Sustained Implementation Support Scale: Validation of a Measure of Program Characteristics and Workplace Functioning for Sustained Program Implementation.

PubMed

Hodge, Lauren M; Turner, Karen M T; Sanders, Matthew R; Filus, Ania

2017-07-01

An evaluation measure of enablers and inhibitors to sustained evidence-based program (EBP) implementation may provide a useful tool to enhance organizations' capacity. This paper outlines preliminary validation of such a measure. An expert informant and consumer feedback approach was used to tailor constructs from two existing measures assessing key domains associated with sustained implementation. Validity and reliability were evaluated for an inventory composed of five subscales: Program benefits, Program burden, Workplace support, Workplace cohesion, and Leadership style. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of 593 Triple P-Positive Parenting Program-practitioners led to a 28-item scale with good reliability and good convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity. Practitioners sustaining implementation at least 3 years post-training were more likely to have supervision/peer support, reported higher levels of program benefit, workplace support, and positive leadership style, and lower program burden compared to practitioners who were non-sustainers.

A Validity and Reliability Study of the Attitudes toward Sustainable Development Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biasutti, Michele; Frate, Sara

2017-01-01

This article describes the development and validation of the Attitudes toward Sustainable Development scale, a quantitative 20-item scale that measures Italian university students' attitudes toward sustainable development. A total of 484 undergraduate students completed the questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the scale was statistically…

Comprehensive highway corridor planning with sustainability indicators.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-01

"The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has initiated major planning efforts to improve transportation : efficiency, safety, and sustainability on critical highway corridors through its Comprehensive Highway Corridor : (CHC) program. This pr...

Comprehensive highway corridor planning with sustainability indicators.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has initiated major planning efforts to improve transportation : efficiency, safety, and sustainability on critical highway corridors through its Comprehensive Highway Corridor : (CHC) program. This pro...

Ranch business planning and resource monitoring for rangeland sustainability

Treesearch

Kristie A. Maczko; John A. Tanaka; Michael Smith; Cindy Garretson-Weibel; Stanley F. Hamilton; John E. Mitchell; Gene Fults; Charles Stanley; Dick Loper; Larry D. Bryant; J. K. (Rooter) Brite

2012-01-01

Aligning a rancher's business plan goals with the capability of the ranch's rangeland resources improves the viability and sustainability of family ranches. Strategically monitoring the condition of soil, water, vegetation, wildlife, livestock production, and economics helps inform business plan goals. Business planning and resource monitoring help keep...

Action Research to Support the Sustainability of Strategic Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antheil, Jane H.; Spinelli, Stephen, Jr.

2011-01-01

This article suggests that developing a strategic plan, even through a highly participative and data-driven process, is not sufficient to sustain change if implementation of the plan is not monitored as an organizational change event. To the degree that a strategic plan is institutionally transformative, monitoring change during implementation…

Sustainable Impact of Landfill Siting towards Urban Planning in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sin Tey, Jia; Goh, Kai Chen; Ern Ang, Peniel Soon

2017-10-01

Landfill is one of the most common, widely used waste management technique in Malaysia. The ever increasing of solid waste has made the role of landfill become prominent despite the negative impacts that caused by the landfill is unavoidable. The public and government regulations are getting more aware with the negative impacts that could be brought by the landfill towards the community. It led to the cultural shift to integrate the concept of sustainability into the planning of siting a landfill in an urban area. However, current urban planning tends to emphasize more on the environmental aspect instead of social and economic aspects. This is due to the existing planning guidelines and stakeholder’s understandings are more on the environmental aspect. This led to the needs of incorporating the concept of sustainability into the urban planning. Thus, this paper focuses on the industry stakeholders view on the negative impacts that will cause by the landfill towards the urban planning. The industry stakeholders are those who are related to the decision-making in the selection of a landfill site in the government department. The scope of the study is within the country of Malaysia. This study was conducted through the semi-structured interviews with a total of fifteen industry stakeholders to obtain their perspective on the issues of impacts of siting a landfill in the urban area. The data obtained was analysed using the software, QSR NVivo version 10. Results indicate that landfill bought significant sustainability-related impacts towards landfill siting in urban planning. The negative impacts stated by the respondents are categorized under all three sustainable aspects such as environmental, social and economic. Among the results are such as the pollution, such as the generation of leachate, the objection in siting a landfill site against by the public, and the negotiating and getting money contribution from local authorities. The results produced can be served

Learning for Sustainability: NSW Environmental Education Plan, 2002-05.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2002

This document is the first three-year environmental education plan for New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The plan is guided by a vision to achieve effective and integrated environmental education which builds the capacity of the people of NSW to be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability. The plan's priority…

Planning for Sustainable Water Supplies for US Army Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

2011 Energy/ Water Nexus Thermoelectric power Geothermal Biofuels CSP i.e. Solar HW Hydropower Carbon Capture Fracking Planning for Sustainable  Water ...2011 GreenGov Symposium Oct. 31 ‐ Nov. 2, 2011 Washington Hilton  Washington, DC Water  & Materials Management – Session 2 Assessing  Water  Related...Risks in Operations October 31, 2011 Planning for Sustainable Water Supplies for US Army Installations Elisabeth Jenicek Mechanical Engineer/Regional

Chemical Safety for Sustainability: Research Action Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Strategic Research Action Plan for EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability research program presents the purpose, design and themes of the Agency’s research efforts to ensure safety in the design, manufacture and use of existing and future chemicals.

[Sustainability focus in the health plans of the autonomous communities: sustainable development as an opportunity].

PubMed

Moyano-Santiago, Miguel A; Rivera-Lirio, Juana M

2016-01-01

To determine the degree to which the health plans of the autonomous communities focus on the usual three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social and environmental, both in the general level of discourse and in the different areas of intervention. A qualitative study was conducted through content analysis of a large sample of documents. The specific methodology was analysis of symbolic and operational sensitivity in a sample of eleven health plans of the Spanish state. Social aspects, such as social determinants or vulnerable groups, are receiving increasing attention from the health planner, although there is room to strengthen attention to environmental issues and to provide specific interventions in economic terms. The analysis demonstrates the incipient state of health plans as strategic planning documents that integrate economic, social and environmental aspects and contribute to the sustainability of the different health systems of the country. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Development plan for the External Hazards Experimental Group. Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program

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

Coleman, Justin Leigh; Smith, Curtis Lee; Burns, Douglas Edward

This report describes the development plan for a new multi-partner External Hazards Experimental Group (EHEG) coordinated by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) within the Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) technical pathway of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program. Currently, there is limited data available for development and validation of the tools and methods being developed in the RISMC Toolkit. The EHEG is being developed to obtain high-quality, small- and large-scale experimental data validation of RISMC tools and methods in a timely and cost-effective way. The group of universities and national laboratories that will eventually form the EHEG (which is ultimately expectedmore » to include both the initial participants and other universities and national laboratories that have been identified) have the expertise and experimental capabilities needed to both obtain and compile existing data archives and perform additional seismic and flooding experiments. The data developed by EHEG will be stored in databases for use within RISMC. These databases will be used to validate the advanced external hazard tools and methods.« less

Validation of Mission Plans Through Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

St-Pierre, J.; Melanson, P.; Brunet, C.; Crabtree, D.

2002-01-01

The purpose of a spacecraft mission planning system is to automatically generate safe and optimized mission plans for a single spacecraft, or more functioning in unison. The system verifies user input syntax, conformance to commanding constraints, absence of duty cycle violations, timing conflicts, state conflicts, etc. Present day constraint-based systems with state-based predictive models use verification rules derived from expert knowledge. A familiar solution found in Mission Operations Centers, is to complement the planning system with a high fidelity spacecraft simulator. Often a dedicated workstation, the simulator is frequently used for operator training and procedure validation, and may be interfaced to actual control stations with command and telemetry links. While there are distinct advantages to having a planning system offer realistic operator training using the actual flight control console, physical verification of data transfer across layers and procedure validation, experience has revealed some drawbacks and inefficiencies in ground segment operations: With these considerations, two simulation-based mission plan validation projects are under way at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA): RVMP and ViSION. The tools proposed in these projects will automatically run scenarios and provide execution reports to operations planning personnel, prior to actual command upload. This can provide an important safeguard for system or human errors that can only be detected with high fidelity, interdependent spacecraft models running concurrently. The core element common to these projects is a spacecraft simulator, built with off-the- shelf components such as CAE's Real-Time Object-Based Simulation Environment (ROSE) technology, MathWork's MATLAB/Simulink, and Analytical Graphics' Satellite Tool Kit (STK). To complement these tools, additional components were developed, such as an emulated Spacecraft Test and Operations Language (STOL) interpreter and CCSDS TM

An algorithmic interactive planning framework in support of sustainable technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prica, Marija D.

This thesis addresses the difficult problem of generation expansion planning that employs the most effective technologies in today's changing electric energy industry. The electrical energy industry, in both the industrialized world and in developing countries, is experiencing transformation in a number of different ways. This transformation is driven by major technological breakthroughs (such as the influx of unconventional smaller-scale resources), by industry restructuring, changing environmental objectives, and the ultimate threat of resource scarcity. This thesis proposes a possible planning framework in support of sustainable technologies where sustainability is viewed as a mix of multiple attributes ranging from reliability and environmental impact to short- and long-term efficiency. The idea of centralized peak-load pricing, which accounts for the tradeoffs between cumulative operational effects and the cost of new investments, is the key concept in support of long-term planning in the changing industry. To start with, an interactive planning framework for generation expansion is posed as a distributed decision-making model. In order to reconcile the distributed sub-objectives of different decision makers with system-wide sustainability objectives, a new concept of distributed interactive peak load pricing is proposed. To be able to make the right decisions, the decision makers must have sufficient information about the estimated long-term electricity prices. The sub-objectives of power plant owners and load-serving entities are profit maximization. Optimized long-term expansion plans based on predicted electricity prices are communicated to the system-wide planning authority as long-run bids. The long-term expansion bids are cleared by the coordinating planner so that the system-wide long-term performance criteria are satisfied. The interactions between generation owners and the coordinating planning authority are repeated annually. We view the proposed

Promoting public health through state cancer control plans: a review of capacity and sustainability.

PubMed

Ory, Marcia G; Sanner, Brigid; Vollmer Dahlke, Deborah; Melvin, Cathy L

2015-01-01

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control's National Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) Program oversee CCC programs designed to develop and implement CCC plans via CCC coalitions, alliances, or consortia of program stakeholders. We reviewed 40 up-to-date plans for states and the District of Columbia in order to assess how capacity building and sustainability, two evidence-based practices necessary for organizational readiness, positive growth, and maintenance are addressed. We employed an electronic key word search, supplemented by full text reviews of each plan to complete a content analysis of the CCC plans. Capacity is explicitly addressed in just over half of the plans (53%), generally from a conceptual point of view, with few specifics as to how capacity will be developed or enhanced. Roles and responsibilities, timelines for action, and measurements for evaluation of capacity building are infrequently mentioned. Almost all (92%) of the 40 up-to-date plans address sustainability on at least a cursory level, through efforts aimed at funding or seeking funding, policy initiatives, and/or partnership development. However, few details as to how these strategies will be implemented are found in the plans. We present the Texas plan as a case study offering detailed insight into how one plan incorporated capacity building and sustainability into its development and implementation. Training, technical assistance, templates, and tools may help CCC coalition members address capacity and sustainability in future planning efforts and assure the inclusion of capacity building and sustainability approaches in CCC plans at the state, tribal, territorial, and jurisdiction levels.

25 CFR 163.11 - Forest management planning and sustained yield management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... implementation of integrated resource management plans which provide coordination for the comprehensive management of all natural resources on Indian land. If the integrated resource management planning process... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Forest management planning and sustained yield management...

Control mechanisms in the third-generation planning. Case study: Control to realize sustainable cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wicaksono, A. D.

2017-06-01

Since the last few years, Indonesia has experienced important events that bring significant changes to the social, political and economic life. The changes directly or indirectly impact the field of planning. With the challenging condition which grows fast and is more complex ahead, and the greater demands on the role of planning, it is required that planning should have higher quality. This paper seeks to answer some questions as follows: (i) How are changes in paradigm and also the development of planning model for the current transition era?, (ii) What is the best way to improve the quality of planning control on the last generation planning model to realize sustainable city?. Analysis steps that will be used to achieve the paper objectives are: (i) Review of planning and sustainable cities theory, (ii) Pattern recognition, (iii) Identifying control mechanisms and sustainable urban forms, (iv) conceptualization. Based on discussion about sustainable cities and control mechanism, some conclusions can be generated as follows: (i) The third generation planning model is based on the theory of expanded system, emphasizing on the constraint of capacity and the ability of planners within the context of larger environment, (ii) There are various theoretical studies that recommend prescriptive model or solution for sustainable urban form and structure. The concepts of Sustainable Cities can be grouped in Neotraditional Development, Urban Containment, Compact City and The Eco-City. The four models above have criteria, namely (i) high density; (ii) a high level of diversity; (iii) mixed land use; (iv) compactness; (5) sustainable transport; (6) passive solar design; (7) Greening Ecological Design. The three main activities in control mechanisms are: Monitoring and Recommendation; a comparative review of the facts (conditions that exist or are developing) with the purpose (expected conditions, set out in urban planning) and recommendations; Evaluation, a review on the

25 CFR 163.11 - Forest management planning and sustained yield management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... GENERAL FORESTRY REGULATIONS Forest Management and Operations § 163.11 Forest management planning and... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Forest management planning and sustained yield management... management planning for Indian forest land shall be carried out through participation in the development and...

Framework for integration of urban planning, strategic environmental assessment and ecological planning for urban sustainability within the context of China

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

He Jia; Bao Cunkuan, E-mail: baock@tongji.edu.cn; Shu Tingfei

2011-11-15

Sustainable development or sustainability has been highlighted as an essential principle in urban master planning, with increasing recognition that uncontrollable urbanization may well give rise to various issues such as overexploitation of natural resources, ecosystem destruction, environmental pollution and large-scale climate change. Thus, it is deemed necessary to modify the existing urban and regional administrative system so as to cope with the challenges urban planning is being confronted with and realize the purpose of urban sustainability. This paper contributed to proposing a mechanism which helps to make urban planning with full consideration of issues with respect to sustainable development. Wemore » suggested that the integration of urban planning, SEA and ecological planning be a multi-win strategy to offset deficiency of each mentioned political tool being individually applied. We also proposed a framework where SEA and ecological planning are fully incorporated into urban planning, which forms a two-way constraint mechanism to ascertain environmental quality of urban planning, although in practice, planning and SEA processes may conditionally be unified. Moreover, as shown in the case study, the integration of the three political tools may be constrained due to slow changes in the contextual factors, in particular the political and cultural dimensions. Currently within the context of China, there may be three major elements which facilitate integration of the three political tools, which are (1) regulatory requirement of PEIA on urban planning, (2) the promotion or strong administrative support from government on eco-district building, and (3) the willingness of urban planners to collaborate with SEA experts or ecologists.« less

DoD Workshop on Southeast Regional Planning and Sustainability

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

development (Berke, 2007). Weak plans and ordinances in these locations mean limited knowledge about existing human and natural resource systems...research on sustainable community design, and disseminate that knowledge through innovative teaching and outreach. Rather than serving as outside...technical work is being done to address these issues, much institutional change will be needed to tie this knowledge to advance regional plans and

Comprehensive highway corridor planning with sustainability indicators : [research summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has initiated major planning : efforts to improve transportation efficiency, safety and sustainability on critical : highway corridors through its Comprehensive Highway Corridor (CHC) program. : It is i...

Some guidance on preparing validation plans for the DART Full System Models.

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

Gray, Genetha Anne; Hough, Patricia Diane; Hills, Richard Guy

2009-03-01

Planning is an important part of computational model verification and validation (V&V) and the requisite planning document is vital for effectively executing the plan. The document provides a means of communicating intent to the typically large group of people, from program management to analysts to test engineers, who must work together to complete the validation activities. This report provides guidelines for writing a validation plan. It describes the components of such a plan and includes important references and resources. While the initial target audience is the DART Full System Model teams in the nuclear weapons program, the guidelines are generallymore » applicable to other modeling efforts. Our goal in writing this document is to provide a framework for consistency in validation plans across weapon systems, different types of models, and different scenarios. Specific details contained in any given validation plan will vary according to application requirements and available resources.« less

Development and validation of sustainability criteria of administrative green schools in Iran.

PubMed

Meiboudi, Hossein; Lahijanian, Akramolmolok; Shobeiri, Seyed Mohammad; Jozi, Seyed Ali; Azizinezhad, Reza

2017-07-15

Environmental responsibility in school has led to the emergence of a variety of criteria to administer green schools' contributions to sustainability. Sustainability criteria of administrative green schools need validity, reliability and norms. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate assessment criteria for green schools in Iran based on the role of academia. A national survey was conducted to obtain data on sustainability criteria initiatives for green schools and the Iranian profile was defined. An initial pool of 71 items was generated and after its first edition, 63 items were selected to comprise the sustainability criteria. Engineering-architectural and behavioral aspects of this sustainability criteria were evaluated through a sample of 1218 graduate students with environmental degrees from Iran's universities. Exploratory factor analysis using principal components and promax rotation method showed that these 9 criteria have simple structures and are consistent with the theoretical framework. The reliability coefficients of subscales ranged between 0.62 (participation) and 0.84 (building location and position). The study's survey of correlation coefficients between items and subscales illustrated that those coefficients varied between 0.24 and 0.68. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Description and Validation of a Test to Evaluate Sustained Silent Reading

PubMed Central

Ramulu, Pradeep Y.; Swenor, Bonnielin K.; Jefferys, Joan L.; Rubin, Gary S.

2013-01-01

Purpose. To construct and validate a test of sustained silent reading. Methods. Standardized 7300 and 7600 word passages were written to evaluate sustained silent reading. Two hundred forty subjects validated whether comprehension questions could discriminate subjects who did and did not read the passage. To evaluate test–retest properties, 49 subjects silently read the standardized passages on separate days. Sixty glaucoma suspect controls and 64 glaucoma subjects had their out loud reading evaluated with the MNRead card and an International Reading Speed Texts (IReST) passage, and their silent reading measured using the 7300 word passage. Sustained silent reading parameters included reading speed and reading speed slope over time. Results. Comprehension questions distinguished individuals who had and had not read passage materials. Bland-Altman analyses of intersession sustained reading speed and reading speed slope demonstrated 95% coefficients of repeatability of 57 words per minute (wpm) and 2.76 wpm/minute. Sustained silent reading speed was less correlated with MNRead (r = 0.59) or IReST passage (r = 0.68) reading speeds than the correlation of these two measures of out loud reading speed with each other (r = 0.72). Sustained silent reading speed was more likely to differ from IReST reading speed by more than 50% in rapid silent readers (odds ratio [OR] = 29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 10–87), and comparisons of sustained and out loud reading speeds demonstrated proportional error in Bland-Altman analyses. Conclusions. Tests of out loud reading do not accurately reflect silent reading speed in individuals with normal vision or glaucoma. The described test offers a standardized way to evaluate the impact of eye disease and/or visual rehabilitation on sustained silent reading. PMID:23258146

Sustainable and Smart City Planning Using Spatial Data in Wallonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephenne, N.; Beaumont, B.; Hallot, E.; Wolff, E.; Poelmans, L.; Baltus, C.

2016-09-01

Simulating population distribution and land use changes in space and time offer opportunities for smart city planning. It provides a holistic and dynamic vision of fast changing urban environment to policy makers. Impacts, such as environmental and health risks or mobility issues, of policies can be assessed and adapted consequently. In this paper, we suppose that "Smart" city developments should be sustainable, dynamic and participative. This paper addresses these three smart objectives in the context of urban risk assessment in Wallonia, Belgium. The sustainable, dynamic and participative solution includes (i) land cover and land use mapping using remote sensing and GIS, (ii) population density mapping using dasymetric mapping, (iii) predictive modelling of land use changes and population dynamics and (iv) risk assessment. The comprehensive and long-term vision of the territory should help to draw sustainable spatial planning policies, to adapt remote sensing acquisition, to update GIS data and to refine risk assessment from regional to city scale.

Use of sustainability appraisal by English planning inspectors and judges

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

Therivel, Riki, E-mail: riki@levett-therivel.co.uk

This article considers how sustainability appraisals (SA - an English form of SEA that also considers social and economic issues) are treated at the end of the plan-making process: by planning inspectors who review plans before they are adopted, and by judges in the case of legal challenge to plans and their SAs. It briefly describes the role of inspectors and judges, and how their decisions influence SA. It presents the conclusions of 81 planning inspectors' reports about local authority development plans and their SAs, including three cases where inspectors required further SA information and reasons given by inspectors formore » not challenging the legal adequacy of other SAs. The three main successful English legal challenges to SA are then summarised. Planning inspectors seemed prone, until recently, to not challenge even quite poor quality SAs. This seems to be changing in the wake of recent court judgements, and in turn is affecting planners' SA practice. However it is unclear whether these changes will affect only the procedural aspects of SA or also planners' and inspectors' 'hearts and minds'. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Inspectors tend to err in favour of the submitted plan, even where its sustainability or the quality of its SA is dubious. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In contrast to inspectors, judges seem to be taking a broad and rigorous view of SEA requirements. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Planners and inspectors are changing their behaviour to avoid legal challenge.« less

Construct Validation of a Measure to Assess Sustainability of School-Wide Behavior Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hume, Amanda; McIntosh, Kent

2013-01-01

This study assessed aspects of construct validity of the School-wide Universal Behavior Sustainability Index-School Teams (SUBSIST), a measure evaluating critical features of the school context related to sustainability of school-wide interventions. Participants at 217 schools implementing School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) were…

Sustainable energy planning decision using the intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process: choosing energy technology in Malaysia: necessary modifications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Qudaimi, Abdullah; Kumar, Amit

2018-05-01

Recently, Abdullah and Najib (International Journal of Sustainable Energy 35(4): 360-377, 2016) proposed an intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to deal with uncertainty in decision-making and applied it to establish preference in the sustainable energy planning decision-making of Malaysia. This work may attract the researchers of other countries to choose energy technology for their countries. However, after a deep study of the published paper (International Journal of Sustainable Energy 35(4): 362-377, 2016), it is noticed that the expression used by Abdullah and Najib in Step 6 of their proposed method for evaluating the intuitionistic fuzzy entropy of each aggregate of each row of intuitionistic fuzzy matrix is not valid. Therefore, it is not genuine to use the method proposed by Abdullah and Najib for solving real-life problems. The aim of this paper was to suggest the required necessary modifications for resolving the flaws of the Abdullah and Najib method.

Measuring post-secondary stem majors' engagement in sustainability: The creation, assessment, and validation of an instrument for sustainability curricula evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Little, David L., II

Ongoing changes in values, pedagogy, and curriculum concerning sustainability education necessitate that strong curricular elements are identified in sustainability education. However, quantitative research in sustainability education is largely undeveloped or relies on outdated instruments. In part, this is because no widespread quantitative instrument for measuring related educational outcomes has been developed for the field, though their development is pivotal for future efforts in sustainability education related to STEM majors. This research study details the creation, evaluation, and validation of an instrument -- the STEM Sustainability Engagement Instrument (STEMSEI) -- designed to measure sustainability engagement in post-secondary STEM majors. The study was conducted in three phases, using qualitative methods in phase 1, a concurrent mixed methods design in phase 2, and a sequential mixed methods design in phase 3. The STEMSEI was able to successfully predict statistically significant differences in the sample (n= 1017) that were predicted by prior research in environmental education. The STEMSEI also revealed statistically significant differences between STEM majors' sustainability engagement with a large effect size (.203 ≤ eta2 ≤ .211). As hypothesized, statistically significant differences were found on the environmental scales across gender and present religion. With respect to gender, self-perceived measures of emotional engagement with environmental sustainability was higher with females while males had higher measures in cognitive engagement with respect to knowing information related to environmental sustainability. With respect to present religion, self-perceived measures of general engagement and emotional engagement in environmental sustainability were higher for non-Christians as compared to Christians. On the economic scales, statistically significant differences were found across gender. Specifically, measures of males' self

CASL Verification and Validation Plan

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

Mousseau, Vincent Andrew; Dinh, Nam

2016-06-30

This report documents the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of LWRs (CASL) verification and validation plan. The document builds upon input from CASL subject matter experts, most notably the CASL Challenge Problem Product Integrators, CASL Focus Area leaders, and CASL code development and assessment teams. This document will be a living document that will track progress on CASL to do verification and validation for both the CASL codes (including MPACT, CTF, BISON, MAMBA) and for the CASL challenge problems (CIPS, PCI, DNB). The CASL codes and the CASL challenge problems are at differing levels of maturity with respect to validation andmore » verification. The gap analysis will summarize additional work that needs to be done. Additional VVUQ work will be done as resources permit. This report is prepared for the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) CASL program in support of milestone CASL.P13.02.« less

Sustainable and Healthy Communities Strategic Research Action Plan 2016-2019

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This plan outlines the Office of Research and Development’s role in achieving EPA’s objectives for cleaning up communities, making a visible difference in communities, and working toward a sustainable future.

Strategic Planning for Sustainable Forests: The Plan Drives the Budgets Which Drive Results

Treesearch

Paul Brouha; Elisabeth Grinspoon

2006-01-01

The USDA Forest Service is among the pioneers incorporating the Montreal Process criteria and indicators into its programs. Among its initial efforts is the adaptation of a criteria and indicators framework for its national strategic plan, which is the primary instrument for setting the course to achieve the Forest Service mission of sustaining the nation’s forests and...

Development and Initial Validation of an Instrument for Human Capital Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zula, Kenneth J.; Chermack, Thomas J.

2008-01-01

This article reports on development and validation of an instrument for use in human capital approaches for organizational planning. The article describes use of a team of subject matter experts in developing a measure of human capital planning, and use of exploratory factor analysis techniques to validate the resulting instrument. These data were…

Hopi Sustainable Energy Plan

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

Norman Honie, Jr.; Margie Schaff; Mark Hannifan

2004-08-01

The Hopi Tribal Government as part of an initiative to ?Regulate the delivery of energy and energy services to the Hopi Reservation and to create a strategic business plan for tribal provision of appropriate utility, both in a manner that improves the reliability and cost efficiency of such services,? established the Hopi Clean Air Partnership Project (HCAPP) to support the Tribe?s economic development goals, which is sensitive to the needs and ways of the Hopi people. The Department of Energy (DOE) funded, Formation of Hopi Sustainable Energy Program results are included in the Clean Air Partnership Report. One of themore » Hopi Tribe?s primary strategies to improving the reliability and cost efficiency of energy services on the Reservation and to creating alternative (to coal) economic development opportunities is to form and begin implementation of the Hopi Sustainable Energy Program. The Hopi Tribe through the implementation of this grant identified various economic opportunities available from renewable energy resources. However, in order to take advantage of those opportunities, capacity building of tribal staff is essential in order for the Tribe to develop and manage its renewable energy resources. As Arizona public utilities such as APS?s renewable energy portfolio increases the demand for renewable power will increase. The Hopi Tribe would be in a good position to provide a percentage of the power through wind energy. It is equally important that the Hopi Tribe begin a dialogue with APS and NTUA to purchase the 69Kv transmission on Hopi and begin looking into financing options to purchase the line.« less

Social vulnerability indicators as a sustainable planning tool

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

Lee, Yung-Jaan, E-mail: yungjaanlee@gmail.com

In the face of global warming and environmental change, the conventional strategy of resource centralization will not be able to cope with a future of increasingly extreme climate events and related disasters. It may even contribute to inter-regional disparities as a result of these events. To promote sustainable development, this study offers a case study of developmental planning in Chiayi, Taiwan and a review of the relevant literature to propose a framework of social vulnerability indicators at the township level. The proposed framework can not only be used to measure the social vulnerability of individual townships in Chiayi, but alsomore » be used to capture the spatial developmental of Chiayi. Seventeen social vulnerability indicators provide information in five dimensions. Owing to limited access to relevant data, the values of only 13 indicators were calculated. By simply summarizing indicators without using weightings and by using zero-mean normalization to standardize the indicators, this study calculates social vulnerability scores for each township. To make social vulnerability indicators more useful, this study performs an overlay analysis of social vulnerability and patterns of risk associated with national disasters. The social vulnerability analysis draws on secondary data for 2012 from Taiwan's National Geographic Information System. The second layer of analysis consists of the flood potential ratings of the Taiwan Water Resources Agency as an index of biophysical vulnerability. The third layer consists of township-level administrative boundaries. Analytical results reveal that four out of the 18 townships in Chiayi not only are vulnerable to large-scale flooding during serious flood events, but also have the highest degree of social vulnerability. Administrative boundaries, on which social vulnerability is based, do not correspond precisely to “cross-administrative boundaries,” which are characteristics of the natural environment. This

Common Ground: Agriculture for a Sustainable Future. Lesson Plans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selfridge, Deborah J.

This document contains lesson plans for a four-unit course in agriculture for sustainable development and is accompanied by a video tape and a booklet that discusses existing and future agricultural practices. Each unit of the document contains some or all of the following components: an introduction; objectives and competencies addressed; a list…

Sipping at the Straw: Planning for Sustainable Water Supplies for U.S. Army Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

Thermoelectric power • Geothermal • Biofuels • Solar-hot water • Hydropower • Carbon Capture • “ Fracking ” Regional Water Balance?  Supply  Rivers...Sipping at the Straw: Planning for Sustainable Water Supplies for U.S. Army Installations Marc Kodack Senior Fellow, Army Environmental Policy...00-00-2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Sipping at the Straw: Planning for Sustainable Water Supplies for U.S. Army Installations 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b

Validity of a questionnaire measuring motives for choosing foods including sustainable concerns.

PubMed

Sautron, Valérie; Péneau, Sandrine; Camilleri, Géraldine M; Muller, Laurent; Ruffieux, Bernard; Hercberg, Serge; Méjean, Caroline

2015-04-01

Since the 1990s, sustainability of diet has become an increasingly important concern for consumers. However, there is no validated multidimensional measurement of motivation in the choice of foods including a concern for sustainability currently available. In the present study, we developed a questionnaire that measures food choice motives during purchasing, and we tested its psychometric properties. The questionnaire included 104 items divided into four predefined dimensions (environmental, health and well-being, economic and miscellaneous). It was administered to 1000 randomly selected subjects participating in the Nutrinet-Santé cohort study. Among 637 responders, one-third found the questionnaire complex or too long, while one-quarter found it difficult to fill in. Its underlying structure was determined by exploratory factor analysis and then internally validated by confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was also assessed by internal consistency of selected dimensions and test-retest repeatability. After selecting the most relevant items, first-order analysis highlighted nine main dimensions: labeled ethics and environment, local and traditional production, taste, price, environmental limitations, health, convenience, innovation and absence of contaminants. The model demonstrated excellent internal validity (adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.97; standardized root mean square residuals = 0.07) and satisfactory reliability (internal consistency = 0.96, test-retest repeatability coefficient ranged between 0.31 and 0.68 over a mean 4-week period). This study enabled precise identification of the various dimensions in food choice motives and proposed an original, internally valid tool applicable to large populations for assessing consumer food motivation during purchasing, particularly in terms of sustainability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resource management as a key factor for sustainable urban planning.

PubMed

Agudelo-Vera, Claudia M; Mels, Adriaan R; Keesman, Karel J; Rijnaarts, Huub H M

2011-10-01

Due to fast urbanization and increasing living standards, the environmental sustainability of our global society becomes more and more questionable. In this historical review we investigate the role of resources management (RM) and urban planning (UP) and propose ways for integration in sustainable development (SD). RM follows the principle of circular causation, and we reflect on to what extent RM has been an element for urban planning. Since the existence of the first settlements, a close relationship between RM, urbanization and technological development has been present. RM followed the demand for urban resources like water, energy, and food. In history, RM has been fostered by innovation and technology developments and has driven population growth and urbanization. Recent massive resource demand, especially in relation to energy and material flows, has altered natural ecosystems and has resulted in environmental degradation. UP has developed separately in response to different questions. UP followed the demand for improved living conditions, often associated to safety, good manufacturing and trading conditions and appropriate sanitation and waste management. In history UP has been a developing research area, especially since the industrial era and the related strong urbanization at the end of the 18th century. UP responded to new emerging problems in urban areas and became increasingly complex. Nowadays, UP has to address many objectives that are often conflicting, including, the urban sustainability. Our current urban un-sustainability is rooted in massive resource consumption and waste production beyond natural limits, and the absence of flows from waste to resources. Therefore, sustainable urban development requires integration of RM into UP. We propose new ways to this integration. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A planning-oriented sustainability assessment framework for peri-urban water management in developing countries.

PubMed

Starkl, Markus; Brunner, Norbert; López, Eduardo; Martínez-Ruiz, José Luis

2013-12-15

DPSIR and the three-pillar model are well-established frameworks for sustainability assessment. This paper proposes a planning-oriented sustainability assessment framework (POSAF). It is informed by those frameworks but differs insofar as it puts more emphasis on a constructivist conception which recognises that sustainability needs to be defined anew for each planning problem. In finding such a consensus definition, POSAF uses participatory scenario analysis and participatory planning, technical feasibility study, participatory assessment, analysis of trade-offs and social networks in an unusual combination and for goals that differ from the original conceptions of these methods. POSAF was applied in a peri-urban area of Mexico City for the design of improved water service provision, integrating solid waste management. It supported consensus amongst users about the importance of environmental issues, informed planners about the values of stakeholders and users, detected local differences, and identified possible conflicts at an early stage of decision-making. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Department of Defense Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, FY 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

particularly in Asia— places pressure on projected oil production and refining capacity . Relating specifically to the fixed installations under the...ensure that sustainability factors are adequately addressed. Departmental planning and programming guidance lays out requirements that DoD Components... factors in addition to mission, financial, and regulatory considerations. For example, the mission benefits of having an off-grid source of electricity

In place of fear: aligning health care planning with system objectives to achieve financial sustainability.

PubMed

Birch, Stephen; Murphy, Gail Tomblin; MacKenzie, Adrian; Cumming, Jackie

2015-04-01

The financial sustainability of publicly funded health care systems is a challenge to policymakers in many countries as health care absorbs an ever increasing share of both national wealth and government spending. New technology, aging populations and increasing public expectations of the health care system are often cited as reasons why health care systems need ever increasing funding as well as reasons why universal and comprehensive public systems are unsustainable. However, increases in health care spending are not usually linked to corresponding increases in need for care within populations. Attempts to promote financial sustainability of systems such as limiting the range of services is covered or the groups of population covered may compromise their political sustainability as some groups are left to seek private cover for some or all services. In this paper, an alternative view of financial sustainability is presented which identifies the failure of planning and management of health care to reflect needs for care in populations and to integrate planning and management functions for health care expenditure, health care services and the health care workforce. We present a Health Care Sustainability Framework based on disaggregating the health care expenditure into separate planning components. Unlike other approaches to planning health care expenditure, this framework explicitly incorporates population health needs as a determinant of health care requirements, and provides a diagnostic tool for understanding the sources of expenditure increase. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

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…

Use of multicriteria analysis (MCA) for sustainable hydropower planning and management.

PubMed

Vassoney, Erica; Mammoliti Mochet, Andrea; Comoglio, Claudio

2017-07-01

Multicriteria analysis (MCA) is a decision-making tool applied to a wide range of environmental management problems, including renewable energy planning and management. An interesting field of application of MCA is the evaluation and analysis of the conflicting aspects of hydropower (HP) exploitation, affecting the three pillars of sustainability and involving several different stakeholders. The present study was aimed at reviewing the state of the art of MCA applications to sustainable hydropower production and related decision-making problems, based on a detailed analysis of the scientific papers published over the last 15 years on this topic. The papers were analysed and compared, focusing on the specific features of the MCA methods applied in the described case studies, highlighting the general aspects of the MCA application (purpose, spatial scale, software used, stakeholders, etc.) and the specific operational/technical features of the selected MCA technique (methodology, criteria, evaluation, approach, sensitivity, etc.). Some specific limitations of the analysed case studies were identified and a set of "quality indexes" of an exhaustive MCA application were suggested as potential improvements for more effectively support decision-making processes in sustainable HP planning and management problems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geospatial Based Information System Development in Public Administration for Sustainable Development and Planning in Urban Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouziokas, Georgios N.

2016-09-01

It is generally agreed that the governmental authorities should actively encourage the development of an efficient framework of information and communication technology initiatives so as to advance and promote sustainable development and planning strategies. This paper presents a prototype Information System for public administration which was designed to facilitate public management and decision making for sustainable development and planning. The system was developed by using several programming languages and programming tools and also a Database Management System (DBMS) for storing and managing urban data of many kinds. Furthermore, geographic information systems were incorporated into the system in order to make possible to the authorities to deal with issues of spatial nature such as spatial planning. The developed system provides a technology based management of geospatial information, environmental and crime data of urban environment aiming at improving public decision making and also at contributing to a more efficient sustainable development and planning.

The development and validation of the advance care planning questionnaire in Malaysia.

PubMed

Lai, Pauline Siew Mei; Mohd Mudri, Salinah; Chinna, Karuthan; Othman, Sajaratulnisah

2016-10-18

Advance care planning is a voluntary process whereby individual preferences, values and beliefs are used to aid a person in planning for end-of-life care. Currently, there is no local instrument to assess an individual's awareness and attitude towards advance care planning. This study aimed to develop an Advance Care Planning Questionnaire and to determine its validity and reliability among older people in Malaysia. The Advance Care Planning Questionnaire was developed based on literature review. Face and content validity was verified by an expert panel, and piloted among 15 participants. Our study was conducted from October 2013 to February 2014, at an urban primary care clinic in Malaysia. Included were those aged >50 years, who could understand English. A retest was conducted 2 weeks after the first administration. Participants from the pilot study did not encounter any problems in answering the Advance Care Planning Questionnaire. Hence, no further modifications were made. Flesch reading ease was 71. The final version of the Advance Care Planning Questionnaire consists of 66 items: 30 items were measured on a nominal scale, whilst 36 items were measured on a Likert-like scale; of which we were only able to validate 22 items, as the remaining 14 items were descriptive in nature. A total of 245 eligible participants were approached; of which 230 agreed to participate (response rate = 93.9 %). Factor analysis on the 22 items measured on a Likert-scale revealed four domains: "feelings regarding advance care planning", "justifications for advance care planning", "justifications for not having advance care planning: fate and religion", and "justifications for not having advance care planning: avoid thinking about death". The Cronbach's alpha values for items each domain ranged from 0.637-0.915. In test-retest, kappa values ranged from 0.738-0.947. The final Advance Care Planning Questionnaire consisted of 63 items and 4 domains. It was found to be a valid and

Even during Hiring Freezes, Many Colleges Stick with Sustainability Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Scott

2009-01-01

Michael J. O'Connor, the physical-plant director at Appalachian State University, is watching his staff shrink bit by bit. When people leave, he's not rehiring. There is one exception to his staffing plan, however. Despite the economic duress, he is conducting a national search for a sustainability director. The university has ambitious…

Department of Defense Sustainability: Progress and Plans for the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-02

Teleworking DoDI (Oct 2010) •Sulfur Hexafluoride Risk Management (Oct 2010) •Integrated Solid Waste Management DoDI (being prepared) •Sustainable Ranges (being...electronically track compliance •Air Force stormwater hydrology  analysis  tool to estimate pre‐ and post‐hydrology IN PROGRESS Teleworking   •Coding employees...as:  ineligible  eligible/regular eligible/ad hoc •Accurately capturing actual time  teleworked – still figuring out the best way Sustainable Planning

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Ground Validation: Plans and Preparations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwaller, M.; Bidwell, S.; Durning, F. J.; Smith, E.

2004-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program is an international partnership led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). GPM will improve climate, weather, and hydro-meteorological forecasts through more frequent and more accurate measurement of precipitation across the globe. This paper describes the concept, the planning, and the preparations for Ground Validation within the GPM program. Ground Validation (GV) plays an important role in the program by investigating and quantitatively assessing the errors within the satellite retrievals. These quantitative estimates of retrieval errors will assist the scientific community by bounding the errors within their research products. The two fundamental requirements of the GPM Ground Validation program are: (1) error characterization of the precipitation retrievals and (2) continual improvement of the satellite retrieval algorithms. These two driving requirements determine the measurements, instrumentation, and location for ground observations. This paper outlines GV plans for estimating the systematic and random components of retrieval error and for characterizing the spatial p d temporal structure of the error and plans for algorithm improvement in which error models are developed and experimentally explored to uncover the physical causes of errors within the retrievals. This paper discusses NASA locations for GV measurements as well as anticipated locations from international GPM partners. NASA's primary locations for validation measurements are an oceanic site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and a continental site in north-central Oklahoma at the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program site.

Management of complex knowledge in planning for sustainable development: The use of multi-criteria decision aids

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

Kain, Jaan-Henrik; Soederberg, Henriette

2008-01-15

The vision of sustainable development entails new and complex planning situations, confronting local policy makers with changing political conditions, different content in decision making and planning and new working methods. Moreover, the call for sustainable development has been a major driving force towards an increasingly multi-stakeholder planning system. This situation requires competence in working in, and managing, groups of actors, including not only experts and project owners but also other categories of stakeholders. Among other qualities, such competence requires a working strategy aimed at integrating various, and sometimes incommensurable, forms of knowledge to construct a relevant and valid knowledge basemore » prior to decision making. Consequently, there lies great potential in methods that facilitate the evaluation of strategies for infrastructural development across multiple knowledge areas, so-called multi-criteria decision aids (MCDAs). In the present article, observations from six case studies are discussed, where the common denominators are infrastructural planning, multi-stakeholder participation and the use of MCDAs as interactive decision support. Three MCDAs are discussed - NAIADE, SCA and STRAD - with an emphasis on how they function in their procedural context. Accordingly, this is not an analysis of MCDA algorithms, of software programming aspects or of MCDAs as context-independent 'decision machines'-the focus is on MCDAs as actor systems, not as expert systems. The analysis is carried out across four main themes: (a) symmetrical management of different forms of knowledge; (b) management of heterogeneity, pluralism and conflict; (c) functionality and ease of use; and (d) transparency and trust. It shows that STRAD, by far, seems to be the most useful MCDA in interactive settings. NAIADE and SCA are roughly equivalent but have their strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Moreover, it was found that some MCDA issues require

WEC-SIM Validation Testing Plan FY14 Q4.

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

Ruehl, Kelley Michelle

2016-02-01

The WEC-Sim project is currently on track, having met both the SNL and NREL FY14 Milestones, as shown in Table 1 and Table 2. This is also reflected in the Gantt chart uploaded to the WEC-Sim SharePoint site in the FY14 Q4 Deliverables folder. The work completed in FY14 includes code verification through code-to-code comparison (FY14 Q1 and Q2), preliminary code validation through comparison to experimental data (FY14 Q2 and Q3), presentation and publication of the WEC-Sim project at OMAE 2014 [1], [2], [3] and GMREC/METS 2014 [4] (FY14 Q3), WEC-Sim code development and public open-source release (FY14 Q3), andmore » development of a preliminary WEC-Sim validation test plan (FY14 Q4). This report presents the preliminary Validation Testing Plan developed in FY14 Q4. The validation test effort started in FY14 Q4 and will go on through FY15. Thus far the team has developed a device selection method, selected a device, and placed a contract with the testing facility, established several collaborations including industry contacts, and have working ideas on the testing details such as scaling, device design, and test conditions.« less

Institutional Effectiveness: A Model for Planning, Assessment & Validation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truckee Meadows Community Coll., Sparks, NV.

The report presents Truckee Meadows Community College's (Colorado) model for assessing institutional effectiveness and validating the College's mission and vision, and the strategic plan for carrying out the institutional effectiveness model. It also outlines strategic goals for the years 1999-2001. From the system-wide directive that education…

Theoretical Approaches in the Context of Spatial Planning Decisions and the Relation with Urban Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumlu, Kadriye Burcu Yavuz; Tüdeş, Şule

2017-10-01

The sustainability agenda has maintained its importance since the days, when the production system took its capitalist form, as well as the population in the urban areas started to rise. Increasing number of both goods and the people have caused the degradation of the certain systems, which generate the urban areas. These systems could mainly be classified as social, environmental, physical and economical systems. Today, urban areas still have difficulty to protect those systems, due to the significant demand of the population. Therefore, studies related with the sustainable issues are significant in the sense of continuity of the urban systems. Therefore, in this paper, those studies in the context of the effects of physical decisions taken in the spatial planning process on urban sustainability, will be examined. The components of the physical decisions are limited to land use, density and design. Land use decisions will be examined in the context of mixed land use. On the other hand, decisions related with density will be analyzed in the sense of population density and floor area ratio (FAR). Besides, design decisions will be examined, by linking them with neighborhood design criteria. Additionally, the term of urban sustainability will only be limited to its social and environmental contexts in this study. Briefly stated, studies in the sustainable literature concerned with the effects of land use, density and design decisions taken in the spatial planning process on the social and environmental sustainability will be examined in this paper. After the compilation and the analyze of those studies, a theoretical approach will be proposed to determine social and environmental sustainability in the context of land use, density and design decisions, taken in the spatial planning process.

Concept of ‘Good Urban Governance’ and Its Application in Sustainable Urban Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badach, Joanna; Dymnicka, Małgorzata

2017-10-01

Contemporary urban theory and practice in the post-industrial era is increasingly often turning towards an approach based on sustainable development. That concept bearing the traits of a paradigm has grown on the ground of broad quest for an alternative to the existing development model of the industrial civilisation. It has gained wide social acceptance and is the basis for many development and environmental programmes at the level of national and local government. It puts in a new light the socio-cultural, ecological and energy-related aspects of space as well as its value and aesthetics. A model of governing the city called ‘good urban governance’ is in a very close relation with the concept of sustainable development. It is based on the principles of inclusiveness, citizenship, accountability, processuality and effectiveness. Although this approach is not entirely novel, it stays valid and open to new challenges connected with satisfying human needs in the urban built environment on the basis of new contemporary conceptualisations such as ‘smart governance’, ‘governing the smart city’, ‘network governance’ and ‘governance networks’. The advantages of this approach based on the assumption of multidimensionality and subjectivity, matching the various and seemingly contradicting interests with a sense of responsibility for the quality of life in the urban environment are often underlined both in literature and in academic debate. The aim of this article is an attempt to present selected practices in spatial planning which employ the principles of the idea of co-governance. It will include various methodological assumptions and criteria applied in ‘good urban governance’. The intention will be to show its new research and application possibilities in countries like Poland where the idea of governance and sustainable development remains a matter of theory.

Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program - monitoring effectiveness of sustainable forest management planning

Treesearch

J. John Stadt; Jim Schieck; Harry Stelfox

2006-01-01

The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program is a rigorous science-based initiative that is being developed to monitor and report on biodiversity status and trends throughout the province of Alberta, Canada. Forest management plans in Alberta are required to monitor and report on the achievement of stated sustainable forest management objectives; however, the...

A framework for planning of sustainable water and sanitation systems in peri-urban areas.

PubMed

Törnqvist, R; Norström, A; Kärrman, E; Malmqvist, P-A

2008-01-01

There are billions of people around the world that lack access to safe water supply and basic sanitation, a situation which puts the affected in severe health conditions as well as economical and social despair. Many of those lacking adequate water supply and sanitation systems can be found at the fringe of the cities in so called peri-urban areas, especially in the developing world. Planning in these areas is highly complex due to challenging environmental and physical conditions, high population density and unclear institutional boundaries. This article presents a framework aiming to support the planning process for sustainable water and sanitation systems in peri-urban areas. The suggested framework is based on different available planning approaches from a review of literature and websites of organisations and companies. It consists of a recommendation of important steps in the planning process as well as supporting tools. Further, it incorporates a set of sustainability criteria important for the peri-urban context and allows for the development of site specific systems. The framework has the aim to be flexible for different planning situations, and for suiting planners with different perspectives and amount of resources. (c) IWA Publishing 2008.

Alphabus Mechanical Validation Plan and Test Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvisi, G.; Bonnet, D.; Belliol, P.; Lodereau, P.; Redoundo, R.

2012-07-01

A joint team of the two leading European satellite companies (Astrium and Thales Alenia Space) worked with the support of ESA and CNES to define a product line able to efficiently address the upper segment of communications satellites : Alphabus Starting in 2009 and up to 2011 the mechanical validation of the Alphabus platform has been obtained thanks to static tests performed on dedicated static model and to environmental test performed on the first satellite based on Alphabus: Alphasat I-XL. The mechanical validation of the Alphabus platform presented an excellent opportunity to improve the validation and qualification process, with respect to static, sine vibrations, acoustic and L/V shock environment, minimizing recurrent cost of manufacturing, integration and testing. A main driver on mechanical testing is that mechanical acceptance testing at satellite level will be performed with empty tanks due to technical constraints (limitation of existing vibration devices) and programmatic advantages (test risk reduction, test schedule minimization). In this paper the impacts that such testing logic have on validation plan are briefly recalled and its actual application for Alphasat PFM mechanical test campaign is detailed.

