WorldWideScience

Sample records for case study planning

  1. Approach to operational mine planning: Case study Tamnava West

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stevanović Dejan R.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In contemporary mining industry is very difficult to achieve production targets and profit without investing effort in detailed excavation planning. It is especially true for deposits with complex geological structure and production technology, as is the case for many coal mines in Serbia. The majority of coal production is used for generation of electricity in power plant. This fact is the main reason why production objectives of coal mine and power plant are strongly connected. Due to the fluctuation of the coal quality, operational mine planning (as a part of coal homogenization process, is of critical importance for managing successful coal quality control and meeting criteria of power plant. This paper investigates advantage of proper operational planning on coal quality control process and overall production performance. For better understanding case study is conducted on open pit Tamnava West field. Successful operational mine planning is almost impossible without use of modern software packages. For that reason in presented case study operational mine planning is done with Minex software.

  2. A case study of strategic planning IFB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Henrique Rodrigues de Camargo Dias

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to identify and characterize the initial stage of the IFB strategic planning, based on the perception of top management and planning team. The case study adopts a qualitative approach supported by bibliographic research techniques, to build a theoretical foundation, allied to the semistructure interview for later, application of the content analysis. As a result, we can identify that the institution opted to first define the strategic references, based on the construction of the mission, vision and values, and later, analysis of the organizational diagnosis, based on the Balanced Scorecard methodology. It was verified that the tool of strategic planning and its use are points that need to be better understood by the managers and technical planning team. The predominant characteristics of strategic planning are composed of a programmatic tool for projecting medium and long term goals and actions, of legal compliance, as it integrates and operationalizes the Institutional Development Plan (PDI.

  3. Comparing landscape planning in England, Germany and the Netherlands : policy contexts and three case study plans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schröder, R.R.G.; Wascher, D.M.; Odell, S.; Smith, C.

    2010-01-01

    This comparative study of landscape planning, within three case-studies in England, Germany and the Netherlands, has the proposed outcomes to create a mutually understood model for ‘landscape planning’, a catalogue of key concepts on space, landscape and planning and a proposal for further European

  4. Planning Intervention Using Dynamic Assessments: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasson, Natalie; Dodd, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    Dynamic assessments (DA) of language have been shown to be a useful addition to the battery of tests used to diagnose language impairments in children, and to evaluate their skills. The current article explores the value of the information gained from a DA in planning intervention for a child with language impairment. A single case study was used…

  5. Case study of nuclear power planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Covarrubias, A.J.; Lane, J.A.

    1976-01-01

    An improved version of the computer programme WASP (Wien Automatic System Planning) is described by the example of a case study. The aim of an optimal power plant development within the economic development is reached over several steps the most important parameters of which are explained in detail. To use the method it is necessary to know and to describe the energy and electricity supply situation of the country referred to. The programme development described has proved to be good in use in an international frame. The IAEA offers its help to all prospected customers in their initial period with the programme WASP. (UA) [de

  6. Traditional-Aged College Juniors' Career Planning Self-Efficacy: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, Dawn C.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this single-site case study was to explore and describe traditional-age college juniors' reports of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997) regarding Career Planning (Barker & Kellen, 1998). More specifically, the career planning confidence levels of college juniors enrolled in a required career development course at a private business…

  7. Leadership and productivity in planning organizations: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitcomb, G R; Williams, E G

    1978-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of a case study dealing mainly with the effects of two divergent leadership styles on the productivity of a planning organization. Changes in various kinds of participation in the agency's activities--an important side effect--are also linked to the two leadership patterns. The agency studied, a private health and welfare council in a medium-sized American city, varied considerably in its output of planning activities and decision making depending on whether it had a participative or a directive leader. The results indicated that there was a trade-off between such highly revered social values as leadership and the extent of participation by staff, board members, and local agency administrators. Implications focus on ways to achieve diversity in communication style among managers and the role of productivity measures in determining the overall effectiveness of planning agencies.

  8. Treatment planning for SBRT using automated field delivery: A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ritter, Timothy A.; Owen, Dawn; Brooks, Cassandra M.; Stenmark, Matthew H.

    2015-01-01

    Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment planning and delivery can be accomplished using a variety of techniques that achieve highly conformal dose distributions. Herein, we describe a template-based automated treatment field approach that enables rapid delivery of more than 20 coplanar fields. A case study is presented to demonstrate how modest adaptations to traditional SBRT planning can be implemented to take clinical advantage of this technology. Treatment was planned for a left-sided lung lesion adjacent to the chest wall using 25 coplanar treatment fields spaced at 11° intervals. The plan spares the contralateral lung and is in compliance with the conformality standards set forth in Radiation Therapy and Oncology Group protocol 0915, and the dose tolerances found in the report of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 101. Using a standard template, treatment planning was accomplished in less than 20 minutes, and each 10 Gy fraction was delivered in approximately 5.4 minutes. For those centers equipped with linear accelerators capable of automated treatment field delivery, the use of more than 20 coplanar fields is a viable SBRT planning approach and yields excellent conformality and quality combined with rapid planning and treatment delivery. Although the case study discusses a laterally located lung lesion, this technique can be applied to centrally located tumors with similar results

  9. Views on planning and expectations of SEA: the case of transport planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hilden, Mikael; Furman, Eeva; Kaljonen, Minna

    2004-01-01

    This paper examines the effectiveness of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in transport planning in the light of different views of planning: synoptic optimising planning, communicative planning and planning as a social struggle. The analysis uses empirical materials from 17 case studies collected by survey from Member Countries of the United Nation's Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) and further processed in a practitioners' workshop, and also a detailed case study carried out in Finland. The case studies and the workshop identified a set of necessary conditions and facilitating factors that contribute to the effectiveness of strategic environmental assessments in transport planning. Our findings suggest that transport planning can often best be characterised as a social struggle over problem definitions and future choices. Thus, the effectiveness of SEA will depend on how well the assessment fits into the planning context and on its actual contribution to debates on problem definitions. Specific procedural steps may improve the effectiveness but explicit requirements to recognise SEA in decision making are likely to be a key condition

  10. Study protocol: cross-national comparative case study of recovery-focused mental health care planning and coordination (COCAPP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, Alan; Hannigan, Ben; Coffey, Michael; Jones, Aled; Barlow, Sally; Cohen, Rachel; Všetečková, Jitka; Faulkner, Alison; Haddad, Mark

    2015-07-03

    The collaborative care planning study (COCAPP) is a cross-national comparative study of care planning and coordination in community mental healthcare settings. The context and delivery of mental health care is diverging between the countries of England and Wales whilst retaining points of common interest, hence providing a rich geographical comparison for research. Across England the key vehicle for the provision of recovery-focused, personalised, collaborative mental health care is the care programme approach (CPA). The CPA is a form of case management introduced in England in 1991, then revised in 2008. In Wales the CPA was introduced in 2003 but has now been superseded by The Mental Health (Care Co-ordination and Care and Treatment Planning) (CTP) Regulations (Mental Health Measure), a new statutory framework. In both countries, the CPA/CTP requires providers to: comprehensively assess health/social care needs and risks; develop a written care plan (which may incorporate risk assessments, crisis and contingency plans, advanced directives, relapse prevention plans, etc.) in collaboration with the service user and carer(s); allocate a care coordinator; and regularly review care. The overarching aim of this study is to identify and describe the factors that ensure CPA/CTP care planning and coordination is personalised, recovery-focused and conducted collaboratively. COCAPP will employ a concurrent transformative mixed methods approach with embedded case studies. Phase 1 (Macro-level) will consider the national context through a meta-narrative mapping (MNM) review of national policies and the relevant research literature. Phase 2 (Meso-level and Micro-level) will include in-depth micro-level case studies of everyday 'frontline' practice and experience with detailed qualitative data from interviews and reviews of individual care plans. This will be nested within larger meso-level survey datasets, senior-level interviews and policy reviews in order to provide

  11. The Impact of the OECD BEPS Action Plan on Finnish Multinational Companies – Case Study

    OpenAIRE

    Hirvinen, Jyri

    2017-01-01

    This research attempts to evaluate the effects that the new OECD BEPS action plan might cause to the companies, main focus being in Finnish multinational companies and in the company being researched in the case study part of the research. The author understands the limitations of the one company case study model in the research but believes that use-ful information can be gained on the effects of the OECD BEPS action plan by examining the changes that the case study company has to go through...

  12. Women, microcredit and family planning practices: a case study from rural Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norwood, Carolette

    2011-01-01

    This paper examines the influence of informal banking club participation on family planning practices in rural Ghana. Research from Asia suggests that family planning practices are improved by club participation. This study examines this thesis in an African context, using rural Ghana as a case study. A sample of 204 women (19 years and older) was drawn from Abokobi village, Ghana. Multivariate analyses of direct, mediating and moderating effects of women’s demographic background characteristics, membership status and length, and women’s empowerment status as predictors of family planning practices are assessed. Findings suggest that club membership and membership length is not associated with family planning practices; however, age, education level, number of children and empowerment status are.

  13. Influence of the demand information quality on planning process accuracy in supply chain. Case studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia Szozda

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Identification and analysis of factors that affect the accuracy of demand planning process across the supply chain is one of the most important problems which influence the effectiveness of its material and information flows. Material and methods: On the basis of demand planning process investigation authors define the main elements affecting the right supply chain performance level and investigate the possible connections between demand information quality and demand planning process accuracy. Later, an overview of some recent developments in the analyzed research area is provided. Results: Based on the literature review, there is described the defined factors impact on the accuracy of demand plan in each echelon for case companies. There are considered three cases. The examples illustrate supply chains of different manufacturing companies. The focus is placed on demand planning across the supply chains. The issue of determining the accuracy of future sales plans in each echelon of supply chains and factors affecting it are raised. Taking into account the case companies demand planning process analyses, there are defined possible quality measures, that are possible to be used when forecasting the customer demand. Conclusions: One of the most important and difficult planning area in the companies is becoming planning demand. Errors in planning are reflected not just in the business resource planning but also in the entire supply chain. Presented cases show that many factors affect the proper demand planning process in the supply chain, like e.g.  information technologies, lead-time, or number of supplied materials. As it can be seen from the case studies, the model of collecting information from the market plays an important role in the demand planning process.

  14. Energy-water analysis of the 10-year WECC transmission planning study cases.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tidwell, Vincent Carroll; Passell, Howard David; Castillo, Cesar; Moreland, Barbara

    2011-11-01

    modules for calculating water withdrawal and consumption for current and planned electric power generation; projected water demand from competing use sectors; and, surface and groundwater availability. WECC's long range planning is organized according to two target planning horizons, a 10-year and a 20-year. This study supports WECC in the 10-year planning endeavor. In this case the water implications associated with four of WECC's alternative future study cases (described below) are calculated and reported. In future phases of planning we will work with WECC to craft study cases that aim to reduce the thermoelectric footprint of the interconnection and/or limit production in the most water stressed regions of the West.

  15. School District Information Technology Disaster Recovery Planning: An Explanatory Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Shaun L.

    2017-01-01

    Despite research and practitioner articles outlining the importance information technology disaster plans (ITDRPs) to organizational success, barriers have impeded the process of disaster preparation for Burlington County New Jersey school districts. The purpose of this explanatory qualitative case study was to understand how technology leader…

  16. A case study of IMRT planning (Plan B) subsequent to a previously treated IMRT plan (Plan A)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2Department of Radiation Oncology, Fraser Valley Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, British Columbia (Canada))" data-affiliation=" (Department of Medical Physics and 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Fraser Valley Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, British Columbia (Canada))" >Cao, F; 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Fraser Valley Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, British Columbia (Canada))" data-affiliation=" (Department of Medical Physics and 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Fraser Valley Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, British Columbia (Canada))" >Leong, C; 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Fraser Valley Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, British Columbia (Canada))" data-affiliation=" (Department of Medical Physics and 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Fraser Valley Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, British Columbia (Canada))" >Schroeder, J; 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Fraser Valley Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, British Columbia (Canada))" data-affiliation=" (Department of Medical Physics and 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Fraser Valley Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, British Columbia (Canada))" >Lee, B

    2014-01-01

    Background and purpose: Treatment of the contralateral neck after previous ipsilateral intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer is a challenging problem. We have developed a technique that limits the cumulative dose to the spinal cord and brainstem while maximizing coverage of a planning target volume (PTV) in the contralateral neck. Our case involves a patient with right tonsil carcinoma who was given ipsilateral IMRT with 70Gy in 35 fractions (Plan A). A left neck recurrence was detected 14 months later. The patient underwent a neck dissection followed by postoperative left neck radiation to a dose of 66 Gy in 33 fractions (Plan B). Materials and Methods: The spinal cord-brainstem margin (SCBM) was defined as the spinal cord and brainstem with a 1.0 cm margin. Plan A was recalculated on the postoperative CT scan but the fluence outside of SCBM was deleted. A further modification of Plan A resulted in a base plan that was summed with Plan B to evaluate the cumulative dose received by the spinal cord and brainstem. Plan B alone was used to evaluate for coverage of the contralateral neck PTV. Results: The maximum cumulative doses to the spinal cord with 0.5cm margin and brainstem with 0.5cm margin were 51.96 Gy and 45.60 Gy respectively. For Plan B, 100% of the prescribed dose covered 95% of PTVb1. Conclusion: The use of a modified ipsilateral IMRT plan as a base plan is an effective way to limit the cumulative dose to the spinal cord and brainstem while enabling coverage of a PTV in the contralateral neck.

  17. A pre-feasibility case study on integrated resource planning including renewables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yilmaz, Pelin; Hakan Hocaoglu, M.; Konukman, Alp Er S.

    2008-01-01

    In recent years, economical and environmental constraints force governments and energy policy decision-makers to change the prominent characteristics of the electricity markets. Accordingly, depending on local conditions on the demand side, usage of integrated resource planning approaches in conjunction with renewable technologies has gained more importance. In this respect, an integrated resource planning option, which includes the design and optimization of grid-connected renewable energy plants, should be evaluated to facilitate a cost-effective and green solution to a sustainable future. In this paper, an integrated resource planning case is studied for an educational campus, located in Gebze, Turkey. It is found that for the considered campus, the integrated resource planning scenario that includes renewables as a supply-side option with existing time-of-use tariff may provide a cost-effective energy production, particularly for the high penetration level of the renewables

  18. Nonlinear integrated resource strategic planning model and case study in China's power sector planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan, Jiahai; Xu, Yan; Kang, Junjie; Zhang, Xingping; Hu, Zheng

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we expand the IRSP (integrated resource strategic planning) model by including the external cost of TPPs (traditional power plants) and popularization cost of EPPs (efficiency power plants) with nonlinear functions. Case studies for power planning in China during 2011–2021 are conducted to show the efficacy of the model. Scenarios are compiled to compare the pathways of power planning under different policies. Results show that: 1) wind power will become competitive with technical learning, but its installation is undesirable when the external cost of coal power is not internalized; 2) the existence of popularization cost will hinder EPPs' (efficiency power plants) deployment and pure market mechanism is not enough to deliver EPPs at socially desirable scale; 3) imposition of progressive emission tax on coal power at an average of 0.15–0.20 RMB/KWh can remedy the market distortion and promote the development of wind power by a significant margin; 4) nuclear power will grow stably when its external cost is set no more than 0.187 RMB per KWh, or 87% of its internal cost. The proposed model can serve as a useful tool for decision support in the process of power planning and policy formulation for national government. - Highlights: • Improve IRSP model by adding nonlinear external and popularization cost. • The model is used to conduct China's power sector planning in 2011–2021. • Simulate the impacts of alternative energy policies on planning results. • The model can be used for joint power sector planning and policy design

  19. Marketing communication plan. Case: EKOenergy.

    OpenAIRE

    Jäkälä, Elina

    2016-01-01

    This project-based thesis has an objective of creating a marketing communication plan for a non-profit organisation. The marketing communication plan targets other non-profit organisa-tions that the case organisation wants to cooperate with. This thesis will introduce theory about marketing communication, give information about the case organisation’s target audience and present the actual marketing communication plan. Since the case organisation and its target audience are all non-profit...

  20. Renewable energy technology portfolio planning with scenario analysis: A case study for Taiwan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, T.-Y.; Yu, Oliver S.; Hsu, George Jyh-yih; Hsu, Fang-Ming; Sung, W.-N.

