substances include the artificial sweetener acesulfame, the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen, the anticonvulsant carbamazepine, the corrosion inhibitor benzotriazole and the herbicide mecoprop among others. The chemical indicator substances are intended to support comparisons between watersheds and technical and natural processes independent of specific water cycles and to reduce efforts and costs of chemical analyses without losing essential information. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility study for detection and quantification of corrosion in bridge barrier rails.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

Technical challenges exist with infrastructure that can be addressed by nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods, such as detecting corrosion damage to reinforcing steel that anchor concrete bridge railings to bridge road decks. Moisture and chloride ...

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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-23

... comprehensive study, which will--(I) ``Assess the barriers and systemic issues that may affect, and technical... faculty and staff; and (II) make recommendations related to the development of a comprehensive approach to...

Ethics in global surgery.

PubMed

Wall, Anji E

2014-07-01

Global surgery, while historically a small niche, is becoming a larger part of the global health enterprise. This article discusses the burden of global surgery, emphasizing the importance of addressing surgical needs in low- and middle-income countries. It describes the barriers to surgical care in the developing world, the ethical challenges that these barriers create, and strategies to overcome these barriers. It emphasizes the crucial role of preparation for global surgical interventions as a way to maximize benefits as well as minimize harms and ethical challenges. It ends with the cautionary statement that preparation does not eliminate ethical problems, so surgical volunteers must be prepared not only for the technical challenges of global surgery but also for the ethical challenges.

Current Limitations of Surgical Robotics in Reconstructive Plastic Microsurgery.

PubMed

Tan, Youri P A; Liverneaux, Philippe; Wong, Jason K F

2018-01-01

Surgical robots have the potential to provide surgeons with increased capabilities, such as removing physiologic tremor, scaling motion and increasing manual dexterity. Several surgical specialties have subsequently integrated robotic surgery into common clinical practice. Plastic and reconstructive microsurgical procedures have not yet  benefitted significantly from technical developments observed over the last two decades. Several studies have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of utilising surgical robots in plastic surgery procedures, yet limited work has been done to identify and analyse current barriers that have prevented wide-scale adaptation of surgical robots for microsurgery. Therefore, a systematic review using PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science databases was performed, in order to evaluate current state of surgical robotics within the field of reconstructive microsurgery and their limitations. Despite the theoretical potential of surgical robots, current commercially available robotic systems are suboptimal for plastic or reconstructive microsurgery. Absence of bespoke microsurgical instruments, increases in operating time, and high costs associated with robotic-assisted provide a barrier to using such systems effectively for reconstructive microsurgery. Consequently, surgical robots provide currently little overall advantage over conventional microsurgery. Nevertheless, if current barriers can be addressed and systems are specifically designed for microsurgery, surgical robots may have the potential of meaningful impact on clinical outcomes within  this surgical subspeciality.

Current Limitations of Surgical Robotics in Reconstructive Plastic Microsurgery

PubMed Central

Tan, Youri P. A.; Liverneaux, Philippe; Wong, Jason K. F.

2018-01-01

Surgical robots have the potential to provide surgeons with increased capabilities, such as removing physiologic tremor, scaling motion and increasing manual dexterity. Several surgical specialties have subsequently integrated robotic surgery into common clinical practice. Plastic and reconstructive microsurgical procedures have not yet  benefitted significantly from technical developments observed over the last two decades. Several studies have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of utilising surgical robots in plastic surgery procedures, yet limited work has been done to identify and analyse current barriers that have prevented wide-scale adaptation of surgical robots for microsurgery. Therefore, a systematic review using PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science databases was performed, in order to evaluate current state of surgical robotics within the field of reconstructive microsurgery and their limitations. Despite the theoretical potential of surgical robots, current commercially available robotic systems are suboptimal for plastic or reconstructive microsurgery. Absence of bespoke microsurgical instruments, increases in operating time, and high costs associated with robotic-assisted provide a barrier to using such systems effectively for reconstructive microsurgery. Consequently, surgical robots provide currently little overall advantage over conventional microsurgery. Nevertheless, if current barriers can be addressed and systems are specifically designed for microsurgery, surgical robots may have the potential of meaningful impact on clinical outcomes within  this surgical subspeciality. PMID:29740585

Mid-Atlantic Wind - Overcoming the Challenges

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

Daniel F. Ancona III; Kathryn E. George; Lynn Sparling

2012-06-29

This study, supported by the US Department of Energy, Wind Powering America Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Chesapeake Bay Foundation, analyzed barriers to wind energy development in the Mid-Atlantic region along with options for overcoming or mitigating them. The Mid-Atlantic States including Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, have excellent wind energy potential and growing demand for electricity, but only two utility-scale projects have been installed to date. Reasons for this apathetic development of wind resources were analyzed and quantified for four markets. Specific applications are: 1) Appalachian mountain ridgeline sites, 2) on coastal plains and peninsulas, 3)more » at shallow water sites in Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, and 4) at deeper water sites off the Atlantic coast. Each market has distinctly different opportunities and barriers. The primary barriers to wind development described in this report can be grouped into four categories; state policy and regulatory issues, wind resource technical uncertainty, economic viability, and public interest in environmental issues. The properties of these typologies are not mutually independent and do interact. The report concluded that there are no insurmountable barriers to land-based wind energy projects and they could be economically viable today. Likewise potential sites in sheltered shallow waters in regional bay and sounds have been largely overlooked but could be viable currently. Offshore ocean-based applications face higher costs and technical and wind resource uncertainties. The ongoing research and development program, revision of state incentive policies, additional wind measurement efforts, transmission system expansion, environmental baseline studies and outreach to private developers and stakeholders are needed to reduce barriers to wind energy development.« less

Enabling fast charging – Introduction and overview

DOE PAGES

Michelbacher, Christopher; Ahmed, Shabbir; Bloom, Ira; ...

2017-10-23

Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with guidance from VTO, initiated this study to understand the technical, cost, infrastructure, and implementation barriers associated with high rate charging up to 350 kW.

Overcoming Barriers for "Niche" Learners Through Distance Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Lawrence G.; Hyatt, Sue Y.; Brennan, Joyce; Bertani, Raymond; Trevor, Thomas

1999-01-01

Focuses on students who fit into "niches," and discusses how the Chattanooga State Technical Community College's distance-learning program accommodates these learners. Describes five "niche" learner categories: students with disabilities, power-line maintenance technicians, emergency-service personnel, truckers, and industrial…

The dragons of inaction: psychological barriers that limit climate change mitigation and adaptation.

PubMed

Gifford, Robert

2011-01-01

Most people think climate change and sustainability are important problems, but too few global citizens engaged in high-greenhouse-gas-emitting behavior are engaged in enough mitigating behavior to stem the increasing flow of greenhouse gases and other environmental problems. Why is that? Structural barriers such as a climate-averse infrastructure are part of the answer, but psychological barriers also impede behavioral choices that would facilitate mitigation, adaptation, and environmental sustainability. Although many individuals are engaged in some ameliorative action, most could do more, but they are hindered by seven categories of psychological barriers, or "dragons of inaction": limited cognition about the problem, ideological world views that tend to preclude pro-environmental attitudes and behavior, comparisons with key other people, sunk costs and behavioral momentum, discredence toward experts and authorities, perceived risks of change, and positive but inadequate behavior change. Structural barriers must be removed wherever possible, but this is unlikely to be sufficient. Psychologists must work with other scientists, technical experts, and policymakers to help citizens overcome these psychological barriers.

FUNGIBLE AND COMPATIBLE BIOFUELS: LITERATURE SEARCH, SUMMARY, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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

Bunting, Bruce G; Bunce, Michael; Barone, Teresa L

2011-04-01

The purpose of the study described in this report is to summarize the various barriers to more widespread distribution of bio-fuels through our common carrier fuel distribution system, which includes pipelines, barges and rail, fuel tankage, and distribution terminals. Addressing these barriers is necessary to allow the more widespread utilization and distribution of bio-fuels, in support of a renewable fuels standard and possible future low-carbon fuel standards. These barriers can be classified into several categories, including operating practice, regulatory, technical, and acceptability barriers. Possible solutions to these issues are discussed; including compatibility evaluation, changes to bio-fuels, regulatory changes, and changesmore » in the distribution system or distribution practices. No actual experimental research has been conducted in the writing of this report, but results are used to develop recommendations for future research and additional study as appropriate. This project addresses recognized barriers to the wider use of bio-fuels in the areas of development of codes and standards, industrial and consumer awareness, and materials compatibility issues.« less

Changes in hemp secondary fiber production related to technical fiber variability revealed by light microscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Fernandez-Tendero, Eva; Day, Arnaud; Legros, Sandrine; Habrant, Anouck; Hawkins, Simon

2017-01-01

Interest in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is increasing due to the development of a new range of industrial applications based on bast fibers. However the variability of bast fiber yield and quality represents an important barrier to further exploitation. Primary and secondary fiber content was examined in two commercial hemp varieties (Fedora 17, Santhica 27) grown under contrasted sowing density and irrigation conditions. Both growing conditions and hemp varieties impact stem tissue architecture with a large effect on the proportion of secondary fibers but not primary fibers. Attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy allowed the discrimination of manually-isolated native primary fibers and secondary fibers but did not reveal any clustering according to growing conditions and variety. Infrared data were confirmed by wet chemistry analyses that revealed slight but significant differences between primary and secondary fiber cell wall composition. Infrared spectroscopy of technical fibers obtained after mechanical defibering revealed differences with native primary, but not secondary fibers and also discriminated samples obtained from plants grown under different conditions. Altogether the results suggested that the observed variability of hemp technical fibers could be partially explained by i) differences in secondary fiber production and ii) differential behavior during mechanical defibering resulting in unequal separation of primary and secondary fibers. PMID:28640922

Changes in hemp secondary fiber production related to technical fiber variability revealed by light microscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Fernandez-Tendero, Eva; Day, Arnaud; Legros, Sandrine; Habrant, Anouck; Hawkins, Simon; Chabbert, Brigitte

2017-01-01

Interest in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is increasing due to the development of a new range of industrial applications based on bast fibers. However the variability of bast fiber yield and quality represents an important barrier to further exploitation. Primary and secondary fiber content was examined in two commercial hemp varieties (Fedora 17, Santhica 27) grown under contrasted sowing density and irrigation conditions. Both growing conditions and hemp varieties impact stem tissue architecture with a large effect on the proportion of secondary fibers but not primary fibers. Attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy allowed the discrimination of manually-isolated native primary fibers and secondary fibers but did not reveal any clustering according to growing conditions and variety. Infrared data were confirmed by wet chemistry analyses that revealed slight but significant differences between primary and secondary fiber cell wall composition. Infrared spectroscopy of technical fibers obtained after mechanical defibering revealed differences with native primary, but not secondary fibers and also discriminated samples obtained from plants grown under different conditions. Altogether the results suggested that the observed variability of hemp technical fibers could be partially explained by i) differences in secondary fiber production and ii) differential behavior during mechanical defibering resulting in unequal separation of primary and secondary fibers.

In-Drift Microbial Communities

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

D. Jolley

2000-11-09

As directed by written work direction (CRWMS M and O 1999f), Performance Assessment (PA) developed a model for microbial communities in the engineered barrier system (EBS) as documented here. The purpose of this model is to assist Performance Assessment and its Engineered Barrier Performance Section in modeling the geochemical environment within a potential repository drift for TSPA-SR/LA, thus allowing PA to provide a more detailed and complete near-field geochemical model and to answer the key technical issues (KTI) raised in the NRC Issue Resolution Status Report (IRSR) for the Evolution of the Near Field Environment (NFE) Revision 2 (NRC 1999).more » This model and its predecessor (the in-drift microbial communities model as documented in Chapter 4 of the TSPA-VA Technical Basis Document, CRWMS M and O 1998a) was developed to respond to the applicable KTIs. Additionally, because of the previous development of the in-drift microbial communities model as documented in Chapter 4 of the TSPA-VA Technical Basis Document (CRWMS M and O 1998a), the M and O was effectively able to resolve a previous KTI concern regarding the effects of microbial processes on seepage and flow (NRC 1998). This document supercedes the in-drift microbial communities model as documented in Chapter 4 of the TSPA-VA Technical Basis Document (CRWMS M and O 1998a). This document provides the conceptual framework of the revised in-drift microbial communities model to be used in subsequent performance assessment (PA) analyses.« less

ECUT (Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies) program: Biocatalysis project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baresi, Larry

1989-01-01

The Annual Report presents the fiscal year (FY) 1988 research activities and accomplishments, for the Biocatalysis Project of the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Division. The ECUT Biocatalysis Project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. The Biocatalysis Project is a mission-oriented, applied research and exploratory development activity directed toward resolution of the major generic technical barriers that impede the development of biologically catalyzed commercial chemical production. The approach toward achieving project objectives involves an integrated participation of universities, industrial companies and government research laboratories. The Project's technical activities were organized into three work elements: (1) The Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element includes research on modeling of biological systems, developing rigorous methods for the prediction of three-dimensional (tertiary) protein structure from the amino acid sequence (primary structure) for designing new biocatalysis, defining kinetic models of biocatalyst reactivity, and developing genetically engineered solutions to the generic technical barriers that preclude widespread application of biocatalysis. (2) The Bioprocess Engineering work element supports efforts in novel bioreactor concepts that are likely to lead to substantially higher levels of reactor productivity, product yields and lower separation energetics. Results of work within this work element will be used to establish the technical feasibility of critical bioprocess monitoring and control subsystems. (3) The Bioprocess Design and Assessment work element attempts to develop procedures (via user-friendly computer software) for assessing the energy-economics of biocatalyzed chemical production processes, and initiation of technology transfer for advanced bioprocesses.

ECUT (Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies) program: Biocatalysis project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baresi, Larry

1989-03-01

The Annual Report presents the fiscal year (FY) 1988 research activities and accomplishments, for the Biocatalysis Project of the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Division. The ECUT Biocatalysis Project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. The Biocatalysis Project is a mission-oriented, applied research and exploratory development activity directed toward resolution of the major generic technical barriers that impede the development of biologically catalyzed commercial chemical production. The approach toward achieving project objectives involves an integrated participation of universities, industrial companies and government research laboratories. The Project's technical activities were organized into three work elements: (1) The Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element includes research on modeling of biological systems, developing rigorous methods for the prediction of three-dimensional (tertiary) protein structure from the amino acid sequence (primary structure) for designing new biocatalysis, defining kinetic models of biocatalyst reactivity, and developing genetically engineered solutions to the generic technical barriers that preclude widespread application of biocatalysis. (2) The Bioprocess Engineering work element supports efforts in novel bioreactor concepts that are likely to lead to substantially higher levels of reactor productivity, product yields and lower separation energetics. Results of work within this work element will be used to establish the technical feasibility of critical bioprocess monitoring and control subsystems. (3) The Bioprocess Design and Assessment work element attempts to develop procedures (via user-friendly computer software) for assessing the energy-economics of biocatalyzed chemical production processes, and initiation of technology transfer for advanced bioprocesses.

Guardrail and bridge rail recommendations for very low-volume local roads in Kansas : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

The determination of warrants for bridge railing and approach guardrails is a : fundamental roadside safety issue. These are specialized roadside safety barriers that are : intended to capture and smoothly redirect errant vehicles that leave the road...

Connected commercial vehicles-integrated truck project : vehicle build and build test plan, final technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-12-01

This paper brings together the findings of activities that addressed the impacts of nontechnical barriers and constraints that might impede the progress of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) programs. It discusses how the planning and deploymen...

A nuclear method to measure spallation by thermal cycling of protective surface layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroosnijder, M. F.; Macchi, G.

1995-05-01

After a general introduction on spallation by thermal cycling, the principle of Thin Layer Activation (TLA) is outlined. A practical setup to measure spallation of protective surface layers by thermal cycling using TLA is discussed. Its use is illustrated with the study of the spallation behaviour of an advanced thermal barrier coating. It is shown that among the various benefits, TLA has a direct relation to material loss and shows a significant increase in sensitivity over other test methods. Due to its intrinsic properties, TLA can contribute to a greater scientific understanding of material degradation by thermal cycling and it can provide a more reliable assessment of the service lives of technical components.

FY2016 Advanced Batteries R&D Annual Progress Report - Part 4 of 5

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

None, None

The Advanced Batteries research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles. Program targets focus on overcoming technical barriers to enable market success including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost, (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability), (3) reducing battery weight & volume, and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit, overcharge, and crush. This report describes the progress made on the research and development projects funded by the Battery subprogram in 2016. This section covers Advanced Battery Materials Research (BMR)more » part 1.« less

FY2016 Advanced Batteries R&D Annual Progress Report - Part 3 of 5

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

None, None

The Advanced Batteries research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles. Program targets focus on overcoming technical barriers to enable market success including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost, (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability), (3) reducing battery weight & volume, and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit, overcharge, and crush. This report describes the progress made on the research and development projects funded by the Battery subprogram in 2016. This section covers the summaries of the Appliedmore » Batteries Research for Transportation Projects part 2.« less

FY2016 Advanced Batteries R&D Annual Progress Report - Part 2 of 5

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

None, None

The Advanced Batteries research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles. Program targets focus on overcoming technical barriers to enable market success including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost, (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability), (3) reducing battery weight & volume, and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit, overcharge, and crush. This report describes the progress made on the research and development projects funded by the Battery subprogram in 2016. This section covers the summaries of the Appliedmore » Batteries Research for Transportation Projects part 1.« less

Perceptions of the roles of social networking in simulation augmented medical education and training.

PubMed

Martin, Rob; Rojas, David; Cheung, Jeffrey J H; Weber, Bryce; Kapralos, Bill; Dubrowski, Adam

2013-01-01

Simulation-augmented education and training (SAET) is an expensive educational tool that may be facilitated through social networking technologies or Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). This study examined the perceptions of medical undergraduates participating in SAET for knot tying skills to identify perceptions and barriers to implementation of social networking technologies within a broader medical education curriculum. The majority of participants (89%) found CSCL aided their learning of the technical skill and identified privacy and accessibility as major barriers to the tools implementation.

Barriers and Facilitators Affecting Patient Portal Implementation from an Organizational Perspective: Qualitative Study.

PubMed Central

Kooij, Laura; Groen, Wim G

2018-01-01

Background The number of patient portals is rising, and although portals can have positive effects, their implementation has major impacts on the providing health care institutions. However, little is known about the organizational factors affecting successful implementation. Knowledge of the specific barriers to and facilitators of various stakeholders is likely to be useful for future implementations. Objective The objective of this study was to identify the barriers to and facilitators of patient portal implementation facing various stakeholders within hospital organizations in the Netherlands. Methods Purposive sampling was used to select hospitals of various types. A total of 2 university medical centers, 3 teaching hospitals, and 2 general hospitals were included. For each, 3 stakeholders were interviewed: (1) medical professionals, (2) managers, and (3) information technology employees. In total, 21 semistructured interviews were conducted using the Grol and Wensing model, which describes barriers to and facilitators of change in health care practice at 6 levels: (1) innovation; (2) individual professional; (3) patient; (4) social context; (5) organizational context; and (6) economic and political context. Two researchers independently selected and coded quotes by applying this model using a (deductive) directed content approach. Additional factors related to technical and portal characteristics were added using the model of McGinn et al, developed for implementation of electronic health records. Results In total, we identified 376 quotes, 26 barriers, and 28 facilitators. Thirteen barriers and 12 facilitators were common for all stakeholder groups. The facilitators’ perceived usefulness (especially less paperwork) was mentioned by all the stakeholders, followed by subjects’ positive attitude. The main barriers were lack of resources (namely, lack of staff and materials), financial difficulties (especially complying with high costs, lack of reimbursements), and guaranteeing privacy and security (eg, strict regulations). Both similarities and differences were found between stakeholder groups and hospital types. For example, managers and information technology employees mainly considered guaranteeing privacy and security as a predominant barrier. Financial difficulties were particularly mentioned by medical professionals and managers. Conclusions Patient portal implementation is a complex process and is not only a technical process but also affects the organization and its staff. Barriers and facilitators occurred at various levels and differed among hospital types (eg, lack of accessibility) and stakeholder groups (eg, sufficient resources) in terms of several factors. Our findings underscore the importance of involving multiple stakeholders in portal implementations. We identified a set of barriers and facilitators that are likely to be useful in making strategic and efficient implementation plans. PMID:29752253

Electronic health records: what are the most important barriers?

PubMed

Ayatollahi, Haleh; Mirani, Nader; Haghani, Hamid

2014-01-01

The process of design and adoption of electronic health records may face a number of barriers. This study aimed to compare the importance of the main barriers from the experts' point of views in Iran. This survey study was completed in 2011. The potential participants (62 experts) included faculty members who worked in departments of health information technology and individuals who worked in the Ministry of Health in Iran and were in charge of the development and adoption of electronic health records. No sampling method was used in this study. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire ranging from 1 to 5. The validity of the questionnaire was established using content and face validity methods, and the reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The response rate was 51.6 percent. The participants' perspectives showed that the most important barriers in the process of design and adoption of electronic health records were technical barriers (mean = 3.84). Financial and ethical-legal barriers, with the mean value of 3.80 were other important barriers, and individual and organizational barriers, with the mean values of 3.59 and 3.50 were found to be less important than other barriers from the experts' perspectives. Strategic planning for the creation and adoption of electronic health records in the country, creating a team of experts to assess the potential barriers and develop strategies to eliminate them, and allocating financial resources can help to overcome most important barriers to the adoption of electronic health records.

Balloon dilation of the eustachian tube in a cadaver model: technical considerations, learning curve, and potential barriers.

PubMed

McCoul, Edward D; Singh, Ameet; Anand, Vijay K; Tabaee, Abtin

2012-04-01

The surgical management options for eustachian tube dysfunction have historically been limited. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the technical considerations, learning curve, and potential barriers for balloon dilation of the eustachian tube (BDET) as an alternative treatment modality. Prospective preclinical trial of BDET in a cadaver model. A novel balloon catheter device was used for eustachian tube dilation. Twenty-four BDET procedures were performed by three independent rhinologists with no prior experience with the procedure (eight procedures per surgeon). The duration and number of attempts of the individual steps and overall procedure were recorded. Endoscopic examination of the eustachian tube was performed after each procedure, and the surgeon was asked to rate the subjective difficulty on a five-point scale. Successful completion of the procedure occurred in each case. The overall mean duration of the procedure was 284 seconds, and a mean number of 1.15 attempts were necessary to perform the individual steps. The mean subjective procedure difficulty was noted as somewhat easy. Statistically shorter duration and subjectively easier procedure were noted in the second compared to the first half of the series, indicating a favorable learning curve. Linear fissuring within the eustachian tube lumen without submucosal disruption (nine procedures, 37%) and with submucosal disruption (five procedures, 21%) were noted. The significance of these physical findings is unclear. Preclinical testing of BDET is associated with favorable duration, learning curve, and overall ease of completion. Clinical trials are necessary to evaluate safety and efficacy. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

Evolving the Land Information System into a Cloud Computing Service

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

Houser, Paul R.

The Land Information System (LIS) was developed to use advanced flexible land surface modeling and data assimilation frameworks to integrate extremely large satellite- and ground-based observations with advanced land surface models to produce continuous high-resolution fields of land surface states and fluxes. The resulting fields are extremely useful for drought and flood assessment, agricultural planning, disaster management, weather and climate forecasting, water resources assessment, and the like. We envisioned transforming the LIS modeling system into a scientific cloud computing-aware web and data service that would allow clients to easily setup and configure for use in addressing large water management issues.more » The focus of this Phase 1 project was to determine the scientific, technical, commercial merit and feasibility of the proposed LIS-cloud innovations that are currently barriers to broad LIS applicability. We (a) quantified the barriers to broad LIS utility and commercialization (high performance computing, big data, user interface, and licensing issues); (b) designed the proposed LIS-cloud web service, model-data interface, database services, and user interfaces; (c) constructed a prototype LIS user interface including abstractions for simulation control, visualization, and data interaction, (d) used the prototype to conduct a market analysis and survey to determine potential market size and competition, (e) identified LIS software licensing and copyright limitations and developed solutions, and (f) developed a business plan for development and marketing of the LIS-cloud innovation. While some significant feasibility issues were found in the LIS licensing, overall a high degree of LIS-cloud technical feasibility was found.« less

The development, regulation and use of biopesticides for integrated pest management

PubMed Central

Chandler, David; Bailey, Alastair S.; Tatchell, G. Mark; Davidson, Gill; Greaves, Justin; Grant, Wyn P.

2011-01-01

Over the past 50 years, crop protection has relied heavily on synthetic chemical pesticides, but their availability is now declining as a result of new legislation and the evolution of resistance in pest populations. Therefore, alternative pest management tactics are needed. Biopesticides are pest management agents based on living micro-organisms or natural products. They have proven potential for pest management and they are being used across the world. However, they are regulated by systems designed originally for chemical pesticides that have created market entry barriers by imposing burdensome costs on the biopesticide industry. There are also significant technical barriers to making biopesticides more effective. In the European Union, a greater emphasis on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as part of agricultural policy may lead to innovations in the way that biopesticides are regulated. There are also new opportunities for developing biopesticides in IPM by combining ecological science with post-genomics technologies. The new biopesticide products that will result from this research will bring with them new regulatory and economic challenges that must be addressed through joint working between social and natural scientists, policy makers and industry. PMID:21624919

New State of Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, William J.

2009-01-01

This paper presents how minorities break color barriers in top administrative positions at Pennsylvania institutions. Pennsylvania, the state with the sixth-largest population in the country with more than 12 million people, reportedly has more than 450 public and private colleges, universities and career and technical training schools.…

Breaking Barriers: Women in Nontraditional Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodman, Joseph J.; Fisher, Paula L.

This paper documents the efforts of Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute's (TVI) Trades and Service Occupations Department to recruit and support women in nontraditional occupations. Nontraditional careers are defined as those occupations in which women comprise less than 25 percent of the population. While women are entering professional…

Women Students in Engineering: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horst, Leslie

Women are underrepresented in professional and technical careers. Research to examine this imbalance has focused on either characteristics of individual women or the interpersonal and structural barriers faced in pursuing these careers. An integration of both person and setting perspectives may provide further understanding of traditionally…

42 CFR 136.351 - Application and selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... factors: (1) The extent of the unmet health care needs of the urban Indians in the urban center involved..., in the urban center. Factors to be considered in determining relative accessibility include: (i...; (vi) Technical barriers created by State and local health agencies; (vii) Availability of...

Designing Training for Global Environments: Knowing What Questions To Ask.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gayeski, Diane M.; Sanchirico, Christine; Anderson, Janet

2002-01-01

Presents a framework for identifying important issues for instructional design and delivery in global settings. Highlights include cultural factors in global training; an instructional design model; corporate globalization strategy; communication and training norms; language barriers; implicit value differences; and technical and legal…

Organic Waste Diversion in Columbia, South Carolina, Feasibility Study

EPA Science Inventory

The study found that a variety of methods are technically and economically feasible for diverting food wastes and providing a positive return on investment for the source. Potential barriers and considerations for food waste diversion are identified in the study. Given the E...

SOLVENT-BASED TO WATERBASED ADHESIVE-COATED SUBSTRATE RETROFIT - VOLUME III: LABEL MANUFACTURING CASE STUDY: NASHUA CORPORATION

EPA Science Inventory

This volume discusses Nashua Corporation's Omaha facility, a label and label stock manufacturing facility that no longer uses solvent-based adhesives. Information obtained includes issues related to the technical, economic, and environmental barriers and opportunities associated ...

Mentoring disadvantaged nursing students through technical writing workshops.

PubMed

Johnson, Molly K; Symes, Lene; Bernard, Lillian; Landson, Margie J; Carroll, Theresa L

2007-01-01

Recent studies have identified a problematic gap for nursing students between terse clinical writing and formal academic writing. This gap can create a potential barrier to academic and workplace success, especially for disadvantaged nursing students who have not acquired the disciplinary conventions and sophisticated writing required in upper-level nursing courses. The authors demonstrate the need for writing-in-the-discipline activities to enhance the writing skills of nursing students, describe the technical writing workshops they developed to mentor minority and disadvantaged nursing students, and provide recommendations to stimulate educator dialogue across disciplines and institutions.

Thermal Diffusivity and Conductivity in Ceramic Matrix Fiber Composite Materials - Literature Study

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

R.G. Quinn

A technical literature review was conducted to gain an understanding of the state of the art method, problems, results, and future of thermal diffusivity/conductivity of matrix-fiber composites for high temperature applications. This paper summarizes the results of test method development and theory. Results from testing on various sample types are discussed with concentration on the anisotropic characteristics of matrix-fiber composites, barriers to heat flow, and notable microstructure observations. The conclusion presents some observations from the technical literature, drawbacks of current information and discusses potential needs for future testing.

Using qualitative methods to understand non-technological aspects of domestic energy efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrose, Aimee Rebecca

The overall aim of the collected published works is to investigate how different policy interventions in the field of energy efficiency (including zero carbon homes, low carbon heat networks, and domestic energy efficiency schemes) are experienced and made sense of by a range of key actors. A further aim is to understand these interventions in the context of existing theories within the field of domestic energy efficiency including socio-technical theory and Actor Network Theory. More specifically, this research advances existing knowledge in the following areas: The nature of the socio-technical challenges encountered in the introduction of more energy efficient buildings, and the importance of achieving a balance between socially acceptable and technically optimal environments. (Papers 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8). The value of qualitative research in gaining a more nuanced understanding of our relationship with the home and the implications of this for domestic energy efficiency interventions and the design of low energy buildings (all papers). The influence of tenure as determinant of access to a more energy efficient home and in particular, the stubborn and complex barriers to achieving higher standards of energy performance within the private rented sector. (Papers 1, 2, 3 and 4). The significance of identity, setting and notions of home in the context of domestic energy efficiency interventions. (Papers 1 and 4). As these themes suggest, this PhD is not just concerned with carbon reduction and energy saving as technical objects, but as a way of life. More specifically, it considers the interactions between the two and contends that technical or policy instruments, no matter how sophisticated, cannot succeed if they are not compatible with our ways of life (and ways of doing businesss) or if our ways of life cannot be reasonably adapted to acoomodate them.

Dissecting gene expression at the blood-brain barrier

PubMed Central

Huntley, Melanie A.; Bien-Ly, Nga; Daneman, Richard; Watts, Ryan J.

2014-01-01

The availability of genome-wide expression data for the blood-brain barrier is an invaluable resource that has recently enabled the discovery of several genes and pathways involved in the development and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier, particularly in rodent models. The broad distribution of published data sets represents a viable starting point for the molecular dissection of the blood-brain barrier and will further direct the discovery of novel mechanisms of blood-brain barrier formation and function. Technical advances in purifying brain endothelial cells, the key cell that forms the critical barrier, have allowed for greater specificity in gene expression comparisons with other central nervous system cell types, and more systematic characterizations of the molecular composition of the blood-brain barrier. Nevertheless, our understanding of how the blood-brain barrier changes during aging and disease is underrepresented. Blood-brain barrier data sets from a wider range of experimental paradigms and species, including invertebrates and primates, would be invaluable for investigating the function and evolution of the blood-brain barrier. Newer technologies in gene expression profiling, such as RNA-sequencing, now allow for finer resolution of transcriptomic changes, including isoform specificity and RNA-editing. As our field continues to utilize more advanced expression profiling in its ongoing efforts to elucidate the blood-brain barrier, including in disease and drug delivery, we will continue to see rapid advances in our understanding of the molecular mediators of barrier biology. We predict that the recently published data sets, combined with forthcoming genomic and proteomic blood-brain barrier data sets, will continue to fuel the molecular genetic revolution of blood-brain barrier biology. PMID:25414634

Barriers to Banking - Towards an Inclusive Banking Environment in South Africa.

PubMed

Martinson, Estelle; Martinson, Johannes

2016-01-01

A recent study in South Africa on the barriers to banking which involved customers in three disability groups namely mobility, hearing and vision has highlighted that currently banking in South Africa is not accessible. Customers with a disability are unable to independently use banking services across a wide range of channels. Exclusion from something as fundamental as managing their own financial affairs raise serious human rights concerns and requires committed action from decision-makers to address this. The fact that solutions to all of the identified barriers have been successfully implemented in banks in other parts of the world for many years emphasize that this is not a technical challenge. While some solutions require complex or expensive changes such as removing physical access barriers and ensuring that digital channels meet internationally accepted standards of accessibility, there are many simple and low-cost solutions which can be implemented immediately and would make a world of difference to these customers and their experience of banking. One key barrier which emerged in all the focus groups and surveys is attitudinal barriers - staff who are unwilling to assist, impatient, interact with the customer's assistant instead of directly with them and lack basic skills on how to interact with someone who has a disability. A comprehensive framework of banking was used to identify a wide range of barriers. The barriers were classified as attitudinal, barriers to physical access, digital access barriers, barriers to information, communication barriers and some generic concerns such as safe evacuation during emergencies and alternative authentication. Both the barriers and the solutions where ranked by participants. From a theoretical perspective, the benefit of a customer-centric approach to understanding these barriers and the innovation potential of a Universal Design approach is affirmed by this study.

Evaluating barriers to adopting telemedicine worldwide: A systematic review.

PubMed

Scott Kruse, Clemens; Karem, Priyanka; Shifflett, Kelli; Vegi, Lokesh; Ravi, Karuna; Brooks, Matthew

2018-01-01

Introduction and objective Studies on telemedicine have shown success in reducing the geographical and time obstacles incurred in the receipt of care in traditional modalities with the same or greater effectiveness; however, there are several barriers that need to be addressed in order for telemedicine technology to spread. The aim of this review is to evaluate barriers to adopting telemedicine worldwide through the analysis of published work. Methods The authors conducted a systematic literature review by extracting the data from the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PubMed (MEDLINE) research databases. The reviewers in this study analysed 30 articles (nine from CINAHL and 21 from Medline) and identified barriers found in the literature. This review followed the checklist from Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2009. The reviewers organized the results into one table and five figures that depict the data in different ways, organized by: barrier, country-specific barriers, organization-specific barriers, patient-specific barriers, and medical-staff and programmer-specific barriers. Results The reviewers identified 33 barriers with a frequency of 100 occurrences through the 30 articles. The study identified the issues with technically challenged staff (11%), followed by resistance to change (8%), cost (8%), reimbursement (5%), age of patient (5%), and level of education of patient (5%). All other barriers occurred at or less than 4% of the time. Discussion and conclusions Telemedicine is not yet ubiquitous, and barriers vary widely. The top barriers are technology-specific and could be overcome through training, change-management techniques, and alternating delivery by telemedicine and personal patient-to-provider interaction. The results of this study identify several barriers that could be eliminated by focused policy. Future work should evaluate policy to identify which one to lever to maximize the results.

ENGINEERED BARRIER SYSTEM: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENT

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

R. Jarek

2005-08-29

The purpose of this model report is to describe the evolution of the physical and chemical environmental conditions within the waste emplacement drifts of the repository, including the drip shield and waste package surfaces. The resulting seepage evaporation and gas abstraction models are used in the total system performance assessment for the license application (TSPA-LA) to assess the performance of the engineered barrier system and the waste form. This report develops and documents a set of abstraction-level models that describe the engineered barrier system physical and chemical environment. Where possible, these models use information directly from other reports as input,more » which promotes integration among process models used for TSPA-LA. Specific tasks and activities of modeling the physical and chemical environment are included in ''Technical Work Plan for: Near-Field Environment and Transport In-Drift Geochemistry Model Report Integration'' (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173782], Section 1.2.2). As described in the technical work plan, the development of this report is coordinated with the development of other engineered barrier system reports. To be consistent with other project documents that address features, events, and processes (FEPs), Table 6.14.1 of the current report includes updates to FEP numbers and FEP subjects for two FEPs identified in the technical work plan (TWP) governing this report (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173782]). FEP 2.1.09.06.0A (Reduction-oxidation potential in EBS), as listed in Table 2 of the TWP (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173782]), has been updated in the current report to FEP 2.1.09.06.0B (Reduction-oxidation potential in Drifts; see Table 6.14-1). FEP 2.1.09.07.0A (Reaction kinetics in EBS), as listed in Table 2 of the TWP (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173782]), has been updated in the current report to FEP 2.1.09.07.0B (Reaction kinetics in Drifts; see Table 6.14-1). These deviations from the TWP are justified because they improve integration with FEPs documents. The updates have no impact on the model developed in this report.« less

Biomass resources in California

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

Tiangco, V.M.; Sethi, P.S.

1993-12-31

The biomass resources in California which have potential for energy conversion were assessed and characterized through the project funded by the California Energy Commission and the US Department of Energy`s Western Regional Biomass Energy Program (WRBEP). The results indicate that there is an abundance of biomass resources as yet untouched by the industry due to technical, economic, and environmental problems, and other barriers. These biomass resources include residues from field and seed crops, fruit and nut crops, vegetable crops, and nursery crops; food processing wastes; forest slash; energy crops; lumber mill waste; urban wood waste; urban yard waste; livestock manure;more » and chaparral. The estimated total potential of these biomass resource is approximately 47 million bone dry tons (BDT), which is equivalent to 780 billion MJ (740 trillion Btu). About 7 million BDT (132 billion MJ or 124 trillion Btu) of biomass residue was used for generating electricity by 66 direct combustion facilities with gross capacity of about 800 MW. This tonnage accounts for only about 15% of the total biomass resource potential identified in this study. The barriers interfering with the biomass utilization both in the on-site harvesting, collection, storage, handling, transportation, and conversion to energy are identified. The question whether these barriers present significant impact to biomass {open_quotes}availability{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}sustainability{close_quotes} remains to be answered.« less

Energy Systems Integration News | Energy Systems Integration Facility |

Science.gov Websites

answer that question by examining the technical, infrastructure, economic, and policy barriers to greater intra-hour, inter-hour, seasonal, and inter-annual variability of solar resources-essential information powerful tool that provides essential information to policymakers, financiers, project developers, and

Effective Communication for the Reflective Outdoor Leader.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chase, Robert; Priest, Simon

1990-01-01

Effective communication is sending a message so that it is received the way it was meant. Barriers to effective communication, or "noise," may include mental blocks, technical jargon, social norms, or values. Feedback, paraphrasing, impression checking, and behavior description are ways to improve communication and facilitate learning…

Native American Entrepreneurship. Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seymour, Nicole

Although Native Americans have owned and started the fewest small businesses of all U.S. minority groups, entrepreneurship is considered to be an efficient tool for alleviating their economic problems. Barriers to Native American entrepreneurship include poverty, scarce start-up capital, poor access to business education and technical assistance,…

Effects of field storage method on E. coli concentrations measured in storm water runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Storm water runoff is increasingly assessed for fecal indicator organisms (e.g., Escherichia coli, E. coli) and its impact on contact recreation. Concurrently, use of autosamplers along with logistic, economic, technical, and personnel barriers are challenging conventional protocols for sample hold...