An Empirical Assessment of Administration and Planning Activity and Their Impact on the Realization of Sustainability-Related Initiatives and Programs in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semeraro, Elizabeth; Boyd, Neil M.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Administrators in higher-education settings routinely create planning documents that help steer the organization in mission-centric ways. In the area of sustainability planning, strategic plans, sustainability plans and climate action plans are the most common methods used. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if specific forms of…

Sustainability of community based family planning services: experience from rural Ethiopia.

PubMed

Genna, Shimeles; Fantahun, Mesganaw; Berhane, Yemane

2006-01-01

The important role of active Community Based Reproductive Health Services (CBRHS), formerly known us Community Based Distribution (CBD) of family planning program, in increasing contraceptive uptake has been reported from several studies. However, the sustainability of project based services has not been documented in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of community based Family planning services in rural communities of Ethiopia. The study was carried out in three sets of 30 peasant villages selected from five districts of Eastern Showa Zone in Ethiopia. Comparison was made between never former; and current CBRHS areas. Relevant information was collected using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. The respondents were women in the reproductive age groups (15-49 years). Knowledge about contraception was higher in both former and current CBRHS communities as compared to never CBRHS areas [MH-OR (95% CI) = 6.89 (4.69, 10.17) and 12.48 (7.84, 20.25)], respectively. Ever use of modern contraception was significantly greater among women from former and current CBRHS communities as compared to never CBRHS communities [MH-OR (95% CI) = 3.75 (2.54, 5.97) and 5.72 (3.93, 9.39), respectively]. Current use of modern contraception methods was however significantly better only in current CBRHS areas [MH-OR (95% CI) = 2.42; (1.16, 5.37)]; there was no statistically significant difference with former CBRHS areas [MH-OR (95% CI) = 1.13; (0.51, 2.49)]. Results of this study indicate that the effect of CBRHS in raising the level of modern contraception use in rural communities is transient. In order to sustain the effects of a good community based family planning services appropriate mechanisms must be designed to motivate and enable women to continuously utilize the services.

Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship: An Evaluation of the Validity of the STAUNCH Auditing Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, Alison; Peters, Carl; Haslett, Simon K.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test the validity of the curriculum auditing tool Sustainability Tool for Auditing University Curricula in Higher Education (STAUNCH[C]), which was designed to audit the education for sustainability and global citizenship content of higher education curricula. The Welsh Assembly Government aspires to…

Prototyping and validating requirements of radiation and nuclear emergency plan simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamid, AHA.; Rozan, MZA.; Ibrahim, R.; Deris, S.; Selamat, A.

2015-04-01

Organizational incapability in developing unrealistic, impractical, inadequate and ambiguous mechanisms of radiological and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan (EPR) causing emergency plan disorder and severe disasters. These situations resulting from 65.6% of poor definition and unidentified roles and duties of the disaster coordinator. Those unexpected conditions brought huge aftermath to the first responders, operators, workers, patients and community at large. Hence, in this report, we discuss prototyping and validating of Malaysia radiation and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan simulation model (EPRM). A prototyping technique was required to formalize the simulation model requirements. Prototyping as systems requirements validation was carried on to endorse the correctness of the model itself against the stakeholder's intensions in resolving those organizational incapability. We have made assumptions for the proposed emergency preparedness and response model (EPRM) through the simulation software. Those assumptions provided a twofold of expected mechanisms, planning and handling of the respective emergency plan as well as in bringing off the hazard involved. This model called RANEPF (Radiation and Nuclear Emergency Planning Framework) simulator demonstrated the training emergency response perquisites rather than the intervention principles alone. The demonstrations involved the determination of the casualties' absorbed dose range screening and the coordination of the capacity planning of the expected trauma triage. Through user-centred design and sociotechnical approach, RANEPF simulator was strategized and simplified, though certainly it is equally complex.

GOSAT-2 : Science Plan, Products, Validation, and Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsunaga, T.; Morino, I.; Yoshida, Y.; Saito, M.; Hiraki, K.; Yokota, Y.; Kamei, A.; Oishi, Y.; Dupuy, E.; Murakami, K.; Ninomiya, K.; Pang, J. S.; Yokota, T.; Maksyutov, S. S.; Machida, T.; Saigusa, N.; Mukai, H.; Nakajima, M.; Imasu, R.; Nakajima, T.

2013-12-01

Based on the success of Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) launched in 2009, Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA), and National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) started the preparations for the follow-on satellite, GOSAT-2 in FY2011. The current target launch year of GOSAT-2 is FY2017. The objectives of GOSAT-2 include : 1) Continue and enhance spaceborne greenhouse gases observation started by GOSAT, 2) Improve our understanding of global and regional carbon cycles, and 3) Contribute to the climate change related policies as one of MRV(Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) tools for carbon emission reduction. As a scientific background/rationale of GOSAT-2, GOSAT-2 Science Plan is being edited by GOSAT-2 Science Team Preparation Committee. Not only carbon dioxide and methane but also carbon monoxide, tropospheric ozone, and aerosols are discussed in the plan. GOSAT-2 Level 2 (gas concentrations) and Level 4 (gas fluxes) products will be operationally generated at and distributed from GOSAT-2 Data Handling Facility located in NIES. In addition, a new supercomputer dedicated to GOSAT-2 research and development will be also installed in NIES. GOSAT-2 validation plan is also being discussed. Its baseline is similar to the current GOSAT . But various efforts will be made to extend the coverage of validation data for GOSAT-2. The efforts include the increased commercial passenger aircraft volunteering atmospheric measurements and additional ground-based Fourier transform spectrometers to be newly installed in Asian countries. In addition, a compact accelerator mass spectrometer is being introduced to NIES to investigate the contributions of anthropogenic emissions which is important for GOSAT-2. Climate change related policies include JCM (Joint Crediting Mechanism) in which MRV plays a critical role. MRV tools used in the existing JCM projects are mostly ground-based and site-specific. Satellite atmospheric

STAR-CCM+ Verification and Validation Plan

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

Pointer, William David

2016-09-30

The commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code STAR-CCM+ provides general purpose finite volume method solutions for fluid dynamics and energy transport. This document defines plans for verification and validation (V&V) of the base code and models implemented within the code by the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light water reactors (CASL). The software quality assurance activities described herein are port of the overall software life cycle defined in the CASL Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Plan [Sieger, 2015]. STAR-CCM+ serves as the principal foundation for development of an advanced predictive multi-phase boiling simulation capability within CASL. The CASL Thermal Hydraulics Methodsmore » (THM) team develops advanced closure models required to describe the subgrid-resolution behavior of secondary fluids or fluid phases in multiphase boiling flows within the Eulerian-Eulerian framework of the code. These include wall heat partitioning models that describe the formation of vapor on the surface and the forces the define bubble/droplet dynamic motion. The CASL models are implemented as user coding or field functions within the general framework of the code. This report defines procedures and requirements for V&V of the multi-phase CFD capability developed by CASL THM. Results of V&V evaluations will be documented in a separate STAR-CCM+ V&V assessment report. This report is expected to be a living document and will be updated as additional validation cases are identified and adopted as part of the CASL THM V&V suite.« less

Planning for the sustainability of community-based health programs: conceptual frameworks and future directions for research, practice and policy.

PubMed

Shediac-Rizkallah, M C; Bone, L R

1998-03-01

Attention to the sustainability of health intervention programs both in the US and abroad is increasing, but little consensus exists on the conceptual and operational definitions of sustainability. Moreover, an empirical knowledge base about the determinants of sustainability is still at an early stage. Planning for sustainability requires, first, a clear understanding of the concept of sustainability and operational indicators that may be used in monitoring sustainability over time. Important categories of indicators include: (1) maintenance of health benefits achieved through an initial program, (2) level of institutionalization of a program within an organization and (3) measures of capacity building in the recipient community. Second, planning for sustainability requires the use of programmatic approaches and strategies that favor long-term program maintenance. We suggest that the potential influences on sustainability may derive from three major groups of factors: (1) project design and implementation factors, (2) factors within the organizational setting, and (3) factors in the broader community environment. Future efforts to develop sustainable health intervention programs in communities can build on the concepts and strategies proposed here.

Planning for Sustainability of an Evidence-Based Mental Health Promotion Program in Canadian Elementary Schools.

PubMed

Leadbeater, Bonnie J; Gladstone, Emilie J; Sukhawathanakul, Paweena

2015-09-01

Substantial research illuminates many factors effecting the implementation of evidence-based mental health promotion programs in schools; however, research on how schools plan for sustaining their investments in these programs is limited. In this qualitative study, we elicited descriptions of opportunities and challenges for sustainability. We interviewed 24 individuals from schools involved in a longitudinal, qualitative research project that followed uptake and implementation of the evidence-based WITS Programs across 2 years (Leadbeater et al. 2012). WITS stands for Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out and Seek help and the online WITS Programs focus on preventing peer victimization ( www.witsprograms.ca ). Our findings suggest that sustainability planning in schools is not merely a next step following high quality implementation, but rather involves multiple ongoing processes that need to be anticipated and supported by school leadership and program champions and developers in order to realize investments in evidence-based programs.

Development of Level 2 Calibration and Validation Plans for GOES-R; What is a RIMP?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopp, Thomas J.; Belsma, Leslie O.; Mollner, Andrew K.; Sun, Ziping; Deluccia, Frank

2017-01-01

Calibration and Validation (CalVal) plans for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite version R (GOES-R) Level 2 (L2) products were documented via Resource, Implementation, and Management Plans (RIMPs) for all of the official L2 products required from the GOES-R Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). In 2015 the GOES-R program decided to replace the typical CalVal plans with RIMPs that covered, for a given L2 product, what was required from that product, how it would be validated, and what tools would be used to do so. Similar to Level 1b products, the intent was to cover the full spectrum of planning required for the CalVal of L2 ABI products. Instead of focusing on step-by-step procedures, the RIMPs concentrated on the criteria for each stage of the validation process (Beta, Provisional, and Full Validation) and the many elements required to prove when each stage was reached.

Prototyping and validating requirements of radiation and nuclear emergency plan simulator

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

Hamid, AHA., E-mail: amyhamijah@nm.gov.my; Faculty of Computing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Rozan, MZA.

2015-04-29

Organizational incapability in developing unrealistic, impractical, inadequate and ambiguous mechanisms of radiological and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan (EPR) causing emergency plan disorder and severe disasters. These situations resulting from 65.6% of poor definition and unidentified roles and duties of the disaster coordinator. Those unexpected conditions brought huge aftermath to the first responders, operators, workers, patients and community at large. Hence, in this report, we discuss prototyping and validating of Malaysia radiation and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan simulation model (EPRM). A prototyping technique was required to formalize the simulation model requirements. Prototyping as systems requirements validation wasmore » carried on to endorse the correctness of the model itself against the stakeholder’s intensions in resolving those organizational incapability. We have made assumptions for the proposed emergency preparedness and response model (EPRM) through the simulation software. Those assumptions provided a twofold of expected mechanisms, planning and handling of the respective emergency plan as well as in bringing off the hazard involved. This model called RANEPF (Radiation and Nuclear Emergency Planning Framework) simulator demonstrated the training emergency response perquisites rather than the intervention principles alone. The demonstrations involved the determination of the casualties’ absorbed dose range screening and the coordination of the capacity planning of the expected trauma triage. Through user-centred design and sociotechnical approach, RANEPF simulator was strategized and simplified, though certainly it is equally complex.« less

Annual Sustainability Report FY 2014. Incorporates NREL Site Sustainability Plan

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

Rukavina, Frank

NREL's Sustainability Program is responsible for upholding all executive orders, federal regulations, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) orders, and goals related to sustainable and resilient facility operations. But NREL continues to expand sustainable practices above and beyond the laboratory's regulations and requirements to ensure that the laboratory fulfills its mission into the future, leaves the smallest possible legacy footprint, and models sustainable operations and behaviors on national, regional, and local levels. The report, per the GRI reporting format, elaborates on multi-year goals relative to executive orders, achievements, and challenges; and success stories provide specific examples. A section called 'Sustaining NREL'smore » Future Through Integration' provides insight into how NREL is successfully expanding the adoption of renewable energy technologies through integration.« less

Project planning, training, measurement and sustainment: the successful implementation of voice recognition.

PubMed

Antiles, S; Couris, J; Schweitzer, A; Rosenthal, D; Da Silva, R Q

2000-01-01

Computerized voice recognition systems (VR) can reduce costs and enhance service. The capital outlay required for conversion to a VR system is significant; therefore, it is incumbent on radiology departments to provide cost and service justifications to administrators. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston implemented VR over a two-year period and achieved annual savings of $530,000 and a 50% decrease in report throughput. Those accomplishments required solid planning and implementation strategies, training and sustainment programs. This article walks through the process, step by step, in the hope of providing a tool set for future implementations. Because VR has dramatic implications for workflow, a solid operational plan is needed when assessing vendors and planning for implementation. The goals for implementation should be to minimize operational disruptions and capitalize on efficiencies of the technology. Senior leadership--the department chair or vice-chair--must select the goals to be accomplished and oversee, manage and direct the VR initiative. The importance of this point cannot be overstated, since implementation will require behavior changes from radiologists and others who may not perceive any personal benefits. Training is the pivotal factor affecting the success of voice recognition, and practice is the only way for radiologists to enhance their skills. Through practice, radiologists will discover shortcuts, and their speed and comfort will improve. Measurement and data analysis are critical to changing and improving the voice recognition application and are vital to decision-making. Some of the issues about which valuable date can be collected are technical and educational problems, VR penetration, report turnaround time and annual cost savings. Sustained effort is indispensable to the maintenance of voice recognition. Finally, all efforts made and gains achieved may prove to be futile without ongoing sustainment of the system through

Design and validation of pictograms in a pediatric anaphylaxis action plan.

PubMed

Mok, Garrick; Vaillancourt, Régis; Irwin, Danica; Wong, Alexandre; Zemek, Roger; Alqurashi, Waleed

2015-05-01

Current anaphylaxis action plans (AAPs) are based on written instructions without inclusion of pictograms. To develop an AAP with pictorial aids and to prospectively validate the pictogram components of this plan. Participants recruited from the emergency department and allergy clinic participated in a questionnaire to validate pictograms depicting key counseling points of an anaphylactic reaction. Children ≥ 10 years of age and caregivers of children < 10 years with acute anaphylaxis or who carried epinephrine auto-injector for confirmed allergy were eligible. Guessability, translucency, and recall were assessed for 11 pictogram designs. Pictograms identified as correct or partially correct by at least 85% of participants were considered valid. Three independent reviewers assessed these outcome measures. Of the 115 total participants, 73 (63%) were female, 76 (66%) were parents/guardians, and 39 (34%) were children aged 10-17. Overall, 10 pictograms (91%) reached ≥ 85% for correct guessability, translucency, and recall. Four pictograms were redesigned to reach the preset validation target. One pictogram depicting symptom management (5-min wait time after first epinephrine treatment) reached 82% translucency after redesign. However, it reached 98% and 100% of correct guessability and recall, respectively. We prospectively designed and validated a set of pictograms to be included in an AAP. The incorporation of validated pictograms into an AAP may potentially increase comprehension of the triggers, signs and symptoms, and management of an anaphylactic reaction. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sustaining the Bering Ecosystem: A Social Science Research Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzhugh, B.; Huntington, H. P.; Pete, M. C.; Sepez, J. A.

2007-12-01

The Bering Sea is changing from an ice-dominated to an increasingly open water system. The over-arching goal of the NSF-supported Bering Ecosystem Study (BEST) is to understand the effects of climate variability and change on the Bering Sea ecosystem. To the people who are simultaneously a part of that ecosystem and rely on its productivity for life and work, climate change and its effects are among the top concerns. Sustaining the Bering Ecosystem articulates a vision and approaches for social science research as a component of the BEST Program (www.arcus.org/bering). This science plan seeks to initiate research to elucidate the dynamic relationship between the Bering Sea ecosystem and the humans who constitute an integral component of that system. To do so, this plan delineates a research program focused on three broad themes: 1. Impacts on humans: how past, current, and possible future changes in the Bering Sea ecosystem affect the health and well-being of people living and depending on this region for subsistence, employment, and cultural survival. 2. Human impacts: how changing human uses of the Bering Sea region affect the natural cycles of this ecosystem by moderating and/or accelerating systemic changes. 3. Dynamics of human and non-human natural systems: how the human-environmental dynamic has changed through time and may change in the future due to internal and external opportunities and pressures. These themes are developed in the context of a community-driven approach based on the concerns, goals, and interests of Bering Sea residents and other stakeholders of the region. This plan has been drafted through the collaboration of Bering Sea residents (primarily Alaska Natives) and non-resident stakeholders, social scientists, and natural scientists to focus efforts around research questions important to stakeholders, which in various ways center on issues of sustainability (of resources, economic opportunities, ways of life, and culture itself). The

Business Planning for Cultural Heritage Institutions. A Framework and Resource Guide to Assist Cultural Heritage Institutions with Business Planning for Sustainability of Digital Asset Management Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishoff, Liz; Allen, Nancy

2004-01-01

The purpose of this document is to present a framework and resource guide to help cultural heritage institutions plan sustainable access to their digital cultural assets and to do so by means that link their missions to planning modes and models. To aid cultural heritage organizations in the business-planning process, this resource will do the…

Strategic Plan for Sustainable Energy Management and Environmental Stewardship for Los Angeles Unified School District

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

Walker, A.; Beattie, D.; Thomas, K.

2007-11-01

This Strategic Plan for Sustainable Energy Management and Environmental Stewardship states goals, measures progress toward goals and how actions are monitored to achieve continuous improvement for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Advantages of integrated and sustainability based assessment for metabolism based strategic planning of urban water systems.

PubMed

Behzadian, Kourosh; Kapelan, Zoran

2015-09-15

Despite providing water-related services as the primary purpose of urban water system (UWS), all relevant activities require capital investments and operational expenditures, consume resources (e.g. materials and chemicals), and may increase negative environmental impacts (e.g. contaminant discharge, emissions to water and air). Performance assessment of such a metabolic system may require developing a holistic approach which encompasses various system elements and criteria. This paper analyses the impact of integration of UWS components on the metabolism based performance assessment for future planning using a number of intervention strategies. It also explores the importance of sustainability based criteria in the assessment of long-term planning. Two assessment approaches analysed here are: (1) planning for only water supply system (WSS) as a part of the UWS and (2) planning for an integrated UWS including potable water, stormwater, wastewater and water recycling. WaterMet(2) model is used to simulate metabolic type processes in the UWS and calculate quantitative performance indicators. The analysis is demonstrated on the problem of strategic level planning of a real-world UWS to where optional intervention strategies are applied. The resulting performance is assessed using the multiple criteria of both conventional and sustainability type; and optional intervention strategies are then ranked using the Compromise Programming method. The results obtained show that the high ranked intervention strategies in the integrated UWS are those supporting both water supply and stormwater/wastewater subsystems (e.g. rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling schemes) whilst these strategies are ranked low in the WSS and those targeting improvement of water supply components only (e.g. rehabilitation of clean water pipes and addition of new water resources) are preferred instead. Results also demonstrate that both conventional and sustainability type performance indicators

An Interactive Strategy for Solving Multi-Criteria Decision Making of Sustainable Land Revitalization Planning Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayasari, Ruth; Mawengkang, Herman; Gomar Purba, Ronal

2018-02-01

Land revitalization refers to comprehensive renovation of farmland, waterways, roads, forest or villages to improve the quality of plantation, raise the productivity of the plantation area and improve agricultural production conditions and the environment. The objective of sustainable land revitalization planning is to facilitate environmentally, socially, and economically viable land use. Therefore it is reasonable to use participatory approach to fullfil the plan. This paper addresses a multicriteria decision aid to model such planning problem, then we develop an interactive approach for solving the problem.

RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan

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

Smith, Curtis L.; Choi, Yong-Joon; Zou, Ling

This INL plan comprehensively describes the software for RELAP-7 and documents the software, interface, and software design requirements for the application. The plan also describes the testing-based software verification and validation (SV&V) process—a set of specially designed software models used to test RELAP-7. The RELAP-7 (Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program) code is a nuclear reactor system safety analysis code being developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The code is based on the INL’s modern scientific software development framework – MOOSE (Multi-Physics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment). The overall design goal of RELAP-7 is to take advantage of the previous thirty yearsmore » of advancements in computer architecture, software design, numerical integration methods, and physical models. The end result will be a reactor systems analysis capability that retains and improves upon RELAP5’s capability and extends the analysis capability for all reactor system simulation scenarios.« less

Development and Initial Validation of a Measure to Assess Factors Related to Sustainability of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Kent; MacKay, Leslie D.; Hume, Amanda E.; Doolittle, Jennifer; Vincent, Claudia G.; Horner, Robert H.; Ervin, Ruth A.

2011-01-01

Sustainability of effective practices in schools is a critical area for research in any domain. The purpose of this article is to describe and evaluate the validity and reliability of a recently developed research instrument designed to evaluate schools' capacity to sustain school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) efforts at the universal…

Management Strategies for Sustainability Education, Planning, Design, Energy Conservation in California Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petratos, Panagiotis; Damaskou, Evangelia

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the effects of campus sustainability planning to annual campus energy inflows and outflows in California higher education. The paper also offers a preliminary statistical analysis for the evaluation of impact factors on energy outflows and a link between energy outflows and building…

"Review of the Sustained Yield Plan / Habitat Conservation Plan for the properties of The Pacific Lumber Company, Scotia Pacific Holding Company, and Salmon Creek Corporation"

Treesearch

Leslie M. Reid

1998-01-01

Downstream impacts to aquatic environments and property generally occur as cumulative watershed impacts, which are usually caused by changes in the transport of woody debris, water, and sediment through a watershed. The downstream cumulative impacts that are likely to accrue from implementation of the Sustained Yield Plan / Habitat Conservation Plan for the properties...

Business Planning in Biobanking: How to Implement a Tool for Sustainability.

PubMed

Ciaburri, Mirella; Napolitano, Mariarosaria; Bravo, Elena

2017-02-01

Worldwide, the sustainability of public health systems is challenged by the increasing number and cost of personalized therapies. Quality biological samples stored in biobanks are essential for the provision of appropriate health services and also act as a reservoir for the development of precision medicine and biotechnological innovation. Economic sustainability is a crucial factor in the maintenance of biobanking activities. Traditionally, management of biobanking is performed by health researchers and/or clinicians whose knowledge of economic issues is inadequate. On the other hand, familiarity with financial instruments used by economists is not often accompanied by a consolidated understanding of biobanking features. This article aims to be a guide for the implementation of business plans in biobanking and proposes models for the facilitation of their preparation, thus contributing to recognition of the importance of efficient management of resources of public health services.

Business Planning in Biobanking: How to Implement a Tool for Sustainability

PubMed Central

Ciaburri, Mirella; Napolitano, Mariarosaria

2017-01-01

Worldwide, the sustainability of public health systems is challenged by the increasing number and cost of personalized therapies. Quality biological samples stored in biobanks are essential for the provision of appropriate health services and also act as a reservoir for the development of precision medicine and biotechnological innovation. Economic sustainability is a crucial factor in the maintenance of biobanking activities. Traditionally, management of biobanking is performed by health researchers and/or clinicians whose knowledge of economic issues is inadequate. On the other hand, familiarity with financial instruments used by economists is not often accompanied by a consolidated understanding of biobanking features. This article aims to be a guide for the implementation of business plans in biobanking and proposes models for the facilitation of their preparation, thus contributing to recognition of the importance of efficient management of resources of public health services. PMID:27898226

APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABILITY CRITERIA TO STELLA, MISSOURI-ECONOMIC PLANNING-PRELIMINARY SITE INFORMATION AND ELEMENTS OF THE MASTER PLAN-16NOV2006 (1130)

EPA Science Inventory

Economic systems constraints and performance requirements that are essential to providing goods and services, jobs, and a functioning economic system form a list of criteria for planning a sustainable economy. This presentation places these economic criteria in the context of Ste...

Development and Validation of an Algorithm to Identify Planned Readmissions From Claims Data.

PubMed

Horwitz, Leora I; Grady, Jacqueline N; Cohen, Dorothy B; Lin, Zhenqiu; Volpe, Mark; Ngo, Chi K; Masica, Andrew L; Long, Theodore; Wang, Jessica; Keenan, Megan; Montague, Julia; Suter, Lisa G; Ross, Joseph S; Drye, Elizabeth E; Krumholz, Harlan M; Bernheim, Susannah M

2015-10-01

It is desirable not to include planned readmissions in readmission measures because they represent deliberate, scheduled care. To develop an algorithm to identify planned readmissions, describe its performance characteristics, and identify improvements. Consensus-driven algorithm development and chart review validation study at 7 acute-care hospitals in 2 health systems. For development, all discharges qualifying for the publicly reported hospital-wide readmission measure. For validation, all qualifying same-hospital readmissions that were characterized by the algorithm as planned, and a random sampling of same-hospital readmissions that were characterized as unplanned. We calculated weighted sensitivity and specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the algorithm (version 2.1), compared to gold standard chart review. In consultation with 27 experts, we developed an algorithm that characterizes 7.8% of readmissions as planned. For validation we reviewed 634 readmissions. The weighted sensitivity of the algorithm was 45.1% overall, 50.9% in large teaching centers and 40.2% in smaller community hospitals. The weighted specificity was 95.9%, positive predictive value was 51.6%, and negative predictive value was 94.7%. We identified 4 minor changes to improve algorithm performance. The revised algorithm had a weighted sensitivity 49.8% (57.1% at large hospitals), weighted specificity 96.5%, positive predictive value 58.7%, and negative predictive value 94.5%. Positive predictive value was poor for the 2 most common potentially planned procedures: diagnostic cardiac catheterization (25%) and procedures involving cardiac devices (33%). An administrative claims-based algorithm to identify planned readmissions is feasible and can facilitate public reporting of primarily unplanned readmissions. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine.

SeaSat-A Satellite Scatterometer (SASS) Validation and Experiment Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schroeder, L. C. (Editor)

1978-01-01

This plan was generated by the SeaSat-A satellite scatterometer experiment team to define the pre-and post-launch activities necessary to conduct sensor validation and geophysical evaluation. Details included are an instrument and experiment description/performance requirements, success criteria, constraints, mission requirements, data processing requirement and data analysis responsibilities.

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Integrated Program Plan

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

McCarthy, Kathryn A.; Busby, Jeremy; Hallbert, Bruce

2014-04-01

Nuclear power has safely, reliably, and economically contributed almost 20% of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades. It remains the single largest contributor (more than 70%) of non-greenhouse-gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. Domestic demand for electrical energy is expected to experience a 31% growth from 2009 to 2035. At the same time, most of the currently operating nuclear power plants will begin reaching the end of their initial 20-year extension to their original 40-year operating license for a total of 60 years of operation. Figure E-1 shows projected nuclear energy contribution tomore » the domestic generating capacity. If current operating nuclear power plants do not operate beyond 60 years, the total fraction of generated electrical energy from nuclear power will begin to decline—even with the expected addition of new nuclear generating capacity. The oldest commercial plants in the United States reached their 40th anniversary in 2009. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Research and Development Roadmap (Nuclear Energy Roadmap) organizes its activities around four objectives that ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the United States. The four objectives are as follows: (1) develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors; (2) develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration’s energy security and climate change goals; (3) develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles; and (4) understand and minimize the risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the primary programmatic activity that addresses Objective 1. This document summarizes the LWRS Program’s plans.« less

An Approach to Comprehensive and Sustainable Solar Wind Model Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rastaetter, L.; MacNeice, P. J.; Mays, M. L.; Boblitt, J. M.; Wiegand, C.

2017-12-01

The number of models of the corona and inner heliosphere and of their updates and upgrades grows steadily, as does the number and character of the model inputs. Maintaining up to date validation of these models, in the face of this constant model evolution, is a necessary but very labor intensive activity. In the last year alone, both NASA's LWS program and the CCMC's ongoing support of model forecasting activities at NOAA SWPC have sought model validation reports on the quality of all aspects of the community's coronal and heliospheric models, including both ambient and CME related wind solutions at L1. In this presentation I will give a brief review of the community's previous model validation results of L1 wind representation. I will discuss the semi-automated web based system we are constructing at the CCMC to present comparative visualizations of all interesting aspects of the solutions from competing models.This system is designed to be easily queried to provide the essential comprehensive inputs to repeat andupdate previous validation studies and support extensions to them. I will illustrate this by demonstrating how the system is being used to support the CCMC/LWS Model Assessment Forum teams focused on the ambient and time dependent corona and solar wind, including CME arrival time and IMF Bz.I will also discuss plans to extend the system to include results from the Forum teams addressing SEP model validation.

A Sustainable City Planning Algorithm Based on TLBO and Local Search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ke; Lin, Li; Huang, Xuanxuan; Liu, Yiming; Zhang, Yonggang

2017-09-01

Nowadays, how to design a city with more sustainable features has become a center problem in the field of social development, meanwhile it has provided a broad stage for the application of artificial intelligence theories and methods. Because the design of sustainable city is essentially a constraint optimization problem, the swarm intelligence algorithm of extensive research has become a natural candidate for solving the problem. TLBO (Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization) algorithm is a new swarm intelligence algorithm. Its inspiration comes from the “teaching” and “learning” behavior of teaching class in the life. The evolution of the population is realized by simulating the “teaching” of the teacher and the student “learning” from each other, with features of less parameters, efficient, simple thinking, easy to achieve and so on. It has been successfully applied to scheduling, planning, configuration and other fields, which achieved a good effect and has been paid more and more attention by artificial intelligence researchers. Based on the classical TLBO algorithm, we propose a TLBO_LS algorithm combined with local search. We design and implement the random generation algorithm and evaluation model of urban planning problem. The experiments on the small and medium-sized random generation problem showed that our proposed algorithm has obvious advantages over DE algorithm and classical TLBO algorithm in terms of convergence speed and solution quality.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-12-01

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

A methodology for creating greenways through multidisciplinary sustainable landscape planning.

PubMed

Pena, Selma Beatriz; Abreu, Maria Manuela; Teles, Rui; Espírito-Santo, Maria Dalila

2010-01-01

This research proposes a methodology for defining greenways via sustainable planning. This approach includes the analysis and discussion of culture and natural processes that occur in the landscape. The proposed methodology is structured in three phases: eco-cultural analysis; synthesis and diagnosis; and proposal. An interdisciplinary approach provides an assessment of the relationships between landscape structure and landscape dynamics, which are essential to any landscape management or land use. The landscape eco-cultural analysis provides a biophysical, dynamic (geomorphologic rate), vegetation (habitats from directive 92/43/EEC) and cultural characterisation. The knowledge obtained by this analysis then supports the definition of priority actions to stabilise the landscape and the management measures for the habitats. After the analysis and diagnosis phases, a proposal for the development of sustainable greenways can be achieved. This methodology was applied to a study area of the Azambuja Municipality in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal). The application of the proposed methodology to the study area shows that landscape stability is crucial for greenway users in order to appreciate the landscape and its natural and cultural elements in a sustainable and healthy way, both by cycling or by foot. A balanced landscape will increase the value of greenways and in return, they can develop socio-economic activities with benefits for rural communities. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analytical conceptual plan to reforest central Himalaya for sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Surendra P.; Singh, Jamuna S.

1991-05-01

The Central Himalayan region is suffering from severe ecological problems as a consequence of deforestation and that threatens the subsistence population of the region. We analyze this problem and propose a plan for ecologically sustainable development for the region based on an analysis of the interrelationships of various ecosystems, particularly cropland and forest ecosystems, around which most human activities are concentrated. Each energy unit of agronomic yield leads to expenditure of about 12 energy units of forest/grazing land energy. Because with rapidly declining forest area, this form of agriculture is no longer sustainable and cannot be converted into a fossil fuel-based agriculture, we propose that agriculture in the mountain region has to be largely replaced with farm forests to revitalize the environment and to generate the basic needs of the subsistence economy of the hill population whose food grain needs can be met from the plains. We conclude by describing the advantages that are likely to accrue to the people for their long-term future. In terms of both energy and money, the value of resources collected from the forest to support agriculture in the present systems far exceeds the value of food grain that would be required to enable the proposed farm forest-based systems to function. At regional level, the proposed system would generate more energy than the existing systems, not only because the productivity of forest is about tenfold greater than that of cropland, but also because the proposed plan promotes recovery of various ecosystems.

The validation index: a new metric for validation of segmentation algorithms using two or more expert outlines with application to radiotherapy planning.

PubMed

Juneja, Prabhjot; Evans, Philp M; Harris, Emma J

2013-08-01

Validation is required to ensure automated segmentation algorithms are suitable for radiotherapy target definition. In the absence of true segmentation, algorithmic segmentation is validated against expert outlining of the region of interest. Multiple experts are used to overcome inter-expert variability. Several approaches have been studied in the literature, but the most appropriate approach to combine the information from multiple expert outlines, to give a single metric for validation, is unclear. None consider a metric that can be tailored to case-specific requirements in radiotherapy planning. Validation index (VI), a new validation metric which uses experts' level of agreement was developed. A control parameter was introduced for the validation of segmentations required for different radiotherapy scenarios: for targets close to organs-at-risk and for difficult to discern targets, where large variation between experts is expected. VI was evaluated using two simulated idealized cases and data from two clinical studies. VI was compared with the commonly used Dice similarity coefficient (DSCpair - wise) and found to be more sensitive than the DSCpair - wise to the changes in agreement between experts. VI was shown to be adaptable to specific radiotherapy planning scenarios.

The Drive towards Sustainable Health Systems Needs an Alignment: Where are the Innovations in Health Systems Planning?

PubMed

Murphy, Gail Tomblin; Birch, Stephen; MacKenzie, Adrian; Rigby, Janet; Purkis, Mary Ellen

2017-01-01

Clarifying the healthcare innovation agenda is critical in order to advance the impact of system innovations. As part of this agenda-setting it is important to address the four conditions within which innovations can enhance system sustainability: 1) the innovation agenda reflects and is aligned with healthcare objectives and policy; 2) planning methodologies for services, workforce and funding are aligned with healthcare objectives and policy; 3) innovations in services are accommodated in systems through innovations in policy, planning and funding; and 4) innovations are systematically monitored and evaluated. In order to illustrate these conditions, the authors present a case study of an evaluation of one Canadian Health Authority's efforts to transform healthcare delivery. This case study reveals that aligning innovations in policy, planning, funding and health services is critical to transforming health systems and that, in the absence of such alignment, sustainable health systems are difficult to achieve.

Sustainable Cattle Ranching in Practice: Moving from Theory to Planning in Colombia's Livestock Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerner, Amy M.; Zuluaga, Andrés Felipe; Chará, Julián; Etter, Andrés; Searchinger, Timothy

2017-08-01

A growing population with increasing consumption of milk and dairy require more agricultural output in the coming years, which potentially competes with forests and other natural habitats. This issue is particularly salient in the tropics, where deforestation has traditionally generated cattle pastures and other commodity crops such as corn and soy. The purpose of this article is to review the concepts and discussion associated with reconciling food production and conservation, and in particular with regards to cattle production, including the concepts of land-sparing and land-sharing. We then present these concepts in the specific context of Colombia, where there are efforts to increase both cattle production and protect tropical forests, in order to discuss the potential for landscape planning for sustainable cattle production. We outline a national planning approach, which includes disaggregating the diverse cattle sector and production types, identifying biophysical, and economic opportunities and barriers for sustainable intensification in cattle ranching, and analyzing areas suitable for habitat restoration and conservation, in order to plan for both land-sparing and land-sharing strategies. This approach can be used in other contexts across the world where there is a need to incorporate cattle production into national goals for carbon sequestration and habitat restoration and conservation.

Sustainable Cattle Ranching in Practice: Moving from Theory to Planning in Colombia's Livestock Sector.

PubMed

Lerner, Amy M; Zuluaga, Andrés Felipe; Chará, Julián; Etter, Andrés; Searchinger, Timothy

2017-08-01

A growing population with increasing consumption of milk and dairy require more agricultural output in the coming years, which potentially competes with forests and other natural habitats. This issue is particularly salient in the tropics, where deforestation has traditionally generated cattle pastures and other commodity crops such as corn and soy. The purpose of this article is to review the concepts and discussion associated with reconciling food production and conservation, and in particular with regards to cattle production, including the concepts of land-sparing and land-sharing. We then present these concepts in the specific context of Colombia, where there are efforts to increase both cattle production and protect tropical forests, in order to discuss the potential for landscape planning for sustainable cattle production. We outline a national planning approach, which includes disaggregating the diverse cattle sector and production types, identifying biophysical, and economic opportunities and barriers for sustainable intensification in cattle ranching, and analyzing areas suitable for habitat restoration and conservation, in order to plan for both land-sparing and land-sharing strategies. This approach can be used in other contexts across the world where there is a need to incorporate cattle production into national goals for carbon sequestration and habitat restoration and conservation.

APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABILITY CRITERIA TO STELLA, MISSOURI-SOCIAL PLANNING-PRELIMINARY SITE INFORMATION AND ELEMENTS OF THE MASTER PLAN-16NOV2006 (0915-0930)

EPA Science Inventory

Social systems constraints and performance requirements that are essential to society in general form a list of criteria for planning a sustainable society. This presentation places these social criteria in the context of Stella, Missouri so that workshop participants can provide...

Strategic sustainability performance plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

In October 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order (EO) 13514 that sets sustainability : goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in environmental, energy and : economic performance. The Executive Order requires Federal agen...

ORNL Annual Sustainability Report

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

Lapsa, Melissa Voss; Nichols, Teresa A.

2014-02-01

As described in this report, we have made substantial progress across the 25 roadmaps of the Sustainable Campus Initiative. The report also outlines our plans to continue integrating sustainable practices into the planning, execution, and evaluation of all ORNL activities. We appreciate your interest in our journey to sustainability, and we welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions.

MOSAIC : Model Of Sustainability And Integrated Corridors, phase 3 : comprehensive model calibration and validation and additional model enhancement.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-02-01

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has initiated major planning efforts to improve transportation : efficiency, safety, and sustainability on critical highway corridors through its Comprehensive Highway Corridor : (CHC) program. This pro...

NASA sea ice and snow validation plan for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program special sensor microwave/imager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cavalieri, Donald J. (Editor); Swift, Calvin T. (Editor)

1987-01-01

This document addresses the task of developing and executing a plan for validating the algorithm used for initial processing of sea ice data from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSMI). The document outlines a plan for monitoring the performance of the SSMI, for validating the derived sea ice parameters, and for providing quality data products before distribution to the research community. Because of recent advances in the application of passive microwave remote sensing to snow cover on land, the validation of snow algorithms is also addressed.

Development and Validation of a Gender Ideology Scale for Family Planning Services in Rural China

PubMed Central

Yang, Xueyan; Li, Shuzhuo; Feldman, Marcus W.

2013-01-01

The objectives of this study are to develop a scale of gender role ideology appropriate for assessing Quality of Care in family planning services for rural China. Literature review, focus-group discussions and in-depth interviews with service providers and clients from two counties in eastern and western China, as well as experts’ assessments, were used to develop a scale for family planning services. Psychometric methodologies were applied to samples of 601 service clients and 541 service providers from a survey in a district in central China to validate its internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity with realistic and strategic dimensions. This scale is found to be reliable and valid, and has prospects for application both academically and practically in the field. PMID:23573222

Airborne Observations and Satellite Validation: INTEX-A Experience and INTEX-B Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawford, James H.; Singh, Hanwant B.; Brune, William H.; Jacob, Daniel J.

2005-01-01

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment (INTEX; http://cloudl.arc.nasa.gov) is an ongoing two-phase integrated atmospheric field experiment being performed over North America (NA). Its first phase (INTEX-A) was performed in the summer of 2004 and the second phase (INTEX-B) is planned for the early spring of 2006. The main goal of INTEX-NA is to understand the transport and transformation of gases and aerosols on transcontinental/intercontinental scales and to assess their impact on air quality and climate. Central to achieving this goal is the need to relate space-based observations with those from airborne and surface platforms. During INTEX-A, NASA s DC-8 was joined by some dozen other aircraft from a large number of European and North American partners to focus on the outflow of pollution from NA to the Atlantic. Several instances of Asian pollution over NA were also encountered. INTEX-A flight planning extensively relied on satellite observations and in turn Satellite validation (Terra, Aqua, and Envisat) was given high priority. Over 20 validation profiles were successfully carried out. DC-8 sampling of smoke from Alaskan fires and formaldehyde over forested regions, and simultaneous satellite observations of these provided excellent opportunities for the interplay of these platforms. The planning for INTEX-5 is currently underway, and a vast majority of "standard" and "research" products to be retrieved from Aura instruments will be measured during INTEX-B throughout the troposphere. INTEX-B will focus on the inflow of pollution from Asia to North America and validation of satellite observations with emphasis on Aura. Several national and international partners are expected to coordinate activities with INTEX-B, and we expect its scope to expand in the coming months. An important new development involves partnership with an NSF-sponsored campaign called MIRAGE (Megacity Impacts on Regional and Global Environments- Mexico City Pollution Outflow Field

USGCRP's Sustained Assessment Process: Progress to date and future plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeAngelo, B. J.; Reidmiller, D.; Lipschultz, F.; Cloyd, E. T.

2016-12-01

One of the four main objectives of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's (USGCRP's) Strategic Plan is to "Conduct Sustained Assessments", which seeks to build a process that synthesizes and advances the state of scientific knowledge on global change, develops future scenarios and potential impacts, and evaluates how effectively science is being and can be used to inform and support the Nation's response to climate change. To do so, USGCRP strives to establish a standing capacity to conduct national climate assessments with sectoral and regional information to evaluate climate risks and opportunities, and to inform decision-making, especially with regard to resiliency planning and adaptation measures. Building on the success of the 3rd National Climate Assessment (NCA) (2014), we discuss the range of USGCRP activities that embody the sustained assessment concept. Special reports, such as the recent Climate and Human Health Assessment and upcoming Climate Science Special Report, fill gaps in our understanding and provide crucial building blocks for next NCA report (NCA4). To facilitate the use of consistent assumptions across NCA4, new scenario products for climate, population, and land use will be made available through initiatives such as NOAA's Climate Resilience Toolkit. NCA4 will be informed by user engagement to advance the customization of knowledge. The report will strive to advance our ability to quantify various risks, monetize certain impacts, and communicate the benefits (i.e., avoided impacts) of various mitigation pathways. NCAnet (a national network of climate-interested stakeholders) continues to grow and foster collaborations across levels of governance and within civil society. Finally, USGCRP continues to actively engage with other assessment processes, at international, state, city, and tribal levels, to exchange ideas and to facilitate the potential for "linked" assessments across spatial scales.

Health Sector Evolution Plan in Iran; Equity and Sustainability Concerns

PubMed Central

Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Vosoogh-Moghaddam, Abbas

2015-01-01

In 2014, a series of reforms, called as the Health Sector Evolution Plan (HSEP), was launched in the health system of Iran in a stepwise process. HSEP was mainly based on the fifth 5-year health development national strategies (2011-2016). It included different interventions to: increase population coverage of basic health insurance, increase quality of care in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) affiliated hospitals, reduce out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for inpatient services, increase quality of primary healthcare, launch updated relative value units (RVUs) of clinical services, and update tariffs to more realistic values. The reforms resulted in extensive social reaction and different professional feedback. The official monitoring program shows general public satisfaction. However, there are some concerns for sustainability of the programs and equity of financing. Securing financial sources and fairness of the financial contribution to the new programs are the main concerns of policy-makers. Healthcare providers’ concerns (as powerful and influential stakeholders) potentially threat the sustainability and efficiency of HSEP. Previous experiences on extending health insurance coverage show that they can lead to a regressive healthcare financing and threat financial equity. To secure financial sources and to increase fairness, the contributions of people to new interventions should be progressive by their income and wealth. A specific progressive tax would be the best source, however, since it is not immediately feasible, a stepwise increase in the progressivity of financing must be followed. Technical concerns of healthcare providers (such as nonplausible RVUs for specific procedures or nonefficient insurance-provider processes) should be addressed through proper revision(s) while nontechnical concerns (which are derived from conflicting interests) must be responded through clarification and providing transparent information. The requirements of

Development and validation of dissolution study of sustained release dextromethorphan hydrobromide tablets.

PubMed

Rajan, Sekar; Colaco, Socorrina; Ramesh, N; Meyyanathan, Subramania Nainar; Elango, K

2014-02-01

This study describes the development and validation of dissolution tests for sustained release Dextromethorphan hydrobromide tablets using an HPLC method. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column utilizing 0.5% triethylamine (pH 7.5) and acetonitrile in the ratio of 50:50. The detection wavelength was 280 nm. The method was validated and response was found to be linear in the drug concentration range of 10-80 microg mL(-1). The suitable conditions were clearly decided after testing sink conditions, dissolution medium and agitation intensity. The most excellent dissolution conditions tested, for the Dextromethorphan hydrobromide was applied to appraise the dissolution profiles. The method was validated and response was found to be linear in the drug concentration range of 10-80 microg mL(-1). The method was established to have sufficient intermediate precision as similar separation was achieved on another instrument handled by different operators. Mean Recovery was 101.82%. Intra precisions for three different concentrations were 1.23, 1.10 0.72 and 1.57, 1.69, 0.95 and inter run precisions were % RSD 0.83, 1.36 and 1.57%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for dissolution study of the developed Dextromethorphan hydrobromide tablets.

SU-E-T-129: Are Knowledge-Based Planning Dose Estimates Valid for Distensible Organs?

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

Lalonde, R; Heron, D; Huq, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: Knowledge-based planning programs have become available to assist treatment planning in radiation therapy. Such programs can be used to generate estimated DVHs and planning constraints for organs at risk (OARs), based upon a model generated from previous plans. These estimates are based upon the planning CT scan. However, for distensible OARs like the bladder and rectum, daily variations in volume may make the dose estimates invalid. The purpose of this study is to determine whether knowledge-based DVH dose estimates may be valid for distensible OARs. Methods: The Varian RapidPlan™ knowledge-based planning module was used to generate OAR dose estimatesmore » and planning objectives for 10 prostate cases previously planned with VMAT, and final plans were calculated for each. Five weekly setup CBCT scans of each patient were then downloaded and contoured (assuming no change in size and shape of the target volume), and rectum and bladder DVHs were recalculated for each scan. Dose volumes were then compared at 75, 60,and 40 Gy for the bladder and rectum between the planning scan and the CBCTs. Results: Plan doses and estimates matched well at all dose points., Volumes of the rectum and bladder varied widely between planning CT and the CBCTs, ranging from 0.46 to 2.42 for the bladder and 0.71 to 2.18 for the rectum, causing relative dose volumes to vary between planning CT and CBCT, but absolute dose volumes were more consistent. The overall ratio of CBCT/plan dose volumes was 1.02 ±0.27 for rectum and 0.98 ±0.20 for bladder in these patients. Conclusion: Knowledge-based planning dose volume estimates for distensible OARs are still valid, in absolute volume terms, between treatment planning scans and CBCT’s taken during daily treatment. Further analysis of the data is being undertaken to determine how differences depend upon rectum and bladder filling state. This work has been supported by Varian Medical Systems.« less

A Comprehensive Plan for the Long-Term Calibration and Validation of Oceanic Biogeochemical Satellite Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooker, Stanford B.; McClain, Charles R.; Mannino, Antonio

2007-01-01

The primary objective of this planning document is to establish a long-term capability and validating oceanic biogeochemical satellite data. It is a pragmatic solution to a practical problem based primarily o the lessons learned from prior satellite missions. All of the plan's elements are seen to be interdependent, so a horizontal organizational scheme is anticipated wherein the overall leadership comes from the NASA Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry (OBB) Program Manager and the entire enterprise is split into two components of equal sature: calibration and validation plus satellite data processing. The detailed elements of the activity are based on the basic tasks of the two main components plus the current objectives of the Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Roadmap. The former is distinguished by an internal core set of responsibilities and the latter is facilitated through an external connecting-core ring of competed or contracted activities. The core elements for the calibration and validation component include a) publish protocols and performance metrics; b) verify uncertainty budgets; c) manage the development and evaluation of instrumentation; and d) coordinate international partnerships. The core elements for the satellite data processing component are e) process and reprocess multisensor data; f) acquire, distribute, and archive data products; and g) implement new data products. Both components have shared responsibilities for initializing and temporally monitoring satellite calibration. Connecting-core elements include (but are not restricted to) atmospheric correction and characterization, standards and traceability, instrument and analysis round robins, field campaigns and vicarious calibration sites, in situ database, bio-optical algorithm (and product) validation, satellite characterization and vicarious calibration, and image processing software. The plan also includes an accountability process, creating a Calibration and Validation Team (to help manage

Validation of a sampling plan to generate food composition data.

