78 FR 7387 - Continuation of 2008 Farm Bill-Dairy Forward Pricing Program
2013-02-01
...] Continuation of 2008 Farm Bill--Dairy Forward Pricing Program AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA... the Dairy Forward Pricing Program contained in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008... associations of producers may enter into forward price contracts under the Dairy Forward Pricing Program...
Principles of the Energy Conservation Bill
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zeman, J.
1995-01-01
The paper describes 21 principles of the draft Energy Conservation Bill. The principles lay down fundamental responsibilities of the government, the municipalities, business entities, citizens and power plants in the field of economical energy management. Included are principles to minimize energy consumption and to stimulate a reasonable energy management, the role of the energy distribution network, responsibilities of the central load dispatching center, and power plant output regulation schemes. (J.B.)
Status assessment and conservation plan for the yellow-billed loon (Gavia adamsii)
Earnst, Susan L.
2004-01-01
Because of its restricted range, small population size, specific habitat requirements, and perceived threats to its breeding habitat, the Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) is a species of conservation concern to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the subject of a petition for listing under the Endangered Species Act. This Status Assessment synthesizes current information on population size, trends, and potential threats to Yellow-billed Loons, and the Conservation Plan identifies research and monitoring activities that would contribute to the conservation of this species. The preparation of this report was requested and funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nongame Bird Office, Region 7.The Status Assessment and Conservation Plan for the Yellow-billed Loon can be summarized as follows:? Northern Alaska breeding grounds support an average of 3,369 individuals, including change), but interpretation of surveys is complicated by changes in observers and high annual variation, and the 95% confidence interval is large (-3.6% to +1.8% annual change). The low reproductive potential of Yellow-billed Loons suggests that recovery from a substantial decline would not occur rapidly. There are no systematic surveys of Canadian and Russian breeding populations (Section 6-F).? The expansion of the oil industry into prime Yellow-billed Loon breeding habitat is a recent occurrence and we lack the necessary information to accurately predict its effect on the population. Most of northern Alaska?s Yellow-billed Loons (91%) occur on the National Petroleum Reserve?Alaska, virtually all of which is open or proposed to be opened to development and where there is no permanent or legal protection of Yellow-billed Loon habitat (Section 7-A).? Other potential factors affecting the population are also addressed, such as contaminants, subsistence hunting, by catch in subsistence and commercial fisheries on the breeding and wintering grounds, and health of the marine ecosystem off
Jamaica National Net-Billing Pilot Program Evaluation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Doris, Elizabeth [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Stout, Sherry [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Peterson, Kimberly [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2015-12-18
This technical report discusses the effectiveness of the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited Net-Billing Pilot Program. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) collected and analyzed data from a wide range of stakeholders, conducted in-country research, and compared program elements to common interconnection practices to form programmatic recommendations for the Jamaica context. NREL finds that the net-billing pilot program has successfully contributed to the support of the emerging solar market in Jamaica with the interconnection of 80 systems under the program for a total of 1.38 megawatts (MW) at the time of original analysis.
Marketing and design of residential energy conservation programs for the elderly
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Berry, L.; Schweitzer, M.; Freeman, E.
1988-02-01
This report describes barriers to energy conservation by the elderly. Because of these barriers, they have a greater need for programs that assist with the installation of energy-efficiency improvements. In response to this need, a number of specialized programs are operated for the elderly. This report contains descriptions of 39 energy conservation programs for the elderly. Telephone interviews were conducted with the managers of these programs to identify marketing techniques and organizational structures. Interagency networking, presentations and referrals are the most common methods of recruiting clients. Other marketing techniques in order of the frequency of use are: direct mail, bill inserts, television, radio, printed materials, and telemarketing. Many managers consider word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied clients the most effective form of marketing. Interagency networking and support (financial, structural and in-kind) can offer real advantages in the operation of conservation programs for the elderly. The use of specific marketing techniques is probably less important to success in recruiting clients than the degree of trust potential clients have in the sponsoring organization(s). 4 figs., 10 tabs.
The Status of Billing and Reimbursement in Pediatric Obesity Treatment Programs
Gray, Jane Simpson; Filigno, Stephanie Spear; Santos, Melissa; Ward, Wendy L.; Davis, Ann M.
2014-01-01
Pediatric psychologists provide behavioral health services to children and adolescents diagnosed with medical conditions. Billing and reimbursement have been problematic throughout the history of pediatric psychology, and pediatric obesity is no exception. The challenges and practices of pediatric psychologists working with obesity are not well understood. Health and behavior codes were developed as one potential solution to aid in the reimbursement of pediatric psychologists who treat the behavioral health needs of children with medical conditions. This commentary discusses the current state of billing and reimbursement in pediatric obesity treatment programs and presents themes that have emerged from discussions with colleagues. These themes include variability in billing practices from program to program, challenges with specific billing codes, variability in reimbursement from state to state and insurance plan to insurance plan, and a general lack of practitioner awareness of code issues or reimbursement rates. Implications and future directions are discussed in terms of research, training, and clinical service. PMID:23224661
The status of billing and reimbursement in pediatric obesity treatment programs.
Gray, Jane Simpson; Spear Filigno, Stephanie; Santos, Melissa; Ward, Wendy L; Davis, Ann M
2013-07-01
Pediatric psychologists provide behavioral health services to children and adolescents diagnosed with medical conditions. Billing and reimbursement have been problematic throughout the history of pediatric psychology, and pediatric obesity is no exception. The challenges and practices of pediatric psychologists working with obesity are not well understood. Health and behavior codes were developed as one potential solution to aid in the reimbursement of pediatric psychologists who treat the behavioral health needs of children with medical conditions. This commentary discusses the current state of billing and reimbursement in pediatric obesity treatment programs and presents themes that have emerged from discussions with colleagues. These themes include variability in billing practices from program to program, challenges with specific billing codes, variability in reimbursement from state to state and insurance plan to insurance plan, and a general lack of practitioner awareness of code issues or reimbursement rates. Implications and future directions are discussed in terms of research, training, and clinical service.
Badali recommends simplified bills
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Anon
2003-04-01
A report on the variety of retail electricity bills across the province, authored by Salvatore Badali of Deloitte Consulting, was recently released by the Ontario Government. The report was commissioned by the Government to examine the underlying reasons for the significant format differences and the wide variation of fixed and variable charges among the approximately 95 local electricity distribution companies across the province. Regarding the appropriateness of the charges the report recommends common definitions for local distribution company (LDC) fixed and variable costs, and consideration of options for reducing LDC charges, mainly by consolidating the sector and sharing such services as customer billing, accounting and out sourcing operations. Seven recommendations deal with bill simplification. These include bills that are clear and easy to read and provide sufficient information for consumers to verify charges; promote energy conservation, e.g. by including historical information; allow comparisons between retail suppliers and distributors; accommodate revenue collection, marketing needs and other billing services. The report also recommends clearly defined and consistently used terminology for standardized line items, suggests ways to provide consumer information in a form useful for making energy conservation decisions, development of an LDC scorecard to enable stake holders to compare their own LDCs with LDCs around the province, creation of a conservation and bill calculation website, consideration of further use of shared services, and solutions to address the removal of line losses from invoices.
Badali recommends simplified bills
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon
2003-01-01
A report on the variety of retail electricity bills across the province, authored by Salvatore Badali of Deloitte Consulting, was recently released by the Ontario Government. The report was commissioned by the Government to examine the underlying reasons for the significant format differences and the wide variation of fixed and variable charges among the approximately 95 local electricity distribution companies across the province. Regarding the appropriateness of the charges the report recommends common definitions for local distribution company (LDC) fixed and variable costs, and consideration of options for reducing LDC charges, mainly by consolidating the sector and sharing such services as customer billing, accounting and out sourcing operations. Seven recommendations deal with bill simplification. These include bills that are clear and easy to read and provide sufficient information for consumers to verify charges; promote energy conservation, e.g. by including historical information; allow comparisons between retail suppliers and distributors; accommodate revenue collection, marketing needs and other billing services. The report also recommends clearly defined and consistently used terminology for standardized line items, suggests ways to provide consumer information in a form useful for making energy conservation decisions, development of an LDC scorecard to enable stake holders to compare their own LDCs with LDCs around the province, creation of a conservation and bill calculation website, consideration of further use of shared services, and solutions to address the removal of line losses from invoices
Utopian dream: a new farm bill.
Nestle, Marion
2012-01-01
In the fall of 2011, I taught a graduate food studies course at New York University devoted to the farm bill, a massive and massively opaque piece of legislation passed most recently in 2008 and up for renewal in 2012. The farm bill supports farmers, of course, but also specifies how the United States deals with such matters as conservation, forestry, energy policy, organic food production, international food aid, and domestic food assistance. My students came from programs in nutrition, food studies, public health, public policy, and law, all united in the belief that a smaller scale, more regionalized, and more sustainable food system would be healthier for people and the planet.
2011-09-26
... [CMS-1351-CN] RIN 0938-AQ29 Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for... rule entitled ``Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled... Payment System (PPS) final rule (76 FR 48486, 48540) inadvertently included several technical errors in...
Corriero, Rosemary; Redmon, Ginger
Before participating in a project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most state and local health departments (LHDs) were not seeking reimbursement or being fully reimbursed by insurance plans for the cost of immunization services (including vaccine costs and administration fees) they provided to insured patients. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Billables Project was designed to enable state and LHDs to bill public and private insurance plans for immunization services provided to insured patients. Identify and describe key barriers state and LHDs may encounter while planning and implementing a billing program, as well as possible solutions for overcoming those barriers. This study used reports from Billables Project participants to explore barriers they encountered when planning and implementing a billing program and steps taken to address those barriers. Thirty-eight state immunization programs. Based on project participants' reports, barriers were noted in 7 categories: (1) funding and costs, (2) staff, (3) health department characteristics, (4) third-party payers and insurance plans, (5) software, (6) patient insurance status, and (7) other barriers. Possible solutions for overcoming those barriers included hiring or seeking external help, creating billing guides and training modules, streamlining workflows, and modifying existing software systems. Overcoming barriers during planning and implementation of a billing program can be challenging for state and LHDs, but the experiences and suggestions of past Billables Project participants can help guide future billing program efforts.
Coding and Billing in Surgical Education: A Systems-Based Practice Education Program.
Ghaderi, Kimeya F; Schmidt, Scott T; Drolet, Brian C
Despite increased emphasis on systems-based practice through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies, few studies have examined what surgical residents know about coding and billing. We sought to create and measure the effectiveness of a multifaceted approach to improving resident knowledge and performance of documenting and coding outpatient encounters. We identified knowledge gaps and barriers to documentation and coding in the outpatient setting. We implemented a series of educational and workflow interventions with a group of 12 residents in a surgical clinic at a tertiary care center. To measure the effect of this program, we compared billing codes for 1 year before intervention (FY2012) to prospectively collected data from the postintervention period (FY2013). All related documentation and coding were verified by study-blinded auditors. Interventions took place at the outpatient surgical clinic at Rhode Island Hospital, a tertiary-care center. A cohort of 12 plastic surgery residents ranging from postgraduate year 2 through postgraduate year 6 participated in the interventional sequence. A total of 1285 patient encounters in the preintervention group were compared with 1170 encounters in the postintervention group. Using evaluation and management codes (E&M) as a measure of documentation and coding, we demonstrated a significant and durable increase in billing with supporting clinical documentation after the intervention. For established patient visits, the monthly average E&M code level increased from 2.14 to 3.05 (p coding and billing of outpatient clinic encounters. Using externally audited coding data, we demonstrate significantly increased rates of higher complexity E&M coding in a stable patient population based on improved documentation and billing awareness by the residents. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Ontario electricity bill review
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
O'Neill, G.
2003-01-01
Findings of an independent review of charges to electricity bills and recommendations to assist in the development of a standard, province-wide residential electricity bill for Ontario are discussed. The review was requested by the province's Minister of Energy in an effort to dispel growing confusion about the variations in customer billing practices used by the province's 90+ local distribution companies. Key recommendations and findings were as follows: (1)Consumer bill formats issued by local distribution companies should be more consumer-friendly, adhere to minimum design standards, adapt uniform terminology and common line charges; (2) charges on customer bills should be grouped into four standard line items, with full details available to customers: the four line items should be a basic service charge, a charge for delivering electricity to the customer, a charge for the electricity itself, and a separate charge for retiring the outstanding debt of the former Ontario Hydro; (3) bills should take advantage of opportunities for promoting province-wide energy conservation, such as encouraging the long-term use of interval meters, presenting historical consumption data on residential bills on a period-to-period basis, and education and communications initiatives. Details of the recommendations, including the calculation of the fixed and variable components of usage charges, an explanation of the concept of electricity system loss adjustments, a method for phasing in the recommendations, and the anticipated benefits to consumers are provided
75 FR 70083 - Emergency Forest Restoration Program and Emergency Conservation Program
2010-11-17
... Restoration Program and Emergency Conservation Program AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA. ACTION: Interim rule. SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending regulations as required by the Food, Conservation, and... as follows: PART 701--EMERGENCY CONSERVATION PROGRAM, EMERGENCY FOREST RESTORATION PROGRAM, AND...
Increasing participation in incentive programs for biodiversity conservation.
Sorice, Michael G; Oh, Chi-Ok; Gartner, Todd; Snieckus, Mary; Johnson, Rhett; Donlan, C Josh
2013-07-01
Engaging private landowners in conservation activities for imperiled species is critical to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity. Market-based approaches can incentivize conservation behaviors on private lands by shifting the benefit-cost ratio of engaging in activities that result in net conservation benefits for target species. In the United States and elsewhere, voluntary conservation agreements with financial incentives are becoming an increasingly common strategy. While the influence of program design and delivery of voluntary conservation programs is often overlooked, these aspects are critical to achieving the necessary participation to attain landscape-scale outcomes. Using a sample of family-forest landowners in the southeast United States, we show how preferences for participation in a conservation program to protect an at-risk species, the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), are related to program structure, delivery, and perceived efficacy. Landowners were most sensitive to programs that are highly controlling, require permanent conservation easements, and put landowners at risk for future regulation. Programs designed with greater levels of compensation and that support landowners' autonomy to make land management decisions can increase participation and increase landowner acceptance of program components that are generally unfavorable, like long-term contracts and permanent easements. There is an inherent trade-off between maximizing participation and maximizing the conservation benefits when designing a conservation incentive program. For conservation programs targeting private lands to achieve landscape-level benefits, they must attract a critical level of participation that creates a connected mosaic of conservation benefits. Yet, programs with attributes that strive to maximize conservation benefits within a single agreement (and reduce risks of failure) are likely to have lower participation, and thus lower landscape benefits. Achieving
2013-12-06
... Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial and Industrial Electric Motors; Proposed... Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial and Industrial Electric Motors AGENCY... proposes energy conservation standards for a number of different groups of electric motors that DOE has not...
77 FR 59712 - Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Dishwashers
2012-10-01
... amended energy conservation standards, DOE conducted a market survey using all available public... Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Dishwashers AGENCY: Office of Energy... establish amended energy conservation standards for dishwashers in the Federal Register on May 30, 2012. DOE...
Heat loss may explain bill size differences between birds occupying different habitats.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Russell Greenberg
Full Text Available Research on variation in bill morphology has focused on the role of diet. Bills have other functions, however, including a role in heat and water balance. The role of the bill in heat loss may be particularly important in birds where water is limiting. Song sparrows localized in coastal dunes and salt marsh edge (Melospiza melodia atlantica are similar in size to, but have bills with a 17% greater surface area than, those that live in mesic habitats (M. m. melodia, a pattern shared with other coastal sparrows. We tested the hypotheses that sparrows can use their bills to dissipate "dry" heat, and that heat loss from the bill is higher in M. m. atlantica than M. m. melodia, which would indicate a role of heat loss and water conservation in selection for bill size.Bill, tarsus, and body surface temperatures were measured using thermal imaging of sparrows exposed to temperatures from 15-37°C and combined with surface area and physical modeling to estimate the contribution of each body part to total heat loss. Song sparrow bills averaged 5-10°C hotter than ambient. The bill of M. m atlantica dissipated up to 33% more heat and 38% greater proportion of total heat than that of M. m. melodia. This could potentially reduce water loss requirements by approximately 7.7%.This >30% higher heat loss in the bill of M. m. atlantica is independent of evaporative water loss and thus could play an important role in the water balance of sparrows occupying the hot and exposed dune/salt marsh environments during the summer. Heat loss capacity and water conservation could play an important role in the selection for bill size differences between bird populations and should be considered along with trophic adaptations when studying variation in bill size.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1985-01-01
The Civilian Energy Programs Authorization for Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 (H.R.2041) authorizes DOE spending of $8.87 billion for civilian research and development; $206 million for specified conservation, regulation, and information programs; $276.8 million for power marketing administration; and $2.98 billion for activities in uranium supply and enrichment, nuclear waste management, and community energy programs. The bill indicates where revenues from fees and other revenues will apply
Electricity Bill [second reading
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hooper, G.; Williams, C.C.P.; Ezra, D.
1989-01-01
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Energy introduced the second reading of the Electricity Bill which provides for the restructuring and privatisation of the electricity supply industry throughout Great Britain. Three features at the heart of the Government's proposals are mentioned - first that the proposals will promote competition in electricity generation and supply of electricity so there will be a downward pressure on costs and prices, second is a new deal for customers and third is the security of electricity supply which will be ensured by the diversity of suppliers. The benefits of the scheme are outlined and then specific details of the Bill are considered. The debate which followed lasted six hours and is reported verbatim. The issues raised included environmental effects, efficiency, energy conservation, research and development and investment. (UK)
46 CFR 296.40 - Billing procedures.
2010-10-01
... OPERATORS MARITIME SECURITY PROGRAM (MSP) Billing and Payment Procedures § 296.40 Billing procedures. Submission of voucher. For contractors operating under more than one MSP Operating Agreement, the contractor may submit a single monthly voucher applicable to all its MSP Operating Agreements. Each voucher...
Consumer energy conservation policies and programs in the Netherlands
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Boer, J. de; Ester, P.; Mindell, C.; Schopman, M.
1983-01-01
This report presents an overview of consumer energy conservation policies and programs in the Netherlands and analyses them in terms of program objectives, conservation strategies, program instruments, context elements, and impacts on energy consumption, on consumers' lifestyles and on the environment. Part 1 briefly outlines the energy situation in the Netherlands. Diversification of energy sources and conservation of energy use are the main themes of Dutch energy policy. Controversial issues are the export volume of natural gas and the acceptability of nuclear energy. Part 2 describes and evaluates a number of consumer energy conservation programs. A broad range of programs is presented, including governmental programs (mass media compaigns, the national insulation program), initiatives from consumer organizations and environmental groups, as well as projects on the community level. Part 3 summarizes the main findings and suggests some policy recommendations. The climate of opinion in the Netherlands appears to be quite favorable towards energy conservation. The commitment to conserve, however, is not very strong. Given the broad variety of conservation programs the necessity of coordination is emphasized. As consumers tend to be weakly represented in the program agencies, it is recommended to extend or introduce their participation. Particular attention is given to the lack of evaluation studies. Usually, program impacts are unknown. The desirability of utilizing community level indicators in the assessment of energy conservation policy is underlined. (orig.)
Billing for outpatient transplant pharmacy services.
Maldonado, Angela Q; Seiger, Todd C; Urann, Christina L; McCleary, Jo Ann; Goroski, Angela L; Ojogho, Okechukwu N
2012-01-15
The economic impact of out-patient pharmacy services in a transplant program was evaluated. Full-time kidney transplant pharmacy services were implemented at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center (PSHMC) in the fall of 2008, with two pharmacists combining hours to provide one full-time-equivalent position. At PSHMC, posttransplantation patients are seen three times per week. The number of patient visits with pharmacists for 2010 was compared with the total number of patient visits. The face-to-face time spent with the patient was translated to a level of billing that was associated with a set reimbursement schedule. For each patient encounter in which a pharmacist was involved, the incremental difference between the nursing and pharmacy levels of billing was examined, as were the levels most often billed by pharmacists. The difference in billing levels between pharmacists and nurses for the same patient encounter was also evaluated. Overall, pharmacist visits accounted for 208 (22%) of the 994 out-patient kidney transplant visits in 2010, with pharmacists billing at a higher level of acuity compared with nursing for the same patient encounter 48% of the time. This translated to an approximate increase of $100 per patient visit. For the one-year study period, pharmacists utilizing facility- fee billing increased out-patient reimbursement by approximately $10,000. By utilizing outpatient facility-fee billing for pharmacy services, the transplant program at PSHMC increased reimbursement in the outpatient setting.
76 FR 27986 - Funding for the Conservation Loan Program; Farm Loan Programs
2011-05-13
... for the Conservation Loan Program; Farm Loan Programs AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA. ACTION... or guaranteed loan applications for the Conservation Loan (CL) Program because of lack of program... provisions to the existing direct and guaranteed loan regulations found in 7 CFR parts 761, 762, 764, 765...
Identifying western yellow-billed cuckoo breeding habitat with a dual modelling approach
Johnson, Matthew J.; Hatten, James R.; Holmes, Jennifer A.; Shafroth, Patrick B.
2017-01-01
The western population of the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) was recently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Yellow-billed cuckoo conservation efforts require the identification of features and area requirements associated with high quality, riparian forest habitat at spatial scales that range from nest microhabitat to landscape, as well as lower-suitability areas that can be enhanced or restored. Spatially explicit models inform conservation efforts by increasing ecological understanding of a target species, especially at landscape scales. Previous yellow-billed cuckoo modelling efforts derived plant-community maps from aerial photography, an expensive and oftentimes inconsistent approach. Satellite models can remotely map vegetation features (e.g., vegetation density, heterogeneity in vegetation density or structure) across large areas with near perfect repeatability, but they usually cannot identify plant communities. We used aerial photos and satellite imagery, and a hierarchical spatial scale approach, to identify yellow-billed cuckoo breeding habitat along the Lower Colorado River and its tributaries. Aerial-photo and satellite models identified several key features associated with yellow-billed cuckoo breeding locations: (1) a 4.5 ha core area of dense cottonwood-willow vegetation, (2) a large native, heterogeneously dense forest (72 ha) around the core area, and (3) moderately rough topography. The odds of yellow-billed cuckoo occurrence decreased rapidly as the amount of tamarisk cover increased or when cottonwood-willow vegetation was limited. We achieved model accuracies of 75–80% in the project area the following year after updating the imagery and location data. The two model types had very similar probability maps, largely predicting the same areas as high quality habitat. While each model provided unique information, a dual-modelling approach provided a more complete picture of yellow-billed cuckoo habitat
75 FR 48934 - Coral Reef Conservation Program Implementation Guidelines
2010-08-12
...-01] RIN 0648-ZC19 Coral Reef Conservation Program Implementation Guidelines AGENCY: National Oceanic... Guidelines (Guidelines) for the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP or Program) under the Coral Reef... assistance for coral reef conservation projects under the Act. NOAA revised the Implementation Guidelines for...
Energy bill of the municipal utilities at Heerlen: part of the customers' information system
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Poell, W A.G.
1980-11-01
A new invoice form now being sent to customers of the combined municipal utilities in Heerlen, Netherlands, provides customers with information that will encourage them to conserve energy. Changes in the invoice involve the utilities' internal operating procedure as well as the annual energy bill and the monthly installment invoice. To make the customer energy-conscious and aware of the effect of conservation measures, the bill states for purposes of comparison the annual consumption of the preceding period. The gas-consumption-related figures appearing on the bill have been modified to account for the calorific value and the ambient temperature in the corresponding period.
Wildlife Conservation Society: Myanmar Program Report
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2000-06-01
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is one of the world's leading NGOS involved in conserving wildlife and ecosystems throughout the world through research, training and education. WCS Myamar Program is trying its best to carry out wide-ranging activities in order to achieve the goal of effective conservation of the flora and fauna of the country
77 FR 13530 - Funding for the Conservation Loan Program; Farm Loan Programs
2012-03-07
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Farm Service Agency Funding for the Conservation Loan Program; Farm Loan... Service Agency (FSA) now has funding for and is accepting guaranteed loan applications for the Conservation Loan (CL) Program. Due to a lack of program funding for direct CLs, direct loan applications are...
Dolphin shows and interaction programs: benefits for conservation education?
Miller, L J; Zeigler-Hill, V; Mellen, J; Koeppel, J; Greer, T; Kuczaj, S
2013-01-01
Dolphin shows and dolphin interaction programs are two types of education programs within zoological institutions used to educate visitors about dolphins and the marine environment. The current study examined the short- and long-term effects of these programs on visitors' conservation-related knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Participants of both dolphin shows and interaction programs demonstrated a significant short-term increase in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Three months following the experience, participants of both dolphin shows and interaction programs retained the knowledge learned during their experience and reported engaging in more conservation-related behaviors. Additionally, the number of dolphin shows attended in the past was a significant predictor of recent conservation-related behavior suggesting that repetition of these types of experiences may be important in inspiring people to conservation action. These results suggest that both dolphin shows and dolphin interaction programs can be an important part of a conservation education program for visitors of zoological facilities. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Kalle, Riddhika; Combrink, Leigh; Ramesh, Tharmalingam; Downs, Colleen T
2017-03-01
Distributions of avian mutualists are affected by changes in biotic interactions and environmental conditions driven directly/indirectly by human actions. The range contraction of red-billed oxpeckers ( Buphagus erythrorhynchus ) in South Africa is partly a result of the widespread use of acaracides (i.e., mainly cattle dips), toxic to both ticks and oxpeckers. We predicted the habitat suitability of red-billed oxpeckers in South Africa using ensemble models to assist the ongoing reintroduction efforts and to identify new reintroduction sites for population recovery. The distribution of red-billed oxpeckers was influenced by moderate to high tree cover, woodland habitats, and starling density (a proxy for cavity-nesting birds) with regard to nest-site characteristics. Consumable resources (host and tick density), bioclimate, surface water body density, and proximity to protected areas were other influential predictors. Our models estimated 42,576.88-98,506.98 km 2 of highly suitable habitat (0.5-1) covering the majority of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, a substantial portion of northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Gauteng Province. Niche models reliably predicted suitable habitat in 40%-61% of the reintroduction sites where breeding is currently successful. Ensemble, boosted regression trees and generalized additive models predicted few suitable areas in the Eastern Cape and south of KZN that are part of the historic range. A few southern areas in the Northern Cape, outside the historic range, also had suitable sites predicted. Our models are a promising decision support tool for guiding reintroduction programs at macroscales. Apart from active reintroductions, conservation programs should encourage farmers and/or landowners to use oxpecker-compatible agrochemicals and set up adequate nest boxes to facilitate the population recovery of the red-billed oxpecker, particularly in human-modified landscapes. To ensure long-term conservation success, we suggest that
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
1982-01-01
Industrial operations in the United States account for some 37% of the nation's consumptions of energy. It has been estimated that this figure will increase to 50% by 1990 unless appropriate industrial energy conservation measures are adopted. However, such measures are difficult to implement in spite of the potential of various existing, emerging, and advanced technologies that can be applied to the problem. Specifically, the application of many industrial energy conservation measures entails high economic, technological, and institutional risks and uncertainties that constrain industries from adopting such measures. Accordingly, in 1975 the federal government started a program designed to mitigate these risks and uncertainties via government-industry partnership arrangements in the interests of national energy conservation. An important element of this program is the Industrial Energy Conservation Program in the Federal Department of Energy (DOE). In June 1980, DOE asked the National Materials Advisory Board, a unit of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, to form a study committee to assess the effectiveness of the Industrial Energy Conservation Program. The committee concluded that federal support embodied in the DOE program, present and planned, is important to conserving additional industrial energy. However, the committee also concluded that the program needs various improvements in project selection and management and in transfer of results to industry. The committee's findings and recommendations and the results of the deliberation of the committee's three panels, a special report on heat and power, and a report on the visit by four members of the committee to Japan are presented.
2010-03-10
... Diego County Water Authority Natural Communities Conservation Program/Habitat Conservation Plan, San... meetings for the San Diego County Water Authority's (Water Authority/Applicant) draft Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP)/Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) prepared in application to us for an incidental take...
Improving utility conservation programs: outcomes, interventions, and evaluations
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Condelli, L; Archer, D; Aronson, E; Curbow, B; McLeod, B; Pettigrew, T F; White, L T; Yates, S
1984-06-01
Four major California utility companies have active energy conservation programs mandated by the State's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). These companies evaluate their programs and send reports of the evaluations to the CPUC. A review of 213 of these reports revealed a marketing research approach toward promoting conservation. Advertising and informational campaigns characterize most programs, and attitudes and self-reported behavior were the major outcome measures. This approach is shown to be ineffective. Suggestions for improvement include: (1) the use of actual energy consumption as the primary outcome measure in evaluating conservation programs; (2) the abandonment of conventional advertising, and the use of it only for the promotion of ''hard'' interventions; (3) increased use of social diffusion methods to disseminate information; (4) the design of more effective educational material by incorporating cognitive social psychological principles; and (5) the utilization of ''hard'' interventions that have a direct, verifiable link to conservation.
Yang, Li; Zhang, Chao; Chen, Minhao; Li, Jingxin; Yang, Lei; Huo, Zhaomin; Ahmad, Shahid; Luan, Xiaofeng
2018-04-01
Long-term ecological data can be an effective tool to help ecologists integrate future projections with historical contexts and provide unique insights into the long-term dynamics of endangered species. However, hampered by data limitations, including incomplete and spatially biased data, relatively few studies have used multidecadal datasets or have examined changes in biogeography from a historical perspective. The black-billed capercaillie ( Tetrao urogalloides ) is a large capercaillie (classified as Least Concern [LC] on the IUCN red list) that has undergone a dramatic decline in population during the late 20th century and is considered endangered. Its conservation status is pessimistic, and the species requires immediate protection. Therefore, we supplemented a historical dataset to identify changes in this bird's range and population in northeast China over the long term. The study area spanned Heilongjiang Province, Jilin Province, and the northeast corner of Inner Mongolia in northeast China. We integrated an ecological niche model (BIOMOD2) with long-term ecological data on this species to estimate the magnitude of change in distribution over time. Our results revealed a 35.25% reduction in the current distribution of this species compared to their potential distribution in the 1970s. This decline is expected to continue under climate change. For example, the future range loss was estimated to be 38.79 ± 0.22% (8.64-90.19%), and the actual state could be worse, because the baseline range of the model was greater than the real range in the 2000s, showing a 12.39% overestimation. To overcome this poor outlook, a conservation strategy should be established in sensitive areas, including the southwestern Greater Khingan Mountains and northern Lesser Khingan Mountains. Actions that should be considered include field investigations, establishing a monitor network, designing ecological corridors, and cooperating with local inhabitants, governments, and
Green campus management based on conservation program in Universitas Negeri Semarang
Prihanto, Teguh
2018-03-01
Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) has a great commitment in the development of higher education programs in line with its vision as a conservation - minded and internationally reputable university. Implementation of conservation programs with respect to the rules or conservation aspects of sustainable use, preservation, provisioning, protection, restoration and conservation of nature. In order to support the implementation of UNNES conservation program more focused, development strategies and development programs for each conservation scope are covered: (1) Biodiversity management; (2) Internal transportation management; (3) energy management; (4) Green building management; (5) Waste and water management; (6) Cultural conservation management. All related to conservation development strategies and programs are managed in the form of green campus management aimed at realizing UNNES as a green campus, characterized and reputable at the regional and global level.
78 FR 67128 - Coral Reef Conservation Program; Meeting
2013-11-08
... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coral Reef Conservation Program; Meeting AGENCY: Coral Reef Conservation Program, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management... meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF). The meeting will be held in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin...
The development of application for billing of services
Šinko, Žiga
2013-01-01
Diploma is a description of a programming solution for preparing billing invoices of Mikrocop services. Developed system can easily manage billing invoices specifications for all customers and set schedules for generating invoices. These settings are than used by the service module generating invoices on schedule. Generated invoices can be seen and managed with help of Windows Reporting Services technology. First chapter describes services billing in general. Second chapter shortly de...
Soil conservation: Market failure and program performance
Paul Gary Wyckoff
1983-01-01
An examination of the economic rationale behind soil conservation programs, an assessment of the magnitude of the soil erosion problem, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of U.S. soil conservation policies.
75 FR 41397 - Asparagus Revenue Market Loss Assistance Payment Program
2010-07-16
... Revenue Market Loss Assistance Payment Program AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service... to implement the new Asparagus Revenue Market Loss Assistance Payment (ALAP) Program authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill). The purpose of the program is to...
A human-centered framework for innovation in conservation incentive programs.
Sorice, Michael G; Donlan, C Josh
2015-12-01
The promise of environmental conservation incentive programs that provide direct payments in exchange for conservation outcomes is that they enhance the value of engaging in stewardship behaviors. An insidious but important concern is that a narrow focus on optimizing payment levels can ultimately suppress program participation and subvert participants' internal motivation to engage in long-term conservation behaviors. Increasing participation and engendering stewardship can be achieved by recognizing that participation is not simply a function of the payment; it is a function of the overall structure and administration of the program. Key to creating innovative and more sustainable programs is fitting them within the existing needs and values of target participants. By focusing on empathy for participants, co-designing program approaches, and learning from the rapid prototyping of program concepts, a human-centered approach to conservation incentive program design enhances the propensity for discovery of novel and innovative solutions to pressing conservation issues.
2010-03-04
... Diego County Water Authority Natural Communities Conservation Program/Habitat Conservation Plan, San... the NCCP/HCP's conservation strategy. Covered Activities would include developing new water... permit application, and notice of public meetings. SUMMARY: The San Diego County Water Authority (Water...
2010-04-16
... Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Water Heaters, Direct Heating Equipment, and Pool... heating equipment and pool heaters. Table I.1--Amended Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Water... for national energy and water conservation; and 7. Other factors the Secretary of Energy (Secretary...
2013-08-20
... merging the metal halide lamp fixture and the high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp rulemakings. This NOPR... Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Metal Halide Lamp Fixtures; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal...: Energy Conservation Standards for Metal Halide Lamp Fixtures AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and...
2010-04-05
... Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Small Electric Motors; Correction AGENCY: Office of... standards for small electric motors, which was published on March 9, 2010. In that final rule, the U.S... titled ``Energy Conservation Standards for Small Electric Motors.'' 75 FR 10874. Since the publication of...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael Drescher
2017-03-01
Full Text Available Preservation of biodiversity and continued provision of ecosystem services increasingly relies on environmental conservation on private lands. Despite a multitude of past studies, our knowledge of the motives, opportunities, and challenges of private land conservation, especially on nonworking lands, where financial incentives are less relevant, remains incomplete. A key reason is that a variety of theoretical approaches, resulting in diverging study results, have been used to investigate private land conservation. To help remedy this problem, the current study rigorously examined several established social-psychological determinants of proenvironmental behaviors and developed a comprehensive model, which merged elements from previous studies, to investigate landowner participation in a government-sponsored private land conservation program for nonworking lands. The results are based on analysis of a mailed survey of 800 program-eligible landowners. Contrasting program participants with nonparticipants, we elicited information such as about values, worldviews, socio-demographic characteristics, and property attributes that led landowners to participate in this conservation program. The results of our study illustrate the complex relationships among values, worldviews, norms, attitudes, and behaviors emphasizing the importance of proenvironmental worldviews and of formal education for increasing the likelihood of enrollment in this government-sponsored private land conservation program. Against expectation, neither personal norms, household income, political leaning, nor the size of the eligible property area were found to be important in directly determining the decision to enroll in this conservation program. However, an association of political leaning with stated personal obligation for private land conservation was found. Our results highlight the relationship between formal education and achievement of private land conservation goals
2012-02-24
... Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Distribution Transformers; Correction AGENCY: Office of... standards for distribution transformers. It was recently discovered that values in certain tables of the...,'' including distribution transformers. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT 1992), Public Law 102-486, amended...
2011-11-14
... the term ``fluorescent lamp,'' which EPCA defines as ``a low pressure mercury electric-discharge... discharge into light,'' and as including the four enumerated types of fluorescent lamps for which EPCA... Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal...
Comparison groups on bills: Automated, personalized energy information
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Iyer, Maithili; Kempton, Willett; Payne, Christopher
2006-07-01
A program called ``Innovative Billing?? has been developed to provide individualized energy information for a mass audience?the entireresidential customer base of an electric or gas utility. Customers receive a graph on the bill that compares that customer?s consumption with othersimilar customers for the same month. The program aims to stimulate customers to make ef?ciency improvements. To group as many as severalmillion customers into small ``comparison groups??, an automated method must be developed drawing solely from the data available to the utility.This paper develops and applies methods to compare the quality of resulting comparison groups.A data base of 114,000 customers from a utility billing system was used to evaluate Innovative Billing comparison groups, comparing fouralternative criteria: house characteristics (?oor area, housing type, and heating fuel); street; meter read route; billing cycle. Also, customers wereinterviewed to see what forms of comparison graphs made most sense and led to fewest errors of interpretation. We ?nd that good qualitycomparison groups result from using street name, meter book, or multiple house characteristics. Other criteria we tested, such as entire cycle, entiremeter book, or single house characteristics such as ?oor area, resulted in poor quality comparison groups. This analysis provides a basis forchoosing comparison groups based on extensive user testing and statistical analysis. The result is a practical set of guidelines that can be used toimplement realistic, inexpensive innovative billing for the entire customer base of an electric or gas utility.
Conservation tax rebates under scrutiny
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rodgers, L.M.
1990-01-01
This article describes federal legislative response to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruling that rebates offered as incentives by utilities are taxable as gross income. A bill is being introduced that will reverse the situation. Statements from various conservation and industry organizations are offered in support of the bill. The IRS is also reviewing its ruling
Defense bill: Earmarking as usual
Earmarked funds in the $268 billion defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 1991 stirred congressional debate in late October. Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, charged that the defense bill contains questionable projects totaling tens of millions of dollars. AGU opposes legislative earmarking of money for particular institutions, maintaining that the practice prevents the best use of federal funding by circumventing competitive review. Nunn noted on the Senate floor that the appropriations bill provided specific funds for cited institutions—contravening a federal law promoting competition. “ If these programs have merit, they will succeed in a fair and competent review in competition,” Nunn said. “If no other institution in the country is able to compete, there should be no fear whatever of competition… But no one else in the world is allowed to compete to work on these projects.”
Amur tiger conservation education program: A pilot study on program effectiveness.
Mukhacheva, Anna S; Derugina, Vasilissa V; Maksimova, Galina D; Soutyrina, Svetlana V
2015-07-01
Anthropogenic impacts are the primary threats to Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) and their habitat. Villagers living in proximity to tigers tend to view them negatively and, often, as a source of revenue on black markets. We aim to reduce human-tiger conflict by working with young students of Ternei County in the heart of tiger habitat in Primorskii Krai (Province). To inform and influence Ternei County's future decision-makers, we developed "Safe Conduct", a year-long education program held in 6 villages, culminating in a multi-school conference. We tested the efficacy of Safe Conduct as a potential model for tiger conservation educational programs. We measured levels of student knowledge about tiger ecology, their attitude towards tigers, and their willingness to engage in tiger conservation activites prior to, immediately after and 6 months following the completion of our program. Results supported the fundamental premise of Safe Conduct that knowledge and attitude towards tigers are correlated. Knowledge of tiger ecology and attitude towards tigers increased by the project's completion; both remained high after 6 months. However, commitment to participation in conservation efforts rose temporarily post-program and then dropped. Results varied by village. We recommend that the reasons for the high performance measures of students in 2 villages be investigated, and that lessons learned be applied to villages that underperformed. Safe Conduct represents a potential model for environmental education programs in Ternei County and elsewhere to educate future generations, to eventually develop a strong commitment to Amur tiger conservation at the community level. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Preliminary investigations of the winter ecology of Long-billed Curlews in coastal Texas
Woodin, Marc C.; Skoruppa, Mary Kay; Edwardson, Jeremy W.; Austin, Jane E.
2012-01-01
Since the early 1900s, the distribution of the Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) has contracted dramatically in the eastern one-half of its historic range. The species has been designated as a "Bird of Conservation Concern" and focal species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a species of concern by several states, and a "Highly Imperiled" species in the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. The uncertain outlook for this species has contributed to a plethora of research on Long-billed Curlews, most of which have focused on breeding and nesting ecology of the species. Gaps remain in information about factors affecting population dynamics on the winter grounds and the linkages between Long-billed Curlew populations on the breeding range, migration routes, and winter range. To begin filling those gaps, a pilot study was done to evaluate (1) curlew use of nocturnal roost sites, (2) use of public outreach to locate curlews and contribute to preliminary assessment of foraging habitat use, (3) six different methods to capture curlews, and (4) movements by curlews on wintering areas. The study area includes the lower Texas coast, which harbors the eastern-most dense populations of Long-billed Curlews in North America.
75 FR 31609 - Conservation Stewardship Program
2010-06-03
... producers who are members of the protected groups have participated in NRCS conservation programs at parity..., color, national origin, gender, sex, or disability status. Therefore, the CSP rule portends no adverse...
2012-03-12
... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [Docket No. EESEP0216] State Energy Program and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program; Request for Information AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and... (SEP) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, in support of energy...
Conservation and Renewable Energy Program
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Vaughan, K.H.
1991-05-01
This bibliography lists reports and selected papers published under the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Conservation and Renewable Energy Program from 1986 through February 1991. Information on documents published prior to 1986 can be obtained from ORNL. Most of the documents in the bibliography are available from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
2013-04-08
... DeLonghi); energy and environmental advocates (American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 10 CFR Part 430 [Docket Number EERE-2013-BT-STD-0020] RIN 1904-AC98 Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners...
Annotated directory of energy conservation programs
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Claxton, J.D.; McDougall, G.H.G.; Ritchie, J.R.B. (eds.)
1980-01-01
Summaries of 34 consumer energy conservation programs in Canada and the USA are listed. Areas of focus are: (1) home heating and cooling; (2) household appliances; (3) private transportation; and (4) community involvement. Each summary contains information on the program objectives, operating details, results to date, costs and benefits, and source of funding. The key contact person is identified and background literature references are given. ((MJJ)
A structured blood conservation program in pediatric cardiac surgery.
