Renewable Energy Deployment in Colorado and the West: A Modeling Sensitivity and GIS Analysis

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

Barrows, Clayton; Mai, Trieu; Haase, Scott

2016-03-01

The Resource Planning Model is a capacity expansion model designed for a regional power system, such as a utility service territory, state, or balancing authority. We apply a geospatial analysis to Resource Planning Model renewable energy capacity expansion results to understand the likelihood of renewable development on various lands within Colorado.

Integrating MRP (materiel requirements planning) II and JIT to achieve world-class status.

PubMed

Titone, R C

1994-05-01

The concepts and principles of using manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) for planning are not new. Their success has been proven in numerous manufacturing companies in America. The concepts and principles of using just-in-time (JIT) inventory for execution, while more recent, have also been available for some time, and their success in Japan well documented. However, it is the effective integration of these two powerful tools that open the way to achieving world-class manufacturing status. This article will utilize a newly developed world-class manufacturing model, which will review the aspects of planning, beginning with a business plan through the production planning process and culminating with a master schedule that drives a materiel/capacity plan. The importance and interrelationship of these functions are reviewed. The model then illustrates the important aspects of executing these plans beginning with people issues, through total quality control (TQC) and pull systems. We will then utilize this new functional model to demonstrate the relationship between these various functions and the importance of integrating them with a total comprehensive manufacturing strategy that will lead to world-class manufacturing and profits.

Hierarchical Bayesian spatial models for multispecies conservation planning and monitoring

Treesearch

Carlos Carroll; Devin S. Johnson; Jeffrey R. Dunk; William J. Zielinski

2010-01-01

Biologists who develop and apply habitat models are often familiar with the statistical challenges posed by their data’s spatial structure but are unsure of whether the use of complex spatial models will increase the utility of model results in planning. We compared the relative performance of nonspatial and hierarchical Bayesian spatial models for three vertebrate and...

21st Century Power Partnership Fellowship Program: Supporting Next-generation Planning Modeling Practices at South Africa's Power Utility Eskom

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

Zinaman, Owen

This presentation details the 21st Century Power Partnership's fellowship program accomplishments from 2016. This fellowship brought two fellows from South Africa's power utility, Eskom, to the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The fellows spent two weeks working to improve the fidelity of Eskom's PLEXOS long-term and short-term models, which are used in long-term generation planning exercises and capacity adequacy assessments. The fellows returned to Eksom equipped with a new suite of tools and skills to enhance Eksom's PLEXOS modeling capabilities.

Pilot utilization plan for satellite data-based service for agriculture in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatkowska, Martyna; Paradowski, Karol; Wróbel, Karolina

2017-10-01

The paper aims at demonstrating the assumptions and achievements of the Pilot Utilization Plan Activities performed within the Project ASAP "Advanced Sustainable Agricultural Production", co-financed by European Space Agency under the ARTES IAP Programme. Within the course of the project, the Pilot Utilization Plan (PilUP) activities are performed in order to develop the remote sensing based models, and further calibrate and validate them in order to achieve the accuracy, which meets the requirements of paying customers. The completion of the first PilUP resulted in development of the following models based of Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 satellite data: model of homogenous polygons demarcation on the basis of comparison of electromagnetic scanning results and bare soil spectral reflectance, model of problematic areas indication and model for yield potential, delivered on the basis of NDVI map developed 1 month before harvest and the map of yield/collected yield derived from Users participating in PilUP. The second edition of the PilUP is being conducted between March 2017 until the end of 2017. This edition includes farmers and insurance companies. The following activities are planned: development of model for delimitation of loses due to unfavorable wintering of winter crops and validation of the model with in-situ data collected by the insurance companies in-field investigators, further enhancement of the model for homogenous polygons delimitation and primary indication of soil productivity and testing of the applicability and viability of map of problematic areas with the farmers.

Medical care transition planning and dental care use for youth with special health care needs during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood: a preliminary explanatory model

PubMed Central

Chi, Donald L.

2013-01-01

Objectives To test the hypotheses that youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) with a medical care transition plan are more likely to use dental care during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood and that different factors are associated with dental utilization for YSHCN with and YSHCN without functional limitations. Methods National Survey of CSHCN (2001) and Survey of Adult Transition and Health (2007) data were analyzed (N=1,746). The main predictor variable was having a medical care transition plan, defined as having discussed with a doctor how health care needs might change with age and having developed a transition plan. The outcome variable was dental care use in 2001 (adolescence) and 2007 (young adulthood). Multiple variable Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to estimate covariate-adjusted relative risks (RR). Results About 63% of YSHCN had a medical care transition plan and 73.5% utilized dental care. YSHCN with a medical care transition plan had a 9% greater relative risk (RR) of utilizing dental care than YSHCN without a medical care transition plan (RR:1.09; 95% CI:1.03–1.16). In the models stratified by functional limitation status, having a medical care transition plan was significantly associated with dental care use, but only for YSHCN without functional limitations (RR:1.11; 95% CI:1.04–1.18). Conclusions Having a medical care transition plan is significantly associated with dental care use, but only for YSHCN with no functional limitation. Dental care should be an integral part of the comprehensive health care transition planning process for all YSHCN. PMID:23812799

Renewable Energy Deployment in Colorado and the West: Extended Policy Sensitivities

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

Barrows, Clayton P.; Stoll, Brady; Mooney, Meghan E.

The Resource Planning Model is a capacity expansion model designed for a regional power system, such as a utility service territory, state, or balancing authority. We apply a geospatial analysis to Resource Planning Model renewable energy capacity expansion results to understand the likelihood of renewable development on various lands within Colorado.

Rethinking Funding Strategies: Integrated Planning and Resource Development for the Small Two-Year College of 1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bender, Louis; Daniel, David

1986-01-01

Presents management models showing the evolution of public expectancy as reflected in legislated policy: the petty cash model, the public utility model, and the business model. Discusses the John A. Walker Community Center at Wilkes Community College (North Carolina) as an example of the integrated planning/resource development (i.e., business)…

Multistep Lattice-Voxel method utilizing lattice function for Monte-Carlo treatment planning with pixel based voxel model.

PubMed

Kumada, H; Saito, K; Nakamura, T; Sakae, T; Sakurai, H; Matsumura, A; Ono, K

2011-12-01

Treatment planning for boron neutron capture therapy generally utilizes Monte-Carlo methods for calculation of the dose distribution. The new treatment planning system JCDS-FX employs the multi-purpose Monte-Carlo code PHITS to calculate the dose distribution. JCDS-FX allows to build a precise voxel model consisting of pixel based voxel cells in the scale of 0.4×0.4×2.0 mm(3) voxel in order to perform high-accuracy dose estimation, e.g. for the purpose of calculating the dose distribution in a human body. However, the miniaturization of the voxel size increases calculation time considerably. The aim of this study is to investigate sophisticated modeling methods which can perform Monte-Carlo calculations for human geometry efficiently. Thus, we devised a new voxel modeling method "Multistep Lattice-Voxel method," which can configure a voxel model that combines different voxel sizes by utilizing the lattice function over and over. To verify the performance of the calculation with the modeling method, several calculations for human geometry were carried out. The results demonstrated that the Multistep Lattice-Voxel method enabled the precise voxel model to reduce calculation time substantially while keeping the high-accuracy of dose estimation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Educational Planning Past, Present and Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Gareth

1979-01-01

Two contrasting models of educational planning are described: the "technocratic," which dominated educational planning in the past; and the currently utilized "political," in which decisions emerge as the result of interplay between powerful pressure groups. The future is seen as likely to hold still greater conflict in…

Planning Routes Across Economic Terrains: Maximizing Utility, Following Heuristics

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hang; Maddula, Soumya V.; Maloney, Laurence T.

2010-01-01

We designed an economic task to investigate human planning of routes in landscapes where travel in different kinds of terrain incurs different costs. Participants moved their finger across a touch screen from a starting point to a destination. The screen was divided into distinct kinds of terrain and travel within each kind of terrain imposed a cost proportional to distance traveled. We varied costs and spatial configurations of terrains and participants received fixed bonuses minus the total cost of the routes they chose. We first compared performance to a model maximizing gain. All but one of 12 participants failed to adopt least-cost routes and their failure to do so reduced their winnings by about 30% (median value). We tested in detail whether participants’ choices of routes satisfied three necessary conditions (heuristics) for a route to maximize gain. We report failures of one heuristic for 7 out of 12 participants. Last of all, we modeled human performance with the assumption that participants assign subjective utilities to costs and maximize utility. For 7 out 12 participants, the fitted utility function was an accelerating power function of actual cost and for the remaining 5, a decelerating power function. We discuss connections between utility aggregation in route planning and decision under risk. Our task could be adapted to investigate human strategy and optimality of route planning in full-scale landscapes. PMID:21833269

Monitoring outcomes for the Medicare Advantage program: methods and application of the VR-12 for evaluation of plans.

PubMed

Kazis, Lewis E; Selim, Alfredo J; Rogers, William; Qian, Shirley X; Brazier, John

2012-01-01

The Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) is one of the major patient-reported outcomes for ranking the Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in the Health Outcomes Survey (HOS). Approaches for scoring physical and mental health are given using contemporary norms and regression estimators. A new metric approach for the VR-12 called the "VR-6D" is presented with case-mix adjustments for monitoring plans that combine utilities and mortality. Results show that the models for ranking health outcomes of the plans are robust and credible. Future directions include the use of utilities for evaluating and ranking of MA plans.

Aggregate modeling of fast-acting demand response and control under real-time pricing

DOE PAGES

Chassin, David P.; Rondeau, Daniel

2016-08-24

This paper develops and assesses the performance of a short-term demand response (DR) model for utility load control with applications to resource planning and control design. Long term response models tend to underestimate short-term demand response when induced by prices. This has two important consequences. First, planning studies tend to undervalue DR and often overlook its benefits in utility demand management program development. Second, when DR is not overlooked, the open-loop DR control gain estimate may be too low. This can result in overuse of load resources, control instability and excessive price volatility. Our objective is therefore to develop amore » more accurate and better performing short-term demand response model. We construct the model from first principles about the nature of thermostatic load control and show that the resulting formulation corresponds exactly to the Random Utility Model employed in economics to study consumer choice. The model is tested against empirical data collected from field demonstration projects and is shown to perform better than alternative models commonly used to forecast demand in normal operating conditions. Finally, the results suggest that (1) existing utility tariffs appear to be inadequate to incentivize demand response, particularly in the presence of high renewables, and (2) existing load control systems run the risk of becoming unstable if utilities close the loop on real-time prices.« less

Aggregate modeling of fast-acting demand response and control under real-time pricing

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

Chassin, David P.; Rondeau, Daniel

This paper develops and assesses the performance of a short-term demand response (DR) model for utility load control with applications to resource planning and control design. Long term response models tend to underestimate short-term demand response when induced by prices. This has two important consequences. First, planning studies tend to undervalue DR and often overlook its benefits in utility demand management program development. Second, when DR is not overlooked, the open-loop DR control gain estimate may be too low. This can result in overuse of load resources, control instability and excessive price volatility. Our objective is therefore to develop amore » more accurate and better performing short-term demand response model. We construct the model from first principles about the nature of thermostatic load control and show that the resulting formulation corresponds exactly to the Random Utility Model employed in economics to study consumer choice. The model is tested against empirical data collected from field demonstration projects and is shown to perform better than alternative models commonly used to forecast demand in normal operating conditions. Finally, the results suggest that (1) existing utility tariffs appear to be inadequate to incentivize demand response, particularly in the presence of high renewables, and (2) existing load control systems run the risk of becoming unstable if utilities close the loop on real-time prices.« less

Aggregate modeling of fast-acting demand response and control under real-time pricing

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

Chassin, David P.; Rondeau, Daniel

This paper develops and assesses the performance of a short-term demand response (DR) model for utility load control with applications to resource planning and control design. Long term response models tend to underestimate short-term demand response when induced by prices. This has two important consequences. First, planning studies tend to undervalue DR and often overlook its benefits in utility demand management program development. Second, when DR is not overlooked, the open-loop DR control gain estimate may be too low. This can result in overuse of load resources, control instability and excessive price volatility. Our objective is therefore to develop amore » more accurate and better performing short-term demand response model. We construct the model from first principles about the nature of thermostatic load control and show that the resulting formulation corresponds exactly to the Random Utility Model employed in economics to study consumer choice. The model is tested against empirical data collected from field demonstration projects and is shown to perform better than alternative models commonly used to forecast demand in normal operating conditions. The results suggest that (1) existing utility tariffs appear to be inadequate to incentivize demand response, particularly in the presence of high renewables, and (2) existing load control systems run the risk of becoming unstable if utilities close the loop on real-time prices.« less

Popes in the Pizza: Analyzing Activity Reports to Create and Sustain a Strategic Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweet, Charlie; Blythe, Hal; Keeley, E. J.; Forsyth, Ben

2008-01-01

This article presents a practical methodology for creating and sustaining strategic planning, the task analysis. Utilizing our Teaching & Learning Center Strategic Plan as a model, we demonstrate how working with a weekly status report provides a comprehensive listing of detail necessary to analyze and revise the plan. The new methodology is…

Testicular Self-Examination: A Test of the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClenahan, Carol; Shevlin, Mark; Adamson, Gary; Bennett, Cara; O'Neill, Brenda

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to test the utility and efficiency of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the health belief model (HBM) in predicting testicular self-examination (TSE) behaviour. A questionnaire was administered to an opportunistic sample of 195 undergraduates aged 18-39 years. Structural equation modelling indicated that, on the…

Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Deployment Scenarios of the Western United States: Implications for Solar Energy Zones in Nevada

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

Frew, Bethany; Mai, Trieu; Krishnan, Venkat

2016-12-01

In this study, we use the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) capacity expansion model to estimate utility-scale photovoltaic (UPV) deployment trends from present day through 2030. The analysis seeks to inform the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) planning activities related to UPV development on federal lands in Nevada as part of the Resource Management Plan (RMP) revision for the Las Vegas and Pahrump field offices. These planning activities include assessing the demand for new or expanded additional Solar Energy Zones (SEZ), per the process outlined in BLM's Western Solar Plan process.

Dental manpower planning in the Indian Health Service.

PubMed

Collins, R J; Broderick, E B; Herman, D J

1993-01-01

As a public health agency, the Indian Health Service (IHS) must plan for the needs of the entire American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) population and distribute resources as equitably as possible. To facilitate this process, the IHS has developed a manpower planning model to provide for the distribution of dental providers based upon the dental needs of the AI/AN population and within the limits of annual appropriations of funds. This paper briefly describes the original IHS Dental Program manpower planning model and the development of modifications over time. The need-based approach to manpower planning developed by the IHS Dental Program has exhibited utility and flexibility over time. It allows a determination of clinic size (number of operatories) and dental staffing requirements, and may be generalizable to other public health programs if an accurate assessment of utilization rate and treatment need can be made for the defined population. Nonetheless, the availability of resources in public programs is subject to the compromises inherent in the political process; thus, the use of a manpower planning model alone may not be sufficient to ensure the equitable distribution of dental resources and dental providers.

Dueling Scorecards: How Two Colleges Utilize the Popular Planning Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballentine, Howard; Eckles, Jay

2009-01-01

The Balanced Scorecard is a planning model used extensively in business to provide direction and accountability to an organization. Despite the demonstrated success of the model, it has not been widely used in higher education. This article compares and contrasts the use of the Balanced Scorecard by two small, private colleges. The article…

Theory of Planned Behavior in the Classroom: An Examination of the Instructor Confirmation-Interaction Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Michael E.; Houser, Marian L.; Farris, Kristen LeBlanc

2018-01-01

The current study utilizes the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen "Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes," 50, 179-211 Ajzen 1991) to examine an instructor confirmation-interaction model in the instructional communication context to discover a means by which instructors might cultivate positive student attitudes and…

Cost-utility of cognitive behavioral therapy for low back pain from the commercial payer perspective.

PubMed

Norton, Giulia; McDonough, Christine M; Cabral, Howard; Shwartz, Michael; Burgess, James F

2015-05-15

Markov cost-utility model. To evaluate the cost-utility of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of persistent nonspecific low back pain (LBP) from the perspective of US commercial payers. CBT is widely deemed clinically effective for LBP treatment. The evidence is suggestive of cost-effectiveness. We constructed and validated a Markov intention-to-treat model to estimate the cost-utility of CBT, with 1-year and 10-year time horizons. We applied likelihood of improvement and utilities from a randomized controlled trial assessing CBT to treat LBP. The trial randomized subjects to treatment but subjects freely sought health care services. We derived the cost of equivalent rates and types of services from US commercial claims for LBP for a similar population. For the 10-year estimates, we derived recurrence rates from the literature. The base case included medical and pharmaceutical services and assumed gradual loss of skill in applying CBT techniques. Sensitivity analyses assessed the distribution of service utilization, utility values, and rate of LBP recurrence. We compared health plan designs. Results are based on 5000 iterations of each model and expressed as an incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year. The incremental cost-utility of CBT was $7197 per quality-adjusted life-year in the first year and $5855 per quality-adjusted life-year over 10 years. The results are robust across numerous sensitivity analyses. No change of parameter estimate resulted in a difference of more than 7% from the base case for either time horizon. Including chiropractic and/or acupuncture care did not substantively affect cost-effectiveness. The model with medical but no pharmaceutical costs was more cost-effective ($5238 for 1 yr and $3849 for 10 yr). CBT is a cost-effective approach to manage chronic LBP among commercial health plans members. Cost-effectiveness is demonstrated for multiple plan designs. 2.

Efficient Actor-Critic Algorithm with Hierarchical Model Learning and Planning

PubMed Central

Fu, QiMing

2016-01-01

To improve the convergence rate and the sample efficiency, two efficient learning methods AC-HMLP and RAC-HMLP (AC-HMLP with ℓ 2-regularization) are proposed by combining actor-critic algorithm with hierarchical model learning and planning. The hierarchical models consisting of the local and the global models, which are learned at the same time during learning of the value function and the policy, are approximated by local linear regression (LLR) and linear function approximation (LFA), respectively. Both the local model and the global model are applied to generate samples for planning; the former is used only if the state-prediction error does not surpass the threshold at each time step, while the latter is utilized at the end of each episode. The purpose of taking both models is to improve the sample efficiency and accelerate the convergence rate of the whole algorithm through fully utilizing the local and global information. Experimentally, AC-HMLP and RAC-HMLP are compared with three representative algorithms on two Reinforcement Learning (RL) benchmark problems. The results demonstrate that they perform best in terms of convergence rate and sample efficiency. PMID:27795704

Efficient Actor-Critic Algorithm with Hierarchical Model Learning and Planning.

PubMed

Zhong, Shan; Liu, Quan; Fu, QiMing

2016-01-01

To improve the convergence rate and the sample efficiency, two efficient learning methods AC-HMLP and RAC-HMLP (AC-HMLP with ℓ 2 -regularization) are proposed by combining actor-critic algorithm with hierarchical model learning and planning. The hierarchical models consisting of the local and the global models, which are learned at the same time during learning of the value function and the policy, are approximated by local linear regression (LLR) and linear function approximation (LFA), respectively. Both the local model and the global model are applied to generate samples for planning; the former is used only if the state-prediction error does not surpass the threshold at each time step, while the latter is utilized at the end of each episode. The purpose of taking both models is to improve the sample efficiency and accelerate the convergence rate of the whole algorithm through fully utilizing the local and global information. Experimentally, AC-HMLP and RAC-HMLP are compared with three representative algorithms on two Reinforcement Learning (RL) benchmark problems. The results demonstrate that they perform best in terms of convergence rate and sample efficiency.

Planning for a Distributed Disruption: Innovative Practices for Incorporating Distributed Solar into Utility Planning

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

Mills, Andrew D.; Barbose, Galen L.; Seel, Joachim

The rapid growth of distributed solar photovoltaics (DPV) has critical implications for U.S. utility planning processes. This report informs utility planning through a comparative analysis of roughly 30 recent utility integrated resource plans or other generation planning studies, transmission planning studies, and distribution system plans. It reveals a spectrum of approaches to incorporating DPV across nine key planning areas, and it identifies areas where even the best current practices might be enhanced. (1) Forecasting DPV deployment: Because it explicitly captures several predictive factors, customer-adoption modeling is the most comprehensive forecasting approach. It could be combined with other forecasting methods tomore » generate a range of potential futures. (2) Ensuring robustness of decisions to uncertain DPV quantities: using a capacity-expansion model to develop least-cost plans for various scenarios accounts for changes in net load and the generation portfolio; an innovative variation of this approach combines multiple per-scenario plans with trigger events, which indicate when conditions have changed sufficiently from the expected to trigger modifications in resource-acquisition strategy. (3) Characterizing DPV as a resource option: Today's most comprehensive plans account for all of DPV's monetary costs and benefits. An enhanced approach would address non-monetary and societal impacts as well. (4) Incorporating the non-dispatchability of DPV into planning: Rather than having a distinct innovative practice, innovation in this area is represented by evolving methods for capturing this important aspect of DPV. (5) Accounting for DPV's location-specific factors: The innovative propensity-to-adopt method employs several factors to predict future DPV locations. Another emerging utility innovation is locating DPV strategically to enhance its benefits. (6) Estimating DPV's impact on transmission and distribution investments: Innovative practices are being implemented to evaluate system needs, hosting capacities, and system investments needed to accommodate DPV deployment. (7) Estimating avoided losses associated with DPV: A time-differentiated marginal loss rate provides the most comprehensive estimate of avoided losses due to DPV, but no studies appear to use it. (8) Considering changes in DPV's value with higher solar penetration: Innovative methods for addressing the value changes at high solar penetrations are lacking among the studies we evaluate. (9) Integrating DPV in planning across generation, transmission, and distribution: A few states and regions have started to develop more comprehensive processes that link planning forums, but there are still many issues to address.« less

Planning for a Distributed Disruption: Innovative Practices for Incorporating Distributed Solar into Utility Planning

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

Mill, Andrew; Barbose, Galen; Seel, Joachim

The rapid growth of distributed solar photovoltaics (DPV) has critical implications for U.S. utility planning processes. This report informs utility planning through a comparative analysis of roughly 30 recent utility integrated resource plans or other generation planning studies, transmission planning studies, and distribution system plans. It reveals a spectrum of approaches to incorporating DPV across nine key planning areas, and it identifies areas where even the best current practices might be enhanced. 1) Forecasting DPV deployment: Because it explicitly captures several predictive factors, customer-adoption modeling is the most comprehensive forecasting approach. It could be combined with other forecasting methods tomore » generate a range of potential futures. 2) Ensuring robustness of decisions to uncertain DPV quantities: using a capacity-expansion model to develop least-cost plans for various scenarios accounts for changes in net load and the generation portfolio; an innovative variation of this approach combines multiple per-scenario plans with trigger events, which indicate when conditions have changed sufficiently from the expected to trigger modifications in resource-acquisition strategy. 3) Characterizing DPV as a resource option: Today’s most comprehensive plans account for all of DPV’s monetary costs and benefits. An enhanced approach would address non-monetary and societal impacts as well. 4) Incorporating the non-dispatchability of DPV into planning: Rather than having a distinct innovative practice, innovation in this area is represented by evolving methods for capturing this important aspect of DPV. 5) Accounting for DPV’s location-specific factors: The innovative propensity-to-adopt method employs several factors to predict future DPV locations. Another emerging utility innovation is locating DPV strategically to enhance its benefits. 6) Estimating DPV’s impact on transmission and distribution investments: Innovative practices are being implemented to evaluate system needs, hosting capacities, and system investments needed to accommodate DPV deployment. 7) Estimating avoided losses associated with DPV: A time-differentiated marginal loss rate provides the most comprehensive estimate of avoided losses due to DPV, but no studies appear to use it. 8) Considering changes in DPV’s value with higher solar penetration: Innovative methods for addressing the value changes at high solar penetrations are lacking among the studies we evaluate. 9) Integrating DPV in planning across generation, transmission, and distribution: A few states and regions have started to develop more comprehensive processes that link planning forums, but there are still many issues to address.« less

Predictions of LDEF radioactivity and comparison with measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, T. W.; Colborn, B. L.; Harmon, B. A.; Laird, C. E.

1995-01-01

As part of the program to utilize LDEF data for evaluation and improvement of current ionizing radiation environmental models and related predictive methods for future LEO missions, calculations have been carried out to compare with the induced radioactivity measured in metal samples placed on LDEF. The predicted activation is about a factor of two lower than observed, which is attributed to deficiencies in the AP8 trapped proton model. It is shown that this finding based on activation sample data is consistent with comparisons made with other LDEF activation and dose data. Plans for confirming these results utilizing additional LDEF data sets, and plans for model modifications to improve the agreement with LDEF data, are discussed.

Reductions in Diagnostic Imaging With High Deductible Health Plans.

PubMed

Zheng, Sarah; Ren, Zhong Justin; Heineke, Janelle; Geissler, Kimberley H

2016-02-01

Diagnostic imaging utilization grew rapidly over the past 2 decades. It remains unclear whether patient cost-sharing is an effective policy lever to reduce imaging utilization and spending. Using 2010 commercial insurance claims data of >21 million individuals, we compared diagnostic imaging utilization and standardized payments between High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and non-HDHP enrollees. Negative binomial models were used to estimate associations between HDHP enrollment and utilization, and were repeated for standardized payments. A Hurdle model were used to estimate associations between HDHP enrollment and whether an enrollee had diagnostic imaging, and then the magnitude of associations for enrollees with imaging. Models with interaction terms were used to estimate associations between HDHP enrollment and imaging by risk score tercile. All models included controls for patient age, sex, geographic location, and health status. HDHP enrollment was associated with a 7.5% decrease in the number of imaging studies and a 10.2% decrease in standardized imaging payments. HDHP enrollees were 1.8% points less likely to use imaging; once an enrollee had at least 1 imaging study, differences in utilization and associated payments were small. Associations between HDHP and utilization were largest in the lowest (least sick) risk score tercile. Increased patient cost-sharing may contribute to reductions in diagnostic imaging utilization and spending. However, increased cost-sharing may not encourage patients to differentiate between high-value and low-value diagnostic imaging services; better patient awareness and education may be a crucial part of any reductions in diagnostic imaging utilization.

Patient-specific three-dimensional printing for pre-surgical planning in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

PubMed

Perica, Elizabeth; Sun, Zhonghua

2017-12-01

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) printing has shown great interest in medicine, and 3D printed models may be rendered as part of the pre-surgical planning process in order to better understand the complexities of an individual's anatomy. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of utilising 3D printed liver models as clinical tools in pre-operative planning for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions. High-resolution contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images were acquired and utilized to generate a patient-specific 3D printed liver model. Hepatic structures were segmented and edited to produce a printable model delineating intrahepatic anatomy and a resectable HCC lesion. Quantitative assessment of 3D model accuracy compared measurements of critical anatomical landmarks acquired from the original CT images, standard tessellation language (STL) files, and the 3D printed liver model. Comparative analysis of surveys completed by two radiologists investigated the clinical value of 3D printed liver models in radiology. The application of utilizing 3D printed liver models as tools in surgical planning for resectable HCC lesions was evaluated through kappa analysis of questionnaires completed by two abdominal surgeons. A scaled down multi-material 3D liver model delineating patient-specific hepatic anatomy and pathology was produced, requiring a total production time of 25.25 hours and costing a total of AUD $1,250. A discrepancy was found in the total mean of measurements at each stage of production, with a total mean of 18.28±9.31 mm for measurements acquired from the original CT data, 15.63±8.06 mm for the STL files, and 14.47±7.71 mm for the 3D printed liver model. The 3D liver model did not enhance the radiologists' perception of patient-specific anatomy or pathology. Kappa analysis of the surgeon's responses to survey questions yielded a percentage agreement of 80%, and a κ value of 0.38 (P=0.24) indicating fair agreement. Study outcomes indicate that there is minimal value in utilizing the 3D printed models in diagnostic radiology. The potential usefulness of utilizing patient-specific 3D printed liver models as tools in surgical planning and intraoperative guidance for HCC treatment is verified. However, the feasibility of this application is currently challenged by identified limitations in 3D model production, including the cost and time required for model production, and inaccuracies potentially introduced at each stage of model fabrication.

Information for a Vocational Education Plan. Individual School Districts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus.

Providing information for simulation activity, the materials in this document are intended to help train administrators in the utilization of a set of reporting/planning forms developed as a statewide model for local school district use in vocational education planning and development in Ohio. The information is presented in two parts: state…

Information for a Vocational Education Plan. Joint Vocational School Districts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus.

Providing information for simulation activity, the materials in this document are intended to help train administrators in the utilization of a set of reporting/planning forms developed as a statewide model for local school district use in vocational education planning and development in Ohio. The information is presented in three parts: state…

Information for a Vocational Education Plan. Contracting Districts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus.

Providing information for simulation activity, the materials in this document are intended to help train administrators in the utilization of a set of reporting/planning forms developed as a statewide model for local school district use in vocational education planning and development in Ohio. The information is presented in two parts: state…

A computerized model for integrating the physical environmental factors into metropolitan landscape planning

Treesearch

Julius Gy Fabos; Kimball H. Ferris

1977-01-01

This paper justifies and illustrates (in simplified form) a landscape planning approach to the environmental management of the metropolitan landscape. The model utilizes a computerized assessment and mapping system, which exhibits a recent advancement in computer technology that allows for greater accuracy and the weighting of different values when mapping at the...

A MODEL LOCAL CIVIL DEFENSE TRAINING PLAN, AN ORGANIZATION AND TRAINING DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH STUDY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BRICTSON, R.C.; AND OTHERS

THIS DETAILED AND COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF LOCAL CIVIL DEFENSE TRAINING INCLUDES A SURVEY OF CIVIL DEFENSE OPERATIONS UNDERTAKEN TO DEFINE A MODEL LOCAL TRAINING PLAN. SPECIFIC LOCAL CIVIL DEFENSE OFFICES WERE SELECTED FOR INTENSIVE STUDY AND DATA COLLECTION. UTILIZING THE DATA OBTAINED AND FUNCTIONAL CATEGORIES DERIVED FROM THE FEDERAL CIVIL…

Will the Needs-Based Planning of Health Human Resources Currently Undertaken in Several Countries Lead to Excess Supply and Inefficiency?

PubMed

Basu, Kisalaya; Pak, Maxwell

2016-01-01

Recently, the emphasis on health human resources (HHR) planning has shifted away from a utilization-based approach toward a needs-based one in which planning is based on the projected health needs of the population. However, needs-based models that are currently in use rely on a definition of 'needs' that include only the medical circumstances of individuals and not personal preferences or other socio-economic factors. We examine whether planning based on such a narrow definition will maximize social welfare. We show that, in a publicly funded healthcare system, if the planner seeks to meet the aggregate need without taking utilization into consideration, then oversupply of HHR is likely because 'needs' do not necessarily translate into 'usage.' Our result suggests that HHR planning should track the healthcare system as access gradually improves because, even if health care is fully accessible, individuals may not fully utilize it to the degree prescribed by their medical circumstances. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comprehensive Smart Grid Planning in a Regulated Utility Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Matthew; Liao, Yuan; Du, Yan

2015-06-01

This paper presents the tools and exercises used during the Kentucky Smart Grid Roadmap Initiative in a collaborative electric grid planning process involving state regulators, public utilities, academic institutions, and private interest groups. The mandate of the initiative was to assess the existing condition of smart grid deployments in Kentucky, to enhance understanding of smart grid concepts by stakeholders, and to develop a roadmap for the deployment of smart grid technologies by the jurisdictional utilities of Kentucky. Through involvement of many important stakeholder groups, the resultant Smart Grid Deployment Roadmap proposes an aggressive yet achievable strategy and timetable designed to promote enhanced availability, security, efficiency, reliability, affordability, sustainability and safety of the electricity supply throughout the state while maintaining Kentucky's nationally competitive electricity rates. The models and methods developed for this exercise can be utilized as a systematic process for the planning of coordinated smart grid deployments.

The novel use of climate information in water utility planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yates, D. N.

2016-12-01

Municipal water utilities have a long history of planning and yet their traditional use of climate information has been rather static in nature, using approaches such as 'safe-yield' to design their water infrastructure. New planning paradigms, such as triple-bottom-line approaches that integerate environemntal, social, and financial aspects of the water enterprise have led water utilies to use climate information in a much more rich and informative way. This presentation will describe examples of how climate climate information, hydrologic modeling, and water systems decision support tools are uniquely bleneded to help water utilties make informed decisions.

Are prescription drug insurance choices consistent with expected utility theory?

PubMed

Bundorf, M Kate; Mata, Rui; Schoenbaum, Michael; Bhattacharya, Jay

2013-09-01

To determine the extent to which people make choices inconsistent with expected utility theory when choosing among prescription drug insurance plans and whether tabular or graphical presentation format influences the consistency of their choices. Members of an Internet-enabled panel chose between two Medicare prescription drug plans. The "low variance" plan required higher out-of-pocket payments for the drugs respondents usually took but lower out-of-pocket payments for the drugs they might need if they developed a new health condition than the "high variance" plan. The probability of a change in health varied within subjects and the presentation format (text vs. graphical) and the affective salience of the clinical condition (abstract vs. risk related to specific clinical condition) varied between subjects. Respondents were classified based on whether they consistently chose either the low or high variance plan. Logistic regression models were estimated to examine the relationship between decision outcomes and task characteristics. The majority of respondents consistently chose either the low or high variance plan, consistent with expected utility theory. Half of respondents consistently chose the low variance plan. Respondents were less likely to make discrepant choices when information was presented in graphical format. Many people, although not all, make choices consistent with expected utility theory when they have information on differences among plans in the variance of out-of-pocket spending. Medicare beneficiaries would benefit from information on the extent to which prescription drug plans provide risk protection. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

The utilization of cranial models created using rapid prototyping techniques in the development of models for navigation training.

PubMed

Waran, V; Pancharatnam, Devaraj; Thambinayagam, Hari Chandran; Raman, Rajagopal; Rathinam, Alwin Kumar; Balakrishnan, Yuwaraj Kumar; Tung, Tan Su; Rahman, Z A

2014-01-01

Navigation in neurosurgery has expanded rapidly; however, suitable models to train end users to use the myriad software and hardware that come with these systems are lacking. Utilizing three-dimensional (3D) industrial rapid prototyping processes, we have been able to create models using actual computed tomography (CT) data from patients with pathology and use these models to simulate a variety of commonly performed neurosurgical procedures with navigation systems. To assess the possibility of utilizing models created from CT scan dataset obtained from patients with cranial pathology to simulate common neurosurgical procedures using navigation systems. Three patients with pathology were selected (hydrocephalus, right frontal cortical lesion, and midline clival meningioma). CT scan data following an image-guidance surgery protocol in DIACOM format and a Rapid Prototyping Machine were taken to create the necessary printed model with the corresponding pathology embedded. The ability in registration, planning, and navigation of two navigation systems using a variety of software and hardware provided by these platforms was assessed. We were able to register all models accurately using both navigation systems and perform the necessary simulations as planned. Models with pathology utilizing 3D rapid prototyping techniques accurately reflect data of actual patients and can be used in the simulation of neurosurgical operations using navigation systems. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

On Being a Master Planner - A Step by Step Guide. From a Nationwide Study of Environmental Education Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rocchio, Richard; Lee, Eve

This guide demonstrates a new way of utilizing the planning process within a social movement context in view of developing a state master plan for environmental education. In addition the book serves as a guide to realistic planning, including models, definitions, and examples. The guide contains five parts: Part One - The background, Part Two -…

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

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-31

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

Utilizing a Pediatric Disaster Coalition Model to Increase Pediatric Critical Care Surge Capacity in New York City.

PubMed

Frogel, Michael; Flamm, Avram; Sagy, Mayer; Uraneck, Katharine; Conway, Edward; Ushay, Michael; Greenwald, Bruce M; Pierre, Louisdon; Shah, Vikas; Gaffoor, Mohamed; Cooper, Arthur; Foltin, George

2017-08-01

A mass casualty event can result in an overwhelming number of critically injured pediatric victims that exceeds the available capacity of pediatric critical care (PCC) units, both locally and regionally. To address these gaps, the New York City (NYC) Pediatric Disaster Coalition (PDC) was established. The PDC includes experts in emergency preparedness, critical care, surgery, and emergency medicine from 18 of 25 major NYC PCC-capable hospitals. A PCC surge committee created recommendations for making additional PCC beds available with an emphasis on space, staff, stuff (equipment), and systems. The PDC assisted 15 hospitals in creating PCC surge plans by utilizing template plans and site visits. These plans created an additional 153 potential PCC surge beds. Seven hospitals tested their plans through drills. The purpose of this article was to demonstrate the need for planning for disasters involving children and to provide a stepwise, replicable model for establishing a PDC, with one of its primary goals focused on facilitating PCC surge planning. The process we describe for developing a PDC can be replicated to communities of any size, setting, or location. We offer our model as an example for other cities. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:473-478).

A Healthcare Utilization Analysis Framework for Hot Spotting and Contextual Anomaly Detection

PubMed Central

Hu, Jianying; Wang, Fei; Sun, Jimeng; Sorrentino, Robert; Ebadollahi, Shahram

2012-01-01

Patient medical records today contain vast amount of information regarding patient conditions along with treatment and procedure records. Systematic healthcare resource utilization analysis leveraging such observational data can provide critical insights to guide resource planning and improve the quality of care delivery while reducing cost. Of particular interest to providers are hot spotting: the ability to identify in a timely manner heavy users of the systems and their patterns of utilization so that targeted intervention programs can be instituted, and anomaly detection: the ability to identify anomalous utilization cases where the patients incurred levels of utilization that are unexpected given their clinical characteristics which may require corrective actions. Past work on medical utilization pattern analysis has focused on disease specific studies. We present a framework for utilization analysis that can be easily applied to any patient population. The framework includes two main components: utilization profiling and hot spotting, where we use a vector space model to represent patient utilization profiles, and apply clustering techniques to identify utilization groups within a given population and isolate high utilizers of different types; and contextual anomaly detection for utilization, where models that map patient’s clinical characteristics to the utilization level are built in order to quantify the deviation between the expected and actual utilization levels and identify anomalies. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework using claims data collected from a population of 7667 diabetes patients. Our analysis demonstrates the usefulness of the proposed approaches in identifying clinically meaningful instances for both hot spotting and anomaly detection. In future work we plan to incorporate additional sources of observational data including EMRs and disease registries, and develop analytics models to leverage temporal relationships among medical encounters to provide more in-depth insights. PMID:23304306

A healthcare utilization analysis framework for hot spotting and contextual anomaly detection.

PubMed

Hu, Jianying; Wang, Fei; Sun, Jimeng; Sorrentino, Robert; Ebadollahi, Shahram

2012-01-01

Patient medical records today contain vast amount of information regarding patient conditions along with treatment and procedure records. Systematic healthcare resource utilization analysis leveraging such observational data can provide critical insights to guide resource planning and improve the quality of care delivery while reducing cost. Of particular interest to providers are hot spotting: the ability to identify in a timely manner heavy users of the systems and their patterns of utilization so that targeted intervention programs can be instituted, and anomaly detection: the ability to identify anomalous utilization cases where the patients incurred levels of utilization that are unexpected given their clinical characteristics which may require corrective actions. Past work on medical utilization pattern analysis has focused on disease specific studies. We present a framework for utilization analysis that can be easily applied to any patient population. The framework includes two main components: utilization profiling and hot spotting, where we use a vector space model to represent patient utilization profiles, and apply clustering techniques to identify utilization groups within a given population and isolate high utilizers of different types; and contextual anomaly detection for utilization, where models that map patient's clinical characteristics to the utilization level are built in order to quantify the deviation between the expected and actual utilization levels and identify anomalies. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework using claims data collected from a population of 7667 diabetes patients. Our analysis demonstrates the usefulness of the proposed approaches in identifying clinically meaningful instances for both hot spotting and anomaly detection. In future work we plan to incorporate additional sources of observational data including EMRs and disease registries, and develop analytics models to leverage temporal relationships among medical encounters to provide more in-depth insights.

Are implicit policy assumptions about climate adaptation trying to push drinking water utilities down an impossible path?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klasic, M. R.; Ekstrom, J.; Bedsworth, L. W.; Baker, Z.

2017-12-01

Extreme events such as wildfires, droughts, and flooding are projected to be more frequent and intense under a changing climate, increasing challenges to water quality management. To protect and improve public health, drinking water utility managers need to understand and plan for climate change and extreme events. This three year study began with the assumption that improved climate projections were key to advancing climate adaptation at the local level. Through a survey (N = 259) and interviews (N = 61) with California drinking water utility managers during the peak of the state's recent drought, we found that scientific information was not a key barrier hindering adaptation. Instead, we found that managers fell into three distinct mental models based on their interaction with, perceptions, and attitudes, towards scientific information and the future of water in their system. One of the mental models, "modeled futures", is a concept most in line with how climate change scientists talk about the use of information. Drinking water utilities falling into the "modeled future" category tend to be larger systems that have adequate capacity to both receive and use scientific information. Medium and smaller utilities in California, that more often serve rural low income communities, tend to fall into the other two mental models, "whose future" and "no future". We show evidence that there is an implicit presumption that all drinking water utility managers should strive to align with "modeled future" mental models. This presentation questions this assumption as it leaves behind many utilities that need to adapt to climate change (several thousand in California alone), but may not have the technical, financial, managerial, or other capacity to do so. It is clear that no single solution or pathway to drought resilience exists for water utilities, but we argue that a more explicit understanding and definition of what it means to be a resilient drinking water utility is necessary. By highlighting, then questioning, the assumption that all utility managers should strive to have "modeled future" mentalities, this presentation seeks to foster an open dialogue around which pathway or pathways are most feasible for supporting drinking water utility managers planning for climate change.

Plan, formulate, discuss and correlate a NASTRAN finite element vibrations model of the Boeing Model 360 helicopter airframe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabel, R.; Lang, P. F.; Smith, L. A.; Reed, D. A.

1989-01-01

Boeing Helicopter, together with other United States helicopter manufacturers, participated in a finite element applications program to emplace in the United States a superior capability to utilize finite element analysis models in support of helicopter airframe design. The activities relating to planning and creating a finite element vibrations model of the Boeing Model 36-0 composite airframe are summarized, along with the subsequent analytical correlation with ground shake test data.

Demand Activated Manufacturing Architecture (DAMA) model for supply chain collaboration

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

CHAPMAN,LEON D.; PETERSEN,MARJORIE B.

The Demand Activated Manufacturing Architecture (DAMA) project during the last five years of work with the U.S. Integrated Textile Complex (retail, apparel, textile, and fiber sectors) has developed an inter-enterprise architecture and collaborative model for supply chains. This model will enable improved collaborative business across any supply chain. The DAMA Model for Supply Chain Collaboration is a high-level model for collaboration to achieve Demand Activated Manufacturing. The five major elements of the architecture to support collaboration are (1) activity or process, (2) information, (3) application, (4) data, and (5) infrastructure. These five elements are tied to the application of themore » DAMA architecture to three phases of collaboration - prepare, pilot, and scale. There are six collaborative activities that may be employed in this model: (1) Develop Business Planning Agreements, (2) Define Products, (3) Forecast and Plan Capacity Commitments, (4) Schedule Product and Product Delivery, (5) Expedite Production and Delivery Exceptions, and (6) Populate Supply Chain Utility. The Supply Chain Utility is a set of applications implemented to support collaborative product definition, forecast visibility, planning, scheduling, and execution. The DAMA architecture and model will be presented along with the process for implementing this DAMA model.« less

Operational Simulation Tools and Long Term Strategic Planning for High Penetrations of PV in the Southeastern United States

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

Tuohy, Aidan; Smith, Jeff; Rylander, Matt

2016-07-11

Increasing levels of distributed and utility scale Solar Photovoltaics (PV) will have an impact on many utility functions, including distribution system operations, bulk system performance, business models and scheduling of generation. In this project, EPRI worked with Southern Company Services and its affiliates and the Tennessee Valley Authority to assist these utilities in their strategic planning efforts for integrating PV, based on modeling, simulation and analysis using a set of innovative tools. Advanced production simulation models were used to investigate operating reserve requirements. To leverage existing work and datasets, this last task was carried out on the California system. Overall,more » the project resulted in providing useful information to both of the utilities involved and through the final reports and interactions during the project. The results from this project can be used to inform the industry about new and improved methodologies for understanding solar PV penetration, and will influence ongoing and future research. This report summarizes each of the topics investigated over the 2.5-year project period.« less

Planning Model for School Facilities. A Planning Model for a Secondary School Utilizing a Multi-dimensional Approach for Optimum Flexibility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chelmsford Park High School, Chelmsford, MA.

That the construction of a multi-million dollar school plant should be the result of the community's best possible thought, since concrete and steel are not suitable media for necessary future changes in the educational environment, is the basic philosophy of this report. Architects, administrators, teachers, school committeemen, and consultants…

Shared Decision Making in Local School Planning: An Urban School System's Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elenbogen, Janet C.; Hiestand, Nancy I.

The practices and perceptions of a shared planning team decision-making model and the effects on student achievement and attendance are examined in this study. Survey results, test scores, and background data on schools were utilized to analyze the relationships among the degree of shared decision-making and planning effectiveness ratings, student…

[The study on behaviour of protective equipment utilization of workers exposed to benzene and factors based on Planned Behavior Theory].

PubMed

Huang, J Y; Liu, C D; Zhang, W M; Fu, Y K; Ma, H Y

2018-02-20

Objective: To investigate and predict the behavioral intention and mode of the protective equipment utilization selection of the workers who used Benzene, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was applied to establish the behavioral model to enhance the theoretical foundation for long-term intervention. Methods: Questionnaires were used to survey the 707 workers, and all the behaviors of using protective equipment were investigated. Evaluate the relationships between each variable and obtain the influence affects by structural equation model. Results: The investigation showed that 38.47% of the total workers (272 cases) used whole body protection, 13.58% used partially, and 16.69% didn't use any body protection. There were significant difference between the varying degrees in the four dimensions (behavioral attitude, perceived behavior control, subjective norm, and behavioral intention) (P<0.01) . The results of structural equation model revealed that perceived behavior control was the most important influencing factor, subjective norm, positive attitude, negative attitude were the other three respects in sequence. The path co-efficient were 0.600、0.215、0.141 and 0.046 respectively. Conclusion: The study show that the theory of planned behavior can effectively explain the behavioral intention and behavior of protective equipment utilization. Therefore, combining the subjective initiative of individuals with the supervision of enterprises, In order to effectively enhance the protective equipment utilization of benzene workers.

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

Yu, V; Nguyen, D; Tran, A

Purpose: To develop and clinically implement 4π radiotherapy, an inverse optimization platform that maximally utilizes non-coplanar intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) beams to significantly improve critical organ sparing. Methods: A 3D scanner was used to digitize the human and phantom subject surfaces, which were positioned in the computer assisted design (CAD) model of a TrueBeam machine to create a virtual geometrical model, based on which, the feasible beam space was calculated for different tumor locations. Beamlets were computed for all feasible beams using convolution/superposition. A column generation algorithm was employed to optimize patient specific beam orientations and fluence maps. Optimal routingmore » through all selected beams were calculated by a level set method. The resultant plans were converted to XML files and delivered to phantoms in the TrueBeam developer mode. Finally, 4π plans were recomputed in Eclipse and manually delivered to recurrent GBM patients. Results: Compared to IMRT utilizing manually selected beams and volumetric modulated arc therapy plans, markedly improved dosimetry was observed using 4π for the brain, head and neck, liver, lung, and prostate patients. The improvements were due to significantly improved conformality and reduced high dose spillage to organs mediolateral to the PTV. The virtual geometrical model was experimentally validated. Safety margins with 99.9% confidence in collision avoidance were included to the model based model accuracy estimates determined via 300 physical machine to phantom distance measurements. Automated delivery in the developer mode was completed in 10 minutes and collision free. Manual 4 π treatment on the GBM cases resulted in significant brainstem sparing and took 35–45 minutes including multiple images, which showed submillimeter cranial intrafractional motion. Conclusion: The mathematical modeling utilized in 4π is accurate to create and guide highly complex non-coplanar IMRT treatments that consistently and significantly outperform human-operator-created plans. Deliverability of such plans is clinically demonstrated. This work is funded by Varian Medical Systems and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship DGE-1144087.« less

Shared Decision-Making in Youth Mental Health Care: Using the Evidence to Plan Treatments Collaboratively.

PubMed

Langer, David A; Jensen-Doss, Amanda

2016-12-02

The shared decision-making (SDM) model is one in which providers and consumers of health care come together as collaborators in determining the course of care. The model is especially relevant to youth mental health care, when planning a treatment frequently entails coordinating both youth and parent perspectives, preferences, and goals. The present article first provides the historical context of the SDM model and the rationale for increasing our field's use of SDM when planning psychosocial treatments for youth and families. Having established the potential utility of SDM, the article then discusses how to apply the SDM model to treatment planning for youth psychotherapy, proposing a set of steps consistent with the model and considerations when conducting SDM with youth and families.

Shared Decision-Making in Youth Mental Health Care: Using the Evidence to Plan Treatments Collaboratively

PubMed Central

Langer, David A.; Jensen-Doss, Amanda

2017-01-01

The shared decision-making (SDM) model is one in which providers and consumers of health care come together as collaborators in determining the course of care. The model is especially relevant to youth mental health care, when planning a treatment frequently entails coordinating both youth and parent perspectives, preferences, and goals. The present paper first provides the historical context of the SDM model and the rationale for increasing our field's use of SDM when planning psychosocial treatments for youth and families. Having established the potential utility of SDM, the paper then discusses how to apply the SDM model to treatment planning for youth psychotherapy, proposing a set of steps consistent with the model and considerations when conducting SDM with youth and families. PMID:27911081

PLANNING STUDY TO MODEL AND MONITOR COAL PILE RUNOFF. PHASE I

EPA Science Inventory

The report describes a planning study for predicting and monitoring the hydrologic and chemical characteristics of effluent streams resulting from precipitation impacting on open storage of coal. It includes: a survey of utilities on storage habits and treatment systems for coal ...

Applying Utility Functions to Adaptation Planning for Home Automation Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bratskas, Pyrros; Paspallis, Nearchos; Kakousis, Konstantinos; Papadopoulos, George A.

A pervasive computing environment typically comprises multiple embedded devices that may interact together and with mobile users. These users are part of the environment, and they experience it through a variety of devices embedded in the environment. This perception involves technologies which may be heterogeneous, pervasive, and dynamic. Due to the highly dynamic properties of such environments, the software systems running on them have to face problems such as user mobility, service failures, or resource and goal changes which may happen in an unpredictable manner. To cope with these problems, such systems must be autonomous and self-managed. In this chapter we deal with a special kind of a ubiquitous environment, a smart home environment, and introduce a user-preference-based model for adaptation planning. The model, which dynamically forms a set of configuration plans for resources, reasons automatically and autonomously, based on utility functions, on which plan is likely to best achieve the user's goals with respect to resource availability and user needs.

Idea Bank

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 1978

1978-01-01

Described are methods for making Cartesian divers for explaining atomic models utilizing a city planning analogy, a game for reviewing subject matter, the construction of a cell model, an improved diffusion demonstration, and uses of inexpensive glass cutters. (SL)

Workshop on Planning and Learning in Multi- Agent Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-31

needed for translating the physical aspects of an interaction (see Section 3.1) into the numeric utility values needed for game -theoretic...calculations. Furthermore, the game -theoretic techniques themselves will require significant enhancements. Game -theoretic solution concepts (e.g., Nash...robotics. Real-time strategy games may provide useful data for research on predictive models of ad- versaries, modeling long-term and short-term plans

Options to improve energy efficiency for educational building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahan, Mafruha

The cost of energy is a major factor that must be considered for educational facility budget planning purpose. The analysis of energy related issues and options can be complex and requires significant time and detailed effort. One way to facilitate the inclusion of energy option planning in facility planning efforts is to utilize a tool that allows for quick appraisal of the facility energy profile. Once such an appraisal is accomplished, it is then possible to rank energy improvement options consistently with other facility needs and requirements. After an energy efficiency option has been determined to have meaningful value in comparison with other facility planning options, it is then possible to utilize the initial appraisal as the basis for an expanded consideration of additional facility and energy use detail using the same analytic system used for the initial appraisal. This thesis has developed a methodology and an associated analytic model to assist in these tasks and thereby improve the energy efficiency of educational facilities. A detailed energy efficiency and analysis tool is described that utilizes specific university building characteristics such as size, architecture, envelop, lighting, occupancy, thermal design which allows reducing the annual energy consumption. Improving the energy efficiency of various aspects of an educational building's energy performance can be complex and can require significant time and experience to make decisions. The approach developed in this thesis initially assesses the energy design for a university building. This initial appraisal is intended to assist administrators in assessing the potential value of energy efficiency options for their particular facility. Subsequently this scoping design can then be extended as another stage of the model by local facility or planning personnel to add more details and engineering aspects to the initial screening model. This approach can assist university planning efforts to identify the most cost effective combinations of energy efficiency strategies. The model analyzes and compares the payback periods of all proposed Energy Performance Measures (EPMs) to determine which has the greatest potential value.

Strategic enterprise resource planning in a health-care system using a multicriteria decision-making model.