PubMed

Sammán, N C; Gimenez, M A; Bassett, N; Lobo, M O; Marcoleri, M E

2016-02-15

A methodology to develop systematic plans for food sampling was proposed. Long life whole and skimmed milk, and sunflower oil were selected to validate the methodology in Argentina. Fatty acid profile in all foods, proximal composition, and calcium's content in milk were determined with AOAC methods. The number of samples (n) was calculated applying Cochran's formula with variation coefficients ⩽12% and an estimate error (r) maximum permissible ⩽5% for calcium content in milks and unsaturated fatty acids in oil. n were 9, 11 and 21 for long life whole and skimmed milk, and sunflower oil respectively. Sample units were randomly collected from production sites and sent to labs. Calculated r with experimental data was ⩽10%, indicating high accuracy in the determination of analyte content of greater variability and reliability of the proposed sampling plan. The methodology is an adequate and useful tool to develop sampling plans for food composition analysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How to use sustainability indicators for tourism planning: the case of rural tourism in Andalusia (Spain).

PubMed

Blancas, F J; Lozano-Oyola, M; González, M; Guerrero, F M; Caballero, R

2011-12-15

This paper proposes an indicators system to analyse the sustainability of tourist activity at rural destinations in countries with a consolidated tourism sector. The proposed system aims at providing tourist managers and policy-makers with information to better understand the transition to sustainability at specific destinations and to encourage them to carry out corresponding policy and management responses. To illustrate how indicators can be quantified, we create a practical guideline on how to use the statistical information available. Likewise, we suggest a method for obtaining sustainability indexes by aggregation that reduces the subjectivity associated with the composite indicator. This procedure is based on the combination of principal component analysis and distance to a reference point. Together with the definition of sustainable tourism indicators, we explain how to use these systems and sustainability indexes to fulfil three practical uses in tourism sector planning: the comparison and characterisation of destinations, the definition of benchmarking practices, and the quantification of sustainable tourism objectives. Each practical use is illustrated using the case of rural zones in a consolidated destination such as Andalusia. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Vitality Scan related to workers' sustainable employability: a study assessing its internal consistency and construct validity.

PubMed

Brouwers, Livia A M; Engels, Josephine A; Heerkens, Yvonne F; van der Beek, Allard J

2015-06-16

Most validated sustainable employability questionnaires are extensive and difficult to obtain. Our objective was to develop a usable and valid tool, a Vitality Scan, to determine possible signs of stagnation in one's functioning related to sustainable employability and to establish the instrument's internal consistency and construct validity. A literature review was performed and expert input was obtained to develop an online survey of 31 items. A sample of 1722 Dutch employees was recruited. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. The underlying theoretical concepts were extracted by factor analysis using a principal component method. For construct validity, a priori hypotheses were defined for expected differences between known subgroups: 1) older workers would report more stagnation than younger workers, and 2) less educated workers would report more problems than the highly educated ones. Both hypotheses were statistically tested using ANOVA. Internal consistency measures and factor analysis resulted in five subscales with acceptable to good reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.72-0.87). These subscales included: balance and competence, motivation and involvement, resilience, mental and physical health, and social support at work. Three items were removed following these analyses. In accordance with our a priori hypothesis 1, the ANOVA showed that older workers reported the most problems, while younger workers reported the least problems. However, hypothesis 2 was not confirmed: no significant differences were found for education level. The developed Vitality Scan - with the 28 remaining items - showed good measurement properties. It is applicable as a user-friendly, evaluative instrument for worker's sustainable employability. The scan's value for determining whether or not the employee is at risk for a decrease in functioning during present and future work, should be further tested.

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Integrated Program Plan

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

None, None

proliferation and terrorism. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the primary programmatic activity that addresses Objective 1. This document summarizes the LWRS Program’s plans. For the LWRS Program, sustainability is defined as the ability to maintain safe and economic operation of the existing fleet of nuclear power plants for a longer-than-initially-licensed lifetime. It has two facets with respect to long-term operations: (1) manage the aging of plant systems, structures, and components so that nuclear power plant lifetimes can be extended and the plants can continue to operate safely, efficiently, and economically; and (2) provide science-based solutions to the industry to implement technology to exceed the performance of the current labor-intensive business model.« less

An operational information systems architecture for assessing sustainable transportation planning: principles and design.

PubMed

Borzacchiello, Maria Teresa; Torrieri, Vincenzo; Nijkamp, Peter

2009-11-01

This paper offers the description of an integrated information system framework for the assessment of transportation planning and management. After an introductory exposition, in the first part of the paper, a broad overview of international experiences regarding information systems on transportation is given, focusing in particular on the relationship between transportation system's performance monitoring and the decision-making process, and on the importance of this connection in the evaluation and planning process, in Italian and European cases. Next, the methodological design of an information system to support efficient and sustainable transportation planning and management aiming to integrate inputs from several different data sources is presented. The resulting framework deploys modular and integrated databases which include data stemming from different national or regional data banks and which integrate information belonging to different transportation fields. For this reason, it allows public administrations to account for many strategic elements that influence their decisions regarding transportation, both from a systemic and infrastructural point of view.

Prospective clinical validation of independent DVH prediction for plan QA in automatic treatment planning for prostate cancer patients.

PubMed

Wang, Yibing; Heijmen, Ben J M; Petit, Steven F

2017-12-01

To prospectively investigate the use of an independent DVH prediction tool to detect outliers in the quality of fully automatically generated treatment plans for prostate cancer patients. A plan QA tool was developed to predict rectum, anus and bladder DVHs, based on overlap volume histograms and principal component analysis (PCA). The tool was trained with 22 automatically generated, clinical plans, and independently validated with 21 plans. Its use was prospectively investigated for 50 new plans by replanning in case of detected outliers. For rectum D mean , V 65Gy , V 75Gy , anus D mean , and bladder D mean , the difference between predicted and achieved was within 0.4 Gy or 0.3% (SD within 1.8 Gy or 1.3%). Thirteen detected outliers were re-planned, leading to moderate but statistically significant improvements (mean, max): rectum D mean (1.3 Gy, 3.4 Gy), V 65Gy (2.7%, 4.2%), anus D mean (1.6 Gy, 6.9 Gy), and bladder D mean (1.5 Gy, 5.1 Gy). The rectum V 75Gy of the new plans slightly increased (0.2%, p = 0.087). A high accuracy DVH prediction tool was developed and used for independent QA of automatically generated plans. In 28% of plans, minor dosimetric deviations were observed that could be improved by plan adjustments. Larger gains are expected for manually generated plans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Earth Observation in Support of Sustainable Urban Planning: Results of the Dragon-3 Monitor Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartalis, C.; Polydoros, A.; Mavrakou, T.; Asimakopoulos, D. N.

2016-08-01

Sustainable urban planning increasingly demands innovative concepts and techniques to obtain up-to-date and area-wide information on the characteristics and development of the urban system. In this paper, a thorough and conclusive presentation is made in terms of the results of the DRAGON-3 MONITOR project as based on the use of Earth Observation. Results refer in particular to a set of EO based dynamic urban indicators (i.e. urban form and expansion, land use/land cover changes, land surface temperature distribution, the presence and strength of urban heat island) with the capacity to describe the state, dynamic changes and interaction of the land and thermal environment in urban areas. Furthermore results are assessed in terms of their potential to operationally support sustainable urban planning and bridge the gap between EO scientists and urban planners. Constraints related to the spatial resolution and revisit time of satellite sensors are discussed as they influence the accuracy and applicability of the indicators. Methodologies to improve the applicability of the indicators are also discussed along with the presentation of the respective results.

Making Sustainability "Real": Using Group-Enquiry to Promote Education for Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Geraint; Weekes, Tony

2008-01-01

Sustainable development is now widely held as a transcendental ideal of town and country planning, yet the way in which it is taught in planning schools remains problematic. This arises from a range of factors, including the all-persuasive nature of sustainability and the lack of solid examples of success through implementation. The issue of how…

Computerized Planning of Cryosurgery Using Bubble Packing: An Experimental Validation on a Phantom Material

PubMed Central

Rossi, Michael R.; Tanaka, Daigo; Shimada, Kenji; Rabin, Yoed

2009-01-01

The current study focuses on experimentally validating a planning scheme based on the so-called bubble-packing method. This study is a part of an ongoing effort to develop computerized planning tools for cryosurgery, where bubble packing has been previously developed as a means to find an initial, uniform distribution of cryoprobes within a given domain; the so-called force-field analogy was then used to move cryoprobes to their optimum layout. However, due to the high quality of the cryoprobes’ distribution, suggested by bubble packing and its low computational cost, it has been argued that a planning scheme based solely on bubble packing may be more clinically relevant. To test this argument, an experimental validation is performed on a simulated cross-section of the prostate, using gelatin solution as a phantom material, proprietary liquid-nitrogen based cryoprobes, and a cryoheater to simulate urethral warming. Experimental results are compared with numerically simulated temperature histories resulting from planning. Results indicate an average disagreement of 0.8 mm in identifying the freezing front location, which is an acceptable level of uncertainty in the context of prostate cryosurgery imaging. PMID:19885373

An IMS Station life cycle from a sustainment point of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brely, Natalie; Gautier, Jean-Pierre; Foster, Daniel

2014-05-01

The International Monitoring System (IMS) is to consist of 321 monitoring facilities, composed of four different technologies with a variety of designs and equipment types, deployed in a range of environments around the globe. The International Monitoring System is conceived to operate in perpetuity through maintenance, replacement and recapitalization of IMS facilities' infrastructure and equipment when the end of service life is reached [CTBT/PTS/INF.1163]. Life Cycle techniques and modellization are being used by the PTS to plan and forecast life cycle sustainment requirements of IMS facilities. Through historical data analysis, Engineering inputs and Feedback from experienced Station Operators, the PTS currently works towards increasing the level of confidence on these forecasts and sustainment requirements planning. Continued validation, feedback and improvement of source data from scientific community and experienced users is sought and essential in order to ensure limited effect on data availability and optimal costs (human and financial).

Planning Sustainability: A Master Plan For Stella, Missouri

EPA Science Inventory

Human Life is conditional upon intact ecosystems that provide goods and services required to sustain human life. Because development will incrementally and cumulative consume the biophysical environment, the conditions of intact ecosystems must be the basis for how the environme...

Validation of Fully Automated VMAT Plan Generation for Library-Based Plan-of-the-Day Cervical Cancer Radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Voet, Peter W. J.; Heijkoop, Sabrina T.; Mens, Jan-Willem M.; Hoogeman, Mischa S.; Heijmen, Ben J. M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop and validate fully automated generation of VMAT plan-libraries for plan-of-the-day adaptive radiotherapy in locally-advanced cervical cancer. Material and Methods Our framework for fully automated treatment plan generation (Erasmus-iCycle) was adapted to create dual-arc VMAT treatment plan libraries for cervical cancer patients. For each of 34 patients, automatically generated VMAT plans (autoVMAT) were compared to manually generated, clinically delivered 9-beam IMRT plans (CLINICAL), and to dual-arc VMAT plans generated manually by an expert planner (manVMAT). Furthermore, all plans were benchmarked against 20-beam equi-angular IMRT plans (autoIMRT). For all plans, a PTV coverage of 99.5% by at least 95% of the prescribed dose (46 Gy) had the highest planning priority, followed by minimization of V45Gy for small bowel (SB). Other OARs considered were bladder, rectum, and sigmoid. Results All plans had a highly similar PTV coverage, within the clinical constraints (above). After plan normalizations for exactly equal median PTV doses in corresponding plans, all evaluated OAR parameters in autoVMAT plans were on average lower than in the CLINICAL plans with an average reduction in SB V45Gy of 34.6% (p<0.001). For 41/44 autoVMAT plans, SB V45Gy was lower than for manVMAT (p<0.001, average reduction 30.3%), while SB V15Gy increased by 2.3% (p = 0.011). AutoIMRT reduced SB V45Gy by another 2.7% compared to autoVMAT, while also resulting in a 9.0% reduction in SB V15Gy (p<0.001), but with a prolonged delivery time. Differences between manVMAT and autoVMAT in bladder, rectal and sigmoid doses were ≤ 1%. Improvements in SB dose delivery with autoVMAT instead of manVMAT were higher for empty bladder PTVs compared to full bladder PTVs, due to differences in concavity of the PTVs. Conclusions Quality of automatically generated VMAT plans was superior to manually generated plans. Automatic VMAT plan generation for cervical cancer has been implemented in

Validation of Fully Automated VMAT Plan Generation for Library-Based Plan-of-the-Day Cervical Cancer Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Sharfo, Abdul Wahab M; Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Voet, Peter W J; Heijkoop, Sabrina T; Mens, Jan-Willem M; Hoogeman, Mischa S; Heijmen, Ben J M

2016-01-01

To develop and validate fully automated generation of VMAT plan-libraries for plan-of-the-day adaptive radiotherapy in locally-advanced cervical cancer. Our framework for fully automated treatment plan generation (Erasmus-iCycle) was adapted to create dual-arc VMAT treatment plan libraries for cervical cancer patients. For each of 34 patients, automatically generated VMAT plans (autoVMAT) were compared to manually generated, clinically delivered 9-beam IMRT plans (CLINICAL), and to dual-arc VMAT plans generated manually by an expert planner (manVMAT). Furthermore, all plans were benchmarked against 20-beam equi-angular IMRT plans (autoIMRT). For all plans, a PTV coverage of 99.5% by at least 95% of the prescribed dose (46 Gy) had the highest planning priority, followed by minimization of V45Gy for small bowel (SB). Other OARs considered were bladder, rectum, and sigmoid. All plans had a highly similar PTV coverage, within the clinical constraints (above). After plan normalizations for exactly equal median PTV doses in corresponding plans, all evaluated OAR parameters in autoVMAT plans were on average lower than in the CLINICAL plans with an average reduction in SB V45Gy of 34.6% (p<0.001). For 41/44 autoVMAT plans, SB V45Gy was lower than for manVMAT (p<0.001, average reduction 30.3%), while SB V15Gy increased by 2.3% (p = 0.011). AutoIMRT reduced SB V45Gy by another 2.7% compared to autoVMAT, while also resulting in a 9.0% reduction in SB V15Gy (p<0.001), but with a prolonged delivery time. Differences between manVMAT and autoVMAT in bladder, rectal and sigmoid doses were ≤ 1%. Improvements in SB dose delivery with autoVMAT instead of manVMAT were higher for empty bladder PTVs compared to full bladder PTVs, due to differences in concavity of the PTVs. Quality of automatically generated VMAT plans was superior to manually generated plans. Automatic VMAT plan generation for cervical cancer has been implemented in our clinical routine. Due to the achieved workload

Development and validation of a treatment planning model for magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia cancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stigliano, Robert Vincent

The use of magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) to induce local hyperthermia has been emerging in recent years as a promising cancer therapy, in both a stand-alone and combination treatment setting, including surgery radiation and chemotherapy. The mNP solution can be injected either directly into the tumor, or administered intravenously. Studies have shown that some cancer cells associate with, internalize, and aggregate mNPs more preferentially than normal cells, with and without antibody targeting. Once the mNPs are delivered inside the cells, a low frequency (30-300kHz) alternating electromagnetic field is used to activate the mNPs. The nanoparticles absorb the applied field and provide localized heat generation at nano-micron scales. Treatment planning models have been shown to improve treatment efficacy in radiation therapy by limiting normal tissue damage while maximizing dose to the tumor. To date, there does not exist a clinical treatment planning model for magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia which is robust, validated, and commercially available. The focus of this research is on the development and experimental validation of a treatment planning model, consisting of a coupled electromagnetic and thermal model that predicts dynamic thermal distributions during treatment. When allowed to incubate, the mNPs are often sequestered by cancer cells and packed into endosomes. The proximity of the mNPs has a strong influence on their ability to heat due to interparticle magnetic interaction effects. A model of mNP heating which takes into account the effects of magnetic interaction was developed, and validated against experimental data. An animal study in mice was conducted to determine the effects of mNP solution injection duration and PEGylation on macroscale mNP distribution within the tumor, in order to further inform the treatment planning model and future experimental technique. In clinical applications, a critical limiting factor for the maximum applied field is

SU-F-T-617: Remotely Pre-Planned Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy: Validation of Treatment Plan Quality

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

Juang, T; Bush, K; Loo, B

Purpose: We propose a workflow to improve access to stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) for rural patients. When implemented, a separate trip to the central facility for simulation can be eliminated. Two elements are required: (1) Fabrication of custom immobilization devices to match positioning on prior diagnostic CT (dxCT). (2) Remote radiation pre-planning on dxCT, with transfer of contours/plan to simulation CT (simCT) and initiation of treatment same-day or next day. In this retrospective study, we validated part 2 of the workflow using patients already treated with SABR for upper lobe lung tumors. Methods: Target/normal structures were contoured on dxCT;more » a plan was created and approved by the physician. Structures were transferred to simCT using deformable image registration and the plan was re-optimized on simCT. Plan quality was evaluated through comparison to gold-standard structures contoured on simCT and a gold-standard plan based on these structures. Workflow-generated plan quality in this study represents a worst-case scenario as these patients were not treated using custom immobilization to match dxCT position as would be done when the workflow is implemented clinically. Results: 5/6 plans created through the pre-planning workflow were clinically acceptable. For all six plans, the gold-standard GTV received full prescription dose, along with median PTV V95%=95.2% and median PTV D95%=95.4%. Median GTV DSC=0.80, indicating high degree of similarity between the deformed and gold-standard GTV contours despite small GTV sizes (mean=3.0cc). One outlier (DSC=0.49) resulted in inadequate PTV coverage (V95%=62.9%) in the workflow plan; in clinical practice, this mismatch between deformed/gold-standard GTV would be revised by the physician after deformable registration. For all patients, normal tissue doses were comparable to the gold-standard plan and well within constraints. Conclusion: Pre-planning SABR cases on diagnostic imaging

[Argumentation and construction of validity in Carlos Matus' situational strategic planning].

PubMed

Rivera, Francisco Javier Uribe

2011-09-01

This study analyzes the process of producing a situational plan according to a benchmark from the philosophy of language and argumentation theory. The basic approach used in the analysis was developed by Carlos Matus. Specifically, the study seeks to identify the inherent argumentative structure and patterns in the situational explanation and regulatory design in a plan's operations, taking argumentative approaches from pragma-dialectics and informal logic as the analytical parameters. The explanation of a health problem is used to illustrate the study. Methodologically, the study is based on the existing literature on the subject and case analyses. The study concludes with the proposition that the use of the specific references means introducing greater rigor into both the analysis of the validity of causal arguments and the design of proposals for interventions, in order for them to be more conclusive in achieving a plan's objectives.

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Calibration and Validation Plan and Current Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, T. J.; Cosh, M.; Bindlish, R.; Crow, W.; Colliander, A.; Njoku, E.; McDonald, K.; Kimball, J.; Belair, S.; Walker, J.;

Application of life cycle thinking in multidisciplinary multistakeholder contexts for cross-sectoral planning and implementation of sustainable development projects.

PubMed

Thabrew, Lanka; Ries, Robert

2009-07-01

Development planning and implementation is a multifaceted and multiscale task mainly because of the involvement of multiple stakeholders across sectors and disciplines. Even though top-down sectoral planning is commonly practiced, bottom-up cross-sectoral planning involving all relevant stakeholders in a transdisciplinary learning environment has been recognized as a better option, especially if the goal is to drive development projects toward sustainable implementation (Rowe and Fudge 2003; Müller et al. 2005; Global Development Research Center 2008). Even though many planning approaches have this goal, there are limited decision frameworks that are suitable for achieving consensus among stakeholders from multiple disciplines with sectoral objectives and priorities. In most instances, the upstream and downstream effects of development decisions are not thoroughly investigated or communicated with the relevant stakeholders, strongly affecting cross-sectoral integration in the real world (Wiek, Brundiers, et al. 2006). This article presents methodological aspects of developing a stakeholder based life cycle assessment framework (SBLCA) for upstream-downstream decision analysis in a multistakeholder development planning context. The applicability of the framework is demonstrated using simple examples extracted from a pilot case study conducted in Sri Lanka for sustainable posttsunami reconstruction at a village scale. The applicability of SBLCA in specific planning stages, how it promotes transdisciplinary learning and cross-sectoral stakeholder integration in phases of project cycles, and how local stakeholders can practice life cycle thinking in their village development planning and implementation are discussed.

Digital Earth - A sustainable Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahavir

2014-02-01

All life, particularly human, cannot be sustainable, unless complimented with shelter, poverty reduction, provision of basic infrastructure and services, equal opportunities and social justice. Yet, in the context of cities, it is believed that they can accommodate more and more people, endlessly, regardless to their carrying capacity and increasing ecological footprint. The 'inclusion', for bringing more and more people in the purview of development is often limited to social and economic inclusion rather than spatial and ecological inclusion. Economic investment decisions are also not always supported with spatial planning decisions. Most planning for a sustainable Earth, be at a level of rural settlement, city, region, national or Global, fail on the capacity and capability fronts. In India, for example, out of some 8,000 towns and cities, Master Plans exist for only about 1,800. A chapter on sustainability or environment is neither statutorily compulsory nor a norm for these Master Plans. Geospatial technologies including Remote Sensing, GIS, Indian National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), Indian National Urban Information Systems (NUIS), Indian Environmental Information System (ENVIS), and Indian National GIS (NGIS), etc. have potential to map, analyse, visualize and take sustainable developmental decisions based on participatory social, economic and social inclusion. Sustainable Earth, at all scales, is a logical and natural outcome of a digitally mapped, conceived and planned Earth. Digital Earth, in fact, itself offers a platform to dovetail the ecological, social and economic considerations in transforming it into a sustainable Earth.

Health Sector Evolution Plan in Iran; Equity and Sustainability Concerns.

PubMed

Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Vosoogh-Moghaddam, Abbas

2015-08-31

In 2014, a series of reforms, called as the Health Sector Evolution Plan (HSEP), was launched in the health system of Iran in a stepwise process. HSEP was mainly based on the fifth 5-year health development national strategies (2011-2016). It included different interventions to: increase population coverage of basic health insurance, increase quality of care in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) affiliated hospitals, reduce out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for inpatient services, increase quality of primary healthcare, launch updated relative value units (RVUs) of clinical services, and update tariffs to more realistic values. The reforms resulted in extensive social reaction and different professional feedback. The official monitoring program shows general public satisfaction. However, there are some concerns for sustainability of the programs and equity of financing. Securing financial sources and fairness of the financial contribution to the new programs are the main concerns of policy-makers. Healthcare providers' concerns (as powerful and influential stakeholders) potentially threat the sustainability and efficiency of HSEP. Previous experiences on extending health insurance coverage show that they can lead to a regressive healthcare financing and threat financial equity. To secure financial sources and to increase fairness, the contributions of people to new interventions should be progressive by their income and wealth. A specific progressive tax would be the best source, however, since it is not immediately feasible, a stepwise increase in the progressivity of financing must be followed. Technical concerns of healthcare providers (such as nonplausible RVUs for specific procedures or nonefficient insurance-provider processes) should be addressed through proper revision(s) while nontechnical concerns (which are derived from conflicting interests) must be responded through clarification and providing transparent information. The requirements of

A sustainable approach to planning housing and social care: if not now, when?

PubMed

Foord, M; Simic, P

2001-05-01

The publication of Supporting People (Department of Social Security 1998) has given urgency to discussions around needs analysis, planning, user voice and the development of 'normal' housing for people with support needs. This paper explores a project, which aimed to design a collaborative model for identifying supported housing needs. We provide an overview of the research background, local imperatives and findings, and point to the probability of increasing conflict between the policy of developing 'sustainable communities' and the development of housing for people with support needs.

Validation of Statistical Sampling Algorithms in Visual Sample Plan (VSP): Summary Report

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

Nuffer, Lisa L; Sego, Landon H.; Wilson, John E.

2009-02-18

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Technology Development (OTD) contracted with a set of U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), to write a Remediation Guidance for Major Airports After a Chemical Attack. The report identifies key activities and issues that should be considered by a typical major airport following an incident involving release of a toxic chemical agent. Four experimental tasks were identified that would require further research in order to supplement the Remediation Guidance. One of the tasks, Task 4, OTD Chemical Remediation Statistical Sampling Design Validation, dealt with statisticalmore » sampling algorithm validation. This report documents the results of the sampling design validation conducted for Task 4. In 2005, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) performed a review of the past U.S. responses to Anthrax terrorist cases. Part of the motivation for this PNNL report was a major GAO finding that there was a lack of validated sampling strategies in the U.S. response to Anthrax cases. The report (GAO 2005) recommended that probability-based methods be used for sampling design in order to address confidence in the results, particularly when all sample results showed no remaining contamination. The GAO also expressed a desire that the methods be validated, which is the main purpose of this PNNL report. The objective of this study was to validate probability-based statistical sampling designs and the algorithms pertinent to within-building sampling that allow the user to prescribe or evaluate confidence levels of conclusions based on data collected as guided by the statistical sampling designs. Specifically, the designs found in the Visual Sample Plan (VSP) software were evaluated. VSP was used to calculate the number of samples and the sample location for a variety of sampling plans applied to an actual release site. Most of the sampling designs

2014 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-30

Strategic Sourcing Initiatives, such as Blanket Purchase Agreements ( BPAs ) for office products and imaging equipment, which include sustainable...end of FY2014. Use Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiatives, such as Blanket Purchase Agreements ( BPAs ) Yes USACE is required to participate in

The Methodist University Sustainable Program: Using the Earth Charter to Mainstream Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matarazzo-Neuberger, Waverli Maia; Filho, Vicente Manzione

2010-01-01

This article describes a pioneering initiative of a Brazilian university to introduce sustainability in all undergraduate curricula and in its operations. The Methodist University Sustainable Program was developed in a bottom-up way and began with the introduction of sustainability as a core value in the Institutional Political-Pedagogical Plan,…

Using Organizational Philosophy to Create a Self-Sustaining Compensation Plan Without Harming Academic Missions.

PubMed

Leverence, Robert; Nuttall, Richard; Palmer, Rachel; Segal, Mark; Wood, Alicia; Yancey, Fay; Shuster, Jonathon; Brantly, Mark; Hromas, Robert

2017-08-01

Academic physician reimbursement has moved to productivity-based compensation plans. To be sustainable, such plans must be self-funding. Additionally, unless research and education are appropriately valued, faculty involved in these efforts will become disillusioned, yet revenue generation in these activities is less robust than for clinical care activities. Faculty at the Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health, elected a committee of junior and senior faculty and division chiefs to restructure the compensation plan in fiscal year (FY) 2011. This committee was charged with designing a new compensation plan based on seven principles of organizational philosophy: equity, compensation coupled to productivity, authority aligned with responsibility, respect for all academic missions, transparency, professionalism, and self-funding in each academic mission. The new compensation plan was implemented in FY2013. A survey administered at the end of FY2015 showed that 61% (76/125) of faculty were more satisfied with this plan than the previous plan. Since the year before implementation, clinical relative value units per faculty increased 7% (from 3,458 in FY2012 to 3,704 in FY2015, P < .002), incentives paid per faculty increased 250% (from $3,191 in FY2012 to $11,153 in FY2015, P ≤ .001), and publications per faculty increased 15% (from 2.6 in FY2012 to 3.0 in FY2015, P < .001). Grant submissions, external funding, and teaching hours also increased per faculty but did not reach statistical significance. An important next step will be to incorporate quality metrics into the compensation plan, without affecting costs or throughput.

Natural recharge to sustainable yield from the barind aquifer: a tool in preparing effective management plan of groundwater resources.

PubMed

Monirul Islam, Md; Kanungoe, P

2005-01-01

This paper presents the results of water balance study and aquifer simulation modeling for preliminary estimation of the recharge rate and sustainable yield for the semi arid Barind Tract region of Bangladesh. The outcomes of the study are likely to be useful for planning purposes. It is found from detailed water balance study for the area that natural recharge rates in the Barind Tract vary widely year to year. It may have resulted from the method used for the calculation. If the considered time interval had been smaller than the monthly rainfall, the results could have been different. Aquifer Simulation Modeling (ASM) for the Barind aquifer is used to estimate long-term sustainable yield of the groundwater considering limiting drawdown from the standpoint of economic pumping cost. In managing a groundwater basin efficiently and effectively, evaluation of the maximum annual groundwater yield of the basin that can be withdrawn and used without producing any undesirable effect is one of the most important issues. In investigating such recharge rate, introduction of certain terms such as sustainable yield and safe yield has been accompanied. Development of this area involves proper utilization of this vast land, which is possible only through ensured irrigation for agriculture. The Government of Bangladesh has a plan to develop irrigation facilities by optimum utilization of available ground and surface water. It is believed that the groundwater table is lowering rapidly and the whole region is in an acute state of deforestation. Indiscriminate groundwater development may accelerate deforestation trend. In this context estimation of actual natural recharge rate to the aquifer and determination of sustainable yield will assist in proper management and planning of environmentally viable abstraction schemes. It is revealed from the study that the sustainable yield of ground water (204 mm/y) is somewhat higher than the long-term annual average recharge (152.7 mm) to the

Sustainable transport planning using GIS and remote sensing: an integrated approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giorgoudis, Marios D.; Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Shiftan, Yoram

2014-08-01

The main advantage of using GIS is its ability to access and analyze spatially distributed data. The applications of GIS to transportation can be viewed as involving either on data retrieval; data integrator; or data analysis. The use of remote sensing can assist the retrieval of land use changes. Indeed, the integration of GIS and remote sensing will be used to fill the gap in the smart transport planning. A four step research is going to be done in order to try to integrate the usage of GIS and remote sensing to sustainable transport planning. The proposed research will be held in the city of Limassol, Cyprus. The data that are going to be used are data that are going to be collected through questionnaires, and other available data from the Cyprus Public Works Department and from the Remote Sensing Laboratory and Geo-Environment Research Lab of the Cyprus University of Technology. Overall, statistical analysis and market segmentation of data will be done, the land usage will be examined, and a scenario building on mode choice will be held. This paper presents an overview of the methodology that will be adopted.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Detect Behavior Change in Multiple Advance Care Planning Behaviors

PubMed Central

Sudore, Rebecca L.; Stewart, Anita L.; Knight, Sara J.; McMahan, Ryan D.; Feuz, Mariko; Miao, Yinghui; Barnes, Deborah E.

2013-01-01

Introduction Advance directives have traditionally been considered the gold standard for advance care planning. However, recent evidence suggests that advance care planning involves a series of multiple discrete behaviors for which people are in varying stages of behavior change. The goal of our study was to develop and validate a survey to measure the full advance care planning process. Methods The Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey assesses “Process Measures” of factors known from Behavior Change Theory to affect behavior (knowledge, contemplation, self-efficacy, and readiness, using 5-point Likert scales) and “Action Measures” (yes/no) of multiple behaviors related to surrogate decision makers, values and quality of life, flexibility for surrogate decision making, and informed decision making. We administered surveys at baseline and 1 week later to 50 diverse, older adults from San Francisco hospitals. Internal consistency reliability of Process Measures was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (only continuous variables) and test-retest reliability of Process and Action Measures was examined using intraclass correlations. For discriminant validity, we compared Process and Action Measure scores between this cohort and 20 healthy college students (mean age 23.2 years, SD 2.7). Results Mean age was 69.3 (SD 10.5) and 42% were non-White. The survey took a mean of 21.4 minutes (±6.2) to administer. The survey had good internal consistency (Process Measures Cronbach's alpha, 0.94) and test-retest reliability (Process Measures intraclass correlation, 0.70; Action Measures, 0.87). Both Process and Action Measure scores were higher in the older than younger group, p<.001. Conclusion A new Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey that measures behavior change (knowledge, contemplation, self-efficacy, and readiness) and multiple advance care planning actions demonstrates good reliability and validity. Further research is needed to assess whether survey scores

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF PLANNING PROCESS TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

Concepts of sustainability are numerous, widely discussed, and necessary, but sustainability needs to be applied to development projects to succeed. However, few applications are made and their measures are unclear. Sustainability indicators are typically used as measures, but ...

Dosimetric validation for an automatic brain metastases planning software using single-isocenter dynamic conformal arcsDosimetric validation for an automatic brain metastases planning software using single-isocenter dynamic conformal arcs.

PubMed

Liu, Haisong; Li, Jun; Pappas, Evangelos; Andrews, David; Evans, James; Werner-Wasik, Maria; Yu, Yan; Dicker, Adam; Shi, Wenyin

2016-09-08

An automatic brain-metastases planning (ABMP) software has been installed in our institution. It is dedicated for treating multiple brain metastases with radiosurgery on linear accelerators (linacs) using a single-setup isocenter with noncoplanar dynamic conformal arcs. This study is to validate the calculated absolute dose and dose distribution of ABMP. Three types of measurements were performed to validate the planning software: 1, dual micro ion chambers were used with an acrylic phantom to measure the absolute dose; 2, a 3D cylindrical phantom with dual diode array was used to evaluate 2D dose distribution and point dose for smaller targets; and 3, a 3D pseudo-in vivo patient-specific phantom filled with polymer gels was used to evaluate the accuracy of 3D dose distribution and radia-tion delivery. Micro chamber measurement of two targets (volumes of 1.2 cc and 0.9 cc, respectively) showed that the percentage differences of the absolute dose at both targets were less than 1%. Averaged GI passing rate of five different plans measured with the diode array phantom was above 98%, using criteria of 3% dose difference, 1 mm distance to agreement (DTA), and 10% low-dose threshold. 3D gel phantom measurement results demonstrated a 3D displacement of nine targets of 0.7 ± 0.4 mm (range 0.2 ~ 1.1 mm). The averaged two-dimensional (2D) GI passing rate for several region of interests (ROI) on axial slices that encompass each one of the nine targets was above 98% (5% dose difference, 2 mm DTA, and 10% low-dose threshold). Measured D95, the minimum dose that covers 95% of the target volume, of the nine targets was 0.7% less than the calculated D95. Three different types of dosimetric verification methods were used and proved the dose calculation of the new automatic brain metastases planning (ABMP) software was clinical acceptable. The 3D pseudo-in vivo patient-specific gel phantom test also served as an end-to-end test for validating not only the dose calculation, but the

Planning of reach-and-grasp movements: effects of validity and type of object information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loukopoulos, L. D.; Engelbrecht, S. F.; Berthier, N. E.

2001-01-01

Individuals are assumed to plan reach-and-grasp movements by using two separate processes. In 1 of the processes, extrinsic (direction, distance) object information is used in planning the movement of the arm that transports the hand to the target location (transport planning); whereas in the other, intrinsic (shape) object information is used in planning the preshaping of the hand and the grasping of the target object (manipulation planning). In 2 experiments, the authors used primes to provide information to participants (N = 5, Experiment 1; N = 6, Experiment 2) about extrinsic and intrinsic object properties. The validity of the prime information was systematically varied. The primes were succeeded by a cue, which always correctly identified the location and shape of the target object. Reaction times were recorded. Four models of transport and manipulation planning were tested. The only model that was consistent with the data was 1 in which arm transport and object manipulation planning were postulated to be independent processes that operate partially in parallel. The authors suggest that the processes involved in motor planning before execution are primarily concerned with the geometric aspects of the upcoming movement but not with the temporal details of its execution.

Validity of the Butcher Treatment Planning Inventory as a Measure of Negative Treatment Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatchett, Gregory T.

2007-01-01

This study evaluated the validity of the Butcher Treatment Planning Inventory (BTPI) as a measure of negative expectations and attitudes toward counseling. Undergraduate students completed the BTPI, the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Abbreviated Version, and the Expectations About Counseling-Brief Form during one…

Sustainable aggregate production planning in the chemical process industry - A benchmark problem and dataset.

PubMed

Brandenburg, Marcus; Hahn, Gerd J

2018-06-01

Process industries typically involve complex manufacturing operations and thus require adequate decision support for aggregate production planning (APP). The need for powerful and efficient approaches to solve complex APP problems persists. Problem-specific solution approaches are advantageous compared to standardized approaches that are designed to provide basic decision support for a broad range of planning problems but inadequate to optimize under consideration of specific settings. This in turn calls for methods to compare different approaches regarding their computational performance and solution quality. In this paper, we present a benchmarking problem for APP in the chemical process industry. The presented problem focuses on (i) sustainable operations planning involving multiple alternative production modes/routings with specific production-related carbon emission and the social dimension of varying operating rates and (ii) integrated campaign planning with production mix/volume on the operational level. The mutual trade-offs between economic, environmental and social factors can be considered as externalized factors (production-related carbon emission and overtime working hours) as well as internalized ones (resulting costs). We provide data for all problem parameters in addition to a detailed verbal problem statement. We refer to Hahn and Brandenburg [1] for a first numerical analysis based on and for future research perspectives arising from this benchmarking problem.

Highly Efficient Training, Refinement, and Validation of a Knowledge-based Planning Quality-Control System for Radiation Therapy Clinical Trials

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

Li, Nan; Carmona, Ruben; Sirak, Igor

Purpose: To demonstrate an efficient method for training and validation of a knowledge-based planning (KBP) system as a radiation therapy clinical trial plan quality-control system. Methods and Materials: We analyzed 86 patients with stage IB through IVA cervical cancer treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy at 2 institutions according to the standards of the INTERTECC (International Evaluation of Radiotherapy Technology Effectiveness in Cervical Cancer, National Clinical Trials Network identifier: 01554397) protocol. The protocol used a planning target volume and 2 primary organs at risk: pelvic bone marrow (PBM) and bowel. Secondary organs at risk were rectum and bladder. Initial unfiltered dose-volumemore » histogram (DVH) estimation models were trained using all 86 plans. Refined training sets were created by removing sub-optimal plans from the unfiltered sample, and DVH estimation models… and DVH estimation models were constructed by identifying 30 of 86 plans emphasizing PBM sparing (comparing protocol-specified dosimetric cutpoints V{sub 10} (percentage volume of PBM receiving at least 10 Gy dose) and V{sub 20} (percentage volume of PBM receiving at least 20 Gy dose) with unfiltered predictions) and another 30 of 86 plans emphasizing bowel sparing (comparing V{sub 40} (absolute volume of bowel receiving at least 40 Gy dose) and V{sub 45} (absolute volume of bowel receiving at least 45 Gy dose), 9 in common with the PBM set). To obtain deliverable KBP plans, refined models must inform patient-specific optimization objectives and/or priorities (an auto-planning “routine”). Four candidate routines emphasizing different tradeoffs were composed, and a script was developed to automatically re-plan multiple patients with each routine. After selection of the routine that best met protocol objectives in the 51-patient training sample (KBP{sub FINAL}), protocol-specific DVH metrics and normal tissue complication probability were compared for

Ongoing change of site conditions important for sustainable forest management planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bidló, András; Horváth, Adrienn; Gulyás, Krisztina; Gálos, Borbála

2016-04-01

, tree mortality has been observed also in stands on favourable soils (rusty brown forest soil, brown earth, lessivated brown forest soil) because these soil sites can only mitigate the damage of extremes. Consequently, there is ongoing change of site conditions that are important for the sustainable forest management planning. Therefore it is an urgent need to rethink regulations considering the changing climate and soil conditions in order to decide about sustainable tree species preference and to maintain forest cover. Keywords: climate change impacts, forest mortality, adaptation, sustainable forest management planning Acknowledgements: Research is supported by the "Agroclimate.2" (VKSZ_12-1-2013-0034) EU-national joint funded research project.

Planning that works: Empowerment through stakeholder focused interactive planning (SFIP)

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

Beck, J.E.; Ison, S.A.

1994-12-31

This paper describes a powerful planning tool that can enable government, private industries, and public interest organizations to actualize their visions through sound decision making. The stakeholder focused interactive planning model is designed to integrate and ultimately gain stakeholder investment in the success of attainment of their vision. The only concessions required of the planning organization using this process is the acceptance of the premise that sustained vision success requires the support of both internal and external stakeholders and that each step in the process must be used as a validation of the previous step and essential to the completionmore » of the next step. What is stakeholder/public involvement? It is the process in which the stakeholders (both internal and external) values, interests and expectations are included in decision-making processes. The primary goal of public involvement efforts is to include all those who have a stake in the decision, whether or not they have already been identified. Stakeholders are individuals, contractors, clients, suppliers, public organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes, federal agencies, and other parties affected by decisions.« less

RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan: Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) Part 1 – Physics and numerical methods

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

Choi, Yong Joon; Yoo, Jun Soo; Smith, Curtis Lee

2015-09-01

This INL plan comprehensively describes the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) on main physics and numerical method of the RELAP-7. The plan also describes the testing-based software verification and validation (SV&V) process—a set of specially designed software models used to test RELAP-7.

Site Sustainability Plan with FY2015 Performance Data

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

Nichols, Teresa A.; Lapsa, Melissa Voss; Hudey, Bryce D.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is both the largest science and energy laboratory in the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex and one of the oldest national laboratories still operating at its original site. ORNL implemented an aggressive modernization program in 2000, providing modern, energy-efficient facilities that help to support the growth of important national scientific missions while faced with the unique and challenging opportunity to integrate sustainability into legacy assets. ORNL is committed to leveraging the outcomes of DOE-sponsored research programs to maximize the efficient use of energy and natural resources across a diverse campus. ORNL leadership in conjunctionmore » with the Sustainable Campus Initiative (SCI) maintains a commitment to the integration of technical innovations into new and existing facilities, systems, and processes with a comprehensive approach to achieving DOE directives and the new Executive Order 13693. Energy efficiency, greenhouse gas reductions, climate change resiliency, and other pursuits toward integrated sustainability factor in all we do. ORNL continues to pursue and deploy innovative solutions and initiatives to advance regional, national, and worldwide sustainability and continues to transform its culture and engage employees in supporting sustainability at work, at home, and in the community.« less

Smart Sustainable Islands VS Smart Sustainable Cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pantazis, D. N.; Moussas, V. C.; Murgante, B.; Daverona, A. C.; Stratakis, P.; Vlissidis, N.; Kavadias, A.; Economou, D.; Santimpantakis, K.; Karathanasis, B.; Kyriakopoulou, V.; Gadolou, E.

2017-09-01

This paper has several aims: a) the presentation of a critical analysis of the terms "smart sustainable cities" and "smart sustainable islands" b) the presentation of a number of principles towards to the development methodological framework of concepts and actions, in a form of a manual and actions guide, for the smartification and sustainability of islands. This kind of master plan is divided in thematic sectors (key factors) which concern the insular municipalities c) the creation of an island's smartification and sustainability index d) the first steps towards the creation of a portal for the presentation of our smartification actions manual, together with relative resources, smart applications examples, and, in the near future the first results of our index application in a number of Greek islands and e) the presentation of some proposals of possible actions towards their sustainable development and smartification for the municipalities - islands of Paros and Antiparos in Greece, as case studies.

Development of Level 1b Calibration and Validation Readiness, Implementation and Management Plans for GOES-R

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kunkee, David B.; Farley, Robert W.; Kwan, Betty P.; Hecht, James H.; Walterscheid, Richard L.; Claudepierre, Seth G.; Bishop, Rebecca L.; Gelinas, Lynette J.; Deluccia, Frank J.

2017-01-01

A complement of Readiness, Implementation and Management Plans (RIMPs) to facilitate management of post-launch product test activities for the official Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) Level 1b (L1b) products have been developed and documented. Separate plans have been created for each of the GOES-R sensors including: the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), the Extreme ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS), Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), GOES-R Magnetometer (MAG), the Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS), and the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI). The GOES-R program has implemented these RIMPs in order to address the full scope of CalVal activities required for a successful demonstration of GOES-R L1b data product quality throughout the three validation stages: Beta, Provisional and Full Validation. For each product maturity level, the RIMPs include specific performance criteria and required artifacts that provide evidence a given validation stage has been reached, the timing when each stage will be complete, a description of every applicable Post-Launch Product Test (PLPT), roles and responsibilities of personnel, upstream dependencies, and analysis methods and tools to be employed during validation. Instrument level Post-Launch Tests (PLTs) are also referenced and apply primarily to functional check-out of the instruments.

Translation, adaptation and validation the contents of the Diabetes Medical Management Plan for the Brazilian context

PubMed Central

Torres, Heloísa de Carvalho; Chaves, Fernanda Figueredo; da Silva, Daniel Dutra Romualdo; Bosco, Adriana Aparecida; Gabriel, Beatriz Diniz; Reis, Ilka Afonso; Rodrigues, Júlia Santos Nunes; Pagano, Adriana Silvina

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: to translate, adapt and validate the contents of the Diabetes Medical Management Plan for the Brazilian context. This protocol was developed by the American Diabetes Association and guides the procedure of educators for the care of children and adolescents with diabetes in schools. Method: this methodological study was conducted in four stages: initial translation, synthesis of initial translation, back translation and content validation by an expert committee, composed of 94 specialists (29 applied linguists and 65 health professionals), for evaluation of the translated version through an online questionnaire. The concordance level of the judges was calculated based on the Content Validity Index. Data were exported into the R program for statistical analysis: Results: the evaluation of the instrument showed good concordance between the judges of the Health and Applied Linguistics areas, with a mean content validity index of 0.9 and 0.89, respectively, and slight variability of the index between groups (difference of less than 0.01). The items in the translated version, evaluated as unsatisfactory by the judges, were reformulated based on the considerations of the professionals of each group. Conclusion: a Brazilian version of Diabetes Medical Management Plan was constructed, called the Plano de Manejo do Diabetes na Escola. PMID:27508911

Strategic Planning and Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin-Graham, Karen; Berge, Zane L.

2005-01-01

Strategic planning is a critical part of sustaining distance education. Through such planning, the organization can solve business problems that involve training and education in an effective and often cost savings manner compared to in-person training efforts. This paper examines the strategic planning process as it relates to sustaining distance…

Adaptation and validation of the Tower of London test of planning and problem solving in people with intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Masson, J D; Dagnan, D; Evans, J

2010-05-01

There is a need for validated, standardised tools for the assessment of executive functions in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). This study examines the validity of a test of planning and problem solving (Tower of London) with adults with ID. Participants completed an adapted version of the Tower of London (ToL) while day-centre staff completed adaptive function (Adaptive Behaviour Scale - Residential and Community: Second Edition, modified version) and dysexecutive function (DEX-Independent Rater) questionnaires for each participant. Correlation analyses of test and questionnaire variables were undertaken. The adapted ToL has a robust structure and shows significant associations with independent living skills, challenging behaviour and behaviours related to dysexecutive function. The adapted ToL is a valid test for use with people with ID. However, there is also a need to develop other ecologically valid tools based on everyday planning tasks undertaken by people with ID.

Developing sustainable software solutions for bioinformatics by the “ Butterfly” paradigm

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Zeeshan; Zeeshan, Saman; Dandekar, Thomas

2014-01-01

Software design and sustainable software engineering are essential for the long-term development of bioinformatics software. Typical challenges in an academic environment are short-term contracts, island solutions, pragmatic approaches and loose documentation. Upcoming new challenges are big data, complex data sets, software compatibility and rapid changes in data representation. Our approach to cope with these challenges consists of iterative intertwined cycles of development (“ Butterfly” paradigm) for key steps in scientific software engineering. User feedback is valued as well as software planning in a sustainable and interoperable way. Tool usage should be easy and intuitive. A middleware supports a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) as well as a database/tool development independently. We validated the approach of our own software development and compared the different design paradigms in various software solutions. PMID:25383181

Integrating Sustainability Science with the Sciences of Human Well-being to Inform Design and Planning in an Urbanizing World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alberti, M.; Graumlich, L. J.; Frumkin, H.; Friedman, D.

2012-12-01

A sustainable human future requires both healthy ecosystems and communities in which people thrive, with opportunities for health, well-being, happiness, economic prosperity, and equity. To make progress towards this goal, two largely disparate communities of scholars and practitioners must come together: sustainability science needs to be integrated with the sciences of human health and well-being. The opportunity for such integration is particularly ripe for urbanizing regions which not only dominate energy and resource use but also increasingly represent the human habitat. We present a conceptual framework that integrates sustainability science with the sciences of human health and well-being to explicitly articulate testable hypotheses on the relationships between humans and their habitat. We are interested in human behaviors and metrics of health and well-being in relationship to the characteristics of the built environment at various scales from buildings to metro regions. Focusing on the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) as a testbed, we are building on our current empirical studies on urban sprawl and ecosystem function including biodiversity, air quality, hydrological, biogeochemical, and human health to develop formal hypotheses on how alternative urban design and development patterns may influence health outcomes and well-being. The PNW is an ideal setting for this work because of the connected metropolitan areas within a region characterized by a spectacular diversity of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and deeply held cultural and political aspirations towards sustainability. The framework also highlights opportunities for translation of knowledge to practice in the design and planning of built environments. For example, understanding these associations is critical to assessing tradeoffs in design and planning strategies and exploring potential synergies that optimize both sustainability and human well-being. In complex systems such as cities, managers

Linking the benefits of ecosystem services to sustainable spatial planning of ecological conservation strategies.