Budak, A B; McCusker, K; Gunaydin, S
2017-03-01
The limitation of alternative transfusion practices in infants increases the benefits of blood conservation. We analyzed the efficacy of a structured program to reduce transfusions and transfusion-associated complications in cardiac surgery PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our pediatric surgery database was reviewed retrospectively, comparing outcomes from two different time periods, after the implementation of an effective blood conservation program beginning in March 2014. A total of 214 infants (8.1±3.4 months) who underwent biventricular repair utilizing CPB (Group 1 - Blood conservation) were studied in a 12-month period (March 2014-February 2015) after the implementation of the new program, and compared with 250 infants (7.91±3.2 months) (Group 2 - Control-No blood conservation) of the previous 12-month period (March 2013-February 2014). The proportion of patients transfused with red blood cells was 75.2% (N=188) in control group and reduced by 16.4% in the study group (58.8% - 126 patients, p blood products, justify blood conservation in pediatric cardiac operations. Circuit miniaturization, ultrafiltration, and reduced postoperative bleeding, presumably secondary to higher fibrinogen and other coagulation factor levels, contributed to this outcome.
2010-04-27
... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 10 CFR Part 430 [Docket Number EE-2006-BT-STD-0129] RIN 1904-AA90 Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Water Heaters, Direct Heating Equipment, and Pool Heaters Correction In rule document 2010-7611 beginning on page 20112 in the issue of Friday...
2010-12-14
... Corporation Agricultural Water Enhancement Program and Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative AGENCY... Conservation Service (NRCS) through either the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) or the Cooperative... concerns to be addressed, and specifically what water conservation resource issues and water quality...
Process Document for the Conservation Competitive Bidding Pilot Program.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
United States. Bonneville Power Administration.
1990-09-01
Bonneville Power Administration (Bonneville) is proposing to test competitive bidding for Conservation Resources to expand its existing resource acquisition capabilities. Competitive bidding may target specific types of electric end-uses or end-use sectors. It is a new acquisition approach through which Bonneville seeks to acquire resources that are not acquired through other existing or planned conservation programs. This proposal describes the conservation component of the all-source competitive acquisition approach that will be developed. It is expected that the combined resource acquisition effort will target about 100 average megawatts (aMW) as proposed in the 1990 Resource Program, although the exact amount has not yet been determined. Increasing the acquisition target will, to some extent, depend on whether the proposed pilot program is large enough to establish confidence in the approach.
Gallant, Alisa L.; Sadinski, Walt; Roth, Mark F.; Rewa, Charles A.
2011-01-01
Conservationists and agriculturists face unprecedented challenges trying to minimize tradeoffs between increasing demands for food, fiber, feed, and biofuels and the resulting loss or reduced values of other ecosystem services, such as those derived from wetlands and biodiversity (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment 2005a, 2005c; Maresch et al. 2008). The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-234, Stat. 923, HR 2419, also known as the 2008 Farm Bill) reauthorized the USDA to provide financial incentives for agricultural producers to reduce environmental impacts via multiple conservation programs. Two prominent programs, the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), provide incentives for producers to retire environmentally sensitive croplands, minimize erosion, improve water quality, restore wetlands, and provide wildlife habitat (USDA FSA 2008a, 2008b; USDA NRCS 2002). Other conservation programs (e.g., Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program) provide incentives to implement structural and cultural conservation practices to improve the environmental performance of working agricultural lands. Through its Conservation Effects Assessment Project, USDA is supporting evaluation of the environmental benefits obtained from the public investment in conservation programs and practices to inform decisions on where further investments are warranted (Duriancik et al. 2008; Zinn 1997).
78 FR 25463 - Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council
2013-05-01
..., and giving an oral presentation, please see ``Public Input'' under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION... hunting and shooting sports recreation; 4. Stimulating sportsmen and women's participation in conservation... Implementation; 2. Conservation titles of the Farm Bill 3. Energy production and wildlife conservation; and 4...
One year of migration data for a western yellow-billed cuckoo
Sechrist, Juddson D.; Paxton, Eben H.; Ahlers, Darrell D.; Doster, Robert H.; Ryan, Vicky M.
2012-01-01
In 2009, we studied the migration of the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo by capturing 13 breeding birds on the middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, and attaching a 1.5-g Mk 14-S British Antarctic Survey geolocator to each bird. In 2010, we recaptured one of the cuckoos, enabling us to download its geolocation data. The cuckoo had flown approximately 9500 km during its southward migration, traveling through Central America to winter in portions of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The spring migration route differed somewhat from the fall route, with the cuckoo bypassing Central America to migrate through the Caribbean. Additionally, it moved between New Mexico and Mexico at the end of summer in 2009 and again in 2010 before being recaptured at its breeding site. Our results, albeit from one individual, hint at a dynamic migration strategy and have broad implications for the ecology and conservation of the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a species of conservation concern.
A landholder-based approach to the design of private-land conservation programs.
Moon, Katie; Cocklin, Chris
2011-06-01
Many ecosystems exist primarily, or solely, on privately owned (freehold) or managed (leasehold) land. In rural and semirural areas, local and regional government agencies are commonly responsible for encouraging landholders to conserve native vegetation and species on these private properties. Yet these agencies often lack the capacity to design and implement conservation programs tailored to rural and semirural landholdings and instead offer one program to all landholders. Landholders may elect not to participate because the program is irrelevant to their property or personal needs; consequently, vegetation-retention objectives may not be achieved. We differentiated landholders in Queensland, Australia, according to whether they derived income from the land (production landholders) or not (nonproduction landholders). We compared these two groups to identify similarities and differences that may inform the use of policy instruments (e.g., voluntary, economic, and regulatory) in conservation program design. We interviewed 45 landholders participating in three different conservation agreement programs (price-based rate [property tax] rebate; market-based tender; and voluntary, permanent covenant). Production landholders were more likely to participate in short-term programs that offered large financial incentives that applied to 75% of their property. These results may be explained by significant differences in the personal circumstances of production and nonproduction landholders (income, education, health) and differences in their norms (beliefs about how an individual is expected to act) and attitudes. Knowledge of these differences may allow for development of conservation programs that better meet the needs of landholders and thus increase participation in conservation programs and retention of native vegetation. ©2011 Society for Conservation Biology.
7 CFR 1412.23 - Base acres and Conservation Reserve Program.
2010-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Base acres and Conservation Reserve Program. 1412.23... Base Acres for a Farm for Covered Commodities § 1412.23 Base acres and Conservation Reserve Program. (a... year, adjust the base acres for covered commodities and peanuts with respect to the farm by the number...
2013-05-02
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Energy Conservation Standards for Ceiling Fans and Ceiling Fan... for residential ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits in the Federal Register. This document... other aspect of the rulemaking for ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits. The comment period is...
Pediatric Hospitalist Comanagement Survey of Clinical and Billing Practices.
O'Connor, Katherine M; Zipes, David G; Schaffzin, Joshua K; Rosenberg, Rebecca
2017-10-01
Surgical comanagement is an increasingly common practice in pediatric hospital medicine. Information about the structure and financing of such care is limited. The aim of the researchers for this study was to investigate pediatric hospitalist surgical comanagement models and to assess pediatric hospitalist familiarity with and patterns of billing for surgical patients. We conducted a cross-sectional cohort web-based survey of pediatric hospitalists using the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Hospital Medicine listserv. In our study ( N = 133), we found wide variation in our cohort in surgical patient practice management, including program structure, individual billing practices, and knowledge regarding billing practices. Even for pediatric hospitalists with comanagement service agreements between surgeons and pediatric hospitalists, there was no increased awareness or knowledge about reimbursement or billing for surgical patients. This global lack of knowledge in our small but diverse sample suggests that billing resources and training for pediatric hospitalists practicing comanagement of surgical patients are needed. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
34 CFR 674.48 - Use of contractors to perform billing and collection or other program activities.
2010-07-01
... all funds collected by its employees and contractors. (c) If an institution uses a billing service to carry out billing procedures under § 674.43, the institution shall ensure that the service— (1) Provides... paragraph (f) of this section. (e) If an institution uses a billing service to carry out § 674.43 (billing...
10 CFR Appendix D to Part 436 - Energy Program Conservation Elements
2010-01-01
... have a personal and sustained commitment to the program, provide active direction and motivation, and... energy conservation. (7) Employee Awareness. Employees must gain an awareness of energy conservation through formal training and employee information programs. They should be invited to participate in the...
Landowner preferences for wetlands conservation programs in two Southern Ontario watersheds.
Trenholm, Ryan; Haider, Wolfgang; Lantz, Van; Knowler, Duncan; Haegeli, Pascal
2017-09-15
Wetlands in the region of Southern Ontario, Canada have declined substantially from their historic area. Existing regulations and programs have not abated this decline. However, reversing this trend by protecting or restoring wetlands will increase the supply of important ecosystem services. In particular, these actions will contribute to moderating the impacts of extreme weather predicted to result from climate change as well as reducing phosphorous loads in Lake Erie and ensuing eutrophication. Since the majority of land in the region is privately owned, landowners can play an important role. Thus, we assessed landowner preferences for voluntary incentive-based wetlands conservation programs using separate choice experiments mailed to farm and non-farm landowners in the Grand River and Upper Thames River watersheds. Latent class models were separately estimated for the two data sets. Marginal willingness to accept, compensating surplus, and participation rates were estimated from the resulting models to gain insight into the financial compensation required by landowners and their potential participation. Many of the participating landowners appear willing to participate in wetlands conservation at reasonable cost, with more willing groups notably marked by past participation in incentive-based conservation programs. They generally favor wetlands conservation programs that divert smaller areas of land to wetlands conservation, target marginal agricultural land, use treed buffers to protect wetlands, offer technical help, and pay financial incentives. However, landowners appear reluctant to receive public recognition of their wetland conservation actions. Our results are of interest to natural resource managers designing or refining wetlands conservation programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
78 FR 73205 - Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council
2013-12-05
... hunting and shooting sports recreation; 4. Stimulating sportsmen and women's participation in conservation... sportsmen and women; wildlife and habitat conservation and management organizations; and the public; 6... Implementation; 2. Farm Bill; 3. Funding for public and private lands conservation; and 4. Other Council business...
42 CFR 1001.1701 - Billing for services of assistant at surgery during cataract operations.
2010-10-01
... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Billing for services of assistant at surgery during..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OIG AUTHORITIES PROGRAM INTEGRITY-MEDICARE AND STATE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS Permissive Exclusions § 1001.1701 Billing for services of assistant at surgery during cataract...
Review of financial incentive, low-income, elderly and multifamily residential conservation programs
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Berry, L.; Hubbard, M.; White, D.
1986-09-01
This report describes thirty-nine utility-sponsored residential conservation programs for four types of markets. The program types considered are: (1) financial incentive programs for the general residential market, (2) programs for low-income households, (3) programs for the elderly, and (4) programs for the multifamily market. Each program description contains information on incentive terms, eligibility, conservation measures, program history, design and marketing, and the utility/agency motivation for operating the program. The names, addresses and phone numbers of contact persons also are included. Two methods were used to select the programs to be described. First, nominations of successful programs of each type were solicited from experts on residential energy conservation. Second, managers of the programs on this initial list were asked to describe their programs and to suggest other successful programs that should be included in the sample. Because of the selection process used, this report covers mainly the best known and most frequently studied programs that are aimed at the four market types.
78 FR 50026 - Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program Finding of No Significant Impact
2013-08-16
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program... implementing its new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program. The FONSI decision document is based on... entitled ``Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program,'' which expands upon policies and procedures...
2010-07-01
... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Billings. 101-26.607 Section 101-26.607 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System FEDERAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS SUPPLY AND PROCUREMENT 26-PROCUREMENT SOURCES AND PROGRAM 26.6...
Combining landscape-level conservation planning and biodiversity offset programs: a case study.
Underwood, Jared G
2011-01-01
Habitat loss is a major factor in the endangerment and extinction of species around the world. One promising strategy to balance continued habitat loss and biodiversity conservation is that of biodiversity offsets. However, a major concern with offset programs is their consistency with landscape-level conservation goals. While merging offset policies and landscape-level conservation planning is thought to provide advantages over a traditional disconnected approach, few such landscape-level conservation-offset plans have been designed and implemented, so the effectiveness of such a strategy remains uncertain. In this study, we quantitatively assess the conservation impact of combining landscape-level conservation planning and biodiversity offset programs by comparing regions of San Diego County, USA with the combined approach to regions with only an offset program. This comparison is generally very difficult due to a variety of complicating factors. We overcome these complications and quantify the benefits to rare and threatened species of implementing a combined approach by assessing the amount of each species' predicted distribution, and the number of documented locations, conserved in comparison to the same metric for areas with an offset policy alone. We found that adoption of the combined approach has increased conservation for many rare species, often 5-10 times more than in the comparison area, and that conservation has been focused in the areas most important for these species. The level of conservation achieved reduces uncertainty that these species will persist in the region into the future. This San Diego County example demonstrates the potential benefits of combining landscape-level conservation planning and biodiversity offset programs.
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Billing Trends. Internet access: Bandwidth becoming analogous to electric power. Only maximum capacity (load) is fixed; Charges based on usage (units). Leased line bandwidth: Billing analogous to phone calls. But bandwidth is variable.
Thermographic Inspections And The Residential Conservation Service Program (RCS)
Ward, Ronald J.
1983-03-01
Rhode Islanders Saving Energy (RISE) is a non-profit corporation founded in 1977 to provide Rhode Island residents with a variety of energy conservation services. Since January of 1981, it has been performing energy audits in compliance with the Department of Energy's (DOE) Residential Conservation Service Program (RCS). One aspect of the RCS program is the performance of inspections on energy conservation activities completed according to RCS installation guidelines. This paper will describe both the use and results of thermographic inspections within the RISE program. The primary objective of these inspections has been to assure the quality of the building envelope after completion of retrofit measures. Thermal anamolies have been detected that vary in size, location and probable cause. Approximately 37% of all jobs performed through RISE in conjunction with the RCS program have required remedial work as a result of problems that were identi-fied during the thermographic inspection. This percentage was much higher when infra-red inspections were conducted on "Non-RCS" retrofits. Statistics will be presented that provide an interesting insight on the quality of retrofit work when performed in associa-tion with a constant inspection process.
Cost-benefit analysis of Hydro-Quebec's energy conservation programs
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Arsenault, E.
1993-09-01
A cost-benefit analysis is presented of the energy conservation programs of Hydro-Quebec for 1991 to 2010. Three possible scenarios are simulated. In the first scenario, Hydro-Quebec data are used without modification. In the second, the simulation is carried out in the absence of the Hydro-Quebec programs, and in the third, it is assumed that any economies achieved are only for the short term. A comparison between these simulations allows determination of results concerning the advantages and the costs which the programs introduce for the three groups comprising society: the consumer, the producer, and the government. The results of these comparisons show that the consumer, the producer, and the whole society gain benefits from the energy conservation programs, while the government loses. 13 refs., 13 figs., 14 tabs
Bill (declared urgency) asserting the national commitment for the environment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2009-01-01
The bill asserting the French national commitment for the environment (also named 'Grenelle 2') is considered as the juridical tool-box of the French environmental policy. It confirms, strengthens, and concretizes the objectives defined by the Grenelle 1 law. The main dispositions of the bill concern the following domains: settlement and urbanism with the improvement of the energy efficiency, energy conservation and life-cycle of buildings; transports with the development of sustainable transportation systems; energy with the creation of regional climate, air and energy schemes with the aim of developing renewable energies (with some restrictions concerning wind power) and reducing CO 2 emissions; biodiversity with the creation of ecological pathways between protected areas for the migration of flora and fauna species; environment and waste management with the reinforcement of measures for the abatement of environmental pollutant effects. Among the numerous dispositions involving more than 20 codes (urbanism, environment, buildings etc..) one concerns the progressive implementation of a 'carbon price' index taking into account the greenhouse gas emission costs during the whole life cycle of a product, another one concerns the monitoring of indoor air quality in public buildings. This document is made of three parts. Part 1 is the exposition of the intentions of each article of the bill, part 2 is the bill itself and part 3 is the impact study of the bill in terms of economical, social and environmental impact. (J.S.)
Moon, Katie; Marshall, Nadine; Cocklin, Chris
2012-12-30
Adequate conservation of biodiversity on private land remains elusive due, in part, to a failure to understand the personal circumstances and social characteristics of private landholders. Our aim was to identify those personal and social dimensions of landholders that might contribute to improved conservation policy and program design and, thereby, participation in private land conservation. We tested whether personal circumstances of landholders (e.g., lifestyle and wellbeing, information and knowledge, financial security) and social characteristics (e.g., attitudes, norms, and trust) would be important predictors of landholders' capacity and willingness to participate in biodiversity conservation programs. Forty-five participants and twenty-nine non-participants of biodiversity conservation programs in north Queensland, Australia, were surveyed to: 1) examine differences between their personal circumstances and social characteristics that may influence participation; and 2) explore whether personal circumstances and social characteristics were influenced by participation. The results revealed that, compared to participants, non-participants in conservation programs had significantly different personal circumstances and social characteristics for four of eight measured variables. Compared to participants, non-participants demonstrated a reduced capacity and willingness to participate in conservation programs. Participation did not appear to have a strong influence on participants' personal circumstances or social characteristics, and when social norms supported conservation, programs did not demonstrate additionality. Conservation policies that maintain or improve landholders' personal circumstances and that promote pro-environmental norms may result in increased participation and thereby conservation outcomes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
75 FR 1651 - Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Priority List for Conservation Projects
2010-01-12
... of wildlife and sport fish conservation projects from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). As required by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000, AFWA...: John C. Stremple, (703) 358-2156 (phone) or [email protected] (e-mail). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...
A Timely Idea: Third Party Billing for Related Services.
Spaller, Kathy Dye; Thomas, Stephen B.
1994-01-01
Federal allocations for special education programs are below 10% whereas the federal contribution to state medicaid programs ranges from 50-80%. Third-party billing provides a more equitable distribution of the costs among federal, state, and local governments, in addition to including private-sector contributions. (MLF)
Bricknell, Roseanna; Faunce, Thomas
2014-12-01
In 2013, Liberal MP Chris Spence introduced a Private Member's Bill to the New South Wales Parliament, reinvigorating an earlier Bill introduced by Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile. If passed, the Bill would have bestowed legal personhood on fetuses of 20 weeks or more for the purpose of grievous bodily harm offences in the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW). The Bill had the potential to undermine freedom of choice for women in relation to abortions prior to the point of viability (capacity for fetal existence outside the womb) as well as other decisions concerning pregnancy and childbirth. One hypothesis is that legislative measures such as this that support the rights of the fetus are well intentioned initiatives by those for whom the fetus is an essentially independent entity or symbol of innocence and moral purity whose existence must be protected over and above the interests and independent decision-making capacity of the mother. This column explores this hypothesis in the context of the paradoxical negative commercial implications of such legislation on multiple areas involving fetal-maternal interaction including surrogacy.
76 FR 793 - Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Priority List for Conservation Projects
2011-01-06
... conservation organizations, sportsmen's organizations, and industries that support or promote fishing, hunting...,200.00 the Industry, Federal and State Agency Coalition. 11-001 Review and AFWA 46,200.00 46,200.00 92... Incentive Program. 11-069 Operation of the Arkansas Game & 0 296,000.00 296,000.00 Reservoir Fish. Fisheries...
77 FR 54839 - Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program
2012-09-06
... CFR Parts 1710, 1717, 1721, 1724, and 1730 RIN 0572-AC19 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan..., proposing policies and procedures for loan and guarantee financial assistance in support of energy efficiency programs (EE Programs) sponsored and implemented by electric utilities for the benefit of rural...
Community Based Educational Model on Water Conservation Program
Sudiajeng, L.; Parwita, I. G. L.; Wiraga, I. W.; Mudhina, M.
2018-01-01
The previous research showed that there were indicators of water crisis in the northern and eastern part of Denpasar city and most of coastal area experienced on seawater intrusion. The recommended water conservation programs were rainwater harvesting and educate the community to develop a water saving and environmentally conscious culture. This research was conducted to built the community based educational model on water conservation program through ergonomics SHIP approach which placed the human aspect as the first consideration, besides the economic and technically aspects. The stakeholders involved in the program started from the problem analyses to the implementation and the maintenance as well. The model was built through three main steps, included determination of accepted design; building the recharge wells by involving local communities; guidance and assistance in developing a water saving and environmentally conscious culture for early childhood, elementary and junior high school students, community and industry. The program was implemented based on the “TRIHITA KARANA” concept, which means the relationship between human to God, human-to-human, and human to environment. Through the development of the model, it is expected to grow a sense of belonging and awareness from the community to maintain the sustainability of the program.
Factors that influence the success of conservation programs in communal property areas in Mexico
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Verónica Bunge-Vivier
2017-03-01
Full Text Available More than half of the natural vegetation in Mexico is managed collectively within common property systems. The appropriation and continuity of government programs related to the conservation of land that is communally used is proposed to depend on the level of organization of the communities and the interaction between the local and governmental institutions, as well as the benefits derived from conservation projects. Patterns of what drives the conservation of common natural resources were analyzed in order to propose improvements to conservation policy. Changes in primary and secondary vegetation cover in common and private properties were identified by performing a historical spatial analysis. Questionnaires were used to survey 32 populations of seven states of the Mexican Republic to determine the conservation status of common property resources, as well as the ability of the community to continue conservation activities initially undertaken by government programs. Some 53% of the primary and secondary vegetation in Mexico is found in common property areas, but the change from primary and secondary vegetation to other uses is the same for common and private property. Communities with a high level of conservation of communal areas and with the ability to continue conservation projects were those that had dedicated the areas to recreation and conservation, had stronger community organization and were less marginalized. A recognition of the heterogeneity of the socioeconomic and cultural context of communities with common property is necessary to design governmental conservation programs that achieve long-term conservation. To meet the needs of a region that is both degraded and marginalized, the creation of synergies between programs that combat poverty and programs that promote conservation is needed. In addition, the continuation of payments with public funds for work that preserves or rehabilitates natural areas is needed, thereby
Conservation and solar energy program: congressional budget request, FY 1982
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
1981-01-01
Funding summaries are presented for the Conservation and Solar Energy Program funding information and program overview on energy conservation (Volume 7 of 7, DOE/CR-0011/2) are included for the Buildings and Community Systems, Industrial, Transportation; State and Local, Multi-Sector, Energy Impact Assistance, and Residential/Commercial retrofit programs. Funding information and program overviews on solar technology (Volume 2 of 7, DOE/CR-011/2) are included for Active and Passive Solar Heating and Cooling, Photovoltaics Energy Systems, Solar Thermal Power Systems, Biomass Energy Systems, Wind Energy Conversion Systems, Ocean Systems, Solar International Activities, Solar Information Systems, SERI Facility, MX-RES, Program Direction, and Alcohol Fuels programs. Information and overviews on energy production, demonstration, and distribution (Volume 6 of 7, DOE/CR-0011/2) are given for the solar program. A funding summary and a program overview are included for electrochemical and physical and chemical storage systems as appearing in DOE/CR-0011/2, Volume 3 of 7. Relevant tabulated data from the FY 1981. Request to the Congress are presented for Supplementals, Rescissions, and Deferrals. (MCW)
2013-02-22
...] Proposed Information Collection; Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program AGENCY: National.... Abstract The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (LWCF Act) (16 U.S.C. 460l-4 et seq.) was enacted... discussed in detail in the Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program Federal Financial...
San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) Rare Plant Monitoring Review and Revision
McEachern, Kathryn; Pavlik, Bruce M.; Rebman, Jon; Sutter, Rob
2007-01-01
Introduction The San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) was developed for the conservation of plants and animals in the south part of San Diego County, under the California Natural Community Conservation Planning Act of 1991 (California Department of Fish and Game) and the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S. Code 1531-1544.) The Program is on the leading edge of conservation, as it seeks to both guide development and conserve at-risk species with the oversight of both State and Federal agencies. Lands were identified for inclusion in the MSCP based on their value as habitat for at-risk plants or plant communities (Natural Community Conservation Planning, 2005). Since its inception in the mid-1990s the Program has protected over 100,000 acres, involving 15 jurisdictions and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) in the conservation of 87 taxa. Surveys for covered species have been conducted, and management and monitoring have been implemented at some high priority sites. Each jurisdiction or agency manages and monitors their conservation areas independently, while collaborating regionally for long-term protection. The San Diego MSCP is on the forefront of conservation, in one of the most rapidly growing urban areas of the country. The planning effort that developed the MSCP was state-of-the-art, using expert knowledge, spatial habitat modeling, and principles of preserve design to identify and prioritize areas for protection. Land acquisition and protection are ahead of schedule for most jurisdictions. Surveys have verified the locations of many rare plant populations known from earlier collections, and they provide general information on population size and health useful for further conservation planning. Management plans have been written or are in development for most MSCP parcels under jurisdictional control. Several agencies are developing databases for implementation
Split diversity in constrained conservation prioritization using integer linear programming.
Chernomor, Olga; Minh, Bui Quang; Forest, Félix; Klaere, Steffen; Ingram, Travis; Henzinger, Monika; von Haeseler, Arndt
2015-01-01
Phylogenetic diversity (PD) is a measure of biodiversity based on the evolutionary history of species. Here, we discuss several optimization problems related to the use of PD, and the more general measure split diversity (SD), in conservation prioritization.Depending on the conservation goal and the information available about species, one can construct optimization routines that incorporate various conservation constraints. We demonstrate how this information can be used to select sets of species for conservation action. Specifically, we discuss the use of species' geographic distributions, the choice of candidates under economic pressure, and the use of predator-prey interactions between the species in a community to define viability constraints.Despite such optimization problems falling into the area of NP hard problems, it is possible to solve them in a reasonable amount of time using integer programming. We apply integer linear programming to a variety of models for conservation prioritization that incorporate the SD measure.We exemplarily show the results for two data sets: the Cape region of South Africa and a Caribbean coral reef community. Finally, we provide user-friendly software at http://www.cibiv.at/software/pda.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2006-01-01
This document provides the presentation of Francois Loos concerning the policy bill on the program of radioactive materials and wastes. Three axis of researches are decided: the separation and transmutation, the deep underground disposal and long dated storage and conditioning processes. The bill institutes a national radioactive materials and waste management plan and defines a programme and calendar for research and work leading to implementation of this plan, which will comprise three major points: with a view to looking to reduce the quantity of waste, spent nuclear fuels taken from the nuclear power plants will be reprocessed for recycling in the plants; waste which cannot be recycled will be packaged in a robust matrix and then temporarily stored on the surface; after interim storage, waste which cannot be finally disposed of in a surface facility, will be placed in a deep geological reversible repository. In order to monitor each step in this plan, the bill strengthens independent assessment of research and involves greater information of the public. With regard to financing, the bill clarifies the fact that economic development of the departments concerned by research into disposal options and the research itself will be financed by additional taxes on the operators of nuclear installations. (A.L.B.)
Landowner and practitioner perspectives on private land conservation programs
Lute, Michelle L.; Gillespie, Caitlyn R.; Fontaine, Joseph J.; Martin, Dustin R.
2018-01-01
Efforts to reverse declines in native grasslands benefit from agricultural policies that encourage private land conservation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) improved conservation across landscapes but enrollment has declined. We used sequential exploratory mixed methods to compare landowner and conservation practitioners’ perceptions, evaluate perceived benefits, and identify potential improvements to CRP. Focus groups of practitioners informed a quantitative survey of landowners who had properties >160 total acres in Nebraska. Results suggest potential misalignment in perceptions between practitioners and landowners. Practitioners were concerned that conservation, especially of wildlife, was secondary to profit. But the majority of landowners valued CRP-related ecosystem services, including native pollinators. Practitioners posited that younger landowners were primarily profit motivated, but CRP enrollment did not differ by demographics. Practitioners and landowners identified rule complexity as a major challenge and practitioner–landowner relationships as critical to success. Findings suggest that practitioners may underestimate non-economic motivations and illuminate opportunities to encourage private land conservation.
Recovery Act. Development of a Model Energy Conservation Training Program
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
none,
2012-07-05
The overall objective of this project was to develop an updated model Energy Conservation training program for stationary engineers. This revision to the IUOE National Training Fund’s existing Energy Conservation training curriculum is designed to enable stationary engineers to incorporate essential energy management into routine building operation and maintenance tasks. The curriculum uses a blended learning approach that includes classroom, hands-on, computer simulation and web-based training in addition to a portfolio requirement for a workplace-based learning application. The Energy Conservation training program goal is development of a workforce that can maintain new and existing commercial buildings at optimum energy performance levels. The grant start date was July 6, 2010 and the project continued through September 30, 2012, including a three month non-funded extension.
Jersey City energy conservation demonstration program. Final report
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Newbold, R.F.
1978-08-01
The Aerospace Corporation, the City Government, and the Board of Education of Jersey City have conducted a group of energy-conservation experiments to explore a number of conservation techniques believed to offer quick payback and to be of wide applicability. Experiments include the updating and/or rehabilitation of the energy-consuming features of old buildings and installation of devices designed to minimize energy losses caused by human error or laxity. Specific examples include: upgrading of the deteriorated and inefficient steam-distribution system of the city hall (originally constructed in 1894); an extensive program of reducing infiltration in an old school building; use of several timing devices in connection with heating, ventilation, and lighting systems to encourage energy-conservation practices; retrofit of school classrooms with high-pressure sodium lamps; and demonstration of practical and cost-effective ways of increasing the efficiency of conventional steam boilers. The report presents: the nature of the selected experiments; technical, human, and organizational factors that proved significant in performing and evaluating the experiments; discussions of observations and lessons learned; and general recommendations for an extended program of energy conservation in local governments. It is emphasized that, in retrofit of existing buildings, the unexpected is commonplace; and the habits and attitudes of building occupants are elements of the system that must always be taken into account. This report shows the benefits of energy saving, cost saving, and added comfort that may be attained by retrofitting old buildings, noting typical complications that arise. The effectiveness of the conservation methods is presented in terms of costs relative to effective payback periods calculated from results of their application in Jersey City.
Beever, Erik A; Mattsson, Brady J; Germino, Matthew J; Burg, Max Post Van Der; Bradford, John B; Brunson, Mark W
2014-04-01
Integration of conservation partnerships across geographic, biological, and administrative boundaries is increasingly relevant because drivers of change, such as climate shifts, transcend these boundaries. We explored successes and challenges of established conservation programs that span multiple watersheds and consider both social and ecological concerns. We asked representatives from a diverse set of 11 broad-extent conservation partnerships in 29 countries 17 questions that pertained to launching and maintaining partnerships for broad-extent conservation, specifying ultimate management objectives, and implementation and learning. Partnerships invested more funds in implementing conservation actions than any other aspect of conservation, and a program's context (geographic extent, United States vs. other countries, developed vs. developing nation) appeared to substantially affect program approach. Despite early successes of these organizations and benefits of broad-extent conservation, specific challenges related to uncertainties in scaling up information and to coordination in the face of diverse partner governance structures, conflicting objectives, and vast uncertainties regarding future system dynamics hindered long-term success, as demonstrated by the focal organizations. Engaging stakeholders, developing conservation measures, and implementing adaptive management were dominant challenges. To inform future research on broad-extent conservation, we considered several challenges when we developed detailed questions, such as what qualities of broad-extent partnerships ensure they complement, integrate, and strengthen, rather than replace, local conservation efforts and which adaptive management processes yield actionable conservation strategies that account explicitly for dynamics and uncertainties regarding multiscale governance, environmental conditions, and knowledge of the system? © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.
Foreign energy conservation integrated programs
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lisboa, Maria Luiza Viana; Bajay, Sergio Valdir
1999-01-01
The promotion of energy economy and efficiency is recognized as the single most cost-effective and least controversial component of any strategy of matching energy demand and supply with resource and environmental constraints. Historically such efficiency gains are not out of reach for the industrialized market economy countries, but are unlikely to be reached under present conditions by developing countries and economics in transition. The aim of the work was to analyze the main characteristics of United Kingdom, France, Japan, Canada, Australia and Denmark energy conservation integrated programs
2010-08-30
... ``Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles,'' including residential water... final rule revising energy conservation standards for residential water heaters, direct heating.... EERE-2009-BT-TP-0013] RIN 1904-AB95 Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures...
Industry wins, loses in House bill
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1992-01-01
This paper reports that the House of Representatives has approved a plan to limit U.S. gas prorationing by the states but rejected a move to require petroleum refiners and importers to place 1% of their oil or products volumes into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The oil industry lobbied heavily against the SPR provision, which went down 263-135. The House then passed its omnibus energy bill 381-37. It is designed to facilitate all types of energy production while promoting conservation. The legislation also imposes bans on offshore leasing but gives independent producers limited relief from the alternative minimum tax (AMT) and does not include a mandate for use of ethanol in gasoline
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1975-07-01
Energy conservation technologies encompass the entire spectrum of human activities: electrical supply, industry, commercial and residential buildings, transportation and various overlapping combinations of these. This report is concerned with those conservation technologies that appear to be most important in the near and intermediate terms. Many of the specific R and D programs are contained in the preliminary ''Conservation Program Plan'' of the ERDA Assistant Administrator for Conservation. However, some projects are included that are supported by other Federal agencies and private industry. Section 1 contains a brief description of each conservation technology and an enumeration of health/safety/environmental impacts, both beneficial and adverse, that are expected to accrue from the new technology. Section 2 contains a brief discussion of problems, priorities and programs. Section 3 contains ''Problem Definitions'' and ''Program Units'' that are recommended to become a part of the ''BER Balanced Program Plan.''
The role of conservation programs in drought risk adaptation
Steven Wallander; Marcel Aillery; Daniel Hellerstein; Michael Hand
2013-01-01
This report evaluates the extent to which farms facing higher levels of drought risk are more likely to participate in conservation programs, and fi nds a strong link between drought risk and program participation. Prior research has shown that climate-related risk exposure infl uences production decisions such as crop choice; our research shows that adaptation also...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Monsabert, S. de; Lemmer, H.; Dinwiddie, D.; Harshberger, M.
1995-01-01
In the past, most buildings, structures, and ship visits were not metered, and flat estimates were calculated based on various estimating techniques. The decomposition process was further complicated by the fact that many of the meters monitor consumption values only and do not provide demand or time of use data. This method of billing provides no incentives to the PWC customers to implement energy conservation programs, including load shedding, Energy Monitoring and Control Systems (EMCS), building shell improvements, low flow toilets and shower heads, efficient lighting systems, or other energy savings alternatives. Similarly, the method had no means of adjustment for seasonal or climatic variations outside of the norm. As an alternative to flat estimates, the Customized Utility Billing Integrated Control (CUBIC) system and the Graphical Data Input System (GDIS) were developed to better manage the data to the major claimant area users based on utilities usage factors, building size, weather data, and hours of operation. GDIS is a graphical database that assists PWC engineers in the development and maintenance of single-line utility diagrams of the facilities and meters. It functions as a drawing associate system and is written in AutoLISP for AutoCAD version 12. GDIS interprets the drawings and provides the facility-to-meter and meter-to-meter hierarchy data that are used by the CUBIC to allocate the billings. This paper reviews the design, development and implementation aspects of CUBIC/GDIS and discusses the benefits of this improved utilities management system
The Role of Communicative Feedback in Successful Water Conservation Programs
Tom, Gail; Tauchus, Gail; Williams, Jared; Tong, Stephanie
2011-01-01
The Sacramento County Water Agency has made available 2 water conservation programs to its customers. The Data Logger Program attaches the Meter Master Model 100 EL data logger to the customer's water meter for 1 week and provides a detailed report of water usage from each fixture. The Water Wise House Call Program provides findings and…
77 FR 8801 - Request for Applications: The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program
2012-02-15
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Request for Applications: The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Request for applications. SUMMARY: The..., requests applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest...
2012-08-15
... Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Residential Dishwashers and Cooking Products; Proposed...-AC01 Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Residential Dishwashers and Cooking Products... procedures for both dishwashers and conventional cooking products for the measurement of energy use in fan...
2010-09-21
..., regarding the Energy Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products... [Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-CE-0014] RIN 1904-AC23 Energy Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment; Correction AGENCY...
An approach for evaluating utility-financed energy conservation programs. The economic welfare model
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Costello, K W; Galen, P S
1985-09-01
The main objective of this paper is to illustrate how the economic welfare model may be used to measure the economic efficiency effects of utility-financed energy conservation programs. The economic welfare model is the theoretical structure that was used in this paper to develop a cost/benefit test. This test defines the net benefit of a conservation program as the change in the sum of consumer and producer surplus. The authors advocate the operation of the proposed cost/benefit model as a screening tool to eliminate from more detailed review those programs where the expected net benefits are less than zero. The paper presents estimates of the net benefit derived from different specified cost/benefit models for four illustrative pilot programs. These models are representative of those which have been applied or are under review by utilities and public utility commissions. From the numerical results, it is shown that net benefit is greatly affected by the assumptions made about the nature of welfare gains to program participants. The main conclusion that emerges from the numerical results is that the selection of a cost/benefit model is a crucial element in evaluating utility-financed energy conservation programs. The paper also briefly addresses some of the major unresolved issues in utility-financed energy conservation programs. 2 figs., 3 tabs., 10 refs. (A.V.)
2011-05-02
... Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products and Commercial and...) Certification. Each manufacturer, before distributing in commerce any basic model of a covered product or.... EERE-2010-BT-CE-0014] RIN 1904-AC23 Energy Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and...
2010-10-19
... [Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-CE-0014] RIN 1904-AC23 Energy Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment AGENCY: Office of Energy... notice of proposed rulemaking, regarding the Energy Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and...
Redesigning A Program of Ecosystem Conservation Fund
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kwak, Seung Jun; Yoo, Seung Hoon [Korea University, Seoul (Korea)
2000-08-01
A program of ecosystem conservation fund was proposed by the Ministry of Environment in Korea and has been supposed to come into force in early 2001. However, currently the program is withheld because there are strong objections to it for several reasons. The prime purpose of this paper is to analyze the reasons and problems involved in the program, to suggest some guidances to revise the program, and to design a new program by using a multi attribute index based on environmental significance. We found that there are two major problems of the program: first, inequity in choosing those whom the fund are levied on; second, irrationality of the way the fund are imposed. The paper also provides a simulation study to analyze the effects of four scenarios concerning feasible alternatives. We argue that natural resource damages caused by development works cannot be fairly prevented by the existing environmental impact assessment system only and should be used in harmony with the new system. (author). 10 refs., 10 tabs.
The New York State Bird Conservation Area (BCA) Program: A Model for the United States
M. F. Burger; D. J. Adams; T. Post; L. Sommers; B. Swift
2005-01-01
The New York State Bird Conservation Area (BCA) Program, modeled after the National Audubon Society?s Important Bird Areas Program, is based on legislation signed by Governor Pataki in 1997. New York is the first state in the nation to enact such a program. The BCA Program seeks to provide a comprehensive, ecosystem approach to conserving birds and their habitats on...
2010-04-01
... provided in the customer's special contract. (c) Service fee billing. The utility shall render service fee... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Billing. 175.30 Section 175.30 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER INDIAN ELECTRIC POWER UTILITIES Billing, Payments, and...
2011-02-04
...] San Diego County Water Authority Subregional Natural Community Conservation Program/Habitat Conservation Plan, San Diego and Riverside Counties, CA; Final Environmental Impact Statement and Habitat... also announce the availability of the Water Authority's Subregional Natural Community Conservation...
The Complexity Of Billing And Paying For Physician Care.
Gottlieb, Joshua D; Shapiro, Adam Hale; Dunn, Abe
2018-04-01
The administrative costs of providing health insurance in the US are very high, but their determinants are poorly understood. We advance the nascent literature in this field by developing new measures of billing complexity for physician care across insurers and over time, and by estimating them using a large sample of detailed insurance "remittance data" for the period 2013-15. We found dramatic variation across different types of insurance. Fee-for-service Medicaid is the most challenging type of insurer to bill, with a claim denial rate that is 17.8 percentage points higher than that for fee-for-service Medicare. The denial rate for Medicaid managed care was 6 percentage points higher than that for fee-for-service Medicare, while the rate for private insurance appeared similar to that of Medicare Advantage. Based on conservative assumptions, we estimated that the health care sector deals with $11 billion in challenged revenue annually, but this number could be as high as $54 billion. These costs have significant implications for analyses of health insurance reforms.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Takahashi, Ryo; Todo, Yasuyuki
2014-01-01
In recent years, shade coffee certification programs have attracted increasing attention from forest conservation and development organizations. The certification programs could be expected to promote forest conservation by providing a premium price to shade coffee producers. However, little is known about the significance of the conservation efforts generated by certification programs. In particular, the relationship between the impact of the certification and producer characteristics has yet to be examined. The purpose of this study, which was conducted in Ethiopia, was to examine the impact of a shade coffee certification program on forest conservation and its relationship with the socioeconomic characteristics of the producers. Remote sensing data of 2005 and 2010 was used to gauge the changes in forest area. Employing a probit model, we found that a forest coffee area being certified increased the probability of forest conservation by 19.3 percentage points relative to forest coffee areas lacking certification. We also found that although economically poor producers tended to engage in forest clearing, the forest coffee certification program had a significant impact on these producers. This result suggests that the certification program significantly affects the behaviors of economically poor producers and motivates these producers to conserve the forest. -- Highlights: • We employed the probit mode to evaluate the impact of the shade coffee certification on forest conservation in Ethiopia. • We estimated how the impact of the certification varied among producers with different characteristics. • The certification increased the probability of conserving forest by 19.3 percentage points. • Certification program motivated the economically poor producers to conserve the forest
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Takahashi, Ryo, E-mail: inter.takahashi@gmail.com [Policy Research Center, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, 7-22-1, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8677 (Japan); Todo, Yasuyuki, E-mail: yastodo@k.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of International Studies, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563 (Japan)
2014-01-15
In recent years, shade coffee certification programs have attracted increasing attention from forest conservation and development organizations. The certification programs could be expected to promote forest conservation by providing a premium price to shade coffee producers. However, little is known about the significance of the conservation efforts generated by certification programs. In particular, the relationship between the impact of the certification and producer characteristics has yet to be examined. The purpose of this study, which was conducted in Ethiopia, was to examine the impact of a shade coffee certification program on forest conservation and its relationship with the socioeconomic characteristics of the producers. Remote sensing data of 2005 and 2010 was used to gauge the changes in forest area. Employing a probit model, we found that a forest coffee area being certified increased the probability of forest conservation by 19.3 percentage points relative to forest coffee areas lacking certification. We also found that although economically poor producers tended to engage in forest clearing, the forest coffee certification program had a significant impact on these producers. This result suggests that the certification program significantly affects the behaviors of economically poor producers and motivates these producers to conserve the forest. -- Highlights: • We employed the probit mode to evaluate the impact of the shade coffee certification on forest conservation in Ethiopia. • We estimated how the impact of the certification varied among producers with different characteristics. • The certification increased the probability of conserving forest by 19.3 percentage points. • Certification program motivated the economically poor producers to conserve the forest.