Plug and Play web-based visualization of mobile air monitoring data (Abstract)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA’s Real-Time Geospatial (RETIGO) Data Viewer web-based tool is a new program reducing the technical barrier to visualize and understand geospatial air data time series collected using wearable, bicycle-mounted, or vehicle-mounted air sensors. The RETIGO tool, with anticipated...

Changing Systems for Children and Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCart, Linda

This document summarizes the results of research on reform of state and national policy affecting families and children. The document begins with a rationale for change, and follows with four chapters that identify barriers stemming from attitudes, system organization, resource limitations, and technical problems. Each chapter suggests strategies…

Advanced Environmental Barrier Coating Development for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites: NASA's Perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming

2016-01-01

This presentation reviews NASA environmental barrier coating (EBC) system development programs and the coating materials evolutions for protecting the SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites in order to meet the next generation engine performance requirements. The presentation focuses on several generations of NASA EBC systems, EBC-CMC component system technologies for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite combustors and turbine airfoils, highlighting the temperature capability and durability improvements in simulated engine high heat flux, high pressure, high velocity, and with mechanical creep and fatigue loading conditions. The current EBC development emphasis is placed on advanced NASA 2700F candidate environmental barrier coating systems for SiC/SiC CMCs, their performance benefits and design limitations in long-term operation and combustion environments. Major technical barriers in developing environmental barrier coating systems, the coating integrations with next generation CMCs having the improved environmental stability, erosion-impact resistance, and long-term fatigue-environment system durability performance are described. The research and development opportunities for advanced turbine airfoil environmental barrier coating systems by utilizing improved compositions, state-of-the-art processing methods, and simulated environment testing and durability modeling are discussed.

Public health departments and accountable care organizations: finding common ground in population health.

PubMed

Ingram, Richard; Scutchfield, F Douglas; Costich, Julia F

2015-05-01

We examined areas of potential collaboration between accountable care organizations and public health agencies, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators. We interviewed 9 key informants on 4 topics: advantages of public health agency involvement in accountable care organizations; services public health agencies could provide; practical, cultural, and legal barriers to accountable care organization-public health agency involvement; and business models that facilitate accountable care organization-public health agency collaboration. Public health agencies could help accountable care organizations partner with community organizations and reach vulnerable patients, provide population-based services and surveillance data, and promote policies that improve member health. Barriers include accountable care organizations' need for short-term financial yield, limited public health agency technical and financial capacity, and the absence of a financial model.

Public Health Departments and Accountable Care Organizations: Finding Common Ground in Population Health

PubMed Central

Ingram, Richard; Scutchfield, F. Douglas

2015-01-01

We examined areas of potential collaboration between accountable care organizations and public health agencies, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators. We interviewed 9 key informants on 4 topics: advantages of public health agency involvement in accountable care organizations; services public health agencies could provide; practical, cultural, and legal barriers to accountable care organization–public health agency involvement; and business models that facilitate accountable care organization–public health agency collaboration. Public health agencies could help accountable care organizations partner with community organizations and reach vulnerable patients, provide population-based services and surveillance data, and promote policies that improve member health. Barriers include accountable care organizations’ need for short-term financial yield, limited public health agency technical and financial capacity, and the absence of a financial model. PMID:25790392

Supporting breast-feeding women from the perspective of the midwife: A systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Swerts, Marlies; Westhof, Ellen; Bogaerts, Annick; Lemiengre, Joke

2016-06-01

In 2003 the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that infants should be fed exclusively with breast milk until the age of six months. However, breast feeding rates remain lower than recommended. The crucial period for breast feeding support is the first two weeks after birth. During this period breast feeding support from the midwife is needed. The aim of this paper is to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of midwives in their support of breast-feeding women, from their own perspective. Two researchers independently conducted a systematic and comprehensive literature search. Studies needed an empirical qualitative research design (1), had to focus on the role of the midwife in the support of the breast-feeding woman from the midwife's perspective (2), and had to be published between January 2005 and December 2014 (3) in order to be included. Language restrictions were English, Dutch, German and French. Eight qualitative research studies were included, using mainly focus group and in-depth interview studies, which were reported in 11 papers representing 231 midwives and 24 maternity nurses. All but one study concerned midwives working in hospital settings. A critical appraisal was performed of each study. Midwives value breast feeding education and breast feeding support as a significant part of their role as a postnatal midwife. However, the ways in which a midwife approaches and supports the breast-feeding woman vary. We distinguished two perspectives: 'the midwife as technical expert' and 'the midwife as a skilled companion'. The 'technical expert' midwife is mainly breast centred, focuses on techniques, uses the hands on approach and sees a woman as a novice. The 'skilled companion' midwife is woman centred, focuses on the mother - infant relationship and uses a hands off approach during the breast feeding support. The midwives working in a hospital setting face many barriers when performing breast feeding support, such as time restraints, which makes it difficult for them to carry out their preferred role as a 'skilled companion'. These barriers can influence the breast feeding support negatively. Supporting factors, such as evidence based breast feeding guidelines, have a positive influence on the breast feeding support. On the basis of findings of a synthesis of qualitative research studies, we conclude that the majority of the midwives provide breast feeding support as a technical expert and a minority as a skilled companion. Midwives prefer to be a skilled companion but face many barriers in their working contexts. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Endoscopic and keyhole endoscope-assisted neurosurgical approaches: a qualitative survey on technical challenges and technological solutions.

PubMed

Marcus, Hani J; Cundy, Thomas P; Hughes-Hallett, Archie; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara; Nandi, Dipankar

2014-10-01

The literature reflects a resurgence of interest in endoscopic and keyhole endoscope-assisted neurosurgical approaches as alternatives to conventional microsurgical approaches in carefully selected cases. The aim of this study was to assess the technical challenges of neuroendoscopy, and the scope for technological innovations to overcome these barriers. All full members of the Society of British Neurosurgeons (SBNS) were electronically invited to participate in an online survey. The open-ended structured survey asked three questions; firstly, whether the surgeon presently utilises or has experience with endoscopic or endoscope-assisted approaches; secondly, what they consider to be the major technical barriers to adopting such approaches; and thirdly, what technological advances they foresee improving safety and efficacy in the field. Responses were subjected to a qualitative research method of multi-rater emergent theme analysis. Three clear themes emerged: 1) surgical approach and better integration with image-guidance systems (20%), 2) intra-operative visualisation and improvements in neuroendoscopy (49%), and 3) surgical manipulation and improvements in instruments (74%). The analysis of responses to our open-ended survey revealed that although opinion was varied three major themes could be identified. Emerging technological advances such as augmented reality, high-definition stereo-endoscopy, and robotic joint-wristed instruments may help overcome the technical difficulties associated with neuroendoscopic approaches. Results of this qualitative survey provide consensus amongst the technology end-user community such that unambiguous goals and priorities may be defined. Systems integrating these advances could improve the safety and efficacy of endoscopic and endoscope-assisted neurosurgical approaches.

Endoscopic and Keyhole Endoscope-assisted Neurosurgical Approaches: A Qualitative Survey on Technical Challenges and Technological Solutions

PubMed Central

Marcus, Hani J; Cundy, Thomas P; Hughes-Hallett, Archie; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara; Nandi, Dipankar

2014-01-01

Introduction The literature reflects a resurgence of interest in endoscopic and keyhole endoscope-assisted neurosurgical approaches as alternatives to conventional microsurgical approaches in carefully selected cases. The aim of this study was to assess the technical challenges of neuroendoscopy, and the scope for technological innovations to overcome these barriers. Materials and Methods All full members of the Society of British Neurosurgeons (SBNS) were electronically invited to participate in an online survey. The open-ended structured survey asked three questions; firstly, whether the surgeon presently utilises or has experience with endoscopic or endoscope-assisted approaches; secondly, what they consider to be the major technical barriers to adopting such approaches; and thirdly, what technological advances they foresee improving safety and efficacy in the field. Responses were subjected to a qualitative research method of multi-rater emergent themes analysis. Results Three clear themes emerged: 1) surgical approach and better integration with image-guidance systems (20%), 2) intra-operative visualisation and improvements in neuroendoscopy (49%), and 3) surgical manipulation and improvements in instruments (74%). Discussion The analysis of responses to our open-ended survey revealed that although opinion was varied three major themes could be identified. Emerging technological advances such as augmented reality, high-definition stereo-endoscopy, and robotic joint-wristed instruments may help overcome the technical difficulties associated with neuroendoscopic approaches. Conclusions Results of this qualitative survey provide consensus amongst the technology end-user community such that unambiguous goals and priorities may be defined. Systems integrating these advances could improve the safety and efficacy of endoscopic and endoscope-assisted neurosurgical approaches. PMID:24533591

Overcoming Barriers for "Niche" Learners through Distance Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Lawrence G.; And Others

For over 15 years, Tennessee's Chattanooga State Technical Community College has been offering non-traditional, distance education to reach "niches" of students who would otherwise find it difficult to attain a college education. Begun in 1979 with a laboratory-based independent study program offering a mix of purchased and…

Doing Course Evaluation as if Learning Matters Most

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edstrom, Kristina

2008-01-01

This paper investigates barriers for using course evaluation as a tool for improving student learning, through the analysis of course evaluation practices at The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), a technical university in Stockholm. Although there is a policy on development-focused course evaluation at KTH, several stakeholders have expressed…

Digital Game-Based Language Learning in Foreign Language Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alyaz, Yunus; Genc, Zubeyde Sinem

2016-01-01

New technologies including digital game-based language learning have increasingly received attention. However, their implementation is far from expected and desired levels due to technical, instructional, financial and sociological barriers. Previous studies suggest that there is a strong need to establish courses in order to support adaptation of…

Getting Users to Library Resources: A Delicious Alternative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapucu, Aysegul; Hoeppner, Athena; Dunlop, Doug

2008-01-01

The article gives an overview of social bookmarking in libraries and discusses the University of Central Florida (UCF) Libraries Delicious project and its outcomes in depth. It also addresses technical issues involved with setting up a library Delicious account; barriers to participation; training requirements; integration with other library sites…

"We Are Guinea Pigs Really": Examining the Realities of ICT-based Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selwyn, Neil; Gorard, Stephen; Williams, Sara

2002-01-01

Interviews with 36 adult learners in information-communications technology (ICT) settings, using the concept of learning trajectories, revealed barriers to widening participation through ICT. In addition to technical shortcomings, social, economic, cultural, and political issues hinder the process, including lack of innovative instruction and…

Girls and Computer Technology: Barrier or Key?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gipson, Joella

1997-01-01

Discusses the disparity in numbers of girls and boys taking math, science, and computer classes in elementary and secondary schools, and examines steps being taken to better prepare girls, especially minority girls, for an increasingly technical society. A program in Michigan is described that involved a school and business partnership. (LRW)

The Implementation of Program Evaluation Recommendations in Wisconsin Technical Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruhland, Sheila K.

Implementation of program evaluation recommendations should persuade people that the rewards of an evaluation outweigh the reasons for resistance. A study was undertaken with the following purposes: identify facilitators and barriers to the implementation of program evaluation; determine the proportion of recommendations made in each of the nine…

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

Gonzales, Ivana; Chung, Hoon Taek; Kim, Yu Seung

Slow hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) kinetics on Pt under alkaline conditions is a significant technical barrier for the development of high-performance hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells. Here we report that benzene adsorption on Pt is a major factor responsible for the sluggish HOR. Furthermore, we demonstrate that bimetallic catalysts, such as PtMo/C, PtNi/C, and PtRu/C, can reduce the adsorption of benzene and thereby improve HOR activity. In particular, the HOR voltammogram of PtRu/C in 0.1 M benzyl ammonium showed minimal benzene adsorption. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the adsorption of benzyl ammonium on the bimetallic PtRu is endergonic formore » all four possible orientations of the cation, which explains the significantly better HOR activity observed for the bimetallic catalysts. In conclusion, the new HOR inhibition mechanism described here provides insights for the design of future polymer electrolytes and electrocatalysts for better-performing polymer membrane-based fuel cells.« less

FY2014 Energy Storage R&D Annual Progress Report

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

none,

The Energy Storage research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles. Program targets focus on overcoming technical barriers to enable market success including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost, (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability), (3) reducing battery weight & volume, and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit, overcharge, and crush. This report describes the progress made on the research and development projects funded by the Energy Storage subprogram in 2014. You can download individual sections at themore » following website, http://energy.gov/eere/vehicles/downloads/vehicle-technologies-office-2014-energy-storage-rd-annual-report.« less

Ferrite film growth on semiconductor substrates towards microwave and millimeter wave integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Z.; Harris, V. G.

2012-10-01

It is widely recognized that as electronic systems' operating frequency shifts to microwave and millimeter wave bands, the integration of ferrite passive devices with semiconductor solid state active devices holds significant advantages in improved miniaturization, bandwidth, speed, power and production costs, among others. Traditionally, ferrites have been employed in discrete bulk form, despite attempts to integrate ferrite as films within microwave integrated circuits. Technical barriers remain centric to the incompatibility between ferrite and semiconductor materials and their processing protocols. In this review, we present past and present efforts at ferrite integration with semiconductor platforms with the aim to identify the most promising paths to realizing the complete integration of on-chip ferrite and semiconductor devices, assemblies and systems.

Neural Network Control of a Magnetically Suspended Rotor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Benjamin; Brown, Gerald; Johnson, Dexter

1997-01-01

Abstract Magnetic bearings offer significant advantages because of their noncontact operation, which can reduce maintenance. Higher speeds, no friction, no lubrication, weight reduction, precise position control, and active damping make them far superior to conventional contact bearings. However, there are technical barriers that limit the application of this technology in industry. One of them is the need for a nonlinear controller that can overcome the system nonlinearity and uncertainty inherent in magnetic bearings. This paper discusses the use of a neural network as a nonlinear controller that circumvents system nonlinearity. A neural network controller was well trained and successfully demonstrated on a small magnetic bearing rig. This work demonstrated the feasibility of using a neural network to control nonlinear magnetic bearings and systems with unknown dynamics.

FY2016 Advanced Batteries R&D Annual Progress Report - Part 5 of 5

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

None, None

The Advanced Batteries research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles. Program targets focus on overcoming technical barriers to enable market success including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost, (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability), (3) reducing battery weight & volume, and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit, overcharge, and crush. This report describes the progress made on the research and development projects funded by the Battery subprogram in 2016. This section cover Advanced Battery Materials Research (BMR)more » part 2, Battery500 Innovation Centers project summaries, and appendices.« less

A case report in health information exchange for inter-organizational patient transfers.

PubMed

Richardson, J E; Malhotra, S; Kaushal, R

2014-01-01

To provide a case report of barriers and promoters to implementing a health information exchange (HIE) tool that supports patient transfers between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. A multi-disciplinary team conducted semi-structured telephone and in-person interviews in a purposive sample of HIE organizational informants and providers in New York City who implemented HIE to share patient transfer information. The researchers conducted grounded theory analysis to identify themes of barriers and promoters and took steps to improve the trustworthiness of the results including vetting from a knowledgeable study participant. Between May and October 2011, researchers recruited 18 participants: informaticians, healthcare administrators, software engineers, and providers from a skilled nursing facility. Subjects perceived the HIE tool's development a success in that it brought together stakeholders who had traditionally not partnered for informatics work, and that they could successfully share patient transfer information between a hospital and a skilled nursing facility. Perceived barriers included lack of hospital stakeholder buy-in and misalignment with clinical workflows that inhibited use of HIE-based patient transfer data. Participants described barriers and promoters in themes related to organizational, technical, and user-oriented issues. The investigation revealed that stakeholders could develop and implement health information technology that technically enables clinicians in both hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to exchange real-time information in support of patient transfers. User level barriers, particularly in the emergency department, should give pause to developers and implementers who plan to use HIE in support of patient transfers. Participants' experiences demonstrate how stakeholders may succeed in developing and piloting an electronic transfer form that relies on HIE to aggregate, communicate, and display relevant patient transfer data across health care organizations. Their experiences also provide insights for others seeking to develop HIE applications to improve patient transfers between emergency departments and skilled nursing facilities.

Barriers and Facilitators Affecting Patient Portal Implementation from an Organizational Perspective: Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Kooij, Laura; Groen, Wim G; van Harten, Wim H

2018-05-11

The number of patient portals is rising, and although portals can have positive effects, their implementation has major impacts on the providing health care institutions. However, little is known about the organizational factors affecting successful implementation. Knowledge of the specific barriers to and facilitators of various stakeholders is likely to be useful for future implementations. The objective of this study was to identify the barriers to and facilitators of patient portal implementation facing various stakeholders within hospital organizations in the Netherlands. Purposive sampling was used to select hospitals of various types. A total of 2 university medical centers, 3 teaching hospitals, and 2 general hospitals were included. For each, 3 stakeholders were interviewed: (1) medical professionals, (2) managers, and (3) information technology employees. In total, 21 semistructured interviews were conducted using the Grol and Wensing model, which describes barriers to and facilitators of change in health care practice at 6 levels: (1) innovation; (2) individual professional; (3) patient; (4) social context; (5) organizational context; and (6) economic and political context. Two researchers independently selected and coded quotes by applying this model using a (deductive) directed content approach. Additional factors related to technical and portal characteristics were added using the model of McGinn et al, developed for implementation of electronic health records. In total, we identified 376 quotes, 26 barriers, and 28 facilitators. Thirteen barriers and 12 facilitators were common for all stakeholder groups. The facilitators' perceived usefulness (especially less paperwork) was mentioned by all the stakeholders, followed by subjects' positive attitude. The main barriers were lack of resources (namely, lack of staff and materials), financial difficulties (especially complying with high costs, lack of reimbursements), and guaranteeing privacy and security (eg, strict regulations). Both similarities and differences were found between stakeholder groups and hospital types. For example, managers and information technology employees mainly considered guaranteeing privacy and security as a predominant barrier. Financial difficulties were particularly mentioned by medical professionals and managers. Patient portal implementation is a complex process and is not only a technical process but also affects the organization and its staff. Barriers and facilitators occurred at various levels and differed among hospital types (eg, lack of accessibility) and stakeholder groups (eg, sufficient resources) in terms of several factors. Our findings underscore the importance of involving multiple stakeholders in portal implementations. We identified a set of barriers and facilitators that are likely to be useful in making strategic and efficient implementation plans. ©Laura Kooij, Wim G Groen, Wim H van Harten. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 11.05.2018.

Benzene Adsorption - A Significant Inhibitor for the Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction in Alkaline Conditions

DOE PAGES

Gonzales, Ivana; Chung, Hoon Taek; Kim, Yu Seung

2017-09-25

Slow hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) kinetics on Pt under alkaline conditions is a significant technical barrier for the development of high-performance hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells. Here we report that benzene adsorption on Pt is a major factor responsible for the sluggish HOR. Furthermore, we demonstrate that bimetallic catalysts, such as PtMo/C, PtNi/C, and PtRu/C, can reduce the adsorption of benzene and thereby improve HOR activity. In particular, the HOR voltammogram of PtRu/C in 0.1 M benzyl ammonium showed minimal benzene adsorption. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the adsorption of benzyl ammonium on the bimetallic PtRu is endergonic formore » all four possible orientations of the cation, which explains the significantly better HOR activity observed for the bimetallic catalysts. In conclusion, the new HOR inhibition mechanism described here provides insights for the design of future polymer electrolytes and electrocatalysts for better-performing polymer membrane-based fuel cells.« less

Technical paper contest for women 1992. Space challenges: Earth and beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orans, Robin (Editor)

1993-01-01

Two of the major concerns of the NASA Ames Research Center (NASA ARC) Advisory Committee for Women (ACW) are that recruitment of women scientists, engineers, and technicians needs to increase and that barriers to advancement need to be removed for improved representation of women in middle and upper management and scientific positions. One strategy that addressed this concern was the ACW sponsorship of a Technical Paper Contest for Women at Ames Research Center. Other sponsors of the Contest were the Ames Equal Opportunity Council and the Ames Contractor Council. The Technical Paper Contest for Women greatly increased the visibility of both the civil service women and the women who work for contractors at Ames. The women had the opportunity to hone their written and oral presentation skills. Networking among Ames women increased.

Investigating the Language of Engineering Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Variawa, Chirag

A significant part of professional communication development in engineering is the ability to learn and understand technical vocabulary. Mastering such vocabulary is often a desired learning outcome of engineering education. In promoting this goal, this research investigates the development of a tool that creates wordlists of characteristic discipline-specific vocabulary for a given course. These wordlists explicitly highlight requisite vocabulary learning and, when used as a teaching aid, can promote greater accessibility in the learning environment. Literature, including work in higher education, diversity and language learning, suggest that designing accessible learning environments can increase the quality of instruction and learning for all students. Studying the student/instructor interface using the framework of Universal Instructional Design identified vocabulary learning as an invisible barrier in engineering education. A preliminary investigation of this barrier suggested that students have difficulty assessing their understanding of technical vocabulary. Subsequently, computing word frequency on engineering course material was investigated as an approach for characterizing this barrier. However, it was concluded that a more nuanced method was necessary. This research program was built on previous work in the fields of linguistics and computer science, and lead to the design of an algorithm. The developed algorithm is based on a statistical technique called, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency. Comparator sets of documents are used to hierarchically identify characteristic terms on a target document, such as course materials from a previous term of study. The approach draws on a standardized artifact of the engineering learning environment as its dataset; a repository of 2254 engineering final exams from the University of Toronto, to process the target material. After producing wordlists for ten courses, with the goal of highlighting characteristic discipline-specific terms, the effectiveness of the approach was evaluated by comparing the computed results to the judgment of subject-matter experts. The overall data show a good correlation between the program and the subject-matter experts. The results indicated a balance between accuracy and feasibility, and suggested that this approach could mimic subject-matter expertise to create a list discipline-specific vocabulary from course materials.

Preoperative learning goals set by surgical residents and faculty.

PubMed

Pernar, Luise I M; Breen, Elizabeth; Ashley, Stanley W; Peyre, Sarah E

2011-09-01

The operating room (OR) remains the main teaching venue for surgical trainees. The OR is considered a pure-discovery learning environment; the downsides of this can be putatively overcome when faculty and trainee arrive at a shared understanding of learning. This study aimed to better understand preoperative learning goals to identify areas of commonalities and potential barrier to intraoperative teaching. Brief, structured preoperative interviews were conducted outside the OR with the resident and faculty member who were scheduled to operate together. Answers were analyzed and grouped using grounded theory. Twenty-seven resident-faculty pairs were interviewed. Nine residents (33.3%) were junior (PGY 1 and 2) and 18 (66.7%) were senior (PGY 3 through 5). Learning goal categories that emerged from the response analysis were anatomy, basic and advanced surgical skills, general and specific procedural tasks, technical autonomy, and pre-, intra-, and postoperative considerations. Residents articulated fewer learning goals than faculty (1.5 versus 2.4; P = 0.024). The most frequently identified learning goal by both groups was one classifiable under general procedural tasks; the greatest divergence was seen regarding perioperative considerations, which were identified frequently by faculty members but rarely by residents. Faculty articulate significantly more learning goals for the residents they will operate with than residents articulate for themselves. Our data suggest that residents and faculty align on some learning goals for the OR but residents tend to be more limited, focusing predominantly on technical aspects of the operation. Faculty members tend to hold a broader view of the learning potential of the OR. These discrepancies may present barriers to effective intraoperative teaching. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solar heating and cooling of buildings (SHACOB) commercialization report: options and strategies. Part A. Volume II. Technical report. Final report

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

Not Available

The national and regional perspectives for SHACOB are presented. An overview is given of the participants in SHACOB commercialization. Economic, institutional, legal, and other barriers constraining commercialization are discussed. Various analytical models are examined which project the future extent of SHACOB use or market penetration and future SHACOB to US energy supplies under alternative government policies. The results for the baseline case (no further government action, of several market penetration models are presented. Possible ways to overcome each of the barriers are presented. Qualitative analyses are given for the various incentives. Each incentive is examined to assess its impact onmore » barriers to SHACOB commercialization and its impact on various income and interest groups. Individual incentives are compared and combined into alternative policy strategies and options. (MHR)« less

To Educate Engineers or to Engineer Educators?: Exploring Access to Engineering Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastman, Michael G.; Christman, Jeanne; Zion, George H.; Yerrick, Randy

2017-01-01

Although studies claim increases in underrepresented populations choosing STEM majors, barriers to retention, and higher education degree completion in STEM still exist. This study examined efforts of a prominent technical university to attract and retain urban high school graduates through a tuition scholarship program. We sought to determine the…

Teacher Learning in the In-Between: Encountering an "Invisible Barrier"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Linda

2014-01-01

Since early childhood has become the focus of national and supranational political spaces, issues around teacher learning have also gained a firm position in the debates. This has seen the literature on teacher learning largely being positioned within a managerial/alternative dichotomy, arising from a resistance to technical-rationalist discourses…

Combining California Household Travel Survey Data with Harvested Social Media Information to Form a Self-Validating Statewide Origin-Destination Travel Prediction Method

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-04-18

Longitudinal data of persons and households is the best source of travel behavior information for assessing policy changes. However, this type of data is rarely available and difficult to collect due to administrative barriers and technical issues in...

Extension Professionals' Perspectives on Supporting Feedstock Production for Biofuels: Concerns, Challenges, and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, Patricia A.; Haider, Nora M.; Asah, Stanley T.; Zobrist, Kevin W.

2016-01-01

The development of successful bioenergy programs will depend on informed and prepared Extension professionals who are willing and equipped to provide technical support. A survey of Extension professionals in the Pacific Northwest revealed barriers to program development, including limits on time and knowledge and concerns about economic returns…

Data Networking for the European Academic and Research Community: Is It Important?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, David O.; Carpenter, Brian E.

1992-01-01

Discussion of data networking in Europe provides background on the current situation in the United States and the Pacific region. The situation in Europe is then addressed, including the present status of national networks, disciplinary networks, and the European Internet; regulatory, political, economic, and technical barriers to progress; and…

The Shortage of Skilled and Technical Workers; An Inquiry Into Selected Occupations in Short Supply.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franke, Walter; Sobel, Irvin

The institutional arrangements through which workers are prepared and employed in selected occupations are examined to determine whether barriers to entry and employment are susceptible to elimination or reduction, and how labor shortages effect employers. It covers six occupations in the St. Louis and Chicago metropolitan areas: licensed…

Wollastonite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.; Revette, D.

2006-01-01

In 2005, NYCO Minerals and R.T. Vanderbilt mined wollastonite in the United States. Domestic production increased slightly from 2004. The plastic market accounted for 35%-40% of US sales followed by ceramics (25-30%), metallurgical applications (10%), paint (10%), friction products (10%) and miscellaneous (5%). Towards 2006, wollastonite producers are expected to face more technical and commercial barriers.

Learning through Multimedia: Speech Recognition Enhancing Accessibility and Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wald, Mike

2008-01-01

Lectures can present barriers to learning for many students and although online multimedia materials have become technically easier to create and offer many benefits for learning and teaching, they can be difficult to access, manage, and exploit. This article considers how research on interacting with multimedia can inform developments in using…

What Really Happens to Complimentary Textbook Software? A Case Study in Software Utilization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vernon, Robert F.

1993-01-01

Discussion of complimentary computer software for college-level textbooks focuses on a study that investigated how a complimentary program was used and identified factors that influenced its use or nonuse. Barriers to use are described, including personal, technical, process, political, and economic factors. (Contains four references.) (LRW)

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…

Crossing the Communication Barrier: Facilitating Communication in Mixed Groups of Deaf and Hearing Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchetti, Carol; Foster, Susan; Long, Gary; Stinson, Michael

2012-01-01

Teachers of introductory technical courses such as statistics face numerous challenges in the classroom, including student motivation and mathematical background, and difficulties in interpreting numerical results in context. Cooperative learning through small groups addresses many such challenges, but students for whom spoken English is not their…

Food for Thought. The Changing Face of CTE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mischel, Susan

2005-01-01

As a former career and technical education teacher, this author was often faced with the issue of students segregating themselves by culture. This article describes how she managed to break down cultural barriers and prejudice through teamwork, cooking, and class goals set with high expectations. The course she offered included student "ownership"…

The Barriers to Achieving the Wider Goals of General Education and Their Implications for the British Educational Research Association.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raven, John

1990-01-01

Advocates revamping the British educational system from technical-rational content model to student-centered process programs designed to promote critical thinking, individual initiative, and communication skills. Discusses obstacles to this educational reform, emphasizing research orientation. Urges the British Educational Research Association to…

Three Essays on Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Information Sharing and Collaboration: An Insider Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treglia, Joseph V.

2013-01-01

This dissertation identifies what may be done to overcome barriers to information sharing among federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and emergency responders. Social, technical, and policy factors related to information sharing and collaboration in the law enforcement and emergency response communities are examined. This…

The Monolingual Cataloging Monolith: A Barrier to Library Access for Readers of Spanish.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Bruce

2003-01-01

Asserts that despite growing awareness of frontline public service concerns in accommodating Spanish speakers, little care is invested in the technical processing side of the library's responsibility to Spanish speakers. Examines the usefulness and accessibility of online public access catalogs for monolingual Spanish readers, focusing on records…

Challenges in reusing transactional data for daily documentation in neonatal intensive care.

PubMed

Kim, G R; Lawson, E E; Lehmann, C U

2008-11-06

The reuse of transactional data for clinical documentation requires navigation of computational, institutional and adaptive barriers. We describe organizational and technical issues in developing and deploying a daily progress note tool in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit that reuses and aggregates data from a commercial integrated clinical information system.

Organizational Support of Technology Integration in One School in Lebanon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zgheib, Rosine S.

2013-01-01

Technology has been at the center of heated debates in educational settings driving schools to compete for the best technological equipments. However, in Lebanon there is a lag in technology integration matching twenty first century advances. Several barriers related to teacher attitudes, lack of technical skills and organizational constraints to…

Woody biomass pretreatment for cellulosic ethanol production : technology and energy consumption evaluation

Treesearch

Junyong Zhu; X.J. Pan

2010-01-01

This review presents a comprehensive discussion of the key technical issues in woody biomass pretreatment: barriers to efficient cellulose saccharification, pretreatment energy consumption, in particular energy consumed for wood-size reduction, and criteria to evaluate the performance of a pretreatment. A post-chemical pretreatment size-reduction approach is proposed...

Geothermal Technologies | NREL

Science.gov Websites

clean, renewable, domestic power source for the United States. Photo of a geothermal power plant in a technical barriers. GeoVision Study Photo of large gears on a drilling apparatus Technology Innovation We're of a woman in a hard hat with a large, drilling apparatus behind her in a grassy field Partnerships

A Curriculum Guide for Achieving Equity in Education and the Workplace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vocational Curriculum Resource Center of Maine, Fairfield.

This curriculum guide provides instructional materials that offer suggestions and strategies to change mindsets and remove barriers in order to pave the way for a gender-equitable, technically trained work force. A DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) chart forms the basis for the task performance guides provided for five audiences: students,…

Technological Barriers to Success in Distance Education: The Revolving Door of Online Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roe, Richard Thomas

2011-01-01

Taking online courses has become a delivery mode of choice for many students. This collaborative study focuses on the impact of college readiness; technological resources, and course design on student success in an online introduction to computers distance education course within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). The…

Exploring the barriers to rigorous monitoring and evaluation of health systems strengthening activities: qualitative evidence from international development partners.

PubMed

Wisniewski, Janna M; Yeager, Valerie A; Diana, Mark L; Hotchkiss, David R

2016-10-01

The number of health systems strengthening (HSS) programs has increased in the last decade. However, a limited number of studies providing robust evidence for the value and impact of these programs are available. This study aims to identify knowledge gaps and challenges that impede rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of HSS, and to ascertain the extent to which these efforts are informed by existing technical guidance. Interviews were conducted with HSS advisors at United States Agency for International Development-funded missions as well as senior M&E advisors at implementing partner and multilateral organizations. Findings showed that mission staff do not use existing technical resources, either because they do not know about them or do not find them useful. Barriers to rigorous M&E included a lack suitable of indicators, data limitations, difficulty in demonstrating an impact on health, and insufficient funding and resources. Consensus and collaboration between international health partners and local governments may mitigate these challenges. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prevention of postoperative pericardial adhesions with TachoSil.

PubMed

Kuschel, Tarah J; Gruszka, Anna; Hermanns-Sachweh, Benita; Elyakoubi, Jaouad; Sachweh, Joerg S; Vázquez-Jiménez, Jaime F; Schnoering, Heike

2013-01-01

The prevention of the pericardial adhesions largely accountable for the technical difficulty and risk of injury inherent to resternotomy continues to gain in importance with the increasing frequency of reoperations. The hemostatic sponge TachoSil (Nycomed Austria GmbH, Linz, Austria), has shown promising results in adhesion prevention in several regions of the body. This study was designed to evaluate its effectiveness in the prevention of pericardial adhesions in comparison with the Gore-Tex (W. L. Gore and Assoc, Flagstaff, AZ) surgical membrane and a control. Twenty-four rabbits were distributed into 3 groups: TachoSil, Gore-Tex, or no barrier agent (control). After median sternotomy and pericardiotomy, the cardial surface was exposed to the aggravating effects of room air, irrigation, and gauze abrasion for one hour. A pericardial defect was created and repaired with one of the barrier agents, or left uncovered (control). Resternotomy was performed after 6 months for the evaluation of adhesion formation. Significantly fewer macroscopic adhesions were observed with TachoSil than Gore-Tex in all regions (p < 0.05) excluding the coronary arteries, where the difference in favor of TachoSil did not achieve significance (0.05< p-value <0.10). TachoSil also demonstrated significantly fewer retrosternal adhesions than the control, as well as a universal non-significant trend of fewer adhesions in all regions. The limited lesions present in the TachoSil group were filmy in nature and removed with blunt dissection relatively easily. No significant differences were found between Gore-Tex and the control. Microscopically, the least pronounced fibrosis formation and inflammatory reaction was detected with TachoSil. TachoSil is effective in the prevention of pericardial adhesions. Copyright © 2013 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Process Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Project to Decrease Hospital Readmissions From Skilled Nursing Facilities.

PubMed

Meehan, Thomas P; Qazi, Daniel J; Van Hoof, Thomas J; Ho, Shih-Yieh; Eckenrode, Sheila; Spenard, Ann; Pandolfi, Michelle; Johnson, Florence; Quetti, Deborah

2015-08-01

To describe and evaluate the impact of quality improvement (QI) support provided to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) by a Quality Improvement Organization (QIO). Retrospective, mixed-method, process evaluation of a QI project intended to decrease preventable hospital readmissions from SNFs. Five SNFs in Connecticut. SNF Administrators, Directors of Nursing, Assistant Directors of Nursing, Admissions Coordinators, Registered Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, Receptionists, QIO Quality Improvement Consultant. QIO staff provided training and technical assistance to SNF administrative and clinical staff to establish or enhance QI infrastructure and implement an established set of QI tools [Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) tools]. Baseline SNF demographic, staffing, and hospital readmission data; baseline and follow-up SNF QI structure (QI Committee), processes (general and use of INTERACT tools), and outcome (30-day all-cause hospital readmission rates); details of QIO-provided training and technical assistance; QIO-perceived barriers to quality improvement; SNF leadership-perceived barriers, accomplishments, and suggestions for improvement of QIO support. Success occurred in establishing QI Committees and targeting preventable hospital readmissions, as well as implementing INTERACT tools in all SNFs; however, hospital readmission rates decreased in only 2 facilities. QIO staff and SNF leaders noted the ongoing challenge of engaging already busy SNF staff and leadership in QI activities. SNF leaders reported that they appreciated the training and technical assistance that their institutions received, although most noted that additional support was needed to bring about improvement in readmission rates. This process evaluation documented mixed clinical results but successfully identified opportunities to improve recruitment of and provision of technical support to participating SNFs. Recommendations are offered for others who wish to conduct similar projects. Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. All rights reserved.

Institutionalizing Sex Education in Diverse U.S. School Districts.

PubMed

Saul Butler, Rebekah; Sorace, Danene; Hentz Beach, Kathleen

2018-02-01

This paper describes the Working to Institutionalize Sex Education (WISE) Initiative, a privately funded effort to support ready public school districts to advance and sustain comprehensive sexuality programs, and examines the degree to which WISE has been successful in increasing access to sex education, removing barriers, and highlighting best practices. The data for this study come from a set of performance indicators, guidance documents, and tools designed for the WISE Initiative to capture changes in sex education institutionalization at WISE school districts. The evaluation includes the analysis of 186 school districts across 12 states in the U.S. As a result of the WISE Initiative, 788,865 unique students received new or enhanced sex education in school classrooms and 88 school districts reached their sex education institutionalization goals. In addition to these school district successes, WISE codified the WISE Method and toolkit-a practical guide to help schools implement sex education. Barriers to implementing sexuality education can be overcome with administrative support and focused technical assistance and training, resulting in significant student reach in diverse school districts nationwide. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Multi Domain Caldicellulosiruptor bescii CelA Cellulase Excels at the Hydrolysis of Crystalline Cellulose

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

Brunecky, Roman; Donohoe, Bryon S.; Yarbrough, John M.