PubMed

Huang, Lin; Cao, Wei; Xu, Xinliang; Fan, Jiangwen; Wang, Junbang

2018-09-15

The maintenance and improvement of ecosystem services on the Tibet Plateau are critical for national ecological security in China and are core objectives of ecological conservation in this region. In this paper, ecosystem service benefits of the Tibet Ecological Conservation Project were comprehensively assessed by estimating and mapping the spatiotemporal variation patterns of critical ecosystem services on the Tibet Plateau from 2000 to 2015. Furthermore, we linked the benefit assessment to the sustainable spatial planning of future ecological conservation strategies. Comparing the 8 years before and after the project, the water retention and carbon sink services of the forest, grassland and wetland ecosystems were slightly increased after the project, and the ecosystem sand fixation service has been steadily enhanced. The increasing forage supply service of grassland significantly reduced the grassland carrying pressure and eased the conflict between grassland and livestock. However, enhanced rainfall erosivity occurred due to increased rainfall, and root-layer soils could not recover in a short period of time, both factors have led to a decline in soil conservation service. The warm and humid climate is beneficial for the restoration of ecosystems on the Tibet Plateau, and the implementation of the Tibet Ecological Conservation Project has had a positive effect on the local improvement of ecosystem services. A new spatial planning strategy for ecological conservation was introduced and aims to establish a comprehensive, nationwide system to protect important natural ecosystems and wildlife, and to promote the sustainable use of natural resources. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social-Ecological Resilience and Sustainable Commons Management Paradigms in State Comprehensive Water Planning Legislation: Are We Adapting or Maintaining the Status Quo?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyckman, C.

2016-12-01

Water shortage has been increasing throughout the country, as record drought grips the western states and several southeastern states have sued adjoining states over shared water resources. State water planning can avert or lessen conflicts by balancing sectoral needs and legal priority within their own states. The state comprehensive water planning laws dictate the state water plan's process, coverage, and content, and the extent to which they codify the allocation status quo. The plans can contain the latest resource management paradigms that respond to climate change uncertainty; namely, sustainable commons management (SCM) and social-ecological resilience (SER). Building on the work of Pahl-Wostl (2009), Ostrom and Cox (2010), Agrawal (2003), and Walker and Salt (2012), who have advocated for and empirically researched the presence of sustainable SCM and SER processes in water management, I surveyed all 50 states to determine which states had comprehensive water planning legislation. Of those 26, I evaluated their legislative content using an augmented coercive versus cooperative analysis metric (May, 1993; Berke and French, 1994) that includes codifiable SCM and SER measures. I found that the majority of the states' legislation did not contain the SER and SCM measures; they also lack integral comprehensive water planning measures (i.e., conjoined surface and groundwater planning, instream flow protection, critical area planning, and water conservation practices) (Dyckman, forthcoming). There is a statistically significant and inverse relationship between the indices within the metric, affirming that the greater the legislation's coerciveness, the lower its adaptive capacity and its water planning comprehensiveness (Ostrom, 2010; Pendall, 2001). Planners in states with more SER and SCM measures in their state water planning statutes are more likely to have autonomy and ability to respond to localized water needs, with more comprehensive water planning tools.

Sustainable Agriculture: Cover Cropping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Megan

2018-01-01

Sustainable agriculture practices are increasingly being used by farmers to maintain soil quality, increase biodiversity, and promote production of food that is environmentally safe. There are several types of sustainable agriculture practices such as organic farming, crop rotation, and aquaculture. This lesson plan focuses on the sustainable…

Buenos Aires - Toward Comprehensive Development and Sustainable Mobility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamrowska-Zaluska, Dorota

2017-10-01

This paper is introducing Buenos Aires’ achievements and challenges in implementing comprehensive development and integrating efficient and sustainable transport system within its urban structure. There are several important steps in this process starting from urban regeneration of Puerto Madero, the introduction and then implementation of a strategic plan Modelo territorial (2010) and of Buenos Aires’ Plan de Movilidad Sustentable (2013). The last one - Sustainable Mobility Plan helped Buenos Aires win several prestigious rewards for innovative approach to mobility and sustainable transport and leadership in combating climate change. Buenos Aires City government demonstrates strong leadership by implementing well-planned (Bus Rapid Transport) BRT solutions, stressing the importance of political will and support, flexibility and an open mind in listening to the points of view of all stakeholders involved. Buenos Aires has made a very important step toward sustainability by supporting development of more sustainable modes of transport, such as bicycle-sharing system and improving walkability of the city centre. The last initiative combined with strong focus on public spaces is adding to tourist attractiveness based on diversity of the capital of Argentina.

Cadastre (forest maps) and spatial land uses planning, strategic tool for sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drosos, Vasileios C.

2014-08-01

The rise in the living standards of the Greeks created, especially since 1970, along with other needs and the need for second or holiday home since 1990 after finding the first house on the outskirts of large urban centers. Trying to find land for the creation of new resorts or new type of permanent residences (maisonettes with or without garden, depending on the financial position of each) had the painful consequence of wasteful and uncontrolled use of land, without a program, without the fundamental rules of land planning and the final creation was usually unsightly buildings. The costs were to pay as usually the forest rural lands. The national spatial planning of land use requires that we know the existing land uses in this country, and based on that we can design and decide their land uses on the future in a rational way. On final practical level, this planning leads to mark the boundaries of specific areas of land that are permitted and may change uses. For this reason, one of the most valuable "tools" of that final marking the boundaries is also the forest maps. The paper aims the investigation to determine the modern views on the issues of Cadastre and Land Management with an ulterior view to placing the bases for creating a building plan of an immediate completion of forest maps. Sustainable development as a term denoting a policy of continued economic and social development that does not involve the destruction of the environment and natural resources, but rather guarantees their rational viability.

Validation for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission: Lessons Learned and Future Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolff, David B.; Amitai, E.; Marks, D. A.; Silberstein, D.; Lawrence, R. J.

2005-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) was launched in November 1997 and is a highly regarded and successful mission. A major component of the TRMM program was its Ground Validation (GV) program. Through dedicated research and hard work by many groups, both the GV and satellite-retrieved rain estimates have shown a convergence at key GV sites, lending credibility to the global TRMM estimates. To be sure, there are some regional differences between the various satellite estimates themselves, which still need to be addressed; however, it can be said with some certainty that TRMM has provided a high-quality, long-term climatological data set for researchers that provides errors on the order of 10-20%, rather than pre-TRMM era error estimates on the order of 50-100%. The TRMM GV program's main operational task is to provide rainfall products for four sites: Darwin, Australia (DARW); Houston, Texas (HSTN); Kwajalein, Republic of the Marshall Islands (KWAJ); and, Melbourne, Florida (MELB). A comparison between TRMM Ground Validation (Version 5) and Satellite (Version 6) rain intensity estimates is presented. The gridded satellite product (3668) will be compared to GV Level II rain-intensity and -type maps (2A53 and 2A54, respectively). The 3G68 product represents a 0.5 deg x 0.5 deg data grid providing estimates of rain intensities from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), Microwave Imager (TMI) and Combined (COM) algorithms. The comparisons will be sub-setted according to geographical type (land, coast and ocean). The convergence of the GV and satellite estimates bodes well for expectations for the proposed Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program and this study and others are being leveraged towards planning GV goals for GPM. A discussion of lessons learned and future plans for TRMM GV in planning for GPM will also be provided.

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

"I WILL SURVIVE" A Construct Validation Study on the Measurement of Sustainable Employability Using Different Age Conceptualizations.

PubMed

Le Blanc, Pascale M; Van der Heijden, Beatrice I J M; Van Vuuren, Tinka

2017-01-01

Though the importance of sustainable employability throughout people's working life is undisputed, up till now only one attempt for a conceptual definition has been made (van der Klink et al., 2016). Following the suggestions to further refine and improve this definition recently put forward by Fleuren et al. (2016), we propose an approach to sustainable employability that is based on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, and incorporates three indicators: the ability, the motivation, and the opportunity to continue working, respectively. As sustainable employability is considered to be an important aspect of successful aging at work, this study used four different conceptualizations of aging at work to set up convergent and divergent validity of our operationalization of sustainable employability: calendar age, organizational age (job and organizational tenure), functional age (work ability), and life-span age (partner and children). We formulated several hypotheses that were tested by analyzing data from an online survey among 180 employees from Dutch public service organizations who filled out a questionnaire on different age concepts, and their ability, motivation, and opportunity to continue working. Multiple regression analyses were performed, and results showed that the four conceptualizations of aging were differently related to the three indicators of sustainable employability. Life-span age, in terms of having children, had the strongest negative relationship with the ability to continue working, organizational age (i.e., organizational tenure) had the strongest negative relationship with the motivation to continue working, and functional age had the strongest negative relationship with the opportunity to continue working. Moreover, functional age was significantly negatively related to the other two indicators of sustainable employability too, while life-span age appeared to enhance the ability and motivation to continue working (in terms

Alternative Fuels Data Center: City of Cincinnati Turns Sustainable Fleet

Science.gov Websites

Plan into On-Road Reality City of Cincinnati Turns Sustainable Fleet Plan into On-Road Reality Plan into On-Road Reality on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: City of Cincinnati Turns Sustainable Fleet Plan into On-Road Reality on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center

The Unified Language Testing Plan: Speaking Proficiency Test. Russian Pilot Validation Studies. Report Number 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornton, Julie A.

The report describes one segment of the Federal Language Testing Board's Unified Language Testing Plan (ULTP), the validation of the speaking proficiency test in Russian. The ULTP is a project to increase standardization of foreign language proficiency measurement and promote sharing of resources among testing programs in the federal government.…

Validation of Mars-GRAM and Planned New Features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Duvall, Aleta; Keller, Vernon W.

2004-01-01

For altitudes below 80 km, Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 2001) is based on output climatology from NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM). At COSPAR 2002, results were presented of validation tests of Mars-GRAM versus data from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Radio Science (RS) experiment. Further validation tests are presented comparing Mars- GRAM densities with those from the European Mars Climate Database (MCD), and comparing densities from both Mars-GRAM and MCD against TES observations. Throughout most of the height and latitude range of TES data (040 km and 70s to 70N), good agreement is found between atmospheric densities from Mars-GRAM and MCD. However, at the season and latitude zone for Mars Phoenix arrival and landing (Ls = 65 to 80 degrees and latitude 65 to 75N), Mars-GRAM densities are about 30 to 45 percent higher than MCD densities near 40 km altitude. Further evaluation is warranted concerning potential impact of these model differences on planning for Phoenix entry and descent. Three planned features for Mars-GRAM update are also discussed: (1) new MGCM and Thermospheric General Circulation Model data sets to be used as a revised basis for Mars-GRAM mean atmosphere, (2) a new feature to represent planetary-scale traveling waves for upper altitude density variations (such as found during Mars Odyssey aerobraking), and (3) a new model for effects of high resolution topographic slope on winds near the surface (0 to 4.5 km above MOLA topography level). Mars-GRAM slope winds will be computed from a diagnostic (algebraic) relationship based on Ye, Segal, and Pielke (1990). This approach differs from mesoscale models (such as MRAMS and Mars MM5), which use prognostic, full-physics solutions of the time- and space-dependent differential equations of motion. As such, slope winds in Mars-GRAM will be consistent with its "engineering-level" approach, and will be extremely fast and easy to evaluate

Forest Resource Management Plans: A Sustainability Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pile, Lauren S.; Watts, Christine M.; Straka, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Forest Resource Management Plans is the capstone course in many forestry and natural resource management curricula. The management plans are developed by senior forestry students. Early management plans courses were commonly technical exercises, often performed on contrived forest "tracts" on university-owned or other public lands, with a goal of…

Planning for Sustainability from the Outset

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourne, Janet

2016-01-01

What are the elements of professional learning that lead to an increase of the likelihood of new learning and understandings being embedded into teacher practices? This article details some of the strategies the author has successfully employed to establish a context whereby an innovation would be sustained past the time of the Ministry Gifted and…

Adaptation and Validation of the Tower of London Test of Planning and Problem Solving in People with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masson, J. D.; Dagnan, D.; Evans, J.

2010-01-01

Background: There is a need for validated, standardised tools for the assessment of executive functions in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). This study examines the validity of a test of planning and problem solving (Tower of London) with adults with ID. Method: Participants completed an adapted version of the Tower of London (ToL) while…

Is woody residue part of your plan for sustainable forestry?

Treesearch

Deborah Page-Dumroese

2010-01-01

The answer to the title question should be "yes"! Currently, there is a lot of chatter about sustainable forestry and alternative fuels, including conversion of wood to bioenergy. At first glance it may seem like there is a conflict - how can removal of woody biomass be sustainable? Whether you are a small woodlot owner doing sustainable harvesting, looking...

Can Education for Sustainable Development Change Entrepreneurship Education to Deliver a Sustainable Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strachan, Glenn

2018-01-01

An objective of the European Union's Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan is to address high levels of youth unemployment in Europe by promoting entrepreneurship. Implementing entrepreneurship education in schools, colleges and universities is one of three strategic interventions proposed by the Action Plan. Sustainable entrepreneurship is a…

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Pre-Service Teachers' Technology Acceptance: A Validation Study Using Structural Equation Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teo, Timothy; Tan, Lynde

2012-01-01

This study applies the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a theory that is commonly used in commercial settings, to the educational context to explain pre-service teachers' technology acceptance. It is also interested in examining its validity when used for this purpose. It has found evidence that the TPB is a valid model to explain pre-service…

Sustainability in a Hospital-Based Biobank and University-Based DNA Biorepository: Strategic Roadmaps

PubMed Central

Eschbacher, Jennifer; Bowser, Robert; LaBaer, Joshua

2015-01-01

Sustainability in the biobanking community has recently become an important and oft-discussed issue as biorepositories struggle to balance limited external funding and complex cost recovery models with high operating costs and the desire to provide the highest quality materials and services to the research community. A multi-faceted view of biobanking sustainability requires consideration of operational and social sustainability in addition to the historical focus exclusively on financial sustainability. Planning and implementing this three pillar model creates a well-rounded biorepository that meets the needs of all the major stakeholders: the funders, the patients/depositors, and the researcher recipients. Often the creation of a detailed business plan is the first step to develop goals and objectives that lead down a path towards sustainability. The definition of sustainability and the complexity of a sustainable business plan may differ for each biorepository. The DNASU Plasmid Repository at Arizona State University stores and distributes DNA plasmids to researchers worldwide, and the Biobank Core Facility at St. Joseph's Hospital and Barrow Neurological Institute consents patients and collects, stores, and distributes human tissue and blood samples. We will discuss these two biorepositories, their similar and different approaches to sustainability and business planning, their challenges in creating and implementing their sustainability plan, and their responses to some of these challenges. From these experiences, the biobanks share lessons learned about planning for sustainability that are applicable to all biorepositories. PMID:26697909

Sustainability in a Hospital-Based Biobank and University-Based DNA Biorepository: Strategic Roadmaps.

PubMed

Seiler, Catherine Y; Eschbacher, Jennifer; Bowser, Robert; LaBaer, Joshua

2015-12-01

Sustainability in the biobanking community has recently become an important and oft-discussed issue as biorepositories struggle to balance limited external funding and complex cost recovery models with high operating costs and the desire to provide the highest quality materials and services to the research community. A multi-faceted view of biobanking sustainability requires consideration of operational and social sustainability in addition to the historical focus exclusively on financial sustainability. Planning and implementing this three pillar model creates a well-rounded biorepository that meets the needs of all the major stakeholders: the funders, the patients/depositors, and the researcher recipients. Often the creation of a detailed business plan is the first step to develop goals and objectives that lead down a path towards sustainability. The definition of sustainability and the complexity of a sustainable business plan may differ for each biorepository. The DNASU Plasmid Repository at Arizona State University stores and distributes DNA plasmids to researchers worldwide, and the Biobank Core Facility at St. Joseph's Hospital and Barrow Neurological Institute consents patients and collects, stores, and distributes human tissue and blood samples. We will discuss these two biorepositories, their similar and different approaches to sustainability and business planning, their challenges in creating and implementing their sustainability plan, and their responses to some of these challenges. From these experiences, the biobanks share lessons learned about planning for sustainability that are applicable to all biorepositories.

“I WILL SURVIVE” A Construct Validation Study on the Measurement of Sustainable Employability Using Different Age Conceptualizations

PubMed Central

Le Blanc, Pascale M.; Van der Heijden, Beatrice I. J. M.; Van Vuuren, Tinka

2017-01-01

Though the importance of sustainable employability throughout people's working life is undisputed, up till now only one attempt for a conceptual definition has been made (van der Klink et al., 2016). Following the suggestions to further refine and improve this definition recently put forward by Fleuren et al. (2016), we propose an approach to sustainable employability that is based on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, and incorporates three indicators: the ability, the motivation, and the opportunity to continue working, respectively. As sustainable employability is considered to be an important aspect of successful aging at work, this study used four different conceptualizations of aging at work to set up convergent and divergent validity of our operationalization of sustainable employability: calendar age, organizational age (job and organizational tenure), functional age (work ability), and life-span age (partner and children). We formulated several hypotheses that were tested by analyzing data from an online survey among 180 employees from Dutch public service organizations who filled out a questionnaire on different age concepts, and their ability, motivation, and opportunity to continue working. Multiple regression analyses were performed, and results showed that the four conceptualizations of aging were differently related to the three indicators of sustainable employability. Life-span age, in terms of having children, had the strongest negative relationship with the ability to continue working, organizational age (i.e., organizational tenure) had the strongest negative relationship with the motivation to continue working, and functional age had the strongest negative relationship with the opportunity to continue working. Moreover, functional age was significantly negatively related to the other two indicators of sustainable employability too, while life-span age appeared to enhance the ability and motivation to continue working (in terms

In-Space Structural Validation Plan for a Stretched-Lens Solar Array Flight Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pappa, Richard S.; Woods-Vedeler, Jessica A.; Jones, Thomas W.

2001-01-01

This paper summarizes in-space structural validation plans for a proposed Space Shuttle-based flight experiment. The test article is an innovative, lightweight solar array concept that uses pop-up, refractive stretched-lens concentrators to achieve a power/mass density of at least 175 W/kg, which is more than three times greater than current capabilities. The flight experiment will validate this new technology to retire the risk associated with its first use in space. The experiment includes structural diagnostic instrumentation to measure the deployment dynamics, static shape, and modes of vibration of the 8-meter-long solar array and several of its lenses. These data will be obtained by photogrammetry using the Shuttle payload-bay video cameras and miniature video cameras on the array. Six accelerometers are also included in the experiment to measure base excitations and small-amplitude tip motions.

Validity of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) for Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in sustainable development projects.

PubMed

Khetani, Mary; Marley, Jenifer; Baker, Megan; Albrecht, Erin; Bedell, Gary; Coster, Wendy; Anaby, Dana; Law, Mary

2014-04-01

Participation in home, school, and community activities is an important indicator of child health and well-being. Evaluating environmental influences on children's participation can inform efforts to develop sustainable built environments, but few validated measures exist. To examine the concurrent validity and utility of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) for Health Impact Assessment in non-urban sustainable development projects affecting children with disabilities. Eighty-nine parents of children and youth with disabilities who identified as residing in a small town or rural community were sampled. Sixty-six caregivers completed the PEM-CY online, and 23 caregivers completed the PEM-CY and CHIEF-CP paper forms. Spearman correlational analyses were conducted to establish the concurrent validity of the PEM-CY environment sections against the CHIEF-CP. Group comparisons by child's age, number of functional limitations, and annual household income were used to examine differences in summary and item-level responses on the PEM-CY community section. Moderate to strong associations were found between CHIEF-CP Total Product and Magnitude Scores and all PEM-CY Environment Summary Scores. CHIEF-CP Physical/Structural and Policies Subscale Scores were most consistently associated with PEM-CY Environment Summary Scores. Group differences by household income were found for participation frequency and number of supports, including perceived availability and adequacy of money and information about programs and services, even when controlling child's age and number of functional limitations. Study results lend support to the use of the PEM-CY in HIA to reliably assess for environmental impact on children's participation. Implications for using the PEM-CY to inform decision-making in non-urban sustainable development projects affecting families of children and youth with disabilities are discussed. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sustainability at BPA 2012

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

None

BPA’s Sustainability Action Plan is grounded in our commitment to environmental stewardship and Executive Order 13514 that calls on the federal agencies to “lead by example” by setting a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions target, increasing energy efficiency; reducing fleet petroleum consumption; conserving water; reducing waste; supporting sustainable communities; and leveraging federal purchasing power to promoting environmentally responsible products and technologies.

Validity and reliability analysis of the planned behavior theory scale related to the testicular self-examination in a Turkish context.

PubMed

Iyigun, Emine; Tastan, Sevinc; Ayhan, Hatice; Kose, Gulsah; Acikel, Cengizhan

2016-06-01

This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability levels of the Planned Behavior Theory Scale as related to a testicular self-examination. The study was carried out in a health-profession higher-education school in Ankara, Turkey, from April to June 2012. The study participants comprised 215 male students. Study data were collected by using a questionnaire, a planned behavior theory scale related to testicular self-examination, and Champion's Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS). The sub-dimensions of the planned behavior theory scale, namely those of intention, attitude, subjective norms and self-efficacy, were found to have Cronbach's alpha values of between 0.81 and 0.89. Exploratory factor analysis showed that items of the scale had five factors that accounted for 75% of the variance. Of these, the sub-dimension of intention was found to have the highest level of contribution. A significant correlation was found between the sub-dimensions of the testicular self-examination planned behavior theory scale and those of CHBMS (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the Turkish version of the testicular self-examination Planned Behavior Theory Scale is a valid and reliable measurement for Turkish society.

FORUM: Is Ecotourism Sustainable?

PubMed

Wall

1997-07-01

/ It is legitimate to ask whether and in what form tourism might contribute to sustainable development. This is not the same as sustainable tourism which, as a single-sector approach to development, may overlook important linkages with other sectors. If tourism is to contribute to sustainable development, then it must be economically viable, ecologically sensitive and culturally appropriate. Ecotourism is often advocated as being a sustainable form of tourism but imprecision in terminology clouds basic issues and there are strong economic, ecological, and cultural reasons for believing that, even in its purest forms, ecotourism is likely to present substantial challenges to destination areas, particularly if it competes for scarce resources and displaces existing uses and users. Sustainable tourism and ecotourism are not synonyms, many forms of ecotourism may not be sustainable, and if ecotourism is to contribute to sustainable development, then careful planning and management will be required.KEY WORDS: Ecotourism; Sustainable development; Development; Tourism

Unraveling the Importance of Climate Change Resilience in Planning the Future Sustainable Energy System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarroja, B.; AghaKouchak, A.; Forrest, K.; Chiang, F.; Samuelsen, S.

2017-12-01

In response to concerns regarding the environmental impacts of the current energy resource mix, significant research efforts have been focused on determining the future energy resource mix to meet emissions reduction and environmental sustainability goals. Many of these studies focus on various constraints such as costs, grid operability requirements, and environmental performance, and develop different plans for the rollout of energy resources between the present and future years. One aspect that has not yet been systematically taken into account in these planning studies, however, is the potential impacts that changing climates may have on the availability and performance of key energy resources that compose these plans. This presentation will focus on a case study for California which analyzes the impacts of climate change on the greenhouse gas emissions and renewable resource utilization of an energy resource plan developed by Energy Environmental Economics for meeting the state's year 2050 greenhouse gas goal of 80% reduction in emissions by the year 2050. Specifically, climate change impacts on three aspects of the energy system are investigated: 1) changes in hydropower generation due to altered precipitation, streamflow and runoff patterns, 2) changes in the availability of solar thermal and geothermal power plant capacity due to shifting water availability, and 3) changes in the residential and commercial electric building loads due to increased temperatures. These impacts were discovered to cause the proposed resource plan to deviate from meeting its emissions target by up to 5.9 MMT CO2e/yr and exhibit a reduction in renewable resource penetration of up to 3.1% of total electric energy. The impacts of climate change on energy system performance were found to be mitigated by increasing the flexibility of the energy system through increased storage and electric load dispatchability. Overall, this study highlights the importance of taking into account and

Test Takers and the Validity of Score Interpretations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopriva, Rebecca J.; Thurlow, Martha L.; Perie, Marianne; Lazarus, Sheryl S.; Clark, Amy

2016-01-01

This article argues that test takers are as integral to determining validity of test scores as defining target content and conditioning inferences on test use. A principled sustained attention to how students interact with assessment opportunities is essential, as is a principled sustained evaluation of evidence confirming the validity or calling…

Urban Planning and Sustainable Development in The 21st Century, Conceptual and Management Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azpeitia Santander, Arturo; Azkarate Garai-Olaun, Agustín

2016-10-01

Urban areas in historic cities resemble a living organism that evolves in parallel to social transformation processes, shaping the material substrate that expresses identity and collective memory. In the twenty-first century, exponential population growth, globalization and the information society have resulted in many of these socio-economic processes accelerating, with consequences that we are not yet able to discern in their entirety. In this context, cities need to adapt to the general dynamics of urban development by incorporating the environmental, economic and social aspects of the "sustainability paradigm". With good planning, urban heritage is a key sustainable resource that needs promoting as part of the existing territorial competitiveness in a scenario marked by an increase in rivalry between cities. This requires the development of a conceptual framework that, based on a global, holistic and integrative approach, covers equity and social justice, respect for human rights, the gender perspective, public health and environmental quality, among other aspects. In this sense, the purpose of this paper is to study the concept of landscape applied to urban planning in greater depth, paying special attention to the analysis of the notion of Historic Urban Landscapes from a critical point of view, since the economic pressures arising from the reality of today's globalized world pose a serious threat that hinders their custody and protection, complicating this new comprehensive approach: how to bring this new systemic and transversal concept to the current regulatory framework in order to achieve real legal protection and effective governance models in urban areas? What should be the acceptable limits to ensure that "managing this change" does not result in public spaces being at the service of the interests of financial capitalism? These, along with many other questions, make the work of the professionals in charge of urban conservation more challenging in

Integration of oncologic margins in three-dimensional virtual planning for head and neck surgery, including a validation of the software pathway.

PubMed

Kraeima, Joep; Schepers, Rutger H; van Ooijen, Peter M A; Steenbakkers, Roel J H M; Roodenburg, Jan L N; Witjes, Max J H

2015-10-01

Three-dimensional (3D) virtual planning of reconstructive surgery, after resection, is a frequently used method for improving accuracy and predictability. However, when applied to malignant cases, the planning of the oncologic resection margins is difficult due to visualisation of tumours in the current 3D planning. Embedding tumour delineation on a magnetic resonance image, similar to the routinely performed radiotherapeutic contouring of tumours, is expected to provide better margin planning. A new software pathway was developed for embedding tumour delineation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within the 3D virtual surgical planning. The software pathway was validated by the use of five bovine cadavers implanted with phantom tumour objects. MRI and computed tomography (CT) images were fused and the tumour was delineated using radiation oncology software. This data was converted to the 3D virtual planning software by means of a conversion algorithm. Tumour volumes and localization were determined in both software stages for comparison analysis. The approach was applied to three clinical cases. A conversion algorithm was developed to translate the tumour delineation data to the 3D virtual plan environment. The average difference in volume of the tumours was 1.7%. This study reports a validated software pathway, providing multi-modality image fusion for 3D virtual surgical planning. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating Materials, Manufacturing, Design and Validation for Sustainability in Future Transport Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, M. A.; Murphy, A.; Butterfield, J.; McCool, R.; Fleck, R.

2011-05-01

The predictive methods currently used for material specification, component design and the development of manufacturing processes, need to evolve beyond the current `metal centric' state of the art, if advanced composites are to realise their potential in delivering sustainable transport solutions. There are however, significant technical challenges associated with this process. Deteriorating environmental, political, economic and social conditions across the globe have resulted in unprecedented pressures to improve the operational efficiency of the manufacturing sector generally and to change perceptions regarding the environmental credentials of transport systems in particular. There is a need to apply new technologies and develop new capabilities to ensure commercial sustainability in the face of twenty first century economic and climatic conditions as well as transport market demands. A major technology gap exists between design, analysis and manufacturing processes in both the OEMs, and the smaller companies that make up the SME based supply chain. As regulatory requirements align with environmental needs, manufacturers are increasingly responsible for the broader lifecycle aspects of vehicle performance. These include not only manufacture and supply but disposal and re-use or re-cycling. In order to make advances in the reduction of emissions coupled with improved economic efficiency through the provision of advanced lightweight vehicles, four key challenges are identified as follows: Material systems, Manufacturing systems, Integrated design methods using digital manufacturing tools and Validation systems. This paper presents a project which has been designed to address these four key issues, using at its core, a digital framework for the creation and management of key parameters related to the lifecycle performance of thermoplastic composite parts and structures. It aims to provide capability for the proposition, definition, evaluation and demonstration of

Environmental Management System Plan

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

Fox, Robert; Thorson, Patrick; Horst, Blair

2009-03-24

Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management establishes the policy that Federal agencies conduct their environmental, transportation, and energy-related activities in a manner that is environmentally, economically and fiscally sound, integrated, continually improving, efficient, and sustainable. The Department of Energy (DOE) has approved DOE Order 450.1A, Environmental Protection Program and DOE Order 430.2B, Departmental Energy, Renewable Energy and Transportation Management as the means of achieving the provisions of this Executive Order. DOE Order 450.1A mandates the development of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to implement sustainable environmental stewardship practices that: (1) Protect the air, water, land, and othermore » natural and cultural resources potentially impacted by facility operations; (2) Meet or exceed applicable environmental, public health, and resource protection laws and regulations; and (3) Implement cost-effective business practices. In addition, the DOE Order 450.1A mandates that the EMS must be integrated with a facility's Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) established pursuant to DOE P 450.4, 'Safety Management System Policy'. DOE Order 430.2B mandates an energy management program that considers energy use and renewable energy, water, new and renovated buildings, and vehicle fleet activities. The Order incorporates the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The Order also includes the DOE's Transformational Energy Action Management initiative, which assures compliance is achieved through an Executable Plan that is prepared and updated annually by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, Berkeley Lab, or the Laboratory) and then approved by the DOE Berkeley Site Office. At the time of this revision to the EMS plan, the 'FY2009 LBNL Sustainability Executable Plan' represented the most current Executable Plan

Urban climate, weather and sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, Gerald

As concentrated areas of human activities, urban areas and urbanization are key drivers of global environmental change and pose a challenge to the achievement of sustainability. One of the key goals of sustainable development is to separate increases in non-renewable resource use (particularly fossil fuels) from economic growth. This is to be accomplished by modifying individual practices, encouraging technological innovation and redesigning systems of production and consumption. Settlements represent a scale at which significant advances on each of these can be made and where there is an existing management structure. However, urban areas currently consume a disproportionate share of the Earth's resources and urbanization has modified local climate and weather significantly, usually to the detriment of urban dwellers. There is now a lengthy history of urban climate study that links existing settlement form to climatic consequences yet, there is little evidence that climate information is incorporated into urban designs or that the climatic impact of different plans is considered. Consequently, opportunities for planning sustainable urban forms that are suitable to local climates and promote energy conservation and healthy atmospheres are not taken and much effort is later expended in `fixing' problems that emerge. This paper will outline the links between urban climate and sustainability, identify gaps in our urban climate knowledge and discuss the opportunities and barriers to the application of this knowledge to urban design and planning.

Public health program capacity for sustainability: a new framework.

PubMed

Schell, Sarah F; Luke, Douglas A; Schooley, Michael W; Elliott, Michael B; Herbers, Stephanie H; Mueller, Nancy B; Bunger, Alicia C

2013-02-01

Public health programs can only deliver benefits if they are able to sustain activities over time. There is a broad literature on program sustainability in public health, but it is fragmented and there is a lack of consensus on core constructs. The purpose of this paper is to present a new conceptual framework for program sustainability in public health. This developmental study uses a comprehensive literature review, input from an expert panel, and the results of concept-mapping to identify the core domains of a conceptual framework for public health program capacity for sustainability. The concept-mapping process included three types of participants (scientists, funders, and practitioners) from several public health areas (e.g., tobacco control, heart disease and stroke, physical activity and nutrition, and injury prevention). The literature review identified 85 relevant studies focusing on program sustainability in public health. Most of the papers described empirical studies of prevention-oriented programs aimed at the community level. The concept-mapping process identified nine core domains that affect a program's capacity for sustainability: Political Support, Funding Stability, Partnerships, Organizational Capacity, Program Evaluation, Program Adaptation, Communications, Public Health Impacts, and Strategic Planning. Concept-mapping participants further identified 93 items across these domains that have strong face validity-89% of the individual items composing the framework had specific support in the sustainability literature. The sustainability framework presented here suggests that a number of selected factors may be related to a program's ability to sustain its activities and benefits over time. These factors have been discussed in the literature, but this framework synthesizes and combines the factors and suggests how they may be interrelated with one another. The framework presents domains for public health decision makers to consider when developing

Sustainability Indicators for the Army Installation Management Command

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

of brownfields remediated (no further actions required) and/or (b) per- centage of eligible brownfields re- mediated using sustainable remed...Sustainable Communities Scorecard • The SERDP-funded report by Alan Atkinson, David Berry, and Lee Hatcher (2009) entitled Sustainability Assessment ...Fitness (CSF) initiative focuses on sustaining resilience in our Soldiers, Families and Civilians through individual assessment and planning across

STARTING SMALL IN STELLA: LEARNING HOW TO PLAN FOR SUSTAINABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

Concepts of sustainability are rarely clearly defined and their applications often seem abstract. Because these concepts must address systems scale, even simple strategies often seem complex, abstract, and overwhelming. The opportunity to apply a theory for sustainable developmen...

A geomorphological approach to sustainable planning and management of the coastal zone of Kuwait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Bakri, Dhia

1996-10-01

The coastal zone in Kuwait has been under a considerable pressure from conflicting land uses since the early 1960s, as well as from the destruction and oil pollution caused by the Gulf War. To avoid further damage and to protect the coastal heritage it is essential to adopt an environmentally sustainable management process. This paper shows how the study of coastal geomorphology can provide a sound basis for sustainable planning and management. Based on coastal landforms, sediments and processes, the coastline of Kuwait was divided into nine geomorphic zones. These zones were grouped into two main geomorphic provinces. The northern province is marked by extensive muddy intertidal flats and dominated by a depositional and low-energy environment. The southern geomorphic province is characterised by relatively steep beach profiles, rocky/sandy tidal flats and a moderate to high-energy environment. The study has demonstrated that pollution, benthic ecology and other environmental conditions of the coast are a function of coastline geomorphology, sedimentology and related processes. The geomorphological information was used to determine the coastal vulnerability and to assess the environmental impacts of development projects and other human activities. Several strategies were outlined to integrate the geomorphic approach into the management of the coastal resources.

Checklist for healthy and sustainable communities.

PubMed

Capon, Anthony G; Blakely, Edward J

2007-01-01

This paper describes a 10-point checklist for the planning and development of healthy and sustainable communities. The 10 domains in the checklist are essentially physical characteristics of places. Each domain has relevance to the health of people living in the place, and to the sustainability of the environment. The checklist is intended as a tool for those who plan, develop and manage urban environments. Such tools can be valuable for assessing the health and environmental impacts of decisions made by urban and transport planners, and businesses engaged in land development and infrastructure projects.

Integrating Norm Activation Model and Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Sustainable Transport Behavior: Evidence from China.

PubMed

Liu, Yuwei; Sheng, Hong; Mundorf, Norbert; Redding, Colleen; Ye, Yinjiao

2017-12-18

With increasing urbanization in China, many cities are facing serious environmental problems due to continuous and substantial increase in automobile transportation. It is becoming imperative to examine effective ways to reduce individual automobile use to facilitate sustainable transportation behavior. Empirical, theory-based research on sustainable transportation in China is limited. In this research, we propose an integrated model based on the norm activation model and the theory of planned behavior by combining normative and rational factors to predict individuals' intention to reduce car use. Data from a survey of 600 car drivers in China's three metropolitan areas was used to test the proposed model and hypotheses. Results showed that three variables, perceived norm of car-transport reduction, attitude towards reduction, and perceived behavior control over car-transport reduction, significantly affected the intention to reduce car-transport. Personal norms mediated the relationship between awareness of consequences of car-transport, ascription of responsibility of car-transport, perceived subjective norm for car-transport reduction, and intention to reduce car-transport. The results of this research not only contribute to theory development in the area of sustainable transportation behavior, but also provide a theoretical frame of reference for relevant policy-makers in urban transport management.

Integrating Norm Activation Model and Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Sustainable Transport Behavior: Evidence from China

PubMed Central

Liu, Yuwei; Sheng, Hong; Mundorf, Norbert; Redding, Colleen

2017-01-01

With increasing urbanization in China, many cities are facing serious environmental problems due to continuous and substantial increase in automobile transportation. It is becoming imperative to examine effective ways to reduce individual automobile use to facilitate sustainable transportation behavior. Empirical, theory-based research on sustainable transportation in China is limited. In this research, we propose an integrated model based on the norm activation model and the theory of planned behavior by combining normative and rational factors to predict individuals’ intention to reduce car use. Data from a survey of 600 car drivers in China’s three metropolitan areas was used to test the proposed model and hypotheses. Results showed that three variables, perceived norm of car-transport reduction, attitude towards reduction, and perceived behavior control over car-transport reduction, significantly affected the intention to reduce car-transport. Personal norms mediated the relationship between awareness of consequences of car-transport, ascription of responsibility of car-transport, perceived subjective norm for car-transport reduction, and intention to reduce car-transport. The results of this research not only contribute to theory development in the area of sustainable transportation behavior, but also provide a theoretical frame of reference for relevant policy-makers in urban transport management. PMID:29258245

Sustainable energy planning decision using the intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process: choosing energy technology in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, Lazim; Najib, Liana

2016-04-01

Energy consumption for developing countries is sharply increasing due to the higher economic growth due to industrialisation along with population growth and urbanisation. The increasing demand of energy leads to global energy crisis. Selecting the best energy technology and conservation requires both quantitative and qualitative evaluation criteria. The fuzzy set-based approach is one of the well-known theories to handle fuzziness, uncertainty in decision-making and vagueness of information. This paper proposes a new method of intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (IF-AHP) to deal with the uncertainty in decision-making. The new IF-AHP is applied to establish a preference in the sustainable energy planning decision-making problem. Three decision-makers attached with Malaysian government agencies were interviewed to provide linguistic judgement prior to analysing with the new IF-AHP. Nuclear energy has been decided as the best alternative in energy planning which provides the highest weight among all the seven alternatives.

INTERACTIVE PLANNING TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN PLANNING IN A BUILT, URBAN COMMUNITY

EPA Science Inventory

Technical Challenge to Sustainability: The primary goal for this project is to initiate a unique process to begin the task of redesigning the municipal zoning ordinances for the Borough of Dormont, Pennsylvania. This process will utilize conventional planni...

The Unified Language Testing Plan: Speaking Proficiency Test. Spanish and English Pilot Validation Studies. Report Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornton, Julie A.

This report describes one segment of the Federal Language Testing Board's Unified Language Testing Plan (ULTP), the validation of speaking proficiency tests in Spanish and English. The ULTP is a project to increase standardization of foreign language proficiency measurement and promote sharing of resources among testing programs in the federal…

FY2017 Pilot Project Plan for the Nuclear Energy Knowledge and Validation Center Initiative

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

Ren, Weiju

hybrid validation data package (composed of experimental and dummy data) will provide a clear and complete instance delineating the structure of the desired validation data and enabling effective communication among the modeler, the experimentalist, and the knowledgebase developer. With a good common understanding of the desired data structure by the three parties of subject matter experts, further existing data hunting will be effectively conducted, new experimental data generation will be realistically pursued, knowledgebase schema will be practically designed; and code validation will be confidently planned.« less

Holding a Sustainability Bearing through Cutty-Grass and Clearings: Implementing Sustainability during Disruptive Organisational Changes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North, Chris; Jansen, Chris

2013-01-01

This article explores our experiences as faculty implementing a five year sustainability strategic plan within the Outdoor and Environmental Education (OEE) curriculum centre during a time of organisational restructuring. This paper builds on the work of Jansen and Boardman (2011) who describe the process of developing the strategic plan and some…

A System of Systems (SoS) Approach to Sustainable Energy Planning in MENA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahlooji, Maral; Ristic, Bora; Price, Katherine; Madani, Kaveh

2016-04-01

The global issue of climate change has put pressure on governments to de-carbonise their energy portfolios by transitioning from the dominant use of fossil fuels energy to extensive use of renewable energies. The lack of renewable energy laws and credible targets and valid roadmaps for energy policies within the MENA region has let to ambitious and unrealistic renewable targets, where countries such as Djibouti and Morocco are aiming for 100% and 42% renewables respectively, by 2020, while Kuwait and Qatar are only aiming for 5% and 6% respectively. Nevertheless, this demonstrates the commitment and desirability of the members of the MENA region on increasing their share of renewables in their energy mix to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the region and minimise the unintended impacts of energy technologies on major natural resources through use of cost efficient technologies. The Relative Aggregate Footprint (RAF) of energy sources among the member states of the MENA region is assessed by applying the "System of Systems (SoS) Approach to Energy Sustainability Assessment" (Hadian and Madani, 2015). RAF demonstrates the efficiency of the overall resource-use of energy resources through creating a trade-off between carbon footprint, land footprint, water footprint, and economic cost. Using the resource availability of each member states, weights are assigned to the four criteria. This allows the evaluation of the desirability of energy sources with respect to regional resource availability and therefore, the efficiency of the overall resource-use of the energy portfolio of the MENA region is determined. This study has recognised the need for reform and radical changes within the MENA region's energy profile to make a significant contribution to the reduction of carbon emissions in order to use the resources in a sustainable way and increase the regional energy security of the member states across MENA. Reference: Hadian S, Madani K (2015) A System of Systems

Sustainability in Higher Education in Atlantic Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beringer, Almut; Wright, Tarah; Malone, Leslie

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose is to ascertain the state of sustainability in higher education (SHE) in Atlantic Canada (sustainability education/curriculum; research and scholarship; operations; faculty/staff development and rewards; community outreach and service; student opportunities; and institutional mission, structure and planning).…

SeaWiFS calibration and validation plan, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor); Firestone, Elaine R. (Editor); Mcclain, Charles R.; Esaias, Wayne E.; Barnes, William; Guenther, Bruce; Endres, Daniel; Mitchell, B. Greg; Barnes, Robert

1992-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) will be the first ocean-color satellite since the Nimbus-7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operation in 1986. Unlike the CZCS, which was designed as a proof-of-concept experiment, SeaWiFS will provide routine global coverage every 2 days and is designed to provide estimates of photosynthetic concentrations of sufficient accuracy for use in quantitative studies of the ocean's primary productivity and biogeochemistry. A review of the CZCS mission is included that describes that data set's limitations and provides justification for a comprehensive SeaWiFS calibration and validation program. To accomplish the SeaWiFS scientific objectives, the sensor's calibration must be constantly monitored, and robust atmospheric corrections and bio-optical algorithms must be developed. The plan incorporates a multi-faceted approach to sensor calibration using a combination of vicarious (based on in situ observations) and onboard calibration techniques. Because of budget constraints and the limited availability of ship resources, the development of the operational algorithms (atmospheric and bio-optical) will rely heavily on collaborations with the Earth Observing System (EOS), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) oceans team, and projects sponsored by other agencies, e.g., the U.S. Navy and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Other elements of the plan include the routine quality control of input ancillary data (e.g., surface wind, surface pressure, ozone concentration, etc.) used in the processing and verification of the level-0 (raw) data to level-1 (calibrated radiances), level-2 (derived products), and level-3 (gridded and averaged derived data) products.

Validation of science virtual test to assess 8th grade students' critical thinking on living things and environmental sustainability theme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusyati, Lilit; Firman, Harry

2017-05-01

This research was motivated by the importance of multiple-choice questions that indicate the elements and sub-elements of critical thinking and implementation of computer-based test. The method used in this research was descriptive research for profiling the validation of science virtual test to measure students' critical thinking in junior high school. The participant is junior high school students of 8th grade (14 years old) while science teacher and expert as the validators. The instrument that used as a tool to capture the necessary data are sheet of an expert judgment, sheet of legibility test, and science virtual test package in multiple choice form with four possible answers. There are four steps to validate science virtual test to measure students' critical thinking on the theme of "Living Things and Environmental Sustainability" in 7th grade Junior High School. These steps are analysis of core competence and basic competence based on curriculum 2013, expert judgment, legibility test and trial test (limited and large trial test). The test item criterion based on trial test are accepted, accepted but need revision, and rejected. The reliability of the test is α = 0.747 that categorized as `high'. It means the test instruments used is reliable and high consistency. The validity of Rxy = 0.63 means that the validity of the instrument was categorized as `high' according to interpretation value of Rxy (correlation).

Sci-Fri PM: Radiation Therapy, Planning, Imaging, and Special Techniques - 05: A novel respiratory motion simulation program for VMAT treatment plans: a phantom validation study

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

Hubley, Emily; Pierce, Greg; Ploquin, Nicolas

Purpose: To develop and validate a computational method to simulate craniocaudal respiratory motion in a VMAT treatment plan. Methods: Three 4DCTs of the QUASAR respiratory motion phantom were acquired with a 2cm water-density spherical tumour embedded in cedar to simulate lung. The phantom was oscillating sinusoidally with an amplitude of 2cm and periods of 3, 4, and 5 seconds. An ITV was contoured and 5mm PTV margin was added. High and a low modulation factor VMAT plans were created for each scan. An in-house program was developed to simulate respiratory motion in the treatment plans by shifting the MLC leafmore » positions relative to the phantom. Each plan was delivered to the phantom and the dose was measured using Gafchromic film. The measured and calculated plans were compared using an absolute dose gamma analysis (3%/3mm). Results: The average gamma pass rate for the low modulation plan and high modulation plans were 91.1% and 51.4% respectively. The difference between the high and low modulation plans gamma pass rates is likely related to the different sampling frequency of the respiratory curve and the higher MLC leaf speeds in the high modulation plan. A high modulation plan has a slower gantry speed and therefore samples the breathing cycle at a coarser frequency leading to inaccuracies between the measured and planned doses. Conclusion: A simple program, including a novel method for increasing sampling frequency beyond the control point frequency, has been developed to simulate respiratory motion in VMAT plans by shifting the MLC leaf positions.« less

An Overview of NASA's IM&S Verification and Validation Process Plan and Specification for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gravitz, Robert M.; Hale, Joseph

2006-01-01

NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) is implementing a management approach for modeling and simulation (M&S) that will provide decision-makers information on the model's fidelity, credibility, and quality. This information will allow the decision-maker to understand the risks involved in using a model's results in the decision-making process. This presentation will discuss NASA's approach for verification and validation (V&V) of its models or simulations supporting space exploration. This presentation will describe NASA's V&V process and the associated M&S verification and validation (V&V) activities required to support the decision-making process. The M&S V&V Plan and V&V Report templates for ESMD will also be illustrated.

A System of Systems (SoS) Approach to Sustainable Energy Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madani, Kaveh; Hadian, Saeed

2015-04-01

The general policy of mandating fossil fuel replacement with "green" energies may not be as effective and environmental-friendly as perceived, due to the secondary impacts of renewable energies on different natural resources. An integrated systems analysis framework is essential to developing sustainable energy supply systems with minimal unintended impacts on valuable natural resources such as water, climate, and ecosystem. This presentation discusses how a system of systems (SoS) framework can be developed to quantitatively evaluate the desirability of different energy supply alternatives with respect to different sustainability criteria under uncertainty. Relative Aggregate Footprint (RAF) scores of a range of renewable and nonrenewable energy alternatives are determined using their performance values under four sustainability criteria, namely carbon footprint, water footprint, land footprint, and cost of energy production. Our results suggest that despite their lower emissions, some renewable energy sources are less promising than non-renewable energy sources from a SoS perspective that considers the trade-offs between carbon footprint of energies and their effects on water, ecosystem, and economic resources. A new framework based on the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) is also proposed for analyzing the overall sustainability of different energy mixes for different risk of return levels with respect to the trade-offs involved. It is discussed how the proposed finance-based sustainability evaluation method can help policy makers maximize the energy portfolio's expected sustainability for a given amount of portfolio risk, or equivalently minimize risk for a given level of expected sustainability level, by revising the energy mix.

Sustainability and Liberal Education: Partners by Nature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weissman, Neil B.

2012-01-01

Sustainability powerfully validates the liberal arts. In response to contemporary accusations of economic impracticality, defenders of liberal education have emphasized how such skills as critical thinking and "learning to learn" are vital to success in careers. This approach readily extends to sustainability, which has become a growing source of…

Supersonic Retropropulsion CFD Validation with Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel Test Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schauerhamer, Daniel G.; Zarchi, Kerry A.; Kleb, William L.; Edquist, Karl T.