Macsleyne, Amelia Chadbourne Carus
There are three main objectives for residential energy conservation policies: to reduce the use of fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the energy costs seen by the consumer (U.S. Department of Energy: Strategic Objectives, 2006). A prominent difficulty currently facing conservation policy makers and program managers is how to identify and communicate with households that would be good candidates for conservation intervention, in such a way that affects a change in consumption patterns and is cost-effective. This research addresses this issue by separating the problem into three components: how to identify houses that are significantly more inefficient than comparable households; how to find the maximum financially-feasible investment in energy efficiency for a household in order to reduce annual energy costs and/or improve indoor comfort; and how to prioritize low-income households for a subsidized weatherization program. Each component of the problem is presented as a paper prepared for publication. Household consumption related to physical house efficiency, thermostat settings, and daily appliance usage is studied in the first and second paper by analyzing natural gas utility meter readings associated with over 10,000 households from 2001-2006. A rich description of a house's architectural characteristics and household demographics is attained by integrating publicly available databases based on the house address. This combination of information allows for the largest number of individual households studied at this level of detail to date. The third paper uses conservation program data from two natural gas utilities that administer and sponsor the program; over 1,000 weatherized households are included in this sample. This research focuses on natural gas-related household conservation. However, the same principles and methods could be applied for electricity-related conservation programs. We find positive policy implications from each of
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kop, L.
2001-01-01
On request, the Dutch Association for Energy, Environment and Water (VEMW) checks the energy bills for her customers. It appeared that in the year 2000 many small, but also big errors were discovered in the bills of 42 businesses
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1993-01-01
S. 83 may be cited as the open-quotes Gulf of Mexico Preservation Act of 1993.close quotes This Bill discusses findings pertaining to resources in the Gulf of Mexico, describes the establishment of the Gulf of Mexico Program, defines the establishment and duties of the Gulf of Mexico Program Office, and proposes a study of international issues. This Bill also includes an assessment to be prepared by the Administrator, a monitoring, management, protection and restoration plan, a grant program, authorization of appropriations, administrative provisions, and the relationship of the Bill to existing federal and state laws and international treaties
Beever, Erik A.; Bradford, John B.; Germino, Matthew J.; Mattsson, Brady J.; Post van der Burg, Max; Brunson, Mark
2014-01-01
Integration of conservation partnerships across geographic, biological, and administrative boundaries is increasingly relevant because drivers of change, such as climate shifts, transcend these boundaries. We explored successes and challenges of established conservation programs that span multiple watersheds and consider both social and ecological concerns. We asked representatives from a diverse set of 11 broadextent conservation partnerships in 29 countries 17 questions that pertained to launching and maintaining partnerships for broad-extent conservation, specifying ultimate management objectives, and implementation and learning. Partnerships invested more funds in implementing conservation actions than any other aspect of conservation, and a program’s context (geographic extent, United States vs. other countries, developed vs. developing nation) appeared to substantially affect program approach. Despite early successes of these organizations and benefits of broad-extent conservation, specific challenges related to uncertainties in scaling up information and to coordination in the face of diverse partner governance structures, conflicting objectives, and vast uncertainties regarding future system dynamics hindered long-term success, as demonstrated by the focal organizations. Engaging stakeholders, developing conservation measures, and implementing adaptive management were dominant challenges. To inform future research on broad-extent conservation, we considered several challenges when we developed detailed questions, such as what qualities of broad-extent partnerships ensure they complement, integrate, and strengthen, rather than replace, local conservation efforts and which adaptive management processes yield actionable conservation strategies that account explicitly for dynamics and uncertainties regarding multiscale governance, environmental conditions, and knowledge of the system?
Conserved Transcriptional Regulatory Programs Underlying Rice and Barley Germination
Lin, Li; Tian, Shulan; Kaeppler, Shawn; Liu, Zongrang; An, Yong-Qiang (Charles)
2014-01-01
Germination is a biological process important to plant development and agricultural production. Barley and rice diverged 50 million years ago, but share a similar germination process. To gain insight into the conservation of their underlying gene regulatory programs, we compared transcriptomes of barley and rice at start, middle and end points of germination, and revealed that germination regulated barley and rice genes (BRs) diverged significantly in expression patterns and/or protein sequences. However, BRs with higher protein sequence similarity tended to have more conserved expression patterns. We identified and characterized 316 sets of conserved barley and rice genes (cBRs) with high similarity in both protein sequences and expression patterns, and provided a comprehensive depiction of the transcriptional regulatory program conserved in barley and rice germination at gene, pathway and systems levels. The cBRs encoded proteins involved in a variety of biological pathways and had a wide range of expression patterns. The cBRs encoding key regulatory components in signaling pathways often had diverse expression patterns. Early germination up-regulation of cell wall metabolic pathway and peroxidases, and late germination up-regulation of chromatin structure and remodeling pathways were conserved in both barley and rice. Protein sequence and expression pattern of a gene change quickly if it is not subjected to a functional constraint. Preserving germination-regulated expression patterns and protein sequences of those cBRs for 50 million years strongly suggests that the cBRs are functionally significant and equivalent in germination, and contribute to the ancient characteristics of germination preserved in barley and rice. The functional significance and equivalence of the cBR genes predicted here can serve as a foundation to further characterize their biological functions and facilitate bridging rice and barley germination research with greater confidence. PMID
2013-03-22
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Representative Average Unit Costs of Energy'', dated April 26, 2012... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Representative Average Unit Costs of Energy AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency...
40 CFR 73.80 - Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy.
2010-07-01
... for conservation and renewable energy. 73.80 Section 73.80 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... and Renewable Energy Reserve § 73.80 Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy. (a) General. The Administrator will allocate allowances from the Conservation and...
The Rules of Hearing Conservation Program and One Sample Study in Pars- Minoo Company
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ahmad Keshani
1996-09-01
Full Text Available Hearing conservation is one of the useful programs in industrial audiology. Few studies have been reported on this issue. Performing this program is always accompanied with some problems, In a way that lacking enough attention can cause deviation from the main instructions in the program. In the current study we will first of all, have a look on the academic foundations of a hearing conservation program and then will discuss performing such a program in Pars- Minoo Company which have been performed by the audiology department of Tehran university of medical sciences in the winter 1995 in Tehran.
Efficacy of two lion conservation programs in Maasailand, Kenya.
Hazzah, Leela; Dolrenry, Stephanie; Naughton-Treves, Lisa; Naughton, Lisa; Edwards, Charles T T; Mwebi, Ogeto; Kearney, Fiachra; Frank, Laurence
2014-06-01
Lion (Panthera leo) populations are in decline throughout most of Africa. The problem is particularly acute in southern Kenya, where Maasai pastoralists have been spearing and poisoning lions at a rate that will ensure near term local extinction. We investigated 2 approaches for improving local tolerance of lions: compensation payments for livestock lost to predators and Lion Guardians, which draws on local cultural values and knowledge to mitigate livestock-carnivore conflict and monitor carnivores. To gauge the overall influence of conservation intervention, we combined both programs into a single conservation treatment variable. Using 8 years of lion killing data, we applied Manski's partial identification approach with bounded assumptions to investigate the effect of conservation treatment on lion killing in 4 contiguous areas. In 3 of the areas, conservation treatment was positively associated with a reduction in lion killing. We then applied a generalized linear model to assess the relative efficacy of the 2 interventions. The model estimated that compensation resulted in an 87-91% drop in the number of lions killed, whereas Lion Guardians (operating in combination with compensation and alone) resulted in a 99% drop in lion killing. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1988-01-01
Bill S. 2844 provides for radon testing and is cited as the Department of Housing and Urban Development Policy Act. The bill provides the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with a mandate to establish a departmental radon policy and program. The department will be required to use its programs to assist the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) address radon contamination. The bill also requires HUD, in coordination with the EPA, to develop a radon assessment and mitigation program which utilizes EPA recommended guidelines and standards to ensure that occupants of housing covered under this act are not exposed to elevated levels of radon. The entire contents of the bill are presented in eight sections entitled: Short Title, findings, Purpose, Definitions, Program, Information, Cooperation with Environmental Protection Agency, and Authorization. The bill was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Predicting compliance with an information-based residential outdoor water conservation program
Landon, Adam C.; Kyle, Gerard T.; Kaiser, Ronald A.
2016-05-01
Residential water conservation initiatives often involve some form of education or persuasion intended to change the attitudes and behaviors of residential consumers. However, the ability of these instruments to change attitudes toward conservation and their efficacy in affecting water use remains poorly understood. In this investigation the authors examine consumer attitudes toward complying with a persuasive water conservation program, the extent to which those attitudes predict compliance, and the influence of environmental contextual factors on outdoor water use. Results indicate that the persuasive program was successful in developing positive attitudes toward compliance, and that those attitudes predict water use. However, attitudinal variables explain a relatively small proportion of the variance in objectively measured water use behavior. Recommendations for policy are made stressing the importance of understanding both the effects of attitudes and environmental contextual factors in behavior change initiatives in the municipal water sector.
Conservation education for Fire, Fuel and Smoke Program
Wayne Cook
2009-01-01
The mission of Conservation Education for the Fire, Fuel and Smoke (FFS) Program is to develop and deliver high-quality, science-based education about wildland fire to students, educators, the general public, and agency staff. Goals: 1) Increase awareness of the scope and content of FFS research. 2) Improve understanding of fundamental concepts in wildland fire science...
2012-05-15
... multipliers based on climate, consumer behavior assumptions, and product characteristics (e.g., multi-stage or... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for Residential Furnace Fans; Proposed Rule #0;#0... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for Residential Furnace Fans AGENCY: Office of...
2008-06-27
This final rule implements a number of regulatory provisions that are applicable to all providers and suppliers, including durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers. This final rule establishes appeals processes for all providers and suppliers whose enrollment, reenrollment or revalidation application for Medicare billing privileges is denied and whose Medicare billing privileges are revoked. It also establishes timeframes for deciding enrollment appeals by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) or the Departmental Appeals Board (DAB), or Board, within the DHHS; and processing timeframes for CMS' Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) contractors. In addition, this final rule allows Medicare FFS contractors to revoke Medicare billing privileges when a provider or supplier submits a claim or claims for services that could not have been furnished to a beneficiary. This final rule also specifies that a Medicare contractor may establish a Medicare enrollment bar for any provider or supplier whose billing privileges have been revoked. Lastly, the final rule requires that all providers and suppliers receive Medicare payments by electronic funds transfer (EFT) if the provider or supplier, is submitting an initial enrollment application to Medicare, changing their enrollment information, revalidating or re-enrolling in the Medicare program.
2013-11-01
... representative of consumer behavior. For example, if the number of annual cycles results in greater than a 3-day... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Decision and Order Granting a Waiver to Whirlpool Corporation From... Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles, a program covering most major household...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
1977-12-01
Under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Energy, a Model Code for Energy Conservation in New Building Construction has been developed by those national organizations primarily concerned with the development and promulgation of model codes. The technical provisions are based on ASHRAE Standard 90-75 and are intended for use by state and local officials. The subject of regulation of new building construction to assure energy conservation is recognized as one in which code officials have not had previous exposure. It was also determined that application of the model code would be made at varying levels by officials with both a specific requirement for knowledge and a differing degree of prior training in the state-of-the-art. Therefore, a training program and instructional materials were developed for code officials to assist them in the implementation and enforcement of energy efficient standards and codes. The training program for Energy Conservation Tehnology for Plan Examiners and Code Administrators (ECT Series 200) is presented.
Bill concerning the national commitment for the environment (final text)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2010-01-01
The French house of commons has adopted this bill which allows to adapt the French legislation to the new requirements defined by the program law relative to the implementation of the French road-mad in favor of ecology and sustainable development ('Grenelle de l'environnement'). The bill covers 6 main domains: settlement and urbanism, transports, energy, biodiversity, environment and waste management, and governance and information. Its aim is to encourage the development of renewable energy sources, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, and to protect the environment thanks to new legal and technical means at the disposal of actors with practical experience, in particular the local authorities. (J.S.)
Finding of no significant impact for the State Energy Conservation Program
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1996-01-01
The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA), DOE/EA 1068, to assess the environmental impacts associated with the State Energy Conservation Program (SECP). DOE previously funded SECP projects under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA). The State Energy Efficiency Programs Improvements Act of 1990 (SEEPIA) and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) amended EPCA to broaden the range of state initiatives qualifying for Federal assistance under the SECP. The PEA presents a general analysis of the potential environmental effects associated with broad types of projects that can be funded under the SECP. It does not analyze specific environmental effects or alternatives associated with individual energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy projects. Individual actions are to be evaluated in detail on a project-by-project basis to determine whether their impacts fall within the bounding analysis of the impacts analyzed in the SECP PEA
2010-09-21
... technologies not covered by the current procedure; (2) more accurately reflect current consumer behavior and... Part II Department of Energy 10 CFR Part 430 Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products... [Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-TP-0021] RIN 1904-AC08 Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test...
2010-09-21
... technologies not covered by the current procedure; (2) more accurately reflect current consumer behavior and... Part II Department of Energy 10 CFR Part 430 Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products... [Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-TP-0021] RIN 1904-AC08 Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Maues, Jair Arone; Marinho, Frederico Augusto Varejao [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)
2008-07-01
The two oil shocks of the 70s provoked a great swerve of course in PETROBRAS during the 80s and 90s. The most important and well known was the strategic decision of exploring oil under the sea. Another important area of the Company includes internal programs for cutting its own energy use and external programs, encouraging their products end-users to rationalize fuel's use. After 1974, our refineries concentrated efforts in level reduction of self-consumption fuel. In the 90s, the Federal Government introduced two energy conservation programs. One created Energy Saving Internal Committees - CICE - in all PETROBRAS' operational units. Another one established a National Program for Oil and Natural Gas Conservation - CONPET. PETROBRAS is in charge of the development and implementation of projects related to this. All these efforts were thoroughly successful. The currently oil production is higher than the country consumption. Nonetheless, as new exploratory frontiers must develop to hold this self-sufficiency in progress, conservation energy programs also have to be continuously updated. This paper presents a balance of the projects implemented since the creation of both programs, a critical analysis on the achieved results and, finally, suggestions on how to improve the effective accomplishment of the initially proposed targets. (author)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Maues, Jair Arone; Marinho, Frederico Augusto Varejao [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)
2008-07-01
The two oil shocks of the 70s provoked a great swerve of course in PETROBRAS during the 80s and 90s. The most important and well known was the strategic decision of exploring oil under the sea. Another important area of the Company includes internal programs for cutting its own energy use and external programs, encouraging their products end-users to rationalize fuel's use. After 1974, our refineries concentrated efforts in level reduction of self-consumption fuel. In the 90s, the Federal Government introduced two energy conservation programs. One created Energy Saving Internal Committees - CICE - in all PETROBRAS' operational units. Another one established a National Program for Oil and Natural Gas Conservation - CONPET. PETROBRAS is in charge of the development and implementation of projects related to this. All these efforts were thoroughly successful. The currently oil production is higher than the country consumption. Nonetheless, as new exploratory frontiers must develop to hold this self-sufficiency in progress, conservation energy programs also have to be continuously updated. This paper presents a balance of the projects implemented since the creation of both programs, a critical analysis on the achieved results and, finally, suggestions on how to improve the effective accomplishment of the initially proposed targets. (author)
Van Den Berg, Heather A.; Dann, Shari L.; Dirkx, John M.
2009-01-01
Adult conservation education is growing nationally. We investigated adults' motivations to take part in Michigan's Conservation Stewards education and volunteerism program. We used three theoretical frames (adult education orientations, volunteerism motivations, and leisure benefits sought) to understand learners' involvement. Adults' education…
Surplus Facilities and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Closure program plan, fiscal year 1992
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hughes, M.C.; Wahlen, R.K.; Winship, R.A.
1991-10-01
The Surplus Facilities and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Closure program is responsible to US Department of Energy Field Office, Richland for the safe, cost-effective surveillance, maintenance, and decommissioning of surplus facilities at the Hanford Site. The Surplus Facilities and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Closure program is also responsible to US Department of Energy Field Office, Richland for the program management of specific Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closures at the Hanford Site. This program plan addresses only the surplus facilities. The criteria used to evaluate each factor relative to decommissioning are based on the guidelines presented by the US Department of Energy Field Office, Richland, Environmental Restoration Division. The guidelines are consistent with the Westinghouse Hanford Company commitment to decommission Hanford Site retired facilities in the safest and most cost-effective way achievable. This document outlines the plan for managing these facilities until disposal
Assessing the effects of USDA conservation programs on ecosystem services provided by wetlands
The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in an effort to quantify the environmental effects of conservation programs and practices on privately owned agricultural landscapes across the United States. CEAP’s approach includes application ...
Marginal cost of electricity conservation: an application of linear program
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Silveira, A.M. da; Hollanda, J.B. de
1987-01-01
This paper is addressed ti the planning of electricity industry when the use of energetically efficient appliances (conservation) is financed by the utilities. It is based on the Linear Programming Model proposed by Masse and Boiteaux for planning of conventional energy sources, where one unity of electricity (Kw/Kw h) saved is treated as if it were a generator of equivalent size. In spite of the formal simplicity of the models it can support interesting concessions on the subject of a electrical energy conservation policy. (author)
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vanessa M Adams
Full Text Available The need to integrate social and economic factors into conservation planning has become a focus of academic discussions and has important practical implications for the implementation of conservation areas, both private and public. We conducted a survey in the Daly Catchment, Northern Territory, to inform the design and implementation of a stewardship payment program. We used a choice model to estimate the likely level of participation in two legal arrangements--conservation covenants and management agreements--based on payment level and proportion of properties required to be managed. We then spatially predicted landholders' probability of participating at the resolution of individual properties and incorporated these predictions into conservation planning software to examine the potential for the stewardship program to meet conservation objectives. We found that the properties that were least costly, per unit area, to manage were also the least likely to participate. This highlights a tension between planning for a cost-effective program and planning for a program that targets properties with the highest probability of participation.
48 CFR 942.704 - Billing rates.
2010-10-01
... ADMINISTRATION AND AUDIT SERVICES Indirect Cost Rates 942.704 Billing rates. (b) When the contracting officer or auditor responsible for establishing billing rates, in accordance with 48 CFR 42.704, has not established... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Billing rates. 942.704...
Atomic Weapons Establishment Bill
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Clark, Alan; Dalyell, Tam; Haynes, Frank
1990-01-01
The Bill debated concerns the government's proposal for the future organisations of the atomic weapons establishment in the United Kingdom. The proposals arise from a full review carried out in 1989 and include points raised by the Select Committee on the Trident programme. Studies of productivity, pay and conditions, information systems and long term manufacturing strategy have been started to enable recommendations of the reorganisation of the establishments to be made. The details of the Bill were debated for just over two hours. The debate is reported verbatim. The main issues were over the principle of contractorisation, possible staff redundancies, conditions of employment, safety and security. The proposal that the Bill be read a second time was carried. (UK)
Atomic Weapons Establishment Bill [Money
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bennett, A.F.; Cryer, Bob; Carlisle, Kenneth; Dean, Paul.
1990-01-01
The debate concerns the authorisation of payment of the money required to reorganise the atomic weapons establishment in the United Kingdom provided for in the Atomic Weapons Establishment Bill in progress through Parliament. In the Bill the contractorisation of the establishment is recommended and some sort of Government owned company operated scheme set up. The debate lasted about half an hour and is reported verbatim. The issues raised concerned the actual sums likely to be incurred in the formation of a Company to carry out the designated activities of the Bill. These are connected with the research, development, production or maintenance of nuclear devices and the premises needed. The government spokesman suggested the sums required to support the Bill would not be large and the resolution was agreed to without a vote. (UK)
Scott, W J; Rode, R; Castlemain, B; Kessler, R; Follis, F; Pett, S B; Wernly, J A
1992-05-01
We reviewed blood use in 118 consecutive patients who underwent primary, elective cardiac operations in 1989. In June 1989 we initiated a blood conservation program that included attempts to limit preoperative aspirin use, intraoperative phlebotomy and hemodilution, use of a cell conservation device (Electromedics, Inc., Englewood, Colo.) to concentrate residual oxygenator contents, reinfusion of chest drainage, and acceptance of a minimum hemoglobin level of 8.0 gm/dl in stable patients. Patient characteristics were similar for patients operated on both before (n = 58) and after (n = 60) initiation of the blood conservation program, except for age and preoperative aspirin use (both greater in postconservation patients). Fewer blood products were transfused (5.8 +/- 5.7 units per patient before conservation versus 4.0 +/- 7.4 units per patient after conservation; p = 0.005). More complete data were available for 82 patients (40 patients before conservation and 42 after conservation). In the postconservation patients, 20 of 42 had 575 +/- 140 ml of blood withdrawn before cardiopulmonary bypass and reinfused afterward, 26 of 42 had 806 +/- 376 ml of blood processed with the cell conservation device returned, and 21 of 42 patients had an average of 287 +/- 127 ml of chest drainage reinfused. Chest tube drainage, postoperative hematologic parameters, and the prevalence of complications were not significantly different between groups. Stepwise linear regression analysis identified intraoperative withdrawal of blood before cardiopulmonary bypass, bypass duration, and preoperative hematocrit value as predictors of blood use. Intraoperative withdrawal of blood before cardiopulmonary bypass is an important conservation measure, and its use should be expanded.
78 FR 8444 - Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program Programmatic Environmental Assessment
2013-02-06
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service 7 CFR Part 1710 Energy Efficiency and... new program that will implement the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program (EE). The PEA is... 12 to authorize energy audits and energy efficiency measures and devices to reduce demand on electric...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Šijačić-Nikolić Mirjana
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Program for conservation and sustainable utilization of forest genetic resources has been defined for 2016-2025 period and it is a base for concrete activities in this field. This Program could be divided into several parts that deal with: the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable utilization of forest genetic resources; status of forest genetic resources in Serbia; previous activities on the conservation of forest genetic resources; and objectives, priorities and measures of conservation. The Program should have an impact on the development of the forestry sector through the following activities: conservation and sustainable utilization of the available gene pool; improving forest management in accordance with conservation principles; improving the production of reproductive material of forest trees; make the public awareness of the need for conservation and sustainable utilization of forest genetic resources; fulfillment of international obligations related to this field and the possibility of joining FAO activities related to forest genetic resources - development of the national report as a part of the publication The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources. Implementation of the Program will depend upon raising the awareness on the importance, conservation and sustainable utilization of forest genetic resources, as a precondition for the forests survival; it will depend of funds that will be allocated for this purpose and enthusiasm of people who deal with these issues.
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Allen, Arthur
2003-01-01
A national survey of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contractees was completed to obtain information about environmental and social effects of the program on participants, farms, and communities...
Management of conservation reserve program grasslands to meet wildlife habitat objectives
Vandever, Mark W.; Allen, Arthur W.
2015-01-01
Numerous studies document environmental and social benefits of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This report offers a synopsis of findings regarding effects of establishing CRP conservation practices on the quality and distribution of wildlife habitat in agricultural landscapes. On individual farms, year-round provision of wildlife habitat by the CRP may appear relatively insignificant. However, considered from multi-farm to National scales, such improvements in habitat and wildlife response have proven to be extensive and profound.
The Adopt-a-Herring program as a fisheries conservation tool
Frank, Holly J.; Mather, Martha E.; Muth, Robert M.; Pautzke, Sarah M.; Smith, Joseph M.; Finn, John T.
2009-01-01
Successful conservation depends on a scientifically literate public. We developed the adopt-a-Herring program to educate nonscientists about fisheries and watershed restoration. this interactive educational and outreach project encouraged coastal residents to be involved in local watershed restoration. In the northeastern United States, river herring (Alosa spp.) are an important component of many coastal watersheds and often are the object of conservation efforts. In order to understand river herring spawning behavior and to improve the effectiveness of restoration efforts, our research tracked these fish via radiotelemetry in the Ipswich River, Massachusetts. In our adopt-a-Herring Program, participating stakeholder organizations adopted and named individual tagged river herring and followed their movements online. We also made information available to our adopters on our larger research goals, the mission and activities of other research and management agencies, examples of human actions that adversely affect watersheds, and opportunities for proactive conservation. Research results were communicated to adopters through our project web page and end-of-the-season summary presentations. Both tools cultivated a personal interest in river herring, stimulated discussion about fisheries and watershed restoration, educated participants about the goals and methods of scientists in general, and initiated critical thinking about human activities that advance or impede sustainability.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Parkinson, C.; Hogg, N.; Salmond, A.
1988-01-01
The paper presents the first part of the Parliamentary debate on the second reading of the Electricity Bill, House of Commons, London 1988. The Bill sets out the government's proposals for the restructuring and privatisation of the electricity supply industry throughout Great Britain. Customers and suppliers, choice for the consumer, competition promotion, security of supply, nuclear power stations, and cost, are all discussed. (U.K.)
Koford, Rolf R.
1999-01-01
The Conservation Reserve Program, initiated in 1985, was designed primarily to reduce soil erosion and crop surpluses. A secondary benefit was the provision of habitat for wildlife. Grassland bird populations, many of which declined in the decades prior to the Conservation Reserve Program, may have benefited from the Conservation Reserve Program if reproduction in this newly available habitat has been at least as high as it would have been in the absence of the Conservation Reserve Program. On study areas in North Dakota and Minnesota, I examined breeding densities and fledging success of grassland birds in Conservation Reserve Program fields and in an alternative habitat of similar structure, idle grassland fields on federal Waterfowl Production Areas. Fields were 10 to 25 hectares in size. The avifaunas of these two habitats were similar, although brush-dependent species were more abundant on Waterfowl Protection Areas. The common species in these habitats included ones whose continental populations have declined, such as Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), and Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus). These ground-nesting species were pooled with other ground nesters in an analysis of fledging success, which revealed no significant differences between habitats, between states, or among years (1991-1993). Predation was the primary cause of nest failure. I concluded that Conservation Reserve Program fields in this region were suitable breeding habitat for several species whose populations had declined prior to the Conservation Reserve Program era. This habitat appeared to be as secure for nests of ground-nesting birds as another suitable habitat in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
McClelland, L
1980-10-01
Methods of encouraging energy conservation in multifamily housing by allocating energy costs to residents are discussed; specifically, methods appropriate for use in master metered buildings without equipment to monitor energy consumption in individual apartments are examined. Several devices available for monitoring individual energy consumption are also discussed plus methods of comparing the energy savings and cost effectiveness of monitoring devices with those of other means of promoting conservation. Specific information in Volume I includes a comparison study on energy use in master and individually metered buildings; types of appropriate conservation programs for master metered buildings; a description of the Resident Utility Billing System (RUBS); energy savings associated with RUBS; Resident reactions to RUBS; cost effectiveness of RUBS for property owners; potential abuses, factors limiting widespread use, and legal status of RUBS. Part I of Volume II contains a cost allocation decision guide and Part II in Volume II presents the RUBS Operations Manual. Pertinent appendices to some chapters are attached. (MCW)
77 FR 73 - Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative and Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program
2012-01-03
... conservation program funds and mechanisms in support of the objectives of MRBI. Through agreements, partners... objectives. Include the name of the program and the associated Federal agency. (Note: Federal funds cannot be used as a match to the funds provided by NRCS.) (2) Project Natural Resource Objectives and Concerns...
Sjoding, Michael W; Valley, Thomas S; Prescott, Hallie C; Wunsch, Hannah; Iwashyna, Theodore J; Cooke, Colin R
2016-01-15
Intermediate care (i.e., step-down or progressive care) is an alternative to the intensive care unit (ICU) for patients with moderate severity of illness. The adoption and current use of intermediate care is unknown. To characterize trends in intermediate care use among U.S. hospitals. We examined 135 million acute care hospitalizations among elderly individuals (≥65 yr) enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare (U.S. federal health insurance program) from 1996 to 2010. We identified patients receiving intermediate care as those with intensive care or coronary care room and board charges labeled intermediate ICU. In 1996, a total of 960 of the 3,425 hospitals providing critical care billed for intermediate care (28%), and this increased to 1,643 of 2,783 hospitals (59%) in 2010 (P billed for intermediate care, but billing steadily increased to 22.8% by 2010 (P billed for ICU care and ward-only care declined. Patients billed for intermediate care had more acute organ failures diagnoses codes compared with general ward patients (22.4% vs. 15.8%). When compared with patients billed for ICU care, those billed for intermediate care had fewer organ failures (22.4% vs. 43.4%), less mechanical ventilation (0.9% vs. 16.7%), lower mean Medicare spending ($8,514 vs. $18,150), and lower 30-day mortality (5.6% vs. 16.5%) (P billing increased markedly between 1996 and 2010. These findings highlight the need to better define the value, specific practices, and effective use of intermediate care for patients and hospitals.
Andy Henriksen
2010-01-01
Since 1935, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (originally the Soil Conservation Service) has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America's private landowners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources. NRCS employees provide technical assistance based on sound science and suited to a customer's...
The conservation and restoration of wild bees.
Winfree, Rachael
2010-05-01
Bees pollinate most of the world's wild plant species and provide economically valuable pollination services to crops; yet knowledge of bee conservation biology lags far behind other taxa such as vertebrates and plants. There are few long-term data on bee populations, which makes their conservation status difficult to assess. The best-studied groups are the genus Bombus (the bumble bees), and bees in the EU generally; both of these are clearly declining. However, it is not known to what extent these groups represent the approximately 20,000 species of bees globally. As is the case for insects in general, bees are underrepresented in conservation planning and protection efforts. For example, only two bee species are on the global IUCN Red List, and no bee is listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, even though many bee species are known to be in steep decline or possibly extinct. At present, bee restoration occurs mainly in agricultural contexts, funded by government programs such as agri-environment schemes (EU) and the Farm Bill (USA). This is a promising approach given that many bee species can use human-disturbed habitats, and bees provide valuable pollination services to crops. However, agricultural restorations only benefit species that persist in agricultural landscapes, and they are more expensive than preserving natural habitat elsewhere. Furthermore, such restorations benefit bees in only about half of studied cases. More research is greatly needed in many areas of bee conservation, including basic population biology, bee restoration in nonagricultural contexts, and the identification of disturbance-sensitive bee species.
Empirical Evidence in Support of a Research-Informed Water Conservation Education Program
Thompson, Ruthanne; Serna, Victoria Faubion
2016-01-01
Based on results from a 2008 research study of regional citizen knowledge concerning watershed issues, a water conservation education program was designed and implemented. Findings from the initial study demonstrated program success as evidenced by knowledge gain and willingness to "commit" to water saving behaviors in 94% of students. A…
Clinical laboratory billing: superfluous requirements without justification?
Stadler, Stephen
2004-01-01
Congress occasionally passes new laws that affect how clinical laboratories handle test orders from physicians and, subsequently, process the billing for tests. Once a bill is signed into law, it is forwarded to administrative agencies, which draft regulations and administrative procedures, under which the intentions of Congress are carried out. In the case of laboratory test ordering and billing, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has the greatest influence over how these regulations and procedures are defined. Unfortunately, in many cases, billing rules have been promulgated in ways that create the need for hospitals and commercial laboratories to expend huge sums of money to bill within the confines of the administrative rules; cause clinical laboratories to suffer from omissions and mistakes of other parties who are part of the patient care process but are not accountable for the billing information they provide to laboratories; and, frankly, in some respects, simply defy common sense.
Handbook for the marketing of conservation and solar-energy programs
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Mick, C K; Callahan, D
1980-07-09
A process-oriented approach is described for encouraging community level energy conservation and planning programs. The approach is designed to augment existing energy programs by focusing on the major barriers to changing current energy-related behavior and attitudes. A variety of concepts, tools and techniques which can be used to overcome these barriers are described. Suggestions are offered on how to design community energy campaign based on the concepts, tools and techniques described. Some brief case studies are provided as examples. (LEW)
Evidence, models, conservation programs and limits to management
Nichols, J.D.
2012-01-01
Walsh et al. (2012) emphasized the importance of obtaining evidence to assess the effects of management actions on state variables relevant to objectives of conservation programs. They focused on malleefowl Leipoa ocellata, ground-dwelling Australian megapodes listed as vulnerable. They noted that although fox Vulpes vulpes baiting is the main management action used in malleefowl conservation throughout southern Australia, evidence of the effectiveness of this action is limited and currently debated. Walsh et al. (2012) then used data from 64 sites monitored for malleefowl and foxes over 23 years to assess key functional relationships relevant to fox control as a conservation action for malleefowl. In one set of analyses, Walsh et al. (2012) focused on two relationships: fox baiting investment versus fox presence, and fox presence versus malleefowl population size and rate of population change. Results led to the counterintuitive conclusion that increases in investments in fox control produced slight decreases in malleefowl population size and growth. In a second set of analyses, Walsh et al. (2012) directly assessed the relationship between investment in fox baiting and malleefowl population size and rate of population change. This set of analyses showed no significant relationship between investment in fox population control and malleefowl population growth. Both sets of analyses benefited from the incorporation of key environmental covariates hypothesized to influence these management relationships. Walsh et al. (2012) concluded that "in most situations, malleefowl conservation did not effectively benefit from fox baiting at current levels of investment." In this commentary, I discuss the work of Walsh et al. (2012) using the conceptual framework of structured decision making (SDM). In doing so, I accept their analytic results and associated conclusions as accurate and discuss basic ideas about evidence, conservation and limits to management.
Analysis to develop a program for energy conservation in irrigated agriculture
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Cone, B.W.; Brix, V.L.; Eakin, D.E.; Laughlin, B.M.
1978-09-01
It is estimated by the FEA that 0.26 quadrillion Btus of energy is annually required to irrigate crops in the USA. The development of a DOE program for energy conservation in irrigation is described. Information is included on: studies of how this energy consumption can be reduced and by how much; engineering and economic studies of irrigation equipment and methods; proposals for improving the efficiency of pumps and prime movers; projects selected for demonstrating irrigation energy conservation; and recommendations for further research. (LCL)
75 FR 42612 - Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedure for Microwave Ovens
2010-07-22
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedure for Microwave Ovens AGENCY: Office of Energy... (NOPR) in which DOE proposed test procedures for microwave ovens under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to measure standby mode and off mode power use by microwave ovens. To address issues...
46 CFR 9.16 - Billing for services.
2010-10-01
... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Billing for services. 9.16 Section 9.16 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC EXTRA COMPENSATION FOR OVERTIME SERVICES § 9.16 Billing for services. Overtime services shall be billed to the steamship companies...
Does race matter in landowners' participation in conservation incentive programs?
Jianbang Gan; Okwuldili O. Onianwa; John Schelhas; Gerald C. Wheelock; Mark R. Dubois
2005-01-01
This study investigated and compared the participation behavior of white and minority small landowners in Alabama in eight conservation incentive programs. Using nonparametric tests and logit modeling, we found both similarities and differences in participation behavior between these two landowner groups. Both white and minority landowners tended not to participate in...
14 CFR 1215.115 - Payment and billing.
2010-01-01
... is applicable toward TDRSS operational services. (b) The procedure for billing and payment of... billings as the actual service time is tabulated. Amounts due to the user will be credited to the next... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Payment and billing. 1215.115 Section 1215...
School-located influenza vaccination with third-party billing: outcomes, cost, and reimbursement.
Kempe, Allison; Daley, Matthew F; Pyrzanowski, Jennifer; Vogt, Tara; Fang, Hai; Rinehart, Deborah J; Morgan, Nicole; Riis, Mette; Rodgers, Sarah; McCormick, Emily; Hammer, Anne; Campagna, Elizabeth J; Kile, Deidre; Dickinson, Miriam; Hambidge, Simon J; Shlay, Judith C
2014-01-01
To assess rates of immunization; costs of conducting clinics; and reimbursements for a school-located influenza vaccination (SLIV) program that billed third-party payers. SLIV clinics were conducted in 19 elementary schools in the Denver Public School district (September 2010 to February 2011). School personnel obtained parental consent, and a community vaccinator conducted clinics and performed billing. Vaccines For Children vaccine was available for eligible students. Parents were not billed for any fees. Data were collected regarding implementation costs and vaccine cost was calculated using published private sector prices. Reimbursement amounts were compared to costs. Overall, 30% of students (2784 of 9295) received ≥1 influenza vaccine; 39% (1079 of 2784) needed 2 doses and 80% received both. Excluding vaccine costs, implementation costs were $24.69 per vaccination. The percentage of vaccine costs reimbursed was 62% overall (82% from State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), 50% from private insurance). The percentage of implementation costs reimbursed was 19% overall (23% from private, 27% from Medicaid, 29% from SCHIP and 0% among uninsured). Overall, 25% of total costs (implementation plus vaccine) were reimbursed. A SLIV program resulted in vaccination of nearly one third of elementary students. Reimbursement rates were limited by 1) school restrictions on charging parents fees, 2) low payments for vaccine administration from public payers and 3) high rates of denials from private insurers. Some of these problems might be reduced by provisions in the Affordable Care Act. Copyright © 2014 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Guillermo J. Martínez Pastur
2007-09-01
Full Text Available Social demands related to native forest ecosystems are based on an efficient management, with a balance between conservation and timber production. This paper describes the industry adaptation to a biodiversity program with an alternative regeneration method. The proposed method leaves 30% of the timber-quality forest as aggregated retention and 15 m² ha-1 basal area as dispersed retention. While many costs increased considerably, the incomes also may increase by applying new management strategies and technology innovation. A monitoring program was established in the harvested stands to evaluate the ecological functionality of the applied regeneration system (forest structure, climate change, regeneration dynamics, habitat quality and abiotic cycles. The implementation of an innovated technology and monitoring program in the forest and industry determined a balance between economic values and biodiversity conservation.
76 FR 12825 - Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedure for Microwave Ovens
2011-03-09
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedure for Microwave Ovens AGENCY: Office of Energy.... Department of Energy (DOE) is amending its test procedures for microwave ovens under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to provide for the measurement of standby mode and off mode power use by microwave...
76 FR 65631 - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Microwave Ovens
2011-10-24
... Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Microwave Ovens AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable... residential microwave ovens. DOE specifically is seeking information, data, and comments regarding representative and repeatable methods for measuring the energy use of microwave-only ovens and combination...
Allen, Arthur W.; Vandever, Mark W.
2012-01-01
The following bibliography presents brief summaries of documents relevant to Conservation Reserve Program relations to wildlife habitat, habitat management in agriculturally dominated landscapes, and conservation policies potentially affecting wildlife habitats in agricultural ecosystems. Because the literature summaries furnished provide only sweeping overviews, users are urged to obtain and evaluate those papers appearing useful to obtain a more complete understanding of study findings and their implications to conservation in agricultural ecosystems. The bibliography contains references to reports that reach beyond topics that directly relate to the Conservation Reserve Program. Sections addressing grassland management and landowner surveys/opinions, for example, furnish information useful for enhancing development and administration of conservation policies affecting lands beyond those enrolled in conservation programs. Some sections of the bibliography (for example, agricultural conservation policy, economics, soils) are far from inclusive of all relevant material written on the subject. Hopefully, these sections will serve as fundamental introductions to related issues. In a few instances, references may be presented in more than one section of the bibliography. For example, individual papers specifically addressing both non-game and game birds are included in respective sections of the bibliography. Duplication of citations and associated notes has, however, been kept to a minimum.
Energy management: a program of energy conservation for the community college facility. [Handbook
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Various Authors
1978-01-01
This handbook developes helps for assessing and improving the energy efficiency of the community-college facility. The TEEM approach (Total Educational Energy Management) is a labor-intensive approach which requires the commitment and participation of all segments of the college community. The TEEM program presented here defines a series of tasks selected, ordered, and implemented in such a way as to achieve two basic objectives: (1) reducing campus energy requirements, and (2) meeting those reduced energy requirements more efficiently without adversely affecting the quality of educational programs. This guide to large-scale energy conservation on college campuses includes step-by-step procedures for establishing a program task force, defining specific tasks, and assigning responsibilities. Action plans are developed, energy consumption monitored, goals set, and conservation measures implemented. A series of appendices provides more detailed information, charts, and worksheets related to all aspects of energy use. The TEEM program provides the basic structure for achieving a significant reduction in campus energy costs.
76 FR 59003 - Energy Conservation Program: Compliance Certification for Electric Motors
2011-09-23
... Conservation Program: Compliance Certification for Electric Motors AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and... provides a new means for manufacturers of electric motors and their private labelers to prepare and submit... preferred mechanism for submitting Compliance Certification information for electric motors covered under...
2011-03-10
... average unit costs of residential energy in a Federal Register notice entitled, ``Energy Conservation... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Representative Average Unit Costs of Energy AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency...
Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Programs Miss Full Potential in the Fight against Soil Erosion.