PubMed

Lee, Chang Won; Kwak, N K

2011-04-01

This paper deals with strategic enterprise resource planning (ERP) in a health-care system using a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) model. The model is developed and analyzed on the basis of the data obtained from a leading patient-oriented provider of health-care services in Korea. Goal criteria and priorities are identified and established via the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Goal programming (GP) is utilized to derive satisfying solutions for designing, evaluating, and implementing an ERP. The model results are evaluated and sensitivity analyses are conducted in an effort to enhance the model applicability. The case study provides management with valuable insights for planning and controlling health-care activities and services.

Solid models for CT/MR image display: accuracy and utility in surgical planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mankovich, Nicholas J.; Yue, Alvin; Ammirati, Mario; Kioumehr, Farhad; Turner, Scott

1991-05-01

Medical imaging can now take wider advantage of Computer-Aided-Manufacturing through rapid prototyping technologies (RPT) such as stereolithography, laser sintering, and laminated object manufacturing to directly produce solid models of patient anatomy from processed CT and MR images. While conventional surgical planning relies on consultation with the radiologist combined with direct reading and measurement of CT and MR studies, 3-D surface and volumetric display workstations are providing a more easily interpretable view of patient anatomy. RPT can provide the surgeon with a life size model of patient anatomy constructed layer by layer with full internal detail. Although this life-size anatomic model is more easily understandable by the surgeon, its accuracy and true surgical utility remain untested. We have developed a prototype image processing and model fabrication system based on stereolithography, which provides the neurosurgeon with models of the skull base. Parallel comparison of the model with the original thresholded CT data and with a CRT displayed surface rendering showed that both have an accuracy of 99.6 percent. Because of the ease of exact voxel localization on the model, its precision was high with the standard deviation of measurement of 0.71 percent. The measurements on the surface rendered display proved more difficult to exactly locate and yielded a standard deviation of 2.37 percent. This paper presents our accuracy study and discussed ways of assessing the quality of neurosurgical plans when 3-D models a made available as planning tools.

Utility and Scope of Rapid Prototyping in Patients with Complex Muscular Ventricular Septal Defects or Double-Outlet Right Ventricle: Does it Alter Management Decisions?

PubMed

Bhatla, Puneet; Tretter, Justin T; Ludomirsky, Achi; Argilla, Michael; Latson, Larry A; Chakravarti, Sujata; Barker, Piers C; Yoo, Shi-Joon; McElhinney, Doff B; Wake, Nicole; Mosca, Ralph S

2017-01-01

Rapid prototyping facilitates comprehension of complex cardiac anatomy. However, determining when this additional information proves instrumental in patient management remains a challenge. We describe our experience with patient-specific anatomic models created using rapid prototyping from various imaging modalities, suggesting their utility in surgical and interventional planning in congenital heart disease (CHD). Virtual and physical 3-dimensional (3D) models were generated from CT or MRI data, using commercially available software for patients with complex muscular ventricular septal defects (CMVSD) and double-outlet right ventricle (DORV). Six patients with complex anatomy and uncertainty of the optimal management strategy were included in this study. The models were subsequently used to guide management decisions, and the outcomes reviewed. 3D models clearly demonstrated the complex intra-cardiac anatomy in all six patients and were utilized to guide management decisions. In the three patients with CMVSD, one underwent successful endovascular device closure following a prior failed attempt at transcatheter closure, and the other two underwent successful primary surgical closure with the aid of 3D models. In all three cases of DORV, the models provided better anatomic delineation and additional information that altered or confirmed the surgical plan. Patient-specific 3D heart models show promise in accurately defining intra-cardiac anatomy in CHD, specifically CMVSD and DORV. We believe these models improve understanding of the complex anatomical spatial relationships in these defects and provide additional insight for pre/intra-interventional management and surgical planning.

Scenario-based water resources planning for utilities in the Lake Victoria region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Vishal K.; Aslam, Omar; Dale, Larry; Miller, Norman; Purkey, David R.

Urban areas in the Lake Victoria (LV) region are experiencing the highest growth rates in Africa. As efforts to meet increasing demand accelerate, integrated water resources management (IWRM) tools provide opportunities for utilities and other stakeholders to develop a planning framework comprehensive enough to include short term (e.g. landuse change), as well as longer term (e.g. climate change) scenarios. This paper presents IWRM models built using the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) decision support system, for three towns in the LV region - Bukoba (Tanzania), Masaka (Uganda), and Kisii (Kenya). Each model was calibrated under current system performance based on site visits, utility reporting and interviews. Projected water supply, demand, revenues and costs were then evaluated against a combination of climate, demographic and infrastructure scenarios up to 2050. Our results show that water supply in all three towns is currently infrastructure limited; achieving existing design capacity could meet most projected demand until 2020s in Masaka beyond which new supply and conservation strategies would be needed. In Bukoba, reducing leakages would provide little performance improvement in the short-term, but doubling capacity would meet all demands until 2050. In Kisii, major infrastructure investment is urgently needed. In Masaka, streamflow simulations show that wetland sources could satisfy all demand until 2050, but at the cost of almost no water downstream of the intake. These models demonstrate the value of IWRM tools for developing water management plans that integrate hydroclimatology-driven supply to demand projections on a single platform.

Improving TOGAF ADM 9.1 Migration Planning Phase by ITIL V3 Service Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanum Harani, Nisa; Akhmad Arman, Arry; Maulana Awangga, Rolly

2018-04-01

Modification planning of business transformation involving technological utilization required a system of transition and migration planning process. Planning of system migration activity is the most important. The migration process is including complex elements such as business re-engineering, transition scheme mapping, data transformation, application development, individual involvement by computer and trial interaction. TOGAF ADM is the framework and method of enterprise architecture implementation. TOGAF ADM provides a manual refer to the architecture and migration planning. The planning includes an implementation solution, in this case, IT solution, but when the solution becomes an IT operational planning, TOGAF could not handle it. This paper presents a new model framework detail transitions process of integration between TOGAF and ITIL. We evaluated our models in field study inside a private university.

Assessment of Institutional Strategic Goal Realization: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holwick, Jana W.

2009-01-01

Strategic planning is a common tool utilized at colleges and universities to assist in achieving institutional goals. Leaders in higher education have taken best practices from corporate management and adapted them in an effort to develop comprehensive approaches to institutional planning, assessment and accountability. Various models for planning…

Kentucky Allied Health Project Final Report: A State System for Allied Health Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kentucky State Council on Higher Education, Frankfort.

The accomplishments of the Kentucky Allied Health Project, which implemented a model articulated system of allied health education, are described. The system included plans to promote transition from one education level to another and articulation in educational planning and resource utilization. The project has greatly increased…

Creating a Succession-Planning Instrument for Educational Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parfitt, Christopher M.

2017-01-01

Businesses, non-profit entities, medical units, governmental departments, and other organizations have utilized succession planning for over 30 years, yet the field of education has been slow to adopt models used in other disciplines. Upon review of the literature from various disciplines, themes for developing and assessing quality succession…

Formulation of consumables management models. Consumables flight planning worksheet utilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, C. M.

1977-01-01

The updated and reformatted consumables flight planning worksheet is documented. An instruction set for applying the worksheet, and a sample application of the worksheet is disclosed. The particular application is for the STS interfacing with sortie payloads and typifies the interfacing of the delivery system and payloads.

Perinatal AIDS: Permanency Planning for the African-American Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor-Brown, Susan; And Others

1992-01-01

Conducted a retrospective chart review utilizing Norwood's model on the families of the 83 infants whose cord blood was positive for maternal HIV antibodies or who were congenitally infected with HIV. Discusses implications for permanency planning in the context of their impact on the African-American community. (KS)

Study and development of techniques for automatic control of remote manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaket, E.; Leal, A.

1976-01-01

An overall conceptual design for an autonomous control system of remote manipulators which utilizes feedback was constructed. The system consists of a description of the high-level capabilities of a model from which design algorithms are constructed. The autonomous capability is achieved through automatic planning and locally controlled execution of the plans. The operator gives his commands in high level task-oriented terms. The system transforms these commands into a plan. It uses built-in procedural knowledge of the problem domain and an internal model of the current state of the world.

24 CFR 599.507 - Tax incentives utilization plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tax incentives utilization plan....507 Tax incentives utilization plan. (a) Preliminary plan. Within six months of designation, the CoRA must prepare and submit to HUD a preliminary tax incentives utilization plan for achieving the State...

Using Global Climate Data to Inform Long-Term Water Planning Decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groves, D. G.; Lempert, R.

2008-12-01

Water managers throughout the world are working to consider climate change in their long-term water planning processes. The best available information regarding plausible future hydrologic conditions are largely derived from global circulation models and from paleoclimate data. To date there lacks a single approach for (1) utilizing these data in water management planning tools for analysis and (2) evaluating the myriad of possible adaptation options. This talk will describe several approaches being used at RAND to incorporate global projections of climate change into local, regional, and state-wide long-term water planning. It will draw on current work with the California Department of Water Resources and other local Western water agencies, and a recently completed project with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. Work to date suggests that climate information can be assimilated into local water planning tools to help identify robust climate adaptation water management strategies.

Applying DER-CAM for IIT Microgrid Explansion Planning

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

Shahidehpour, Mohammad; Li, Zuyi; Wang, Jianhui

The Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) is an economic and environmental model of customer DER adoption. This model has been in development at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2000. The objective of the model is to find optimal DER investments while minimizing total energy costs or carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, or achieving a weighted objective that simultaneously considers both criteria. The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Microgrid project started in August 2008, and the majority of the project was completed in May 2013. IIT Microgrid, funded mostly by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy asmore » well as State and philanthropic contributions, empowers the campus consumers with the objective of establishing a smart microgrid that is highly reliable, economically viable, environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, and resilient in extreme circumstances with a self-healing capability. In this project, we apply DER-CAM to study the expansion planning of the IIT Microgrid. First, the load data, environmental data, utility data, and technology data for the IIT Microgrid are gathered and organized to follow the DER-CAM input requirements. Then, DERCAM is applied to study the expansion planning of the IIT Microgrid for different cases, where different objectives in DER-CAM and different utility conditions are tested. Case 1 considers the objective of minimizing energy costs with fixed utility rates and 100% electric utility availability. Case 2 considers the objective of minimizing energy costs with real-time utility rates and 4 emergency weeks when the IIT Microgrid does not have access to the electric utility grid and has to operate in island mode. In Case 3, the utility rates are restored to fixed values and 100% electric utility availability is assumed, but a weighted multi-objective (Obj: a × costs + b × CO2 emissions, where a and b are weights for cost minimization and CO2 emissions minimization) is utilized to consider both energy costs and CO2 emissions. On the basis of the test results, the IIT Microgrid has the potential to benefit from investments in more DER technologies. The current annual energy costs and CO2 emissions for the IIT Microgrid are 6,495.1 k$ and 39,838.5 metric tons, respectively. This represents the baseline for this project.« less

The component alignment model: a new approach to health care information technology strategic planning.

PubMed

Martin, J B; Wilkins, A S; Stawski, S K

1998-08-01

The evolving health care environment demands that health care organizations fully utilize information technologies (ITs). The effective deployment of IT requires the development and implementation of a comprehensive IT strategic plan. A number of approaches to health care IT strategic planning exist, but they are outdated or incomplete. The component alignment model (CAM) introduced here recognizes the complexity of today's health care environment, emphasizing continuous assessment and realignment of seven basic components: external environment, emerging ITs, organizational infrastructure, mission, IT infrastructure, business strategy, and IT strategy. The article provides a framework by which health care organizations can develop an effective IT strategic planning process.

The Future Impact of Vietnam Era Veterans on Inpatient Acute Care and Mental Health Product Lines at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-06-20

smoothing and regression which includes curve fitting are two principle forecasting model types utilized in the vast majority of forecasting applications ... model were compared against the VA Office of Policy and Planning forecasting study commissioned with the actuarial firm of Milliman & Robertson (M & R... Application to the Veterans Healthcare System The development of a model to forecast future VEV needs, utilization, and cost of the Acute Care and

24 CFR 599.507 - Tax incentives utilization plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... utilization plan for achieving the State and local commitments made at the time of application as required by... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Tax incentives utilization plan. 599....507 Tax incentives utilization plan. (a) Preliminary plan. Within six months of designation, the CoRA...

Assessment of distributed photovoltair electric-power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neal, R. W.; Deduck, P. F.; Marshall, R. N.

1982-10-01

The development of a methodology to assess the potential impacts of distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems on electric utility systems, including subtransmission and distribution networks, and to apply that methodology to several illustrative examples was developed. The investigations focused upon five specific utilities. Impacts upon utility system operations and generation mix were assessed using accepted utility planning methods in combination with models that simulate PV system performance and life cycle economics. Impacts on the utility subtransmission and distribution systems were also investigated. The economic potential of distributed PV systems was investigated for ownership by the utility as well as by the individual utility customer.

An Instructional Approach to Modeling in Microevolution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Steven R.

1988-01-01

Describes an approach to teaching population genetics and evolution and some of the ways models can be used to enhance understanding of the processes being studied. Discusses the instructional plan, and the use of models including utility programs and analysis with models. Provided are a basic program and sample program outputs. (CW)

The Effects of Climate Model Similarity on Local, Risk-Based Adaptation Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinschneider, S.; Brown, C. M.

2014-12-01

The climate science community has recently proposed techniques to develop probabilistic projections of climate change from ensemble climate model output. These methods provide a means to incorporate the formal concept of risk, i.e., the product of impact and probability, into long-term planning assessments for local systems under climate change. However, approaches for pdf development often assume that different climate models provide independent information for the estimation of probabilities, despite model similarities that stem from a common genealogy. Here we utilize an ensemble of projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) to develop probabilistic climate information, with and without an accounting of inter-model correlations, and use it to estimate climate-related risks to a local water utility in Colorado, U.S. We show that the tail risk of extreme climate changes in both mean precipitation and temperature is underestimated if model correlations are ignored. When coupled with impact models of the hydrology and infrastructure of the water utility, the underestimation of extreme climate changes substantially alters the quantification of risk for water supply shortages by mid-century. We argue that progress in climate change adaptation for local systems requires the recognition that there is less information in multi-model climate ensembles than previously thought. Importantly, adaptation decisions cannot be limited to the spread in one generation of climate models.

A procedural model for planning and evaluating behavioral interventions.

PubMed

Hyner, G C

2005-01-01

A model for planning, implementing and evaluating health behavior change strategies is proposed. Variables are presented which can be used in the model or serve as examples for how the model is utilized once a theory of health behavior is adopted. Examples of three innovative strategies designed to influence behavior change are presented so that the proposed model can be modified for use following comprehensive screening and baseline measurements. Three measurement priorities: clients, methods and agency are subjected to three phases of assessment: goals, implementation and effects. Lifestyles account for the majority of variability in quality-of-life and premature morbidity and mortality. Interventions designed to influence healthy behavior changes must be driven by theory and carefully planned and evaluated. The proposed model is offered as a useful tool for the behavior change strategist.

Maternal and child health and family planning service utilization in Guatemala: implications for service integration.

PubMed

Seiber, Eric E; Hotchkiss, David R; Rous, Jeffrey J; Berruti, Andrés A

2005-07-01

Does the utilization of modern maternal and child health (MCH) services influence subsequent contraceptive use? The answer to this question holds important implications for proposals which advocate MCH and family planning service integration. This study uses data from the 1995/6 Guatemalan Demographic Health Survey and its 1997 Providers Census to test the influence of MCH service utilization on individual contraceptive use decisions. We use a full-information maximum likelihood regression model to control for unobserved heterogeneity. This model produces estimates of the MCH effect, independent of individual women's underlying receptiveness to MCH and contraceptive messages. The results of the analysis indicate that the intensity of MCH service use is indeed positively associated with subsequent contraceptive use among Guatemalan women, even after controlling for observed and unobserved individual- , household- , and community-level factors. Importantly, this finding holds even after controlling for the unobserved factors that 'predispose' some women to use both types of services. Simulations reveal that, for these Guatemalan women, key determinants such as age and primary schooling work indirectly through MCH service use to increase contraceptive utilization.

Electrical utilities model for determining electrical distribution capacity

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

Fritz, R. L.

1997-09-03

In its simplest form, this model was to obtain meaningful data on the current state of the Site`s electrical transmission and distribution assets, and turn this vast collection of data into useful information. The resulting product is an Electrical Utilities Model for Determining Electrical Distribution Capacity which provides: current state of the electrical transmission and distribution systems; critical Hanford Site needs based on outyear planning documents; decision factor model. This model will enable Electrical Utilities management to improve forecasting requirements for service levels, budget, schedule, scope, and staffing, and recommend the best path forward to satisfy customer demands at themore » minimum risk and least cost to the government. A dynamic document, the model will be updated annually to reflect changes in Hanford Site activities.« less

Optimization in the utility maximization framework for conservation planning: a comparison of solution procedures in a study of multifunctional agriculture

PubMed Central

Stoms, David M.; Davis, Frank W.

2014-01-01

Quantitative methods of spatial conservation prioritization have traditionally been applied to issues in conservation biology and reserve design, though their use in other types of natural resource management is growing. The utility maximization problem is one form of a covering problem where multiple criteria can represent the expected social benefits of conservation action. This approach allows flexibility with a problem formulation that is more general than typical reserve design problems, though the solution methods are very similar. However, few studies have addressed optimization in utility maximization problems for conservation planning, and the effect of solution procedure is largely unquantified. Therefore, this study mapped five criteria describing elements of multifunctional agriculture to determine a hypothetical conservation resource allocation plan for agricultural land conservation in the Central Valley of CA, USA. We compared solution procedures within the utility maximization framework to determine the difference between an open source integer programming approach and a greedy heuristic, and find gains from optimization of up to 12%. We also model land availability for conservation action as a stochastic process and determine the decline in total utility compared to the globally optimal set using both solution algorithms. Our results are comparable to other studies illustrating the benefits of optimization for different conservation planning problems, and highlight the importance of maximizing the effectiveness of limited funding for conservation and natural resource management. PMID:25538868

Optimization in the utility maximization framework for conservation planning: a comparison of solution procedures in a study of multifunctional agriculture

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kreitler, Jason R.; Stoms, David M.; Davis, Frank W.

2014-01-01

Quantitative methods of spatial conservation prioritization have traditionally been applied to issues in conservation biology and reserve design, though their use in other types of natural resource management is growing. The utility maximization problem is one form of a covering problem where multiple criteria can represent the expected social benefits of conservation action. This approach allows flexibility with a problem formulation that is more general than typical reserve design problems, though the solution methods are very similar. However, few studies have addressed optimization in utility maximization problems for conservation planning, and the effect of solution procedure is largely unquantified. Therefore, this study mapped five criteria describing elements of multifunctional agriculture to determine a hypothetical conservation resource allocation plan for agricultural land conservation in the Central Valley of CA, USA. We compared solution procedures within the utility maximization framework to determine the difference between an open source integer programming approach and a greedy heuristic, and find gains from optimization of up to 12%. We also model land availability for conservation action as a stochastic process and determine the decline in total utility compared to the globally optimal set using both solution algorithms. Our results are comparable to other studies illustrating the benefits of optimization for different conservation planning problems, and highlight the importance of maximizing the effectiveness of limited funding for conservation and natural resource management.

Engaging partners to initiate evaluation efforts: tactics used and lessons learned from the prevention research centers program.

PubMed

Wright, Demia Sundra; Anderson, Lynda A; Brownson, Ross C; Gwaltney, Margaret K; Scherer, Jennifer; Cross, Alan W; Goodman, Robert M; Schwartz, Randy; Sims, Tom; White, Carol R

2008-01-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Prevention Research Centers (PRC) Program underwent a 2-year evaluation planning project using a participatory process that allowed perspectives from the national community of PRC partners to be expressed and reflected in a national logic model. The PRC Program recognized the challenge in developing a feasible, useable, and relevant evaluation process for a large, diverse program. To address the challenge, participatory and utilization-focused evaluation models were used. Four tactics guided the evaluation planning process: 1) assessing stakeholders' communication needs and existing communication mechanisms and infrastructure; 2) using existing mechanisms and establishing others as needed to inform, educate, and request feedback; 3) listening to and using feedback received; and 4) obtaining adequate resources and building flexibility into the project plan to support multifaceted mechanisms for data collection. Participatory methods resulted in buy-in from stakeholders and the development of a national logic model. Benefits included CDC's use of the logic model for program planning and development of a national evaluation protocol and increased expectations among PRC partners for involvement. Challenges included the time, effort, and investment of program resources required for the participatory approach and the identification of whom to engage and when to engage them for feedback on project decisions. By using a participatory and utilization-focused model, program partners positively influenced how CDC developed an evaluation plan. The tactics we used can guide the involvement of program stakeholders and help with decisions on appropriate methods and approaches for engaging partners.

Impact of pharmacy benefit design on prescription drug utilization: a fixed effects analysis of plan sponsor data.

PubMed

Roebuck, M Christopher; Liberman, Joshua N

2009-06-01

To study the impact of various elements of pharmacy benefit design on both the absolute and relative utilization of generics, brands, retail pharmacy, and mail service. Panel data on 1,074 plan sponsors covering 21.6 million individuals over 12 calendar quarters (2005-2007). A retrospective analysis of pharmacy claims. To control for potential endogeneity, linear fixed effects models were estimated for each of six dependent variables: the generic utilization rate, the brand utilization rate, the generic dispensing rate (GDR), the retail pharmacy utilization rate, the mail service utilization rate, and the mail distribution rate. Most member cost-share variables were nonlinearly associated with changes in prescription drug utilization. Marginal effects were generally greater in magnitude for brand out-of-pocket costs than for generic out-of-pocket costs. Time dummies, as well as other pharmacy benefit design elements, also yielded significant results. Prior estimates of the effect of member cost sharing on prescription drug utilization may be biased if complex benefit designs, mail service fulfillment, and unmeasured factors such as pharmaceutical pipelines are not accounted for. Commonly cited relative utilization metrics, such as GDR, may be misleading if not examined alongside absolute prescription drug utilization.

Optimizing Perioperative Decision Making: Improved Information for Clinical Workflow Planning

PubMed Central

Doebbeling, Bradley N.; Burton, Matthew M.; Wiebke, Eric A.; Miller, Spencer; Baxter, Laurence; Miller, Donald; Alvarez, Jorge; Pekny, Joseph

2012-01-01

Perioperative care is complex and involves multiple interconnected subsystems. Delayed starts, prolonged cases and overtime are common. Surgical procedures account for 40–70% of hospital revenues and 30–40% of total costs. Most planning and scheduling in healthcare is done without modern planning tools, which have potential for improving access by assisting in operations planning support. We identified key planning scenarios of interest to perioperative leaders, in order to examine the feasibility of applying combinatorial optimization software solving some of those planning issues in the operative setting. Perioperative leaders desire a broad range of tools for planning and assessing alternate solutions. Our modeled solutions generated feasible solutions that varied as expected, based on resource and policy assumptions and found better utilization of scarce resources. Combinatorial optimization modeling can effectively evaluate alternatives to support key decisions for planning clinical workflow and improving care efficiency and satisfaction. PMID:23304284

Optimizing perioperative decision making: improved information for clinical workflow planning.

PubMed

Doebbeling, Bradley N; Burton, Matthew M; Wiebke, Eric A; Miller, Spencer; Baxter, Laurence; Miller, Donald; Alvarez, Jorge; Pekny, Joseph

2012-01-01

Perioperative care is complex and involves multiple interconnected subsystems. Delayed starts, prolonged cases and overtime are common. Surgical procedures account for 40-70% of hospital revenues and 30-40% of total costs. Most planning and scheduling in healthcare is done without modern planning tools, which have potential for improving access by assisting in operations planning support. We identified key planning scenarios of interest to perioperative leaders, in order to examine the feasibility of applying combinatorial optimization software solving some of those planning issues in the operative setting. Perioperative leaders desire a broad range of tools for planning and assessing alternate solutions. Our modeled solutions generated feasible solutions that varied as expected, based on resource and policy assumptions and found better utilization of scarce resources. Combinatorial optimization modeling can effectively evaluate alternatives to support key decisions for planning clinical workflow and improving care efficiency and satisfaction.

Harvard Community Health Plan's Mental Health Redesign Project: a managerial and clinical partnership.

PubMed

Abrams, H S

1993-01-01

Harvard Community Health Plan, founded in 1969 as a staff model HMO, is currently a staff and group model HMO with 521,000 members, 19 health centers and 12 independently owned group practices with 26 locations. In 1987, the Plan initiated a review of its mental health benefit and program because its costs were rising, member and clinician dissatisfaction was increasing and many believed the problem was the nature and scope of the benefit. After two years of study, surveys, interviews, cost and utilization analysis, the Plan identified its professional staff as its key asset but recognized many problem areas, including problems with access, variation from site to site, inconsistent service delivery, lack of consistent utilization management and the need for greater diversity along the spectrum of care available to members. From 1989 to 1990, more than 200 clinicians and support staff were engaged in the process of developing a variety of components to the "mental health redesign program." Three simultaneous efforts included developing a method of categorizing patients, restructuring the delivery system and redesigning the benefit. A Mental Health Patient Assessment Tool was created which assists clinicians in performing comprehensive evaluations, administers the benefit, measures progress and supports outcomes research. Delivery system changes included the implementation of self-referral, access standards, intake triage functions by non-clinical staff, program development and an outpatient utilization management function.

Prosthetically directed implant placement using computer software to ensure precise placement and predictable prosthetic outcomes. Part 2: rapid-prototype medical modeling and stereolithographic drilling guides requiring bone exposure.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Alan L; Mandelaris, George A; Tardieu, Philippe B

2006-08-01

The purpose of this paper is to expand on part 1 of this series (published in the previous issue) regarding the emerging future of computer-guided implant dentistry. This article will introduce the concept of rapid-prototype medical modeling as well as describe the utilization and fabrication of computer-generated surgical drilling guides used during implant surgery. The placement of dental implants has traditionally been an intuitive process, whereby the surgeon relies on mental navigation to achieve optimal implant positioning. Through rapid-prototype medical modeling and the ste-reolithographic process, surgical drilling guides (eg, SurgiGuide) can be created. These guides are generated from a surgical implant plan created with a computer software system that incorporates all relevant prosthetic information from which the surgical plan is developed. The utilization of computer-generated planning and stereolithographically generated surgical drilling guides embraces the concept of collaborative accountability and supersedes traditional mental navigation on all levels of implant therapy.

Scoping study of integrated resource planning needs in the public utility sector

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

Garrick, C J; Garrick, J M; Rue, D R

Integrated resource planning (IRP) is an approach to utility resource planning that integrates the evaluation of supply- and demand-site options for providing energy services at the least cost. Many utilities practice IRP; however, most studies about IRP focus on investor-owned utilities (IOUs). This scoping study investigates the IRP activities and needs of public utilities (not-for-profit utilities, including federal, state, municipal, and cooperative utilities). This study (1) profiles IRP-related characteristics of the public utility sector, (2) articulates the needs of public utilities in understanding and implementing IRP, and (3) identifies strategies to advance IRP principles in public utility planning.

Using a knowledge-based planning solution to select patients for proton therapy.

PubMed

Delaney, Alexander R; Dahele, Max; Tol, Jim P; Kuijper, Ingrid T; Slotman, Ben J; Verbakel, Wilko F A R

2017-08-01

Patient selection for proton therapy by comparing proton/photon treatment plans is time-consuming and prone to bias. RapidPlan™, a knowledge-based-planning solution, uses plan-libraries to model and predict organ-at-risk (OAR) dose-volume-histograms (DVHs). We investigated whether RapidPlan, utilizing an algorithm based only on photon beam characteristics, could generate proton DVH-predictions and whether these could correctly identify patients for proton therapy. Model PROT and Model PHOT comprised 30 head-and-neck cancer proton and photon plans, respectively. Proton and photon knowledge-based-plans (KBPs) were made for ten evaluation-patients. DVH-prediction accuracy was analyzed by comparing predicted-vs-achieved mean OAR doses. KBPs and manual plans were compared using salivary gland and swallowing muscle mean doses. For illustration, patients were selected for protons if predicted Model PHOT mean dose minus predicted Model PROT mean dose (ΔPrediction) for combined OARs was ≥6Gy, and benchmarked using achieved KBP doses. Achieved and predicted Model PROT /Model PHOT mean dose R 2 was 0.95/0.98. Generally, achieved mean dose for Model PHOT /Model PROT KBPs was respectively lower/higher than predicted. Comparing Model PROT /Model PHOT KBPs with manual plans, salivary and swallowing mean doses increased/decreased by <2Gy, on average. ΔPrediction≥6Gy correctly selected 4 of 5 patients for protons. Knowledge-based DVH-predictions can provide efficient, patient-specific selection for protons. A proton-specific RapidPlan-solution could improve results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrated planning for regional development planning and water resources management under uncertainty: A case study of Xining, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Z. H.; Zhao, H. J.; Wang, H.; Lu, W. T.; Wang, J.; Guo, H. C.

2017-11-01

Economic restructuring, water resources management, population planning and environmental protection are subjects to inner uncertainties of a compound system with objectives which are competitive alternatives. Optimization model and water quality model are usually used to solve problems in a certain aspect. To overcome the uncertainty and coupling in reginal planning management, an interval fuzzy program combined with water quality model for regional planning and management has been developed to obtain the absolutely ;optimal; solution in this study. The model is a hybrid methodology of interval parameter programming (IPP), fuzzy programing (FP), and a general one-dimensional water quality model. The method extends on the traditional interval parameter fuzzy programming method by integrating water quality model into the optimization framework. Meanwhile, as an abstract concept, water resources carrying capacity has been transformed into specific and calculable index. Besides, unlike many of the past studies about water resource management, population as a significant factor has been considered. The results suggested that the methodology was applicable for reflecting the complexities of the regional planning and management systems within the planning period. The government policy makers could establish effective industrial structure, water resources utilization patterns and population planning, and to better understand the tradeoffs among economic, water resources, population and environmental objectives.

43 CFR 3272.12 - What environmental protection measures must I include in my utilization plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... must I include in my utilization plan? 3272.12 Section 3272.12 Public Lands: Interior Regulations... MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE LEASING Utilization Plan and Facility Construction Permit § 3272.12 What environmental protection measures must I include in my utilization plan? (a) Describe, at a...

Planning Tool for Strategic Evaluation of Facility Plans - 13570

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

Magoulas, Virginia; Cercy, Michael; Hall, Irin

2013-07-01

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has developed a strategic planning tool for the evaluation of the utilization of its unique resources for processing and research and development of nuclear materials. The Planning Tool is a strategic level tool for assessing multiple missions that could be conducted utilizing the SRNL facilities and showcasing the plan. Traditional approaches using standard scheduling tools and laying out a strategy on paper tended to be labor intensive and offered either a limited or cluttered view for visualizing and communicating results. A tool that can assess the process throughput, duration, and utilization of the facility wasmore » needed. SRNL teamed with Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, to create the next generation Planning Tool. The goal of this collaboration was to create a simulation based tool that allows for quick evaluation of strategies with respect to new or changing missions, and clearly communicates results to the decision makers. This tool has been built upon a mature modeling and simulation software previously developed by NNS. The Planning Tool provides a forum for capturing dependencies, constraints, activity flows, and variable factors. It is also a platform for quickly evaluating multiple mission scenarios, dynamically adding/updating scenarios, generating multiple views for evaluating/communicating results, and understanding where there are areas of risks and opportunities with respect to capacity. The Planning Tool that has been developed is useful in that it presents a clear visual plan for the missions at the Savannah River Site (SRS). It not only assists in communicating the plans to SRS corporate management, but also allows the area stakeholders a visual look at the future plans for SRS. The design of this tool makes it easily deployable to other facility and mission planning endeavors. (authors)« less

Digital Architecture Planning Model

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

Oxstrand, Johanna Helene; Al Rashdan, Ahmad Yahya Mohammad; Bly, Aaron Douglas

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, the Digital Architecture (DA) Project focuses on providing a model that nuclear utilities can refer to when planning deployment of advanced technologies. The digital architecture planning model (DAPM) is the methodology for mapping power plant operational and support activities into a DA that unifies all data sources needed by the utilities to operate their plants. The DA is defined as a collection of information technology capabilities needed to support and integrate a wide spectrum of real-time digital capabilities for performance improvements of nuclear power plants. DA canmore » be thought of as integration of the separate instrumentation and control and information systems already in place in nuclear power plants, which are brought together for the purpose of creating new levels of automation in plant work activities. A major objective in DAPM development was to survey all key areas that needed to be reviewed in order for a utility to make knowledgeable decisions regarding needs and plans to implement a DA at the plant. The development was done in two steps. First, researchers surveyed the nuclear industry in order to learn their near-term plans for adopting new advanced capabilities and implementing a network (i.e., wireless and wire) infrastructure throughout the plant, including the power block. Secondly, a literature review covering regulatory documents, industry standards, and technical research reports and articles was conducted. The objective of the review was to identify key areas to be covered by the DAPM, which included the following: 1. The need for a DA and its benefits to the plant 2. Resources required to implement the DA 3. Challenges that need to be addressed and resolved to implement the DA 4. Roles and responsibilities of the DA implementation plan. The DAPM was developed based on results from the survey and the literature review. Model development, including the survey results and conclusions made about the key areas during the literature review, are described in this report.« less

A hierarchical spatial framework for forest landscape planning.

Treesearch

Pete Bettinger; Marie Lennette; K. Norman Johnson; Thomas A. Spies

2005-01-01

A hierarchical spatial framework for large-scale, long-term forest landscape planning is presented along with example policy analyses for a 560,000 ha area of the Oregon Coast Range. The modeling framework suggests utilizing the detail provided by satellite imagery to track forest vegetation condition and for representation of fine-scale features, such as riparian...

Role of land use planning in noise control

Treesearch

Stephanie J. Caswell; Karl Jakus

1977-01-01

A method for controlling outdoor noise through land use planning is presented. The method utilizes a computer model that broadly assesses the likely noise environments of a community on the basis of generalized land use and highway noise production and transmission conditions. The method is designed to enable town planners and other community decision-makers to...

Defining the role of silvicultural research in the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station

Treesearch

Chris Nowak; Susan Stout; John Brissette; Laura Kenefic; Gary Miller; Bill Leak; Dan Yaussy; Tom Schuler; Kurt Gottschalk

1997-01-01

Research planning in the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station has followed a grass roots model for more than two years-ROADMAP, a research and development management plan. The goals for research within ROADMAP include understanding, protecting, managing, and utilizing forest ecosystems. There are nine research themes set to help achieve these goals, each with a set...

75 FR 37883 - Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-30

... Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities; Proposed Rule #0;#0...] Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities Issued June 17... Transmission Services by Public Utilities; Recovery of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting...

New Directions in 3D Medical Modeling: 3D-Printing Anatomy and Functions in Neurosurgical Planning

PubMed Central

Árnadóttir, Íris; Gíslason, Magnús; Ólafsson, Ingvar

2017-01-01

This paper illustrates the feasibility and utility of combining cranial anatomy and brain function on the same 3D-printed model, as evidenced by a neurosurgical planning case study of a 29-year-old female patient with a low-grade frontal-lobe glioma. We herein report the rapid prototyping methodology utilized in conjunction with surgical navigation to prepare and plan a complex neurosurgery. The method introduced here combines CT and MRI images with DTI tractography, while using various image segmentation protocols to 3D model the skull base, tumor, and five eloquent fiber tracts. This 3D model is rapid-prototyped and coregistered with patient images and a reported surgical navigation system, establishing a clear link between the printed model and surgical navigation. This methodology highlights the potential for advanced neurosurgical preparation, which can begin before the patient enters the operation theatre. Moreover, the work presented here demonstrates the workflow developed at the National University Hospital of Iceland, Landspitali, focusing on the processes of anatomy segmentation, fiber tract extrapolation, MRI/CT registration, and 3D printing. Furthermore, we present a qualitative and quantitative assessment for fiber tract generation in a case study where these processes are applied in the preparation of brain tumor resection surgery. PMID:29065569

Resource Requirements Planning for Hospitals Treating Serious Infectious Disease Cases

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

Vugrin, Eric D.; Verzi, Stephen Joseph; Finley, Patrick D.

This report presents a mathematical model of the way in which a hospital uses a variety of resources, utilities and consumables to provide care to a set of in-patients, and how that hospital might adapt to provide treatment to a few patients with a serious infectious disease, like the Ebola virus. The intended purpose of the model is to support requirements planning studies, so that hospitals may be better prepared for situations that are likely to strain their available resources. The current model is a prototype designed to present the basic structural elements of a requirements planning analysis. Some simplemore » illustrati ve experiments establish the mo del's general capabilities. With additional inve stment in model enhancement a nd calibration, this prototype could be developed into a useful planning tool for ho spital administrators and health care policy makers.« less

Generalizable open source urban water portfolio simulation framework demonstrated using a multi-objective risk-based planning benchmark problem.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trindade, B. C.; Reed, P. M.

2017-12-01

The growing access and reduced cost for computing power in recent years has promoted rapid development and application of multi-objective water supply portfolio planning. As this trend continues there is a pressing need for flexible risk-based simulation frameworks and improved algorithm benchmarking for emerging classes of water supply planning and management problems. This work contributes the Water Utilities Management and Planning (WUMP) model: a generalizable and open source simulation framework designed to capture how water utilities can minimize operational and financial risks by regionally coordinating planning and management choices, i.e. making more efficient and coordinated use of restrictions, water transfers and financial hedging combined with possible construction of new infrastructure. We introduce the WUMP simulation framework as part of a new multi-objective benchmark problem for planning and management of regionally integrated water utility companies. In this problem, a group of fictitious water utilities seek to balance the use of the mentioned reliability driven actions (e.g., restrictions, water transfers and infrastructure pathways) and their inherent financial risks. Several traits of this problem make it ideal for a benchmark problem, namely the presence of (1) strong non-linearities and discontinuities in the Pareto front caused by the step-wise nature of the decision making formulation and by the abrupt addition of storage through infrastructure construction, (2) noise due to the stochastic nature of the streamflows and water demands, and (3) non-separability resulting from the cooperative formulation of the problem, in which decisions made by stakeholder may substantially impact others. Both the open source WUMP simulation framework and its demonstration in a challenging benchmarking example hold value for promoting broader advances in urban water supply portfolio planning for regions confronting change.

42 CFR 456.181 - Reports of evaluations and plans of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals... and plan of care must be entered in the applicant's or recipient's record— (a) At the time of... evaluation or plan. Utilization Review (UR) Plan: General Requirements ...

42 CFR 456.381 - Reports of evaluations and plans of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Intermediate Care... evaluation and plan of care must be entered in the applicant's or recipient's record— (a) At the time of... plan. Utilization Review (UR) Plan: General Requirement ...

42 CFR 456.381 - Reports of evaluations and plans of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Intermediate Care... evaluation and plan of care must be entered in the applicant's or recipient's record— (a) At the time of... plan. Utilization Review (UR) Plan: General Requirement ...

Methodological Issues in the Study of Air Force Organizational Structures,

DTIC Science & Technology

MOTIVATION, MORALE, PERFORMANCE(HUMAN), LEADERSHIP , SKILLS, MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND CONTROL, MODEL THEORY , SYMPOSIA...RESOURCE MANAGEMENT , *HUMAN RESOURCES, *MANPOWER UTILIZATION, *JOB ANALYSIS, *ORGANIZATIONS, STRUCTURES, PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT , DECISION MAKING

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

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

Auld, Joshua; Hope, Michael; Ley, Hubert

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

Atmospheric release model for the E-area low-level waste facility: Updates and modifications

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

None, None

The atmospheric release model (ARM) utilizes GoldSim® Monte Carlo simulation software (GTG, 2017) to evaluate the flux of gaseous radionuclides as they volatilize from E-Area disposal facility waste zones, diffuse into the air-filled soil pores surrounding the waste, and emanate at the land surface. This report documents the updates and modifications to the ARM for the next planned E-Area PA considering recommendations from the 2015 PA strategic planning team outlined by Butcher and Phifer.

Examining the Technology Integration Planning Cycle Model of Professional Development to Support Teachers' Instructional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchison, Amy C.; Woodward, Lindsay

2018-01-01

Background: Presently, models of professional development aimed at supporting teachers' technology integration efforts are often short and decontextualized. With many schools across the country utilizing standards that require students to engage with digital tools, a situative model that supports building teachers' knowledge within their…

The Determinants of Student Effort at Learning ERP: A Cultural Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alshare, Khaled A.; El-Masri, Mazen; Lane, Peggy L.

2015-01-01

This paper develops a research model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model (UTAUT) and Hofstede's cultural dimensions to explore factors that influence student effort at learning Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) using LISREL was utilized to validate the proposed research…

Development of state and transition model assumptions used in National Forest Plan revision

Treesearch

Eric B. Henderson

2008-01-01

State and transition models are being utilized in forest management analysis processes to evaluate assumptions about disturbances and succession. These models assume valid information about seral class successional pathways and timing. The Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) was used to evaluate seral class succession assumptions for the Hiawatha National Forest in...

The Utility of the Faces Pain Scale in the Assessment of Shoulder Pain in Turkish Stroke Patients: Its Relation with Quality of Life and Psychologic Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogan, Sebnem Koldas; Ay, Saime; Oztuna, Derya; Aytur, Yesim Kurtais; Evcik, Deniz

2010-01-01

This study was planned to investigate the utility of the vertical Faces Pain Scale (FPS) in the assessment of pain in stroke patients using the shoulder pain model and to assess its utility in the Turkish patient population. The secondary aim was to analyze the association of FPS with the quality of life and depression in the study population.…

Integrated Campaign Probabilistic Cost, Schedule, Performance, and Value for Program Office Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornelius, David; Sasamoto, Washito; Daugherty, Kevin; Deacon, Shaun

2012-01-01

This paper describes an integrated assessment tool developed at NASA Langley Research Center that incorporates probabilistic analysis of life cycle cost, schedule, launch performance, on-orbit performance, and value across a series of planned space-based missions, or campaign. Originally designed as an aid in planning the execution of missions to accomplish the National Research Council 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey, it utilizes Monte Carlo simulation of a series of space missions for assessment of resource requirements and expected return on investment. Interactions between simulated missions are incorporated, such as competition for launch site manifest, to capture unexpected and non-linear system behaviors. A novel value model is utilized to provide an assessment of the probabilistic return on investment. A demonstration case is discussed to illustrate the tool utility.

Modeling the Dynamic Interrelations between Mobility, Utility, and Land Asking Price

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, E.; Rudiarto, I.; Siegert, F.; Vries, W. D.

2018-02-01

Limited and insufficient information about the dynamic interrelation among mobility, utility, and land price is the main reason to conduct this research. Several studies, with several approaches, and several variables have been conducted so far in order to model the land price. However, most of these models appear to generate primarily static land prices. Thus, a research is required to compare, design, and validate different models which calculate and/or compare the inter-relational changes of mobility, utility, and land price. The applied method is a combination of analysis of literature review, expert interview, and statistical analysis. The result is newly improved mathematical model which have been validated and is suitable for the case study location. This improved model consists of 12 appropriate variables. This model can be implemented in the Salatiga city as the case study location in order to arrange better land use planning to mitigate the uncontrolled urban growth.

Piloting Utility Modeling Applications (PUMA): Planning for Climate Change at the Portland Water Bureau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyn, K.; Campbell, E.

2016-12-01

The Portland Water Bureau has been studying the anticipated effects of climate change on its primary surface water source, the Bull Run Watershed, since the early 2000's. Early efforts by the bureau were almost exclusively reliant on outside expertise from climate modelers and researchers, particularly those at the Climate Impacts Group (CIG) at the University of Washington. Early work products from CIG formed the basis of the bureau's understanding of the most likely and consequential impacts to the watershed from continued GHG-caused warming. However, by mid-decade, as key supply and demand conditions for the bureau changed, it found it lacked the technical capacity and tools to conduct more refined and updated research to build on the outside analysis it had obtained. Beginning in 2010 through its participation in the Pilot Utility Modeling Applications (PUMA) project, the bureau identified and began working to address the holes in its technical and institutional capacity by embarking on a process to assess and select a hydrologic model while obtaining downscaled climate change data to utilize within it. Parallel to the development of these technical elements, the bureau made investments in qualified staff to lead the model selection, development and utilization, while working to establish productive, collegial and collaborative relationships with key climate research staff at the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI), the University of Washington and the University of Idaho. This presentation describes the learning process of a major metropolitan area drinking water utility as its approach to addressing the complex problem of climate change evolves, matures, and begins to influence broader aspects of the organization's planning efforts.

The Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Diet in Carers of People with an Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Catherine M.; McKenzie, Karen

2011-01-01

Background: The utility of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in predicting the intentions of care staff to encourage healthy eating behaviour in those they supported was examined. Method: A quantitative, within-participant, questionnaire based design was used with 112 carers to assess the performance of two TPB models. The first contained the…

Assessing the feasibility, cost, and utility of developing models of human performance in aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stillwell, William

1990-01-01

The purpose of the effort outlined in this briefing was to determine whether models exist or can be developed that can be used to address aviation automation issues. A multidisciplinary team has been assembled to undertake this effort, including experts in human performance, team/crew, and aviation system modeling, and aviation data used as input to such models. The project consists of two phases, a requirements assessment phase that is designed to determine the feasibility and utility of alternative modeling efforts, and a model development and evaluation phase that will seek to implement the plan (if a feasible cost effective development effort is found) that results from the first phase. Viewgraphs are given.

42 CFR 456.201 - UR plan required for inpatient mental hospital services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false UR plan required for inpatient mental hospital... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals Utilization Review (ur) Plan: General Requirements § 456.201 UR plan required for...

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

Zhang, Xiaohu; Shi, Di; Wang, Zhiwei

Shunt FACTS devices, such as, a Static Var Compensator (SVC), are capable of providing local reactive power compensation. They are widely used in the network to reduce the real power loss and improve the voltage profile. This paper proposes a planning model based on mixed integer conic programming (MICP) to optimally allocate SVCs in the transmission network considering load uncertainty. The load uncertainties are represented by a number of scenarios. Reformulation and linearization techniques are utilized to transform the original non-convex model into a convex second order cone programming (SOCP) model. Numerical case studies based on the IEEE 30-bus systemmore » demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed planning model.« less

A mangrove creek restoration plan utilizing hydraulic modeling.

PubMed

Marois, Darryl E; Mitsch, William J

2017-11-01

Despite the valuable ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems they remain threatened around the globe. Urban development has been a primary cause for mangrove destruction and deterioration in south Florida USA for the last several decades. As a result, the restoration of mangrove forests has become an important topic of research. Using field sampling and remote-sensing we assessed the past and present hydrologic conditions of a mangrove creek and its connected mangrove forest and brackish marsh systems located on the coast of Naples Bay in southwest Florida. We concluded that the hydrology of these connected systems had been significantly altered from its natural state due to urban development. We propose here a mangrove creek restoration plan that would extend the existing creek channel 1.1 km inland through the adjacent mangrove forest and up to an adjacent brackish marsh. We then tested the hydrologic implications using a hydraulic model of the mangrove creek calibrated with tidal data from Naples Bay and water levels measured within the creek. The calibrated model was then used to simulate the resulting hydrology of our proposed restoration plan. Simulation results showed that the proposed creek extension would restore a twice-daily flooding regime to a majority of the adjacent mangrove forest and that there would still be minimal tidal influence on the brackish marsh area, keeping its salinity at an acceptable level. This study demonstrates the utility of combining field data and hydraulic modeling to aid in the design of mangrove restoration plans.

42 CFR 456.200 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals Utilization Review (ur) Plan... requirements for a written utilization review (UR) plan for each mental hospital providing Medicaid services...

Survivorship care planning in skin cancer: An unbiased statistical approach to identifying patterns of care-plan use.

PubMed

Benci, Joseph L; Minn, Andy J; Vachani, Carolyn C; Bach, Christina; Arnold-Korzeniowski, Karen; Hampshire, Margaret K; Metz, James M; Hill-Kayser, Christine E

2018-01-01

Nearly 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer, and as a result, survivors of skin cancer compose one of the largest groups of cancer survivors. Survivorship care plans (SCPs) are an important tool for improving patient outcomes and provide critical information to both survivors and health care professionals. Recent efforts have been made to expand SCP utilization; however, which patients currently receive SCPs is poorly understood. This study used 596 individuals with a diagnosis of melanoma (n = 391) or nonmelanoma skin cancer (n = 205) who had used an Internet-based SCP tool from May 2010 to December 2016 to model the patient and provider characteristics that determine SCP utilization. Survivors were predominantly white (95.3%) and female (56.5%). Survivors who received a treatment summary were more likely to also receive an SCP. University and nonuniversity cancer centers used SCPs at a higher rate than other care settings. Survivors whose care was managed by a team rather than just an individual physician were also more likely to receive an SCP. Survivors older than 70 years at diagnosis were almost twice as likely to receive a plan as survivors who were diagnosed at a younger age. With a convenience sample of skin cancer survivors, it is possible to model factors that predict the receipt of SCPs. Important variables include the diagnosis age, treatment setting, physician type, and treatment-summary utilization. A closer examination of these variables identified several disparities in care-plan use and, therefore, opportunities to improve the distribution of SCPs. Further validation in additional cohorts of survivors is necessary to confirm these conclusions. Cancer 2018;124:183-91. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Extending Social Cognition Models of Health Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Charles; Sheeran, Paschal; Henderson, Marion

2011-01-01

A cross-sectional study assessed the extent to which indices of social structure, including family socio-economic status (SES), social deprivation, gender and educational/lifestyle aspirations correlated with adolescent condom use and added to the predictive utility of a theory of planned behaviour model. Analyses of survey data from 824 sexually…

Virtual medicine: Utilization of the advanced cardiac imaging patient avatar for procedural planning and facilitation.

PubMed

Shinbane, Jerold S; Saxon, Leslie A

Advances in imaging technology have led to a paradigm shift from planning of cardiovascular procedures and surgeries requiring the actual patient in a "brick and mortar" hospital to utilization of the digitalized patient in the virtual hospital. Cardiovascular computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) digitalized 3-D patient representation of individual patient anatomy and physiology serves as an avatar allowing for virtual delineation of the most optimal approaches to cardiovascular procedures and surgeries prior to actual hospitalization. Pre-hospitalization reconstruction and analysis of anatomy and pathophysiology previously only accessible during the actual procedure could potentially limit the intrinsic risks related to time in the operating room, cardiac procedural laboratory and overall hospital environment. Although applications are specific to areas of cardiovascular specialty focus, there are unifying themes related to the utilization of technologies. The virtual patient avatar computer can also be used for procedural planning, computational modeling of anatomy, simulation of predicted therapeutic result, printing of 3-D models, and augmentation of real time procedural performance. Examples of the above techniques are at various stages of development for application to the spectrum of cardiovascular disease processes, including percutaneous, surgical and hybrid minimally invasive interventions. A multidisciplinary approach within medicine and engineering is necessary for creation of robust algorithms for maximal utilization of the virtual patient avatar in the digital medical center. Utilization of the virtual advanced cardiac imaging patient avatar will play an important role in the virtual health care system. Although there has been a rapid proliferation of early data, advanced imaging applications require further assessment and validation of accuracy, reproducibility, standardization, safety, efficacy, quality, cost effectiveness, and overall value to medical care. Copyright © 2018 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Resouce Cost Model in Illinois: Utilization for Planning and Funding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, F. Howard

1987-01-01

The Resources Cost Model (RCM) determines an appropriate cost of education for each Illinois school district. Appropriate cost is a function of the quantity of resources (teachers, supplies, and buildings) needed and the price of resources faced by each district. A modified RCM framework could remove the model's surburban bias and improve judgment…

Bridging Scientific Model Outputs with Emergency Response Needs in Catastrophic Earthquake Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johannes, Tay W.

2010-01-01

In emergency management, scientific models are widely used for running hazard simulations and estimating losses often in support of planning and mitigation efforts. This work expands utility of the scientific model into the response phase of emergency management. The focus is on the common operating picture as it gives context to emergency…

Development of a 3D patient-specific planning platform for interstitial and transurethral ultrasound thermal therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, Punit; Diederich, Chris J.

2010-03-01

Interstitial and transurethral catheter-based ultrasound devices are under development for treatment of prostate cancer and BPH, uterine fibroids, liver tumors and other soft tissue disease. Accurate 3D thermal modeling is essential for designing site-specific applicators, exploring treatment delivery strategies, and integration of patient-specific treatment planning of thermal ablations. We are developing a comprehensive 3D modeling and treatment planning platform for ultrasound ablation of tissue using catheter-based applicators. We explored the applicability of assessing thermal effects in tissue using critical temperature, thermal dose and Arrhenius thermal damage thresholds and performed a comparative analysis of dynamic tissue properties critical to accurate modeling. We used the model to assess the feasibility of automatic feedback control with MR thermometry, and demonstrated the utility of the modeling platform for 3D patient-specific treatment planning. We have identified critical temperature, thermal dose and thermal damage thresholds for assessing treatment endpoint. Dynamic changes in tissue attenuation/absorption and perfusion must be included for accurate prediction of temperature profiles and extents of the ablation zone. Lastly, we demonstrated use of the modeling platform for patient-specific treatment planning.

Systems modeling and analysis for Saudi Arabian electric power requirements

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

Al-Mohawes, N.A.