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents the results of a case study of applying a systematic and proven process of technology portfolio planning with the use of scenario analysis to renewable energy developments in Taiwan. The planning process starts with decision values of technology development based on a survey of society leaders. It then generates, based on expert opinions and literature search, a set of major technology alternatives, which in this study include: wind energy, photovoltaic, bio-energy, solar thermal power, ocean energy, and geothermal energy. Through a committee of technical experts with diversified professional backgrounds, the process in this study next constructs three scenarios ('Season in the Sun', 'More Desire than Energy', and 'Castle in the Air') to encompass future uncertainties in the relationships between the technology alternatives and the decision values. Finally, through a second committee of professionals, the process assesses the importance and risks of these alternative technologies and develops a general strategic plan for the renewable energy technology portfolio that is responsive and robust for the future scenarios. The most important contributions of this paper are the clear description of the systematic process of technology portfolio planning and scenario analysis, the detailed demonstration of their application through a case study on the renewable energy development in Taiwan, and the valuable results and insights gained from the application.

  1. Strategic planning as a focus for continuous improvement. A case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oneill, John W.; Gordon-Winkler, Lyn

    1992-01-01

    What do most of the successful people and organizations in our world have in common? Instead of worrying about the future, they work to create it. They have a plan, or a vision of what they want to accomplish and they focus their efforts on success. Strategic planning has been described as a disciplined, ongoing process to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape what an organization is, what it does, and how it will respond to a changing environment. This case study discussion will evaluate the relationship between strategic planning and Total Quality Management (TQM), or continuous improvement, through the experience of the NASA Johnson Space Center in developing a strategy for the future. That experience clearly illustrates the value of strategic planning in setting the framework and establishing the overall thrust of continuous improvement initiatives. Equally significant, the fundamentals of a quality culture such as strong customer and supplier partnerships, participative involvement, open communications, and ownership were essential in overcoming the challenges inherent in the planning process. A reinforced management commitment to the quality culture was a clear, long-term benefit.

  2. Strategic planning as a focus for continuous improvement. A case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oneill, John W.; Gordon-Winkler, Lyn

    What do most of the successful people and organizations in our world have in common? Instead of worrying about the future, they work to create it. They have a plan, or a vision of what they want to accomplish and they focus their efforts on success. Strategic planning has been described as a disciplined, ongoing process to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape what an organization is, what it does, and how it will respond to a changing environment. This case study discussion will evaluate the relationship between strategic planning and Total Quality Management (TQM), or continuous improvement, through the experience of the NASA Johnson Space Center in developing a strategy for the future. That experience clearly illustrates the value of strategic planning in setting the framework and establishing the overall thrust of continuous improvement initiatives. Equally significant, the fundamentals of a quality culture such as strong customer and supplier partnerships, participative involvement, open communications, and ownership were essential in overcoming the challenges inherent in the planning process. A reinforced management commitment to the quality culture was a clear, long-term benefit.

  3. Evaluation of an artificial intelligence guided inverse planning system: Clinical case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Hui; Yin Fangfang; Willett, Christopher

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: An artificial intelligence (AI) guided method for parameter adjustment of inverse planning was implemented on a commercial inverse treatment planning system. For evaluation purpose, four typical clinical cases were tested and the results from both plans achieved by automated and manual methods were compared. Methods and materials: The procedure of parameter adjustment mainly consists of three major loops. Each loop is in charge of modifying parameters of one category, which is carried out by a specially customized fuzzy inference system. A physician prescribed multiple constraints for a selected volume were adopted to account for the tradeoff between prescription dose to the PTV and dose-volume constraints for critical organs. The searching process for an optimal parameter combination began with the first constraint, and proceeds to the next until a plan with acceptable dose was achieved. The initial setup of the plan parameters was the same for each case and was adjusted independently by both manual and automated methods. After the parameters of one category were updated, the intensity maps of all fields were re-optimized and the plan dose was subsequently re-calculated. When final plan arrived, the dose statistics were calculated from both plans and compared. Results: For planned target volume (PTV), the dose for 95% volume is up to 10% higher in plans using the automated method than those using the manual method. For critical organs, an average decrease of the plan dose was achieved. However, the automated method cannot improve the plan dose for some critical organs due to limitations of the inference rules currently employed. For normal tissue, there was no significant difference between plan doses achieved by either automated or manual method. Conclusion: With the application of AI-guided method, the basic parameter adjustment task can be accomplished automatically and a comparable plan dose was achieved in comparison with that achieved by the manual

  4. Evaluation of an artificial intelligence guided inverse planning system: clinical case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Hui; Yin, Fang-Fang; Willett, Christopher

    2007-04-01

    An artificial intelligence (AI) guided method for parameter adjustment of inverse planning was implemented on a commercial inverse treatment planning system. For evaluation purpose, four typical clinical cases were tested and the results from both plans achieved by automated and manual methods were compared. The procedure of parameter adjustment mainly consists of three major loops. Each loop is in charge of modifying parameters of one category, which is carried out by a specially customized fuzzy inference system. A physician prescribed multiple constraints for a selected volume were adopted to account for the tradeoff between prescription dose to the PTV and dose-volume constraints for critical organs. The searching process for an optimal parameter combination began with the first constraint, and proceeds to the next until a plan with acceptable dose was achieved. The initial setup of the plan parameters was the same for each case and was adjusted independently by both manual and automated methods. After the parameters of one category were updated, the intensity maps of all fields were re-optimized and the plan dose was subsequently re-calculated. When final plan arrived, the dose statistics were calculated from both plans and compared. For planned target volume (PTV), the dose for 95% volume is up to 10% higher in plans using the automated method than those using the manual method. For critical organs, an average decrease of the plan dose was achieved. However, the automated method cannot improve the plan dose for some critical organs due to limitations of the inference rules currently employed. For normal tissue, there was no significant difference between plan doses achieved by either automated or manual method. With the application of AI-guided method, the basic parameter adjustment task can be accomplished automatically and a comparable plan dose was achieved in comparison with that achieved by the manual method. Future improvements to incorporate case

  5. 45 CFR 400.118 - Case planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Case planning. 400.118 Section 400.118 Public... Services § 400.118 Case planning. (a) A State, or its designee under § 400.117, must develop and implement... services. (b) Case planning for unaccompanied minors must, at a minimum, address the following elements: (1...

  6. Safety case plan 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-07-01

    Following the guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (now Ministry of Employment and Economy) Posiva is preparing to submit the construction license application for a spent fuel repository by the end of the year 2012. The long-term safety section supporting the license application is based on a safety case, which, according to the internationally adopted definition, is a compilation of the evidence, analyses and arguments that quantify and substantiate the safety and the level of expert confidence in the safety of the planned repository. In 2005, Posiva presented a plan to prepare such a safety case. The present report provides a revised plan of the safety case contents mentioned above. The update of the safety case plan takes into account the recommendations made by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) about improving the focus and further developing the plan. Accordingly, particular attention is given to the quality management of the safety case work, the management of uncertainties and the scenario methodology. The quality management is based on the ISO 9001:2000 standard process thinking enhanced with special features arising from STUK's YVL Guides. The safety case production process is divided into four main sub-processes. The conceptualisation and methodology sub-process defines the framework for the assessment. The critical data handling and modelling sub-process links Posiva's main technical and scientific activities to the production of the safety case. The assessment sub-process analyses the consequences of the evolution of the disposal system in various scenarios, classified either as part of the expected evolution or as disruptive scenarios. The compliance and confidence sub-process is responsible for final evaluation of compliance of the assessment results with the regulatory criteria and the overall confidence in the safety case. As in the previous safety case plan, the safety case will be based on several reports, but

  7. Integrating strategic environmental assessment with industry planning: a case study of the Pasquai-Porcupine forest management plan, Saskatchewan, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noble, Bram F

    2004-03-01

    Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is gaining widespread recognition as a tool for integrating environmental considerations in policy, plan, and program development and decision-making. Notwithstanding the potential of SEA to improve higher-order decision processes, there has been very little attention given to integrating SEA with industry planning practices. As a result, the benefits of SEA have yet to be fully realized among industrial proponents. That said, SEA practice is ongoing, albeit informally and often under a different label, and is proving to be a valuable tool for industry planning and decision-making. Based on a case study of the Pasquai-Porcupine forest management plan in Saskatchewan, Canada, this paper illustrates how an integrated approach to SEA can contribute to industry environmental decision-making and can enhance the quality and deliverability of industry plans.

  8. Dynamic Integrated Resource Strategic Planning Model: A Case Study of China’s Power Sector Planning into 2050

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Xu

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a Dynamic Integrated Resource Strategic Planning (DIRSP model based on a semi-Markov decision-making process. Considering the policy transfer probability matrix, we discuss the influence of different policy portfolios and input intensity on the timing and scale of low-carbon transition during the power planning process. In addition, we discuss various planning scenarios from a socio-technical system transition perspective. Scenarios are compiled to compare the pathways of power planning in China during 2015–2050 under different policies, including a typical reproduction pathway with unchanged policy that maintains the original coal-dominated technology pathway, a de-alignment/re-alignment pathway where renewable energy power technologies develop from niches to mainstream while the planning time for peak coal power moves ahead in 10–20 years due to subsidies to renewable and carbon tax policy, and the substitution and reconfiguration pathways in which renewable energy technologies compete with coal power in parallel, in which coal power will peak by 2020 while wind power and solar power will realize large-scale development by 2020 and 2030, respectively. Case study on power planning in China indicates that the methodology proposed in our study can enhance our understanding on the low-carbon transition process and the interaction between energy policy and transition pathway.

  9. Connection, regulation, and care plan innovation: a case study of four nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colón-Emeric, Cathleen S; Lekan-Rutledge, Deborah; Utley-Smith, Queen; Ammarell, Natalie; Bailey, Donald; Piven, Mary L; Corazzini, Kirsten; Anderson, Ruth A

    2006-01-01

    We describe how connections among nursing home staff impact the care planning process using a complexity science framework. We completed six-month case studies of four nursing homes. Field observations (n = 274), shadowing encounters (n = 69), and in-depth interviews (n = 122) of 390 staff at all levels were conducted. Qualitative analysis produced a conceptual/thematic description and complexity science concepts were used to produce conceptual insights. We observed that greater levels of staff connection were associated with higher care plan specificity and innovation. Connection of the frontline nursing staff was crucial for (1) implementation of the formal care plan and (2) spontaneous informal care planning responsive to changing resident needs. Although regulations could theoretically improve cognitive diversity and information flow in care planning, we observed instances of regulatory oversight resulting in less specific care plans and abandonment of an effective care planning process. Interventions which improve staff connectedness may improve resident outcomes.

  10. Analyzing an Integrated Planning Approach Among Planning Scale and Sector A Case Study of Malang City’s Vision as The City of Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akhmad Amirudin

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Integrated planning is more needed by government today because of the complexity of problems and limited resources. Integrated planning can undertake the problems by giving comprehensive solution and provide how much resources are needed to reach the goal. Integrated planning approach is implied to provide better tools to guide actions towards the development of cities, improvement of human conditions, and ultimately a better urbanism. So the research focused on integrated planning in Malang City based on Malang City’s vision, strategic planning, operational planning, budgeting planning in Malang City to achieve Malang City’s vision as the city of Education. In this study, researcher used qualitative method with descriptive research, which is a research process aims to describe the exact nature / something happened and took place on the research conducted. The research purpose is to identify and describe and analyze the process of Malang City Planning Agency integrate other planning scale and sector in developing planning; and to identify, describe and analyze the process of Malang City Planning Agency integrated all stakeholders in Integrated Planning process. This research use descriptive research method. The reason to use descriptive research method in this study because the principle objectives of this study aimed to describe, illustrate in a systematic, factual and accurate statement of the facts and the relationship between phenomenon. Then qualitative method was directed at the individual's background and a holistic (whole. So in this case should not isolate the individual or organization into a variable or hypothesis, but should view it as part of wholeness. The result of this research in the case study of Malang City has shown thatThe case study of Malang City showed that various sectors recognized but did not pay much attention to Malang City’s vision as City of Education in their plans; however, Regional Mid-term Development

  11. Case Studies in Low-Energy District Heating Systems: Determination of Dimensioning Methods for Planning the Future Heating Infrastructure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tol, Hakan; Nielsen, Susanne Balslev; Svendsen, Svend

    suggests a plan for an energy efficient District Heating (DH) system with low operating temperatures, such as 55°C supply and 25°C return; connected to low-energy buildings. Different case studies referring to typical DH planning situations could show the rational basis for the integrated planning...... of the future’s sustainable and energy efficient heating infrastructure. In this paper, a case study which focuses on dimensioning method of piping network of low-energy DH system in a new settlement, located in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark, is presented. In addition to the developed dimensioning method......, results about the optimal network layout and substation type for low-energy DH systems are also pointed out regarding to this case study. A second case study, included in this paper, focuses on technical and economical aspects of replacing natural gas heating system to low-energy DH system in an existing...

  12. Decision support in hierarchical planning systems: The case of procurement planning in oil refining industries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kallestrup, Kasper Bislev; Lynge, Lasse Hadberg; Akkerman, Renzo

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we discuss the development of decision support systems for hierarchically structured planning approaches, such as commercially available advanced planning systems. We develop a framework to show how such a decision support system can be designed with the existing organization in mind...... and from the perspective of the organizational aspects involved. To exemplify and develop our framework, we use a case study of crude oil procurement planning in the refining industry. The results of the case study indicate an improved organizational embedding of the DSS, leading to significant savings...... in terms of planning efforts and procurement costs. In general, our framework aims to support the continuous improvement of advanced planning systems, increasing planning quality in complex supply chain settings....

  13. Effective Business Planning : Case Study: Company X

    OpenAIRE

    Yakovleva, Yulia

    2017-01-01

    A business planning process plays one of the most important roles in a company. A business plan can either provide stablility and prosperity to a company or drastically worsen its state. Thus, the recommendations for efficient business plans are very useful for companies that have some difficulties with their perfomance. The thesis has a deductive approach, and the qualitative research method was chosen as primary data was collected through desk study and interviews. The secondary data wa...

  14. Planning for the baby boomers' healthcare needs: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albert, Terri C; Johnson, Edward; Gasperino, Daniel; Tokatli, Pinar

    2003-01-01

    Will the impact of baby boomers, as they age, be a bonanza or a bust for the healthcare system? A range of perspectives prevail, from increasing in-patient admissions capacity to accommodate the sheer numbers, to the creation of a variety of healthcare services and delivery channels that address their unique requirements. This case study presents a top 100, regional hospital's approach to this dilemma. The strategic marketing process using segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) was employed to guide the administration's planning and decision making.

  15. Implications of Model Structure and Detail for Utility Planning: Scenario Case Studies Using the Resource Planning Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mai, Trieu [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Barrows, Clayton [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lopez, Anthony [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hale, Elaine [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dyson, Mark [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Eurek, Kelly [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-04-01

    In this report, we analyze the impacts of model configuration and detail in capacity expansion models, computational tools used by utility planners looking to find the least cost option for planning the system and by researchers or policy makers attempting to understand the effects of various policy implementations. The present analysis focuses on the importance of model configurations — particularly those related to capacity credit, dispatch modeling, and transmission modeling — to the construction of scenario futures. Our analysis is primarily directed toward advanced tools used for utility planning and is focused on those impacts that are most relevant to decisions with respect to future renewable capacity deployment. To serve this purpose, we develop and employ the NREL Resource Planning Model to conduct a case study analysis that explores 12 separate capacity expansion scenarios of the Western Interconnection through 2030.

  16. The What, Why and How of Generic Skills: A Financial Planning Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Craig Cameron

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Financial planning in Australia is moving away from its traditional characterisation as an “industry” and towards a “profession”. A key feature of any profession is an educational framework that facilitates the development of technical knowledge and generic skills by students so that they can successfully transition into the workplace. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC is currently reviewing changes to that educational framework (ASIC 2011; ASIC 2013, while the Financial Planning Association (FPA has recently introduced revised and enhanced educational requirements through the Financial Planning Education Council (FPEC (FPA 2010; FPEC 2012. Stakeholder input will be critical for the development of financial planning education programs that meet the higher standards of a profession. In particular, what are the generic skills needed by financial planners; and which are currently seen to be most deficient? This paper is an instrumental case study involving interviews with 24 financial planning firms which explore the what, why and how of generic skills. This qualitative study provides a greater insight into generic skills by identifying skill importance and deficiency, as well as possible solutions to assist with the financial planning industry moving to a profession.

  17. A Case Study in Master Planning the Learning Landscape Hub Concepts for the University at Buffalo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dugdale, Shirley; Torino, Roger; Felix, Elliot

    2009-01-01

    This case study describes concepts for three types of learning spaces that grew out of a Learning Landscape planning process. The process was part of a master plan study for the three campuses of the University at Buffalo. It involved research into user needs and aspirations about future pedagogy, development of learning space strategy,…

  18. Beyond the case study dilemma in urban planning: using a meta-matrix to distil critical success factors in transit-oriented development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thomas, R.; Bertolini, L.