2013-01-01

A validation study of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for Supersonic Retropropulsion (SRP) was conducted using three Navier-Stokes flow solvers (DPLR, FUN3D, and OVERFLOW). The study compared results from the CFD codes to each other and also to wind tunnel test data obtained in the NASA Ames Research Center 90 70 Unitary PlanWind Tunnel. Comparisons include surface pressure coefficient as well as unsteady plume effects, and cover a range of Mach numbers, levels of thrust, and angles of orientation. The comparisons show promising capability of CFD to simulate SRP, and best agreement with the tunnel data exists for the steadier cases of the 1-nozzle and high thrust 3-nozzle configurations.

Advocacy for International Family Planning: What Terminology Works?

PubMed

Huber, Douglas; Martin, Raymond; Bormet, Mona

Advocating for international family planning while avoiding miscommunications with politically and religiously conservative policy makers and the public requires care and clarity with language. We find that terms such as "international family planning" are well received when the meaning is clearly explained, such as "enabling couples to determine the number and timing of pregnancies, including the voluntary use of methods for preventing pregnancy - not including abortion - harmonious with their beliefs and values". Family planning also helps reduce abortions - a powerful message for conservative policy makers and the public. We concur with Dyer et al. (2016) that the messenger is important; we find that many of the most effective advocates are religious leaders and faith-based health providers from the Global South. They know and validate the importance of family planning for improving family health and reducing abortions in their communities. "Healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy" is positive language for policy makers, especially when describing the health impact for women and children. Universal access to contraceptive services is emerging as vital for family health and also to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (UN 2015). Language on international family planning will evolve, and clarity of meaning will be foundational for effective advocacy.

Sustainability through Dynamic Energy Management - Continuum Magazine |

Science.gov Websites

NREL Sustainability through Dynamic Energy Management Sustainability through Dynamic Energy Management Integrating behavior change with advanced building systems is the new model in energy efficiency , it's necessary to integrate dynamic energy management with occupant behavior change. As plans were

Mapping Sustainability Efforts at the Claremont Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srebotnjak, Tanja; Norgaard, Lee Michelle

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to map and analyze sustainability activities and relationships at the seven Claremont Colleges and graduate institutions using social network analysis (SNA) to inform sustainability planning and programming. Design/methodology/approach: Online surveys and interviews were conducted among faculty, staff and…

Options, Sustainability Policy and the Spontaneous Order

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, John

2005-01-01

This paper examines the implications for sustainability policy of environmental uncertainty and indeterminacy, and relates the associated problems with a conventional understanding of sustainable development to Hayek's critique of collective planning. It suggests that the appropriate recourse is not, however, a Hayekian endorsement of the free…

WE-DE-201-04: Cross Validation of Knowledge-Based Treatment Planning for Prostate LDR Brachytherapy Using Principle Component Analysis

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

Roper, J; Ghavidel, B; Godette, K

Purpose: To validate a knowledge-based algorithm for prostate LDR brachytherapy treatment planning. Methods: A dataset of 100 cases was compiled from an active prostate seed implant service. Cases were randomized into 10 subsets. For each subset, the 90 remaining library cases were registered to a common reference frame and then characterized on a point by point basis using principle component analysis (PCA). Each test case was converted to PCA vectors using the same process and compared with each library case using a Mahalanobis distance to evaluate similarity. Rank order PCA scores were used to select the best-matched library case. Themore » seed arrangement was extracted from the best-matched case and used as a starting point for planning the test case. Any subsequent modifications were recorded that required input from a treatment planner to achieve V100>95%, V150<60%, V200<20%. To simulate operating-room planning constraints, seed activity was held constant, and the seed count could not increase. Results: The computational time required to register test-case contours and evaluate PCA similarity across the library was 10s. Preliminary analysis of 2 subsets shows that 9 of 20 test cases did not require any seed modifications to obtain an acceptable plan. Five test cases required fewer than 10 seed modifications or a grid shift. Another 5 test cases required approximately 20 seed modifications. An acceptable plan was not achieved for 1 outlier, which was substantially larger than its best match. Modifications took between 5s and 6min. Conclusion: A knowledge-based treatment planning algorithm for prostate LDR brachytherapy is being cross validated using 100 prior cases. Preliminary results suggest that for this size library, acceptable plans can be achieved without planner input in about half of the cases while varying amounts of planner input are needed in remaining cases. Computational time and planning time are compatible with clinical practice.« less

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program A Reference Plan for Control Room Modernization: Planning and Analysis Phase

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

Jacques Hugo; Ronald Boring; Lew Hanes

2013-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program is collaborating with a U.S. nuclear utility to bring about a systematic fleet-wide control room modernization. To facilitate this upgrade, a new distributed control system (DCS) is being introduced into the control rooms of these plants. The DCS will upgrade the legacy plant process computer and emergency response facility information system. In addition, the DCS will replace an existing analog turbine control system with a display-based system. With technology upgrades comes the opportunity to improve the overall human-system interaction between the operators and the control room. To optimize operatormore » performance, the LWRS Control Room Modernization research team followed a human-centered approach published by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NUREG-0711, Rev. 3, Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model (O’Hara et al., 2012), prescribes four phases for human factors engineering. This report provides examples of the first phase, Planning and Analysis. The three elements of Planning and Analysis in NUREG-0711 that are most crucial to initiating control room upgrades are: • Operating Experience Review: Identifies opportunities for improvement in the existing system and provides lessons learned from implemented systems. • Function Analysis and Allocation: Identifies which functions at the plant may be optimally handled by the DCS vs. the operators. • Task Analysis: Identifies how tasks might be optimized for the operators. Each of these elements is covered in a separate chapter. Examples are drawn from workshops with reactor operators that were conducted at the LWRS Human System Simulation Laboratory HSSL and at the respective plants. The findings in this report represent generalized accounts of more detailed proprietary reports produced for the utility for each plant. The goal of this LWRS report is to disseminate the technique and provide examples

RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan - Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) Part 2: Code Assessment Strategy, Procedure, and RTM Update

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

Yoo, Jun Soo; Choi, Yong Joon; Smith, Curtis Lee

2016-09-01

This document addresses two subjects involved with the RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan (SVVP): (i) the principles and plan to assure the independence of RELAP-7 assessment through the code development process, and (ii) the work performed to establish the RELAP-7 assessment plan, i.e., the assessment strategy, literature review, and identification of RELAP-7 requirements. Then, the Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTMs) proposed in previous document (INL-EXT-15-36684) are updated. These RTMs provide an efficient way to evaluate the RELAP-7 development status as well as the maturity of RELAP-7 assessment through the development process.

Applying a Transportation Rating System to Advance Sustainability Evaluation, Planning and Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrella, Elise; Lineburg, Kelsey; Hurley, Peter

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe a pilot application of the Sustainable Transportation Analysis & Rating System (STARS), and highlight how a sustainability rating system can be used to promote sustainable urban development through a university-city partnership. STARS is an example of a second-generation "green"…

A spatial multi-objective optimization model for sustainable urban wastewater system layout planning.

PubMed

Dong, X; Zeng, S; Chen, J

2012-01-01

Design of a sustainable city has changed the traditional centralized urban wastewater system towards a decentralized or clustering one. Note that there is considerable spatial variability of the factors that affect urban drainage performance including urban catchment characteristics. The potential options are numerous for planning the layout of an urban wastewater system, which are associated with different costs and local environmental impacts. There is thus a need to develop an approach to find the optimal spatial layout for collecting, treating, reusing and discharging the municipal wastewater of a city. In this study, a spatial multi-objective optimization model, called Urban wastewateR system Layout model (URL), was developed. It is solved by a genetic algorithm embedding Monte Carlo sampling and a series of graph algorithms. This model was illustrated by a case study in a newly developing urban area in Beijing, China. Five optimized system layouts were recommended to the local municipality for further detailed design.

The Multi-Sector Sustainability Browser (MSSB): Planning and Developing Sustainability Initiatives Affecting Land Use

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Program develops methodologies, resources, and tools to assist local and regional community planners, community members, and local decision makers in implementing sustainabl...

Marine spatial planning in Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos; Agapiou, Athos; Mettas, Christodoulos; Themistocleous, Kyriacos; Evagorou, Evagoras; Cuca, Branka; Papoutsa, Christiana; Nisantzi, Argyro; Mamouri, Rodanthi-Elisavet; Soulis, George; Xagoraris, Zafiris; Lysandrou, Vasiliki; Aliouris, Kyriacos; Ioannou, Nicolas; Pavlogeorgatos, Gerasimos

2015-06-01

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), which is in concept similar to land-use planning, is a public process by which the relevant Member State's authorities analyse and organise human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives. MSP aims to promote sustainable growth of maritime economies, sustainable development of marine areas and sustainable use of marine resources. This paper highlights the importance of MSP and provides basic outcomes of the main European marine development. The already successful MSP plans can provide useful feedback and guidelines for other countries that are in the process of implementation of an integrated MSP, such as Cyprus. This paper presents part of the MSP project, of which 80% funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and 20% from national contribution. An overview of the project is presented, including data acquisition, methodology and preliminary results for the implementation of MSP in Cyprus.

Measuring infrastructure: A key step in program evaluation and planning

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Carol L.; Glasgow, LaShawn; Lavinghouze, S. Rene; Rieker, Patricia P.; Fulmer, Erika; McAleer, Kelly; Rogers, Todd

2016-01-01

State tobacco prevention and control programs (TCPs) require a fully functioning infrastructure to respond effectively to the Surgeon General’s call for accelerating the national reduction in tobacco use. The literature describes common elements of infrastructure; however, a lack of valid and reliable measures has made it difficult for program planners to monitor relevant infrastructure indicators and address observed deficiencies, or for evaluators to determine the association among infrastructure, program efforts, and program outcomes. The Component Model of Infrastructure (CMI) is a comprehensive, evidence-based framework that facilitates TCP program planning efforts to develop and maintain their infrastructure. Measures of CMI components were needed to evaluate the model’s utility and predictive capability for assessing infrastructure. This paper describes the development of CMI measures and results of a pilot test with nine state TCP managers. Pilot test findings indicate that the tool has good face validity and is clear and easy to follow. The CMI tool yields data that can enhance public health efforts in a funding-constrained environment and provides insight into program sustainability. Ultimately, the CMI measurement tool could facilitate better evaluation and program planning across public health programs. PMID:27037655

Measuring infrastructure: A key step in program evaluation and planning.

PubMed

Schmitt, Carol L; Glasgow, LaShawn; Lavinghouze, S Rene; Rieker, Patricia P; Fulmer, Erika; McAleer, Kelly; Rogers, Todd

2016-06-01

State tobacco prevention and control programs (TCPs) require a fully functioning infrastructure to respond effectively to the Surgeon General's call for accelerating the national reduction in tobacco use. The literature describes common elements of infrastructure; however, a lack of valid and reliable measures has made it difficult for program planners to monitor relevant infrastructure indicators and address observed deficiencies, or for evaluators to determine the association among infrastructure, program efforts, and program outcomes. The Component Model of Infrastructure (CMI) is a comprehensive, evidence-based framework that facilitates TCP program planning efforts to develop and maintain their infrastructure. Measures of CMI components were needed to evaluate the model's utility and predictive capability for assessing infrastructure. This paper describes the development of CMI measures and results of a pilot test with nine state TCP managers. Pilot test findings indicate that the tool has good face validity and is clear and easy to follow. The CMI tool yields data that can enhance public health efforts in a funding-constrained environment and provides insight into program sustainability. Ultimately, the CMI measurement tool could facilitate better evaluation and program planning across public health programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of core objectives for teaching sustainable healthcare education.

PubMed

Teherani, Arianne; Nishimura, Holly; Apatira, Latifat; Newman, Thomas; Ryan, Susan

2017-01-01

Physicians will be called upon to care for patients who bear the burden of disease from the impact of climate change and ecologically irresponsible practices which harm ecosystems and contribute to climate change. However, physicians must recognize the connection between the climate, ecosystems, sustainability, and health and their responsibility and capacity in changing the status quo. Sustainable healthcare education (SHE), defined as education about the impact of climate change and ecosystem alterations on health and the impact of the healthcare industry on the aforementioned, is vital to prevention of adverse health outcomes due to the changing climate and environment. To systematically determine which and when a set of SHE objectives should be included in the medical education continuum. Fifty-two SHE experts participated in a two-part modified-Delphi study. A survey was developed based on 21 SHE objectives. Respondents rated the importance of each objective and when each objective should be taught. Descriptive statistics and an item-level content validity index (CVI) were used to analyze data. Fifteen of the objectives achieved a content validity index of 78% or greater. The remaining objectives had content validity indices between 58% and 77%. The preclinical years of medical school were rated as the optimal time for introducing 13 and the clinical years for introducing six of the objectives. Respondents noted the definition of environmental sustainability should be learned prior to medical school and identifying ways to improve the environmental sustainability of health systems in post-graduate training. This study proposes SHE objectives for the continuum of medical education. These objectives ensure the identity of the physician includes the requisite awareness and competence to care for patients who experience the impact of climate and environment on health and advocate for sustainability of the health systems in which they work. CVI: Content validity

The use of Space Technology for the Benefit of Society in Context of Planning and Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuldeep, Kuldeep; Banu, Vijaya

2016-07-01

The introduction of the novel technology mostly leads to a number of advantages to the society. The space technology has shown such benefits in many fields including the areas of health and education, communication sectors, land and water resources management, weather forecasting and disaster management. It has vast potential for addressing a variety of societal problems of the developing countries especially in India in a effective manner. Large population which is spread over vast and remote areas of the nation, reaching out to them is a difficult task. This manuscript aims to explain the benefits originated from the application of space technology. The satellite imagery and its derived products can better be utilized for local level planning and sustainable development of a region. A case-study using Bhuvan Panchayat Portal developed by National Remote Sensing Centre, ISRO under the project "Space Based Information Support for De-Centralised Planning" towards Digital Empowerment of Society for Panchayat level Planning and Governance has been carried out, which list out the benefits that have accrued from the use of space technology for planning and development at grass root level in India. It covers, in particular, the benefits expected to be derived from the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) Images and derived products. Certain conclusions about the benefits from space based inputs have been drawn that may be generally applicable to all developing countries. This paper also investigates the various possibilities and potentials of Remote Sensing technologies for societal applications.

Quantitative validation of a computer-aided maxillofacial planning system, focusing on soft tissue deformations.

PubMed

Nadjmi, Nasser; Defrancq, Ellen; Mollemans, Wouter; Hemelen, Geert Van; Bergé, Stefaan

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 3D soft tissue predictions generated by a computer-aided maxillofacial planning system in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. Twenty patients with dentofacial dysmorphosis were treated with orthognathic surgery after a preoperative orthodontic treatment. Fourteen patients had an Angle Class II malocclusion; three patients had an Angle class III malocclusion, and three patients had an Angle Class I malocclusion. Skeletal asymmetry was observed in six patient. The surgeries were planned using the Maxilim software. Computer assisted surgical planning was transferred to the patient by digitally generated splints. The validation procedures were performed in the following steps: (1) Standardized registration of the pre- and postoperative Cone Beam CT volumes; (2) Automated adjustment of the bone-related planning to the actual operative bony displacement; (3) Simulation of soft tissue changes; (4) Calculation of the soft tissue differences between the predicted and the postoperative results by distance mapping. Eighty four percent of the mapped distances between the predicted and actual postoperative results measured between -2 mm and +2 mm. The mean absolute linear measurements between the predicted and actual postoperative surface was 1.18. Our study shows the overall prediction was dependent on neither the surgical procedures nor the dentofacial deformity type. Despite some shortcomings in the prediction of the final position of the lower lip and cheek area, this software promises a clinically acceptable soft tissue prediction for orthognathic surgical procedures.

Idaho National Laboratory Site Pollution Prevention Plan

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

E. D. Sellers

2007-03-01

It is the policy of the Department of Energy (DOE) that pollution prevention and sustainable environmental stewardship will be integrated into DOE operations as a good business practice to reduce environmental hazards, protect environmental resources, avoid pollution control costs, and improve operational efficiency and mission sustainability. In furtherance of this policy, DOE established five strategic, performance-based Pollution Prevention (P2) and Sustainable Environmental Stewardship goals and included them as an attachment to DOE O 450.1, Environmental Protection Program. These goals and accompanying strategies are to be implemented by DOE sites through the integration of Pollution Prevention into each site's Environmental Managementmore » System (EMS). This document presents a P2 and Sustainability Program and corresponding plan pursuant to DOE Order 450.1 and DOE O 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management. This plan is also required by the state of Idaho, pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) partial permit. The objective of this document is to describe the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site P2 and Sustainability Program. The purpose of the program is to decrease the environmental footprint of the INL Site while providing enhanced support of its mission. The success of the program is dependent on financial and management support. The signatures on the previous page indicate INL, ICP, and AMWTP Contractor management support and dedication to the program. P2 requirements have been integrated into working procedures to ensure an effective EMS as part of an Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS). This plan focuses on programmatic functions which include environmentally preferable procurement, sustainable design, P2 and Sustainability awareness, waste generation and reduction, source reduction and recycling, energy management, and pollution prevention opportunity assessments. The INL Site P2 and Sustainability Program is

Using Structural Equation Modeling to Validate the Theory of Planned Behavior as a Model for Predicting Student Cheating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayhew, Matthew J.; Hubbard, Steven M.; Finelli, Cynthia J.; Harding, Trevor S.; Carpenter, Donald D.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to validate the use of a modified Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) for predicting undergraduate student cheating. Specifically, we administered a survey assessing how the TPB relates to cheating along with a measure of moral reasoning (DIT- 2) to 527 undergraduate students across three institutions; and analyzed the…

'Sustainability does not quite get the attention it deserves': synergies and tensions in the sustainability frames of Australian food policy actors.

PubMed

Trevena, Helen; Kaldor, Jenny Claire; Downs, Shauna M

2015-09-01

The development of food policy is strongly influenced by the understanding and position actors adopt in their 'framing' of sustainability. The Australian Government developed a National Food Plan (2010-2013). In public consultations on the National Food Plan Green Paper, the government sought stakeholders' views on sustainability. The present study examined the way in which the food industry and civil society organizations framed sustainability in their submissions to the Green Paper. Submissions by food industry actors and civil society organizations were analysed using a framing matrix that examined positioning, drivers, underlying principles and policy solutions related to sustainability. Submissions were open coded and subsequently organized based on themes within the framing matrix. Australia. One hundred and twenty-four written submissions (1420 pages). While submissions from industry and civil society organizations often framed sustainability similarly, there were also major differences. Civil society organizations were more likely to make the link between the food supply and population health, while industry was more likely to focus on economic sustainability. Both viewed consumer demand as a driver of sustainability, welcomed the idea of a whole-of-government approach and stressed the need for investment in research and development to improve productivity and sustainable farming practices. The meaning of sustainability shifted throughout the policy process. There are opportunities for creating shared value in food policy, where the health, environment and economic dimensions of sustainability can be compatible. However, despite pockets of optimism there is a need for a shared vision of sustainability if Australia is to have a food policy integrating these dimensions.

Integrated urban water planning: big picture planning is good for the wallet and the environment.

PubMed

Anderson, J; Iyaduri, R

2003-01-01

The demands on governments and local authorities are changing in response to community expectations for environmentally sustainable outcomes. To reverse declining water quality in rivers and ensure sustainable use in the 21st century, the State Government in New South Wales has introduced a package of Water Reforms. The introduction of integrated water, sewerage and drainage planning is one of the Water Reform initiatives. Traditionally, government and local authorities have managed their water supply, sewerage and stormwater drainage systems as separate entities. Integrated urban water planning is a structured planning process to evaluate concurrently the opportunities to improve the management of water, sewerage and drainage services within an urban area in ways which are consistent with broader catchment and river management objectives. The New South Wales Department of Land & Water Conservation (DLWC) has developed an integrated urban water planning process through a number of recent pilot studies. The process links urban water management objectives to overall catchment and river management objectives. DLWC is currently developing a set of guidelines for integrated urban water plans. DLWC has developed the Integrated Urban Water Planning methodology through three pilot studies in the New South Wales towns of Finley, Goulburn and Bombala. The pilot studies have shown that an integrated approach to water, sewerage and stormwater planning can identify opportunities that are not apparent when separate strategies are developed for each service. The result is better-integrated, more sustainable solutions, and substantial cost savings for local communities.

TU-D-201-05: Validation of Treatment Planning Dose Calculations: Experience Working with MPPG 5.a

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

Xue, J; Park, J; Kim, L

2016-06-15

Purpose: Newly published medical physics practice guideline (MPPG 5.a.) has set the minimum requirements for commissioning and QA of treatment planning dose calculations. We present our experience in the validation of a commercial treatment planning system based on MPPG 5.a. Methods: In addition to tests traditionally performed to commission a model-based dose calculation algorithm, extensive tests were carried out at short and extended SSDs, various depths, oblique gantry angles and off-axis conditions to verify the robustness and limitations of a dose calculation algorithm. A comparison between measured and calculated dose was performed based on validation tests and evaluation criteria recommendedmore » by MPPG 5.a. An ion chamber was used for the measurement of dose at points of interest, and diodes were used for photon IMRT/VMAT validations. Dose profiles were measured with a three-dimensional scanning system and calculated in the TPS using a virtual water phantom. Results: Calculated and measured absolute dose profiles were compared at each specified SSD and depth for open fields. The disagreement is easily identifiable with the difference curve. Subtle discrepancy has revealed the limitation of the measurement, e.g., a spike at the high dose region and an asymmetrical penumbra observed on the tests with an oblique MLC beam. The excellent results we had (> 98% pass rate on 3%/3mm gamma index) on the end-to-end tests for both IMRT and VMAT are attributed to the quality beam data and the good understanding of the modeling. The limitation of the model and the uncertainty of measurement were considered when comparing the results. Conclusion: The extensive tests recommended by the MPPG encourage us to understand the accuracy and limitations of a dose algorithm as well as the uncertainty of measurement. Our experience has shown how the suggested tests can be performed effectively to validate dose calculation models.« less

Beam commissioning and measurements validating the beam model in a new TPS that converts helical tomotherapy plans to step-and-shoot IMRT plans.

PubMed

Petersson, Kristoffer; Ceberg, Crister; Engström, Per; Knöös, Tommy

2011-01-01

approval criterion for delivery QA measurements. This study is a validation of the new TPS as it verifies that the generated plans are deliverable at a commissioned linac with adequate accuracy. A thorough investigation of the treatment plan quality will require a separate study. The TPS is proving to be a useful and time-saving complement, especially for clinics having a single unit for helical delivery among its conventional linacs.

Dosimetric accuracy of a treatment planning system for actively scanned proton beams and small target volumes: Monte Carlo and experimental validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magro, G.; Molinelli, S.; Mairani, A.; Mirandola, A.; Panizza, D.; Russo, S.; Ferrari, A.; Valvo, F.; Fossati, P.; Ciocca, M.

2015-09-01

This study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of a commercial treatment planning system (TPS), in optimising proton pencil beam dose distributions for small targets of different sizes (5-30 mm side) located at increasing depths in water. The TPS analytical algorithm was benchmarked against experimental data and the FLUKA Monte Carlo (MC) code, previously validated for the selected beam-line. We tested the Siemens syngo® TPS plan optimisation module for water cubes fixing the configurable parameters at clinical standards, with homogeneous target coverage to a 2 Gy (RBE) dose prescription as unique goal. Plans were delivered and the dose at each volume centre was measured in water with a calibrated PTW Advanced Markus® chamber. An EBT3® film was also positioned at the phantom entrance window for the acquisition of 2D dose maps. Discrepancies between TPS calculated and MC simulated values were mainly due to the different lateral spread modeling and resulted in being related to the field-to-spot size ratio. The accuracy of the TPS was proved to be clinically acceptable in all cases but very small and shallow volumes. In this contest, the use of MC to validate TPS results proved to be a reliable procedure for pre-treatment plan verification.

Dosimetric accuracy of a treatment planning system for actively scanned proton beams and small target volumes: Monte Carlo and experimental validation.

PubMed

Magro, G; Molinelli, S; Mairani, A; Mirandola, A; Panizza, D; Russo, S; Ferrari, A; Valvo, F; Fossati, P; Ciocca, M

2015-09-07

This study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of a commercial treatment planning system (TPS), in optimising proton pencil beam dose distributions for small targets of different sizes (5-30 mm side) located at increasing depths in water. The TPS analytical algorithm was benchmarked against experimental data and the FLUKA Monte Carlo (MC) code, previously validated for the selected beam-line. We tested the Siemens syngo(®) TPS plan optimisation module for water cubes fixing the configurable parameters at clinical standards, with homogeneous target coverage to a 2 Gy (RBE) dose prescription as unique goal. Plans were delivered and the dose at each volume centre was measured in water with a calibrated PTW Advanced Markus(®) chamber. An EBT3(®) film was also positioned at the phantom entrance window for the acquisition of 2D dose maps. Discrepancies between TPS calculated and MC simulated values were mainly due to the different lateral spread modeling and resulted in being related to the field-to-spot size ratio. The accuracy of the TPS was proved to be clinically acceptable in all cases but very small and shallow volumes. In this contest, the use of MC to validate TPS results proved to be a reliable procedure for pre-treatment plan verification.

Sustainability of partnership projects: a conceptual framework and checklist.

PubMed

Edwards, Janine C; Feldman, Penny Hollander; Sangl, Judy; Polakoff, David; Stern, Glen; Casey, Don

2007-12-01

There is growing recognition that the health care delivery system in the United States must make major changes. Intervention projects focusing on quality and patient safety offer the potential for reshaping the future of medicine. Sustainability of the Partnerships for Quality (PFQ) projects and other patient safety and quality improvement projects that provide evidence of effectiveness is essential if progress is to be made. For the purposes of these projects, a conceptual framework and a checklist for sustainability were developed. The framework consists of two dimensions: (1) the goals--what is to be sustained--and (2) elements for sustainability--infrastructure, incentives, incremental opportunities for involvement, and integration. The checklist is designed to trigger planning for sustainability early in a project's design. Specific questions about each of the elements can cue planners and project leaders to build in the goals for sustainability and change processes. A pilot test showed that the framework and checklist are relevant and helpful across a variety of projects. Two extended examples of planning and action for sustainability from the PFQ projects are described. It is too early to claim sustainability for these project. However, continued monitoring for at least three years with the checklist could result in valuable national data with which to design and implement future projects.

Water Resilience by Design: A water infrastructure planning framework for developing sustainable water management strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, C.; Ray, P. A.; Freeman, S.

2016-12-01

Societal need for improved water management and concerns for the long-term sustainability of water resources systems are prominent around the world. The continued susceptibility of society to the harmful effects of hydrologic variability, pervasive concerns related to climate change and the emergent awareness of devastating effects of current practice on aquatic ecosystems all illustrate our limited understanding of how water ought to be managed in a dynamic world. To address these challenges, new problem solving approaches are required that acknowledge uncertainties, incorporate best available information, and link engineering design principles, typically based on determinism, with our best geoscience-based understanding of planetary change. In this presentation, we present and demonstrate a framework for developing water planning and management strategies that are resilient in the face of future uncertainties and our limited ability to anticipate the future. The approach begins with stakeholder engagement and decision framing to elicit relevant context, uncertainties, choices and connections that drive planning and serve as an entry point to exploring possible futures. The result is the development of water strategies that are informed by the best available predictive information and designed to perform well over a future of change. Examples from around the world are presented to illustrate the methodology.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Sustainable Landscapes Initiative 2020

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

Gardner, Leah; Rogers, Sam; Sipes, James L.

The goal of the ORNL Sustainable Landscapes Initiative 2020 is to provide a framework that guides future environmental resources and sustainable landscape practices on the ORNL campus. This document builds on the 2003 ORNL Conceptual Landscape Plan and is presented in the context of embracing new opportunities.

Teaching Sustainability in Introductory Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coffey, David

Guiding students to a better understanding of sustainability is a key part of a modern undergraduate education. Since 2014, Warren Wilson College has incorporated a sustainability component into our introductory physics courses. Students perform energy audits and abatement plans for a business or building. In the process, students strengthen their competency with basic physics concepts including energy, power, units, and conservation of energy but also gain an appreciation of the complexity of sustainability as well as the need for quantitative understanding. These courses are taught to mostly undergraduate science majors. The challenges and opportunities of incorporating such a broad and personalized educational component will be discussed.

Environmental Sustainability and Effects on Urban Micro Region using Agent-Based Modeling of Urbanisation in Select Major Indian Cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aithal, B. H.

2015-12-01

Abstract: Urbanisation has gained momentum with globalization in India. Policy decisions to set up commercial, industrial hubs have fuelled large scale migration, added with population upsurge has contributed to the fast growing urban region that needs to be monitored in order to design sustainable urban cities. Unplanned urbanization have resulted in the growth of peri-urban region referred to as urban sprawl, are often devoid of basic amenities and infrastructure leading to large scale environmental problems that are evident. Remote sensing data acquired through space borne sensors at regular interval helps in understanding urban dynamics aided by Geoinformatics which has proved very effective in mapping and monitoring for sustainable urban planning. Cellular automata (CA) is a robust approach for the spatially explicit simulation of land-use land cover dynamics. CA uses rules, states, conditions that are vital factors in modelling urbanisation. This communication effectively introduces simulation assistances of CA with the agent based modelling supported by its fuzzy characteristics and weightages through analytical hierarchal process (AHP). This has been done considering perceived agents such as industries, natural resource etc. Respective agent's role in development of a particular regions into an urban area has been examined with weights and its influence of each of these agents based on its characteristics functions. Validation was performed obtaining a high kappa coefficient indicating the quality and the allocation performance of the model & validity of the model to predict future projections. The prediction using the proposed model was performed for 2030. Further environmental sustainability of each of these cities are explored such as water features, environment, greenhouse gas emissions, effects on human human health etc., Modeling suggests trend of various land use classes transformation with the spurt in urban expansions based on specific regions and

Hospital-based expert model for health technology procurement planning in hospitals.

PubMed

Miniati, R; Cecconi, G; Frosini, F; Dori, F; Regolini, J; Iadanza, E; Biffi Gentili, G

2014-01-01

Although in the last years technology innovation in healthcare brought big improvements in care level and patient quality of life, hospital complexity and management cost became higher. For this reason, necessity of planning for medical equipment procurement within hospitals is getting more and more important in order to sustainable provide appropriate technology for both routine activity and innovative procedures. In order to support hospital decision makers for technology procurement planning, an expert model was designed as reported in the following paper. It combines the most widely used approaches for technology evaluation by taking into consideration Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Medical Equipment Replacement Model (MERM). The designing phases include a first definition of prioritization algorithms, then the weighting process through experts' interviews and a final step for the model validation that included both statistical testing and comparison with real decisions. In conclusion, the designed model was able to provide a semi-automated tool that through the use of multidisciplinary information is able to prioritize different requests of technology acquisition in hospitals. Validation outcomes improved the model accuracy and created different "user profiles" according to the specific needs of decision makers.

Sustainability Criteria for Planning, Constructing, and Operating Contingency Bases

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-22

Planning 14 and airfields. Don’t want to clean up a site to use i t. Too risky, takes CREDIT 2 Brownfield Redevelopment no Planning N/A too long. Base...clean up a site to use i t. Too risky, takes CREDIT 2 Brownfield Redevelopment no Planning N/A too long. Base camp site location is chosen based on

Planning policy, sustainability and housebuilder practices: The move into (and out of?) the redevelopment of previously developed land.

PubMed

Karadimitriou, Nikos

2013-05-01

This paper explores the transformations of the housebuilding industry under the policy requirement to build on previously developed land (PDL). This requirement was a key lever in promoting the sustainable urban development agenda of UK governments from the early 1990s to 2010 and has survived albeit somewhat relaxed and permutated in the latest National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The paper therefore looks at the way in which the policy push towards densification and mixed use affected housebuilders' business strategy and practices and their ability to cope with the 2007 downturn of the housing market and its aftermath. It also points out the eventual feedback of some of these practices into planning policy. Following the gradual shift of British urban policy focus towards sustainability which started in the early 1990s, new configurations of actors, new skills, strategies and approaches to managing risk emerged in property development and housebuilding. There were at least two ways in which housebuilders could have responded to the requirements of developing long term mixed use high density projects on PDL. One way was to develop new products and to employ practices and combinations of practices involving phasing, a flexible approach to planning applications and innovative production methods. Alternatively, they could approach PDL development as a temporary turn of policy or view mixed use high density schemes as a niche market to be explored without drastically overhauling the business model of the entire firm. These transformations of the UK housebuilding sector were unfolding during a long period of buoyancy in the housing market which came to an end in 2007. Very little is known both about how housebuilder strategies and production practices evolved during the boom years as well as about how these firms coped with the effects of the 2007 market downturn. The paper draws on published data (company annual reports, government statistics) and primary

Planning policy, sustainability and housebuilder practices: The move into (and out of?) the redevelopment of previously developed land

PubMed Central

Karadimitriou, Nikos

2013-01-01

This paper explores the transformations of the housebuilding industry under the policy requirement to build on previously developed land (PDL). This requirement was a key lever in promoting the sustainable urban development agenda of UK governments from the early 1990s to 2010 and has survived albeit somewhat relaxed and permutated in the latest National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The paper therefore looks at the way in which the policy push towards densification and mixed use affected housebuilders’ business strategy and practices and their ability to cope with the 2007 downturn of the housing market and its aftermath. It also points out the eventual feedback of some of these practices into planning policy. Following the gradual shift of British urban policy focus towards sustainability which started in the early 1990s, new configurations of actors, new skills, strategies and approaches to managing risk emerged in property development and housebuilding. There were at least two ways in which housebuilders could have responded to the requirements of developing long term mixed use high density projects on PDL. One way was to develop new products and to employ practices and combinations of practices involving phasing, a flexible approach to planning applications and innovative production methods. Alternatively, they could approach PDL development as a temporary turn of policy or view mixed use high density schemes as a niche market to be explored without drastically overhauling the business model of the entire firm. These transformations of the UK housebuilding sector were unfolding during a long period of buoyancy in the housing market which came to an end in 2007. Very little is known both about how housebuilder strategies and production practices evolved during the boom years as well as about how these firms coped with the effects of the 2007 market downturn. The paper draws on published data (company annual reports, government statistics) and primary

Education for Sustainable Development: A Framework for Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oni, Adesoji A.; Adetoro, J. A.

2012-01-01

This paper proposed a framework for conceptualizing, planning for and implementing an education agenda for sustainable development within the Nigerian context. The strategic questions informing this framework are: What is the context within which sustainable development is being proposed? What are the educational needs that arise within the given…

Strategic Planning: Shaping Future Success

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

fielding, the PM may also be planning for future increments , sustainment and other long-term ef- forts. Strategic planning can help the PM position these...introduced the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS) to the DoD. Prior to that, the DoD’s budget - ing focused on areas such as overhead

The NanoSustain and NanoValid project--two new EU FP7 research initiatives to assess the unique physical-chemical and toxicological properties of engineered nanomaterials.

PubMed

Reuther, Rudolf

2011-02-01

In 2010, the EU FP NanoSustain project (247989) has been successfully launched with the objective to develop innovative solutions for the sustainable use, recycling and final treatment of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). The same year, NanoValid (263147), a large-scale integrating EU FP7 project has been initiated and contract negotiations with the European Commission commenced, to develop new reference methods and materials applicable to the unique properties of ENMs. The paper presented will give an overview on the main objectives of these 2 new European research initiatives, on main tasks to achieve objectives, and on the impact on current standardization efforts and technical innovations.

How Biobanks Are Assessing and Measuring Their Financial Sustainability.

PubMed

Brown, Tony; Kelly, Devon D; Vercauteren, Suzanne M; Wilson, William H; Werner, Alexander

2017-02-01

As guest editors of this sustainability issue of Biopreservation and Biobanking focused on business planning, utilization, and marketing, we invited a number of experts from different sectors of the biobanking arena to provide their views on business planning issues. Each expert was asked to provide a brief background statement on their biobanks, to build a context to understand their answers to the sustainability questions. We hope that these insights and experiences can provide valuable considerations and ideas for other biobanks who wish to develop or refine their own business plans, measure their utilization rates, and work toward financial sustainability. In addition, after the expert input was gathered, the guest editors invited an additional expert to provide summary comments and observations on cost and operational optimization strategies. The broad experiences from all of the experts included and scope of the biobanks they represent should provide a level of relevant representation for all interested parties.

Seaweeds: an opportunity for wealth and sustainable livelihood for coastal communities.

PubMed

Rebours, Céline; Marinho-Soriano, Eliane; Zertuche-González, José A; Hayashi, Leila; Vásquez, Julio A; Kradolfer, Paul; Soriano, Gonzalo; Ugarte, Raul; Abreu, Maria Helena; Bay-Larsen, Ingrid; Hovelsrud, Grete; Rødven, Rolf; Robledo, Daniel

2014-01-01

The European, Canadian, and Latin American seaweed industries rely on the sustainable harvesting of natural resources. As several countries wish to increase their activity, the harvest should be managed according to integrated and participatory governance regimes to ensure production within a long-term perspective. Development of regulations and directives enabling the sustainable exploitation of natural resources must therefore be brought to the national and international political agenda in order to ensure environmental, social, and economic values in the coastal areas around the world. In Europe, Portugal requires an appraisal of seaweed management plans while Norway and Canada have developed and implemented coastal management plans including well-established and sustainable exploitation of their natural seaweed resources. Whereas, in Latin America, different scenarios of seaweed exploitation can be observed; each country is however in need of long-term and ecosystem-based management plans to ensure that exploitation is sustainable. These plans are required particularly in Peru and Brazil, while Chile has succeeded in establishing a sustainable seaweed-harvesting plan for most of the economically important seaweeds. Furthermore, in both Europe and Latin America, seaweed aquaculture is at its infancy and development will have to overcome numerous challenges at different levels (i.e., technology, biology, policy). Thus, there is a need for regulations and establishment of "best practices" for seaweed harvesting, management, and cultivation. Trained human resources will also be required to provide information and education to the communities involved, to enable seaweed utilization to become a profitable business and provide better income opportunities to coastal communities.

Agent independent task planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, William S.

1990-01-01

Agent-Independent Planning is a technique that allows the construction of activity plans without regard to the agent that will perform them. Once generated, a plan is then validated and translated into instructions for a particular agent, whether a robot, crewmember, or software-based control system. Because Space Station Freedom (SSF) is planned for orbital operations for approximately thirty years, it will almost certainly experience numerous enhancements and upgrades, including upgrades in robotic manipulators. Agent-Independent Planning provides the capability to construct plans for SSF operations, independent of specific robotic systems, by combining techniques of object oriented modeling, nonlinear planning and temporal logic. Since a plan is validated using the physical and functional models of a particular agent, new robotic systems can be developed and integrated with existing operations in a robust manner. This technique also provides the capability to generate plans for crewmembers with varying skill levels, and later apply these same plans to more sophisticated robotic manipulators made available by evolutions in technology.

Environmental Sustainability out of the Loop in Lebanese Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chidiac El Hajj, Mireille; Abou Moussa, Richard; Chidiac, May

2017-01-01

Purpose: Education is foundational for creating caring sustainable leaders and organizations. This paper aims to investigate whether historically eminent Lebanese universities are integrating sustainability courses and practices in their curriculum, and to discern whether these universities' administrators are currently providing, or plan to…

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Sustainability Plan with FY 2016 Performance Data

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

Nichols, Teresa A.; Lapsa, Melissa Voss

Campus sustainability is part of an ongoing process of modernization at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Initiated in 2002, it grew to include the Sustainable Campus Initiative (SCI) as of 2008. The SCI embodies a diversity of areas, reflecting the multifaceted nature of sustainability and the resulting need for a holistic approach, by tapping ORNL’s multiplatform science and technology expertise in a pathway critical in catalyzing change and shaping the Laboratory’s future. The past year has shown significant progress for the SCI as well as for sustainable development at large, with the 21st Session of the Conference of the Partiesmore » (COP21) in Paris setting a new pace and direction for worldwide mitigation of climate change in the coming decades.« less

Sustainability for the Americas Initiative: Land Design Institute, Ball State University

Treesearch

J. L. Motloch; Pedro Pacheco; Eloy F. Jr. Casagrande

2006-01-01

The Ball State University Land Design Institute (LDI) pursues ecologically and culturally sustainable land design through education, research, outreach, and demonstration. LDI seeks to lead communities (local, regional, global) to sustainable futures. It connects communities and sustainability experts to optimize education about land management, planning, and design...

Understanding pregnancy planning in a low-income country setting: validation of the London measure of unplanned pregnancy in Malawi.

PubMed

Hall, Jennifer; Barrett, Geraldine; Mbwana, Nicholas; Copas, Andrew; Malata, Address; Stephenson, Judith

2013-11-05

The London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy (LMUP) is a new and psychometrically valid measure of pregnancy intention that was developed in the United Kingdom. An improved understanding of pregnancy intention in low-income countries, where unintended pregnancies are common and maternal and neonatal deaths are high, is necessary to inform policies to address the unmet need for family planning. To this end this research aimed to validate the LMUP for use in the Chichewa language in Malawi. Three Chichewa speakers translated the LMUP and one translation was agreed which was back-translated and pre-tested on five pregnant women using cognitive interviews. The measure was field tested with pregnant women who were recruited at antenatal clinics and data were analysed using classical test theory and hypothesis testing. 125 women aged 15-43 (median 23), with parities of 1-8 (median 2) completed the Chichewa LMUP. There were no missing data. The full range of LMUP scores was captured. In terms of reliability, the scale was internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha = 0.78) and test-retest data from 70 women showed good stability (weighted Kappa 0.80). In terms of validity, hypothesis testing confirmed that unmarried women (p = 0.003), women who had four or more children alive (p = 0.0051) and women who were below 20 or over 29 (p = 0.0115) were all more likely to have unintended pregnancies. Principal component analysis showed that five of the six items loaded onto one factor, with a further item borderline. A sensitivity analysis to assess the effect of the removal of the weakest item of the scale showed slightly improved performance but as the LMUP was not significantly adversely affected by its inclusion we recommend retaining the six-item score. The Chichewa LMUP is a valid and reliable measure of pregnancy intention in Malawi and can now be used in research and/or surveillance. This is the first validation of this tool in a low-income country, helping to

Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research Action Plan 2012-2016

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS) research program presents the purpose, design and themes of the Agency’s CSS research efforts to ensure safety in the design, manufacture and use of existing and future chemicals

Integrating Vegetation and Green Infrastructure into Sustainable Transportation Planning

EPA Science Inventory

Paper reviewing presentations and discussions of the June, 2012 Vegeatation Workshop by organizers and presenters. Summarizes findings for TR News Sustainability special issue. TR News is part of the Transportation Research Board's publication portfolio (including Transportatio...

Failures of Sustained Attention in Life, Lab, and Brain: Ecological Validity of the SART

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smilek, Daniel; Carriere, Jonathan S. A.; Cheyne, J. Allan

2010-01-01

The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) is a widely used tool in cognitive neuroscience increasingly employed to identify brain regions associated with failures of sustained attention. An important claim of the SART is that it is significantly related to real-world problems of sustained attention such as those experienced by TBI and ADHD…

Microzonation in Urban Areas, Basic Element for Land-Use Planning, Risk Management and Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres Morales, G. F.; Dávalos Sotelo, R.; Castillo Aguilar, S.; Mora González, I.; Lermo Samaniego, J. F.; Rodriguez, M.; García Martínez, J.; Suárez, M. Leonardo; Hernández Juan, F.

2013-05-01

This paper presents the results of microzonification of the natural hazards for different metropolitan areas and highlights the importance of integrating these results in urban planning. The cities that have been covered for the definition of danger in the state of Veracruz are: Orizaba, Veracruz and Xalapa, as part of the production of a Geological and Hydrometeorology Hazards Atlas for the state of Veracruz, financed by the Funds for the Prevention of Natural Disasters FOPREDEN and CONACYT. The general data of each metropolitan area was integrated in a geographic information system (GIS), obtaining different theme maps, and maps of dynamic characteristics of soils in each metropolitan area. For the planning of an urban area to aspire to promote sustainable development, it is essential to have a great deal of the details on the pertinent information and the most important is that that has to do with the degree of exposure to natural phenomena. In general, microzonation investigations consider all natural phenomena that could potentially affect an area of interest and hazard maps for each of potential hazards are prepared. With all the data collected and generated and fed into a SIG, models were generated which define the areas most threatened by earthquake, flood and landslide slopes. These results were compared with maps of the main features in the urban zones and a qualitative classification of areas of high to low hazard was established. It will have the basic elements of information for urban planning and land use. This information will be made available to the authorities and the general public through an Internet portal where people can download and view maps using free software available online.;

Validation of a deformable MRI to CT registration algorithm employing same day planning MRI for surrogate analysis.

PubMed

Padgett, Kyle R; Stoyanova, Radka; Pirozzi, Sara; Johnson, Perry; Piper, Jon; Dogan, Nesrin; Pollack, Alan

2018-03-01

Validating deformable multimodality image registrations is challenging due to intrinsic differences in signal characteristics and their spatial intensity distributions. Evaluating multimodality registrations using these spatial intensity distributions is also complicated by the fact that these metrics are often employed in the registration optimization process. This work evaluates rigid and deformable image registrations of the prostate in between diagnostic-MRI and radiation treatment planning-CT by utilizing a planning-MRI after fiducial marker placement as a surrogate. The surrogate allows for the direct quantitative analysis that can be difficult in the multimodality domain. For thirteen prostate patients, T2 images were acquired at two different time points, the first several weeks prior to planning (diagnostic-MRI) and the second on the same day as the planning-CT (planning-MRI). The diagnostic-MRI was deformed to the planning-CT utilizing a commercially available algorithm which synthesizes a deformable image registration (DIR) algorithm from local rigid registrations. The planning-MRI provided an independent surrogate for the planning-CT for assessing registration accuracy using image similarity metrics, including Pearson correlation and normalized mutual information (NMI). A local analysis was performed by looking only within the prostate, proximal seminal vesicles, penile bulb, and combined areas. The planning-MRI provided an excellent surrogate for the planning-CT with residual error in fiducial alignment between the two datasets being submillimeter, 0.78 mm. DIR was superior to the rigid registration in 11 of 13 cases demonstrating a 27.37% improvement in NMI (P < 0.009) within a regional area surrounding the prostate and associated critical organs. Pearson correlations showed similar results, demonstrating a 13.02% improvement (P < 0.013). By utilizing the planning-MRI as a surrogate for the planning-CT, an independent evaluation of registration

Securing Blue Wealth: The Need for a Special Sustainable Development Goal for the Ocean and Coasts and for Future Ocean Spatial Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rickels, W.; Visbeck, M.; Kronfeld-Goharani, U.; Neumann, B.; Schmidt, J.; van Doorn, E.; Matz-Lück, N.; Ott, K.; Quaas, M.

2013-12-01

The ocean regulates the global climate, provides humans with natural resources such as food, materials, important substances, and energy, and is essential for international trade and recreational and cultural activities. Together with human development and economic growth, free access to, and availability of, ocean resources and services have exerted strong pressure on marine systems, ranging from overfishing, increasing resource extraction, and alteration of coastal zones to various types of thoughtless pollution. International cooperation and effective governance are required to protect the marine environment and promote the sustainable use of marine resources in such a way that due account can be taken of the environmental values of current generations and the needs of future generations. For this purpose, developing and agreeing on to devote one of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) specifically to the Ocean and Coasts could prove to be an essential element. The new SDGs will build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and replace them by 2015. Ensuring environmental sustainability in a general sense is one of the eight MDGs, but the ocean is not explicitly addressed. Furthermore, the creation of a comprehensive underlying set of ocean sustainability targets and effective indicators would help in assessing the current status of marine systems, diagnosing ongoing trends, and providing information for inclusive, forward-looking, and sustainable ocean governance. To achieve this, we propose to establish a global Future Ocean Spatial Planning (FOSP) process.

STORMVEX: The Storm Peak Lab Cloud Property Validation Experiment Science and Operations Plan

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

Mace, J; Matrosov, S; Shupe, M

2010-09-29

During the Storm Peak Lab Cloud Property Validation Experiment (STORMVEX), a substantial correlative data set of remote sensing observations and direct in situ measurements from fixed and airborne platforms will be created in a winter season, mountainous environment. This will be accomplished by combining mountaintop observations at Storm Peak Laboratory and the airborne National Science Foundation-supported Colorado Airborne Multi-Phase Cloud Study campaign with collocated measurements from the second ARM Mobile Facility (AMF2). We describe in this document the operational plans and motivating science for this experiment, which includes deployment of AMF2 to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The intensive STORMVEX field phasemore » will begin nominally on 1 November 2010 and extend to approximately early April 2011.« less

48 CFR 907.105 - Contents of written acquisition plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... acquisition plans. (b)(16) Environmental and energy conservation objectives. Incorporate sustainable building considerations including building location and regional planning considerations into planning for new Federal...