This thesis addresses the long-range generation planning problem in Saudi Arabia up to the year 2000. The first part presents various models for electric energy consumption in the residential and industrial sectors. These models can be used by the decision makers for the purposes of policy analysis, evaluation, and forecasting. Forecasts of energy in each sector are obtained from two different models for each sector. These models are based on two forecasting techniques: (1) Hybrid econometric/time series model. The idea of adaptive smoothing was utilized to produce forecasts under several scenarios. (2) Box-Jenkins time series technique. Box-Jenkins models and forecastsmore » are developed for the monthly number of electric consumers and the monthly energy consumption per consumer. The results obtained indicate that high energy consumption is expected during the coming two decades which necessitate serious energy assessment and optimization. Optimization of a mix of energy sources was considered using the group multiattribute utility (MAU) function. The results of MAU for three classes of decision makers (managerial, technical, and consumers) are developed through personal interactions. The computer package WASP was also used to develop a tentative optimum plan. According to this plan, four heavy-water nuclear power plants (800 MW) and four light-water nuclear power plants (1200 MW) have to be introduced by the year 2000 in addition to sixteen oil-fired power plants (400 MW) and nine gas turbines (100 MW).« less

Variable Generation Power Forecasting as a Big Data Problem

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

Haupt, Sue Ellen; Kosovic, Branko

To blend growing amounts of power from renewable resources into utility operations requires accurate forecasts. For both day ahead planning and real-time operations, the power from the wind and solar resources must be predicted based on real-time observations and a series of models that span the temporal and spatial scales of the problem, using the physical and dynamical knowledge as well as computational intelligence. Accurate prediction is a Big Data problem that requires disparate data, multiple models that are each applicable for a specific time frame, and application of computational intelligence techniques to successfully blend all of the model andmore » observational information in real-time and deliver it to the decision makers at utilities and grid operators. This paper describes an example system that has been used for utility applications and how it has been configured to meet utility needs while addressing the Big Data issues.« less

Variable Generation Power Forecasting as a Big Data Problem

DOE PAGES

Haupt, Sue Ellen; Kosovic, Branko

2016-10-10

To blend growing amounts of power from renewable resources into utility operations requires accurate forecasts. For both day ahead planning and real-time operations, the power from the wind and solar resources must be predicted based on real-time observations and a series of models that span the temporal and spatial scales of the problem, using the physical and dynamical knowledge as well as computational intelligence. Accurate prediction is a Big Data problem that requires disparate data, multiple models that are each applicable for a specific time frame, and application of computational intelligence techniques to successfully blend all of the model andmore » observational information in real-time and deliver it to the decision makers at utilities and grid operators. This paper describes an example system that has been used for utility applications and how it has been configured to meet utility needs while addressing the Big Data issues.« less

Beyond Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): The Next Generation Enterprise Resource Planning Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

Software as a Service ( SaaS )— SaaS solutions involve conforming an organization’s...consumer of the utilized service . Service Models Software as a Service ( SaaS ) The capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider’s...operating system, platforms, and software installed. In contrast, Software as a Service ( SaaS ) abstracts the entire stack except for a few

Intentions to Participate in Counselling among Front-Line, At-Risk Irish Government Employees: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyland, Philip E.; McLaughlin, Christopher G.; Boduszek, Daniel; Prentice, Garry R.

2012-01-01

The study set out to examine intentions to engage in counselling among at-risk Irish government employees and the differential utility of two alternative theory of planned behaviour (TPB) models of behaviour to explain intentions to participate in counselling. Individuals (N = 259) employed in a front-line, at-risk occupation for the Irish…

Developing a UAS Program for Electric Utilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keltgen, James

New innovations and technologies using unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, have created unique opportunities for commercial applications. Electric utilities, likewise, realize the benefits of using UAS as a tool in electric utility operations. Although the opportunities exist, establishing a UAS program for electric utilities is largely an endeavor of trial and error or research and development with no clear path defined on how to establish a UAS program. By reviewing UAS use case examples and integrating lessons learned with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, UAS best practices, unique electric utility values, legal and insurance perspectives, equipment selection, and thoughtful planning and preparation; a solution model is developed to establish a UAS program for electric utilities.

State Performance-Based Regulation Using Multiyear Rate Plans for U.S. Electric Utilities

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

Lowry, Mark Newton; Makos, Matt; Deason, Jeff

Electric utilities today must contain costs at a time when many need to modernize aging systems and all face major changes in technologies, customer preferences and competitive pressures.Most U.S. electric utility facilities are investor-owned, subject to rate and service regulation by state public utility commissions. Regulatory systems under which these utilities operate affect their performance and ability to meet these challenges. In this business environment, multiyear rate plans have some advantages over traditional rate regulation.The report focuses on key design issues and provides case studies of the multiyear rate plan approach, applicable to both vertically integrated and restructured states. Markmore » Newton Lowry and Matt Makos of Pacific Energy Group Research and Jeff Deason of Berkeley Lab authored the report; Lisa Schwartz, Berkeley Lab, was project manager and technical editor.The report is aimed primarily at state utility regulators and stakeholders in the state regulatory process. The multiyear rate approach also provides ideas on how to streamline oversight of public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives for their governing boards.Two key provisions of multiyear rate plans strengthen cost containment incentives and streamline regulation: 1. Reducing frequency of rate cases, typically to every four or five years 2. Using an attrition relief mechanism to escalate rates or revenue between rate cases to address cost pressures such as inflation and growth in number of customers, independently of the utility’s own cost Better utility performance can be achieved under well-designed multiyear rate plans while achieving lower regulatory costs. Benefits can be shared between utilities and their customers. But plans can be complex and involve significant changes in the regulatory system. Designing plans that stimulate utility performance without undue risk and share benefits fairly can be challenging.This report discusses the rationale for multiyear rate plans and their usefulness under modern business conditions. It then explains critical plan design issues and challenges and presents results from numerical research that considers the extra incentive power achieved under different plan provisions. Next, the report presents several case studies of utilities that have operated under formal multiyear rate plans or, for various reasons, have stayed out of rate cases for more than a decade. These studies consider the effect of multiyear rate plans and rate case frequency on utility cost, reliability and other performance dimensions.« less

SU-G-TeP4-14: Quality Control of Treatment Planning Using Knowledge-Based Planning Across a System of Radiation Oncology Practices

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

Masi, K; Ditman, M; Marsh, R

Purpose: There is potentially a wide variation in plan quality for a certain disease site, even for clinics located in the same system of hospitals. We have used a prostate-specific knowledge-based planning (KBP) model as a quality control tool to investigate the variation in prostate treatment planning across a network of affiliated radiation oncology departments. Methods: A previously created KBP model was applied to 10 patients each from 4 community-based clinics (Clinics A, B, C, and D). The KBP model was developed using RapidPlan (Eclipse v13.5, Varian Medical Systems) from 60 prostate/prostate bed IMRT plans that were originally planned usingmore » an in-house treatment planning system at the central institution of the community-based clinics. The dosimetric plan quality (target coverage and normal-tissue sparing) of each model-generated plan was compared to the respective clinically-used plan. Each community-based clinic utilized the same planning goals to develop the clinically-used plans that were used at the main institution. Results: Across all 4 clinics, the model-generated plans decreased the mean dose to the rectum by varying amounts (on average, 12.5, 2.6, 4.5, and 2.7 Gy for Clinics A, B, C, and D, respectively). The mean dose to the bladder also decreased with the model-generated plans (5.4, 2.3, 3.0, and 4.1 Gy, respectively). The KBP model also identified that target coverage (D95%) improvements were possible for for Clinics A, B, and D (0.12, 1.65, and 2.75%) while target coverage decreased by 0.72% for Clinic C, demonstrating potentially different trade-offs made in clinical plans at different institutions. Conclusion: Quality control of dosimetric plan quality across a system of radiation oncology practices is possible with knowledge-based planning. By using a quality KBP model, smaller community-based clinics can potentially identify the areas of their treatment plans that may be improved, whether it be in normal-tissue sparing or improved target coverage. M. Matuszak has research funding for KBP from Varian Medical Systems.« less

Physician need. An alternative projection from a study of large, prepaid group practices.

PubMed

Mulhausen, R; McGee, J

1989-04-07

To model a base level of physician demand in a managed health care system, we examined in 1983 the ratios by specialty of full-time equivalent physicians to health maintenance organization members in seven large, closed-panel health maintenance organizations, each with more than 100,000 members. The medical director of each plan was surveyed by mailed questionnaire and telephone interview to determine the plan's number of full-time equivalent physicians by specialty and members served. Out-of-plan physicians contracted by the group were included within the specialty distribution wherever possible. We compared our findings (4779.4 full-time equivalent physicians serving 4,297,790 members) with Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee and others' projections of physician need and supply. Based on this model and unknowns that might affect utilization, our study suggests that at least 111 physicians per 100,000 population would be necessary in a system that emphasized reduced utilization of services and that more primary care physicians would be needed than the Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee predicted would be available.

Using SysML for verification and validation planning on the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvy, Brian M.; Claver, Charles; Angeli, George

2014-08-01

This paper provides an overview of the tool, language, and methodology used for Verification and Validation Planning on the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Project. LSST has implemented a Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach as a means of defining all systems engineering planning and definition activities that have historically been captured in paper documents. Specifically, LSST has adopted the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) standard and is utilizing a software tool called Enterprise Architect, developed by Sparx Systems. Much of the historical use of SysML has focused on the early phases of the project life cycle. Our approach is to extend the advantages of MBSE into later stages of the construction project. This paper details the methodology employed to use the tool to document the verification planning phases, including the extension of the language to accommodate the project's needs. The process includes defining the Verification Plan for each requirement, which in turn consists of a Verification Requirement, Success Criteria, Verification Method(s), Verification Level, and Verification Owner. Each Verification Method for each Requirement is defined as a Verification Activity and mapped into Verification Events, which are collections of activities that can be executed concurrently in an efficient and complementary way. Verification Event dependency and sequences are modeled using Activity Diagrams. The methodology employed also ties in to the Project Management Control System (PMCS), which utilizes Primavera P6 software, mapping each Verification Activity as a step in a planned activity. This approach leads to full traceability from initial Requirement to scheduled, costed, and resource loaded PMCS task-based activities, ensuring all requirements will be verified.

Financial constraints in capacity planning: a national utility regulatory model (NUREG). Volume III of III: software description. Final report

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

None

1981-10-29

This volume is the software description for the National Utility Regulatory Model (NUREG). This is the third of three volumes provided by ICF under contract number DEAC-01-79EI-10579. These three volumes are: a manual describing the NUREG methodology; a users guide; and a description of the software. This manual describes the software which has been developed for NUREG. This includes a listing of the source modules. All computer code has been written in FORTRAN.

End-of-Life Care Planning in Accountable Care Organizations: Associations with Organizational Characteristics and Capabilities.

PubMed

Ahluwalia, Sangeeta C; Harris, Benjamin J; Lewis, Valerie A; Colla, Carrie H

2018-06-01

To measure the extent to which accountable care organizations (ACOs) have adopted end-of-life (EOL) care planning processes and characterize those ACOs that have established processes related to EOL. This study uses data from three waves (2012-2015) of the National Survey of ACOs. Respondents were 397 ACOs participating in Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial ACO contracts. This is a cross-sectional survey study using multivariate ordered logit regression models. We measured the extent to which the ACO had adopted EOL care planning processes as well as organizational characteristics, including care management, utilization management, health informatics, and shared decision-making capabilities, palliative care, and patient-centered medical home experience. Twenty-one percent of ACOs had few or no EOL care planning processes, 60 percent had some processes, and 19.6 percent had advanced processes. ACOs with a hospital in their system (OR: 3.07; p = .01), and ACOs with advanced care management (OR: 1.43; p = .02), utilization management (OR: 1.58, p = .00), and shared decision-making capabilities (OR: 16.3, p = .000) were more likely to have EOL care planning processes than those with no hospital or few to no capabilities. There remains considerable room for today's ACOs to increase uptake of EOL care planning, possibly by leveraging existing care management, utilization management, and shared decision-making processes. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

The application of remote sensing techniques to selected inter and intra urban data acquisition problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horton, F. E.

1970-01-01

The utility of remote sensing techniques to urban data acquisition problems in several distinct areas was identified. This endeavor included a comparison of remote sensing systems for urban data collection, the extraction of housing quality data from aerial photography, utilization of photographic sensors in urban transportation studies, urban change detection, space photography utilization, and an application of remote sensing techniques to the acquisition of data concerning intra-urban commercial centers. The systematic evaluation of variable extraction for urban modeling and planning at several different scales, and the model derivation for identifying and predicting economic growth and change within a regional system of cities are also studied.

Wind energy on the horizon in British Columbia. A review and evaluation of the British Columbia wind energy planning framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Jason

This study examines the wind energy planning frameworks from ten North American jurisdictions, drawing important lessons that British Columbia could use to build on its current model which has been criticized for its limited scope and restriction of local government powers. This study contributes to similar studies conducted by Kimrey (2006), Longston (2006), and Eriksen (2009). This study concludes that inclusion of wind resource zones delineated through strategic environmental assessment, programme assessment, and conducting research-oriented studies could improve the current British Columbia planning framework. The framework should also strengthen its bat impact assessment practices and incorporate habitat compensation. This research also builds upon Rosenberg's (2008) wind energy planning framework typologies. I conclude that the typology utilized in Texas should be employed in British Columbia in order to facilitate utilizing wind power. The only adaptation needed is the establishment of a cross-jurisdictional review committee for project assessment to address concerns about local involvement and site-specific environmental and social concerns.

Demand-Side Management and Integrated Resource Planning: Findings from a Survey of 24 Electric Utilities

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

Schweitzer, M.

1991-01-01

Integrated resource planning differs from traditional utility planning practices primarily in its increased attention to demand-side management (DSM) programs and its integration of supply- and demand-side resources into a combined resource portfolio. This report details the findings from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) survey of 24 electric utilities that have well-developed integrated planning processes. These utilities account for roughly one-third of total capacity, electricity generation, and DSM-program expenditures nationwide. The ORNL survey was designed to obtain descriptive data on a national sample of utilities and to test a number of hypothesized relationships between selected utility characteristics and the mixmore » of resources selected for the integrated plan, with an emphasis on the use of DSM resources and the processes by which they are chosen. The survey solicited information on each utility's current and projected resource mix, operating environment, procedures used to screen potential DSM resources, techniques used to obtain public input and to integrate supply- and demand-side options into a unified plan, and procedures used in the final selection of resources for the plan.« less

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act evaluation study: Impact on specialty behavioral health utilization and expenditures among "carve-out" enrollees.

PubMed

Ettner, Susan L; M Harwood, Jessica; Thalmayer, Amber; Ong, Michael K; Xu, Haiyong; Bresolin, Michael J; Wells, Kenneth B; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Azocar, Francisca

2016-12-01

Interrupted time series with and without controls was used to evaluate whether the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and its Interim Final Rule increased the probability of specialty behavioral health treatment and levels of utilization and expenditures among patients receiving treatment. Linked insurance claims, eligibility, plan and employer data from 2008 to 2013 were used to estimate segmented regression analyses, allowing for level and slope changes during the transition (2010) and post-MHPAEA (2011-2013) periods. The sample included 1,812,541 individuals ages 27-64 (49,968,367 person-months) in 10,010 Optum "carve-out" plans. Two-part regression models with Generalized Estimating Equations were used to estimate expenditures by payer and outpatient, intermediate and inpatient service use. We found little evidence that MHPAEA increased utilization significantly, but somewhat more robust evidence that costs shifted from patients to plans. Thus the primary impact of MHPAEA among carve-out enrollees may have been a reduction in patient financial burden. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding young and older male drivers' willingness to drive while intoxicated: the predictive utility of constructs specified by the theory of planned behaviour and the prototype willingness model.

PubMed

Rivis, Amanda; Abraham, Charles; Snook, Sarah

2011-05-01

The present study examined the predictive utility of constructs specified by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and prototype willingness model (PWM) for young and older male drivers' willingness to drive while intoxicated. A cross-sectional questionnaire was employed. Two hundred male drivers, recruited via a street survey, voluntarily completed measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, prototype perceptions, and willingness. Findings showed that the TPB and PWM variables explained 65% of the variance in young male drivers' willingness and 47% of the variance in older male drivers' willingness, with the interaction between prototype favourability and similarity contributing 7% to the variance explained in older males' willingness to drive while intoxicated. The findings possess implications for theory, research, and anti-drink driving campaigns. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Begin Planning this Spring for a Yearlong Program Recognizing and Celebrating Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caruso, Michael P.

2002-01-01

Outlines a model program for rewarding excellence, primarily in a Catholic elementary school that has discretionary funds for rewards and recognition, though it may be adapted for any school. Presents a monthly award system that utilizes Catholic culture and permeates the entire school year. Cites Disney program as a model. (NB)

A Programming System for School Location & Facility Utilization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.

A linear program model designed to aid in site selection and the development of pupil assignment plans is illustrated in terms of a hypothetical school system. The model is designed to provide the best possible realization of any single stated objective (for example, "Minimize the distance that pupils must travel") given any number of specified…

Metro passengers’ route choice model and its application considering perceived transfer threshold

PubMed Central

Jin, Fanglei; Zhang, Yongsheng; Liu, Shasha

2017-01-01

With the rapid development of the Metro network in China, the greatly increased route alternatives make passengers’ route choice behavior and passenger flow assignment more complicated, which presents challenges to the operation management. In this paper, a path sized logit model is adopted to analyze passengers’ route choice preferences considering such parameters as in-vehicle time, number of transfers, and transfer time. Moreover, the “perceived transfer threshold” is defined and included in the utility function to reflect the penalty difference caused by transfer time on passengers’ perceived utility under various numbers of transfers. Next, based on the revealed preference data collected in the Guangzhou Metro, the proposed model is calibrated. The appropriate perceived transfer threshold value and the route choice preferences are analyzed. Finally, the model is applied to a personalized route planning case to demonstrate the engineering practicability of route choice behavior analysis. The results show that the introduction of the perceived transfer threshold is helpful to improve the model’s explanatory abilities. In addition, personalized route planning based on route choice preferences can meet passengers’ diversified travel demands. PMID:28957376

Optimality of profit-including prices under ideal planning.

PubMed

Samuelson, P A

1973-07-01

Although prices calculated by a constant percentage markup on all costs (nonlabor as well as direct-labor) are usually admitted to be more realistic for a competitive capitalistic model, the view is often expressed that, for optimal planning purposes, the "values" model of Marx's Capital, Volume I, is to be preferred. It is shown here that an optimal-control model that maximizes discounted social utility of consumption per capita and that ultimately approaches a steady state must ultimately have optimal pricing that involves equal rates of steady-state profit in all industries; and such optimal pricing will necessarily deviate from Marx's model of equal rates of surplus value (markups on direct-labor only) in all industries.

Optimality of Profit-Including Prices Under Ideal Planning

PubMed Central

Samuelson, Paul A.

1973-01-01

Although prices calculated by a constant percentage markup on all costs (nonlabor as well as direct-labor) are usually admitted to be more realistic for a competitive capitalistic model, the view is often expressed that, for optimal planning purposes, the “values” model of Marx's Capital, Volume I, is to be preferred. It is shown here that an optimal-control model that maximizes discounted social utility of consumption per capita and that ultimately approaches a steady state must ultimately have optimal pricing that involves equal rates of steady-state profit in all industries; and such optimal pricing will necessarily deviate from Marx's model of equal rates of surplus value (markups on direct-labor only) in all industries. PMID:16592102

Prediction of Exercise in Patients across Various Stages of Bariatric Surgery: A Comparison of the Merits of the Theory of Reasoned Action versus the Theory of Planned Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Hillary R.; Gross, Alan M.

2009-01-01

Obesity is a world-wide health concern approaching epidemic proportions. Successful long-term treatment involves a combination of bariatric surgery, diet, and exercise. Social cognitive models, such as the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), are among the most commonly tested theories utilized in the…

Choice Inconsistencies among the Elderly: Evidence from Plan Choice in the Medicare Part D Program: Comment.

PubMed

Ketcham, Jonathan D; Kuminoff, Nicolai V; Powers, Christopher A

2016-12-01

Consumers' enrollment decisions in Medicare Part D can be explained by Abaluck and Gruber’s (2011) model of utility maximization with psychological biases or by a neoclassical version of their model that precludes such biases. We evaluate these competing hypotheses by applying nonparametric tests of utility maximization and model validation tests to administrative data. We find that 79 percent of enrollment decisions from 2006 to 2010 satisfied basic axioms of consumer theory under the assumption of full information. The validation tests provide evidence against widespread psychological biases. In particular, we find that precluding psychological biases improves the structural model's out-of-sample predictions for consumer behavior.

Application of a forest-simulation model to assess the energy yield and ecological impact of forest utilization for energy

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

Doyle, T W; Shugart, H H; West, D C

1981-01-01

This study examines the utilization and management of natural forest lands to meet growing wood-energy demands. An application of a forest simulation model is described for assessing energy returns and long-term ecological impacts of wood-energy harvesting under four general silvicultural practices. Results indicate that moderate energy yields could be expected from mild cutting operations which would significantly effect neither the commercial timber market nor the composition, structure, or diversity of these forests. Forest models can provide an effective tool for determining optimal management strategies that maximize energy returns, minimize environmental detriment, and complement existing land-use plans.

42 CFR 456.523 - Revised UR plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time Requirements § 456.523 Revised... control over the utilization of services; and (2) Conducts reviews in a way that improves the quality of...

42 CFR 456.523 - Revised UR plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time Requirements § 456.523 Revised... control over the utilization of services; and (2) Conducts reviews in a way that improves the quality of...

A modeling framework for investment planning in interdependent infrastructures in multi-hazard environments.

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

Brown, Nathanael J. K.; Gearhart, Jared Lee; Jones, Dean A.

Currently, much of protection planning is conducted separately for each infrastructure and hazard. Limited funding requires a balance of expenditures between terrorism and natural hazards based on potential impacts. This report documents the results of a Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) project that created a modeling framework for investment planning in interdependent infrastructures focused on multiple hazards, including terrorism. To develop this framework, three modeling elements were integrated: natural hazards, terrorism, and interdependent infrastructures. For natural hazards, a methodology was created for specifying events consistent with regional hazards. For terrorism, we modeled the terrorists actions based on assumptions regardingmore » their knowledge, goals, and target identification strategy. For infrastructures, we focused on predicting post-event performance due to specific terrorist attacks and natural hazard events, tempered by appropriate infrastructure investments. We demonstrate the utility of this framework with various examples, including protection of electric power, roadway, and hospital networks.« less

A benders decomposition approach to multiarea stochastic distributed utility planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCusker, Susan Ann

Until recently, small, modular generation and storage options---distributed resources (DRs)---have been installed principally in areas too remote for economic power grid connection and sensitive applications requiring backup capacity. Recent regulatory changes and DR advances, however, have lead utilities to reconsider the role of DRs. To a utility facing distribution capacity bottlenecks or uncertain load growth, DRs can be particularly valuable since they can be dispersed throughout the system and constructed relatively quickly. DR value is determined by comparing its costs to avoided central generation expenses (i.e., marginal costs) and distribution investments. This requires a comprehensive central and local planning and production model, since central system marginal costs result from system interactions over space and time. This dissertation develops and applies an iterative generalized Benders decomposition approach to coordinate models for optimal DR evaluation. Three coordinated models exchange investment, net power demand, and avoided cost information to minimize overall expansion costs. Local investment and production decisions are made by a local mixed integer linear program. Central system investment decisions are made by a LP, and production costs are estimated by a stochastic multi-area production costing model with Kirchhoff's Voltage and Current Law constraints. The nested decomposition is a new and unique method for distributed utility planning that partitions the variables twice to separate local and central investment and production variables, and provides upper and lower bounds on expected expansion costs. Kirchhoff's Voltage Law imposes nonlinear, nonconvex constraints that preclude use of LP if transmission capacity is available in a looped transmission system. This dissertation develops KVL constraint approximations that permit the nested decomposition to consider new transmission resources, while maintaining linearity in the three individual models. These constraints are presented as a heuristic for the given examples; future research will investigate conditions for convergence. A ten-year multi-area example demonstrates the decomposition approach and suggests the ability of DRs and new transmission to modify capacity additions and production costs by changing demand and power flows. Results demonstrate that DR and new transmission options may lead to greater capacity additions, but resulting production cost savings more than offset extra capacity costs.

Effects of a consumer driven health plan on pharmaceutical spending and utilization.

PubMed

Parente, Stephen T; Feldman, Roger; Chen, Song

2008-10-01

To compare pharmaceutical spending and utilization in a consumer driven health plan (CDHP) with a three-tier pharmacy benefit design, and to examine whether the CDHP creates incentives to reduce pharmaceutical spending and utilization for chronically ill patients, generic or brand name drugs, and mail-order drugs. Retrospective insurance claims analysis from a large employer that introduced a CDHP in 2001 in addition to a point of service (POS) plan and a preferred provider organization (PPO), both of which used a three-tier pharmacy benefit. Difference-in-differences regression models were estimated for drug spending and utilization. Control variables included the employee's income, age, and gender, number of covered lives per contract, election of flexible spending account, health status, concurrent health shock, cohort, and time trend. Results. CDHP pharmaceutical expenditures were lower than those in the POS cohort in 1 year without differences in the use of brand name drugs. We find limited evidence of less drug consumption by CDHP enrollees with chronic illnesses, and some evidence of less generic drug use and more mail-order drug use among CDHP members. The CDHP is cost-neutral or cost-saving to both the employer and the employee compared with three-tier benefits with no differences in brand name drug use. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Use of remote sensing technology for inventorying and planning utilization of land resources in South Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A comprehensive land use planning process model is being developed in Meade County, South Dakota, using remote sensing technology. The proper role of remote sensing in the land use planning process is being determined by interaction of remote sensing specialists with local land use planners. The data that were collected by remote sensing techniques are as follows: (1) level I land use data interpreted at a scale of 1:250,000 from false color enlargement prints of ERTS-1 color composite transparencies; (2) detailed land use data interpreted at a scale of 1:24,000 from enlargement color prints of high altitude RB-57 photography; and (3) general soils map interpreted at a scale of 1:250,000 from false color enlargement prints of ERTS-1 color composite transparencies. In addition to use of imagery as an interpretation aid, the utility of using photographs as base maps was demonstrated.

Capacity planning for batch and perfusion bioprocesses across multiple biopharmaceutical facilities.

PubMed

Siganporia, Cyrus C; Ghosh, Soumitra; Daszkowski, Thomas; Papageorgiou, Lazaros G; Farid, Suzanne S

2014-01-01

Production planning for biopharmaceutical portfolios becomes more complex when products switch between fed-batch and continuous perfusion culture processes. This article describes the development of a discrete-time mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model to optimize capacity plans for multiple biopharmaceutical products, with either batch or perfusion bioprocesses, across multiple facilities to meet quarterly demands. The model comprised specific features to account for products with fed-batch or perfusion culture processes such as sequence-dependent changeover times, continuous culture constraints, and decoupled upstream and downstream operations that permit independent scheduling of each. Strategic inventory levels were accounted for by applying cost penalties when they were not met. A rolling time horizon methodology was utilized in conjunction with the MILP model and was shown to obtain solutions with greater optimality in less computational time than the full-scale model. The model was applied to an industrial case study to illustrate how the framework aids decisions regarding outsourcing capacity to third party manufacturers or building new facilities. The impact of variations on key parameters such as demand or titres on the optimal production plans and costs was captured. The analysis identified the critical ratio of in-house to contract manufacturing organization (CMO) manufacturing costs that led the optimization results to favor building a future facility over using a CMO. The tool predicted that if titres were higher than expected then the optimal solution would allocate more production to in-house facilities, where manufacturing costs were lower. Utilization graphs indicated when capacity expansion should be considered. © 2014 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Capacity Planning for Batch and Perfusion Bioprocesses Across Multiple Biopharmaceutical Facilities

PubMed Central

Siganporia, Cyrus C; Ghosh, Soumitra; Daszkowski, Thomas; Papageorgiou, Lazaros G; Farid, Suzanne S

2014-01-01

Production planning for biopharmaceutical portfolios becomes more complex when products switch between fed-batch and continuous perfusion culture processes. This article describes the development of a discrete-time mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model to optimize capacity plans for multiple biopharmaceutical products, with either batch or perfusion bioprocesses, across multiple facilities to meet quarterly demands. The model comprised specific features to account for products with fed-batch or perfusion culture processes such as sequence-dependent changeover times, continuous culture constraints, and decoupled upstream and downstream operations that permit independent scheduling of each. Strategic inventory levels were accounted for by applying cost penalties when they were not met. A rolling time horizon methodology was utilized in conjunction with the MILP model and was shown to obtain solutions with greater optimality in less computational time than the full-scale model. The model was applied to an industrial case study to illustrate how the framework aids decisions regarding outsourcing capacity to third party manufacturers or building new facilities. The impact of variations on key parameters such as demand or titres on the optimal production plans and costs was captured. The analysis identified the critical ratio of in-house to contract manufacturing organization (CMO) manufacturing costs that led the optimization results to favor building a future facility over using a CMO. The tool predicted that if titres were higher than expected then the optimal solution would allocate more production to in-house facilities, where manufacturing costs were lower. Utilization graphs indicated when capacity expansion should be considered. © 2013 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:594–606, 2014 PMID:24376262

Model-based surgical planning and simulation of cranial base surgery.

PubMed

Abe, M; Tabuchi, K; Goto, M; Uchino, A

1998-11-01

Plastic skull models of seven individual patients were fabricated by stereolithography from three-dimensional data based on computed tomography bone images. Skull models were utilized for neurosurgical planning and simulation in the seven patients with cranial base lesions that were difficult to remove. Surgical approaches and areas of craniotomy were evaluated using the fabricated skull models. In preoperative simulations, hand-made models of the tumors, major vessels and nerves were placed in the skull models. Step-by-step simulation of surgical procedures was performed using actual surgical tools. The advantages of using skull models to plan and simulate cranial base surgery include a better understanding of anatomic relationships, preoperative evaluation of the proposed procedure, increased understanding by the patient and family, and improved educational experiences for residents and other medical staff. The disadvantages of using skull models include the time and cost of making the models. The skull models provide a more realistic tool that is easier to handle than computer-graphic images. Surgical simulation using models facilitates difficult cranial base surgery and may help reduce surgical complications.

Puerto Rico water resources planning model program description

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moody, D.W.; Maddock, Thomas; Karlinger, M.R.; Lloyd, J.J.

1973-01-01

Because the use of the Mathematical Programming System -Extended (MPSX) to solve large linear and mixed integer programs requires the preparation of many input data cards, a matrix generator program to produce the MPSX input data from a much more limited set of data may expedite the use of the mixed integer programming optimization technique. The Model Definition and Control Program (MODCQP) is intended to assist a planner in preparing MPSX input data for the Puerto Rico Water Resources Planning Model. The model utilizes a mixed-integer mathematical program to identify a minimum present cost set of water resources projects (diversions, reservoirs, ground-water fields, desalinization plants, water treatment plants, and inter-basin transfers of water) which will meet a set of future water demands and to determine their sequence of construction. While MODCOP was specifically written to generate MPSX input data for the planning model described in this report, the program can be easily modified to reflect changes in the model's mathematical structure.

Improving the relevance and impact of decision support research: A co-production framework and water management case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R.; Kasprzyk, J. R.; Dilling, L.; Basdekas, L.; Kaatz, L.

2016-12-01

In light of the unpredictable effects of climate change and population shifts, responsible resource management will require new types of information and strategies going forward. For water utilities, this means that water supply infrastructure systems must be expanded and/or managed for changes in overall supply and increased extremes. Utilities have begun seeking innovative tools and methods to support planning and decision making, but there are limited channels through which they can gain exposure to emerging tools from the research world, and for researchers to uptake important real-world planning and decision context. A transdisciplinary team of engineers, social and climate scientists, and water managers designed this study to develop and apply a co-production framework which explores the potential of an emerging decision support tool to enhance flexibility and adaptability in water utility planning. It also demonstrates how to improve the link between research and practice in the water sector. In this study we apply the co-production framework to the use of Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs). MOEAs have shown promise in being able to generate and evaluate new planning alternatives but they have had little testing or application in water utilities. Anchored by two workshops, this study (1) elicited input from water managers from six water suppliers on the Front Range of Colorado, USA, to create a testbed MOEA application, and (2) evaluated the managers' responses to multiobjective optimization results. The testbed consists of a Front Range-relevant hypothetical water supply model, the Borg MOEA, hydrology and demand scenarios, and a set of planning decisions and performance objectives that drive the link between the algorithm and the model. In this presentation we describe researcher-manager interactions at the initial workshop that served to establish relationships and provide in-depth information to researchers about regional water management context. We also describe the development of, and experiences from, the second workshop which included activities for water managers to interact directly with MOEA testbed results. Finally, we evaluate the co-production framework itself and the potential for the feedback from managers to shape future development of decision support tools.

Is quality of care a key predictor of perinatal health care utilization and patient satisfaction in Malawi?

PubMed

Creanga, Andreea A; Gullo, Sara; Kuhlmann, Anne K Sebert; Msiska, Thumbiko W; Galavotti, Christine

2017-05-22

The Malawi government encourages early antenatal care, delivery in health facilities, and timely postnatal care. Efforts to sustain or increase current levels of perinatal service utilization may not achieve desired gains if the quality of care provided is neglected. This study examined predictors of perinatal service utilization and patients' satisfaction with these services with a focus on quality of care. We used baseline, two-stage cluster sampling household survey data collected between November and December, 2012 before implementation of CARE's Community Score Card© intervention in Ntcheu district, Malawi. Women with a birth during the last year (N = 1301) were asked about seeking: 1) family planning, 2) antenatal, 3) delivery, and 4) postnatal care; the quality of care received; and their overall satisfaction with the care received. Specific quality of care items were assessed for each type of service, and up to five such items per type of service were used in analyses. Separate logistic regression models were fitted to examine predictors of family planning, antenatal, delivery, and postnatal service utilization and of complete satisfaction with each of these services; all models were adjusted for women's socio-demographic characteristics, perceptions of the closest facility to their homes, service use indicators, and quality of care items. We found higher levels of perinatal service use than previously documented in Malawi (baseline antenatal care 99.4%; skilled birth attendance 97.3%; postnatal care 77.5%; current family planning use 52.8%). Almost 73% of quality of perinatal care items assessed were favorably reported by > 90% of women. Women reported high overall satisfaction (≥85%) with all types of services examined, higher for antenatal and postnatal care than for family planning and delivery care. We found significant associations between perceived and actual quality of care and both women's use and satisfaction with the perinatal health services received. Quality of care is a key predictor of perinatal health service utilization and complete patient satisfaction with such services in Malawi. The current heightened attention toward perinatal health services and outcomes should be coupled with efforts to improve the actual quality of care offered to women in this country.

Modelling Per Capita Water Demand Change to Support System Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, M. E.; Islam, S.

2016-12-01

Water utilities have a number of levers to influence customer water usage. These include levers to proactively slow demand growth over time such as building and landscape codes as well as levers to decrease demands quickly in response to water stress including price increases, education campaigns, water restrictions, and incentive programs. Even actions aimed at short term reductions can result in long term water usage declines when substantial changes are made in water efficiency, as in incentives for fixture replacement or turf removal, or usage patterns such as permanent lawn watering restrictions. Demand change is therefore linked to hydrological conditions and to the effects of past management decisions - both typically included in water supply planning models. Yet, demand is typically incorporated exogenously using scenarios or endogenously using only price, though utilities also use rules and incentives issued in response to water stress and codes specifying standards for new construction to influence water usage. Explicitly including these policy levers in planning models enables concurrent testing of infrastructure and policy strategies and illuminates interactions between the two. The City of Las Vegas is used as a case study to develop and demonstrate this modeling approach. First, a statistical analysis of system data was employed to rule out alternate hypotheses of per capita demand decrease such as changes in population density and economic structure. Next, four demand sub-models were developed including one baseline model in which demand is a function of only price. The sub-models were then calibrated and tested using monthly data from 1997 to 2012. Finally, the best performing sub-model was integrated with a full supply and demand model. The results highlight the importance of both modeling water demand dynamics endogenously and taking a broader view of the variables influencing demand change.

Predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students using an augmented Theory of Planned Behavior

PubMed Central

Rajah-Kanagasabai, Camilla J.; Roberts, Lynne D.

2015-01-01

This study examined the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior model, augmented by descriptive norms and justifications, for predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students. A convenience sample of 205 research active Western Australian university students (47 male, 158 female, ages 18–53 years, M = 22, SD = 4.78) completed an online survey. There was a low level of engagement in research misconduct, with approximately one in seven students reporting data fabrication and one in eight data falsification. Path analysis and model testing in LISREL supported a parsimonious two step mediation model, providing good fit to the data. After controlling for social desirability, the effect of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms and perceived behavioral control on student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices was mediated by justifications and then intention. This revised augmented model accounted for a substantial 40.8% of the variance in student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices, demonstrating its predictive utility. The model can be used to target interventions aimed at reducing student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices. PMID:25983709

Predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students using an augmented Theory of Planned Behavior.

PubMed

Rajah-Kanagasabai, Camilla J; Roberts, Lynne D

2015-01-01

This study examined the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior model, augmented by descriptive norms and justifications, for predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students. A convenience sample of 205 research active Western Australian university students (47 male, 158 female, ages 18-53 years, M = 22, SD = 4.78) completed an online survey. There was a low level of engagement in research misconduct, with approximately one in seven students reporting data fabrication and one in eight data falsification. Path analysis and model testing in LISREL supported a parsimonious two step mediation model, providing good fit to the data. After controlling for social desirability, the effect of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms and perceived behavioral control on student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices was mediated by justifications and then intention. This revised augmented model accounted for a substantial 40.8% of the variance in student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices, demonstrating its predictive utility. The model can be used to target interventions aimed at reducing student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices.

42 CFR 456.380 - Individual written plan of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Intermediate Care Facilities Plan of Care § 456.380 Individual written plan of care. (a) Before admission to an ICF or before... designed to meet the objectives of the plan of care; (5) Plans for continuing care, including review and...

42 CFR 456.380 - Individual written plan of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Intermediate Care Facilities Plan of Care § 456.380 Individual written plan of care. (a) Before admission to an ICF or before... designed to meet the objectives of the plan of care; (5) Plans for continuing care, including review and...

42 CFR 456.380 - Individual written plan of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Intermediate Care Facilities Plan of Care § 456.380 Individual written plan of care. (a) Before admission to an ICF or before... designed to meet the objectives of the plan of care; (5) Plans for continuing care, including review and...

Climate change adaptation in regulated water utilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vicuna, S.; Melo, O.; Harou, J. J.; Characklis, G. W.; Ricalde, I.

2017-12-01

Concern about climate change impacts on water supply systems has grown in recent years. However, there are still few examples of pro-active interventions (e.g. infrastructure investment or policy changes) meant to address plausible future changes. Deep uncertainty associated with climate impacts, future demands, and regulatory constraints might explain why utility planning in a range of contexts doesn't explicitly consider climate change scenarios and potential adaptive responses. Given the importance of water supplies for economic development and the cost and longevity of many water infrastructure investments, large urban water supply systems could suffer from lack of pro-active climate change adaptation. Water utilities need to balance the potential for high regret stranded assets on the one side, with insufficient supplies leading to potentially severe socio-economic, political and environmental failures on the other, and need to deal with a range of interests and constraints. This work presents initial findings from a project looking at how cities in Chile, the US and the UK are developing regulatory frameworks that incorporate utility planning under uncertainty. Considering for example the city of Santiago, Chile, recent studies have shown that although high scarcity cost scenarios are plausible, pre-emptive investment to guard from possible water supply failures is still remote and not accommodated by current planning practice. A first goal of the project is to compare and contrast regulatory approaches to utility risks considering climate change adaptation measures. Subsequently we plan to develop and propose a custom approach for the city of Santiago based on lessons learned from other contexts. The methodological approach combines institutional assessment of water supply regulatory frameworks with simulation-based decision-making under uncertainty approaches. Here we present initial work comparing the regulatory frameworks in Chile, UK and USA evaluating their ability to incorporate uncertain climate and other changes into long-term infrastructure investment planning. The potential for regulatory and financial adaptive measures is explored in addition to a discussion on evaluating their appropriateness via various modelling-based intervention decision-making approaches.

Using EPA Tools and Data Services to Inform Changes to Design Storm Definitions for Wastewater Utilities based on Climate Model Projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tryby, M.; Fries, J. S.; Baranowski, C.

2014-12-01

Extreme precipitation events can cause significant impacts to drinking water and wastewater utilities, including facility damage, water quality impacts, service interruptions and potential risks to human health and the environment due to localized flooding and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). These impacts will become more pronounced with the projected increases in frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events due to climate change. To model the impacts of extreme precipitation events, wastewater utilities often develop Intensity, Duration, and Frequency (IDF) rainfall curves and "design storms" for use in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Wastewater utilities use SWMM for planning, analysis, and facility design related to stormwater runoff, combined and sanitary sewers, and other drainage systems in urban and non-urban areas. SWMM tracks (1) the quantity and quality of runoff made within each sub-catchment; and (2) the flow rate, flow depth, and quality of water in each pipe and channel during a simulation period made up of multiple time steps. In its current format, EPA SWMM does not consider climate change projection data. Climate change may affect the relationship between intensity, duration, and frequency described by past rainfall events. Therefore, EPA is integrating climate projection data available in the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) into SWMM. CREAT is a climate risk assessment tool for utilities that provides downscaled climate change projection data for changes in the amount of rainfall in a 24-hour period for various extreme precipitation events (e.g., from 5-year to 100-year storm events). Incorporating climate change projections into SWMM will provide wastewater utilities with more comprehensive data they can use in planning for future storm events, thereby reducing the impacts to the utility and customers served from flooding and stormwater issues.

Applying the theory of planned behavior to self-report dental attendance in Norwegian adults through structural equation modelling approach.

PubMed

Åstrøm, Anne N; Lie, Stein Atle; Gülcan, Ferda

2018-05-31

Understanding factors that affect dental attendance behavior helps in constructing effective oral health campaigns. A socio-cognitive model that adequately explains variance in regular dental attendance has yet to be validated among younger adults in Norway. Focusing a representative sample of younger Norwegian adults, this cross-sectional study provided an empirical test of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) augmented with descriptive norm and action planning and estimated direct and indirect effects of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, perceived behavioral control and action planning on intended and self-reported regular dental attendance. Self-administered questionnaires provided by 2551, 25-35 year olds, randomly selected from the Norwegian national population registry were used to assess socio-demographic factors, dental attendance as well as the constructs of the augmented TPB model (attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, intention, action planning). A two-stage process of structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the augmented TPB model. Confirmatory factor analysis, CFA, confirmed the proposed correlated 6-factor measurement model after re-specification. SEM revealed that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and descriptive norms explained intention. The corresponding standardized regression coefficients were respectively (β = 0.70), (β =0.18), (β = - 0.17) and (β =0.11) (p < 0.001). Intention (β =0.46) predicted action planning and action planning (β =0.19) predicted dental attendance behavior (p < 0.001). The model revealed indirect effects of intention and perceived behavioral control on behavior through action planning and through intention and action planning, respectively. The final model explained 64 and 41% of the total variance in intention and dental attendance behavior. The findings support the utility of the TPB, the expanded normative component and action planning in predicting younger adults' intended- and self-reported dental attendance. Interventions targeting young adults' dental attendance might usefully focus on positive consequences following this behavior accompanied with modeling and group performance.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology. Europe: Economic Competitiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-29

enly Peace onto the throng of Toyotas , Nissans , Audis and Volkswagens on Tiananmen Square. Masses of Red Guards once paid homage to the Chairman in...supplier market. They are now also pressuring China into projects in secret negotiations. Nissan wants to push into the luxury market (dominated...previously by Audi and Mer- cedes) with the Cedric model. Toyota is planning a utility vehicle and engine factory in Shenyang. Mazda has completed plans for

Integrated Facilities and Infrastructure Plan.

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

Reisz Westlund, Jennifer Jill

Our facilities and infrastructure are a key element of our capability-based science and engineering foundation. The focus of the Integrated Facilities and Infrastructure Plan is the development and implementation of a comprehensive plan to sustain the capabilities necessary to meet national research, design, and fabrication needs for Sandia National Laboratories’ (Sandia’s) comprehensive national security missions both now and into the future. A number of Sandia’s facilities have reached the end of their useful lives and many others are not suitable for today’s mission needs. Due to the continued aging and surge in utilization of Sandia’s facilities, deferred maintenance has continuedmore » to increase. As part of our planning focus, Sandia is committed to halting the growth of deferred maintenance across its sites through demolition, replacement, and dedicated funding to reduce the backlog of maintenance needs. Sandia will become more agile in adapting existing space and changing how space is utilized in response to the changing requirements. This Integrated Facilities & Infrastructure (F&I) Plan supports the Sandia Strategic Plan’s strategic objectives, specifically Strategic Objective 2: Strengthen our Laboratories’ foundation to maximize mission impact, and Strategic Objective 3: Advance an exceptional work environment that enables and inspires our people in service to our nation. The Integrated F&I Plan is developed through a planning process model to understand the F&I needs, analyze solution options, plan the actions and funding, and then execute projects.« less

An Assessment Model for Energy Efficiency Program Planning in Electric Utilities: Case of the Pacific of Northwest U.S.A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iskin, Ibrahim

Energy efficiency stands out with its potential to address a number of challenges that today's electric utilities face, including increasing and changing electricity demand, shrinking operating capacity, and decreasing system reliability and flexibility. Being the least cost and least risky alternative, the share of energy efficiency programs in utilities' energy portfolios has been on the rise since the 1980s, and their increasing importance is expected to continue in the future. Despite holding great promise, the ability to determine and invest in only the most promising program alternatives plays a key role in the successful use of energy efficiency as a utility-wide resource. This issue becomes even more significant considering the availability of a vast number of potential energy efficiency programs, the rapidly changing business environment, and the existence of multiple stakeholders. This dissertation introduces hierarchical decision modeling as the framework for energy efficiency program planning in electric utilities. The model focuses on the assessment of emerging energy efficiency programs and proposes to bridge the gap between technology screening and cost/benefit evaluation practices. This approach is expected to identify emerging technology alternatives which have the highest potential to pass cost/benefit ratio testing procedures and contribute to the effectiveness of decision practices in energy efficiency program planning. The model also incorporates rank order analysis and sensitivity analysis for testing the robustness of results from different stakeholder perspectives and future uncertainties in an attempt to enable more informed decision-making practices. The model was applied to the case of 13 high priority emerging energy efficiency program alternatives identified in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. The results of this study reveal that energy savings potential is the most important program management consideration in selecting emerging energy efficiency programs. Market dissemination potential and program development and implementation potential are the second and third most important, whereas ancillary benefits potential is the least important program management consideration. The results imply that program value considerations, comprised of energy savings potential and ancillary benefits potential; and program feasibility considerations, comprised of program development and implementation potential and market dissemination potential, have almost equal impacts on assessment of emerging energy efficiency programs. Considering the overwhelming number of value-focused studies and the few feasibility-focused studies in the literature, this finding clearly shows that feasibility-focused studies are greatly understudied. The hierarchical decision model developed in this dissertation is generalizable. Thus, other utilities or power systems can adopt the research steps employed in this study as guidelines and conduct similar assessment studies on emerging energy efficiency programs of their interest.

The impact of Gonoshasthaya Kendra's Micro Health Insurance plan on antenatal care among poor women in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, Mohammad Touhidul; Igarashi, Isao; Kawabuchi, Koichi

2012-08-01

Low utilization of antenatal care (ANC) by pregnant women, particularly in rural areas, is an obstacle to ensuring safe motherhood in Bangladesh. Currently, Micro Health Insurance (MHI) is being considered in many developing countries as a potential method for assuring greater access to health care, especially for the poor. So far, there is only limited evidence evaluating MHI schemes. This study assesses the impact of MHI administered by Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) on ANC utilization by poor women in rural Bangladesh. We conducted a questionnaire survey and collected 321 valid responses from women enrolled in GK's MHI scheme and 271 from women not enrolled in any health insurance plan. We used a two-part model in which dependent variables were whether or not women utilized ANC and the number of times ANC was used. The model consisted of logistic regression analysis and ordinary least squares regression analysis. The main independent variables were dummies for socioeconomic classes according to GK, each of which represented the premiums and co-payments charged by class. The results showed that destitute, ultra-poor, and poor women enrolled in MHI used ANC significantly more than women not enrolled in health insurance. Women enrolled in MHI, except for those who were destitute or ultra-poor, utilized ANC significantly more times than women not enrolled in health insurance. We assume that GK's sliding premium and co-payment scales are key to ANC utilization by women. Expanding the MHI scheme may enhance ANC utilization among poor women in rural Bangladesh.

National Conference on Integrated Resource Planning: Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Until recently, state regulators have focused most of their attention on the development of least-cost or integrated resource planning (IRP) processes for electric utilities. A number of commissions are beginning to scrutinize the planning processes of local gas distribution companies (LDCs) because of the increased control that LDCs have over their purchased gas costs (as well as the associated risks) and because of questions surrounding the role and potential of gas end-use efficiency options. Traditionally, resource planning (LDCs) has concentrated on options for purchasing and storing gas. Integrated resource planning involves the creation of a process in which supply-side and demand-side options are integrated to create a resource mix that reliably satisfies customers' short-term and long-term energy service needs at the lowest cost. As applied to gas utilities, an integrated resource plan seeks to balance cost and reliability, and should not be interpreted simply as the search for lowest commodity costs. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' (NARUC) Energy Conservation committee asked Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) to survey state PUCs to determine the extent to which they have undertaken least cost planning for gas utilities. The survey included the following topics: status of state PUC least-cost planning regulations and practices for gas utilities; type and scope of natural gas DSM programs in effect, including fuel substitution; economic tests and analysis methods used to evaluate DSM programs; relationship between prudency reviews of gas utility purchasing practices and integrated resource planning; and key regulatory issues facing gas utilities during the next five years.

Identifying Pathways toward Sustainable Electricity Supply and Demand Using an Integrated Resource Strategic Planning Model for Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alabbas, Nabeel H.

Despite holding 16% of proved oil reserves in the world, Saudi Arabia might be on an unsustainable path to become a net oil importer by the 2030s. Decades of domestic energy subsidies accompanied by a high population growth rate have encouraged inefficient production and high domestic consumption of fossil fuel energy, which has resulted in environmental degradation, and significant social and economic consequences. In addition, the government's dependence on oil as a main source of revenue (89%) to finance its development programs cannot be sustained due to oil's exhaustible nature and rapidly increasing domestic consumption. The electricity and water sectors consume more energy than other sectors. The literature review revealed that electricity use in Saudi Arabia is following an unsustainable path (7-8% annual growth over the last decade). The water sector is another major energy consumer due to an unprecedented demand for water in the Kingdom (18% of world's total desalinated water output with per capita consumption is twice the world average). Multiple entities have been involved in fragmented planning activities on the supply-side as well as to a certain extent on the demand-side; moreover, comprehensive integrated resource strategic plans have been lacking at the national level. This dissertation established an integrated resource strategic planning (IRSP) model for Saudi Arabia's electricity and water sectors. The IRSP can clearly determine the Kingdom's future vision of its utility sector, including goals, policies, programs, and an execution timetable, taking into consideration economic, environmental and social benefits. Also, a weather-based hybrid end-use econometric demand forecasting model was developed to project electricity demand until 2040. The analytical economic efficiency and technical assessments reveal that Saudi Arabia can supply almost 75% of its electricity from renewable energy sources with a significant achievable potential for saving 26% of peak demand by 2040. However, the development of sustainable energy systems in the country's utility sector will not occur automatically. Thus, several actions are proposed for developing the sustainable energy roadmap, strategies, and policies for Saudi Arabia's utility sector, supporting its position as a new vehicle of growth that facilitates national and socio-economic development and economic diversification plan.

Addressing Climate Change in Long-Term Water Planning Using Robust Decisionmaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groves, D. G.; Lempert, R.

2008-12-01

Addressing climate change in long-term natural resource planning is difficult because future management conditions are deeply uncertain and the range of possible adaptation options are so extensive. These conditions pose challenges to standard optimization decision-support techniques. This talk will describe a methodology called Robust Decisionmaking (RDM) that can complement more traditional analytic approaches by utilizing screening-level water management models to evaluate large numbers of strategies against a wide range of plausible future scenarios. The presentation will describe a recent application of the methodology to evaluate climate adaptation strategies for the Inland Empire Utilities Agency in Southern California. This project found that RDM can provide a useful way for addressing climate change uncertainty and identify robust adaptation strategies.

Recent progress in utilization planning for Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartoe, John-David F.; Thiringer, Peter S.

1991-01-01

The progress made in utilization planning for the redesigned Space Station Freedom (SSF) concept is described. Consideration is given to the SSF user capabilities, the strategic planning process, the strategic planning organizations, and the Consolidated Operations and Utilization Plan (COUP, which will be released in January 1993) as well as to the COUP development process and implementation. The process by which the COUP will be produced was exercised in the international Multilateral Strategic and Tactical Integration Process (MUSTIP) simulation. The paper describes the MUSTIP simulation and its activities along with MUSTIP findings and recommendations.

Status of LDEF radiation modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, John W.; Armstrong, T. W.; Colborn, B. L.

1995-01-01

The current status of model prediction and comparison with LDEF radiation dosimetry measurements is summarized with emphasis on major results obtained in evaluating the uncertainties of present radiation environment model. The consistency of results and conclusions obtained from model comparison with different sets of LDEF radiation data (dose, activation, fluence, LET spectra) is discussed. Examples where LDEF radiation data and modeling results can be utilized to provide improved radiation assessments for planned LEO missions (e.g., Space Station) are given.