    2014-01-01

    Case study is well established as a learning tool and as a research methodology in the field of planning. However, there are a number of barriers to the use of single-case study results in planning practice and research. Meta-analysis is one approach to this case study ‘dilemma’. This article

  19. Health workforce development planning in the Sultanate of Oman: a case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghosh Basu

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Oman's recent experience in health workforce development may be viewed against the backdrop of the situation just three or four decades ago, when it had just a few physicians and nurses (mostly expatriate. All workforce categories in Oman have grown substantially over the last two decades. Increased self-reliance was achieved despite substantial growth in workforce stocks. Stocks of physicians and nurses grew significantly during 1985–2007. This development was the outcome of well-considered national policies and plans. This case outlines how Oman is continuing to turn around its excessive dependence on expatriate workforce through strategic workforce development planning. Case description The Sultanate's early development initiatives focused on building a strong health care infrastructure by importing workforce. However, the policy-makers stressed national workforce development for a sustainable future. Beginning with the formulation of a strategic health workforce development plan in 1991, the stage was set for adopting workforce planning as an essential strategy for sustainable health development and workforce self-reliance. Oman continued to develop its educational infrastructure, and began to produce as much workforce as possible, in order to meet health care demands and achieve workforce self-reliance. Other policy initiatives with a beneficial impact on Oman's workforce development scenario were: regionalization of nursing institutes, active collaboration with universities and overseas specialty boards, qualitative improvement of the education system, development of a strong continuing professional development system, efforts to improve workforce management, planned change management and needs-based micro/macro-level studies. Strong political will and bold policy initiatives, dedicated workforce planning and educational endeavours have all contributed to help Oman to develop its health workforce stocks and gain

  20. Overview of energy-conserving development planning and design techniques based on five case studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-06-01

    Findings and recommendations are presented of a review of five case studies of ways to conserve energy through development planning and site design in communities. Two approaches were used. In the first approach, a conventional, pre-existing plan was analyzed to determine potential energy use. Once energy-conservation options were identified and evaluated, the conventional plan was modified by employing those options. This approach was used in The Woodlands, Burke Center, and Radisson studies. In the second approach, energy-conservation options are independently identified and evaluated. Those options that passed specific criteria screening were then utilized in developing one or more totally new plans based on energy objectives. This approach was used in Greenbrier and Shenandoah. Radisson is a new town on the outskirts of Syracuse, New York. Greenbrier is a 3000 acre planned community adjacent to Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Shenandoah is a proposed new town in the Atlanta urbanized area. The Woodlands is a new community under development north of Houston. Burke Center is a residential planned unit development in Fairfax County, Virgnia. (MCW)

  1. Tourism management in the strategical regional planning contest. A study of Latin-American cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geraldo Luciano Toledo

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses the thesis that the most successful regional companies in tourism must articulate public, private and non-governmental organizations (ONG. The articulation of these elements must fulfill in the same level of m anagem en t the goals of the different areas of knowledge. In that sense, the interdisciplinary objectives can be researched, executed, controlled and evaluated efficiently in the Strategic Planning for regional tourism (PE. The methodological tool selected was the case study, and the three cases of Strategic Planning were analyzed: Costa Rica, Mexico and Brazil. The final results examined how the initiative and objectives of a PE belonging to the field of tourism were articulated and their involvement with the regional sustainable development (DS. desertification in the Brazilian Northeast

  2. Is science the driving force in the operation of environmental regimes? : A case study of the Mediterranean Action Plan

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frantzi, Sofia; Lovett, Jonathan Cranidge

    2008-01-01

    This study examines the role of science in the operation of environmental regimes using the Barcelona Convention/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) as a case study. The ‘epistemic communities’ theory suggests that emergence of the Mediterranean Action Plan was largely driven by scientific experts. In

  3. Is science the driving force in the operation of environmental regimes? A case study of the Mediterranean Action Plan

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frantzi, Sofia; Lovett, Jonathan Cranidge

    2008-01-01

    This study examines the role of science in the operation of environmental regimes using the Barcelona Convention/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) as a case study. The ‘epistemic communities’ theory suggests that emergence of the Mediterranean Action Plan was largely driven by scientific experts. In

  4. Is science the driving force in the operation of environmental regimes? A case study of the Mediterranean Action Plan

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frantzi, S.; Lovett, J.C.

    2008-01-01

    This study examines the role of science in the operation of environmental regimes using the Barcelona Convention/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) as a case study. The 'epistemic communities' theory suggests that emergence of the Mediterranean Action Plan was largely driven by scientific experts. In

  5. Integrated catchment modelling within a strategic planning and decision making process: Werra case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dietrich, Jörg; Funke, Markus

    Integrated water resources management (IWRM) redefines conventional water management approaches through a closer cross-linkage between environment and society. The role of public participation and socio-economic considerations becomes more important within the planning and decision making process. In this paper we address aspects of the integration of catchment models into such a process taking the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) as an example. Within a case study situated in the Werra river basin (Central Germany), a systems analytic decision process model was developed. This model uses the semantics of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) activity model. As an example application, the catchment model SWAT and the water quality model RWQM1 were applied to simulate the effect of phosphorus emissions from non-point and point sources on water quality. The decision process model was able to guide the participants of the case study through the interdisciplinary planning and negotiation of actions. Further improvements of the integration framework include tools for quantitative uncertainty analyses, which are crucial for real life application of models within an IWRM decision making toolbox. For the case study, the multi-criteria assessment of actions indicates that the polluter pays principle can be met at larger scales (sub-catchment or river basin) without significantly compromising cost efficiency for the local situation.

  6. Contingency planning at the flotilla level in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary: flotilla 81-a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schooley, Shawn Erik

    2013-01-01

    This article presents a case study of United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 81. Flotilla 81 created its first formal, single agency contingency plan. The research question addressed is "How can a flotilla successfully develop a contingency plan?" Five emergent themes are identified. They are offered as suggested promising practices for other flotillas in need of creating a contingency plan. Findings suggest successful contingency planning is a result of effective collaboration with community partners. Network management theory is a key to an effective contingency planning process.

  7. Business planning for university health science programs: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, Michael; Milos, Nadine; Raborn, G Wayne

    2002-02-01

    Many publicly funded education programs and organizations have developed business plans to enhance accountability. In the case of the Department of Dentistry at the University of Alberta, the main impetus for business planning was a persistent deficit in the annual operating fund since a merger of a stand-alone dental faculty with the Faculty of Medicine. The main challenges were to balance revenues with expenditures, to reduce expenditures without compromising quality of teaching, service delivery and research, to maintain adequate funding to ensure future competitiveness, and to repay the accumulated debt owed to the university. The business plan comprises key strategies in the areas of education, clinical practice and service, and research. One of the strategies for education was to start a BSc program in dental hygiene, which was accomplished in September 2000. In clinical practice, a key strategy was implementation of a clinic operations fee, which also occurred in September 2000. This student fee helps to offset the cost of clinical practice. In research, a key strategy has been to strengthen our emphasis on prevention technologies. In completing the business plan, we learned the importance of identifying clear goals and ensuring that the goals are reasonable and achievable; gaining access to high-quality data to support planning; and nurturing existing positive relationships with external stakeholders such as the provincial government and professional associations.

  8. The perils of altering incentive plans: A case study

    OpenAIRE

    Kauhanen, Antti

    2011-01-01

    This paper studies a retail chain that introduced a sales incentive plan that rewarded for exceeding a sales target and subsequently cut the incentive intensity in addition to increasing the target. Utilizing monthly panel data for 54 months for all 53 units of the chain the paper shows that the introduction of the sales incentive plan increased sales and profitability, while the changes in the plan lead to a marked drop in sales and profitability. Thus, modifying the incentive plan proved co...

  9. [Implementation and evaluation of a teaching plan for the auto-irrigation of colostomy: a case study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Idevânia Geraldina; Maruyama, Sônia Ayako Tao

    2004-01-01

    With a view to describing and evaluating the implementation of a teaching plan for the auto-irrigation of colostomy and reporting on the perceptions of colostomized patients related to auto-irrigation, this case study was developed at the colostomy out-patient clinic of the Júlio Müller University Hospital, Cuiabá, Brazil, from February to March 1997. The teaching plan helped the patients to learn about the irrigation technique and social rehabilitation.

  10. Source Water Protection Planning for Ontario First Nations Communities: Case Studies Identifying Challenges and Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leslie Collins

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available After the Walkerton tragedy in 2000, where drinking water contamination left seven people dead and many suffering from chronic illness, the Province of Ontario, Canada implemented policies to develop Source Water Protection (SWP plans. Under the Clean Water Act (2006, thirty-six regional Conservation Authorities were mandated to develop watershed-based SWP plans under 19 Source Protection Regions. Most First Nations in Ontario are outside of these Source Protection Regions and reserve lands are under Federal jurisdiction. This paper explores how First Nations in Ontario are attempting to address SWP to improve drinking water quality in their communities even though these communities are not part of the Ontario SWP framework. The case studies highlight the gap between the regulatory requirements of the Federal and Provincial governments and the challenges for First Nations in Ontario from lack of funding to implement solutions to address the threats identified in SWP planning. This analysis of different approaches taken by Ontario First Nations shows that the Ontario framework for SWP planning is not an option for the majority of First Nations communities, and does not adequately address threats originating on reserve lands. First Nations attempting to address on-reserve threats to drinking water are using a variety of resources and approaches to develop community SWP plans. However, a common theme of all the cases surveyed is a lack of funding to support implementing solutions for the threats identified by the SWP planning process. Federal government initiatives to address the chronic problem of boil water advisories within Indigenous communities do not recognize SWP planning as a cost-effective tool for improving drinking water quality.

  11. Application of Scenario Analysis and Multiagent Technique in Land-Use Planning: A Case Study on Sanjiang Wetlands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huan Yu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Land-use planning has triggered debates on social and environmental values, in which two key questions will be faced: one is how to see different planning simulation results instantaneously and apply the results back to interactively assist planning work; the other is how to ensure that the planning simulation result is scientific and accurate. To answer these questions, the objective of this paper is to analyze whether and how a bridge can be built between qualitative and quantitative approaches for land-use planning work and to find out a way to overcome the gap that exists between the ability to construct computer simulation models to aid integrated land-use plan making and the demand for them by planning professionals. The study presented a theoretical framework of land-use planning based on scenario analysis (SA method and multiagent system (MAS simulation integration and selected freshwater wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain of China as a case study area. Study results showed that MAS simulation technique emphasizing quantitative process effectively compensated for the SA method emphasizing qualitative process, which realized the organic combination of qualitative and quantitative land-use planning work, and then provided a new idea and method for the land-use planning and sustainable managements of land resources.

  12. Application of scenario analysis and multiagent technique in land-use planning: a case study on Sanjiang wetlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Huan; Ni, Shi-Jun; Kong, Bo; He, Zheng-Wei; Zhang, Cheng-Jiang; Zhang, Shu-Qing; Pan, Xin; Xia, Chao-Xu; Li, Xuan-Qiong

    2013-01-01

    Land-use planning has triggered debates on social and environmental values, in which two key questions will be faced: one is how to see different planning simulation results instantaneously and apply the results back to interactively assist planning work; the other is how to ensure that the planning simulation result is scientific and accurate. To answer these questions, the objective of this paper is to analyze whether and how a bridge can be built between qualitative and quantitative approaches for land-use planning work and to find out a way to overcome the gap that exists between the ability to construct computer simulation models to aid integrated land-use plan making and the demand for them by planning professionals. The study presented a theoretical framework of land-use planning based on scenario analysis (SA) method and multiagent system (MAS) simulation integration and selected freshwater wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain of China as a case study area. Study results showed that MAS simulation technique emphasizing quantitative process effectively compensated for the SA method emphasizing qualitative process, which realized the organic combination of qualitative and quantitative land-use planning work, and then provided a new idea and method for the land-use planning and sustainable managements of land resources.

  13. Functional MRI in pre-surgical planning: Case study and cautionary notes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruce S Spottiswoode

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Background. Since its inception almost 20 years ago, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI has greatly advanced our knowledge of human brain function. Although the clinical applications of fMRI are still limited, there have recently been encouraging advances for its use in pre-operative functional cortical mapping to identify potentially eloquent areas prior to neurosurgery. Objectives. We explore the potential use of this emerging technique by presenting a neurosurgical case study, as performed at the Cape Universities Brain Imaging Centre (CUBIC, Tygerberg, Cape Town. We conclude with a brief summary of the potential pitfalls of this technique, as well as cautionary guidelines based on our experience. Methods and results. A 22-year-old male patient from Tygerberg Hospital underwent the successful resection of an anaplastic astrocytoma after fMRI presurgical planning at our facility. The subject was able to leave the ward unassisted. Conclusion. If consideration is given to the many limitations of this emerging technique, fMRI can be useful in aiding the neurosurgeon in pre-operative planning of his surgical approach.

  14. A ten-step process to develop case management plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahan, Hussein A

    2002-01-01

    The use of case management plans has contained cost and improved quality of care successfully. However, the process of developing these plans remains a great challenge for healthcare executives, in this article, the author presents the answer to this challenge by discussing a 10-step formal process that administrators of patient care services and case managers can adapt to their institutions. It also can be used by interdisciplinary team members as a practical guide to develop a specific case management plan. This process is applicable to any care setting (acute, ambulatory, long term, and home care), diagnosis, or procedure. It is particularly important for those organizations that currently do not have a deliberate and systematic process to develop case management plans and are struggling with how to improve the efficiency and productivity of interdisciplinary teams charged with developing case management plans.

  15. A hybrid simulation approach for integrating safety behavior into construction planning: An earthmoving case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goh, Yang Miang; Askar Ali, Mohamed Jawad

    2016-08-01

    One of the key challenges in improving construction safety and health is the management of safety behavior. From a system point of view, workers work unsafely due to system level issues such as poor safety culture, excessive production pressure, inadequate allocation of resources and time and lack of training. These systemic issues should be eradicated or minimized during planning. However, there is a lack of detailed planning tools to help managers assess the impact of their upstream decisions on worker safety behavior. Even though simulation had been used in construction planning, the review conducted in this study showed that construction safety management research had not been exploiting the potential of simulation techniques. Thus, a hybrid simulation framework is proposed to facilitate integration of safety management considerations into construction activity simulation. The hybrid framework consists of discrete event simulation (DES) as the core, but heterogeneous, interactive and intelligent (able to make decisions) agents replace traditional entities and resources. In addition, some of the cognitive processes and physiological aspects of agents are captured using system dynamics (SD) approach. The combination of DES, agent-based simulation (ABS) and SD allows a more "natural" representation of the complex dynamics in construction activities. The proposed hybrid framework was demonstrated using a hypothetical case study. In addition, due to the lack of application of factorial experiment approach in safety management simulation, the case study demonstrated sensitivity analysis and factorial experiment to guide future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Development of school energy policy and energy education plans: A comparative case study in three Wisconsin school communities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lane, Jennie F.; Floress, Kristin; Rickert, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    Through a qualitative comparative case study, this investigation examined the process by which three school districts in Wisconsin, U.S.A., developed a school energy policy and complementary energy education plan. To guide the process, the researchers created an outline of recommended steps for the districts to follow. Although there were variations in the sequence and perceived ease of the steps, the Energy Task Force members involved in the process found the outline to be a supportive guide. Further analysis of the cases involved interviewing members of the Energy Task Forces to identify facilitating and obstructing factors. The study concluded that factors such as level of environmental literacy, along with aspects of the school culture and leadership, interacted to influence the successful drafting of school energy policies and education plans. In addition to introducing an outline of recommended steps that can be used by other school policy development teams interested in promoting energy efficiency, this study adds insights into the analysis of energy policy work within the context of a school setting. - Highlights: • School energy policy and complementary energy education plans can be successfully developed with guidelines for policy team membership. • Teacher agency, including environmental literacy, helps overcome barriers in developing school policy and energy education plans. • Administrative support of energy conservation is a key to the development of school energy policies and complementary energy education plans

  17. Health workforce development planning in the Sultanate of Oman: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Basu

    2009-06-11

    Oman's recent experience in health workforce development may be viewed against the backdrop of the situation just three or four decades ago, when it had just a few physicians and nurses (mostly expatriate). All workforce categories in Oman have grown substantially over the last two decades. Increased self-reliance was achieved despite substantial growth in workforce stocks. Stocks of physicians and nurses grew significantly during 1985-2007. This development was the outcome of well-considered national policies and plans. This case outlines how Oman is continuing to turn around its excessive dependence on expatriate workforce through strategic workforce development planning. The Sultanate's early development initiatives focused on building a strong health care infrastructure by importing workforce. However, the policy-makers stressed national workforce development for a sustainable future. Beginning with the formulation of a strategic health workforce development plan in 1991, the stage was set for adopting workforce planning as an essential strategy for sustainable health development and workforce self-reliance. Oman continued to develop its educational infrastructure, and began to produce as much workforce as possible, in order to meet health care demands and achieve workforce self-reliance. Other policy initiatives with a beneficial impact on Oman's workforce development scenario were: regionalization of nursing institutes, active collaboration with universities and overseas specialty boards, qualitative improvement of the education system, development of a strong continuing professional development system, efforts to improve workforce management, planned change management and needs-based micro/macro-level studies. Strong political will and bold policy initiatives, dedicated workforce planning and educational endeavours have all contributed to help Oman to develop its health workforce stocks and gain self-reliance. Oman has successfully innovated workforce

  18. Merging long range transportation planning with public health: a case study from Utah's Wasatch Front.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burbidge, Shaunna K

    2010-01-01

    US transportation systems have been identified as a problem for public health, as they often encourage automobile transportation and discourage physical activity. This paper provides a case study examination of the Public Health Component of the Wasatch Front Regional Council's Regional Transportation Plan. This plan provides an example of what transportation planners at Utah's largest metropolitan planning organization (MPO) are doing to encourage physical activity through transportation. Existing active living research was used to guide recommendations using a process that included a comprehensive literature review and a review of existing state programs, advisory group and stakeholder meetings, and policy recommendations based on existing local conditions. Stakeholders from a diversity of background and interests came together with one common goal: to improve public health. Based on this collaborative process, nine policy approaches were specifically recommended for approval and integration in the Wasatch Front Regional Transportation Plan. By using current research as a guide and integrating a variety of interests, the Wasatch Front Regional Council is setting a new standard for a collaborative multi-modal focus in transportation planning, which can be replicated nationwide.