1983-11-28
Soil Loss Equation ( USLE ) and Wind Erosion Equation can be used with a reasonable degree of accuracy. It is the intention of ASCS to expand VC/SL to...HD-R37 495 AGRICULTURE’S SOIL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS MISS FULL i/i POTENTIAL IN THE FIGHT.(U) GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON DC RESOURCES...GENERAL Report To The Congress OF THE UNITED STATES Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Programs Miss Full Potential In The Fight Against Soil Erosion
Impacts of the Conservation Education Program in Serra Malagueta Natural Park, Cape Verde
Burnett, Edmund; Sills, Erin; Peterson, M. Nils; DePerno, Christopher
2016-01-01
Environmental and conservation education programs are commonly offered in the rapidly expanding network of protected areas in developing countries. There have been few evaluations of these programs and their impacts on participants. At Serra Malagueta Natural Park in Cape Verde, we assessed changes in environmental knowledge, opinions, and…
2012-12-31
... subject to energy conservation standards, the manufacturers removed the product from the market... Conservation Program: Request for Exclusion of 100 Watt R20 Short Incandescent Reflector Lamp From Energy Conservation Standards AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gibbons, J.
2006-01-01
A response to The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) discussion paper on the role of local distribution companies (LDC) was presented, with reference to conservation and demand management (CDM). This paper examined 2 implicit issues raised by the OPA paper: (1) the appropriate role of the OPA with respect to conservation and demand management, and (2) the role of the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) in streamlining its CDM regulatory approval process. It was suggested that LDCs are ideal agencies for the delivery of CDM as they are trusted sources of energy information and have existing business relationships with electricity consumers. Local electric utilities understand local conditions and needs and are better placed to meet them. Ontario's electric utilities are now eligible for conservation profit bonuses equal to 5 per cent of the bill savings that their energy efficiency programs create for customers. It was noted that the benefits of CDM programs have already been demonstrated. The establishment of CDM budget targets was advised. Options to finance CDM programs were reviewed, as well as various energy efficiency programs. It was suggested that the OPA should continue to be a strong public advocate for CDM, and promote stricter provincial and federal energy efficiency standards. Recommendations for streamlining the OEB's CDM regulatory approval process were presented. It was concluded that marginalizing the role of Ontario's electric utilities in the delivery of CDM programs will short-circuit Ontario's efforts to develop a conservation culture. 13 refs
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bessho, Y.; Uchikawa, S.
1985-01-01
A subchannel analysis program, MENUETT, is developed for evaluation of thermal-hydraulic characteristics in boiling water reactor fuel bundles. This program is based on five conservation equations of two-phase flow with the drift-flux correlation. The cross flows are calculated separately for liquid and vapor phases from the lateral momentum conservation equation. The effects of turbulent mixing and void drift are accounted for in the program. The conservation equations are implicitly differentiated with the convective terms by the donor-cell method, and are solved iteratively in the axial and lateral directions. Data of the 3 X 3 rod bundle experiments are used for program verification. The lateral distributions of equilibrium quality and mass flow rate at the bundle exit calculated by the program compare satisfactorily with the experimental results
P.L. 94-163, "Energy Policy and Conservation Act" (EPCA) (1975)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
2011-12-13
Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Bill Summary & Status 94th Congress. Issue orders prohibiting power plants and major fuel burning installations from using natural gas or petroleum products as fuel if they had been capable on June 22, 1974, of burning coal.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
J. Michael. Scott
2008-12-01
Full Text Available Rare species, particularly those in inaccessible habitat, can go years without being observed. If we are to allocate conservation resources appropriately to conserving such species, it is important to be able to distinguish "rare" from "extinct." Criteria for designating extinction, however, tend to be arbitrary or vaguely defined. This designation should not be made unless the search effort has been sufficient to yield a high degree of confidence that the species is in fact absent. We develop models to assess the probability of extinction and the search effort necessary to detect an individual in a small population. We apply these models to searches for nine potentially extinct Hawaiian forest birds and for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis in intensively searched areas in Arkansas. The Hawaiian forest bird survey was extensive, providing excellent information on population sizes and habitat associations of species encountered during the survey. Nonetheless, we conclude that the survey effort was not sufficient to conclude extinction (p > 0.90 for populations of 10 or fewer individuals for those species that were not encountered during surveys. In contrast, our analysis for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers suggests that, unless there were actually two or fewer birds present, the search effort was sufficient to conclude (p > 0.95 that Ivory-billed woodpeckers were not present in the intensively searched area. If one assumes distributions other than uniform, there is a greater chance that Ivory-billed Woodpeckers may persist in the intensively searched areas. Conclusions regarding occupancy of suitable habitat throughout the rest of the former range will require similarly intensive survey efforts. The degree of confidence in the absence of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker depended in part on our assumptions about the distribution of birds in the search area. For species with limited detection distance and small populations, a massive search
78 FR 75961 - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Electric Motors
2013-12-13
... Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Electric Motors; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No... Procedures for Electric Motors AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy... procedures for electric motors to allow currently unregulated motors to be tested by clarifying the test...
77 FR 28805 - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Microwave Ovens
2012-05-16
... Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Microwave Ovens AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and... (SNOPR) to amend the test procedures for microwave ovens. That SNOPR proposed amendments to the DOE test... mode energy use of products that combine a microwave oven with other appliance functionality, as well...
78 FR 4015 - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Microwave Ovens
2013-01-18
... Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Microwave Ovens AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable... microwave ovens. That SNOPR proposed amendments to the DOE test procedure to incorporate provisions from the... energy use of products that combine a microwave oven with other appliance functionality, as well as minor...
Records Center Program Billing System
National Archives and Records Administration — RCPBS supports the Records center programs (RCP) in producing invoices for the storage (NARS-5) and servicing of National Archives and Records Administrationâs...
Gaines-Day, Hannah R; Gratton, Claudio
2017-08-01
The expansion of modern agriculture has led to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitat, resulting in a global decline in biodiversity, including bees. In many countries, farmers can participate in cost-share programs to create natural habitat on their farms for the conservation of beneficial insects, such as bees. Despite their dependence on bee pollinators and the demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship, participation in such programs by Wisconsin cranberry growers has been low. The objective of this study was to understand the barriers that prevent participation by Wisconsin cranberry growers in cost-share programs for on-farm conservation of native bees. We conducted a survey of cranberry growers (n = 250) regarding farming practices, pollinators, and conservation. Although only 10% of growers were aware of federal pollinator cost-share programs, one third of them were managing habitat for pollinators without federal aid. Once informed of the programs, 50% of growers expressed interest in participating. Fifty-seven percent of growers manage habitat for other wildlife, although none receive cost-share funding to do so. Participation in cost-share programs could benefit from outreach activities that promote the programs, a reduction of bureaucratic hurdles to participate, and technical support for growers on how to manage habitat for wild bees.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hannah R. Gaines-Day
2017-08-01
Full Text Available The expansion of modern agriculture has led to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitat, resulting in a global decline in biodiversity, including bees. In many countries, farmers can participate in cost-share programs to create natural habitat on their farms for the conservation of beneficial insects, such as bees. Despite their dependence on bee pollinators and the demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship, participation in such programs by Wisconsin cranberry growers has been low. The objective of this study was to understand the barriers that prevent participation by Wisconsin cranberry growers in cost-share programs for on-farm conservation of native bees. We conducted a survey of cranberry growers (n = 250 regarding farming practices, pollinators, and conservation. Although only 10% of growers were aware of federal pollinator cost-share programs, one third of them were managing habitat for pollinators without federal aid. Once informed of the programs, 50% of growers expressed interest in participating. Fifty-seven percent of growers manage habitat for other wildlife, although none receive cost-share funding to do so. Participation in cost-share programs could benefit from outreach activities that promote the programs, a reduction of bureaucratic hurdles to participate, and technical support for growers on how to manage habitat for wild bees.
An Investigation of Telecom Mobile Data Billing Plans
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yi-Bing Lin
2016-08-01
Full Text Available In the recent years, mobile operators have provided many billing alternatives such as limited and unlimited billing plans, and shared and non-shared data plans for the users with different needs. A non-shared data plan is designed for a single user with a limited monthly data allowance. On the other hand, the monthly data allowance of a shared data plan is shared by a group of users with multiple devices. The mobile operators often conduct the primary price study to compare their billing plans, which shows the relationship between the prices of the billing plans against the fixed amounts of data usage. Although the primary price study can easily and quickly draw the conclusions, it only provides rough billing plan suggestions. In reality, the amounts of data usage are not fixed, and therefore should be measured from commercial mobile networks to reflect the user behaviors on data usage. This paper proposes an analytical approach by using the measured data of Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (CHT, the largest telecommunications company in Taiwan, to derive the expected payments of various billing plans. The results of the analytical model are more accurate than those of the primary price study, and therefore provide better suggestions for billing plan selection. Other mobile operators can easily use our model to analyze the billing alternatives with their measured data.
Hillary Chapman; Heather Johnson
2005-01-01
The Shorebird Sister Schools Program (SSSP) is an internet-based environmental education program that provides a forum for students, biologists, and shorebird enthusiasts to track shorebird migration and share observations along flyways. The program?s vision is to engage public participation in the conservation of shorebirds and their wetland, grassland, and shoreline...
2012-06-29
... Efficiency Program for Consumer Products: Energy Conservation Standards for Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION... Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW...
2013-02-11
... Efficiency Program for Consumer Products: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Boilers AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of public meeting.... Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, EE-2J...
Public Perception of Water Consumption and Its Effects on Water Conservation Behavior
Fan, L.X.; Wang, F.; Liu, G.B.; Yang, X.; Qin, W.
2014-01-01
The usual perception of consumers regarding water consumption is that their bills do not match their actual water consumption. However, this mismatch has been insufficiently studied; particularly for cases related to specific water-use patterns, water conservation practices, and user
Design and Implementation of a Research-Informed Water Conservation Education Program
Thompson, Ruthanne; Coe, Alice; Klaver, Irene; Dickson, Kenneth
2011-01-01
Informed by the results of a baseline research study of regional citizen knowledge and understanding concerning watershed issues, a team of university faculty and classroom teachers designed and implemented a water conservation education program to address lacking areas of watershed knowledge. The authors developed age-appropriate, hands-on…
48 CFR 42.704 - Billing rates.
2010-10-01
... officer (or cognizant Federal agency official) or auditor responsible under 42.705 for establishing the... contracting officer (or cognizant Federal agency official) or auditor shall establish billing rates on the... officer (or cognizant Federal agency official) or auditor should ensure that the billing rates are as...
42 CFR 408.82 - Conditions for group billing.
2010-10-01
... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Conditions for group billing. 408.82 Section 408.82 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE... for group billing. CMS agrees to a group billing arrangement only if the following conditions are met...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2008-01-01
This article comments the slight decrease of the French energy bill in 2007 and its evolution since 1970, as well as the energy price fluctuations during 2007. While noticing the importance of the dollar fall, the authors discuss the evolution of oil product prices and its different indicators (crude oil annual average quotation, Brent annual average quotation, and imported oil annual average price), the evolution of natural gas prices, of coal prices, of electricity prices. The global decrease of energy imports is then discussed, including quantities of imported crude oil from various origins, refined products, gas from various origins as well, solid mineral fuels. The balance between exports and imports is commented as a whole, and with some particular countries, enabling an assessment of energy independence. The bill evolution for oil and for gas is briefly discussed, and the global value is assessed with respect to the French GDP or as an amount of work days for French inhabitants. Several graphs and tables are given, gathering several data which have been discussed: energy trade (imports, exports, and bill), comparison of bill with other economic aggregates, average prices of imported energy expressed in dollars and in euros, average price of imported crude oil, etc
Reading and Calculating Billing Through Mobile Devices
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pilar Alexandra Moreno
2013-06-01
Full Text Available This article broadly describes the analysis, design and development of the system utilitarian, called “Reading and billing calculation site through mobile devices.” The application is oriented Public Services Companies, first water services, to perform part of the billing process “in place” through phones or any mobile devices compatible with Android. Will enable you to take readings of service consumption, recording new gauging, online update and control the information for users and turnover. This technology is considered as such one site billing method as through Internet is connected with the database of the company, sending and receiving date information, which makes the calculation of the billing for the reading period, bringing benefits to the client and the service generating company.
Department of Energy programs and objectives: energy conservation in agricultural production
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1977-12-01
This document describes the current Department of Energy agriculture research program as it relates to the research recommendations submitted by a 1976 workshop on energy conservation in agricultural production. In-depth discussions on fertilizers, irrigation, crop drying, fuel substitution, crop and animal production systems, greenhouses, materials handling, and transport systems are included. (MCW)
Using Home Irrigation Users' Perceptions to Inform Water Conservation Programs
Warner, Laura A.; Chaudhary, Anil Kumar; Lamm, Alexa J.; Rumble, Joy N.; Momol, Esen
2017-01-01
Targeted agricultural education programs can play a role in solving complex water issues. This article applies importance-performance analysis to examine dimensions of water resources that may inform local water conservation campaigns in the United States. The purpose of this study was to generate a deep understanding of home irrigation users'…
Conservation programs impact in the industrial energetic demand of the Sao Paulo State
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Silva Walter, A.C. da; Bajay, S.V.
1987-01-01
This paper describes the evaluation methodology of the impacts of conservation and substitution programs on the industrial energy demand in the State of Sao Paulo. The main industrial sectors are investigated. An econometric energy demand forecasting model is used to project the demand in the planning period. After an analysis of the conservation and substitution possibilities in each industrial sector, a correction in the projected demand is made through adoption of assumptions oriented by these studies. (author)
9 CFR 590.130 - Basis of billing plants.
2010-01-01
... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Basis of billing plants. 590.130... of Service § 590.130 Basis of billing plants. Overtime and/or holiday services shall be billed to the official plant on the basis of each 15 minutes of overtime and/or holiday service performed by each...
2012-08-02
... for FY 2012 was 68.693, as shown in Table 13. We calculate the labor-related relative importance from... basket. We calculate the labor-related relative importance for FY 2013 in four steps. First, we compute... Productivity Adjustment D. Federal Rate Update Factor VI. Consolidated Billing VII. Application of the SNF PPS...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kraus, Yvonne X.
2014-02-14
RePower Bainbridge and Bremerton (RePower) is a residential energy-efficiency and conservation program designed to foster a sustainable, clean, and renewable energy economy. The program was a 3.5 year effort in the cities of Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, Washington, to conserve and reduce energy use, establish a trained home performance trade ally network, and create local jobs. RePower was funded through a $4.8 million grant from the US Department of Energy, Better Buildings Program. The grant’s performance period was August 1, 2010 through March 30, 2014.
State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation oil spill research and development program
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pearson, L.A.
1992-01-01
In 1990, the Sixteenth Alaska Legislature reviewed issues related to response action and planning involved in the release or threatened release of oil or hazardous substance. One of the outcomes of that review was the passage of House Bill 566, which established the Alaska State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and within the SERC the Hazardous Substance Spill Technology Review Council. The Council was organized in the spring of 1991 and meets quarterly. The Council is responsible to assist in the identification of containment and clean up products and procedures for arctic and sub-arctic hazardous substance releases and to make recommendations to state agencies regarding their use and deployment. Appendix I explains additional duties of the Council. Members of the Council include the deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, representatives of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the governor's senior science advisor, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Alaska, Prince William Sound Science Center and representatives from Alaska judicial districts
Economic impacts on irrigated agriculture of water conservation programs in drought
Ward, Frank A.
2014-01-01
This study analyzes vulnerability, impacts, and adaptability by irrigation to drought.It accounts for economic incentives affecting choices on irrigation technology, crop mix, and water sources.When surface water supplies fall, farmers increase pumping, even when pumping raises production costs.Conservation program subsidies raise the value of food production but can increase crop water depletions.
Performance improvement planning : developing effective billing and collection practices
anonymous
2008-01-01
Effective billing and collection systems are a critical component for ensuring the viability of a service provider. Improving billing and collection activities has an immediate impact on the revenue streams of a service provider that can, in turn, help the service provider in improving services. However, while effective billing and collection practices depend on many internal factors (including customer databases, the extent of metered and unmetered service provision, tariff and billing struc...
2013-12-31
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Proposed Determination of Hearth Products as a Covered Consumer... determined that hearth products qualify as a covered product under Part A of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended. More specifically, DOE has tentatively determined that hearth...
Pennsylvania State Univ., Middletown. Inst. of State and Regional Affairs.
Described is a learning session on water conservation intended for citizen advisory groups interested in water quality planning. Topics addressed in this instructor's manual include water conservation needs, benefits, programs, technology, and problems. These materials are components of the Working for Clean Water Project. (Author/WB)
77 FR 50720 - Notice of Permit Modification Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978
2012-08-22
... Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and..., bill and flipper dimensions taken, 3-5 feathers removed to confirm gender of the penguin, and have GPS...
78 FR 8992 - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Residential Clothes Dryers
2013-02-07
... the ``Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles.'' Covered consumer... consumers doing the laundry that did not provide any function related to the drying process during the... determined by the intersection of the door plane and the loading port. In addition, section 3.1 specifies...
2011-03-25
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Publication of the Petition for Waiver and Notice of Granting the... Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung) petition for waiver (hereafter, ``petition'') from specified portions of... Authority Title III, part B of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), Public Law 94-163 (42...
An integrated billing application to streamline clinician workflow.
Vawdrey, David K; Walsh, Colin; Stetson, Peter D
2014-01-01
Between 2008 and 2010, our academic medical center transitioned to electronic provider documentation using a commercial electronic health record system. For attending physicians, one of the most frustrating aspects of this experience was the system's failure to support their existing electronic billing workflow. Because of poor system integration, it was difficult to verify the supporting documentation for each bill and impractical to track whether billable notes had corresponding charges. We developed and deployed in 2011 an integrated billing application called "iCharge" that streamlines clinicians' documentation and billing workflow, and simultaneously populates the inpatient problem list using billing diagnosis codes. Each month, over 550 physicians use iCharge to submit approximately 23,000 professional service charges for over 4,200 patients. On average, about 2.5 new problems are added to each patient's problem list. This paper describes the challenges and benefits of workflow integration across disparate applications and presents an example of innovative software development within a commercial EHR framework.
MODELING BILL-OF-MATERIAL WITH TREE DATA STRUCTURE: CASE STUDY IN FURNITURE MANUFACTURER
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Toni Prahasto
2012-02-01
Full Text Available This paper presents a modeling of Bill-of-Material with tree data structure. The BOM represents wooden furniture products. The management of BOM is incorporated into an MRP software which is specially built for a furniture manufacturer. The tree data structure is approached with an object oriented programming to provide the creation and modification of the data. The tree object is designed so that a downstream programmer can create an application with high productivity, using the BOM object of course. Legality of the development is ensured by adapting open source resources, i.e. MySQL database engine, PHP server script, and client-side Javascript. The BOM object is used extensively in the MRP software that is being developed. A couple of screenshots are presented to demonstrate the ease of creation and manipulation of Bill-of-Material. The proper approach of modeling BOM with tree structure allows the programmer to reach high productivity during the development of the aforementioned MRP customized software. Keyword : Modeling, Bill of Material, Tree Data Structure
THE BILL OF EXCHANGE AS A MEANS OF PAYMENT AND SECURITY
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vojo Belovski
2016-07-01
Full Text Available The bill of exchange is a kind of paper in order that its holder shall entitle the debtor named in the document to pay a certain amount of payments. The bill of exchange represents a means of payment and an instrument of providing the payment. It is an unconditional order given by the drawer to the drawee to pay a certain amount to the payee listed on the bill of exchange. The bill of exchange is generally a paper on the orders but it can be issued as value paper to a name. It is such promissory notes where the issuer becomes a clause not by order. The bill of exchange though it appears as a means of payment and an instrument for securing the payment it also appears as a means of international payment, because the bill of exchange can become a modern instrument of crediting and payment. With the development of the credit market and the bill of exchange becomes a means for the drawer and the drawee. This means that instead of the bill of exchange to be paid after the expiry of a certain deadline for submission of the bill of exchange the holder may sell or discount, or to pay before the deadline for submission. With this the bill of exchange becomes a toll for discount. Based on this we can conclude that the bill of exchange has the following roles: -bill of exchange serves as a means of credit; -bill of exchange serves as means of payment; -bill of exchange serves as a means for discount by.
2010-10-05
.... EERE-2010-BT-CE-0014] RIN 1904-AC24 Energy Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment Correction In proposed rule document...
47 CFR 76.981 - Negative option billing.
2010-10-01
... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Negative option billing. 76.981 Section 76.981 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Cable Rate Regulation § 76.981 Negative option billing. (a) A cable operator...
Energy conservation and the residential and commercial sector
1975-01-01
A detailed analysis of energy conservation actions relevant to the residential and commercial sector has led to the conclusion that the potential for savings is great. The task will not be easy, however, since many of the actions require significant life style changes that are difficult to accomplish. Furthermore, many of the conservation actions cited as instant solutions to the energy crisis are those with only mid to long term potential, such as solar energy or heat pumps. Three significant conservation approaches are viable: adjusting price structure, mandating actions, and educating consumers. The first two appear to be the most feasible. But they are not without a price. Higher utility bills adversely affect the poor and the elderly on fixed incomes. Likewise, strict mandatory measures can be quite distasteful. But the effect of alternatives, such as voluntary savings accomplished through education processes, is minimal in a nation without a true conservation ethic.
2010-06-22
... Under Title XI of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008; Conduct in Violation of the Act AGENCY... fairer market place. DATES: We will consider comments we receive by August 23, 2010. ADDRESSES: We invite... Title XI of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) (Pub. L. 110-246), Congress...
The Voluntary Euthanasia (Legalization) Bill (1936) revisited.
Helme, T
1991-01-01
In view of the continuing debate on euthanasia, the restrictions and safeguards which were introduced into the Voluntary Euthanasia (Legislation) Bill 1936 are discussed. Proposals for a new Terminal Care and Euthanasia Bill are suggested, based on some of the principles of the Mental Health Act 1983.
2012-05-30
...-AC46 Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternative Rating... regulations authorizing the use of alternative methods of determining energy efficiency or energy consumption... alternative methods of determining energy efficiency or energy consumption of various consumer products and...
Batie, Sandra S.; Schweikhardt, David B.
1994-01-01
The recently completed round of negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade focused on domestic and international agricultural policies. If this agreement is approved by Congress, U.S. agricultural programs must comply with GATT provisions. The policy choices made during the 1995 farm bill debate about domestic programs, import policies, and export programs could all be affected by the approval of GATT.
The Voluntary Euthanasia (Legalization) Bill (1936) revisited.
Helme, T
1991-01-01
In view of the continuing debate on euthanasia, the restrictions and safeguards which were introduced into the Voluntary Euthanasia (Legislation) Bill 1936 are discussed. Proposals for a new Terminal Care and Euthanasia Bill are suggested, based on some of the principles of the Mental Health Act 1983. PMID:2033626
2012-06-13
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles,\\2\\ a program covering most major household... polluting than sources that must be used during peak demand times. The utilities indicated that a survey... customarily treated as confidential within the industry; (3) whether the information is generally known by or...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mónica Virginia Tapia Zúñiga
2017-12-01
Full Text Available The paramo Casaiches Arenal, shares its resources with the community of the same name. Although conservation has been carried out in Ecuador on a voluntary basis, this has not been enough for the productive and population requirements, which has caused the loss of characteristics typical of the páramo. In this situation, the world community has joined efforts to mitigate the anthropogenic effects on this ecosystem. In 2008, the Association of Agricultural Workers Casaiches Arenal entered the forest conservation program and put 80 ha of páramo under this system. The knowledge of the socio-environmental effects of the program will allow us to answer your questioning. To know aspects of socio-economic development in the community under study, the empirical method of the survey was used, which investigated socioeconomic aspects in the area. As an independent variable, the paramos conservation incentive program was conceived and as dependent variables, social development; economic development and the conservation of the páramo ecosystem. To assess the environmental impact from the adhesion as beneficiaries, a cause-effect matrix was applied, as a method of identification and assessment with qualitative and quantitative results. It is concluded that the national policies on which the conservation program is based decrease the pressures on the paramo ecosystem, as long as it is complemented with on-site actions that allow for an efficient and systematic intervention in the region.
The consumer pays the energy bill
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Meulmeester, P.; Haffner, R.C.G.
2005-01-01
The liberalization of the energy market for small-scale consumers in the Netherlands coincides with a period in which consumers have to pay high energy bills. However, the cause of this is not the liberalization, but the high oil prices and raised taxes. In this article an overview is given of the total energy bill n the Netherlands, its components and the first effects of the liberalization process [nl
Takahashi, Ryo; Todo, Yasuyuki
2013-11-30
In recent years, shade coffee certification programs have attracted increasing attention from conservation and development organizations. Certification programs offer an opportunity to link environmental and economic goals by providing a premium price to producers and thereby contributing to forest conservation. However, the significance of the conservation efforts of certification programs remains unclear because of a lack of empirical evidence. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a shade coffee certification program on forest conservation. The study was conducted in the Belete-Gera Regional Forest Priority Area in Ethiopia, and remote sensing data of 2005 and 2010 were used to gauge the change of forest area. Using propensity score matching estimation, we found that forests under the coffee certification program were less likely to be deforested than forests without forest coffee. By contrast, the difference in the degree of deforestation between forests with forest coffee but not under the certification program and forests with no forest coffee is statistically insignificant. These results suggest that the certification program has had a large effect on forest protection, decreasing the probability of deforestation by 1.7 percentage points. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1979-02-21
This report provides an overview of the activities and achievements of the executive branch of the Federal Government in implementing the energy conservation requirements and provisions of section 381 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975 (Public Law 94-163). The report describes Federal actions to develop procurement policies that promote energy conservation and efficiency, develop a Federal 10-Year Buildings Energy Conservation Plan, develop responsible public education and information programs, encourage energy conservation and energy efficiency, and promote vanpooling and carpooling arrangements. About half of the Nation's energy is used in our homes and automobiles. Another 48 percent is used by State and local governments, business and insutry, in providing needed goods and services. The Federal Government is the Nation's largest energy user, accouting for 2.2 percent of the total national energy used in 1977. This energy is used by nearly 6 million people in more than 400 thousand buildings and in the operation of more than 600 thousand vehicles. While energy conservation and energy efficiency measures alone cannot solve our immediate problems, they are an essential part of our transition to an era of scarce and expensive energy supplies.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Clet Wandui Masiga
2015-10-01
Full Text Available The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an internationally binding instrument addressing issues of biosafety. Biosafety refers to the need to protect human health and the environment from the possible adverse effects of the products of modern biotechnology. Accordingly all countries to the convention are required to put in place regulatory mechanisms to enhance the safety of biotechnology in the context of the Convention’s overall goal of reducing all potential threats to biological diversity, while taking into account the risks to human health. Therefore each country party to the convention has its own procedures to enact laws to guide the safe use of biotechnology. In Uganda the process involves the drafting of the bill by the first parliamentary counsel, approval by cabinet, first reading at the parliament, committal to the responsible parliamentary sessional committee, tabling of the bill for public hearing, consultations, and final approval. In Uganda, the Committee on Science and Technology is responsible for the Biosafety Bill. In March 2013, the Committee tabled the bill for public hearing and submissions from public institutions. There were comments supporting the passage of the Bill and comments in objection.The reasons for objection are mainly due to precaution, speculation, lack of knowledge about biotechnology and biosafety, and alleged influence from biosafety entrepreneurs. This article reviews these public views, revealing controversy and possible consensus to pass the bill.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wain Collen
2016-06-01
Full Text Available For programs that aim to promote forest conservation and poverty alleviation, such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+, the participation of indigenous communities is essential to meet program goals. Using Ostrom's theory of collective action for common pool resource management, we evaluated the institutions governing indigenous participation in the Programa Socio Bosque incentive-based conservation program in Ecuador. We conducted structured interviews with 94 members in 4 communities to assess community institutions for 6 of Ostrom's principles, using 12 measures we developed for the principles. We found substantial variation between communities in terms of their institutional performance. The best-performing community performed well (>50% of interviewees reported successfully meeting the measure on 8 of the 12 measures. The weakest performed well on only 2 out of 12 measures. Overall, our results indicate that there is stronger performance for constitutional-level institutions, which determine who gets to make the rules, and some collective-choice institutions, which determine how local rules are made. We identified specific challenges with the day-to-day operational institutions that arise from participation in nation state-community conservation programs, such as restricted resource appropriation, monitoring and compliance, and conflict resolution. We found that top-down policy making has an important role to play in supporting communities to establish constitutional-level and some collective-choice institutions. However, developing operational institutions may take more time and depend on local families' day-to-day use of resources, and thus may require a more nuanced policy approach. As some countries and donors find a jurisdictional REDD+ approach increasingly attractive, complementing top-down policy measures with bottom-up institutional development could provide a stronger platform to achieve the
Effects of wind turbines on upland nesting birds in Conservation Reserve Program grasslands
Leddy, K.L.; Higgins, K.F.; Naugle, D.E.
1999-01-01
Grassland passerines were surveyed during summer 1995 on the Buffalo Ridge Wind Resource Area in southwestern Minnesota to determine the relative influence of wind turbines on overall densities of upland nesting birds in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands. Birds were surveyed along 40 m fixed width transects that were placed along wind turbine strings within three CRP fields and in three CRP fields without turbines. Conservation Reserve Program grasslands without turbines and areas located 180 m from turbines supported higher densities (261.0-312.5 males/100 ha) of grassland birds than areas within 80 m of turbines (58.2-128.0 males/100 ha). Human disturbance, turbine noise, and physical movements of turbines during operation may have disturbed nesting birds. We recommend that wind turbines be placed within cropland habitats that support lower densities of grassland passerines than those found in CRP grasslands.
Ilmumised ja mediteerimised / Bill Viola ; interv. Harry Liivrand
Viola, Bill
1998-01-01
Bill Viola videoretrospektiiv Stedelijk Museumis, Rijksmuseumis, New Metropolises jm. Amsterdamis 29. novembrini. H. Liivrand Bill Violast ja tema loomingust. B. Viola oma videokunstist praegu ja 25 aastat tagasi, mil tema alustas, mõjutustest loomingule.
42 CFR 71.11 - Bills of health.
2010-10-01
... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bills of health. 71.11 Section 71.11 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES QUARANTINE, INSPECTION, LICENSING FOREIGN QUARANTINE Measures at Foreign Ports § 71.11 Bills of health. A carrier at any foreign port clearing or...
Mushet, David M.; Euliss, Ned H.; Stockwell, Craig A.
2012-01-01
The conversion of the Northern Great Plains of North America to a landscape favoring agricultural commodity production has negatively impacted wildlife habitats. To offset impacts, conservation programs have been implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies to restore grassland and wetland habitat components. To evaluate effects of these efforts on anuran habitats, we used call survey data and environmental data in ecological niche factor analyses implemented through the program Biomapper to quantify habitat suitability for five anuran species within a 196 km2 study area. Our amphibian call surveys identified Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens), Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus), Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata), Great Plains Toads (Anaxyrus cognatus), and Woodhouse’s Toads (Anaxyrus woodhousii) occurring within the study area. Habitat suitability maps developed for each species revealed differing patterns of suitable habitat among species. The most significant findings of our mapping effort were 1) the influence of deep-water overwintering wetlands on suitable habitat for all species encountered except the Boreal Chorus Frog; 2) the lack of overlap between areas of core habitat for both the Northern Leopard Frog and Wood Frog compared to the core habitat for both toad species; and 3) the importance of conservation programs in providing grassland components of Northern Leopard Frog and Wood Frog habitat. The differences in habitats suitable for the five species we studied in the Northern Great Plains, i.e., their ecological niches, highlight the importance of utilizing an ecosystem based approach that considers the varying needs of multiple species in the development of amphibian conservation and management plans.
16 CFR 308.7 - Billing and collection for pay-per-call services.
2010-01-01
... responsibility for receiving and responding to billing error complaints or inquiries. (2) Billing error means any... or other toll free telephone number. (v) The failure to reflect properly on a billing statement a... billing error complaint or inquiry. (6) Telephone-billed purchase means any purchase that is completed...
Wilson, A.; Brittingham, M.; Grove, G.
2010-01-01
Conservation grasslands can provide valuable habitat resource for breeding songbirds, but their value for wintering raptors has received little attention. We hypothesized that increased availability of grassland habitat through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has resulted in an increase or redistribution in numbers of four species of raptors in Pennsylvania since 2001. We tested this by analyzing winter raptor counts from volunteer surveys, conducted from 2001 to 2008, for Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus), Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius). During that period, numbers of wintering Northern Harriers increased by more than 20% per year. Log-linear Poisson regression models show that all four species increased in the region of Pennsylvania that had the most and longest-established conservation grasslands. At the county scale (N= 67), Bayesian spatial models showed that spatial and temporal population trends of all four species were positively correlated with the amount of conservation grassland. This relationship was particularly strong for Northern Harriers, with numbers predicted to increase by 35.7% per year for each additional 1% of farmland enrolled in CREP. Our results suggest that conservation grasslands are likely the primary cause of the increase in numbers of wintering Northern Harriers in Pennsylvania since 2001. ?? 2010 The Authors. Journal of Field Ornithology ?? 2010 Association of Field Ornithologists.
Sensitivity of Billing Claims for Cardiovascular Disease Events among Kidney Transplant Recipients
Lentine, Krista L.; Schnitzler, Mark A.; Abbott, Kevin C.; Bramesfeld, Kosha; Buchanan, Paula M.; Brennan, Daniel C.
2009-01-01
Background and objectives: Billing claims are increasingly examined beyond administrative functions as outcomes measures in observational research. Few studies have described the performance of billing claims as surrogate measures of clinical events among kidney transplant recipients. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: We investigated the sensitivity of Medicare billing claims for clinically verified cardiovascular diagnoses (five categories) and procedures (four categories) in a novel database linking Medicare claims to electronic medical records of one transplant program. Cardiovascular events identified in medical records for 571 Medicare-insured transplant recipients in 1991 through 2002 served as reference measures. Results: Within a claims-ascertainment period spanning ±30 d of clinically recorded dates, aggregate sensitivity of single claims was higher for case definitions incorporating Medicare Parts A and B for diagnoses and procedures (90.9%) compared with either Part A (82.3%) or Part B (84.6%) alone. Perfect capture of the four procedures was possible within ±30 d or with short claims window expansion, but sensitivity for the diagnoses trended lower with all study algorithms (91.2% with window up to ±90 d). Requirement for additional confirmatory diagnosis claims did not appreciably reduce sensitivity. Sensitivity patterns were similar in the early compared with late periods of the study. Conclusions: Combined use of Medicare Parts A and B billing claims composes a sensitive measure of cardiovascular events after kidney transplant. Further research is needed to define algorithms that maximize specificity as well as sensitivity of claims from Medicare and other insurers as research measures in this population. PMID:19541817
The design and implementation of a conservation corps program in Nuristan, Afghanistan
Danny Markus; John W. Groninger
2011-01-01
Nuristan ranks among the least prosperous and educated provinces of Afghanistan. In 2008, the Nuristan Conservation Corps (NCC) was initiated to provide work, education, and training for 90 fighting-age males. Participants in this 1-year pilot program received basic education and natural resource management job skills training. Irrigation infrastructure was built on 26...
Community motivations to engage in conservation behavior to conserve the Sumatran orangutan.
Nilsson, Danielle; Gramotnev, Galina; Baxter, Greg; Butler, James R A; Wich, Serge A; McAlpine, Clive A
2016-08-01
Community-based conservation programs in developing countries are often based on the assumption that heteronomous motivation (e.g., extrinsic incentives such as economic rewards and pressure or coercion to act) will incite local communities to adopt conservation behaviors. However, this may not be as effective or sustainable as autonomous motivations (e.g., an intrinsic desire to act due to inherent enjoyment or self-identification with a behavior and through freedom of choice). We analyzed the comparative effectiveness of heteronomous versus autonomous approaches to community-based conservation programs through a case study of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) conservation in 3 villages in Indonesia. Each village had a different conservation program design. We surveyed people (n = 240) to determine their motivations for and behavior changes relative to orangutan and orangutan habitat (forest) protection. Heteronomous motivations (e.g., income from tourism) led to greater self-reporting of behavior change toward orangutan protection. However, they did not change self-reported behavior toward forest (i.e., orangutan habitat) protection. The most effective approach to creating self-reported behavior change throughout the community was a combination of autonomous and heteronomous motivations. Individuals who were heteronomously motivated to protect the orangutan were more likely to have changed attitudes than to have changed their self-reported behavior. These findings demonstrate that the current paradigm of motivating communities in developing countries to adopt conservation behaviors primarily through monetary incentives and rewards should consider integrating autonomous motivational techniques that promote the intrinsic values of conservation. Such a combination has a greater potential to achieve sustainable and cost-effective conservation outcomes. Our results highlight the importance of using in-depth sociopsychological analyses to inform the design and
75 FR 27182 - Energy Conservation Program: Web-Based Compliance and Certification Management System
2010-05-14
... Conservation Program: Web-Based Compliance and Certification Management System AGENCY: Office of Energy... following means: 1. Compliance and Certification Management System (CCMS)--via the Web portal: http... certification reports to the Department of Energy (DOE) through an electronic Web-based tool, the Compliance and...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Arvola, A.; Kasanen, P. [Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Social Psychology
1996-10-01
The goal of LINKKI - the research program on consumer behavior and energy conservation - was to promote energy conservation by seeking potential and means for energy conservation in the short term in areas that are linked with consumers` activities and choices. Research has been conducted in the following sectors: home, buildings, traffic, and indirect energy consumption. This report discusses the results obtained through the program against a more general background of people`s ways of life and the various factors explaining energy consumption. The report assesses the differences discovered between households, for instance, with respect to demographic factors, life situations, motivation towards conservation, information needs, and attitudes to information. These factors were evaluated in their role as barriers to energy conservation. The research projects have surveyed various ways of disseminating information (e.g. advice, feedback on consumption, computer programs, energy labels), as well as information needs and decision-making processes existing among households. Research conducted in the sector of indirect energy consumption has produced data on conservation potential with respect to the selection of foods and the organization of leisure activities. In the sector of energy consumption in traffic, assessments have been made concerning the conservation potential that can be achieved by reorganizing activities and data transmission (e.g. distance work, flexible working time). The prerequisites for the actualization of this potential have also been studied. Similarly, the opportunities of reducing energy consumption in traffic by means of prices, taxation systems and regional ticket systems have been analyzed
Conservation Compromises: The MAB and the Legacy of the International Biological Program, 1964-1974.
Schleper, Simone
2017-02-01
This article looks at the International Biological Program (IBP) as the predecessor of UNESCO's well-known and highly successful Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). It argues that international conservation efforts of the 1970s, such as the MAB, must in fact be understood as a compound of two opposing attempts to reform international conservation in the 1960s. The scientific framework of the MAB has its origins in disputes between high-level conservationists affiliated with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) about what the IBP meant for the future of conservation. Their respective visions entailed different ecological philosophies as much as diverging sets of political ideologies regarding the global implementation of conservation. Within the IBP's Conservation Section, one group propagated a universal systems approach to conservation with a centralized, technocratic management of nature and society by an elite group of independent scientific experts. Within IUCN, a second group based their notion of environmental expert roles on a more descriptive and local ecology of resource mapping as practiced by UNESCO. When the IBP came to an end in 1974, both groups' ecological philosophies played into the scientific framework underlying the MAB's World Network or Biosphere Reserves. The article argues that it is impossible to understand the course of conservation within the MAB without studying the dynamics and discourses between the two underlying expert groups and their respective visions for reforming conservation.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gray, J.H.N.; Stoddart, D.L.; Sinclair, R.M.; Ezra, D.
1985-01-01
The House, in Committee, discussed the following matters in relation to the Atomic Energy Authority Bill; financing; trading; personnel conditions of employment; public relations; organization; research programmes; fuels; energy sources; information dissemination. (U.K.)
Draft Surrogacy (Regulation Bill 2016: Rhetoric or Surrogate-centric?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rituparna Bhattacharyya
2016-11-01
Full Text Available Chaired by honourable Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Damodar Modi, the Union Cabinet on 24 August 2016 introduced and approved the draft bill on Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART in India, known popularly as the Surrogacy (Regulation Bill, 2016. The bill aims at regulating the ever-proliferating unregulated surrogacy industry interalia banning commercial surrogacy services for single parents, homosexuals, cohabiting partners in addition to foreigners and overseas citizens of India. The key aim of this commentary is to make a nuanced examination of the draft bill aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the practice of surrogacy and address gaps (if any that require interventions.
The Effects of Bill 4330/2004 on Union Relations
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Felipe Prata Mendes
2016-10-01
Full Text Available This work aims to analyze in which way the bill 4330/2004 affects the union representativeness of outsourced workers. In order to accomplish the settled purpose, it is necessary firstly to frame the outsourcing phenomena in the context of the evolution of capitalism. In relation to the main problem of the work, it’s necessary to investigate if the bill 4330/2004 implies an offense to the union representativeness of outsourced workers. The conclusions obtained show that bill 4330/2004 compounds the representativeness trouble, since this bill proposes the agglutination of workers pertained to very different realities, what stunts the collective protection of interests.
Energy Conservation In Compressed Air Systems
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yusuf, I.Y.; Dewu, B.B.M.
2004-01-01
Compressed air is an essential utility that accounts for a substantial part of the electricity consumption (bill) in most industrial plants. Although the general saying Air is free of charge is not true for compressed air, the utility's cost is not accorded the rightful importance due to its by most industries. The paper will show that the cost of 1 unit of energy in the form of compressed air is at least 5 times the cost electricity (energy input) required to produce it. The paper will also provide energy conservation tips in compressed air systems
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment Bill, 2016: A Critical Analysis
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Suman Singh
2016-11-01
Full Text Available On 11 August 2016, amending the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, the new bill, The Maternity Benefit (Amendment Bill, 2016 was introduced and passed in the Rajya Sabha (or Council of States, the upper house of the Parliament of India. Central aim of this article is to critically review the amendments to the bill regarding geographies of maternity leave and its associated facilities.