The crystalline nature of cellulose microfibrils is one of the key factors influencing biomass recalcitrance which is a key technical and economic barrier to overcome to make cellulosic biofuels a commercial reality. To date, all known fungal enzymes tested have great difficulty degrading highly crystalline cellulosic substrates. We have demonstrated that the CelA cellulase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii degrades highly crystalline cellulose as well as low crystallinity substrates making it the only known cellulase to function well on highly crystalline cellulose. Unlike the secretomes of cellulolytic fungi, which typically comprise multiple, single catalytic domain enzymes for biomass degradation, some bacterial systemsmore » employ an alternative strategy that utilizes multi-catalytic domain cellulases. Additionally, CelA is extremely thermostable and highly active at elevated temperatures, unlike commercial fungal cellulases. Furthermore we have determined that the factors negatively affecting digestion of lignocellulosic materials by C. bescii enzyme cocktails containing CelA appear to be significantly different from the performance barriers affecting fungal cellulases. Furthermore, we explore the activity and degradation mechanism of CelA on a variety of pretreated substrates to better understand how the different bulk components of biomass, such as xylan and lignin, impact its performance.« less

The Multi Domain Caldicellulosiruptor bescii CelA Cellulase Excels at the Hydrolysis of Crystalline Cellulose

DOE PAGES

Brunecky, Roman; Donohoe, Bryon S.; Yarbrough, John M.; ...

2017-08-29

The crystalline nature of cellulose microfibrils is one of the key factors influencing biomass recalcitrance which is a key technical and economic barrier to overcome to make cellulosic biofuels a commercial reality. To date, all known fungal enzymes tested have great difficulty degrading highly crystalline cellulosic substrates. We have demonstrated that the CelA cellulase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii degrades highly crystalline cellulose as well as low crystallinity substrates making it the only known cellulase to function well on highly crystalline cellulose. Unlike the secretomes of cellulolytic fungi, which typically comprise multiple, single catalytic domain enzymes for biomass degradation, some bacterial systemsmore » employ an alternative strategy that utilizes multi-catalytic domain cellulases. Additionally, CelA is extremely thermostable and highly active at elevated temperatures, unlike commercial fungal cellulases. Furthermore we have determined that the factors negatively affecting digestion of lignocellulosic materials by C. bescii enzyme cocktails containing CelA appear to be significantly different from the performance barriers affecting fungal cellulases. Furthermore, we explore the activity and degradation mechanism of CelA on a variety of pretreated substrates to better understand how the different bulk components of biomass, such as xylan and lignin, impact its performance.« less

Enabling fast charging - Infrastructure and economic considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnham, Andrew; Dufek, Eric J.; Stephens, Thomas; Francfort, James; Michelbacher, Christopher; Carlson, Richard B.; Zhang, Jiucai; Vijayagopal, Ram; Dias, Fernando; Mohanpurkar, Manish; Scoffield, Don; Hardy, Keith; Shirk, Matthew; Hovsapian, Rob; Ahmed, Shabbir; Bloom, Ira; Jansen, Andrew N.; Keyser, Matthew; Kreuzer, Cory; Markel, Anthony; Meintz, Andrew; Pesaran, Ahmad; Tanim, Tanvir R.

2017-11-01

The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehicle service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. This discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging at 400 kW and above. In so doing, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.

Enabling fast charging – Infrastructure and economic considerations

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

Burnham, Andrew; Dufek, Eric J.; Stephens, Thomas

The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehiclemore » service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. This discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging at 400 kW and above. In so doing, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.« less

Enabling fast charging – Infrastructure and economic considerations

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

Burnham, Andrew; Dufek, Eric J.; Stephens, Thomas

The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehiclemore » service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. Here, this discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging up to 350 kW. In doing so, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.« less

Enabling fast charging – Infrastructure and economic considerations

DOE PAGES

Burnham, Andrew; Dufek, Eric J.; Stephens, Thomas; ...

2017-10-23

The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehiclemore » service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. Here, this discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging up to 350 kW. In doing so, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.« less

Area Reports. Advanced materials and devices research area. Silicon materials research task, and advanced silicon sheet task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The objectives of the Silicon Materials Task and the Advanced Silicon Sheet Task are to identify the critical technical barriers to low-cost silicon purification and sheet growth that must be overcome to produce a PV cell substrate material at a price consistent with Flat-plate Solar Array (FSA) Project objectives and to overcome these barriers by performing and supporting appropriate R&D. Progress reports are given on silicon refinement using silane, a chemical vapor transport process for purifying metallurgical grade silicon, silicon particle growth research, and modeling of silane pyrolysis in fluidized-bed reactors.

Evaluation of GE-167 Silicone Rubber (RTV) For Possible Service As A Moisture-Barrier For Certain Strain Gage Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hare, David A.; Moore, Thomas C., Sr.

2000-01-01

The Langley Research Center uses strain gages in a wide variety of demanding test environments. Strain gage installations, depending on the testing scenario, may see high temperatures, cryogenic temperature, moisture accumulation, mechanical abuse, or any combination of these conditions. At Langley, there is often a need to provide protection for strain gages against moisture and mechanical abuse, especially when large-scale, harsh environment testing is to be encountered. This technical memorandum discusses the evaluation of a room temperature curing silicone rubber sealant manufactured by the General Electric Company for consideration as a moisture-barrier for certain strain gage installations.

Plasma treatment of polyethylene tubes in continuous regime using surface dielectric barrier discharge with water electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galmiz, Oleksandr; Zemánek, Miroslav; Pavliňák, David; Černák, Mirko

2018-05-01

Combining the surface dielectric barrier discharges generated in contact with water based electrolytes, as the discharge electrodes, we have designed a new type of surface electric discharge, generating thin layers of plasma which propagate along the treated polymer surfaces. The technique was aimed to achieve uniform atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of polymeric tubes and other hollow bodies. The results presented in this work show the possibility of such system to treat outer surface of polymer materials in a continuous mode. The technical details of experimental setup are discussed as well as results of treatment of polyethylene tubes are shown.

Barriers to the utilization of synthetic fuels for transportation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, H. W.; Reilly, M. J.

1981-01-01

The principal types of engines for transportation uses are reviewed and the specifications for conventional fuels are compared with specifications for synthetic fuels. Synfuel processes nearing the commercialization phase are reviewed. The barriers to using synfuels can be classified into four groups: technical, such as the uncertainty that a new engine design can satisfy the desired performance criteria; environmental, such as the risk that the engine emissions cannot meet the applicable environmental standards; economic, including the cost of using a synfuel relative to conventional transportation fuels; and market, involving market penetration by offering new engines, establishing new distribution systems and/or changing user expectations.

Perspectives in understanding open access to research data - infrastructure and technology challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bigagli, Lorenzo; Sondervan, Jeroen

2014-05-01

The Policy RECommendations for Open Access to Research Data in Europe (RECODE) project, started in February 2013 with a duration of two years, has the objective to identify a series of targeted and over-arching policy recommendations for Open Access to European research data, based on existing good practice and addressing such hindering factors as stakeholder fragmentation, technical and infrastructural issues, ethical and legal issues, and financial and institutional policies. In this work we focus on the technical and infrastructural aspect, where by "infrastructure" we mean the technological assets (hardware and software), the human resources, and all the policies, processes, procedures and training for managing and supporting its continuous operation and evolution. The context targeted by RECODE includes heterogeneous networks, initiatives, projects and communities that are fragmented by discipline, geography, stakeholder category (publishers, academics, repositories, etc.) as well as other boundaries. Many of these organizations are already addressing key technical and infrastructural barriers to Open Access to research data. Such barriers may include: lack of automatic mechanisms for policy enforcement, lack of metadata and data models supporting open access, obsolescence of infrastructures, scarce awareness about new technological solutions, lack of training and/or expertise on IT and semantics aspects. However, these organizations are often heterogeneous and fragmented by discipline, geography, stakeholder category (publishers, academics, repositories, etc.) as well as other boundaries, and often work in isolation, or with limited contact with one another. RECODE has addressed these challenges, and the possible solutions to mitigate them, engaging all the identified stakeholders in a number of ways, including an online questionnaire, case studies interviews, literature review, a workshop. The conclusions have been validated by the RECODE Advisory Board and will contribute to shape the RECODE policy guidelines for Open Access to Research Data. In the work, we report on the identified technological and infrastructural issues, classified according to the barriers of heterogeneity, sustainability, volume, quality, and security.

Crossing the Barriers: An Analysis of Land Access Barriers to Geothermal Development and Potential Improvement Scenarios

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

Levine, Aaron L; Young, Katherine R

Developers have identified many non-technical barriers to geothermal power development, including access to land. Activities required for accessing land, such as environmental review and private and public leasing can take a considerable amount of time and can delay or prevent project development. This paper discusses the impacts to available geothermal resources and deployment caused by land access challenges, including tribal and cultural resources, environmentally sensitive areas, biological resources, land ownership, federal and state lease queues, and proximity to military installations. In this analysis, we identified challenges that have the potential to prevent development of identified and undiscovered hydrothermal geothermal resources.more » We found that an estimated 400 MW of identified geothermal resource potential and 4,000 MW of undiscovered geothermal resource potential were either unallowed for development or contained one or more significant barriers that could prevent development at the site. Potential improvement scenarios that could be employed to overcome these barriers include (1) providing continuous funding to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for processing geothermal leases and permit applications and (2) the creation of advanced environmental mitigation measures. The model results forecast that continuous funding to the USFS could result in deployment of an additional 80 MW of geothermal capacity by 2030 and 124 MW of geothermal capacity by 2050 when compared to the business-as-usual scenario. The creation of advanced environmental mitigation measures coupled with continuous funding to the USFS could result in deployment of an additional 97 MW of geothermal capacity by 2030 and 152 MW of geothermal capacity by 2050 when compared to the business-as-usual scenario. The small impact on potential deployment in these improvement scenarios suggests that these 4,400 MW have other barriers to development in addition to land access. In other words, simply making more resources available for development does not increase deployment; however, impacts to deployment could increase when coupled with other improvements (e.g., permitting, market and/or technology improvements).« less

Thermal barrier coatings application in diesel engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fairbanks, J. W.

1995-01-01

Commercial use of thermal barrier coatings in diesel engines began in the mid 70's by Dr. Ingard Kvernes at the Central Institute for Industrial Research in Oslo, Norway. Dr. Kvernes attributed attack on diesel engine valves and piston crowns encountered in marine diesel engines in Norwegian ships as hot-corrosion attributed to a reduced quality of residual fuel. His solution was to coat these components to reduce metal temperature below the threshold of aggressive hot-corrosion and also provide protection. Roy Kamo introduced thermal barrier coatings in his 'Adiabatic Diesel Engine' in the late 70's. Kamo's concept was to eliminate the engine block water cooling system and reduce heat losses. Roy reported significant performance improvements in his thermally insulated engine at the SAE Congress in 1982. Kamo's work stimulates major programs with insulated engines, particularly in Europe. Most of the major diesel engine manufacturers conducted some level of test with insulated combustion chamber components. They initially ran into increased fuel consumption. The German engine consortium had Prof. Woschni of the Technical Institute in Munich. Woschni conducted testing with pistons with air gaps to provide the insulation effects. Woschni indicated the hot walls of the insulated engine created a major increase in heat transfer he refers to as 'convection vive.' Woschni's work was a major factor in the abrupt curtailment of insulated diesel engine work in continental Europe. Ricardo in the UK suggested that combustion should be reoptimized for the hot-wall effects of the insulated combustion chamber and showed under a narrow range of conditions fuel economy could be improved. The Department of Energy has supported thermal barrier coating development for diesel engine applications. In the Clean Diesel - 50 Percent Efficient (CD-50) engine for the year 2000, thermal barrier coatings will be used on piston crowns and possibly other components. The primary purpose of the thermal barrier coatings will be to reduce thermal fatigue as the engine peak cylinder pressure will nearly be doubled. As the coatings result in higher available energy in the exhaust gas, efficiency gains are achieved through use of this energy by turbochargers, turbocompounding or thermoelectric generators.

Research culture and capacity in community health services: results of a structured survey of staff.

PubMed

Friesen, Emma L; Comino, Elizabeth J

2017-05-01

Developing research capacity is recognised as an important endeavour. However, little is known about the current research culture, capacity and supports for staff working in community-based health settings. A structured survey of Division of Community Health staff was conducted using the research capacity tool. The survey was disseminated by email and in paper format. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. In total, 109 usable responses were received, giving a response rate of 26%. Respondents were predominately nurses (n=71, 65.7%), with ~50% reporting post-graduate vocational qualifications. The highest levels of skills or organisational success were in using evidence to plan, promote and guide clinical practice. Most participants were unsure of organisational and team level skills and success at generating research. Few reported recent experience in research-generating activities. Barriers to undertaking research included lack of skills, time and access to external support and funding. Lack of skills and success in accessing external funding and resources to protect research time or to 'buy-in' technical expertise appeared to exacerbate these barriers. Community health staff have limited capacity to generate research with current levels of skill, funding and time. Strategies to increase research capacity should be informed by knowledge of clinicians' research experience and interests, and target development of skills to generate research. Resources and funding are needed at the organisational and team levels to overcome the significant barriers to research generation reported.

Data sharing in neuroimaging research

PubMed Central

Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Breeze, Janis L.; Ghosh, Satrajit; Gorgolewski, Krzysztof; Halchenko, Yaroslav O.; Hanke, Michael; Haselgrove, Christian; Helmer, Karl G.; Keator, David B.; Marcus, Daniel S.; Poldrack, Russell A.; Schwartz, Yannick; Ashburner, John; Kennedy, David N.

2012-01-01

Significant resources around the world have been invested in neuroimaging studies of brain function and disease. Easier access to this large body of work should have profound impact on research in cognitive neuroscience and psychiatry, leading to advances in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disease. A trend toward increased sharing of neuroimaging data has emerged in recent years. Nevertheless, a number of barriers continue to impede momentum. Many researchers and institutions remain uncertain about how to share data or lack the tools and expertise to participate in data sharing. The use of electronic data capture (EDC) methods for neuroimaging greatly simplifies the task of data collection and has the potential to help standardize many aspects of data sharing. We review here the motivations for sharing neuroimaging data, the current data sharing landscape, and the sociological or technical barriers that still need to be addressed. The INCF Task Force on Neuroimaging Datasharing, in conjunction with several collaborative groups around the world, has started work on several tools to ease and eventually automate the practice of data sharing. It is hoped that such tools will allow researchers to easily share raw, processed, and derived neuroimaging data, with appropriate metadata and provenance records, and will improve the reproducibility of neuroimaging studies. By providing seamless integration of data sharing and analysis tools within a commodity research environment, the Task Force seeks to identify and minimize barriers to data sharing in the field of neuroimaging. PMID:22493576

Mobile Sensing Systems

PubMed Central

Macias, Elsa; Suarez, Alvaro; Lloret, Jaime

2013-01-01

Rich-sensor smart phones have made possible the recent birth of the mobile sensing research area as part of ubiquitous sensing which integrates other areas such as wireless sensor networks and web sensing. There are several types of mobile sensing: individual, participatory, opportunistic, crowd, social, etc. The object of sensing can be people-centered or environment-centered. The sensing domain can be home, urban, vehicular… Currently there are barriers that limit the social acceptance of mobile sensing systems. Examples of social barriers are privacy concerns, restrictive laws in some countries and the absence of economic incentives that might encourage people to participate in a sensing campaign. Several technical barriers are phone energy savings and the variety of sensors and software for their management. Some existing surveys partially tackle the topic of mobile sensing systems. Published papers theoretically or partially solve the above barriers. We complete the above surveys with new works, review the barriers of mobile sensing systems and propose some ideas for efficiently implementing sensing, fusion, learning, security, privacy and energy saving for any type of mobile sensing system, and propose several realistic research challenges. The main objective is to reduce the learning curve in mobile sensing systems where the complexity is very high. PMID:24351637

Mobile sensing systems.

PubMed

Macias, Elsa; Suarez, Alvaro; Lloret, Jaime

2013-12-16

Rich-sensor smart phones have made possible the recent birth of the mobile sensing research area as part of ubiquitous sensing which integrates other areas such as wireless sensor networks and web sensing. There are several types of mobile sensing: individual, participatory, opportunistic, crowd, social, etc. The object of sensing can be people-centered or environment-centered. The sensing domain can be home, urban, vehicular… Currently there are barriers that limit the social acceptance of mobile sensing systems. Examples of social barriers are privacy concerns, restrictive laws in some countries and the absence of economic incentives that might encourage people to participate in a sensing campaign. Several technical barriers are phone energy savings and the variety of sensors and software for their management. Some existing surveys partially tackle the topic of mobile sensing systems. Published papers theoretically or partially solve the above barriers. We complete the above surveys with new works, review the barriers of mobile sensing systems and propose some ideas for efficiently implementing sensing, fusion, learning, security, privacy and energy saving for any type of mobile sensing system, and propose several realistic research challenges. The main objective is to reduce the learning curve in mobile sensing systems where the complexity is very high.

Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in the Philippines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabraal, R. A.; Delasanta, D.; Burrill, G.

1981-01-01

The market potential in the Philippines for stand alone photovoltaic (P/V) systems in agriculture was assessed. Applications include: irrigation, postharvest operation, food and fiber processing and storage, and livestock and fisheries operations. Power and energy use profiles for many applications as well as assessments of business, government and financial climate for P/V sales are described. Many characteristics of the Philippine agriculture and energy sector favorably influence the use of P/V systems. However, serious and significant barriers prevent achieving the technically feasible, cost competitive market for P/V systems in the agricultural sector. The reason for the small market is the limited availability capital for financing P/V systems. It is suggested that innovative financing schemes and promotional campaigns should be devised.

Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in the Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabraal, R. A.; Delasanta, D.; Burrill, G.

1981-04-01

The market potential in the Philippines for stand alone photovoltaic (P/V) systems in agriculture was assessed. Applications include: irrigation, postharvest operation, food and fiber processing and storage, and livestock and fisheries operations. Power and energy use profiles for many applications as well as assessments of business, government and financial climate for P/V sales are described. Many characteristics of the Philippine agriculture and energy sector favorably influence the use of P/V systems. However, serious and significant barriers prevent achieving the technically feasible, cost competitive market for P/V systems in the agricultural sector. The reason for the small market is the limited availability capital for financing P/V systems. It is suggested that innovative financing schemes and promotional campaigns should be devised.

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

Yao, Yuan; Graziano, Diane; Riddle, Matthew

The chemical industry is poised for significant growth and investment, which presents an opportunity for adoption of greener chemical technologies. This article reviews available and emerging technologies for reducing the fossil fuel demand associated with the ammonia, ethylene, methanol, propylene, and benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) industries. These few energy-intensive commodity chemicals (EICCs) account for around half of the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the global chemical industry. Available data are harmonized to characterize potential energy use and GHG emissions savings, while technical and economic barriers to adoption are discussed. This information sheds light on the statusmore » of future technological options for reducing the impacts of the chemicals industry, and provides quantitative data to industry analysts and policy makers seeking a greater understanding of such options for EICCs.« less

Targeted Multiplex Imaging Mass Spectrometry with Single Chain Fragment Variable (scfv) Recombinant Antibodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiery, Gwendoline; Mernaugh, Ray L.; Yan, Heping; Spraggins, Jeffrey M.; Yang, Junhai; Parl, Fritz F.; Caprioli, Richard M.

2012-10-01

Recombinant scfv antibodies specific for CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 P450 enzymes were combined with targeted imaging mass spectrometry to simultaneously detect the P450 enzymes present in archived, paraffin-embedded, human breast cancer tissue sections. By using CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 specific scfv, each coupled to a unique reporter molecule (i.e., a mass tag) it was possible to simultaneously detect multiple antigens within a single tissue sample with high sensitivity and specificity using mass spectrometry. The capability of imaging multiple antigens at the same time is a significant advance that overcomes technical barriers encountered when using present day approaches to develop assays that can simultaneously detect more than a single antigen in the same tissue sample.

Challenges for Insertion of Structural Nanomaterials in Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sochi, Emilie J.

2012-01-01

In the two decades since Iijima's report on carbon nanotubes (CNT), there has been great interest in realizing the benefits of mechanical properties observed at the nanoscale in large-scale structures. The weight savings possible due to dramatic improvements in mechanical properties relative to state-of-the-art material systems can be game changing for applications like aerospace vehicles. While there has been significant progress in commercial production of CNTs, major aerospace applications that take advantage of properties offered by this material have yet to be realized. This paper provides a perspective on the technical challenges and barriers for insertion of CNTs as an emerging material technology in aerospace applications and proposes approaches that may reduce the typical timeframe for technology maturation and insertion into aerospace structures.

[Facing the challenges of ubiquitous computing in the health care sector].

PubMed

Georgieff, Peter; Friedewald, Michael

2010-01-01

The steady progress of microelectronics, communications and information technology will enable the realisation of the vision for "ubiquitous computing" where the Internet extends into the real world embracing everyday objects. The necessary technical basis is already in place. Due to their diminishing size, constantly falling price and declining energy consumption, processors, communications modules and sensors are being increasingly integrated into everyday objects today. This development is opening up huge opportunities for both the economy and individuals. In the present paper we discuss possible applications, but also technical, social and economic barriers to a wide-spread use of ubiquitous computing in the health care sector. .

Energy Savings Potential and Research, Development, & Demonstration Opportunities for Commercial Building Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems

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

none,

2011-09-01

This report covers an assessment of 182 different heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies for U.S. commercial buildings to identify and provide analysis on 17 priority technology options in various stages of development. The analyses include an estimation of technical energy-savings potential, description of technical maturity, description of non-energy benefits, description of current barriers for market adoption, and description of the technology’s applicability to different building or HVAC equipment types. From these technology descriptions, are suggestions for potential research, development and demonstration (RD&D) initiatives that would support further development of the priority technology options.

Health innovation for patient safety improvement.

PubMed

Sellappans, Renukha; Chua, Siew Siang; Tajuddin, Nur Amani Ahmad; Mei Lai, Pauline Siew

2013-01-01

Medication error has been identified as a major factor affecting patient safety. Many innovative efforts such as Computerised Physician Order Entry (CPOE), a Pharmacy Information System, automated dispensing machines and Point of Administration Systems have been carried out with the aim of improving medication safety. However, areas remain that require urgent attention. One main area will be the lack of continuity of care due to the breakdown of communication between multiple healthcare providers. Solutions may include consideration of "health smart cards" that carry vital patient medical information in the form of a "credit card" or use of the Malaysian identification card. However, costs and technical aspects associated with the implementation of this health smart card will be a significant barrier. Security and confidentiality, on the other hand, are expected to be of primary concern to patients. Challenges associated with the implementation of a health smart card might include physician buy-in for use in his or her everyday practice. Training and technical support should also be available to ensure the smooth implementation of this system. Despite these challenges, implementation of a health smart card moves us closer to seamless care in our country, thereby increasing the productivity and quality of healthcare.

Barriers to the implementation of green chemistry in the United States.

PubMed

Matus, Kira J M; Clark, William C; Anastas, Paul T; Zimmerman, Julie B

2012-10-16

This paper investigates the conditions under which firms are able to develop and implement innovations with sustainable development benefits. In particular, we examine "green chemistry" innovations in the United States. Via interviews with green chemistry leaders from industry, academia, nongovernmental institutions (NGOs), and government, we identified six major categories of challenges commonly confronted by innovators: (1) economic and financial, (2) regulatory, (3) technical, (4) organizational, (5) cultural, and (6) definition and metrics. Further analysis of these barriers shows that in the United States, two elements of these that are particular to the implementation of green chemistry innovations are the absence of clear definitions and metrics for use by researchers and decision makers, as well as the interdisciplinary demands of these innovations on researchers and management. Finally, we conclude with some of the strategies that have been successful thus far in overcoming these barriers, and the types of policies which could have positive impacts moving forward.

Benefits and Barriers of E-Learning for Staff Training in a Medical University.

PubMed

Franz, Stefan; Behrends, Marianne; Haack, Claudia; Marschollek, Michael

2015-01-01

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are a feasible solution to fulfill the various requirements for e-learning based training in a medical university. Using the LMS ILIAS, the Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology has designed an e-learning unit about data protection, which has been used by 73% of the department's employees in the first three months. To increase the use of e-learning for staff training, it is necessary to identify barriers and benefits, which encourage the use of e-learning. Therefore, we started an online survey to examine how the employees evaluate this learning opportunity. The results show that 87% of the employees had no technical problems and also competence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was no barrier. If anything, reported issues were time shortages and tight schedules. Therefore, short learning modules (less than 20 minutes) are preferred. Furthermore, temporal flexibility for learning is important for 83% of employees.

Understanding the Role of Academic Language on Conceptual Understanding in an Introductory Materials Science and Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Jacquelyn

2012-01-01

Students may use the technical engineering terms without knowing what these words mean. This creates a language barrier in engineering that influences student learning. Previous research has been conducted to characterize the difference between colloquial and scientific language. Since this research had not yet been applied explicitly to…

77 FR 54648 - Seventh Meeting: RTCA NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-05

...' license/State-issued ID Card Number and State of Issuance Company Phone number contact Non-U.S. Citizens... can be used for NextGen Metrics Data Sources for Measuring NextGen Fuel Impact A discussion of a preliminary report on a critical data source to track and analyze the impact of NextGen Non-Technical Barriers...

Tools for Tomorrow: Women in the Trades. Trainer's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madison Area Technical Coll., WI.

This guide is intended for use by trainers presenting the Tools for Tomorrow program, a technical college program to train women for employment in 13 skilled trades. Discussed in the first two sections are these topics: the program's purposes, barriers encountered by women seeking to enter trades, and various aspects of implementing the Tools for…

"Peau d'Ane" videodisque interactif de francais, langue etrangere ("Donkey's Hide," an Interactive Videodisc in French as a Second Language).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrigues, Mylene

1985-01-01

The characteristics of videodisc technology are outlined, and a project undertaken to create an interactive videodisc for French language instruction is described, including the efforts to eliminate physical barriers between the computer and the user, pedagogical strategy and material, programing technicalities, and other details of production.…

Research Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

cognitive function. For example. physiological methods allow for visual sensitivity measurements in infants and children with about the same level of...potential (ERP), the event-related magnetic field (ERF), and pupillometry . Where possible, we cite specific experiments that deal with display or stimulus...technical barrier preventing the application of these methods to the analysis of human performance with color displays. Pupillometry . The pupillary

Motivation, Academic Assessments and First-Semester Success at a Midwestern Technical College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dillon, Sarah A.

2017-01-01

This study examined college admission criteria and college readiness in an effort to reduce barriers in college admission. The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) was administered to a convenience sample of 74 participants among 503 students during their first semester at a two-year college. Scale scores were compared to demographic characteristics,…

Computer Conferencing: A Technology for Adult Education. Technical Report No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florini, Barbara M.

Computer conferencing is a promising technology for use in adult education because it eliminates time and geography as barriers to learning for adults. A growing body of evidence indicates that the technology is a suitable means for delivering instruction, although a number of questions remain as to the optimum circumstances for its use. For…

Effect of disposable infection control barriers on light output from dental curing lights.

PubMed

Scott, Barbara A; Felix, Corey A; Price, Richard B T

2004-02-01

To prevent contamination of the light guide on a dental curing light, barriers such as disposable plastic wrap or covers may be used. This study compared the effect of 3 disposable barriers on the spectral output and power density from a curing light. The hypothesis was that none of the barriers would have a significant clinical effect on the spectral output or the power density from the curing light. Three disposable barriers were tested against a control (no barrier). The spectra and power from the curing light were measured with a spectrometer attached to an integrating sphere. The measurements were repeated on 10 separate occasions in a random sequence for each barrier. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Fisher's protected least significant difference test showed that the power density was significantly less than control (by 2.4% to 6.1%) when 2 commercially available disposable barriers were used (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the power density when general-purpose plastic wrap was used (p > 0.05). The effect of each of the barriers on the power output was small and probably clinically insignificant. ANOVA comparisons of mean peak wavelength values indicated that none of the barriers produced a significant shift in the spectral output relative to the control ( p > 0.05). Two of the 3 disposable barriers produced a significant reduction in power density from the curing light. This drop in power was small and would probably not adversely affect the curing of composite resin. None of the barriers acted as light filters.

The awareness and attitudes of students of one indian dental school toward information technology and its use to improve patient care.

PubMed

Jathanna, Vinod R; Jathanna, Ramya V; Jathanna, Roopalekha

2014-01-01

Many obstacles need to be overcome if digital and electronic technologies are to be fully integrated in the operation of dental clinics in some countries. These obstacles may be physical, technical, or psychosocial barriers in the form of perceptions and attitudes related to software incompatibilities, patient privacy, and interference with the patient-practitioner relationship. The objectives of the study are to assess the perceptions of Indian dental students of one school toward the usefulness of digital technologies in improving dental practice; their willingness to use digital and electronic technologies; the perceived obstacles to the use of digital and electronic technologies in dental care setups; and their attitudes toward Internet privacy issues. The study population consisted of 186 final year undergraduate dental students from the A. B. Shetty Memorial institute of Dental Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Mangalore, India. Survey data were analyzed descriptively . Most students indicated that information technology enhances patient satisfaction, the quality of dental record, diagnosis, treatment planning, and doctor-doctor communication. Cost of equipment and need for technical training were regarded as major obstacles by substantial proportions of respondents. Most dental students at our school feel that the information technology will support their decision making in diagnoses and devising effective treatment plans, which in turn increase patient satisfaction and quality of care. Students also perceived that lack of technical knowledge and the high cost of implementation are major barriers to developing information technology in India.

Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing a Change Initiative in Long-Term Care Using the INTERACT® Quality Improvement Program.

PubMed

Tappen, Ruth M; Wolf, David G; Rahemi, Zahra; Engstrom, Gabriella; Rojido, Carolina; Shutes, Jill M; Ouslander, Joseph G

Implementation of major organizational change initiatives presents a challenge for long-term care leadership. Implementation of the INTERACT® (Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers) quality improvement program, designed to improve the management of acute changes in condition and reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations of nursing home residents, serves as an example to illustrate the facilitators and barriers to major change in long-term care. As part of a larger study of the impact of INTERACT® on rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations, staff of 71 nursing homes were called monthly to follow-up on their progress and discuss successful facilitating strategies and any challenges and barriers they encountered during the yearlong implementation period. Themes related to barriers and facilitators were identified. Six major barriers to implementation were identified: the magnitude and complexity of the change (35%), instability of facility leadership (27%), competing demands (40%), stakeholder resistance (49%), scarce resources (86%), and technical problems (31%). Six facilitating strategies were also reported: organization-wide involvement (68%), leadership support (41%), use of administrative authority (14%), adequate training (66%), persistence and oversight on the part of the champion (73%), and unfolding positive results (14%). Successful introduction of a complex change such as the INTERACT® quality improvement program in a long-term care facility requires attention to the facilitators and barriers identified in this report from those at the frontline.

Barriers Against Implementing Blunt Abdominal Trauma Guidelines in a Hospital: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Zaboli, Rouhollah; Tofighi, Shahram; Aghighi, Ali; Shokouh, Seyyed Javad Hosaini; Naraghi, Nader; Goodarzi, Hassan

2016-08-01

Clinical practice guidelines are structured recommendations that help physicians and patients to make proper decisions when dealing with a specific clinical condition. Because blunt abdominal trauma causes a various range of mild, single-system, and multisystem injuries, early detection will help to reduce mortality and resulting disability. Emergency treatment should be initiated based on CPGs. This study aimed to determine the variables affecting implementing blunt abdominal trauma CPGs in an Iranian hospital. This study was conducted as a qualitative and phenomenology study in the Family Hospital in Tehran (Iran) in 2015. The research population included eight experts and key people in the area of blunt abdominal trauma clinical practice guidelines. Sampling was based on purposive and nonrandom methods. A semistructured interview was done for the data collection. A framework method was applied for the data analysis by using Atlas.ti software. After framework analyzing and various reviewing and deleting and combining the codes from 251 codes obtained, 15 families and five super families were extracted, including technical knowledge barriers, economical barriers, barriers related to deployment and monitoring, political will barriers, and managing barriers. Structural reform is needed for eliminating the defects available in the healthcare system. As with most of the codes, subconcepts and concepts are classified into the field of human resources; it seems that the education and knowledge will be more important than other resources such as capital and equipment.

Providing long-acting reversible contraception services in Seattle school-based health centers: key themes for facilitating implementation.

PubMed

Gilmore, Kelly; Hoopes, Andrea J; Cady, Janet; Amies Oelschlager, Anne-Marie; Prager, Sarah; Vander Stoep, Ann

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the implementation of a program that provides long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) services within school-based health centers (SBHCs) and to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation as reported by SBHC clinicians and administrators, public health officials, and community partners. We conducted 14 semistructured interviews with key informants involved in the implementation of LARC services. Key informants included SBHC clinicians and administrators, public health officials, and community partners. We used a content analysis approach to analyze interview transcripts for themes. We explored barriers to and facilitators of LARC service delivery across and within key informant groups. The most cited barriers across key informant groups were as follows: perceived lack of provider procedural skills and bias and negative attitudes about LARC methods. The most common facilitators identified across groups were as follows: clear communication strategies, contraceptive counseling practice changes, provider trainings, and stakeholder engagement. Two additional barriers emerged in specific key informant groups. Technical and logistical barriers to LARC service delivery were cited heavily by SBHC administrative staff, community partners, and public health officials. Expense and billing was a major barrier to SBHC administrative staff. LARC counseling and procedural services can be implemented in an SBHC setting to promote access to effective contraceptive options for adolescent women. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel routes of albumin passage across the glomerular filtration barrier.

PubMed

Castrop, H; Schießl, I M

2017-03-01

Albuminuria is a hallmark of kidney diseases of various aetiologies and an unambiguous symptom of the compromised integrity of the glomerular filtration barrier. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that albuminuria per se aggravates the development and progression of chronic kidney disease. This review covers new aspects of the movement of large plasma proteins across the glomerular filtration barrier in health and disease. Specifically, this review focuses on the role of endocytosis and transcytosis of albumin by podocytes, which constitutes a new pathway of plasma proteins across the filtration barrier. Thus, we summarize what is known about the mechanisms of albumin endocytosis by podocytes and address the fate of the endocytosed albumin, which is directed to lysosomal degradation or transcellular movement with subsequent vesicular release into the urinary space. We also address the functional consequences of overt albumin endocytosis by podocytes, such as the formation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which might eventually result in a deterioration of podocyte function. Finally, we consider the diagnostic potential of podocyte-derived albumin-containing vesicles in the urine as an early marker of a compromised glomerular barrier function. In terms of new technical approaches, the review covers how our knowledge of the movement of albumin across the glomerular filtration barrier has expanded by the use of new intravital imaging techniques. © 2016 Scandinavian Physiological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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.

Applications of nanotechnology in food packaging and food safety: barrier materials, antimicrobials and sensors.

PubMed

Duncan, Timothy V

2011-11-01

In this article, several applications of nanomaterials in food packaging and food safety are reviewed, including: polymer/clay nanocomposites as high barrier packaging materials, silver nanoparticles as potent antimicrobial agents, and nanosensors and nanomaterial-based assays for the detection of food-relevant analytes (gasses, small organic molecules and food-borne pathogens). In addition to covering the technical aspects of these topics, the current commercial status and understanding of health implications of these technologies are also discussed. These applications were chosen because they do not involve direct addition of nanoparticles to consumed foods, and thus are more likely to be marketed to the public in the short term. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Preventing maternal and child malnutrition: the nutrition component of the Mesoamerican Health Initiative 2015].

PubMed

Rivera, Juan A; Martorell, Reynaldo; González, Wendy; Lutter, Chessa; Cossío, Teresa González de; Flores-Ayala, Rafael; Uauy, Ricardo; Delgado, Hernán

2011-01-01

To describe the regional master plan of nutrition to address maternal and child malnutrition in a 5- year period developed by the Nutrition Technical Group. The Nutrition Technical Group developed a situation analysis describing the main nutrition problems, policies and programs in Mesoamerica. The situation analysis and a literature review about effective interventions to address malnutrition were conducted to develop a nutrition master plan. The Nutrition Technical Group held various meetings to develop, discuss and validate the master plan. Theory of change identified problems and barriers, the actions to be developed, the changes and impacts expected. A package of interventions is proposed to reduce undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies useful under different epidemiological contexts. The nutrition master plan provides a guideline of best practices that can be used for evidence-informed decision making and the development of national policies and programs to reduce malnutrition.

Designing a system for patients controlling providers' access to their electronic health records: organizational and technical challenges.

PubMed

Leventhal, Jeremy C; Cummins, Jonathan A; Schwartz, Peter H; Martin, Douglas K; Tierney, William M

2015-01-01

Electronic health records (EHRs) are proliferating, and financial incentives encourage their use. Applying Fair Information Practice principles to EHRs necessitates balancing patients' rights to control their personal information with providers' data needs to deliver safe, high-quality care. We describe the technical and organizational challenges faced in capturing patients' preferences for patient-controlled EHR access and applying those preferences to an existing EHR. We established an online system for capturing patients' preferences for who could view their EHRs (listing all participating clinic providers individually and categorically-physicians, nurses, other staff) and what data to redact (none, all, or by specific categories of sensitive data or patient age). We then modified existing data-viewing software serving a state-wide health information exchange and a large urban health system and its primary care clinics to allow patients' preferences to guide data displays to providers. Patients could allow or restrict data displays to all clinicians and staff in a demonstration primary care clinic, categories of providers (physicians, nurses, others), or individual providers. They could also restrict access to all EHR data or any or all of five categories of sensitive data (mental and reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse) and for specific patient ages. The EHR viewer displayed data via reports, data flowsheets, and coded and free text data displayed by Google-like searches. Unless patients recorded restrictions, by default all requested data were displayed to all providers. Data patients wanted restricted were not displayed, with no indication they were redacted. Technical barriers prevented redacting restricted information in free textnotes. The program allowed providers to hit a "Break the Glass" button to override patients' restrictions, recording the date, time, and next screen viewed. Establishing patient-control over EHR data displays was complex and required ethical, clinical, database, and programming expertise and difficult choices to overcome technical and health system constraints. Assessing patients' preferences for access to their EHRs and applying them in clinical practice requires wide-ranging technical, clinical, and bioethical expertise, to make tough choices to overcome significant technical and organization challenges.