  19. Paramedics׳ involvement in planned home birth: A one-year case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLelland, Gayle; McKenna, Lisa; Morgans, Amee; Smith, Karen

    2016-07-01

    to report findings from a study performed prior to the introduction of publicly funded home birth programmes in Victoria, Australia, that investigated the incidence of planned home births attended by paramedics and explored the clinical support they provided as well as the implications for education and practice. retrospective data previously collected via an in-field electronic patient care record (VACIS(®)) was provided by a state-wide ambulance service. Cases were identified via a comprehensive filter, manually screened and analysed using SPSS version 19. over a 12-month period paramedics attended 26 intended home births. Eight women were transported in labour, most for failure to progress. Three called the ambulance service and their pre-organised midwife simultaneously. Paramedics were required for a range of complications including post partum haemorrhage, perineal tears and neonatal resuscitation. Procedures performed for mothers included IV therapy and administering pain relief. For infants, paramedics performed intermittent positive pressure ventilation, endotracheal intubation and external cardiac compression. Of the 23 women transferred to hospital, 22 were transported to hospital within 32minutes. findings highlight that paramedics can provide clinical support, as well as efficient transportation, during perinatal emergencies at planned home births. Cooperative collaboration between ambulance services, privately practising midwives and maternity services to develop guidelines for emergency clinical support and transportation service may minimise risk associated with planned home births. This could also lead to opportunities for interprofessional education between midwives and paramedics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Design of emergency plans due to the failure risk of hydraulic works - Theory and case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ochoa Rivera, Juan Camilo

    2006-01-01

    Dams are built to be highly safe hydraulic works. Nevertheless, they are not exempt from a certain failure risk, which turns in a variable value along the time service of the dam. As the mentioned dam-failure risk can be a significant hazard, analysis on dam-break is becoming important, as same as the assessment of its consequences. This type of studies are intended to reduce the costs linked to dam-failure, which are mainly due to the losses of human beings and material goods. A suitable way to minimize such losses consists of designing emergency plans, which permit to prepare and implant appropriate protection measures. A methodological framework to carry out this kind of emergency plans is introduced in this paper, accompanied by a case study corresponding to an emergency plan of a Spanish dam

  1. Treatment planning study comparing proton therapy, RapidArc and intensity modulated radiation therapy for a synchronous bilateral lung cancer case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suresh Rana

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to perform a treatment planning study on a synchronous bilateral non-small cell lung cancer case using three treatment modalities: uniform scanning proton therapy, RapidArc, and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT. Methods: The maximum intensity projection (MIP images obtained from the 4 dimensional-computed tomography (4DCT scans were used for delineation of tumor volumes in the left and right lungs. The average 4D-CT was used for the treatment planning among all three modalities with identical patient contouring and treatment planning goal. A proton therapy plan was generated in XiO treatment planning system (TPS using 2 fields for each target. For a comparative purpose, IMRT and RapidArc plans were generated in Eclipse TPS. Treatment plans were generated for a total dose of 74 CGE or Gy prescribed to each planning target volume (PTV (left and right with 2 CGE or Gy per fraction. In IMRT and RapidArc plans, normalization was done based on PTV coverage values in proton plans. Results: The mean PTV dose deviation from the prescription dose was lower in proton plan (within 3.4%, but higher in IMRT (6.5% to 11.3% and RapidArc (3.8% to 11.5% plans. Proton therapy produced lower mean dose to the total lung, heart, and esophagus when compared to IMRT and RapidArc. The relative volume of the total lung receiving 20, 10, and 5 CGE or Gy (V20, V10, and V5, respectively were lower using proton therapy than using IMRT, with absolute differences of 9.71%, 22.88%, and 39.04%, respectively. The absolute differences in the V20, V10, and V5 between proton and RapidArc plans were 4.84%, 19.16%, and 36.8%, respectively, with proton therapy producing lower dosimetric values. Conclusion: Based on the results presented in this case study, uniform scanning proton therapy has a dosimetric advantage over both IMRT and RapidArc for a synchronous bi-lateral NSCLC, especially for the normal lung tissue, heart, and

  2. Framework for reports on urban energy planning in 6 case cities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fertner, Christian; Groth, Niels Boje; Große, Juliane

    a general model for energy efficiency and sustainable city planning. By connecting scientific excellence and innovative enterprises in the energy sector with ambitious and well-organized cities, the project aims to reduce energy use in Europe in the near future and will therefore be an important tool...... on the case study reports (D4.2). The wider target group are other PLEEC partners who are interested in WP4’s work as well as other professionals who would like to get inspiration how to conduct an analysis of energy issues in relation to spatial planning and urban form in medium-sized cities. Five main...... chapters are suggested to follow in all case study reports: • Overview of city (geography, socio-economic, history, …) • Historical urban development and spatial planning development • Evolution of national and local energy planning • Management of urban planning and energy today • Pilot projects / good...

  3. Case study of information product for strategy research, planning research, and policy research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan Yujun; Zou Lin; Liu Qun; Wang Yongping

    2010-01-01

    Soft science research is significant and can directly support the decision-making and development. The strategy research, planning research, and policy research each play an important role in soft science research. As the National Strategy of Informatization being implemented and advanced, some progress are made and some special information tools are produced in the process of strengthening the development research with information technologies. At first, the article introduced some cases of information products application, such as the domestic and overseas information products for energy strategy research and planning research and policy research, the governmental management information system for planning and investment, examination and approval and permission system for the planning of the land for construction, China agriculture decision support system and so on, and also gave a brief analysis on the theories and methods, main functions and application status. And then, with a analysis on the features of the works of development planning of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) development, this article gave some suggestions on how to strengthen the development of information system for the development planning of the CNNC. (authors)

  4. Planning for gasification of cellulosic wastes: Issues, feasibility and case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Staniewski, M.E.

    1993-01-01

    Gasification is presented as a concept that can assist municipalities and private companies to reduce the amount of solid waste generated and to utilize the cellulosic fraction of such waste as a biofuel. The technical and economic feasibility of cellulosic waste gasification is examined along with the implications associated with the environmental, social, and regulatory issues within a planning context. Study methods included a literature review, survey research employing nonstructured interviews, and a case study analysis. Opportunities for gasification are focused on regional governments in Ontario. The case study concentrated on the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Regional governments in Ontario can benefit from utilizing the gasification concept to achieve a substantial reduction in the waste stream in an environmentally sound manner and contribute to solving worldwide problems associated with fossil fuel utilization. However, provincial and public acceptance will affect regional government decisions regarding gasification. Separate legislation should be enacted distinguishing gasification from incineration. In addition, the effectiveness of the environmental approval process must be improved; present procedures consume excess time and resources and act to discourage the involvement of public and private proponents. Public acceptance is likely to be affected by negative experiences associated with solid waste combustion. Nonbiased, reliable information is needed to clarify doubts and stress gasification's potential benefits. 85 refs., 15 figs., 26 tabs

  5. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT ON LAND-USE PLANNING-A Case Study of Changchun Economic and Technological Zone

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2002-01-01

    The study centers on the necessity, the workflow and the synthetically integrated methods (Principal Component Analysis(PCA), AndyticalHierarchyProcess(AHP) andFuzzy ComprerhensiveEvaluation(FCE)) of strategic environment assessment (SEA) on land-use planning. The whole article includes three main parts: firstly, some attributedatabase, graphic-base and the spatial transform matrix, which reflect the change of regional land-use pattern, can be obtained by GIS technique; secondly, adopting fitting method of trend-surface analysis will convert environment monitoringdata from scattered spots to regular control spots, based on which we can perform regional environment impact assessment; finally, Changchun Economic and Technological Developmen Zone is chosen as a case study on land-use planning.Through those efforts the results may be obtained as follows: 1 ) according to transform matrix, the possibility of transformation from one land-use to another can be obtained after the planning is carried out; 2) environment quality would changeas a result of the change of land-nsc pattern; 3) the SEA on land-use plan is an effective tool to make land-use patternmore reasonable.

  6. The politico-economics of electricity planning in developing countries: A case study of Ghana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdul-Salam, Yakubu; Phimister, Euan

    2016-01-01

    Off-grid technologies are increasingly being proposed as a way of ensuring cost efficient universal access to electricity in many developing countries. However, many un-electrified communities would prefer access to electricity via the national grid rather than off-grid technologies. Electricity planning based on cost efficiency alone could therefore be undermined by political pressure from discontented communities that are assigned off-grid technologies. Using a case study of un-electrified communities in Ghana, we develop an electricity planning algorithm based on hierarchical lexicographic programming and consider specifications where the priorities are adjusted to give weight to (1) cost efficiency and (2) political economy considerations so that communities with larger populations (and therefore votes) are given priority in terms of grid electrification. The results emphasise the need to incorporate the political economy considerations in the national planning of universal electrification, showing significant regional differences in terms of where grid extensions ought to be placed. Incorporating a political economy perspective in national planning also suggests that the most important policy trade-offs shift from considering the grid versus off-grid balance to focussing more on the effectiveness of grid investment in providing universal access. - Highlights: • There is a focus on grid and off-grid electricity planning based on economics. • However community preferences for grid introduces a political dimension to planning. • We develop an algorithm to examine the politico-economics of electricity planning. • We find different priorities yield significant regional differences in grid access. • We find that greater policy focus on the effectiveness of grid investment is needed.

  7. Case one. Evolution of a strategic plan: an organizational perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Pelt, G C

    1990-01-01

    The practice of strategic planning, both in business and healthcare, greatly expanded during the 1970's. Many process models were proposed and applied to determine environmental threats and opportunities, to identify achievable goals and to predetermine achievable courses of action. Developing and maintaining a strategic planning process is described as a requirement for healthcare organizations. This case report is a study of the successful evolution of a planning process which the author presents as a model for other institutions. The case describes the development of a formal process for strategy formulation, based on economic definitions of strategy, under what Ansoff would consider ideal conditions. It is unique in that it ties the process to product line management implementation.

  8. Marketing Plan for a Case company

    OpenAIRE

    Iadykina, Anastasiia; Pavlidi, Kiriaki

    2015-01-01

    The major objective of this thesis is composing a concise, reliable and useful marketing plan for a Phimiso - My Sushi Café. The necessity of implementing the marketing planning and document a marketing plan with an action program arose when the case company experienced the negative affect of poor concept with misleading message and way too wide expansion of the menu. All of the above lead to outflow of the customers and stagnancy of the company. The final document covers the traditi...

  9. Case mix planning in hospitals: a review and future agenda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hof, Sebastian; Fügener, Andreas; Schoenfelder, Jan; Brunner, Jens O

    2017-06-01

    The case mix planning problem deals with choosing the ideal composition and volume of patients in a hospital. With many countries having recently changed to systems where hospitals are reimbursed for patients according to their diagnosis, case mix planning has become an important tool in strategic and tactical hospital planning. Selecting patients in such a payment system can have a significant impact on a hospital's revenue. The contribution of this article is to provide the first literature review focusing on the case mix planning problem. We describe the problem, distinguish it from similar planning problems, and evaluate the existing literature with regard to problem structure and managerial impact. Further, we identify gaps in the literature. We hope to foster research in the field of case mix planning, which only lately has received growing attention despite its fundamental economic impact on hospitals.

  10. EVOLUTION OF THE FOREST MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY IN TURKEY: A CASE STUDY OF ARTVIN PLANNING UNIT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hacı Ahmet Yolasığmaz

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Forest management plans were firstly prepared and implemented in Turkey between 1963 and 1973. All forests in Turkey have been managed with timber oriented forest management philosophy; however, there have been some developments about inventory and silviculture techniques for approximately 40 years. Last decade, Turkey participated in Convention of Biological Diversity in Rio (1992 and included in both Pan – European and Near East Region Conventions. Nowadays, Turkish forest management philosophy has changed from timber management to ecosystem-based multiple-use forest planning with the principles of “sustainable forest management” criteria and indicators drafted in a few national and international agreements. Thus, Turkish forestry is underway in a restructuring process. This paper presents evolution of the traditional forest management philosophy in Turkey since 1963. This study was carried out in Artvin Planning Unit. Past two decade planning periods (managed under timber management approach was compared with current case study data used for forest multiple use management approach based on ecosystem in terms of distribution of age class, site class and change of volume and increment. In conclusion, former applications and techniques for adaptation of improvement must be analyzed and interpreted properly. Monetary resources and experts as well as legal, technique and scientific framework must be provided.

  11. Landscape planning and management of spas in Serbia with special reference to the selected case studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crnčević Tijana

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available In the paper is presented the overview of the legal requirements in Serbia covering planning and as well landscape planning. It is stress that Serbia is in the process of the ratification of the European Landscape Convention (ELC and adoption of the Spatial Plan of the Republic of Serbia (SPRS where is included the obligation of the production of the study 'Characterization of the landscape in Serbia' and as well pilot projects 'Characterization of the landscape' where are separated priority areas and where are specially stressed as tourist destinations spas. Taking into consideration that important step towards development of the methodological framework for landscape planning and management in Serbia was made with the inclusion of this subject within the process of formulating of the SPRS, besides the overview of the main obligations set by this document covering landscape planning and management, as an example of the current practice, two case studies of Vrnjacka spa and Pribojska spa are presented where special attention within planning documents was given to the protection and enhancement of the landscape. Beside that, as a contribution, it is given the proposal of the preliminary typology of the landscape of Vrnjacke spa within the borders of the Master plan and Pribojska spa within the borders of the Plan of detailed regulation. Taking into consideration the scope of these plans, the landscape is defined as cultural and by more detailed analyses as urban and rural. Within these two types of landscape are separated urban area, the 'core' of the spa, peri-urban area, and within rural forest and agricultural area. One of the main conclusions of this paper is that the inclusion of the landscape within legal framework which is promoting spatial and urban planning, nature and environmental protection is very important prerequisite for adequate planning and management of the landscape in Serbia.

  12. The role of knowledge and research in two case studies on cross‐border marine spatial planning in the southern North Sea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hommes, S.; Pastoors, M.A.; Stelzenmüller, V.

    2012-01-01

    management plan developed by the North Sea Regional Advisory Council (NSRAC). Here, cross‐border MSP was used to develop a stakeholder perspective on spatial management measures. The two case studies were in different stages of the cross‐border MSP process. In this paper we focus on the role of knowledge...... and research in these two planning initiatives. We describe the knowledge requirements that have been articulated (e.g. on ecosystem components, spatial‐temporal patterns, current and future human use, institutional setting) and how these requirements have been addressed through data workshops...... with stakeholders, analysis of policy documents and interviews. In the Thornton Bank case study the knowledge requirements focused on the institutional and administrative settings and the identification of policy priorities. In the Dogger Bank case study, stakeholder knowledge was combined with research knowledge...