7 CFR 633.9 - Conservation plan.
2010-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conservation plan. 633.9 Section 633.9 Agriculture... AGRICULTURE LONG TERM CONTRACTING WATER BANK PROGRAM § 633.9 Conservation plan. (a) The program participant... conservation plan for the acreage designated under an agreement. (b) The conservation plan is the basis for the...
40 CFR 81.88 - Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.
2010-07-01
... Quality Control Regions § 81.88 Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Metropolitan Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (Montana) has been renamed the Billings Intrastate Air Quality Control... to by Montana authorities as follows: Sec. 481.168Great Falls Intrastate Air Quality Control Region...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2009-01-15
The bill asserting the French national commitment for the environment (also named 'Grenelle 2') is considered as the juridical tool-box of the French environmental policy. It confirms, strengthens, and concretizes the objectives defined by the Grenelle 1 law. The main dispositions of the bill concern the following domains: settlement and urbanism with the improvement of the energy efficiency, energy conservation and life-cycle of buildings; transports with the development of sustainable transportation systems; energy with the creation of regional climate, air and energy schemes with the aim of developing renewable energies (with some restrictions concerning wind power) and reducing CO{sub 2} emissions; biodiversity with the creation of ecological pathways between protected areas for the migration of flora and fauna species; environment and waste management with the reinforcement of measures for the abatement of environmental pollutant effects. Among the numerous dispositions involving more than 20 codes (urbanism, environment, buildings etc..) one concerns the progressive implementation of a 'carbon price' index taking into account the greenhouse gas emission costs during the whole life cycle of a product, another one concerns the monitoring of indoor air quality in public buildings. This document is made of three parts. Part 1 is the exposition of the intentions of each article of the bill, part 2 is the bill itself and part 3 is the impact study of the bill in terms of economical, social and environmental impact. (J.S.)
Senate Republican leadership releases revised ACA repeal and replace bill
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Moore NS
2017-07-01
Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated after first 150 words. Today, the Senate Republican leadership released a revised version of a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA. The new bill draft includes an amendment sponsored by Sen. Cruz (R-TX that permits insurers to offer health insurance plans on the ACA exchanges that do not cover the ACA’s 10 essential health benefits (EHB as long as they offer at least one other plan that provides full coverage of EHB’s. The bill also includes more funding for opioid addiction and for state initiatives to reduce insurance premiums and additionally, some flexibility for state Medicaid funding in the event of a public health crisis. The bill must still receive a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO, which will include the impact of the bill on insurance coverage levels, expected out Monday. The ATS remains deeply concerned about the bill because under the Cruz proposal, insurance coverage costs …
Jones, Kelly W.; Lewis, David J.
2015-01-01
Deforestation and conversion of native habitats continues to be the leading driver of biodiversity and ecosystem service loss. A number of conservation policies and programs are implemented—from protected areas to payments for ecosystem services (PES)—to deter these losses. Currently, empirical evidence on whether these approaches stop or slow land cover change is lacking, but there is increasing interest in conducting rigorous, counterfactual impact evaluations, especially for many new conservation approaches, such as PES and REDD, which emphasize additionality. In addition, several new, globally available and free high-resolution remote sensing datasets have increased the ease of carrying out an impact evaluation on land cover change outcomes. While the number of conservation evaluations utilizing ‘matching’ to construct a valid control group is increasing, the majority of these studies use simple differences in means or linear cross-sectional regression to estimate the impact of the conservation program using this matched sample, with relatively few utilizing fixed effects panel methods—an alternative estimation method that relies on temporal variation in the data. In this paper we compare the advantages and limitations of (1) matching to construct the control group combined with differences in means and cross-sectional regression, which control for observable forms of bias in program evaluation, to (2) fixed effects panel methods, which control for observable and time-invariant unobservable forms of bias, with and without matching to create the control group. We then use these four approaches to estimate forest cover outcomes for two conservation programs: a PES program in Northeastern Ecuador and strict protected areas in European Russia. In the Russia case we find statistically significant differences across estimators—due to the presence of unobservable bias—that lead to differences in conclusions about effectiveness. The Ecuador case
Jones, Kelly W; Lewis, David J
2015-01-01
Deforestation and conversion of native habitats continues to be the leading driver of biodiversity and ecosystem service loss. A number of conservation policies and programs are implemented--from protected areas to payments for ecosystem services (PES)--to deter these losses. Currently, empirical evidence on whether these approaches stop or slow land cover change is lacking, but there is increasing interest in conducting rigorous, counterfactual impact evaluations, especially for many new conservation approaches, such as PES and REDD, which emphasize additionality. In addition, several new, globally available and free high-resolution remote sensing datasets have increased the ease of carrying out an impact evaluation on land cover change outcomes. While the number of conservation evaluations utilizing 'matching' to construct a valid control group is increasing, the majority of these studies use simple differences in means or linear cross-sectional regression to estimate the impact of the conservation program using this matched sample, with relatively few utilizing fixed effects panel methods--an alternative estimation method that relies on temporal variation in the data. In this paper we compare the advantages and limitations of (1) matching to construct the control group combined with differences in means and cross-sectional regression, which control for observable forms of bias in program evaluation, to (2) fixed effects panel methods, which control for observable and time-invariant unobservable forms of bias, with and without matching to create the control group. We then use these four approaches to estimate forest cover outcomes for two conservation programs: a PES program in Northeastern Ecuador and strict protected areas in European Russia. In the Russia case we find statistically significant differences across estimators--due to the presence of unobservable bias--that lead to differences in conclusions about effectiveness. The Ecuador case illustrates that
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kelly W Jones
Full Text Available Deforestation and conversion of native habitats continues to be the leading driver of biodiversity and ecosystem service loss. A number of conservation policies and programs are implemented--from protected areas to payments for ecosystem services (PES--to deter these losses. Currently, empirical evidence on whether these approaches stop or slow land cover change is lacking, but there is increasing interest in conducting rigorous, counterfactual impact evaluations, especially for many new conservation approaches, such as PES and REDD, which emphasize additionality. In addition, several new, globally available and free high-resolution remote sensing datasets have increased the ease of carrying out an impact evaluation on land cover change outcomes. While the number of conservation evaluations utilizing 'matching' to construct a valid control group is increasing, the majority of these studies use simple differences in means or linear cross-sectional regression to estimate the impact of the conservation program using this matched sample, with relatively few utilizing fixed effects panel methods--an alternative estimation method that relies on temporal variation in the data. In this paper we compare the advantages and limitations of (1 matching to construct the control group combined with differences in means and cross-sectional regression, which control for observable forms of bias in program evaluation, to (2 fixed effects panel methods, which control for observable and time-invariant unobservable forms of bias, with and without matching to create the control group. We then use these four approaches to estimate forest cover outcomes for two conservation programs: a PES program in Northeastern Ecuador and strict protected areas in European Russia. In the Russia case we find statistically significant differences across estimators--due to the presence of unobservable bias--that lead to differences in conclusions about effectiveness. The Ecuador case
Lan, B.-R.; Chang, C.-A.; Huang, P.-Y.; Kuo, C.-H.; Ye, Z.-J.; Shen, B.-C.; Chen, B.-K.
2017-11-01
Conservation voltage reduction (CVR) includes peak demand reduction, energy conservation, carbon emission reduction, and electricity bill reduction. This paper analyzes the energy-reduction of Siwei Feeders with applying CVR, which are situated in Penghu region and equipped with smart meters. Furthermore, the applicable voltage reduction range for the feeders will be explored. This study will also investigate how the CVR effect and energy conservation are improved with the voltage control devices integrated. The results of this study can serve as a reference for the Taiwan Power Company to promote and implement voltage reduction and energy conservation techniques. This study is expected to enhance the energy-reduction performance of the Penghu Low Carbon Island Project.
Atomic Energy Authority Bill (Lords)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Eadie, A.; Goodlad, A.; Fisher, M.; Griffiths, P.; Coombs, S.
1986-01-30
The discussions of one of the standing committees of the House of Lords on the Atomic Energy Authority Bill are reported verbatim. Clauses 6, 9 and new clauses 3, 2 and 4 were discussed. The amendments to the clauses were put and debated. The safety requirements of the nuclear industry and the money necessary for these are discussed. At the end of the debate on each clause (and amendments if any), the decision of the House as to its agreement or otherwise is recorded. It was agreed that the Bill, as amended by the committee, should be reported to the (full) House of Lords. The debate lasted 1 3/4 hours.
Resource conservation management
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Miller, W.
1999-01-01
Resource conservation management is a management program similar to financial management in that its success requires commitment by all levels of the organization to the process as well as an accounting procedure and auditing of critical components. Resource conservation management provides a framework for all elements of efficient building operations and maintenance. The savings connected with the program are principally connected with changes in the way buildings are operated and maintained. Given the reduction in rebates for the installation of energy-efficient equipment, this approach has considerable promise. This paper discusses the evolution of the resource conservation management service and the savings associated with a two-year pilot effort with seven school districts, as well as the critical components of a successful program
47 CFR 64.2401 - Truth-in-Billing Requirements.
2010-10-01
... 64.2401 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES... provider. (3) The telephone bill must clearly and conspicuously identify any change in service provider... content so that customers can accurately assess that the services for which they are billed correspond to...
Who'll pay the electricity bill?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Roche, P.
1989-01-01
Nuclear power will be protected from the vagaries of the free market by requiring the 12 privatised distribution companies to take around 15-20% of their power from non-fossil (i.e. nuclear) sources. The Electricity Bill also requires producers of fossil-fuelled electricity to charge a compulsory levy which will be used to finance the non-fossil quota. The extra cost of generating electricity by nuclear means compared with the alternatives will be recouped via the 'levy' after the new PWRs have come into operation. Producers of power which is neither nuclear nor fossil will not be required to make this levy, so renewable energies may gain a small competitive advantage. The financial implications of privatisation have not been fully clarified, especially regarding nuclear power with its associated expenses of radioactive waste disposal and decommissioning. Energy efficiency may be encouraged by the Bill, but competition may not result from the Bill. (author)
77 FR 13261 - Request for Applications: The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program
2012-03-06
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Request for Applications: The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program AGENCY: Forest Service. ACTION: Notice; Correction. SUMMARY: The Department..., published a document in the Federal Register of February 15, 2011, concerning requests for applications for...
2012-12-31
... Energy Conservation Program: Certification of Commercial and Industrial HVAC, Refrigeration and Water... provisions for commercial refrigeration equipment; commercial heating, ventilating, air-conditioning (HVAC...; commercial HVAC equipment; commercial WH equipment; and walk-in coolers and freezers (June 30 Final Rule). 76...
An easy to way to understand individual water use is to look at your water bill—not just the amount due, but how much water you used. Pull out your water bill and follow our steps to learn more about it.
Marketer consolidated billing : realizing the value of customer relationships
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Schiratti, A. [Sunoco, Toronto, ON (Canada)
2001-07-01
This presentation focused on timely issues regarding marketer consolidated billing (MCB). MCB allows energy marketers to directly bill customers for both gas and electric commodities and distribution services. MCB is mandated by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) in the electricity sector through the Retail Settlements Task Force and is proposed by the OEB in the Gas Distributor Access Rule. The main topics discussed in this paper were the new relationship under MCB, benefits for customers and challenges for marketers. The major obstacles for a successful MCB model were also proposed. The new MCB approach strengthens the relationship between the marketer and the customer. The MCB will allow both electricity and natural gas customers to choose marketers who bill for both delivery and gas on one bill.
Marketer consolidated billing : realizing the value of customer relationships
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Schiratti, A.
2001-01-01
This presentation focused on timely issues regarding marketer consolidated billing (MCB). MCB allows energy marketers to directly bill customers for both gas and electric commodities and distribution services. MCB is mandated by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) in the electricity sector through the Retail Settlements Task Force and is proposed by the OEB in the Gas Distributor Access Rule. The main topics discussed in this paper were the new relationship under MCB, benefits for customers and challenges for marketers. The major obstacles for a successful MCB model were also proposed. The new MCB approach strengthens the relationship between the marketer and the customer. The MCB will allow both electricity and natural gas customers to choose marketers who bill for both delivery and gas on one bill
An Enterprise Model for Real-Time Inter-domain Billing of Services
Le, V.M.; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; Nieuwenhuis, Lambertus Johannes Maria; Huitema, G.B.
2008-01-01
The technological developments in networking solutions, information and communication services create the basis for the provisioning of complex, realtime services. This paper addresses the charging and billing of such advanced services. Advanced services will be composed of services provided by various 3rd party providers residing in different domains. Hence, charging and billing of advanced services requires a billing system capable of composing charging and billing information from provider...
Nobile, Matthew A.; Chu, Richard C.
2005-09-01
Although Bill Lang's accomplishments and key roles in national and international standards and in the formation of INCE are widely recognized, sometimes it has to be remembered that for nearly 35 years he also had a ``day job'' at the IBM Corporation. His achievements at IBM were no less significant and enduring than those in external standards and professional societies. This paper will highlight some of the accomplishments and activities of Bill Lang as an IBM noise control engineer, the creator of the IBM Acoustics Lab in Poughkeepsie, the founder of the global Acoustics program at IBM, and his many other IBM leadership roles. Bill was also a long-serving IBM manager, with the full set of personnel issues to deal with, so his people-management skills were often called into play. Bill ended his long and fruitful IBM career at a high point. In 1988, he took an original idea of his to the top of IBM executive management, which led directly to the formation of the IBM Academy of Technology, today the preeminent body of IBM top technical leaders from around the world.
2011-04-19
..., as set forth below: PART 429--CERTIFICATION, COMPLIANCE, AND ENFORCEMENT FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND...: EERE-2010-BT-CE-0014] RIN 1904-AC23 Energy Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency...
Variable billing for services: new fiscal direction for nursing.
Higgerson, N J; Van Slyck, A
1982-06-01
The advantages of variable billing for nursing care that: It identifies revenue nursing cost centers. It facilitates systematic control of revenue and expenses, improving budget planning and management. It generates a tremendous amount of data that can be used in administrative planning and decision making. It is more equitable than past billing practices for the patient, the third-party payer, and the hospital, making it a public relations asset. The disadvantages of variable billing are that: Charges at one hospital are not easily compared with those at another. The mix of patients at varying classification levels has a significant effect on revenue, thus increasing the possibility of lower revenue. More accountability and in some cases more work is required of nursing administrators. In this article, the practical application of variable billing in acute care settings has been discussed. It is hoped that the information provided here will stimulate nursing administrators to assess the feasibility of implementing varible billing for nursing services as a fiscal practice in their own institutions.
Human-Centered Design Bill of Rights for Educators.
Sugar, William A.
This paper presents a potential solution to encourage technology adoption and integration within schools by proposing a human-centered technology "bill of rights" for educators. The intention of this bill of rights it to influence educators' beliefs towards technology and to enable educators to confront with confidence the seemingly…
Soil carbon sequestration potential in semi-arid grasslands in the conservation reserve program
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the USA plays a major role in carbon (C) sequestration to help mitigate rising CO2 levels and climate change. The Southern High Plains (SHP) region contains N900.000 ha enrolled in CRP, but a regionally specific C sequestration rate has not been studied, and...
THE NIGERIA DATA PROTECTION BILL: APPRAISAL, ISSUES, AND CHALLENGES
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Abubakar Sanni Aliyu
2016-02-01
Full Text Available Nigeria has absolutely no privacy and personal information laws. This lacuna is even more material in an internet world where information published on the web is open to a global audience. It is in this regard that the Data Protection Bill was sponsored by Hon. Yakubu Dogara, member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Bauchi State, Nigeria. This paper has two key aims, firstly to find out the major issues address by the proposed Data Protection Bill 2010, secondly, to determine the significance and the challenges of the Bill to Nigeria environment. The study utilized secondary source of data from the Data Protection Bill, 2010 and other documentary sources for analysis. The study finds out that the Bill protect parties in regard to publication of market survey details and information, ensure that unauthorised processing of personal information is reduce, and use of personal data and information without the prior consent of the data is subjected to scrutiny. The paper recommends that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the policy makers should hasten the process of passing the Bill into law in order to strengthen the activities of ecommerce in Nigeria through the following benefits: Improved customer relations; Improved ability to market lawfully; Improved data quality; Improved data security among others.
42 CFR 408.84 - Billing and payment procedures.
2010-10-01
... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Billing and payment procedures. 408.84 Section 408.84 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Billing and payment procedures. (a) Initial premium notice. (1) CMS or its agent always sends the initial...
Bill Barbour : mõned ideed kasvavatele firmadele / Bill Barbour ; interv. Taivo Paju
Barbour, Bill
2005-01-01
Suurbritannia üks kogenumaid ärikonsultante firmade ärikasvumudelist, mis aitab ettevõttel järgmisesse etappi üle minna. Mida peaks ettevõtja enne äri alustamist läbi mõtlema ning millised eesmärgid ja ülesanded enda jaoks paika panema. Lisad: Bill Barbour; Universaalne kriisimudel
2013-09-03
.... EERE-2013-BT-STD-0030] RIN 1904-AD01 Energy Efficiency Program for Commercial and Industrial Equipment: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Packaged Boilers AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and..., Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE-2J, 1000 Independence...
2011-08-02
... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 10 CFR Parts 429 and 430 [Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-CE-0014] RIN 1904-AC23 Energy Conservation Program: Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment; Correction Correction In rule document 2011-10401 appearing on pages...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
S. Barnett Burns
2018-03-01
Full Text Available For more than four decades, behavioral intervention programs informed by psychology have been employed to increase pro-environmental behaviors. However, there has been little evidence for the post-intervention durability of target behaviors. The few studies that have conducted such evaluations have found that improvements often return to baseline levels post-intervention. This study evaluated the durability of home energy conservation behaviors before, during, and after a community based multi-technique intervention program, and examined the relationship between behavioral durability and the perceived importance, convenience and family norms of each behavior, as well as generalized pro-conservation decision making. The results show increased frequency in target behaviors that remain elevated seven months post-intervention. While the reported generalization of pro-conservation decision-making consistently increased during the study, perceived importance, convenience, and family norms of target conservation behaviors were largely unaffected. In addition, the few significant alterations in these perceptions were found to be due to increases during the post-intervention period only, indicating that they are not necessary pre-requisites for durable behavior change. These results show that a well designed community based intervention can have direct impacts on target behaviors that persist beyond its termination.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
He, H.Z.; Kua, H.W.
2013-01-01
This study describes a district-level energy intervention and conservation program designed and implemented with the help of community stakeholders, which include students and staff of an educational institution, the National University of Singapore, a local non-governmental environmental group in Singapore and the district government. The program – known formally as the Eco-living Program – was funded by the district government and implemented in the Hong Kah North Residential Council in the south western part of Singapore. The research objectives are three-fold: (1) compare the effectiveness of different intervention methods, based on self-reported behavior scores and actual electricity reduction; (2) investigate how behavior and electricity consumption are influenced by values, situational and psychological factors; (3) assess the effectiveness of different methods of intervention and provide recommendations for improvement. It was found that a combined use of leaflets and stickers resulted in highest (that is, 15.8%) reduction in average consumption. Ease of practicing the recommended energy conservation actions is a strong motivators to change energy consumption behavior. This program exemplifies the important role that community-initiated bottom-up programs can play in promoting sustainable consumption with the financial support from the local (district) government. - Highlights: ► Energy intervention was implemented on 151 households. ► Outreach methods included stickers, leaflets and counseling. ► Self-reported behavioral and actual reductions were recorded. ► Actual reduction was correlated to large housing apartments not in control group. ► Intervention program found to be cost effective and promote stakeholder engagement
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lauren Tooker
2014-10-01
Full Text Available Professor Bill Maurer is a renowned cultural anthropologist who conducts research on law, property, money and finance, focusing on the technological infrastructures and social relations of exchange and payment. Professor Maurer graduated from Stanford University in 1994 with a PhD in Anthropology. He moved to UC Irvine in 1996 as Assistant Professor, going on to become Chair of UC Irvine’s Department of Anthropology (2005-2011 and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences (2011-2013. In July 2013 he assumed his current role as Dean of UC Irvine’s School of Social Sciences. Professor Maurer has published on topics ranging from offshore financial services to mobile phone-enabled money transfers, Islamic finance, alternative currencies, and the future of money. He is founding director of the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and was the founding co-director of the Intel Science and Technology Center in Social Computing. He is the editor of six collections, as well as the author of Recharting the Caribbean: Land, Law and Citizenship in the British Virgin Islands (1997, Pious Property: Islamic Mortgages in the United States (2006, and Mutual Life, Limited: Islamic Banking, Alternative Currencies, Lateral Reason (2005. The latter received the Victor Turner Prize in 2005. Professor Maurer visited the University of Warwick in September 2014 under the auspices of Warwick’s Global Governance GRP.
The formation method of the feature space for the identification of fatigued bills
Kang, Dongshik; Oshiro, Ayumu; Ozawa, Kenji; Mitsui, Ikugo
2014-10-01
Fatigued bills make a trouble such as the paper jam in a bill handling machine. In the discrimination of fatigued bills using an acoustic signal, the variation of an observed bill sound is considered to be one of causes in misclassification. Therefore a technique has demanded in order to make the classification of fatigued bills more efficient. In this paper, we proposed the algorithm that extracted feature quantity of bill sound from acoustic signal using the frequency difference, and carried out discrimination experiment of fatigued bill money by Support Vector Machine(SVM). The feature quantity of frequency difference can represent the frequency components of an acoustic signal is varied by the fatigued degree of bill money. The generalization performance of SVM does not depend on the size of dimensions of the feature space, even in a high dimensional feature space such as bill-acoustic signals. Furthermore, SVM can induce an optimal classifier which considers the combination of features by the virtue of polynomial kernel functions.
Lee, Mengshan; Tansel, Berrin
2013-10-15
During 2006-2007, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA, provided incentives for low income and senior residents in single family homes for retrofitting with high efficiency fixtures. The participating residences were retrofitted with high-efficiency toilets, showerheads, and aerators. In 2012, a telephone survey was conducted to evaluate the satisfaction of the participants and the associated effects on water conservation practices. This study evaluates the attitudes and opinions of the participants relative to water use efficiency measures and the actual reduction in water consumption characteristics of the participating households. The participant characteristics were analyzed to identify correlations between the socio-demographic factors, program satisfaction and actual water savings. Approximately 65.5% of the survey respondents reported changes in their water use habits and 76.6% reported noticeable reduction in their water bills. The analyses showed that the satisfaction levels of the participants were closely correlated with the actual water savings. The results also showed that satisfaction level along with water saving potential (i.e., implementation of water efficiency devices) or change of water use habits has provided positive synergistic effect on actual water savings. The majority of the participants surveyed (81.3-89.1%) reported positive attitudes for water conservation incentive program and the benefits of the high efficiency fixtures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
47 CFR 64.1201 - Restrictions on billing name and address disclosure.
2010-10-01
... interstate telecommunications services. (3) The term authorized billing agent means a third party hired by a telecommunications service provider to perform billing and collection services for the telecommunications service... billing name and address information to any party other than a telecommunications service provider or an...
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
1994-01-01
.... Life cycle cost analyses were performed using the Life Cycle Cost in Design (LCCID) computer program. Project descriptions and DD1391 forms were prepared for four Energy Conservation Investment program...
Evidence Suggesting that Ivory-billed Woodpeckers (Campephilus principalis Exist in Florida
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daniel J. Mennill
2006-12-01
Full Text Available The Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis disappeared from the forests of southeastern North America in the early 20th Century and for more than 50 years has been widely considered extinct. On 21 May 2005, we detected a bird that we identified as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the mature swamp forest along the Choctawhatchee River in the panhandle of Florida. During a subsequent year of research, members of our small search team observed birds that we identified as Ivory-billed Woodpeckers on 14 occasions. We heard sounds that matched descriptions of Ivory-billed Woodpecker acoustic signals on 41 occasions. We recorded 99 putative double knocks and 210 putative kent calls. We located cavities in the size range reported for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and larger than those of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus that have been reported in the literature or that we measured in Alabama. We documented unique foraging signs consistent with the feeding behavior of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. Our evidence suggests that Ivory-billed Woodpeckers may be present in the forests along the Choctawhatchee River and warrants an expanded search of this bottomland forest habitat.
2010-06-03
.... EERE-2010-BT-STD-0011] RIN 1904-AC22 Energy Efficiency Program: Energy Conservation Standards Furnace Fans: Public Meeting and Availability of the Framework Document AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and... Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies, EE-2J, 1000 Independence...
The climate adaptation programs and activities of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
Wendy L. Francis
2011-01-01
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is an innovative transboundary effort to protect biodiversity and facilitate climate adaptation by linking large protected core areas through compatible land uses on matrix lands. The Y2Y organization acts as the keeper of the Y2Y vision and implements two interconnected programs - Science and Action, and Vision...
2010-01-01
... of the month. The applicant will be billed by the National Finance Center (NFC) using the Foundation... voluntary laboratory services and other services were rendered at a particular Science and Technology...
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
1994-01-01
.... Life cycle cost analyses were performed using the Life Cycle Cost in Design (LCCID) computer program. Project descriptions and DDl39l forms were prepared for four Energy Conservation Investment Program...
Decoding incident-to and provider-based billing: ensuring payment and avoiding liability.
Hofstra, Patricia S; Hart, Elinor L
2012-01-01
In this increasingly complex world of Medicare reimbursement, physicians must constantly review their billing practices to ensure compliance with all Medicare requirements. "Incident-to" billing and provider-based billing are two areas that present unique challenges for providers, especially those practicing in hospital-owned practices such as hospital outpatient departments. Both incident-to and provider-based billing limit providers' abilities to bill for and receive reimbursement in those practice settings. The Office of Inspector General's 2012 Work Plan Report identified both incident-to billing and place-of-service errors as two of the many areas for investigation and compliance efforts in 2012. This article focuses on identifying the unique point-of-service challenges presented by physicians practicing in hospital outpatient departments or hospital-owned clinics.
Acid rain: What the final bill looks like
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Burkhardt, D.A.
1990-01-01
This article examines the possible financial impacts of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. Topics include an overview of the bill, impact on utility companies, and implications for utility investors. The author feels the bill has important implications for investors who own utility stocks, particularly the stocks of coal-burning utilities in the Midwest and Appalachia
Conservation Reserve Program effects on floodplain land cover management.
Jobe, Addison; Kalra, Ajay; Ibendahl, Elise
2018-05-15
Growing populations and industrialized agriculture practices have eradicated much of the United States wetlands along river floodplains. One program available for the restoration of floodplains is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The current research explores the effects CRP land change has on flooding zones, utilizing Flood Modeller and HEC-RAS. Flood Modeller is proven a viable tool for flood modeling within the United States when compared to HEC-RAS. Application of the software is used in the Nodaway River system located in the western halves of Iowa and Missouri to model effects of introducing new forest areas within the region. Flood stage during the conversion first decreases in the early years, before rising to produce greater heights. Flow velocities where CRP land is present are reduced for long-term scopes. Velocity reduction occurs as the Manning's roughness increases due to tree diameter and brush density. Flood zones become more widespread with the implementation of CRP. Future model implementations are recommended to witness the effects of smaller flood recurrence intervals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The billing process at a teaching hospital specialized in cardiology and pulmonology
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gabriela Favaro Faria Guerrer
2014-09-01
Full Text Available The objective of this exploratory study was to describe and map out the billing process in a public tertiary-level university hospital specialized in cardiology and pulmonology. In the period between May and June of 2012, we identified and documented the steps in the process validated by the professionals involved in the hospital bill audit service. We found that during billing pre-analysis, auditors make corrections to justify the billing of procedures and to avoid unwarranted billing and loss of revenue. Mapping out the process allowed us to propose strategies to minimize the time for presenting bills to payment sources. By bringing visibility to this process, which is fundamental for the economic-financial balance of the studied hospital, we bring such knowledge to the public domain. Thus, it is accessible to other health organizations that wish to increment their revenue and reduce divergences between patient charts and the patient’s hospital bill. doi: 10.5216/ree.v16i3.23487.
Birds of the US-Mexico borderlands: Distribution, ecology and conservation
Ruth, Janet M.; Brush, Tim; Krueper, David J.
2008-01-01
The concept for this volume began as a scientifi c symposium at the North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) in Veracruz, Mexico in October 2006. The symposium was entitled “Avian Distributional Change, Anthropogenic Challenges, and Recent Avian Research and Technological Advances within the US–Mexico Border Region,” and was cochaired by two of us (DJK and TB) along with Carol Beardmore (Sonoran Joint Venture) and Bill Howe (USDI Fish and Wildlife Service). In light of the importance of the borderland region for birds and bird conservation, and because of the great need for additional information about this poorly studied region, we have compiled this volume to present new information about bird distribution, ecology, and conservation.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1991-01-01
The bill would amend certain sections of the Internal Revenue Act to provide tax incentives for renewable energy production. Qualified technologies include solar thermal, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal (other than dry steam), and biomass. The bill would also limit exclusion from gross income for parking and allow exclusion for employer subsidies for mass transit and van pooling. A tax credit would be allowed for retrofitting of home oil heaters. The bill would allow exclusion from gross income for energy and water conservation subsidies provided by public utilities. The Safe and Efficient Vehicles Incentive Act of 1991 is included in this bill. The net income limitation on percentage depletion would not apply to oil and gas wells and a crude oil production credit would be available for maintaining economically marginal wells. There is a credit for crude oil and natural gas exploration and development and the intangible drilling costs would be removed from the Alternative Minimum Tax. Several other credits for the petroleum industry are described
Bill project on a new organisation of the electricity market
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2010-01-01
A first text discusses the motivations of this bill project: to guarantee French supply security, to contribute to France economical competitiveness, to protect the environment, to give everybody access to energy, and to comply with the European energy market. It also comments the bill project content, the objectives aimed at through the different bill articles. These articles settle a regulated access to electricity and a regulatory frame for pricing, define provider responsibilities, deal with installation dismantling expenses. This presentation is followed by the bill text and by the report of an impact study of the implementation of a regulated access to electricity, of a capacity obligation, and of the evolution of regulated selling prices
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hezard, Laurence; Jouzel, Jean
2014-01-01
This report from the Economic, Social and Environmental Council discusses the content of the French bill project on energy transition for a green growth. It addresses the main issues and objectives of this bill project: to define common objectives for a successful energy transition, a stronger energy independence for France, and for the struggle against climate change, better renovation of buildings to save energy, decrease prices and create jobs, to develop clean transports to improve air quality and protect French people health, to struggle against wastes and to promote circular economy from product design product recycling, to promote renewable energies to diversify energy sources and to develop the resources of French territories, to strengthen nuclear safety and citizen information, to simplify and clarify procedures to be more efficient and competitive, and to give the possibility and power of acting together to citizen, territories and State. The statements of the different Council's groups are reported
Fatigue Level Estimation of Bill Based on Acoustic Signal Feature by Supervised SOM
Teranishi, Masaru; Omatu, Sigeru; Kosaka, Toshihisa
Fatigued bills have harmful influence on daily operation of Automated Teller Machine(ATM). To make the fatigued bills classification more efficient, development of an automatic fatigued bill classification method is desired. We propose a new method to estimate bending rigidity of bill from acoustic signal feature of banking machines. The estimated bending rigidities are used as continuous fatigue level for classification of fatigued bill. By using the supervised Self-Organizing Map(supervised SOM), we estimate the bending rigidity from only the acoustic energy pattern effectively. The experimental result with real bill samples shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Ways of implementation of fatf recommendations on combating criminal incomes at bills market
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Анатолій Іванович Гулей
2015-05-01
Full Text Available In this article the measures directed on counteraction to laundering of criminal incomes are considered about the financial transaction with using bills of exchange and promissory notes. A study and analysis of the development process of bills of exchange and promissory notes in different countries of the world, the nature of bills as payment document, securities, commercial and bank credit, and process of immobilization of bills. Also, the problems of the legal framework relating to bill circulation in Ukraine are investigated and some recommendations for reduce the risks of bill circulation are given
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Reducing Costs, Protecting Consumers - The Affordable Care Act on the One Year Anniversary of the Patients Bill of Rights For too long, too many hard working...
Value-Based Billing in a 3G IP Services Environment
Ryan, Conor; Donnelly, William; de Leastar, Eamonn; Cloney, James
2002-01-01
The proliferation of IP-based services has resulted in a paradigm shift away from traditional flat-rat, single service billing to content and usage based billing for composed service sets. The Information Societies Technology (IST) FORM project has prototyped an accounting and billing solution for IP-based telecommunications services. A key element of the solution is the IPDR Network Data Management - Usage specification. This paper presents the FORM development of a federated accounting and ...
Ikegami, Naoki
2006-12-01
Japan has managed to provide universal coverage at relatively low cost by containing prices and restricting the conditions for which services can be billed in the compulsory social health insurance (SHI) program. However, decline in Japan's economic growth ushered in new actors backed by the prime minister who proposed that the providers should be allowed to extra bill for services not covered by the SHI. In 2004 they took the strategy of drawing the attention of the public to areas where the rigidity of the current prohibition appeared to be unfair and ridiculous. They were opposed by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare and the Japan Medical Association, who strongly objected on the grounds of safety and equity. The compromise reached by the two ministers in charge led to a clarification of the services that are to be covered and of the process for extending coverage to new procedures and drugs. The prohibition on extra billing has remained essentially unchanged, but the momentum for deregulation has been lost. In 2005 an alternate proposal was made to contain SHI expenditures by introducing a global cap on health expenditures and increasing out-of-pocket payment. Although this proposal was not fully adopted, the gradual decline in SHI benefit levels could lead to a renewed move to allow extra billing.
Case study of building of conservation coalitions to conserve ecological interactions.
Chen, Gao; Luo, Shihong; Mei, Nianshu; Shen, Dingfang; Sun, Weibang
2015-12-01
We engaged experts in various fields of study (pollination ecology, chemical ecology, and ethnobotany), invited community participation, and provided environmental education in an effort to conserve an endangered birthwort (Aristolochia delavayi) and a vulnerable pipevine swallowtail (Byasa daemonius). Scientists studied the uptake and sequestration of the secondary metabolites aristolochic acids from A. delavayi leaves by different stages of pipevine swallowtail as a defense mechanism; low fruit set of the myophilous A. delavayi due to pollinator limitation; and the emission of chemical signals that attract parasitic wasps by the prepupae of B. daemonius. The results of these studies were part of an education program delivered by personnel of non-governmental organizations. The program was devised to deliver information to the public about the health risks of consuming A. delavayi individuals (aristolochic-acid-associated cancers) and to establish a bridge between the public and scientific research. Following delivery of the program, the behavior of residents changed considerably. Community residents were involved in management activities, including participation in a program to promote understanding of ecological interactions between A. delavayi and B. daemonius; designing an in situ conservation site; monitoring A. delavayi and B. daemonius individuals; and promoting the natural fruit set of A. delavayi by scattering animal excrement to attract fly pollinators. The integration of scientific information and community participation appears to have resulted in an increase in abundance of threatened A. delavayi and B. daemonius populations. We believe the involvement of local people in conservation is necessary for successful species conservation. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.
2013-12-03
... published on October 23, 2013. That final rule adopted changes to definitions and energy conservation... revised definition and revised energy conservation standards for small duct high velocity central air... Congress has provided in the AEMTCA for the Secretary of Energy to revise definitions and energy...
Audit and account billing process in a private general hospital: a case study
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Raquel Silva Bicalho Zunta
2017-12-01
Full Text Available Our study aimed to map, describe and, validate the audit, account billing and billing reports processes in a large, private general hospital. An exploratory, descriptive, case report study. We conducted non-participatory observation moments in Internal Audit Sectors and Billing Reports from the hospital, aiming to map the processes which were the study objects. The data obtained was validated by internal and external audit specialists in hospital bills. The described and illustrated processes in three flow-charts favor professionals to rationalize their activities and the time spent in hospital billing, avoiding or minimizing the occurrence of flaws and, generating more effective financial results. The mapping, the description and the audit validation process and billing and, the billing reports propitiated more visibility and legitimacy to actions developed by auditor nurses.
Madagascar Conservation & Development
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Madagascar Conservation & Development welcomes the results of original research, field surveys, advances in field and laboratory techniques, book reviews, and informal status reports from research, conservation, development and management programs and in-field projects in Madagascar. In addition, notes on changes ...
BPA's Eighth Annual Energy Conservation Management Conference : Proceedings.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Energy Conservation Management Conference (8th : 1981); United States. Bonneville Power Administration.
1981-01-01
The five-year energy conservation program at Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is described at the conference. An overview of the program is presented. Topics covered in panel discussions include: how utilities can work effectively with weatherization contractors, homebuilders, energy auditors, and weatherization material suppliers; mechanisms for implementing conservation programs in the commercial sector; experiences gained in existing residential weatherization programs; and streamlining relationships between consumers, utilities, and BPA in providing services and getting feedback. The planning, programming, technical assistance, and engineering thrusts of BPA's conservation programs are discussed. Indoor air quality, renewable energy, and the regulator's role in relationships to energy conservation are discussed. Passive solar programs, DOE initiatives in solar and conservation for buildings, conservation potential in the commercial and industrial sectors, and current conservation research and development are also discussed. (MCW)
Consumer energy conservation options - professional and consumer perspectives
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ritchie, B.J.R.; Claxton, J.D.; McDougall, G.H.G.
1980-01-01
The objectives of this study were to: identify government policies for reducing Canadian consumption of home heating fuel, electricity, and gasoline; assess probable effectiveness of different policy alternatives as a means of reducing consumer energy consumption; and measure the acceptability to Canadian consumers of the different policy alternatives. Interviews were conducted with energy conservation professionals to identify and evaluate existing energy conservation programs, and interviews were conducted with consumers who had evaluated selected programs previously reviewed by the professionals. Information was also gathered on energy conservation activities of consumers surveyed. A directory of 34 energy conservation programs was also compiled. Some of the conclusions reached in this report are as follows. There is a need for an information system to gather data on existing conservation programs in order to increase the knowledge of relevant parties as to the outcomes of operating programs. This would help evaluation and improvement of current programs and suggest new program possibilities. The professionals rated six of the 34 programs highly, including the Energuide and the Canadian Home Insulation Program (CHIP). Retrofitting programs for houses are recommended for continuation and expansion, with some consideration given to linking these kinds of programs with home audit programs. In the private transport sector, any new conservation programs should be thoroughly tested on a small scale before widespread implementation, as evidence indicates that certain programs favorably evaluated by professionals may not be received favorably by consumers. 3 refs., 24 tabs.
2012-12-17
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for Residential Water Heaters, Direct Heating... Energy (DOE) is amending its test procedures for residential water heaters, direct heating equipment (DHE... necessary for residential water heaters, because the existing test procedures for those products already...
2011-09-13
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for Residential Water Heaters, Direct Heating... proposed to amend, where appropriate, its test procedures for residential water heaters, direct heating... notes that the test procedure and metric for residential water heaters currently address and incorporate...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1991-01-01
This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage consumer participation in energy efficiency, conservation and cost-effective demand-side management by excluding from gross income payments made by utilities to customers for purchasing qualified energy conservation appliances and for taking energy conservation measures. Qualified energy conservation measures are defined in the National Energy Conservation Policy Act
Refusal to pay electricity bill is illegal
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hermann, H.P.
1979-01-01
Pursuant to a judgement passed by the Lower Court of Hamburg, the author discusses probable legal arguments justifying the refusal to pay one's electricity bill, the so-called electricity bill boycott. Following an analysis of the power supply contract and of the content and the limits of the fundamental right of freedom of conscience, as well as of the concept of free enterprise and of the legal effect of licenses under the nuclear law, his point of view stated in the article is to agree with the decision of the court saying that the operation of a nuclear power plant licensed under the nuclear law does not mean an infringement of the right of freedom of conscience. It can further not be accepted to let people refuse to pay their electricity bill by referring to the right of freedom of speech, by alleging conduct against public policy on the part of the public utilities, or by referring to the right of opposition. (HSCH) [de
Portable XRF and principal component analysis for bill characterization in forensic science
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Appoloni, C.R.; Melquiades, F.L.
2014-01-01
Several modern techniques have been applied to prevent counterfeiting of money bills. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the potential of Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) technique and the multivariate analysis method of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for classification of bills in order to use it in forensic science. Bills of Dollar, Euro and Real (Brazilian currency) were measured directly at different colored regions, without any previous preparation. Spectra interpretation allowed the identification of Ca, Ti, Fe, Cu, Sr, Y, Zr and Pb. PCA analysis separated the bills in three groups and subgroups among Brazilian currency. In conclusion, the samples were classified according to its origin identifying the elements responsible for differentiation and basic pigment composition. PXRF allied to multivariate discriminate methods is a promising technique for rapid and no destructive identification of false bills in forensic science. - Highlights: • The paper is about a direct method for bills discrimination by EDXRF and principal component analysis. • The bills are analyzed directly, without sample preparation and non destructively. • The results demonstrates that the methodology is feasible and could be applied in forensic science for identification of origin and false banknotes. • The novelty is that portable EDXRF is very fast and efficient for bills characterization
Boundary-Layer Control: In Memory of Bill Reynolds
Kim, John
2004-11-01
Professor Bill Reynolds (1933-2004) inspired many students and colleagues with his never-ending curiosity and thought-provoking ideas. Bill's relentless energy, together with his hallmark can-do character and do-it-yourself attitude, led to many seminal contributions to mechanical engineering in general, and fluid mechanics in particular. He has left a lasting impact on many of us, especially for those who had the privilege of working closely with him. Some of my current work on boundary-layer control, the use of neural networks in particular, were inspired by many discussions with Bill. He was among the first to see the potential of control-theoretic approaches for flow control, which has become the main thrust of my current research. Without his continued encouragement, I would not have been deeply involved in this line of research; and perhaps, we would not have seen the current flurry of research activities in applying modern control theories to flow control. In memory of Bill Reynolds, who himself has contributed much to flow control, an analysis of boundary-layer control from a linear system perspective will be presented.