Strategic rehabilitation planning of piped water networks using multi-criteria decision analysis.

PubMed

Scholten, Lisa; Scheidegger, Andreas; Reichert, Peter; Maurer, Max; Mauer, Max; Lienert, Judit

2014-02-01

To overcome the difficulties of strategic asset management of water distribution networks, a pipe failure and a rehabilitation model are combined to predict the long-term performance of rehabilitation strategies. Bayesian parameter estimation is performed to calibrate the failure and replacement model based on a prior distribution inferred from three large water utilities in Switzerland. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and scenario planning build the framework for evaluating 18 strategic rehabilitation alternatives under future uncertainty. Outcomes for three fundamental objectives (low costs, high reliability, and high intergenerational equity) are assessed. Exploitation of stochastic dominance concepts helps to identify twelve non-dominated alternatives and local sensitivity analysis of stakeholder preferences is used to rank them under four scenarios. Strategies with annual replacement of 1.5-2% of the network perform reasonably well under all scenarios. In contrast, the commonly used reactive replacement is not recommendable unless cost is the only relevant objective. Exemplified for a small Swiss water utility, this approach can readily be adapted to support strategic asset management for any utility size and based on objectives and preferences that matter to the respective decision makers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Power system modeling and optimization methods vis-a-vis integrated resource planning (IRP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsali, Mohammad H.

1998-12-01

The state-of-the-art restructuring of power industries is changing the fundamental nature of retail electricity business. As a result, the so-called Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) strategies implemented on electric utilities are also undergoing modifications. Such modifications evolve from the imminent considerations to minimize the revenue requirements and maximize electrical system reliability vis-a-vis capacity-additions (viewed as potential investments). IRP modifications also provide service-design bases to meet the customer needs towards profitability. The purpose of this research as deliberated in this dissertation is to propose procedures for optimal IRP intended to expand generation facilities of a power system over a stretched period of time. Relevant topics addressed in this research towards IRP optimization are as follows: (1) Historical prospective and evolutionary aspects of power system production-costing models and optimization techniques; (2) A survey of major U.S. electric utilities adopting IRP under changing socioeconomic environment; (3) A new technique designated as the Segmentation Method for production-costing via IRP optimization; (4) Construction of a fuzzy relational database of a typical electric power utility system for IRP purposes; (5) A genetic algorithm based approach for IRP optimization using the fuzzy relational database.

42 CFR 456.180 - Individual written plan of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals Plan of Care § 456.180 Individual written plan of care. (a) Before admission to a mental hospital or...

Modeling synchronous voltage source converters in transmission system planning studies

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

Kosterev, D.N.

1997-04-01

A Voltage Source Converter (VSC) can be beneficial to power utilities in many ways. To evaluate the VSC performance in potential applications, the device has to be represented appropriately in planning studies. This paper addresses VSC modeling for EMTP, powerflow, and transient stability studies. First, the VSC operating principles are overviewed, and the device model for EMTP studies is presented. The ratings of VSC components are discussed, and the device operating characteristics are derived based on these ratings. A powerflow model is presented and various control modes are proposed. A detailed stability model is developed, and its step-by-step initialization proceduremore » is described. A simplified stability model is also derived under stated assumptions. Finally, validation studies are performed to demonstrate performance of developed stability models and to compare it with EMTP simulations.« less

A mangrove creek restoration plan utilizing hydraulic modeling

EPA Science Inventory

Despite the valuable ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems they remain threatened around the globe. As a result, the restoration of mangrove forests has become an important topic of research. Urban development has been a primary cause for mangrove destruction and d...

Whither Sex Education? Excellence in Comprehensive Program Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern, Stephen

A review of recent sex education literature is presented in an attempt to integrate observations and recommendations related to both program development and innovation acceptance. A Developmental Research and Utilization Model is employed to systematically guide planning, implementation, evaluation, advocacy, and institutionalization. Curriculum…

Measuring utilization and impact of home care services: a systems model approach for cost effectiveness.

PubMed

Day, S R

1984-01-01

The relevance of home care research to policy questions is discussed as framework for study on "effects" (precursors and sequelae) of home care. This study used a large, multi-service agency's longitudinal (8-year) case records (N = 2436) to examine a system model for relationships among entry characteristics, utilization of services, and need for services upon discharge from home care. Deducing case-mix from utilization patterns, pay plan at entry was identified as best of the available predictors of both duration and intensity (using multivariate analysis). Duration and intensity, dual contributors to "total visits," were found to vary inversely and were predicted by different entering pay plans. While 1/3 of all cases were discharged to informal or self care, that was the most prevalent exit status of the clients (49%) who entered directly from hospital care. The methods used in disaggregating and analyzing these retrospectively-coded case records suggest that home services research: 1. distinguish type, intensity, and duration as components of "total visits" which combine to account for costs of care; 2. find concomitants of functional level (such as pay plan) which are accessible for designating case mix for purpose of projecting service use; 3. measure effectiveness in terms relevant to stated objectives of the long term care system, which need to acknowledge mortality and to separate service needs at entry room those at exist from the series of formal and informal providers on a continuum of care.

Sociopsychological correlates of motivation to quit smoking among low-SES African American women.

PubMed

Manfredi, C; Lacey, L P; Warnecke, R; Petraitis, J

1998-06-01

This article examines correlates of desire and plans to quit smoking among 248 young, low-socioeconomic status African American women, using variables derived from the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of reasoned action. Consistent with these theoretical models, stronger concern about the effect of smoking on one's health and having close others who want the smoker to quit increased motivation to quit smoking. However, motivation was not associated with specific HBM components regarding lung cancer. Heavier smoking and stronger perceptions regarding the functional utility of smoking decreased motivation to quit, but not as much as expected in this study population. Consistent with a process of change approach to smoking cessation, the factors that moved smokers from not planning to planning to ever quit were different from factors associated with further motivation level among the smokers who did plan to ever quit.

Single-step collision-free trajectory planning of biped climbing robots in spatial trusses.

PubMed

Zhu, Haifei; Guan, Yisheng; Chen, Shengjun; Su, Manjia; Zhang, Hong

For a biped climbing robot with dual grippers to climb poles, trusses or trees, feasible collision-free climbing motion is inevitable and essential. In this paper, we utilize the sampling-based algorithm, Bi-RRT, to plan single-step collision-free motion for biped climbing robots in spatial trusses. To deal with the orientation limit of a 5-DoF biped climbing robot, a new state representation along with corresponding operations including sampling, metric calculation and interpolation is presented. A simple but effective model of a biped climbing robot in trusses is proposed, through which the motion planning of one climbing cycle is transformed to that of a manipulator. In addition, the pre- and post-processes are introduced to expedite the convergence of the Bi-RRT algorithm and to ensure the safe motion of the climbing robot near poles as well. The piecewise linear paths are smoothed by utilizing cubic B-spline curve fitting. The effectiveness and efficiency of the presented Bi-RRT algorithm for climbing motion planning are verified by simulations.

Analyzing the Critical Supply Chain For Unmanned Aircraft Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-23

with a decision support tool that facilitates interdiction strategy planning. Overall, the different models developed in the study provide modeling...allow adaptation to different levels of fidelity of the supply chain, based on the user’s mission objectives and available data. A House of Quality...priorities are unknown or incorrect. 1.7 Implications The models presented in this research can be utilized from two different perspectives of

A Roadmap for using Agile Development in a Traditional System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streiffert, Barbara; Starbird, Thomas

2006-01-01

I. Ensemble Development Group: a) Produces activity planning software for in spacecraft; b) Built on Eclipse Rich Client Platform (open source development and runtime software); c) Funded by multiple sources including the Mars Technology Program; d) Incorporated the use of Agile Development. II. Next Generation Uplink Planning System: a) Researches the Activity Planning and Sequencing Subsystem for Mars Science Laboratory (APSS); b) APSS includes Ensemble, Activity Modeling, Constraint Checking, Command Editing and Sequencing tools plus other uplink generation utilities; c) Funded by the Mars Technology Program; d) Integrates all of the tools for APSS.

Understanding women's mammography intentions: a theory-based investigation.

PubMed

Naito, Mikako; O'Callaghan, Frances V; Morrissey, Shirley

2009-01-01

The present study compared the utility of two models (the Theory of Planned Behavior and Protection Motivation Theory) in identifying factors associated with intentions to undertake screening mammography, before and after an intervention. The comparison was made between the unique components of the two models. The effect of including implementation intentions was also investigated. Two hundred and fifty-one women aged 37 to 69 years completed questionnaires at baseline and following the delivery of a standard (control) or a protection motivation theory-based informational intervention. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that theory of planned behavior variables were associated with mammography intentions. Results also showed that inclusion of implementation intention in the model significantly increased the association with mammography intentions. The findings suggest that future interventions aiming to increase screening mammography participation should focus on the theory of planned behavior variables and that implementation intention should also be targeted.

Utilizing Controlled Vibrations in a Microgravity Environment to Understand and Promote Microstructural Homogeneity During Floating-Zone Crystal Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grugel, Richard N.

1999-01-01

It has been demonstrated in floating-zone configurations utilizing silicone oil and nitrate salts that mechanically induced vibration effectively minimizes detrimental, gravity independent, thermocapillary flow. The processing parameters leading to crystal improvement and aspects of the on-going modeling effort are discussed. Plans for applying the crystal growth technique to commercially relevant materials, e.g., silicon, as well as the value of processing in a microgravity environment are presented.

A case study predicting environmental impacts of urban transport planning in China.

PubMed

Chen, Chong; Shao, Li-guo; Xu, Ling; Shang, Jin-cheng

2009-10-01

Predicting environmental impacts is essential when performing an environmental assessment on urban transport planning. System dynamics (SD) is usually used to solve complex nonlinear problems. In this study, we utilized system dynamics (SD) to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with urban transport planning in Jilin City, China with respect to the local economy, society, transport, the environment and resources. To accomplish this, we generated simulation models comprising interrelated subsystems designed to utilize changes in the economy, society, road construction, changes in the number of vehicles, the capacity of the road network capacity, nitrogen oxides emission, traffic noise, land used for road construction and fuel consumption associated with traffic to estimate dynamic trends in the environmental impacts associated with Jilin's transport planning. Two simulation scenarios were then analyzed comparatively. The results of this study indicated that implementation of Jilin transport planning would improve the current urban traffic conditions and boost the local economy and development while benefiting the environment in Jilin City. In addition, comparative analysis of the two scenarios provided additional information that can be used to aid in scientific decision-making regarding which aspects of the transport planning to implement in Jilin City. This study demonstrates that our application of the SD method, which is referred to as the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), is feasible for use in urban transport planning.

25 CFR 1000.69 - How can a Tribe/Consortium obtain comments or selection documents received or utilized after OSG...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ACT Other Financial Assistance for Planning and Negotiation Grants for Non-BIA... documents received or utilized after OSG has made a decision on a planning grant application? 1000.69... selection documents received or utilized after OSG has made a decision on a planning grant application? A...

42 CFR 456.80 - Individual written plan of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Individual written plan of care. 456.80 Section 456... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Hospitals Plan of Care § 456.80 Individual written plan of care. (a) Before admission to a hospital or before authorization for...

Utilizing semantic networks to database and retrieve generalized stochastic colored Petri nets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farah, Jeffrey J.; Kelley, Robert B.

1992-01-01

Previous work has introduced the Planning Coordinator (PCOORD), a coordinator functioning within the hierarchy of the Intelligent Machine Mode. Within the structure of the Planning Coordinator resides the Primitive Structure Database (PSDB) functioning to provide the primitive structures utilized by the Planning Coordinator in the establishing of error recovery or on-line path plans. This report further explores the Primitive Structure Database and establishes the potential of utilizing semantic networks as a means of efficiently storing and retrieving the Generalized Stochastic Colored Petri Nets from which the error recovery plans are derived.

ECUT: Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies program. Chemical Processes project report, FY 1982

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilcox, R. E. (Compiler)

1983-01-01

Planned research efforts and reorganization of the Project as the Biocatalysis Research Activity are described, including the following topics: electrocatalysts, fluid extraction, ammonia synthesis, biocatalysis, membrane fouling, energy and economic analysis, decarboxylation, microscopic reaction models, plasmid monitoring, and reaction kinetics.

A Novel Evaluation Model for the Vehicle Navigation Device Market Using Hybrid MCDM Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chia-Li; Hsieh, Meng-Shu; Tzeng, Gwo-Hshiung

The developing strategy of ND is also presented to initiate the product roadmap. Criteria for evaluation are constructed via reviewing papers, interviewing experts and brain-storming. The ISM (interpretive structural modeling) method was used to construct the relationship between each criterion. The existing NDs were sampled to benchmark the gap between the consumer’s aspired/desired utilities with respect to the utilities of existing/developing NDs. The VIKOR method was applied to rank the sampled NDs. This paper will propose the key driving criteria of purchasing new ND and compare the consumer behavior of various characters. Those conclusions can be served as a reference for ND producers for improving existing functions or planning further utilities in the next e-era ND generation.

A flexible Monte Carlo tool for patient or phantom specific calculations: comparison with preliminary validation measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, S.; Cui, J.; Followill, D.; Ibbott, G.; Deasy, J.

2008-02-01

The Dose Planning Method (DPM) is one of several 'fast' Monte Carlo (MC) computer codes designed to produce an accurate dose calculation for advanced clinical applications. We have developed a flexible machine modeling process and validation tests for open-field and IMRT calculations. To complement the DPM code, a practical and versatile source model has been developed, whose parameters are derived from a standard set of planning system commissioning measurements. The primary photon spectrum and the spectrum resulting from the flattening filter are modeled by a Fatigue function, cut-off by a multiplying Fermi function, which effectively regularizes the difficult energy spectrum determination process. Commonly-used functions are applied to represent the off-axis softening, increasing primary fluence with increasing angle ('the horn effect'), and electron contamination. The patient dependent aspect of the MC dose calculation utilizes the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) leaf sequence file exported from the treatment planning system DICOM output, coupled with the source model, to derive the particle transport. This model has been commissioned for Varian 2100C 6 MV and 18 MV photon beams using percent depth dose, dose profiles, and output factors. A 3-D conformal plan and an IMRT plan delivered to an anthropomorphic thorax phantom were used to benchmark the model. The calculated results were compared to Pinnacle v7.6c results and measurements made using radiochromic film and thermoluminescent detectors (TLD).

Smarter Software For Enhanced Vehicle Health Monitoring and Inter-Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, William E.; Goodrich, Charles H.; Steinrock, Todd (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The existing philosophy for space mission control was born in the early days of the space program when technology did not exist to put significant control responsibility onboard the spacecraft. NASA relied on a team of ground control experts to troubleshoot systems when problems occurred. As computing capability improved, more responsibility was handed over to the systems software. However, there is still a large contingent of both launch and flight controllers supporting each mission. New technology can update this philosophy to increase mission assurance and reduce the cost of inter-planetary exploration. The advent of model-based diagnosis and intelligent planning software enables spacecraft to handle most routine problems automatically and allocate resources in a flexible way to realize mission objectives. The manifests for recent missions include multiple subsystems and complex experiments. Spacecraft must operate at longer distances from earth where communications delays make earthbound command and control impractical. NASA's Ames Research Center (ARC) has demonstrated the utility of onboard diagnosis and planning with the Remote Agent experiment in 1999. KSC has pioneered model-based diagnosis and demonstrated its utility for ground support operations. KSC and ARC are cooperating in research to improve the state of the art of this technology. This paper highlights model-based reasoning applications for Moon and Mars missions including in-situ resource utilization and enhanced vehicle health monitoring.

Evaluation model of wind energy resources and utilization efficiency of wind farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jie

2018-04-01

Due to the large amount of abandoned winds in wind farms, the establishment of a wind farm evaluation model is particularly important for the future development of wind farms In this essay, consider the wind farm's wind energy situation, Wind Energy Resource Model (WERM) and Wind Energy Utilization Efficiency Model(WEUEM) are established to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the wind farm. Wind Energy Resource Model (WERM) contains average wind speed, average wind power density and turbulence intensity, which assessed wind energy resources together. Based on our model, combined with the actual measurement data of a wind farm, calculate the indicators using the model, and the results are in line with the actual situation. We can plan the future development of the wind farm based on this result. Thus, the proposed establishment approach of wind farm assessment model has application value.

Results of aerothermodynamic heating tests on a 0.013-scale model solid rocket booster in the NASA/LaRC unitary plan wind tunnel (SH12F)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brewer, E. B.

1975-01-01

A 0.013 scale model of the solid rocket booster (SRB) used to launch the space shuttle was tested at a Mach number of 3.7 and Reynolds numbers of 1,500,000 and 3,500,000 per foot. The objective of the test was to obtain aerodynamic heat transfer data on the surface of scaled models of the SRB at simulated full scale reentry flight conditions. Three separate models were utilized to measure film coefficients over an angle of attack range from 0 deg to 180 deg at 0 deg sideslip. All three models were representations of the MCR0200 baseline configuration and varied only by the way they were mounted in the tunnel. Model A, sting mounted thru the model base, was utilized for testing between 0 deg and 40 deg angle of attack. Model B was blade mounted from the top of the model and was tested between 60 deg and 120 deg angle of attack. Model C was sting mounted thru the model nose and utilized for testing between 140 deg and 180 deg angle of attack.

[The effectiveness of continuing care models in patients with chronic diseases: a systematic review].

PubMed

Chen, Hsiao-Mei; Han, Tung-Chen; Chen, Ching-Min

2014-04-01

Population aging has caused significant rises in the prevalence of chronic diseases and the utilization of healthcare services in Taiwan. The current healthcare delivery system is fragmented. Integrating medical services may increase the quality of healthcare, enhance patient and patient family satisfaction with healthcare services, and better contain healthcare costs. This article introduces two continuing care models: discharge planning and case management. Further, the effectiveness and essential components of these two models are analyzed using a systematic review method. Articles included in this systematic review were all original articles on discharge-planning or case-management interventions published between February 1999 and March 2013 in any of 6 electronic databases (Medline, PubMed, Cinahl Plus with full Text, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, CEPS and Center for Chinese Studies electronic databases). Of the 70 articles retrieved, only 7 were randomized controlled trial studies. Three types of continuity-of-care models were identified: discharge planning, case management, and a hybrid of these two. All three models used logical and systematic processes to conduct assessment, planning, implementation, coordination, follow-up, and evaluation activities. Both the discharge planning model and the case management model were positively associated with improved self-care knowledge, reduced length of stay, decreased medical costs, and better quality of life. This study cross-referenced all reviewed articles in terms of target clients, content, intervention schedules, measurements, and outcome indicators. Study results may be referenced in future implementations of continuity-care models and may provide a reference for future research.

Virtual 3-dimensional preoperative planning with the dextroscope for excision of a 4th ventricular ependymoma.

PubMed

Anil, S M; Kato, Y; Hayakawa, M; Yoshida, K; Nagahisha, S; Kanno, T

2007-04-01

Advances in computer imaging and technology have facilitated enhancement in surgical planning with a 3-dimensional model of the surgical plan of action utilizing advanced visualization tools in order to plan individual interactive operations with the aid of the dextroscope. This provides a proper 3-dimensional imaging insight to the pathological anatomy and sets a new dimension in collaboration for training and education. The case of a seventeen-year-old female, being operated with the aid of a preoperative 3-dimensional virtual reality planning and the practical application of the neurosurgical operation, is presented. This young lady presented with a two-year history of recurrent episodes of severe, global, throbbing headache with episodes of projectile vomiting associated with shoulder pain which progressively worsened. She had no obvious neurological deficits on clinical examination. CT and MRI showed a contrast-enhancing midline posterior fossa space-occupying lesion. Utilizing virtual imaging technology with the aid of a dextroscope which generates stereoscopic images, a 3-dimensional image was produced with the CT and MRI images. A preoperative planning for excision of the lesion was made and a real-time 3-dimensional volume was produced and surgical planning with the dextroscope was made and the lesion excised. Virtual reality has brought new proportions in 3-dimensional planning and management of various complex neuroanatomical problems that are faced during various operations. Integration of 3-dimensional imaging with stereoscopic vision makes understanding the complex anatomy easier and helps improve decision making in patient management.

42 CFR 456.501 - UR plans as a condition for FFP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals § 456.501 UR plans as a condition for FFP. (a) Except... services furnished by a hospital or mental hospital unless the facility has in effect a UR plan that meets...

Planning an organizational wellness initiative at a multi-state social service agency.

PubMed

Miller, J Jay; Grise-Owens, Erlene; Addison, Donia; Marshall, Midaya; Trabue, Donna; Escobar-Ratliff, Laura

2016-06-01

Increasingly, organizations in general, and social service organizations, specifically, are recognizing the importance of planning and evaluating organizational wellness initiatives. Yet, few participatory models for carrying out these aims exist. For this study, researchers utilized concept mapping (CM) to explicate a conceptual framework for planning, and subsequently evaluating, a wellness initiative at a multi-state social service organization. CM is a participatory approach that analyzes qualitative data via multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses. Outputs include a number of visual depictions that allow researchers to explore complex relationships among sets of the data. Results from this study indicated that participants (N=64), all of whom were employees of the agency, conceptualized organizational wellness via an eight-cluster solution, or Concept Map. Priority areas of this framework, specifically importance and feasibility, were also explored. After a brief review of pertinent literature, this article explicates the CM methodology utilized in this study, describes results, discusses lessons learned, and identifies apt areas for future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Generalized Decision Framework Using Multi-objective Optimization for Water Resources Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basdekas, L.; Stewart, N.; Triana, E.

2013-12-01

Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is currently engaged in an Integrated Water Resource Plan (IWRP) to address the complex planning scenarios, across multiple time scales, currently faced by CSU. The modeling framework developed for the IWRP uses a flexible data-centered Decision Support System (DSS) with a MODSIM-based modeling system to represent the operation of the current CSU raw water system coupled with a state-of-the-art multi-objective optimization algorithm. Three basic components are required for the framework, which can be implemented for planning horizons ranging from seasonal to interdecadal. First, a water resources system model is required that is capable of reasonable system simulation to resolve performance metrics at the appropriate temporal and spatial scales of interest. The system model should be an existing simulation model, or one developed during the planning process with stakeholders, so that 'buy-in' has already been achieved. Second, a hydrologic scenario tool(s) capable of generating a range of plausible inflows for the planning period of interest is required. This may include paleo informed or climate change informed sequences. Third, a multi-objective optimization model that can be wrapped around the system simulation model is required. The new generation of multi-objective optimization models do not require parameterization which greatly reduces problem complexity. Bridging the gap between research and practice will be evident as we use a case study from CSU's planning process to demonstrate this framework with specific competing water management objectives. Careful formulation of objective functions, choice of decision variables, and system constraints will be discussed. Rather than treating results as theoretically Pareto optimal in a planning process, we use the powerful multi-objective optimization models as tools to more efficiently and effectively move out of the inferior decision space. The use of this framework will help CSU evaluate tradeoffs in a continually changing world.

Enhanced Vehicle Beddown Approximations for the Improved Theater Distribution Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

processed utilizing a heuristic routing and scheduling procedure the authors called the Airlift Planning Algorithm ( APA ). The linear programming model...LINGO 13 environment. The model is then solved by LINGO 13 and solution data is passed back to the Excel environment in a readable format . All original...DSS is relatively unchanged when solutions to the ITDM are referenced for comparison testing. Readers are encouraged to see Appendix I for ITDM VBA

Comparison and validation of statistical methods for predicting power outage durations in the event of hurricanes.

PubMed

Nateghi, Roshanak; Guikema, Seth D; Quiring, Steven M

2011-12-01

This article compares statistical methods for modeling power outage durations during hurricanes and examines the predictive accuracy of these methods. Being able to make accurate predictions of power outage durations is valuable because the information can be used by utility companies to plan their restoration efforts more efficiently. This information can also help inform customers and public agencies of the expected outage times, enabling better collective response planning, and coordination of restoration efforts for other critical infrastructures that depend on electricity. In the long run, outage duration estimates for future storm scenarios may help utilities and public agencies better allocate risk management resources to balance the disruption from hurricanes with the cost of hardening power systems. We compare the out-of-sample predictive accuracy of five distinct statistical models for estimating power outage duration times caused by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The methods compared include both regression models (accelerated failure time (AFT) and Cox proportional hazard models (Cox PH)) and data mining techniques (regression trees, Bayesian additive regression trees (BART), and multivariate additive regression splines). We then validate our models against two other hurricanes. Our results indicate that BART yields the best prediction accuracy and that it is possible to predict outage durations with reasonable accuracy. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Optimal planning and design of a renewable energy based supply system for microgrids

DOE PAGES

Hafez, Omar; Bhattacharya, Kankar

2012-03-03

This paper presents a technique for optimal planning and design of hybrid renewable energy systems for microgrid applications. The Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) is used to determine the optimal size and type of distributed energy resources (DERs) and their operating schedules for a sample utility distribution system. Using the DER-CAM results, an evaluation is performed to evaluate the electrical performance of the distribution circuit if the DERs selected by the DER-CAM optimization analyses are incorporated. Results of analyses regarding the economic benefits of utilizing the optimal locations identified for the selected DER within the system are alsomore » presented. The actual Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) campus electrical network is used as an example to show the effectiveness of this approach. The results show that these technical and economic analyses of hybrid renewable energy systems are essential for the efficient utilization of renewable energy resources for microgird applications.« less

Systematic Treatment Selection (STS): A Review and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Tam T.; Bertoni, Matteo; Charvat, Mylea; Gheytanchi, Anahita; Beutler, Larry E.

2007-01-01

Systematic Treatment Selection (STS) is a form of technical eclectism that develops and plans treatments using empirically founded principles of psychotherapy. It is a model that provides systematic guidelines for the utilization of different psychotherapeutic strategies based on patient qualities and problem characteristics. Historically, it…

A National Mental Retardation Manpower Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. on Mental Retardation, Toronto (Ontario).

The report of the Task Force established by the Canadian National Institute on Mental Retardation concerns a comprehensive planning and organization program for training personnel, especially associate professionals, in the field of mental retardation to provide a more effective utilization of manpower. Summarized are results of surveys of…

Assessing quality of care for migraineurs: a model health plan measurement set.

PubMed

Leas, Brian F; Gagne, Joshua J; Goldfarb, Neil I; Rupnow, Marcia F T; Silberstein, Stephen

2008-08-01

Quality of care measures are increasingly important to health plans, purchasers, physicians, and patients. Appropriate measures can be used to assess quality and evaluate improvement and are necessary components of pay-for-performance programs. Despite the broad scope of activity in the development of quality measures, migraine headache has received little attention. Given the enormous costs associated with migraine, especially in terms of lost productivity and preventable health care utilization, health plans could gain from a structured approach to measuring the quality of migraine care their beneficiaries receive. A potential migraine quality measurement set was developed through a review of migraine care literature and guidelines, interviews with leaders in migraine care, health care purchasing, and managed care, and the assembly of an advisory board. The board discussed candidate measures and established consensus on a testable measurement set. Twenty measures were developed, focused primarily on diagnosis and utilization. Areas of utilization include physician visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and imaging. Use of both acute and preventive medications is included. More complex aspects of migraine care are also addressed, including triptan overuse, the relationship between acute and preventive medications, and follow-up after emergency department visits. The measures are currently being tested in health plans to assess their feasibility and value. A compelling case can be made for the development of migraine-specific quality measures for health plans. This effort to develop and test a starter set of measures should lead to new and innovative efforts to assess and improve quality of care for migraineurs.

[Application of digital design of orthodontic-prosthodontic multidisciplinary treatment plan in esthetic rehabilitation of anterior teeth].

PubMed

Liu, Y S; Li, Z; Zhao, Y J; Ye, H Q; Zhou, Y Q; Hu, W J; Liu, Y S; Xun, C L; Zhou, Y S

2018-02-18

To develop a digital workflow of orthodontic-prosthodontic multidisciplinary treatment plan which can be applied in complicated anterior teeth esthetic rehabilitation, in order to enhance the efficiency of communication between dentists and patients, and improve the predictability of treatment outcome. Twenty patients with the potential needs of orthodontic-prosthodontic multidisciplinary treatment to solve their complicated esthetic problems in anterior teeth were recruited in this study. Digital models of patients' both dental arches and soft tissues were captured using intra oral scanner. Direct prosthodontic (DP) treatment plan and orthodontic-prosthodontic (OP) treatment plan were carried out for each patient. For DP treatment plans, digital wax-up models were directly designed on original digital models using prosthodontic design system. For OP treatment plans, virtual-setups were performed using orthodontic analyze system according to orthodontic and esthetic criteria and imported to prosthodontic design system to finalize the digital wax-up models. These two treatment plans were shown to the patients and demonstrated elaborately. Each patient rated two treatment plans using visual analogue scales and the medians of scores of two treatment plans were analyzed using signed Wilcoxon test. Having taken into consideration various related factors, including time, costs of treatment, each patient chose a specific treatment plan. For the patients chose DP treatment plans, digital wax-up models were exported and printed into resin diagnostic models which would be utilized in the prosthodontic treatment process. For the patients chose OP treatment plans, virtual-setups were used to fabricate aligners or indirect bonding templates and digital wax-up models were also exported and printed into resin diagnostic models for prosthodontic treatment after orthodontic treatment completed. The medians of scores of DP treatment plan and OP treatment plan were calculated and analyzed by IBM SPSS 20. The median of scores of DP treatment plan was 8.4, the minimum value was 6.9 and the maximum value was 9.3. The median of scores of OP treatment plan was 9.0, the minimum value was 7.9 and the maximum value was 9.6. The median of scores of OP was significantly higher than that of DP (Z=-3.23, P<0.01). Finally, 12 patients chose OP treatment plans and 8 patients chose DP treatment plans. For cases with complex esthetic problems in anterior teeth, a digital workflow can demonstrate final treatment outcome and help patients make suitable treatment decisions. In our study, the orthodontic-prosthodontic multidisciplinary treatment plan is feasible which can provide predictions of treatment outcome and improve esthetic outcome with patients' satisfaction.

Seizure Action Plans Do Not Reduce Health Care Utilization in Pediatric Epilepsy Patients.

PubMed

Roundy, Lindsi M; Filloux, Francis M; Kerr, Lynne; Rimer, Alyssa; Bonkowsky, Joshua L

2016-03-01

Management of pediatric epilepsy requires complex coordination of care. We hypothesized that an improved seizure management care plan would reduce health care utilization and improve outcomes. The authors conducted a cohort study with historical controls of 120 epilepsy patients before and after implementation of a "Seizure Action Plan." The authors evaluated for differences in health care utilization including emergency department visits, hospitalizations, clinic visits, telephone calls, and the percentage of emergency department visits that resulted in hospitalization in patients who did or did not have a Seizure Action Plan. The authors found that there was no decrease in these measures of health care utilization, and in fact the number of follow-up clinic visits was increased in the group with Seizure Action Plans (4.2 vs 3.3, P = .006). However, the study was underpowered to detect smaller differences. This study suggests that pediatric epilepsy quality improvement measures may require alternative approaches to reduce health care utilization and improve outcomes. © The Author(s) 2015.

Seizure Action Plans Do Not Reduce Health Care Utilization in Pediatric Epilepsy Patients

PubMed Central

Roundy, Lindsi M.; Filloux, Francis M.; Kerr, Lynne; Rimer, Alyssa; Bonkowsky, Joshua L.

2015-01-01

Management of pediatric epilepsy requires complex coordination of care. We hypothesized that an improved seizure management care plan would reduce healthcare utilization and improve outcomes. We conducted a cohort study with historical controls of 120 epilepsy patients before and after implementation of a “Seizure Action Plan.” We evaluated for differences in healthcare utilization including emergency department visits, hospitalizations, clinic visits, telephone calls, and the percentage of emergency department visits that resulted in hospitalization in patients who did or did not have a Seizure Action Plan. We found that there was no decrease in these measures of healthcare utilization, and in fact the number of follow-up clinic visits was increased in the group with Seizure Action Plans (4.2 versus 3.3, p 0.006). However, the study was underpowered to detect smaller differences. Our study suggests that pediatric epilepsy quality improvement measures may require alternative approaches to reduce healthcare utilization and improve outcomes. PMID:26245799

Self-efficacy, planning, and preparatory behaviours as joint predictors of physical activity: A conditional process analysis.

PubMed

Barz, Milena; Lange, Daniela; Parschau, Linda; Lonsdale, Chris; Knoll, Nina; Schwarzer, Ralf

2016-01-01

Planning can bridge the gap between intentions and action, but what bridges the gap between planning and action? This study helps to answer the question by disentangling the interrelationships between self-efficacy, planning and preparatory behaviours in predicting physical activity. Preparatory behaviours are tested as a working mechanism of planning. Moreover, it is tested whether the utility of preparatory behaviours depends on an individual's level of self-efficacy. A survey assessed planning, self-efficacy and preparatory behaviours for physical activity. Adults (N = 166) provided data at two measurement points. In a longitudinal model, preparatory behaviours were specified as a mediator between planning and physical activity. Self-efficacy was specified as a possible moderator at two points in the model. Preparatory behaviours mediated the relationship between planning and physical activity. An interaction between self-efficacy and preparatory behaviours on physical activity was found, indicating that individuals with low self-efficacy beliefs were more active if they engaged more frequently in preparatory behaviours. Planning seems to stimulate preparatory behaviours, which in turn make future physical activity more likely. Furthermore, as performing preparatory behaviours represent a step forward towards the enactment of behavioural goals, preparatory behaviours may be particular beneficial for individuals afflicted by self-doubts regarding physical activity.

Integrating market processes into utility resource planning

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

Kahn, E.P.

1992-11-01

Integrated resource planning has resulted in an abundance of alternatives for meeting existing and new demand for electricity services: (1) utility demand-side management (DSM) programs, (2) DSM bidding, (3) competitive bidding for private power supplies, (4) utility re-powering, and (5) new utility construction. Each alternative relies on a different degree of planning for implementation and, therefore, each alternative relies on markets to a greater or lesser degree. This paper shows how the interaction of planning processes and market forces results in resource allocations among the alternatives. The discussion focuses on three phenomena that are driving forces behind the unanticipated consequences'more » of contemporary integrated resource planning efforts. These forces are: (1) large-scale DSM efforts, (2) customer bypass, and (3) large-scale independent power projects. 22 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.« less

PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES AT THE STATE-SUPPORTED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN COLORADO.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colorado Association of State Institutions of Higher Education, Denver.

GUIDELINES ARE PRESENTED TO INSURE UNIFORM PLANNING AT THE EIGHT STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN COLORADO. TWO PLANNING CONSULTANT FIRMS SUBMITTED UTILIZATION CRITERIA AND SQUARE FOOTAGE CRITERIA WHICH WERE USED TO DEVELOP STANDARDS FOR PLANNING IN THE STATE INSTITUTIONS. STANDARDS WERE SET FOR (1) CLASSROOM UTILIZATION, (2)…

Planning satellite communication services and spectrum-orbit utilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sawitz, P. H.

1982-01-01

The relationship between approaches to planning satellite communication services and spectrum-orbit utilization is considered, with emphasis on the fixed-satellite and the broadcasting-satellite services. It is noted that there are several possible approaches to planning space services, differing principally in the rigidity with which technical parameters are prescribed, in the time for which a plan remains in force, and in the procedures adopted for implementation and modifications. With some planning approaches, spectrum-orbit utilization is fixed at the time the plan is made. Others provide for greater flexibility by making it possible to postpone some decisions on technical parameters. In addition, the two political questions of what is equitable access and how it can be guaranteed in practice play an important role.

Air Force Research Laboratory space technology strategic investment model: analysis and outcomes for warfighter capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preiss, Bruce; Greene, Lloyd; Kriebel, Jamie; Wasson, Robert

2006-05-01

The Air Force Research Laboratory utilizes a value model as a primary input for space technology planning and budgeting. The Space Sector at AFRL headquarters manages space technology investment across all the geographically disparate technical directorates and ensures that integrated planning is achieved across the space community. The space investment portfolio must ultimately balance near, mid, and far-term investments across all the critical space mission areas. Investment levels and growth areas can always be identified by a typical capability analysis or gap analysis, but the value model approach goes one step deeper and helps identify the potential payoff of technology investments by linking the technology directly to an existing or potential concept. The value of the technology is then viewed from the enabling performance perspective of the concept that ultimately fulfills the Air Force mission. The process of linking space technologies to future concepts and technology roadmaps will be reviewed in this paper, along with representative results from this planning cycle. The initial assumptions in this process will be identified along with the strengths and weaknesses of this planning methodology.

Investigation into the risk perceptions of investors in the securities of nuclear-dependent electric utilities

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

Spudeck, R.E.

1983-01-01

Two weeks prior to the Three Mile Island accident, March 15, 1979, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered five operating nuclear plants shut down in order to reexamine safety standards in these plants. Reports in the popular and trade press during this time suggested that these events, particularly the accident at Three Mile Island, caused investors in the securities of electric utilities that had nuclear-generation facilities to revise their risk perceptions. This study was designed to examine the impact of both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission order and the accident at Three Mile Island on investor risk perceptions. Selected categories of electricmore » utilities were chosen to examine any differential risk effects resulting from these events. An asset pricing model devoid of many of the restrictive assumptions of more familiar models was used to model investor behavior. The findings suggest that the events described did cause investors to revise upward their perceptions of systematic risk regarding different categories of electric utilities. More specifically, those electric utilities that were operating nuclear plants in 1979 experienced the largest and most sustained increase in systematic risk. However, electric utilities that in 1979 had no operating nuclear plants, but had planned and committed funds for nuclear plants in the future, also experienced increases in systematic risk.« less

Managing biotechnology in a network-model health plan: a U.S. private payer perspective.

PubMed

Watkins, John B; Choudhury, Sanchita Roy; Wong, Ed; Sullivan, Sean D

2006-01-01

Emerging biotechnology poses challenges to payers, including access, coverage, reimbursement, patient selection, and affordability. Premera Blue Cross, a private regional health plan, developed an integrated cross-functional approach to managing biologics, built around a robust formulary process that is fast, flexible, fair, and transparent to stakeholders. Results are monitored by cost and use reporting from merged pharmacy and medical claims. Utilization management and case management strategies will integrate with specialty pharmacy programs to improve outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Creative approaches to provider reimbursement can align providers' incentives with those of the plan. Redesign of member benefits can also encourage appropriate use of biotechnology.

National Transonic Facility: A review of the operational plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liepmann, H. W.; Black, R. E.; Dietz, R. O.; Kirchner, M. E.; Sears, W. R.

1980-01-01

The proposed National Transonic Facility (NTF) operational plan is reviewed. The NTF will provide an aerodynamic test capability significantly exceeding that of other transonic regime wind tunnels now available. A limited number of academic research program that might use the NTF are suggested. It is concluded that the NTF operational plan is useful for management, technical, instrumentation, and model building techniques available in the specialized field of aerodynamic analysis and simulation. It is also suggested that NASA hold an annual conference to discuss wind tunnel research results and to report on developments that will further improve the utilization and cost effectiveness of the NTF and other wind tunnels.

Value of Landsat in urban water resources planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, T. J.; Ragan, R. M.

1977-01-01

The reported investigation had the objective to evaluate the utility of satellite multispectral remote sensing in urban water resources planning. The results are presented of a study which was conducted to determine the economic impact of Landsat data. The use of Landsat data to estimate hydrologic model parameters employed in urban water resources planning is discussed. A decision regarding an employment of the Landsat data has to consider the tradeoff between data accuracy and cost. Bayesian decision theory is used in this connection. It is concluded that computer-aided interpretation of Landsat data is a highly cost-effective method of estimating the percentage of impervious area.

Rational decision perspectives on alcohol consumption by youth. Revising the theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Kuther, Tara L

2002-01-01

Cognitive and developmental approaches have made great strides in describing and predicting alcohol consumption by youth. The present review examines several theories of decision making with regard to alcohol consumption, including subjective expected utility (SEU) theory, the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior, and alcohol-related outcome expectancy theory. In addition, the developmental literature on the contribution of parents and peers to adolescent alcohol consumption is reviewed. A model is proposed, which integrates the theory of planned behavior and alcohol-related outcome expectancy theory with modifications based on findings from the developmental literature. Implications for further research are discussed.

Development of a landscape integrity model framework to support regional conservation planning.

PubMed

Walston, Leroy J; Hartmann, Heidi M

2018-01-01

Land managers increasingly rely upon landscape assessments to understand the status of natural resources and identify conservation priorities. Many of these landscape planning efforts rely on geospatial models that characterize the ecological integrity of the landscape. These general models utilize measures of habitat disturbance and human activity to map indices of ecological integrity. We built upon these modeling frameworks by developing a Landscape Integrity Index (LII) model using geospatial datasets of the human footprint, as well as incorporation of other indicators of ecological integrity such as biodiversity and vegetation departure. Our LII model serves as a general indicator of ecological integrity in a regional context of human activity, biodiversity, and change in habitat composition. We also discuss the application of the LII framework in two related coarse-filter landscape conservation approaches to expand the size and connectedness of protected areas as regional mitigation for anticipated land-use changes.

Development of a landscape integrity model framework to support regional conservation planning

PubMed Central

Hartmann, Heidi M.

2018-01-01

Land managers increasingly rely upon landscape assessments to understand the status of natural resources and identify conservation priorities. Many of these landscape planning efforts rely on geospatial models that characterize the ecological integrity of the landscape. These general models utilize measures of habitat disturbance and human activity to map indices of ecological integrity. We built upon these modeling frameworks by developing a Landscape Integrity Index (LII) model using geospatial datasets of the human footprint, as well as incorporation of other indicators of ecological integrity such as biodiversity and vegetation departure. Our LII model serves as a general indicator of ecological integrity in a regional context of human activity, biodiversity, and change in habitat composition. We also discuss the application of the LII framework in two related coarse-filter landscape conservation approaches to expand the size and connectedness of protected areas as regional mitigation for anticipated land-use changes. PMID:29614093

Targeting climate diversity in conservation planning to build resilience to climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heller, Nicole E.; Kreitler, Jason R.; Ackerly, David; Weiss, Stuart; Recinos, Amanda; Branciforte, Ryan; Flint, Lorraine E.; Flint, Alan L.; Micheli, Elisabeth

2015-01-01

Climate change is raising challenging concerns for systematic conservation planning. Are methods based on the current spatial patterns of biodiversity effective given long-term climate change? Some conservation scientists argue that planning should focus on protecting the abiotic diversity in the landscape, which drives patterns of biological diversity, rather than focusing on the distribution of focal species, which shift in response to climate change. Climate is one important abiotic driver of biodiversity patterns, as different climates host different biological communities and genetic pools. We propose conservation networks that capture the full range of climatic diversity in a region will improve the resilience of biotic communities to climate change compared to networks that do not. In this study we used historical and future hydro-climate projections from the high resolution Basin Characterization Model to explore the utility of directly targeting climatic diversity in planning. Using the spatial planning tool, Marxan, we designed conservation networks to capture the diversity of climate types, at the regional and sub-regional scale, and compared them to networks we designed to capture the diversity of vegetation types. By focusing on the Conservation Lands Network (CLN) of the San Francisco Bay Area as a real-world case study, we compared the potential resilience of networks by examining two factors: the range of climate space captured, and climatic stability to 18 future climates, reflecting different emission scenarios and global climate models. We found that the climate-based network planned at the sub-regional scale captured a greater range of climate space and showed higher climatic stability than the vegetation and regional based-networks. At the same time, differences among network scenarios are small relative to the variance in climate stability across global climate models. Across different projected futures, topographically heterogeneous areas consistently show greater climate stability than homogenous areas. The analysis suggests that utilizing high-resolution climate and hydrological data in conservation planning improves the likely resilience of biodiversity to climate change. We used these analyses to suggest new conservation priorities for the San Francisco Bay Area.

48 CFR 836.606-73 - Application of 6 percent architect-engineer fee limitation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (vi) Surveys: topographic, boundary, utilities, etc. (2) Special consultant services that are not... required. (3) Other: (i) Reproduction of approved designs through models, color renderings, photographs, or...) All other services that are not an integral part of the production and delivery of plans, designs, and...

Evaluation of existing and modified wetland equations in the SWAT model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The drainage significantly alters flow and nutrient pathways in small watersheds and reliable simulation at this scale is needed for effective planning of nutrient reduction strategies. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has been widely utilized for prediction of flow and nutrient loads, but...

MODIA: Vol. 4. The Resource Utilization Model. A Project AIR FORCE Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallegos, Margaret

MODIA (Method of Designing Instructional Alternatives) was developed to help the Air Force manage resources for formal training by systematically and explicitly relating quantitative requirements for training resources to the details of course design and course operation during the planning stage. This report describes the Resource Utilization…

Effects of Dynamically Weighting Autonomous Rules in an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Flocking Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-18

methods of flight plan optimization, and yielded such techniques as: parallel A* (Gudaitis, 1994), Multi-Objective Traveling Salesman algorithms...1 Problem Statement...currently their utilization comes with a price: Problem Statement “Today’s unmanned systems require significant human interaction to operate. As

Application of an innovative computerized virtual planning system in acetabular fracture surgery: A feasibility study.

PubMed

Wang, Huixiang; Wang, Fang; Newman, Simon; Lin, Yanping; Chen, Xiaojun; Xu, Lu; Wang, Qiugen

2016-08-01

Acetabular fracture surgery is amongst the most challenging tasks in the field of trauma surgery and careful preoperative planning is crucial for success. The aim of this paper is to describe the preliminary outcome of the utilization of an innovative computerized virtual planning system for acetabular fractures. 3D models of acetabular fractures and surrounding soft tissues from six patients were constructed from preoperative CT scans. A novel highly-automatic segmentation technique was performed on the 3D model to separate each fracture fragment, then 3D virtual reduction was performed. Additionally, the models were used to assess potential surgical approaches with reference to both the fracture and the surrounding soft tissues. The time required for virtual planning was recorded. After surgery, the virtual plan was compared to the real surgery with respect to surgical approach and reduction sequence. A Likert scale questionnaire was completed by the surgeons to evaluate their satisfaction with the system. Virtual planning was successfully completed in all cases. The planned surgical approach was followed in all cases with the planned reduction sequence followed completely in five cases and partially in one. The mean time required for virtual planning was 38.7min (range 21-57, SD=15.5). The mean time required for planning of B-type fractures was 25.0min (range 21-30, SD=4.6), of C-type fracture 52.3min (range 49-57, SD=4.2). The results of the questionnaire demonstrated a high level of satisfaction with the planning system. This study demonstrates that the virtual planning system is feasible in clinical settings with high satisfaction and acceptability from the surgeons. It provides a viable option for the planning of acetabular fracture surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reconstruction of 3d Objects of Assets and Facilities by Using Benchmark Points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baig, S. U.; Rahman, A. A.

2013-08-01

Acquiring and modeling 3D geo-data of building assets and facility objects is one of the challenges. A number of methods and technologies are being utilized for this purpose. Total station, GPS, photogrammetric and terrestrial laser scanning are few of these technologies. In this paper, points commonly shared by potential facades of assets and facilities modeled from point clouds are identified. These points are useful for modeling process to reconstruct 3D models of assets and facilities stored to be used for management purposes. These models are segmented through different planes to produce accurate 2D plans. This novel method improves the efficiency and quality of construction of models of assets and facilities with the aim utilize in 3D management projects such as maintenance of buildings or group of items that need to be replaced, or renovated for new services.

Integrating predictive information into an agro-economic model to guide agricultural planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Block, Paul; Zhang, Ying; You, Liangzhi

2017-04-01

Seasonal climate forecasts can inform long-range planning, including water resources utilization and allocation, however quantifying the value of this information on the economy is often challenging. For rain-fed farmers, skillful season-ahead predictions may lead to superior planning, as compared to business as usual strategies, resulting in additional benefits or reduced losses. In this study, regional-level probabilistic precipitation forecasts of the major rainy season in Ethiopia are fed into an agro-economic model, adapted from the International Food Policy Research Institute, to evaluate economic outcomes (GDP, poverty rates, etc.) as compared with a no-forecast approach. Based on forecasted conditions, farmers can select various actions: adjusting crop area and crop type, purchasing drought resistant seed, or applying additional fertilizer. Preliminary results favor the forecast-based approach, particularly through crop area reallocation.

Expected Utility Distributions for Flexible, Contingent Execution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bresina, John L.; Washington, Richard

2000-01-01

This paper presents a method for using expected utility distributions in the execution of flexible, contingent plans. A utility distribution maps the possible start times of an action to the expected utility of the plan suffix starting with that action. The contingent plan encodes a tree of possible courses of action and includes flexible temporal constraints and resource constraints. When execution reaches a branch point, the eligible option with the highest expected utility at that point in time is selected. The utility distributions make this selection sensitive to the runtime context, yet still efficient. Our approach uses predictions of action duration uncertainty as well as expectations of resource usage and availability to determine when an action can execute and with what probability. Execution windows and probabilities inevitably change as execution proceeds, but such changes do not invalidate the cached utility distributions, thus, dynamic updating of utility information is minimized.

Impact of a Value-based Formulary on Medication Utilization, Health Services Utilization, and Expenditures.

PubMed

Yeung, Kai; Basu, Anirban; Hansen, Ryan N; Watkins, John B; Sullivan, Sean D

2017-02-01

Value-based benefit design has been suggested as an effective approach to managing the high cost of pharmaceuticals in health insurance markets. Premera Blue Cross, a large regional health plan, implemented a value-based formulary (VBF) for pharmaceuticals in 2010 that explicitly used cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) to inform medication copayments. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of the VBF. Interrupted time series of employer-sponsored plans from 2006 to 2013. Intervention group: 5235 beneficiaries exposed to the VBF. 11,171 beneficiaries in plans without any changes in pharmacy benefits. The VBF-assigned medications with lower value (estimated by CEA) to higher copayment tiers and assigned medications with higher value to lower copayment tiers. Primary outcome was medication expenditures from member, health plan, and member plus health plan perspectives. Secondary outcomes were medication utilization, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, office visits, and nonmedication expenditures. In the intervention group after VBF implementation, member medication expenditures increased by $2 per member per month (PMPM) [95% confidence interval (CI), $1-$3] or 9%, whereas health plan medication expenditures decreased by $10 PMPM (CI, $18-$2) or 16%, resulting in a net decrease of $8 PMPM (CI, $15-$2) or 10%, which translates to a net savings of $1.1 million. Utilization of medications moved into lower copayment tiers increased by 1.95 days' supply (CI, 1.29-2.62) or 17%. Total medication utilization, health services utilization, and nonmedication expenditures did not change. Cost-sharing informed by CEA reduced overall medication expenditures without negatively impacting medication utilization, health services utilization, or nonmedication expenditures.

78 FR 9016 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Massachusetts; Revisions to Fossil...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-07

... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Massachusetts; Revisions to Fossil Fuel Utilization and..., inspection, maintenance and testing requirements for certain fossil fuel utilization facilities, rename and... fossil fuel utilization facility regulation, source registration regulation, and new industrial...

Application of system dynamics for developing financially self-sustaining management policies for water and wastewater systems.

PubMed

Rehan, R; Knight, M A; Haas, C T; Unger, A J A

2011-10-15

Recently enacted regulations in Canada and elsewhere require water utilities to be financially self-sustaining over the long-term. This implies full cost recovery for providing water and wastewater services to users. This study proposes a new approach to help water utilities plan to meet the requirements of the new regulations. A causal loop diagram is developed for a financially self-sustaining water utility which frames water and wastewater network management as a complex system with multiple interconnections and feedback loops. The novel System Dynamics approach is used to develop a demonstration model for water and wastewater network management. This is the first known application of System Dynamics to water and wastewater network management. The network simulated is that of a typical Canadian water utility that has under invested in maintenance. Model results show that with no proactive rehabilitation strategy the utility will need to substantially increase its user fees to achieve financial sustainability. This increase is further exacerbated when price elasticity of water demand is considered. When the utility pursues proactive rehabilitation, financial sustainability is achieved with lower user fees. Having demonstrated the significance of feedback loops for financial management of water and wastewater networks, the paper makes the case for a more complete utility model that considers the complexity of the system by incorporating all feedback loops. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utility assessment of a map-based online geo-collaboration tool.

PubMed

Sidlar, Christopher L; Rinner, Claus

2009-05-01

Spatial group decision-making processes often include both informal and analytical components. Discussions among stakeholders or planning experts are an example of an informal component. When participants discuss spatial planning projects they typically express concerns and comments by pointing to places on a map. The Argumentation Map model provides a conceptual basis for collaborative tools that enable explicit linkages of arguments to the places to which they refer. These tools allow for the input of explicitly geo-referenced arguments as well as the visual access to arguments through a map interface. In this paper, we will review previous utility studies in geo-collaboration and evaluate a case study of a Web-based Argumentation Map application. The case study was conducted in the summer of 2005 when student participants discussed planning issues on the University of Toronto St. George campus. During a one-week unmoderated discussion phase, 11 participants wrote 60 comments on issues such as safety, facilities, parking, and building aesthetics. By measuring the participants' use of geographic references, we draw conclusions on how well the software tool supported the potential of the underlying concept. This research aims to contribute to a scientific approach to geo-collaboration in which the engineering of novel spatial decision support methods is complemented by a critical assessment of their utility in controlled, realistic experiments.