  13. Ecological risk Evaluation and Green Infrastructure planning for coping with global climate change, a case study of Shanghai, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Pengyao; Xiao, He; Li, Xiang; Hu, Wenhao; Gu, Shoubai; Yu, Zhenrong

    2018-01-01

    Coping with various ecological risks caused by extreme weather events of global climate change has become an important issue in regional planning, and storm water management for sustainable development. In this paper, taking Shanghai, China as a case study, four potential ecological risks were identified including flood disaster, sea-source disaster, urban heat island effect, and land subsidence. Based on spatial database, the spatial variation of these four ecological risks was evaluated, and the planning area was divided into seven responding regions with different green infrastructure strategy. The methodology developed in this study combining ecological risk evaluation with spatial regionalization planning could contribute to coping with global climate change.

  14. Travail, transparency and trust : a case study of computer-supported collaborative supply chain planning in high-tech electronics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akkermans, H.A.; Bogerd, P.; van Doremalen, J.B.M.

    2004-01-01

    Describes a case study of supply chain collaboration facilitated by a decision support environment in a high-tech electronics supply chain with multiple independent companies. In a business process called collaborative planning, representatives from these companies jointly take decisions regarding

  15. City planning in Yugoslavia in the 20th century: The case study of Belgrade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bajić-Brković Milica V.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The long term planning in Yugoslavia is usually associated with early 1930s and with issuing of the Building Code in 1931, which represented the first official document legally regulating planning and construction of cities and towns. The term planning in its nowadays meaning has first appeared only after the Second World War. In 1949 the Act on General Urban Plan (GUP was issued and according to many authors that was a crucial point that marked the very beginning of the long term planning in Yugoslavia. Since then its development has been characterized by numerous changes resulting from the political, economic and social modifications and tendencies, as well as influences from other environments and disciplines. Finally, in the mid-1960s a paradigm of GUP was established, which despite several modifications regarding some methodological and procedural questions, has remained unchanged up to our day. The General Urban Planning in Yugoslavia has developed in a paradigm manner, in Kuhn’s sense of meaning. In this paper this fifty year process has been explored and discussed. Kuhn’s views and theory on the structure of scientific revolution have provided the conceptual background for it, and helped in guiding analysis of the phenomena as well as in explaining certain phases or particular facets within each of them. The General Urban Planning has undergone the whole process of a paradigm change but with a specific pace of progress, with some of the phases being very long and others being exceedingly short. In this paper this process has been reviewed and development of the GUP model presented and discussed. To illustrate the point the case study of the city of Belgrade has been drawn.

  16. Challenges in physician supply planning: the case of Belgium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Léonard Christian

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Planning human resources for health (HRH is a complex process for policy-makers and, as a result, many countries worldwide swing from surplus to shortage. In-depth case studies can help appraising the challenges encountered and the solutions implemented. This paper has two objectives: to identify the key challenges in HRH planning in Belgium and to formulate recommendations for an effective HRH planning, on the basis of the Belgian case study and lessons drawn from an international benchmarking. Case description In Belgium, a numerus clausus set up in 1997 and effective in 2004, aims to limit the total number of physicians working in the curative sector. The assumption of a positive relationship between physician densities and health care utilization was a major argument in favor of medical supply restrictions. This new regulation did not improve recurrent challenges such as specialty imbalances, with uncovered needs particularly among general practitioners, and geographical maldistribution. New difficulties also emerged. In particular, limiting national training of HRH turned out to be ineffective within the open European workforce market. The lack of integration of policies affecting HRH was noteworthy. We described in the paper what strategies were developed to address those challenges in Belgium and in neighboring countries. Discussion and evaluation Planning the medical workforce involves determining the numbers, mix, and distribution of health providers that will be required at some identified future point in time. To succeed in their task, health policy planners have to take a broader perspective on the healthcare system. Focusing on numbers is too restrictive and adopting innovative policies learned from benchmarking without integration and coordination is unfruitful. Evolving towards a strategic planning is essential to control the effects of the complex factors impacting on human resources. This evolution requires

  17. Incorporating environmental externalities into the capacity expansion planning: An Israeli case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, Nir; Soloveitchik, David; Olshansky, Moshe

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Long term energy-environmental planning problems for the electricity sector. → Environmental considerations in the capacity expansion plan. → Modified version of WASP-IV as a multiple objective programming model. → Multi-objective analysis of trade-offs between costs and pollutants reduction. -- Abstract: In this paper we use the WASP-IV model and develop methodology to estimate the impact of several environmental externality costs on the electricity sector development plan. For this purpose, 22 cases were generated which were later on reduced to only seven non-dominated cases by considering this problem as a dynamic multiple objective programming model. The major impact of internalizing the external cost is on fuel use. In the electricity generation system more natural gas and less coal has been used. A cost benefit analysis (CBA) of three scenarios has been performed focusing on taxing only one pollutant while looking at its overall implication. The benefit cost ratio was about 4.5 while the net benefit was about 200 million USD (depending on the scenario). Multi-objective analysis among the different scenarios was carried in a dynamic setting. Seven scenarios appear in the non-dominated set. Out of them five appears in every year and those should have a higher weight placed on them by policy makers. Out of those five, two are a single tax on one pollutant. Thus, policy makers might want to consider a mixture of taxes but for the sake of simplicity can also use a simple one tax on a given pollutant.

  18. Climate protection in the spatial planning. Strategic options of the regional planning and land-use planning. Short documentation of the case studies; Klimaschutz in der raeumlichen Planung. Gestaltungsmoeglichkeiten der Raumordnung und Bauleitplanung. Kurzdokumentation der Fallstudien

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahlhelm, Inge; Bula, Andreas; Frerichs, Stefan; Hinzen, Ajo [BKR Aachen Castro und Hinzen, Aachen (Germany); Madry, Thomas; Schuele, Ralf [Wuppertal Institut fuer Klima, Umwelt, Energie GmbH, Wuppertal (Germany); Groth, Klaus-Martin; Kerstan, Susann [Kanzlei Gassner, Groth, Siederer und Collegen, Berlin (Germany)

    2013-02-15

    As the basis for the practical help 'Climate protection in the spatial planning', the Federal Environment Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany) investigated a lot of plans, concepts and programs at regional level and provincial level. The essential principles and extracts from case studies are summarized in brief dossiers which are presented in the contribution under consideration. This contribution shall present an overview on the state of the art of the application of instruments at the geospatial climate protection at different planning levels.

  19. Seamless Digital Environment - Plan for Data Analytics Use Case Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oxstrand, Johanna Helene; Bly, Aaron Douglas

    2016-01-01

    The U.S Department of Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program initiated research in to what is needed in order to provide a roadmap or model for Nuclear Power Plants to reference when building an architecture that can support the growing data supply and demand flowing through their networks. The Digital Architecture project published report Digital Architecture Planning Model (Oxstrand et. al, 2016) discusses things to consider when building an architecture to support the increasing needs and demands of data throughout the plant. Once the plant is able to support the data demands it still needs to be able to provide the data in an easy, quick and reliable method. A common method is to create a ''one stop shop'' application that a user can go to get all the data they need. The creation of this leads to the need of creating a Seamless Digital Environment (SDE) to integrate all the ''siloed'' data. An SDE is the desired perception that should be presented to users by gathering the data from any data source (e.g., legacy applications and work management systems) without effort by the user. The goal for FY16 was to complete a feasibility study for data mining and analytics for employing information from computer-based procedures enabled technologies for use in developing improved business analytics. The research team collaborated with multiple organizations to identify use cases or scenarios, which could be beneficial to investigate in a feasibility study. Many interesting potential use cases were identified throughout the FY16 activity. Unfortunately, due to factors out of the research team's control, none of the studies were initiated this year. However, the insights gained and the relationships built with both PVNGS and NextAxiom will be valuable when moving forward with future research. During the 2016 annual Nuclear Information Technology Strategic Leadership (NITSL) group meeting it was identified would be very beneficial to the industry to

  20. Strategic planning and marketing research for older, inner-city health care facilities: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, V R; Robertson, K R

    1992-01-01

    Numerous health care facilities, located in downtown metropolitan areas, now find themselves surrounded by a decaying inner-city environment. Consumers may perceive these facilities as "old," and catering to an "urban poor" consumer. These same consumers may, therefore, prefer to patronize more modern facilities located in suburban areas. This paper presents a case study of such a health care facility and how strategic planning and marketing research were conducted in order to identify market opportunities and new strategic directions.

  1. The 'Amistad' Case. Lesson Plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.

    Teaching about the Amistad case provides correlations to the National Standards for History, and Civics and Government. An overview of the events of 1839 is given in this lesson plan. Seven student activities include reading and using primary source documents, writing journal articles, viewing the movie "Amistad," and giving…

  2. Efficiency of two-phase methods with focus on a planned population-based case-control study on air pollution and stroke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Strömberg Ulf

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We plan to conduct a case-control study to investigate whether exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2 increases the risk of stroke. In case-control studies, selective participation can lead to bias and loss of efficiency. A two-phase design can reduce bias and improve efficiency by combining information on the non-participating subjects with information from the participating subjects. In our planned study, we will have access to individual disease status and data on NO2 exposure on group (area level for a large population sample of Scania, southern Sweden. A smaller sub-sample will be selected to the second phase for individual-level assessment on exposure and covariables. In this paper, we simulate a case-control study based on our planned study. We develop a two-phase method for this study and compare the performance of our method with the performance of other two-phase methods. Methods A two-phase case-control study was simulated with a varying number of first- and second-phase subjects. Estimation methods: Method 1: Effect estimation with second-phase data only. Method 2: Effect estimation by adjusting the first-phase estimate with the difference between the adjusted and unadjusted second-phase estimate. The first-phase estimate is based on individual disease status and residential address for all study subjects that are linked to register data on NO2-exposure for each geographical area. Method 3: Effect estimation by using the expectation-maximization (EM algorithm without taking area-level register data on exposure into account. Method 4: Effect estimation by using the EM algorithm and incorporating group-level register data on NO2-exposure. Results The simulated scenarios were such that, unbiased or marginally biased ( Conclusion In the setting described here, method 4 had the best performance in order to improve efficiency, while adjusting for varying participation rates across areas.

  3. Higher Education Strategic Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study of Cameroon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngwana, Terfot Augustine

    This paper argues that a framework for strategic planning in universities in Sub-Saharan Africa can be developed with the background of global, regional, and institutional realities. Using the specific case of the University of Buea in Cameroon, the paper attempts to expose the global trends of polarization in knowledge production capacity as an…

  4. Strategic planning as a competitive differential: A case study of the Sealed Sources Production Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vieira, Imário; Nascimento, Fernando C.; Calvo, Wilson A. Parejo

    2017-01-01

    Strategic planning has always been and continues to be one of the most important management tools for decision making. Amidst the uncertainties of the 21"s"t century, public, private and third sector organizations are steadily struggling to improve their strategic plans by using more effective results management tools such as BSC-Balanced Scorecard. Nuclear research institutes and research centers around the world have been using more and more these types of tools in their strategic planning and management. The objective of this article was to recommend the use the BSC as a strategic tool for decision making for the Sealed Sources Production Laboratory located in the Radiation Technology Center, at Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN-SP), in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The methodology used in this academic article was a case study, which considered the object of the study, the Sealed Sources Production Laboratory, from January 2014 to August 2016. Among the main results obtained with this study can be cited: the improvement of the information flow, the visualization and proposition to change the periodicity of analysis of the results, among others. In view of the expected results, it was possible to conclude that this study may be of value to the Sealed Sources Production Laboratory for Industrial Radiography and Industrial Process Control and also to other research centers, as it will allow and contribute with an additional management support tool. (author)

  5. Strategic planning as a competitive differential: A case study of the Sealed Sources Production Laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vieira, Imário; Nascimento, Fernando C.; Calvo, Wilson A. Parejo, E-mail: imariovieira@yahoo.com, E-mail: wapcalvo@ipen.br, E-mail: fcodelo@gmail.com [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Faculdade SENAI de Tecnologia Ambiental, Sao Bernardo do Campo, SP (Brazil)

    2017-11-01

    Strategic planning has always been and continues to be one of the most important management tools for decision making. Amidst the uncertainties of the 21{sup st} century, public, private and third sector organizations are steadily struggling to improve their strategic plans by using more effective results management tools such as BSC-Balanced Scorecard. Nuclear research institutes and research centers around the world have been using more and more these types of tools in their strategic planning and management. The objective of this article was to recommend the use the BSC as a strategic tool for decision making for the Sealed Sources Production Laboratory located in the Radiation Technology Center, at Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN-SP), in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The methodology used in this academic article was a case study, which considered the object of the study, the Sealed Sources Production Laboratory, from January 2014 to August 2016. Among the main results obtained with this study can be cited: the improvement of the information flow, the visualization and proposition to change the periodicity of analysis of the results, among others. In view of the expected results, it was possible to conclude that this study may be of value to the Sealed Sources Production Laboratory for Industrial Radiography and Industrial Process Control and also to other research centers, as it will allow and contribute with an additional management support tool. (author)

  6. Sustainable Planning Approaches for Water Resources: Case Studies

    OpenAIRE

    Samuel, Asumadu-Sarkodie

    2017-01-01

    Lake Okeechobee, Florida Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast Restoration Planning Process for the Gulf Coast. This record was migrated from the OpenDepot repository service in June, 2017 before shutting down.

  7. Generating custom test plans for CASE{sup *}Dictionary 5.0

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atkins, K.D. [Boeing Computer Services, Richland, WA (United States)

    1994-04-01

    Most database development organizations use a formal software development methodology that requires a certain amount of formal testing. The amount of formal testing that will be performed will vary from methodology to methodology and from site to site. If a very detailed formal test plan is required for each module in a system, the work involved to produce the test plan can be tedious and costly. After a system has been designed and developed using Oracle*CASE, there is much useful information in the CASE*Dictionary repository. If this information could be tied to specific test requirements, a test plan could be generated automatically, saving much time and resources. This paper shows how CASE*Dictionary can be used to store test plan information that can then be used to generate a specific test plan for each module based on it`s detailed data usage.

  8. Development of a Reality-Based Multimedia Case Study Teaching Method and Its Effect on Students' Planned Food Safety Behaviors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alberts, Caitlin M.; Stevenson, Clinton D.

    2017-01-01

    There is opportunity to decrease the frequency of foodborne illnesses by improving food safety competencies and planned behaviors of college students before they begin careers in the food industry. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop a multimedia case study teaching method that provides real world context for food science education;…

  9. Multihazard risk analysis and disaster planning for emergency services as a basis for efficient provision in the case of natural hazards - case study municipality of Au, Austria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maltzkait, Anika; Pfurtscheller, Clemens

    2014-05-01

    Multihazard risk analysis and disaster planning for emergency services as a basis for efficient provision in the case of natural hazards - case study municipality of Au, Austria A. Maltzkait (1) & C. Pfurtscheller (1) (1) Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research (IGF), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, Austria The extreme flood events of 2002, 2005 and 2013 in Austria underlined the importance of local emergency services being able to withstand and reduce the adverse impacts of natural hazards. Although for legal reasons municipal emergency and crisis management plans exist in Austria, they mostly do not cover risk analyses of natural hazards - a sound, comparable assessment to identify and evaluate risks. Moreover, total losses and operational emergencies triggered by natural hazards have increased in recent decades. Given sparse public funds, objective budget decisions are needed to ensure the efficient provision of operating resources, like personnel, vehicles and equipment in the case of natural hazards. We present a case study of the municipality of Au, Austria, which was hardly affected during the 2005 floods. Our approach is primarily based on a qualitative risk analysis, combining existing hazard plans, GIS data, field mapping and data on operational efforts of the fire departments. The risk analysis includes a map of phenomena discussed in a workshop with local experts and a list of risks as well as a risk matrix prepared at that workshop. On the basis for the exact requirements for technical and non-technical mitigation measures for each natural hazard risk were analysed in close collaboration with members of the municipal operation control and members of the local emergency services (fire brigade, Red Cross). The measures includes warning, evacuation and, technical interventions with heavy equipment and personnel. These results are used, first, to improve the municipal emergency and crisis management plan by providing a risk map, and a

  10. Learning with and about Advertising in Chemistry Education with a Lesson Plan on Natural Cosmetics--A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belova, Nadja; Eilks, Ingo

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a case study on the chemistry behind natural cosmetics in five chemistry learning groups (grades 7-11, age range 13-17) in a German comprehensive school. The lesson plan intends to promote critical media literacy in the chemistry classroom and specifically emphasizes learning with and about advertising. The lessons of four…

  11. Teaching hospital planning: a case study and the need for reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Christopher K; Smith, Harry

    2010-08-16

    Academic teaching hospitals and their networks can best serve patients and other stakeholders by achieving critical mass and scope of clinical services, teaching and research. Successful hospital reconfigurations are associated with a convincing case and majority clinician buy-in. The inscrutable political decision to relocate services away from a major teaching hospital campus and into a merged Queensland Children's Hospital was determined without broad stakeholder consultation or a transparent and accountable business case. This compromised process poses a significant and enduring risk to patient care and Queensland's paediatric, perinatal, adolescent and obstetric academic teaching hospital services. As the proposed major stakeholder in Australia's public hospitals and medical workforce training, the federal government should review this decision using an effective methodology incorporating relevant criteria. National guidelines are needed to ensure best practice in the future planning and auditing of major health care projects. The medical profession is responsible for ensuring that health care policy complies with reliable evidence and good practice.