Liberty through limits: The bill of rights as limited government provisions
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Patrick M. Garry
2013-04-01
Full Text Available Under the modern view, individual autonomy has become the primary if not exclusive focus of the Bill of Rights. But the Bill of Rights came about not because of a desire to preserve individual autonomy, nor to insulate the individual from the democratic community. The impetus for the Bill of Rights arose from the same set of concerns that motivated the original Constitution. These concerns involved creating the appropriate structures so as to keep the new central government in check. The Bill of Rights sought to further ensure that the federal government would have limited power and operate in a limited role. Not only does this limited government model coincide with the original intent underlying the Bill of Rights, but it also provides for a more objective and manageable application. Under an individual autonomy view of the Bill of Rights, courts must define the ingredients necessary for such autonomy. However, this endeavor is fraught with ambiguity, and courts must constantly pit the individual against democratic society. But under the limited government model, the judicial role is more objective. Instead of trying to define an ambiguous individual autonomy, courts simply need to focus on whether a particular right is needed so as to maintain limited government. In addition, the limited government model does not put the Bill of Rights in conflict with democratic society. Instead, it just uses the Bill of Rights to maintain a check on government, just as the original Constitution seeks to do.
Basic-research foundations for public-education programs in energy conservation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Margolin, J B; Misch, M R
1980-09-01
The processes whereby people make decisions about specific behavior, the forces that operate on these decisions, and the interaction of several decisions and their modifying effect upon each other are studied. An overview of the current approach to decision study and behavior-change studies is presented. Brief papers prepared by such experts as Maccoby, Tversky, Cialdine, Margolin, Simon, Heider, Festinger, and Lervin are presented. Methodological considerations are discussed. Task B focuses on the specific issue of the purchase of energy-efficient appliances. Task C investigates individual and small-group data-quantification techniques. Task D explains monitoring of ongoing energy-relevant consumer/purchaser surveys. A cost-benefit analysis is made and discussed in Task E of other public and private information programs designed to serve the public welfare. A number of useful findings are presented with the caveat that cost-benefit analysis is not a precise technique. The application of this study to the needs of the energy-conservation program is summarized. (MCW)
An electricity billing model | Adetona | Journal of Applied Science ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Linear regression analysis has been employed to develop a model for predicting accurately the electricity billing for commercial consumers in Ogun State (Nigeria) at faster rate. The electricity billing model was implement-ed, executed and tested using embedded MATLAB function blocks. The correlations between the ...
Accounting, Charging and Billing for Dynamic Service Composition Chains
Rumph, F. J.; Kruithof, G. H.; Huitema, G. B.
Services delivered to an end user can be composed of numerous subservices and form chains of composed services. These service composition chains traditionally consist of a static set of business entities. However, in order to increase business agility, dynamic service composition chains can be used by leveraging techniques of service publishing and discovery, and consist of more short-lived relations between the various business entities. This chapter focuses on issues concerning accounting, charging and billing of such dynamic service composition chains. In this type of service delivery, several traditional settlement models are not applicable since existing architectures lack support of automated negotiation of settlement parameters. Examples of such parameters are what the service consumer will be charged for and how much, how and when the consumer will be billed. In this chapter, the requirements that have to be fulfilled with respect to accounting, charging and billing in dynamic service composition chains are explored. Based on these requirements, a framework architecture for accounting charging and billing is described.
Tobacco company campaign contributions and congressional support of the cigar bill
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Robbins RA
2016-11-01
Full Text Available Although it is widely held that campaign contributions influence support for legislation, the impact of contributions is unclear. Despite lack of a tobacco growing or manufacturing constituency, many members of Congress (MOC in the Southwest support the pro-tobacco Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2015 (HR 662/S 441, aka the "Cigar Bill". The association between campaign contributions from tobacco companies (2006-16 with cosponsor for the Cigar Bill were examined. There was a highly significant correlation with 92% of Southwest MOC who cosponsored the Cigar Bill having received campaign contributions. In contrast, 31% of those who did not cosponsoring the bill had received tobacco company campaign contributions (p<0.001 by Fisher's Exact Test. These data demonstrates a highly significant correlation between campaign contributions and legislative support for the "Cigar Bill".
Water Conservation Education with a Rainfall Simulator.
Kok, Hans; Kessen, Shelly
1997-01-01
Describes a program in which a rainfall simulator was used to promote water conservation by showing water infiltration, water runoff, and soil erosion. The demonstrations provided a good background for the discussion of issues such as water conservation, crop rotation, and conservation tillage practices. The program raised awareness of…
Adams, Vanessa M.; Game, Edward T.; Bode, Michael
2014-08-01
Growing threats and limited resources have always been the financial realities of biodiversity conservation. As the conservation sector has matured, however, the accountability of conservation investments has become an increasingly debated topic, with two key topics being driven to the forefront of the discourse: understanding how to manage the risks associated with our conservation investments and demonstrating that our investments are making a difference through evidence-based analyses. A better understanding of the uncertainties associated with conservation decisions is a central component of managing risks to investments that is often neglected. This focus issue presents both theoretical and applied approaches to quantifying and managing risks. Furthermore, transparent and replicable approaches to measuring impacts of conservation investments are noticeably absent in many conservation programs globally. This focus issue contains state of the art conservation program impact evaluations that both demonstrate how these methods can be used to measure outcomes as well as directing future investments. This focus issue thus brings together current thinking and case studies that can provide a valuable resource for directing future conservation investments.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Adams, Vanessa M; Game, Edward T; Bode, Michael
2014-01-01
Growing threats and limited resources have always been the financial realities of biodiversity conservation. As the conservation sector has matured, however, the accountability of conservation investments has become an increasingly debated topic, with two key topics being driven to the forefront of the discourse: understanding how to manage the risks associated with our conservation investments and demonstrating that our investments are making a difference through evidence-based analyses. A better understanding of the uncertainties associated with conservation decisions is a central component of managing risks to investments that is often neglected. This focus issue presents both theoretical and applied approaches to quantifying and managing risks. Furthermore, transparent and replicable approaches to measuring impacts of conservation investments are noticeably absent in many conservation programs globally. This focus issue contains state of the art conservation program impact evaluations that both demonstrate how these methods can be used to measure outcomes as well as directing future investments. This focus issue thus brings together current thinking and case studies that can provide a valuable resource for directing future conservation investments. (paper)
Development of new technologies in electric power conservation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Geller, H.S.
1989-01-01
This presentation reviews overall progress in electricity conservation in the United States and describes major policies that have contributed to the development and implementation of new electricity conserving technologies. A variety of government and utility conservation programs are covered including: research and development programs, equipment and building efficiency standards, and utility incentive programs. (author)
42 CFR 424.540 - Deactivation of Medicare billing privileges.
2010-10-01
... change in practice location, a change of any managing employee, and a change in billing services. A... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Deactivation of Medicare billing privileges. 424.540 Section 424.540 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND...
19 CFR 142.14 - Delinquent payment of Customs bills.
2010-04-01
... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Delinquent payment of Customs bills. 142.14 Section 142.14 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... of Customs bills. The following procedure shall be followed if an importer is substantially or...
19 CFR 142.26 - Delinquent payment of Customs bills.
2010-04-01
... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Delinquent payment of Customs bills. 142.26 Section 142.26 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... Delinquent payment of Customs bills. The following procedures shall be followed if an importer is...
2012-04-26
... 5-year average ratio with heating oil prices published in the Monthly Energy Review, but the propane... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Energy Conservation Program... and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In this notice, the U.S...
Napier, Rebecca H; Bruelheide, Lori S; Demann, Eric T K; Haug, Richard H
2008-07-01
The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of understanding various numeric and alpha-numeric codes for accurately billing dental and medically related services to private pay or third-party insurance carriers. In the United States, common dental terminology (CDT) codes are most commonly used by dentists to submit claims, whereas current procedural terminology (CPT) and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD.9.CM) codes are more commonly used by physicians to bill for their services. The CPT and ICD.9.CM coding systems complement each other in that CPT codes provide the procedure and service information and ICD.9.CM codes provide the reason or rationale for a particular procedure or service. These codes are more commonly used for "medical necessity" determinations, and general dentists and specialists who routinely perform care, including trauma-related care, biopsies, and dental treatment as a result of or in anticipation of a cancer-related treatment, are likely to use these codes. Claim submissions for care provided can be completed electronically or by means of paper forms.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
1977-07-13
The trade-off between risk and rate-of-return in investment evaluations is crucial in assessing the commercial potential of future energy-conservation technologies. The focus of the Industrial Conservation Program at ERDA is to reduce the perceived risks of a given technology to the extent that the private sector will adopt the technology within the normal course of its business operations. These perceived risks may emanate from technical, institutional, or commercial uncertainties, or in many cases they may result merely from a company's or industry's lack of previous experience with a particular technology. Regardless of the source of the risk surrounding a project, the uncertainty it poses to the private sector will serve to inhibit decisions to invest. This study evaluates the treatment of risk in capital investments in certain energy-intensive industries which are the primary targets of ERDA's Industrial Conservation Program. These risks evaluation considerations were placed within a context that includes capital budgeting practices and procedures, organizational considerations, and basic rate-of-return evaluation procedures in the targeted energy-intensive industries (petroleum, chemicals, paper, textiles, cement, food processing, aluminum, steel, glass, and agriculture).
an assessment of billing electricity consumers via analogue meters
African Journals Online (AJOL)
DR. AMINU
an online system and window driven and can be used for the purpose of e- billing (Advalorem, 2009). ... Source: Billing Operation Unit, Customer Services Department KED Plc, (2002). Kilowatt hour is equal to the amount of energy ..... but reaction of the respondent confirmed the conclusion of poor consumers' response to ...
Hackers ring up big phone bills for hospitals.
Gardner, E
1992-11-02
A big telephone bill--possibly in six figures--can be a painful way for a hospital to find out its phone system isn't secure. When unusually large long-distance bills start to show up, chances are a professional telephone hacker has broken in. According to experts, one in 15 businesses has been victimized by long-distance toll fraud, and loss estimates range from $900 million to $4 billion a year.
Bill Gates eyes healthcare market.
Dunbar, C
1995-02-01
The entrepreneurial spirit is still top in Bill Gates' mind as he look toward healthcare and other growth industries. Microsoft's CEO has not intention of going the way of other large technology companies that became obsolete before they could compete today.
Maximizing collections from patient services billing.
Orenstein, Gil C; Kaye, Alan David; Fox, Charles J; Urman, Richard D
2014-01-01
The field of medical billing and collections continues to evolve along with current developments in U.S. healthcare reform. Although there has been a significant shift of payment responsibility from third-party payers to patients, many practices are not equipped to handle this change. As patients' financial obligations increase, the physician's ability to collect from patients will become increasingly important. Inability to collect bills receivable can adversely affect the revenue cycle of the practice. Solutions include improvement of the point-of-service collection processes, properly trained office staff, written financial policies, and the use of technology to facilitate online payments. Patients should fully understand their financial responsibilities and options available to them for payment of services rendered.
2012-05-04
... Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Electric Motors and Small Electric Motors; Final Rules #0;#0;Federal... Procedures for Electric Motors and Small Electric Motors AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable... electric motors and small electric motors. That supplemental proposal, along with an earlier proposal from...
2013-10-23
... Standard E. Definition of Basic Model F. Statistical Sampling Plans G. Information To Be Provided in... administrative convenience based on their nature or type. Under EPCA, the energy conservation program consists... Reference of Standards 5. Basic Models 6. Statistical Sampling Plans 7. Information To Be Provided in...
2010-03-18
... that of heating oil, based on the 2004-2008 averages for these two fuels. The source for these price... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Energy Conservation Program... and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In this notice, the U.S...
49 CFR Appendix A to Part 1035 - Uniform Straight Bill of Lading
2010-10-01
... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Uniform Straight Bill of Lading A Appendix A to Part 1035 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) SURFACE... Appendix A to Part 1035—Uniform Straight Bill of Lading Uniform Straight Bill of Lading Original—Not...
2011-04-19
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Notice of Petition for Waiver of Samsung Electronics America, Inc... comments. SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt of and publishes the Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung) petition for waiver and application for [[Page 21882
Maling, George C.
2005-09-01
Bill Lang joined IBM in the late 1950s with a mandate from Thomas Watson Jr. himself to establish an acoustics program at IBM. Bill created the facilities in Poughkeepsie, developed the local program, and was the leader in having other IBM locations with development and manufacturing responsibilities construct facilities and hire staff under the Interdivisional Liaison Program. He also directed IBMs acoustics technology program. In the mid-1960s, he led an IEEE standards group in Audio and Electroacoustics, and, with the help of James Cooley, Peter Welch, and others, introduced the fast Fourier transform to the acoustics community. He was the convenor of ISO TC 43 SC1 WG6 that began writing the 3740 series of standards in the 1970s. It was his suggestion to promote professionalism in noise control engineering, and, through meetings with Leo Beranek and others, led the founding of INCE/USA in 1971. He was also a leader of the team that founded International INCE in 1974, and he served as president from 1988 until 1999.
Billing third party payers for vaccines: state and local health department perspectives.
Quintanilla, Carlos; Duncan, Lorraine; Luther, Lydia
2009-01-01
The cost of adequately immunizing a child has risen steadily with recommendations of new, more expensive vaccines. The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, a federal entitlement, has continued to fund all recommended vaccines for eligible children. The one other federal vaccine-funding source, Section 317 of the Public Health Service Act, has not kept pace with rising vaccine costs. For local health departments to immunize children not eligible for VFC, but whose families are underinsured or otherwise unable to pay for vaccines, state immunization programs have often relied on Section 317 funds. Recognizing this funding challenge and having learned that children covered by health insurance were being immunized in public clinics with publicly supplied vaccines, the Oregon Immunization Program (OIP) launched a project to expand billing of health plans by local health departments for vaccines administered to covered persons. This has resulted in significant savings of Section 317 funds, allowing the Oregon program to provide more vaccines for high-need persons.
41 CFR 109-40.5003 - Commercial bills of lading.
2010-07-01
... shipments for the account of DOE shall include the following statement on all commercial bills of lading: This shipment is for the account of the U.S. Government which will assume the freight charges and is... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Commercial bills of...
Implementation of genetic conservation practices in a muskellunge propagation and stocking program
Jennings, Martin J.; Sloss, Brian L.; Hatzenbeler, Gene R.; Kampa, Jeffrey M.; Simonson, Timothy D.; Avelallemant, Steven P.; Lindenberger, Gary A.; Underwood, Bruce D.
2010-01-01
Conservation of genetic resources is a challenging issue for agencies managing popular sport fishes. To address the ongoing potential for genetic risks, we developed a comprehensive set of recommendations to conserve genetic diversity of muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) in Wisconsin, and evaluated the extent to which the recommendations can be implemented. Although some details are specific to Wisconsin's muskellunge propagation program, many of the practical issues affecting implementation are applicable to other species and production systems. We developed guidelines to restrict future broodstock collection operations to lakes with natural reproduction and to develop a set of brood lakes to use on a rotational basis within regional stock boundaries, but implementation will require considering lakes with variable stocking histories. Maintaining an effective population size sufficient to minimize the risk of losing alleles requires limiting broodstock collection to large lakes. Recommendations to better approximate the temporal distribution of spawning in hatchery operations and randomize selection of brood fish are feasible. Guidelines to modify rearing and distribution procedures face some logistic constraints. An evaluation of genetic diversity of hatchery-produced fish during 2008 demonstrated variable success representing genetic variation of the source population. Continued evaluation of hatchery operations will optimize operational efficiency while moving toward genetic conservation goals.
9 CFR 381.39 - Basis of billing for overtime and holiday services.
2010-01-01
... holiday services. 381.39 Section 381.39 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Inspection; Overtime and Holiday Service; Billing Establishments § 381.39 Basis of billing for overtime and holiday services. (a) Each recipient of overtime or holiday inspection service, or both, shall be billed...
2010-03-15
.... 1. Consensus Agreement On January 26, 2010, the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration... subsections. B. History of the Standards Rulemaking for Residential Furnaces 1. Background Energy conservation... recommending minimum energy conservation standards for residential central air conditioners, heat pumps, and...
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Conde, Dalia Amor; Colchero, Fernando; Pearce-Kelly, Paul
2013-01-01
and other institutions, alongside the development of international agreements that facilitate cross-border movement of zoo animals. To maximize the effectiveness of integrated conservation actions that include CBPs, it is fundamental that the non-zoo conservation community acknowledges and integrates......Given current extinction trends, the number of species requiring conservation breeding programs (CBPs) is likely to increase dramatically. To inform CBP policies for threatened terrestrial vertebrates, we evaluated the number and representation of threatened vertebrate species on the IUCN Red List...... that may require CBPs is currently low and the spatial distribution of these zoo populations makes management difficult. Although the zoo community may have the will and the logistical potential to contribute to conservation actions, including CBPs, to do so will require greater collaboration between zoos...
Mullen, P D; Leifer, B H
1982-01-01
To develop strong health education programs, health educators working in complex medical care organizations must often secure professional cooperation across disciplines, coordination of services, and orientation of policies, procedures, and personnel toward patient preferences and needs. Frequently, they undertake these tasks against the tide, within a problematic organizational structure. The present case study illustrates the difficulties posed by introducing change in medical care organizations in the context of an education program to acquaint employees of a large HMO with a consumer bill of rights mandated by the consumer Board of Trustees. The underlying assumption was that in a bureaucratic institution, an employee-centered and modest system reform strategy would be effective in bringing about client-centered outcomes-in this case, increased recognition of client rights. The case analysis and results of a post-intervention, cross-sectional survey suggest that in units where a threshold level of participation was reached, there were improvements in knowledge about the Bill and employee attitudes. The program was less successful with hospital nurses whose feelings about physicians were not taken into account fully, and with physicians whose relative lack of integration into the policy and managerial domains made them harder to reach.
Targeting utility customers to improve energy savings from conservation and efficiency programs
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Taylor, Nicholas W.; Jones, Pierce H.; Kipp, M. Jennison
2014-01-01
Highlights: • Improving DSM program impacts by targeting high energy users. • DSM energy savings potential hinges on pre-participation performance. • Targeting can benefit different utilities and energy efficiency programs. • Overall performance can be improved by up to 250% via targeting strategies. - Abstract: Electric utilities, government agencies, and private interests in the US have committed and continue to invest substantial resources – including billions of dollars of financial capital – in the pursuit of energy efficiency and conservation through demand-side management (DSM) programs. While most of these programs are deemed to be cost effective, and therefore in the public interest, opportunities exist to improve cost effectiveness by targeting programs to those customers with the greatest potential for energy savings. This article details an analysis of three DSM programs offered by three Florida municipal electric utilities to explore such opportunities. First, we estimate programs’ energy savings impacts; second, we measure and compare energy savings across subgroups of program participants as determined by their pre-intervention energy performance, and third, we explore potential changes in program impacts that might be realized by targeting specific customers for participation in the DSM programs. All three programs resulted in statistically significant average (per-participant) energy savings, yet average savings varied widely, with the customers who performed best (i.e., most efficient) before the intervention saving the least energy and those who performed worst (i.e., least efficient) before the intervention saving the most. Assessment of alternative program participation scenarios with varying levels of customer targeting suggests that program impacts could be increased by as much as 80% for a professional energy audit program, just over 100% for a high-efficiency heat pump upgrade program, and nearly 250% for an attic insulation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wong-Parodi, Gabrielle; Bruine de Bruin, Wändi; Canfield, Casey
2013-01-01
Critics have speculated that the limited success of energy conservation programs among low-income consumers may partly be due to recipients having insufficient literacy to understand the outreach materials. Indeed, we found outreach materials for low-income consumers to require relatively high levels of reading comprehension. We therefore improved the Flesch–Kincaid readability statistics for two outreach brochures, by using shorter words and shorter sentences to describe their content. We examined the effect of that simplification on low-income consumers′ responses. Participants from low-income communities in the greater Pittsburgh area, who varied in literacy, were randomly assigned to either original communications about energy conservation programs or our simplified versions. Our findings suggest that lowering readability statistics successfully simplified only the more straightforward brochure in our set of two, likely because its content lent itself better to simplification. Findings for this brochure showed that simplification improved understanding of its content among both low-literacy and high-literacy recipients, without adversely affecting their evaluation of the materials, or their intention to enroll in the advertised programs. We discuss strategies for improving communication materials that aim to reach out to low-income populations. - Highlights: • Brochures about energy programs for low-income consumers can be too hard to read. • We made brochures easier to read by using shorter words and shorter sentences. • Simplifying a straightforward brochure improved the understanding of all recipients. • However, simplifying a complex brochure had no effect on understanding. • We suggest strategies for improving outreach to low-income consumers
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Klingberg, T.; Benton, L.; Engebeck, L.; Erikson, B.E.; Fredriksson, G.
1984-01-01
This Bulletin is an anthology of 13 essays by different authors covering various aspects of government programs for energy conservation. In six essays effects of energy codes, subsidies to conservation measures in buildings and advisory services are discussed. Results from several empirical studies are presented. Five essays deal with side-effects (or secondary effects) of energy conservation. Moisture and increased radiation from radon are two types of negative effects that are covered. Also positive effects such as promotion of innovations or increased employment are discussed. Policy instruments are normally implemented by the local authorities. This is illustrated by a description of energy planning for a new suburb in one municipality. Some tentative conclusions are presented in the final essay.
2010-04-16
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Notice of Petition for Waiver of Samsung Electronics America, Inc.... SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt of and publishes the Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung... refrigerator-freezers to additional Samsung basic models. Through this document, DOE also solicits comments...
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013: content, commentary, controversy.
Kelly, B D
2015-03-01
Ireland's Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill (2013) aims to reform the law relating to persons who require assistance exercising their decision-making capacity. When finalised, the Bill will replace Ireland's outdated Ward of Court system which has an all-or-nothing approach to capacity; does not adequately define capacity; is poorly responsive to change; makes unwieldy provision for appointing decision-makers; and has insufficient provision for review. To explore the content and implications of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill. Review of the content of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill and related literature. The new Bill includes a presumption of capacity and defines lack of capacity. All interventions must minimise restriction of rights and freedom, and have due regard for "dignity, bodily integrity, privacy and autonomy". The Bill proposes legal frameworks for "assisted decision-making" (where an individual voluntarily appoints someone to assist with specific decisions relating to personal welfare or property and affairs, by, among other measures, assisting the individual to communicate his or her "will and preferences"); "co-decision-making" (where the Circuit Court declares the individual's capacity is reduced but he or she can make specific decisions with a co-decision-maker to share authority); "decision-making representatives" (substitute decision-making); "enduring power of attorney"; and "informal decision-making on personal welfare matters" (without apparent oversight). These measures, if implemented, will shift Ireland's capacity laws away from an approach based on "best interests" to one based on "will and preferences", and increase compliance with the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Torsten Krause
2013-12-01
Full Text Available Critics suggest that Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+ may not generate improvements in well-being for participating stakeholders, and may in fact undermine indigenous rights. To ensure positive social benefits from REDD+ projects, the United Nations REDD Programme has proposed core safeguards, including local stakeholder participation; free, prior, and informed consent; and equitable distribution of benefits. However, there is little experience to date in implementing and evaluating these safeguards. We apply these core safeguards as a framework to study how people in indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon perceive and benefit from Programa Socio Bosque, a conservation incentive program in Ecuador's national REDD+ Programme portfolio. We interviewed 101 individuals in five communities that had participated in the Programa Socio Bosque for at least 18 months. Close to 80% of respondents reported that the decision to join Socio Bosque was made democratically, that they were familiar with the conservation goals of Socio Bosque, and that they were aware which area their community had selected for conservation. However, only 17% were familiar with the overall terms of the conservation agreement, implying that they were either not fully informed of or did not fully understand what they were consenting to in joining the program. Although the terms of the program require a community investment plan to be democratically developed by community members, less than half of respondents were aware of the existence of the investment plan, and fewer than 20% had participated in its development. The majority of respondents (61% reported that they did not know the amount of incentives that their community currently receives, and only 44% stated that incentives were managed democratically in communal assemblies. Moreover, although a slight majority (53% said they had noticed benefits to the community from participating in
Deng, Jian; Sun, Pingsheng; Zhao, Fazhu; Han, Xinhui; Yang, Gaihe; Feng, Yongzhong
2016-04-15
Studies on the ecological conservation behavior of farmers usually focus on individual and socio-economic characteristics without consideration of the underlying psychological constructs, such as farmers' intention and perceptions. This study uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a typical social psychology construct, to analyze the factors affecting the intention and behavior of farmers for conserving the ecological achievements from payment for ecosystem service (PES) programs in eco-environmentally fragile areas. Questionnaires based on TPB were administered to 1004 farmers from the Grain to Green Program area in the Loess Plateau, China, with the resulting dataset used to identify the underlying factors determining farmers' intention and behavior based on the structural equation model. The results show that the farmers' intention and behavior toward conserving ecological achievements were explained well by TPB. The farmers'behavior was significantly positively affected by their intention toward conserving ecological achievements, and their intention was significantly influenced by their attitude (positive or negative value of performance), the subjective norm (social pressure in engaging behavior), and perceived behavioral control (perceptions of their ability). The farmers' degree of support for PES programs and their recognition of environmental effects were the factors that most influenced the farmers' attitude. Pressure from neighbors was the most potent driver of the subjective norm. Meanwhile, perceptions of their ability to perform the behavior were the most potent factors affecting intention and it was mostly driven by the farmers' feelings toward environmental improvement and perceived ability (time and labor) to participate in ecological conservation. The drivers of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control can be used by policy makers to direct farmers' intention and behavior toward conserving ecological achievements in fragile
Creating biodiversity partnerships: The Nature Conservancy's perspective
Sawhill, John C.
1996-11-01
The Nature Conservancy is an international organization dedicated to the mission of conserving biodiversity throughout the world. By working in a nonconfrontational manner, an approach that has promoted both government and corporate sponsorship of its activities, The Nature Conservancy has developed symbiotic relationships with many electric utility companies. Drawing on the organization's experiences, and the experiences of the author as the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy, five broad areas of cooperation between conservation organizations and the utility industry are explored: landmanagement agreements, mitigation projects, conflictavoidance programs, program support, and volunteer activities. The paper is concluded with comments on the future trends of biodiversity conservation, challenging the electric utility industry to become involved with conservation efforts by forming cooperative partnerships.
18 CFR 430.15 - Conservation requirements.
2010-04-01
... area of the municipal or public water supply. Such program shall include a program for leakage control... shall be adopted and implemented to provide for the detection and expeditious correction of leakage. (3... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Conservation...
Towards an inter-domain billing system to support dynamic service provisioning
Le, V.M.
2009-01-01
Today, billing is a big challenge for service providers. With a growing number of rich services such as music, mobile TV, Video-on-Demand and eHealth delivered to the mass market, service providers are missing business opportunities because current billing solutions are not fully capable. In particular, the delivery of on-the-fly composite services, composed of many service components provided by different service providers causes many complexities. This book proposes a billing system that de...
Missed surgical intensive care unit billing: potential financial impact of 24/7 faculty presence.
Hendershot, Kimberly M; Bollins, John P; Armen, Scott B; Thomas, Yalaunda M; Steinberg, Steven M; Cook, Charles H
2009-07-01
To efficiently capture evaluation and management (E&M) and procedural billing in our surgical intensive care unit (SICU), we have developed an electronic billing system that links to the electronic medical record (EMR). In this system, only notes electronically signed and coded by an attending generate billing charges. We hypothesized that capture of missed billing during nighttime and weekends might be sufficient to subsidize 24/7 in-house attending coverage. A retrospective chart EMR review was performed of the EMRs for all SICU patients during a 2-month period. Note type, date, time, attending signature, and coding were analyzed. Notes without attending signature, diagnosis, or current procedural terminology (CPT) code were considered incomplete and identified as "missed billing." Four hundred and forty-three patients had 465 admissions generating 2,896 notes. Overall, 76% of notes were signed and coded by an attending and billed. Incomplete (not billed) notes represented an overall missed billing opportunity of $159,138 for the 2-month time period (approximately $954,000 annually). Unbilled E&M encounters during weekdays totaled $54,758, whereas unbilled E&M and procedures from weeknights and weekends totaled $88,408 ($44,566 and $43,842, respectively). Missed billing after-hours thus represents approximately $530K annually, extrapolating to approximately $220K in collections from our payer mix. Surprisingly, missed E&M and procedural billing during weekdays totaled $70,730 (approximately $425K billing, approximately $170K collections annually), and typically represented patients seen, but transferred from the SICU before attending documentation was completed. Capture of nighttime and weekend ICU collections alone may be insufficient to add faculty or incentivize in-house coverage, but could certainly complement other in-house derived revenues to such ends. In addition, missed daytime billing in busy modern ICUs can be substantial, and use of an EMR to identify
Education in medical billing benefits both neurology trainees and academic departments.
Waugh, Jeff L
2014-11-11
The objective of residency training is to produce physicians who can function independently within their chosen subspecialty and practice environment. Skills in the business of medicine, such as clinical billing, are widely applicable in academic and private practices but are not commonly addressed during formal medical education. Residency and fellowship training include limited exposure to medical billing, but our academic department's performance of these skills was inadequate: in 56% of trainee-generated outpatient notes, documentation was insufficient to sustain the chosen billing level. We developed a curriculum to improve the accuracy of documentation and coding and introduced practice changes to address our largest sources of error. In parallel, we developed tools that increased the speed and efficiency of documentation. Over 15 months, we progressively eliminated note devaluation, increased the mean level billed by trainees to nearly match that of attending physicians, and increased outpatient revenue by $34,313/trainee/year. Our experience suggests that inclusion of billing education topics into the formal medical curriculum benefits both academic medical centers and trainees. © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.
2010-09-23
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Notice of Petition for Waiver of Samsung Electronics America, Inc... announces receipt of and publishes the Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung) petition for waiver... clothes washer test procedure. Through this notice, DOE also solicits comments with respect to the Samsung...
2010-10-07
... requirements for covered consumer products when (1) the petitioner's basic model for which the petition for... petition, discussed below. Whirlpool claims that water softeners can prevent consumer behaviors that... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Decision and Order Granting a Waiver to Whirlpool Corporation From...
A state-based national network for effective wildlife conservation
Meretsky, Vicky J.; Maguire, Lynn A.; Davis, Frank W.; Stoms, David M.; Scott, J. Michael; Figg, Dennis; Goble, Dale D.; Griffith, Brad; Henke, Scott E.; Vaughn, Jacqueline; Yaffee, Steven L.
2012-01-01
State wildlife conservation programs provide a strong foundation for biodiversity conservation in the United States, building on state wildlife action plans. However, states may miss the species that are at the most risk at rangewide scales, and threats such as novel diseases and climate change increasingly act at regional and national levels. Regional collaborations among states and their partners have had impressive successes, and several federal programs now incorporate state priorities. However, regional collaborations are uneven across the country, and no national counterpart exists to support efforts at that scale. A national conservation-support program could fill this gap and could work across the conservation community to identify large-scale conservation needs and support efforts to meet them. By providing important information-sharing and capacity-building services, such a program would advance collaborative conservation among the states and their partners, thus increasing both the effectiveness and the efficiency of conservation in the United States.
Zainudin, WNRA; Ramli, NA
2017-09-01
In 2016, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) had introduced an upgrade in its Billing and Customer Relationship Management (BCRM) as part of its long-term initiative to provide its customers with greater access to billing information. This includes information on real and suggested power consumption by the customers and further details in their billing charges. This information is useful to help TNB customers to gain better understanding on their electricity usage patterns and items involved in their billing charges. Up to date, there are not many studies done to measure public understanding on current electricity bills and whether this understanding could contribute towards positive impacts. The purpose of this paper is to measure public understanding on current TNB electricity bills and whether their satisfaction towards energy-related services, electricity utility services, and their awareness on the amount of electricity consumed by various appliances and equipment in their home could improve this understanding on the electricity bills. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are used to achieve these objectives. A total of 160 respondents from local universities in Malaysia participated in a survey used to collect relevant information. Using Ordered Probit model, this paper finds respondents that are highly satisfied with the electricity utility services tend to understand their electricity bills better. The electric utility services include management of electricity bills and the information obtained from utility or non-utility supplier to help consumers manage their energy usage or bills. Based on the results, this paper concludes that the probability to understand the components in the monthly electricity bill increases as respondents are more satisfied with their electric utility services and are more capable to value the energy-related services.
Acute pain management efficiency improves with point-of-care handheld electronic billing system.
Fahy, Brenda G
2009-02-01
Technology advances continue to impact patient care and physician workflow. To enable more efficient performance of billing activities, a point-of-care (POC) handheld computer technology replaced a paper-based system on an acute pain management service. Using a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) and software from MDeverywhere (MDe, MDeverywhere, Long Island, NY), we performed a 1-yr prospective observational study of an anesthesiology acute pain management service billings and collections. Seventeen anesthesiologists providing billable acute pain services were trained and entered their charges on a PDA. Twelve months of data, just before electronic implementation (pre-elec), were compared to a 12-m period after implementation (post-elec). The total charges were 4883 for 890 patients pre-elec and 5368 for 1128 patients post-elec. With adoption of handheld billing, the charge lag days decreased from 29.3 to 7.0 (P billing using PDAs to replace a paper-based billing system improved the collection rate and decreased the number of charge lag days with a positive return on investment. The handheld PDA billing system provided POC support for physicians during their daily clinical (e.g., patient locations, rounding lists) and billing activities, improving workflow.
Current issues in billing and coding in interventional pain medicine.
Manchikanti, L
2000-10-01
Interventional pain management is a dynamic field with changes occurring on a daily basis, not only with technology but also with regulations that have a substantial financial impact on practices. Regulations are imposed not only by the federal government and other regulatory agencies, and also by a multitude of other payors, state governments and medical boards. Documentation of medical necessity with coding that correlates with multiple components of the patient's medical record, operative report, and billing statement is extremely important. Numerous changes which have occurred in the practice of interventional pain management in the new millennium continue to impact the financial viability of interventional pain practices along with patient access to these services. Thus, while complying with regulations of billing, coding and proper, effective, and ethical practice of pain management, it is also essential for physicians to understand financial aspects and the impact of various practice patterns. This article provides guidelines which are meant to provide practical considerations for billing and coding of interventional techniques in the management of chronic pain based on the current state of the art and science of interventional pain management. Hence, these guidelines do not constitute inflexible treatment, coding, billing or documentation recommendations. It is expected that a provider will establish a plan of care on a case-by-case basis taking into account an individual patient's medical condition, personal needs, and preferences, along with physician's experience and in a similar manner, billing and coding practices will be developed. Based on an individual patient's needs, treatment, billing and coding, different from what is outlined here is not only warranted but essential.
Decaro, Daniel; Stokes, Michael
2008-12-01
Community-based natural resource conservation programs in developing nations face many implementation challenges underpinned by social-psychological mechanisms. One challenge is garnering local support in an economically and socially sustainable fashion despite economic hardship and historical alienation from local resources. Unfortunately, conservationists' limited understanding of the social-psychological mechanisms underlying participatory conservation impedes the search for appropriate solutions. We address this issue by revealing key underlying social-psychological mechanisms of participatory conservation. Different administrative designs create social atmospheres that differentially affect endorsement of conservation goals. Certain forms of endorsement may be less effective motivators and less economically and socially sustainable than others. From a literature review we found that conservation initiatives endorsed primarily for nonautonomous instrumental reasons, such as to avoid economic fines or to secure economic rewards, are less motivating than those endorsed for autonomous reasons, such as for the opportunity for personal expression and growth. We suggest that successful participatory programs promote autonomous endorsement of conservation through an administrative framework of autonomy support-free and open democratic participation in management, substantive recognition and inclusion of local stakeholder identity, and respectful, noncoercive social interaction. This framework of the autonomy-supportive environment (self-determination theory) has important implications for future research into program design and incentive-based conservation and identifies a testable social-psychological theory of conservancy motivation.
Conservation Education: A Position Statement.
Soil Conservation Society of America, Ankeny, IA.
The Soil Conservation Society of America's (SCSA) aim is to advance the science and art of good land and water use. Conservation education has a significant role in achieving the wise use of these resources. In this report, perspectives are offered on: (1) the requirements for effective conservation education programs; (2) rationale for…
Portable XRF and principal component analysis for bill characterization in forensic science.
Appoloni, C R; Melquiades, F L
2014-02-01
Several modern techniques have been applied to prevent counterfeiting of money bills. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the potential of Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) technique and the multivariate analysis method of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for classification of bills in order to use it in forensic science. Bills of Dollar, Euro and Real (Brazilian currency) were measured directly at different colored regions, without any previous preparation. Spectra interpretation allowed the identification of Ca, Ti, Fe, Cu, Sr, Y, Zr and Pb. PCA analysis separated the bills in three groups and subgroups among Brazilian currency. In conclusion, the samples were classified according to its origin identifying the elements responsible for differentiation and basic pigment composition. PXRF allied to multivariate discriminate methods is a promising technique for rapid and no destructive identification of false bills in forensic science. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Utility Bill Insert for Wastewater Services
Intended for use by wastewater and water supply utilities, one side of the utility bill insert has information for customers that discharge to sanitary sewer systems; the other side is for customers with septic systems.
How to Bill Your Computer Services.
Dooskin, Herbert P.
1981-01-01
A computer facility billing procedure should be designed so that the full costs of a computer center operation are equitably charged to the users. Design criteria, costing methods, and management's role are discussed. (Author/MLF)
High spectral resolution image of Barnacle Bill
1997-01-01
The rover Sojourner's first target for measurement by the Alpha-Proton-Xray Spectrometer (APXS) was the rock named Barnacle Bill, located close to the ramp down which the rover made its egress from the lander. The full spectral capability of the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP), consisting of 13 wavelength filters, was used to characterize the rock's surface. The measured area is relatively dark, and is shown in blue. Nearby on the rock surface, soil material is trapped in pits (shown in red).Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
David B Lindenmayer
Full Text Available We report on the design and implementation of ecological monitoring for an Australian biodiversity conservation incentive scheme - the Environmental Stewardship Program. The Program uses competitive auctions to contract individual land managers for up to 15 years to conserve matters of National Environmental Significance (with an initial priority on nationally threatened ecological communities. The ecological monitoring was explicitly aligned with the Program's policy objective and desired outcomes and was applied to the Program's initial Project which targeted the critically endangered White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland ecological community in south eastern Australia. These woodlands have been reduced to <3% of their original extent and persist mostly as small remnants of variable condition on private farmland. We established monitoring sites on 153 farms located over 172,232 sq km. On each farm we established a monitoring site within the woodland patch funded for management and, wherever possible, a matched control site. The monitoring has entailed gathering data on vegetation condition, reptiles and birds. We also gathered data on the costs of experimental design, site establishment, field survey, and data analysis. The costs of monitoring are approximately 8.5% of the Program's investment in the first four years and hence are in broad accord with the general rule of thumb that 5-10% of a program's funding should be invested in monitoring. Once initial monitoring and site benchmarking are completed we propose to implement a novel rotating sampling approach that will maintain scientific integrity while achieving an annual cost-efficiency of up to 23%. We discuss useful lessons relevant to other monitoring programs where there is a need to provide managers with reliable early evidence of program effectiveness and to demonstrate opportunities for cost-efficiencies.
2012-03-26
...] RIN 1018-AX45 Fisheries and Habitat Conservation and Migratory Birds Programs; Final Land-Based Wind...) established the Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee (Committee) under the Federal Advisory Committee... concern over certain issues such as the effects of wind turbine noise on wildlife, these issues have not...
2010-03-18
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Decision and Order Granting a Waiver to Samsung Electronics America... (Case No. RF-011) that grants to Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung) a waiver from the DOE... humidity sensors and adaptive control anti-sweat heaters. Under today's decision and order, Samsung shall...
2010-08-03
... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Decision and Order Granting a Waiver to Samsung Electronics America...-014) that grants to Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung) a waiver from the DOE electric... decision and order, Samsung shall be required to test and rate these refrigerator- freezers equipped with...
Adult ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) abundance and diversity were documented on Conservation Research Program (CRP) agricultural lands in Delta Junction, Alaska (64ºN, 145º W). Twenty species were documented based on a total sample of 6,116 specimens collected during 2006 and 2007. Two speci...
Xydas, Steve; Magovern, Christopher J; Slater, James P; Brown, John M; Bustami, Rami; Parr, Grant V; Thurer, Robert L
2012-04-01
The study objective was to determine the effects of implementing a blood conservation algorithm on blood product use and outcomes in a community cardiac surgery program. A blood management strategy including lower hemoglobin transfusion threshold and algorithm-driven decisions was adopted. Intraoperatively, point-of-care testing was used to avoid inappropriate component transfusion. A low prime perfusion circuit was adopted. Blood was withdrawn from patients before initiating bypass when possible. Patients undergoing coronary and valve procedures were included. Outlier patients receiving more than 10 units packed red blood cells were excluded. Data were collected for 6 months as a baseline group (group I). A 3-month period of program implementation was allotted. Data were subsequently collected for 6 months and comprised the study patients (group II). Prospective data were collected on demographics, blood use, and outcomes. Group I comprised 481 patients, and group II comprised 551 patients. Group II received fewer units of packed red blood cells, fresh-frozen plasma, and cryoprecipitate than group I. There was no difference in platelets transfused. Total blood product use was reduced by 40% in group II (P conservation algorithm can be rapidly introduced, leading to reductions in blood and component use with no detrimental effect on early outcomes. Point-of-care testing can direct component transfusion in coagulopathic cases, with most coagulopathic patients requiring platelets. Further research will determine the effects of reduced transfusions on long-term outcomes. Copyright © 2012 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
United States. Bonneville Power Administration.
1993-11-01
This guidebook is an instrument for implementing BPA`s Energy Conservation Policies established through the concensus of the four Area Office Managers and the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Energy Resources. As technical support for, and elaboration of, the Energy Conservation Policies, the Guidebook follows the format of the Policies themselves. The Guidebook tackles each section of the Policies in order, again assigning roles and responsibilities where appropriate, enlarging on policy issues and, where appropriate, outlining data considerations. The sections in order are: conservation load reduction, cost-effectiveness limits, BA management targets, consumer contributions, utility contribution, program verification, and program evaluation.