Achieving Maximum Integration Utilizing Requirements Flow Down

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Archiable, Wes; Askins, Bruce

2011-01-01

A robust and experienced systems engineering team is essential for a successful program. It is often a challenge to build a core systems engineering team early enough in a program to maximize integration and assure a common path for all supporting teams in a project. Ares I was no exception. During the planning of IVGVT, the team had many challenges including lack of: early identification of stakeholders, team training in NASA s system engineering practices, solid requirements flow down and a top down documentation strategy. The IVGVT team started test planning early in the program before the systems engineering framework had been matured due to an aggressive schedule. Therefore the IVGVT team increased their involvement in the Constellation systems engineering effort. Program level requirements were established that flowed down to IVGVT aligning all stakeholders to a common set of goals. The IVGVT team utilized the APPEL REQ Development Management course providing the team a NASA focused model to follow. The IVGVT team engaged directly with the model verification and validation process to assure that a solid set of requirements drove the need for the test event. The IVGVT team looked at the initial planning state, analyzed the current state and then produced recommendations for the ideal future state of a wide range of systems engineering functions and processes. Based on this analysis, the IVGVT team was able to produce a set of lessons learned and to provide suggestions for future programs or tests to use in their initial planning phase.

Remote sensing, geographical information systems, and spatial modeling for analyzing public transit services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Changshan

Public transit service is a promising transportation mode because of its potential to address urban sustainability. Current ridership of public transit, however, is very low in most urban regions, particularly those in the United States. This woeful transit ridership can be attributed to many factors, among which poor service quality is key. Given this, there is a need for transit planning and analysis to improve service quality. Traditionally, spatially aggregate data are utilized in transit analysis and planning. Examples include data associated with the census, zip codes, states, etc. Few studies, however, address the influences of spatially aggregate data on transit planning results. In this research, previous studies in transit planning that use spatially aggregate data are reviewed. Next, problems associated with the utilization of aggregate data, the so-called modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP), are detailed and the need for fine resolution data to support public transit planning is argued. Fine resolution data is generated using intelligent interpolation techniques with the help of remote sensing imagery. In particular, impervious surface fraction, an important socio-economic indicator, is estimated through a fully constrained linear spectral mixture model using Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data within the metropolitan area of Columbus, Ohio in the United States. Four endmembers, low albedo, high albedo, vegetation, and soil are selected to model heterogeneous urban land cover. Impervious surface fraction is estimated by analyzing low and high albedo endmembers. With the derived impervious surface fraction, three spatial interpolation methods, spatial regression, dasymetric mapping, and cokriging, are developed to interpolate detailed population density. Results suggest that cokriging applied to impervious surface is a better alternative for estimating fine resolution population density. With the derived fine resolution data, a multiple route maximal covering/shortest path (MRMCSP) model is proposed to address the tradeoff between public transit service quality and access coverage in an established bus-based transit system. Results show that it is possible to improve current transit service quality by eliminating redundant or underutilized service stops. This research illustrates that fine resolution data can be efficiently generated to support urban planning, management and analysis. Further, this detailed data may necessitate the development of new spatial optimization models for use in analysis.

42 CFR 456.401 - State plan UR requirements and options; UR plan required for intermediate care facility services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false State plan UR requirements and options; UR plan required for intermediate care facility services. 456.401 Section 456.401 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control:...

42 CFR 456.401 - State plan UR requirements and options; UR plan required for intermediate care facility services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false State plan UR requirements and options; UR plan required for intermediate care facility services. 456.401 Section 456.401 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control:...

Dynamics of a Successful Planned Giving Program Utilizing Shared Leadership at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Robin Lynn Brunty

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dynamics of a successful planned giving program utilizing shared leadership at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This information will assist the leadership in determining if and how a successful planned giving program can be established for HBCUs. It is possible for planned gifts…

42 CFR 456.520 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time Requirements § 456.520 Definitions...

[Professional's expectations to improve quality of care and social services utilization in geriatric oncology].

PubMed

Antoine, Valéry; de Wazières, Benoît; Houédé, Nadine

2015-02-01

Coordination of a multidisciplinary and multi-professional intervention is a key issue in the management of elderly cancer patients to improve health status and quality of life. Optimizing the links between professionals is needed to improve care planning, health and social services utilization. Descriptive study in a French University Hospital. A 6-item structured questionnaire was addressed to professionals involved in global and supportive cares of elderly cancer patients (name, location, effective health care and services offered, needs to improve the quality of their intervention). After the analysis of answers, definition of propositions to improve cares and services utilization. The 37 respondents identified a total of 166 needs to improve quality of care in geriatric oncology. Major expectations were concerning improvement of global/supportive cares and health care services utilization, a better coordination between geriatric teams and oncologists. Ten propositions, including a model of in-hospital health care planning, were defined to answer to professional's needs with the aim of optimizing cancer treatment and global cares. Identification of effective services and needs can represent a first step in a continuous program to improve quality of cares, according to the French national cancer plan 2014-2019. It allows federating professionals for a coordination effort, a better organization of the clinical activity in geriatric oncology, to optimize clinical practice and global cares. Copyright © 2014 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Using Multiattribute Utility Theory as a Priority-Setting Tool in Human Services Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camasso, Michael J.; Dick, Janet

1993-01-01

The feasibility of applying multiattribute utility theory to the needs assessment and priority-setting activities of human services planning councils was studied in Essex County (New Jersey). Decision-making and information filtering processes are explored in the context of community planning. (SLD)

42 CFR 456.380 - Individual written plan of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Intermediate Care Facilities Plan of Care § 456.380 Individual written plan of care. (a) Before admission to an ICF or before...) Activities; (v) Therapies; (vi) Social services; (vii) Diet; and (viii) Special procedures designed to meet...

42 CFR 456.380 - Individual written plan of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Intermediate Care Facilities Plan of Care § 456.380 Individual written plan of care. (a) Before admission to an ICF or before...) Activities; (v) Therapies; (vi) Social services; (vii) Diet; and (viii) Special procedures designed to meet...

NASA science utilization plans for the Space Station.

PubMed

Reeves, E M; Cressy, P J

1995-10-01

The Mir-1 and International Space Station Alpha capabilities present the science community with unique long duration platforms to conduct a wide range of scientific research in the microgravity and life sciences as well as in the observational sciences, NASA is developing plans to use the capabilities of Mir and Space Station as they emerge during the development of the orbital program. In both cases the planned science utilization programs take advantage of the volume, crew, power, microgravity and logistics resupply unique to each phase. The paper will present these utilization plans in the context of an evolving scientific program.

Report: Survey Results on Information Used by Water Utilities to Conduct Vulnerability Assessments

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2004-M-0001, November 21, 2003. EPA developed a Strategic Plan for Homeland Security (Plan), dated Sept 2002, which states that EPA will work with the States, tribes, drinking water utilities, and others to enhance the security of water utilities.

Variation of fee-for-service specialist direct care work effort with patient overall illness burden.

PubMed

Goodman, Robert

2011-08-01

To explore whether a common industry measure of overall patient illness burden, used to assess the total costs of members in a health plan, would be suitable to describe variation in a summary metric of utilization that assesses specialist physician direct patient care services not grouped into clinical episodes, but with exclusion criteria applied to reduce any bias in the data. Data sources/study setting Calendar year 2006 administrative data on 153,557 commercial members enrolled in a non-profit single-state statewide Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and treated by 4356 specialists in 11 specialties. The health plan's global referral process and specialist fee-for-service reimbursement likely makes these results applicable to the non-managed care setting, as once a global referral was authorized there was no required intervention by the HMO or referring primary care provider for the majority of any subsequent specialist direct clinical care. Study design Specialty-specific correlations and ordinary least-squares regression models to assess variations in specialist direct patient care work effort with patient overall illness burden, after the application of exclusion criteria to reduce potential bias in the data. Principle findings Statistically significant positive correlations exist between specialist direct patient care work effort and patient overall illness burden for all studied specialties. Regression models revealed a generally monotonic increasing relationship between illness burden categories and aggregate specialist direct patient care work effort. Almost all regression model differences from the reference category across specialties are statistically significant (P ≤ 0.012). Assessment of additional results demonstrates the relationship has more substantive significance in some specialties and less in others. The most substantive relationships in this study were found in the specialties of orthopaedic surgery, general surgery and interventional cardiology. For many specialties, specialists do vary physician direct patient care utilization with patient overall illness burden. Accounting for patient overall health status is important to fairly compare specialists of certain specialties on utilization for health plan specialist network management. Additional study is required to evaluate health plan application of this methodology.

[Application of 3S techniques in ecological landscape planning of Harbin suburb].

PubMed

Fan, Wenyi; Gong, Wenfeng; Liu, Dandan; Zhou, Hongze; Zhu, Ning

2005-12-01

With the image data (SPOT), soil utilization map (1:50000) and other related materials of Harbin, and under the support of GIS, RS and GPS techniques, this paper obtained the landscape pattern of Harbin suburb and the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of Harbin. Indices including mean patch area, landscape dominance, mean slope, mean altitude, and fragmentation degree were selected and synthetically analyzed, with the ecological landscape planning made by DEM model. The results showed that 3S techniques could help to decide typical landscape types. The landscape type database was established, and the landscape type thematic map was generated, with land use status and landscape distribution, physiognomy, and land use types combined. The ecological landscape planning was described in large scale with the image data and DEM combined, and the landscape structure of Harbin suburb was reflected directly with the ecological landscape planning and DEM combined, which improved the ecological function in this region, and provided scientific bases to the healthy development in urban-rural integration area.

Empirical and Face Validity of Software Maintenance Defect Models Used at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taber, William; Port, Dan

2014-01-01

At the Mission Design and Navigation Software Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory we make use of finite exponential based defect models to aid in maintenance planning and management for our widely used critical systems. However a number of pragmatic issues arise when applying defect models for a post-release system in continuous use. These include: how to utilize information from problem reports rather than testing to drive defect discovery and removal effort, practical model calibration, and alignment of model assumptions with our environment.

A theoretical model of the determinants of mortality.

PubMed

Tourangeau, Ann E

2005-01-01

Outcome research in nursing has been criticized for being atheoretical. Although there has been research investigating patient mortality as an outcome, there has been little discussion about models or theories of nursing-related determinants of mortality for hospitalized patients. Yet, unnecessary patient mortality is an important patient safety outcome. This article describes development of beginning theory of determinants of patient mortality culminating with a revised mortality model. Conclusions are made related to plans for further testing and refinement of the revised mortality model. Further, the utility of the proposed model in practice is discussed.

Analysis of Utility and Use of a Web-Based Tool for Digital Signal Processing Teaching by Means of a Technological Acceptance Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toral, S. L.; Barrero, F.; Martinez-Torres, M. R.

2007-01-01

This paper presents an exploratory study about the development of a structural and measurement model for the technological acceptance (TAM) of a web-based educational tool. The aim consists of measuring not only the use of this tool, but also the external variables with a significant influence in its use for planning future improvements. The tool,…

Understanding the Influence of Climate Forecasts on Farmer Decisions as Planned Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artikov, Ikrom; Hoffman, Stacey J.; Lynne, Gary D.; Pytlik Zillig, Lisa M.; Hu, Qi; Tomkins, Alan J.; Hubbard, Kenneth G.; Hayes, Michael J.; Waltman, William

2006-09-01

Results of a set of four regression models applied to recent survey data of farmers in eastern Nebraska suggest the causes that drive farmer intentions of using weather and climate information and forecasts in farming decisions. The model results quantify the relative importance of attitude, social norm, perceived behavioral control, and financial capability in explaining the influence of climate-conditions information and short-term and long-term forecasts on agronomic, crop insurance, and crop marketing decisions. Attitude, serving as a proxy for the utility gained from the use of such information, had the most profound positive influence on the outcome of all the decisions, followed by norms. The norms in the community, as a proxy for the utility gained from allowing oneself to be influenced by others, played a larger role in agronomic decisions than in insurance or marketing decisions. In addition, the interaction of controllability (accuracy, availability, reliability, timeliness of weather and climate information), self-efficacy (farmer ability and understanding), and general preference for control was shown to be a substantive cause. Yet control variables also have an economic side: The farm-sales variable as a measure of financial ability and motivation intensified and clarified the role of control while also enhancing the statistical robustness of the attitude and norms variables in better clarifying how they drive the influence. Overall, the integrated model of planned behavior from social psychology and derived demand from economics, that is, the “planned demand model,” is more powerful than models based on either of these approaches alone. Taken together, these results suggest that the “human dimension” needs to be better recognized so as to improve effective use of climate and weather forecasts and information for farming decision making.

Measuring Road Network Vulnerability with Sensitivity Analysis

PubMed Central

Jun-qiang, Leng; Long-hai, Yang; Liu, Wei-yi; Zhao, Lin

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the development of a method for road network vulnerability analysis, from the perspective of capacity degradation, which seeks to identify the critical infrastructures in the road network and the operational performance of the whole traffic system. This research involves defining the traffic utility index and modeling vulnerability of road segment, route, OD (Origin Destination) pair and road network. Meanwhile, sensitivity analysis method is utilized to calculate the change of traffic utility index due to capacity degradation. This method, compared to traditional traffic assignment, can improve calculation efficiency and make the application of vulnerability analysis to large actual road network possible. Finally, all the above models and calculation method is applied to actual road network evaluation to verify its efficiency and utility. This approach can be used as a decision-supporting tool for evaluating the performance of road network and identifying critical infrastructures in transportation planning and management, especially in the resource allocation for mitigation and recovery. PMID:28125706

42 CFR 456.505 - Applicability of waiver.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Waiver of Requirements § 456.505 Applicability of...

42 CFR 456.521 - Conditions for granting variance requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time...

42 CFR 456.525 - Request for renewal of variance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time...

42 CFR 456.525 - Request for renewal of variance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time...

Maximally Expressive Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaap, John; Davis, Elizabeth; Richardson, Lea

2004-01-01

Planning and scheduling systems organize tasks into a timeline or schedule. Tasks are logically grouped into containers called models. Models are a collection of related tasks, along with their dependencies and requirements, that when met will produce the desired result. One challenging domain for a planning and scheduling system is the operation of on-board experiments for the International Space Station. In these experiments, the equipment used is among the most complex hardware ever developed; the information sought is at the cutting edge of scientific endeavor; and the procedures are intricate and exacting. Scheduling is made more difficult by a scarcity of station resources. The models to be fed into the scheduler must describe both the complexity of the experiments and procedures (to ensure a valid schedule) and the flexibilities of the procedures and the equipment (to effectively utilize available resources). Clearly, scheduling International Space Station experiment operations calls for a maximally expressive modeling schema.

Methodologies for Optimum Capital Expenditure Decisions for New Medical Technology

PubMed Central

Landau, Thomas P.; Ledley, Robert S.

1980-01-01

This study deals with the development of a theory and an analytical model to support decisions regarding capital expenditures for complex new medical technology. Formal methodologies and quantitative techniques developed by applied mathematicians and management scientists can be used by health planners to develop cost-effective plans for the utilization of medical technology on a community or region-wide basis. In order to maximize the usefulness of the model, it was developed and tested against multiple technologies. The types of technologies studied include capital and labor-intensive technologies, technologies whose utilization rates vary with hospital occupancy rate, technologies whose use can be scheduled, and limited-use and large-use technologies.

42 CFR 456.242 - UR plan requirements for medical care evaluation studies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Medical Care Evaluation Studies § 456.242 UR plan requirements for medical care... evaluation studies in the mental hospital; (2) Documents for each study— (i) Its results; and (ii) How the...

75 FR 62023 - Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

...] Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities September 29... (75 FR 37884) proposing to amend the transmission planning and cost allocation requirements... transmission needs driven by public policy requirements established by state or federal laws or regulations...

40 CFR 72.43 - Phase I reduced utilization plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.43 Phase I reduced... any Acid Rain emissions limitation or emissions reduction requirements during Phase I; and (ii) Meets... this section shall include in the Acid Rain permit application for the unit a reduced utilization plan...

40 CFR 72.43 - Phase I reduced utilization plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.43 Phase I reduced... any Acid Rain emissions limitation or emissions reduction requirements during Phase I; and (ii) Meets... this section shall include in the Acid Rain permit application for the unit a reduced utilization plan...

40 CFR 72.43 - Phase I reduced utilization plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.43 Phase I reduced... any Acid Rain emissions limitation or emissions reduction requirements during Phase I; and (ii) Meets... this section shall include in the Acid Rain permit application for the unit a reduced utilization plan...

40 CFR 72.43 - Phase I reduced utilization plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.43 Phase I reduced... any Acid Rain emissions limitation or emissions reduction requirements during Phase I; and (ii) Meets... this section shall include in the Acid Rain permit application for the unit a reduced utilization plan...

40 CFR 72.43 - Phase I reduced utilization plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.43 Phase I reduced... any Acid Rain emissions limitation or emissions reduction requirements during Phase I; and (ii) Meets... this section shall include in the Acid Rain permit application for the unit a reduced utilization plan...

Improving sand and gravel utilization and land-use planning. - 3D-modelling gravel resources with geospatial data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolstad Libach, Lars; Wolden, Knut; Dagestad, Atle; Eskil Larsen, Bjørn

2017-04-01

The Norwegian aggregate industry produces approximately 14 million tons of sand and gravel aggregates annually to a value of approximately 100 million Euros. Utilization of aggregates are often linked to land-use conflicts and complex environmental impacts at the extraction site. These topics are managed on a local municipal level in Norway. The Geological Survey of Norway has a database and a web map service with information about sand and gravel deposits with considerable volumes and an importance evaluation. Some of the deposits covers large areas where the land-use conflicts are high. To ease and improve land-use planning, safeguard other important resources like groundwater and sustainable utilization of sand and gravel resources - there is a need for more detailed information of already mapped important resources. Detailed 3D-models of gravel deposits is a tool for a better land-use- and resource management. By combining seismic, GPR and resistivity geophysical profile data, borehole data, quaternary maps and lidar surface data, it has been possible to make 3D-models of deposits and to further research the possibilities for distinguishing different qualities and volumes. Good datasets and a detailed resource map is a prerequisite to assess geological resources for planners, extractors and neighbours. Future challenges lies in use of, often old, geophysical data, and combining these. What kind of information is it possible to grasp from depth-data that actually argues for a more detailed delineation of resources?

Reducing Periconceptional Methylmercury Exposure: Cost–Utility Analysis for a Proposed Screening Program for Women Planning a Pregnancy in Ontario, Canada

PubMed Central

Rennie, Colin; Coyle, Doug

2015-01-01

Background The assessment of neurodevelopmental effects in children associated with prenatal methylmercury exposure, from contaminated fish and seafood in the maternal diet, has recently been strengthened by adjustment for the negative confounding resulting from co-exposure to beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Objectives We aimed to determine the cost-effectiveness of a periconceptional screening program of blood mercury concentration for women planning to become pregnant in Ontario, Canada. Fish intake recommendations would be provided for those found to have blood mercury levels above the intervention threshold. Methods Analysis was conducted using a combined decision tree/Markov model to compare the proposed screening intervention with standard care from a societal perspective over a lifetime horizon. We used the national blood mercury distributions of women 20–49 years of age reported in the Canadian Health Measures Survey from 2009 through 2011 to determine the cognitive deficits associated with prenatal methylmercury exposure for successful planned pregnancies. Outcomes modeled included the loss in quality of life and the remedial education costs. Value of information analysis was conducted to assess the underlying uncertainty around the model results and to identify which parameters contribute most to this uncertainty. Results The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained for the proposed screening intervention was estimated to be Can$18,051, and the expected value for a willingness to pay of Can$50,000/QALY to be Can$0.61. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the proposed periconceptional blood mercury screening program for women planning a pregnancy would be highly cost-effective from a societal perspective. The results of a value of information analysis confirm the robustness of the study’s conclusions. Citation Gaskin J, Rennie C, Coyle D. 2015. Reducing periconceptional methylmercury exposure: cost–utility analysis for a proposed screening program for women planning a pregnancy in Ontario, Canada. Environ Health Perspect 123:1337–1344; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409034 PMID:26024213

42 CFR 456.508 - Withdrawal of waiver.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and..., 1978, as amended at 61 FR 38399, July 24, 1996] UR Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time...

Impact of a Value-Based Formulary on Medication Utilization, Health Services Utilization, and Expenditures

PubMed Central

Yeung, Kai; Basu, Anirban; Hansen, Ryan N.; Watkins, John B.; Sullivan, Sean D.

2016-01-01

Background Value-based benefit design has been suggested as an effective approach to managing the high cost of pharmaceuticals in health insurance markets. Premera Blue Cross, a large regional health plan, implemented a Value-Based Formulary (VBF) for pharmaceuticals in 2010 that explicitly used cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) to inform medication copayments. Objective To determine the impact of the VBF. Design Interrupted time-series of employer-sponsored plans from 2006 to 2013. Subjects Intervention group: 5,235 beneficiaries exposed to the VBF. Control group: 11,171 beneficiaries in plans without any changes in pharmacy benefits. Intervention The VBF assigned medications with lower value (estimated by CEA) to higher copayment tiers and assigned medications with higher value to lower copayment tiers. Measures Primary outcome was medication expenditures from member, health plan, and member plus health plan perspectives. Secondary outcomes were medication utilization, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, office visits, and non-medication expenditures. Results In the intervention group after VBF implementation, member medication expenditures increased by $2 per member per month (PMPM) (95% CI, $1 to $3) or 9%, while health plan medication expenditures decreased by $10 PMPM (CI, $18 to $2) or 16%, resulting in a net decrease of $8 PMPM (CI, $15 to $2) or 10%, which translates to a net savings of $1.1 million. Utilization of medications moved into lower copayment tiers increased by 1.95 days’ supply (CI, 1.29 to 2.62) or 17%. Total medication utilization, health services utilization and non-medication expenditures did not change. Conclusions Cost-sharing informed by CEA reduced overall medication expenditures without negatively impacting medication utilization, health services utilization or non-medication expenditures. PMID:27579915

Mental Health Services Utilization and Expenditures Among Children Enrolled in Employer-Sponsored Health Plans.

PubMed

Walter, Angela Wangari; Yuan, Yiyang; Cabral, Howard J

2017-05-01

Mental illness in children increases the risk of developing mental health disorders in adulthood, and reduces physical and emotional well-being across the life course. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA, 2008) aimed to improve access to mental health treatment by requiring employer-sponsored health plans to include insurance coverage for behavioral health services. Investigators used IBM Watson/Truven Analytics MarketScan claims data (2007-2013) to examine: (1) the distribution of mental illness; (2) trends in utilization and out-of-pocket expenditures; and (3) the overall effect of the MHPAEA on mental health services utilization and out-of-pocket expenditures among privately-insured children aged 3 to 17 with mental health disorders. Multivariate Poisson regression and linear regression modeling techniques were used. Mental health services use for outpatient behavioral health therapy (BHT) was higher in the years after the implementation of the MHPAEA (2010-2013). Specifically, before the MHPAEA implementation, the annual total visits for BHT provided by mental health physicians were 17.1% lower and 2.5% lower for BHT by mental health professionals, compared to years when MHPAEA was in effect. Children covered by consumer-driven and high-deductible plans had significantly higher out-of-pocket expenditures for BHT compared to those enrolled PPOs. Our findings demonstrate increased mental health services use and higher out-of-pocket costs per outpatient visit after implementation of the MHPAEA. As consumer-driven and high-deductible health plans continue to grow, enrollees need to be cognizant of the impact of health insurance benefit designs on health services offered in these plans. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Reading the Tea Leaves: How Utilities in the West Are Managing Carbon Regulatory Risk in their Resource Plans

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

Barbose, Galen; Wiser, Ryan; Phadke, Amol

2008-02-01

The long economic lifetime and development lead-time of many electric infrastructure investments requires that utility resource planning consider potential costs and risks over a lengthy time horizon. One long-term -- and potentially far-reaching -- risk currently facing the electricity industry is the uncertain cost of future carbon dioxide (CO2) regulations. Recognizing the importance of this issue, many utilities (sometimes spurred by state regulatory requirements) are beginning to actively assess carbon regulatory risk within their resource planning processes, and to evaluate options for mitigating that risk. However, given the relatively recent emergence of this issue and the rapidly changing political landscape,more » methods and assumptions used to analyze carbon regulatory risk, and the impact of this analysis on the selection of a preferred resource portfolio, vary considerably across utilities. In this study, we examine the treatment of carbon regulatory risk in utility resource planning, through a comparison of the most-recent resource plans filed by fifteen investor-owned and publicly-owned utilities in the Western U.S. Together, these utilities account for approximately 60percent of retail electricity sales in the West, and cover nine of eleven Western states. This report has two related elements. First, we compare and assess utilities' approaches to addressing key analytical issues that arise when considering the risk of future carbon regulations. Second, we summarize the composition and carbon intensity of the preferred resource portfolios selected by these fifteen utilities and compare them to potential CO2 emission benchmark levels.« less

The ends of uncertainty: Air quality science and planning in Central California

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

Fine, James

Air quality planning in Central California is complicated and controversial despite millions of dollars invested to improve scientific understanding. This research describes and critiques the use of photochemical air quality simulation modeling studies in planning to attain standards for ground-level ozone in the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Joaquin Valley during the 1990's. Data are gathered through documents and interviews with planners, modelers, and policy-makers at public agencies and with representatives from the regulated and environmental communities. Interactions amongst organizations are diagramed to identify significant nodes of interaction. Dominant policy coalitions are described through narratives distinguished by theirmore » uses of and responses to uncertainty, their exposures to risks, and their responses to the principles of conservatism, civil duty, and caution. Policy narratives are delineated using aggregated respondent statements to describe and understand advocacy coalitions. I found that models impacted the planning process significantly, but were used not purely for their scientific capabilities. Modeling results provided justification for decisions based on other constraints and political considerations. Uncertainties were utilized opportunistically by stakeholders instead of managed explicitly. Ultimately, the process supported the partisan views of those in control of the modeling. Based on these findings, as well as a review of model uncertainty analysis capabilities, I recommend modifying the planning process to allow for the development and incorporation of uncertainty information, while addressing the need for inclusive and meaningful public participation. By documenting an actual air quality planning process these findings provide insights about the potential for using new scientific information and understanding to achieve environmental goals, most notably the analysis of uncertainties in modeling applications. Concurrently, needed uncertainty information is identified and capabilities to produce it are assessed. Practices to facilitate incorporation of uncertainty information are suggested based on research findings, as well as theory from the literatures of the policy sciences, decision sciences, science and technology studies, consensus-based and communicative planning, and modeling.« less

Spectrum orbit utilization program technical manual SOUP5 Version 3.8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, J.; Ottey, H. R.; Sawitz, P.; Zusman, F. S.

1984-01-01

The underlying engineering and mathematical models as well as the computational methods used by the SOUP5 analysis programs, which are part of the R2BCSAT-83 Broadcast Satellite Computational System, are described. Included are the algorithms used to calculate the technical parameters and references to the relevant technical literature. The system provides the following capabilities: requirements file maintenance, data base maintenance, elliptical satellite beam fitting to service areas, plan synthesis from specified requirements, plan analysis, and report generation/query. Each of these functions are briefly described.

Regulators to the rescue: PSC's restrain runaway utilities. [Missouri PSC and Kansas City Power and Light Co

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

Morgan, R.

1980-07-01

The Missouri Public Service Commission's refusal to let the Kansas City utility include a new plant in its rate base because the utility already has excess capacity could set a precedent for halting expansion plans across the country. The Missouri PSC staff accused the utility of ignoring conservation goals, distorting facts, and planning to speculate on the wholesale power market at the ratepayers' expense. Other state regulators unhappy with poor utility planning can be expected to take a good look at the Missouri decision. Regulators in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have already taken a hard line with the nuclear industrymore » since the Three Mile Island accident. (DCK)« less

The University Professor As a Utility Maximizer and Producer of Learning, Research, and Income

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, William E., Jr.

1975-01-01

A professonial decision-making model is presented for the purpose of exploring alternative plans to raise teaching quality. It is demonstrated that an increase in the pecuniary return to teaching will raise teaching quality while exogenous changes in teaching and/or research technology need not. (Author/EA)

Examining Success Factors Related to ERP Implementations in Higher Education Shared Services Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoyanoff, Dawn Galadriel Pfeiffer

2012-01-01

This study examined the enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations that utilized a shared services model in higher education. The purpose of this research was to examine the critical success factors which were perceived to contribute to project success. This research employed a quantitative non-experimental correlational design and the…

Optimizing the experimental design using the house mouse (Mus musculus L.) as a model for determining grain feeding preferences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Technical Abstract: BACKGROUND: There is little research evaluating flavor preferences among wheat varieties. We previously demonstrated that mice exert very strong preferences when given binary mixtures of wheat varieties. We plan to utilize mice to identify varieties and genes associated with pref...

Assessing the Utility of an Event-Step ASMD Model by Analysis of Surface Combatant Shared Self-Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-09-01

Oriented Discrete Event Simulation,” Master’s Thesis in Operations Research, Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA, 1996. 12. Arntzen , A., “Software...Dependent Hit Probabilities”, Naval Research Logistics, Vol. 31, pp. 363-371, 1984. 3 Arntzen , A., “Software Components for Air Defense Planning

California "Right-to-Read" Invervention Model. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McElligott, Joseph P., Jr.

A summer research project in the teaching of reading to inner-city children through the utilization of Catholic school personnel as volunteer workers is described. Chapter 1 describes the origin and development of the project--a statement of its purpose, a proposal requesting Federal aid, establishment of criteria for selecting students, plans for…

FORUM-TYPE ROOMS--AN INNOVATION IN CLASSROOM DESIGN AND UTILIZATION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HASKELL, BARRY S.

A FORUM-TYPE ROOM IS ONE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE, LARGE GROUP INSTRUCTION AT LOWER COST THAN IN REGULAR CLASSROOMS. INSTRUCTION BECOMES MORE EFFECTIVE THROUGH COORDINATED USE OF ALL TYPES OF AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA, SUBPROFESSIONAL SUPPORTING STAFF, DETAILED PLANNING AND REHEARSAL, AND THE FACILITY ITSELF. A PROPOSED MODEL OF A FORUM-TYPE ROOM…

Program Impact Evaluations: An Introduction for Managers of Title VII Projects. A Draft Guidebook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bissell, Joan S.

Intended to assist administrators in the planning, management, and utilization of evaluation, this guidebook is designed as an introduction and supplement to other evaluation materials for bilingual education programs being developed under federal sponsorship, including evaluation models for Title VII projects. General information is provided on…

Computational Modeling and Analysis of Networked Organizational Planning in a Coalition Maritime Strike Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

KMO ) for the CFMCC staff. That officer had a daily meeting with all of the CFMCC’s collateral duty knowledge managers (KM) to discuss information...analyses of process steps) and mentored by the KMO , could enhance knowledge creation and utilization while not jeopardizing work flows. Clearly in

SWREGAP DATA TO ESTIMATE CHANGE IN WATERSHED CONDITION FOR SELECTED NEVADA WATERSHEDS USING A GIS-BASED HYDROLOGIC MODELING APPROACH

EPA Science Inventory

Planning and assessment in land and water resource management are an important contemporary requisite for almost all natural resource agencies. An overview of the utility of SWReGAP data for watershed assessment and conservation will be presented using specific examples in Nevad...

The Application of 21st Century ICT Literacy Model among Teacher Trainees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Mazalah; Badusah, Jamaludin; Mansor, Ahmad Zamri; Abdul Karim, Aidah; Khalid, Fariza; Daud, Mohd Yusof; Din, Rosseni; Zulkefle, Diana Fazleen

2016-01-01

Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) plans to utilize ICT in improving the quality of learning in Malaysia. This aspiration is clearly stated in Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2015. Hence, teaching profession of today has demanded teachers to acquire certain ICT skills as a way of exploring, discovering and accessing information besides…

Rehabilitation Therapy Discipline Advisory Group Final Report. Kentucky Allied Health Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kentucky Council on Public Higher Education, Frankfort.

Rehabilitation therapy education in Kentucky and articulation within the fields of physical therapy and occupational therapy are examined, based on the Kentucky Allied Health Project (KAHP). The KAHP's model system of allied health education promotes articulation in learning, planning, and resource utilization, and seeks to meet the needs of…

Mechanisms of Power within a Community-Based Food Security Planning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCullum, Christine; Pelletier, David; Barr, Donald; Wilkins, Jennifer; Habicht, Jean-Pierre

2004-01-01

A community food security movement has begun to address problems of hunger and food insecurity by utilizing a community-based approach. Although various models have been implemented, little empirical research has assessed how power operates within community-based food security initiatives. The purpose of this research was to determine how power…

School-Based Management: Promise and Process. CPRE Finance Briefs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wohlstetter, Priscilla; Mohrman, Susan Albers

This publication summarizes research that investigated how school-based management (SBM) can be implemented for long-term school improvement. It is argued that a successful SBM plan must be part of a quest for improvement and utilize a "high involvement" model. In addition to having more power, schools need knowledge of the organization,…

Research utilization in the building industry: decision model and preliminary assessment

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

Watts, R.L.; Johnson, D.R.; Smith, S.A.

1985-10-01

The Research Utilization Program was conceived as a far-reaching means for managing the interactions of the private sector and the federal research sector as they deal with energy conservation in buildings. The program emphasizes a private-public partnership in planning a research agenda and in applying the results of ongoing and completed research. The results of this task support the hypothesis that the transfer of R and D results to the buildings industry can be accomplished more efficiently and quickly by a systematic approach to technology transfer. This systematic approach involves targeting decision makers, assessing research and information needs, properly formatingmore » information, and then transmitting the information through trusted channels. The purpose of this report is to introduce elements of a market-oriented knowledge base, which would be useful to the Building Systems Division, the Office of Buildings and Community Systems and their associated laboratories in managing a private-public research partnership on a rational systematic basis. This report presents conceptual models and data bases that can be used in formulating a technology transfer strategy and in planning technology transfer programs.« less

The effect of three-tier formulary adoption on medication continuation and spending among elderly retirees.

PubMed

Huskamp, Haiden A; Deverka, Patricia A; Landrum, Mary Beth; Epstein, Robert S; McGuigan, Kimberly A

2007-10-01

To assess the effect of three-tier formulary adoption on medication continuation and spending among elderly members of retiree health plans. Pharmacy claims and enrollment data on elderly members of four retiree plans that adopted a three-tier formulary over the period July 1999 through December 2002 and two comparison plans that maintained a two-tier formulary during this period. We used a quasi-experimental design to compare the experience of enrollees in intervention and comparison plans. We used propensity score methods to match intervention and comparison users of each drug class and plan. We estimated repeated measures regression models for each class/plan combination for medication continuation and monthly plan, enrollee, and total spending. We estimated logit models of the probability of nonpersistent use, medication discontinuation, and medication changes. We used pharmacy claims to create person-level drug utilization and spending files for the year before and year after three-tier adoption. Three-tier formulary adoption resulted in shifting of costs from plan to enrollee, with relatively small effects on medication continuation. Although implementation had little effect on continuation on average, a small minority of patients were more likely to have gaps in use and discontinue use relative to comparison patients. Moderate cost sharing increases from three-tier formulary adoption had little effect on medication continuation among elderly enrolled in retiree health plans with relatively generous drug coverage.

Introducing health gains in location-allocation models: A stochastic model for planning the delivery of long-term care

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, T.; Oliveira, M. D.; Barbosa-Póvoa, A.; Nickel, S.

2015-05-01

Although the maximization of health is a key objective in health care systems, location-allocation literature has not yet considered this dimension. This study proposes a multi-objective stochastic mathematical programming approach to support the planning of a multi-service network of long-term care (LTC), both in terms of services location and capacity planning. This approach is based on a mixed integer linear programming model with two objectives - the maximization of expected health gains and the minimization of expected costs - with satisficing levels in several dimensions of equity - namely, equity of access, equity of utilization, socioeconomic equity and geographical equity - being imposed as constraints. The augmented ε-constraint method is used to explore the trade-off between these conflicting objectives, with uncertainty in the demand and delivery of care being accounted for. The model is applied to analyze the (re)organization of the LTC network currently operating in the Great Lisbon region in Portugal for the 2014-2016 period. Results show that extending the network of LTC is a cost-effective investment.

A study of the potential of remote sensors in urban transportation planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rietschier, D.; Modlin, D. G., Jr.

1973-01-01

The potential uses of remotely sensed data as applied to the transportation planning process are presented. By utilizing the remote sensing technology developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the various space programs, it is hoped that both the expense and errors inherent in the conventional data collection techniques can be avoided. Additional bonuses derived from the use of remotely sensed data are those of the permanent record nature of the data and the traffic engineering data simultaneously made available. The major mathematical modeling phases and the role remotely sensed data might play in replacing conventionally collected data are discussed. Typical surveys undertaken in the overall planning process determine the nature and extent of travel desires, land uses, transportation facilities and socio-economic characteristics. Except for the socio-economic data, data collected in the other surveys mentioned can be taken from photographs in sufficient detail to be useful in the modeling procedures.

Odor Control Test Report of the Urine Containment Bag (UCB) for Orion Utilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casper, Stephanie; Williams, Nichole M. M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this report is to summarize the conclusions for the odor control test of the Urine Containment Bag (UCB), P/N SDD46107234-306 in an environment simulating a space craft capsule. JSC 65891, Odor Control Test Plan of the Urine Containment Bag (UCB) for Orion Utilization, documents the test plan. The details of the test set-up and data reduction are detailed in the WSTF test report for this test WSTF #10-44500, Odor Control Test Plan of the Urine Containment Bag (UCB) for Orion Utilization,. This document outlines the project conclusions and forward plans with regard to trash containment for Constellation.

Barriers to and Budget Impact of Lumbar Total Disc Replacement Utilization.

PubMed

Sandhu, Faheem; Blumenthal, Scott; Grunch, Betsy; Kimball, Bent; Ferko, Nicole; Hollmann, Sarah

2017-12-15

: Evidence on the favorable efficacy, safety, and cost effectiveness of lumbar total disc replacement (TDR) compared with fusion for lumbar degenerative disc disease is mounting; however, a key barrier identified for TDR utilization is lack of coverage by US health insurers. Although economic considerations in a fee-for-service model should not be a determining factor in patient access, concerns regarding the budget impact of lumbar TDR surgery may unfortunately underlie coverage decisions. On the basis of the data available and economic modeling, the panel agreed that there is no indication that there would be a dramatic increase in patients seeking lumbar TDR. Considering several possible scenarios on potential growth in TDR utilization with coverage, as well as growth in the overall surgical pool of patients, economic modeling demonstrated that adoption of lumbar TDR would result in minimal or no budget impact for commercial insurance plans. Considering these model results and the economic literature, the panel concluded that adopting lumbar TDR within a coverage policy is expected to remain cost neutral for the insurer.

Statistical Evaluation of Utilization of the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrews, Ross; Andrews, Alida

2006-01-01

PayLoad Utilization Modeler (PLUM) is a statistical-modeling computer program used to evaluate the effectiveness of utilization of the International Space Station (ISS) in terms of the number of research facilities that can be operated within a specified interval of time. PLUM is designed to balance the requirements of research facilities aboard the ISS against the resources available on the ISS. PLUM comprises three parts: an interface for the entry of data on constraints and on required and available resources, a database that stores these data as well as the program output, and a modeler. The modeler comprises two subparts: one that generates tens of thousands of random combinations of research facilities and another that calculates the usage of resources for each of those combinations. The results of these calculations are used to generate graphical and tabular reports to determine which facilities are most likely to be operable on the ISS, to identify which ISS resources are inadequate to satisfy the demands upon them, and to generate other data useful in allocation of and planning of resources.

An Economic Approach to Setting Contribution Limits in Qualified State-Sponsored Tuition Savings Plans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Jennifer; Warshawsky, Mark J.; Ameriks, John; Blohm, Julia A.

This study used an expected utility framework with a mean-lower partial moment specification for investor utility to determine the asset allocation and the allowable contribution limits for qualified state-sponsored tuition savings plans. Given the assumptions about state policymakers' perceptions of investor utility, the study determined the…

Avoiding space robot collisions utilizing the NASA/GSFC tri-mode skin sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinz, F. B.

1991-01-01

Sensor based robot motion planning research has primarily focused on mobile robots. Consider, however, the case of a robot manipulator expected to operate autonomously in a dynamic environment where unexpected collisions can occur with many parts of the robot. Only a sensor based system capable of generating collision free paths would be acceptable in such situations. Recently, work in this area has been reported in which a deterministic solution for 2DOF systems has been generated. The arm was sensitized with 'skin' of infra-red sensors. We have proposed a heuristic (potential field based) methodology for redundant robots with large DOF's. The key concepts are solving the path planning problem by cooperating global and local planning modules, the use of complete information from the sensors and partial (but appropriate) information from a world model, representation of objects with hyper-ellipsoids in the world model, and the use of variational planning. We intend to sensitize the robot arm with a 'skin' of capacitive proximity sensors. These sensors were developed at NASA, and are exceptionally suited for the space application. In the first part of the report, we discuss the development and modeling of the capacitive proximity sensor. In the second part we discuss the motion planning algorithm.

A tool for enhancing strategic health planning: a modeled use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

PubMed Central

Sinclair, Lisa Bundara; Fox, Michael H.; Betts, Donald R.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY This article describes use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a tool for strategic planning. The ICF is the international classification system for factors that influence health, including Body Structures, Body Functions, Activities and Participation and Environmental Factors. An overview of strategic planning and the ICF are provided. Selected ICF concepts and nomenclature are used to demonstrate its utility in helping develop a classic planning framework, objectives, measures and actions. Some issues and resolutions for applying the ICF are described. Applying the ICF for strategic health planning is an innovative approach that fosters the inclusion of social ecological health determinants and broad populations. If employed from the onset of planning, the ICF can help public health organizations systematically conceptualize, organize and communicate a strategic health plan. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. PMID:23147247

A tool for enhancing strategic health planning: a modeled use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

PubMed

Sinclair, Lisa Bundara; Fox, Michael H; Betts, Donald R

2013-01-01

This article describes use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a tool for strategic planning. The ICF is the international classification system for factors that influence health, including Body Structures, Body Functions, Activities and Participation and Environmental Factors. An overview of strategic planning and the ICF are provided. Selected ICF concepts and nomenclature are used to demonstrate its utility in helping develop a classic planning framework, objectives, measures and actions. Some issues and resolutions for applying the ICF are described. Applying the ICF for strategic health planning is an innovative approach that fosters the inclusion of social ecological health determinants and broad populations. If employed from the onset of planning, the ICF can help public health organizations systematically conceptualize, organize and communicate a strategic health plan. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

A Roadmap for Recovery/Decontamination Plan for Critical Infrastructure after CBRN Event Involving Drinking Water Utilities: Scoping Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

A Roadmap for Recovery/Decontamination Plan for Critical Infrastructure after CBRN Event Involving Drinking Water Utilities: Scoping Study... Drinking Water Utilities was supported by the Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP) which is led by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre...after CBRN Event Involving Drinking Water Utilities Scoping Study Prepared by: Vladimir Blinov Konstantin Volchek Emergencies Science and

A general model for stray dose calculation of static and intensity-modulated photon radiation.

PubMed

Hauri, Pascal; Hälg, Roger A; Besserer, Jürgen; Schneider, Uwe

2016-04-01

There is an increasing number of cancer survivors who are at risk of developing late effects caused by ionizing radiation such as induction of second tumors. Hence, the determination of out-of-field dose for a particular treatment plan in the patient's anatomy is of great importance. The purpose of this study was to analytically model the stray dose according to its three major components. For patient scatter, a mechanistic model was developed. For collimator scatter and head leakage, an empirical approach was used. The models utilize a nominal beam energy of 6 MeV to describe two linear accelerator types of a single vendor. The parameters of the models were adjusted using ionization chamber measurements registering total absorbed dose in simple geometries. Whole-body dose measurements using thermoluminescent dosimeters in an anthropomorphic phantom for static and intensity-modulated treatment plans were compared to the 3D out-of-field dose distributions calculated by a combined model. The absolute mean difference between the whole-body predicted and the measured out-of-field dose of four different plans was 11% with a maximum difference below 44%. Computation time of 36 000 dose points for one field was around 30 s. By combining the model-calculated stray dose with the treatment planning system dose, the whole-body dose distribution can be viewed in the treatment planning system. The results suggest that the model is accurate, fast and can be used for a wide range of treatment modalities to calculate the whole-body dose distribution for clinical analysis. For similar energy spectra, the mechanistic patient scatter model can be used independently of treatment machine or beam orientation.

42 CFR 456.507 - Review and granting of waiver requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Waiver of Requirements § 456.507 Review and...

42 CFR 456.524 - Notification of Administrator's action and duration of variance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote...

Future directions for LDEF ionizing radiation modeling and assessments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, T. W.; Colborn, B. L.

1993-01-01

A calculational program utilizing data from radiation dosimetry measurements aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) satellite to reduce the uncertainties in current models defining the ionizing radiation environment is in progress. Most of the effort to date has been on using LDEF radiation dose measurements to evaluate models defining the geomagnetically trapped radiation, which has provided results applicable to radiation design assessments being performed for Space Station Freedom. Plans for future data comparisons, model evaluations, and assessments using additional LDEF data sets (LET spectra, induced radioactivity, and particle spectra) are discussed.

Enhancing the Behaviorial Fidelity of Synthetic Entities with Human Behavior Models

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-05-05

reflecting the soldier’s extensive training. A civilian’s behavior in the same situation will be determined more by emotions , such as fear, and goals...of intelligent behavior , from path-planning to emotional effects, data on the environment must be gathered from the simulation to serve as sensor...model of decision-making based on emotional utility. AI.Implant takes a composite behavior -based approach to individual and crowd navigation

Soft tissue models: easy and inexpensive flexible 3D printing as a help in surgical planning of cardiovascular disorders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starosolski, Zbigniew; Ezon, David S.; Krishnamurthy, Rajesh; Dodd, Nicholas; Heinle, Jeffrey; Mckenzie, Dean E.; Annapragada, Ananth

2017-03-01

We developed a technology that allows a simple desktop 3D printer with dual extruder to fabricate 3D flexible models of Major AortoPulmonary Collateral Arteries. The study was designed to assess whether the flexible 3D printed models could help during surgical planning phase. Simple FDM 3D printers are inexpensive, versatile in use and easy to maintain, but complications arise when the designed model is complex and has tubular structures with small diameter less than 2mm. The advantages of FDM printers are cost and simplicity of use. We use precisely selected materials to overcome the obstacles listed above. Dual extruder allows to use two different materials while printing, which is especially important in the case of fragile structures like pulmonary vessels and its supporting structures. The latter should not be removed by hand to avoid a truncation of the model. We utilize the water soluble PVA as a supporting structure and Poro-Lay filament for flexible model of AortoPulmonary collateral arteries. Poro-Lay filament is different as compared to all the other flexible ones like polymer-based. Poro-Lay is rigid while printing and this allows printing of structures small in diameter. It achieves flexibility after washing out of printed model with water. It becomes soft in touch and gelatinous. Using both PVA and Poro-Lay gives a huge advantage allowing to wash out the supporting structures and achieve flexibility in one washing operation, saving time and avoiding human error with cleaning the model. We evaluated 6 models for MAPCAS surgical planning study. This approach is also cost-effective - an average cost of materials for print is less than $15; models are printed in facility without any delays. Flexibility of 3D printed models approximate soft tissues properly, mimicking Aortopulmonary collateral arteries. Second utilization models has educational value for both residents and patients' family. Simplification of 3D flexible process could help in other models of soft tissue pathologies like aneurysms, ventricular septal defects and other vascular anomalies.

Favorable Risk Selection in Medicare Advantage: Trends in Mortality and Plan Exits Among Nursing Home Beneficiaries

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Elizabeth M.; Trivedi, Amal N.; Mor, Vincent; Jung, Hye-Young; Rahman, Momotazur

2016-01-01

The 2003 Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) increased payments to Medicare Advantage plans and instituted a new risk-adjustment payment model to reduce plans' incentives to enroll healthier Medicare beneficiaries and avoid those with higher costs. Whether the MMA reduced risk selection remains debatable. This study uses mortality differences, nursing home utilization, and switch rates to assess whether the MMA successfully decreased risk selection from 2000 to 2012. We found no decrease in the mortality difference or adjusted difference in nursing home use between plan beneficiaries pre- and post the MMA. Among beneficiaries with nursing home use, disenrollment from Medicare Advantage plans declined from 20% to 12%, but it remained 6 times higher than the switch rate from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage. These findings suggest that the MMA was not associated with reductions in favorable risk selection, as measured by mortality, nursing home use, and switch rates. PMID:27516452

Cost-utility analysis of antiviral use under pandemic influenza using a novel approach - linking pharmacology, epidemiology and heath economics.

PubMed

Wu, D B C; Chaiyakunapruk, N; Pratoomsoot, C; Lee, K K C; Chong, H Y; Nelson, R E; Smith, P F; Kirkpatrick, C M; Kamal, M A; Nieforth, K; Dall, G; Toovey, S; Kong, D C M; Kamauu, A; Rayner, C R

2018-03-01

Simulation models are used widely in pharmacology, epidemiology and health economics (HEs). However, there have been no attempts to incorporate models from these disciplines into a single integrated model. Accordingly, we explored this linkage to evaluate the epidemiological and economic impact of oseltamivir dose optimisation in supporting pandemic influenza planning in the USA. An HE decision analytic model was linked to a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) - dynamic transmission model simulating the impact of pandemic influenza with low virulence and low transmissibility and, high virulence and high transmissibility. The cost-utility analysis was from the payer and societal perspectives, comparing oseltamivir 75 and 150 mg twice daily (BID) to no treatment over a 1-year time horizon. Model parameters were derived from published studies. Outcomes were measured as cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the integrated model's robustness. Under both pandemic scenarios, compared to no treatment, the use of oseltamivir 75 or 150 mg BID led to a significant reduction of influenza episodes and influenza-related deaths, translating to substantial savings of QALYs. Overall drug costs were offset by the reduction of both direct and indirect costs, making these two interventions cost-saving from both perspectives. The results were sensitive to the proportion of inpatient presentation at the emergency visit and patients' quality of life. Integrating PK/PD-EPI/HE models is achievable. Whilst further refinement of this novel linkage model to more closely mimic the reality is needed, the current study has generated useful insights to support influenza pandemic planning.

Recent improvements in SPE3D: a VR-based surgery planning environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witkowski, Marcin; Sitnik, Robert; Verdonschot, Nico

2014-02-01

SPE3D is a surgery planning environment developed within TLEMsafe project [1] (funded by the European Commission FP7). It enables the operator to plan a surgical procedure on the customized musculoskeletal (MS) model of the patient's lower limbs, send the modified model to the biomechanical analysis module, and export the scenario's parameters to the surgical navigation system. The personalized patient-specific three-dimensional (3-D) MS model is registered with 3-D MRI dataset of lower limbs and the two modalities may be visualized simultaneously. Apart from main planes, any arbitrary MRI cross-section can be rendered on the 3-D MS model in real time. The interface provides tools for: bone cutting, manipulating and removal, repositioning muscle insertion points, modifying muscle force, removing muscles and placing implants stored in the implant library. SPE3D supports stereoscopic viewing as well as natural inspection/manipulation with use of haptic devices. Alternatively, it may be controlled with use of a standard computer keyboard, mouse and 2D display or a touch screen (e.g. in an operating room). The interface may be utilized in two main fields. Experienced surgeons may use it to simulate their operative plans and prepare input data for a surgical navigation system while student or novice surgeons can use it for training.

The model and the planning method of volume and variety assessment of innovative products in an industrial enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anisimov, V. G.; Anisimov, E. G.; Saurenko, T. N.; Sonkin, M. A.

2017-01-01

In the long term, the innovative development strategy efficiency is considered as the most crucial condition for assurance of economic system competitiveness in market conditions. It determines the problem relevance of such justification strategies with regard to specific systems features and conditions of their operation. The problem solution for industrial enterprises can be based on mathematical models of supporting the decision-making on the elements of the innovative manufacturing program. An optimization model and the planning method of innovative products volume and variety are suggested. The feature of the suggested model lies in the nonlinear nature of the objective function. It allows taking into consideration the law of diminishing marginal utility. The suggested method of optimization takes into account the system features and enables the effective implementation of manufacturing capabilities in modern conditions of production organization and sales in terms of market saturation.

Enhancing Cassini Operations & Science Planning Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castello, Jonathan

2012-01-01

The Cassini team uses a variety of software utilities as they manage and coordinate their mission to Saturn. Most of these tools have been unchanged for many years, and although stability is a virtue for long-lived space missions, there are some less-fragile tools that could greatly benefit from modern improvements. This report shall describe three such upgrades, including their architectural differences and their overall impact. Emphasis is placed on the motivation and rationale behind architectural choices rather than the final product, so as to illuminate the lessons learned and discoveries made.These three enhancements included developing a strategy for migrating Science Planning utilities to a new execution model, rewriting the team's internal portal for ease of use and maintenance, and developing a web-based agenda application for tracking the sequence of files being transmitted to the Cassini spacecraft. Of this set, the first two have been fully completed, while the agenda application is currently in the early prototype stage.

Policy implications of startup utilization by enrollees in prepaid group plans.