Biological Conversion of Sugars to Hydrocarbons Technology Pathway

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

Davis, R.; Biddy, M.; Tan, E.

2013-03-01

This technology pathway case investigates the biological conversion of biomass-derived sugars to hydrocarbon biofuels, utilizing data from recent literature references and information consistent with recent pilot-scale demonstrations at NREL. Technical barriers and key research needs have been identified that should be pursued for the pathway to become competitive with petroleum-derived gasoline-, diesel-, and jet-range hydrocarbon blendstocks.

Removing Barriers to High School Completion--Technical Report. System Improvement and Reporting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Learning, Edmonton.

The ability of every student to successfully complete high school is fundamental to continued success and quality of life. As such, Alberta Learning's 2000-2003 Business Plan has set a target for improving high school completion by 19-year-old students from 70% to 75%. A key step to achieving this target has involved completing a study of barriers…

Is the Job Training Partnership Act Training Displaced Homemakers? A Technical Report on Services to Displaced Homemakers under JTPA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spero, Abby

The Displaced Homemakers Network surveyed its 425 programs in the winter of 1985 to determine the extent and nature of services to displaced homemakers under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Also sought was information about the barriers to JTPA that kept program operators from bidding successfully for contracts. Finally, the survey…

Bibliography of Technical Publications and Papers. October 1987-September 1988

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-01

LATE, K. G. Production of retorted meals in coextrud,-A barrier trays. Wornick Services, Inc., Contract No. DAAK60-87-C-0050. NATICK/IT-88/060...Schultz, G. 105 Meiselman, H./ H. L. 3, 96, 97 Seasholtz, S. 45 98, 122, 123 Seefeldt , V. D. 126 Mello, J. 43 Sharp, R./ R. K. 66, 92 Monaghan, P. B. 33

Vocational Education in Correctional Institutions: State-of-the-Art Assessment of Programs in Region IV. Volume I, Final Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Eric; And Others

To identify the issues, characteristics, barriers, and needs related to vocational education provisions in Southeastern correctional institutions, a project was developed. Survey data was collected through a 100% sample of adult and juvenile correctional facilities in seven states. Study procedures utilized a combination of state level interviews,…

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

Raudsepp, E.

A test is given to determine if an engineer suffers from one of the three barriers to technical success: fear of success, fear of failure, or perfectionism. As in most such tests, the middle way is best. Successful engineers know that perfection cannot be attained, that they don't have time to worry about failure or success, and that by aiming and perservering in doing things well, success can be achieved.

Working with Organizations to Develop "New Careers" Programs. Technical Monograph No. 10, Publication No. 110.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pruger, Robert; Specht, Harry

This report on a job creation program for poor people deals with the organizations within which jobs were created, the responses of the organizations to the jobs, and the techniques which seemed useful in working with the organizations. Major sections include: (1) Employment, Unemployment and New Careers, (2) Organizational Barriers, (3) The Forms…

Integration of the Common Core State Standards into CTE: Challenges and Strategies of Career and Technical Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asunda, Paul A.; Finnell, Alicia M.; Berry, Nicholas R.

2015-01-01

In recent years, conversations about the importance of education standards in our school systems have intensified. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are being implemented across most of the country. The standards require a major shift in instruction and the needed supports really are not there. This study investigated the common barriers,…

The Perception of Women Contending for First Place in the Information Technology World: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claggett, Gwendolyn P.

2016-01-01

Gender differences have impacted the leadership IT (information technology) environment for decades. Research continues to study the barriers and triumphs women endure within the technical leadership world. Over the past decade, women have strived ahead by ignoring the gender negativity and taken a permanent position in the IT leadership role. The…

Barriers to the increased utilization of coal combustion/desulfurization by-products by government and commercial sectors - Update 1998

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

Pflughoeft-Hassett, D.F.; Sondreal, E.A.; Steadman, E.N.

The following conclusions are drawn from the information presented in this report: (1) Joint efforts by industry and government focused on meeting RTC recommendations for reduction/removal of barriers have met with some success. The most notable of these are the changes in regulations related to CCB utilization by individual states. Regionally or nationally consistent state regulation of CCB utilization would further reduce regulatory barriers. (2) Technology changes will continue to be driven by the CAAA, and emission control technologies are expected to continue to impact the type and properties of CCBs generated. As a result, continued RD and D willmore » be needed to learn how to utilize new and changing CCBs in environmentally safe, technically sound, and economically advantageous ways. Clean coal technology CCBs offer a new challenge because of the high volumes expected to be generated and the different characteristics of these CCBs compared to those of conventional CCBs. (3) Industry and government have developed the RD and D infrastructure to address the technical aspects of developing and testing new CCB utilization applications, but this work as well as constant quality control/quality assurance testing needs to be continued to address both industry wide issues and issues related to specific materials, regions, or users. (4) Concerns raised by environmental groups and the public will continue to provide environmental and technical challenges to the CCB industry. It is anticipated that the use of CCBs in mining applications, agriculture, structural fills, and other land applications will continue to be controversial and will require case-by-case technical and environmental information to be developed. The best use of this information will be in the development of generic regulations specifically addressing the use of CCBs in these different types of CCB applications. (5) The development of federal procurement guidelines under Executive Order 12873 titled ''Federal Acquisition, Recycling and Waste Prevention,'' in October 1993 was a positive step toward getting CCBs accepted in the marketplace. Industry needs to continue to work with EPA to develop additional procurement guidelines for products containing CCBs--and to take advantage of existing guidelines to encourage the use of CCBs in high-profile projects. (6) Accelerated progress toward increased utilization of CCBs can be made only if there is an increased financial commitment and technical effort by industry and government. The framework for this has been set by the successful cooperation of industry and government under DOE leadership. Cooperation should continue, with DOE fulfilling its lead role established in the RTC. It is clear that the RTC recommendations continue to have validity with respect to increasing CCB utilization and continue to provide guidance to industry and government agencies.« less

Organizational factors influencing health information technology adoption in long-term-care facilities.

PubMed

Wang, Tiankai; Wang, Yangmei; Moczygemba, Jackie

2014-01-01

Long-term care (LTC) is an important sector of the health care industry. However, the adoption of health information technology (HIT) systems in LTC facilities lags behind that in other sectors of health care. Previous literature has focused on the financial and technical barriers. This study examined the organizational factors associated with HIT adoption in LTC facilities. A survey of 500 LTC facilities in Texas enabled researchers to compile HIT indexes for further statistical analyses. A general linear model was used to study the associations between the clinical/administrative HIT indexes and organizational factors. The empirical outcomes show that the size of an LTC facility has a significant association with HIT adoption. Rural LTC facilities, especially freestanding ones, adopt less HIT than their urban counterparts, whereas freestanding LTC facilities have the lowest HIT adoption overall. There is not enough evidence to support ownership status as a significant factor in HIT adoption. Some implications are proposed, but further research is necessary.

The feasibility and efficacy of early-season releases of a generalist predator (Forficula auricularia L.) to control populations of the RAA (Dysaphis plantaginea Passerini) in Southeastern France.

PubMed

Dib, H; Jamont, M; Sauphanor, B; Capowiez, Y

2016-04-01

Augmentative biological control is not commonly used in commercial orchards. We used an exclusion system to evaluate the potential of early-season releases of the European earwig (Forficula auricularia L., Dermaptera: Forficulidae) for control of the rosy apple aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea Passerini, Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the spring of 2009 in two pesticide-free apple orchards. In order to conduct this experiment we successfully reared earwigs with a high survival rate of nymphs (more than 96%) which may have commercial application. There were three treatments in the study: (i) a 'release treatment' where we confined the released earwigs in the canopy by using a barrier system; (ii) an 'exclusion treatment' where we blocked free access of earwigs into the canopy using the same barrier system; and (iii) a 'control treatment' that represented the natural situation. Contrary to expectations, earwig releases did not reduce D. plantaginea populations. In general, the abundance of natural enemies and their groups did not differ significantly among treatments, except for earwigs. We observed that the exclusion systems we used successfully kept both earwigs and ants away from tree canopies; total numbers on trees in the 'exclusion treatment' were significantly lower than on the other two treatments. Due to the complexity and difficulty of evaluating augmentative releases of natural enemies in open orchard conditions, we conclude that new technical approaches to control site conditions are needed when conducting such studies.

There's no place like home: 35-year patient survival on home hemodialysis.

PubMed

Yu, Jerry Z; Rhee, Connie M; Ferrey, Antoney; Li, Alex; Jin, Anna; Chang, Yongen; Reddy, Uttam; Lau, Wei Ling; Chou, Jason; Inrig, Jula; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar

2018-05-01

The vast majority of maintenance dialysis patients suffer from poor long-term survival rates and lower levels of health-related quality of life. However, home hemodialysis is a historically significant dialysis modality that has been associated with favorable outcomes as well as greater patient autonomy and control, yet only represents a small minority of the total dialysis performed in the United States. Some potential disadvantages of home hemodialysis include vascular access complications, infection-related hospitalizations, patient fatigue, and attrition. In addition, current barriers and challenges in expanding the utilization of this modality include limited patient and provider education and technical expertise. Here we report a 65-year old male with end-stage renal disease due to Alport's syndrome who has undergone 35 years of uninterrupted thrice-weekly home hemodialysis (ie, every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evening, each session lasting 3 to 3¼ hours in length) using a conventional hemodialysis machine who has maintained a high functional status allowing him to work 6-8 hours per day. The patient has been able to liberalize his dietary and fluid intake while only requiring 3-4 liters of ultrafiltration per treatment, despite having absence of residual kidney function. Through this case of extraordinary longevity and outcomes after 35 years of dialysis and a review of the literature, we illustrate the history of home hemodialysis, its significant clinical and psychosocial advantages, as well as the barriers that hinder its widespread adaptation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Group consensus peer review in radiation oncology: commitment to quality.

PubMed

Duggar, W Neil; Bhandari, Rahul; Yang, Chunli Claus; Vijayakumar, Srinivasan

2018-03-27

Peer review, especially prospective peer review, has been supported by professional organizations as an important element in optimal Radiation Oncology practice based on its demonstration of efficacy at detecting and preventing errors prior to patient treatment. Implementation of peer review is not without barriers, but solutions do exist to mitigate or eliminate some of those barriers. Peer review practice at our institution involves three key elements: new patient conference, treatment planning conference, and chart rounds. The treatment planning conference is an adaptation of the group consensus peer review model from radiology which utilizes a group of peers reviewing each treatment plan prior to implementation. The peer group in radiation oncology includes Radiation Oncologists, Physician Residents, Medical Physicists, Dosimetrists, and Therapists. Thus, technical and clinical aspects of each plan are evaluated simultaneously. Though peer review is held in high regard in Radiation Oncology, many barriers commonly exist preventing optimal implementation such as time intensiveness, repetition, and distraction from clinic time with patients. Through the use of automated review tools and commitment by individuals and administration in regards to staffing, scheduling, and responsibilities, these barriers have been mitigated to implement this Group Consensus Peer Review model into a Radiation Oncology Clinic. A Group Consensus Peer Review model has been implemented with strategies to address common barriers to effective and efficient peer review.

Overcoming Barriers to Experience Benefits: A Qualitative Analysis of Electronic Health Records and Health Information Exchange Implementation in Local Health Departments

PubMed Central

Williams, Karmen S.; Shah, Gulzar H.; Leider, JP; Gupta, Akarti

2017-01-01

Introduction: Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) are changing surveillance and analytic operations within local health departments (LHDs) across the United States. The objective of this study was to analyze the status, benefits, barriers, and ways of overcoming challenges in the implementation of EHRs and HIEs in LHDs. Methods: This study employed a mixed methods approach, first using the 2013 National Profile of LHDs survey to ascertain the status of EHR and HIE implementation across the US, as well as to aid in selection of respondents for the second, interview-based part of project. Next, forty-nine key-informant interviews of local health department staff were conducted. Data were coded thematically and independently by two researchers. Coding was compared and re-coded using the consensus definitions. Results: Twenty-three percent of LHDs nationwide are using EHRs and 14 percent are using HIEs. The most frequently mentioned benefits for implementation were identified as care coordination, retrieval or managing information, and the ability to track outcomes of care. A few mentioned barriers included financial resources, resistance to change, and IT related issues during implementation. Discussion: Despite financial, technical capacity, and operational constraints, leaders interviewed as part of this project were optimistic about the future of EHRs in local health departments. Recent policy changes and accreditation have implications of improving processes to affect populations served. Conclusions: Overcoming the challenges in implementing EHRs can result in increased efficiencies in surveillance and higher quality patient care and tracking. However, significant opportunity cost does exist. PMID:29881738

TethysCluster: A comprehensive approach for harnessing cloud resources for hydrologic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, J.; Jones, N.; Ames, D. P.

2015-12-01

Advances in water resources modeling are improving the information that can be supplied to support decisions affecting the safety and sustainability of society. However, as water resources models become more sophisticated and data-intensive they require more computational power to run. Purchasing and maintaining the computing facilities needed to support certain modeling tasks has been cost-prohibitive for many organizations. With the advent of the cloud, the computing resources needed to address this challenge are now available and cost-effective, yet there still remains a significant technical barrier to leverage these resources. This barrier inhibits many decision makers and even trained engineers from taking advantage of the best science and tools available. Here we present the Python tools TethysCluster and CondorPy, that have been developed to lower the barrier to model computation in the cloud by providing (1) programmatic access to dynamically scalable computing resources, (2) a batch scheduling system to queue and dispatch the jobs to the computing resources, (3) data management for job inputs and outputs, and (4) the ability to dynamically create, submit, and monitor computing jobs. These Python tools leverage the open source, computing-resource management, and job management software, HTCondor, to offer a flexible and scalable distributed-computing environment. While TethysCluster and CondorPy can be used independently to provision computing resources and perform large modeling tasks, they have also been integrated into Tethys Platform, a development platform for water resources web apps, to enable computing support for modeling workflows and decision-support systems deployed as web apps.

Benefits of barrier fuel on fuel cycle economics

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

Crowther, R.L.; Kunz, C.L.

1988-01-01

Barrier fuel rod cladding was developed to eliminate fuel rod failures from pellet/cladding stress/corrosion interaction and to eliminate the associated need to restrict the rate at which fuel rod power can be increased. The performance of barrier cladding has been demonstrated through extensive testing and through production application to many boiling water reactors (BWRs). Power reactor data have shown that barrier fuel rod cladding has a significant beneficial effect on plant capacity factor and plant operating costs and significantly increases fuel reliability. Independent of the fuel reliability benefit, it is less obvious that barrier fuel has a beneficial effect ofmore » fuel cycle costs, since barrier cladding is more costly to fabricate. Evaluations, measurements, and development activities, however, have shown that the fuel cycle cost benefits of barrier fuel are large. This paper is a summary of development activities that have shown that application of barrier fuel significantly reduces BWR fuel cycle costs.« less

DOE Voluntary Partnership Program with Utilities and Local Governments Supports the Design of New Data Access Solutions

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

Shah, Monisha; Burr, Andrew; Schulte, Andrew

2016-08-26

The Better Buildings Energy Data Accelerator (BBEDA) is a unique effort that has supported 22 pairs of local governments and their utility companies to help building owners gain access to their whole-building energy data. Municipal and Utility BBEDA Partners committed to develop streamlined and easy-to-use solutions to provide whole-building energy data, especially for multitenant commercial buildings, by the end of 2015. As a result, building owners would be able to make data-driven decisions about their buildings by utilizing readily available energy consumption data for entire buildings. Traditionally, data access was difficult to implement due to technical barriers and the lackmore » of clear value propositions for the utilities. During the past two years, BBEDA has taken a hands-on approach to overcome these barriers by offering a platform for the partners to discuss their challenges and solutions. Customized support was also provided to Partners building their local strategies. Based on the lessons learned from the partners, BBEDA developed a final toolkit with guiding documents that addressed key barriers and served as a resource for the other cities and utilities attempting to establish whole-building data access, including an exploration of opportunities to apply the whole-building data to various aspects of utility demand-side management (DSM) programs. BBEDA has been a catalyst for market transformation by addressing the upstream (to efficiency implementation) barrier of data access, demonstrated through the success of the BBEDA partners to address policy, engagement, and technical hurdles and arrive at replicable solutions to make data access a standard practice nationwide. As a result of best practices identified by the BBEDA, 18 utilities serving more than 2.6 million commercial customers nationwide will provide whole-building energy data access to building owners by 2017. This historic expansion of data accessibility will increase building energy benchmarking, the first step many building owners take to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.« less

Design and development of reactive injectable and settable polymeric biomaterials.

PubMed

Page, Jonathan M; Harmata, Andrew J; Guelcher, Scott A

2013-12-01

Injectable and settable biomaterials are a growing class of therapeutic technologies within the field of regenerative medicine. These materials offer advantages compared to prefabricated implants because of their ability to be utilized as part of noninvasive surgical procedures, fill complex defect shapes, cure in situ, and incorporate cells and other active biologics. However, there are significant technical barriers to clinical translation of injectable and settable biomaterials, such as achieving clinically relevant handling properties and benign reaction conditions. This review focuses on the engineering challenges associated with the design and development of injectable and chemically settable polymeric biomaterials. Additionally, specific examples of the diverse chemistries utilized to overcome these challenges are covered. The future translation of injectable and settable biomaterials is anticipated to improve patient outcomes for a number of clinical conditions. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., a Wiley Company.

Technical, economic and legal aspects of wind energy utilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obermair, G. M.; Jarass, L.

Potentially problematical areas of the implementation of wind turbines for electricity production in West Germany are identified and briefly discussed. Variations in wind generator output due to source variability may cause power regulation difficulties in the grid and also raise uncertainties in utility capacity planning for new construction. Catastrophic machine component failures, such as a thrown blade, are hazardous to life and property, while lulls in the resource can cause power regulation capabilities only when grid penetration has reached significant levels. Economically, the lack of actual data from large scale wind projects is cited as a barrier to accurate cost comparisons of wind-derived power relative to other generating sources, although breakeven costs for wind power have been found to be $2000/kW installed capacity, i.e., a marginal cost of $0.10/kW.

FY2016 Advanced Batteries R&D Annual Progress Report

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

None, None

The Advanced Batteries research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles. Program targets focus on overcoming technical barriers to enable market success including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost, (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability), (3) reducing battery weight & volume, and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit, overcharge, and crush. This report describes the progress made on the research and development projects funded by the Battery subprogram in 2016. This section covers the Vehicle Technologies Office overview;more » the Battery subprogram R&D overview; Advanced Battery Development project summaries; and Battery Testing, Analysis, and Design project summaries. It also includes the cover and table of contents.« less

Seasonal thermal energy storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minor, J. E.

1980-03-01

The Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage (STES) Program demonstrates the economic storage and retrieval of thermal energy on a seasonal basis, using heat or cold available from waste or other sources during a surplus period to reduce peak period demand, reduce electric utilities peaking problems, and contribute to the establishment of favorable economics for district heating and cooling systems for commercialization of the technology. The STES Program utilizes ground water systems (aquifers) for thermal energy storage. The STES Program is divided into an Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) Demonstration Task for demonstrating the commercialization potential of aquifer thermal energy storage technology using an integrated system approach to multiple demonstration projects and a parallel Technical Support Task designed to provide support to the overall STES Program, and to reduce technological and institutional barriers to the development of energy storage systems prior to significant investment in demonstration or commercial facilities.

Barriers and facilitators to Electronic Medical Record (EMR) use in an urban slum.

PubMed

Jawhari, Badeia; Keenan, Louanne; Zakus, David; Ludwick, Dave; Isaac, Abraam; Saleh, Abdullah; Hayward, Robert

2016-10-01

Rapid urbanization has led to the growth of urban slums and increased healthcare burdens for vulnerable populations. Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) have the potential to improve continuity of care for slum residents, but their implementation is complicated by technical and non-technical limitations. This study sought practical insights about facilitators and barriers to EMR implementation in urban slum environments. Descriptive qualitative method was used to explore staff perceptions about a recent open-source EMR deployment in two primary care clinics in Kibera, Nairobi. Participants were interviewed using open-ended, semi-structured questions. Content analysis was used when exploring transcribed data. Three major themes - systems, software, and social considerations - emerged from content analysis, with sustainability concerns prevailing. Although participants reported many systems (e.g., power, network, Internet, hardware, interoperability) and software (e.g., data integrity, confidentiality, function) challenges, social factors (e.g., identity management, training, use incentives) appeared the most important impediments to sustainability. These findings are consistent with what others have reported, especially the importance of practical barriers to EMR deployments in resource-constrained settings. Other findings contribute unique insights about social determinants of EMR impact in slum settings, including the challenge of multiple-identity management and development of meaningful incentives to staff compliance. This study exposes front-line experiences with opportunities and shortcomings of EMR implementations in urban slum primary care clinics. Although the promise is great, there are a number of unique system, software and social challenges that EMR advocates should address before expecting sustainable EMR use in resource-constrained settings. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Barriers to global health development: An international quantitative survey.

PubMed

Weiss, Bahr; Pollack, Amie Alley

2017-01-01

Global health's goal of reducing low-and-middle-income country versus high-income country health disparities faces complex challenges. Although there have been discussions of barriers, there has not been a broad-based, quantitative survey of such barriers. 432 global health professionals were invited via email to participate in an online survey, with 268 (62%) participating. The survey assessed participants' (A) demographic and global health background, (B) perceptions regarding 66 barriers' seriousness, (C) detailed ratings of barriers designated most serious, (D) potential solutions. Thirty-four (of 66) barriers were seen as moderately or more serious, highlighting the widespread, significant challenges global health development faces. Perceived barrier seriousness differed significantly across domains: Resource Limitations mean = 2.47 (0-4 Likert scale), Priority Selection mean = 2.20, Corruption, Lack of Competence mean = 1.87, Social and Cultural Barriers mean = 1.68. Some system-level predictors showed significant but relatively limited relations. For instance, for Global Health Domain, HIV and Mental Health had higher levels of perceived Social and Cultural Barriers than other GH Domains. Individual-level global health experience predictors had small but significant effects, with seriousness of (a) Corruption, Lack of Competence, and (b) Priority Selection barriers positively correlated with respondents' level of LMIC-oriented (e.g., weeks/year spent in LMIC) but Academic Global Health Achievement (e.g., number of global health publications) negatively correlated with overall barrier seriousness. That comparatively few system-level predictors (e.g., Organization Type) were significant suggests these barriers may be relatively fundamental at the system-level. Individual-level and system-level effects do have policy implications; e.g., Priority Selection barriers were among the most serious, yet effects on seriousness of how LMIC-oriented a professional was versus level of academic global health achievement ran in opposite directions, suggesting increased discussion of priorities between LMIC-based and other professionals may be useful. It is hoped the 22 suggested solutions will provide useful ideas for addressing global health barriers.

Congruent biogeographical disjunctions at a continent-wide scale: Quantifying and clarifying the role of biogeographic barriers in the Australian tropics.

PubMed

Edwards, Robert D; Crisp, Michael D; Cook, Dianne H; Cook, Lyn G

2017-01-01

To test whether novel and previously hypothesized biogeogaphic barriers in the Australian Tropics represent significant disjunction points or hard barriers, or both, to the distribution of plants. Australian tropics: Australian Monsoon Tropics and Australian Wet Tropics. The presence or absence of 6,861 plant species was scored across 13 putative biogeographic barriers in the Australian Tropics, including two that have not previously been recognised. Randomizations of these data were used to test whether more species showed disjunctions (gaps in distribution) or likely barriers (range limits) at these points than expected by chance. Two novel disjunctions in the Australian Tropics flora are identified in addition to eleven putative barriers previously recognized for animals. Of these, eleven disjunction points (all within the Australian Monsoon Tropics) were found to correspond to range-ending barriers to a significant number of species, while neither of the two disjunctions found within the Australian Wet Tropics limited a significant number of species' ranges. Biogeographic barriers present significant distributional limits to native plant species in the Australian Monsoon Tropics but not in the Australian Wet Tropics.

Prospective randomized controlled study on the validity and safety of an absorbable adhesion barrier (Interceed®) made of oxidized regenerated cellulose for laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

PubMed

Naito, Masanori; Ogura, Naoto; Yamanashi, Takahiro; Sato, Takeo; Nakamura, Takatoshi; Miura, Hirohisa; Tsutsui, Atsuko; Sakamoto, Yasutoshi; Tanaka, Rieko; Kumagai, Yuji; Watanabe, Masahiko

2017-02-01

Clinical use of an adhesion barrier made of oxidized, regenerated cellulose, Interceed®, has been reported in the field of obstetrics and gynecology to help prevent adhesions between the peritoneum and the bowel in various types of operations. In gastrointestinal surgery, sodium hyaluronate/carboxymethylcellulose has been reported as an absorbable membrane to reduce postoperative adhesions. The present study was a prospective randomized controlled study to investigate the safety and usefulness of Interceed in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. We analyzed 99 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery from 2013 to 2014. The patients were randomly allocated to the group that used Interceed (Interceed group) or the group that did not (Non-Interceed group). Fifty cases used Interceed, and 49 cases did not. The incidence of adverse events was 12.0% in the Interceed group and 16.3% in the Non-Interceed group (P = 0.58). There were no significant differences, and no adhesive bowel obstructions were observed in the Interceed group. We have shown that using Interceed in laparoscopic colorectal surgery is valid and technically safe. © 2016 Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Asia Endosurgery Task Force and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Waste information management system: a web-based system for DOE waste forecasting

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

Geisler, T.J.; Shoffner, P.A.; Upadhyay, U.

2007-07-01

The implementation of the Department of Energy (DOE) mandated accelerated cleanup program has created significant potential technical impediments that must be overcome. The schedule compression will require close coordination and a comprehensive review and prioritization of the barriers that may impede treatment and disposition of the waste streams at each site. Many issues related to site waste treatment and disposal have now become potential critical path issues under the accelerated schedules. In order to facilitate accelerated cleanup initiatives, waste managers at DOE field sites and at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., need timely waste forecast information regarding the volumes andmore » types of waste that will be generated by DOE sites over the next 25 years. Each local DOE site has historically collected, organized, and displayed site waste forecast information in separate and unique systems. However, waste information from all sites needs a common application to allow interested parties to understand and view the complete complex-wide picture. A common application would allow identification of total waste volumes, material classes, disposition sites, choke points, and technological or regulatory barriers to treatment and disposal. The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida, has completed the development of this web-based forecast system. (authors)« less

Environmental Barrier Coating Development for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites: Recent Advances and Future Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming

2016-01-01

This presentation briefly reviews the SiC/SiC major environmental and environment-fatigue degradations encountered in simulated turbine combustion environments, and thus NASA environmental barrier coating system evolution for protecting the SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites for meeting the engine performance requirements. The presentation will review several generations of NASA EBC materials systems, EBC-CMC component system technologies for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite combustors and turbine airfoils, highlighting the temperature capability and durability improvements in simulated engine high heat flux, high pressure, high velocity, and with mechanical creep and fatigue loading conditions. This paper will also focus on the performance requirements and design considerations of environmental barrier coatings for next generation turbine engine applications. The current development emphasis is placed on advanced NASA candidate environmental barrier coating systems for SiC/SiC CMCs, their performance benefits and design limitations in long-term operation and combustion environments. The efforts have been also directed to developing prime-reliant, self-healing 2700F EBC bond coat; and high stability, lower thermal conductivity, and durable EBC top coats. Major technical barriers in developing environmental barrier coating systems, the coating integrations with next generation CMCs having the improved environmental stability, erosion-impact resistance, and long-term fatigue-environment system durability performance will be described. The research and development opportunities for turbine engine environmental barrier coating systems by utilizing improved compositions, state-of-the-art processing methods, and simulated environment testing and durability modeling will be briefly discussed.

K-8 Implementation Strategies for "A Curriculum Guide for Achieving Equity in Education and the Workplace."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vocational Curriculum Resource Center of Maine, Fairfield.

This curriculum addendum was developed to offer suggestions and strategies to change mindsets and remove barriers in order to pave the way for a gender-equitable, technically trained work force beginning at the elementary and middle school levels. The guide contains 73 strategies, a variety of examples of how they can be implemented, and a large…

Improving Equal Opportunity among Education Specialist in the Naval Education and Training Command.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-01

priorities. Subordinate commands identify 15 Technical Report 126 local sources, barriers, and strategies to address underrepresentation of women and...series, the percentage of women is greater than the national RLF percentaqe; however, underrepresentation in the 1710 series is particularly acute at... underrepresentation for women ; like women , minorities are particu- larly underrepresented at. 1S" . .lvels. Military Background. The oxtent -)f ,-;:i

Fiscal Year 1962-63 SNAP 10A Program Proposal (Revised August 15, 1961)

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

None

1961-08-15

The SNAPSHOT program is a joint AEC-USAF effort to flight test SNAP units. SNAPSHOT flights are intended to establish the capabilities of nuclear auxiliary power so that its future use in space systems can be programmed with confidence overcoming both technical and psychological barriers. A set of flight tests for the SNAP 10A system form a part of this effort.

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),...

Technical Guidance Manual: Contaminant Flux Reduction Barriers for Managing Difficult-to-Treat Source Zones in Unconsolidated Media

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-20

was to evaluate if inexpensive flow reduction agents delivered via permeation grouting technology could help manage difficult-to-treat chlorinated...30  Table 4.  Description of Case Study Site ................................................................................... 30  Table 5...Intentionally Left Blank ES-1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Project Objective The overall objective of this project was to evaluate if inexpensive flow reduction

Technical Insights for Saltstone PA Maintenance

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

Flach, G.; Sarkar, S.; Mahadevan, S.

2011-07-20

The Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) is a collaborative program sponsored by the US DOE Office of Waste Processing. The objective of the CBP is to develop a set of computational tools to improve understanding and prediction of the long-term structural, hydraulic, and chemical performance of cementitious barriers and waste forms used in nuclear applications. CBP tools are expected to better characterize and reduce the uncertainties of current methodologies for assessing cementitious barrier performance and increase the consistency and transparency of the assessment process, as the five-year program progresses. In September 2009, entering its second year of funded effort, the CBPmore » sought opportunities to provide near-term tangible support to DOE Performance Assessments (PAs). The Savannah River Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF) was selected for the initial PA support effort because (1) cementitious waste forms and barriers play a prominent role in the performance of the facility, (2) certain important long-term behaviors of cementitious materials composing the facility are uncertain, (3) review of the SDF PA by external stakeholders is ongoing, and (4) the DOE contractor responsible for the SDF PA is open to receiving technical assistance from the CBP. A review of the current (SRR Closure & Waste Disposal Authority 2009) and prior Saltstone PAs (e.g., Cook et al. 2005) suggested five potential opportunities for improving predictions. The candidate topics considered were (1) concrete degradation from external sulfate attack, (2) impact of atmospheric exposure to concrete and grout before closure, such as accelerated slag and Tc-99 oxidation, (3) mechanistic prediction of geochemical conditions, (4) concrete degradation from rebar corrosion due to carbonation, and (5) early age cracking from drying and/or thermal shrinkage. The candidate topics were down-selected considering the feasibility of addressing each issue within approximately six months, and compatibility with existing CBP expertise and already-planned activities. Based on these criteria, the five original topics were down-selected to two: external sulfate attack and mechanistic geochemical prediction. For each of the selected topics, the CBP communicated with the PA analysts and subject matter experts at Savannah River to acquire input data specific to the Saltstone facility and related laboratory experiments. Simulations and analyses were performed for both topics using STADIUM (SIMCO 2008), LeachXS/ORCHESTRA (ECN 2007, Meeussen 2003), and other software tools. These supplemental CBP analyses produced valuable technical insights that can be used to strengthen the Saltstone PA using the ongoing PA maintenance process. This report in part summarizes key information gleaned from more comprehensive documents prepared by Sarkar et al. (2010), Samson (2010), and Sarkar (2010).« less

Perceived Exercise Benefits and Barriers of Non-Exercising Female University Students in the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Lovell, Geoff P; Ansari, Walid El; Parker, John K

2010-01-01

Many individuals do not engage in sufficient physical activity due to low perceived benefits and high perceived barriers to exercise. Given the increasing incidence of obesity and obesity related health disorders, this topic requires further exploration. We used the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale to assess perceived benefit and barrier intensities to exercise in 200 non-exercising female university students (mean age 19.3 years, SD = 1.06) in the UK. Although our participants were selected because they self reported themselves to be non-exercising, however they reported significantly higher perceived benefits from exercise than perceived barriers to exercise [t(199) = 6.18, p < 0.001], and their perceived benefit/barrier ratio was 1.33. The greatest perceived benefit from exercise was physical performance followed by the benefits of psychological outlook, preventive health, life enhancement, and then social interaction. Physical performance was rated significantly higher than all other benefits. Psychological outlook and preventive health were not rated significantly different, although both were significantly higher than life enhancement and social interaction. Life enhancement was also rated significantly higher than social interaction. The greatest perceived barrier to exercise was physical exertion, which was rated significantly higher than time expenditure, exercise milieu, and family discouragement barriers. Implications from this investigation for the design of physical activity programmes include the importance, for females, of a perception of high benefit/barrier ratio that could be conducive to participation in exercise. Applied interventions need to assist female students to ‘disengage’ from or overcome any perceived ‘unpleasantness’ of physical exertion during physical activity (decrease their perceived barriers), and to further highlight the multiple health and other benefits of regular exercising (increase their perceived benefits). PMID:20617003

Perceived exercise benefits and barriers of non-exercising female university students in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Lovell, Geoff P; El Ansari, Walid; Parker, John K

2010-03-01

Many individuals do not engage in sufficient physical activity due to low perceived benefits and high perceived barriers to exercise. Given the increasing incidence of obesity and obesity related health disorders, this topic requires further exploration. We used the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale to assess perceived benefit and barrier intensities to exercise in 200 non-exercising female university students (mean age 19.3 years, SD = 1.06) in the UK. Although our participants were selected because they self reported themselves to be non-exercising, however they reported significantly higher perceived benefits from exercise than perceived barriers to exercise [t(199) = 6.18, p < 0.001], and their perceived benefit/barrier ratio was 1.33. The greatest perceived benefit from exercise was physical performance followed by the benefits of psychological outlook, preventive health, life enhancement, and then social interaction. Physical performance was rated significantly higher than all other benefits. Psychological outlook and preventive health were not rated significantly different, although both were significantly higher than life enhancement and social interaction. Life enhancement was also rated significantly higher than social interaction. The greatest perceived barrier to exercise was physical exertion, which was rated significantly higher than time expenditure, exercise milieu, and family discouragement barriers. Implications from this investigation for the design of physical activity programmes include the importance, for females, of a perception of high benefit/barrier ratio that could be conducive to participation in exercise. Applied interventions need to assist female students to 'disengage' from or overcome any perceived 'unpleasantness' of physical exertion during physical activity (decrease their perceived barriers), and to further highlight the multiple health and other benefits of regular exercising (increase their perceived benefits).

Barriers Against Implementing Blunt Abdominal Trauma Guidelines in a Hospital: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Zaboli, Rouhollah; Tofighi, Shahram; Aghighi, Ali; Shokouh, Seyyed Javad Hosaini; Naraghi, Nader; Goodarzi, Hassan

2016-01-01

Introduction Clinical practice guidelines are structured recommendations that help physicians and patients to make proper decisions when dealing with a specific clinical condition. Because blunt abdominal trauma causes a various range of mild, single-system, and multisystem injuries, early detection will help to reduce mortality and resulting disability. Emergency treatment should be initiated based on CPGs. This study aimed to determine the variables affecting implementing blunt abdominal trauma CPGs in an Iranian hospital. Methods This study was conducted as a qualitative and phenomenology study in the Family Hospital in Tehran (Iran) in 2015. The research population included eight experts and key people in the area of blunt abdominal trauma clinical practice guidelines. Sampling was based on purposive and nonrandom methods. A semistructured interview was done for the data collection. A framework method was applied for the data analysis by using Atlas.ti software. Results After framework analyzing and various reviewing and deleting and combining the codes from 251 codes obtained, 15 families and five super families were extracted, including technical knowledge barriers, economical barriers, barriers related to deployment and monitoring, political will barriers, and managing barriers. Conclusion Structural reform is needed for eliminating the defects available in the healthcare system. As with most of the codes, subconcepts and concepts are classified into the field of human resources; it seems that the education and knowledge will be more important than other resources such as capital and equipment. PMID:27757191

An innovative program to address learning barriers in small schools: Washington State School Nurse Corps.

PubMed

Fast, Gail Ann; Gray, Lorali; Miles-Koehler, Mona

2013-01-01

While all schools in Washington State have had to deal with shrinking financial resources, small, rural school districts, with fewer than 2,000 students, face unique circumstances that further challenge their ability to meet rising student health needs. This article will explore how small districts utilize the services of the Washington State School Nurse Corps (SNC), an innovative program that supports student health and safety while reducing barriers to learning. Through direct registered nursing services and regional nurse administrative consultation and technical assistance, the SNC strengthens rural school districts' capacity to provide a safe and healthy learning environment. In addition, we will examine current research that links health and learning to discover how the SNC model is successful in addressing health risks as barriers to learning. Lastly, as resources continue to dwindle, partnerships between schools, the SNC, and state and local health and education organizations will be critical in maintaining health services and learning support to small, rural schools.

Further industrial tests of ceramic thermal barrier coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liebert, C. H.; Levine, S. R.