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.

Using Sustainable Development as a Competitive Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spearman, Pat

Sustainable development reduces construction waste by 43%, generating 50% cost savings. Residential construction executives lacking adequate knowledge regarding the benefits of sustainable development practices are at a competitive disadvantage. Drawing from the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore knowledge acquisition within the bounds of sustainable residential construction. The purposive sample size of 11 executive decision makers fulfilled the sample size requirements and enabled the extraction of meaningful data. Participants were members of the National Home Builders Association and had experience of a minimum of 5 years in residential construction. The research question addressed how to improve knowledge acquisition relating to the cost benefits of building green homes and increase the adoption rate of sustainable development among residential builders. Data were collected via semistructured telephone interviews, field observation, and document analysis. Transcribed data were validated via respondent validation, coded into 5 initial categories aligned to the focus of the research, then reduced to 3 interlocking themes of environment, competitive advantage, and marketing. Recommendations include developing comprehensive public policies, horizontal and vertical communications networks, and green banks to capitalize sustainable development programs to improve the diffusion of green innovation as a competitive advantage strategy. Business leaders could benefit from this data by integrating sustainable development practices into their business processes. Sustainable development reduces operational costs, increases competitive advantage for builders, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Implications for social change increase energy independence through conservation and developing a legislative policy template for comprehensive energy strategies. A comprehensive energy strategy promotes economic development

Special Forces Medical Sergeants' perceptions and beliefs regarding their current medical sustainment program: implications for the field.

PubMed

Wilson, Ramey L; DeZee, Kent J

2014-01-01

Special Forces Medical Sergeants (SFMS) are trained to provide trauma and medical care in support of military operations and diplomatic missions throughout the world with indirect physician oversight. This study assessed their perceptions of the current program designed to sustain their medical skills. An Internet-based survey was developed using the constructs of the Theory of Reasoned Action/Planned Behavior and validated through survey best practices. Of the 334 respondents, 92.8% had deployed at least once as an SFMS. Respondents reported spending 4 hours per week sustaining their medical skills and were highly confident that they could perform their duties on a no-notice deployment. On a 5-point, Likert-type response scale, SFMS felt that only slight change is needed to the Special Operations Medical Skills Sustainment Course (mean: 2.17; standard deviation [SD]: 1.05), while moderate change is needed to the Medical Proficiency Training (mean: 2.82; SD: 1.21) and nontrauma modules (mean: 3.02; SD: 1.22). Respondents desire a medical sustainment program that is provided by subject matter experts, involves actual patient care, incorporates new technology, uses hands-on simulation, and is always available. SFMS are challenged to sustain their medical skills in the current operational environment, and barriers to medical training should be minimized to facilitate sustainment training. Changes to the current medical sustainment program should incorporate operator-level perspectives to ensure acceptability and utility but must be balanced with organizational realities. Improving the medical sustainment program will prepare SFMS for the challenges of future missions. 2014.

Are Planning Students becoming Transformational Leaders?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagy, Beth

2012-01-01

This research asks us to consider the intersection of three major themes in the pedagogy of teaching Planning students: sustainable community theories, transformational leadership and community engagement. The intersection, a critical Planning pedagogy, should be a part of any Planning program, embedded within the curriculum of higher education.…

Marine Planning Benefits the Environment

EPA Science Inventory

Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) and Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) are management approaches that allow sustainable coastal and ocean planning. The basic unit of management under CMSP is a large region, with the United States coastlines and Great Lakes divided into ...

Optical dosimetry probes to validate Monte Carlo and empirical-method-based NIR dose planning in the brain.

PubMed

Verleker, Akshay Prabhu; Shaffer, Michael; Fang, Qianqian; Choi, Mi-Ran; Clare, Susan; Stantz, Keith M

2016-12-01

A three-dimensional photon dosimetry in tissues is critical in designing optical therapeutic protocols to trigger light-activated drug release. The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of a Monte Carlo-based optical therapy planning software by developing dosimetry tools to characterize and cross-validate the local photon fluence in brain tissue, as part of a long-term strategy to quantify the effects of photoactivated drug release in brain tumors. An existing GPU-based 3D Monte Carlo (MC) code was modified to simulate near-infrared photon transport with differing laser beam profiles within phantoms of skull bone (B), white matter (WM), and gray matter (GM). A novel titanium-based optical dosimetry probe with isotropic acceptance was used to validate the local photon fluence, and an empirical model of photon transport was developed to significantly decrease execution time for clinical application. Comparisons between the MC and the dosimetry probe measurements were on an average 11.27%, 13.25%, and 11.81% along the illumination beam axis, and 9.4%, 12.06%, 8.91% perpendicular to the beam axis for WM, GM, and B phantoms, respectively. For a heterogeneous head phantom, the measured % errors were 17.71% and 18.04% along and perpendicular to beam axis. The empirical algorithm was validated by probe measurements and matched the MC results (R²0.99), with average % error of 10.1%, 45.2%, and 22.1% relative to probe measurements, and 22.6%, 35.8%, and 21.9% relative to the MC, for WM, GM, and B phantoms, respectively. The simulation time for the empirical model was 6 s versus 8 h for the GPU-based Monte Carlo for a head phantom simulation. These tools provide the capability to develop and optimize treatment plans for optimal release of pharmaceuticals in the treatment of cancer. Future work will test and validate these novel delivery and release mechanisms in vivo.

Planning Sustainable Land-Use: The Experience Of Stella, Missouri

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainability has numerous definitions and is often discussed. However, there are fewer lessons derived from its application. The concept for its application evolved out of a study to determine whether brownfields could be redeveloped to be more environmentally friendly. The ...

Implementation of the validation testing in MPPG 5.a "Commissioning and QA of treatment planning dose calculations-megavoltage photon and electron beams".

PubMed

Jacqmin, Dustin J; Bredfeldt, Jeremy S; Frigo, Sean P; Smilowitz, Jennifer B

2017-01-01

The AAPM Medical Physics Practice Guideline (MPPG) 5.a provides concise guidance on the commissioning and QA of beam modeling and dose calculation in radiotherapy treatment planning systems. This work discusses the implementation of the validation testing recommended in MPPG 5.a at two institutions. The two institutions worked collaboratively to create a common set of treatment fields and analysis tools to deliver and analyze the validation tests. This included the development of a novel, open-source software tool to compare scanning water tank measurements to 3D DICOM-RT Dose distributions. Dose calculation algorithms in both Pinnacle and Eclipse were tested with MPPG 5.a to validate the modeling of Varian TrueBeam linear accelerators. The validation process resulted in more than 200 water tank scans and more than 50 point measurements per institution, each of which was compared to a dose calculation from the institution's treatment planning system (TPS). Overall, the validation testing recommended in MPPG 5.a took approximately 79 person-hours for a machine with four photon and five electron energies for a single TPS. Of the 79 person-hours, 26 person-hours required time on the machine, and the remainder involved preparation and analysis. The basic photon, electron, and heterogeneity correction tests were evaluated with the tolerances in MPPG 5.a, and the tolerances were met for all tests. The MPPG 5.a evaluation criteria were used to assess the small field and IMRT/VMAT validation tests. Both institutions found the use of MPPG 5.a to be a valuable resource during the commissioning process. The validation testing in MPPG 5.a showed the strengths and limitations of the TPS models. In addition, the data collected during the validation testing is useful for routine QA of the TPS, validation of software upgrades, and commissioning of new algorithms. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of

Assessment of the Sustainability Capacity of a Coordinated Approach to Chronic Disease Prevention.

PubMed

Moreland-Russell, Sarah; Combs, Todd; Polk, LaShaun; Dexter, Sarah

This article outlines some factors that influenced the sustainability capacity of a coordinated approach to chronic disease prevention in state and territory health departments. This study involved a cross-sectional design and mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected using the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT), a 40-item multiple-choice instrument that assesses 8 domains of sustainability capacity (environmental support, funding stability, partnerships, organizational capacity, program evaluation, program adaptation, communications, and strategic planning). Qualitative data were collected via phone interviews. The PSAT was administered to staff and stakeholders from public health departments in 50 US states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, who were involved in the implementation of coordinated chronic disease programs. Phone interviews were conducted with program coordinators in each state. Sustainability score patterns and state-level categorical results, as well as strengths and opportunities for improvement across the 8 program sustainability domains, were explored. On average, programs reported the strongest sustainability capacity in the domains of program adaptation, environmental support, and organizational capacity, while funding stability, strategic planning, and communications yielded lowest scores, indicating weakest capacity. Scores varied the most by state in environmental support and strategic planning. The PSAT results highlight the process through which states approached the sustainability of coordinated chronic disease initiatives. This process included an initial focus on program evaluation and partnerships with transfer of priority to long-term strategic planning, communications, and funding stability to further establish coordinated chronic disease efforts. Qualitative interviews provided further context to PSAT results, indicating that leadership, communications, partnerships, funding stability, and policy

Linking community programs in environment to programs in population: towards sustainable communities that sustain sanctuaries.

PubMed

Cincotta, R P

1994-01-01

This article briefly reviews several nongovernmental organization (NGO) programs that address environmental and population issues. A framework is constructed that identifies how linked programs are supposed to work. The potential for sustainable communities is explored. It is concluded that sanctuaries in developing countries will not survive unless population in surrounding communities is stabilized and the economic and ecological relationships between the community and the sanctuary ecosystem are sustainable. In developed countries resource needs must be identified in regional planning in order for environmental protection to occur. The author finds that NGOs can be instrumental in securing community participation in environmental protection. NGOs operating in Chiapas, Mexico, provide management assistance and public health and family planning awareness to displaced indigenous farmers and conservative professionals. Another NGO outside the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan, India, works to promote alternative fuel and grazing sources among local farmers. Near Chautara, in Nepal, farmers are aided by NGOs in laying sanitary water pipes, which reduces the amount of women's time required for fetching water and increases the amount of time women can spend gardening or getting involved in environmental projects. NGO efforts that reduce women's time absorbed by domestic burdens help women fulfill family planning desires and allow for greater investment in the education of children. Environmental sustainability will be dependent on family planning and other population-related processes and on the awareness that public health is an environmental issue. Opposition to integrated environment and population programs stems from donor opposition, opposition to investment in low-density areas, and a priority on biodiversity issues over development of public health services near sanctuaries. This paper was presented at an international forum at the George Washington

Planning practice in support of economically and environmentally sustainable roads in floodplains: the case of the Mekong delta floodplains.

PubMed

Douven, Wim; Buurman, Joost

2013-10-15

Road development in relatively undisturbed floodplain systems, such as the floodplains of the Mekong River, will impact hydraulics and interrupt the natural flow of water. This affects the ecology and environment, and the livelihoods of people who depend on fishing and agriculture. On the other hand, floods can severely damage road infrastructure in years with large floods and can cause high annual maintenance costs. Improving road development practices in floodplains is a complex, multidimensional task involving hydraulic and geotechnical analysis, ecosystem analysis, socio-economic analysis, policy analysis, etc. This paper analyses the planning practice of road development and rehabilitation and how this practice can be improved in support of economically and environmentally sustainable roads in floodplains. It is concluded that although ample technical, planning and environmental assessment guidelines exist, guidelines need updating to address cumulative impacts at floodplain level and factors hampering the implementation in guidelines should be addressed in the guideline design (process). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustaining innovations in complex healthcare environments: A multiple-case study of rapid response teams

PubMed Central

Stolldorf, Deonni P; Havens, Donna S.; Jones, Cheryl B

2015-01-01

Objectives Rapid response teams are one innovation previously deployed in U.S. hospitals with the goal to improve the quality of care. Sustaining rapid response teams is important to achieve the desired implementation outcomes, reduce the risk of program investments losses, and prevent employee disillusionment and dissatisfaction. This study sought to examine factors that do and do not support the sustainability of Rapid Response Teams. Methods The study was conceptually guided by an adapted version of the Planning Model of Sustainability. A multiple-case study was conducted using a purposive sample of two hospitals with high RRT sustainability scores and two hospitals with low RRT sustainability scores. Data collection methods included: (a) a hospital questionnaire that was completed by a nurse administrator at each hospital; (b) semi-structured interviews with leaders, RRT members, and those activating RRT calls; and, (c) review of internal documents. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Results Few descriptive differences were found between hospitals. However, there were notable differences in the operationalization of certain factors between high- and low-sustainability hospitals. Additional sustainability factors other than those captured by the Planning Model of Sustainability were also identified. Conclusions The sustainability of rapid response teams is optimized through effective operationalization of organizational and project design and implementation factors. Two additional factors—individual and team characteristics—should be included in the Planning Model of Sustainability and considered as potential facilitators (or inhibitors) of RRT sustainability. PMID:26756725

Field Evaluations Test Plan for Validation of Alternative Low-Emission Surface Preparation/Depainting Technologies for Structural Steel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, Pattie

2005-01-01

and approve alternative surface preparation technologies for use at NASA and AFSPC installations. Materials and processes will be evaluated with the goal of selecting those processes that will improve corrosion protection at critical systems, facilitate easier maintenance activity, extend maintenance cycles, eliminate flight hardware contamination and reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated. This Field Evaluations Test Plan defines the field evaluation and testing requirements for validating alternative surface preparation/depainting technologies and supplements the JTP. The field evaluations will be performed at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, under the oversight of the Project Engineer. Additional field evaluations may be performed at other NASA centers or AFSPC facilities.

Validation of a novel robot-assisted 3DUS system for real-time planning and guidance of breast interstitial HDR brachytherapy

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

Poulin, Eric; Beaulieu, Luc, E-mail: Luc.Beaulieu@phy.ulaval.ca; Gardi, Lori

Purpose: In current clinical practice, there is no integrated 3D ultrasound (3DUS) guidance system clinically available for breast brachytherapy. In this study, the authors present a novel robot-assisted 3DUS system for real-time planning and guidance of breast interstitial high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment. Methods: For this work, a new computer controlled robotic 3DUS system was built to perform a hybrid motion scan, which is a combination of a 6 cm linear translation with a 30° rotation at both ends. The new 3DUS scanner was designed to fit on a modified Kuske assembly, keeping the current template grid configuration butmore » modifying the frame to allow the mounting of the 3DUS system at several positions. A finer grid was also tested. A user interface was developed to perform image reconstruction, semiautomatic segmentation of the surgical bed as well as catheter reconstruction and tracking. A 3D string phantom was used to validate the geometric accuracy of the reconstruction. The volumetric accuracy of the system was validated with phantoms using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) images. In order to accurately determine whether 3DUS can effectively replace CT for treatment planning, the authors have compared the 3DUS catheter reconstruction to the one obtained from CT images. In addition, in agarose-based phantoms, an end-to-end procedure was performed by executing six independent complete procedures with both 14 and 16 catheters, and for both standard and finer Kuske grids. Finally, in phantoms, five end-to-end procedures were performed with the final CT planning for the validation of 3DUS preplanning. Results: The 3DUS acquisition time is approximately 10 s. A paired Student t-test showed that there was no statistical significant difference between known and measured values of string separations in each direction. Both MRI and CT volume measurements were not statistically different from 3DUS volume (Student t

Multiyear Plan for Validation of EnergyPlus Multi-Zone HVAC System Modeling using ORNL's Flexible Research Platform

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

Im, Piljae; Bhandari, Mahabir S.; New, Joshua Ryan

This document describes the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) multiyear experimental plan for validation and uncertainty characterization of whole-building energy simulation for a multi-zone research facility using a traditional rooftop unit (RTU) as a baseline heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The project’s overarching objective is to increase the accuracy of energy simulation tools by enabling empirical validation of key inputs and algorithms. Doing so is required to inform the design of increasingly integrated building systems and to enable accountability for performance gaps between design and operation of a building. The project will produce documented data sets that canmore » be used to validate key functionality in different energy simulation tools and to identify errors and inadequate assumptions in simulation engines so that developers can correct them. ASHRAE Standard 140, Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs (ASHRAE 2004), currently consists primarily of tests to compare different simulation programs with one another. This project will generate sets of measured data to enable empirical validation, incorporate these test data sets in an extended version of Standard 140, and apply these tests to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) EnergyPlus software (EnergyPlus 2016) to initiate the correction of any significant deficiencies. The fitness-for-purpose of the key algorithms in EnergyPlus will be established and demonstrated, and vendors of other simulation programs will be able to demonstrate the validity of their products. The data set will be equally applicable to validation of other simulation engines as well.« less

The development of Sustainability Graduate Community (SGC) as a learning pathway for sustainability education - a framework for engineering programmes in Malaysia Technical Universities Network (MTUN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johan, Kartina; Mohd Turan, Faiz

2016-11-01

‘Environmental and sustainability’ is one of the Program Outcome (PO) designated by the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) as one of the accreditation program requirement. However, to-date the implementation of sustainability elements in engineering programme in the technical universities in Malaysia is within individual faculty's curriculum plan and lack of university-level structured learning pathway, which enable all students to have access to an education in sustainability across all disciplines. Sustainability Graduate Community (SGC) is a framework designed to provide a learning pathway in the curriculum of engineering programs to inculcate sustainability education among engineering graduates. This paper aims to study the required attributes in Sustainability Graduate Community (SGC) framework to produce graduates who are not just engineers but also skilful in sustainability competencies using Global Project Management (GPM) P5 Standard for Sustainability. The development of the conceptual framework is to provide a constructive teaching and learning plan for educators and policy makers to work on together in developing the Sustainability Graduates (SG), the new kind of graduates from Malaysia Technical Universities Network (MTUN) in Malaysia who are literate in sustainability practices. The framework also support the call for developing holistic students based on Malaysian Education Blueprint (Higher Education) and address the gap between the statuses of engineering qualification to the expected competencies from industries in Malaysia in particular by achieving the SG attributes outlined in the framework

Global drivers, sustainable manufacturing and systems ergonomics.

PubMed

Siemieniuch, C E; Sinclair, M A; Henshaw, M J deC

2015-11-01

This paper briefly explores the expected impact of the 'Global Drivers' (such as population demographics, food security; energy security; community security and safety), and the role of sustainability engineering in mitigating the potential effects of these Global Drivers. The message of the paper is that sustainability requires a significant input from Ergonomics/Human Factors, but the profession needs some expansion in its thinking in order to make this contribution. Creating a future sustainable world in which people experience an acceptable way of life will not happen without a large input from manufacturing industry into all the Global Drivers, both in delivering products that meet sustainability criteria (such as durability, reliability, minimised material requirement and low energy consumption), and in developing sustainable processes to deliver products for sustainability (such as minimum waste, minimum emissions and low energy consumption). Appropriate changes are already being implemented in manufacturing industry, including new business models, new jobs and new skills. Considerable high-level planning around the world is in progress and is bringing about these changes; for example, there is the US 'Advanced Manufacturing National Program' (AMNP)', the German 'Industrie 4.0' plan, the French plan 'la nouvelle France industrielle' and the UK Foresight publications on the 'Future of Manufacturing'. All of these activities recognise the central part that humans will continue to play in the new manufacturing paradigms; however, they do not discuss many of the issues that systems ergonomics professionals acknowledge. This paper discusses a number of these issues, highlighting the need for some new thinking and knowledge capture by systems ergonomics professionals. Among these are ethical issues, job content and skills issues. Towards the end, there is a summary of knowledge extensions considered necessary in order that systems ergonomists can be fully

Behaviors in Advance Care Planning and ACtions Survey (BACPACS): development and validation part 1.

PubMed

Kassam, Aliya; Douglas, Maureen L; Simon, Jessica; Cunningham, Shannon; Fassbender, Konrad; Shaw, Marta; Davison, Sara N

2017-11-22

Although advance care planning (ACP) is fairly well understood, significant barriers to patient participation remain. As a result, tools to assess patient behaviour are required. The objective of this study was to improve the measurement of patient engagement in ACP by detecting existing survey design issues and establishing content and response process validity for a new survey entitled Behaviours in Advance Care Planning and ACtions Survey (BACPACS). We based our new tool on that of an existing ACP engagement survey. Initial item reduction was carried out using behavior change theories by content and design experts to help reduce response burden and clarify questions. Thirty-two patients with chronic diseases (cancer, heart failure or renal failure) were recruited for the think aloud cognitive interviewing with the new, shortened survey evaluating patient engagement with ACP. Of these, n = 27 had data eligible for analysis (n = 8 in round 1 and n = 19 in rounds 2 and 3). Interviews were audio-recorded and analyzed using the constant comparison method. Three reviewers independently listened to the interviews, summarized findings and discussed discrepancies until consensus was achieved. Item reduction from key content expert review and conversation analysis helped decrease number of items from 116 in the original ACP Engagement Survey to 24-38 in the new BACPACS depending on branching of responses. For the think aloud study, three rounds of interviews were needed until saturation for patient clarity was achieved. The understanding of ACP as a construct, survey response options, instructions and terminology pertaining to patient engagement in ACP warranted further clarification. Conversation analysis, content expert review and think aloud cognitive interviewing were useful in refining the new survey instrument entitled BACPACS. We found evidence for both content and response process validity for this new tool.

A Study of the Optimal Planning Model for Reservoir Sustainable Management- A Case Study of Shihmen Reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. Y.; Ho, C. C.; Chang, L. C.

2017-12-01

The reservoir management in Taiwan faces lots of challenge. Massive sediment caused by landslide were flushed into reservoir, which will decrease capacity, rise the turbidity, and increase supply risk. Sediment usually accompanies nutrition that will cause eutrophication problem. Moreover, the unevenly distribution of rainfall cause water supply instability. Hence, how to ensure sustainable use of reservoirs has become an important task in reservoir management. The purpose of the study is developing an optimal planning model for reservoir sustainable management to find out an optimal operation rules of reservoir flood control and sediment sluicing. The model applies Genetic Algorithms to combine with the artificial neural network of hydraulic analysis and reservoir sediment movement. The main objective of operation rules in this study is to prevent reservoir outflow caused downstream overflow, minimum the gap between initial and last water level of reservoir, and maximum sluicing sediment efficiency. A case of Shihmen reservoir was used to explore the different between optimal operating rule and the current operation of the reservoir. The results indicate optimal operating rules tended to open desilting tunnel early and extend open duration during flood discharge period. The results also show the sluicing sediment efficiency of optimal operating rule is 36%, 44%, 54% during Typhoon Jangmi, Typhoon Fung-Wong, and Typhoon Sinlaku respectively. The results demonstrate the optimal operation rules do play a role in extending the service life of Shihmen reservoir and protecting the safety of downstream. The study introduces a low cost strategy, alteration of operation reservoir rules, into reservoir sustainable management instead of pump dredger in order to improve the problem of elimination of reservoir sediment and high cost.

Sustainable malaria control: transdisciplinary approaches for translational applications

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

With the adoption of the Global Malaria Action Plan, several countries are moving from malaria control towards elimination and eradication. However, the sustainability of some of the approaches taken may be questionable. Here, an overview of malaria control and elimination strategies is provided and the sustainability of each in context of vector- and parasite control is assessed. From this, it can be concluded that transdisciplinary approaches are essential for sustained malaria control and elimination in malaria-endemic communities. PMID:23268712

Team factors that predict to sustainability indicators for community-based prevention teams.

PubMed

Perkins, Daniel F; Feinberg, Mark E; Greenberg, Mark T; Johnson, Lesley E; Chilenski, Sarah Meyer; Mincemoyer, Claudia C; Spoth, Richard L

2011-08-01

Because they often set out with a guarantee of only short-term funding, many community partnerships will face a threat to their sustainability almost as soon as the first money runs out. Research into the factors that enable some coalitions and partnerships to meet the challenge when others fail is limited. This study begins to fill this gap in our understanding by examining influences on the process of sustainability planning in the context of a collaborative partnership focused on youth development. We report on a longitudinal examination of the quality of planning and attitudes underpinning the sustainability of PROSPER community prevention teams whose members implement evidence-based programs designed to support positive youth development and reduce early substance use and other problem behaviors. The current research concentrates on a particular dimension of partnership effectiveness to establish whether perceptions about team functioning in play at 6 and 18 months predict the quality of sustainability planning at 36 and 48 months. How well teams functioned in the early stages was found to be strongly related to the quality of their later preparations for sustainability. Recruitment and integration of new team members, and the encouragement they subsequently received were also found to be key factors. The results strengthen the argument for providing technical assistance to meet the needs of those who promote prevention partnerships, and they provide longitudinal empirical data to support the hypotheses of other researchers who have similarly found a correlation between effective sustainability and early planning and support. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parametric Study of Advanced Mixing of Fuel/Oxidant System in High Speed Gaseous Flows and Experimental Validation Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-08-30

Body with Thermo-Chemical destribution of Heat-Protected System . In: Physical and Gasdynamic Phenomena in Supersonic Flows Over Bodies. Edit. By...Final Report on ISTC Contract # 1809p Parametric Study of Advanced Mixing of Fuel/Oxidant System in High Speed Gaseous Flows and Experimental...of Advanced Mixing of Fuel/Oxidant System in High Speed Gaseous Flows and Experimental Validation Planning 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT

Sustainable Community Case Study: An Assessment of EPA’s Sustainable Development Plan for Stella, Missouri

EPA Science Inventory

In 2006, citizens of Stella, Missouri asked the EPA for technical assistance in demolition and site remediation of an abandoned hospital; and how to redevelop the site to help the community be more sustainable. EPA Region 7 teamed with EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD...

Framework for Sustainability Performance Assessment for Manufacturing Processes- A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K.; Sultan, I.

2017-07-01

Manufacturing industries are facing tough competition due to increasing raw material cost and depleting natural resources. There is great pressure on the industry to produce environmental friendly products using environmental friendly processes. To address these issues modern manufacturing industries are focusing on sustainable manufacturing. To develop more sustainable societies, industries need to better understand how to respond to environmental, economic and social challenges. This paper proposed some framework and tools that accelerate the transition towards a sustainable system. The developed framework will be beneficial for sustainability assessment comparing different plans alongside material properties, ultimately helping the manufacturing industries to reduce the carbon emissions and material waste, besides improving energy efficiency. It is expected that this would be highly beneficial for determination of environmental impact of a process at early design stages. Therefore, it would greatly help the manufacturing industries for selection of process plan based on sustainable indices. Overall objective of this paper would have good impact on reducing air emissions and protecting environment. We expect this work to contribute to the development of a standard reference methodology to help further sustainability in the manufacturing sector.

A landscape analysis plan

Treesearch

Nancy E. Fleenor

2002-01-01

A Landscape Analysis Plan (LAP) sets out broad guidelines for project development within boundaries of the Kings River Sustainable Forest Ecosystems Project. The plan must be a dynamic, living document, subject to change as new information arises over the course of this very long-term project (several decades). Two watersheds, each of 32,000 acres, were dedicated to...

Planning with Shared Vision: A Project Study Examining the Planning Process of School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Dennis J.

2013-01-01

The process of planning for school principals has become more difficult in recent years because of a shift from simple administrative duties to management duties. Evidence suggests that many school principals lack the resources, training, and guidance to meet and sustain federal planning standards. This problem is important to district…

Use of science to guide city planning policy and practice: how to achieve healthy and sustainable future cities.

PubMed

Sallis, James F; Bull, Fiona; Burdett, Ricky; Frank, Lawrence D; Griffiths, Peter; Giles-Corti, Billie; Stevenson, Mark

2016-12-10

Land-use and transport policies contribute to worldwide epidemics of injuries and non-communicable diseases through traffic exposure, noise, air pollution, social isolation, low physical activity, and sedentary behaviours. Motorised transport is a major cause of the greenhouse gas emissions that are threatening human health. Urban and transport planning and urban design policies in many cities do not reflect the accumulating evidence that, if policies would take health effects into account, they could benefit a wide range of common health problems. Enhanced research translation to increase the influence of health research on urban and transport planning decisions could address many global health problems. This paper illustrates the potential for such change by presenting conceptual models and case studies of research translation applied to urban and transport planning and urban design. The primary recommendation of this paper is for cities to actively pursue compact and mixed-use urban designs that encourage a transport modal shift away from private motor vehicles towards walking, cycling, and public transport. This Series concludes by urging a systematic approach to city design to enhance health and sustainability through active transport and a move towards new urban mobility. Such an approach promises to be a powerful strategy for improvements in population health on a permanent basis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

'Big push' to reduce maternal mortality in Uganda and Zambia enhanced health systems but lacked a sustainability plan.

PubMed

Kruk, Margaret E; Rabkin, Miriam; Grépin, Karen Ann; Austin-Evelyn, Katherine; Greeson, Dana; Masvawure, Tsitsi Beatrice; Sacks, Emma Rose; Vail, Daniel; Galea, Sandro

2014-06-01

In the past decade, "big push" global health initiatives financed by international donors have aimed to rapidly reach ambitious health targets in low-income countries. The health system impacts of these efforts are infrequently assessed. Saving Mothers, Giving Life is a global public-private partnership that aims to reduce maternal mortality dramatically in one year in eight districts in Uganda and Zambia. We evaluated the first six to twelve months of the program's implementation, its ownership by national ministries of health, and its effects on health systems. The project's impact on maternal mortality is not reported here. We found that the Saving Mothers, Giving Life initiative delivered a large "dose" of intervention quickly by capitalizing on existing US international health assistance platforms, such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Early benefits to the broader health system included greater policy attention to maternal and child health, new health care infrastructure, and new models for collaborating with the private sector and communities. However, the rapid pace, external design, and lack of a long-term financing plan hindered integration into the health system and local ownership. Sustaining and scaling up early gains of similar big push initiatives requires longer-term commitments and a clear plan for transition to national control. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Remote sensing and GIS based information system for sustainable resources planning at Panchayat level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velmurugan, A.; Bhatt, S.; Dadhwal, V. K.

2006-12-01

Spatial databases of natural resources are very much essential to ensure enhanced productivity by conserving soil and water and to maintain ecological integrity of any region. Integration of various thematic layers prepared from high resolution data and detailed field survey would be preferred for grass root level planning (Panchayat) aimed to realize the potential of production system on a sustained basis. In this study, a detailed spatial data base was created for part of Kasaragod dist., Kerala, India. Detailed soil survey was carried out using cadastral map and registered over high resolution satellite data (IRS LISS-IV) which helped to identify problems and potentials of the area. Nearly 600 ha of land were found to be at higher erosion risk category out of ten soil series identified in the study area. Remote sensing data was used to prepare land use/land cover map and coconut (53%) followed by mixed vegetation type (16%) were found to be dominant. Soil site suitability assessment for major crops of the area was carried out and crossed with present land use to get the mismatch in land use/land utilization type. Alternate land use plan was prepared considering the potentials and problems of various available resources. Decision Support System (DSS) along with user interface is developed to support decision and extract relevant information. As organic carbon is one of the most important indicators of soil fertility C stock in the present and proposed land use was also estimated to understand the environmental significance.

Toward Sustainable Land-Use: The Planning of Stella, Missouri

EPA Science Inventory

Human life relies upon goods and services that ecosystems provide. If we want these systems to sustain future generations, the limitation to how much of the environment can be consumed to meet human needs is how much must remain to meet human needs. This concept establishes a b...

Sustainability - what are the odds? Envisioning the future of our environment, economy and society

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainability – the word is everywhere these days. Cities, transportation systems, energy producers, agriculture, fisheries, businesses, even mines (!), are making claims or making plans for sustainability. Several formal definitions of sustainability have been offered; here is ...

SU-E-J-244: Development and Validation of a Knowledge Based Planning Model for External Beam Radiation Therapy of Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

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

Liu, Z; Kennedy, A; Larsen, E

2015-06-15

Purpose: The study aims to develop and validate a knowledge based planning (KBP) model for external beam radiation therapy of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Methods: RapidPlan™ technology was used to develop a lung KBP model. Plans from 65 patients with LA-NSCLC were used to train the model. 25 patients were treated with VMAT, and the other patients were treated with IMRT. Organs-at-risk (OARs) included right lung, left lung, heart, esophagus, and spinal cord. DVH and geometric distribution DVH were extracted from the treated plans. The model was trained using principal component analysis and step-wise multiple regression. Boxmore » plot and regression plot tools were used to identify geometric outliers and dosimetry outliers and help fine-tune the model. The validation was performed by (a) comparing predicted DVH boundaries to actual DVHs of 63 patients and (b) using an independent set of treatment planning data. Results: 63 out of 65 plans were included in the final KBP model with PTV volume ranging from 102.5cc to 1450.2cc. Total treatment dose prescription varied from 50Gy to 70Gy based on institutional guidelines. One patient was excluded due to geometric outlier where 2.18cc of spinal cord was included in PTV. The other patient was excluded due to dosimetric outlier where the dose sparing to spinal cord was heavily enforced in the clinical plan. Target volume, OAR volume, OAR overlap volume percentage to target, and OAR out-of-field volume were included in the trained model. Lungs and heart had two principal component scores of GEDVH, whereas spinal cord and esophagus had three in the final model. Predicted DVH band (mean ±1 standard deviation) represented 66.2±3.6% of all DVHs. Conclusion: A KBP model was developed and validated for radiotherapy of LA-NSCLC in a commercial treatment planning system. The clinical implementation may improve the consistency of IMRT/VMAT planning.« less

Translation, adaptation and validation the contents of the Diabetes Medical Management Plan for the Brazilian context.

PubMed

Torres, Heloísa de Carvalho; Chaves, Fernanda Figueredo; Silva, Daniel Dutra Romualdo da; Bosco, Adriana Aparecida; Gabriel, Beatriz Diniz; Reis, Ilka Afonso; Rodrigues, Júlia Santos Nunes; Pagano, Adriana Silvina

2016-08-08

to translate, adapt and validate the contents of the Diabetes Medical Management Plan for the Brazilian context. This protocol was developed by the American Diabetes Association and guides the procedure of educators for the care of children and adolescents with diabetes in schools. this methodological study was conducted in four stages: initial translation, synthesis of initial translation, back translation and content validation by an expert committee, composed of 94 specialists (29 applied linguists and 65 health professionals), for evaluation of the translated version through an online questionnaire. The concordance level of the judges was calculated based on the Content Validity Index. Data were exported into the R program for statistical analysis. the evaluation of the instrument showed good concordance between the judges of the Health and Applied Linguistics areas, with a mean content validity index of 0.9 and 0.89, respectively, and slight variability of the index between groups (difference of less than 0.01). The items in the translated version, evaluated as unsatisfactory by the judges, were reformulated based on the considerations of the professionals of each group. a Brazilian version of Diabetes Medical Management Plan was constructed, called the Plano de Manejo do Diabetes na Escola. traduzir, adaptar e validar o conteúdo do Diabetes Medical Management Plan para o contexto brasileiro, protocolo elaborado pela Associação Americana de Diabetes, que orienta a conduta dos educadores para o cuidado das crianças e adolescentes com diabetes mellitus nas escolas. trata-se de estudo metodológico, realizado em quatro etapas: tradução inicial, síntese da tradução inicial, retrotradução e validação de conteúdo por um Comitê de Juízes, composto por 94 especialistas (29 linguistas aplicados e 65 profissionais da área da Saúde), para avaliação da versão traduzida por meio de um questionário online. O nível de concordância dos juízes foi

Factors Influencing the Presence of Sustainability Initiatives in the Strategic Planning of Spanish Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larrán Jorge, Manuel; Herrera Madueño, Jesús; Javier Andrades Peña, Francisco

2015-01-01

Sustainability issues in higher educational institutions have attracted increasing levels of attention from both the public and policy-makers in recent decades. Many studies have called for a more integration of sustainability into mainstream university operations and curricula. Nevertheless, the interest in sustainability issues has been more…

Managing environmental sustainability in a healthcare setting.

PubMed

Langstaff, Karen; Brzozowski, Victoria

2017-03-01

How does a hospital sustain its journey towards environmental sustainability? To date, most hospitals have embarked on some strategies for improving environmental performance, whether it's reducing energy or landfill waste. Environmental sustainability strategies, however, can often lose momentum or stagnate if not championed by someone whose full-time role is to assess, monitor, and bring new strategies to the table. In the face of ongoing budget deficits, it is increasingly difficult to get adequate support and buy-in for this type of role unless the leadership of the organization is committed to an environmental sustainability program. This article will examine the strategies and outcomes of an environmental sustainability plan for one hospital from 2008 to present, including best strategies, lessons learned, and what lies ahead of us in the new world of capping greenhouse gas emissions.

76 FR 57100 - Natural Resource Plan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-15

..., Water Resource Protection and Improvement, Sustainable Land Use, and Natural Resource Management, are... for the management of biological, cultural, and water resources, recreation, reservoir lands planning... implementation of resource management programs and activities and approaches to planning the use of TVA reservoir...

Use of ICT for sustainable transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, P.; Alam, M. A.

2018-05-01

The world is experiencing an unfettered growth in terms of development but shrinking the way these developments are leading to the societal, economic and environmental changes and chaos. Sustainability is the answer and needs to be addressed effectively. ICT (Information and Communications Technology) has revolutionized the way things can change. This paper deals with sustainable transportation. Sustainable transport system is a sub topic of a bigger issue “Sustainable Development”. So what does this imply? ICT, can indeed enable the designing of smarter cities that offer a better quality of life for their residents while being more sustainable and cost effective. It is not just the citizens of a country but also the government that can gain benefit from initiatives and meet the objectives faster. This paper digs into the traditional transport systems and the sustainable transport system which we thrive for. Green vehicles/Electric Vehicles/Driverless cars/Hybrid vehicles are the need of the hour. This paper extensively explores the issues and inventions that can lead to sustainable transportation. It further explores the problems associated with them and their solutions. These solutions cover the major aspects of sustainability like meticulous planning, correct usage of ICT and a well drafted and implemented governance framework.

Brownfields Recommendations for Sustainable Site Design — Green Landscape Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The assessment of conditions contained in this report focuses on site-specific environmental and soil conditions that might affect recommendations related to sustainable landscaping and site design, stormwater management, and stormwater reuse.

Immediate and Sustained Effects of Planning in a Problem-Solving Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaney, Peter F.; Ericsson, K. Anders; Knowles, Martin E.

2004-01-01

In 4 experiments, instructions to plan a task (water jugs) that normally produces little planning altered how participants solved the problems and resulted in enhanced learning and memory. Experiment 1 identified planning strategies that allowed participants to plan full solutions to water jugs problems. Experiment 2 showed that experience with…

Verification and Validation Plan for Flight Performance Requirements on the CEV Parachute Assembly System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Aaron L.; Olson, Leah M.

2011-01-01

The Crew Exploration Vehicle Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) is engaged in a multi-year design and test campaign aimed at qualifying a parachute recovery system for human use on the Orion Spacecraft. Orion has parachute flight performance requirements that will ultimately be verified through the use of Monte Carlo multi-degree of freedom flight simulations. These simulations will be anchored by real world flight test data and iteratively improved to provide a closer approximation to the real physics observed in the inherently chaotic inflation and steady state flight of the CPAS parachutes. This paper will examine the processes necessary to verify the flight performance requirements of the human rated spacecraft. The focus will be on the requirements verification and model validation planned on CPAS.

Policy Perspective: Meeting the Challenge of the DOE Order 436.1 Departmental Sustainability - 12527

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

MacDonald, Jennifer C.

2012-07-01

DOE's Sustainability Performance Office is working to meet sustainability goals at DOE by implementing Executive Orders, Departmental policy, the DOE Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan (SSPP) and legislation related to sustainability. Through implementation of Executive Orders, Departmental policy, the SSPP, statutory requirements and regular reporting, analysis and communication, DOE's SPO is working to maintain and expand DOE's leadership in sustainability. (authors)

Addressing strategy execution challenges to lead sustainable change.

PubMed

Shirey, Maria R

2011-01-01

This department highlights change management strategies that may be successful in strategically planning and executing organizational change initiatives. With the goal of presenting practical approaches helpful to nurse leaders advancing organizational change, content includes evidence-based projects, tools, and resources that mobilize and sustain organizational change initiatives. In this article, the author discusses strategy execution challenges that must be addressed to lead sustainable change.

2016 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan: Smithsonian Facilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smithsonian Institution, 2016

2016-01-01

As a trust instrumentality of the United States, the Smithsonian is committed to the goals which Executive Order 13693 set for federal agencies, and is focused on making improvements in environmental, energy, and economic performance. As stated in the current Smithsonian Strategic Plan, one of the four grand challenges we have undertaken is…

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.

Examining sustainability in a hospital setting: case of smoking cessation.

PubMed

Campbell, Sharon; Pieters, Karen; Mullen, Kerri-Anne; Reece, Robin; Reid, Robert D

2011-09-14

sustainability, and foster development of a sustainability plan. Based on this study, we suggest that sustainability plans should focus on enhancing interactions between the health problem, program features, and stakeholder influence.

Designing a Self-Sustaining Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Harry T.

2012-01-01

One has heard a great deal in recent years about designing self-sustaining communities, organizations that can subsist independently on what they make. Planning for this kind of community is challenging--today most people take for granted having essential services like water, sewage, communications, natural gas, and electricity delivered right to…

Streamlining Transportation Corridors Planning Processes and Validating the Application of Commercial Remote Sensing and Spatial Information (CRS-SI) Technologies for Environmental Impact Assessments

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-02-05

The new US DOT RITA program has selected MSU for addressing corridor planning and environmental assessment in new and innovative ways that can be compared to traditional approaches. Our primary focus is on the application and validation of new and in...

Living the Plan: Strategic Planning Aligned with Practice and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Timothy M.; Richardson, Emily C.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide leaders of continuing education enterprises with an integrated model for sustaining strategic planning initiatives. Global economic conditions, shifting competitive forces, continuing calls for accountability, and dramatic changes in institutional funding streams contribute to an environment characterized…

Sustainability of NGO capacity building in southern Africa: successes and opportunities.

PubMed

Humphries, Debbie; Gomez, Ligia; Hartwig, Kari

2011-01-01

Despite an increase in organizational capacity building efforts by external organizations in low and middle income countries, the documentation of these efforts and their effects on health programs and systems remains limited. This paper reviews key frameworks for considering sustainability of capacity building and applies these frameworks to an evaluation of the sustainability of an AIDS non-governmental organization (NGO) capacity building initiative. From 2004-2007 Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's Secure the Future(TM) initiative in southern Africa funded a five country program, the NGO Training Institute (NGOTI), to build capacity of NGOs working to address HIV/AIDS. Lessons learned from this project include issues of ownership, the importance of integrating planning for sustainability within capacity-building projects, and the value of identifying primary capacity-building objectives in order to select sustainability strategies that are focused on maintaining program benefits. Sustainability for capacity building projects can be developed by discussing key issues early in the planning process with all primary stakeholders. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Ground Validation (GV) Science Implementation Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petersen, Walter A.; Hou, Arthur Y.

2008-01-01

For pre-launch algorithm development and post-launch product evaluation Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Ground Validation (GV) goes beyond direct comparisons of surface rain rates between ground and satellite measurements to provide the means for improving retrieval algorithms and model applications.Three approaches to GPM GV include direct statistical validation (at the surface), precipitation physics validation (in a vertical columns), and integrated science validation (4-dimensional). These three approaches support five themes: core satellite error characterization; constellation satellites validation; development of physical models of snow, cloud water, and mixed phase; development of cloud-resolving model (CRM) and land-surface models to bridge observations and algorithms; and, development of coupled CRM-land surface modeling for basin-scale water budget studies and natural hazard prediction. This presentation describes the implementation of these approaches.

National Laboratory Planning: Developing Sustainable Biocontainment Laboratories in Limited Resource Areas.

PubMed

Yeh, Kenneth B; Adams, Martin; Stamper, Paul D; Dasgupta, Debanjana; Hewson, Roger; Buck, Charles D; Richards, Allen L; Hay, John

2016-01-01

Strategic laboratory planning in limited resource areas is essential for addressing global health security issues. Establishing a national reference laboratory, especially one with BSL-3 or -4 biocontainment facilities, requires a heavy investment of resources, a multisectoral approach, and commitments from multiple stakeholders. We make the case for donor organizations and recipient partners to develop a comprehensive laboratory operations roadmap that addresses factors such as mission and roles, engaging national and political support, securing financial support, defining stakeholder involvement, fostering partnerships, and building trust. Successful development occurred with projects in African countries and in Azerbaijan, where strong leadership and a clear management framework have been key to success. A clearly identified and agreed management framework facilitate identifying the responsibility for developing laboratory capabilities and support services, including biosafety and biosecurity, quality assurance, equipment maintenance, supply chain establishment, staff certification and training, retention of human resources, and sustainable operating revenue. These capabilities and support services pose rate-limiting yet necessary challenges. Laboratory capabilities depend on mission and role, as determined by all stakeholders, and demonstrate the need for relevant metrics to monitor the success of the laboratory, including support for internal and external audits. Our analysis concludes that alternative frameworks for success exist for developing and implementing capabilities at regional and national levels in limited resource areas. Thus, achieving a balance for standardizing practices between local procedures and accepted international standards is a prerequisite for integrating new facilities into a country's existing public health infrastructure and into the overall international scientific community.

National Laboratory Planning: Developing Sustainable Biocontainment Laboratories in Limited Resource Areas

PubMed Central

Adams, Martin; Stamper, Paul D.; Dasgupta, Debanjana; Hewson, Roger; Buck, Charles D.; Richards, Allen L.; Hay, John

2016-01-01

Strategic laboratory planning in limited resource areas is essential for addressing global health security issues. Establishing a national reference laboratory, especially one with BSL-3 or -4 biocontainment facilities, requires a heavy investment of resources, a multisectoral approach, and commitments from multiple stakeholders. We make the case for donor organizations and recipient partners to develop a comprehensive laboratory operations roadmap that addresses factors such as mission and roles, engaging national and political support, securing financial support, defining stakeholder involvement, fostering partnerships, and building trust. Successful development occurred with projects in African countries and in Azerbaijan, where strong leadership and a clear management framework have been key to success. A clearly identified and agreed management framework facilitate identifying the responsibility for developing laboratory capabilities and support services, including biosafety and biosecurity, quality assurance, equipment maintenance, supply chain establishment, staff certification and training, retention of human resources, and sustainable operating revenue. These capabilities and support services pose rate-limiting yet necessary challenges. Laboratory capabilities depend on mission and role, as determined by all stakeholders, and demonstrate the need for relevant metrics to monitor the success of the laboratory, including support for internal and external audits. Our analysis concludes that alternative frameworks for success exist for developing and implementing capabilities at regional and national levels in limited resource areas. Thus, achieving a balance for standardizing practices between local procedures and accepted international standards is a prerequisite for integrating new facilities into a country's existing public health infrastructure and into the overall international scientific community. PMID:27559843

Self-sustained micro mechanical oscillator with linear feedback

DOE PAGES

Chen, Changyao; Zanette, Damian H.; Guest, Jeffrey R.; ...

2016-07-01

Autonomous oscillators, such as clocks and lasers, produce periodic signals without any external frequency reference. In order to sustain stable periodic motions, there needs to be external energy supply as well as nonlinearity built into the oscillator to regulate the amplitude. Usually, nonlinearity is provided by the sustaining feedback mechanism, which also supplies energy, whereas the constituent resonator that determines the output frequency stays linear. Here we propose a new self-sustaining scheme that relies on the nonlinearity originating from the resonator itself to limit the oscillation amplitude, while the feedback remains linear. We introduce a model to describe the workingmore » principle of the self-sustained oscillations and validate it with experiments performed on a nonlinear microelectromechanical (MEMS) based oscillator.« less

The requirements for implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and for planning and implementing Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) in mining areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florkowska, Lucyna; Bryt-Nitarska, Izabela

2018-04-01

The notion of Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) appears more and more frequently in contemporary regional development strategies. Formulating the main assumptions of ITI is a response to a growing need for a co-ordinated, multi-dimensional regional development suitable for the characteristics of a given area. Activities are mainly aimed at improving people's quality of life with their significant participation. These activities include implementing the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs). Territorial investments include, among others, projects in areas where land and building use is governed not only by general regulations (Spatial Planning and Land Development Act) but also by separate legal acts. This issue also concerns areas with active mines and post-mining areas undergoing revitalization. For the areas specified above land development and in particular making building investments is subject to the requirements set forth in the Geological and Mining Law and in the general regulations. In practice this means that factors connected with the present and future mining impacts must be taken into consideration in planning the investment process. This article discusses the role of proper assessment of local geological conditions as well as the current and future mining situation in the context of proper planning and performance of the Integrated Territorial Investment programme and also in the context of implementing the SDGs. It also describes the technical and legislative factors which need to be taken into consideration in areas where mining is planned or where it took place in the past.