Priority setting for bird conservation in Mexico: the role of the Important Bird Areas program
Ma. del Coro Arizmendi; Laura Marquez Valdelamar; Humberto Berlanga
2005-01-01
Many species in Mexico are threatened and in need of protection. At least seventy species are considered to be globally threatened, yet conservation actions have been scarce and not coordinated. In 1996 BirdLife International’s Important Bird Areas Program was initiated in Mexico to identify a network of the most important places in Mexico for birds, with the...
Cut Electric Bills by Controlling Demand
Grumman, David L.
1974-01-01
Electric bills can be reduced by lowering electric consumption and by controlling demand -- the amount of electricity used at a certain point in time. Gives tips to help reduce electric demand at peak power periods. (Author/DN)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2009-07-01
The bill asserting the French national commitment for the environment (also named 'Grenelle 2') is considered as the juridical tool-box of the French environmental policy. It confirms, strengthens, and concretizes the objectives defined by the Grenelle 1 law. The main dispositions of the bill concern the following domains: settlement and urbanism with the improvement of the energy efficiency, energy conservation and life-cycle of buildings; transports with the development of sustainable transportation systems; energy with the creation of regional climate, air and energy schemes with the aim of developing renewable energies (with some restrictions concerning wind power) and reducing CO 2 emissions; biodiversity with the creation of ecological pathways between protected areas for the migration of flora and fauna species; environment and waste management with the reinforcement of measures for the abatement of environmental pollutant effects. Among the numerous dispositions involving more than 20 codes (urbanism, environment, buildings etc..) one concerns the progressive implementation of a 'carbon price' index taking into account the greenhouse gas emission costs during the whole life cycle of a product, another one concerns the monitoring of indoor air quality in public buildings. This document is the text of the bill as prepared by the Commission of economy, sustainable development and town and country planning. (J.S.)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Vianna, Luiz Gustavo de Vargas; Ramos, Maria Olivia de Souza; Pereira, Osvaldo Soliano [Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS), BA (Brazil)
2010-07-01
The object of this article is to present the National Program for Conservation of Electric Energy (PROCEL), used in Brazil as a solution for the problems of rational use of electric energy by the federal government. It presents a brief history of its creation, several activities areas that it is proposing to act and some results obtained at the moment. It discusses the program's expectation and the potential gains, tracing a brief parallel with the National Plan of Climate Changes. The weak points are presented as suggestions for improvement. Other programs in different stages also are presented like a solution for the conservation of electric energy. Finally, the article presents the actual stage of discussions and actions from society in response to the question of the continuation of the conservation of electric energy's programs and its necessary improvement in Brazil. (author)
2011-03-02
...] RIN 1018-AX45 Fisheries and Habitat Conservation and Migratory Birds Programs; Draft Land-Based Wind... Impacts from Wind Turbines (Interim Guidance). As stated in the notice, the comment period on the draft... Minimizing Wildlife Impacts from Wind Turbines. We expect to issue final Guidelines for public use after...
2011-04-11
... Furnace Company; (16) New Yorker Residential Heating Boilers; (17) Nordyne; (18) NY Thermal Inc.; (19... Products LLC; (24) Trane; (25) Triangle Tube; (26) US Boiler Company; and (27) Weil-McLain. In the same... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Decision and Order Granting 180-Day Extension of Compliance Date...
Starting a local conservation and passive solar retrofit program: an energy planning sourcebook
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Barber, V; Mathews, R
1982-02-01
A city planner or a neighborhood activist may wish to initiate a local conservation and passive solar retrofit program but may not have previous experience in doing so. This sourcebook is designed to assist interested individuals with their energy planning efforts, from determining retrofit potential, to financing and implementing the program. An approach or methodology is provided which can be applied to determine retrofit potential in single-family residences, mobile homes, multifamily residences, and nonresidential buildings. Case studies in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are given as examples. Guidelines are provided for evaluating the economic benefits of a retrofit program through benefit-cost analysis and economic base studies at the city and neighborhood levels. Also included are approaches to community outreach, detailing how to get started, how to gain local support, and examples of successful programs throughout the US. The need for financing, the development of a local strategy, public and private financing techniques, and community energy service organizations are examined. In addition to the Albuquerque case studies, a brief technology characterization, heat-loss calculations, economic tools, and a list of resources are appended.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2003-01-01
The energy situation in France is presented. Data and charts illustrate the prices evolution at the import for the petroleum and the other energies, the exchanged energies volume and the bill for each energy sector. (A.L.B.)
House passes energy bill with one-step plant licensing
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1992-01-01
The US House of Representatives which has traditionally been wary of measures that would allow nuclear power to expand, came down strongly on the side of nuclear when it approved a much-amended omnibus energy bill on May 27 by a vote of 381 to 37. The key for the nuclear industry is the presence in the bill (H.R. 776) of language on one-step power plant licensing that was taken directly from the Senate energy bill (S. 2166) that passed in February. This means that when the House and Senate work out a compromise version of the legislation, one-step licensing is almost certain to be carried through--and become law once the final bill is signed by President George Bush, which is expected later this year. The House's endorsement of nuclear power--both as it exists now, and as it could be with the introduction of new plant designs and an end to the long hiatus in plant orders by utilities--went beyond one-step licensing. Debate on the House floor prior to Memorial Day totally transformed the nuclear-related part of the energy bill. H.R. 776 was reported to the floor by the Rules Committee with language by the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee that would have created a nominal one-step system, with a full evidentiary hearing prior to plant construction but also allowing an intervenor who later presents new information on the plant to get another full evidentiary hearing after construction but before operation. This would effectively duplicate the two-step process that existed for all plants now in service, and which utilities no longer want to endure
Public Perception of Water Consumption and Its Effects on Water Conservation Behavior
Liangxin Fan; Fei Wang; Guobin Liu; Xiaomei Yang; Wei Qin
2014-01-01
The usual perception of consumers regarding water consumption is that their bills do not match their actual water consumption. However, this mismatch has been insufficiently studied; particularly for cases related to specific water-use patterns, water conservation practices, and user socio-demographics. In this study, a total of 776 households in 16 villages situated in the rural Wei River Basin are investigated to address the gap in the literature. Questionnaires and 3-day water diaries are...
19 CFR 24.34 - Vouchers; vendors' bills of sale; invoices.
2010-04-01
... that the above bill is correct and just and that payment has not been received. Vouchers, vendors... employee, in which case the voucher may be in the name of the officer or employee who made the payment. (c... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Vouchers; vendors' bills of sale; invoices. 24.34...
Chapter 1: Assessing pollinator habitat services to optimize conservation programs
Iovanna, Richard; Ando , Amy W.; Swinton, Scott; Hellerstein, Daniel; Kagan, Jimmy; Mushet, David M.; Otto, Clint R.; Rewa, Charles A.
2017-01-01
Pollination services have received increased attention over the past several years, and protecting foraging area is beginning to be reflected in conservation policy. This case study considers the prospects for doing so in a more analytically rigorous manner, by quantifying the pollination services for sites being considered for ecological restoration. The specific policy context is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which offers financial and technical assistance to landowners seeking to convert sensitive cropland back to some semblance of the prairie (or, to a lesser extent, forest or wetland) ecosystem that preceded it. Depending on the mix of grasses and wildflowers that are established, CRP enrollments can provide pollinator habitat. Further, depending on their location, they will generate related services, such as biological control of crop pests, recreation, and aesthetics. While offers to enroll in CRP compete based on cost and some anticipated benefits, the eligibility and ranking criteria do not reflect these services to a meaningful degree. Therefore, we develop a conceptual value diagram to identify the sequence of steps and associated models and data necessary to quantify the full range of services, and find that critical data gaps, some of which are artifacts of policy, preclude the application of benefit-relevant indicators (BRIs) or monetization. However, we also find that there is considerable research activity underway to fill these gaps. In addition, a modeling framework has been developed that can estimate field-level effects on services as a function of landscape context. The approach is inherently scalable and not limited in geographic scope, which is essential for a program with a national footprint. The parameters in this framework are sufficiently straightforward that expert judgment could be applied as a stopgap approach until empirically derived estimates are available. While monetization of benefit-relevant indicators of yield
Educational Quality Bill of Rights
Center for Law and Education (NJ3), 2009
2009-01-01
This paper presents two forms of the Educational Quality Bill of Rights (EQBR). The first is a "one-page version", with a very brief single sentence identification of a key element of quality education in response to each of the key questions about the school (covering standards/learning goals, curriculum, instruction, etc.). The second is a "much…
Simulation of electric power conservation strategies: model of economic evaluation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pinhel, A.C.C.
1992-01-01
A methodology for the economic evaluation model for energy conservation programs to be executed by the National Program of Electric Power Conservation is presented. From data as: forecasting of conserved energy, tariffs, energy costs and budget, the model calculates the economic indexes for the programs, allowing the evaluation of economic impacts in the electric sector. (C.G.C.)
CONSERVATION PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE INVASIVE SPECIES
Invasive plant species are degrading the structure and function of ecosystems throughout the world. Although most state and federal conservation agencies in the U.S. attempt to reduce the impact of invasive species, some agency activities can contribute to the spread of invasive...
Endine FBI agent õpetab eestlasi allilma imbuma / Bill Moschella ; interv. Rasmus Kagge
Moschella, Bill
2004-01-01
Ameerika Föderaalse Juurdlusbüroo (FBI) endine eriagent Bill Moschella hakkab treenima siinseid kriminaalpolitseinikke, õpetab, kuidas paremini tööd organiseerida ja kurjategijate paljastamiseks varioperatsioone korraldada. Lisa: Bill Moschella
2010-07-01
... (b) Billing method (1)(i) Government issued agency charge card, (1) Bill from charge card company (may be electronic). (ii) Centrally billed travel account citation. (2)(i) Purchase order, (2) Bill from TSP (may be electronic). (ii) Bill of lading, (iii) Government Bill of Lading, (iv) Government...
Energy conservation prospects through electric load management
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
El-Shirbeeny, E H.T.
1984-04-01
In this paper, concepts of electric load management are discussed for effective energy conservation. It is shown that the conservation program must be comprehensive to provide solutions to the problems facing the electric consumer, the electric utility and the society by reducing the rate of growth of energy consumption and power system peak demand requirements. The impact of energy management programs on electric energy conservation is examined, with emphasis on efficiency, storage, cogeneration and controls with computers.
Ending commercial surrogacy in India: significance of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016.
Timms, Olinda
2018-01-01
The introduction of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 into Parliament, in August 2016, was a much-awaited response to citizen voices and human rights groups calling for action in the unregulated area of commercial surrogacy arrangements. Both houses of Parliament have reviewed the Bill, and its fate was to be decided in the Winter Session of Parliament, 2017. It is still unclear whether the Bill will come up for decision in the Budget Session that will reconvene on March 5, 2018. The market for infertility treatments has attracted to India global clients seeking access to surrogates and procedures at lower costs. The Bill seeks to protect the rights of women and children at risk of exploitation and commodification as third parties in infertility treatments that use assisted reproductive technologies. Can commercial surrogacy be allowed in a country where injustice, inequalities, and poorly implemented laws place vulnerable women and children at risk? The proposed Bill could shut the door on commercial surrogacy arrangements in India and bring regulation into this sector of medical services.
Making conservation work for everyone
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wiersma, J. [Veridian Corp., Ajax, ON (Canada)
2004-07-01
This presentation discussed the economic value of conservation, the optimal deployment of energy conservation. A sample load profile was presented to demonstrate how much electricity the average residential customer uses on a summer day. The average customer does not have the tools to understand the financial consequences of conservation for different types of equipment at different times of the day. Smart metering technology could help in this regard. Accurate unsubsidized prices are also considered to be the best incentive to conserve because customers will reduce electricity use when the prices are high. It was also suggested that standards for new appliances should be increased effectively to their economic value. The enablers to energy conservation include solid consumer education programs, real time metering in places where it is cost effective, real time pricing in places where it is practical, and power rates that reflect real costs. Barriers to energy conservation include the residual economic advantage that may be insufficient to justify investment; support from local distribution companies and transmission companies if the lost revenue adjustment mechanism (LRAM) is not sufficient to recover lost revenue and if LDCs are not sufficiently involved in the design of the electricity conservation program. 7 figs.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Blair, A.; Beith, A.J.; Hardy, P.
1989-01-01
The first part of the debate, which lasted a total of about 7 hours, a verbatim report of the first five of which are included here, was about energy conservation. Several new clauses and amendments were discussed. One would place a duty on the new Director of the Energy Supply industry to promote the efficiency and conservation of energy, another would appoint a Deputy Director with responsibility for energy conservation, and the third would require targets of energy efficiency and pollution reduction to be achieved. This allowed discussion on energy saving by domestic thermal insulation, improved efficiency of heating and refrigeration units and on renewable energy sources especially world energy. The second part of the debate was about access to information regarding health and safety resulting from any activities of the electricity supply industry. The remainder of the debate concerned regional representation and the economics of the electricity supply industry. (UK)
The Work of the Civilian Conservation Corps: Pioneering Conservation in Louisiana
James P. Barnett; Anna C. Burns
2016-01-01
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18-25. A part of the New Deal of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it provided unskilled manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources on the Nationâ...
Learn about Help My House, a program that helps participants reduce their utility bills by nearly 35 percent through low-cost loans for EE improvements. Learn more about the key features, approaches, funding sources, and achievements of this program.
Hospital billing for blood processing and transfusion for inpatient stays.
McCue, Michael J; Nayar, Preethy
2009-07-01
Medicare, an important payer for hospitals, reimburses hospitals for inpatient stays using Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs). Many private insurers also use the DRG methodology to reimburse hospitals for their services. Therefore, those blood service organizations that bill Medicare directly require an understanding of the DRG system of payment to enable them to bill Medicare correctly, and in order to be certain they are adequately reimbursed. Blood centers that do not bill Medicare directly need to understand how hospitals are reimbursed for blood and blood components as this affects a hospital's ability to pay service fees related to these products. This review presents a detailed explanation of how hospitals are reimbursed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for Medicare inpatient services, including blood services.
Towards an inter-domain billing system to support dynamic service provisioning
Le, V.M.
2009-01-01
Today, billing is a big challenge for service providers. With a growing number of rich services such as music, mobile TV, Video-on-Demand and eHealth delivered to the mass market, service providers are missing business opportunities because current billing solutions are not fully capable. In
Department of the Interior — The Minnesota Zoo’s Prairie Butterfly Conservation Program partners with numerous federal, state, and local agencies to establish the world’s first and only ex situ...
41 CFR 102-118.65 - Can my agency receive electronic billing for payment of transportation services?
2010-07-01
... electronic billing for payment of transportation services? 102-118.65 Section 102-118.65 Public Contracts and... Transportation Services § 102-118.65 Can my agency receive electronic billing for payment of transportation... to use electronic billing for the procurement and billing of transportation services. ...
State Conservation Lands; StaCons11
University of Rhode Island Geospatial Extension Program — Approximate edges of Conservation Lands protected by the State of Rhode Island through Fee Title Ownership, Conservation Easement, or Deed Restriction. Includes:...
Concordance of chart and billing data with direct observation in dental practice.
Demko, Catherine A; Victoroff, Kristin Zakariasen; Wotman, Stephen
2008-10-01
The commonly used methods of chart review, billing data summaries and practitioner self-reporting have not been examined for their ability to validly and reliably represent time use and service delivery in routine dental practice. A more thorough investigation of these data sources would provide insight into the appropriateness of each approach for measuring various clinical behaviors. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of commonly used methods such as dental chart review, billing data, or practitioner self-report compared with a 'gold standard' of information derived from direct observation of routine dental visits. A team of trained dental hygienists directly observed 3751 patient visits in 120 dental practices and recorded the behaviors and procedures performed by dentists and hygienists during patient contact time. Following each visit, charts and billing records were reviewed for the performed and billed procedures. Dental providers characterized their frequency of preventive service delivery through self-administered surveys. We standardized the observation and abstraction methods to obtain optimal measures from each of the multiple data sources. Multi-rater kappa coefficients were computed to monitor standardization, while sensitivity, specificity, and kappa coefficients were calculated to compare the various data sources with direct observation. Chart audits were more sensitive than billing data for all observed procedures and demonstrated higher agreement with directly observed data. Chart and billing records were not sensitive for several prevention-related tasks (oral cancer screening and oral hygiene instruction). Provider self-reports of preventive behaviors were always over-estimated compared with direct observation. Inter-method reliability kappa coefficients for 13 procedures ranged from 0.197 to 0.952. These concordance findings suggest that strengths and weaknesses of data collection sources should be considered when investigating
Organizational Contexts and Texts: The Redesign of the Midwest Bell Telephone Bill.
Keller-Cohen, Deborah
1987-01-01
Offers a retrospective view of organizational factors affecting the redesign of the Midwest Bell Telephone Bill. Shows how financial considerations, organizational time frame, and employee training and experience influenced the bill's development process. (MM)
Bonneville Power Administration`s Commercial Sector Conservation Market.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gordan, Frederick M. [Pacific Energy Associates, Inc. (United States)
1992-11-10
Bonneville has, as part of its resource plan, accepted targets for commercial conservation which are quite ambitious. To meet these targets, Bonneville will need to acquire as much cost-effective conservation as possible over the next twelve years. With this in mind, this document explores the relative importance of different commercial market segments and the types of assistance each market needs to install as many cost-effective conservation measures in as many buildings as possible. This document reviews Bonneville`s marketing environment and position, and suggests goals for commercial sector conservation marketing at Bonneville. Then it presents a broad market segmentation and series of additional demographic analyses. These analyses assess what groups of consumers Bonneville must reach to achieve most of the commercial conservation potential and what is needed to reach them. A final section reviews the success of Bonneville programs at reaching various markets. The market segmentation identifies different types of consumers and opportunities which would require distinct program approaches. Four large market segments are identified that have distinct program needs. Then four ``building life-cycle events`` are identified which provide important conservation opportunities and also require distinct program services. This creates a matrix of 16 cells which delineate distinct needs for program marketing. Each of the four key market segments manages at least 20% of the Region`s commercial floorspace.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1980-01-01
This book serves as a teaching aid for Canadian school programs in energy conservation and energy management. Suitable curriculum areas and objectives are outlined, and suggestions are presented for organizing thematic study units. References are made throughout to appropriate use of additional media such as filmstrips. Five study units, each with its own classroom activities, are detailed: energy resources, energy and the home, energy and food, energy and leisure, and energy in transportation. Suggestions are given for ongoing energy management educational programs to be tried out once the study units have been completed. 23 figs.
Bill Gates vil redde Folkeskolen
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Fejerskov, Adam Moe
2014-01-01
Det amerikanske uddannelsessystem bliver for tiden udsat for hård kritik, ledt an af Microsoft stifteren Bill Gates. Gates har indtil videre brugt 3 mia. kroner på at skabe opbakning til tiltag som præstationslønning af lærere og strømlining af pensum på tværs af alle skoler i landet...
Timing of Clinical Billing Reimbursement for a Local Health Department.
McCullough, J Mac
2016-01-01
A major responsibility of a local health department (LHD) is to assure public health service availability throughout its jurisdiction. Many LHDs face expanded service needs and declining budgets, making billing for services an increasingly important strategy for sustaining public health service provision. Yet, little practice-based data exist to guide practitioners on what to expect financially, especially regarding timing of reimbursement receipt. This study provides results from one LHD on the lag from service delivery to reimbursement receipt. Reimbursement records for all transactions at Maricopa County Department of Public Health immunization clinics from January 2013 through June 2014 were compiled and analyzed to determine the duration between service and reimbursement. Outcomes included daily and cumulative revenues received. Time to reimbursement for Medicaid and private payers was also compared. Reimbursement for immunization services was received a median of 68 days after service. Payments were sometimes taken back by payers through credit transactions that occurred a median of 333 days from service. No differences in time to reimbursement between Medicaid and private payers were found. Billing represents an important financial opportunity for LHDs to continue to sustainably assure population health. Yet, the lag from service provision to reimbursement may complicate budgeting, especially in initial years of new billing activities. Special consideration may be necessary to establish flexibility in the budget-setting processes for services with clinical billing revenues, because funds for services delivered in one budget period may not be received in the same period. LHDs may also benefit from exploring strategies used by other delivery organizations to streamline billing processes.
47 CFR 76.985 - Subscriber bill itemization.
2010-10-01
...) The amount of the total bill assessed as a franchise fee and the identity of the franchising authority... fees and costs itemized pursuant to this section. (c) Local franchising authorities may adopt...
A Compendium of Energy Conservation Success Stories
1988-09-01
Three-quarters of DOE's Conservation R and D funds have been devoted to technology research and development: basic and applied research, exploratory R and D, engineering feasibility studies, pilot-scale prototype R and D, and technology demonstration. Non R and D projects have involved technology assessment program planning and analysis, model development, technology transfer and consumer information, health effects and safety research, and technical support for rule making. The success stories summarized in this compendium fall into three general categories: Completed Technology Success Stories, projects that have resulted in new energy-saving technologies that are presently being used in the private sector; Technical Success Stories, projects that have produced or disseminated important scientific/technical information likely to result in future energy savings; Program Success Stories, non-R and D activities that have resulted in nationally significant energy benefits. The Energy Conservation research and development program at DOE is managed by the Office of Conservation under the direction of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Conservation. Three subordinate Program Offices correspond to the buildings, transportation, and industrial end-use sectors. A fourth subordinate Program Office{endash}Energy Utilization Research{endash}sponsors research and technical inventions for all end-use sectors.
Microgrid Reliability Modeling and Battery Scheduling Using Stochastic Linear Programming
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Cardoso, Goncalo; Stadler, Michael; Siddiqui, Afzal; Marnay, Chris; DeForest, Nicholas; Barbosa-Povoa, Ana; Ferrao, Paulo
2013-05-23
This paper describes the introduction of stochastic linear programming into Operations DER-CAM, a tool used to obtain optimal operating schedules for a given microgrid under local economic and environmental conditions. This application follows previous work on optimal scheduling of a lithium-iron-phosphate battery given the output uncertainty of a 1 MW molten carbonate fuel cell. Both are in the Santa Rita Jail microgrid, located in Dublin, California. This fuel cell has proven unreliable, partially justifying the consideration of storage options. Several stochastic DER-CAM runs are executed to compare different scenarios to values obtained by a deterministic approach. Results indicate that using a stochastic approach provides a conservative yet more lucrative battery schedule. Lower expected energy bills result, given fuel cell outages, in potential savings exceeding 6percent.
Jeffrey V. Wells; Daniel K. Niven; John Cecil
2005-01-01
The Important Bird Area (IBA) program is an international effort to identify, conserve, and monitor a network of sites that provide essential habitat for bird populations. BirdLife International began the IBA program in Europe in 1985. Since that time, BirdLife partners in more than 100 countries have joined together to build the global IBA network. Audubon (BirdLife...
Seasonal use of conservation reserve program lands by white-tailed deer in east-central South Dakota
Gould, Jeffrey H.; Jenkins, Kurt J.
1993-01-01
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP_, a provision of the 1985 Food Security Act, subsidizes landowners to take highly erodible lands out of cultivation and seed them to perennial cover for 10years. In eastern South Dakota, 0.5 million ha were enrolled in the CRP from 1985 to 1990 (Agric. Stabilization and Conserv. Serv., Brookings, S.D., unpubl. Data), which represents the largest change in conservation land-use practices in the region since the 1956 Soil Bank Program (Goetz 1987).Although the CRP is anticipated to produce substantial benefits for some wildlife species, particularly ground-nesting birds, its significance to white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the northern Great Plains agricultural region is poorly understood. Higgins et al. (1987) speculated that proliferation of CRP grasslands may provide a missing habitat component in intensively managed farmland, thereby enhancing several species of wildlife, including white-tailed deer. Deer managers in the region have expressed concerns that improved cover associated with DRP plantings on private land could attract deer and reduce hunter success rates or lead to increased depredation of adjacent croplands or stored winter forages (L. Rice, S.D. Dep. Game, Fish, and Parks, Rapid City, pers. comm., 1989). Our objectives were to describe variation in deer use of CRP lands by season, diel period, and deer activity class as a means of assessing seasonal importance of CRP fields to white-tailed deer in agricultural Midwest.
Expanding Access and Opportunity: The Washington State Achievers Program
Ramsey, Jennifer; Gorgol, Laura
2010-01-01
In 2001, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched a 10-year, multi-million dollar initiative, the Washington State Achievers Program (WSA), to increase opportunities for low-income students to attend postsecondary institutions in Washington State. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation granted funds to the College Success Foundation…
Spanish utility turns customer bills into a strategic advantage with EDP
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stone, C. [StreamServe Inc., Burlington, MA (United States)
2007-03-15
Enterprise document presentments (EDPs) are now used at many utilities to enable the automated creation and presentment of documents in formats that suit the needs of their customers. Upgraded billing capabilities can reduce operational costs, as well as drive incremental revenue for utilities that offer a portfolio of services. EDP bills can also provide an adaptable vehicle for meeting regulatory information requirements, as well as for demonstrating the utility's community obligations. This paper discussed an EDP program used by the Spanish utility Hidroelectrica del Cantabrico. After consulting with various companies, the utility finally selected an EDP solution provided by StreamServe Utilities, which offered data source independence. SAP data was received in RDI format, which provided the ability to rapidly design and generate invoices, contracts, and other documents. The EDP system selected by the utility also allowed them to consolidate electricity and gas consumption into a single invoice. Invoices were classified by distinct criteria, and optical labels were inserted to provide greater flexibility for design changes. The EDP solution allowed the utility to improve its corporate image on each printed document and optimize its client relationships by establishing a new marketing channel through the invoice itself. It was concluded that the utility has also achieved significant cost savings on paper and postage, as promotional campaigns are now inserted into invoice envelopes. 1 fig.
Spanish utility turns customer bills into a strategic advantage with EDP
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stone, C.
2007-01-01
Enterprise document presentments (EDPs) are now used at many utilities to enable the automated creation and presentment of documents in formats that suit the needs of their customers. Upgraded billing capabilities can reduce operational costs, as well as drive incremental revenue for utilities that offer a portfolio of services. EDP bills can also provide an adaptable vehicle for meeting regulatory information requirements, as well as for demonstrating the utility's community obligations. This paper discussed an EDP program used by the Spanish utility Hidroelectrica del Cantabrico. After consulting with various companies, the utility finally selected an EDP solution provided by StreamServe Utilities, which offered data source independence. SAP data was received in RDI format, which provided the ability to rapidly design and generate invoices, contracts, and other documents. The EDP system selected by the utility also allowed them to consolidate electricity and gas consumption into a single invoice. Invoices were classified by distinct criteria, and optical labels were inserted to provide greater flexibility for design changes. The EDP solution allowed the utility to improve its corporate image on each printed document and optimize its client relationships by establishing a new marketing channel through the invoice itself. It was concluded that the utility has also achieved significant cost savings on paper and postage, as promotional campaigns are now inserted into invoice envelopes. 1 fig
Thoughts on the Roots and Evolution of the Bill of Rights.
Robinson, Donald; And Others
1991-01-01
Considers how the Bill of Rights originated and has evolved. Reviews the political views of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and the nature of their support for the Bill of Rights. Explains nineteenth-century classical liberalism and its revolutionary view that political power inhered in the individual rather than in property ownership. (CH)
Uncertain sightings and the extinction of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
Solow, Andrew; Smith, Woollcott; Burgman, Mark; Rout, Tracy; Wintle, Brendan; Roberts, David
2012-02-01
The extinction of a species can be inferred from a record of its sightings. Existing methods for doing so assume that all sightings in the record are valid. Often, however, there are sightings of uncertain validity. To date, uncertain sightings have been treated in an ad hoc way, either excluding them from the record or including them as if they were certain. We developed a Bayesian method that formally accounts for such uncertain sightings. The method assumes that valid and invalid sightings follow independent Poisson processes and use noninformative prior distributions for the rate of valid sightings and for a measure of the quality of uncertain sightings. We applied the method to a recently published record of sightings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis). This record covers the period 1897-2010 and contains 39 sightings classified as certain and 29 classified as uncertain. The Bayes factor in favor of extinction was 4.03, which constitutes substantial support for extinction. The posterior distribution of the time of extinction has 3 main modes in 1944, 1952, and 1988. The method can be applied to sighting records of other purportedly extinct species. ©2011 Society for Conservation Biology.
The bill project on energy transition: what will happen to renewable energies
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Darson, Alice
2015-01-01
The author comments and discusses the content of the French bill project on energy transition, and the controversies on this bill project within the French Parliament. She addresses the objectives of the bill project (share of renewable energies, case of overseas territories), the issue of building construction and renovation, the issue of transports (fleet size, electric vehicles, use of renewable energy), the development of renewable energies (notably for overseas territories, issue of mandatory purchase, issue of connection), the simplification and clarification of procedures, and the possibility for citizen, enterprises, territories and State to act together
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1986-01-01
The bill is intended to provide the necessary legal framework for precautionary monitoring of environmental radioactivity. The provisions define tasks and competences of the Federal Government and of the Lands, and determine aspects of the information system 'Radioactivity in the Environment', to be established as a coordinating system for the declared purposes. Activities and measures provided for include official measurement of dose values and contamination within the competence of the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, as well as prohibitory provisions and limits for food, animal feed, and drugs, and regulations concerning right of access and sampling. (HSCH) [de
Conservation and management applications of the REEF volunteer fish monitoring program.
Pattengill-Semmens, Christy V; Semmens, Brice X
2003-01-01
The REEF Fish Survey Project is a volunteer fish monitoring program developed by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). REEF volunteers collect fish distribution and abundance data using a standardized visual method during regular diving and snorkeling activities. Survey data are recorded on preprinted data sheets that are returned to REEF and optically digitized. Data are housed in a publicly accessible database on REEF's Web site (http://www.reef.org). Since the project's inception in 1993, over 40,000 surveys have been conducted in the coastal waters of North America, tropical western Atlantic, Gulf of California and Hawaii. The Fish Survey Project has been incorporated into existing monitoring programs through partnerships with government agencies, scientists, conservation organizations, and private institutions. REEF's partners benefit from the educational value and increased stewardship resulting from volunteer data collection. Applications of the data include an evaluation of fish/habitat interactions in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the development of a multi-species trend analysis method to identify sites of management concern, assessment of the current distribution of species, status reports on fish assemblages of marine parks, and the evaluation of no-take zones in the Florida Keys. REEF's collaboration with a variety of partners, combined with the Fish Survey Project's standardized census method and database management system, has resulted in a successful citizen science monitoring program.
Electric power conservation in Brazil
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hollanda, J.B. de
1989-01-01
The Brazilian Electric Power Conservation Program (PROCEL) is discussed. The main objective of this program is the optimization of electric power use, including consideration about prices, technology development and legislation. (M.V.M.)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2006-04-01
This document provides the text of the presentation of Francois Loos. The bill institutes a national radioactive materials and waste management plan and defines a programme and calendar for research and work leading to implementation of this plan, which will comprise three major points: with a view to looking to reduce the quantity of waste, spent nuclear fuels taken from the nuclear power plants will be reprocessed for recycling in the plants; waste which cannot be recycled will be packaged in a robust matrix and then temporarily stored on the surface; after interim storage, waste which cannot be finally disposed of in a surface facility, will be placed in a deep geological reversible repository. In order to monitor each step in this plan, the bill strengthens independent assessment of research and involves greater information of the public. With regard to financing, the bill clarifies the fact that economic development of the departments concerned by research into disposal options and the research itself will be financed by additional taxes on the operators of nuclear installations. (A.L.B.)
Effectiveness of conservation easements in agricultural regions.
Braza, Mark
2017-08-01
Conservation easements are a standard technique for preventing habitat loss, particularly in agricultural regions with extensive cropland cultivation, yet little is known about their effectiveness. I developed a spatial econometric approach to propensity-score matching and used the approach to estimate the amount of habitat loss prevented by a grassland conservation easement program of the U.S. federal government. I used a spatial autoregressive probit model to predict tract enrollment in the easement program as of 2001 based on tract agricultural suitability, habitat quality, and spatial interactions among neighboring tracts. Using the predicted values from the model, I matched enrolled tracts with similar unenrolled tracts to form a treatment group and a control group. To measure the program's impact on subsequent grassland loss, I estimated cropland cultivation rates for both groups in 2014 with a second spatial probit model. Between 2001 and 2014, approximately 14.9% of control tracts were cultivated and 0.3% of treated tracts were cultivated. Therefore, approximately 14.6% of the protected land would have been cultivated in the absence of the program. My results demonstrate that conservation easements can significantly reduce habitat loss in agricultural regions; however, the enrollment of tracts with low cropland suitability may constrain the amount of habitat loss they prevent. My results also show that spatial econometric models can improve the validity of control groups and thereby strengthen causal inferences about program effectiveness in situations when spatial interactions influence conservation decisions. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.
Goodrich, D. C.; Heilman, P.; Nearing, M.; Speath, K.; Hernandez, M.; Wei, H.; Holifield-Collins, C.; Kautz, M.; Nichols, M.; Barlow, J.; Guertin, P.; Burns, S.; Stone, J. J.; Weltz, M.; Metz, L.; Norfleet, L.; Duriancik, L.; Johnson, M.
2013-12-01
Farm Bill legislation enacted by Congress in 2002 directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assess of the benefits and efficacy of conservation practices provided by a variety of USDA programs. Benefits include improved agricultural production, reduction of erosion and associated nutrient losses, improved water quality, improved soil resilience, and improved habitat among others. To conduct the assessment, the USDA initiated CEAP or the Conservation Effects Assessment Project in 2003, which included a national assessment complemented by small watershed studies. The national assessment started in eastern and midwestern cultivated croplands and has now progressed to western rangelands. This presentation will discuss the challenges of assessing the effects of rangeland conservation practices in a period of unusually hot and dry climatic conditions in the Cienega Creek Watershed (CCW) located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. As is common in the western U.S., the CCW consists of a patchwork of private and public lands in the west with much of the public lands leased for grazing cattle. The watershed also has high recreational value and provides many ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat qualities and flood protection to Tucson. A combination of monitoring, modeling, and remote sensing was utilized in the assessment. Conservation spending in the watershed ramped up in 1997. However, the 16-year period from 1997-2012 contains almost half of the 23 driest seasons (lowest 20 percentile) from the 117-year observed precipitation record. Initial results indicate that Landsat remotely sensed images can be effectively used to estimate both green and senescent canopy cover. This enabled detection of the impacts of drought and changes in canopy cover from practices such as prescribed fire and mechanical brush removal. Cienega Creek Watershed - Land Ownership
Illinois energy conservation plan report: 1979 revision
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
1979-02-01
In response to Energy Policy and this Conservation Act (PL 94-163) and Energy Conservation and Production Act (PL 94-385), this paper describes the activities to be undertaken by Illinois to meet the mandatory requirements of the Acts and to carry out other activities to encourage energy conservation by energy-consuming sectors in the state. Programs reach the residential, commercial/industrial, agricultural, educational, transportation, and government sectors. The overall goal of the program is to reduce projected energy consumption in 1980 by 5% through information and educational activities.
Environmental Performance Information Use by Conservation Agency Staff
Wardropper, Chloe Bradley
2018-04-01
Performance-based conservation has long been recognized as crucial to improving program effectiveness, particularly when environmental conditions are dynamic. Yet few studies have investigated the use of environmental performance information by staff of conservation organizations. This article identifies attitudinal, policy and organizational factors influencing the use of a type of performance information—water quality information—by Soil and Water Conservation District staff in the Upper Mississippi River Basin region. An online survey ( n = 277) revealed a number of important variables associated with greater information use. Variables included employees' prosocial motivation, or the belief that they helped people and natural resources through their job, the perceived trustworthiness of data, the presence of a U.S. Clean Water Act Total Maximum Daily Load standard designation, and staff discretion to prioritize programs locally. Conservation programs that retain motivated staff and provide them the resources and flexibility to plan and evaluate their work with environmental data may increase conservation effectiveness under changing conditions.
2012-02-14
... way of representing consumer NPV), and (2) the monetary value of the benefits of emission reductions... standards to the Nation (energy savings, positive NPV of consumer benefits, consumer LCC savings, and... and Conservation Act (EPCA) prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and...
Conservation and Renewable Energy Program: Bibliography, 1988 edition
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Vaughan, K.H. (comp.)
1988-04-01
The 831 references covering the period 1980 through Feb. 1988, are arranged under the following: analysis and evaluation, building equipment, building thermal envelope systems and materials, community systems and cogeneration, residential conservation service, retrofit, advanced heat engine ceramics, alternative fuels, microemulsion fuels, industrial chemical heat pumps, materials for waste heat utilization, energy conversion and utilization materials, tribology, emergency energy conservation,inventions, electric energy systems, thermal storage, biofuels production, biotechnology, solar technology, geothermal, and continuous chromatography in multicomponent separations. An author index is included.
First Red-billed Quelea breeding record in the winter rainfall region ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
This note documents the first breeding of Red-billed Quelea in the winter rainfall region of South Africa. A colony of 350–600 nests was found, with evidence of recent breeding. Red-billed Quelea numbers were low in this region, but if numbers increase in the future in the Western Cape, winter crops could be under threat.
SU-A-210-01: Why Should We Learn Radiation Oncology Billing?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wu, H.
2015-01-01
The purpose of this student annual meeting is to address topics that are becoming more relevant to medical physicists, but are not frequently addressed, especially for students and trainees just entering the field. The talk is divided into two parts: medical billing and regulations. Hsinshun Wu – Why should we learn radiation oncology billing? Many medical physicists do not like to be involved with medical billing or coding during their career. They believe billing is not their responsibility and sometimes they even refuse to participate in the billing process if given the chance. This presentation will talk about a physicist’s long career and share his own experience that knowing medical billing is not only important and necessary for every young medical physicist, but that good billing knowledge could provide a valuable contribution to his/her medical physics development. Learning Objectives: The audience will learn the basic definition of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes performed in a Radiation Oncology Department. Understand the differences between hospital coding and physician-based or freestanding coding. Apply proper CPT coding for each Radiation Oncology procedure. Each procedure with its specific CPT code will be discussed in detail. The talk will focus on the process of care and use of actual workflow to understand each CPT code. Example coding of a typical Radiation Oncology procedure. Special procedure coding such as brachytherapy, proton therapy, radiosurgery, and SBRT. Maryann Abogunde – Medical physics opportunities at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) The NRC’s responsibilities include the regulation of medical uses of byproduct (radioactive) materials and oversight of medical use end-users (licensees) through a combination of regulatory requirements, licensing, safety oversight including inspection and enforcement, operational experience evaluation, and regulatory support activities. This presentation will explore the
SU-A-210-01: Why Should We Learn Radiation Oncology Billing?
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wu, H. [Willis-Knighton Medical Center (United States)
2015-06-15
The purpose of this student annual meeting is to address topics that are becoming more relevant to medical physicists, but are not frequently addressed, especially for students and trainees just entering the field. The talk is divided into two parts: medical billing and regulations. Hsinshun Wu – Why should we learn radiation oncology billing? Many medical physicists do not like to be involved with medical billing or coding during their career. They believe billing is not their responsibility and sometimes they even refuse to participate in the billing process if given the chance. This presentation will talk about a physicist’s long career and share his own experience that knowing medical billing is not only important and necessary for every young medical physicist, but that good billing knowledge could provide a valuable contribution to his/her medical physics development. Learning Objectives: The audience will learn the basic definition of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes performed in a Radiation Oncology Department. Understand the differences between hospital coding and physician-based or freestanding coding. Apply proper CPT coding for each Radiation Oncology procedure. Each procedure with its specific CPT code will be discussed in detail. The talk will focus on the process of care and use of actual workflow to understand each CPT code. Example coding of a typical Radiation Oncology procedure. Special procedure coding such as brachytherapy, proton therapy, radiosurgery, and SBRT. Maryann Abogunde – Medical physics opportunities at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) The NRC’s responsibilities include the regulation of medical uses of byproduct (radioactive) materials and oversight of medical use end-users (licensees) through a combination of regulatory requirements, licensing, safety oversight including inspection and enforcement, operational experience evaluation, and regulatory support activities. This presentation will explore the
A critical analysis of the End of Life Choice Bill 2013.
Richmond, David E
2014-07-04
This paper aims to alert medical practitioners to the legal and ethical problems that passage of the End of Life Choice Bill (which seeks to legalise euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide) would have for them in New Zealand. Although sponsor MP Maryan Street withdrew the Bill on political grounds in October 2013, she has pledged to reintroduce the Bill after the next Parliamentary elections and remains committed to its objectives. A clause by clause analysis of the Bill was undertaken from a clinical perspective, following the sequence of requesting, validating, providing and reporting episodes of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide rather than following the administrative sequence in which the Bill has been drawn up for Parliamentary debate. Where possible, the experience of other jurisdictions where these end of life options are legal has been drawn upon to enable inferences to be drawn as to the likely effects of the legislation. The analysis supporting this paper reveals that the legislation would: make it possible for virtually any person over the age of 18 to request and receive euthanasia provided they took care in the way they phrased the request, expose medical practitioners who attempted to deter applicants too vigorously to the possibility of legal action on the grounds of attempting to frustrate the applicant's wishes, compromise the ability of practitioners to opt out on conscience grounds, allow the easy circumvention of reporting requirements for each event, provide minimal protection against some people suffering euthanasia without consent or request, and exempt medical practitioners providing euthanasia services from prosecution for any action in the provision of such services, even if they were negligent. The branch of medical practice that specialises in killing people would be the least regulated of all. If passed into legislation, the End of Life Choice Bill will create the most momentous changes to clinical practice and the regulation
Dynamic Salience with Intermittent Billing: Evidence from Smart Electricity Meters
Ben Gilbert; Joshua S. Graff Zivin
2013-01-01
Digital tracking and the proliferation of automated payments have made intermittent billing more commonplace, and the frequency at which consumers receive price, quantity, or total expenditure signals may distort their choices. This category of goods has expanded from household utilities, toll road access and software downloads to standard consumption goods paid by credit card or other "bill-me-later"-type systems. Yet we know surprisingly little about how these payment patterns affect decisi...