1982-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center made technical assistance arrangements (contracts) with several commercial organizations under which Lewis designed plasma-sprayed thermal-barrier coatings (TBC) for their products. Lewis was then furnished with the test conditions and evaluations of coating usefulness. The coating systems were developed and sprayed at Lewis. All of the systems incorporated a two-layer, ceramic-bond coating concept. Coating thickness and chemical composition were varied to fit three applications: the leading edges of first-stage turbine vanes for an advanced gas turbine engine; the flame impingement surfaces of a combustor transition section; and diesel engine valves and head surfaces. The TBC incorporated yytria-stabilized zirconia, which lowered metal temperatures, protected metal parts, and increased metal part life. In some cases metal burning, melting, and warping were eliminated. Additional benefits were realized from these endeavors: hands-on experience with thermal-barrier coatings was provided to industry; the success of these endeavors encourages these and other organizations to accelerate the implementation of TBC technology.

Barriers to global health development: An international quantitative survey

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Global health’s goal of reducing low-and-middle-income country versus high-income country health disparities faces complex challenges. Although there have been discussions of barriers, there has not been a broad-based, quantitative survey of such barriers. Methods 432 global health professionals were invited via email to participate in an online survey, with 268 (62%) participating. The survey assessed participants’ (A) demographic and global health background, (B) perceptions regarding 66 barriers’ seriousness, (C) detailed ratings of barriers designated most serious, (D) potential solutions. Results Thirty-four (of 66) barriers were seen as moderately or more serious, highlighting the widespread, significant challenges global health development faces. Perceived barrier seriousness differed significantly across domains: Resource Limitations mean = 2.47 (0–4 Likert scale), Priority Selection mean = 2.20, Corruption, Lack of Competence mean = 1.87, Social and Cultural Barriers mean = 1.68. Some system-level predictors showed significant but relatively limited relations. For instance, for Global Health Domain, HIV and Mental Health had higher levels of perceived Social and Cultural Barriers than other GH Domains. Individual–level global health experience predictors had small but significant effects, with seriousness of (a) Corruption, Lack of Competence, and (b) Priority Selection barriers positively correlated with respondents’ level of LMIC-oriented (e.g., weeks/year spent in LMIC) but Academic Global Health Achievement (e.g., number of global health publications) negatively correlated with overall barrier seriousness. Conclusions That comparatively few system-level predictors (e.g., Organization Type) were significant suggests these barriers may be relatively fundamental at the system-level. Individual-level and system-level effects do have policy implications; e.g., Priority Selection barriers were among the most serious, yet effects on seriousness of how LMIC-oriented a professional was versus level of academic global health achievement ran in opposite directions, suggesting increased discussion of priorities between LMIC-based and other professionals may be useful. It is hoped the 22 suggested solutions will provide useful ideas for addressing global health barriers. PMID:28972971

Mediating Effects of Self-Efficacy, Benefits and Barriers on the Association between Peer and Parental Factors and Physical Activity among Adolescent Girls with a Lower Educational Level.

PubMed

Verloigne, Maite; Cardon, Greet; De Craemer, Marieke; D'Haese, Sara; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse

2016-01-01

The prevalence of physical activity among lower educated adolescent girls is low, suggesting it is important to have insights into the complex processes that may underlie their physical activity levels. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the mediating effects of self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers on the associations between peer and parental variables and physical activity among lower educated adolescent girls. In total, 226 girls (mean age 16.0±1.0 years; 53% technical education; 47% vocational education) from a convenience sample of 6 secondary schools in Flanders, Belgium, completed a questionnaire on their total physical activity level and related peer and parental variables (i.e. modeling of physical activity, co-participation in physical activities and encouragement to be active) and personal variables (i.e. self-efficacy to be active, and specific perceived benefits of physical activity and specific barriers to be active). Mediating effects were tested using MacKinnon's product-of-coefficients test based on multilevel linear regression analyses. Higher peer and parental modeling, co-participation and encouragement were significantly related to a higher physical activity level among adolescent girls (p<0.05). Self-efficacy, the perceived benefits of having fun, being around friends or meeting new people, and not being bored and the perceived barrier of not liking physical activity mediated several associations between peer and parental variables and girls' physical activity, with some of the mediated proportions exceeding 60%. This study contributed to a better understanding of the complexity of how parental and peer factors work together with personal factors to influence the physical activity levels of adolescent girls with a lower educational level. Interventions should involve both peers and parents, as they may influence girls' physical activity both directly and indirectly through the internalisation of several personal variables, such as self-efficacy to be active and the perceived benefit of having fun.

Life After the Ban: An Assessment of US Syringe Exchange Programs’ Attitudes About and Early Experiences With Federal Funding

PubMed Central

Martin, Erika G.; Bowman, Sarah E.; Mann, Marita R.; Beletsky, Leo

2012-01-01

Objectives. We aimed to determine whether syringe exchange programs (SEPs) currently receive or anticipate pursuing federal funding and barriers to funding applications following the recent removal of the long-standing ban on using federal funds for SEPs. Methods. We conducted a telephone-administered cross-sectional survey of US SEPs. Descriptive statistics summarized responses; bivariate analyses examined differences in pursuing funding and experiencing barriers by program characteristics. Results. Of the 187 SEPs (92.1%) that responded, 90.9% were legally authorized. Three received federal funds and 116 intended to pursue federal funding. Perceived federal funding barriers were common and included availability and accessibility of funds, legal requirements such as written police support, resource capacity to apply and comply with funding regulations, local political and structural organization, and concern around altering program culture. Programs without legal authorization, health department affiliation, large distribution, or comprehensive planning reported more federal funding barriers. Conclusions. Policy implementation gaps appear to render federal support primarily symbolic. In practice, funding opportunities may not be available to all SEPs. Increased technical assistance and legal reform could improve access to federal funds, especially for SEPs with smaller capacity and tenuous local support. PMID:22420810

Life after the ban: an assessment of US syringe exchange programs' attitudes about and early experiences with federal funding.

PubMed

Green, Traci C; Martin, Erika G; Bowman, Sarah E; Mann, Marita R; Beletsky, Leo

2012-05-01

We aimed to determine whether syringe exchange programs (SEPs) currently receive or anticipate pursuing federal funding and barriers to funding applications following the recent removal of the long-standing ban on using federal funds for SEPs. We conducted a telephone-administered cross-sectional survey of US SEPs. Descriptive statistics summarized responses; bivariate analyses examined differences in pursuing funding and experiencing barriers by program characteristics. Of the 187 SEPs (92.1%) that responded, 90.9% were legally authorized. Three received federal funds and 116 intended to pursue federal funding. Perceived federal funding barriers were common and included availability and accessibility of funds, legal requirements such as written police support, resource capacity to apply and comply with funding regulations, local political and structural organization, and concern around altering program culture. Programs without legal authorization, health department affiliation, large distribution, or comprehensive planning reported more federal funding barriers. Policy implementation gaps appear to render federal support primarily symbolic. In practice, funding opportunities may not be available to all SEPs. Increased technical assistance and legal reform could improve access to federal funds, especially for SEPs with smaller capacity and tenuous local support.

Barriers to Addressing Adolescent Substance Use: Perceptions of New York School-Based Health Center Providers.

PubMed

Harris, Brett; Shaw, Benjamin; Lawson, Hal; Sherman, Barry

2016-02-01

Adolescent substance use is associated with chronic health conditions, accidents, injury, and school-related problems, including dropping out. Schools have the potential to provide students with substance use prevention and intervention services, albeit with confidentiality challenges. School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide confidentiality, positioning them as ideal settings to provide substance use prevention and intervention. This study identified program directors' and clinicians' barriers to addressing adolescent substance use in SBHCs. Between May and June 2013, an electronic survey was distributed to all 162 New York State SBHC program directors and clinicians serving middle and high school students. The most prevalent perceived barriers to discussing substance use with students were time constraints (43%), the belief that students are not honest about their use (43%), and clinicians' lack of training (28%). Both directors and clinicians identified challenges in getting students to return for additional sessions to address their use, and they also indicated that confidentiality was a treatment referral barrier. This study identified timely opportunities that may be leveraged and unique challenges that may be overcome with targeted dissemination, training, and technical assistance efforts to enable directors and clinicians to routinely address substance use in SBHCs. © 2016, American School Health Association.

PP167. A process evaluation of an innovative implementation strategy of the Dutch guidelines on hypertensive disorders in pregnancy using a computerized decision support system.

PubMed

Luitjes, S; Mesri, K; Wouters, M; van Tulder, M; Hermens, R

2012-07-01

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy remain the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands. The Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NVOG) has developed evidence-based guidelines on the management of hypertension in pregnancy. Previous studies showed a low adherence rate to other NVOG guidelines and a large variation in usual care in different hospitals. In the BIG CHANGE trial an innovative implementation strategy of the NVOG guidelines on hypertension using a web-based application (BOS, by Giant Soft, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands) was compared to a common strategy of professional audit and feedback. In this study a process evaluation of BOS has been done, analyzing its efficiency, barriers and formulate improvement points. Gynecologists, residents and clinical midwives from seven hospitals using BOS were asked to fill in the questionnaire. A questionnaire was developed on the following items: efficiency, barriers and improvement. Thirty four completed questionnaires useful for analysis. 63.6% of the respondent also consulted the NVOG guideline or local protocol, mainly for confirmation of information, background information, medication. Technical problems were found in 44.1%. Positive opinions on user friendliness varied from 73.5% to 100%. No significant difference was found between the user frequency of BOS compared to the NVOG guidelines or local protocol, or between the time needed to consult them. Improvements mentioned by the respondents were mainly regarding the lay-out. Most respondents (85.3%) found it useful to make a computer based support system for other guidelines and 79.4% would also use this. BOS is regarded suitable as an instrument for implementing guidelines and respondents find it useful to develop it for other guidelines as well. Technical problems and poor implementation are important areas of improvement. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Cementitious Barriers Partnership Experimental Programs and Software Advancing DOE’s Waste Disposal/Tank Closure Efforts – 15436

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

Burns, Heather; Flach, Greg; Smith, Frank

2015-01-27

The U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management (DOE-EM) Office of Tank Waste Management-sponsored Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) is chartered with providing the technical basis for implementing cement-based waste forms and radioactive waste containment structures for long-term disposal. DOE needs in this area include the following to support progress in final treatment and disposal of legacy waste and closure of High-Level Waste (HLW) tanks in the DOE complex: long-term performance predictions, flow sheet development and flow sheet enhancements, and conceptual designs for new disposal facilities. The DOE-EM Cementitious Barriers Partnership is producing software and experimental programs resulting in new methods andmore » data needed for end-users involved with environmental cleanup and waste disposal. Both the modeling tools and the experimental data have already benefited the DOE sites in the areas of performance assessments by increasing confidence backed up with modeling support, leaching methods, and transport properties developed for actual DOE materials. In 2014, the CBP Partnership released the CBP Software Toolbox –“Version 2.0” which provides concrete degradation models for 1) sulfate attack, 2) carbonation, and 3) chloride initiated rebar corrosion, and includes constituent leaching. These models are applicable and can be used by both DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for service life and long-term performance evaluations and predictions of nuclear and radioactive waste containment structures across the DOE complex, including future SRS Saltstone and HLW tank performance assessments and special analyses, Hanford site HLW tank closure projects and other projects in which cementitious barriers are required, the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM) project which requires source terms from cementitious containment structures as input to their flow simulations, regulatory reviews of DOE performance assessments, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews of commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) structures which are part of the overall US Energy Security program to extend the service life of NPPs. In addition, the CBP experimental programs have had a significant impact on the DOE complex by providing specific data unique to DOE sodium salt wastes at Hanford and SRS which are not readily available in the literature. Two recent experimental programs on cementitious phase characterization and on technetium (Tc) mobility have provided significant conclusions as follows: recent mineralogy characterization discussed in this paper illustrates that sodium salt waste form matrices are somewhat similar to but not the same as those found in blended cement matrices which to date have been used in long-term thermodynamic modeling and contaminant sequestration as a first approximation. Utilizing the CBP generated data in long-term performance predictions provides for a more defensible technical basis in performance evaluations. In addition, recent experimental studies related to technetium mobility indicate that conventional leaching protocols may not be conservative for direct disposal of Tc-containing waste forms in vadose zone environments. These results have the potential to influence the current Hanford supplemental waste treatment flow sheet and disposal conceptual design.« less

Congruent biogeographical disjunctions at a continent-wide scale: Quantifying and clarifying the role of biogeographic barriers in the Australian tropics

PubMed Central

Crisp, Michael D.; Cook, Dianne H.; Cook, Lyn G.

2017-01-01

Aim To test whether novel and previously hypothesized biogeogaphic barriers in the Australian Tropics represent significant disjunction points or hard barriers, or both, to the distribution of plants. Location Australian tropics: Australian Monsoon Tropics and Australian Wet Tropics. Methods The presence or absence of 6,861 plant species was scored across 13 putative biogeographic barriers in the Australian Tropics, including two that have not previously been recognised. Randomizations of these data were used to test whether more species showed disjunctions (gaps in distribution) or likely barriers (range limits) at these points than expected by chance. Results Two novel disjunctions in the Australian Tropics flora are identified in addition to eleven putative barriers previously recognized for animals. Of these, eleven disjunction points (all within the Australian Monsoon Tropics) were found to correspond to range-ending barriers to a significant number of species, while neither of the two disjunctions found within the Australian Wet Tropics limited a significant number of species’ ranges. Main conclusions Biogeographic barriers present significant distributional limits to native plant species in the Australian Monsoon Tropics but not in the Australian Wet Tropics. PMID:28376094

Space Electrochemical Research and Technology (SERT), 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baldwin, Richard S. (Editor)

1989-01-01

The proceedings of NASA's second Space Electrochemical Research and Technology Conference are presented. The objectives of the conference were to examine current technologies, research efforts, and advanced ideas, and to identify technical barriers which affect the advancement of electrochemical energy storage systems for space applications. The conference provided a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions of those actively involved in the field, with the intention of coalescing views and findings into conclusions on progress in the field, prospects for future advances, areas overlooked, and the directions of future efforts. Related overviews were presented in the areas of NASA advanced mission models. Papers were presented and workshops conducted in four technical areas: advanced concepts, hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells and electrolyzers, the nickel electrode, and advanced rechargable batteries.

Evaluation of effect of different disposable infection control barriers on light intensity of light-curing unit and microhardness of composite - An in vitro study.

PubMed

Khode, Rajiv Tarachand; Shenoi, Pratima Ramakrishna; Kubde, Rajesh R; Makade, Chetana S; Wadekar, Kanchan D; Khode, Priyanka Tarachand

2017-01-01

This study evaluated effect of infection control barriers on light intensity (LI) of light-curing unit (LCU) and microhardness of composite. Four different disposable barriers ( n = 30) were tested against the control. LI for each barrier was measured with Lux meter. One hundred and fifty Teflon molds were equally divided into five groups of thirty each. Composite was filled in bulk in these molds and cured without and with barrier. Microhardness was evaluated on top and bottom surface of composite specimen with microhardness testing machine and hardness ratio (HR) was derived. One-way analysis of variance, Tukey's honestly significant difference test, and paired t -test using SPSS version 18 software. All barriers had significantly reduced the baseline LI of LCU ( P < 0.0001), but only Cure Elastic Steri-Shield and latex cut glove pieces (LCGP) significantly reduced the microhardness of the composite ( P < 0.05). However, HR determined inadequate curing only with LCGP. Although entire tested barrier significantly reduced the LI; none, except LCGP markedly affected the degree of cure of the composite.

Evaluation of the Condom Barriers Scale for Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Reliability and Validity of 3 Subscales.

PubMed

Crosby, Richard A; Sanders, Stephanie A; Graham, Cynthia A; Milhausen, Robin; Yarber, William L; Mena, Leandro

2017-02-01

Reliable and valid scale measures of barriers to condom use are not available for young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Condom Barriers Scales for application with YBMSM. A clinic-based sample of 600 YBMSM completed a computer-assisted self-interview. The primary measure was a 14-item abbreviated version of the Condom Barriers Scale. Reliability and criterion validity were assessed. All 3 subscales were reliable: partner-related barriers (Cronbach α=0.73), sensation-related barriers (α=0.70), and motivation-related barriers (α =0.81). A complete absence of barriers was common: 47.0% (partner-related), 30.7% (sensation-related), and 46.5% (motivation-related). Dichotomized subscales were significantly associated with reporting any condomless insertive anal sex (all Ps < 0.001) and any condomless receptive anal sex (all Ps < 0.001). The subscales were significantly associated with these measures of condomless sex preserved at a continuous level (all Ps <0.001, except for sensation barriers associated with condomless receptive anal sex = 0.03). Further, the subscales were significantly associated with reporting any condom use problems (all Ps <0.001) and a measure of condomless oral sex (all Ps <0.001, except for partner-related barriers=0.31). Finally, the sensation-related barriers subscale was significantly associated with testing positive for Chlamydia and/or gonorrhea (P=0.049). The 3 identified subscales yielded adequate reliability and strong evidence of validity, thereby suggesting the utility of these brief measures for use in observational and experimental research with YBMSM.

Evaluation of the Condom Barriers Scale for Young Black MSM: Reliability and Validity of Three Sub-Scales

PubMed Central

Crosby, Richard; Sanders, Stephanie A.; Graham, Cynthia A.; Milhausen, Robin; Yarber, William L.; Mena, Leandro

2016-01-01

Background Reliable and valid scale measures of barriers to condom use are not available for young Black MSM (YBMSM). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Condom Barriers Scales for application with YBMSM. Methods A clinic-based sample of 600 YBMSM completed a computer-assisted self-interview. The primary measure was a 14-item abbreviated version of the Condom Barriers Scale. Reliability and criterion validity were assessed. Results All three sub-scales were reliable: partner-related barriers (Cronbach’s alpha=.73), sensation-related barriers (alpha=.70), and motivation-related barriers (alpha=.81). A complete absence of barriers was common: 47.0% (partner-related), 30.7% (sensation-related), and 46.5% (motivation-related). Dichotomized sub-scales were significantly associated with reporting any condomless insertive anal sex (all=P < .001) and any condomless receptive anal sex (all=P < .001). The sub-scales were significantly associated with these measures of condomless sex preserved at a continuous level (all=P <.001, except for sensation barriers associated with condomless receptive anal sex =.03). Further, the sub-scales were significantly associated with reporting any condom use problems (all =P <.001) and a measure of condomless oral sex (all =P <.001, except for partner-related barriers =.31). Finally, the sensation-related barriers sub-scale was significantly associated with testing positive for Chlamydia and/or gonorrhea (P=.049). Conclusions The three identified sub-scales yielded adequate reliability and strong evidence of validity, thereby suggesting the utility of these brief measures for use in observational and experimental research with YBMSM. PMID:28081044

Factors of Renewable Energy Deployment and Empirical Studies of United States Wind Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Can Sener, Serife Elif

Considered essential for countries' development, energy demand is growing worldwide. Unlike conventional sources, the use of renewable energy sources has multiple benefits, including increased energy security, sustainable economic growth, and pollution reduction, in particular greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, there is a considerable difference in the share of renewable energy sources in national energy portfolios. This dissertation contains a series of studies to provide an outlook on the existing renewable energy deployment literature and empirically identify the factors of wind energy generation capacity and wind energy policy diffusion in the U.S. The dissertation begins with a systematic literature review to identify drivers and barriers which could help in understanding the diverging paths of renewable energy deployment for countries. In the analysis, economic, environmental, and social factors are found to be drivers, whereas political, regulatory, technical potential and technological factors are not classified as either a driver or a barrier (i.e., undetermined). Each main category contains several subcategories, among which only national income is found to have a positive impact, whereas all other subcategories are considered undetermined. No significant barriers to the deployment of renewable energy sources are found over the analyzed period. Wind energy deployment within the states related to environmental and economic factors was seldom discussed in the literature. The second study of the dissertation is thus focused on the wind energy deployment in the United States. Wind energy is among the most promising clean energy sources and the United States has led the world in per capita newly installed generation capacity since 2000. In the second study, using a fixed-effects panel data regression analysis, the significance of a number of economic and environmental factors are investigated for 39 states from 2000 to 2015. The results suggested that the increase in economic factors is related to a significant increase in the installed wind energy capacity, whereas, the increase in environmental factors is related to a significant decrease in the installed wind capacity. The final study explores the factors of diffusion of state- and local-level wind energy support policies which are considered fundamental factors of the continuum and development of wind power in the United States. To reveal the internal determinants of state's wind energy policy diffusion, we further narrow the scope and control for the geographical region in the final study. We limit our analysis to seven neighboring Midwestern states, which are located in the center of United States wind energy corridor. Using data from 2008 to 2015, the study investigates the significance of the following internal factors: wind power potential, per capita gross state product, unemployment rate, per capita value of the agriculture sector, number of establishments in agricultural sector, and state government control. Through the addition of interaction terms, the study also considers the behavioral differences in the explanatory variables under Republican and non-Republican state governance. Our findings suggest that the economic development potential and related environmental benefits were the common motivation for state- and local-level policy makers. Lastly, technical terms and agricultural sector presence provides additional motives for the state level diffusion of wind energy policies. The findings of this dissertation are expected to contribute to the understanding of how countries and states might best stimulate and support renewable energy, and in particular wind energy, deployment.

Fiber to the home: next generation network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chengxin; Guo, Baoping

2006-07-01

Next generation networks capable of carrying converged telephone, television (TV), very high-speed internet, and very high-speed bi-directional data services (like video-on-demand (VOD), Game etc.) strategy for Fiber To The Home (FTTH) is presented. The potential market is analyzed. The barriers and some proper strategy are also discussed. Several technical problems like various powering methods, optical fiber cables, and different network architecture are discussed too.

Blood-Brain Barrier Transport of Uranium

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-01

1.0) as well as an in vivo approach to delineate the pharmacokinetics of uranium transport across the BBB in rats embedded with DU fragments (Technical...observed for signs of morbidity. Surgical procedure: Animals were anesthetized with - xylazine and 80 mg/kg ketamine prior to- surger- gastrocnemius...2 ) in monkeys, dogs and rats (52, 53) . These researchers found that the lungs and tracheobronchial lymph nodes were the major sites of uranium

Fundamental Materials Studies for Advanced High Power Microwave and Terahertz Vacuum Electronic Radiation Sources

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-10

AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2014-0359 Fundamental Materials Studies for Advanced High Power Microwave and Terahertz John Booske UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM...12-2014 Final Technical Performance Report October 1, 2011 - September 30, 2014 Fundamental Materials Studies for Advanced High Power Microwave and...emission-barrier scandate cathodes and identify related, alternative cathode materials systems for advanced vacuum electronic cathodes for high power THz

Omics Integration in Biology and Medicine Workshop | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Cancer.gov

The focus of this meeting will be on the emerging field of integrating disparate omic data from genomics, proteomics, glycomics, etc. in order to better understand key biological processes and also improve clinical practice. Discussants will focus on identifying the technical and biological barriers in omic integration, with solutions to build a consensus towards data integration in bioscience and to better define phenotypes.

European Economic and Monetary Union: Why Should We Care?

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-15

economic, if not political unification, that calls for a single market, a central european bank and a single currency. Why, in one short decade, did the EC...directives to eliminate fiscal and technical barriers to trade, services, banking , insurance, transportation, and securities transactions. The Single...implications. A logical outgrowth of this is the establishment of a single european currency and a central bank to issue this currency. These are 12

Assistive Technology: A Funding Workbook. Part I, A Road Map to Funding Sources. Part II, An Outline of Federal Laws and Rules. 1991 Edition. RESNA Technical Assistance Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Michael W.; Golinker, Lewis A.

This compilation on assistive technology devices and services aims to improve understanding of funding streams and creative ways to eliminate funding barriers in Medicaid, special education, and vocational rehabilitation. The first part comprises a workbook titled "A Road Map to Funding Sources." It assists in creating a systematic…

Experimental evaluation of thermal energy storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asbury, J. G.; Hersh, H. N.

1980-01-01

The technical performance of commercially available thermal energy storage (TES) residential heating units under severe weather conditions is discussed. The benefits and costs of TES to the user and utility companies were assessed. The TES issues, research and development needs, and barriers to commercialization were identified. The field tests which determined the performance characteristics for the TES are described and the TES systems, which included both ceramic and hydronic systems, are compared.

Novel Nanocomposite Structures as Active and Passive Barrier Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

during the course of this ARO-funded project. The development of a novel polymer material based on a diol-functionalized room-temperature ionic liquid ...material based on a diol-functionalized room- temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) monomer led to fabrication of membranes, which were tested for their...stimulant vapor. Technical Report A polymerizable room-temperature ionic liquid (4, Figure 1) was chosen as the starting material for making poly(RTIL

Helicopter Non-Unique Trim Strategies for Blade-Vortex Interaction (BVI) Noise Reduction

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-22

levels of harmonic rotor noise are one of the key technical barriers preventing the widespread public acceptance of helicopters for commercial...transportation. Blade-Vortex Interaction (BVI) is one such mechanism of rotor noise. BVI noise is a problem for civilian helicopter terminal area...non-rotating frame) on the vehicle trim which in turn affects noise generation. For example, conventional single main rotor helicopters commonly

Opportunities and Barriers to Resource Recovery and Recycling from Shredder Residue in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Naren; Apelian, Diran

2014-11-01

Shredder residue is the by-product remaining after ferrous and nonferrous metals have been recovered from the processing of vehicles, white goods, and peddler scrap. Shredder residue consists of glass, plastics, rubber, dirt, and small amounts of metal. It is estimated that 5-7 million tons of this shredder residue are landfilled each year in the United States. Technical advancements, coupled with European Union directives and the economic climate, have transformed the recycling of shredder residue in Europe. In the United States, however, regulatory controls and the cheap cost of landfill have worked against the advancement of recycling and recovery of this resource. The Argonne National Laboratory, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, has investigated the effectiveness of recycling shredder residue into polymers. Other research has examined the use of shredder residue in waste-to-energy applications. To improve our ability to process and recycle shredder residue, an investigation of the regulatory, economic, and technological challenges was undertaken. The objective was to conduct a comprehensive review of work done to date, to document the composition of typical shredder output and to identify potential recoverable items (residual metals, plastics, rubber, foam, etc.). Along with uncovering potential new markets, the research would identify the technical, regulatory, and economic barriers to developing those markets.

Large-scale tissue clearing (PACT): Technical evaluation and new perspectives in immunofluorescence, histology, and ultrastructure.

PubMed

Neckel, Peter H; Mattheus, Ulrich; Hirt, Bernhard; Just, Lothar; Mack, Andreas F

2016-09-29

Novel techniques, like CLARITY and PACT, render large tissue specimens transparent and thereby suitable for microscopic analysis. We used these techniques to evaluate their potential in the intestine as an exemplary organ with a complex tissue composition. Immunohistochemistry, light sheet-, and confocal scanning-microscopy enabled us to follow complex three-dimensional structures, like nerve fibers, vessels, and epithelial barriers throughout the entire organ. Moreover, in a systematic electron microscopic study, we analyzed the morphology and preservation of tissue on ultrastructural level during the clearing process. We also connect tissue clearing with classical histology and demonstrate that cleared tissues can be stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin and Heidenhain's Azan stain, suggesting potential use in histopathology. These experiments showed that a neutral pH during the clearing process results in much better preservation of tissue ultrastructure and standard stainability. Volume changes of specimens were monitored and quantified during the course of the protocol. Additionally, we employed the technique to visualize the enteric nervous system and the epithelial barrier in post mortem human gut preparations. Our data show the high potential of tissue clearing throughout different tissue types supporting its usefulness in research and diagnosis, and contribute to the technical discussion of ultrastructural tissue-retention.

Large-scale tissue clearing (PACT): Technical evaluation and new perspectives in immunofluorescence, histology, and ultrastructure

PubMed Central

Neckel, Peter H.; Mattheus, Ulrich; Hirt, Bernhard; Just, Lothar; Mack, Andreas F.

2016-01-01

Novel techniques, like CLARITY and PACT, render large tissue specimens transparent and thereby suitable for microscopic analysis. We used these techniques to evaluate their potential in the intestine as an exemplary organ with a complex tissue composition. Immunohistochemistry, light sheet-, and confocal scanning-microscopy enabled us to follow complex three-dimensional structures, like nerve fibers, vessels, and epithelial barriers throughout the entire organ. Moreover, in a systematic electron microscopic study, we analyzed the morphology and preservation of tissue on ultrastructural level during the clearing process. We also connect tissue clearing with classical histology and demonstrate that cleared tissues can be stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin and Heidenhain’s Azan stain, suggesting potential use in histopathology. These experiments showed that a neutral pH during the clearing process results in much better preservation of tissue ultrastructure and standard stainability. Volume changes of specimens were monitored and quantified during the course of the protocol. Additionally, we employed the technique to visualize the enteric nervous system and the epithelial barrier in post mortem human gut preparations. Our data show the high potential of tissue clearing throughout different tissue types supporting its usefulness in research and diagnosis, and contribute to the technical discussion of ultrastructural tissue-retention. PMID:27680942

State “Technical Assistance Programs” for nursing home quality improvement: variations and potential implications

PubMed Central

Li, Yue; Spector, Williams D.; Glance, Laurent G.; Mukamel, Dana B.

2013-01-01

Context To improve nursing home quality, many states developed “Technical Assistance Programs” that provide on-site consultation and training for nursing facility staff. Methods We conducted a national survey on these state programs to collect data on program design, operations, financing, and perceived effectiveness. Results As of 2010, 17 states have developed such programs. Compared to existing state nursing home quality regulations, these programs represent a collaborative, rather than enforcement-oriented, approach to quality. However, existing programs vary substantially in key structural features such as staffing patterns, funding levels, and relationship with state survey and certification agencies. Perceived effectiveness by program officials on quality was high, although few states have performed formal evaluations. Perceived barriers to program effectiveness included lack of appropriate staff and funding, among others. Conclusion State “Technical Assistance Programs” for nursing homes varies in program design and perceived effectiveness. Future comparative evaluations are needed to inform evidence-based quality initiatives. PMID:23216345

Evaluating change in virtual reality adoption for brain injury rehabilitation following knowledge translation.

PubMed

Glegg, Stephanie M N; Holsti, Liisa; Stanton, Sue; Hanna, Steven; Velikonja, Diana; Ansley, Barbara; Sartor, Denise; Brum, Christine

2017-04-01

To evaluate the impact of knowledge translation (KT) on factors influencing virtual reality (VR) adoption and to identify support needs of therapists. Intervention will be associated with improvements in therapists' perceived ease of use and self-efficacy, and an associated increase in intentions to use VR. Single group mixed-methods pre-test-post-test evaluation of convenience sample of physical, occupational and rehabilitation therapists (n=37) from two brain injury rehabilitation centres. ADOPT-VR administered pre/post KT intervention, consisting of interactive education, clinical manual, technical and clinical support. Increases in perceived ease of use (p=0.000) and self-efficacy (p=0.001), but not behavioural intention to use VR (p=0.158) were found following KT, along with decreases in the frequency of perceived barriers. Post-test changes in the frequency and nature of perceived facilitators and barriers were evident, with increased emphasis on peer influence, organisational-level supports and client factors. Additional support needs were related to clinical reasoning, treatment programme development, technology selection and troubleshooting. KT strategies hold potential for targeting therapists' perceptions of low self-efficacy and ease of use of this technology. Changes in perceived barriers, facilitators and support needs at post-test demonstrated support for repeated evaluation and multi-phased training initiatives to address therapists' needs over time. Implications for Rehabilitation Therapists' learning and support needs in integrating virtual reality extend beyond technical proficiency to include clinical decision-making and application competencies spanning the entire rehabilitation process. Phased, multi-faceted strategies may be valuable in addressing therapists' changing needs as they progress from novice to experienced virtual reality users. The ADOPT-VR is a sensitive measure to re-evaluate the personal, social, environmental, technology-specific and system-level factors influencing virtual reality adoption over time.

Tethys: A Platform for Water Resources Modeling and Decision Support Apps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, J.; Swain, N. R.

2015-12-01

The interactive nature of web applications or "web apps" makes it an excellent medium for conveying complex scientific concepts to lay audiences and creating decision support tools that harness cutting edge modeling techniques. However, the technical expertise required to develop web apps represents a barrier for would-be developers. This barrier can be characterized by the following hurdles that developers must overcome: (1) identify, select, and install software that meet the spatial and computational capabilities commonly required for water resources modeling; (2) orchestrate the use of multiple free and open source (FOSS) projects and navigate their differing application programming interfaces; (3) learn the multi-language programming skills required for modern web development; and (4) develop a web-secure and fully featured web portal to host the app. Tethys Platform has been developed to lower the technical barrier and minimize the initial development investment that prohibits many scientists and engineers from making use of the web app medium. It includes (1) a suite of FOSS that address the unique data and computational needs common to water resources web app development, (2) a Python software development kit that streamlines development, and (3) a customizable web portal that is used to deploy the completed web apps. Tethys synthesizes several software projects including PostGIS, 52°North WPS, GeoServer, Google Maps™, OpenLayers, and Highcharts. It has been used to develop a broad array of web apps for water resources modeling and decision support for several projects including CI-WATER, HydroShare, and the National Flood Interoperability Experiment. The presentation will include live demos of some of the apps that have been developed using Tethys to demonstrate its capabilities.

Neural Network Control of a Magnetically Suspended Rotor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Benjamin B.

1998-01-01

Magnetic bearings offer significant advantages because they do not come into contact with other parts during operation, which can reduce maintenance. Higher speeds, no friction, no lubrication, weight reduction, precise position control, and active damping make them far superior to conventional contact bearings. However, there are technical barriers that limit the application of this technology in industry. One of them is the need for a nonlinear controller that can overcome the system nonlinearity and uncertainty inherent in magnetic bearings. At the NASA Lewis Research Center, a neural network was selected as a nonlinear controller because it generates a neural model without any detailed information regarding the internal working of the magnetic bearing system. It can be used even for systems that are too complex for an accurate system model to be derived. A feed-forward architecture with a back-propagation learning algorithm was selected because of its proven performance, accuracy, and relatively easy implementation.

Captive breeding of pangolins: current status, problems and future prospects.

PubMed

Hua, Liushuai; Gong, Shiping; Wang, Fumin; Li, Weiye; Ge, Yan; Li, Xiaonan; Hou, Fanghui

2015-01-01

Pangolins are unique placental mammals with eight species existing in the world, which have adapted to a highly specialized diet of ants and termites, and are of significance in the control of forest termite disaster. Besides their ecological value, pangolins are extremely important economic animals with the value as medicine and food. At present, illegal hunting and habitat destruction have drastically decreased the wild population of pangolins, pushing them to the edge of extinction. Captive breeding is an important way to protect these species, but because of pangolin's specialized behaviors and high dependence on natural ecosystem, there still exist many technical barriers to successful captive breeding programs. In this paper, based on the literatures and our practical experience, we reviewed the status and existing problems in captive breeding of pangolins, including four aspects, the naturalistic habitat, dietary husbandry, reproduction and disease control. Some recommendations are presented for effective captive breeding and protection of pangolins.

Na⁺ and K⁺ ion selectivity by size-controlled biomimetic graphene nanopores.

PubMed

Kang, Yu; Zhang, Zhisen; Shi, Hui; Zhang, Junqiao; Liang, Lijun; Wang, Qi; Ågren, Hans; Tu, Yaoquan

2014-09-21

Because biological ionic channels play a key role in cellular transport phenomena, they have attracted extensive research interest for the design of biomimetic nanopores with high permeability and selectivity in a variety of technical applications. Inspired by the structure of K(+) channel proteins, we designed a series of oxygen doped graphene nanopores of different sizes by molecular dynamics simulations to discriminate between K(+) and Na(+) channel transport. The results from free energy calculations indicate that the ion selectivity of such biomimetic graphene nanopores can be simply controlled by the size of the nanopore; compared to K(+), the smaller radius of Na(+) leads to a significantly higher free energy barrier in the nanopore of a certain size. Our results suggest that graphene nanopores with a distance of about 3.9 Å between two neighboring oxygen atoms could constitute a promising candidate to obtain excellent ion selectivity for Na(+) and K(+) ions.

Retrofit photovoltaic systems for intermediate sized applications - A design and market study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noel, G. T.; Hagely, J. R.

An assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of retrofitting a significant portion of the existing intermediate sector building/application inventory with photovoltaic systems is presented. The assessment includes the development of detailed engineering and architectural designs as well as cost estimates for 12 representative installations. Promising applications include retail stores, warehouses, office buildings, religious buildings, shopping centers, education buildings, hospitals, and industrial sites. A market study indicates that there is a national invetory of 1.5 to 2.0 million feasible intermediate sector applications, with the majority being in the 20 to 400 kW size range. The present cost of the major systems components and the cost of necessary building modifications are the primary current barriers to the realization of a large retrofit photovoltaic system market. The development of standardized modular system designs and installation techniques are feasible ways to minimize costs.

Commercial use of space - The space business era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, G. D.

1985-01-01

Progress and avenues being explored by NASA to hasten the commercialization of space are described. A task force has recommended that the effort begin at once, that bureaucratic barriers to commercial space activities be removed, and that a partnership between government and industry be seriously explored. The government role is to establish links with private industry, invest in high-leverage technologies and space facilities which will be attractive to commercial ventures, and contribute to commercial enterprises where risks are high and significant economic benefits can be foreseen. The government/industry relationship can be legally evinced by MOUs, joint endeavor agreements, technical exchange agreements and industrial guest investigator arrangements. The Space Station is the first step in that it allows Americans to live and work in space. It is expected that international participation in Space Station development and utilization will accelerate the space business era.

Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy

PubMed Central

Port, Jeffrey; Harrison, Sebron

2013-01-01

Despite advances in technology and treatment options, lung cancer remains a deadly disease. National screening programs are being instituted in an attempt to discover lung cancer in high-risk individuals at an earlier stage. Such screening programs invariably discover small peripheral nodules that previously would not have been clinically apparent; the management of such lesions can be challenging. Current diagnostic options such as percutaneous biopsy are effective; however, they are hindered by their risk of morbidity such as pneumothorax. Electromagnetic bronchoscopy (ENB) is an emerging technology that allows the practitioner the ability to both sample and treat small peripheral pulmonary lesions. In experienced centers, ENB provides high rates of diagnostic yield for small lesions and a complication rate significantly lower than that of more conventional diagnostic modalities. Although there are current barriers to its widespread utilization (cost, specialized imaging, technical training), these obstacles will handled similarly to any other emerging technology and will likely not be long-term impediments to its use. PMID:24436528

Knowledge barriers to PACS adoption and implementation in hospitals.