  12. Integrated mined-area reclamation and land use planning. Volume 3A. A case study of surface mining and reclamation planning: South Boulder Creek Park Project, Sand and Gravel Operations, Boulder, Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lewis, L R; Perry, A O; LaFevers, J R

    1977-02-01

    This case study details reclamation planning for the Flatiron Companies' South Boulder Creek Park Project in Boulder, Colorado. The site contains a deposit of high-quality sand and gravel considered to be one of the best and largest known deposits of aggregate materials in the Front Range area. The aggregate deposit is located in a highly visible site just off the Denver-Boulder Turnpike at the entrance to the city from Denver, and adjacent to a residential portion of the city. In order to make maximum use of pre-mining planning, as a tool for resolving a conflict over the company's proposed operation, an extensive cooperative planning effort was initiated. This included the preparation of an environmental impact assessment, numerous public hearings, operating and reclamation plan review by city authorities, annexation of the site to the city, and the granting of a scenic easement on the property to the city for the development of a regional recreation park. A suite of contractual agreements was worked out among Flatiron Companies, the City of Boulder, the Colorado Open Lands Foundation, and the Federal Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. The purpose of this case study is to allow the planner to gain insight into the procedures, possibilities, and constraints involved in premining planning in a cooperative situation.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-10-01

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

  14. Seamless Digital Environment – Plan for Data Analytics Use Case Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oxstrand, Johanna Helene [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Bly, Aaron Douglas [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2016-09-01

    The U.S Department of Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program initiated research in to what is needed in order to provide a roadmap or model for Nuclear Power Plants to reference when building an architecture that can support the growing data supply and demand flowing through their networks. The Digital Architecture project published report Digital Architecture Planning Model (Oxstrand et. al, 2016) discusses things to consider when building an architecture to support the increasing needs and demands of data throughout the plant. Once the plant is able to support the data demands it still needs to be able to provide the data in an easy, quick and reliable method. A common method is to create a “one stop shop” application that a user can go to get all the data they need. The creation of this leads to the need of creating a Seamless Digital Environment (SDE) to integrate all the “siloed” data. An SDE is the desired perception that should be presented to users by gathering the data from any data source (e.g., legacy applications and work management systems) without effort by the user. The goal for FY16 was to complete a feasibility study for data mining and analytics for employing information from computer-based procedures enabled technologies for use in developing improved business analytics. The research team collaborated with multiple organizations to identify use cases or scenarios, which could be beneficial to investigate in a feasibility study. Many interesting potential use cases were identified throughout the FY16 activity. Unfortunately, due to factors out of the research team’s control, none of the studies were initiated this year. However, the insights gained and the relationships built with both PVNGS and NextAxiom will be valuable when moving forward with future research. During the 2016 annual Nuclear Information Technology Strategic Leadership (NITSL) group meeting it was identified would be very beneficial to the industry to

  15. Challenges in physician supply planning: the case of Belgium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stordeur, Sabine; Léonard, Christian

    2010-12-08

    Planning human resources for health (HRH) is a complex process for policy-makers and, as a result, many countries worldwide swing from surplus to shortage. In-depth case studies can help appraising the challenges encountered and the solutions implemented. This paper has two objectives: to identify the key challenges in HRH planning in Belgium and to formulate recommendations for an effective HRH planning, on the basis of the Belgian case study and lessons drawn from an international benchmarking. In Belgium, a numerus clausus set up in 1997 and effective in 2004, aims to limit the total number of physicians working in the curative sector. The assumption of a positive relationship between physician densities and health care utilization was a major argument in favor of medical supply restrictions. This new regulation did not improve recurrent challenges such as specialty imbalances, with uncovered needs particularly among general practitioners, and geographical maldistribution. New difficulties also emerged. In particular, limiting national training of HRH turned out to be ineffective within the open European workforce market. The lack of integration of policies affecting HRH was noteworthy. We described in the paper what strategies were developed to address those challenges in Belgium and in neighboring countries. Planning the medical workforce involves determining the numbers, mix, and distribution of health providers that will be required at some identified future point in time. To succeed in their task, health policy planners have to take a broader perspective on the healthcare system. Focusing on numbers is too restrictive and adopting innovative policies learned from benchmarking without integration and coordination is unfruitful. Evolving towards a strategic planning is essential to control the effects of the complex factors impacting on human resources. This evolution requires an effective monitoring of all key factors affecting supply and demand, a dynamic

  16. Case study of open-source enterprise resource planning implementation in a small business

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, David L.; Staley, Jesse

    2012-02-01

    Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have been recognised as offering great benefit to some organisations, although they are expensive and problematic to implement. The cost and risk make well-developed proprietorial systems unaffordable to small businesses. Open-source software (OSS) has become a viable means of producing ERP system products. The question this paper addresses is the feasibility of OSS ERP systems for small businesses. A case is reported involving two efforts to implement freely distributed ERP software products in a small US make-to-order engineering firm. The case emphasises the potential of freely distributed ERP systems, as well as some of the hurdles involved in their implementation. The paper briefly reviews highlights of OSS ERP systems, with the primary focus on reporting the case experiences for efforts to implement ERPLite software and xTuple software. While both systems worked from a technical perspective, both failed due to economic factors. While these economic conditions led to imperfect results, the case demonstrates the feasibility of OSS ERP for small businesses. Both experiences are evaluated in terms of risk dimension.

  17. Dental case manager encounters: the association with retention in dental care and treatment plan completion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemay, Celeste A; Tobias, Carol; Umez-Eronini, Amarachi A; Brown, Carolyn; McCluskey, Amanda; Fox, Jane E; Bednarsh, Helene; Cabral, Howard J

    2013-01-01

    Little is known about dental case managers as few programs have been scientifically evaluated. The goal of this study was to explore the impact of dental case manager on retention in dental care and completion of treatment plans, while specifically exploring the number of dental case manager encounters. Fourteen programs enrolled people with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in dental care and a longitudinal study between 2007 and 2009. The 758 participants had a total of 2715 encounters with a dental case manager over twelve months: 29% had a single encounter; 21% had two; 27% had 3-4 and; 23% had 5-29 encounters. Adjusting for baseline characteristics, participants receiving more encounters were significantly more likely to complete their Phase 1 treatment plan, be retained in dental care, and experience improvements in overall oral health status. Organizations considering efforts to improve the oral health of vulnerable, hard-to-engage populations should consider these findings when planning interventions. ©2012 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Adaptive management and environmental decision making. A case study application to water use planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gregory, Robin; Failing, Lee; Higgins, Paul

    2006-01-01

    Adaptive management (AM) techniques are one of the principal tools proposed by environmental decision makers to provide flexible and responsive management approaches over time. However, the record of successful applications is surprisingly small. We believe that this in part reflects the lack of an intuitively plausible framework for evaluating AM initiatives. This paper outlines such a framework, based on the insights of decision analysis, for evaluating the use of AM as a technique to improve environmental management decisions. British Columbia's Water Use Plan (WUP) process, which has developed operating plans for more than 20 major hydroelectric facilities, is introduced as a case-study example. The discussion emphasizes that decisions to adopt adaptive management strategies involve judgments concerning tradeoffs across a variety of economic, environmental, and social objectives. As a result, adaptive management initiatives need to be carefully evaluated based on their merits relative to other alternatives. Within an AM framework, alternative experimental designs should be evaluated because the design of a preferred experiment involves choices among different levels of investment, the quality of available and desired future information, and different ecological, economic, and social risks. (author)

  19. Computer-aided beam arrangement based on similar cases in radiation treatment-planning databases for stereotactic lung radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magome, Taiki; Shioyama, Yoshiyuki; Arimura, Hidetaka

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a computer-aided method for determination of beam arrangements based on similar cases in a radiotherapy treatment-planning database for stereotactic lung radiation therapy. Similar-case-based beam arrangements were automatically determined based on the following two steps. First, the five most similar cases were searched, based on geometrical features related to the location, size and shape of the planning target volume, lung and spinal cord. Second, five beam arrangements of an objective case were automatically determined by registering five similar cases with the objective case, with respect to lung regions, by means of a linear registration technique. For evaluation of the beam arrangements five treatment plans were manually created by applying the beam arrangements determined in the second step to the objective case. The most usable beam arrangement was selected by sorting the five treatment plans based on eight plan evaluation indices, including the D95, mean lung dose and spinal cord maximum dose. We applied the proposed method to 10 test cases, by using an RTP database of 81 cases with lung cancer, and compared the eight plan evaluation indices between the original treatment plan and the corresponding most usable similar-case-based treatment plan. As a result, the proposed method may provide usable beam arrangements, which have no statistically significant differences from the original beam arrangements (P>0.05) in terms of the eight plan evaluation indices. Therefore, the proposed method could be employed as an educational tool for less experienced treatment planners. (author)

  20. LANGUAGE PLANNING IN DIASPORA: THE CASE OF KURDISH KURMANJI DIALECT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salih Akin

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we study a particular case of language planning in Diaspora through the activities of the Committee for Standardization of Kurdish Kurmanji dialect spoken by the majority of Kurds living in Turkey, in Syria and by part of the Kurds living in Iran and in Iraq. Despite its sizeable speaker community,Kurmanji is not officially recognized and public education is not provided in this dialect in the countries where it is spoken. The absence of official recognition and structural variation within Kurmanji led Kurdish intellectuals and researchers living in exile to form the Committee in 1987. Holding two meetings per year in a European city, the Committee tries to standardize and to revitalize the Kurmanji dialect without relying on government support. We examine the activities of the committee in the light of its research in the field of language policy and planning. The activities will be assessed by three typologies of language planning: 1 Haugen’s classical model of language planning (1991 [1983]; 2 Hornberger’s integrative framework of language planning (1988; 3 Nahir’s Language Planning Goals (2000. Our contribution focuses on two aspects of the activities: corpus planning and dissemination of results in exile. We study the practices of collection of vocabulary and neology in different scientific domains as well as the influences of these activities on the development of Kurmanji.

  1. Engineering and Implementing an Executive-Level Communication Plan in a Global Professional Environment: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bridgette Lipman

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Communication within organisations in a global environment requires effective internal and strategic planning at the executive level. Previous studies indicate that measurement is a key factor in assessing the needs and success of global communication within an organisation. Survey questions were used to measure satisfaction responses from 650 local and 110 global employees in a technology division of a large manufacturing company. In this case study, employees expressed the need to connect team members through face-to-face meetings, employee webcast meetings, web chat forums, and an updated employee networking site. The findings formed the foundations for recommendations for strategy, objectives, and tactics within the organisation.

  2. ASFMRA Chapter Strategic Planning: Iowa Chapter Case Study

    OpenAIRE

    Trede, Larry

    2006-01-01

    This paper summarizes the strategic planning process used by the Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers to develop a new vision, mission statement, and chapter objectives. Procedures included the use of a focus group and a quantitative survey. The results indicated a strong need for chapter member continuing education, a chapter member services program, and a strong outreach/public relations program. As a result of the strategic planning process, a new chap...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-11-01

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

  4. Internets effect on tax planning : a case study

    OpenAIRE

    Olofsson, Erik; Olsson, Henrik

    2001-01-01

    We have seen a revolution in the area of communication on a worldwide scale. We begin talking about terms as globalisation, integration and deregulation of the financial market. Companies have been tax planning for decades, the questions is if Internet has made an increase of companies than uses tax planning and which roll Internet plays. It is hard to really pinpoint all the effects of the Internet because of the relatively new area of research. This thesis will take various factors under st...

  5. Reclamation planning for abandoned mining subsidence lands in eastern China: a case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Z.; Gu, H.

    1995-01-01

    China has a long history of coal mining and more than 96% of coal output is taken from underground mines each year. With the excavation of coal from underground, severe subsidence often results, which produces many subsidence lands. This paper explores the principle and methods of reclamation planning for abandoned mining subsidence lands and presents a case study in eastern China. A 373 ha of abandoned mining subsidence land in Anhui province was selected as an experiment site. Since China is a developing country and land shortage is severe in this area, the high economic benefits from the reclaimed land was the final reclamation goal. Based on the topography of subsidence lands, some parts of the abandoned lands were lands or lake-like troughs, restoring farmlands and fishponds were chosen as post-reclamation land uses. The elevation of reclaimed lands was the key for restoring farmland successfully because of the high underground water level in this area, and the optimum fishpond size and side-slope design were the keys to reach high reclamation income. The HDP (Hydraulic Dredge Pump) reclamation technique was used for restoring farmland and creating fishpond. A farming and aquaculture plan for high economic benefits was also designed. This project will make farmers, who own the lands, richer through reclamation. 3 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

  6. Optimal metering plan for measurement and verification on a lighting case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye, Xianming; Xia, Xiaohua

    2016-01-01

    M&V (Measurement and Verification) has become an indispensable process in various incentive EEDSM (energy efficiency and demand side management) programmes to accurately and reliably measure and verify the project performance in terms of energy and/or cost savings. Due to the uncertain nature of the unmeasurable savings, there is an inherent trade-off between the M&V accuracy and M&V cost. In order to achieve the required M&V accuracy cost-effectively, we propose a combined spatial and longitudinal MCM (metering cost minimisation) model to assist the design of optimal M&V metering plans, which minimises the metering cost whilst satisfying the required measurement and sampling accuracy of M&V. The objective function of the proposed MCM model is the M&V metering cost that covers the procurement, installation and maintenance of the metering system whereas the M&V accuracy requirements are formulated as the constraints. Optimal solutions to the proposed MCM model offer useful information in designing the optimal M&V metering plan. The advantages of the proposed MCM model are demonstrated by a case study of an EE lighting retrofit project and the model is widely applicable to other M&V lighting projects with different population sizes and sampling accuracy requirements. - Highlights: • A combined spatial and longitudinal optimisation model is proposed to reduce M&V cost. • The combined optimisation model handles M&V sampling uncertainty cost-effectively. • The model exhibits a better performance than the separate spatial or longitudinal models. • The required 90/10 criterion sampling accuracy is satisfied for each M&V report.

  7. Integrated marketing communication plan : Case company: Dr. Johanna Budwig

    OpenAIRE

    Pham, Van

    2013-01-01

    The study’s research topic is integrated marketing communication and this is a product-oriented thesis. This study is made to create an efficient integrated marketing communication plan for the case company Dr. Johanna Budwig. The main product line in focus is flaxseed oil, which is very healthy and also good in preventing different diseases including cancer. The company home market, Germany, is the target market of the study. The objective set by the company is to increase sales by 10000, wh...

  8. DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY (CASE STUDY: PT MCM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardus Hardjo

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available IT Department in PT MCM has to carry out the duties and functions of developing solution to support the business unit in their operation and gain some benefits which should be obtained by using IT in manufacturing such as increasing efficiency, improving the effectivity in making decision and helping to promote the products. This study aims to design information technology strategic planning in accordance with the strategic plan. The research method is using the IT Strategic Planning framework of Alex Cullen and Marc Cecere. This study uses SWOT and IT Balanced Scorecard to analyze the needs of IT at PT MCM. The results of this study are recommended strategic steps to optimize the implementation of IT in the company to improve the performance from IT division to obtain the benefits by implementing IT in manufacturing and to form IT Blueprint, which is part of the information technology strategic plan in PT MCM.