PubMed

Baloff, N; Griffith, M J

1984-04-01

This article discusses several policy implications of the so-called startup effect, in which high initial health services utilization by new enrollees in prepaid group plans ( PGPs ) becomes reduced with the increasing duration of membership. Results of research in a developing PGP are analyzed as they relate to a mathematical model of startups for two measures of enrollee use. After estimating the total costs of startups in this setting, the motivating effects of such costs on PGPs are examined in relation to several policy issues--including the rate of PGP development in the United States, the use of financial incentives to enroll the elderly and medically disadvantaged, potential inequities of premium determination, the large impact of startups on disenrollment , and the federally mandated process of annual announcement of benefits and open enrollment. Ideas and mechanisms for future study on the startup effect and its policy implications are discussed.

Policy implications of startup utilization by enrollees in prepaid group plans.

PubMed Central

Baloff, N; Griffith, M J

1984-01-01

This article discusses several policy implications of the so-called startup effect, in which high initial health services utilization by new enrollees in prepaid group plans ( PGPs ) becomes reduced with the increasing duration of membership. Results of research in a developing PGP are analyzed as they relate to a mathematical model of startups for two measures of enrollee use. After estimating the total costs of startups in this setting, the motivating effects of such costs on PGPs are examined in relation to several policy issues--including the rate of PGP development in the United States, the use of financial incentives to enroll the elderly and medically disadvantaged, potential inequities of premium determination, the large impact of startups on disenrollment , and the federally mandated process of annual announcement of benefits and open enrollment. Ideas and mechanisms for future study on the startup effect and its policy implications are discussed. PMID:6724954

Demand-side management glossary

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

Isaksen, L.; Ignelzi, P.C.

1992-10-01

Demand-side management (DSM) plays an increasingly important role in helping utilities meet capacity needs while addressing important customer service issues. In implementing utility-specific programs, however, DSM professionals have created an entire vocabulary of words and phrases that are often used and interpreted in very different ways by people with similar utility planning backgrounds. Such inconsistent terminology can hamper the very communication DSM seeks to support. Thus, this report-the first of its kind-presents a glossary of DSM terms, grouped under five major categories: (1) utility systems, (2) programs and techniques, (3) costs, revenues, and rates, (4) modeling and analysis, and (5)more » marketing. An index facilitates the rapid search for key words. This glossary together with a complimentary report entitled, Electric Utility DSM Programs: Terminology and Reporting Formats attempts to define some of the most common terms used in DSM today.« less

Demand-side management glossary. Final report

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

Isaksen, L.; Ignelzi, P.C.

1992-10-01

Demand-side management (DSM) plays an increasingly important role in helping utilities meet capacity needs while addressing important customer service issues. In implementing utility-specific programs, however, DSM professionals have created an entire vocabulary of words and phrases that are often used and interpreted in very different ways by people with similar utility planning backgrounds. Such inconsistent terminology can hamper the very communication DSM seeks to support. Thus, this report-the first of its kind-presents a glossary of DSM terms, grouped under five major categories: (1) utility systems, (2) programs and techniques, (3) costs, revenues, and rates, (4) modeling and analysis, and (5)more » marketing. An index facilitates the rapid search for key words. This glossary together with a complimentary report entitled, Electric Utility DSM Programs: Terminology and Reporting Formats attempts to define some of the most common terms used in DSM today.« less

Software Testbed for Developing and Evaluating Integrated Autonomous Subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ong, James; Remolina, Emilio; Prompt, Axel; Robinson, Peter; Sweet, Adam; Nishikawa, David

2015-01-01

To implement fault tolerant autonomy in future space systems, it will be necessary to integrate planning, adaptive control, and state estimation subsystems. However, integrating these subsystems is difficult, time-consuming, and error-prone. This paper describes Intelliface/ADAPT, a software testbed that helps researchers develop and test alternative strategies for integrating planning, execution, and diagnosis subsystems more quickly and easily. The testbed's architecture, graphical data displays, and implementations of the integrated subsystems support easy plug and play of alternate components to support research and development in fault-tolerant control of autonomous vehicles and operations support systems. Intelliface/ADAPT controls NASA's Advanced Diagnostics and Prognostics Testbed (ADAPT), which comprises batteries, electrical loads (fans, pumps, and lights), relays, circuit breakers, invertors, and sensors. During plan execution, an experimentor can inject faults into the ADAPT testbed by tripping circuit breakers, changing fan speed settings, and closing valves to restrict fluid flow. The diagnostic subsystem, based on NASA's Hybrid Diagnosis Engine (HyDE), detects and isolates these faults to determine the new state of the plant, ADAPT. Intelliface/ADAPT then updates its model of the ADAPT system's resources and determines whether the current plan can be executed using the reduced resources. If not, the planning subsystem generates a new plan that reschedules tasks, reconfigures ADAPT, and reassigns the use of ADAPT resources as needed to work around the fault. The resource model, planning domain model, and planning goals are expressed using NASA's Action Notation Modeling Language (ANML). Parts of the ANML model are generated automatically, and other parts are constructed by hand using the Planning Model Integrated Development Environment, a visual Eclipse-based IDE that accelerates ANML model development. Because native ANML planners are currently under development and not yet sufficiently capable, the ANML model is translated into the New Domain Definition Language (NDDL) and sent to NASA's EUROPA planning system for plan generation. The adaptive controller executes the new plan, using augmented, hierarchical finite state machines to select and sequence actions based on the state of the ADAPT system. Real-time sensor data, commands, and plans are displayed in information-dense arrays of timelines and graphs that zoom and scroll in unison. A dynamic schematic display uses color to show the real-time fault state and utilization of the system components and resources. An execution manager coordinates the activities of the other subsystems. The subsystems are integrated using the Internet Communications Engine (ICE). an object-oriented toolkit for building distributed applications.

Utilization of Military Women. (A Report of Increased Utilization of Military Women, FY-1973-1977)

DTIC Science & Technology

The purpose of the study was to examine the utilization of military women and to prepare contingency plans for increasing the use of women to offset...to the utilization of military women : History of women in the Armed Forces; potential supply of women for the Armed Forces; assignment policies...attrition rates; costs of military women versus men; and service plans for increasing use of military women .

Modeling the hydrologic and economic efficacy of stormwater utility credit programs for US single family residences.

PubMed

Kertesz, Ruben; Green, Olivia Odom; Shuster, William D

2014-01-01

As regulatory pressure to reduce the environmental impact of urban stormwater intensifies, US municipalities increasingly seek a dedicated source of funding for stormwater programs, such as a stormwater utility. In rare instances, single family residences are eligible for utility discounts for installing green infrastructure. This study examined the hydrologic and economic efficacy of four such programs at the parcel scale: Cleveland (OH), Portland (OR), Fort Myers (FL), and Lynchburg (VA). Simulations were performed to model the reduction in stormwater runoff by implementing bioretention on a typical residential property according to extant administrative rules. The EPA National Stormwater Calculator was used to perform pre- vs post-retrofit comparisons and to demonstrate its ease of use for possible use by other cities in utility planning. Although surface slope, soil type and infiltration rate, impervious area, and bioretention parameters were different across cities, our results suggest that modeled runoff volume was most sensitive to percent of total impervious area that drained to the bioretention cell, with soil type the next most important factor. Findings also indicate a persistent gap between the percentage of annual runoff reduced and the percentage of fee reduced.

Connecting Projects to Complete the In Situ Resource Utilization Paradigm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linne, Diane L.; Sanders, Gerald B.

2017-01-01

Terrain Identify specifics such as slope, rockiness, traction parameters Identify what part of ISRU needs each Physical Geotechnical Hardness, density, cohesion, etc. Identify what part of ISRU needs each (e.g., excavation needs to know hardness, density; soil processing needs to know density, cohesion; etc.)Mineral Identify specifics Identify what part of ISRU needs each Volatile Identify specifics Identify what part of ISRU needs each Atmosphere Identify specifics Identify what part of ISRU needs each Environment Identify specifics Identify what part of ISRU needs each Resource Characterization What: Develop an instrument suite to locate and evaluate the physical, mineral, and volatile resources at the lunar poles Neutron Spectrometer Near Infrared (IR) to locate subsurface hydrogen surface water Near IR for mineral identification Auger drill for sample removal down to 1 m Oven with Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer to quantify volatiles present ISRU relevance: Water volatile resource characterization and subsurface material access removal Site Evaluation Resource Mapping What: Develop and utilize new data products and tools for evaluating potential exploration sites for selection and overlay mission data to map terrain, environment, and resource information e.g., New techniques applied to generate Digital Elevation Map (DEMs) at native scale of images (1mpxl)ISRU relevance: Resource mapping and estimation with terrain and environment information is needed for extraction planning Mission Planning and Operations What: Develop and utilize tools and procedures for planning mission operations and real time changes Planning tools include detailed engineering models (e.g., power and data) of surface segment systems allows evaluation of designs ISRU relevance: Allows for iterative engineering as a function of environment and hardware performance.

The influences of implementing state-mandated science assessment on teacher practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katzmann, Jason Matthew

Four high school Biology teachers, two novice and two experienced, participated in a year and a half case study. By utilizing a naturalistic paradigm, the four individuals were studied in their natural environment, their classrooms. Data sources included: three semi-structured interviews, classroom observation field notes, and classroom artifacts. Through cross-case analysis and a constant comparative methodology, coding nodes where combined and refined resulting in the final themes for discussion. The following research question was investigated: what is the impact of high-stakes testing on high school Biology teacher's instructional planning, instructional practices and classroom assessments? Seven final themes were realized: Assessment, CSAP, Planning, Pressure, Standards, Teaching and Time. Each theme was developed and discussed utilizing each participant's voice. Trustworthiness of this study was established via five avenues: triangulation of data sources, credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. A model of the influences of high-stakes testing on teacher practice was developed to describe the seven themes (Figure 5). This model serves as an illustration of the complex nature of teacher practice and the influences upon it. The four participants in this study were influenced by high-stakes assessment. It influenced their instructional decisions, assessment practices, use of time, planning decisions and decreased the amount of inquiry that occurred in the classroom. Implications of this research and future research directions are described.

A business planning model to identify new safety net clinic locations.

PubMed

Langabeer, James; Helton, Jeffrey; DelliFraine, Jami; Dotson, Ebbin; Watts, Carolyn; Love, Karen

2014-01-01

Community health clinics serving the poor and underserved are geographically expanding due to changes in U.S. health care policy. This paper describes the experience of a collaborative alliance of health care providers in a large metropolitan area who develop a conceptual and mathematical decision model to guide decisions on expanding its network of community health clinics. Community stakeholders participated in a collaborative process that defined constructs they deemed important in guiding decisions on the location of community health clinics. This collaboration also defined key variables within each construct. Scores for variables within each construct were then totaled and weighted into a community-specific optimal space planning equation. This analysis relied entirely on secondary data available from published sources. The model built from this collaboration revolved around the constructs of demand, sustainability, and competition. It used publicly available data defining variables within each construct to arrive at an optimal location that maximized demand and sustainability and minimized competition. This is a model that safety net clinic planners and community stakeholders can use to analyze demographic and utilization data to optimize capacity expansion to serve uninsured and Medicaid populations. Communities can use this innovative model to develop a locally relevant clinic location-planning framework.

The business case for payer support of a community-based health information exchange: a humana pilot evaluating its effectiveness in cost control for plan members seeking emergency department care.

PubMed

Tzeel, Albert; Lawnicki, Victor; Pemble, Kim R

2011-07-01

As emergency department utilization continues to increase, health plans must limit their cost exposure, which may be driven by duplicate testing and a lack of medical history at the point of care. Based on previous studies, health information exchanges (HIEs) can potentially provide health plans with the ability to address this need. To assess the effectiveness of a community-based HIE in controlling plan costs arising from emergency department care for a health plan's members. Albert Tzeel. The study design was observational, with an eligible population (N = 1482) of fully insured plan members who sought emergency department care on at least 2 occasions during the study period, from December 2008 through March 2010. Cost and utilization data, obtained from member claims, were matched to a list of persons utilizing the emergency department where HIE querying could have occurred. Eligible members underwent propensity score matching to create a test group (N = 326) in which the HIE database was queried in all emergency department visits, and a control group (N = 325) in which the HIE database was not queried in any emergency department visit. Post-propensity matching analysis showed that the test group achieved an average savings of $29 per emergency department visit compared with the control group. Decreased utilization of imaging procedures and diagnostic tests drove this cost-savings. When clinicians utilize HIE in the care of patients who present to the emergency department, the costs borne by a health plan providing coverage for these patients decrease. Although many factors can play a role in this finding, it is likely that HIEs obviate unnecessary service utilization through provision of historical medical information regarding specific patients at the point of care.

Selection bias between 2 Medicare capitated benefit programs.

PubMed

Leutz, Walter; Brody, Kathleen K; Nonnenkamp, Lucy L; Perrin, Nancy A

2007-04-01

To assess enrollment selection bias between a standard Medicare health maintenance organization (HMO) and a higher-priced social health maintenance organization (SHMO) offering full prescription drug and unique home-based and community-based benefits and to assess how adverse selection was handled through SHMO finances. Kaiser Permanente Northwest offered the dual-choice option in the greater Portland region from 1985 to 2002. Analysis focused on 3 "choice points" when options were clear and highlighted for beneficiaries. Data collected included age and sex, utilization 1 year before and after the choice points, health status data at enrollment (1999-2002 only), mortality, and cost and revenues. Data were extracted from health plan databases. Hospital, pharmacy, and nursing facility utilization for 1 year before and after the choice points are compared for HMO and SHMO choosers. Health and functional status data are compared from 1999 to 2002. Utilization and mortality data are controlled by age and sex. SHMO joiners evidenced adverse selection, while healthier members tended to stay in the HMO, with leaner benefits. Despite adverse selection, the health plan maintained margins in the SHMO, assisted by frailty-adjusted Medicare payments and member premiums. This high-low option strategy sought to offer the "right care at the right time" and may be a model for managed care organizations to serve aging and disabled beneficiaries under Medicare's new special needs plan option.

SU-F-T-194: Analyzing the Effect of Range Shifter Air Gap On TPS Dose Modeling Accuracy in Superficial PBS Proton Therapy

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

Shirey, R; Wu, H

2016-06-15

Purpose: Treatment planning systems (TPS) may not accurately model superficial dose distributions of range shifted proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) treatments. Numerous patient-specific QA tests performed on superficially treated PBS plans have shown a consistent overestimate of dose by the TPS. This study quantifies variations between TPS planned dose and measured dose as a function of range shifter air gap and treatment depths up to 5 cm. Methods: PBS treatment plans were created in the TPS to uniformly irradiate a volume of solid water. One plan was created for each range shifter position analyzed, and all plans utilized identical dosemore » optimization parameters. Each optimized plan was analyzed in the TPS to determine the planned dose at varying depths. A PBS proton therapy system with a 3.5 cm lucite range shifter delivered the treatment plans, and a parallel plate chamber embedded in RW3 solid water measured dose at shallow depths for each air gap. Differences between measured and planned doses were plotted and analyzed. Results: The data show that the TPS more accurately models superficial dose as the air gap between the range shifter and patient surface decreases. Air gaps less than 10 cm have an average dose difference of only 1.6%, whereas air gaps between 10 and 20 cm differ by 3.0% and gaps greater than 20 cm differ by 4.4%. Conclusion: This study has shown that the TPS is unable to accurately model superficial dose with a large range shifter air gap. Dose differences greater than 3% will likely cause QA failure, as many institutions analyze patient QA with a 3%/3mm gamma analysis. For superficial PBS therapy, range shifter positions should be chosen to keep the air gap less then 10 cm when patient setup and gantry geometry allow.« less

Development of an adjoint sensitivity field-based treatment-planning technique for the use of newly designed directional LDR sources in brachytherapy.

PubMed

Chaswal, V; Thomadsen, B R; Henderson, D L

2012-02-21

The development and application of an automated 3D greedy heuristic (GH) optimization algorithm utilizing the adjoint sensitivity fields for treatment planning to assess the advantage of directional interstitial prostate brachytherapy is presented. Directional and isotropic dose kernels generated using Monte Carlo simulations based on Best Industries model 2301 I-125 source are utilized for treatment planning. The newly developed GH algorithm is employed for optimization of the treatment plans for seven interstitial prostate brachytherapy cases using mixed sources (directional brachytherapy) and using only isotropic sources (conventional brachytherapy). All treatment plans resulted in V100 > 98% and D90 > 45 Gy for the target prostate region. For the urethra region, the D10(Ur), D90(Ur) and V150(Ur) and for the rectum region the V100cc, D2cc, D90(Re) and V90(Re) all are reduced significantly when mixed sources brachytherapy is used employing directional sources. The simulations demonstrated that the use of directional sources in the low dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy of the prostate clearly benefits in sparing the urethra and the rectum sensitive structures from overdose. The time taken for a conventional treatment plan is less than three seconds, while the time taken for a mixed source treatment plan is less than nine seconds, as tested on an Intel Core2 Duo 2.2 GHz processor with 1GB RAM. The new 3D GH algorithm is successful in generating a feasible LDR brachytherapy treatment planning solution with an extra degree of freedom, i.e. directionality in very little time.

Development of an adjoint sensitivity field-based treatment-planning technique for the use of newly designed directional LDR sources in brachytherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaswal, V.; Thomadsen, B. R.; Henderson, D. L.

2012-02-01

The development and application of an automated 3D greedy heuristic (GH) optimization algorithm utilizing the adjoint sensitivity fields for treatment planning to assess the advantage of directional interstitial prostate brachytherapy is presented. Directional and isotropic dose kernels generated using Monte Carlo simulations based on Best Industries model 2301 I-125 source are utilized for treatment planning. The newly developed GH algorithm is employed for optimization of the treatment plans for seven interstitial prostate brachytherapy cases using mixed sources (directional brachytherapy) and using only isotropic sources (conventional brachytherapy). All treatment plans resulted in V100 > 98% and D90 > 45 Gy for the target prostate region. For the urethra region, the D10Ur, D90Ur and V150Ur and for the rectum region the V100cc, D2cc, D90Re and V90Re all are reduced significantly when mixed sources brachytherapy is used employing directional sources. The simulations demonstrated that the use of directional sources in the low dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy of the prostate clearly benefits in sparing the urethra and the rectum sensitive structures from overdose. The time taken for a conventional treatment plan is less than three seconds, while the time taken for a mixed source treatment plan is less than nine seconds, as tested on an Intel Core2 Duo 2.2 GHz processor with 1GB RAM. The new 3D GH algorithm is successful in generating a feasible LDR brachytherapy treatment planning solution with an extra degree of freedom, i.e. directionality in very little time.

HONDA'S IDEA ABOUT THE UTILIZATION OF NATURAL SCENERY ON "THE USE OF SCENIC LANDSCAPES"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogawa, Toru; Sanada, Junko

Essentially, natural scenery area plan must include scenery conservation and utilization as well as natural conservation, actually however, it is said that natural scenery area plan leans much toward natural conservation. So this study aims to focus on Seiroku Honda who has a major thinking about "utilization of scenery" in the Japanese national park's formation stage and clarify Honda's idea about the utilization of natural scenery by analyzing his "the Use of Scenic Landscapes". As a result, following three points are clarified. 1) Honda has four ideas in the base of each plans. 2) scenic landscape as resources in Honda's own ideas. 3) there was some conflict between modification ways and landscape resources.

Energy-Efficiency Retrofits in Small-Scale Multifamily Rental Housing: A Business Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeChambeau, Brian

The goal of this thesis to develop a real estate investment model that creates a financial incentive for property owners to perform energy efficiency retrofits in small multifamily rental housing in southern New England. The medium for this argument is a business plan that is backed by a review of the literature and input from industry experts. In addition to industry expertise, the research covers four main areas: the context of green building, efficient building technologies, precedent programs, and the Providence, RI real estate market for the business plan. The thesis concludes that the model proposed can improve the profitability of real estate investment in small multifamily rental properties, though the extent to which this is possible depends partially on utility-run incentive programs and the capital available to invest in retrofit measures.

Maximally Expressive Modeling of Operations Tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaap, John; Richardson, Lea; Davis, Elizabeth

2002-01-01

Planning and scheduling systems organize "tasks" into a timeline or schedule. The tasks are defined within the scheduling system in logical containers called models. The dictionary might define a model of this type as "a system of things and relations satisfying a set of rules that, when applied to the things and relations, produce certainty about the tasks that are being modeled." One challenging domain for a planning and scheduling system is the operation of on-board experiments for the International Space Station. In these experiments, the equipment used is among the most complex hardware ever developed, the information sought is at the cutting edge of scientific endeavor, and the procedures are intricate and exacting. Scheduling is made more difficult by a scarcity of station resources. The models to be fed into the scheduler must describe both the complexity of the experiments and procedures (to ensure a valid schedule) and the flexibilities of the procedures and the equipment (to effectively utilize available resources). Clearly, scheduling International Space Station experiment operations calls for a "maximally expressive" modeling schema.

Model Development and Process Analysis for Lean Cellular Design Planning in Aerospace Assembly and Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilburn, Monty D.

Successful lean manufacturing and cellular manufacturing execution relies upon a foundation of leadership commitment and strategic planning built upon solid data and robust analysis. The problem for this study was to create and employ a simple lean transformation planning model and review process that could be used to identify functional support staff resources required to plan and execute lean manufacturing cells within aerospace assembly and manufacturing sites. The lean planning model was developed using available literature for lean manufacturing kaizen best practices and validated through a Delphi panel of lean experts. The resulting model and a standardized review process were used to assess the state of lean transformation planning at five sites of an international aerospace manufacturing and assembly company. The results of the three day, on-site review were compared with baseline plans collected from each of the five sites to determine if there analyzed, with focus on three critical areas of lean planning: the number and type of manufacturing cells identified, the number, type, and duration of planned lean and continuous kaizen events, and the quantity and type of functional staffing resources planned to support the kaizen schedule. Summarized data of the baseline and on-site reviews was analyzed with descriptive statistics. ANOVAs and paired-t tests at 95% significance level were conducted on the means of data sets to determine if null hypotheses related to cell, kaizen event, and support resources could be rejected. The results of the research found significant differences between lean transformation plans developed by site leadership and plans developed utilizing the structured, on-site review process and lean transformation planning model. The null hypothesis that there was no difference between the means of pre-review and on-site cell counts was rejected, as was the null hypothesis that there was no significant difference in kaizen event plans. These factors are critical inputs into the support staffing resources calculation used by the lean planning model. Null hypothesis related to functional support staff resources was rejected for most functional groups, indicating that the baseline site plan inadequately provided for cross-functional staff involvement to support the lean transformation plan. Null hypotheses related to total lean transformation staffing could not be rejected, indicating that while total staffing plans were not significantly different than plans developed during the on-site review and through the use of the lean planning model, the allocation of staffing among various functional groups such as engineering, production, and materials planning was an issue. The on-site review process and simple lean transformation plan developed was determined to be useful in identifying short-comings in lean transformation planning within aerospace manufacturing and assembly sites. It was concluded that the differences uncovered were likely contributing factors affecting the effectiveness of aerospace manufacturing sites' implementation of lean cellular manufacturing.

Utilizing Technology to Examine the Impacts of Academic Program Plans on Faculty Staffing Levels. AIR 1984 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiro, Louis M.; Campbell, Jill F.

The development and use of a campus-based computerized faculty staffing model is described. In addition to considering market demands for current and proposed programs, decisionmakers need to consider how program development, modification, and elimination affect the total college faculty resource base. The application of computer technology,…

Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages via System of "Voice over Internet Protocol" and Language Interactions Case Study: Skype

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahid, Wazira Ali Abdul; Ahmed, Eqbal Sulaiman; Wahid, Muntaha Ali Abdul

2015-01-01

This issue expresses a research study based on the online interactions of English teaching specially conversation through utilizing VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and cosmopolitan online theme. Data has been achieved by interviews. Simplifiers indicate how oral tasks require to be planned upon to facilitate engagement models propitious to…

Committee Effectiveness in Higher Education: The Strengths and Weaknesses of Group Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Stephen B.

2014-01-01

Focusing on five models of committee effectiveness for purposes of this assessment will lend insight into the strengths and weaknesses of utilizing a structured action plan as a guide to achieving and maintaining optimum committee effectiveness in higher education. In the compilation of the strengths and weaknesses of committee decision making,…

Ecological criteria, participant preferences and location models: A GIS approach toward ATV trail planning

Treesearch

Stephanie A. Snyder; Jay H. Whitmore; Ingrid E. Schneider; Dennis R. Becker

2008-01-01

This paper presents a geographic information system (GIS)-based method for recreational trail location for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) which considers environmental factors, as well as rider preferences for trail attributes. The method utilizes the Least-Cost Path algorithm within a GIS framework to optimize trail location. The trail location algorithm considered trail...

Knowledge Utilization Strategies in the Design and Implementation of New Schools--Symbolic Functions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sieber, Sam D.

An examination of case studies suggests that rational processes were not entirely at work in the planning and conception of new, innovative schools. The rational model that serves as the foundation of our information systems assumes that a compelling professional need triggers a search for solutions; and, therefore, school personnel are eager to…

Non-Targeted Effects and the Dose Response for Heavy Ion Tumorigenesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappell, Lori J.; Cucinotta, Francis A.

2010-01-01

There is no human epidemiology data available to estimate the heavy ion cancer risks experienced by astronauts in space. Studies of tumor induction in mice are a necessary step to estimate risks to astronauts. Previous experimental data can be better utilized to model dose response for heavy ion tumorigenesis and plan future low dose studies.

A School-Based Evaluation Model for Accelerating the Education of Students At-Risk.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fetterman, David M.; Haertel, Edward H.

This paper presents ideas for the development and utilization of a comprehensive evaluation plan for an accelerated school. It contains information about the purposes of a comprehensive evaluation, the evaluation design, and the kinds of data that might be gathered and used. The first section, "An Approach to Evaluation: Multiple Purposes and…

Optimizing heat shock protein expression induced by prostate cancer laser therapy through predictive computational models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rylander, Marissa N.; Feng, Yusheng; Zhang, Yongjie; Bass, Jon; Stafford, Roger J.; Hazle, John D.; Diller, Kenneth R.

2006-07-01

Thermal therapy efficacy can be diminished due to heat shock protein (HSP) induction in regions of a tumor where temperatures are insufficient to coagulate proteins. HSP expression enhances tumor cell viability and imparts resistance to chemotherapy and radiation treatments, which are generally employed in conjunction with hyperthermia. Therefore, an understanding of the thermally induced HSP expression within the targeted tumor must be incorporated into the treatment plan to optimize the thermal dose delivery and permit prediction of the overall tissue response. A treatment planning computational model capable of predicting the temperature, HSP27 and HSP70 expression, and damage fraction distributions associated with laser heating in healthy prostate tissue and tumors is presented. Measured thermally induced HSP27 and HSP70 expression kinetics and injury data for normal and cancerous prostate cells and prostate tumors are employed to create the first HSP expression predictive model and formulate an Arrhenius damage model. The correlation coefficients between measured and model predicted temperature, HSP27, and HSP70 were 0.98, 0.99, and 0.99, respectively, confirming the accuracy of the model. Utilization of the treatment planning model in the design of prostate cancer thermal therapies can enable optimization of the treatment outcome by controlling HSP expression and injury.

Handbook on Planning for Sustainability for Water and Wastewater Utilities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The handbook details steps utilities can undertake to enhance their existing planning processes to ensure that water infrastructure investments are cost-effective over their life-cycle, resource efficient and support other relevant community goals.

Succession Planning in the Iranian Health System: A Case Study of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education

PubMed Central

Mehrtak, Mohamad; Vatankhah, Soodabeh; Delgoshaei, Bahram; Gholipour, Arian

2014-01-01

Background: Succession planning promotes the culture of private ownership, staff loyalty to the organization and develops organizational commitment, and increases organizational stability. The study was conducted to examine the status of succession planning in the Iranian health system in order to highlight the key concepts, provide new insight, and attract the attention of senior managers of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education to the importance of succession planning in achieving organizational goals. Methods: In a qualitative study with a framework analysis approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample selected using purposive and snowball sampling procedure. The MAXQDA-10 was used to apply the codes and manage the data. The codes were extracted using inductive and deductive methods. Results: Fourteen themes and six main subthemes were identified, including planning, organizational culture, system approach, competency model, career path, and senior managers. Our findings indicate a lack of succession planning in the Iranian health system. Conclusion: lack of succession planning could lead to inefficiency and ineffectiveness in health services provision. Implementation of succession planning could maximize human resources utilization. PMID:25168998

Succession planning in the Iranian health system: a case study of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

PubMed

Mehrtak, Mohamad; Vatankhah, Soodabeh; Delgoshaei, Bahram; Gholipour, Arian

2014-05-30

Succession planning promotes the culture of private ownership, staff loyalty to the organization and develops organizational commitment, and increases organizational stability. The study was conducted to examine the status of succession planning in the Iranian health system in order to highlight the key concepts, provide new insight, and attract the attention of senior managers of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education to the importance of succession planning in achieving organizational goals. In a qualitative study with a framework analysis approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample selected using purposive and snowball sampling procedure. The MAXQDA-10 was used to apply the codes and manage the data. The codes were extracted using inductive and deductive methods. Fourteen themes and six main subthemes were identified, including planning, organizational culture, system approach, competency model, career path, and senior managers. Our findings indicate a lack of succession planning in the Iranian health system. lack of succession planning could lead to inefficiency and ineffectiveness in health services provision. Implementation of succession planning could maximize human resources utilization.

Practical strategies for developing the business case for hospital glycemic control teams.

PubMed

Magee, Michelle F; Beck, Adam

2008-09-01

Many business models may be used to make the business case for support of a multidisciplinary team to implement targeted glucose control in the hospital. Models may be hospital-supported or self-supporting. In the former, the hospital provides financial support based on improved documentation opportunities, reduction in length of stay, and improved resource utilization. In the latter, clinical revenues for diabetes management offsets costs of salary, fringe benefits, and overheads. A combination of these strategies may also be used. The business plan presented to administration must justify return on investment. It is imperative to involve hospital administration, particularly representatives from coding, billing, and finance, in the development of the business plan. The business case for hospital support will be based on opportunities related to improving accuracy of documentation and coding for diabetes-related diagnoses, including level of control and complications present, on reduction in length of stay and on optimization of resource utilization through reduction in morbidity and mortality (cost aversion). The case for revenue generation through billing for clinical services will be based on opportunities to increase the provision of glycemic management services in the hospital. Examples from the literature and of analyses to support each of these models are presented. (c) 2008 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Concerns about dose and underutilization of twelve-step programs: models, scales, and theory that inform treatment planning.

PubMed

Cloud, Richard N; Kingree, J B

2008-01-01

Researchers have observed that a majority of addicted persons who are encouraged and facilitated by treatment providers to attend twelve-step (TS) programs either drop out or sporadically use twelve-step programs following treatment. This is troubling given considerable evidence of TS program benefits associated with regular weekly attendance and ubiquitous reliance by treatment professionals on these programs to provide important support services. This chapter reviews and advances theory of TS utilization and dose that is supported by prior research, multivariate models, and scales that predict risk of TS meeting underutilization. Advancing theory should organize and clarify the process of initial utilization, guide intervention development, and improve adherence of TS program referrals, all of which should lead to improved treatment planning and better outcomes. Three theories are integrated to explain processes that may influence TS program dose: the health belief model, self-determination theory (motivational theory), and a person-in-organization cultural fit theory. Four multidimensional scales developed specifically to predict participation are described. Implications for practice and future research are considered in a final discussion. Information contained in this chapter raises awareness of the need for TS-focused treatments to focus on achieving weekly attendance during and after treatment.

FPGA implemented testbed in 8-by-8 and 2-by-2 OFDM-MIMO channel estimation and design of baseband transceiver.

PubMed

Ramesh, S; Seshasayanan, R

2016-01-01

In this study, a baseband OFDM-MIMO framework with channel timing and estimation synchronization is composed and executed utilizing the FPGA innovation. The framework is prototyped in light of the IEEE 802.11a standard and the signals transmitted and received utilizing a data transmission of 20 MHz. With the assistance of the QPSK tweak, the framework can accomplish a throughput of 24 Mbps. Besides, the LS formula is executed and the estimation of a frequency-specific fading channel is illustrated. For the rough estimation of timing, MNC plan is examined and actualized. Above all else, the whole framework is demonstrated in MATLAB and a drifting point model is set up. At that point, the altered point model is made with the assistance of Simulink and Xilinx's System Generator for DSP. In this way, the framework is incorporated and actualized inside of Xilinx's ISE tools and focused to Xilinx Virtex 5 board. In addition, an equipment co-simulation is contrived to decrease the preparing time while figuring the BER of the fixed point model. The work concentrates on above all else venture for further examination of planning creative channel estimation strategies towards applications in the fourth era (4G) mobile correspondence frameworks.

77 FR 22691 - Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-17

... statute provides that the Institute will not develop a dollars-per-quality-life-year estimate as a... have practical utility; How the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected may be... plan sponsors of calculating the average number of lives covered for the applicable policy year or plan...

Family Planning Visits by Teenagers: United States, 1978. Data on Health Resources Utilization Series 13, No. 58.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Jean; Eckard, Eugenia

Teenagers' utilization of family planning services is of major concern in view of the estimated 4.1 million adolescent females at risk, defined as fertile, sexually active teenagers who are not pregnant and who are not seeking to become pregnant. To obtain information regarding teenagers' use of medical family planning services in clinical…

STS/Spacelab payload utilization planning study: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The planning process recommended to meet the orbital flight requirements for the Space Transportation System and payload development, procurement, operations, and support leading to authorization and funding of STS and payload project activities is described. The rationale and rp primary products of STS utilization planning are summarized along with the implementation of the system. Major recommendations of the study are included.

Utilizing grassroots workers in family planning programs in India: prospects and problems.

PubMed

Mani, S B

1991-01-01

In order to rapidly expand the network of delivery systems and speed up the process of acceptance of family planning messages and methods, a shift took place in the Indian family planning program from the bureaucratic "clinical" approach to the people oriented "extension" approach. As a result, there is an increasing emphasis on moving the family planning efforts closer to the grassroots level. A key methodological issue centers on the proper selection, cultural acceptability, and the effectiveness of the grassroots workers who are to be trained and through whom family planning motivational messages and methods are to be introduced. The Indian government, from time to time, has trained and utilized different groups of grassroots workers in its family planning promotional efforts. Anthropological field studies were conducted in two different regions in India to examine the potential and actual roles of two groups of grassroots workers--opinion leaders and traditional birth attendants--in the delivery of family planning services in the rural areas. These studies revealed that while the traditional birth attendants can be trained and utilized to a limited extent in promoting family planning efforts, especially to the eligible female clients, the role of the opinion leaders in such efforts is at best questionable. Based on these field studies, cultural and technical (including bureaucratic) problems in training and utilizing opinion leaders and traditional birth attendants are explored in detail. Modifications in the training program strategies are suggested to improve and expand the family planning delivery system in rural India.

Moving toward integrated value-based planning: The issues

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

Chamberlin, J.H.; Braithwait, C.L.

1988-07-01

Integrated Value-Based Planning (IVP) is a promising new planning approach that uses value, as well as cost, as the common denominator for evaluating supply and demand resource options. Planning based on value yields an ''apples to apples'' comparison of utility and customer options. The IVP approach can form the cornerstone of a successful market-driven utility planning strategy. This conference will raise questions, discuss issues, and further the exchange of information regarding the tools, concepts, and techniques needed to put IVP into the utility planner's toolbox. This proceedings is more than a compendium of papers. It is designed to let bothmore » participants and non-participants exchange information. To this end, listings and cross-listings of papers, speakers and participant interest areas, along with the ever-invaluable phone number have been included.« less

Future directions: Integrated resource planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, D. C.; Eto, J.

Integrated resource planning or IRP is the process for integrating supply- and demand-side resources to provide energy services at a cost that balances the interests of all stakeholders. It now is the resource planning process used by electric utilities in over 30 states. The goals of IRP have evolved from least cost planning and encouragement of demand-side management to broader, more complex issues including core competitive business activity, risk management and sharing, accounting for externalities, and fuel switching between gas and electricity. IRP processes are being extended to other interior regions of the country, to non-investor owned utilities, and to regional (rather than individual utility) planning bases, and to other fuels (natural gas). The comprehensive, multi-valued, and public reasoning characteristics of IRP could be extended to applications beyond energy, e.g., transportation, surface water management, and health care in ways suggested.

The Effect of Three-Tier Formulary Adoption on Medication Continuation and Spending among Elderly Retirees

PubMed Central

Huskamp, Haiden A; Deverka, Patricia A; Landrum, Mary Beth; Epstein, Robert S; McGuigan, Kimberly A

2007-01-01

Objective To assess the effect of three-tier formulary adoption on medication continuation and spending among elderly members of retiree health plans. Data Sources Pharmacy claims and enrollment data on elderly members of four retiree plans that adopted a three-tier formulary over the period July 1999 through December 2002 and two comparison plans that maintained a two-tier formulary during this period. Study Design We used a quasi-experimental design to compare the experience of enrollees in intervention and comparison plans. We used propensity score methods to match intervention and comparison users of each drug class and plan. We estimated repeated measures regression models for each class/plan combination for medication continuation and monthly plan, enrollee, and total spending. We estimated logit models of the probability of nonpersistent use, medication discontinuation, and medication changes. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We used pharmacy claims to create person-level drug utilization and spending files for the year before and year after three-tier adoption. Principal Findings Three-tier formulary adoption resulted in shifting of costs from plan to enrollee, with relatively small effects on medication continuation. Although implementation had little effect on continuation on average, a small minority of patients were more likely to have gaps in use and discontinue use relative to comparison patients. Conclusions Moderate cost sharing increases from three-tier formulary adoption had little effect on medication continuation among elderly enrolled in retiree health plans with relatively generous drug coverage. PMID:17850526

Recent development on computer aided tissue engineering--a review.

PubMed

Sun, Wei; Lal, Pallavi

2002-02-01

The utilization of computer-aided technologies in tissue engineering has evolved in the development of a new field of computer-aided tissue engineering (CATE). This article reviews recent development and application of enabling computer technology, imaging technology, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD and CAM), and rapid prototyping (RP) technology in tissue engineering, particularly, in computer-aided tissue anatomical modeling, three-dimensional (3-D) anatomy visualization and 3-D reconstruction, CAD-based anatomical modeling, computer-aided tissue classification, computer-aided tissue implantation and prototype modeling assisted surgical planning and reconstruction.

Early use of Space Station Freedom for NASA's Microgravity Science and Applications Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhome, Robert C.; O'Malley, Terence F.

1992-01-01

The paper describes microgravity science opportunities inherent to the restructured Space Station and presents a synopsis of the scientific utilization plan for the first two years of ground-tended operations. In the ground-tended utilization mode the Space Station is a large free-flyer providing a continuous microgravity environment unmatched by any other platform within any existing U.S. program. It is pointed out that the importance of this period of early Space Station mixed-mode utilization between crew-tended and ground-tended approaches is of such magnitude that Station-based microgravity science experiments many become benchmarks to the disciplines involved. The traffic model that is currently being pursued is designed to maximize this opportunity for the U.S. microgravity science community.

Utilization of smoking cessation informational, interactive, and online community resources as predictors of abstinence: cohort study.

PubMed

An, Lawrence C; Schillo, Barbara A; Saul, Jessie E; Wendling, Ann H; Klatt, Colleen M; Berg, Carla J; Ahulwalia, Jasjit S; Kavanaugh, Annette M; Christenson, Matthew; Luxenberg, Michael G

2008-12-20

The association between greater utilization of Web-assisted tobacco interventions and increased abstinence rates is well recognized. However, there is little information on how utilization of specific website features influences quitting. To determine the association between utilization of informational, interactive, and online community resources (eg. bulletin boards) and abstinence rates, with the broader objective to identify potential strategies for improving outcomes for Web-assisted tobacco interventions. In Spring 2004, a cohort of 607 quitplan.com users consented to participate in an evaluation of quitplan.com, a Minnesota branded version of QuitNet.com. We developed utilization measures for different site features: general information, interactive diagnostic tools and quit planning tools, online expert counseling, passive (ie, reading of bulletin boards) and active (ie, public posting) online community engagement, and one-to-one messaging with other virtual community members. Using bivariate, multivariate, and path analyses, we examined the relationship between utilization of specific site features and 30-day abstinence at 6 months. The most commonly used resources were the interactive quit planning tools (used by 77% of site users). Other informational resources (ie, quitting guides) were used more commonly (60% of users) than passive (38%) or active (24%) community features. Online community engagement through one-to-one messaging was low (11%) as was use of online counseling (5%). The 30-day abstinence rate among study participants at 6 months was 9.7% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 7.3% - 12.1%). In the logistic regression model, neither the demographic data (eg, age, gender, education level, employment, or insurance status) nor the smoking-related data (eg, cigarettes per day, time to first morning cigarette, baseline readiness to quit) nor use of smoking cessation medications entered the model as significant predictors of abstinence. Individuals who used the interactive quit planning tools once, two to three times, or four or more times had an odds of abstinence of 0.65 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.22 - 1.94), 1.87 (95% CI 0.77 - 4.56), and 2.35 (95% CI 1.0 - 5.58), respectively. The use of one-to-one messages (reference = none vs 1 or more) entered the final model as potential predictor for abstinence, though the significance of this measure was marginal (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 0.92 - 3.97, P = .083). In the path analysis, an apparent association between active online community engagement and abstinence was accounted for in large part by increased use of interactive quitting tools and one-to-one messaging. Use of interactive quitting tools, and perhaps one-to-one messaging with other members of the online community, was associated with increased abstinence rates among quitplan.com users. Designs that facilitate use of these features should be considered.

Renewable energy in electric utility capacity planning: a decomposition approach with application to a Mexican utility

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

Staschus, K.

1985-01-01

In this dissertation, efficient algorithms for electric-utility capacity expansion planning with renewable energy are developed. The algorithms include a deterministic phase that quickly finds a near-optimal expansion plan using derating and a linearized approximation to the time-dependent availability of nondispatchable energy sources. A probabilistic second phase needs comparatively few computer-time consuming probabilistic simulation iterations to modify this solution towards the optimal expansion plan. For the deterministic first phase, two algorithms, based on a Lagrangian Dual decomposition and a Generalized Benders Decomposition, are developed. The probabilistic second phase uses a Generalized Benders Decomposition approach. Extensive computational tests of the algorithms aremore » reported. Among the deterministic algorithms, the one based on Lagrangian Duality proves fastest. The two-phase approach is shown to save up to 80% in computing time as compared to a purely probabilistic algorithm. The algorithms are applied to determine the optimal expansion plan for the Tijuana-Mexicali subsystem of the Mexican electric utility system. A strong recommendation to push conservation programs in the desert city of Mexicali results from this implementation.« less

Advanced transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) planning from CT with ShapeForest.

PubMed

Swee, Joshua K Y; Grbić, Saša

2014-01-01

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is becoming a standard treatment for non-operable and high-risk patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis. As there is no direct view or access to the affected anatomy, comprehensive preoperative planning is crucial for a successful outcome, with the most important decisions made during planning being the selection of the proper implant size, and determining the correct C-arm angulations. While geometric models extracted from 3D images are often used to derive these measurements, the complex shape variation of the AV anatomy found in these patients causes many of the shape representations used to estimate such geometric models to fail in capturing morphological characteristics in sufficient detail. In addition, most current approaches only model the aortic valve (AV), omitting modeling the left ventricle outflow tract (LVOT) entirely despite its high correlation with severe complications such as annulus ruptures, paravalvular leaks and myocardial infarction. We propose a fully automated method to extract patient specific models of the AV and the LVOT, and derive comprehensive biomarkers for accurate TAVI planning. We utilize a novel shape representation--the ShapeForest--which is able to model complex shape variation, preserves local shape information, and incorporates prior knowledge during shape space inference. Extensive quantitative and qualitative experiments performed on 630 volumetric data sets demonstrate an accuracy of 0.69 mm for the AV and 0.83 mm for the LVOT, an improvement of over 16% and 18% respectively when compared against state of the art methods.

Analysis of potential benefits of integrated-gasifier combined cycles for a utility system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choo, Y. K.

1983-01-01

Potential benefits of integrated gasifier combined cycle (IGCC) units were evaluated for a reference utility system by comparing long range expansion plans using IGCC units and gas turbine peakers with a plan using only state of the art steam turbine units and gas turbine peakers. Also evaluated was the importance of the benefits of individual IGCC unit characteristics, particularly unit efficiency, unit equivalent forced outage rate, and unit size. A range of IGCC units was analyzed, including cases achievable with state of the art gas turbines and cases assuming advanced gas turbine technology. All utility system expansion plans that used IGCC units showed substantial savings compared with the base expansion plan using the steam turbine units.

On a basic model of circulatory, fluid, and electrolyte regulation in the human system based upon the model of Guyton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, R. J.

1973-01-01

A detailed description of Guyton's model and modifications are provided. Also included are descriptions of several typical experiments which the model can simulate to illustrate the model's general utility. A discussion of the problems associated with the interfacing of the model to other models such as respiratory and thermal regulation models which is prime importance since these stimuli are not present in the current model is also included. A user's guide for the operation of the model on the Xerox Sigma 3 computer is provided and two programs are described. A verification plan and procedure for performing experiments is also presented.

A practical model for the train-set utilization: The case of Beijing-Tianjin passenger dedicated line in China

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaomeng; Yang, Zhuo

2017-01-01

As a sustainable transportation mode, high-speed railway (HSR) has become an efficient way to meet the huge travel demand. However, due to the high acquisition and maintenance cost, it is impossible to build enough infrastructure and purchase enough train-sets. Great efforts are required to improve the transport capability of HSR. The utilization efficiency of train-sets (carrying tools of HSR) is one of the most important factors of the transport capacity of HSR. In order to enhance the utilization efficiency of the train-sets, this paper proposed a train-set circulation optimization model to minimize the total connection time. An innovative two-stage approach which contains segments generation and segments combination was designed to solve this model. In order to verify the feasibility of the proposed approach, an experiment was carried out in the Beijing-Tianjin passenger dedicated line, to fulfill a 174 trips train diagram. The model results showed that compared with the traditional Ant Colony Algorithm (ACA), the utilization efficiency of train-sets can be increased from 43.4% (ACA) to 46.9% (Two-Stage), and 1 train-set can be saved up to fulfill the same transportation tasks. The approach proposed in the study is faster and more stable than the traditional ones, by using which, the HSR staff can draw up the train-sets circulation plan more quickly and the utilization efficiency of the HSR system is also improved. PMID:28489933

Utilization of Health Research Recommendation in Policy and Planning in Nepal.

PubMed

Dhimal, M; Pandey, A R; Aryal, K K; Budhathoki, C B; Vaidya, D L; Karki, K K; Onta, S

2016-09-01

Over the past decade in Nepal, a large number of studies have been carried in a variety of health areas; however whether evidence derived from these studies has been used to inform health policy has not been explored. This study aims to assess the utilization of recommendations from health research in health policy and plans, and to identify the factors that influence utilization of research findings by policy makers' in Nepal. Qualitative study incorporating literature review and semi-structured interviews was used. Research reports and health related policies were collected from governmental and non-governmental bodies. Documents were reviewed to identify the utilization of research-based recommendations in health policy and plan formulation. In-depth interviews were conducted with key policy makers and researchers to identify factors that hinder the utilization of research recommendations. A total of 83 health related research reports were identified, of which 48 had recommendations. Four policies and three plans, from total 21 identified plans and policies, were found to have incorporated recommendations from research. Of the 48 studies that had recommendations, 35 were found to be used in the policy making process. Lack of appropriate communication mechanisms, and concerns related to the quality of research conducted, were the main factors hindering the translation of evidence into policy. Communication gaps exist between researchers and policy makers, which seem to have impeded the utilization of research-based information and recommendations in decision-making process. Establishing a unit responsible for synthesizing evidences and producing actionable messages for policy makers can improve utilization of research findings.

13. Site D57 & 58C, Layout and Utility Plan, U.S. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. Site D-57 & 58-C, Layout and Utility Plan, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1 March 1957. - Newport NIKE Missile Battery D-57/58, Integrated Fire Control Area, Newport Road, Carleton, Monroe County, MI

Integrated modeling of temperature and rotation profiles in JET ITER-like wall discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafiq, T.; Kritz, A. H.; Kim, Hyun-Tae; Schuster, E.; Weiland, J.

2017-10-01

Simulations of 78 JET ITER-like wall D-D discharges and 2 D-T reference discharges are carried out using the TRANSP predictive integrated modeling code. The time evolved temperature and rotation profiles are computed utilizing the Multi-Mode anomalous transport model. The discharges involve a broad range of conditions including scans over gyroradius, collisionality, and values of q95. The D-T reference discharges are selected in anticipation of the D-T experimental campaign planned at JET in 2019. The simulated temperature and rotation profiles are compared with the corresponding experimental profiles in the radial range from the magnetic axis to the ρ = 0.9 flux surface. The comparison is quantified by calculating the RMS deviations and Offsets. Overall, good agreement is found between the profiles produced in the simulations and the experimental data. It is planned that the simulations obtained using the Multi-Mode model will be compared with the simulations using the TGLF model. Research supported in part by the US, DoE, Office of Sciences.

Reverse logistics system planning for recycling computers hardware: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Januri, Siti Sarah; Zulkipli, Faridah; Zahari, Siti Meriam; Shamsuri, Siti Hajar

2014-09-01

This paper describes modeling and simulation of reverse logistics networks for collection of used computers in one of the company in Selangor. The study focuses on design of reverse logistics network for used computers recycling operation. Simulation modeling, presented in this work allows the user to analyze the future performance of the network and to understand the complex relationship between the parties involved. The findings from the simulation suggest that the model calculates processing time and resource utilization in a predictable manner. In this study, the simulation model was developed by using Arena simulation package.

Drug Licenses: A Better Model for Pharmaceutical Pricing

PubMed Central

Goldman, Dana P.; Jena, Anupam B.; Philipson, Tomas; Sun, Eric

2013-01-01

High drug prices are a substantial barrier to patient access and compliance. Yet, low drug prices are often argued to provide inadequate incentives for innovation. We propose a “drug-licensing” model for health care which has the promise of increasing drug utilization without altering patient out-of-pocket spending, health plan costs, or pharmaceutical profits. In such a model, individuals purchase annual drug licenses which guarantee unfettered access to a clinically optimal number of prescriptions over the course of a year. For the case of statins, we illustrate how such a model may be implemented in practice. PMID:18180487

Electrical load management at the Goldstone DSN Complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rayburn, J. C.

1981-01-01

A Power Load Management Plan was deveoped which utilizes the unique power generating capabilities of the stations to reduce the stress on the local utility's reserve capacity and reduce the cost of electrical power at the stations. The plan has greatly reduced the cost of Goldstone electrical power by completely eliminating the use of commercial power during the local utility's high usage periods each day.

Modelling and optimization of land use/land cover change in a developing urban catchment.

PubMed

Xu, Ping; Gao, Fei; He, Junchao; Ren, Xinxin; Xi, Weijin

2017-06-01

The impacts of land use/cover change (LUCC) on hydrological processes and water resources are mainly reflected in changes in runoff and pollutant variations. Low impact development (LID) technology is utilized as an effective strategy to control urban stormwater runoff and pollution in the urban catchment. In this study, the impact of LUCC on runoff and pollutants in an urbanizing catchment of Guang-Ming New District in Shenzhen, China, were quantified using a dynamic rainfall-runoff model with the EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Based on the simulations and observations, the main objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the catchment runoff and pollutant variations with LUCC, (2) to select and optimize the appropriate layout of LID in a planning scenario for reducing the growth of runoff and pollutants under LUCC, (3) to assess the optimal planning schemes for land use/cover. The results showed that compared to 2013, the runoff volume, peak flow and pollution load of suspended solids (SS), and chemical oxygen demand increased by 35.1%, 33.6% and 248.5%, and 54.5% respectively in a traditional planning scenario. The assessment result of optimal planning of land use showed that annual rainfall control of land use for an optimal planning scenario with LID technology was 65%, and SS pollutant load reduction efficiency 65.6%.

The Flexible Solar Utility. Preparing for Solar's Impacts to Utility Planning and Operations

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

Sterling, John; Davidovich, Ted; Cory, Karlynn

2015-09-01

This paper seeks to provide a flexible utility roadmap for identifying the steps that need to be taken to place the utility in the best position for addressing solar in the future. Solar growth and the emergence of new technologies will change the electric utility of tomorrow. Although not every utility, region, or market will change in the same way or magnitude, developing a path forward will be needed to reach the Electric System of the Future in the coming decades. In this report, a series of potential future states are identified that could result in drastically different energy mixesmore » and profiles: 1) Business as Usual, 2) Low Carbon, Centralized Generation, 3) Rapid Distributed Energy Resource Growth, 4) Interactivity of Both the Grid and Demand, and 5) Grid or Load Defection. Complicating this process are a series of emerging disruptions; decisions or events that will cause the electric sector to change. Understanding and preparing for these items is critical for the transformation to any of the future states to be successful. Predicting which future state will predominate 15 years from now is not possible; however, utilities still will need to look ahead and try to anticipate how factors will impact their planning, operations, and business models. In order to dig into the potential transformations facing the utility industry, the authors conducted a series of utility interviews, held a working session at a major industry solar conference, and conducted a quantitative survey. To focus conversations, the authors leveraged the Rapid Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Growth future to draw out how utilities would have to adapt from current processes and procedures in order to manage and thrive in that new environment. Distributed solar was investigated specifically, and could serve as a proxy resource for all distributed generation (DG). It can also provide the foundation for all DERs.« less

A model for evaluating academic research centers: Case study of the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center.