A new framework for sustainable hydropower development project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johan, Kartina; Turan, Faiz Mohd; Gani, Nur Syazwani Abdul

2018-03-01

This project studies on the establishment of a new framework for sustainable hydropower development. A hydropower development is listed as one of the prescribed activities under the Environmental Quality Order 1987. Thus, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) guidelines must be referred to comply with the Department of Environment (DoE) requirements. In order to execute EIA, an assessment tool that will be utilized in the final evaluation phase must be determined. The selected assessment tool that will be used is Systematic Sustainability Assessment(SSA) which is a new integrated tool to evaluate the sustainability performance. A pilot run is conducted in five different departments within the Energy Company to validate the efficiency of the SSA tool. The parameters to be evaluated are constructed aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to maintain the sustainability features. Consequently, the performance level of the sustainability with respect to People, Planet and Profit (3P’s) is able to be discovered during evaluation phase in the hydropower development for continuous improvement.

Assessing the Role of College as a Sustainability Communication Channel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lertpratchya, Alisa P.; Besley, John C.; Zwickle, Adam; Takahashi, Bruno; Whitley, Cameron Thomas

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of higher education institution as a sustainability communication channel. The theory of planned behavior was used to examine the degree to which a student's tenure at a large university with active and visible sustainability initiatives is associated with changes in views about…

Sustainable transportation for tourism : indicators and standards.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

The overall project goal of guiding planning and management of transportation to serve the needs of : sustainable tourism focused on three tourism-related transportation contexts. The first context was : selected types of roads important to tourism i...

Sustainable transportation for tourism : green certification programs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

The overall project goal of guiding planning and management of transportation to serve the needs of : sustainable tourism focused on three tourism-related transportation contexts. The first context was : selected types of roads important to tourism i...

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

PubMed

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

2009-12-01

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

Planning and implementing forest operations to achieve sustainable forests: Proceedings of papers presented at the joint meeting of the Council on Forest Engineering and International Union of Forest Research Organizations.

Treesearch

Charles R. Blinn; Michael A. Thompson

1996-01-01

Contains a variety of papers presented at the joint meeting of the Council on Forest Engineering and International Union of Forest Research Organizations Subject Group S3.04 and that support the meeting theme "Planning and Implementing Forest Operations to Achieve Sustainable Forests."

Calibration and Validation Plan for the L2A Processor and Products of the SENTINEL-2 Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Main-Knorn, M.; Pflug, B.; Debaecker, V.; Louis, J.

2015-04-01

The Copernicus programme, is a European initiative for the implementation of information services based on observation data received from Earth Observation (EO) satellites and ground based information. In the frame of this programme, ESA is developing the Sentinel-2 optical imaging mission that will deliver optical data products designed to feed downstream services mainly related to land monitoring, emergency management and security. To ensure the highest quality of service, ESA sets up the Sentinel-2 Mission Performance Centre (MPC) in charge of the overall performance monitoring of the Sentinel-2 mission. TPZ F and DLR have teamed up in order to provide the best added-value support to the MPC for calibration and validation of the Level-2A processor (Sen2Cor) and products. This paper gives an overview over the planned L2A calibration and validation activities. Level-2A processing is applied to Top-Of-Atmosphere (TOA) Level-1C ortho-image reflectance products. Level-2A main output is the Bottom-Of-Atmosphere (BOA) corrected reflectance product. Additional outputs are an Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) map, a Water Vapour (WV) map and a Scene Classification (SC) map with Quality Indicators for cloud and snow probabilities. Level-2A BOA, AOT and WV outputs are calibrated and validated using ground-based data of automatic operating stations and data of in-situ campaigns. Scene classification is validated by the visual inspection of test datasets and cross-sensor comparison, supplemented by meteorological data, if available. Contributions of external in-situ campaigns would enlarge the reference dataset and enable extended validation exercise. Therefore, we are highly interested in and welcome external contributors.

SU-F-BRF-10: Deformable MRI to CT Validation Employing Same Day Planning MRI for Surrogate Analysis

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

Padgett, K; Stoyanova, R; Johnson, P

Purpose: To compare rigid and deformable registrations of the prostate in the multi-modality setting (diagnostic-MRI to planning-CT) by utilizing a planning-MRI as a surrogate. The surrogate allows for the direct quantitative analysis which can be difficult in the multi-modality domain where intensity mapping differs. Methods: For ten subjects, T2 fast-spin-echo images were acquired at two different time points, the first several weeks prior to planning (diagnostic-MRI) and the second on the same day in which the planning CT was collected (planning-MRI). Significant effort in patient positioning and bowel/bladder preparation was undertaken to minimize distortion of the prostate in all datasets.more » The diagnostic-MRI was deformed to the planning-CT utilizing a commercially available deformable registration algorithm synthesized from local registrations. The deformed MRI was then rigidly aligned to the planning MRI which was used as the surrogate for the planning-CT. Agreement between the two MRI datasets was scored using intensity based metrics including Pearson correlation and normalized mutual information, NMI. A local analysis was performed by looking only within the prostate, proximal seminal vesicles, penile bulb and combined areas. A similar method was used to assess a rigid registration between the diagnostic-MRI and planning-CT. Results: Utilizing the NMI, the deformable registrations were superior to the rigid registrations in 9 of 10 cases demonstrating a 15.94% improvement (p-value < 0.001) within the combined area. The Pearson correlation showed similar results with the deformable registration superior in the same number of cases and demonstrating a 6.97% improvement (p-value <0.011). Conclusion: Validating deformable multi-modality registrations using spatial intensity based metrics is difficult due to the inherent differences in intensity mapping. This population provides an ideal testing ground for MRI to CT deformable registrations by obviating

Transition to Sustainability: Science Support Through Characterizing and Quantifying Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plag, Hans-Peter; Jules-Plag, Shelley

2013-04-01

, impediments, and interconnections of conditions and processes (such as the food-water-energy nexus). Who are the stakeholders that need sustainability knowledge for policy and decision making and how can we ensure (e.g., through co-design and co-creation of knowledge) that research is providing what these stakeholders need? What are the 'frontlines' of the sustainability crisis (e.g., the coastal zones; urban sprawl; global interdependency of the economic system; disasters)? What metrics do we have to measure sustainability in s2e? We could agree on a minimal set of sustainability characteristics and aim to quantify these, including disaster risk, resilience, adaptive capabilities, and livelihood. We have many data sets but discoverability, accessibility, interoperability are often low and data sharing remains an issue. Consequently, we have very few s2e sustainability indicators, and unlike in the cockpit of an airplane, the knowledge of what the 'red lights' are is limited. Nevertheless, on a reengineered planet, for which the past is a poor analogue for the future and predictability of planetary trajectories is limited, we are rapidly transforming social and economic conditions and are creating interdependencies that reduce resilience and increase the probability of disasters, including those with the characteristics of "Black Swans." How can science support planning for sustainability in the s2e context? We have to ask whether we know the s2e system well enough to decide on the nature of the support. We need to know the global and local boundaries of our "safe operational space," but this is not enough. If the s2e system is in "mediocristan" deterministic prediction-based planning makes sense and science can focus on predictions. However, if the s2e system is in "extremistan," adaptive, proactive, risk- and evidence-based governance is required. In this case, science support has to explore the range of possible system trajectories, provide hazard probabilities and

Big agronomic data validates an oxymoron: Sustainable intensification under climate change

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop science is increasingly embracing big data to reconcile the apparent rift between intensification of food production and sustainability of a steadily stressed production base. A strategy based on long-term agroecosystem research and modeling simulation of crops, crop rotations and cropping sys...

Implementing AACN's recommendations for environmental sustainability in colleges of nursing: from concept to impact.

PubMed

Butterfield, Patricia; Schenk, Elizabeth; Eide, Phyllis; Hahn, Laura; Postma, Julie; Fitzgerald, Cynthia; Oneal, Gail

2014-01-01

In 2011, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released a guidance report titled Toward an Environmentally Sustainable Academic Enterprise: An AACN Guide for Nursing Education. The report was developed in response to a vivid slide presentation at an AACN meeting depicting the deleterious public and environmental health effects of global industrialization. Following the presentation, AACN members capitalized on the opportunity to provide national leadership to U.S. colleges of nursing in regard to environmental sustainability and stewardship. This article summarizes key features of the AACN plan and outlines one college's multifaceted implementation plan. The goal of the implementation plan was to translate the AACN recommendations from concept into college-specific actions. Specific steps taken by the college included the following: (a) increasing student and faculty awareness, (b) greening business operations, (c) increased participation in media events, (d) leveraging the impact of national sustainability initiatives, and (e) enhancing curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Through this work, the college achieved not only a higher standard of sustainability within its own walls but also a richer appreciation of the importance of educating nurses as future stewards in an environmentally sustainable health care system. © 2014.

A national environmental monitoring system to support the Moroccan sustainable development strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mourhir, A.; Rachidi, T.

2010-12-01

Development to set up an indicator system (IDD) specific to Morocco. The National Committee for Sustainable Development Indicators was set up to create a program to test and validate the IDD. A number of indicators have been chosen and the Moroccan government’s Environment Department has made the database available through a publication and via the internet, which will be updated regularly. The database will be organized to facilitate ad hoc query and analysis. 2.Development of a GIS structure to help map plans for achieving successful management strategies that are sustainable both at the regional and national levels. 3.Visualization and analysis tools for spatial and temporal changes of environmental indicators to help manage growth and change.

Factors affecting sustainability of rural water schemes in Swaziland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, Graciana; Nkambule, Sizwe E.

maintenance; existence of fund for operation and maintenance; willingness to contribute money; existence of a user’s committee; participation in the initial planning and design of the water scheme; and coordination between the local leaders and user’s committee. The main factors which made the schemes unsustainable were: long fetching time; non-involvement in decision making; lack of willingness to contribute funds; absence of users committee; and lack of cooperation between local leaders and the users committee. Water service providers should address the technical, social, financial and institutional factors identified affecting sustainability in their planning and implementation of rural water schemes.

LaRC 20-Year Center Revitalization Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mangum, Cathy H.; Harris, Charles E.; Allen, Cheryl L.; Craft, Stephen J.; Hope, Drew J.; Kegelman, Jerome T.; Mastaler, Michael D; Weiser, Erik S.

2012-01-01

LaRC has developed a 20-Year Center Revitalization Plan. The objective of this plan is to assure that the center infrastructure is sustainable for the long-term and that the center will have the essential facilities and laboratories to execute the future NASA mission. The plan was developed by a centerwide team, VITAL, and was approved by the Center Leadership Council (CLC) in March 2012. The revitalization plan will be implemented through the Center Master Planning process.

An Evolving Assessment Strategy: Sustaining Interactions with Users to Inform Planning and Decisionmaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moss, R. H.

2016-12-01

Research indicates that in addition to reports, decision makers need to access climate science through a range of products such as scenarios, observed data, maps, technical guidelines, and other materials. This presentation will describe an evolving strategy for leveraging climate research and assessments conducted by the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) to provide usable climate information to build society's capacity to manage climate variability and change. The approach is called "sustained assessment" and is intended to be more interactive and to empower individuals and organizations to participate more fully and in an ongoing basis to evaluate the implications of climate change using state of the art scientific information. The speaker will describe the necessary conditions for sustained assessment, including mechanisms to facilitate ongoing communication between users and the climate science community in co-design and implementation of assessment activities. It will also review some of the needed scientific foundations for sustained assessment. The speaker is chair of the recently established Federal Advisory Committee. He has been involved in previous US National Climate Assessments (NCAs), including as a lead author of a special advisory report on establishing a sustained US national assessment process. He will speak in his personal capacity and provide publicly-available information on the role of the new Advisory Committee and steps towards establishing a sustained assessment process.

Prioritizing and Funding Nepal's Multisector Nutrition Plan.

PubMed

Pomeroy-Stevens, Amanda; Shrestha, Madhukar B; Biradavolu, Monica; Hachhethu, Kusum; Houston, Robin; Sharma, Indu; Wun, Jolene

2016-12-01

Nepal has a long tradition of designing good multisectoral nutrition policy. However, success of policy implementation has varied. More evidence on how to successfully carry out multisector nutrition policy is needed. We tracked the influence of Nepal's multisectoral nutrition plan (MSNP) on the process of priority setting and budgeting from 2014 to 2016. This study used a mixed-method longitudinal design to track qualitative and budgetary changes related to MSNP processes nationally as well as in 3 districts. Qualitative changes in each study area were assessed through interviews, observation, news content, and meeting notes. Changes in allocations and expenditures were calculated based on budget documents, work plans, and validation interviews. Improved understanding of the MSNP was documented nationally and in study districts but not in VDCs. Human resources, ownership, bottom-up planning, coordination, advocacy, and sustainable structures all emerged as important factors within the enabling environment. Evidence suggests the MSNP influenced improvements in the last 3 factors. We also found notable increases in activities and financing for nutrition-allocations increased steadily between FY 2013-2014 and FY 2015-2016, and 28% of total nutrition allocations in the final year came from new or expanded MSNP-affiliated activities. Data from 3 districts highlight challenges linking local planning and budgeting to central-level structures. The MSNP appears to have strengthened the nutrition system in Nepal and increased priority and funding for nutrition. Next steps include strengthening linkages to the districts and below. Other countries can learn from the MSNP's success in increasing investment for nutrition. © The Author(s) 2016.

On the experimental validation of model-based dose calculation algorithms for 192Ir HDR brachytherapy treatment planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pappas, Eleftherios P.; Zoros, Emmanouil; Moutsatsos, Argyris; Peppa, Vasiliki; Zourari, Kyveli; Karaiskos, Pantelis; Papagiannis, Panagiotis

2017-05-01

There is an acknowledged need for the design and implementation of physical phantoms appropriate for the experimental validation of model-based dose calculation algorithms (MBDCA) introduced recently in 192Ir brachytherapy treatment planning systems (TPS), and this work investigates whether it can be met. A PMMA phantom was prepared to accommodate material inhomogeneities (air and Teflon), four plastic brachytherapy catheters, as well as 84 LiF TLD dosimeters (MTS-100M 1  ×  1  ×  1 mm3 microcubes), two radiochromic films (Gafchromic EBT3) and a plastic 3D dosimeter (PRESAGE). An irradiation plan consisting of 53 source dwell positions was prepared on phantom CT images using a commercially available TPS and taking into account the calibration dose range of each detector. Irradiation was performed using an 192Ir high dose rate (HDR) source. Dose to medium in medium, Dmm , was calculated using the MBDCA option of the same TPS as well as Monte Carlo (MC) simulation with the MCNP code and a benchmarked methodology. Measured and calculated dose distributions were spatially registered and compared. The total standard (k  =  1) spatial uncertainties for TLD, film and PRESAGE were: 0.71, 1.58 and 2.55 mm. Corresponding percentage total dosimetric uncertainties were: 5.4-6.4, 2.5-6.4 and 4.85, owing mainly to the absorbed dose sensitivity correction and the relative energy dependence correction (position dependent) for TLD, the film sensitivity calibration (dose dependent) and the dependencies of PRESAGE sensitivity. Results imply a LiF over-response due to a relative intrinsic energy dependence between 192Ir and megavoltage calibration energies, and a dose rate dependence of PRESAGE sensitivity at low dose rates (<1 Gy min-1). Calculations were experimentally validated within uncertainties except for MBDCA results for points in the phantom periphery and dose levels  <20%. Experimental MBDCA validation is laborious, yet feasible. Further

Sea-ice information co-management: Planning for sustainable multiple uses of ice-covered seas in a rapidly changing Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eicken, H.; Lovecraft, A. L.

2012-12-01

A thinner, less extensive and more mobile summer sea-ice cover is a major element and driver of Arctic Ocean change. Declining summer sea ice presents Arctic stakeholders with substantial challenges and opportunities from the perspective of sustainable ocean use and derivation of sea-ice or ecosystem services. Sea-ice use by people and wildlife as well as its role as a major environmental hazard focuses the interests and concerns of indigenous hunters and Arctic coastal communities, resource managers and the maritime industry. In particular, rapid sea-ice change and intensifying offshore industrial activities have raised fundamental questions as to how best to plan for and manage multiple and increasingly overlapping ocean and sea ice uses. The western North American Arctic - a region that has seen some of the greatest changes in ice and ocean conditions in the past three decades anywhere in the North - is the focus of our study. Specifically, we examine the important role that relevant and actionable sea-ice information can play in allowing stakeholders to evaluate risks and reconcile overlapping and potentially competing interests. Our work in coastal Alaska suggests that important prerequisites to address such challenges are common values, complementary bodies of expertise (e.g., local or indigenous knowledge, engineering expertise, environmental science) and a forum for the implementation and evaluation of a sea-ice data and information framework. Alongside the International Polar Year 2007-08 and an associated boost in Arctic Ocean observation programs and platforms, there has been a movement towards new governance bodies that have these qualities and can play a central role in guiding the design and optimization of Arctic observing systems. To help further the development of such forums an evaluation of the density and spatial distribution of institutions, i.e., rule sets that govern ocean use, as well as the use of scenario planning and analysis can serve as

A sustainable landscape ecosystem design: a case study.

PubMed

Huang, Lei-Chang; Ye, Shu-Hong; Gu, Xun; Cao, Fu-Cun; Fan, Zheng-Qiu; Wang, Xiang-Rong; Wu, Ya-Sheng; Wang, Shou-Bing

2010-05-01

Landscape planning is clearly ecologically and socially relevant. Concern about sustainability between human and environment is now a driving paradigm for this professional. However, the explosion of the sustainable landscape in China is a very recent phenomenon. What is the sustainable landscape? How is this realized in practice? In this article, on the basis of the reviews of history and perplexities of Chinese landscape and nature analysis of sustainable landscape, the ecothinking model, an implemental tool for sustainable landscape, was developed, which applies ecothinking in vision, culture, conservation and development of site, and the process of public participation for a harmonious relationship between human and environment. And a case study of the south entrance of TongNiuling Scenic Area was carried out, in which the most optimum scenario was chosen from among three models according to the ecothinking model, to illustrate the construction of the ecothinking model and how to achieve a sustainable landscape.

Developing a national approach to building healthy and sustainable cities.

PubMed

Howe, Renate T

2007-01-01

Effective strategies to build a national approach to the integration of health and urban planning at all levels of government is essential if the health problems of urban Australians, such as obesity and respiratory illnesses, are to improve. This paper examines some policies and initiatives that could facilitate intergovernment cooperation on health and sustainability within the constraints of Australia's federal government system. These include recommendations for an Australian Sustainability Commission and Charter of Sustainability, evaluations of the Better Cities Program of the 1990s, and current proposals for improving urban governance to enable the implementation of a healthy and sustainable cities agenda.

Sustainability for Shrinking Cities | Science Inventory | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Shrinking cities are widespread throughout the world despite the rapidly increasing global urban population. These cities are attempting to transition to sustainable trajectories to improve the health and well-being of urban residents, to build their capacity to adapt to changing conditions and to cope with major events. The dynamics of shrinking cities are different than the dynamics of growing cities, and therefore intentional research and planning around creating sustainable cities is needed for shrinking cities. We propose research that can be applied to shrinking cities by identifying parallel challenges in growing cities and translating urban research and planning that is specific to each city’s dynamics. In addition, we offer applications of panarchy concepts to this problem. The contributions to this Special Issue take on this forward-looking planning task through drawing lessons for urban sustainability from shrinking cities, or translating general lessons from urban research to the context of shrinking cities. Humans are rapidly becoming an urban species, with greater populations in urban areas, increasing size of these urban areas, and increasing number of very large urban areas. As a consequence, much of what we know about cities is focused on how they grow and take shape, the strains that their growth puts on city infrastructure, the consequences for human and nonhuman inhabitants of these cities and their surroundings, and the policies which can

Validation of a pregnancy planning measure for Arabic-speaking women.

PubMed

Almaghaslah, Eman; Rochat, Roger; Farhat, Ghada

2017-01-01

The prevalence of unplanned pregnancy in Saudi Arabia has not been thoroughly investigated. To conduct a psychometric evaluation study of the Arabic version of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy (LMUP). To evaluate the psychometric properties of the LMUP, we conducted a self-administered online survey among 796 ever-married Saudi women aged 20-49 years, and a re-test survey among 24 women. The psychometric properties evaluated included content validity measured by content validity index (CVI), structural validity assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA), substantive validity assessed by hypothesis testing, contextual stability for the test-retest assessed by weighted Kappa, and internal consistency assessed by Cronbach's alpha. The psychometric analysis of the Arabic version of LMUP exhibited valid and reliable properties. The CVIs for individual items and at the scale level were >0.7. EFA confirmed a unidimensional extraction of the scale item. Hypothesis testing confirmed expected associations. The tool was stable with weighted kappa = 0.78 and Cronbach's alpha = 0.88. In this study, the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the LMUP were confirmed according to well-known psychometric criteria. This LMUP version can be used in research studies among Arabic-speaking women to measure unplanned pregnancy and investigate correlates and outcomes related to unplanned pregnancy.

Transition of Army Ground Systems from Production to Sustainment

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-03

Management in partial fulfillment of the degree of Master of Global Leadership and Management Submitted to Defense Acquisition University in...gathered from the survey was analyzed using descriptive statistics for correlations among the data collected, and to analyze items that were grouped...that is used as a detailed plan to describe how the system will be sustained. LCSP’s include how sustainment activity metrics will be determined

Street as Sustainable City Structural Element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leyzerova, A. V.; Bagina, E. J.

2017-11-01

Sustainability in architecture is nowadays of particular significance in the course of globalization and information density. The technospehere spontaneous development poses a threat to the sustainability of traditional urban forms where a street is one of the essential forming elements in the urban structure. The article proposes to consider formally compositional street features in relation to one of the traditional streets in the historic center of Ekaterinburg. The study examines the street-planning structure, the development of its skeleton elements, silhouette and fabric elevation characteristics as well as the scale characteristics and visual complexity of objects. The study provided architectural and artistic aspects of street sustainability, and limits of the appropriate scale and composition consistency under which the compatibility of alternative compositional forms existing at different times is possible.

United States Strategic Plan for International Affairs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

Humanitarian Response 39 Global Issues 41 US Strategic Plan for International Affairs International Affairs Strategic Plan Summary and Introduction...minimize the human costs of conflict and natural disasters. Global Issues : • Secure a sustainable global environment in order to protect the United States...involvement in addressing crises. 40 US Strategic Plan for International Affairs NATIONAL INTEREST: Global Issues The global environment has a

Ergonomics and education as a strategy for sustainable development in business.

PubMed

Silveira, Dierci Marcio; Brandão, Erico Lourenço

2012-01-01

It is part of the vocabulary of organizations, and the agendas discussed the subject of "Sustainability", but there are few companies that implement practices or even know the means of implementing sustainable practices. The objective of this paper is to discuss an approach to education for sustainable development (ESD) based on the concepts and practice of ergonomics, as a consequence of this approach allows the implementation of integration initiatives focused on sustainability, such as eg. energy efficiency and consumer awareness thus allowing a means of reducing costs and operating expenses, increased competitiveness and significant contributions to corporate sustainability. There is also the inclusion of sustainability in corporate strategic planning, and their implications in the different spheres of the market.

Calculation of the Carbon Footprint to Determine Sustainability Status: A Comparative Analysis of Some Selected Planned and Unplanned Areas of Dhaka Megacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iqbal, S. M. S.

2015-12-01

Resource scarcity is considered to be one of the most serious issues plaguing Dhaka city. Because of the massive pressure of increasing population (15.931 million), a very unsustainable situation is waiting for this city in the upcoming future. It is inevitable to know how far this city is from being sustainable. This paper embodies the comparative analysis of the carbon footprint of four different areas in Dhaka city. It is considered as one of the most important key indicators of sustainability. It calculates the amount of biologically productive land in order to produce all the resources consumed by an individual or a particular community. This research has been conducted in both the planned and unplanned areas of this city. Among compound, component and direct method, component method was used to calculate the carbon footprint. Primary data were collected from door to door questionnaire survey. Total 371 samples were drawn from all the study areas at 95 % confidence level and 5% confidence interval. After finishing data analysis it was clear that the per capita carbon footprint of the selected study areas exceeds the per capita biocapacity of Dhaka city. And there exists a huge variation between the planned and unplanned areas of Old Dhaka and New Dhaka. Per capita carbon footprint of Gulshan & Jhigatola (part of New Dhaka) is higher than the per capita carbon footprint of Gandaria & Wari (part of Old Dhaka) that means resource stress is higher in Gulshan & Jhigatola in comparison with Gandaria & Wari because of the difference of daily consumption pattern. One of the most important findings of this study is that the per capita carbon footprint is the highest in Gulshan (1.2407 gha) among all the study areas and it is 85.56 times greater than the per capita biocapacity of Dhaka city (0.0145 gha) that means a single resident of this area needs 1.2407 gha land in order to support his/her demand on nature but only 0.0145 gha land (in an average) is available for

Advanced Education and Technology Business Plan, 2007-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education, 2007

2007-01-01

The Government of Alberta Strategic Business Plan addresses significant opportunities and challenges facing Alberta over the next three years and positions Alberta to make the most of its economic, social and natural advantages. It is a plan to strategically manage growth and plan for a sustainable and secure future. Advanced Education and…

Validating the Electric Maze Task as a Measure of Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheppard, Kelly W.; Cheatham, Carol L.

2017-01-01

The Electric Maze Task (EMT) is a novel planning task designed to allow flexible testing of planning abilities across a broad age range and to incorporate manipulations to test underlying planning abilities, such as working-memory and inhibitory control skills. The EMT was tested in a group of 63 typically developing 7- to 12-year-olds.…

The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities in Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Gaudiano, Edgar

2005-01-01

The international implementation plan for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) identifies four elements for the achievement of sustainable development through education: (1) recognising the challenge; (2) collective responsibility and constructive society; (3) acting with determination; and (4) the indivisibility of human…

A Hydrologically-based Method for Calculating Sustainable Yield under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miro, M.; Famiglietti, J. S.

2016-12-01

In California, traditional water management has focused heavily on surface water, leaving many basins in a state of critical overdraft and lacking in established frameworks for groundwater management. However, new groundwater legislation, the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), presents an important opportunity for water managers and hydrologists to develop novel methods for managing statewide groundwater resources. Integrating scientific advances in groundwater monitoring with hydrologically-sound methods can go a long way in creating a system that can better govern the resource. SGMA mandates that groundwater management agencies employ the concept of sustainable yield as their primary management goal but does not clearly define a method to calculate it. This study will develop a hydrologically-based method to quantify sustainable yield that follows the threshold framework under SGMA. Using this method, sustainable yield will be calculated for two critically-overdrafted groundwater basins in California's Central Valley. This measure will also utilize groundwater monitoring data and downscaled remote sensing estimates of groundwater storage change from NASA's GRACE satellite to illustrate why data matters for successful management. This method can be used as a basis for the development of SGMA's groundwater management plans (GSPs) throughout California.

Examining sustainability in a hospital setting: Case of smoking cessation

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

into issues affecting program sustainability, and foster development of a sustainability plan. Based on this study, we suggest that sustainability plans should focus on enhancing interactions between the health problem, program features, and stakeholder influence. PMID:21917156

Design, development and clinical validation of computer-aided surgical simulation system for streamlined orthognathic surgical planning.

PubMed

Yuan, Peng; Mai, Huaming; Li, Jianfu; Ho, Dennis Chun-Yu; Lai, Yingying; Liu, Siting; Kim, Daeseung; Xiong, Zixiang; Alfi, David M; Teichgraeber, John F; Gateno, Jaime; Xia, James J

2017-12-01

There are many proven problems associated with traditional surgical planning methods for orthognathic surgery. To address these problems, we developed a computer-aided surgical simulation (CASS) system, the AnatomicAligner, to plan orthognathic surgery following our streamlined clinical protocol. The system includes six modules: image segmentation and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, registration and reorientation of models to neutral head posture, 3D cephalometric analysis, virtual osteotomy, surgical simulation, and surgical splint generation. The accuracy of the system was validated in a stepwise fashion: first to evaluate the accuracy of AnatomicAligner using 30 sets of patient data, then to evaluate the fitting of splints generated by AnatomicAligner using 10 sets of patient data. The industrial gold standard system, Mimics, was used as the reference. When comparing the results of segmentation, virtual osteotomy and transformation achieved with AnatomicAligner to the ones achieved with Mimics, the absolute deviation between the two systems was clinically insignificant. The average surface deviation between the two models after 3D model reconstruction in AnatomicAligner and Mimics was 0.3 mm with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.03 mm. All the average surface deviations between the two models after virtual osteotomy and transformations were smaller than 0.01 mm with a SD of 0.01 mm. In addition, the fitting of splints generated by AnatomicAligner was at least as good as the ones generated by Mimics. We successfully developed a CASS system, the AnatomicAligner, for planning orthognathic surgery following the streamlined planning protocol. The system has been proven accurate. AnatomicAligner will soon be available freely to the boarder clinical and research communities.

Design, development and clinical validation of computer-aided surgical simulation system for streamlined orthognathic surgical planning

PubMed Central

Yuan, Peng; Mai, Huaming; Li, Jianfu; Ho, Dennis Chun-Yu; Lai, Yingying; Liu, Siting; Kim, Daeseung; Xiong, Zixiang; Alfi, David M.; Teichgraeber, John F.; Gateno, Jaime

2017-01-01

Purpose There are many proven problems associated with traditional surgical planning methods for orthognathic surgery. To address these problems, we developed a computer-aided surgical simulation (CASS) system, the AnatomicAligner, to plan orthognathic surgery following our streamlined clinical protocol. Methods The system includes six modules: image segmentation and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, registration and reorientation of models to neutral head posture, 3D cephalometric analysis, virtual osteotomy, surgical simulation, and surgical splint generation. The accuracy of the system was validated in a stepwise fashion: first to evaluate the accuracy of AnatomicAligner using 30 sets of patient data, then to evaluate the fitting of splints generated by AnatomicAligner using 10 sets of patient data. The industrial gold standard system, Mimics, was used as the reference. Result When comparing the results of segmentation, virtual osteotomy and transformation achieved with AnatomicAligner to the ones achieved with Mimics, the absolute deviation between the two systems was clinically insignificant. The average surface deviation between the two models after 3D model reconstruction in AnatomicAligner and Mimics was 0.3 mm with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.03 mm. All the average surface deviations between the two models after virtual osteotomy and transformations were smaller than 0.01 mm with a SD of 0.01 mm. In addition, the fitting of splints generated by AnatomicAligner was at least as good as the ones generated by Mimics. Conclusion We successfully developed a CASS system, the AnatomicAligner, for planning orthognathic surgery following the streamlined planning protocol. The system has been proven accurate. AnatomicAligner will soon be available freely to the boarder clinical and research communities. PMID:28432489

Desertification or Resilience and Sustainability Research for the Vesuvius area?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobran, F.

2015-12-01

Vesuvius is one the best studied and monitored volcanoes on Earth, but the populations which surround it have not benefited from the research that would produce their habitats resilient and sustainable to future eruptions. There is no official risk management strategy that would accomplish such goals and the best that the government and mass media have been able to do is to promote for the past 20 years an emergency evacuation plan of geologists. Such a plan is practically unreliable and culturally unacceptable. It requires the issuance of an evacuation order three weeks before an eruption and the relocation all over Italy of about one million people surrounding the volcano, without addressing the issues of mass exodus, resettlement of population, protection of the evacuated territory, and reentry. This strategy gives a license to territorial managers to postpone indefinitely any territorial intervention leading to resilience and sustainability and promotes desertification of the Vesuvius area. In 1995 an interdisciplinary research project called VESUVIUS 2000 (www.gvess.org) was submitted to the European Union for a support, but it was rejected on the grounds that it interferes with the evacuation plan. This project aimed at producing by 2000 a feasibility plan of territorial interventions leading to the resilience and sustainability by requiring the accomplishment of five interdisciplinary goals (VESUVIUS PENTALOGUE) that would delineate the exclusion, resilience, and sustainability areas around the volcano. According to this risk reducing strategy, there is no need to produce the destruction of Vesuvius area culture and deal with the unreliability of long-term eruption prediction. It allows the population to prepare for an eruption and aims at producing a resilient and prosperous territory. It is unfortunate for the populations surrounding Vesuvius, and for the natural hazards research in particular, that the path towards resilience and sustainability is being

The California Alliance for Sustainability: A Collaborative Pilot Project to Build Regional Advocacy and Leadership for Sustainability Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, E. P.; Smith, G.; Cordero, E. C.; Santone, S.

2012-12-01

Science Standards. Participants then split into breakout groups to work on sustainability-themed instructional unit/college course makeovers that are aligned to California standards and their course learning objectives. Academic year follow-up support includes two Saturday workshops and webinars that will provide additional instruction in sustainability concepts and a forum for sharing successes and challenges experienced during classroom implementation of plans developed during the summer. In this session, we will share teacher-created K-12 lesson plans and descriptions of pre-service course revisions in the context of teacher-identified challenges to EfS integration in order to elucidate common barriers and highlight opportunities for curricular change.

Rooftop greenhouses in educational centers: A sustainability assessment of urban agriculture in compact cities.

PubMed

Nadal, Ana; Pons, Oriol; Cuerva, Eva; Rieradevall, Joan; Josa, Alejandro

2018-06-01

Today, urban agriculture is one of the most widely used sustainability strategies to improve the metabolism of a city. Schools can play an important role in the implementation of sustainability master plans, due their socio-educational activities and their cohesive links with families; all key elements in the development of urban agriculture. Thus, the main objective of this research is to develop a procedure, in compact cities, to assess the potential installation of rooftop greenhouses (RTGs) in schools. The generation of a dynamic assessment tool capable of identifying and prioritizing schools with a high potential for RTGs and their eventual implementation would also represent a significant factor in the environmental, social, and nutritional education of younger generations. The methodology has four-stages (Pre-selection criteria; Selection of necessities; Sustainability analysis; and Sensitivity analysis and selection of the best alternative) in which economic, environmental, social and governance aspects all are considered. It makes use of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory and Multi-Criteria Decision Making, through the Integrated Value Model for Sustainability Assessments and the participation of two panels of multidisciplinary specialists, for the preparation of a unified sustainability index that guarantees the objectivity of the selection process. This methodology has been applied and validated in a case study of 11 schools in Barcelona (Spain). The social perspective of the proposed methodology favored the school in the case-study with the most staff and the largest parent-teacher association (social and governance indicators) that obtained the highest sustainability index (S11); at a considerable distance (45%) from the worst case (S3) with fewer school staff and parental support. Finally, objective decisions may be taken with the assistance of this appropriate, adaptable, and reliable Multi-Criteria Decision-Making tool on the vertical integration and

Joint Test Report for Validation of Alternative Low-Emission Surface Preparation/Depainting Technologies for Structural Steel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, Pattie

2007-01-01

Headquarters National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) chartered the NASA Acquisition Pollution Prevention (AP2) Office to coordinate agency activities affecting pollution prevention issues identified during system and component acquisition and sustainment processes. The primary objectives of the AP2 Office are to: (1) Reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials or hazardous processes at manufacturing, remanufacturing, and sustainment locations. (2) Avoid duplication of effort in actions required to reduce or eliminate hazardous materials through joint center cooperation and technology sharing. The objective of this project was to qualify candidate alternative Low-Emission Surface Preparation/Depainting Technologies for Structural Steel applications at NASA facilities. This project compares the surface preparation/depainting performance of the proposed alternatives to existing surface preparation/depainting systems or standards. This Joint Test Report (JTR) contains the results of testing as per the outlines of the Joint Test Protocol (JTP), Joint Test Protocol for Validation of Alternative Low-Emission Surface Preparation/Depainting Technologies for Structural Steel, and the Field Test Plan (FTP), Field Evaluations Test Plan for Validation of Alternative Low-Emission Surface Preparation/Depainting Technologies for Structural Steel, for critical requirements and tests necessary to qualify alternatives for coating removal systems. These tests were derived from engineering, performance, and operational impact (supportability) requirements defined by a consensus of government and industry participants. This JTR documents the results of the testing as well as any test modifications made during the execution of the project. This JTR is made available as a reference for future pollution prevention endeavors by other NASA Centers, the Department of Defense and commercial users to minimize duplication of effort. The current coating removal processes

ENERGY, WATER, AND LAND USE: A FRAMEWORK FOR INCORPORATING SCIENCE INTO SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL PLANNING

EPA Science Inventory

Project outputs will include: 1) the sustainability network and associated web pages; 2) sustainability indicators and associated maps representing the current values of the metrics; 3) an integrated assessment model of the impacts of electricity generation alternatives on a ...

Sustainable transportation : developing a framework for policy innovation December 14, 1993 summary of proceedings.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-02-28

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future. How can sustainable development be linked meaningfully to transportation planning and policies? On December 14, 1993, the Department of Transp...

Sustained inflation: Prophylactic or rescue maneuver?

PubMed

Lista, G; Cavigioli, F; Castoldi, F; Zimmermann, L J I

2016-06-01

Application of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in the delivery room is a valid alternative to mechanical ventilation in the management of respiratory failure of preterm infants, with reduced occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and death. nCPAP at birth is still burdened by a high failure rate. Sustained inflation appears to be an intriguing approach to allow the respiratory transition at birth by clearing the lung fluid, thus obtaining an adequate functional residual capacity. This may enhance nCPAP success. Sustained inflation reduces the need for mechanical ventilation in the first 72 h of life, with no changes in the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and death. The efficacy of sustained inflation seems to be related to the presence of open glottis with active breathing of the infant. Further studies are needed to recommend the application of sustained inflation during delivery room management of preterm infants at risk of respiratory distress or with clinical signs of respiratory failure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applicability of action planning and coping planning to dental flossing among Norwegian adults: a confirmatory factor analysis approach.

PubMed

Astrøm, Anne Nordrehaug

2008-06-01

Using a prospective design and a representative sample of 25-yr-old Norwegians, this study hypothesized that action planning and coping planning will add to the prediction of flossing at 4 wk of follow-up over and above the effect of intention and previous flossing. This study tested the validity of a proposed 3-factor structure of the measurement model of intention, action planning, and coping planning and for its invariance across gender. A survey was conducted in three Norwegian counties, and 1,509 out of 8,000 randomly selected individuals completed questionnaires assessing the constructs of action planning and coping planning related to daily flossing. A random subsample of 500 participants was followed up at 4 wk with a telephone interview to assess flossing. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the proposed 3-factor model after respecification. Although the chi-square test was statistically significant [chi(2) = 58.501, degrees of freedom (d.f.) = 17), complementary fit indices were satisfactory [goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.99, root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.04]. Multigroup CFA provided evidence of complete invariance of the measurement model across gender. After controlling for previous flossing, intention (beta = 0.08) and action planning (beta = 0.11) emerged as independent predictors of subsequent flossing, accounting for 2.3% of its variance. Factorial validity of intention, action planning and coping planning, and the validity of action planning in predicting flossing prospectively, was confirmed by the present study.

Designing sustainable and economically attractive brownfield revitalization options using an integrated assessment model.

PubMed

Schädler, S; Morio, M; Bartke, S; Rohr-Zänker, R; Finkel, M

2011-03-01

We describe the development of an integrated assessment model which evaluates redevelopment options of large contaminated brownfields and we present the application of the model in a case study. Aiming to support efficient and sustainable revitalization and communication between stakeholders, the presented assessment model integrates three pinnacles of brownfield revitalization: (i) subsurface remediation and site preparation costs, (ii) market-oriented economic appraisal, and (iii) the expected contribution of planned future land use to sustainable community and regional development. For the assessment, focus is set on the early stage of the brownfield redevelopment process, which is characterized by limited data availability and by flexibility in land use planning and development scope. At this stage, revealing the consequences of adjustments and alterations in planning options can foster efficiency in communication between the involved parties and thereby facilitates the brownfield revitalization process. Results from the case-study application indicate that the integrated assessment provides help in the identification of land use options beneficial in both a sustainable and an economical sense. For the study site it is shown on one hand that brownfield redevelopment is not automatically in line with sustainable regional development, and on the other hand it is demonstrated that additional contributions to sustainability are not intrinsically tied to increased costs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PLACES (Planning Land And Communities To Be Environmentally Sustainable) Program Helps Communities Onto The Path Of Sustainability

EPA Science Inventory

Land use changes from natural to more man-made environments that are done with no community level planning, shorten the life span and lessen the quality of life of a community. A community armed with a master plan with a number of alternative strategies that consider the natural...

Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Strategic Research Action Plan 2016-2019

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR) research program is using an integrated systems approach to develop scientific and technological solutions to protect human health, and to protect and restore watersheds and aquatic ecosystems.

Commitment to sustainability: A content analysis of website for university organisations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasim, M. S.; Hashim, A. E.; Ariff, N. R. M.; Sapeciay, Z.; Abdullah, A. S.

2018-02-01

This research aim on investigating the commitments of organisations towards sustainability. For this research context, ‘commitment’ refers to the extent of information provided by universities in their website which demonstrated initiatives towards achieving the sustainability goal. The objective of this study was to identify sustainability initiatives highlighted within university websites using Australia as a case study. Thirty-nine (39) websites were reviewed and web content analysis was performed to publicly available data including any relevant accessible PDF documents attached to the universities website. Specific websites information was reviewed to detect sustainability themes in the broad university management and operations (i.e., in general policies, corporate mission statements, research activities, positions available and strategies). The commitment of Australian universities was significant and well established with a set of twenty (20) related themes were identified. The findings have some limitations because the established themes only emerged from the websites’ content without human validation which possibly weakens the correlations between website information and organisations actual practice. This possibility is recognised and for this reason, further assessment may be advantageous to provide verification of the findings. Therefore, further studies using other techniques are suggested such as interviews or observations for validation of data and reinforce the entire conclusions. An interesting aspect of this study is the validity of reviewing organisational websites for gauging actual practice and a number of researchers supporting this approached as indicated in methodology section of this paper.

Adaptive exchange of capitals in urban water resources management : an approach to sustainability?

EPA Science Inventory

With water availability increasingly restricted by deficiencies in quality and quantity, water resources management is a central issue in planning for sustainability in the Anthropocene. We first offer a definition of sustainability based on the ease with which capitals (e.g., na...

Psychometric properties of Persian version of the Sustained Auditory Attention Capacity Test in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Soltanparast, Sanaz; Jafari, Zahra; Sameni, Seyed Jalal; Salehi, Masoud

2014-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the Persian version of the Sustained Auditory Attention Capacity Test in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Persian version of the Sustained Auditory Attention Capacity Test was constructed to assess sustained auditory attention using the method provided by Feniman and colleagues (2007). In this test, comments were provided to assess the child's attentional deficit by determining inattention and impulsiveness error, the total scores of the sustained auditory attention capacity test and attention span reduction index. In the present study for determining the validity and reliability of in both Rey Auditory Verbal Learning test and the Persian version of the Sustained Auditory Attention Capacity Test (SAACT), 46 normal children and 41 children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD), all right-handed and aged between 7 and 11 of both genders, were evaluated. In determining convergent validity, a negative significant correlation was found between the three parts of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning test (first, fifth, and immediate recall) and all indicators of the SAACT except attention span reduction. By comparing the test scores between the normal and ADHD groups, discriminant validity analysis showed significant differences in all indicators of the test except for attention span reduction (p< 0.001). The Persian version of the Sustained Auditory Attention Capacity test has good validity and reliability, that matches other reliable tests, and it can be used for the identification of children with attention deficits and if they suspected to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Multi-Metric Sustainability Analysis

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

Cowlin, Shannon; Heimiller, Donna; Macknick, Jordan

2014-12-01

A readily accessible framework that allows for evaluating impacts and comparing tradeoffs among factors in energy policy, expansion planning, and investment decision making is lacking. Recognizing this, the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA) funded an exploration of multi-metric sustainability analysis (MMSA) to provide energy decision makers with a means to make more comprehensive comparisons of energy technologies. The resulting MMSA tool lets decision makers simultaneously compare technologies and potential deployment locations.

Developing sustainable transportation performance measures for TXDOT's strategic plan : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-04-01

For this research project, sustainable transportation can be viewed as the provision of safe, effective, and : efficient access and mobility into the future while considering economic, social, and environmental needs. : This project developed a perfo...

77 FR 10939 - Driving Innovation and Creating Jobs in Rural America Through Biobased and Sustainable Product...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... Related to Executive Order 13514. (a) Agencies shall include and report on biobased acquisition as part of the sustainable acquisition goals and milestones in the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan... Budget (OMB) shall emphasize biobased purchasing in the fiscal year 2012 and 2013 Sustainability/Energy...

Integrated modelling for Sustainability Appraisal of urban river corridors: going beyond compartmentalised thinking.

PubMed

Kumar, Vikas; Rouquette, J R; Lerner, David N

2013-12-15

Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is a complex task that involves integration of social, environmental and economic considerations and often requires trade-offs between multiple stakeholders that may not easily be brought to consensus. Classical SA, often compartmentalised in the rigid boundary of disciplines, can facilitate discussion, but can only partially inform decision makers as many important aspects of sustainability remain abstract and not interlinked. A fully integrated model can overcome compartmentality in the assessment process and provides opportunity for a better integrative exploratory planning process. The objective of this paper is to explore the benefit of an integrated modelling approach to SA and how a structured integrated model can be used to provide a coherent, consistent and deliberative platform to assess policy or planning proposals. The paper discusses a participative and integrative modelling approach to urban river corridor development, incorporating the principal of sustainability. The paper uses a case study site in Sheffield, UK, with three alternative development scenarios, incorporating a number of possible riverside design features. An integrated SA model is used to develop better design by optimising different design elements and delivering a more sustainable (re)-development plan. We conclude that participatory integrated modelling has strong potential for supporting the SA processes. A high degree of integration provides the opportunity for more inclusive and informed decision-making regarding issues of urban development. It also provides the opportunity to reflect on their long-term dynamics, and to gain insights on the interrelationships underlying persistent sustainability problems. Thus the ability to address economic, social and environmental interdependencies within policies, plans, and legislations is enhanced. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Achieving true sustainability of zoo populations.

PubMed

Lacy, Robert C

2013-01-01

For the last 30 years, cooperative management of irreplaceable animal populations in zoos and aquariums has focused primarily on the goal of minimizing genetic decay within defined time frames, and large advances have been made in technologies to optimize genetic management of closed populations. However, recent analyses have shown that most zoo programs are not projected to meet their stated goals. This has been described as a lack of achieving "sustainability" of the populations, yet by definition a goal of managed decay is not a plan for sustainability. True sustainability requires management of the resource in manner that does not deplete its value for the future. Achieving such sustainability for many managed populations may require changing from managing isolated populations to managing populations that are part of a broader metapopulation, with carefully considered exchange between populations across a spectrum of ex situ to in situ. Managing zoo populations as components of comprehensive conservation strategies for the species will require research on determinants of various kinds of genetic, physiological, behavioral, and morphological variation and their roles in population viability, development of an array of management techniques and tools, training of population managers in metapopulation management and integrated conservation planning, and projections of impacts of management strategies on the viability of the captive populations and all populations that are interactively managed or affected. Such a shift in goals and methods would result in zoo population management being an ongoing part of species conservation rather than short-term or isolated from species conservation. Zoo Biol. 32:19-26, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sustainability assessment in forest management based on individual preferences.

PubMed

Martín-Fernández, Susana; Martinez-Falero, Eugenio

2018-01-15

This paper presents a methodology to elicit the preferences of any individual in the assessment of sustainable forest management at the stand level. The elicitation procedure was based on the comparison of the sustainability of pairs of forest locations. A sustainability map of the whole territory was obtained according to the individual's preferences. Three forest sustainability indicators were pre-calculated for each point in a study area in a Scots pine forest in the National Park of Sierra de Guadarrama in the Madrid Region in Spain to obtain the best management plan with the sustainability map. We followed a participatory process involving fifty people to assess the sustainability of the forest management and the methodology. The results highlighted the demand for conservative forest management, the usefulness of the methodology for managers, and the importance and necessity of incorporating stakeholders into forestry decision-making processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence and opportunities for integrating landscape ecology into natural resource planning across multiple-use landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trammel, E. Jamie; Carter, Sarah; Haby, Travis S.; Taylor, Jason J.

2018-01-01

Enhancing natural resource management has been a focus of landscape ecology since its inception, but numerous authors argue that landscape ecology has not yet been effective in achieving the underlying goal of planning and designing sustainable landscapes. We developed nine questions reflecting the application of fundamental research topics in landscape ecology to the landscape planning process and reviewed two recent landscape-scale plans in western North America for evidence of these concepts in plan decisions. Both plans considered multiple resources, uses, and values, including energy development, recreation, conservation, and protection of cultural and historic resources. We found that land use change and multiscale perspectives of resource uses and values were very often apparent in planning decisions. Pattern-process relationships, connectivity and fragmentation, ecosystem services, landscape history, and climate change were reflected less frequently. Landscape sustainability was considered only once in the 295 decisions reviewed, and outputs of landscape models were not referenced. We suggest six actionable opportunities for further integrating landscape ecology concepts into landscape planning efforts: 1) use landscape sustainability as an overarching goal, 2) adopt a broad ecosystem services framework, 3) explore the role of landscape history more comprehensively, 4) regularly consider and accommodate potential effects of climate change, 5) use landscape models to support plan decisions, and 6) promote a greater presence of landscape ecologists within agencies that manage large land bases and encourage active involvement in agency planning efforts. Together these actions may improve the defensibility, durability, and sustainability of landscape plan decisions.