  9. Timeliness of Operating Room Case Planning and Time Utilization: Influence of First and To-Follow Cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konrad Meissner

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Resource and cost constraints in hospitals demand thorough planning of operating room schedules. Ideally, exact start times and durations are known in advance for each case. However, aside from the first case’s start, most factors are hard to predict. While the role of the start of the first case for optimal room utilization has been shown before, data for to-follow cases are lacking. The present study therefore aimed to analyze all elective surgery cases of a university hospital within 1 year in search of visible patterns. A total of 14,014 cases scheduled on 254 regular working days at a university hospital between September 2015 and August 2016 underwent screening. After eliminating 112 emergencies during regular working hours, 13,547 elective daytime cases were analyzed, out of which 4,346 ranked first, 3,723 second, and 5,478 third or higher in the daily schedule. Also, 36% of cases changed start times from the day before to 7:00 a.m., with half of these (52% resulting in a delay of more than 15 min. After 7:00 a.m., 87% of cases started more than 10 min off schedule, with 26% being early and 74% late. Timeliness was 15 ± 72 min (mean ± SD for first, 21 ± 84 min for second, and 25 ± 93 min for all to-follow cases, compared to preoperative day planning, and 21 ± 45, 23 ± 61, and 19 ± 74 min compared to 7:00 a.m. status. Start time deviations were also related to procedure duration, with cases of 61–90 min duration being most reliable (deviation 9.8 ± 67 min compared to 7:00 a.m., regardless of order. In consequence, cases following after 61–90 min long cases had the shortest deviations of incision time from schedule (16 ± 66 min. Taken together, start times for elective surgery cases deviate substantially from schedule, with first and second cases falling into the highest mean deviation category. Second cases had the largest deviations from scheduled times compared to

  10. Proposing an Aggregate Production Planning Model by Goal Programming Approach, a Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansoureh Farzam Rad

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Production planning is one of the most important functions in the process of production management. Production planning in the intermediate range of time is termed as aggregate production planning (APP. Aggregate production planning is an important upper level planning activity in a production management system. The present study tries to suggest an aggregate production planning model for products of Hafez tile factory during one year. Due to this fact that the director of the company seeks 3 main objectives to determine the optimal production rate, the linear goal planning method was employed. After solving the problem, in order to examine the efficiency and the distinctiveness of this method in compare to linear programming, the problem was modeled just by considering one objective then was solved by linear programming approach. The findings revealed the goal programming with multi objectives resulted more appropriate solution rather than linear programming with just one objective.

  11. Comparison of Oncentra® Brachy IPSA and graphical optimisation techniques: a case study of HDR brachytherapy head and neck and prostate plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jameson, Michael G; Ohanessian, Lucy; Batumalai, Vikneswary; Patel, Virendra; Holloway, Lois C

    2015-01-01

    There are a number of different dwell positions and time optimisation options available in the Oncentra® Brachy (Elekta Brachytherapy Solutions, Veenendaal, The Netherlands) brachytherapy treatment planning system. The purpose of this case study was to compare graphical (GRO) and inverse planning by simulated annealing (IPSA) optimisation techniques for interstitial head and neck (HN) and prostate plans considering dosimetry, modelled radiobiology outcome and planning time. Four retrospective brachytherapy patients were chosen for this study, two recurrent HN and two prostatic boosts. Manual GRO and IPSA plans were generated for each patient. Plans were compared using dose–volume histograms (DVH) and dose coverage metrics including; conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI) and conformity number (CN). Logit and relative seriality models were used to calculate tumour control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). Approximate planning time was also recorded. There was no significant difference between GRO and IPSA in terms of dose metrics with mean CI of 1.30 and 1.57 (P > 0.05) respectively. IPSA achieved an average HN TCP of 0.32 versus 0.12 for GRO while for prostate there was no significant difference. Mean GRO planning times were greater than 75 min while average IPSA planning times were less than 10 min. Planning times for IPSA were greatly reduced compared to GRO and plans were dosimetrically similar. For this reason, IPSA makes for a useful planning tool in HN and prostate brachytherapy

  12. Hydrocarbon storage caverns overhaul: A case study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McDougall, N. [Bayer Inc., Sarnia, ON (Canada)

    1998-09-01

    Case studies of four hydrocarbon storage cavern overhauls by Bayer Inc., of Sarnia during the period 1993 to 1997 were reviewed and the lessons learned were discussed. Discussions included inspection requirements for each of the caverns, the logistics and planning plant production around the cavern outages, site and cavern preparation, including removal of the casing slips from the well heads. It was emphasized that cavern overhauls can be expensive operations, unless preceded by proper planning. The largest variable cost is likely to be rig time at about $ 2,000 per day. Planning for the unexpected with thoughtful contingencies can reduce costs and avoid expensive delays.

  13. Priority Determination for Higher Education Strategic Planning Using Balanced Scorecard, FAHP and TOPSIS (Case study: XYZ University)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yudatama, Uky; Sarno, Riyanarto

    2016-01-01

    The process of strategic planning is needed by a higher education in some cases, especially in preparing to face the challenges and competition. The results of strategic planning will help the higher education to provide a framework for achieving a competitive advantage as well as determine the direction of future policy in accordance with the desired objectives. In recent decades, the Balanced Scorecard has been applied in the field of information technology as a very popular tool and is used extensively, because it is a model that can explain between information technologies with "Business Objectives" in a comprehensive manner. This study uses 4 perspectives in the Balanced Scorecard and 7 standards in higher education quality assessment as sub-criteria. Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS are used to determine the priority as making strategic policy recommendations in a higher education. The final result of this research shows the score of Customer Perspective 0.35365 is higher than other perspective, while the score in Research and Student Affairs gains significant score when compared with the others, namely 0.69753948 is also higher. This means that both of them get very serious attention as a strategic planning basis for policy making.

  14. Orthognathic Surgery: Planning and treatment with illustration on six cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    AiRuhaimi, K; Nwoku, A. L; Shaikh, H. S

    1991-01-01

    Almost all conferences for plastic and maxillofacial surgery discuss reports on several methods of orthognathic surgery, planning, success results, and complications of the different procedures carried out to correct patient's soft and hard tissues frontal profiles and occlusal discrepancies. Various principles are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of facial deformities. However, the most important consideration, after all, is the final accepted aesthetic and functional requirements and stability of the moved segments. The objective of this paper is to give the basic principles of treatment planning for correcting facial discrepancies, surgical approach to different cases, and the methods to increase stability of the moved segments. Six cases are included to illustrate the different aspects of treatment planning, surgical management, and stabilization methods. (author)

  15. Watershed planning, implementation and assessment: the May River Watershed Action Plan case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimberly W. Jones; Christopher L. Ellis; Jeremy S. Ritchie

    2016-01-01

    Prior to exponential growth in the early to mid-2000s, the Town of Bluffton, SC was one square mile; as of 2015, it is approximately 55 square miles. Associated with this growth was a shellfish harvesting closure for nearly onethird of the May River in 2009. The Town and its partners developed and began to implement the May River Watershed Action Plan in 2011. The plan...

  16. Case studies: Application of SEA in provincial level expressway infrastructure network planning in China - Current existing problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Kaiyi; Sheate, William R.

    2011-01-01

    Since the Law of the People's Republic of China on Environmental Impact Assessment was enacted in 2003 and Huanfa 2004 No. 98 was released in 2004, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been officially being implemented in the expressway infrastructure planning field in China. Through scrutinizing two SEA application cases of China's provincial level expressway infrastructure (PLEI) network plans, it is found that current SEA practice in expressway infrastructure planning field has a number of problems including: SEA practitioners do not fully understand the objective of SEA; its potential contributions to strategic planning and decision-making is extremely limited; the employed application procedure and prediction and assessment techniques are too simple to bring objective, unbiased and scientific results; and no alternative options are considered. All these problems directly lead to poor quality SEA and consequently weaken SEA's effectiveness.

  17. A case study of sustainable urban planning principles in Curitiba (Brazil and their applicability in Shiraz (Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Soltani

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates sustainability principles in the city of Curitiba, in Brazil, as a pioneer which has commenced its sustainability journey since the 1960s. Analyzing sustainability principles in Curitiba, the paper aims to study their applicability in the case of Shiraz in Iran. Considering the complexity of physical, social, cultural and environmental systems in urban planning, the research underlines the vitality of contextual studies, integration and implementation strategies in sustainability achievement in urban scale. It shows how and to what extent sustainability principles in a city can be adapted to other contexts. This comparative study benefits from interpretive methods of data collection and analysis based on primary and secondary resources. A theoretical framework of planning based on equity, economy and ecology is being utilized in data collection and analysis. The investigation indicates that Curitiba’s sustainability agenda is based on a set of integration and implementation strategies which combine decision making, education, transportation, public welfare, heritage conservation and waste management. It is argued that although every urban environment has its specific opportunities and constraints, still there are many things to learn from others.

  18. Enterprise Architecture Planning in developing A planning Information System: a Case Study of Semarang State University

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Budiman Kholiq

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This research has applied an integrated design and development of planning information system, which is been designed using Enterprise Architecture Planning. Frequent discrepancy between planning and realization of the budget that has been made, resulted in ineffective planning, is one of the reason for doing this research. The design using EAP aims to keep development aligned and in line with the strategic direction of the organization. In the practice, EAP is carried out in several stages of the planning initiation, identification and definition of business functions, proceeded with architectural design and EA implementation plan that has been built. In addition to the design of the Enterprise Architecture, this research carried out the implementation, and was tested by several methods of black box and white box. Black box testing method is used to test the fundamental aspects of the software, tested by two kinds of testing, first is using User Acceptance Testing and the second is using software functionality testing. White box testing method is used to test the effectiveness of the code in the software, tested using unit testing. Tests conducted using white box and black box on the integrated planning information system, is declared successful. Success in the software testing can not be ascertained if the software built has not shown any distinction from prior circumstance to the development of this integrated planning information system. For ensuring the success of this system implementation, the authors test consistency between the planning of data and the realization of prior-use of the information system, until after-use information system. This consistency test is done by reducing the time data of the planning and realization time. From the tabulated data, the planning information system that has been built reduces the difference between the planning time and the realization time, in which indicates that the planning information system

  19. Enterprise Architecture Planning in developing A planning Information System: a Case Study of Semarang State University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budiman, Kholiq; Prahasto, Toni; Kusumawardhani, Amie

    2018-02-01

    This research has applied an integrated design and development of planning information system, which is been designed using Enterprise Architecture Planning. Frequent discrepancy between planning and realization of the budget that has been made, resulted in ineffective planning, is one of the reason for doing this research. The design using EAP aims to keep development aligned and in line with the strategic direction of the organization. In the practice, EAP is carried out in several stages of the planning initiation, identification and definition of business functions, proceeded with architectural design and EA implementation plan that has been built. In addition to the design of the Enterprise Architecture, this research carried out the implementation, and was tested by several methods of black box and white box. Black box testing method is used to test the fundamental aspects of the software, tested by two kinds of testing, first is using User Acceptance Testing and the second is using software functionality testing. White box testing method is used to test the effectiveness of the code in the software, tested using unit testing. Tests conducted using white box and black box on the integrated planning information system, is declared successful. Success in the software testing can not be ascertained if the software built has not shown any distinction from prior circumstance to the development of this integrated planning information system. For ensuring the success of this system implementation, the authors test consistency between the planning of data and the realization of prior-use of the information system, until after-use information system. This consistency test is done by reducing the time data of the planning and realization time. From the tabulated data, the planning information system that has been built reduces the difference between the planning time and the realization time, in which indicates that the planning information system can motivate the

  20. Geological considerations and constraints in planning and executing horizontal well prospects : two case studies from the Saudi Arabia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nwabor, D. [Schlumberger Oilfield Services (Saudi Arabia); Al-Fawwaz, A.; Hassani, S. [Saudi Aramco, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia)

    2006-07-01

    This paper discussed the challenges facing horizontal well drilling with particular reference to the limited success rates of 2 wells that were initially planned and drilled geometrically according to integrated geological and seismic data. The limited success was due partly to drilling to target without considering the key subsurface risks and uncertainties at the execution stages of the wells. Two case studies from these fields were presented in an effort to highlight important geological issues that must be considered when planning and executing horizontal wells. While the wells were being drilled, geological decisions were taken based on seismic data, geological modelling and assessing offset well log responses. The continuous use of real-time data during well drilling contributed to the achievement of the wells' objectives. This approach eliminated all the initial assumptions from seismic data. During the planning stages, many target surfaces such as faults, horizons and unconformities were created from a 3 dimensional grid. Each well was geologically steered in the execution stages by comparing what was seen while drilling with what was initially proposed at the planning stages. As drilling progressed, geological issues such as structural, stratigraphic, reservoir fluid contact and surveying uncertainties were considered. In most instances, the geological objectives of the studied wells were met, thereby improving production, increasing net pay and return on investment. It was concluded that the experience from this work can be applied to oilfields anywhere in the world.

  1. Hybrid supply chain model for material requirement planning under financial constraints: A case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curci, Vita; Dassisti, Michele; Josefa, Mula Bru; Manuel, Díaz Madroñero

    2014-10-01

    Supply chain model (SCM) are potentially capable to integrate different aspects in supporting decision making for enterprise management tasks. The aim of the paper is to propose an hybrid mathematical programming model for optimization of production requirements resources planning. The preliminary model was conceived bottom-up from a real industrial case analysed oriented to maximize cash flow. Despite the intense computational effort required to converge to a solution, optimisation done brought good result in solving the objective function.

  2. Retrieval with Clustering in a Case-Based Reasoning System for Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khussainova, Gulmira; Petrovic, Sanja; Jagannathan, Rupa

    2015-05-01

    Radiotherapy treatment planning aims to deliver a sufficient radiation dose to cancerous tumour cells while sparing healthy organs in the tumour surrounding area. This is a trial and error process highly dependent on the medical staff's experience and knowledge. Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) is an artificial intelligence tool that uses past experiences to solve new problems. A CBR system has been developed to facilitate radiotherapy treatment planning for brain cancer. Given a new patient case the existing CBR system retrieves a similar case from an archive of successfully treated patient cases with the suggested treatment plan. The next step requires adaptation of the retrieved treatment plan to meet the specific demands of the new case. The CBR system was tested by medical physicists for the new patient cases. It was discovered that some of the retrieved cases were not suitable and could not be adapted for the new cases. This motivated us to revise the retrieval mechanism of the existing CBR system by adding a clustering stage that clusters cases based on their tumour positions. A number of well-known clustering methods were investigated and employed in the retrieval mechanism. Results using real world brain cancer patient cases have shown that the success rate of the new CBR retrieval is higher than that of the original system.

  3. Retrieval with Clustering in a Case-Based Reasoning System for Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khussainova, Gulmira; Petrovic, Sanja; Jagannathan, Rupa

    2015-01-01

    Radiotherapy treatment planning aims to deliver a sufficient radiation dose to cancerous tumour cells while sparing healthy organs in the tumour surrounding area. This is a trial and error process highly dependent on the medical staff's experience and knowledge. Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) is an artificial intelligence tool that uses past experiences to solve new problems. A CBR system has been developed to facilitate radiotherapy treatment planning for brain cancer. Given a new patient case the existing CBR system retrieves a similar case from an archive of successfully treated patient cases with the suggested treatment plan. The next step requires adaptation of the retrieved treatment plan to meet the specific demands of the new case. The CBR system was tested by medical physicists for the new patient cases. It was discovered that some of the retrieved cases were not suitable and could not be adapted for the new cases. This motivated us to revise the retrieval mechanism of the existing CBR system by adding a clustering stage that clusters cases based on their tumour positions. A number of well-known clustering methods were investigated and employed in the retrieval mechanism. Results using real world brain cancer patient cases have shown that the success rate of the new CBR retrieval is higher than that of the original system. (paper)

  4. The image of public space on planned housing based on environmental and behavior cognition mapping (case study: Cemara Asri Estate)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nirfalini Aulia, Dwira; Zahara, Aina

    2018-03-01

    Public spaces in a planned housing is a place of social interaction for every visitor of public space. The research on public space image uses four public spaces that meet the criteria of public space such as pedestrian sidewalks, public park, water front and worship place. Research on the perception of public space is interesting to investigate because housing development is part of the forming of a society that should design with proper architectural considerations. The purpose of this research is to know the image of public space on the planned housing in Medan City based on the mapping of environmental and behavior cognition and to know the difference between the image that happened to four group respondent. The research method of architecture used in this research is a descriptive qualitative method with case study approach (most similar case). Analysis of data used using mental maps and questionnaires. Then the image of public space is formed based on the elements of public space, wayfinding, route choice, and movement. The image difference that occurs to the housing residents and architecture students, design and planning are outstanding, visitors to the public housing space is good, people who have never visited the public space is inadequate.

  5. Plan for safety case of spent fuel repository at Olkiluoto

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vieno, T.; Ikonen, A.T.K.