PubMed

Nishimura, Stephanie T; Hishinuma, Earl S; Goebert, Deborah A; Onoye, Jane M M; Sugimoto-Matsuda, Jeanelle J

2018-02-01

To provide one model for evaluating academic research centers, given their vital role in addressing public health issues. A theoretical framework is described for a comprehensive evaluation plan for research centers. This framework is applied to one specific center by describing the center's Logic Model and Evaluation Plan, including a sample of the center's activities. Formative and summative evaluation information is summarized. In addition, a summary of outcomes is provided: improved practice and policy; reduction of risk factors and increase in protective factors; reduction of interpersonal youth violence in the community; and national prototype for prevention of interpersonal youth violence. Research centers are important mechanisms to advance science and improve people's quality of life. Because of their more infrastructure-intensive and comprehensive approach, they also require substantial resources for success, and thus, also require careful accountability. It is therefore important to comprehensively evaluate these centers. As provided herein, a more systematic and structured approach utilizing logic models, an evaluation plan, and successful processes can provide research centers with a functionally useful method in their evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intentions and willingness to drive while drowsy among university students: An application of an extended theory of planned behavior model.

PubMed

Lee, Clark J; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne; Beck, Kenneth H

2016-08-01

A web-based questionnaire was used to assess the utility of constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) to predict intentions and willingness to engage in drowsy driving in a sample of 450 university students. Those students who reported more favorable attitudes and subjective norm and greater perceived control and willingness in relation to drowsy driving behavior were more likely to report stronger intentions to engage in drowsy driving behavior. Augmenting the TPB constructs with the PWM construct of willingness significantly explained up to an additional 8 percent of the variance in drowsy driving intention. Perceived behavioral control and willingness were consistently the strongest predictors of drowsy driving intention in the augmented model, which together with the control (personal) variables explained up to 70 percent of the variance in intention. Thus, the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Prototype Willingness Model may be useful for understanding motivational influences on drowsy driving behavior in young people and present promising theoretical frameworks for designing more effective interventions against drowsy driving in this population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence-based nursing practice: both state of the art in general and specific to pressure sores.

PubMed

Buss, I C; Halfens, R J; Abu-Saad, H H; Kok, G

1999-01-01

The importance of research-based practice in nursing has been frequently stressed, and a number of nursing studies have been conducted whose results enable nursing to improve knowledge and practice. This study reports a literature review in which the current status of knowledge and research utilization with regard to pressure sores is described. This review first gives an overview of studies on knowledge utilization in general and shows that the spontaneous diffusion of knowledge is inappropriate. Furthermore, an overview of planned research utilization activities focusing on pressure sore prevention and treatment in nursing is presented. The results of these studies show that planned research utilization activities performed in individual organizations lead to positive outcomes in almost all cases. Therefore, it could be concluded that implementing planned research utilization activities in individual health care institutions seems to be an effective strategy to decrease pressure sore incidence and prevalence rates.

A novel, economical way to assess virulence in field populations of Hessian fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) utilizing H13 as a model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mayetiola destructor (Say) is a serious pest of wheat in the southeastern United States. The Hessian fly (Hf) uses effector triggered immunity to overcome wheat’s H genes, the resistance genes responsible for providing protection from the Hf. As the most effective form of Hf control employs the plan...

42 CFR 456.520 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time Requirements § 456.520 Definitions... granted by the Administrator to the Medicaid agency for a specific remote facility to use time periods...

Open-source Software for Demand Forecasting of Clinical Laboratory Test Volumes Using Time-series Analysis.

PubMed

Mohammed, Emad A; Naugler, Christopher

2017-01-01

Demand forecasting is the area of predictive analytics devoted to predicting future volumes of services or consumables. Fair understanding and estimation of how demand will vary facilitates the optimal utilization of resources. In a medical laboratory, accurate forecasting of future demand, that is, test volumes, can increase efficiency and facilitate long-term laboratory planning. Importantly, in an era of utilization management initiatives, accurately predicted volumes compared to the realized test volumes can form a precise way to evaluate utilization management initiatives. Laboratory test volumes are often highly amenable to forecasting by time-series models; however, the statistical software needed to do this is generally either expensive or highly technical. In this paper, we describe an open-source web-based software tool for time-series forecasting and explain how to use it as a demand forecasting tool in clinical laboratories to estimate test volumes. This tool has three different models, that is, Holt-Winters multiplicative, Holt-Winters additive, and simple linear regression. Moreover, these models are ranked and the best one is highlighted. This tool will allow anyone with historic test volume data to model future demand.

Open-source Software for Demand Forecasting of Clinical Laboratory Test Volumes Using Time-series Analysis

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Emad A.; Naugler, Christopher

2017-01-01

Background: Demand forecasting is the area of predictive analytics devoted to predicting future volumes of services or consumables. Fair understanding and estimation of how demand will vary facilitates the optimal utilization of resources. In a medical laboratory, accurate forecasting of future demand, that is, test volumes, can increase efficiency and facilitate long-term laboratory planning. Importantly, in an era of utilization management initiatives, accurately predicted volumes compared to the realized test volumes can form a precise way to evaluate utilization management initiatives. Laboratory test volumes are often highly amenable to forecasting by time-series models; however, the statistical software needed to do this is generally either expensive or highly technical. Method: In this paper, we describe an open-source web-based software tool for time-series forecasting and explain how to use it as a demand forecasting tool in clinical laboratories to estimate test volumes. Results: This tool has three different models, that is, Holt-Winters multiplicative, Holt-Winters additive, and simple linear regression. Moreover, these models are ranked and the best one is highlighted. Conclusion: This tool will allow anyone with historic test volume data to model future demand. PMID:28400996

Learning Reverse Engineering and Simulation with Design Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hemsworth, Paul J.

2018-01-01

The Design Visualization (DV) group supports work at the Kennedy Space Center by utilizing metrology data with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models and simulations to provide accurate visual representations that aid in decision-making. The capability to measure and simulate objects in real time helps to predict and avoid potential problems before they become expensive in addition to facilitating the planning of operations. I had the opportunity to work on existing and new models and simulations in support of DV and NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS).

Integrated Renewable Hydrogen Utility System (IRHUS) business plan

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

NONE

1999-03-01

This business plan is for a proposed legal entity named IRHUS, Inc. which is to be formed as a subsidiary of Energy Partners, L.C. (EP) of West Palm Beach, Florida. EP is a research and development company specializing in hydrogen proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and systems. A fuel cell is an engine with no moving parts that takes in hydrogen and produces electricity. The purpose of IRHUS, Inc. is to develop and manufacture a self-sufficient energy system based on the fuel cell and other new technology that produces hydrogen and electricity. The product is called the Integrated renewablemore » Hydrogen utility System (IRHUS). IRHUS, Inc. plans to start limited production of the IRHUS in 2002. The IRHUS is a unique product with an innovative concept in that it provides continuous electrical power in places with no electrical infrastructure, i.e., in remote and island locations. The IRHUS is a zero emissions, self-sufficient, hydrogen fuel generation system that produces electricity on a continuous basis by combining any renewable power source with hydrogen technology. Current plans are to produce a 10 kilowatt IRHUS MP (medium power). Future plans are to design and manufacture IRHUS models to provide power for a variety of power ranges for identified attractive market segments. The technological components of the IRHUS include an electrolyzer, hydrogen and oxygen storage subsystems, fuel cell system, and power control system. The IRHUS product is to be integrated with a variety of renewable energy technologies. 5 figs., 10 tabs.« less

Early Discharge Planning and Improved Care Transitions: Pre-Admission Assessment for Readmission Risk in an Elective Orthopedic and Cardiovascular Surgical Population

PubMed Central

Mola, Ana; Rosenfeld, Peri; Ford, Shauna

2016-01-01

Background/Methods: Readmission prevention is a marker of patient care quality and requires comprehensive, early discharge planning for safe hospital transitions. Effectively performed, this process supports patient satisfaction, efficient resource utilization, and care integration. This study developed/tested the utility of a predictive early discharge risk assessment with 366 elective orthopedic/cardiovascular surgery patients. Quality improvement cycles were undertaken for the design and to inform analytic plan. An 8-item questionnaire, which includes patient self-reported health, was integrated into care managers’ telephonic pre-admission assessments during a 12-month period. Results: Regression models found the questionnaire to be predictive of readmission (p ≤ .005; R2 = .334) and length-of-stay (p ≤ .001; R2 = .314). Independent variables of “lives-alone” and “self-rated health” were statistically significant for increased readmission odds, as was “self-rated health” for increased length-of-stay. Quality measures, patient experience and increased rates of discharges-to-home further supported the benefit of embedding these questions into the pro-active planning process. Conclusion: The pilot discharge risk assessment was predictive of readmission risk and length-of-stay for elective orthopedic/cardiovascular patients. Given the usability of the questionnaire in advance of elective admissions, it can facilitate pro-active discharge planning essential for producing quality outcomes and addressing new reimbursement methodologies for continuum-based episodes of care. PMID:27616965

Optimizing an immersion ESL curriculum using analytic hierarchy process.

PubMed

Tang, Hui-Wen Vivian

2011-11-01

The main purpose of this study is to fill a substantial knowledge gap regarding reaching a uniform group decision in English curriculum design and planning. A comprehensive content-based course criterion model extracted from existing literature and expert opinions was developed. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to identify the relative importance of course criteria for the purpose of tailoring an optimal one-week immersion English as a second language (ESL) curriculum for elementary school students in a suburban county of Taiwan. The hierarchy model and AHP analysis utilized in the present study will be useful for resolving several important multi-criteria decision-making issues in planning and evaluating ESL programs. This study also offers valuable insights and provides a basis for further research in customizing ESL curriculum models for different student populations with distinct learning needs, goals, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scale models: A proven cost-effective tool for outage planning

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

Lee, R.; Segroves, R.

1995-03-01

As generation costs for operating nuclear stations have risen, more nuclear utilities have initiated efforts to improve cost effectiveness. Nuclear plant owners are also being challenged with lower radiation exposure limits and new revised radiation protection related regulations (10 CFR 20), which places further stress on their budgets. As source term reduction activities continue to lower radiation fields, reducing the amount of time spent in radiation fields becomes one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing radiation exposure. An effective approach for minimizing time spent in radiation areas is to use a physical scale model for worker orientation planning andmore » monitoring maintenance, modifications, and outage activities. To meet the challenge of continued reduction in the annual cumulative radiation exposures, new cost-effective tools are required. One field-tested and proven tool is the physical scale model.« less

Printing Technologies for Medical Applications.

PubMed

Shafiee, Ashkan; Atala, Anthony

2016-03-01

Over the past 15 years, printers have been increasingly utilized for biomedical applications in various areas of medicine and tissue engineering. This review discusses the current and future applications of 3D bioprinting. Several 3D printing tools with broad applications from surgical planning to 3D models are being created, such as liver replicas and intermediate splints. Numerous researchers are exploring this technique to pattern cells or fabricate several different tissues and organs, such as blood vessels or cardiac patches. Current investigations in bioprinting applications are yielding further advances. As one of the fastest areas of industry expansion, 3D additive manufacturing will change techniques across biomedical applications, from research and testing models to surgical planning, device manufacturing, and tissue or organ replacement. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

TRANSPORT PLANNING MODEL FOR WIDE AREA RECYCLING SYSTEM OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE PLASTIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Yasuhiro; Kawamura, Hisashi; Koizumi, Akira; Mogi, Satoshi

To date, the majority of industrial waste plastic generated in an urban city has been processed into landfill. However, it is now necessary to actively utilize that plastic as a useful resource to create a recycling society with a low environment influence. In order to construct a reasonable recycling system, it is necessary to address the "transportation problem," which means determining how much industrial waste plastic is to be transported to what location. With the goal of eliminating landfill processing, this study considers a transport planning model for industrial waste plastic applying linear programming. The results of running optimized calculations under given scenarios clarified not only the possibilities for recycle processing in the Metropolitan area, but also the validity of wide area recycling system.

User-driven health care: answering multidimensional information needs in individual patients utilizing post-EBM approaches: an operational model.

PubMed

Biswas, Rakesh; Maniam, Jayanthy; Lee, Edwin Wen Huo; Gopal, Premalatha; Umakanth, Shashikiran; Dahiya, Sumit; Ahmed, Sayeed

2008-10-01

The hypothesis in the conceptual model was that a user-driven innovation in presently available information and communication technology infrastructure would be able to meet patient and health professional users information needs and help them attain better health outcomes. An operational model was created to plan a trial on a sample diabetic population utilizing a randomized control trial design, assigning one randomly selected group of diabetics to receive electronic information intervention and analyse if it would improve their health outcomes in comparison with a matched diabetic population who would only receive regular medical intervention. Diabetes was chosen for this particular trial, as it is a major chronic illness in Malaysia as elsewhere in the world. It is in essence a position paper for how the study concept should be organized to stimulate wider discussion prior to beginning the study.

Factors associated with utilization of long-acting and permanent contraceptive methods among women who have decided not to have more children in Gondar city.

PubMed

Zenebe, Chernet Baye; Adefris, Mulat; Yenit, Melaku Kindie; Gelaw, Yalemzewod Assefa

2017-09-06

Despite the fact that long acting family planning methods reduce population growth and improve maternal health, their utilization remains poor. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence of long acting and permanent family planning method utilization and associated factors among women in reproductive age groups who have decided not to have more children in Gondar city, northwest Ethiopia. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October, 2015. Three hundred seventeen women who have decided not to have more children were selected consecutively into the study. A structured and pretested questionnaire was used to collect data. Both bivariate and multi-variable logistic regressions analyses were used to identify factors associated with utilization of long acting and permanent family planning methods. The multi-variable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with the utilization of long acting and permanent family planning methods. The Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with the corresponding 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was used to show the strength of associations, and variables with a P-value of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. In this study, the overall prevalence of long acting and permanent contraceptive (LAPCM) method utilization was 34.7% (95% CI: 29.5-39.9). According to the multi-variable logistic regression analysis, utilization of long acting and permanent contraceptive methods was significantly associated with women who had secondary school, (AOR: 2279, 95% CI: 1.17, 4.44), college, and above education (AOR: 2.91, 95% CI: 1.36, 6.24), history of previous utilization (AOR: 3.02, 95% CI: 1.69, 5.38), and information about LAPCM (AOR: 8.85, 95% CI: 2.04, 38.41). In this study the prevalence of long acting and permanent family planning method utilization among women who have decided not to have more children was high compared with previous studies conducted elsewhere. Advanced educational status, previous utilization of LAPCM, and information on LAPCM were significantly associated with the utilization of LAPCM. As a result, strengthening behavioral change communication channels to make information accessible is highly recommended.

The Next Generation of Mars-GRAM and Its Role in the Autonomous Aerobraking Development Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, Hilary L.; Justus, Carl G.; Ramey, Holly S.

2011-01-01

The Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM) is an engineering-level atmospheric model widely used for diverse mission applications. Mars-GRAM 2010 is currently being used to develop the onboard atmospheric density estimator that is part of the Autonomous Aerobraking Development Plan. In previous versions, Mars-GRAM was less than realistic when used for sensitivity studies for Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) MapYear=0 and large optical depth values, such as tau=3. A comparison analysis has been completed between Mars-GRAM, TES and data from the Planetary Data System (PDS) resulting in updated coefficients for the functions relating density, latitude, and longitude of the sun. The adjustment factors are expressed as a function of height (z), Latitude (Lat) and areocentric solar longitude (Ls). The latest release of Mars-GRAM 2010 includes these adjustment factors that alter the in-put data from MGCM and MTGCM for the Mapping Year 0 (user-controlled dust) case. The greatest adjustment occurs at large optical depths such as tau greater than 1. The addition of the adjustment factors has led to better correspondence to TES Limb data from 0-60 km as well as better agreement with MGS, ODY and MRO data at approximately 90-135 km. Improved simulations utilizing Mars-GRAM 2010 are vital to developing the onboard atmospheric density estimator for the Autonomous Aerobraking Development Plan. Mars-GRAM 2010 was not the only planetary GRAM utilized during phase 1 of this plan; Titan-GRAM and Venus-GRAM were used to generate density data sets for Aerobraking Design Reference Missions. These data sets included altitude profiles (both vertical and along a trajectory), GRAM perturbations (tides, gravity waves, etc.) and provided density and scale height values for analysis by other Autonomous Aero-braking team members.

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

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

Carols H. Rentel

2007-03-31

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

Boon or bane: 401(k) loans and employee contributions.

PubMed

Wenger, Jeffrey B; Weller, Christian E

2014-09-01

Economic and behavioral theories arrive at different conclusions about the effect of being allowed to borrow from one's defined-contribution (DC) retirement plan on people's contributions to DC plans. Traditional life-cycle models unambiguously suggest that the borrowing option makes people better off than not being able to borrow. Households consequently contribute more to their DC plans than they would absent the borrowing option. Previous research finds that the ability to borrow from a DC plan increases contemporaneous contributions, consistent with traditional models. Behavioral finance, in contrast, suggests that some workers may operate with nonlinear time discounting. They plan on saving more in the future but change their mind and save less than initially planned as time passes. These workers may enjoy higher lifetime utility if they have no loan option because DC plans serve as commitment devices for retirement saving. The money cannot be used prior to retirement. Absent this commitment device, contributions may be lower for some households than would be the case without a DC loan option. We study DC plan contributions for households with heterogeneous preferences about discounting. We separate households into those that demonstrate inconsistent (or paradoxical) borrowing behavior, which may reflect nonlinear time discounting, and those with more consistent borrowing behavior. We find that a DC loan option raises current savings, but does so more for households with consistent borrowing behavior than for those with inconsistent borrowing behavior. © The Author(s) 2013.

Contingency Contractor Optimization Phase 3 Sustainment Software Design Document - Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool - Prototype

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

Durfee, Justin David; Frazier, Christopher Rawls; Bandlow, Alisa

This document describes the final software design of the Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool - Prototype. Its purpose is to provide the overall architecture of the software and the logic behind this architecture. Documentation for the individual classes is provided in the application Javadoc. The Contingency Contractor Optimization project is intended to address Department of Defense mandates by delivering a centralized strategic planning tool that allows senior decision makers to quickly and accurately assess the impacts, risks, and mitigation strategies associated with utilizing contract support. The Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool - Prototype was developed in Phase 3 of the OSD ATLmore » Contingency Contractor Optimization project to support strategic planning for contingency contractors. The planning tool uses a model to optimize the Total Force mix by minimizing the combined total costs for selected mission scenarios. The model optimizes the match of personnel types (military, DoD civilian, and contractors) and capabilities to meet mission requirements as effectively as possible, based on risk, cost, and other requirements.« less

Observation planning tools for the ESO VLT interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKay, Derek J.; Ballester, Pascal; Vinther, Jakob

2004-09-01

Now that the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) is producing regular scientific observations, the field of optical interferometry has moved from being a specialist niche area into mainstream astronomy. Making such instruments available to the general community involves difficult challenges in modelling, presentation and automation. The planning of each interferometric observation requires calibrator source selection, visibility prediction, signal-to-noise estimation and exposure time calculation. These planning tools require detailed physical models simulating the complete telescope system - including the observed source, atmosphere, array configuration, optics, detector and data processing. Only then can these software utilities provide accurate predictions about instrument performance, robust noise estimation and reliable metrics indicating the anticipated success of an observation. The information must be presented in a clear, intelligible manner, sufficiently abstract to hide the details of telescope technicalities, but still giving the user a degree of control over the system. The Data Flow System group has addressed the needs of the VLTI and, in doing so, has gained some new insights into the planning of observations, and the modelling and simulation of interferometer performance. This paper reports these new techniques, as well as the successes of the Data Flow System group in this area and a summary of what is now offered as standard to VLTI observers.

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.

Incorporating a Generic Model of Subcutaneous Insulin Absorption into the AIDA v4 Diabetes Simulator: 1. A Prospective Collaborative Development Plan

PubMed Central

Lehmann, Eldon D.; Tarín, Cristina; Bondia, Jorge; Teufel, Edgar; Deutsch, Tibor

2007-01-01

Introduction AIDA v4 is an interactive educational diabetes simulator that has been made available, for over a decade, without charge via the Internet. The software is currently freely accessible at http://www.2aida.org. This report sets out a collaborative development plan to enhance the program with a new model of subcutaneous insulin absorption, which permits the simulation of rapidly acting and very long-acting insulin analogues, as well as insulin injection doses larger than 40 units. Methods A novel, generic, physiological subcutaneous insulin absorption model is overviewed and a methodology is proposed by which this can be substituted in place of the previously adopted insulin absorption model utilized within AIDA v4.3a. Apart from this substitution it is proposed to retain the existing model of the glucoregulatory system currently used in AIDA v4.3a. Results Initial simulation results based on bench testing of this approach using MATLAB are presented for the exogenous insulin flow profile (Iex) following subcutaneous injections of a rapidly acting insulin analogue, a short-acting (regular) insulin preparation, intermediate-acting insulins (both Semilente and neutral protamine Hagedorn types), and a very long-acting insulin analogue. Discussion It is proposed to implement this collaborative development plan—first by bench testing the approach in MATLAB and then by integrating the generic subcutaneous insulin absorption Iex model into the AIDA simulator in Pascal. The aim is to provide enhanced functionality and educational simulations of regimens utilizing novel insulin analogues, as well as injections larger than 40 units of insulin. PMID:19885100

Mathematical Modeling of Food Supply for Long Term Space Missions Using Advanced Life Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruthirds, John E.

2003-01-01

A habitat for long duration missions which utilizes Advanced Life Support (ALS), the Bioregenerative Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex (BIO-Plex), is currently being built at JSC. In this system all consumables will be recycled and reused. In support of this effort, a menu is being planned utilizing ALS crops that will meet nutritional and psychological requirements. The need exists in the food system to identify specific physical quantities that define life support systems from an analysis and modeling perspective. Once these quantities are defined, they need to be fed into a mathematical model that takes into consideration other systems in the BIO-Plex. This model, if successful, will be used to understand the impacts of changes in the food system on the other systems and vice versa. The Equivalent System Mass (ESM) metric has been used to describe systems and subsystems, including the food system options, in terms of the single parameter, mass. There is concern that this approach might not adequately address the important issues of food quality and psychological impact on crew morale of a supply of fiesh food items. In fact, the mass of food can also depend on the quality of the food. This summer faculty fellow project will involve creating an appropriate mathematical model for the food plan developed by the Food Processing System for BIO-Plex. The desired outcome of this work will be a quantitative model that can be applied to the various options of supplying food on long-term space missions.

42 CFR 456.522 - Content of request for variance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time..., mental hospital, and ICF located within a 50-mile radius of the facility; (e) The distance and average...

42 CFR 456.508 - Withdrawal of waiver.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Waiver of Requirements § 456.508 Withdrawal of waiver.... (b) If a waiver is withdrawn by the Administrator, each hospital or mental hospital covered by the...

42 CFR 456.522 - Content of request for variance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time... travel time between the remote facility and each facility listed in paragraph (e) of this section; (f...

42 CFR 456.521 - Conditions for granting variance requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time... is unable to meet the time requirements for which the variance is requested; and (2) A revised UR...

Concurrent planning and execution for a walking robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, Reid

1990-07-01

The Planetary Rover project is developing the Ambler, a novel legged robot, and an autonomous software system for walking the Ambler over rough terrain. As part of the project, we have developed a system that integrates perception, planning, and real-time control to navigate a single leg of the robot through complex obstacle courses. The system is integrated using the Task Control Architecture (TCA), a general-purpose set of utilities for building and controlling distributed mobile robot systems. The walking system, as originally implemented, utilized a sequential sense-plan-act control cycle. This report describes efforts to improve the performance of the system by concurrently planning and executing steps. Concurrency was achieved by modifying the existing sequential system to utilize TCA features such as resource management, monitors, temporal constraints, and hierarchical task trees. Performance was increased in excess of 30 percent with only a relatively modest effort to convert and test the system. The results lend support to the utility of using TCA to develop complex mobile robot systems.

Using model based systems engineering for the development of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope's operational plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvy, Brian M.; Claver, Charles; Willman, Beth; Petravick, Don; Johnson, Margaret; Reil, Kevin; Marshall, Stuart; Thomas, Sandrine; Lotz, Paul; Schumacher, German; Lim, Kian-Tat; Jenness, Tim; Jacoby, Suzanne; Emmons, Ben; Axelrod, Tim

2016-08-01

We† provide an overview of the Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) language, tool, and methodology being used in our development of the Operational Plan for Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) operations. LSST's Systems Engineering (SE) team is using a model-based approach to operational plan development to: 1) capture the topdown stakeholders' needs and functional allocations defining the scope, required tasks, and personnel needed for operations, and 2) capture the bottom-up operations and maintenance activities required to conduct the LSST survey across its distributed operations sites for the full ten year survey duration. To accomplish these complimentary goals and ensure that they result in self-consistent results, we have developed a holistic approach using the Sparx Enterprise Architect modeling tool and Systems Modeling Language (SysML). This approach utilizes SysML Use Cases, Actors, associated relationships, and Activity Diagrams to document and refine all of the major operations and maintenance activities that will be required to successfully operate the observatory and meet stakeholder expectations. We have developed several customized extensions of the SysML language including the creation of a custom stereotyped Use Case element with unique tagged values, as well as unique association connectors and Actor stereotypes. We demonstrate this customized MBSE methodology enables us to define: 1) the rolls each human Actor must take on to successfully carry out the activities associated with the Use Cases; 2) the skills each Actor must possess; 3) the functional allocation of all required stakeholder activities and Use Cases to organizational entities tasked with carrying them out; and 4) the organization structure required to successfully execute the operational survey. Our approach allows for continual refinement utilizing the systems engineering spiral method to expose finer levels of detail as necessary. For example, the bottom-up, Use Case-driven approach will be deployed in the future to develop the detailed work procedures required to successfully execute each operational activity.

San Juan National Forest Land Management Planning Support System (LMPSS) requirements definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werth, L. F. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The role of remote sensing data as it relates to a three-component land management planning system (geographic information, data base management, and planning model) can be understood only when user requirements are known. Personnel at the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado were interviewed to determine data needs for managing and monitoring timber, rangelands, wildlife, fisheries, soils, water, geology and recreation facilities. While all the information required for land management planning cannot be obtained using remote sensing techniques, valuable information can be provided for the geographic information system. A wide range of sensors such as small and large format cameras, synthetic aperture radar, and LANDSAT data should be utilized. Because of the detail and accuracy required, high altitude color infrared photography should serve as the baseline data base and be supplemented and updated with data from the other sensors.

Utility of the Montreal assessment of need questionnaire for community mental health planning.

PubMed

Tremblay, Jacques; Bamvita, Jean-Marie; Grenier, Guy; Fleury, Marie-Josée

2014-09-01

Needs assessment facilitates mental health services planning, provision, and evaluation. This study aimed to (a) validate a new instrument, the Montreal Assessment of Needs Questionnaire (MANQ), and (b) use this to assess variations and predictors of need (number and seriousness) in 297 individuals with severe mental disorders for 18 months, during implementation of the Quebec Mental Health Action Plan. MANQ internal and external validations were adequate. Variables significantly associated with need number and seriousness variations were used to build multiple linear regression models. Autonomous housing, not receiving welfare, not having consulted a health educator, higher level of help from services, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test total score, and social support were associated with decreasing need number and seriousness over time. Having a higher education was also associated with decreasing need number. In a reform context, the MANQ's unique ability to detect rapid improvement in patient needs has usefulness for Quebec mental health planning.

Plan of research for integrated soil moisture studies. Recommendations of the Soil Moisture Working Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Soil moisture information is a potentially powerful tool for applications in agriculture, water resources, and climate. At present, it is difficult for users of this information to clearly define their needs in terms of accuracy, resolution and frequency because of the current sparsity of data. A plan is described for defining and conducting an integrated and coordinated research effort to develop and refine remote sensing techniques which will determine spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture and to utilize soil moisture information in support of agricultural, water resources, and climate applications. The soil moisture requirements of these three different application areas were reviewed in relation to each other so that one plan covering the three areas could be formulated. Four subgroups were established to write and compile the plan, namely models, ground-based studies, aircraft experiments, and spacecraft missions.

Dynamic Modeling and Soil Mechanics for Path Planning of the Mars Exploration Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trease, Brian; Arvidson, Raymond; Lindemann, Randel; Bennett, Keith; Zhou, Feng; Iagnemma, Karl; Senatore, Carmine; Van Dyke, Lauren

2011-01-01

To help minimize risk of high sinkage and slippage during drives and to better understand soil properties and rover terramechanics from drive data, a multidisciplinary team was formed under the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project to develop and utilize dynamic computer-based models for rover drives over realistic terrains. The resulting tool, named ARTEMIS (Adams-based Rover Terramechanics and Mobility Interaction Simulator), consists of the dynamic model, a library of terramechanics subroutines, and the high-resolution digital elevation maps of the Mars surface. A 200-element model of the rovers was developed and validated for drop tests before launch, using MSC-Adams dynamic modeling software. Newly modeled terrain-rover interactions include the rut-formation effect of deformable soils, using the classical Bekker-Wong implementation of compaction resistances and bull-dozing effects. The paper presents the details and implementation of the model with two case studies based on actual MER telemetry data. In its final form, ARTEMIS will be used in a predictive manner to assess terrain navigability and will become part of the overall effort in path planning and navigation for both Martian and lunar rovers.

Simulating Spatial Growth Patterns in Developing Countries: A Case of Shama in the Western Region of Ghana.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inkoom, J. N.; Nyarko, B. K.

2014-12-01

The integration of geographic information systems (GIS) and agent-based modelling (ABM) can be an efficient tool to improve spatial planning practices. This paper utilizes GIS and ABM approaches to simulate spatial growth patterns of settlement structures in Shama. A preliminary household survey on residential location decision-making choice served as the behavioural rule for household agents in the model. Physical environment properties of the model were extracted from a 2005 image implemented in NetLogo. The resulting growth pattern model was compared with empirical growth patterns to ascertain the model's accuracy. The paper establishes that the development of unplanned structures and its evolving structural pattern are a function of land price, proximity to economic centres, household economic status and location decision-making patterns. The application of the proposed model underlines its potential for integration into urban planning policies and practices, and for understanding residential decision-making processes in emerging cities in developing countries. Key Words: GIS; Agent-based modelling; Growth patterns; NetLogo; Location decision making; Computational Intelligence.

Improving operating room efficiency by applying bin-packing and portfolio techniques to surgical case scheduling.

PubMed

Van Houdenhoven, Mark; van Oostrum, Jeroen M; Hans, Erwin W; Wullink, Gerhard; Kazemier, Geert

2007-09-01

An operating room (OR) department has adopted an efficient business model and subsequently investigated how efficiency could be further improved. The aim of this study is to show the efficiency improvement of lowering organizational barriers and applying advanced mathematical techniques. We applied advanced mathematical algorithms in combination with scenarios that model relaxation of various organizational barriers using prospectively collected data. The setting is the main inpatient OR department of a university hospital, which sets its surgical case schedules 2 wk in advance using a block planning method. The main outcome measures are the number of freed OR blocks and OR utilization. Lowering organizational barriers and applying mathematical algorithms can yield a 4.5% point increase in OR utilization (95% confidence interval 4.0%-5.0%). This is obtained by reducing the total required OR time. Efficient OR departments can further improve their efficiency. The paper shows that a radical cultural change that comprises the use of mathematical algorithms and lowering organizational barriers improves OR utilization.

The Business Case for Payer Support of a Community-Based Health Information Exchange: A Humana Pilot Evaluating Its Effectiveness in Cost Control for Plan Members Seeking Emergency Department Care

PubMed Central

Tzeel, Albert; Lawnicki, Victor; Pemble, Kim R.

2011-01-01

Background As emergency department utilization continues to increase, health plans must limit their cost exposure, which may be driven by duplicate testing and a lack of medical history at the point of care. Based on previous studies, health information exchanges (HIEs) can potentially provide health plans with the ability to address this need. Objective To assess the effectiveness of a community-based HIE in controlling plan costs arising from emergency department care for a health plan's members. Albert Tzeel Methods The study design was observational, with an eligible population (N = 1482) of fully insured plan members who sought emergency department care on at least 2 occasions during the study period, from December 2008 through March 2010. Cost and utilization data, obtained from member claims, were matched to a list of persons utilizing the emergency department where HIE querying could have occurred. Eligible members underwent propensity score matching to create a test group (N = 326) in which the HIE database was queried in all emergency department visits, and a control group (N = 325) in which the HIE database was not queried in any emergency department visit. Results Post–propensity matching analysis showed that the test group achieved an average savings of $29 per emergency department visit compared with the control group. Decreased utilization of imaging procedures and diagnostic tests drove this cost-savings. Conclusions When clinicians utilize HIE in the care of patients who present to the emergency department, the costs borne by a health plan providing coverage for these patients decrease. Although many factors can play a role in this finding, it is likely that HIEs obviate unnecessary service utilization through provision of historical medical information regarding specific patients at the point of care. PMID:25126351

Information system and website design to support theautomotive manufacture ERP system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amran, T. G.; Azmi, N.; Surjawati, A. A.

2017-12-01

This research is to create an on-time production system design with Heijunka model so that the product diversity for all models could meet time and capacity requirements, own production flexibility, high quality, meet the customers’ demands, realistic in production as well as creating a web-based local components’ order information system that supports the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The Heijunka model for equalization with heuristic and stochastic model has been implemented for productions up to 3000 units by implementing Suzuki International Manufacturing. The inefficiency in the local order information system demanded the need for a new information system design that is integrated in ERP. Kaizen needs to be done is the Supplier Network that all vendors can download and utilize those data to deliver the components to the company and for vendors’ internal uses as well. The model design is presumed effective where the model is able to be utilized as a solution so that the production can run according to the schedule and presumed efficient were the model is able to show the reduction of loss time and stock.

SU-F-T-252: An Investigation of Gamma Knife Frame Definition Error When Using a Pre-Planning Workflow

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

Johnson, P

Purpose: To determine causal factors related to high frame definition error when treating GK patients using a pre-planning workflow. Methods: 160 cases were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received treatment using a pre-planning workflow whereby stereotactic coordinates are determined from a CT scan acquired after framing using a fiducial box. The planning software automatically detects the fiducials and compares their location to expected values based on the rigid design of the fiducial system. Any difference is reported as mean and maximum frame definition error. The manufacturer recommends these values be less than 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm. In this study, framemore » definition error was analyzed in comparison with a variety of factors including which neurosurgeon/oncologist/physicist was involved with the procedure, number of post used during framing (3 or 4), type of lesion, and which CT scanner was utilized for acquisition. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach was used to statistically evaluate the data and determine causal factors related to instances of high frame definition error. Results: Two factors were identified as significant: number of post (p=0.0003) and CT scanner (p=0.0001). Further analysis showed that one of the four scanners was significantly different than the others. This diagnostic scanner was identified as an older model with localization lasers not tightly calibrated. The average value for maximum frame definition error using this scanner was 1.48 mm (4 posts) and 1.75 mm (3 posts). For the other scanners this value was 1.13 mm (4 posts) and 1.40 mm (3 posts). Conclusion: In utilizing a pre-planning workflow the choice of CT scanner matters. Any scanner utilized for GK should undergo routine QA at a level appropriate for radiation oncology. In terms of 3 vs 4 post, it is hypothesized that three posts provide less stability during CT acquisition. This will be tested in future work.« less

Maximizing Energy Savings Reliability in BC Hydro Industrial Demand-side Management Programs: An Assessment of Performance Incentive Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosman, Nathaniel

For energy utilities faced with expanded jurisdictional energy efficiency requirements and pursuing demand-side management (DSM) incentive programs in the large industrial sector, performance incentive programs can be an effective means to maximize the reliability of planned energy savings. Performance incentive programs balance the objectives of high participation rates with persistent energy savings by: (1) providing financial incentives and resources to minimize constraints to investment in energy efficiency, and (2) requiring that incentive payments be dependent on measured energy savings over time. As BC Hydro increases its DSM initiatives to meet the Clean Energy Act objective to reduce at least 66 per cent of new electricity demand with DSM by 2020, the utility is faced with a higher level of DSM risk, or uncertainties that impact the costeffective acquisition of planned energy savings. For industrial DSM incentive programs, DSM risk can be broken down into project development and project performance risks. Development risk represents the project ramp-up phase and is the risk that planned energy savings do not materialize due to low customer response to program incentives. Performance risk represents the operational phase and is the risk that planned energy savings do not persist over the effective measure life. DSM project development and performance risks are, in turn, a result of industrial economic, technological and organizational conditions, or DSM risk factors. In the BC large industrial sector, and characteristic of large industrial sectors in general, these DSM risk factors include: (1) capital constraints to investment in energy efficiency, (2) commodity price volatility, (3) limited internal staffing resources to deploy towards energy efficiency, (4) variable load, process-based energy saving potential, and (5) a lack of organizational awareness of an operation's energy efficiency over time (energy performance). This research assessed the capacity of alternative performance incentive program models to manage DSM risk in BC. Three performance incentive program models were assessed and compared to BC Hydro's current large industrial DSM incentive program, Power Smart Partners -- Transmission Project Incentives, itself a performance incentive-based program. Together, the selected program models represent a continuum of program design and implementation in terms of the schedule and level of incentives provided, the duration and rigour of measurement and verification (M&V), energy efficiency measures targeted and involvement of the private sector. A multi criteria assessment framework was developed to rank the capacity of each program model to manage BC large industrial DSM risk factors. DSM risk management rankings were then compared to program costeffectiveness, targeted energy savings potential in BC and survey results from BC industrial firms on the program models. The findings indicate that the reliability of DSM energy savings in the BC large industrial sector can be maximized through performance incentive program models that: (1) offer incentives jointly for capital and low-cost operations and maintenance (O&M) measures, (2) allow flexible lead times for project development, (3) utilize rigorous M&V methods capable of measuring variable load, process-based energy savings, (4) use moderate contract lengths that align with effective measure life, and (5) integrate energy management software tools capable of providing energy performance feedback to customers to maximize the persistence of energy savings. While this study focuses exclusively on the BC large industrial sector, the findings of this research have applicability to all energy utilities serving large, energy intensive industrial sectors.

Climate Narratives: Combing multiple sources of information to develop risk management strategies for a municipal water utility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yates, D. N.; Basdekas, L.; Rajagopalan, B.; Stewart, N.

2013-12-01

Municipal water utilities often develop Integrated Water Resource Plans (IWRP), with the goal of providing a reliable, sustainable water supply to customers in a cost-effective manner. Colorado Springs Utilities, a 5-service provider (potable and waste water, solid waste, natural gas and electricity) in Colorado USA, recently undertook an IWRP. where they incorporated water supply, water demand, water quality, infrastructure reliability, environmental protection, and other measures within the context of complex water rights, such as their critically important 'exchange potential'. The IWRP noted that an uncertain climate was one of the greatest sources of uncertainty to achieving a sustainable water supply to a growing community of users. We describe how historic drought, paleo-climate, and climate change projections were blended together into climate narratives that informed a suite of water resource systems models used by the utility to explore the vulnerabilities of their water systems.

The effect of Employee Assistance Programs use on healthcare utilization.

PubMed

Zarkin, G A; Bray, J W; Qi, J

2000-04-01

To estimate the effect of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) use on healthcare utilization as measured by health claims. A unique data set that combines individual-level information on EAP utilization, demographic information, and health insurance claims from 1991 to 1995 for all employees of a large midwestern employer. Using "fixed-effect" econometric models that control for unobserved differences between individuals' propensities to use healthcare resources and the EAP, we perform our analyses in two steps. First, for those employees who visited the EAP, we test whether post-EAP claims differ from pre-EAP claims. Second, we combine claims data of individuals who went to an EAP with those of individuals who did not use an EAP to test whether differences in utilization exist between EAP users and nonusers. From the EAP we obtained the date of first EAP contact for all employees who used the service, and from the company's human resources department we obtained limited demographic data on all employees. We obtained healthcare utilization claims data on all employees and their dependents from the company's two healthcare plans: a fee-for-service (FFS) plan and a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan. We found that going to an EAP substantially increases both the probability of an alcohol, drug abuse, or mental health (ADM) claim and the number of ADM claims in the same quarter as EAP contact. The increased probability of an ADM claim persists for approximately 11 quarters after the initial contact, while the increased ADM charges persist for approximately six quarters after the initial EAP contact. Our results strongly suggest that the EAP is able to identify behavioral and other health problems that may affect workplace performance and prompt EAP users to access ADM and other healthcare. Consistent with the stated goals of many EAPs, including the one examined in this study, this process should improve individuals' health, family functioning, and workplace performance.

The effect of Employee Assistance Programs use on healthcare utilization.

PubMed Central

Zarkin, G A; Bray, J W; Qi, J

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) use on healthcare utilization as measured by health claims. DATA SOURCES: A unique data set that combines individual-level information on EAP utilization, demographic information, and health insurance claims from 1991 to 1995 for all employees of a large midwestern employer. STUDY DESIGN: Using "fixed-effect" econometric models that control for unobserved differences between individuals' propensities to use healthcare resources and the EAP, we perform our analyses in two steps. First, for those employees who visited the EAP, we test whether post-EAP claims differ from pre-EAP claims. Second, we combine claims data of individuals who went to an EAP with those of individuals who did not use an EAP to test whether differences in utilization exist between EAP users and nonusers. DATA COLLECTION METHODS: From the EAP we obtained the date of first EAP contact for all employees who used the service, and from the company's human resources department we obtained limited demographic data on all employees. We obtained healthcare utilization claims data on all employees and their dependents from the company's two healthcare plans: a fee-for-service (FFS) plan and a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that going to an EAP substantially increases both the probability of an alcohol, drug abuse, or mental health (ADM) claim and the number of ADM claims in the same quarter as EAP contact. The increased probability of an ADM claim persists for approximately 11 quarters after the initial contact, while the increased ADM charges persist for approximately six quarters after the initial EAP contact. CONCLUSIONS: Our results strongly suggest that the EAP is able to identify behavioral and other health problems that may affect workplace performance and prompt EAP users to access ADM and other healthcare. Consistent with the stated goals of many EAPs, including the one examined in this study, this process should improve individuals' health, family functioning, and workplace performance. PMID:10778825

Risk adjustment alternatives in paying for behavioral health care under Medicaid.

PubMed Central

Ettner, S L; Frank, R G; McGuire, T G; Hermann, R C

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of various risk adjustment models in behavioral health applications such as setting mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) capitation payments or overall capitation payments for populations including MH/SA users. DATA SOURCES/STUDY DESIGN: The 1991-93 administrative data from the Michigan Medicaid program were used. We compared mean absolute prediction error for several risk adjustment models and simulated the profits and losses that behavioral health care carve outs and integrated health plans would experience under risk adjustment if they enrolled beneficiaries with a history of MH/SA problems. Models included basic demographic adjustment, Adjusted Diagnostic Groups, Hierarchical Condition Categories, and specifications designed for behavioral health. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Differences in predictive ability among risk adjustment models were small and generally insignificant. Specifications based on relatively few MH/SA diagnostic categories did as well as or better than models controlling for additional variables such as medical diagnoses at predicting MH/SA expenditures among adults. Simulation analyses revealed that among both adults and minors considerable scope remained for behavioral health care carve outs to make profits or losses after risk adjustment based on differential enrollment of severely ill patients. Similarly, integrated health plans have strong financial incentives to avoid MH/SA users even after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Current risk adjustment methodologies do not eliminate the financial incentives for integrated health plans and behavioral health care carve-out plans to avoid high-utilizing patients with psychiatric disorders. PMID:11508640

Modeling Requirements for Cohort and Register IT.

PubMed

Stäubert, Sebastian; Weber, Ulrike; Michalik, Claudia; Dress, Jochen; Ngouongo, Sylvie; Stausberg, Jürgen; Winter, Alfred

2016-01-01

The project KoRegIT (funded by TMF e.V.) aimed to develop a generic catalog of requirements for research networks like cohort studies and registers (KoReg). The catalog supports such kind of research networks to build up and to manage their organizational and IT infrastructure. To make transparent the complex relationships between requirements, which are described in use cases from a given text catalog. By analyzing and modeling the requirements a better understanding and optimizations of the catalog are intended. There are two subgoals: a) to investigate one cohort study and two registers and to model the current state of their IT infrastructure; b) to analyze the current state models and to find simplifications within the generic catalog. Processing the generic catalog was performed by means of text extraction, conceptualization and concept mapping. Then methods of enterprise architecture planning (EAP) are used to model the extracted information. To work on objective a) questionnaires are developed by utilizing the model. They are used for semi-structured interviews, whose results are evaluated via qualitative content analysis. Afterwards the current state was modeled. Objective b) was done by model analysis. A given generic text catalog of requirements was transferred into a model. As result of objective a) current state models of one existing cohort study and two registers are created and analyzed. An optimized model called KoReg-reference-model is the result of objective b). It is possible to use methods of EAP to model requirements. This enables a better overview of the partly connected requirements by means of visualization. The model based approach also enables the analysis and comparison of the empirical data from the current state models. Information managers could reduce the effort of planning the IT infrastructure utilizing the KoReg-reference-model. Modeling the current state and the generation of reports from the model, which could be used as requirements specification for bids, is supported, too.

Medicare Part D Roulette: Potential Implications of Random Assignment and Plan Restrictions

PubMed Central

Patel, Rajul A.; Walberg, Mark P.; Woelfel, Joseph A.; Amaral, Michelle M.; Varu, Paresh

2013-01-01

Background Dual-eligible (Medicare/Medicaid) beneficiaries are randomly assigned to a benchmark plan, which provides prescription drug coverage under the Part D benefit without consideration of their prescription drug profile. To date, the potential for beneficiary assignment to a plan with poor formulary coverage has been minimally studied and the resultant financial impact to beneficiaries unknown. Objective We sought to determine cost variability and drug use restrictions under each available 2010 California benchmark plan. Methods Dual-eligible beneficiaries were provided Part D plan assistance during the 2010 annual election period. The Medicare Web site was used to determine benchmark plan costs and prescription utilization restrictions for each of the six California benchmark plans available for random assignment in 2010. A standardized survey was used to record all de-identified beneficiary demographic and plan specific data. For each low-income subsidy-recipient (n = 113), cost, rank, number of non-formulary medications, and prescription utilization restrictions were recorded for each available 2010 California benchmark plan. Formulary matching rates (percent of beneficiary's medications on plan formulary) were calculated for each benchmark plan. Results Auto-assigned beneficiaries had only a 34% chance of being assigned to the lowest cost plan; the remainder faced potentially significant avoidable out-of-pocket costs. Wide variations between benchmark plans were observed for plan cost, formulary coverage, formulary matching rates, and prescription utilization restrictions. Conclusions Beneficiaries had a 66% chance of being assigned to a sub-optimal plan; thereby, they faced significant avoidable out-of-pocket costs. Alternative methods of beneficiary assignment could decrease beneficiary and Medicare costs while also reducing medication non-compliance. PMID:24753963

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Evaluation Study: Impact on Specialty Behavioral Health Care Utilization and Spending Among Carve-In Enrollees.

PubMed

Harwood, Jessica M; Azocar, Francisca; Thalmayer, Amber; Xu, Haiyong; Ong, Michael K; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Wells, Kenneth B; Friedman, Sarah; Ettner, Susan L

2017-02-01

The federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) sought to eliminate historical disparities between insurance coverage for behavioral health (BH) treatment and coverage for medical treatment. Our objective was to evaluate MHPAEA's impact on BH expenditures and utilization among "carve-in" enrollees. We received specialty BH insurance claims and eligibility data from Optum, sampling 5,987,776 adults enrolled in self-insured plans from large employers. An interrupted time series study design with segmented regression analysis estimated monthly time trends of per-member spending and use before (2008-2009), during (2010), and after (2011-2013) MHPAEA compliance (N=179,506,951 member-month observations). Outcomes included: total, plan, patient out-of-pocket spending; outpatient utilization (assessment/diagnostic evaluation visits, medication management, individual and family psychotherapy); intermediate care utilization (structured outpatient, day treatment, residential); and inpatient utilization. MHPAEA was associated with increases in monthly per-member total spending, plan spending, assessment/diagnostic evaluation visits [respective immediate increases of: $1.05 (P=0.02); $0.88 (P=0.04); 0.00045 visits (P=0.00)], and individual psychotherapy visits [immediate increase of 0.00578 visits (P=0.00) and additional increases of 0.00017 visits/mo (P=0.03)]. MHPAEA was associated with modest increases in total and plan spending and outpatient utilization; for example, in July 2012 predicted per-enrollee plan spending was $4.92 without MHPAEA and $6.14 with MHPAEA. Efforts should focus on understanding how other barriers to BH care unaddressed by MHPAEA may affect access/utilization. Future research should evaluate effects produced by the Affordable Care Act's inclusion of BH care as an essential health benefit and expansion of MHPAEA protections to the individual and small group markets.

42 CFR 456.524 - Notification of Administrator's action and duration of variance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time Requirements § 456.524 Notification of Administrator's action and duration of...

SU-F-T-25: Design and Implementation of a Multi-Purpose Applicator for Pelvic Brachytherapy Applications

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

Bogue, J; Parsai, E

Purpose: The current generation of inflatable multichannel brachytherapy applicators, such as the Varian Capri, have limited implementation to only vaginal and rectal cancers. While there are similar designs utilizing rigid, non-inflatable applicators, these alternatives could cause increased dose to surrounding tissue due to air gaps. Modification of the Capri could allow for easier treatment planning by reducing the number of channels and increased versatility by modifying the applicator to include an attachable single tandem for cervical or multiple tandems for endometrial applications. Methods: A Varian Capri applicator was simulated in water to replicate a patient. Multiple plans were optimized tomore » deliver a prescribed dose of 100 cGy at 5mm away from the exterior of the applicator using six to thirteen existing channels. The current model was expanded upon to include a detachable tandem or multiple tandoms to increase its functionality to both cervical and endometrial cancers. Models were constructed in both threedimensional rendering software and Monte Carlo to allow prototyping and simulations. Results: Treatment plans utilizing six to thirteen channels produced limited dosimetric differences between channel arrangements, with a seven channel plan very closely approximating the thirteen channels. It was concluded that only seven channels would be necessary in future simulations to give an accurate representation of the applicator. Tandem attachments were prototyped for the applicator to demonstrate the ease of which they could be included. Future simulation in treatment planning software and Monte Carlo results will be presented to further define the ideal applicator geometry Conclusion: The current Capri applicator design could be easily modified to increase applicability to include cervical and endometrial treatments in addition to vaginal and rectal cancers. This new design helps in a more versatile single use applicator that can easily be inserted and to further reduce dose to critical structures during brachytherapy treatments.« less

Guided endodontics: accuracy of a novel method for guided access cavity preparation and root canal location.

PubMed

Zehnder, M S; Connert, T; Weiger, R; Krastl, G; Kühl, S

2016-10-01

To present a novel method utilizing 3D printed templates to gain guided access to root canals and to evaluate its accuracy in vitro. Sixty extracted human teeth were placed into six maxillary jaw models. Preoperative CBCT scans were matched with intra-oral scans using the coDiagnostix(™) software. Access cavities, sleeves and templates for guidance were virtually planned. Templates were produced by a 3D printer. After access cavity preparation by two operators, a postoperative CBCT scan was superimposed on the virtual planning. Accuracy was measured by calculating the deviation of planned and prepared cavities in three dimensions and angle. Ninety-five per cent confidence intervals were calculated for both operators. All root canals were accessible after cavity preparation with 'Guided Endodontics'. Deviations of planned and prepared access cavities were low with means ranging from 0.16 to 0.21 mm for different aspects at the base of the bur and 0.17-0.47 mm at the tip of the bur. Mean of angle deviation was 1.81°. Overlapping 95% confidence intervals revealed no significant difference between operators. 'Guided Endodontics' allowed an accurate access cavity preparation up to the apical third of the root utilizing printed templates for guidance. All root canals were accessible after preparation. © 2015 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Automatic corpus callosum segmentation for standardized MR brain scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Qing; Chen, Hong; Zhang, Li; Novak, Carol L.

2007-03-01

Magnetic Resonance (MR) brain scanning is often planned manually with the goal of aligning the imaging plane with key anatomic landmarks. The planning is time-consuming and subject to inter- and intra- operator variability. An automatic and standardized planning of brain scans is highly useful for clinical applications, and for maximum utility should work on patients of all ages. In this study, we propose a method for fully automatic planning that utilizes the landmarks from two orthogonal images to define the geometry of the third scanning plane. The corpus callosum (CC) is segmented in sagittal images by an active shape model (ASM), and the result is further improved by weighting the boundary movement with confidence scores and incorporating region based refinement. Based on the extracted contour of the CC, several important landmarks are located and then combined with landmarks from the coronal or transverse plane to define the geometry of the third plane. Our automatic method is tested on 54 MR images from 24 patients and 3 healthy volunteers, with ages ranging from 4 months to 70 years old. The average accuracy with respect to two manually labeled points on the CC is 3.54 mm and 4.19 mm, and differed by an average of 2.48 degrees from the orientation of the line connecting them, demonstrating that our method is sufficiently accurate for clinical use.