The Partnership Bill 2003: unnecessary tinkering or much-needed reform?
Berry, E
2005-01-01
Purpose - To examine the nature and merits of the proposed changes to partnership law contained in the draft Partnership Bill published in the Law Commission's Partnership Law Report (2003). Design/methodology/approach - Sets out how the proposed Bill differs from the current law of partnership (contained in the Partnership Act 1890 and the Limited Partnerships Act 1907), looking at the definition of 'partnership', the introduction of separate legal personality, the provisions governing partn...
A compendium of energy conservation success stories
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1988-09-01
Three-quarters of DOE's Conservation R and D funds have been devoted to technology research and development: basic and applied research, exploratory R and D, engineering feasibility studies, pilot-scale prototype R and D, and technology demonstration. Non R and D projects have involved technology assessment program planning and analysis, model development, technology transfer and consumer information, health effects and safety research, and technical support for rule making. The success stories summarized in this compendium fall into three general categories: Completed Technology Success Stories, projects that have resulted in new energy-saving technologies that are presently being used in the private sector; Technical Success Stories, projects that have produced or disseminated important scientific/technical information likely to result in future energy savings; Program Success Stories, non-R and D activities that have resulted in nationally significant energy benefits. The Energy Conservation research and development program at DOE is managed by the Office of Conservation under the direction of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Conservation. Three subordinate Program Offices correspond to the buildings, transportation, and industrial end-use sectors. A fourth subordinate Program Office/endash/Energy Utilization Research/endash/sponsors research and technical inventions for all end-use sectors.
42 CFR 405.515 - Reimbursement for clinical laboratory services billed by physicians.
2010-10-01
... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reimbursement for clinical laboratory services... Criteria for Determining Reasonable Charges § 405.515 Reimbursement for clinical laboratory services billed... limitation on reimbursement for markups on clinical laboratory services billed by physicians. If a physician...
2004 energy bill of the France
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2005-01-01
This document analyzes the energy bill in France (28,35 milliards of euros), which increased of 24,1 % in 2004. This increase is due to the net imports and especially the fossil fuels. Statistical data and the presentation of Patrick Devedjian, delegated ministry for the Industry, illustrate this economic analysis. (A.L.B.)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1978-01-16
The program measures described in this document comprise a grant request to DOE under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 and the Energy Conservation and Production Act of 1976. The amount requested, $5,555,000, will allow the extension, acceleration, and implementation of energy conservation activities already in progress in California. Accomplishments to date have included the adoption of residential standards, and the implementation of an energy survey program for public buildings. Efficiency standards have been established for refrigerators and room and central air conditioners, appliances which utilize a significant amount of residential energy. Before the end of 1977, efficiency standards will be established for clothes dryers, washers, and water heaters. Program elements are: technical/financial assistance; public awareness; standards setting; solar element; research/analysis/evaluation; and coordination and management.
Suwondo, Darmadi, Yunus, Mohd.
2017-11-01
Green campus program (GCP) is a policy to optimize the role of the University of Riau in implementing sustainable development. Green campus development is done by integrating Malay culture and conservation in every implementation of the program. We identify the biophysical, economic and socio-cultural characteristics as well as the problems encountered in the campus environment. This study uses desk study, survey, and focus group discussion (FGD). GCP analysis is divided into several stages, namely assess problem, design, implementation, monitor, evaluate and adjust. Bina Widya Campus of Universitas Riau has a good biodiversity of flora and fauna with species characteristics in lowland tropical forest ecosystems. Plant species of the Dipterocarpaceae family are the dominant species, whereas fauna is from reptile, leaves, and mammals. Efforts to maintain and enhance species diversity are undertaken by designing and constructing Arboretum and Ecoedupark for the ex situ conservation of flora and fauna. The enrichment of species is carried out by planting vegetation types that are closely related to Malay culture. On the other hand, the management of the green campus faces challenges in the diverse perceptions of stakeholders with low levels of academic participation. Economically the existence of the campus provides a multiplier effect on the emergence of various economic activities of the community around the campus. Implementation of green university campus of Riau University by integrating Melayu culture and conservation contributes to the creation of green open space which is increasingly widespread and able to support sustainable development, especially in Pekanbaru City.
A cultural landscape approach to community-based conservation in Solomon Islands
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Richard K. Walter
2014-12-01
Full Text Available International environmental organizations have an increasing commitment to the development of conservation programs in high-diversity regions where indigenous communities maintain customary rights to their lands and seas. A major challenge that these programs face is the alignment of international conservation values with those of the indigenous communities whose cooperation and support are vital. International environmental organizations are focused on biodiversity conservation, but local communities often have a different range of concerns and interests, only some of which relate to biodiversity. One solution to this problem involves adoption of a cultural landscape approach as the ethical and organizational foundation of the conservation program. In our conservation work in coastal Melanesia, we have developed a cultural landscape approach that involves the construction of a conceptual model of environment that reflects the indigenous perceptions of landscape. This model incorporates cultural, ideational, and spiritual values alongside other ecosystem services and underpins the conservation activities, priorities, and organizational structure of our programs. This cultural landscape model was a reaction to a survey of environmental values conducted by our team in which Solomon Islanders reported far greater interest in conserving cultural heritage sites than any other ecosystem resources. This caused a radical rethinking of community-based conservation programs. The methodologies we adopted are derived from the fields of archaeology and historical anthropology, in which there is an established practice of working through research problems within the framework of indigenous concepts of, and relationship to, landscape. In our work in Isabel Province, Solomon Islands, coastal communities have enthusiastically adopted conservation programs that are based on cultural landscape models that recognize indigenous values. A particularly useful tool is
Fonseca, Vinicius Ribas; Marques, Jair; Panegalli, Flavio; Gonçalves, Claudia Giglio de Oliveira; Souza, Wesley
2016-01-01
Introduction Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a serious problem for workers and therefore for businesses. The hearing conservation program (HCP) is a set of coordinated measures to prevent the development or evolution of occupational hearing loss, which involves a continuous and dynamic process of implementation of hearing conservation routines through anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and subsequent control of the occurrence of existing environmental risks or of those thatmay exist...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bird, Lori [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Davidson, Carolyn [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); McLaren, Joyce [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Miller, John [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2015-09-01
With rapid growth in energy efficiency and distributed generation, electric utilities are anticipating stagnant or decreasing electricity sales, particularly in the residential sector. Utilities are increasingly considering alternative rates structures that are designed to recover fixed costs from residential solar photovoltaic (PV) customers with low net electricity consumption. Proposed structures have included fixed charge increases, minimum bills, and increasingly, demand rates - for net metered customers and all customers. This study examines the electricity bill implications of various residential rate alternatives for multiple locations within the United States. For the locations analyzed, the results suggest that residential PV customers offset, on average, between 60% and 99% of their annual load. However, roughly 65% of a typical customer's electricity demand is non-coincidental with PV generation, so the typical PV customer is generally highly reliant on the grid for pooling services.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2010-07-01
The French house of commons has adopted this bill which allows to adapt the French legislation to the new requirements defined by the program law relative to the implementation of the French road-mad in favor of ecology and sustainable development ('Grenelle de l'environnement'). The bill covers 6 main domains: settlement and urbanism, transports, energy, biodiversity, environment and waste management, and governance and information. Its aim is to encourage the development of renewable energy sources, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, and to protect the environment thanks to new legal and technical means at the disposal of actors with practical experience, in particular the local authorities. (J.S.)
Nr 150 - Private bill introducing a progressive energy tariff
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Brottes, Francois; Le Roux, Bruno
2012-01-01
This document presents a private bill which, by introducing a progressive energy tariff, aims at speeding up energy transition (by inciting households to reduce their consumption, notably by insulating their housing), and at addressing the ineluctable issue of energy price increase. This private bill notably applies a bonus-malus concept by defining an energy consumption threshold which is to be determined by means of several parameters related to climate, housing occupancy, heating mode. This raises several issues concerning for example housing insulation of rented housing. All these aspects lead to a rather complex process to define and implement such a progressive pricing approach
Glyphosate resistant weeds - a threat to conservation agriculture
Glyphosate-resistant weeds are now present throughout the Southeast. Hundreds of thousands of conservation tillage cotton acres, some currently under USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation program contracts, are at risk of being converted to higher-intensity tillage systems....
Christian Librarians and the Ethics of the Library Bill of Rights
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Scott Kaihoi
2015-02-01
Full Text Available This study is the follow up to a pilot study entitled “Christian Librarians and the Library Bill of Rights: a survey of opinions and professional practice” published in the Spring 2014 issue of The Christian Librarian. Using an online survey, it sought to discover how librarians working in a variety of contexts who self-identified as Christians responded to the ALA’s ethical standards as embodied in the Library Bill of Rights. The results showed general support for the Library Bill of Rights and its ethics, though a majority of respondents had at least some way in which they adhered to the Library Bill of Rights less than fully, and a significant minority (around 40% had areas in which they differed with its ethics, usually in the form of feeling that certain types of content (e.g., pornography, harmful materials, etc. could or should be limited. The responses in this survey would seem to support the notion that many Christian librarians do sometimes perceive a need to place the value of defending what they perceive to be true and right above the call to remain professionally impartial about certain kinds of content.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Maíra Rubini Ruiz
2012-12-01
Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to present both the political and educational actions that are the major subjects of bill on management of batteries in Rio Claro city, SP, Brazil. While the political actions refer to the furthering of a bill approved recently in the local Youth Parliament for presentation in the Board of Aldermen, the educational actions relate to the creation of an environmental education program to orient the disposal of batteries at the municipal level. The National Policy on Solid Waste (Law 12,305 passed in 2010 introduced mechanisms to accomplish the shared responsibility for the lifecycle of batteries (and other products and reverse logistics. This law classified batteries into the category of toxic waste. The study that supported the writing of the bill included an analysis of the existing public and private initiatives on batteries´ collection in Rio Claro seeking treatment in major urban centers having the reverse logistics as a premise. In recognition of the importance of the environmental education program, the local Education Secretariat, supported by Sepladema, has defined a schedule for the lectures to be given in public schools. In addition, an application claiming for reforms in the existing public ecopoints was submitted and approved in the Youth Parliament and forwarded for further approval by Sepladema.
47 CFR 64.1510 - Billing and collection of pay-per-call and similar service charges.
2010-10-01
... Pay-Per-Call and Other Information Services § 64.1510 Billing and collection of pay-per-call and... pay-per-call services and offering billing and collection services to such provider shall: (1) Ensure... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Billing and collection of pay-per-call and...
May, Thomas W.; Walther, Mike J.; Brumbaugh, William G.
2007-01-01
This report presents the results of contaminant monitoring surveys conducted annually by the Missouri Department of Conservation to examine the levels of selected elemental contaminants in hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) blood and fish. Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus, Ictalurus punctatus, Pylodictis olivaris), redhorse (Moxostoma anisorum, Moxostoma erythrurum), bass (Micropterus salmoides, Micropterus punctulatus, Micropterus Lacepede, Ambloplites rupestris), walleye (Sander vitreus), and sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) were collected from 17 sites as part of the Department's General Contaminant Monitoring Program. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and other sunfish (Lepomis megalotis, Lepomis cyanellus) were collected from 18 sites as part of the Department's Resource Assessment and Monitoring Program. Blood from hellbenders was collected from seven sites as part of the Department's Hellbender Monitoring Program.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Waters, A.
2005-01-01
In Ontario, when both professionals and non-professionals want to learn about sustainable technologies and practices they usually end up at the Kortright Centre For Conservation. Kortright has one of the largest educational programs in Canada dedicated to informing and inspiring people from all walks of life to think and act more sustainably. Our goals are to inform, to demonstrate and to promote green energy solutions. To these ends, Kortright has designed a number of successful programs for students and adults that provide both theoretical and hands on learning opportunities. Each year thousands of people trek to Kortright to participate in adult workshops and curriculum-based school programs. This paper and presentation will reveal some of the unique demonstrations and programming used by Kortright to motivate people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. (author)
基于互联网票据理财谈商业银行票据资管%Commercial Bank's Bill Asset Management Based on Internet Bill Financing
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
艾瑶
2015-01-01
本文运用比较分析的方法对当前主要的互联网票据理财平台的运作模式归纳总结,并以阿里招财宝为例详细分析银行角色和风险,最后从票据电子化、发挥银行票源优势、组建银行系票据理财平台等方面提出建议,以期对商业银行的票据资产管理业务提供启发.%In this paper, we use the method of comparative analysis to summarize the operation mode of the main Internet bills financing platforms, and analyze the role and risk of the bank in detail by taking Ali trick treasure as an example. Finally, the paper puts forward suggestions on Commercial bank's bill asset management from the aspects of the electronic bills, the bank's ticket source and the formation of Bank bill financing platform.
A Lifetime of Geodesy and Geophysics: In Rememberence of Bill Kaula
Smith, David E.
2000-01-01
In the early 1960's the secrets that knowledge of the Earth's gravity field would eventually reveal about the processes that govern our planet were yet to be appreciated. It was the beginning of a new science known as space geodesy, which arose at a time when most efforts were devoted to understanding how to extract precise measurements of Earth structure and motions from an orbiting spacecraft. Bill Kaula was central to that beginning and showed the way for many who were to follow, both in time and in the development of approaches most likely to yield results. Bill laid out the theory, analyzed the data, and argued strenuously for a spacecraft mission devoted to measuring gravity to make it all come true in the way he knew it really could. That mission, GRACE, was a long time coming and Bill would not see its final staging, but his influence in making it happen was everywhere. With time, the concepts for measuring the static gravity field of the Earth and terrestrial planets became well advanced, although not universally agreed upon, and certainly not by Bill, who was always eager to argue and challenge traditional methods and thinking. The extension of space geodetic techniques to the planets and the development of new techniques to measure time variations in gravity have recently brought geodesy even closer to the geophysical processes that Bill sought to understand. This presentation will contain a little geodesy, a little history, and a little reminiscing about the leader in our field.
Computational Analysis of an Evolutionarily Conserved VertebrateMuscle Alternative Splicing Program
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Das, Debopriya; Clark, Tyson A.; Schweitzer, Anthony; Marr,Henry; Yamamoto, Miki L.; Parra, Marilyn K.; Arribere, Josh; Minovitsky,Simon; Dubchak, Inna; Blume, John E.; Conboy, John G.
2006-06-15
A novel exon microarray format that probes gene expression with single exon resolution was employed to elucidate critical features of a vertebrate muscle alternative splicing program. A dataset of 56 microarray-defined, muscle-enriched exons and their flanking introns were examined computationally in order to investigate coordination of the muscle splicing program. Candidate intron regulatory motifs were required to meet several stringent criteria: significant over-representation near muscle-enriched exons, correlation with muscle expression, and phylogenetic conservation among genomes of several vertebrate orders. Three classes of regulatory motifs were identified in the proximal downstream intron, within 200nt of the target exons: UGCAUG, a specific binding site for Fox-1 related splicing factors; ACUAAC, a novel branchpoint-like element; and UG-/UGC-rich elements characteristic of binding sites for CELF splicing factors. UGCAUG was remarkably enriched, being present in nearly one-half of all cases. These studies suggest that Fox and CELF splicing factors play a major role in enforcing the muscle-specific alternative splicing program, facilitating expression of a set of unique isoforms of cytoskeletal proteins that are critical to muscle cell differentiation. Supplementary materials: There are four supplementary tables and one supplementary figure. The tables provide additional detailed information concerning the muscle-enriched datasets, and about over-represented oligonucleotide sequences in the flanking introns. The supplementary figure shows RT-PCR data confirming the muscle-enriched expression of exons predicted from the microarray analysis.
The cost of policy simplification in conservation incentive programs
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Armsworth, Paul R.; Acs, Szvetlana; Dallimer, Martin
2012-01-01
of biodiversity. Common policy simplifications result in a 49100% loss in biodiversity benefits depending on the conservation target chosen. Failure to differentiate prices for conservation improvements in space is particularly problematic. Additional implementation costs that accompany more complicated policies......Incentive payments to private landowners provide a common strategy to conserve biodiversity and enhance the supply of goods and services from ecosystems. To deliver cost-effective improvements in biodiversity, payment schemes must trade-off inefficiencies that result from over-simplified policies...... with the administrative burden of implementing more complex incentive designs. We examine the effectiveness of different payment schemes using field parameterized, ecological economic models of extensive grazing farms. We focus on profit maximising farm management plans and use bird species as a policy-relevant indicator...
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program: 2016 projects to address coral reef conservation issues
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — In 2016 the following projects will take place to address aspects of coral reef conservation: Enhancing Management of Pacific ESA-listed Corals with Improved Utility...
Chart Smart: A Need for Documentation and Billing Education Among Emergency Medicine Residents?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Brian Dawson, MD
2010-05-01
Full Text Available Objective: The healthcare chart is becoming ever more complex, serving clinicians, patients, third party payers, regulators, and even medicolegal parties. The purpose of this study was to identify our emergency medicine (EM resident and attending physicians’ current knowledge and attitudes about billing and documentation practices. We hypothesized that resident and attending physicians would identify billing and documentation as an area in which residents need further education.Methods: We gave a 15-question Likert survey to resident and attending physicians regarding charting practices, knowledge of billing and documentation, and opinions regarding need for further education.Results: We achieved a 100% response rate, with 47% (16/34 of resident physicians disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that they have adequate training in billing and documentation, while 91% (31/34 of residents and 95% (21/22 of attending physicians identified this skill as important to a resident’s future practice. Eighty-two percent (28/34 of resident physicians and 100% of attending physicians recommended further education for residents.Conclusion: Residents in this academic EM department identified a need for further education in billing and documentation practices. [West J Emerg Med. 2010;11(2: 116-119.
7 CFR 1466.27 - Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG).
2010-01-01
..., evaluation, and implementation of: (i) Conservation adoption incentive systems, including market-based... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). 1466.27 Section... PROGRAM Contracts and Payments § 1466.27 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). (a) Definitions. In...
What Drives Bird Vision? Bill Control and Predator Detection Overshadow Flight
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Graham R. Martin
2017-11-01
Full Text Available Although flight is regarded as a key behavior of birds this review argues that the perceptual demands for its control are met within constraints set by the perceptual demands of two other key tasks: the control of bill (or feet position, and the detection of food items/predators. Control of bill position, or of the feet when used in foraging, and timing of their arrival at a target, are based upon information derived from the optic flow-field in the binocular region that encompasses the bill. Flow-fields use information extracted from close to the bird using vision of relatively low spatial resolution. The detection of food items and predators is based upon information detected at a greater distance and depends upon regions in the retina with relatively high spatial resolution. The tasks of detecting predators and of placing the bill (or feet accurately, make contradictory demands upon vision and these have resulted in trade-offs in the form of visual fields and in the topography of retinal regions in which spatial resolution is enhanced, indicated by foveas, areas, and high ganglion cell densities. The informational function of binocular vision in birds does not lie in binocularity per se (i.e., two eyes receiving slightly different information simultaneously about the same objects but in the contralateral projection of the visual field of each eye. This ensures that each eye receives information from a symmetrically expanding optic flow-field centered close to the direction of the bill, and from this the crucial information of direction of travel and time-to-contact can be extracted, almost instantaneously. Interspecific comparisons of visual fields between closely related species have shown that small differences in foraging techniques can give rise to different perceptual challenges and these have resulted in differences in visual fields even within the same genus. This suggests that vision is subject to continuing and relatively rapid
Flynn, Matthew B; Atwood, Robin; Greenberg, Jennifer B; Ray, Tara; Harris, Karol Kaye
2015-11-01
The Affordable Care Act presents financial challenges and opportunities for publicly funded service providers. We assessed billing practices and anticipated barriers to third-party billing among organizations in Texas that provide publicly funded HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis services. One third to one half of the organizations did not bill for medical services. The most common barrier to third-party billing was lack of staff knowledge about billing and coding. Future research must evaluate options for organizations and communities to maintain access to infectious disease services for vulnerable populations.
Atwood, Robin; Greenberg, Jennifer B.; Ray, Tara; Harris, Karol Kaye
2015-01-01
The Affordable Care Act presents financial challenges and opportunities for publicly funded service providers. We assessed billing practices and anticipated barriers to third-party billing among organizations in Texas that provide publicly funded HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis services. One third to one half of the organizations did not bill for medical services. The most common barrier to third-party billing was lack of staff knowledge about billing and coding. Future research must evaluate options for organizations and communities to maintain access to infectious disease services for vulnerable populations. PMID:26447911
2013-04-29
... nongovernmental organizations that represent conservation organizations, sportsmen's and women's organizations... Regionally- coordinated Science and Collaboration. 9......... Compilation of Reservoir Habitat Arkansas Game...
Plümtoonia Bill - nagu orkester / Tiit Tuumalu
Tuumalu, Tiit, 1971-
2008-01-01
19.-23. nov. toimuvast animafilmide festivalist "Animated Dreams". Pikemalt USA tuntuimast sõltumatust animaatorist Bill Plymtonist, kes näitab festivalil oma täispikka joonisfilmi "Idioodid ja inglid" ("Idiots and Angels")
Teaching Billing and Coding to Medical Students: A Pilot Study
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jiaxin Tran
2013-08-01
Full Text Available Complex billing practices cost the US healthcare system billions of dollars annually. Coding for outpatient office visits [known as Evaluation & Management (E&M services] is commonly particularly fraught with errors. The best way to insure proper billing and coding by practicing physicians is to teach this as part of the medical school curriculum. Here, in a pilot study, we show that medical students can learn well the basic principles from lectures. This approach is easy to implement into a medical school curriculum.
Aplikasi Billing Client/Server Dengan Mengunakan Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0
Sinukaban, Eva Solida
2010-01-01
Kajian ini bertujuan untuk membangun Billing Server yang gratis dalam jaringan Local dengan media transmisi berupa kabel UTP atau Wifi, Jaringan LAN yang dibangun ini merupakan jaringan client server yang memiliki server dengan sistem operasi yang dipakai adalah windows XP Service Pack 2. Tujuan pembuatan Aplikasi Billing Server ini adalah untuk dapat melakukan sharing data dan komunikasi antar komputer sehingga komputer-komputer tersebut dapat dimanfaatkan seoptimal mungkin baik dari sisi Se...
Impact of Alternative Rate Structures on Distributed Solar Customer Electricity Bills
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
McLaren, Joyce A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2018-03-02
Electric utilities are increasingly proposing changes to residential rate structures, in order to address concerns about their inability to recover fixed system costs from customers with grid connected distributed generation. The most common proposals have been to increase fixed charges, set minimum bills or instigate residential demand charges. This presentation provides results of an analysis to explore how these rate design alternatives impact electricity bills for PV and non-PV customers.
Bill Gates køber sig til positive historier om udviklingsbistanden
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Fejerskov, Adam Moe
2014-01-01
Flere store og velansete medier får penge af Bill Gates' fond for at at bringe positive historier om udviklingsbistanden. Men det medfører en risiko for at journalistikken bliver ukritisk og overfladisk......Flere store og velansete medier får penge af Bill Gates' fond for at at bringe positive historier om udviklingsbistanden. Men det medfører en risiko for at journalistikken bliver ukritisk og overfladisk...
A Barking Dog That Never Bites? The British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill
De Meulder, Maartje
2015-01-01
This article describes and analyses the pathway to the British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill and the strategies used to reach it. Data collection has been done by means of interviews with key players, analysis of official documents, and participant observation. The article discusses the bill in relation to the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005…
Polite, Blase; Conti, Rena M; Ward, Jeffery C
2015-01-01
Treating patients with cancer with infused or injected oncolytics is a core component of outpatient oncology practice. Currently, practices purchase drugs and then bill insurers, colloquially called "buy and bill." Reimbursement for these drugs is the largest source of gross revenue for oncology practices, and as the prices of cancer drugs have grown over time, these purchases have had significant impact on the financial health of practices and pose a risk that jeopardizes the ability of many practices to operate and provide patient care. Medicare Part B spending on drugs is under political scrutiny because of federal spending pressures, and the margin between buy and bill, lowered to 6% by the Medicare Modernization Act and further decreased to 4.3% by sequestration, is a convenient and popular target of budgetary discussions and proposals, scored to save billions of dollars over 10-year budget windows for each percentage-point reduction. Alternatives to the buy-and-bill system have been proposed to include invoice pricing, least costly alternative reimbursement, bundling of drugs into episode-of-care payments, shifting Part B drugs to the Medicare Part D benefit, and revision of the failed Competitive Acquisition Program. This article brings the perspectives of policy makers, health care economists, and providers together to discuss this major challenge in oncology payment reform.
10 CFR 430.34 - Energy and water conservation standards amendments
2010-01-01
... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Energy and water conservation standards amendments 430.34 Section 430.34 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS Energy and Water Conservation Standards § 430.34 Energy and water conservation standards...
Utility bill comprehension in the commercial and industrialsector: results of field research
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Payne, Christopher T.
2000-06-02
This paper presents the results of interviews conducted with 44 business people in 10 states to examine the use of the utility bill as an information mechanism for providing businesses with the relationship between energy consumption and cost. Our results indicate that there are significant barriers to the use of the utility bill as an information tool for energy consumers. Furthermore, we found significant variations among respondents in the information desired from the bill, and differences in decision-making criteria for investments aimed at reducing energy consumption and for those aimed at other forms of waste minimization. These results call into question the applicability of standard market theories in the purchase of energy by most businesses.
Typical electric bills, January 1, 1981
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1981-01-01
The Typical Electric Bills report is prepared by the Electric Power Division; Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels; Energy Information Administration; Department of Energy. The publication is geared to a variety of applications by electric utilities, industry, consumes, educational institutions, and government in recognition of the growing importance of energy planning in contemporary society. 19 figs., 18 tabs
Evolving concepts and opportunities in soil conservation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Julian Dumanski
2015-03-01
The paper discusses some of the new driving forces, new international programs, and new potential partners in soil conservation. Increasingly, international efforts to mitigate land degradation are shifting from studies of the biophysical processes to improving the global, national and local enabling policy environment, as well as mainstreaming of soil conservation into national and regional policies and programs. Also, increased emphasis is placed on economic instruments and international markets, such as carbon trading, and incorporation of non-market values in ecosystem investment, such as payment for ecosystem services, certification schemes, etc. The paper discusses some of the opportunities for soil conservation that accrue from these new driving forces.
Proceedings of the International Seminar on Electric Power Conservation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1989-01-01
The experiences from 10 different countries on energy conservation are discussed in this seminar. Electric power conservation in Brazil, conservation in commercial sector, comparison between international programs and new technology are also included. (M.V.M.)
THE UGANDA COPYRIGHT AND NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS BILL ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
The paper discusses the concept and philosophy of copyright. It also discusses copyright infringement with special reference to ICT. Furthermore, the paper examines international provisions related to copyright and reviews the Copyright Law Model. The paper also identifies gaps in the Uganda Copyright Bill, 2002 and ...
A Critical Discussion of "The Ethical Presuppositions behind the Library Bill of Rights."
Doyle, Tony
2002-01-01
Discussion of the Library Bill of Rights focuses on paternalism and the dangers of Internet filtering, in response to a previous article that advocated revision of the Bill of Rights. Topics include ethical presuppositions; censorship; philosophical foundations; access; social contract theory; and utilitarianism. (LRW)
A bill for the renaissance of nuclear power in Italy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
2009-01-01
Today Italy is the only G8 member to have no nuclear power plants in operation. In 1987 as a consequence of a referendum Italy decided to shut down its nuclear power plants and to forbid the construction of new ones. Italy relies on oil and gas imports for 80% of its energy needs. The Italian parliament has recently passed a bill for a renaissance of nuclear power. The bill gives 6 months to the government to set the rules and conditions for the come-back of nuclear energy. (A.C.)
Long-billed curlews on the Yakima Training Center: Information for base realignment
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hand, K.D.; Cadwell, L.L.; Eberhardt, L.E.
1994-02-01
This report summarizes and discusses the results obtained during 1992 from the study of long-billed curlews on the Yakima Training Center (YTC), which Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted for the US Department of the Army. This study was initiated to provide basic ecological information on YTC long-billed curlews (Numenius americanus). The long-billed curlew is a relatively common spring and summer resident on the YTC. However, other than casual observations, very little is known about the distribution, density, reproductive success, and habitat requirements for this species on the YTC. Until recently the long-billed curlew was a US Fish and Wildlife Service candidate for listing as threatened or endangered; however, on November 21, 1991 it was down-listed to Class IIIc. The Washington Department of Wildlife lists the long-billed curlew as a ``species of special concern.`` Specific objectives of this study were to (1) locate nesting areas, (2) locate brood-rearing areas, (3) evaluate habitat requirements, (4) determine diet, (5) evaluate response to troop activities, (6) evaluate the impact of livestock grazing, (7) estimate the population size, and (8) estimate recruitment rates. Six curlews (four females and two males) were captured and fitted with radio transmitters. These birds were relocated to obtain nesting, habitat use, and feeding information. Road surveys conducted over most of the YTC provided information on the bird`s general distribution, habitat requirements, and nesting and brood-rearing areas.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This EnviroAtlas dataset shows the acres of land enrolled in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The CRP is administered by...
Utilization of genetic tests: analysis of gene-specific billing in Medicare claims data.
Lynch, Julie A; Berse, Brygida; Dotson, W David; Khoury, Muin J; Coomer, Nicole; Kautter, John
2017-08-01
We examined the utilization of precision medicine tests among Medicare beneficiaries through analysis of gene-specific tier 1 and 2 billing codes developed by the American Medical Association in 2012. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study. The primary source of data was 2013 Medicare 100% fee-for-service claims. We identified claims billed for each laboratory test, the number of patients tested, expenditures, and the diagnostic codes indicated for testing. We analyzed variations in testing by patient demographics and region of the country. Pharmacogenetic tests were billed most frequently, accounting for 48% of the expenditures for new codes. The most common indications for testing were breast cancer, long-term use of medications, and disorders of lipid metabolism. There was underutilization of guideline-recommended tumor mutation tests (e.g., epidermal growth factor receptor) and substantial overutilization of a test discouraged by guidelines (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase). Methodology-based tier 2 codes represented 15% of all claims billed with the new codes. The highest rate of testing per beneficiary was in Mississippi and the lowest rate was in Alaska. Gene-specific billing codes significantly improved our ability to conduct population-level research of precision medicine. Analysis of these data in conjunction with clinical records should be conducted to validate findings.Genet Med advance online publication 26 January 2017.
Grantee Spotlight: Bill Nelson, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. William (Bill) Nelson is playing an integral role in advancing our understanding of cancer health disparities and helping to foster the interests of young students from underrepresented backgrounds in cancer/cancer health disparities research.
Lindenmayer, David B.; Zammit, Charles; Attwood, Simon J.; Burns, Emma; Shepherd, Claire L.; Kay, Geoff; Wood, Jeff
2012-01-01
We report on the design and implementation of ecological monitoring for an Australian biodiversity conservation incentive scheme – the Environmental Stewardship Program. The Program uses competitive auctions to contract individual land managers for up to 15 years to conserve matters of National Environmental Significance (with an initial priority on nationally threatened ecological communities). The ecological monitoring was explicitly aligned with the Program’s policy objective and desired outcomes and was applied to the Program’s initial Project which targeted the critically endangered White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland ecological community in south eastern Australia. These woodlands have been reduced to <3% of their original extent and persist mostly as small remnants of variable condition on private farmland. We established monitoring sites on 153 farms located over 172,232 sq km. On each farm we established a monitoring site within the woodland patch funded for management and, wherever possible, a matched control site. The monitoring has entailed gathering data on vegetation condition, reptiles and birds. We also gathered data on the costs of experimental design, site establishment, field survey, and data analysis. The costs of monitoring are approximately 8.5% of the Program’s investment in the first four years and hence are in broad accord with the general rule of thumb that 5–10% of a program’s funding should be invested in monitoring. Once initial monitoring and site benchmarking are completed we propose to implement a novel rotating sampling approach that will maintain scientific integrity while achieving an annual cost-efficiency of up to 23%. We discuss useful lessons relevant to other monitoring programs where there is a need to provide managers with reliable early evidence of program effectiveness and to demonstrate opportunities for cost-efficiencies. PMID:23236399
2011-07-22
... included the HPBA membership directory, Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI.... Summary of the Proposed Rule II. History of the Energy Conservation Standards Rulemaking and Current... notice. DOE's rationale is presented in further detail immediately below. II. History of the Energy...
2012-05-31
... energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial... Efficiency Levels 5. Proprietary Designs 6. Reverse Engineering D. Markups Analysis E. Energy and Water Use... per-cycle hot water energy consumption; (2) the total weighted per-cycle machine electrical energy...
Risk bearing and use of fee-for-service billing among accountable care organizations.
Muhlestein, David B; Croshaw, Andrew A; Merrill, Thomas P
2013-07-01
To determine the willingness of accountable care organizations (ACOs) to bear financial risk for the healthcare they provide. Structured interviews conducted between January and June 2012 with 57 ACOs led by hospitals and physician groups located throughout the United States. Findings are based on the 38 ACOs that were actively providing care under an ACO payment arrangement at the time of the interview. Among these ACOs, 71% cover a portion of their ACO population with contracts that put the ACOs at some financial risk, while 45% have risk-based contracts for their entire ACO population. Payments based on fee-for-service (FFS) billing still dominate, as 92% of ACOs use FFS-based billing for at least a portion of their ACO population and 71% are fully reimbursed using FFS-based billing. Under the auspices of an ACO, providers are accepting some financial risk for their accountable care patient population. There is still strong reliance on FFS-based billing methods as providers experiment with different payment models.
Farm Programs: Changes to the Marketing Assistance Loan Program Have Had Little Impact on Payments
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
2001-01-01
.... Department of Agriculture (USDA). This program was designed originally to provide short-term financing so that farmers could pay their bills right after harvest and spread their sales over the entire marketing year...
Energy R and D. Conservation planning and management should be strengthened
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hale, Richard A.; Fishkin, Christine M.B.; MacLeod, Molly W.; Davis, Alphonse R.; Crawford, John T.; Dowd, Leonard L.; Sisson, John W.; Sugimura, Richard H.
1990-07-01
Increased energy efficiency can lessen our dependence on imported oil, reduce environmental problems associated with the use of fossil fuels, and enhance the competitive position of U.S. companies internationally. Following a decade in which conservation R and D program funding declined by more than 50 percent, the Secretary of Energy has said that energy conservation will be given increased priority in DOE. Increased priority for DOE's energy efficiency R and D program would support interim DOE National Energy Strategy (NES) report findings. DOE's interim NES report said that broad public support exists for increasing energy efficiency and protecting the environment from the effects of energy production and use. In the 1970s and 1980s, the DOE conservation R and D program produced some commercially successful technologies, such as fluorescent lighting advances and low emissivity window coatings, that are providing energy savings and are expected to provide substantial savings in the future. In the early 1980s energy conservation R and D funding and staff were reduced substantially, reflecting the administration's view that conservation research should be conducted primarily by the private sector. Since the large cutback, funding has been relatively stable, it was $346 million in 1980, $152 million in 1982, and $149 million in 1990. The 1991 budget request reflects a 9-percent program reduction compared with the prior year's appropriations. Since 1983, DOE's Office of Conservation has used a long-term planning process to produce an energy conservation multi-year R and D plan. However, the plan and the planning process could be strengthened to more fully meet the needs of policy makers. For example, the plan's usefulness and credibility would be improved if it provided detailed information on individual projects. Also, the planning process does not include systematic project reviews at DOE headquarters or use a uniform project prioritization methodology to rank
Cade, Brian S.; Vandever, Mark W.; Allen, Arthur W.; Terrell, James W.
2005-01-01
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) established under the 1985 Food Security Act has the fundamental objectives of jointly providing economic support to segments of the agricultural community and conservation of natural resources (Osborn, 1997; Heard and others, 2000). Although soil loss on highly erodable lands was the principal natural resource conservation issue addressed in the 1985 CRP, improving water quality and wildlife habitat both became important considerations as the program evolved (Farmer and others, 1988). For example, Best and others (1997) found that production of young birds on CRP fields in the Midwest was ≥15 times the production on row-crop fields because of improved habitat. The increasing importance of wildlife habitat is reflected in continuing refinement of the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to quantify the potential benefits of enrolling lands in CRP (Osborn, 1997; Ribaudo and others, 2001). The refinements reflect input furnished by federal, state, and non-government organizations seeking greater wildlife habitat quality on CRP lands (Roseberry and David, 1994; Hughes and others, 1995; Millenbah and others, 1996; Patterson and Best, 1996; Rodgers, 1999; Allen and others, 2001).Refinement in the EBI has changed the types of grasses planted on newly enrolled land. In early CRP signups (1 through 11), 71% of new grassland acres were planted to introduced grasses and legumes [Conservation Practice (CP) 1] while 29% of the acres were planted to native grasses (CP2) (Osborn and others, 1992). By the 27th signup in July 2004, over 34.8 million acres (14 million ha) were enrolled in the CRP. More than 73% of these lands were planted to various mixtures of introduced (CP1) or native (CP2) grasses for a minimal contract period of 10 years (USDA, 2004). Continuation of grass plantings under the 2002 Farm Bill may result in CRP lands furnishing grass dominated cover for 20 or more consecutive
Improving the Emergency Department's Processes of Coding and Billing at Brooke Army Medical Center
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Lehning, Peter
2003-01-01
.... Beginning in October 2002, outpatient itemized billing was mandated for use in the AMEDD. This system shifted the process of billing for outpatient services from an allinclusive rate to one based on the actual care provided...
Department of Energy workshops on industrial energy conservation reporting
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Harvey, Douglas G.
1979-01-01
A voluntary industrial energy-conservation program was initiated and now includes 50 trade organizations representing over 3,000 companies. Their current reporting system is an effort to respond to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act requirements, as now modified by the National Energy Conservation Policy Act. DOE's Office of Industrial Programs held six workshops in various key locations between November 1978 and February 1979 to enable energy managers to develop ideas and make suggestions that would improve the current and future energy-reporting programs. This report is a summary of the wide range of recommendations that the workshop participants offered as a means of meeting the NECPA requirements and the criticism of the current reporting program. It also reflects industry's views on potential approaches to future reporting. (MCW)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2006-07-01
This document provides the presentation of Francois Loos concerning the policy bill on the program of radioactive materials and wastes. Three axis of researches are decided: the separation and transmutation, the deep underground disposal and long dated storage and conditioning processes. The bill institutes a national radioactive materials and waste management plan and defines a programme and calendar for research and work leading to implementation of this plan, which will comprise three major points: with a view to looking to reduce the quantity of waste, spent nuclear fuels taken from the nuclear power plants will be reprocessed for recycling in the plants; waste which cannot be recycled will be packaged in a robust matrix and then temporarily stored on the surface; after interim storage, waste which cannot be finally disposed of in a surface facility, will be placed in a deep geological reversible repository. In order to monitor each step in this plan, the bill strengthens independent assessment of research and involves greater information of the public. With regard to financing, the bill clarifies the fact that economic development of the departments concerned by research into disposal options and the research itself will be financed by additional taxes on the operators of nuclear installations. (A.L.B.)
Opportunities and obstacles for rangeland conservation in San Diego County, California, USA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kathleen A. Farley
2017-03-01
Full Text Available Working landscapes such as rangelands are increasingly recognized as having high conservation value, providing a variety of ecosystem services, including food, fiber, habitat, recreation, open space, carbon storage, and water, in addition to a broad range of social benefits. However, conversion of rangelands to other land uses has been prevalent throughout the western United States, leading to greater attention in the conservation community to the importance of collaborating with private landowners. The level of interest in collaborative conservation among private landowners and the types of conservation programs they choose to participate in depend on the social, economic, and environmental context. We used GIS analysis and interviews with ranchers to evaluate rangeland conversion and participation in conservation programs among ranchers in San Diego County, California, USA, which is part of a biodiversity hotspot with high plant species richness and a large number of endemic and rare species. We found that > 25% of rangelands were converted to other uses, primarily urbanization, over the past 25 years while the area of public rangeland increased by 9%. Interviews revealed that ranchers in San Diego County have had limited involvement with most conservation programs, and a critical factor for nonparticipation was providing programs access to private land, along with other issues related to trust and social values. Among ranchers who had participated in conservation programs, the payment level and the agency or organization administering the program were key factors. Our results provide insight into factors influencing whether and when ranchers are likely to participate in conservation initiatives and illustrate that private and public land conservation are strongly linked and would be more effective if the two strategies were better integrated.
Regional effects of agricultural conservation practices on nutrient transport
Anna Maria Garcia; Richard B. Alexander; Jeffrey G. Arnold; Lee Norfleet; Mike White; Dale M. Robertson; Gregory Schwarz
2016-01-01
The Conservation Effects Assessment Program (CEAP), initiated by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has the goal of quantifying the environmental benefits of agricultural conservation practices. As part of this effort, detailed farmer surveyswere compiled to document the adoption of conservation practices. Survey data showed that up to 38...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Brottes, Francois
2013-01-01
This report proposes a second reading which aims at defining the legal framework associated with the French energy conservation policy. This bill project introduces a 'bonus-malus' approach which aims at identifying housings which must be renewed in priority in order to reduce their energy consumption. The first objective of this bill project is to provide households with a responsibility tool regarding their consumption: a basic energy volume will be assigned to each household, calculated with respect to the energy type, household composition and geographical location. It should be possible then to warn users when they are in an over-consumption situation, and to help them to take corrective actions. The other objectives are to struggle against energy 'precariousness', to prevent energy price increase, to improve the regime of capacity guarantee obligations, to strengthen consumer protection, to ease the development of renewable energies, and to create the modalities of a progressive water tariffing. The document reports the discussion and comments of the bill project articles. It also proposes a comparison of the content of the successive versions