PubMed

Paré, Guy; Trudel, Marie-Claude

2007-01-01

Drawing on the classical theory of diffusion of innovations advanced by Rogers [E.M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations, 4th ed., Free Press, New York, NY, 1995] and on the theory of barriers to innovation [P. Attewell, Technology diffusion and organizational learning: the case of business computing. Organ. Sci. 3 (1992) 1-19; H. Tanriverdi, C.S. Iacono, Knowledge barriers to diffusion of telemedicine. Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Information Systems, Charlotte, NC, 1999, pp. 39-50; S. Nambisan, Y.-M. Wang, Roadblocks to web technology adoption? Commun. ACM, 42 (1) (1999) 98-101], this study seeks a better understanding of challenges faced in PACS implementations in hospitals and of the strategies required to ensure their success. To attain this objective, we describe and analyze the process used to adopt and implement PACS at two Canadian hospitals. Our findings clearly demonstrate the importance of treating any PACS deployment not simply as a rollout of new technology but as a project that will transform the organization. Proponents of these projects must not lose sight of the fact that, even if technological complexity represents a significant issue, it must not garner all the project team's attention. This situation is even more dangerous, inasmuch as the greatest risk to the implementation often lies elsewhere. It would also appear to be crucial to anticipate and address organizational and behavioral challenges from the very first phase of the innovation process, in order to ensure that all participants will be committed to the project. In order to maximize the likelihood of PACS success, it appears crucial to adopt a proactive implementation strategy, one that takes into consideration all the technical, economic, organizational, and human factors, and does so from the first phase of the innovation process.

Hydraulic conductivity changes in river valley sediments caused by river bank filtration - an analysis of specific well capacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaczmarek, Piotr M. J.

2017-06-01

Parameters from archive data of the Kalisz-Lis waterworks, located in the Prosna River valley south of Kalisz, have been analysed. Well barrier discharges groundwater from Quaternary sediments which is mixed with riverbank filtration water. The analysis focused on specific well capacity, a parameter that represents the technical and natural aspects of well life. To exclude any aging factor, an examination of specific well capacity acquired only in the first pumping tests of a new well was performed. The results show that wells drilled between 1961 and 2004 have similar values of specific well capacity and prove that > 40 years discharge has had little influence on hydrodynamic conditions of the aquifer, i.e., clogging has either not occurred or is of low intensity. This implies that, in the total water balance of the Kalisz- Lis well barrier, riverbank filtration water made little contribution. In comparison, a similar analysis of archive data on the Mosina-Krajkowo wells of two generations of well barriers located in the Warta flood plains was performed; this has revealed a different trend. There was a significant drop in specific well capacity from the first pumping test of substitute wells. Thus, long-term groundwater discharge in the Warta valley has had a great impact on the reduction of the hydraulic conductivity of sediments and has worsened hydrodynamic conditions due to clogging of river bed and aquifer, which implies a large contribution of riverbank filtration water in the total water well balance. For both well fields conclusions were corroborated by mathematical modeling; in Kalisz-Lis 16.2% of water comes from riverbank filtration, whereas the percentage for Mosina-Krajkowo is 78.9%.

A systematic literature review on security and privacy of electronic health record systems: technical perspectives.

PubMed

Rezaeibagha, Fatemeh; Win, Khin Than; Susilo, Willy

Even though many safeguards and policies for electronic health record (EHR) security have been implemented, barriers to the privacy and security protection of EHR systems persist. This article presents the results of a systematic literature review regarding frequently adopted security and privacy technical features of EHR systems. Our inclusion criteria were full articles that dealt with the security and privacy of technical implementations of EHR systems published in English in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings between 1998 and 2013; 55 selected studies were reviewed in detail. We analysed the review results using two International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards (29100 and 27002) in order to consolidate the study findings. Using this process, we identified 13 features that are essential to security and privacy in EHRs. These included system and application access control, compliance with security requirements, interoperability, integration and sharing, consent and choice mechanism, policies and regulation, applicability and scalability and cryptography techniques. This review highlights the importance of technical features, including mandated access control policies and consent mechanisms, to provide patients' consent, scalability through proper architecture and frameworks, and interoperability of health information systems, to EHR security and privacy requirements.

Geospatial analysis of near-term potential for carbon-negative bioenergy in the United States

PubMed Central

Baik, Ejeong; Turner, Peter A.; Mach, Katharine J.; Field, Christopher B.; Benson, Sally M.

2018-01-01

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is a negative-emissions technology that may play a crucial role in climate change mitigation. BECCS relies on the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) following bioenergy production to remove and reliably sequester atmospheric CO2. Previous BECCS deployment assessments have largely overlooked the potential lack of spatial colocation of suitable storage basins and biomass availability, in the absence of long-distance biomass and CO2 transport. These conditions could constrain the near-term technical deployment potential of BECCS due to social and economic barriers that exist for biomass and CO2 transport. This study leverages biomass production data and site-specific injection and storage capacity estimates at high spatial resolution to assess the near-term deployment opportunities for BECCS in the United States. If the total biomass resource available in the United States was mobilized for BECCS, an estimated 370 Mt CO2⋅y−1 of negative emissions could be supplied in 2020. However, the absence of long-distance biomass and CO2 transport, as well as limitations imposed by unsuitable regional storage and injection capacities, collectively decrease the technical potential of negative emissions to 100 Mt CO2⋅y−1. Meeting this technical potential may require large-scale deployment of BECCS technology in more than 1,000 counties, as well as widespread deployment of dedicated energy crops. Specifically, the Illinois basin, Gulf region, and western North Dakota have the greatest potential for near-term BECCS deployment. High-resolution spatial assessment as conducted in this study can inform near-term opportunities that minimize social and economic barriers to BECCS deployment. PMID:29531081

The worldwide market for photovoltaics in the rural sector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brainard, W. A.

1982-01-01

The worldwide market for stand-alone photovoltaic power systems in three specific segments of the rural sector were determined. The worldwide market for photovoltaic power systems for village power, cottage industry, and agricultural applications were addressed. The objectives of these studies were to: The market potential for small stand-alone photovoltaic power system in specific application areas was assessed. Technical, social and institutional barriers to PV utilization were identified. Funding sources available to potential users was also identified and marketing strategies appropriate for each sector were recommended to PV product manufacturers. The studies were prepared on the basis of data gathered from domestic sources and from field trips to representative countries. Both country-specific and sector-specific results are discussed, and broadly applicable barriers pertinent to international marketing of PV products are presented.

Barriers in the implementation of a physical activity intervention in primary care settings: lessons learned.

PubMed

Josyula, Lakshmi K; Lyle, Roseann M

2013-01-01

Barriers encountered in implementing a physical activity intervention in primary health care settings, and ways to address them, are described in this paper. A randomized comparison trial was designed to examine the impact of health care providers' written prescriptions for physical activity, with or without additional physical activity resources, to adult, nonpregnant patients on preventive care or chronic disease monitoring visits. Following abysmal recruitment outcomes, the research protocol was altered to make it more appealing to all the participants, i.e., health care providers, office personnel, and patients. Various barriers--financial, motivational, and executive--to the implementation of health promotion interventions in primary health care settings were experienced and identified. These barriers have been classified by the different participants in the research process, viz., healthcare providers, administrative personnel, researchers, and patients. Some of the barriers identified were lack of time and reimbursement for health promotion activities, and inadequate practice capacity, for health care providers; increased time and labor demands for administrative personnel; constrained access to participants, and limited funding, for researchers; and superseding commitments, and inaccurate comprehension of the research protocol, for patients. Solutions suggested to overcome these barriers include financial support, e.g., funding for researchers, remuneration for health care organization personnel, reimbursement for providers, payment for participants, and free or subsidized postage, and use of health facilities; motivational strategies such as inspirational leadership, and contests within health care organizations; and partnerships, with other expert technical and creative entities, to improve the quality, efficiency, and acceptability of health promotion interventions.

Interpreting the genomic landscape of speciation: a road map for finding barriers to gene flow.

PubMed

Ravinet, M; Faria, R; Butlin, R K; Galindo, J; Bierne, N; Rafajlović, M; Noor, M A F; Mehlig, B; Westram, A M

2017-08-01

Speciation, the evolution of reproductive isolation among populations, is continuous, complex, and involves multiple, interacting barriers. Until it is complete, the effects of this process vary along the genome and can lead to a heterogeneous genomic landscape with peaks and troughs of differentiation and divergence. When gene flow occurs during speciation, barriers restricting gene flow locally in the genome lead to patterns of heterogeneity. However, genomic heterogeneity can also be produced or modified by variation in factors such as background selection and selective sweeps, recombination and mutation rate variation, and heterogeneous gene density. Extracting the effects of gene flow, divergent selection and reproductive isolation from such modifying factors presents a major challenge to speciation genomics. We argue one of the principal aims of the field is to identify the barrier loci involved in limiting gene flow. We first summarize the expected signatures of selection at barrier loci, at the genomic regions linked to them and across the entire genome. We then discuss the modifying factors that complicate the interpretation of the observed genomic landscape. Finally, we end with a road map for future speciation research: a proposal for how to account for these modifying factors and to progress towards understanding the nature of barrier loci. Despite the difficulties of interpreting empirical data, we argue that the availability of promising technical and analytical methods will shed further light on the important roles that gene flow and divergent selection have in shaping the genomic landscape of speciation. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Attempting to be active: Self-efficacy and barrier limitation differentiate activity levels of working mothers.

PubMed

Gierc, Madelaine; Locke, Sean; Jung, Mary; Brawley, Lawrence

2016-07-01

Working mothers are less physically active than working women without children and mothers who do not work. The purpose of this study was to examine concurrent self-regulatory efficacy and barriers to physical activity in a sample of working mothers. Women completed a mixed-methods survey which included measures of physical activity, concurrent self-regulatory efficacy, and barriers. Sufficiently active women experienced significantly greater concurrent self-regulatory efficacy and significantly less barrier limitation and frequency. No significant group differences were found for age, domestic duties performed, and children's extracurricular activities. Thematic analysis of barriers revealed six themes of common and unique factors, including limited time and family activities. © The Author(s) 2014.

Evaluation of effect of different disposable infection control barriers on light intensity of light-curing unit and microhardness of composite - An in vitro study

PubMed Central

Khode, Rajiv Tarachand; Shenoi, Pratima Ramakrishna; Kubde, Rajesh R.; Makade, Chetana S.; Wadekar, Kanchan D.; Khode, Priyanka Tarachand

2017-01-01

Aims: This study evaluated effect of infection control barriers on light intensity (LI) of light-curing unit (LCU) and microhardness of composite. Materials and Methods: Four different disposable barriers (n = 30) were tested against the control. LI for each barrier was measured with Lux meter. One hundred and fifty Teflon molds were equally divided into five groups of thirty each. Composite was filled in bulk in these molds and cured without and with barrier. Microhardness was evaluated on top and bottom surface of composite specimen with microhardness testing machine and hardness ratio (HR) was derived. Statistical Analysis Used: One-way analysis of variance, Tukey's honestly significant difference test, and paired t-test using SPSS version 18 software. Results: All barriers had significantly reduced the baseline LI of LCU (P < 0.0001), but only Cure Elastic Steri-Shield and latex cut glove pieces (LCGP) significantly reduced the microhardness of the composite (P < 0.05). However, HR determined inadequate curing only with LCGP. Conclusions: Although entire tested barrier significantly reduced the LI; none, except LCGP markedly affected the degree of cure of the composite. PMID:29279622

Biosensor technology: technology push versus market pull.

PubMed

Luong, John H T; Male, Keith B; Glennon, Jeremy D

2008-01-01

Biosensor technology is based on a specific biological recognition element in combination with a transducer for signal processing. Since its inception, biosensors have been expected to play a significant analytical role in medicine, agriculture, food safety, homeland security, environmental and industrial monitoring. However, the commercialization of biosensor technology has significantly lagged behind the research output as reflected by a plethora of publications and patenting activities. The rationale behind the slow and limited technology transfer could be attributed to cost considerations and some key technical barriers. Analytical chemistry has changed considerably, driven by automation, miniaturization, and system integration with high throughput for multiple tasks. Such requirements pose a great challenge in biosensor technology which is often designed to detect one single or a few target analytes. Successful biosensors must be versatile to support interchangeable biorecognition elements, and in addition miniaturization must be feasible to allow automation for parallel sensing with ease of operation at a competitive cost. A significant upfront investment in research and development is a prerequisite in the commercialization of biosensors. The progress in such endeavors is incremental with limited success, thus, the market entry for a new venture is very difficult unless a niche product can be developed with a considerable market volume.

Emergency nurses' knowledge of perceived barriers in pain management in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Feng-Ching; Tsai, Yun-Fang; Chien, Chih-Cheng; Lin, Chia-Chin

2007-11-01

To explore knowledge of and perceived barriers to pain management among emergency nurses in Taiwan. Pain is the most common patient complaint in emergency departments. Quality care of these patients depends on the pain knowledge and pain management skills of emergency nurses. However, no studies have explored emergency nurses' knowledge of and perceived barriers to pain management in Taiwan. Nurse subjects (n = 249) were recruited from nine hospitals chosen by stratified sampling across Taiwan. Data were collected using the Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey-Taiwanese version, a scale to assess perceived barriers to pain management and a background information form. The overall average correct response rate for the knowledge scale was 49.2%, with a range of 4.8-89.2% for each survey question. The top barrier to managing pain was identified by these nurses as 'the responsibility of caring for other acutely ill patients in addition to a patient with pain. Knowledge of pain management had a significant, negative relationship with perceived barriers to pain management and a significant, positive relationship with extent of clinical care experience and total hours of prior pain management education. In addition, scores for knowledge and perceived barriers differed significantly by the nursing clinical ladder. Perceived barriers also differed significantly by hospital accreditation category. Our results indicate an urgent need to strengthen pain education for emergency nurses in Taiwan. The pain education should target knowledge deficits and barriers to changing pain management approaches for Taiwanese emergency nurses.

Using the WTO/TBT enquiry point to monitor tendencies in the regulation of environment, health, and safety issues affecting the chemical industry.

PubMed

Pio Borges Menezes, Rodrigo; Maria de Souza Antunes, Adelaide

2005-04-01

The growing importance of technical regulation affecting the use and sale of chemical products is a topic of interest not only for the chemical industry, but also for governments, nongovernmental organizations, consumers, and interested communities. The results of such regulation on behalf of the environment, health and safety of individuals, as well as its economic effects on industrial activity, are well understood in the United States and recently in the European Union. In less developed countries, however, the general level of public understanding of these issues is still minimal. It is common knowledge that the so-called "regulatory asymmetry" between countries at different levels of development contributes to the establishment of technical barriers to trade. Such asymmetries, however, also have other impacts: the displacement of polluting industrial sectors to countries which have less demanding regulations, the concentration of unsafe and harmful environmental conditions in certain parts of the globe, and the competitive disadvantage for industries located in countries where control is more rigid. This study analyses information on a wide range of technical regulations issued by World Trade Organization (WTO) members, and focuses on those regulations that affect the chemical industry. This information is available through the WTO Enquiry Points, organizations created in each country to administrate the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement (TBT). This article consists of an analysis of 4,301 notifications of technical regulations by WTO member states in the 7-year period following the establishment of the WTO in 1995. Starting from this mass of information, 585 notifications that affect the circulation or use of chemical products were isolated. Of this group, 71% refer to only 15 countries. This group of notifications was further classified according to their motivation (the environment, health, safety), by the type of product affected (medications, fuels, hazardous products, etc.), by the type of country where it was established (developed, emerging or developing) and the existing conformity assessment mechanism (prohibition, licenses, certification, labeling, etc.). Beyond identifying tendencies in specific industrial sectors, the notifications studied here reach more than 100 chemical products, substances, preparations and other materials, which are subject to various levels of restrictions in different parts of the globe because of their composition or adverse reactions during their life cycles.

Evaluation of DCS III Transmission Alternatives. Phase 1A report. Appendix B. Regulatory Barriers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-26

greatest impact on transmission system design, and the Q- and V-series deal with switching and signaling, and with data transmission respectively. These...equipments or systems (such as receiver performance papameters). If appropriate technical data are not found in the NTIA Manual provisions of the ITU Radio...under control of the JCS and complying with applicable restrictions. 3. System alternatives should be consistent with projected data prepared for the

Barriers and Facilitators of Participation in Sports: A Qualitative Study on Dutch Individuals with Lower Limb Amputation

PubMed Central

Bragaru, Mihai; van Wilgen, C. P.; Geertzen, Jan H. B.; Ruijs, Suzette G. J. B.; Dijkstra, Pieter U.; Dekker, Rienk

2013-01-01

Introduction Although individuals with lower limb amputation may benefit from participation in sports, less than 40% do so. Aim To identify the barriers and facilitators that influence participation in sports for individuals with lower limb amputation. Design Qualitative study. Participants Twenty six individuals with lower limb amputation, all originating from the Dutch provinces of Groningen and Drenthe, of which 13 athletes. Methods Semi-structured interviews were used to gather information. Following thematic analysis, emerging themes were organized in three categories Technical, Social and Personal. Results Sport was perceived as enjoyable activity that would help participants to become and stay healthy, improve the number of social contacts, reduce phantom pain and decrease daily tension. Inadequate facilities, problematic transportation, trivialization from others, poor health and lack of motivation or the lack of a sports partner were barriers commonly mentioned by non-athletes. Remarkably, while all athletes were successful prosthetic users, the majority chose to participate in sports for which prosthesis was neither required nor needed. Conclusions Each individual with lower limb amputation needs to be counselled according to the barriers and facilitators he/she personally experiences. Athletes appeared to be more proactive in searching for a solution and also appeared less discouraged by failing. PMID:23533655

Experimental testing of impact force on rigid and flexible barriers - A comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagl, Georg; Hübl, Johannes; Chiari, Michael

2016-04-01

The Trattenbach endangers the main western railway track of Austria by floods and debris flows. Three check dams for debris retention were built in the proximal fan area several decades ago. With regard to an improvement of the protective function, these structures have to be renewed. The recent concept of the uppermost barrier is a type of an energy dissipation net structure, stopping debris flows with the ability of self-cleaning by subsequent floods or by machinery employment. The access to the basin is achieved through the slit when the net has been removed. This technical structure consists of a rigid open crown dam with a 4m wide slit. This slit is closed with a flexible net. To verify this protective system, 21 small scale experiments were conducted to test and optimize this new type of Slit Net Dam. To determine the forces on the barrier, in a first setup of experiments the impact forces on a rigid wall with 24 load cells were measured. In the second setup the slit barrier with the net was investigated. On four main cables the anchor forces were measured. In a further setup the basal distance between the channel and lowest net was varied. To study the emptying of the basin and the dosing effect on debris flows.

Techno-economic requirements for composite aircraft components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, Ray

1993-01-01

The primary reason for use of composites is to save structural weight. A well designed composite aircraft structure will usually save 25-30 percent of a well designed metal structure. The weight savings then translates into improved performance of the aircraft in measures of greater payload, increased flying range or improved efficiency - less use of fuel. Composite materials offer technical advantages. Key technical advantages that composites offer are high stiffness, tailored strength capability, fatigue resistance, and corrosion resistance. Low thermal expansion properties produce dimensionally stable structures over a wide range of temperature. Specialty resin 'char' forming characteristics in a fire environment offer potential fire barrier application and safer aircraft. The materials and processes of composite fabrication offer the potential for lower cost structures in the near future. The application of composite materials to aircraft are discussed.

A new architecture for enterprise information systems.

PubMed

Covvey, H D; Stumpf, J J

1999-01-01

Irresistible economic and technical forces are forcing healthcare institutions to develop regionalized services such as consolidated or virtual laboratories. Technical realities, such as the lack of an enabling enterprise-level information technology (IT) integration infrastructure, the existence of legacy systems, and non-existent or embryonic enterprise-level IT services organizations, are delaying or frustrating the achievement of the desired configuration of shared services. On attempting to address this matter, we discover that the state-of-the-art in integration technology is not wholly adequate, and itself becomes a barrier to the full realization of shared healthcare services. In this paper we report new work from the field of Co-operative Information Systems that proposes a new architecture of systems that are intrinsically cooperation-enabled, and we extend this architecture to both the regional and national scales.

National Alliance for Advance Biofuels and Bio-Products Final Technical Report Addendum Hydrothermal Processing Pilot System

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

Oyler, James R.

2015-12-21

The main objective of the NAABB was to combine science, technology, and engineering expertise from across the nation to break down critical technical barriers to commercialization of algae-based biofuels. As a part of the consortium, Genifuel’s NAABB goals was to fabricate and demonstrate a pilot-scale system to convert algae into fuels. The purpose of this pilot system was to show that processes developed in the laboratory at bench-scale during the program could be successfully scaled up to a pre-commercial level, and thereby provide visibility into the ultimate viability and cost of algae biofuels. The pilot system has now been completedmore » and tested, and this report documents what has been achieved.« less

First Li-Ion Battery On-Board A Russian Commercial Geo Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masgrangeas, David; Lagattu, Benoit; Nesterishin, Michael; Krenko, Alexander

2011-10-01

This paper deals with the first integration of a Li-ion battery from a western company aboard a Russian commercial GEO satellite. State of the art electrochemistry allied with innovative battery design lead to successful contract for development, manufacturing and delivery of flight hardware. After several months of joint technical work, two batteries were delivered for integration and tested inside a GEO spacecraft. Delivery conditions of a Li-ion battery were also part of the challenge and were successfully filled by both parties. This paper presents the first results of interfacing batteries and spacecraft. Mechanical, thermal and electrical aspects are discussed as well as learned lessons. Beyond cultural and technical habits and despite language barriers, this contract was a true success story between two major companies, each leading its own market share.

[Indicators, variables and obstacles to the life cycle of scientific and technical information in health. Experiences of the Centro Nacional de Información y Documentación en Salud in Mexico].

PubMed

Macías-Chapula, C A

1987-01-01

Indicators, variables and barriers to scientific and technical health information have been detected and described by CENIDS in Mexico within the life cycle of the information production model, covering the phases of: a) generation; b) institutionalization; c) maintenance/development; and d) distribution/dissemination. Emphasis is placed on the important role that play social, economic, demographic, and political factors of each developing country to conform their ideal information life cycle. After an analysis of the existing Mexican situation, and a short description of CENIDS' structure, organization, functions and services, CENIDS' short-term and mid-term projects, and suggestions for further research lines to improve the current situation in Mexico are also given.

Technical Feasibility Aspects of the Geothermal Resource Reporting Methodology (GRRM)

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

Badgett, Alex; Young, Katherine R; Dobson, Patrick F.

This paper reviews the technical assessment of the Geothermal Research Reporting Methodology (GRRM, http://en.openei.org/wiki/GRRM) being developed for reporting geothermal resources and project progress. The goal of the methodology is to provide the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) with a consistent and comprehensible means of evaluating the impacts of its funding programs. The GRRM is designed to provide uniform assessment criteria for geothermal resource grades and developmental phases of geothermal resource exploration and development. This resource grade system provides information on twelve attributes of geothermal resource locations (e.g., temperature, permeability, land access) to indicate potential for geothermal development.more » The GTO plans to use these Protocols to help quantitatively identify the greatest barriers to geothermal development, develop measureable program goals that will have the greatest impact to geothermal deployment, objectively evaluate proposals based (in part) on a project's ability to contribute to program goals, monitor project progress, and report on GTO portfolio performance. The GRRM assesses three areas of geothermal potential: geological, socio-economic, and technical. Previous work and publications have discussed the work done on the geological aspects of this methodology (Young et al. 2015c); this paper details the development of the technical assessment of the GRRM. Technical development attributes considered include: reservoir management, drilling, logistics, and power conversion.« less

Symposium in the field of geothermal energy

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

Ramirez, Miguel; Mock, John E.

1989-04-01

Mexico and the US are nations with abundant sources of geothermal energy, and both countries have progressed rapidly in developing their more accessible resources. For example, Mexico has developed over 600 MWe at Cerro Prieto, while US developers have brought in over 2000 MWe at the Geysers. These successes, however, are only a prologue to an exciting future. All forms of energy face technical and economic barriers that must be overcome if the resources are to play a significant role in satisfying national energy needs. Geothermal energy--except for the very highest grade resources--face a number of barriers, which must bemore » surmounted through research and development. Sharing a common interest in solving the problems that impede the rapid utilization of geothermal energy, Mexico and the US agreed to exchange information and participate in joint research. An excellent example of this close and continuing collaboration is the geothermal research program conducted under the auspices of the 3-year agreement signed on April 7, 1986 by the US DOE and the Mexican Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE). The major objectives of this bilateral agreement are: (1) to achieve a thorough understanding of the nature of geothermal reservoirs in sedimentary and fractured igneous rocks; (2) to investigate how the geothermal resources of both nations can best be explored and utilized; and (3) to exchange information on geothermal topics of mutual interest.« less

Perceived barriers to weight maintenance among university students in Kuwait: the role of gender and obesity.

PubMed

Musaiger, Abdulrahman O; Al-Kandari, Fawzia I; Al-Mannai, Mariam; Al-Faraj, Alaa M; Bouriki, Fajer A; Shehab, Fatima S; Al-Dabous, Lulwa A; Al-Qalaf, Wassin B

2014-05-01

To investigate the barriers to weight maintenance among university students in Kuwait by gender and obesity. A sample of 530 students was selected at convenience from four universities in Kuwait (2 public and 2 private). The age of students ranged from 19 to 26 years. A self-reported pretested questionnaire was used to obtain the barriers, which were divided into barriers to healthy eating and barriers to physical activity. Weight and height were based on self-reporting, and the students were grouped into non-obese and obese according to the WHO classification. The response options to barriers were: very important, somewhat important and not important. The main barriers to healthy eating for both genders were: "Do not have skills to plan, shop for, prepare or cook healthy foods" and "Not having time to prepare or eat healthy food". In general, there were no significant differences between men and women in barriers to healthy eating. There were highly significant differences between men and women regarding barriers to physical activity (P values ranged from <0.001 to <0.016). "Not having time to be physically active" and "The climate is not suitable for practising exercise" were the main barriers reported. Obese men were more likely to face barriers to healthy eating than non-obese men. There were no significant differences between obese and non-obese women regarding barriers to healthy eating and physical activity. The findings of this study can be utilized in intervention activities to promote a healthy lifestyle and to combat obesity in Kuwait, and maybe in other Arab countries.

Non-Saccharomyces yeasts protect against epithelial cell barrier disruption induced by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium.

PubMed

Smith, I M; Baker, A; Arneborg, N; Jespersen, L

2015-11-01

The human gastrointestinal epithelium makes up the largest barrier separating the body from the external environment. Whereas invasive pathogens cause epithelial barrier disruption, probiotic micro-organisms modulate tight junction regulation and improve epithelial barrier function. In addition, probiotic strains may be able to reduce epithelial barrier disruption caused by pathogenic species. The aim of this study was to explore non-Saccharomyces yeast modulation of epithelial cell barrier function in vitro. Benchmarking against established probiotic strains, we evaluated the ability of four nonpathogenic yeast species to modulate transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) across a monolayer of differentiated human colonocytes (Caco-2 cells). Further, we assessed yeast modulation of a Salmonella Typhimurium-induced epithelial cell barrier function insult. Our findings demonstrate distinct patterns of non-Saccharomyces yeast modulation of epithelial cell barrier function. While the established probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii increased TER across a Caco-2 monolayer by 30%, Kluyveromyces marxianus exhibited significantly stronger properties of TER enhancement (50% TER increase). In addition, our data demonstrate significant yeast-mediated modulation of Salmonella-induced epithelial cell barrier disruption and identify K. marxianus and Metschnikowia gruessii as two non-Saccharomyces yeasts capable of protecting human epithelial cells from pathogen invasion. This study demonstrates distinct patterns of non-Saccharomyces yeast modulation of epithelial cell barrier function in vitro. Further, our data demonstrate significant yeast-mediated modulation of Salmonella Typhimurium-induced epithelial cell barrier disruption and identify Kluyveromyces marxianus and Metschnikowia gruessii as two non-Saccharomyces yeasts capable of protecting human epithelial cells from pathogen invasion. This study is the first to demonstrate significant non-Saccharomyces yeast-mediated epithelial cell barrier protection from Salmonella invasion, thus encouraging future efforts aimed at confirming the observed effects in vivo and driving further strain development towards novel yeast probiotics. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Condom use among Swedes while traveling internationally: A qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Lejelind, Eva; Westerling, Ragnar; Sjögren Fugl-Meyer, Kerstin; Larsson, Kjerstin

2017-06-01

This study explores factors influencing condom use among Swedish women and men who visited a sexual health clinic after unprotected sex during international travel. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 women and 25 men. The data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. The informants' narratives were categorized as strategies and barriers. Strategies found were: risk assessment, testing, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. The barriers were characterized as technical and personal or emotional. The findings indicate that sexual behavior may be different while traveling internationally, and that a release of social constraints and increased alcohol consumption were risk factors for practicing unprotected sex. Some of the strategies may be appropriate for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, but several strategies and most barriers were used to explain why unprotected sex was practiced. Thus, people need the opportunity to reconsider strategies and strengthen confidence in their ability to use condoms. An individual-based approach employed within routine health care may support the practice of safer sex and prevent further transmission of sexually transmitted infections. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Port of Seattle breaks the brownfield gridlock

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

Rapaport, D.

Initiatives in brownfields restoration--in which abandoned, contaminated industrial and commercial sites can be revitalized and returned to productive use--many times have been gridlocked by a core problem: how to achieve protective cleanup levels without bankrupting the cost bearers. Barriers to brownfields restoration include: remediation standards, set by regulatory agencies, that are difficult to achieve at complex sites; technical barriers that make it difficult to restore sites to pristine conditions; and liability and cost issues that discourage investors and lenders from properties struggling under an unfinished regulatory process. Each barrier affects the others, creating a maze that is easy to entermore » but difficult to escape. In many cases, money, time and expertise are squandered, and feelings of anger and frustration are vented. Fear of gridlock halts many brownfields projects before they begin. Previous site investigations conducted by property owners revealed that spills, leaks, drips and onsite waste disposal of organic and inorganic preservatives used in wood-treatment processes had contaminated the soil and groundwater. The most toxic contaminants were a group of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzo(a)pyrene, pentachlorophenol and arsenic.« less

Addiction treatment staff perceptions of training as a facilitator or barrier to implementing evidence-based practices: a national qualitative research study.

PubMed

D'Ippolito, Melinda; Lundgren, Lena; Amodeo, Maryann; Beltrame, Clelia; Lim, Lynn; Chassler, Deborah

2015-01-01

This qualitative effort examines training-related facilitators and barriers to implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in 285 community-based addiction treatment organizations (CBOs) nationwide that were funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA/CSAT) to implement EBPs. Using qualitative interviews, the authors explored staff (N = 514) descriptions of training as a facilitator or barrier to implementation. Training-related factors were described 663 times as facilitators (by 440 staff) and 233 times as barriers (by 170 staff). Responses were coded using content analysis. Specific characteristics of the training received, such as access to expert knowledge and quality, as well as ongoing training were described as central facilitating factors to EBP implementation. Key reasons training was perceived as a barrier included the amount of training; the training did not fit current staff and/or organizational needs; the training for some EBPs was perceived to be too demanding; and the difficulty accessing training. Since government funders of addiction treatments require that CBOs implement EBPs and they provide training resources, the quality, flexibility, and accessibility of the available training needs to be promoted throughout the addiction treatment network. Only 17% of CBOs reported that they used the SAMHSA-funded ATTC (Addiction Technology Transfer Center) training centers and 42% used SAMHSA technical assistance. Hence, federally funded resources for training were not always used.

Investigation of the Mechanical Performance of Compliant Thermal Barriers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeMange, Jeffrey J.; Bott, Robert J.; Dunlap, Patrick H.

2011-01-01

Compliant thermal barriers play a pivotal role in the thermal protection systems of advanced aerospace vehicles. Both the thermal properties and mechanical performance of these barriers are critical in determining their successful implementation. Due to the custom nature of many thermal barriers, designers of advanced spacecraft have little guidance as to the design, selection, and implementation of these elements. As part of an effort to develop a more fundamental understanding of the interrelationship between thermal barrier design and performance, mechanical testing of thermal barriers was conducted. Two different types of thermal barriers with several core insulation density levels ranging from 62 to 141 kg/cu m were investigated. Room-temperature compression tests were conducted on samples to determine load performance and assess thermal barrier resiliency. Results showed that the loading behavior of these thermal barriers was similar to other porous, low-density, compliant materials, such as elastomeric foams. Additionally, the insulation density level had a significant non-linear impact on the stiffness and peak loads of the thermal barriers. In contrast, neither the thermal barrier type nor the level of insulation density significantly influenced the room-temperature resiliency of the samples.

Applying Costs, Risks and Values Evaluation (CRAVE) methodology to Engineering Support Request (ESR) prioritization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joglekar, Prafulla N.

1994-01-01

Given limited budget, the problem of prioritization among Engineering Support Requests (ESR's) with varied sizes, shapes, and colors is a difficult one. At the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), the recently developed 4-Matrix (4-M) method represents a step in the right direction as it attempts to combine the traditional criteria of technical merits only with the new concern for cost-effectiveness. However, the 4-M method was not adequately successful in the actual prioritization of ESRs for the fiscal year 1995 (FY95). This research identifies a number of design issues that should help us to develop better methods. It emphasizes that given the variety and diversity of ESR's one should not expect that a single method could help in the assessment of all ESR's. One conclusion is that a methodology such as Costs, Risks, and Values Evaluation (CRAVE) should be adopted. It also is clear that the development of methods such as 4-M requires input not only from engineers with technical expertise in ESR's but also from personnel with adequate background in the theory and practice of cost-effectiveness analysis. At KSC, ESR prioritization is one part of the Ground Support Working Teams (GSWT) Integration Process. It was discovered that the more important barriers to the incorporation of cost-effectiveness considerations in ESR prioritization lie in this process. The culture of integration, and the corresponding structure of review by a committee of peers, is not conducive to the analysis and confrontation necessary in the assessment and prioritization of ESR's. Without assistance from appropriately trained analysts charged with the responsibility to analyze and be confrontational about each ESR, the GSWT steering committee will continue to make its decisions based on incomplete understanding, inconsistent numbers, and at times, colored facts. The current organizational separation of the prioritization and the funding processes is also identified as an important barrier to the pursuit of cost-effectiveness. Perhaps the greatest barrier is that, at the working level, KSC's culture is so preoccupied with technical concerns that it seems almost oblivious to any cost concerns, let alone cost-effectiveness concerns. It is recommended that we must urgently begin to change that culture and seek a better balance between these two concerns.

Information and communications technology in U.S. health care: why is adoption so slow and is slower better?

PubMed

Christensen, Michael C; Remler, Dahlia

2009-12-01

Politicians across the political spectrum support greater investment in health care information and communications technology (ICT) and expect it to significantly decrease costs and improve health outcomes. We address three policy questions about adoption of ICT in health care: First, why is there so little adoption? Second, what policies will facilitate and accelerate adoption? Third, what is the best pace for adoption? We first describe the unusual economics of ICT, particularly network externalities, and then determine how those economics interact with and are exacerbated by the unusual economics of health care. High replacement costs and the need for technical compatibility are general barriers to ICT adoption and often result in lock-in to adopted technologies. These effects are compounded in health care because the markets for health care services, health insurance, and labor are interlinked. In addition, the government interacts with all markets in its role as an insurer. Patient heterogeneity further exacerbates these effects. Finally, ICT markets are often characterized by natural monopolies, resulting in little product diversity, an effect ill-suited to patient heterogeneity. The ongoing process for setting technical standards for health care ICT is critical but needs to include all relevant stakeholders, including patient groups. The process must be careful (i.e., slow), flexible, and allow for as much diversity as possible. We find that waiting to adopt ICT is a surprisingly wise policy.

Roadblocks in the gut: barriers to enteric infection.

PubMed

Gill, Navkiran; Wlodarska, Marta; Finlay, B Brett

2011-05-01

This review discusses the barriers an enteric pathogen encounters when establishing an infection in the intestinal tract. There are potential barriers in the lumen that increase competition for nutrients and space. The role of mucus layer, and the antimicrobial peptides and secretory IgA sequestered within it, are also significant barriers. After overcoming these defences, the pathogen encounters the epithelial layer. This layer can be broken down into various protective components including enterocytes, Paneth cells, goblet cells, M cells and pathogen recognition receptors. Collectively, these intestinal defences constitute significant barriers that pathogens must overcome to successfully colonize this important mucosal surface. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Barriers to Co-Designing Mobile Technology with Persons with Dementia and Their Carers.

PubMed

O'Connor, Siobhan; Bouamrane, Matt-Mouley; O'Donnell, Catherine A; Mair, Frances S

2016-01-01

Mobile applications can be used to help manage different aspects of long-term illnesses but many are not designed to meet the specific needs of people with dementia or their carers. This case study explores the barriers experienced when co-producing a memory and reminiscence app. A focus group and interviews were conducted with patient/carer dyads, an occupational therapist, project manager and software engineer involved in the design of the app. Data was analysed thematically using the framework approach. Several limitations such as poor technical knowledge and skills, negative attitudes and inaccurate perceptions of people with dementia slowed down or changed how the mobile app was developed. Compromises also had to be made over the final design of the app. More research to explore how mobile apps are co-designed with patients is needed.

The use of multimodal strategies for distance education in the GRECCs.