Resource Allocation Algorithms for the Next Generation Cellular Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amzallag, David; Raz, Danny

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

Commerce Lab - A program of commercial flight opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, J.; Atkins, H. L.; Williams, J. R.

1985-01-01

Commerce Lab is conceived as an adjunct to the National Space Transportation System (NSTS) by providing a focal point for commercial missions which could utilize existing NSTS carrier and resource capabilities for on-orbit experimentation in the microgravity sciences. In this context, the Commerce Lab program provides mission planning for private sector involvement in the space program, in general, and the commercial exploitation of the microgravity environment for materials processing research and development. It is expected that Commerce Lab will provide a logical transition between currently planned NSTS missions and future microgravity science and commercial R&D missions centered around the Space Station. The present study identifies candidate Commerce Lab flight experiments and their development status and projects a mission traffic model that can be used in commercial mission planning.

Predicting having condoms available among adolescents: the role of personal norm and enjoyment.

PubMed

Jellema, Ilke J; Abraham, Charles; Schaalma, Herman P; Gebhardt, Winifred A; van Empelen, Pepijn

2013-05-01

Having condoms available has been shown to be an important predictor of condom use. We examined whether or not personal norm and goal enjoyment contribute to predicting having condoms available in the context of cognition specified by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Prospective survey study, with a baseline and follow-up measurement (at 3 months). Data were gathered using an online survey. In total 282 adolescents (mean age = 15.6, 74% female adolescents) completed both questionnaires. At baseline, demographics, sexual experience, condom use, TPB variables, descriptive norm, personal norm, and enjoyment towards having condoms available were measured. At T2 (3 months later) having condoms available was measured. Direct and moderating effects of personal norm and goal enjoyment were examined by means of hierarchical linear regression analyses. Regression analyses yielded a direct effect of self-efficacy and personal norm on condom availability. In addition, moderation of the intention-behaviour relation by goal enjoyment added to the variance explained. The final model explained approximately 35% of the variance in condom availability. Personal norm and goal enjoyment add to the predictive utility of a TPB model of having condoms available and may be useful intervention targets. What is already known about this subject? Having condoms available is an important prerequisite for actual condom use. The theory of planned behaviour has successfully been applied to explain condom availability behaviour. The theory of planned behaviour has been criticized for not adequately taking into account affective motivation. What does this study add? Personal norm and goal enjoyment add to the predictive utility of the model. Personal norm explains condom availability directly, enjoyment increases intention enactment. Personal norm and goal enjoyment therefore are useful intervention targets. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

Forecasting need and demand for home health care: a selective review

PubMed Central

Sharma, Rabinder K.

1980-01-01

Three models for forecasting home health care (HHC) needs are analyzed: HSA/SP model (Health Systems Agency of Southwestern Pennsylvania); Florida model (Florida State Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services); and Rhode Island model (Rhode Island Department of Community Affairs). A utilization approach to forecasting is also presented. In the HSA/SP and Florida models, need for HHC is based on a certain proportion of (a) hospital admissions and (b) patients entering HHC from other sources. The major advantage of these models is that they are relatively easy to use and explain; their major weaknesses are an imprecise definition of need and an incomplete model specification. The Rhode Island approach defines need for HHC in terms of the health status of the population as measured by chronic activity limitations. The major strengths of this approach are its explicit assumptions and its emphasis on consumer needs. The major drawback is that it requires considerable local area data. The utilization approach is based on extrapolation from observed utilization experience of the target population. Its main limitation is that it is based on current market imperfections; its major advantage is that it exposes existing deficiencies in HHC. The author concludes that each approach should be tested empirically in order to refine it, and that need and demand approaches be used jointly in the planning process. PMID:6893631

The value of foresight: how prospection affects decision-making.

PubMed

Pezzulo, Giovanni; Rigoli, Francesco

2011-01-01

Traditional theories of decision-making assume that utilities are based on the intrinsic value of outcomes; in turn, these values depend on associations between expected outcomes and the current motivational state of the decision-maker. This view disregards the fact that humans (and possibly other animals) have prospection abilities, which permit anticipating future mental processes and motivational and emotional states. For instance, we can evaluate future outcomes in light of the motivational state we expect to have when the outcome is collected, not (only) when we make a decision. Consequently, we can plan for the future and choose to store food to be consumed when we expect to be hungry, not immediately. Furthermore, similarly to any expected outcome, we can assign a value to our anticipated mental processes and emotions. It has been reported that (in some circumstances) human subjects prefer to receive an unavoidable punishment immediately, probably because they are anticipating the dread associated with the time spent waiting for the punishment. This article offers a formal framework to guide neuroeconomic research on how prospection affects decision-making. The model has two characteristics. First, it uses model-based Bayesian inference to describe anticipation of cognitive and motivational processes. Second, the utility-maximization process considers these anticipations in two ways: to evaluate outcomes (e.g., the pleasure of eating a pie is evaluated differently at the beginning of a dinner, when one is hungry, and at the end of the dinner, when one is satiated), and as outcomes having a value themselves (e.g., the case of dread as a cost of waiting for punishment). By explicitly accounting for the relationship between prospection and value, our model provides a framework to reconcile the utility-maximization approach with psychological phenomena such as planning for the future and dread.

The Value of Foresight: How Prospection Affects Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Pezzulo, Giovanni; Rigoli, Francesco

2011-01-01

Traditional theories of decision-making assume that utilities are based on the intrinsic value of outcomes; in turn, these values depend on associations between expected outcomes and the current motivational state of the decision-maker. This view disregards the fact that humans (and possibly other animals) have prospection abilities, which permit anticipating future mental processes and motivational and emotional states. For instance, we can evaluate future outcomes in light of the motivational state we expect to have when the outcome is collected, not (only) when we make a decision. Consequently, we can plan for the future and choose to store food to be consumed when we expect to be hungry, not immediately. Furthermore, similarly to any expected outcome, we can assign a value to our anticipated mental processes and emotions. It has been reported that (in some circumstances) human subjects prefer to receive an unavoidable punishment immediately, probably because they are anticipating the dread associated with the time spent waiting for the punishment. This article offers a formal framework to guide neuroeconomic research on how prospection affects decision-making. The model has two characteristics. First, it uses model-based Bayesian inference to describe anticipation of cognitive and motivational processes. Second, the utility-maximization process considers these anticipations in two ways: to evaluate outcomes (e.g., the pleasure of eating a pie is evaluated differently at the beginning of a dinner, when one is hungry, and at the end of the dinner, when one is satiated), and as outcomes having a value themselves (e.g., the case of dread as a cost of waiting for punishment). By explicitly accounting for the relationship between prospection and value, our model provides a framework to reconcile the utility-maximization approach with psychological phenomena such as planning for the future and dread. PMID:21747755

Operational Planning for Multiple Heterogeneous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Three Dimensions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

human input in the planning process. Two solution methods are presented: (1) a mixed-integer program, and (2) an algorithm that utilizes a metaheuristic ...and (2) an algorithm that utilizes a metaheuristic to generate composite variables for a linear program, called the Composite Operations Planning...that represent a path and an associated type of UAV. The reformulation is incorporated into an algorithm that uses a metaheuristic to generate the

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noble, S. K.; Nall, M. E.; French, R. A.; Muery, K. G.

2009-12-01

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project (LMMP) has been created to manage the development of a suite of lunar mapping and modeling products that support the Constellation Program (CxP) and other lunar exploration activities, including the planning, design, development, test and operations associated with lunar sortie missions, crewed and robotic operations on the surface, and the establishment of a lunar outpost. The information provided through LMMP will assist CxP in: planning tasks in the areas of landing site evaluation and selection, design and placement of landers and other stationary assets, design of rovers and other mobile assets, developing terrain-relative navigation (TRN) capabilities, and assessment and planning of science traverses. The project draws on expertise from several NASA and non-NASA organizations (MSFC, ARC, GSFC, JPL, CRREL - US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, and the USGS). LMMP will utilize data predominately from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, but also historical and international lunar mission data (e.g. Apollo, Lunar Orbiter, Kaguya, Chandrayaan-1), as available and appropriate, to meet Constellation’s data needs. LMMP will provide access to this data through a single intuitive and easy to use NASA portal that transparently accesses appropriately sanctioned portions of the widely dispersed and distributed collections of lunar data, products and tools. Two visualization systems are being developed, a web-based system called Lunar Mapper, and a desktop client, ILIADS, which will be downloadable from the LMMP portal. LMMP will provide such products as local and regional imagery and DEMs, hazard assessment maps, lighting and gravity models, and resource maps. We are working closely with the LRO team to prevent duplication of efforts and to ensure the highest quality data products. While Constellation is our primary customer, LMMP is striving to be as useful as possible to the lunar science community, the lunar commercial community, the lunar education and public outreach (E/PO) community, and anyone else interested in accessing or utilizing lunar data. A beta version of the portal and visualization systems is expected to be released in late 2009, with a version 1 release planned for early 2011.

Utilization of Negotiated Tuition Aid Benefits. A Summary of the Study "Where Are the Women? A Study of the Underutilization of Tuition Aid Plans."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramovitz, Mimi

A chapter from the forthcoming book, "Practitioners' Guide to Education for Working Adults," describes a year-long study to explore the low utilization of tuition aid plans in three unionized companies. The research has shown that the use of tuition aid programs is in inverse ratio to need. Workers who tend to utilize tuition aid are those who…

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Jerry

1998-01-01

The question "Why In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)?" is addressed in this presentation. The reasons given concentrate on Cost reduction, Mass reduction, Risk reduction, the expansion of human exploration and presence and the enabling of industrial exploitation. A review of the Martian and Lunar resources available for ISRU is presented. Other ISRU concepts (i.e., In-Situ Consumable production (ISCP) and In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP)) are introduced and further explained. The objectives of a Mars ISRU System Technology (MIST) include (1) the characterization of technology and subsystem performance for mission modeling and technology funding planning, (2) reduce risk and concerns arising from sample return and human missions utilizing ISRU, and (3) demonstrate the environmental suitability of ISRU components/processes and systems. A proof of concept demonstration schedule and a facility overview for MIST is presented.

"Life without nuclear power": A nuclear plant retirement formulation model and guide based on economics. San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station case: Economic impacts and reliability considerations leading to plant retirement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasko, Frank

Traditionally, electric utilities have been slow to change and very bureaucratic in nature. This culture, in and of itself, has now contributed to a high percentage of United States electric utilities operating uneconomical nuclear plants (Crooks, 2014). The economic picture behind owning and operating United States nuclear plants is less than favorable for many reasons including rising fuel, capital and operating costs (EUCG, 2012). This doctoral dissertation is specifically focused on life without nuclear power. The purpose of this dissertation is to create a model and guide that will provide electric utilities who currently operate or will operate uneconomical nuclear plants the opportunity to economically assess whether or not their nuclear plant should be retired. This economic assessment and stakeholder analysis will provide local government, academia and communities the opportunity to understand how Southern California Edison (SCE) embraced system upgrade import and "voltage support" opportunities to replace "base load" generation from San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) versus building new replacement generation facilities. This model and guide will help eliminate the need to build large replacement generation units as demonstrated in the SONGS case analysis. The application of The Nuclear Power Retirement Model and Guide will provide electric utilities with economic assessment parameters and an evaluation assessment progression needed to better evaluate when an uneconomical nuclear plant should be retired. It will provide electric utilities the opportunity to utilize sound policy, planning and development skill sets when making this difficult decision. There are currently 62 nuclear power plants (with 100 nuclear reactors) operating in the United States (EIA, 2014). From this group, 38 are at risk of early retirement based on the work of Cooper (2013). As demonstrated in my model, 35 of the 38 nuclear power plants qualify to move to the economic assessment review and then on to the stakeholder cost benefit analysis (if model qualifications are met) leading to a final plant retirement decision. This application via the model and guide, in turn, will lead electric utilities to explore system upgrade import opportunities and mitigation measures versus building new replacement generation facilities. United States nuclear reactors are licensed for 40 years with a 20 year extension available prior to the expiration date (EIA, 2013). Since late 2012, electric power companies have announced the early retirement of four uneconomical nuclear power plants while other studies have indicated that as many as 70 percent of United States nuclear power plants are potentially at risk for early retirement (Crooks, 2014 and Cooper, 2013). A high percentage of these aforementioned nuclear plants have operating licenses that will not expire until 2030 and beyond. Thus, for the most part, replacement power contingency planning has not been initiated for these plants or is still in preliminary stages. The recent nuclear plant retirements are the first since 1998 (EIA, 2013). Decisions to retire the plants involved concerns over maintenance and repair costs as well as declining profitability (EIA, 2013). In addition, the Energy Information Administration (2010-2012) released data that demonstrated that the worst 25 percent of United States nuclear plants are far more expensive to operate and generate electricity than new gas plants. It is equally important to understand and explain the economic and power replacement implications to both ratepayers and end-users. A SONGS case study analysis will review the economic, operational and political challenges that SCE faced leading to the retirement decision of SONGS. As preface to the case study, replacement steam generators (RSGs) were installed in Unit 2 in 2009 and in Unit 3 in 2010. In January 2012, while Unit 2 was down for routine maintenance, a small leak was discovered inside a steam generator in Unit 3. Because of the situation, both units remained shut down to evaluate the cause of the leakage and to make repairs. SCE submitted plans to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to re-start Unit 2 at reduced power. However, concerns over the length of the review process and the high costs associated with steam generator repairs led SCE to retire both reactors (SCE SONGS Fact Sheets, 2012-2013). Finally, collaborative resource power replacement planning is needed more than ever as nuclear facilities in the United States are now being retired for economic related reasons (Crooks, 2014). This collaborative power replacement process and implementation must encompass all relevant stakeholders including state grid operators, ratepayers, shareholders and the electric utility company.

Budgetary Impact of Cabazitaxel Use After Docetaxel Treatment for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Flannery, Kyle; Drea, Ed; Hudspeth, Louis; Corman, Shelby; Gao, Xin; Xue, Mei; Miao, Raymond

2017-04-01

With the approval of several new treatments for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), budgetary impact is a concern for health plan decision makers. Budget impact models (BIMs) are becoming a requirement in many countries as part of formulary approval or reimbursement decisions. Cabazitaxel is a second-generation taxane developed to overcome resistance to docetaxel and is approved for the treatment of patients with mCRPC previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen. To estimate a 1-year projected budget impact of varying utilization rates of cabazitaxel as a second-line treatment for mCRPC following docetaxel, using a hypothetical U.S. private managed care plan with 1 million members. A BIM was developed to evaluate costs for currently available treatment options for patients with mCRPC previously treated with docetaxel. Treatments included in the model were cabazitaxel, abiraterone acetate, enzalutamide, and radium-223, with utilization rates derived from market research data. Medication costs were calculated according to published pricing benchmarks factored by dosing and duration of therapy as stated in the prescribing information for each agent. Published rates and costs of grade 3-4 adverse events were also factored into the model. In addition, the model reports budget impact under 2 scenarios. In the first base-case scenario, patient out-of-pocket costs were subtracted from the total cost of treatment. In the second scenario, all treatment costs were assumed to be paid by the plan. In a hypothetical 1 million-member health plan population, 100 patients were estimated to receive second-line treatment for mCRPC after treatment with docetaxel. Using current utilization rates for the 4 agents of interest, the base-case scenario estimated the cost of second-line treatment after docetaxel to be $6,331,704, or $0.528 per member per month (PMPM). In a scenario where cabazitaxel use increases from the base-rate case of 24% to a hypothetical rate of 33%, the PMPM cost would decrease to $0.524, reflecting a cost saving of $0.004 PMPM and equating to incremental savings of $49,546, or $497 per patient per year (PPPY). In the second scenario, when out-of-pocket costs were not considered, the cost of second-line treatment after docetaxel was estimated as $6,733,594, or $0.561 PMPM. With a hypothetical increase in cabazitaxel use (24%-33%), the PMPM cost would decrease to $0.554, reflecting savings of $0.007 PMPM and equating to incremental savings of $86,136, or $864 PPPY. The primary driver of cost savings with increased cabazitaxel use was lower acquisition cost. One-way sensitivity analyses revealed that the model results were robust over a wide range of input values (utilization, prevalence, and population parameters). In the presented BIM, an increase in cabazitaxel use is expected to result in modest cost savings to the health plan. Patient coinsurance savings may also be realized based on applicable Medicare Part B and Part D calculations. This BIM presents an objective, comprehensive, robust, and user-adaptable tool that health plans and medical decision makers may use to evaluate potential economic impact of formulary and reimbursement decisions. Research and analysis were funded by Sanofi US. The sponsor had the opportunity to review the final draft; however, the authors were responsible for all content and editorial decisions. Flannery, Drea, Hudspeth, and Miao are employees of Sanofi. Miao is an owner of stock in Sanofi. Corman, Gao, and Xue are employees of Pharmerit International and served as consultants to Sanofi during this study. All authors contributed to study design and data collection and analysis. The manuscript was written by Flannery, along with the other authors, and revised by all the authors.

Biomimetic materials in the utility industry: A program plan for research opportunities, volume 2. Final report

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

Richman, R.H.; McNaughton, W.P.

1996-09-01

This report is the second of a two-volume set addressing the state-of-the-art and outlook for the application of biomimetic materials. The first volume examined achievements in mimicking novel aspects of biological systems in five broad categories: (1) Mimicking of Natural Material Designs, (2) Biomimetic Materials Processing, (3) Artificial Photosynthesis, (4) Biomimetic Molecular Electronics, and (5) Biomimetic Catalysis. Each topic was examined as to current activities and approaches, key aspects, unresolved issues, and implications for the power industry. Key researchers, their organizations, the main thrusts of investigation, achievements, and funding agencies were also summarized. This volume highlights opportunities for future researchmore » activities in biomimetics that could be valuable to the U.S. utility industry. Nineteen specific research projects have been identified. These opportunities are outlined in four classes: (1) technology awareness, (2) modeling and experimental studies, (3) state-of-the-art and outlook studies: developing experimental plans, and (4) concept feasibility studies.« less

42 CFR 456.181 - Reports of evaluations and plans of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reports of evaluations and plans of care. 456.181 Section 456.181 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals...

IET area plot and utilities plan. Includes drainage. Ralph M. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

IET area plot and utilities plan. Includes drainage. Ralph M. Parsons 902-4-ANP-U-310. Date: February 1954. Approved by INEEL Classification Office for public release. INEEL code no. 035-0100-00-693-106898 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

47 CFR 54.313 - Annual reporting requirements for high-cost recipients.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... planning with a focus on Tribal community anchor institutions; (ii) Feasibility and sustainability planning... annual report, any ETC that files annual financial reports with the Rural Utilities Service may instead file a copy of its report to the Rural Utilities Service. (g) Areas with No Terrestrial Backhaul...

76 FR 53450 - Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-26

... Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities; Notice of Staff Informational Conferences Take notice that Commission staff will convene three informational conferences to discuss the requirements of Order No. 1000.\\1\\ The Commission directed its staff to hold the informational...

PHM Enabled Autonomous Propellant Loading Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Mark; Figueroa, Fernando

2017-01-01

The utility of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) software capability applied to Autonomous Operations (AO) remains an active research area within aerospace applications. The ability to gain insight into which assets and subsystems are functioning properly, along with the derivation of confident predictions concerning future ability, reliability, and availability, are important enablers for making sound mission planning decisions. When coupled with software that fully supports mission planning and execution, an integrated solution can be developed that leverages state assessment and estimation for the purposes of delivering autonomous operations. The authors have been applying this integrated, model-based approach to the autonomous loading of cryogenic spacecraft propellants at Kennedy Space Center.

Orbital design strategy for domestic communication satellite systems.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramji, S.; Sawitz, P.

1973-01-01

Review of some of the considerations pertinent to efficient orbit utilization in the design of domestic communications satellite systems. A strategy is developed to efficiently locate a heterogeneous system of satellites within the available arc and provide room for future growth. A practical design is illustrated, using a computer simulation model, for the placement of 25 satellites within 73% of the available arc employing frequency and polarization coordination techniques. A number of widely variable factors that influence satellite spacing are examined. These factors include such critical system elements as telephony and television interference noise limits, frequency plan coordination, polarization plan coordination, ground antenna diameter, signal protection ratio, and satellite station keeping.

Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, habitat suitability index model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddle, J. Hardin

2017-01-01

The 2012 Coastal Master Plan utilized Habitat Suitability Indices (HSIs) to evaluate potential project effects on wildlife species. Even though HSIs quantify habitat condition, which may not directly correlate to species abundance, they remain a practical and tractable way to assess changes in habitat quality from various restoration actions. As part of the legislatively mandated five year update to the 2012 plan, the wildlife habitat suitability indices were updated and revised using literature and existing field data where available. The outcome of these efforts resulted in improved, or in some cases entirely new suitability indices. This report describes the development of the habitat suitability indices for the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis.

Structure, Intent and Conformance Monitoring in ATC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, Tom G.; Histon, Jonathan M.; Davison, Hayley J.; Hansman, R. John

2004-01-01

Infield studies of current Air Traffic Control operations it is found that controllers rely on underlying airspace structure to reduce the complexity of the planning and conformance monitoring tasks. The structure appears to influence the controller's working mental model through abstractions that reduce the apparent cognitive complexity. These structure-based abstractions are useful for the controller's key tasks of planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating tactical situations. In addition, the structure-based abstractions appear to be important in the maintenance of Situation Awareness. The process of conformance monitoring is analyzed in more detail and an approach to conformance monitoring which utilizes both the structure-based abstractions and intent is presented.

Construction of a groundwater-flow model for the Big Sioux Aquifer using airborne electromagnetic methods, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Valder, Joshua F.; Delzer, Gregory C.; Carter, Janet M.; Smith, Bruce D.; Smith, David V.

2016-09-28

The city of Sioux Falls is the fastest growing community in South Dakota. In response to this continued growth and planning for future development, Sioux Falls requires a sustainable supply of municipal water. Planning and managing sustainable groundwater supplies requires a thorough understanding of local groundwater resources. The Big Sioux aquifer consists of glacial outwash sands and gravels and is hydraulically connected to the Big Sioux River, which provided about 90 percent of the city’s source-water production in 2015. Managing sustainable groundwater supplies also requires an understanding of groundwater availability. An effective mechanism to inform water management decisions is the development and utilization of a groundwater-flow model. A groundwater-flow model provides a quantitative framework for synthesizing field information and conceptualizing hydrogeologic processes. These groundwater-flow models can support decision making processes by mapping and characterizing the aquifer. Accordingly, the city of Sioux Falls partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to construct a groundwater-flow model. Model inputs will include data from advanced geophysical techniques, specifically airborne electromagnetic methods.

Short-term forecasts gain in accuracy. [Regression technique using ''Box-Jenkins'' analysis

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

Not Available

Box-Jenkins time-series models offer accuracy for short-term forecasts that compare with large-scale macroeconomic forecasts. Utilities need to be able to forecast peak demand in order to plan their generating, transmitting, and distribution systems. This new method differs from conventional models by not assuming specific data patterns, but by fitting available data into a tentative pattern on the basis of auto-correlations. Three types of models (autoregressive, moving average, or mixed autoregressive/moving average) can be used according to which provides the most appropriate combination of autocorrelations and related derivatives. Major steps in choosing a model are identifying potential models, estimating the parametersmore » of the problem, and running a diagnostic check to see if the model fits the parameters. The Box-Jenkins technique is well suited for seasonal patterns, which makes it possible to have as short as hourly forecasts of load demand. With accuracy up to two years, the method will allow electricity price-elasticity forecasting that can be applied to facility planning and rate design. (DCK)« less

Mapping fire regimes from data you may already have: assessing LANDFIRE fire regime maps using local products

Treesearch

Melissa A. Thomas-Van Gundy

2014-01-01

LANDFIRE maps of fire regime groups are frequently used by land managers to help plan and execute prescribed burns for ecosystem restoration. Since LANDFIRE maps are generally applicable at coarse scales, questions often arise regarding their utility and accuracy. Here, the two recently published products from West Virginia, a rule-based and a witness tree-based model...

Accredited Baccalaureate Nursing Programs Utilization of an Academic Plan Model and the Factors That Influence Curriculum Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmquist, Traci McDonald

2012-01-01

Curriculum reform is a topic seen in research for decades, and nursing education has not been excluded in this call for reform (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, & Day, 2009; Diekelmann, Ironside, & Gunn, 2005; Dracup, 2011). The issue in nursing education relates to the lack of guidance in how to proceed with this radical change process (Benner,…

Multi Criteria Decision Support Model for the Turkish Air Force Personnel Course/Education Planning System

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

Utility Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.2.4 ELECTRE Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 2.2.5 PROMETHEE Method...more complicated than the other ones because of its structure. 2.2.5 PROMETHEE Method. PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for...Enrichment Evaluations) method was proposed by Brans and Vincke (1985). Basically this method has two different types. PROMETHEE I has been designed for

The impact of national health insurance on the utilization of health care services by pregnant women: the case in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, L M; Wen, S W; Li, C Y

2001-03-01

Substantially increased funding for health care services occurred in Taiwan after the implementation of a national health insurance plan in 1995. This study attempts to examine the impact of this national health insurance plan on the utilization of prenatal and intrapartum care services. Nationally representative surveys of all pregnant women in Taiwan in 1989 (1,662 participants) and in 1996 (3,626 participants) were included in the analysis. We first compared the distribution of birth characteristics between the two surveys. We then calculated the rate of utilization of various prenatal and intrapartum care services in the two surveys in the overall sample and in subsamples, stratified by maternal education, age, and parity. The utilization of most prenatal and intrapartum care services, especially the complicated laboratory tests, increased in 1996 compared to 1989. For example, the proportion of women who received amniocentesis increased from 1.62% in 1989 to 5.60% in 1996 and German measles testing increased from 5.96% to 27.11%. By contrast, the proportion of women who received consultation services was stable over time, or for family planning, consultation declined from 33.21% to 27.00%. These changes in utilization over time were consistently observed across different maternal education, age, and parity groups. The utilization of prenatal and intrapartum care services, especially for the more expensive services, has substantially increased in Taiwan since the implementation of the national health insurance. For countries considering similar national health insurance plan, it may be helpful to consider cost-containing measures before the implementation of such a plan.

PEL and Corridor Planning: State of the Practice Review of Planning and Environment Linkages Implementation in Corridor Planning

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) commissioned a review of transportation corridor plans to determine the extent to which these plans have utilized FHWA's Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) approach, as described in the FHWA Guidance on ...

Adolescents' perceptions of socializers' beliefs, career-related conversations, and motivation in mathematics.

PubMed

Lazarides, Rebecca; Rubach, Charlott; Ittel, Angela

2017-03-01

Research based on the Eccles model of parent socialization demonstrated that parents are an important source of value and ability information for their children. Little is known, however, about the bidirectional effects between students' perceptions of their parents' beliefs and behaviors and the students' own domain-specific values. This study analyzed how students' perceptions of parents' beliefs and behaviors and students' mathematics values and mathematics-related career plans affect each other bidirectionally, and analyzed the role of students' gender as a moderator of these relations. Data from 475 students in 11th and 12th grade (girls: 50.3%; 31 classrooms; 12 schools), who participated in 2 waves of the study, were analyzed. Results of longitudinal structural equation models demonstrated that students' perceptions of their parents' mathematics value beliefs at Time 1 affected the students' own mathematics utility value at Time 2. Bidirectional effects were not shown in the full sample but were identified for boys. The paths within the tested model varied for boys and girls. For example, boys', not girls', mathematics intrinsic value predicted their reported conversations with their fathers about future occupational plans. Boys', not girls', perceived parents' mathematics value predicted the mathematics utility value. Findings are discussed in relation to their implications for parents and teachers, as well as in relation to gendered motivational processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

An assessment of the social cognitive predictors of exclusive breastfeeding behavior using the Health Action Process Approach.

PubMed

Martinez-Brockman, J L; Shebl, F M; Harari, N; Pérez-Escamilla, R

2017-06-01

In the United States rates of exclusive breastfeeding duration remain exceedingly low. Exclusive breastfeeding is a complex learned behavior that is influenced by social cognitive, interpersonal, and structural factors. Interventions are needed that address factors at multiple levels of the social-ecological model. This study was designed to examine the social cognitive predictors of exclusive breastfeeding behavior in a sample of low-income women attending the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) breastfeeding peer counseling program and enrolled in the Lactation Advice Through Texting Can Help (LATCH) study. The objectives were to examine whether: (1) the theoretical model, the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), fit the data well; (2) planning mediated the effect of intentions and maintenance self-efficacy on exclusive breastfeeding; and (3) recovery self-efficacy mediated the association between maintenance self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding behavior. Outcome expectancies, action self-efficacy and intentions were assessed prenatally at baseline in N = 119 participants. Maintenance self-efficacy, planning, recovery self-efficacy and breastfeeding behavior were measured at two weeks post partum. Structural equation modeling with mean and variance adjusted Weighted Least Squares estimation was used to examine the applicability of the HAPA model to the data. Phase specific self-efficacy and planning significantly predicted exclusive breastfeeding status. Planning and recovery self-efficacy mediated the association between maintenance self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding. Planning did not emerge as a mediator between intentions and behavior. These results demonstrate the utility of the HAPA model in predicting exclusive breastfeeding behavior among low-income women attending WIC. LATCH is a theoretically sound text messaging intervention that can be used to augment and reinforce the WIC breastfeeding peer counseling process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generating patient-specific pulmonary vascular models for surgical planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murff, Daniel; Co-Vu, Jennifer; O'Dell, Walter G.

2015-03-01

Each year in the U.S., 7.4 million surgical procedures involving the major vessels are performed. Many of our patients require multiple surgeries, and many of the procedures include "surgical exploration". Procedures of this kind come with a significant amount of risk, carrying up to a 17.4% predicted mortality rate. This is especially concerning for our target population of pediatric patients with congenital abnormalities of the heart and major pulmonary vessels. This paper offers a novel approach to surgical planning which includes studying virtual and physical models of pulmonary vasculature of an individual patient before operation obtained from conventional 3D X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest. These models would provide clinicians with a non-invasive, intricately detailed representation of patient anatomy, and could reduce the need for invasive planning procedures such as exploratory surgery. Researchers involved in the AirPROM project have already demonstrated the utility of virtual and physical models in treatment planning of the airways of the chest. Clinicians have acknowledged the potential benefit from such a technology. A method for creating patient-derived physical models is demonstrated on pulmonary vasculature extracted from a CT scan with contrast of an adult human. Using a modified version of the NIH ImageJ program, a series of image processing functions are used to extract and mathematically reconstruct the vasculature tree structures of interest. An auto-generated STL file is sent to a 3D printer to create a physical model of the major pulmonary vasculature generated from 3D CT scans of patients.

Cash transportation vehicle routing and scheduling under stochastic travel times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Shangyao; Wang, Sin-Siang; Chang, Yu-Hsuan

2014-03-01

Stochastic disturbances occurring in real-world operations could have a significant influence on the planned routing and scheduling results of cash transportation vehicles. In this study, a time-space network flow technique is utilized to construct a cash transportation vehicle routing and scheduling model incorporating stochastic travel times. In addition, to help security carriers to formulate more flexible routes and schedules, a concept of the similarity of time and space for vehicle routing and scheduling is incorporated into the model. The test results show that the model could be useful for security carriers in actual practice.

Situation awareness-based agent transparency for human-autonomy teaming effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jessie Y. C.; Barnes, Michael J.; Wright, Julia L.; Stowers, Kimberly; Lakhmani, Shan G.

2017-05-01

We developed the Situation awareness-based Agent Transparency (SAT) model to support human operators' situation awareness of the mission environment through teaming with intelligent agents. The model includes the agent's current actions and plans (Level 1), its reasoning process (Level 2), and its projection of future outcomes (Level 3). Human-inthe-loop simulation experiments have been conducted (Autonomous Squad Member and IMPACT) to illustrate the utility of the model for human-autonomy team interface designs. Across studies, the results consistently showed that human operators' task performance improved as the agents became more transparent. They also perceived transparent agents as more trustworthy.

Utilizing NX Advanced Simulation for NASA's New Mobile Launcher for Ares-l

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Christopher

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of NX to simulate the new Mobile Launcher (ML) for the Ares-I. It includes: a comparison of the sizes of the Saturn 5, the Space Shuttle, the Ares I, and the Ares V, with the height, and payload capability; the loads control plan; drawings of the base framing, the underside of the ML, beam arrangement, and the finished base and the origin of the 3D CAD data. It also reviews the modeling approach, meshing. the assembly Finite Element Modeling, the model summary. and beam improvements.

Techno-Economic Analysis of BEV Service Providers Offering Battery Swapping Services: Preprint

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

Neubauer, J.; Pesaran, A.

2013-03-01

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer the potential to reduce both oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions, but high upfront costs, battery-limited vehicle range, and concern over high battery replacement costs may discourage potential buyers. A subscription model in which a service provider owns the battery and supplies access to battery swapping infrastructure could reduce upfront and replacement costs for batteries with a predictable monthly fee, while expanding BEV range. Assessing the costs and benefits of such a proposal are complicated by many factors, including customer drive patterns, the amount of required infrastructure, battery life, etc. The National Renewable Energy Laboratorymore » has applied its Battery Ownership Model to compare the economics and utility of BEV battery swapping service plan options to more traditional direct ownership options. Our evaluation process followed four steps: (1) identifying drive patterns best suited to battery swapping service plans, (2) modeling service usage statistics for the selected drive patterns, (3) calculating the cost-of-service plan options, and (4) evaluating the economics of individual drivers under realistically priced service plans. A service plan option can be more cost-effective than direct ownership for drivers who wish to operate a BEV as their primary vehicle where alternative options for travel beyond the single-charge range are expensive, and a full-coverage-yet-cost-effective regional infrastructure network can be deployed. However, when assumed cost of gasoline, tax structure, and absence of purchase incentives are factored in, our calculations show the service plan BEV is rarely more cost-effective than direct ownership of a conventional vehicle.« less

Techno-Economic Analysis of BEV Service Providers Offering Battery Swapping Services

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

Neubauer, J. S.; Pesaran, A.

2013-01-01

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer the potential to reduce both oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions, but high upfront costs, battery-limited vehicle range, and concern over high battery replacement costs may discourage potential buyers. A subscription model in which a service provider owns the battery and supplies access to battery swapping infrastructure could reduce upfront and replacement costs for batteries with a predictable monthly fee, while expanding BEV range. Assessing the costs and benefits of such a proposal are complicated by many factors, including customer drive patterns, the amount of required infrastructure, battery life, etc. The National Renewable Energy Laboratorymore » has applied its Battery Ownership Model to compare the economics and utility of BEV battery swapping service plan options to more traditional direct ownership options. Our evaluation process followed four steps: (1) identifying drive patterns best suited to battery swapping service plans, (2) modeling service usage statistics for the selected drive patterns, (3) calculating the cost-of-service plan options, and (4) evaluating the economics of individual drivers under realistically priced service plans. A service plan option can be more cost-effective than direct ownership for drivers who wish to operate a BEV as their primary vehicle where alternative options for travel beyond the single-charge range are expensive, and a full-coverage-yet-cost-effective regional infrastructure network can be deployed. However, when assumed cost of gasoline, tax structure, and absence of purchase incentives are factored in, our calculations show the service plan BEV is rarely more cost-effective than direct ownership of a conventional vehicle.« less

Solar thermal power plants in small utilities - An economic impact analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bluhm, S. A.; Ferber, R. R.; Mayo, L. G.

1979-01-01

A study was performed to assess the potential economic impact of small solar thermal electric power systems in statistically representative synthetic small utilities of the Southwestern United States. Power supply expansion plans were compared on the basis of present worth of future revenue requirements for 1980-2000 with and without solar thermal plants. Coal-fired and oil-fired municipal utility expansion plans with 5 percent solar penetration were 0.5 percent and 2.25 percent less expensive, respectively, than the corresponding conventional plan. At $969/kWe, which assumes the same low cost solar equipment but no improvement in site development costs, solar penetration of 5 percent in the oil-fired municipal reduced revenue requirements 0.88 percent. The paper concludes that some solar thermal plants are potentially economic in small community utilities of the Southwest.

People, planning, predictions pull DP&L to pinnacle

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

Beaty, W.; Warkentin, D.

Dayton Power and Light was chosen as the 26th utility to receive Electric Light and Power`s annual Utility of the Year award for investor-owned electric utilities. The award not only recognizes management for having guided the company to a high level of achievement, but to each employee for their contribution to the company`s success. Using its formula of three Ps to success - people, planning, and predict and prevent - this West Central Ohio utility plans on using its current plain vanilla approach to business to carve out its own pattern for the years ahead. DP&L`s employees have gone abovemore » and beyond the call of duty to serve its customers and shareholders. The utility`s operations are epitomized by the excellent fuel efficiency of its generating plants. DP&L has been in Electric Light & Power`s top 10 heat rate rankings for nine out of the past 10 years. Investor earnings per share increased from $1.15 in 1991 to $1.34 in 1992, with earnings per share rising by 6% to $1.42 in 1993.« less

Longitudinal comparative evaluation of the equivalence of an integrated peer-support and clinical staffing model for residential mental health rehabilitation: a mixed methods protocol incorporating multiple stakeholder perspectives.

PubMed

Parker, Stephen; Dark, Frances; Newman, Ellie; Korman, Nicole; Meurk, Carla; Siskind, Dan; Harris, Meredith

2016-06-02

A novel staffing model integrating peer support workers and clinical staff within a unified team is being trialled at community based residential rehabilitation units in Australia. A mixed-methods protocol for the longitudinal evaluation of the outcomes, expectations and experiences of care by consumers and staff under this staffing model in two units will be compared to one unit operating a traditional clinical staffing. The study is unique with regards to the context, the longitudinal approach and consideration of multiple stakeholder perspectives. The longitudinal mixed methods design integrates a quantitative evaluation of the outcomes of care for consumers at three residential rehabilitation units with an applied qualitative research methodology. The quantitative component utilizes a prospective cohort design to explore whether equivalent outcomes are achieved through engagement at residential rehabilitation units operating integrated and clinical staffing models. Comparative data will be available from the time of admission, discharge and 12-month period post-discharge from the units. Additionally, retrospective data for the 12-month period prior to admission will be utilized to consider changes in functioning pre and post engagement with residential rehabilitation care. The primary outcome will be change in psychosocial functioning, assessed using the total score on the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS). Planned secondary outcomes will include changes in symptomatology, disability, recovery orientation, carer quality of life, emergency department presentations, psychiatric inpatient bed days, and psychological distress and wellbeing. Planned analyses will include: cohort description; hierarchical linear regression modelling of the predictors of change in HoNOS following CCU care; and descriptive comparisons of the costs associated with the two staffing models. The qualitative component utilizes a pragmatic approach to grounded theory, with collection of data from consumers and staff at multiple time points exploring their expectations, experiences and reflections on the care provided by these services. It is expected that the new knowledge gained through this study will guide the adaptation of these and similar services. For example, if differential outcomes are achieved for consumers under the integrated and clinical staffing models this may inform staffing guidelines.

The Future of Electricity Resource Planning

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

Kahrl, Fredrich; Mills, Andrew; Lavin, Luke

Electricity resource planning is the process of identifying longer-term investments to meet electricity reliability requirements and public policy goals at a reasonable cost. Resource planning processes provide a forum for regulators, electric utilities, and electricity industry stakeholders to evaluate the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs of different investment options. By facilitating a discussion on future goals, challenges and strategies, resource planning processes often play an important role in shaping utility business decisions. Resource planning emerged more than three decades ago in an era of transition, where declining electricity demand and rising costs spurred fundamental changes in electricity industrymore » regulation and structure. Despite significant changes in the industry, resource planning continues to play an important role in supporting investment decision making. Over the next two decades, the electricity industry will again undergo a period of transition, driven by technological change, shifting customer preferences and public policy goals. This transition will bring about a gradual paradigm shift in resource planning, requiring changes in scope, approaches and methods. Even as it changes, resource planning will continue to be a central feature of the electricity industry. Its functions — ensuring the reliability of high voltage (“bulk”) power systems, enabling oversight of regulated utilities and facilitating low-cost compliance with public policy goals — are likely to grow in importance as the electricity industry enters a new period of technological, economic and regulatory change. This report examines the future of electricity resource planning in the context of a changing electricity industry. The report examines emerging issues and evolving practices in five key areas that will shape the future of resource planning: (1) central-scale generation, (2) distributed generation, (3) demand-side resources, (4) transmission and (5) uncertainty and risk management. The analysis draws on a review of recent resource plans for 10 utilities that reflect some of the U.S. electricity industry’s extensive diversity.« less

Choice Inconsistencies among the Elderly: Evidence from Plan Choice in the Medicare Part D Program: Reply

PubMed Central

ABALUCK, JASON

2017-01-01

We explore the in- and out- of sample robustness of tests for choice inconsistencies based on parameter restrictions in parametric models, focusing on tests proposed by Ketcham, Kuminoff and Powers (KKP). We argue that their non-parametric alternatives are inherently conservative with respect to detecting mistakes. We then show that our parametric model is robust to KKP’s suggested specification checks, and that comprehensive goodness of fit measures perform better with our model than the expected utility model. Finally, we explore the robustness of our 2011 results to alternative normative assumptions highlighting the role of brand fixed effects and unobservable characteristics. PMID:29170561

14 CFR 77.2 - Definition of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... planning document or military service military airport planning document. Precision instrument runway means... military airport layout plan; any other FAA planning document, or military service military airport planning document. Utility runway means a runway that is constructed for and intended to be used by...

Strategic planning for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griner, Carolyn S.

1990-01-01

The concept for utilization and operations planning for the International Space Station Freedom was developed in a NASA Space Station Operations Task Force in 1986. Since that time the concept has been further refined to definitize the process and products required to integrate the needs of the international user community with the operational capabilities of the Station in its evolving configuration. The keystone to the process is the development of individual plans by the partners, with the parameters and formats common to the degree that electronic communications techniques can be effectively utilized, while maintaining the proper level and location of configuration control. The integration, evaluation, and verification of the integrated plan, called the Consolidated Operations and Utilization Plan (COUP), is being tested in a multilateral environment to prove out the parameters, interfaces, and process details necessary to produce the first COUP for Space Station in 1991. This paper will describe the concept, process, and the status of the multilateral test case.

Are organ donation communication decisions reasoned or reactive? A test of the utility of an augmented theory of planned behaviour with the prototype/willingness model.

PubMed

Hyde, Melissa K; White, Katherine M

2010-05-01

To explore whether people's organ donation consent decisions occur via a reasoned and/or social reaction pathway. We examined prospectively students' and community members' decisions to register consent on a donor register and discuss organ donation wishes with family. Participants completed items assessing theory of planned behaviour (TPB; attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC)), prototype/willingness model (PWM; donor prototype favourability/similarity, past behaviour), and proposed additional influences (moral norm, self-identity, recipient prototypes) for registering (N=339) and discussing (N=315) intentions/willingness. Participants self-reported their registering (N=177) and discussing (N=166) behaviour 1 month later. The utility of the (1) TPB, (2) PWM, (3) augmented TPB with PWM, and (4) augmented TPB with PWM and extensions was tested using structural equation modelling for registering and discussing intentions/willingness, and logistic regression for behaviour. While the TPB proved a more parsimonious model, fit indices suggested that the other proposed models offered viable options, explaining greater variance in communication intentions/willingness. The TPB, augmented TPB with PWM, and extended augmented TPB with PWM best explained registering and discussing decisions. The proposed and revised PWM also proved an adequate fit for discussing decisions. Respondents with stronger intentions (and PBC for registering) had a higher likelihood of registering and discussing. People's decisions to communicate donation wishes may be better explained via a reasoned pathway (especially for registering); however, discussing involves more reactive elements. The role of moral norm, self-identity, and prototypes as influences predicting communication decisions were highlighted also.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis screening for school, community, and clinical health promotion practice utilizing the PRECEDE-PROCEED model

PubMed Central

Mirtz, Timothy A; Thompson, Mark A; Greene, Leon; Wyatt, Lawrence A; Akagi, Cynthia G

2005-01-01

Background Screening for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a commonly performed procedure for school children during the high risk years. The PRECEDE-PROCEDE (PP) model is a health promotion planning model that has not been utilized for the clinical diagnosis of AIS. The purpose of this research is to study AIS in the school age population using the PP model and its relevance for community, school, and clinical health promotion. Methods MEDLINE was utilized to locate AIS data. Studies were screened for relevance and applicability under the auspices of the PP model. Where data was unavailable, expert opinion was utilized based on consensus. Results The social assessment of quality of life is limited with few studies approaching the long-term effects of AIS. Epidemiologically, AIS is the most common form of scoliosis and leading orthopedic problem in children. Behavioral/environmental studies focus on discovering etiologic relationships yet this data is confounded because AIS is not a behavioral. Illness and parenting health behaviors can be appreciated. The educational diagnosis is confounded because AIS is an orthopedic disorder and not behavioral. The administration/policy diagnosis is hindered in that scoliosis screening programs are not considered cost-effective. Policies are determined in some schools because 26 states mandate school scoliosis screening. There exists potential error with the Adam's test. The most widely used measure in the PP model, the Health Belief Model, has not been utilized in any AIS research. Conclusion The PP model is a useful tool for a comprehensive study of a particular health concern. This research showed where gaps in AIS research exist suggesting that there may be problems to the implementation of school screening. Until research disparities are filled, implementation of AIS screening by school, community, and clinical health promotion will be compromised. Lack of data and perceived importance by school/community health planners may influence clinical health promotion practices. PMID:16318632

Manpower Planning for the Wastewater Treatment Workforce of Texas: An Emerging Function. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Texas Water Utilities Association (58th, College Station, Texas, March, 1976).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Tom

This paper, presented at the 58th annual meeting of the Texas Water Utilities Association, attempts to point out the need for manpower planning for the wastewater treatment workforce of Texas. As reasons for manpower planning, this document discloses estimates of 1400-1500 new jobs, 1300 of which will be in wastewater treatment facilities of 1 MGD…

Multimodality Tumor Delineation and Predictive Modelling via Fuzzy-Fusion Deformable Models and Biological Potential Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasserman, Richard Marc

The radiation therapy treatment planning (RTTP) process may be subdivided into three planning stages: gross tumor delineation, clinical target delineation, and modality dependent target definition. The research presented will focus on the first two planning tasks. A gross tumor target delineation methodology is proposed which focuses on the integration of MRI, CT, and PET imaging data towards the generation of a mathematically optimal tumor boundary. The solution to this problem is formulated within a framework integrating concepts from the fields of deformable modelling, region growing, fuzzy logic, and data fusion. The resulting fuzzy fusion algorithm can integrate both edge and region information from multiple medical modalities to delineate optimal regions of pathological tissue content. The subclinical boundaries of an infiltrating neoplasm cannot be determined explicitly via traditional imaging methods and are often defined to extend a fixed distance from the gross tumor boundary. In order to improve the clinical target definition process an estimation technique is proposed via which tumor growth may be modelled and subclinical growth predicted. An in vivo, macroscopic primary brain tumor growth model is presented, which may be fit to each patient undergoing treatment, allowing for the prediction of future growth and consequently the ability to estimate subclinical local invasion. Additionally, the patient specific in vivo tumor model will be of significant utility in multiple diagnostic clinical applications.

Utility of Megavoltage Fan-Beam CT for Treatment Planning in a Head-And-Neck Cancer Patient with Extensive Dental Fillings Undergoing Helical Tomotherapy

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

Yang, Claus; Liu Tianxiao; Jennelle, Richard L.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the potential utility of megavoltage fan-beam computed tomography (MV-FBCT) for treatment planning in a patient undergoing helical tomotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the presence of extensive dental artifact. A 28-year-old female with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma presented for radiation therapy. Due to the extensiveness of the dental artifact present in the oral cavity kV-CT scan acquired at simulation, which made treatment planning impossible on tomotherapy planning system, MV-FBCT imaging was obtained using the HI-ART tomotherapy treatment machine, with the patient in the treatment position, and this information was registered with her originalmore » kV-CT scan for the purposes of structure delineation, dose calculation, and treatment planning. To validate the feasibility of the MV-FBCT-generated treatment plan, an electron density CT phantom (model 465, Gammex Inc., Middleton, WI) was scanned using MV-FBCT to obtain CT number to density table. Additionally, both a 'cheese' phantom (which came with the tomotherapy treatment machine) with 2 inserted ion chambers and a generic phantom called Quasar phantom (Modus Medical Devices Inc., London, ON, Canada) with one inserted chamber were used to confirm dosimetric accuracy. The MV-FBCT could be used to clearly visualize anatomy in the region of the dental artifact and provide sufficient soft-tissue contrast to assist in the delineation of normal tissue structures and fat planes. With the elimination of the dental artifact, the MV-FBCT images allowed more accurate dose calculation by the tomotherapy system. It was confirmed that the phantom material density was determined correctly by the tomotherapy MV-FBCT number to density table. The ion chamber measurements agreed with the calculations from the MV-FBCT generated phantom plan within 2%. MV-FBCT may be useful in radiation treatment planning for nasopharyngeal cancer patients in the setting of extensive dental artifacts.« less

How to develop a tele-ICU model?

PubMed

Rogove, Herb

2012-01-01

The concept of the tele-ICU (intensive care unit) is about 30 years old and more hospitals are utilizing it to cover multiple hospitals in their system or for hospitals that lack on-site critical care coverage such as in the rural setting. Doing a needs analysis, picking the appropriate committee to oversee development of the correct model, choosing quality metrics to measure, and designing an implementation plan that has a timeline is how the process should begin. Research including visitation to established programs and connecting with professional societies are helpful. Developing both a business and financial plan will optimize the value of a tele-ICU program. The innovative ICU nursing director will help to integrate a telemedicine program seamlessly with the on-site program to insure a successful program that benefits patients, their families, the ICU staff, and the hospital.

Reliability and cost evaluation of small isolated power systems containing photovoltaic and wind energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karki, Rajesh

Renewable energy application in electric power systems is growing rapidly worldwide due to enhanced public concerns for adverse environmental impacts and escalation in energy costs associated with the use of conventional energy sources. Photovoltaics and wind energy sources are being increasingly recognized as cost effective generation sources. A comprehensive evaluation of reliability and cost is required to analyze the actual benefits of utilizing these energy sources. The reliability aspects of utilizing renewable energy sources have largely been ignored in the past due the relatively insignificant contribution of these sources in major power systems, and consequently due to the lack of appropriate techniques. Renewable energy sources have the potential to play a significant role in the electrical energy requirements of small isolated power systems which are primarily supplied by costly diesel fuel. A relatively high renewable energy penetration can significantly reduce the system fuel costs but can also have considerable impact on the system reliability. Small isolated systems routinely plan their generating facilities using deterministic adequacy methods that cannot incorporate the highly erratic behavior of renewable energy sources. The utilization of a single probabilistic risk index has not been generally accepted in small isolated system evaluation despite its utilization in most large power utilities. Deterministic and probabilistic techniques are combined in this thesis using a system well-being approach to provide useful adequacy indices for small isolated systems that include renewable energy. This thesis presents an evaluation model for small isolated systems containing renewable energy sources by integrating simulation models that generate appropriate atmospheric data, evaluate chronological renewable power outputs and combine total available energy and load to provide useful system indices. A software tool SIPSREL+ has been developed which generates risk, well-being and energy based indices to provide realistic cost/reliability measures of utilizing renewable energy. The concepts presented and the examples illustrated in this thesis will help system planners to decide on appropriate installation sites, the types and mix of different energy generating sources, the optimum operating policies, and the optimum generation expansion plans required to meet increasing load demands in small isolated power systems containing photovoltaic and wind energy sources.

Integrated Modeling and Participatory Scenario Planning for Climate Adaptation: the Maui Groundwater Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keener, V. W.; Finucane, M.; Brewington, L.

2014-12-01

For the last century, the island of Maui, Hawaii, has been the center of environmental, agricultural, and legal conflict with respect to surface and groundwater allocation. Planning for adequate future freshwater resources requires flexible and adaptive policies that emphasize partnerships and knowledge transfer between scientists and non-scientists. In 2012 the Hawai'i state legislature passed the Climate Change Adaptation Priority Guidelines (Act 286) law requiring county and state policy makers to include island-wide climate change scenarios in their planning processes. This research details the ongoing work by researchers in the NOAA funded Pacific RISA to support the development of Hawaii's first island-wide water use plan under the new climate adaptation directive. This integrated project combines several models with participatory future scenario planning. The dynamically downscaled triply nested Hawaii Regional Climate Model (HRCM) was modified from the WRF community model and calibrated to simulate the many microclimates on the Hawaiian archipelago. For the island of Maui, the HRCM was validated using 20 years of hindcast data, and daily projections were created at a 1 km scale to capture the steep topography and diverse rainfall regimes. Downscaled climate data are input into a USGS hydrological model to quantify groundwater recharge. This model was previously used for groundwater management, and is being expanded utilizing future climate projections, current land use maps and future scenario maps informed by stakeholder input. Participatory scenario planning began in 2012 to bring together a diverse group of over 50 decision-makers in government, conservation, and agriculture to 1) determine the type of information they would find helpful in planning for climate change, and 2) develop a set of scenarios that represent alternative climate/management futures. This is an iterative process, resulting in flexible and transparent narratives at multiple scales. The resulting climate, land use, and groundwater recharge maps give stakeholders a common set of future scenarios that they understand through the participatory scenario process, and identify the vulnerabilities, trade-offs, and adaptive priorities for different groundwater management and land uses in an uncertain future.