Multi-criteria evaluation in strategic environmental assessment for waste management plan, a case study: the city of Belgrade.

PubMed

Josimović, Boško; Marić, Igor; Milijić, Saša

2015-02-01

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is one of the key instruments for implementing sustainable development strategies in planning in general; in addition to being used in sectoral planning, it can also be used in other areas such as waste management planning. SEA in waste management planning has become a tool for considering the benefits and consequences of the proposed changes in space, also taking into account the capacity of space to sustain the implementation of the planned activities. In order to envisage both the positive and negative implications of a waste management plan for the elements of sustainable development, an adequate methodological approach to evaluating the potential impacts must be adopted and the evaluation results presented in a simple and clear way, so as to allow planners to make relevant decisions as a precondition for the sustainability of the activities planned in the waste management sector. This paper examines the multi-criteria evaluation method for carrying out an SEA for the Waste Management Plan for the city of Belgrade (BWMP). The method was applied to the evaluation of the impacts of the activities planned in the waste management sector on the basis of the environmental and socioeconomic indicators of sustainability, taking into consideration the intensity, spatial extent, probability and frequency of impact, by means of a specific planning approach and simple and clear presentation of the obtained results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SUSTAIN:Urban Modeling Systems Integrating Optimization and Economics

EPA Science Inventory

The System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis INtegration (SUSTAIN) was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support practitioners in developing cost-effective management plans for municipal storm water programs and evaluating and selecting Best Manag...

Assessing Assessment Texts: Where Is Planning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fives, Helenrose; Barnes, Nicole; Dacey, Charity; Gillis, Anna

2016-01-01

We conducted a content analysis of 27 assessment textbooks to determine how assessment planning was framed in texts for preservice teachers. We identified eight assessment planning themes: alignment, assessment purpose and types, reliability and validity, writing goals and objectives, planning specific assessments, unpacking, overall assessment…

Community response to a sustainable restoration plan for a superfund site.

PubMed

Sidhu, Virinder; Sarkar, Dibyendu; Datta, Rupali; Solomon, Barry

2018-06-01

Large-scale copper (Cu) mining activities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula produced millions of metric tons of mining wastes also known as stamp sands. The stamp sands containing high concentrations of Cu were disposed of into several lakes connected to the Lake Superior. Eventually, as aquatic organisms in these lakes started to exhibit toxicity symptoms, the stamp sands were dredged and discarded on the lake shores. Consequently, these areas turned into degraded, marginal lands and were collectively classified as a Torch Lake Superfund site by the US EPA. Due to the lack of vegetative cover, the Cu-rich stamp sands eroded into the lakes, affecting the aquatic life. To alleviate this issue, a sustainable restoration plan (SRP) was developed and tested in a greenhouse environment prior to field implementation. Cold-tolerant oilseed crops, camelina (Camelina sativa) and field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), were grown on compost-fertilized stamp sands, which reduced soil erosion by acting as a vegetative cap. Oilseed plants produced normal yield, demonstrating their potential utilization as biofuel feedstock. Prior to implementing the SRP in field-scale in the Torch Lake Superfund site, a public opinion survey of the local community was conducted to understand the views of residents. Door-to-door survey was performed in July-August 2015, which yielded a response rate of 68.1%. Results showed that residents were generally concerned with stamp sand erosion into the Torch Lake and were overwhelmingly supportive of the SRP, which would not only provide environmental benefits but could boost the local economy via biofuel production. To gauge the general environmental awareness of the respondents, the survey included questions on climate change. Most of the respondents acknowledged that climate change is real and anthropogenically mediated. Having college education and a relatively high annual household income showed a positive and significant correlation with climate change

Strong sustainability in Nepal: A structural economics approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devkota, Surendra R.

This dissertation analyzes the sustainability of the economy of Nepal. The main empirical question addressed is whether the Tenth Plan of Nepal (2002--2007) will meet its projected economic output goal and achieve its primary goal of reducing poverty. To this end, economic growth scenarios are examined in terms of availability of energy demand and supply, and income disparity among different households. The structure of the Nepali economy is examined using a Leontief input-output table, a Ghosian supply-side input-output table, and a social accounting matrix for the year 1999. Based on the input-output analysis of energy demand and supply for the 10th Plan, it is unlikely that energy requirements of the projected output will be met, unless some extra sources of energy are developed. Households need to switch their energy use from fuel wood/biomass to other alternatives. In order to meet the target of the Plan vis-a-vis energy demand or supply, a few policy measures are urgently needed, though some of these options require many years to develop. Household income inequality and distribution is examined through the SAM multipliers; namely aggregate, transfer, open-loop, and closed-loop multipliers. The investment-income multiplier scenarios for the 10th Plan indicate that the nominal income of households may increase due to the increased investment, which will not necessarily improve the bottom deciles households, particularly socio-economically deprived households. Economic growth in Nepal during the past fifty years demonstrates that the modernization model is unsuccessful. Economic growth occurred at some centers at the cost of periphery. A huge regional disparity has developed between hills and plains, east and west, city and rural areas. Nepal's persistent poverty indicates a failure of modernization theory. The Tenth Plan would be another continuation of a failed legacy, unless social and natural endowments are considered for sustainability. Nepal could be an

Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Strategic Research Action Plan 2012-2016

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document represents a strategic guide to EPA’s research actions, alone and in part-nership with the broader federal, industry and scientific research community, to provide the science and engineering necessary for safe and sustainable water resources.

Addressing the social dimensions of citizen observatories: The Ground Truth 2.0 socio-technical approach for sustainable implementation of citizen observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wehn, Uta; Joshi, Somya; Pfeiffer, Ellen; Anema, Kim; Gharesifard, Mohammad; Momani, Abeer

2017-04-01

Owing to ICT-enabled citizen observatories, citizens can take on new roles in environmental monitoring, decision making and co-operative planning, and environmental stewardship. And yet implementing advanced citizen observatories for data collection, knowledge exchange and interactions to support policy objectives is neither always easy nor successful, given the required commitment, trust, and data reliability concerns. Many efforts are facing problems with the uptake and sustained engagement by citizens, limited scalability, unclear long-term sustainability and limited actual impact on governance processes. Similarly, to sustain the engagement of decision makers in citizen observatories, mechanisms are required from the start of the initiative in order to have them invest in and, hence, commit to and own the entire process. In order to implement sustainable citizen observatories, these social dimensions therefore need to be soundly managed. We provide empirical evidence of how the social dimensions of citizen observatories are being addressed in the Ground Truth 2.0 project, drawing on a range of relevant social science approaches. This project combines the social dimensions of citizen observatories with enabling technologies - via a socio-technical approach - so that their customisation and deployment is tailored to the envisaged societal and economic impacts of the observatories. The projects consists of the demonstration and validation of six scaled up citizen observatories in real operational conditions both in the EU and in Africa, with a specific focus on flora and fauna as well as water availability and water quality for land and natural resources management. The demonstration cases (4 EU and 2 African) cover the full 'spectrum' of citizen-sensed data usage and citizen engagement, and therefore allow testing and validation of the socio-technical concept for citizen observatories under a range of conditions.

Sustaining Learning Design and Pedagogical Planning in CSCL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pozzi, Francesca; Francesca, Donatella

2013-01-01

This paper tackles the issue of learning design and pedagogical planning in the context of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). In this sector, we witness the same variety of approaches and tools that we find in the technology-enhanced learning (TEL) research field. In particular, in the CSCL context, notions such as…

Kent State University's sustainable transportation initiative : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

This past year the author embarked on a study of sustainable transportation options in and around Kent State Universitys campus, including much of the city of Kent itself. Kents most recent Comprehensive Plan attempted to develop a model for th...

Validation of a Theory of Planned Behavior-Based Questionnaire to Examine Factors Associated With Milk Expression.

PubMed

Bai, Yeon K; Dinour, Lauren M

2017-11-01

A proper assessment of multidimensional needs for breastfeeding mothers in various settings is crucial to facilitate and support breastfeeding and its exclusivity. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) has been used frequently to measure factors associated with breastfeeding. Full utility of the TPB requires accurate measurement of theory constructs. Research aim: This study aimed to develop and confirm the psychometric properties of an instrument, Milk Expression on Campus, based on the TPB and to establish the reliability and validity of the instrument. In spring 2015, 218 breastfeeding (current or in the recent past) employees and students at one university campus in northern New Jersey completed the online questionnaire containing demography and theory-based items. Internal consistency (α) and split-half reliability ( r) tests and factor analyses established and confirmed the reliability and construct validity of this instrument. Milk Expression on Campus showed strong and significant reliabilities as a full scale (α = .78, r = .74, p < .001) and theory construct subscales. Validity was confirmed as psychometric properties corresponded to the factors extracted from the scale. Four factors extracted from the direct construct subscales accounted for 79.49% of the total variability. Four distinct factors from the indirect construct subscales accounted for 73.68% of the total variability. Milk Expression on Campus can serve as a model TPB-based instrument to examine factors associated with women's milk expression behavior. The utility of this instrument extends to designing effective promotion programs to foster breastfeeding and milk expression behaviors in diverse settings.

Sequential decision making in computational sustainability via adaptive submodularity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krause, Andreas; Golovin, Daniel; Converse, Sarah J.

2015-01-01

Many problems in computational sustainability require making a sequence of decisions in complex, uncertain environments. Such problems are generally notoriously difficult. In this article, we review the recently discovered notion of adaptive submodularity, an intuitive diminishing returns condition that generalizes the classical notion of submodular set functions to sequential decision problems. Problems exhibiting the adaptive submodularity property can be efficiently and provably near-optimally solved using simple myopic policies. We illustrate this concept in several case studies of interest in computational sustainability: First, we demonstrate how it can be used to efficiently plan for resolving uncertainty in adaptive management scenarios. Secondly, we show how it applies to dynamic conservation planning for protecting endangered species, a case study carried out in collaboration with the US Geological Survey and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

National Policy and Planning regarding TVET for Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Mozambique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machin, Alastair; Sparreboom, Theo

2005-01-01

This paper addresses the question as to what extent is it possible for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to promote and implement sustainable development concepts and practices in Mozambique. The debate on TVET for sustainability has recently been given fresh impetus by a number of papers and recommendations prepared by…

Internationalising Experiential Learning for Sustainable Development Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Young S.; Schottenfeld, Matthew A.

2012-01-01

The article discusses the internationalising of informal experiential learning as a pedagogical intervention for sustainable development education in the curriculum of built environment disciplines in the United States (US). A group of American students in the School of Planning, Design and Construction at Michigan State University participated in…

The Role of Sustained Attention in the Production of Conjoined Noun Phrases: An Individual Differences Study.

PubMed

Jongman, Suzanne R; Meyer, Antje S; Roelofs, Ardi

2015-01-01

It has previously been shown that language production, performed simultaneously with a nonlinguistic task, involves sustained attention. Sustained attention concerns the ability to maintain alertness over time. Here, we aimed to replicate the previous finding by showing that individuals call upon sustained attention when they plan single noun phrases (e.g., "the carrot") and perform a manual arrow categorization task. In addition, we investigated whether speakers also recruit sustained attention when they produce conjoined noun phrases (e.g., "the carrot and the bucket") describing two pictures, that is, when both the first and second task are linguistic. We found that sustained attention correlated with the proportion of abnormally slow phrase-production responses. Individuals with poor sustained attention displayed a greater number of very slow responses than individuals with better sustained attention. Importantly, this relationship was obtained both for the production of single phrases while performing a nonlinguistic manual task, and the production of noun phrase conjunctions in referring to two spatially separated objects. Inhibition and updating abilities were also measured. These scores did not correlate with our measure of sustained attention, suggesting that sustained attention and executive control are distinct. Overall, the results suggest that planning conjoined noun phrases involves sustained attention, and that language production happens less automatically than has often been assumed.

Tongass forest plan review. A newsletter for the forest plan revision. Issue 16

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

NONE

1997-06-01

The Tongass National Forest is one of the oldest in the nation, dating to 1902 when the Archipelago Forest Reserve was set aside by presidential proclamation. President Theodore Roosevelt then signed an executive order in 1907 creating the Tongass National Forest from the reserve and additional lands. This revised plan provides for preserving 92 percent to the old-growth forest that was present in 1950 after 10 years of plan implementation, and 84 percent through the 100-year plan horizon. It also provides high levels of protection for fish and wildlife, and enhances the opportunity for growth in tourism. This plan includesmore » guidelines for all resources, such as timber and mining activities, and ensure the long-term sustainability of resources.« less

A tale of integrated regional water supply planning: Meshing socio-economic, policy, governance, and sustainability desires together

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asefa, Tirusew; Adams, Alison; Kajtezovic-Blankenship, Ivana

2014-11-01

In 1998, Tampa Bay Water, the largest wholesale water provider in South East USA with over 2.3 million customers, assumed the role of planning, developing, and operating water supply sources from six local water supply utilities through an Interlocal Agreement. Under the agreement, cities and counties served by the agency would have their water supply demands met unequivocally and share the cost of delivery and/or development of new supplies based on their consumption, allowing a more holistic approach to manage resources in the region. Consequently, the agency was able to plan and execute several components of its Long-Term Master Water Plan to meet the region's demand, as well as diversify its sources of water supply. Today, the agency manages a diverse and regionally interconnected water supply system that includes 13 wellfields, two surface water supply sources, off-site reservoir storage, a sea water desalination plant, a surface water treatment plant, and 14 pumping/booster stations. It delivers water through 390 km of large diameter pipe to 19 potable water connections. It uses state-of-the-practice computer tools to manage short and long-term operations and planning. As a result, after the agency's inception, groundwater pumpage was reduced by more than half in less than a decade-by far one of the largest cutback and smaller groundwater utilization rate compared to other utilities in Florida or elsewhere. The region was able to witness a remarkable recovery in lake and wetland water levels through the agency's use of this diverse mix of supply sources. For example, in the last three years, 45-65% of water supply came from groundwater sources, 35-45% from surface water sources and 1-9% from desalinated seawater-very different from 100% groundwater only supply just few years ago. As an "on demand" wholesale water provider, the agency forecasts water supply availability and expected water demands from seasonal to decadal time frames using a suite of

Sustainable dimension adaptation measure in green township assessment criteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaman, R.; Thadaniti, S.; Ahmad, N.; Halil, F. M.; Nasir, N. M.

2018-05-01

Urbanized areas are typically the most significant sources of environmental degradation, thus, an urban assessment criteria tools aiming at equally adapted sustainability dimensions need to be firmly embedded in benchmarking planning and design framework and upon occupancy. The need for integral systematic rating is recognized in order to evaluate the performance of sustainable neighborhood and to promote sustainable urban development. In this study, Green Building Index Township Assessment Criteria (GBI-TAC) will be measure on holistic sustainable dimension pillar (SDP) adaptation in order to assess and redefine the current sustainability assessment criteria for future sustainable neighborhood development (SND). The objective of the research is to find-out whether the current GBI-TAC and its variables fulfilled the holistic SDP adaptations towards sustainable neighborhood development in Malaysia. The stakeholder-inclusion approached is used in this research in order to gather professional’s stakeholders’ opinions regarding the SDP adaptations for sustainable neighborhood development. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS AMOS22 Structural Equation Modelling. The findings suggested an adaptation gap of SDP in current GBI-TAC even though all core-criteria supported SDP adaptation, hence lead to further review and refinement for future Neighborhood Assessment Criteria in Malaysia.

Community Capacity Building and Sustainability: Outcomes of Community-Based Participatory Research

PubMed Central

Hacker, Karen; Tendulkar, Shalini A.; Rideout, Catlin; Bhuiya, Nazmim; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Savage, Clara P.; Grullon, Milagro; Strelnick, Hal; Leung, Carolyn; DiGirolamo, Ann

2013-01-01

Background For communities, the value of community-based participatory research (CBPR) is often manifested in the outcomes of increased capacity and sustainable adoption of evidence-based practices for social change. Educational opportunities that promote discourse between community and academic partners can help to advance CBPR and better define these outcomes. Objectives This paper describes a community–academic conference to develop shared definitions of community capacity building and sustainability related to CBPR and to identify obstacles and facilitators to both. Methods “Taking It to the Curbside: Engaging Communities to Create Sustainable Change for Health” was planned by five Clinical Translational Science Institutes and four community organizations. After a keynote presentation, breakout groups of community and academic members met to define community capacity building and sustainability, and to identify facilitators and barriers to achieving both. Groups were facilitated by researcher–community partner teams and conversations were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analysis for thematic content was conducted by a subset of the planning committee. Results Important findings included learning that (1) the concepts of capacity and sustainability were considered interconnected; (2) partnership was perceived as both a facilitator and an outcome of CBPR; (3) sustainability was linked to “transfer of knowledge” from one generation to another within a community; and (4) capacity and sustainability were enhanced when goals were shared and health outcomes were achieved. Conclusions Community capacity building and sustainability are key outcomes of CBPR for communities. Co-learning opportunities that engage and mutually educate both community members and academics can be useful strategies for identifying meaningful strategies to achieve these outcomes. PMID:22982848

Interventions for sustained healthcare professional behaviour change: a protocol for an overview of reviews.

PubMed

Dombrowski, Stephan U; Campbell, Pauline; Frost, Helen; Pollock, Alex; McLellan, Julie; MacGillivray, Steve; Gavine, Anna; Maxwell, Margaret; O'Carroll, Ronan; Cheyne, Helen; Presseau, Justin; Williams, Brian

2016-10-13

Failure to successfully implement and sustain change over the long term continues to be a major problem in health and social care. Translating evidence into routine clinical practice is notoriously complex, and it is recognised that to implement new evidence-based interventions and sustain them over time, professional behaviour needs to change accordingly. A number of theories and frameworks have been developed to support behaviour change among health and social care professionals, and models of sustainability are emerging, but few have translated into valid and reliable interventions. The long-term success of healthcare professional behavioural change interventions is variable, and the characteristics of successful interventions unclear. Previous reviews have synthesised the evidence for behaviour change, but none have focused on sustainability. In addition, multiple overlapping reviews have reported inconsistent results, which do not aid translation of evidence into practice. Overviews of reviews can provide accessible succinct summaries of evidence and address barriers to evidence-based practice. We aim to compile an overview of reviews, identifying, appraising and synthesising evidence relating to sustained social and healthcare professional behaviour change. We will conduct a systematic review of Cochrane reviews (an Overview). We plan to systematically search the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. We will include all systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials comparing a healthcare professional targeted behaviour change intervention to a standard care or no intervention control group. Two reviewers will independently assess the eligibility of the reviews and the methodological quality of included reviews using the ROBIS tool. The quality of evidence within each comparison in each review will be judged based on the GRADE criteria. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion. Effects of interventions will be systematically tabulated and the

System-Level Influences on the Sustainability of a Cognitive Therapy Program in a Community Behavioral Health Network.

PubMed

Stirman, Shannon Wiltsey; Matza, Alexis; Gamarra, Jennifer; Toder, Katherine; Xhezo, Regina; Evans, Arthur C; Hurford, Matthew; Beck, Aaron T; Crits-Christoph, Paul; Creed, Torrey

2015-07-01

The purpose of this study was to examine influences on the sustainability of a program to implement an evidence-based psychotherapy in a mental health system. Interviews with program administrators, training consultants, agency administrators, and supervisors (N=24), along with summaries of program evaluation data and program documentation, were analyzed with a directed content-analytic approach. Findings suggested a number of interconnected and interacting influences on sustainability, including alignment with emerging sociopolitical influences and system and organizational priorities; program-level adaptation and evolution; intervention flexibility; strong communication, collaboration, planning, and support; and perceived benefit. These individual factors appeared to mutually influence one another and contribute to the degree of program sustainability achieved at the system level. Although most influences were positive, financial planning and support emerged as potentially both facilitator and barrier, and evaluation of benefits at the patient level remained a challenge. Several factors appeared to contribute to the sustainability of a psychosocial intervention in a large urban mental health system and warrant further investigation. Understanding interconnections between multiple individual facilitators and barriers appears critical to advancing understanding of sustainability in dynamic systems and adds to emerging recommendations for other implementation efforts. In particular, implications of the findings include the importance of implementation strategies, such as long-term planning, coalition building, clarifying roles and expectations, planned adaptation, evaluation, diversification of financing strategies, and incentivizing implementation.

Prediction of future urban growth using CA-Markov for urban sustainability planning of Banda Aceh, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achmad, A.; Irwansyah, M.; Ramli, I.

2018-03-01

Banda Aceh experienced rapid growth, both physically, socially, and economically, after the Tsunami that devastated it the end of December in 2004. Hence policy controls are needed to direct the pattern of urban growth to achieve sustainable development for the future. The purpose of this paper is to generate a growth model for Banda Aceh using the CA-Markov process. By knowing the changes in land use between 2005 and 2009 from the results of previous research, simulations for 2013, 2019 and 2029 using the application of Idrisi@Selva. CA-Markov models were prepared to determine the quantity of changes. The simulation results showed that, after the Tsunami, the City of Banda Aceh tended to grow towards the coast. For the control of the LUC, the Banda Aceh City government needs to prepare comprehensive and detailed maps and inventory of LUC for the city to provide basic data and information needed for monitoring and evaluation that can be done effectively and efficiently. An institution for monitoring and evaluation of the urban landscape and the LUC should be formed immediately. This institution could consist of representatives from government, academia, community leaders, the private sector and other experts. The findings from this study can be used to start the monitoring and evaluation of future urban growth. Especially for the coastal areas, the local government should immediately prepare special spatial coastal area plans to control growth in those areas and to ensure that the economic benefits from disaster mitigation and coastal protection are preserved. For the development of the city in the future, it is necessary to achieve a balance between economic development, and social welfare with environmental protection and disaster mitigation. iIt will become a big challenge to achieve sustainable development for the future.

Socio-technical strategies and behavior change to increase the adoption and sustainability of wastewater resource recovery systems.

PubMed

Prouty, Christine; Mohebbi, Shima; Zhang, Qiong

2018-06-15

Given the increasing vulnerability of communities to the negative impacts of untreated wastewater, resource recovery (RR) systems provide a paradigm shift away from a traditional approach of waste separation and treatment towards a productive recovery of water, energy and nutrients. The aim of this research is to understand the relationships between factors that influence the adoption and sustainability of wastewater-based RR systems to inform technology implementation strategies. The study presents a theory-informed, community-influenced system dynamics (SD) model to provide decision-makers with an adaptable tool that simulates system-level responses to the strategies that are developed for the coastal town of Placencia, Belize. The modeling framework is informed by literature-based theories such as the theory of diffusion of innovations (TDI) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Various methods, including surveys, interviews, participatory observations, and a water constituents mass balance analysis are used to validate relationships and numerically populate the model. The SD model was evaluated with field data and simulated to identify strategies that will improve the adoption and sustainability of RR systems. Site demonstrations (marketing strategy) made a significant impact on the stock of adopted RR systems. The stock of sustained RR systems is driven by the sustainability rate (i.e. economic and environmental viability) which can be improved by more site demonstrations and tank options (technical strategy). These strategies, however, only contributed to incremental improvements in the system's sustainability performance. This study shows that changing community behaviors (i.e. reporting the correct number of users and reclaiming resources), represented by structural change in the SD model, is the more significant way to influence the sustainable management of the community's wastewater resources. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of Aura Data: Needs and Implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froidevaux, L.; Douglass, A. R.; Schoeberl, M. R.; Hilsenrath, E.; Kinnison, D. E.; Kroon, M.; Sander, S. P.

2003-12-01

Validation of Aura data: needs and implementation L. Froidevaux, A. R. Douglass, M. R. Schoeberl, E. Hilsenrath, D. Kinnison, M. Kroon, and S. P. Sander We describe the needs for validation of the Aura scientific data products expected in 2004 and for several years thereafter, as well as the implementation plan to fullfill these needs. Many profiles of stratospheric and tropospheric composition are expected from the combination of four instruments aboard Aura, along with column abundances, aerosol and cloud information. The Aura validation working group and the Aura Project have been developing programs and collaborations that are expected to lead to a significant number of validation activities after the Aura launch (in early 2004). Spatial and temporal variability in the lower stratosphere and troposphere present challenges to validation of Aura measurements even where cloud contamination effects can be minimized. Data from ground-based networks, balloons, and other satellites will contribute in a major way to Aura data validation. In addition, plans are in place to obtain correlative data for special conditions, such as profiles of O3 and NO2 in polluted areas. Several aircraft campaigns planned for the 2004-2007 time period will provide additional tropospheric and lower stratospheric validation opportunities for Aura; some atmospheric science goals will be addressed by the eventual combination of these data sets. A team of "Aura liaisons" will assist in the dissemination of information about various correlative measurements to be expected in the above timeframe, along with any needed protocols and agreements on data exchange and file formats. A data center is being established at the Goddard Space Flight Center to collect and distribute the various data files to be used in the validation of the Aura data.

Resilient Communities: From Sustainable to Secure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bragdon, Clifford R.

2009-07-01

A sustainable biosphere is an absolute necessity to support the world's growing population, (now exceeding 6.2 billion persons), as civilization advances through the 21st century. Sustainability primarily refers to a bio-physical environment that is not a risk, which can provide the necessary support system for both plant and human habitat involving the earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. However, that alone will not provide the necessary protection, since our human habitat must also be safe and secure. A more operable term should be resilient, rather than sustainable, since a climate positive community, with an on-site CO2 emission near zero, does not mean the population is protected from both natural and manmade disasters. Effective neoteric planning of our biosphere is necessary as it involves spatial, temporal, and sensory aspects of the community habitat. Two-dimensional planning that addresses just the surface (e.g., land), fails to be comprehensive, since both aerial and subsurface features are omitted. Effective neoteric planning of our biosphere is necessary as it involves spatial, temporal, and sensory aspects of the community habitat. Two-dimensional planning that addresses just the surface (e.g., land), is not comprehensive, since aerial and subsurface features are omitted. A three dimensional approach is needed, which involves the combination of the x, y and z axis, in order to be spatially accurate. Our personal transportation based mobility systems, along with its accompanying infrastructure, has resulted in a drive-thru society that is becoming supersized. Urban obesity in terms of modes of transport and today's living environment has resulted in McMansions and mega-vehicles have created an energy demand that if unchecked could create a carhenge by the year 3000. Infrastructure gridlock besides global warming is costing the world's economy, approximately 6% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Impaired global mobility which threatens

Strategic business planning linking strategy with financial reality.

PubMed

Bachrodt, Andrew K; Smyth, J Patrick

2004-11-01

To succeed in today's complex and often adverse business environment, a healthcare organization's strategic direction must be calculated, focused, and financially sustainable. Strategic business planning is an essential tool to help organizations focus strategic choices within the financial realities of their environment. An effective strategic business planning cycle includes conducting an assessment, identifying business objectives, developing strategy, conducting an impact analysis, and developing an implementation plan.

Initial Retrieval Validation from the Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Smith, WIlliam L.; Larar, Allen M.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Revercomb, Henry E.; Mango, Stephen A.; Schluessel, Peter; Calbet, Xavier

2007-01-01

The Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx) was conducted during April 2007 mainly for validation of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp satellite, but also included a strong component focusing on validation of the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) aboard the AQUA satellite. The cross validation of IASI and AIRS is important for the joint use of their data in the global Numerical Weather Prediction process. Initial inter-comparisons of geophysical products have been conducted from different aspects, such as using different measurements from airborne ultraspectral Fourier transform spectrometers (specifically, the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) and the Scanning-High resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) aboard the NASA WB-57 aircraft), UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe146-301 aircraft insitu instruments, dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. An overview of the JAIVEx retrieval validation plan and some initial results of this field campaign are presented.

A framework for sustainable invasive species management: environmental, social and economic objectives

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, Diane L.; Phillips-Mao, Laura; Quiram, Gina; Sharpe, Leah; Stark, Rebecca; Sugita, Shinya; Weiler, Annie

2011-01-01

Applying the concept of sustainability to invasive species management (ISM) is challenging but necessary, given the increasing rates of invasion and the high costs of invasion impacts and control. To be sustainable, ISM must address environmental, social, and economic factors (or *pillars*) that influence the causes, impacts, and control of invasive species across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Although these pillars are generally acknowledged, their implementation is often limited by insufficient control options and significant economic and political constraints. In this paper, we outline specific objectives in each of these three *pillars* that, if incorporated into a management plan, will improve the plan's likelihood of sustainability. We then examine three case studies that illustrate how these objectives can be effectively implemented. Each pillar reinforces the others, such that the inclusion of even a few of the outlined objectives will lead to more effective management that achieves ecological goals, while generating social support and long-term funding to maintain projects to completion. We encourage agency directors and policy-makers to consider sustainability principles when developing funding schemes, management agendas, and policy.

Navy Manpower Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-31

requirements based on valid, approved workload. • Link peacetime and mobilization manpower requirements. 16 Moreover, the purpose of the SMRD is to... research and policy; energy and environment; manpower management; acquisition and cost; infrastructure; and military readiness . CPP-2017 -U-015038-Final...CNA ANALYSIS & SOLUTIONS 31st March 2017 Subject: NAVY MANPOWER PLANNING MONOGRAPH Navy manpower planning is a rich and complex topic that has a

Revitalisation as a Method of Planning Sustainable Development of Old Town Complexes in Historic Towns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagroba, Marek; Gawryluk, Dorota

2017-12-01

which they were reconstructed afterwards. In consequence, some elements of the original town master plans have been lost. Revitalisation is an approach whose aim is to improve the quality of space and the ability of inner town areas to function. Revitalisation goes beyond the purely spatial factors, and involves broadly understood economic and social considerations. The conclusions drawn from this research pertain to benefits of using the revitalisation method in planning a sustainable development of urban structures. The development and implementation of revitalisation programmes is a very complex process that takes many years and requires an integrated and interdisciplinary team effort. This method allows us to preserve the identity of historic town areas while enabling them to play functions in the contemporary life of a town.

Sustaining Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Jamie Pressley

2014-01-01

Across the nation schools are adopting Positive Behavior Interventions and Support as a school management plan. Despite the vast research on PBIS implementation and the effects of the program on student behavior, little is known about the sustainability of the model. This qualitative single case study examined stakeholder values, beliefs, and…

Inclusive Place-Based Education for "Just Sustainability"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Alun

2012-01-01

This paper identifies an emerging commonality between the professional spheres of planning, education and social or community work constellating around the concept of sustainable development (SD). It explores the contested nature of the concept of SD giving rise to a wide variety of sometimes conflicting "readings". It then goes on to…

Using face validity to recognize empirical community observations.

PubMed

Gaber, John; Gaber, Sharon L

2010-05-01

There is a growing interest among international planning scholars to explore community participation in the plan making process from a qualitative research approach. In this paper the research assessment tool "face validity" is discussed as one way to help planners decipher when the community is sharing empirically grounded observations that can advance the applicability of the plan making process. Face validity provides a common sense assessment of research conclusions. It allows the assessor to look at an entire research project and ask: "on the face of things, does this research make sense?" With planners listening to citizen comments with an ear for face validity observations, holds open the opportunity for government to empirically learn from the community to see if they "got it right." And if not, to chart out a course on how they can get it right. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis IntegratioN (SUSTAIN)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

SUSTAIN is a decision support system that assists stormwater management professionals with developing and implementing plans for flow and pollution control measures to protect source waters and meet water quality goals.

The Roles of System and Organizational Leadership in System-Wide Evidence-Based Intervention Sustainment: A Mixed-Method Study.

PubMed

Aarons, Gregory A; Green, Amy E; Trott, Elise; Willging, Cathleen E; Torres, Elisa M; Ehrhart, Mark G; Roesch, Scott C

2016-11-01

If evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are not sustained, investments are wasted and public health impact is limited. Leadership has been suggested as a key determinant of implementation and sustainment; however, little empirical work has examined this factor. This mixed-methods study framed using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) conceptual framework examines leadership in both the outer service system context and inner organizational context in eleven system-wide implementations of the same EBI across two U.S. states and 87 counties. Quantitative data at the outer context (i.e., system) and inner context (i.e., team) levels demonstrated that leadership predicted future sustainment and differentiated between sites with full, partial, or no sustainment. In the outer context positive sustainment leadership was characterized as establishing a project's mission and vision, early and continued planning for sustainment, realistic project plans, and having alternative strategies for project survival. Inner context frontline transformational leadership predicted sustainment while passive-avoidant leadership predicted non-sustainment. Qualitative results found that sustainment was associated with outer context leadership characterized by engagement in ongoing supportive EBI championing, marketing to stakeholders; persevering in these activities; taking action to institutionalize the EBI with funding, contracting, and system improvement plans; and fostering ongoing collaboration between stakeholders at state and county, and community stakeholder levels. For frontline leadership the most important activities included championing the EBI and providing practical support for service providers. There was both convergence and expansion that identified unique contributions of the quantitative and qualitative methods. Greater attention to leadership in both the outer system and inner organizational contexts is warranted to enhance EBI implementation

The Roles of System and Organizational Leadership in System-Wide Evidence-Based Intervention Sustainment: A Mixed-Method Study

PubMed Central

Aarons, Gregory A.; Green, Amy E.; Trott, Elise; Willging, Cathleen E.; Torres, Elisa M.; Ehrhart, Mark G.; Roesch, Scott C.

2017-01-01

If evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are not sustained, investments are wasted and public health impact is limited. Leadership has been suggested as a key determinant of implementation and sustainment; however, little empirical work has examined this factor. This mixed-methods study framed using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) conceptual framework examines leadership in both the outer service system context and inner organizational context in eleven system-wide implementations of the same EBI across two U.S. states and 87 counties. Quantitative data at the outer context (i.e., system) and inner context (i.e., team) levels demonstrated that leadership predicted future sustainment and differentiated between sites with full, partial, or no sustainment. In the outer context positive sustainment leadership was characterized as establishing a project’s mission and vision, early and continued planning for sustainment, realistic project plans, and having alternative strategies for project survival. Inner context frontline transformational leadership predicted sustainment while passive-avoidant leadership predicted non-sustainment. Qualitative results found that sustainment was associated with outer context leadership characterized by engagement in ongoing supportive EBI championing, marketing to stakeholders; persevering in these activities; taking action to institutionalize the EBI with funding, contracting, and system improvement plans; and fostering ongoing collaboration between stakeholders at state and county, and community stakeholder levels. For frontline leadership the most important activities included championing the EBI and providing practical support for service providers. There was both convergence and expansion that identified unique contributions of the quantitative and qualitative methods. Greater attention to leadership in both the outer system and inner organizational contexts is warranted to enhance EBI implementation

The Simulation Operations Officer in a Sustainment Brigade

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-17

want to assist FA57s who will be assigned to sustain- ment brigades in the future and to describe the training exercises and road to war (RTW) that... constructive simulations and knowledge manage- ment (KM). A primary difficulty units may face is how to effectively train a “hyper- modular” formation...integrated into the brigade RTW. Th e FA57 can plan a MCSIT to train the brigade. (See CO M M EN TA RY CO M M EN TA RY 3rd Sustainment Brigade Road to

Brownfields Green Avenue Sites: Technical Memorandum - Conceptual Design for Sustainable Redevelopment

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This technical memorandum briefly describes the site and proposed conceptual site plan, indicates conceptual design considerations, specifies recommended green and sustainable features, and offers other recommendations

Is Sustainability Sustainable?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonevac, Daniel

2010-01-01

The most important concept in current environmental thinking is "sustainability". Environmental policies, economic policies, development, resource use--all of these things, according to the consensus, ought to be sustainable. But what is sustainability? What is its ethical foundation? There is little consensus about how these questions…

The High Rise Low Cost Housing : Sustainable Neighbourhood Elements (Green Elements) in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahi, Noraziah; Mohamad, Ismail; Mohamad Zin, Rosli; Munikanan, Vikneswaran; Junaini, Syahrizan

2018-03-01

The sustainable development is a vital measure to alleviate the greenhouse gas effect, global warming and any other environment issues. The sustainable neighbourhood concept is not new in Malaysia, However, the concept still needs attention and awareness from the stakeholders. This paper discusses on the sustainable neighbourhood elements specifically green elements application on the high rise low cost housing in Malaysia. Malaysia should have focused sustainable neighbourhood planning and design especially on the high rise low cost housing therefore the future generation can be benefited from this type development.

A broad scope knowledge based model for optimization of VMAT in esophageal cancer: validation and assessment of plan quality among different treatment centers.

PubMed

Fogliata, Antonella; Nicolini, Giorgia; Clivio, Alessandro; Vanetti, Eugenio; Laksar, Sarbani; Tozzi, Angelo; Scorsetti, Marta; Cozzi, Luca

2015-10-31

To evaluate the performance of a broad scope model-based optimisation process for volumetric modulated arc therapy applied to esophageal cancer. A set of 70 previously treated patients in two different institutions, were selected to train a model for the prediction of dose-volume constraints. The model was built with a broad-scope purpose, aiming to be effective for different dose prescriptions and tumour localisations. It was validated on three groups of patients from the same institution and from another clinic not providing patients for the training phase. Comparison of the automated plans was done against reference cases given by the clinically accepted plans. Quantitative improvements (statistically significant for the majority of the analysed dose-volume parameters) were observed between the benchmark and the test plans. Of 624 dose-volume objectives assessed for plan evaluation, in 21 cases (3.3 %) the reference plans failed to respect the constraints while the model-based plans succeeded. Only in 3 cases (<0.5 %) the reference plans passed the criteria while the model-based failed. In 5.3 % of the cases both groups of plans failed and in the remaining cases both passed the tests. Plans were optimised using a broad scope knowledge-based model to determine the dose-volume constraints. The results showed dosimetric improvements when compared to the benchmark data. Particularly the plans optimised for patients from the third centre, not participating to the training, resulted in superior quality. The data suggests that the new engine is reliable and could encourage its application to clinical practice.

The Hyper-X Flight Systems Validation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redifer, Matthew; Lin, Yohan; Bessent, Courtney Amos; Barklow, Carole

2007-01-01

For the Hyper-X/X-43A program, the development of a comprehensive validation test plan played an integral part in the success of the mission. The goal was to demonstrate hypersonic propulsion technologies by flight testing an airframe-integrated scramjet engine. Preparation for flight involved both verification and validation testing. By definition, verification is the process of assuring that the product meets design requirements; whereas validation is the process of assuring that the design meets mission requirements for the intended environment. This report presents an overview of the program with emphasis on the validation efforts. It includes topics such as hardware-in-the-loop, failure modes and effects, aircraft-in-the-loop, plugs-out, power characterization, antenna pattern, integration, combined systems, captive carry, and flight testing. Where applicable, test results are also discussed. The report provides a brief description of the flight systems onboard the X-43A research vehicle and an introduction to the ground support equipment required to execute the validation plan. The intent is to provide validation concepts that are applicable to current, follow-on, and next generation vehicles that share the hybrid spacecraft and aircraft characteristics of the Hyper-X vehicle.

Green Infrastructure & Sustainable Urban Land Use Decision Analysis Workshop

EPA Science Inventory

Introduce green infrastructure, concepts and land use alternatives, to City of Cleveland operations staff. Discuss potential of green alternatives to impact daily operations and routine maintenance activities. Tie in sustainability concepts to long-term City planning and discu...

A critical review of seven selected neighborhood sustainability assessment tools

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

Sharifi, Ayyoob, E-mail: sharifi.ayyoob@a.mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Murayama, Akito, E-mail: murayama@corot.nuac.nagoya-u.ac.jp

2013-01-15

Neighborhood sustainability assessment tools have become widespread since the turn of 21st century and many communities, mainly in the developed world, are utilizing these tools to measure their success in approaching sustainable development goals. In this study, seven tools from Australia, Europe, Japan, and the United States are selected and analyzed with the aim of providing insights into the current situations; highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures; and making recommendations for future improvements. Using a content analysis, the issues of sustainability coverage, pre-requisites, local adaptability, scoring and weighting, participation, reporting, and applicability are discussed in this paper. The resultsmore » of this study indicate that most of the tools are not doing well regarding the coverage of social, economic, and institutional aspects of sustainability; there are ambiguities and shortcomings in the weighting, scoring, and rating; in most cases, there is no mechanism for local adaptability and participation; and, only those tools which are embedded within the broader planning framework are doing well with regard to applicability. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Seven widely used assessment tools were analyzed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer There is a lack of balanced assessment of sustainability dimensions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tools are not doing well regarding the applicability. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Refinements are needed to make the tools more effective. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Assessment tools must be integrated into the planning process.« less

Sustainability in Biobanking: Model of Biobank Graz.

PubMed

Sargsyan, Karine; Macheiner, Tanja; Story, Petra; Strahlhofer-Augsten, Manuela; Plattner, Katharina; Riegler, Skaiste; Granitz, Gabriele; Bayer, Michaela; Huppertz, Berthold

2015-12-01

Research infrastructures remain the key for state-of-the-art and successful research. In the last few decades, biobanks have become increasingly important in this field through standardization of biospecimen processing, sample storage, and standardized data management. Research infrastructure in cohort studies and other sample collection activities are currently experiencing a lack of long-term funding. In this article, the Biobank Graz discusses these aspects of sustainability including the definition of sustainability and necessity of a business plan, as well as cost calculation model in the field of biobanking. The economic state, critical success factors, and important operational issues are reviewed and described by the authors, using the example of the Biobank Graz. Sustainability in the field of biobanking is a globally important matter of necessity, starting from policy making and ending with security and documentation on each operational level.

DOE-NE Proliferation and Terrorism Risk Assessment: FY12 Plans Update

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

Sadasivan, Pratap

2012-06-21

This presentation provides background information on FY12 plans for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Proliferation and Terrorism Risk Assessment program. Program plans, organization, and individual project elements are described. Research objectives are: (1) Develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of current reactors; (2) Develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy; (3) Develop Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Cycles; and (4) Understand and minimize the risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism - Goal is to enable the use of risk information to inform NE R&D programmore » planning.« less

Measuring sustainability as a programming tool for health sector investments: report from a pilot sustainability assessment in five Nepalese health districts.

PubMed

Sarriot, Eric; Ricca, Jim; Ryan, Leo; Basnet, Jagat; Arscott-Mills, Sharon

2009-01-01

Sustainability is a critical determinant of scale and impact of health sector development assistance programs. Working with USAID/Nepal implementing partners, we adapted a sustainability assessment framework to help USAID test how an evaluation tool could inform its health portfolio management. The essential first process step was to define the boundaries of the local system being examined. This local system-the unit of analysis of the study-was defined as the health district.We developed a standardized set of assessment tools to measure 53 indicators. Data collection was carried out over 4 weeks by a Nepalese agency. Scaling and combining indicators into six component indices provided a map of progress toward sustainable maternal, child, health, and family planning results for the five districts included in this pilot study, ranked from "no sustainability" to "beginning of sustainability."We conclude that systematic application of the Sustainability Framework could improve the health sector investment decisions of development agencies. It could also give districts an information base on which to build autonomy and accountability. The ability to form and test hypotheses about the sustainability of outcomes under various funding strategies-made possible by this approach-will be a prerequisite for more efficiently meeting the global health agenda.

Water Quality and Sustainable Environmental Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setegn, S. G.

2014-12-01

Lack of adequate safe water, the pollution of the aquatic environment and the mismanagement of resources are major causes of ill-health and mortality, particularly in the developing countries. In order to accommodate more growth, sustainable fresh water resource management will need to be included in future development plans. One of the major environmental issues of concern to policy-makers is the increased vulnerability of ground water quality. The main challenge for the sustainability of water resources is the control of water pollution. To understand the sustainability of the water resources, one needs to understand the impact of future land use and climate changes on the natural resources. Providing safe water and basic sanitation to meet the Millennium Development Goals will require substantial economic resources, sustainable technological solutions and courageous political will. A balanced approach to water resources exploitation for development, on the one hand, and controls for the protection of health, on the other, is required if the benefits of both are to be realized without avoidable detrimental effects manifesting themselves. Meeting the millennium development goals for water and sanitation in the next decade will require substantial economic resources, sustainable technological solutions and courageous political will. In addition to providing "improved" water and "basic" sanitation services, we must ensure that these services provide: safe drinking water, adequate quantities of water for health, hygiene, agriculture and development and sustainable sanitation approaches to protect health and the environment.

Commissioning and Validation of the First Monte Carlo Based Dose Calculation Algorithm Commercial Treatment Planning System in Mexico

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

Larraga-Gutierrez, J. M.; Garcia-Garduno, O. A.; Hernandez-Bojorquez, M.

2010-12-07

This work presents the beam data commissioning and dose calculation validation of the first Monte Carlo (MC) based treatment planning system (TPS) installed in Mexico. According to the manufacturer specifications, the beam data commissioning needed for this model includes: several in-air and water profiles, depth dose curves, head-scatter factors and output factors (6x6, 12x12, 18x18, 24x24, 42x42, 60x60, 80x80 and 100x100 mm{sup 2}). Radiographic and radiochromic films, diode and ionization chambers were used for data acquisition. MC dose calculations in a water phantom were used to validate the MC simulations using comparisons with measured data. Gamma index criteria 2%/2 mmmore » were used to evaluate the accuracy of MC calculations. MC calculated data show an excellent agreement for field sizes from 18x18 to 100x100 mm{sup 2}. Gamma analysis shows that in average, 95% and 100% of the data passes the gamma index criteria for these fields, respectively. For smaller fields (12x12 and 6x6 mm{sup 2}) only 92% of the data meet the criteria. Total scatter factors show a good agreement (<2.6%) between MC calculated and measured data, except for the smaller fields (12x12 and 6x6 mm{sup 2}) that show a error of 4.7%. MC dose calculations are accurate and precise for clinical treatment planning up to a field size of 18x18 mm{sup 2}. Special care must be taken for smaller fields.« less

Sustaining Community Participation: What Remains After the Money Ends?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nkansa, Grace Akukwe; Chapman, David W.

2006-12-01

SUSTAINING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: WHAT REMAINS AFTER THE MONEY ENDS? - A major concern confronting development specialists in the education sector is the sustainability of project activities and outcomes, that is, their ability to persist once external funding ends. The increased attention of international development-assistance organizations to sustainability reflects the greater recent focus on outcome-based funding. The present study investigates differences between six communities in Ghana that varied in their ability to sustain externally initiated community-participation activities beyond the life of the external development-assistance project that promoted those activities. It was hypothesized that high- and low-sustaining communities differ in eight managerial and socio-cultural dimensions suggested by earlier research to be important for sustainability of community-level activities: planning, transparency, leadership, and participation, on one hand, and, on the other, social cohesion, resources, community skills, and valuing of education. Findings indicate that leadership and social cohesion are the two most vital elements in the sustainability of organizational structures intended to promote community participation in the oversight of local schools. Other factors suggested by the model are largely subsumed under leadership, so that the model can be simplified.

A framework for assessing transportation sustainability rating systems for implementation in U.S. state departments of transportation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-05-01

Sustainability has increased in popularity as a key indicator for planning transportation projects. With that : movement, evaluating the sustainability of transportation projects has become necessary for state : departments of transportation (DOTs). ...

INTEGRATIVE CONSIDERATIONS IN WATERSHED PLANNING

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding the filters through which society views the values produced by watersheds is key to developing effective and adaptable watershed plans, and ultimately a measure of how well policy makers are likely to meet a sustainability, or any other, intent. Many natural resour...

The Role of Sustained Attention in the Production of Conjoined Noun Phrases: An Individual Differences Study

PubMed Central

Jongman, Suzanne R.; Meyer, Antje S.; Roelofs, Ardi

2015-01-01

It has previously been shown that language production, performed simultaneously with a nonlinguistic task, involves sustained attention. Sustained attention concerns the ability to maintain alertness over time. Here, we aimed to replicate the previous finding by showing that individuals call upon sustained attention when they plan single noun phrases (e.g., "the carrot") and perform a manual arrow categorization task. In addition, we investigated whether speakers also recruit sustained attention when they produce conjoined noun phrases (e.g., "the carrot and the bucket") describing two pictures, that is, when both the first and second task are linguistic. We found that sustained attention correlated with the proportion of abnormally slow phrase-production responses. Individuals with poor sustained attention displayed a greater number of very slow responses than individuals with better sustained attention. Importantly, this relationship was obtained both for the production of single phrases while performing a nonlinguistic manual task, and the production of noun phrase conjunctions in referring to two spatially separated objects. Inhibition and updating abilities were also measured. These scores did not correlate with our measure of sustained attention, suggesting that sustained attention and executive control are distinct. Overall, the results suggest that planning conjoined noun phrases involves sustained attention, and that language production happens less automatically than has often been assumed. PMID:26335441