PubMed

Kresevic, Denise; Burant, Christopher; Denton, Jennifer; Heath, Barbara; Kypriotakis, George

2011-01-01

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has found distance education to be particularly valuable as a means to disseminate information to large numbers of busy learners in geographically diverse settings. Specifically, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers (GRECCs) of the VA have used various forms of distance learning to provide geriatrics-focused education to diverse health care providers. Such formats allow programs to be available to audiences regardless of distance or time. Although the distance-learning format has clear benefits, there are also some barriers that have hindered its wider adoption, including technical difficulties and ease of use. Organizers of distance education programs are challenged to overcome these barriers to provide a quality learning experience for the audience. The GRECCs will likely continue to be leaders in exploring innovative distance-learning strategies to accomplish their mission of quality geriatric education.

Understanding Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening in Kentucky.

PubMed

Knight, Jennifer Redmond; Kanotra, Sarojini; Siameh, Seth; Jones, Jessica; Thompson, Becki; Thomas-Cox, Sue

2015-06-18

Colorectal cancer screening rates have increased significantly in Kentucky, from 35% in 1999 to 66% in 2012. A continued improvement in screening requires identification of existing barriers and implementation of interventions to address barriers. The state of Kentucky added a question to the 2012 Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey for respondents aged 50 years or older who answered no to ever having been screened for colorectal cancer by colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy to assess the reasons why respondents had not been screened. Combined responses constituted 4 categories: attitudes and beliefs, health care provider and health care systems barriers, cost, and other. Prevalence estimates for barriers were calculated by using raking weights and were stratified by race/ethnicity, sex, education, income, and health insurance coverage. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios for barriers to screening. The most common barriers in all areas were related to attitudes and beliefs, followed by health care provider and systems, and cost. Non-Hispanic whites and respondents with more than a high school education were more likely to choose attitudes and beliefs as a barrier than were non-Hispanic blacks and those with less than a high school education. Respondents with low incomes and with no insurance were significantly more likely to select cost as a barrier. No significant associations were observed between demographic variables and the selection of a health care provider and a health care system. Barriers related to education, race/ethnicity, income, and insurance coverage should be considered when designing interventions. Expansion of Medicaid and implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Kentucky could have an impact on reducing these barriers.

Genetic and Transcriptomic Bases of Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

PubMed

Vancamelbeke, Maaike; Vanuytsel, Tim; Farré, Ricard; Verstockt, Sare; Ferrante, Marc; Van Assche, Gert; Rutgeerts, Paul; Schuit, Frans; Vermeire, Séverine; Arijs, Ingrid; Cleynen, Isabelle

2017-10-01

Intestinal barrier defects are common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To identify which components could underlie these changes, we performed an in-depth analysis of epithelial barrier genes in IBD. A set of 128 intestinal barrier genes was selected. Polygenic risk scores were generated based on selected barrier gene variants that were associated with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) in our study. Gene expression was analyzed using microarray and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Influence of barrier gene variants on expression was studied by cis-expression quantitative trait loci mapping and comparing patients with low- and high-risk scores. Barrier risk scores were significantly higher in patients with IBD than controls. At single-gene level, the associated barrier single-nucleotide polymorphisms were most significantly enriched in PTGER4 for CD and HNF4A for UC. As a group, the regulating proteins were most enriched for CD and UC. Expression analysis showed that many epithelial barrier genes were significantly dysregulated in active CD and UC, with overrepresentation of mucus layer genes. In uninflamed CD ileum and IBD colon, most barrier gene levels restored to normal, except for MUC1 and MUC4 that remained persistently increased compared with controls. Expression levels did not depend on cis-regulatory variants nor combined genetic risk. We found genetic and transcriptomic dysregulations of key epithelial barrier genes and components in IBD. Of these, we believe that mucus genes, in particular MUC1 and MUC4, play an essential role in the pathogenesis of IBD and could represent interesting targets for treatment.

Barriers encountered during the implementation of a policy guideline on the vaccination of health care workers during the 2013-2014 measles outbreak in the Netherlands: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Borggreve, Stephanie Jessica; Timen, Aura

2015-12-14

In 2013 the Netherlands faced a measles epidemic, during which more than 2600 individuals were infected, including 19 health care workers (HCW). Vaccinating health care workers can lead to benefits on both the individual and public health level, underscoring the need for HCW vaccination. In June of 2013 the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) developed a measles guideline (MG) that advised Dutch hospitals to strengthen their policies concerning measles vaccination of HCWs. A key problem with guidelines, however, is adherence, which can be due to several barriers. The objective of this research was to identify the barriers that Dutch hospital professionals encountered during the implementation of this policy guideline, in order to improve the implementation of similar policies in the future. In-depth interviews (n = 9) were conducted with 12 hospital health care professionals involved with prevention and control of communicable diseases. These participants represented ten different Dutch hospitals located in eight of the twelve different provinces. Participants were asked about their experiences during the 2013-2014 measles epidemic regarding infection prevention measures, including vaccination of HCWs, with a specific focus on barriers to the implementation of the RIVM guideline. The implementation of the MG was impeded by several (types of) barriers. First, barriers were found related to knowledge and attitude, and included lack of agreement, barriers associated with leadership and issues related to evidence-based decision making. Second, barriers related to characteristics of the guideline, mostly related to unclear or missing guideline content. Finally, contextual and social factors such as human and financial resources, belief systems, physical facilities and technical support, and national views on vaccination policies also play an important role in policy implementation. This study has provided valuable insights into the barriers infection prevention specialists encounter during the implementation of new policies concerning vaccination of HCWs in times of a major outbreak. Moreover, this study exposed the complexity and breadth of barriers that are of importance when implementing vaccination policies in the hospital setting. In order to improve the implementation of similar policies in the future, guideline developers and health care providers and administrators alike should aim to eliminate or minimise these identified barriers by taking into account the suggestions made by the authors.

Perceived barriers to effective implementation of public reporting of hospital performance data in Australia: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Canaway, Rachel; Bismark, Marie; Dunt, David; Kelaher, Margaret

2017-06-07

Public reporting of government funded (public) hospital performance data was mandated in Australia in 2011. Studies suggest some benefit associated with such public reporting, but also considerable scope to improve reporting systems. In 2015, a purposive sample of 41 expert informants were interviewed, representing consumer, provider and purchasers perspectives across Australia's public and private health sectors, to ascertain expert opinion on the utility and impact of public reporting of health service performance. Qualitative data was thematically analysed with a focus on reporting perceived strengths and barriers to public reporting of hospital performance data (PR). Many more weaknesses and barriers to PR were identified than strengths. Barriers were: conceptual (unclear objective, audience and reporting framework); systems-level (including lack of consumer choice, lack of consumer and clinician involvement, jurisdictional barriers, lack of mandate for private sector reporting); technical and resource related (including data complexity, lack of data relevance consistency, rigour); and socio-cultural (including provider resistance to public reporting, poor consumer health literacy, lack of consumer empowerment). Perceptions of the Australian experience of PR highlight important issues in its implementation that can provide lessons for Australia and elsewhere. A considerable weakness of PR in Australia is that the public are often not considered its major audience, resulting in information ineffectually framed to meet the objective of PR informing consumer decision-making about treatment options. Greater alignment is needed between the primary objective of PR, its audience and audience needs; more than one system of PR might be necessary to meet different audience needs and objectives. Further research is required to assess objectively the potency of the barriers to PR suggested by our panel of informants.

Identification and Assessment of Factors That Hinder, Prevent, or Discourage Individuals from Enrolling in or Completing Nontraditional Programs in Postsecondary Institutions in Florida. Final Report from September 1, 1984-August 31, 1985.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Dolores M.; And Others

Between September 1, 1984, and August 31, 1985, a study examined the barriers to enrollment in and completion of postsecondary-level nontraditional vocational education programs in Florida. Data were collected from students and faculty members at 36 of Florida's 59 area vocational-technical centers and community colleges as well as from on-site…

Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) External Stakeholders Workshop: Workshop Proceedings, 9 October 2008, Golden, Colorado

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

Komomua, C.; Kroposki, B.; Mooney, D.

2009-01-01

On October 9, 2008, NREL hosted a workshop to provide an opportunity for external stakeholders to offer insights and recommendations on the design and functionality of DOE's planned Energy Systems Infrastructure Facility (ESIF). The goal was to ensure that the planning for the ESIF effectively addresses the most critical barriers to large-scale energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) deployment. This technical report documents the ESIF workshop proceedings.

Terawatt-scale photovoltaics: Trajectories and challenges

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

Haegel, Nancy M.; Margolis, Robert; Buonassisi, Tonio

The annual potential of solar energy far exceeds the world's total energy consumption. However, the vision of photovoltaics (PVs) providing a substantial fraction of global electricity generation and total energy demand is far from being realized. What technical, infrastructure, economic, and policy barriers need to be overcome for PVs to grow to the multiple terawatt (TW) scale? Here, we assess realistic future scenarios and make suggestions for a global agenda to move toward PVs at a multi-TW scale.

Terawatt-scale photovoltaics: Trajectories and challenges

DOE PAGES

Haegel, Nancy M.; Margolis, Robert; Buonassisi, Tonio; ...

2017-04-13

The annual potential of solar energy far exceeds the world's total energy consumption. However, the vision of photovoltaics (PVs) providing a substantial fraction of global electricity generation and total energy demand is far from being realized. What technical, infrastructure, economic, and policy barriers need to be overcome for PVs to grow to the multiple terawatt (TW) scale? Here, we assess realistic future scenarios and make suggestions for a global agenda to move toward PVs at a multi-TW scale.

Accelerating the deployment of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in South Africa

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

Shickman, Kurt

Purpose of the project was to accelerate the deployment of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in South Africa. Activities were undertaken to reduce barriers to deployment by improving product awareness for the South African market; market and policy intelligence for U.S. manufacturers; product/service availability; local technical capacity at the workforce, policymaker and expert levels; and ease of conducting business for these technologies/services in the South African market.

Strategies to promote infection prevention and control in acute care hospitals with the help of infection control link nurses: A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Peter, Daniel; Meng, Michael; Kugler, Christiane; Mattner, Frauke

2018-02-01

Infection control link nurses (ICLNs) are important backup personnel for the prevention and control of infections in hospitals. To identify facilitators and barriers for the implementation of and long-term collaboration with ICLNs. We conducted a systematic literature review, following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. Inclusion criteria were defined as description of de novo implementation of an ICLN system, strengthening of an existing ICLN system, or analysis of an ICLN system. In 10 publications, facilitators and barriers were identified for mode of selection of ICLN candidates, characteristics and responsibilities of ICLNs, composition of a training curriculum, educational strategies, and external influencing factors. Experienced nurses with an interest in infection control seemed appropriate candidates. The importance of psychological skills in addition to technical knowledge was emphasized. A clear definition of responsibilities was important. Viable tasks for ICLNs included surveillance and teaching activities and the implementation of prevention measures. Ongoing teaching was superior to a single course. Management support was pivotal for success. Research on ICLNs is scarce. The potential to decrease health care-associated infections with the help of ICLNs has been demonstrated. The training in psychological skills in addition to technical knowledge deserves more attention. Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Links between patterns of racial socialization and discrimination experiences and psychological adjustment: a cluster analysis.

PubMed

Ajayi, Alex A; Syed, Moin

2014-10-01

This study used a person-oriented analytic approach to identify meaningful patterns of barriers-focused racial socialization and perceived racial discrimination experiences in a sample of 295 late adolescents. Using cluster analysis, three distinct groups were identified: Low Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination, High Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination, and High Barrier Socialization-High Discrimination clusters. These groups were substantively unique in terms of the frequency of racial socialization messages about bias preparation and out-group mistrust its members received and their actual perceived discrimination experiences. Further, individuals in the High Barrier Socialization-High Discrimination cluster reported significantly higher depressive symptoms than those in the Low Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination and High Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination clusters. However, no differences in adjustment were observed between the Low Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination and High Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination clusters. Overall, the findings highlight important individual differences in how young people of color experience their race and how these differences have significant implications on psychological adjustment. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic justification of costs at inspection of industrial safety of high-rise marine structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garibin, Pavel; Ol'khovik, Evgeniy; Rastorguev, Igor

2018-03-01

The task of technical and economic regulation within mutual international recognition of testing laboratories are considered. Codes and procedures within requirements of international ISO/IEC standards of a series 17000 for elimination of non-tariff barriers and interlaboratory exchange of experts in the field of high-rise marine construction are considered. In paper, the methods of assessment of formation of economically justified cost of works at inspection and monitoring of technical condition of high-rise marine wharf engineering port structure based on settlement and actual labor input were applied. For the countries of EU, data on the average cost of works of testing laboratory within a week have been taken as a basis. Such approach will be objective as considers only expenses on obligatory actions in the course of inspection of technical condition of port engineering constructions. The analysis of public results of financial activities of the accredited organizations allowed to calculate the main indicators of the size of necessary profit and overheads at observance of all requirements imposed to test laboratories including taking into account their future technical development. The offered practice corresponds to the general direction by mutual international recognition of independent testing laboratories and can be use in the future.

Preliminary study of online machine translation use of nursing literature: quality evaluation and perceived usability

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Japanese nurses are increasingly required to read published international research in clinical, educational, and research settings. Language barriers are a significant obstacle, and online machine translation (MT) is a tool that can be used to address this issue. We examined the quality of Google Translate® (English to Japanese and Korean to Japanese), which is a representative online MT, using a previously verified evaluation method. We also examined the perceived usability and current use of online MT among Japanese nurses. Findings Randomly selected nursing abstracts were translated and then evaluated for intelligibility and usability by 28 participants, including assistants and research associates from nursing universities throughout Japan. They answered a questionnaire about their online MT use. From simple comparison of mean scores between two language pairs, translation quality was significantly better, with respect to both intelligibility and usability, for Korean-Japanese than for English-Japanese. Most respondents perceived a language barrier. Online MT had been used by 61% of the respondents and was perceived as not useful enough. Conclusion Nursing articles translated from Korean into Japanese by an online MT system could be read at an acceptable level of comprehension, but the same could not be said for English-Japanese translations. Respondents with experience using online MT used it largely to grasp the overall meanings of the original text. Enrichment in technical terms appeared to be the key to better usability. Users will be better able to use MT outputs if they improve their foreign language proficiency as much as possible. Further research is being conducted with a larger sample size and detailed analysis. PMID:23151362

Lake Representations in Global Climate Models: An End-User Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rood, R. B.; Briley, L.; Steiner, A.; Wells, K.

2017-12-01

The weather and climate in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada are strongly influenced by the lakes. Within global climate models, lakes are incorporated in many ways. If one is interested in quantitative climate information for the Great Lakes, then it is a first principle requirement that end-users of climate model simulation data, whether scientists or practitioners, need to know if and how lakes are incorporated into models. We pose the basic question, how are lakes represented in CMIP models? Despite significant efforts by the climate community to document and publish basic information about climate models, it is unclear how to answer the question about lake representations? With significant knowledge of the practice of the field, then a reasonable starting point is to use the ES-DOC Comparator (https://compare.es-doc.org/ ). Once at this interface to model information, the end-user is faced with the need for more knowledge about the practice and culture of the discipline. For example, lakes are often categorized as a type of land, a counterintuitive concept. In some models, though, lakes are specified in ocean models. There is little evidence and little confidence that the information obtained through this process is complete or accurate. In fact, it is verifiably not accurate. This experience, then, motivates identifying and finding either human experts or technical documentation for each model. The conclusion from this exercise is that it can take months or longer to provide a defensible answer to if and how lakes are represented in climate models. Our experience with lake finding is that this is not a unique experience. This talk documents our experience and explores barriers we have identified and strategies for reducing those barriers.

Systematically excluded: Young women's experiences of accessing child support grants in South Africa.

PubMed

Gibbs, Andrew; Washington, Laura; Jama Shai, Nwabisa; Sikweyiya, Yandisa; Willan, Samantha

2018-03-13

Unconditional cash transfers have risen in prominence for their potential to improve the health of the world's most marginalised and bring them into a relationship with the state. Typically, challenges to accessing grants are described in terms of technical issues such as access to documents and distance to offices. This paper explores the challenges of 30 young, poor, black South African women in accessing the Child Support Grant (CSG), an unconditional cash transfer provided by the South African government. Data suggest that while there were 'technical' issues, young women were systematically excluded from accessing the CSG in two ways. First, women were symbolically marginalised by state officials, who humiliated them, forcing women to sit quietly and acquiesce to state power to access the CSG. Second, there were large distances for women to travel to access state services, despite these being geared to serve the poor. Rather than promoting the active citizenship of the poorest in South Africa, accessing the CSG reinforced marginalisation. Transforming this will not be achieved through technical solutions, rather the barriers to access need to be recognised as political.

A new architecture for enterprise information systems.

PubMed Central

Covvey, H. D.; Stumpf, J. J.

1999-01-01

Irresistible economic and technical forces are forcing healthcare institutions to develop regionalized services such as consolidated or virtual laboratories. Technical realities, such as the lack of an enabling enterprise-level information technology (IT) integration infrastructure, the existence of legacy systems, and non-existent or embryonic enterprise-level IT services organizations, are delaying or frustrating the achievement of the desired configuration of shared services. On attempting to address this matter, we discover that the state-of-the-art in integration technology is not wholly adequate, and itself becomes a barrier to the full realization of shared healthcare services. In this paper we report new work from the field of Co-operative Information Systems that proposes a new architecture of systems that are intrinsically cooperation-enabled, and we extend this architecture to both the regional and national scales. PMID:10566455

E-Inclusion in Public Transport: The Role of Self-efficacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreder, Günther; Siebenhandl, Karin; Mayr, Eva

Many subgroups in today's society are not skilled in using novel technologies. Even everyday technologies pose a barrier to technically non-skilled people and - if they fail to use them - exclude them from important parts of daily life. In this paper we discuss the relevance of self-efficacy for the use of one specific kind of everyday technology: the ticket vending machine. Results from observations and interviews within the research project InnoMat are presented to answer the question how self-efficacy influences the ticket buying behavior and show that this motivational factor leads to an active avoidance of ticket machines. Negative experiences seem to be one of the strongest influences, which indicate that the group of technically non-skilled users should be given special attention when developing a new generation of ticket vending machines.

High-Penetration Photovoltaics Standards and Codes Workshop, Denver, Colorado, May 20, 2010: Workshop Proceedings

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

Coddington, M.; Kroposki, B.; Basso, T.

Effectively interconnecting high-level penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems requires careful technical attention to ensuring compatibility with electric power systems. Standards, codes, and implementation have been cited as major impediments to widespread use of PV within electric power systems. On May 20, 2010, in Denver, Colorado, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), held a workshop to examine the key technical issues and barriers associated with high PV penetration levels with an emphasis on codes and standards. This workshop included building upon results of the Highmore » Penetration of Photovoltaic (PV) Systems into the Distribution Grid workshop held in Ontario California on February 24-25, 2009, and upon the stimulating presentations of the diverse stakeholder presentations.« less

Transplantation of Bioprinted Tissues and Organs: Technical and Clinical Challenges and Future Perspectives.

PubMed

Ravnic, Dino J; Leberfinger, Ashley N; Koduru, Srinivas V; Hospodiuk, Monika; Moncal, Kazim K; Datta, Pallab; Dey, Madhuri; Rizk, Elias; Ozbolat, Ibrahim T

2017-07-01

: Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a revolutionary technology in building living tissues and organs with precise anatomic control and cellular composition. Despite the great progress in bioprinting research, there has yet to be any clinical translation due to current limitations in building human-scale constructs, which are vascularized and readily implantable. In this article, we review the current limitations and challenges in 3D bioprinting, including in situ techniques, which are one of several clinical translational models to facilitate the application of this technology from bench to bedside. A detailed discussion is made on the technical barriers in the fabrication of scalable constructs that are vascularized, autologous, functional, implantable, cost-effective, and ethically feasible. Clinical considerations for implantable bioprinted tissues are further expounded toward the correction of end-stage organ dysfunction and composite tissue deficits.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor promotes barrier maturation and wound healing in intestinal epithelial cells in vitro.

PubMed

Meir, Michael; Flemming, Sven; Burkard, Natalie; Bergauer, Lisa; Metzger, Marco; Germer, Christoph-Thomas; Schlegel, Nicolas

2015-10-15

Recent data suggest that neurotrophic factors from the enteric nervous system are involved in intestinal epithelial barrier regulation. In this context the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was shown to affect gut barrier properties in vivo directly or indirectly by largely undefined processes in a model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We further investigated the potential role and mechanisms of GDNF in the regulation of intestinal barrier functions. Immunostaining of human gut specimen showed positive GDNF staining in enteric neuronal plexus and in enterocytes. In Western blots of the intestinal epithelial cell lines Caco2 and HT29B6, significant amounts of GDNF were detected, suggesting that enterocytes represent an additional source of GDNF. Application of recombinant GDNF on Caco2 and HT29B6 cells for 24 h resulted in significant epithelial barrier stabilization in monolayers with immature barrier functions. Wound-healing assays showed a significantly faster closure of the wounded areas after GDNF application. GDNF augmented cAMP levels and led to significant inactivation of p38 MAPK in immature cells. Activation of p38 MAPK signaling by SB-202190 mimicked GDNF-induced barrier maturation, whereas the p38 MAPK activator anisomycin blocked GDNF-induced effects. Increasing cAMP levels had adverse effects on barrier maturation, as revealed by permeability measurements. However, increased cAMP augmented the proliferation rate in Caco2 cells, and GDNF-induced proliferation of epithelial cells was abrogated by the PKA inhibitor H89. Our data show that enterocytes represent an additional source of GDNF synthesis. GDNF contributes to wound healing in a cAMP/PKA-dependent manner and promotes barrier maturation in immature enterocytes cells by inactivation of p38 MAPK signaling. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Low-head sea lamprey barrier effects on stream habitat and fish communities in the Great Lakes basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodd, H.R.; Hayes, D.B.; Baylis, J.R.; Carl, L.M.; Goldstein, J.D.; McLaughlin, R.L.; Noakes, D.L.G.; Porto, L.M.; Jones, M.L.

2003-01-01

Low-head barriers are used to block adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) from upstream spawning habitat. However, these barriers may impact stream fish communities through restriction of fish movement and habitat alteration. During the summer of 1996, the fish community and habitat conditions in twenty-four stream pairs were sampled across the Great Lakes basin. Seven of these stream pairs were re-sampled in 1997. Each pair consisted of a barrier stream with a low-head barrier and a reference stream without a low-head barrier. On average, barrier streams were significantly deeper (df = 179, P = 0.0018) and wider (df = 179, P = 0.0236) than reference streams, but temperature and substrate were similar (df = 183, P = 0.9027; df = 179, P = 0.999). Barrier streams contained approximately four more fish species on average than reference streams. However, streams with low-head barriers showed a greater upstream decline in species richness compared to reference streams with a net loss of 2.4 species. Barrier streams also showed a peak in richness directly downstream of the barriers, indicating that these barriers block fish movement upstream. Using S??renson's similarity index (based on presence/absence), a comparison of fish community assemblages above and below low-head barriers was not significantly different than upstream and downstream sites on reference streams (n = 96, P > 0.05), implying they have relatively little effect on overall fish assemblage composition. Differences in the frequency of occurrence and abundance between barrier and reference streams was apparent for some species, suggesting their sensitivity to barriers.

Interprofessional non-technical skills for surgeons in disaster response: a qualitative study of the Australian perspective.

PubMed

Willems, Anneliese; Waxman, Buce; Bacon, Andrew K; Smith, Julian; Peller, Jennifer; Kitto, Simon

2013-03-01

Interprofessional non-technical skills for surgeons in disaster response have not yet been developed. The aims of this study were to identify the non-technical skills required of surgeons in disaster response and training for disaster response and to explore the barriers and facilitators to interprofessional practice in surgical teams responding to disasters. Twenty health professionals, with prior experience in natural disaster response or education, participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. A qualitative matrix analysis design was used to thematically analyze the data. Non-technical skills for surgeons in disaster response identified in this study included skills for austere environments, cognitive strategies and interprofessional skills. Skills for austere environments were physical self-care including survival skills, psychological self-care, flexibility, adaptability, innovation and improvisation. Cognitive strategies identified in this study were "big picture" thinking, situational awareness, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. Interprofessional attributes include communication, team-player, sense of humor, cultural competency and conflict resolution skills. "Interprofessionalism" in disaster teams also emerged as a key factor in this study and incorporated elements of effective teamwork, clear leadership, role adjustment and conflict resolution. The majority of participants held the belief that surgeons needed training in non-technical skills in order to achieve best practice in disaster response. Surgeons considerring becoming involved in disaster management should be trained in these skills, and these skills should be incorporated into disaster preparation courses with an interprofessional focus.

Making Homes Part of the Climate Solution: Policy Options To Promote Energy Efficiency

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

Brown, Dr. Marilyn Ann; Chandler, Jess; Lapsa, Melissa Voss

In the area of energy efficiency, advanced technologies combined with best practices appear to afford not only large, but also cost-effective options to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (McKinsey & Company, 2007). In practice, however, the realization of this potential has often proven difficult. Progress appears to require large numbers of individuals to act knowledgeably, and each individual must often act with enabling assistance from others. Even when consumer education is effective and social norms are supportive, the actions of individuals and businesses can be impeded by a broad range of barriers, many of which are non-technical inmore » nature. Title XVI of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 included a mandate to examine barriers to progress and make recommendations in this regard. A detailed report on barriers as well as the National strategy for overcoming barriers met this requirement (Brown et al, 2008; CCCSTI, 2009). Following up on this mandate, the U.S. Climate Change Technology Program (CCTP) chose to focus next on the development of policy options to improve energy efficiency in residential buildings, with supporting analysis of pros and cons, informed in part by behavioral research. While this work is sponsored by CCTP, it has been undertaken in coordination with DOE's Building Technologies Program and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.« less

Barriers to standard precautions adherence in a dental school in Iran: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Hedayati, Hamidreza; Marjadi, Brahmaputra; Askarian, Mehrdad

2014-07-01

Setting up good infection control practices in educational institutions is crucial in shaping future health professionals. The implementation of standard precautions (SPs) in Iranian dental schools has not been explored qualitatively to identify barriers to good practice. Twelve focus group discussions and 8 semistructured interviews were conducted with students, residents, and staff members (n = 83) of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Dental School. The interview guide addressed performance, subjective norms, and behavioral control domains of SP-related behaviors. Thematic analysis was performed manually to identify barriers to SP practices. Proximal factors of poor SP adherence were a lack of knowledge and technical difficulties. These factors were compounded by intermediate factors in the work environment: lack of facilities, heavy workload, patient expectations, interprofessional conflicts, and lack of good role models. Two underlying distal factors were financial issues and unsupportive organizational culture. The social constructionism theory was useful in analyzing the situation and suggesting an educational approach as part of the solution. Complex and intertwined barriers of SP adherence were found in this dental school. A social construction approach may assist in addressing these problems by shifting the culture through education to construct a contextual new knowledge. Further research in medical sociology of SP practices would be useful. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of solid noise barriers on near-road and on-road air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldauf, Richard W.; Isakov, Vlad; Deshmukh, Parikshit; Venkatram, Akula; Yang, Bo; Zhang, K. Max

2016-03-01

Public health concerns regarding adverse health effects for populations spending significant amounts of time near high traffic roadways has increased substantially in recent years. Roadside features, including solid noise barriers, have been investigated as potential methods that can be implemented in a relatively short time period to reduce air pollution exposures from nearby traffic. A field study was conducted to determine the influence of noise barriers on both on-road and downwind pollutant concentrations near a large highway in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ultrafine particles, and black carbon were measured using a mobile platform and fixed sites along two limited-access stretches of highway that contained a section of noise barrier and a section with no noise barrier at-grade with the surrounding terrain. Results of the study showed that pollutant concentrations behind the roadside barriers were significantly lower relative to those measured in the absence of barriers. The reductions ranged from 50% within 50 m from the barrier to about 30% as far as 300 m from the barrier. Reductions in pollutant concentrations generally began within the first 50 m of the barrier edge; however, concentrations were highly variable due to vehicle activity behind the barrier and along nearby urban arterial roadways. The concentrations on the highway, upwind of the barrier, varied depending on wind direction. Overall, the on-road concentrations in front of the noise barrier were similar to those measured in the absence of the barrier, contradicting previous modeling results that suggested roadside barriers increase pollutant levels on the road. Thus, this study suggests that noise barriers do reduce potential pollutant exposures for populations downwind of the road, and do not likely increase exposures to traffic-related pollutants for vehicle passengers on the highway.

Therapeutic cloning and cellular reprogramming.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Ramon M; Ross, Pablo J; Cibelli, Jose B

2012-01-01

Embryonic stem cells are capable of differentiating into any cell-type present in an adult organism, and constitute a renewable source of tissue for regenerative therapies. The transplant of allogenic stem cells is challenging due to the risk of immune rejection. Nevertheless, somatic cell reprogramming techniques allow the generation of isogenic embryonic stem cells, genetically identical to the patient. In this chapter we will discuss the cellular reprogramming techniques in the context of regenerative therapy and the biological and technical barriers that they will need to overcome before clinical use.

Vehicle Technologies Program Funding Opportunities

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

None

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) provides funding opportunities for advanced vehicle technology projects that are aimed at removing technical and cost barriers. Much of the funding available to the Vehicle Technologies Program is distributed to private firms, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, Native American organizations, and individuals, through competitive solicitations. DOE is strongly committed to partnerships to help ensure the eventual market acceptance of the technologies being developed. New solicitations are announced regularly.

Apollo-Soyuz US-USSR joint mission results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bean, A. L.; Evans, R. E.

1975-01-01

The technical and nontechnical objectives of the Apollo-Soyuz mission are briefly considered. The mission demonstrated that Americans and Russians can work together to perform a very complex operation, including rendezvous in space, docking, and the conduction of joint experiments. Certain difficulties which had to be overcome were partly related to differences concerning the role of the astronaut in the basic alignment and docking procedures for space vehicles. Attention is also given to the experiments conducted during the mission and the approach used to overcome the language barrier.

The AGARD tip research agenda for Scientific and Technical Information (STI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blados, Walter R.

1992-01-01

The Research Agenda contains three themes: information management, provision of information, and access to information. Provision of information is further divided into two subordinate themes, dissemination and bibliographic control; access to information is also further divided into two subordinate themes, barriers and equity and networking. Each theme or sub-theme was examined from four possible aspects, namely, human resources, quality assurance, cost, and technology. It was concluded that, in fact, a theme or sub-theme need not contain all four aspects.

NASA/contractor partnership on the second TDRSS ground terminal program: Breaking barriers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tierney, Paul G.

1992-01-01

The Second Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Ground Terminal (STGT) Program from its technical and programmatic backgrounds is introduced and then several techniques to enhance communication and empower the NASA Contractor team are described. A major factor in our success was an approach used to shorten the time span of the Critical Design Review phase. This approach is described. The relationships involving NASA's O&M contractor are discussed. A set of lessons learned is included.

T-Check in System-of-Systems Technologies: Cloud Computing

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

T-Check in System-of-Systems Technologies: Cloud Computing Harrison D. Strowd Grace A. Lewis September 2010 TECHNICAL NOTE CMU/SEI-2010... Cloud Computing 1 1.2 Types of Cloud Computing 2 1.3 Drivers and Barriers to Cloud Computing Adoption 5 2 Using the T-Check Method 7 2.1 T-Check...Hypothesis 3 25 3.4.2 Deployment View of the Solution for Testing Hypothesis 3 27 3.5 Selecting Cloud Computing Providers 30 3.6 Implementing the T-Check

Sex differences in theory-based predictors of leisure time physical activity in a population-based sample of adults with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Stapleton, Jessie N; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A

2014-09-01

To examine sex differences in theory-based predictors of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among men and women with spinal cord injury, and secondarily, to identify factors that might explain any sex differences in social cognitions. A secondary analysis of Study of Health and Activity in People with Spinal Cord Injury survey data. Community. Community-dwelling men (n=536) and women (n=164) recruited from 4 rehabilitation and research centers. Not applicable. Subjective norms, attitudes, barrier self-efficacy, perceived controllability (PC), and intentions. Men had stronger PC and barrier self-efficacy than women. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that social support significantly predicted PC for both sexes, and health, pain, and physical independence also significantly predicted PC for men. Social support, health, and pain significantly predicted barrier self-efficacy for men. Social support was the only significant predictor of barrier self-efficacy for women. Women felt significantly less control over their physical activity behavior and had lower confidence to overcome barriers to physical activity than did men. Although social support predicted PC and barrier self-efficacy in both men and women, men seemed to take additional factors into consideration when formulating their control beliefs for LTPA. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Finding Medical Care for Colorectal Cancer Symptoms: Experiences among Those Facing Financial Barriers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Maria D.; Siminoff, Laura A.

2015-01-01

Financial barriers can substantially delay medical care seeking. Using patient narratives provided by 252 colorectal cancer patients, we explored the experience of financial barriers to care seeking. Of the 252 patients interviewed, 84 identified financial barriers as a significant hurdle to obtaining health care for their colorectal cancer…

Biological Conversion of Sugars to Hydrocarbons Technology Pathway

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

Davis, Ryan; Biddy, Mary J.; Tan, Eric

2013-03-31

In support of the Bioenergy Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are undertaking studies of biomass conversion technologies to identify barriers and target research toward reducing conversion costs. Process designs and preliminary economic estimates for each of these pathway cases were developed using rigorous modeling tools (Aspen Plus and Chemcad). These analyses incorporated the best information available at the time of development, including data from recent pilot and bench-scale demonstrations, collaborative industrial and academic partners, and published literature and patents. This technology pathway case investigates the biological conversion of biomass derivedmore » sugars to hydrocarbon biofuels, utilizing data from recent literature references and information consistent with recent pilot scale demonstrations at NREL. Technical barriers and key research needs have been identified that should be pursued for the pathway to become competitive with petroleum-derived gasoline, diesel and jet range hydrocarbon blendstocks.« less

Nuclear proliferation-resistance and safeguards for future nuclear fuel cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuno, Y.; Inoue, N.; Senzaki, M.

2009-03-01

Corresponding to the world nuclear security concerns, future nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) should have high proliferation-resistance (PR) and physical protection (PP), while promotion of the peaceful use of the nuclear energy must not be inhibited. In order to accomplish nuclear non-proliferation from NFC, a few models of the well-PR systems should be developed so that international community can recognize them as worldwide norms. To find a good balance of 'safeguard-ability (so-called extrinsic measure or institutional barrier)' and 'impede-ability (intrinsic feature or technical barrier)' will come to be essential for NFC designers to optimize civilian nuclear technology with nuclear non-proliferation, although the advanced safeguards with high detectability can still play a dominant role for PR in the states complying with full institutional controls. Accomplishment of such goal in a good economic efficiency is a future key challenge.

Neutron and gamma (density) logging in welded tuff

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

Lin, W

This Technical Implementation Procedure (TIP) describes the field operation, and the management of data records pertaining to neutron logging and density logging in welded tuff. This procedure applies to all borehole surveys performed in support of Engineered Barrier System Field Tests (EBSFT), including the Earge Block Tests (LBT) and Initial Engineered Barrier System Field Tests (IEBSFT) - WBS 1.2.3.12.4. The purpose of this TIP is to provide guidelines so that other equally trained and qualified personnel can understand how the work is performed or how to repeat the work if needed. The work will be documented by the use ofmore » Scientific Notebooks (SNs) as discussed in 033-YMP-QP 3.4. The TIP will provide a set of guidelines which the scientists will take into account in conducting the mea- surements. The use of this TIP does not imply that this is repetitive work that does not require profes- sional judgment.« less

Electronic decision support in general practice. What's the hold up?

PubMed

Liaw, S T; Schattner, P

2003-11-01

The uptake of computers in Australian general practice has been for administrative use and prescribing, but the development of electronic decision support (EDS) has been particularly slow. Therefore, computers are not being used to their full potential in assisting general practitioners to care for their patients. This article examines current barriers to EDS in general practice and possible strategies to increase its uptake. Barriers to the uptake of EDS include a lack of a business case, shifting of costs for data collection and management to the clinician, uncertainty about the optimal level of decision support, lack of technical and semantic standards, and resistance to EDS use by the time conscious GP. There is a need for a more strategic and attractive incentives program, greater national coordination, and more effective collaboration between government, the computer industry and the medical profession if current inertia is to be overcome.

Puncture detecting barrier materials

DOEpatents

Hermes, R.E.; Ramsey, D.R.; Stampfer, J.F.; Macdonald, J.M.

1998-03-31

A method and apparatus for continuous real-time monitoring of the integrity of protective barrier materials, particularly protective barriers against toxic, radioactive and biologically hazardous materials has been developed. Conductivity, resistivity or capacitance between conductive layers in the multilayer protective materials is measured by using leads connected to electrically conductive layers in the protective barrier material. The measured conductivity, resistivity or capacitance significantly changes upon a physical breach of the protective barrier material. 4 figs.

Puncture detecting barrier materials

DOEpatents

Hermes, Robert E.; Ramsey, David R.; Stampfer, Joseph F.; Macdonald, John M.

1998-01-01

A method and apparatus for continuous real-time monitoring of the integrity of protective barrier materials, particularly protective barriers against toxic, radioactive and biologically hazardous materials has been developed. Conductivity, resistivity or capacitance between conductive layers in the multilayer protective materials is measured by using leads connected to electrically conductive layers in the protective barrier material. The measured conductivity, resistivity or capacitance significantly changes upon a physical breach of the protective barrier material.

Unpacking the Barriers to Reproductive Health Services in Ghana: HIV/STI Testing, Abortion and Contraception.

PubMed

Thatte, Nandita; Bingenheimer, Jeffrey B; Ndiaye, Khadidiatou; Rimal, Rajiv N

2016-06-01

Youth report embarrassment, cost, and poor access as barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Interventions to address barriers like youth friendly services have yet to conclusively demonstrate impact on protective behaviours like condom or contraceptive use. SRH encompasses a range of services so we aimed to assess how perceived barriers differed depending on the service being sought between common services accessed by young people: HIV/STI testing, abortion, and contraception. 1203 Ghanaian youth were interviewed. Data was analysed to identify barriers by service type, demographics, and between high and low HIV prevalence communities. Being embarrassed or shy was the most commonly reported barrier across services. Overall being embarrassed or shy, fear of safety, fear of family finding out and cost were the most reported barriers across all services. Further analysis by service indicated that being embarrassed was a significantly greater barrier for HIV/STI testing and contraception when compared with abortion (p<0.001) and safety concerns and cost were significantly greater barriers for abortion and contraception compared with HIV/STI testing (p<0.001). Efforts to develop interventions that consider the service being sought may help address the range of barriers faced by youth with diverse SRH needs.

Barriers to exercise in younger and older non-exercising adult women: a cross sectional study in London, United Kingdom.

PubMed

El Ansari, Walid; Lovell, Geoff

2009-04-01

A survey of 100 women in the south of London, United Kingdom (UK) compared exercise barrier intensities between non-exercising younger (20-27 years) and older (28-35 years) adult women; and examined childcare duties as perceived barriers to exercise. Perceived barriers to exercise were examined using an Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) comprising four subscales (exercise milieu; time expenditure; physical exertion; family discouragement). Participants' number of children was also noted. Non-exercising older women reported significantly higher total exercise barriers, as well as across three barrier subscales: exercise milieu, time expenditure, and family discouragement. For both age groups, significant correlation existed between number of children and women's total exercise barrier scores. Number of children explained approximately 25% and approximately 30% of the variance of younger and older women's total barrier scores respectively. For both women groups, the strongest correlation between exercise barrier and number of children was for the time expenditure subscale. Broad grouping of 20-35 year old non-exercising women does not reflect a homogenous sample. Age categories employing narrower age brackets are recommended. Issues surrounding family responsibilities e.g. childcare duties may be shared between these groups and require further research and policy attention.

Barriers to Exercise in Younger and Older Non-Exercising Adult Women: A Cross Sectional Study in London, United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Ansari, Walid El; Lovell, Geoff

2009-01-01

A survey of 100 women in the south of London, United Kingdom (UK) compared exercise barrier intensities between non-exercising younger (20–27 years) and older (28–35 years) adult women; and examined childcare duties as perceived barriers to exercise. Perceived barriers to exercise were examined using an Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) comprising four subscales (exercise milieu; time expenditure; physical exertion; family discouragement). Participants’ number of children was also noted. Non-exercising older women reported significantly higher total exercise barriers, as well as across three barrier subscales: exercise milieu, time expenditure, and family discouragement. For both age groups, significant correlation existed between number of children and women’s total exercise barrier scores. Number of children explained ≈25% and ≈30% of the variance of younger and older women’s total barrier scores respectively. For both women groups, the strongest correlation between exercise barrier and number of children was for the time expenditure subscale. Broad grouping of 20–35 year old non-exercising women does not reflect a homogenous sample. Age categories employing narrower age brackets are recommended. Issues surrounding family responsibilities e.g. childcare duties may be shared between these groups and require further research and policy attention. PMID:19440527

Imaging approach to mechanistic study of nanoparticle interactions with the blood-brain barrier.

PubMed

Bramini, Mattia; Ye, Dong; Hallerbach, Anna; Nic Raghnaill, Michelle; Salvati, Anna; Aberg, Christoffer; Dawson, Kenneth A

2014-05-27

Understanding nanoparticle interactions with the central nervous system, in particular the blood-brain barrier, is key to advances in therapeutics, as well as assessing the safety of nanoparticles. Challenges in achieving insights have been significant, even for relatively simple models. Here we use a combination of live cell imaging and computational analysis to directly study nanoparticle translocation across a human in vitro blood-brain barrier model. This approach allows us to identify and avoid problems in more conventional inferential in vitro measurements by identifying the catalogue of events of barrier internalization and translocation as they occur. Potentially this approach opens up the window of applicability of in vitro models, thereby enabling in depth mechanistic studies in the future. Model nanoparticles are used to illustrate the method. For those, we find that translocation, though rare, appears to take place. On the other hand, barrier uptake is efficient, and since barrier export is small, there is significant accumulation within the barrier.

Perceived barriers, benefits, and motives for physical activity: two primary-care physical activity prescription programs.

PubMed

Patel, Asmita; Schofield, Grant M; Kolt, Gregory S; Keogh J, W L

2013-01-01

This study examined whether perceived barriers, benefits, and motives for physical activity differed based on allocation to 2 different types of primary-care activity-prescription programs (pedometer-based vs. time-based Green Prescription). Eighty participants from the Healthy Steps study completed a questionnaire that assessed their perceived barriers, benefits, and motives for physical activity. Factor analysis was carried out to identify common themes of barriers, benefits, and motives for physical activity. Factor scores were then used to explore between-groups differences for perceived barriers, benefits, and motives based on group allocation and demographic variables. No significant differences were found in factor scores based on allocation. Demographic variables relating to the existence of chronic health conditions, weight status, and older age were found to significantly influence perceived barriers, benefits, and motives for physical activity. Findings suggest that the addition of a pedometer to the standard Green Prescription does not appear to increase perceived motives or benefits or decrease perceived barriers for physical activity in low-active older adults.

Lifecycle Verification of Tank Liner Polymers

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

Anovitz, Lawrence; Smith, Barton

2014-03-01

This report describes a method that was developed for the purpose of assessing the durability of thermoplastic liners used in a Type IV hydrogen storage tank during the tank s expected service life. In the method, a thermoplastic liner specimen is cycled between the maximum and minimum expected working temperatures while it is differentially pressurized with high-pressure hydrogen gas. The number of thermal cycling intervals corresponds to those expected within the tank s design lifetime. At prescribed intervals, hydrogen permeation measurements are done in situ to assess the ability of the liner specimen to maintain its hydrogen barrier properties andmore » to model its permeability over the tank lifetime. Finally, the model is used to assess whether the steady-state leakage rate in the tank could potentially exceed the leakage specification for hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicles. A durability assessment was performed on a specimen of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) that is in current use as a tank liner. Hydrogen permeation measurements were performed on several additional tank liner polymers as well as novel polymers proposed for use as storage tank liners and hydrogen barrier materials. The following technical barriers from the Fuel Cell Technologies Program MYRDD were addressed by the project: D. Durability of on-board storage systems lifetime of at least 1500 cycles G. Materials of construction vessel containment that is resistant to hydrogen permeation M. Lack of Tank Performance Data and Understanding of Failure Mechanisms And the following technical targets1 for on-board hydrogen storage systems R&D were likewise addressed: Operational cycle life (1/4 tank to full) FY 2017: 1500 cycles; Ultimate: 1500 cycles Environmental health & safety Permeation and leakage: Meets or exceeds applicable standards Loss of useable H2: FY 2017: 0.05 g/h/kg H2; Ultimate: 0.05 g/h/kg H2« less

Back-Up/ Peak Shaving Fuel Cell System

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

Staudt, Rhonda L.

2008-05-28

This Final Report covers the work executed by Plug Power from 8/11/03 – 10/31/07 statement of work for Topic 2: advancing the state of the art of fuel cell technology with the development of a new generation of commercially viable, stationary, Back-up/Peak-Shaving fuel cell systems, the GenCore II. The Program cost was $7.2 M with the Department of Energy share being $3.6M and Plug Power’s share being $3.6 M. The Program started in August of 2003 and was scheduled to end in January of 2006. The actual program end date was October of 2007. A no cost extension was grated.more » The Department of Energy barriers addressed as part of this program are: Technical Barriers for Distributed Generation Systems: o Durability o Power Electronics o Start up time Technical Barriers for Fuel Cell Components: o Stack Material and Manufacturing Cost o Durability o Thermal and water management Background The next generation GenCore backup fuel cell system to be designed, developed and tested by Plug Power under the program is the first, mass-manufacturable design implementation of Plug Power’s GenCore architected platform targeted for battery and small generator replacement applications in the telecommunications, broadband and UPS markets. The next generation GenCore will be a standalone, H2 in-DC-out system. In designing the next generation GenCore specifically for the telecommunications market, Plug Power is teaming with BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., a leading industry end user. The final next generation GenCore system is expected to represent a market-entry, mass-manufacturable and economically viable design. The technology will incorporate: • A cost-reduced, polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack tailored to hydrogen fuel use • An advanced electrical energy storage system • A modular, scalable power conditioning system tailored to market requirements • A scaled-down, cost-reduced balance of plant (BOP) • Network Equipment Building Standards (NEBS), UL and CE certifications.« less

The politics of NGO registration in international protectorates: the cases of Bosnia and Iraq.

PubMed

Bolton, Matthew; Jeffrey, Alex

2008-12-01

Following international interventions in Bosnia-Herzegovina(1) and Iraq, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have played a central role in delivering humanitarian relief, encouraging participation in new systems of government, and advocating on behalf of marginalised groups. Although intervening agencies have framed such autonomous organisations as unquestionably virtuous, scholars have increasingly questioned the agency of NGOs, pointing to the constraining effects of funding and regulatory mechanisms. This paper contributes to this body of work by offering a detailed examination of legislation requiring NGOs to register with nascent state institutions. Drawing on case study material from Bosnia and Iraq, it argues that NGO registration should not be dismissed as a technical or legal matter, but that it should be embraced as a significant political practice embedded in relations of power. Registration legislation has increased the transparency of NGO funding origins and institutional practices, yet it has simultaneously acted as a barrier to smaller organisations and led to the transmission of international objectives through civil society entities.

The Future of Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Christopher; Yeh, Sonia

2011-11-01

Petroleum fuel uses make up essentially all of transportation fuel usage today and will continue to dominate transportation fuel usage well into future without any major policy changes. This chapter focuses on low-carbon transportation fuels, specifically, biofuels, electricity and hydrogen, that are emerging options to displace petroleum based fuels. The transition to cleaner, lower carbon fuel sources will need significant technology advancement, and sustained coordination efforts among the vehicle and fuel industry and policymakers/regulators over long period of time in order to overcome market barriers, consumer acceptance, and externalities of imported oil. We discuss the unique infrastructure challenges, and compare resource, technology, economics and transitional issues for each of these fuels. While each fuel type has important technical and implementation challenges to overcome (including vehicle technologies) in order to contribute a large fraction of our total fuel demand, it is important to note that a portfolio approach will give us the best chance of meeting stringent environmental and energy security goals for a sustainable transportation future.

Military wastes-to-energy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawaoka, K. E.

1980-11-01

This analysis focuses on the military waste material and byproduct stream and the potential for energy recovery and utilization. Feedstock material includes municipal-type solid waste, selected installation hazardous waste, and biomass residue. The study objectives are to (1) analyze the characteristics of the military waste stream; (2) identify potential energy recovery options; and (3) examine and assess the technical and economic feasibility and environmental and institutional impacts of various energy recovery approaches. Total energy recoverable from DOD solid waste could provide about 2 percent of DOD's facility energy demand. The energy potential available to DOD from biomass and hazardous waste was not available. Available waste-to-energy systems are thermal conversion processes such as incineration with heat recovery. The significance of this recoverable energy from military wastes is put in proper perspective when the benefits and barriers in using waste-derived energy are considered. Some of the benefits of waste-to-energy conversion are as follows: waste energy is a readily available and inexhaustible resource that greatly reduces dependence on imported energy.

Barriers and Prospects of Carbon Sequestration in India.

PubMed

Gupta, Anjali; Nema, Arvind K

2014-04-01

Carbon sequestration is considered a leading technology for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil-fuel based electricity generating power plants and could permit the continued use of coal and gas whilst meeting greenhouse gas targets. India will become the world's third largest emitter of CO2 by 2015. Considering the dependence of health of the Indian global economy, there is an imperative need to develop a global approach which could address the capturing and securely storing carbon dioxide emitted from an array of energy. Therefore technology such as carbon sequestration will deliver significant CO2 reductions in a timely fashion. Considerable energy is required for the capture, compression, transport and storage steps. With the availability of potential technical storage methods for carbon sequestration like forest, mineral and geological storage options with India, it would facilitate achieving stabilization goal in the near future. This paper examines the potential carbon sequestration options available in India and evaluates them with respect to their strengths, weakness, threats and future prospects.

Carbothermal Production of Magnesium: Csiro's Magsonic™ Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prentice, Leon H.; Nagle, Michael W.; Barton, Timothy R. D.; Tassios, Steven; Kuan, Benny T.; Witt, Peter J.; Constanti-Carey, Keri K.

Carbothermal production has been recognized as conceptually the simplest and cleanest route to magnesium metal, but has suffered from technical challenges of development and scale-up. Work by CSIRO has now successfully demonstrated the technology using supersonic quenching of magnesium vapor (the MagSonic™ Process). Key barriers to process development have been overcome: the experimental program has achieved sustained operation, no nozzle blockage, minimal reversion, and safe handling of pyrophoric powders. The laboratory equipment has been operated at industrially relevant magnesium vapor concentrations (>25% Mg) for multiple runs with no blockage. Novel computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the shock quenching and metal vapor condensation has informed nozzle design and is supported by experimental data. Reversion below 10% has been demonstrated, and magnesium successfully purified (>99.9%) from the collected powder. Safe operating procedures have been developed and demonstrated, minimizing the risk of powder explosion. The MagSonic™ Process is now ready to progress to significantly larger scale and continuous operation.

The pipeline still leaks and more than you think: a status report on gender diversity in biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Chesler, Naomi C; Barabino, Gilda; Bhatia, Sangeeta N; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca

2010-05-01

While the percentage of women in biomedical engineering is higher than in many other technical fields, it is far from being in proportion to the US population. The decrease in the proportion of women and underrepresented minorities in biomedical engineering from the bachelors to the masters to the doctoral levels is evidence of a still leaky pipeline in our discipline. In addition, the percentage of women faculty members at the assistant, associate and full professor levels remain disappointingly low even after years of improved recruitment of women into biomedical engineering at the undergraduate level. Worse, the percentage of women graduating with undergraduate degrees in biomedical engineering has been decreasing nationwide for the most recent three year span for which national data are available. Increasing diversity in biomedical engineering is predicted to have significant research and educational benefits. The barriers to women's success in biomedical engineering and strategies for overcoming these obstacles-and fixing the leaks in the pipeline-are reviewed.

The Effects of Organizational Culture on Mental Health Service Engagement of Transition Age Youth.

PubMed

Kim, HyunSoo; Tracy, Elizabeth M; Biegel, David E; Min, Meeyoung O; Munson, Michelle R

2015-10-01

Nationwide, there is a growing concern in understanding mental health service engagement among transition age youth. The ecological perspective suggests that there are multiple barriers to service engagement which exist on varying levels of the ecosystem. Based on the socio-technical theory and organizational culture theory, this study examined the impact of organization-level characteristics on perceived service engagement and the moderating role of organizational culture on practitioner-level characteristics affecting youth service engagement. A cross-sectional survey research design was used to address the research questions. The data were collected from 279 practitioners from 27 mental health service organizations representing three major metropolitan areas in Ohio. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to address a nested structure. Findings revealed that location of organization, service setting, and organizational culture had significant effects on the continuation of services. In addition, the relationship between service coordination and resource knowledge and service engagement was moderated by organizational culture.

Captive breeding of pangolins: current status, problems and future prospects

PubMed Central

Hua, Liushuai; Gong, Shiping; Wang, Fumin; Li, Weiye; Ge, Yan; Li, Xiaonan; Hou, Fanghui

2015-01-01

Abstract Pangolins are unique placental mammals with eight species existing in the world, which have adapted to a highly specialized diet of ants and termites, and are of significance in the control of forest termite disaster. Besides their ecological value, pangolins are extremely important economic animals with the value as medicine and food. At present, illegal hunting and habitat destruction have drastically decreased the wild population of pangolins, pushing them to the edge of extinction. Captive breeding is an important way to protect these species, but because of pangolin’s specialized behaviors and high dependence on natural ecosystem, there still exist many technical barriers to successful captive breeding programs. In this paper, based on the literatures and our practical experience, we reviewed the status and existing problems in captive breeding of pangolins, including four aspects, the naturalistic habitat, dietary husbandry, reproduction and disease control. Some recommendations are presented for effective captive breeding and protection of pangolins. PMID:26155072

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

Fred D. Brent; Lalit Shah; Earl Berry

The overall objective of this project is the three phase development of an Early Entrance Coproduction Plant (EECP) which uses petroleum coke to produce at least one product from at least two of the following three categories: (1) electric power (or heat), (2) fuels, and (3) chemicals using ChevronTexaco's proprietary gasification technology. The objective of Phase I is to determine the feasibility and define the concept for the EECP located at a specific site; develop a Research, Development, and Testing (RD&T) Plan to mitigate technical risks and barriers; and prepare a Preliminary Project Financing Plan. The objective of Phase IImore » is to implement the work as outlined in the Phase I RD&T Plan to enhance the development and commercial acceptance of coproduction technology. The objective of Phase III is to develop an engineering design package and a financing and testing plan for an EECP located at a specific site. The project's intended result is to provide the necessary technical, economic, and environmental information needed by industry to move the EECP forward to detailed design, construction, and operation. The partners in this project are Texaco Energy Systems LLC or TES (a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco), General Electric (GE), Praxair, and Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) in addition to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). TES is providing gasification technology and Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) technology developed by Rentech, GE is providing combustion turbine technology, Praxair is providing air separation technology, and KBR is providing engineering. Each of the EECP subsystems was assessed for technical risks and barriers. A plan was developed to mitigate the identified risks (Phase II RD&T Plan, October 2000). The potential technical and economic risks to the EECP from Task 2.5 can be mitigated by demonstrating that the end-use products derived from the upgrading of the F-T synthesis total liquid product can meet or exceed current specifications for the manufacture of ethylene and propylene chemicals from F-T naphtha, for the generation of hydrogen from F-T naphtha to power fuel cells, for direct blending of F-T diesels into transportation fuels, for the conversion of F-T heavy product wax to transportation fuels, and the conversion of F-T Heavy product wax to a valuable high melting point food-grade specialty wax product. Product evaluations conducted under Task 2.5 of Phase II successfully mitigated the above technical and economic risks to the EECP with the development of product yields and product qualities for the production of chemicals, transportation fuels, and specialty food-grade waxes from the F-T synthesis products.« less

The Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) Software Toolbox Capabilities in Assessing the Degradation of Cementitious Barriers - 13487

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

Flach, G.P.; Burns, H.H.; Langton, C.

2013-07-01

The Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) Project is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional collaboration supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) Office of Tank Waste and Nuclear Materials Management. The CBP program has developed a set of integrated tools (based on state-of-the-art models and leaching test methods) that help improve understanding and predictions of the long-term structural, hydraulic and chemical performance of cementitious barriers used in nuclear applications. Tools selected for and developed under this program have been used to evaluate and predict the behavior of cementitious barriers used in near-surface engineered waste disposal systems for periods of performance up tomore » 100 years and longer for operating facilities and longer than 1000 years for waste disposal. The CBP Software Toolbox has produced tangible benefits to the DOE Performance Assessment (PA) community. A review of prior DOE PAs has provided a list of potential opportunities for improving cementitious barrier performance predictions through the use of the CBP software tools. These opportunities include: 1) impact of atmospheric exposure to concrete and grout before closure, such as accelerated slag and Tc-99 oxidation, 2) prediction of changes in K{sub d}/mobility as a function of time that result from changing pH and redox conditions, 3) concrete degradation from rebar corrosion due to carbonation, 4) early age cracking from drying and/or thermal shrinkage and 5) degradation due to sulfate attack. The CBP has already had opportunity to provide near-term, tangible support to ongoing DOE-EM PAs such as the Savannah River Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF) by providing a sulfate attack analysis that predicts the extent and damage that sulfate ingress will have on the concrete vaults over extended time (i.e., > 1000 years). This analysis is one of the many technical opportunities in cementitious barrier performance that can be addressed by the DOE-EM sponsored CBP software tools. Modification of the existing tools can provide many opportunities to bring defense in depth in prediction of the performance of cementitious barriers over time. (authors)« less

Economic consequences of high throughput maskless lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartley, John G.; Govindaraju, Lakshmi

2005-11-01

Many people in the semiconductor industry bemoan the high costs of masks and view mask cost as one of the significant barriers to bringing new chip designs to market. All that is needed is a viable maskless technology and the problem will go away. Numerous sites around the world are working on maskless lithography but inevitably, the question asked is "Wouldn't a one wafer per hour maskless tool make a really good mask writer?" Of course, the answer is yes, the hesitation you hear in the answer isn't based on technology concerns, it's financial. The industry needs maskless lithography because mask costs are too high. Mask costs are too high because mask pattern generators (PG's) are slow and expensive. If mask PG's become much faster, mask costs go down, the maskless market goes away and the PG supplier is faced with an even smaller tool demand from the mask shops. Technical success becomes financial suicide - or does it? In this paper we will present the results of a model that examines some of the consequences of introducing high throughput maskless pattern generation. Specific features in the model include tool throughput for masks and wafers, market segmentation by node for masks and wafers and mask cost as an entry barrier to new chip designs. How does the availability of low cost masks and maskless tools affect the industries tool makeup and what is the ultimate potential market for high throughput maskless pattern generators?

Cuprous selenide and sulfide form improved photovoltaic barriers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1966-01-01

Photovoltaic barriers formed by depositing a layer of polycrystalline cuprous sulfide or cuprous selenide on gallium arsenide are chemically and electrically stable. The stability of these barrier materials is significantly greater than that of cuprous iodide.

Horizontal insulating barriers as a way to protect groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cicha-Szot, Renata; Labus, Krzysztof; Falkowicz, Sławomir; Madetko, Norbert

2018-06-01

Trenchless Technology of Forming Horizontal Insulating Barriers (TFHB) can be considered a method of groundwater protection against inflow of pollutants. In TFHB technology, the working fluid (sodium silicate solution) and the gelling agent (CO2) are injected separately, using one tool, to different zones of the aquifer profile. Carbon dioxide injected into the saturation zone rises due to buoyancy forces and reaches the silicate which was injected at the water table level. This initiates the process of silicate gelation, resulting in the formation of an insulating barrier. For technological purposes, the gelation time must be controlled, and the resulting gel must have certain mechanical properties. In order to apply THFB in real conditions it was necessary to identify important technological and technical parameters, as well as to define interactions between the injected fluid and the aquifer rocks. Geochemical modelling (equilibrium, reaction path and reactive transport) was used to identify potential geochemical effects of the application of TFHB in sandy aquifers. Certain petrophysical parameters and mineralogical assemblages of aquifers were addressed, taking into account both low and strongly mineralized groundwater. The simulations revealed that TFHB does not have a negative impact on the chemistry of rock-water systems described in this work.

Public computing options for individuals with cognitive impairments: survey outcomes.

PubMed

Fox, Lynn Elizabeth; Sohlberg, McKay Moore; Fickas, Stephen; Lemoncello, Rik; Prideaux, Jason

2009-09-01

To examine availability and accessibility of public computing for individuals with cognitive impairment (CI) who reside in the USA. A telephone survey was administered as a semi-structured interview to 145 informants representing seven types of public facilities across three geographically distinct regions using a snowball sampling technique. An Internet search of wireless (Wi-Fi) hotspots supplemented the survey. Survey results showed the availability of public computer terminals and Internet hotspots was greatest in the urban sample, followed by the mid-sized and rural cities. Across seven facility types surveyed, libraries had the highest percentage of access barriers, including complex queue procedures, login and password requirements, and limited technical support. University assistive technology centres and facilities with a restricted user policy, such as brain injury centres, had the lowest incidence of access barriers. Findings suggest optimal outcomes for people with CI will result from a careful match of technology and the user that takes into account potential barriers and opportunities to computing in an individual's preferred public environments. Trends in public computing, including the emergence of widespread Wi-Fi and limited access to terminals that permit auto-launch applications, should guide development of technology designed for use in public computing environments.

[Regionalization of perinatal health care in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina].

PubMed

Simioni, Alberto Tomás; Llanos, Oraldo; Romero, Mariana; Ramos, Silvina; Brizuela, Vanessa; Abalos, Edgardo

2017-05-25

Improve the performance of the regionalization policy in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, as a strategy to improve perinatal health care by analyzing implementation processes and building consensus among decision makers and stakeholders around an action plan. Implementation research was conducted using mixed methodology. A needs assessment established tracer indicators to measure adherence to the components of the policy. Actors were studied to identify the barriers and facilitators of implementation. Training was provided on the development of consensus- and evidence-based policies, through workshops in which policy briefs were prepared and through a deliberative dialogue. There were improvements in the number of births in appropriate hospitals and in the number of births in maternity hospitals with Essential Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CONE). Barriers were identified in the referral systems and in communication on policy, which resulted in an initial agreement on the need for guidelines and specific technical training on the transfer of babies and mothers. The participation of health workers in identifying barriers and strategies to overcome them, and the use of tools to report this to management, permit the adoption of consensus- and evidence-based strategies to improve policy implementation.

Barriers to Quitting Smoking among Substance Dependent Patients Predict Smoking Cessation Treatment Outcome

PubMed Central

Martin, Rosemarie A.; Cassidy, Rachel; Murphy, Cara M.; Rohsenow, Damaris J.

2016-01-01

For smokers with substance use disorders (SUD), perceived barriers to quitting smoking include concerns unique to effects on sobriety as well as usual concerns. We expanded our Barriers to Quitting Smoking in Substance Abuse Treatment (BQS-SAT) scale, added importance ratings, validated it, and then used the importance scores to predict smoking treatment response in smokers with substance use disorders (SUD) undergoing smoking treatment in residential treatment programs in two studies (n = 184 and 340). Both components (General Barriers, Weight Concerns) were replicated with excellent internal consistency reliability. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations with pretreatment nicotine dependence, smoking variables, smoking self-efficacy, and expected effects of smoking. General Barriers significantly predicted 1-month smoking abstinence, frequency and heaviness, and 3-month smoking frequency; Weight Concerns predicted 1-month smoking frequency. Implications involve addressing barriers with corrective information in smoking treatment for smokers with SUD. PMID:26979552

Barriers to Quitting Smoking Among Substance Dependent Patients Predict Smoking Cessation Treatment Outcome.

PubMed

Martin, Rosemarie A; Cassidy, Rachel N; Murphy, Cara M; Rohsenow, Damaris J

2016-05-01

For smokers with substance use disorders (SUD), perceived barriers to quitting smoking include concerns unique to effects on sobriety as well as usual concerns. We expanded our Barriers to Quitting Smoking in Substance Abuse Treatment (BQS-SAT) scale, added importance ratings, validated it, and then used the importance scores to predict smoking treatment response in smokers with substance use disorders (SUD) undergoing smoking treatment in residential treatment programs in two studies (n=184 and 340). Both components (general barriers, weight concerns) were replicated with excellent internal consistency reliability. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations with pretreatment nicotine dependence, smoking variables, smoking self-efficacy, and expected effects of smoking. General barriers significantly predicted 1-month smoking abstinence, frequency and heaviness, and 3-month smoking frequency; weight concerns predicted 1-month smoking frequency. Implications involve addressing barriers with corrective information in smoking treatment for smokers with SUD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study of Barrier to Help Seeking and its Relationships with Disability in Patients with Headache.

PubMed

John, Deepa; Ram, Dushad; Sundarmurthy, Harsha; Rathod, Harshal; Rathod, Snehal

2016-10-01

Headache is among the first three most prevalent disorders with a wide treatment gap due to barriers in help seeking. Headache has been associated with disability. However, the relationship of barriers to help-seeking and disability are unexplored. To find out the barriers to help seeking and its relationship with headache related disability in patients with headache. In this hospital based cross-sectional study, 200 consecutive subjects with headache attending a tertiary care centre were recruited as per selection criteria and assessed with Sociodemographic & Clinical Proforma, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS), The Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI). High mean score was observed on BHSS subscale need for control and self reliance (19.45; SD ±9.66) and minimizing problem and resignation (10.02; SD ±6.98). Mean score on the HDI was 25.65 (SD ± 14.09). Socioeconomic status of the patient was statistically significant and positively associated with need for control and self reliance (p=0.035), concrete barriers and distrust of care givers (p=0.039), emotional control (p=0.005), and privacy (p=0.002). Occupational status had significant association with need for control and self-reliance (p=0.01), minimizing problem and resignation (p=0.033), and emotional control (p=0.006). Score on hospital headache disability inventory significantly predicted the value of score on concrete barriers and distrust of caregivers domain of HDI (p=0.001). Autonomy and under estimation of seriousness of headache are common barriers to help seeking. Pattern of help seeking barriers may vary with socio-economic status and occupational status, while disability varies with gender and severity of headache. Headache associated disability is positively associated with concrete barriers.

MHD program plan, FY 1991

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1990-10-01

The current magnetohydrodynamic MHD program being implemented is a result of a consensus established in public meetings held by the Department of Energy in 1984. The public meetings were followed by the formulation of a June 1984 Coal-Fired MHD Preliminary Transition and Program Plan. This plan focused on demonstrating the proof-of-concept (POC) of coal-fired MHD electric power plants by the early 1990s. MHD test data indicate that while there are no fundamental technical barriers impeding the development of MHD power plants, technical risk remains. To reduce the technical risk three key subsystems (topping cycle, bottoming cycle, and seed regeneration) are being assembled and tested separately. The program does not require fabrication of a complete superconducting magnet, but rather the development and testing of superconductor cables. The topping cycle system test objectives can be achieved using a conventional iron core magnet system already in place at a DOE facility. Systems engineering-derived requirements and analytical modeling to support scale-up and component design guide the program. In response to environmental, economic, engineering, and utility acceptance requirements, design choices and operating modes are tested and refined to provide technical specifications for meeting commercial criteria. These engineering activities are supported by comprehensive and continuing systems analyses to establish realistic technical requirements and cost data. Essential elements of the current program are to: develop technical and environmental data for the integrated MHD topping cycle and bottoming cycle systems through POC testing (1000 and 4000 hours, respectively); design, construct, and operate a POC seed regeneration system capable of processing spent seed materials from the MHD bottoming cycle; prepare conceptual designs for a site specific MHD retrofit plant; and continue supporting research necessary for system testing.

Global Science Share: Connecting young scientists from developing countries with science writing mentors to strengthen and widen the international science community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasenkopf, C. A.

2012-12-01

Collaborative science in which scientists are able to form research questions based on the current body of scientific knowledge and get feedback from colleagues on their ideas and work is essential for pushing science forward. However, not all scientists are able to fully participate in the international science community. Scientists from developing countries can face barriers to communicating with the international community due to, among other issues: fewer scientists in their home country, difficulty in getting language-specific science writing training, fewer established pre-existing international collaborations and networks, and sometimes geographic isolation. These barriers not only result in keeping individual scientists from contributing their ideas, but they also slow down the progress of the scientific enterprise for everyone. Global Science Share (http://globalscienceshare.org/) is a new project, entering its pilot phase in Fall 2012, which will work to reduce this disparity by connecting young scientists and engineers from developing countries seeking to improve their technical writing with other scientists and engineers around the world via online collaborations. Scientist-volunteers act as mentors and are paired up with mentees according to their academic field and writing needs. The mentors give feedback and constructive technical and editorial criticisms on mentees' submitted pieces of writing through a four-step email discussion. Mentees gain technical writing skills, as well as make international connections with other scientists and engineers in fields related to their own. Mentors also benefit by gaining new international scientific colleagues and honing their own writing skills through their critiques. The Global Science Share project will begin its pilot phase by first inviting Mongolian science students to apply as mentees this fall. This abstract will introduce the Global Science Share program, present a progress report from its first semester, and inform members of the geoscience community about this unique outreach opportunity to help strengthen and widen the international science community that can be done in the comfort of one's office or home.

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

Pesaran, Ahmad; Ban, Chunmei; Cao, Lei

The Energy Storage research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in support of the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge. PEVs could have a significant impact on the nation's goal of reducing dependence on imported oil and gaseous pollutant emissions. The Energy Storage program targets overcoming technical barriers to enable market success, including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost; (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability); (3) reducing battery weight and volume; and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit,more » overcharge, and crush. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supports the VTO's Energy Storage program by evaluating the thermal performance of cells and packs, developing electrochemical-thermal models to accelerate the design cycle for developing batteries, investigating the behavior of lithium-ion batteries under abuse conditions such as crush, enhancing the durability of electrodes by coatings such as atomic layer deposition, synthesis of materials for higher energy density batteries, and conducting techno-economic analysis of batteries in various electric-drive vehicles. This report describes the progress made by NREL on the research and development projects funded by the DOE VTO Energy Storage subprogram in FY15.« less

Chemical Sensors Based on Metal Oxide Nanostructures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Xu, Jennifer C.; Evans, Laura J.; VanderWal, Randy L.; Berger, Gordon M.; Kulis, Mike J.; Liu, Chung-Chiun

2006-01-01

This paper is an overview of sensor development based on metal oxide nanostructures. While nanostructures such as nanorods show significan t potential as enabling materials for chemical sensors, a number of s ignificant technical challenges remain. The major issues addressed in this work revolve around the ability to make workable sensors. This paper discusses efforts to address three technical barriers related t o the application of nanostructures into sensor systems: 1) Improving contact of the nanostructured materials with electrodes in a microse nsor structure; 2) Controling nanostructure crystallinity to allow co ntrol of the detection mechanism; and 3) Widening the range of gases that can be detected by using different nanostructured materials. It is concluded that while this work demonstrates useful tools for furt her development, these are just the beginning steps towards realizati on of repeatable, controlled sensor systems using oxide based nanostr uctures.

Creating a bridge between data collection and program planning: a technical assistance model to maximize the use of HIV/AIDS surveillance and service utilization data for planning purposes.

PubMed

Logan, Jennifer A; Beatty, Maile; Woliver, Renee; Rubinstein, Eric P; Averbach, Abigail R

2005-12-01

Over time, improvements in HIV/AIDS surveillance and service utilization data have increased their usefulness for planning programs, targeting resources, and otherwise informing HIV/AIDS policy. However, community planning groups, service providers, and health department staff often have difficulty in interpreting and applying the wide array of data now available. We describe the development of the Bridging Model, a technical assistance model for overcoming barriers to the use of data for program planning. Through the use of an iterative feedback loop in the model, HIV/AIDS data products constantly are evolving to better inform the decision-making tasks of their multiple users. Implementation of this model has led to improved data quality and data products and to a greater willingness and ability among stakeholders to use the data for planning purposes.

Technical literature review.

PubMed

Nußbeck, Gunnar; Gök, Murat

2013-01-01

This review gives a comprehensive overview on the technical perspective of personal health monitoring. It is designed to build a mutual basis for the project partners of the PHM-Ethics project. A literature search was conducted to screen pertinent literature databases for relevant publications. All review papers that were retrieved were analyzed. The increasing number of publications that are published per year shows that the field of personal health monitoring is of growing interest in the research community. Most publications deal with telemonitoring, thus forming the core technology of personal health monitoring. Measured parameters, fields of application, participants and stakeholders are described. Moreover an outlook on information and communication technology that foster the integration possibilities of personal health monitoring into decision making and remote monitoring of individual people's health is provided. The removal of the technological barriers opens new perspectives in health and health care delivery using home monitoring applications.

[Current status and prospect of translational medicine in nanotechnology].

PubMed

Gao, Guang-yu; Chen, Mei-ling; Li, Ming-yuan; Yang, Zhen-bo; Li, Zhi-ping; Mei, Xing-guo

2015-08-01

Nowadays, nanotechnologies have shown wide application foreground in the biomedical field of medicine laboratory tests, drug delivery, gene therapy and bioremediation. However, in recent years, nanomaterials have been labeled poisonous, because of the disputes and misunderstandings of mainstream views on their safety. Besides, for the barriers of technical issues in preparation like: (1) low efficacy (poor PK & PD and low drug loading), (2) high cost (irreproducibility and difficulty in scale up), little of that research has been successfully translated into commercial products. Currently, along with the new theory of "physical damage is the origin of nanotoxicity", biodegradability and biocompatibility of nanomaterials are listed as the basic principle of safe application of nanomaterials. Combining scientific design based on molecular level with precision control of process engineering will provide a new strategy to overcome the core technical challenges. New turning point of translational medicine in nanotechnology may emerge.

Illustrating anticipatory life cycle assessment for emerging photovoltaic technologies.

PubMed

Wender, Ben A; Foley, Rider W; Prado-Lopez, Valentina; Ravikumar, Dwarakanath; Eisenberg, Daniel A; Hottle, Troy A; Sadowski, Jathan; Flanagan, William P; Fisher, Angela; Laurin, Lise; Bates, Matthew E; Linkov, Igor; Seager, Thomas P; Fraser, Matthew P; Guston, David H

2014-09-16

Current research policy and strategy documents recommend applying life cycle assessment (LCA) early in research and development (R&D) to guide emerging technologies toward decreased environmental burden. However, existing LCA practices are ill-suited to support these recommendations. Barriers related to data availability, rapid technology change, and isolation of environmental from technical research inhibit application of LCA to developing technologies. Overcoming these challenges requires methodological advances that help identify environmental opportunities prior to large R&D investments. Such an anticipatory approach to LCA requires synthesis of social, environmental, and technical knowledge beyond the capabilities of current practices. This paper introduces a novel framework for anticipatory LCA that incorporates technology forecasting, risk research, social engagement, and comparative impact assessment, then applies this framework to photovoltaic (PV) technologies. These examples illustrate the potential for anticipatory LCA to prioritize research questions and help guide environmentally responsible innovation of emerging technologies.

Management of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw with a platelet-rich fibrin membrane: technical report.

PubMed

Soydan, Sıdıka Sinem; Uckan, Sina

2014-02-01

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a challenging complication resulting from the long-term application of bisphosphonates. In most cases, BRONJ occurs after a surgical procedure involving the jawbone. Currently, the management of BRONJ remains controversial, and there is no definitive treatment other than palliative methods. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) represents a relatively new biotechnology for the stimulation and acceleration of tissue healing and bone regeneration. This technical note describes the total closure of moderate bone exposure in persistent BRONJ in 2 weeks with a double-layer PRF membrane. PRF may stimulate gingival healing and act as a barrier membrane between the alveolar bone and the oral cavity. PRF may offer a fast, easy, and effective alternative method for the closure of bone exposure in BRONJ. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.