    2005-02-01

    Posiva aims to present the Safety Case supporting the construction license application of the spent fuel repository at Olkiluoto by 2012. An outline and preliminary assessments will be presented in 2009. Interim reporting and an update of the Safety Case plan will be presented in 2006, as required by the authorities. The KBS-3 disposal concept aims at long-term isolation and containment of spent fuel assemblies in durable copper-iron canisters emplaced in a repository to be constructed at a depth between 400 and 600 metres in crystalline bedrock. By 2012, studies on the KBS-3 disposal concept and site investigations at Olkiluoto will have been continued over about thirty years. The construction of an underground rock characterisation facility (called ONKALO) was started in June 2004. The investigations are carried out in close cooperation with the Swedish SKB developing and assessing the same disposal concept at candidate sites, resembling Olkiluoto, at the other side of the Baltic Sea. A safety case is the synthesis of evidence, analyses and arguments that quantify and substantiate the safety, and the level of expert confidence in the safety, of a planned repository. Posiva's Safety Case will be organised in a portfolio including ten main reports, which will be periodically updated according the overall schedule presented in the plan. The Site report describing the present state and past evolution of the Olkiluoto site, as well as the disturbances caused by the construction of ONKALO and the first stage of the repository, forms the geoscientific basis of the Safety Case. The engineering basis is provided by the reports on the Characteristics of spent fuel, Canister design, and Repository design. The Process report containing descriptions and analyses of features, events and processes potentially affecting the disposal system, and the report on the Evolution of site and repository form the scientific basis of the Safety Case. The latter report will describe and

  6. Supply chain planning and management method:the fruit purchasing company case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julio Kyosen Nakatani

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract On the world stage, Brazil is the third largest world fruit producer. However, purchasing fruit companies are suffering from the effects of fluctuations in production and demand, inefficiency in production and information trade, lack of understanding of the dynamics of supply and reduction in profitability for all members of the fruit production chain. The supply chain management has been touted as one of the ways to reduce this volatility and improve outcomes for all involved with the supply chain. However, results of recent researches do not relate it directly to the fruit industry. To solve this problem, the present research aimed to analyze the planning and management of the supply chain of a fruit purchasing company and identify contributions and improvements to the theories and methods related to supply chain management to propose a method for planning and management the supply chain of fruit purchasing companies. It was conducted a case study from a mango fruit purchasing company using interviews with industry experts to assess the applicability, functionality and usefulness from the managerial point of view of the proposed method. Data analysis was done through the cross analysis of the methods of the supply chain management and the description of the case. The results of the study allowed the development of a method for planning and management the supply chain of fruit purchasing company. With the proposition of this method is expected to contribute with a sequence of steps to assist in planning and management of supply chain managers and specialists from a fruit purchasing company.

  7. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy to bilateral lower limb extremities concurrently: a planning case study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fitzgerald, Emma, E-mail: emmafitz1390@gmail.com; Miles, Wesley; Fenton, Paul; Frantzis, Jim [Radiation Oncology, Epworth HealthCare, Victoria (Australia)

    2014-09-15

    Non-melanomatous skin cancers represent 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers in Australia with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) being the most common. A previously healthy 71-year-old woman presented with widespread and tender superficial skin cancers on the lower bilateral limbs. External beam radiation therapy through the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was employed as the treatment modality of choice as this technique provides conformal dose distribution to a three-dimensional treatment volume while reducing toxicity to surrounding tissues. The patient was prescribed a dose of 60 Gy to the planning target volume (PTV) with 1.0 cm bolus over the ventral surface of each limb. The beam arrangement consisted of six treatment fields that avoided entry and exit through the contralateral limb. The treatment plans met the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) guidelines and produced highly conformal dosimetric results. Skin toxicity was measured against the National Cancer Institute: Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI: CTCAE) version 3. A well-tolerated treatment was delivered with excellent results given the initial extent of the disease. This case study has demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of IMRT for skin cancers as an alternative to surgery and traditional superficial radiation therapy, utilising a complex PTV of the extremities for patients with similar presentations.

  8. A critical evaluation of worst case optimization methods for robust intensity-modulated proton therapy planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fredriksson, Albin; Bokrantz, Rasmus

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To critically evaluate and compare three worst case optimization methods that have been previously employed to generate intensity-modulated proton therapy treatment plans that are robust against systematic errors. The goal of the evaluation is to identify circumstances when the methods behave differently and to describe the mechanism behind the differences when they occur. Methods: The worst case methods optimize plans to perform as well as possible under the worst case scenario that can physically occur (composite worst case), the combination of the worst case scenarios for each objective constituent considered independently (objectivewise worst case), and the combination of the worst case scenarios for each voxel considered independently (voxelwise worst case). These three methods were assessed with respect to treatment planning for prostate under systematic setup uncertainty. An equivalence with probabilistic optimization was used to identify the scenarios that determine the outcome of the optimization. Results: If the conflict between target coverage and normal tissue sparing is small and no dose-volume histogram (DVH) constraints are present, then all three methods yield robust plans. Otherwise, they all have their shortcomings: Composite worst case led to unnecessarily low plan quality in boundary scenarios that were less difficult than the worst case ones. Objectivewise worst case generally led to nonrobust plans. Voxelwise worst case led to overly conservative plans with respect to DVH constraints, which resulted in excessive dose to normal tissue, and less sharp dose fall-off than the other two methods. Conclusions: The three worst case methods have clearly different behaviors. These behaviors can be understood from which scenarios that are active in the optimization. No particular method is superior to the others under all circumstances: composite worst case is suitable if the conflicts are not very severe or there are DVH constraints whereas

  9. The role of the observational approach in RI planning: WAG 5 case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brill, A.K.; Kuhaida, A.J. Jr.

    1992-10-01

    A Remedial Investigation (RI) Plan was developed for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 5 in March 1988 and submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IV and the State of Tennessee for review and approval. The observational approach was evaluated by the ORNL Environmental Restoration (ER) Program and accepted by EPA as an accelerated and cost-effective approach to the RI/Feasibility Study (FS) process for remediation of WAG 5. The traditional approach used in preparing the 1988 RI Plan focused on data completeness, included a typical range of RI data-gathering activities for determining the nature and extent of contamination at WAG 5, and used multiple iterations of sampling activities to deal with uncertainties without consideration of potential deviations. In fall 1991, a revised Field Sampling Plan (FSP) was developed that used the observational approach to integrate site characterization with site remediation needs. This approach recognized the uncertainties of site characterization/remedial planning and developed contingency plans for dealing with them. The observational approach emphasizes data sufficiency to support remedial planning decisions for WAG 5

  10. Tourism Development Plan for Nova Lima, MG/BR: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Porto Aluisio Finazzi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The project called “Tourism Development Plan of Nova Lima, MG” was a labor required by the city of Nova Lima, through the Secretary of Municipal Tourism. The municipality of Nova Lima has numerous tourist attractions or potential for them attractive, and is developing a work of public policies aimed at structuring this activity. The objective of this project was to offer to its population, as well as the government and the private sector, the assurance of quality activity according to the international, national and state the assumptions referred to in the Municipal Tourism Plan. All work was developed by Scientific and Technical Research Data Collection, which took into consideration the participation of local stakeholders in the development of tourism through public hearings with the Section for Local Tourism, making use of Information from the Current Municipal Development Plan for Nova Lima and its Secretary of Tourism. We also note that the study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines and considerations of the Municipal Tourism Council (COMTUR of Nova Lima.

  11. A Business Case Framework for Planning Clinical Nurse Specialist-Led Interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartlett Ellis, Rebecca J; Embree, Jennifer L; Ellis, Kurt G

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe a business case framework that can guide clinical nurse specialists (CNS) in clinical intervention development. Increased emphasis on cost-effective interventions in healthcare requires skills in analyzing the need to make the business case, especially for resource-intensive interventions. This framework assists the CNS to anticipate resource use and then consider if the intervention makes good business sense. We describe a business case framework that can assist the CNS to fully explore the problem and determine if developing an intervention is a good investment. We describe several analyses that facilitate making the business case to include the following: problem identification and alignment with strategic priorities, needs assessment, stakeholder analysis, market analysis, intervention implementation planning, financial analysis, and outcome evaluation. The findings from these analyses can be used to develop a formal proposal to present to hospital leaders in a position to make decisions. By aligning intervention planning with organizational priorities and engaging patients in the process, interventions will be more likely to be implemented in practice and produce robust outcomes. The business case framework can be used to justify to organization decision makers the need to invest resources in new interventions that will make a difference for quality outcomes as well as the financial bottom line. This framework can be used to plan interventions that align with organizational strategic priorities, plan for associated costs and benefits, and outcome evaluation. Clinical nurse specialists are well positioned to lead clinical intervention projects that will improve the quality of patient care and be cost-effective. To do so requires skill development in making the business case.

  12. Utility of 3D printed temporal bones in pre-surgical planning for complex BoneBridge cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Payal; Cheng, Kai; Flanagan, Sean; Greenberg, Simon

    2017-08-01

    With the advent of single-sided hearing loss increasingly being treated with cochlear implantation, bone conduction implants are reserved for cases of conductive and mixed hearing loss with greater complexity. The BoneBridge (BB, MED-EL, Innsbruck, Austria) is an active fully implantable device with no attenuation of sound energy through soft tissue. However, the floating mass transducer (FMT) part of the device is very bulky, which limits insertion in complicated ears. In this study, 3D printed temporal bones of patients were used to study its utility in preoperative planning on complicated cases. Computed tomography (CT) scans of 16 ears were used to 3D print their temporal bones. Three otologists graded the use of routine preoperative planning provided by MED-EL and that of operating on the 3D printed bone of the patient. Data were collated to assess the advantage and disadvantage of the technology. There was a statistically significant benefit in using 3D printed temporal bones to plan surgery for difficult cases of BoneBridge surgery compared to the current standard. Surgeons preferred to have the printed bones in theatre to plan their drill sites and make the transition of the planning to the patient's operation more precise. 3D printing is an innovative use of technology in the use of preoperative planning for complex ear surgery. Surgical planning can be done on the patient's own anatomy which may help to decrease operating time, reduce cost, increase surgical precision and thus reduce complications.

  13. Planning for Reform-Based Science: Case Studies of Two Urban Elementary Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangiante, Elaine Silva

    2018-02-01

    The intent of national efforts to frame science education standards is to promote students' development of scientific practices and conceptual understanding for their future role as scientifically literate citizens (NRC 2012). A guiding principle of science education reform is that all students receive equitable opportunities to engage in rigorous science learning. Yet, implementation of science education reform depends on teachers' instructional decisions. In urban schools serving students primarily from poor, diverse communities, teachers typically face obstacles in providing reform-based science due to limited resources and accountability pressures, as well as a culture of teacher-directed pedagogy, and deficit views of students. The purpose of this qualitative research was to study two white, fourth grade teachers from high-poverty urban schools, who were identified as transforming their science teaching and to investigate how their beliefs, knowledge bases, and resources shaped their planning for reform-based science. Using the Shavelson and Stern's decision model for teacher planning to analyze evidence gathered from interviews, documents, planning meetings, and lesson observations, the findings indicated their planning for scientific practices was influenced by the type and extent of professional development each received, each teacher's beliefs about their students and their background, and the mission and learning environment each teacher envisioned for the reform to serve their students. The results provided specific insights into factors that impacted their planning in high-poverty urban schools and indicated considerations for those in similar contexts to promote teachers' planning for equitable science learning opportunities by all students.

  14. PM2006: a highly scalable urban planning management information system--Case study: Suzhou Urban Planning Bureau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Changfeng; Liang, Song; Ruan, Yong; Huang, Jie

    2008-10-01

    During the urbanization process, when facing complex requirements of city development, ever-growing urban data, rapid development of planning business and increasing planning complexity, a scalable, extensible urban planning management information system is needed urgently. PM2006 is such a system that can deal with these problems. In response to the status and problems in urban planning, the scalability and extensibility of PM2006 are introduced which can be seen as business-oriented workflow extensibility, scalability of DLL-based architecture, flexibility on platforms of GIS and database, scalability of data updating and maintenance and so on. It is verified that PM2006 system has good extensibility and scalability which can meet the requirements of all levels of administrative divisions and can adapt to ever-growing changes in urban planning business. At the end of this paper, the application of PM2006 in Urban Planning Bureau of Suzhou city is described.

  15. Two-Step Optimization for Spatial Accessibility Improvement: A Case Study of Health Care Planning in Rural China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Luo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A recent advancement in location-allocation modeling formulates a two-step approach to a new problem of minimizing disparity of spatial accessibility. Our field work in a health care planning project in a rural county in China indicated that residents valued distance or travel time from the nearest hospital foremost and then considered quality of care including less waiting time as a secondary desirability. Based on the case study, this paper further clarifies the sequential decision-making approach, termed “two-step optimization for spatial accessibility improvement (2SO4SAI.” The first step is to find the best locations to site new facilities by emphasizing accessibility as proximity to the nearest facilities with several alternative objectives under consideration. The second step adjusts the capacities of facilities for minimal inequality in accessibility, where the measure of accessibility accounts for the match ratio of supply and demand and complex spatial interaction between them. The case study illustrates how the two-step optimization method improves both aspects of spatial accessibility for health care access in rural China.

  16. Knowledge-light adaptation approaches in case-based reasoning for radiotherapy treatment planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrovic, Sanja; Khussainova, Gulmira; Jagannathan, Rupa

    2016-03-01

    Radiotherapy treatment planning aims at delivering a sufficient radiation dose to cancerous tumour cells while sparing healthy organs in the tumour-surrounding area. It is a time-consuming trial-and-error process that requires the expertise of a group of medical experts including oncologists and medical physicists and can take from 2 to 3h to a few days. Our objective is to improve the performance of our previously built case-based reasoning (CBR) system for brain tumour radiotherapy treatment planning. In this system, a treatment plan for a new patient is retrieved from a case base containing patient cases treated in the past and their treatment plans. However, this system does not perform any adaptation, which is needed to account for any difference between the new and retrieved cases. Generally, the adaptation phase is considered to be intrinsically knowledge-intensive and domain-dependent. Therefore, an adaptation often requires a large amount of domain-specific knowledge, which can be difficult to acquire and often is not readily available. In this study, we investigate approaches to adaptation that do not require much domain knowledge, referred to as knowledge-light adaptation. We developed two adaptation approaches: adaptation based on machine-learning tools and adaptation-guided retrieval. They were used to adapt the beam number and beam angles suggested in the retrieved case. Two machine-learning tools, neural networks and naive Bayes classifier, were used in the adaptation to learn how the difference in attribute values between the retrieved and new cases affects the output of these two cases. The adaptation-guided retrieval takes into consideration not only the similarity between the new and retrieved cases, but also how to adapt the retrieved case. The research was carried out in collaboration with medical physicists at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Hospital Campus, UK. All experiments were performed using real-world brain cancer

  17. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies: Preparation, design, and enrollment of cases and controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verani, Jennifer R; Baqui, Abdullah H; Broome, Claire V; Cherian, Thomas; Cohen, Cheryl; Farrar, Jennifer L; Feikin, Daniel R; Groome, Michelle J; Hajjeh, Rana A; Johnson, Hope L; Madhi, Shabir A; Mulholland, Kim; O'Brien, Katherine L; Parashar, Umesh D; Patel, Manish M; Rodrigues, Laura C; Santosham, Mathuram; Scott, J Anthony; Smith, Peter G; Sommerfelt, Halvor; Tate, Jacqueline E; Victor, J Chris; Whitney, Cynthia G; Zaidi, Anita K; Zell, Elizabeth R

    2017-06-05

    Case-control studies are commonly used to evaluate effectiveness of licensed vaccines after deployment in public health programs. Such studies can provide policy-relevant data on vaccine performance under 'real world' conditions, contributing to the evidence base to support and sustain introduction of new vaccines. However, case-control studies do not measure the impact of vaccine introduction on disease at a population level, and are subject to bias and confounding, which may lead to inaccurate results that can misinform policy decisions. In 2012, a group of experts met to review recent experience with case-control studies evaluating the effectiveness of several vaccines; here we summarize the recommendations of that group regarding best practices for planning, design and enrollment of cases and controls. Rigorous planning and preparation should focus on understanding the study context including healthcare-seeking and vaccination practices. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies are best carried out soon after vaccine introduction because high coverage creates strong potential for confounding. Endpoints specific to the vaccine target are preferable to non-specific clinical syndromes since the proportion of non-specific outcomes preventable through vaccination may vary over time and place, leading to potentially confusing results. Controls should be representative of the source population from which cases arise, and are generally recruited from the community or health facilities where cases are enrolled. Matching of controls to cases for potential confounding factors is commonly used, although should be reserved for a limited number of key variables believed to be linked to both vaccination and disease. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies can provide information useful to guide policy decisions and vaccine development, however rigorous preparation and design is essential. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Analysis and planning of dose-finding studies with active control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helms, Hans-Joachim

    2014-01-01

    In the clinical development of radiopharmaceuticals the dose finding plays an important role. The contribution is focused on the evaluation and planning of dose finding studies with active control. It is of primary interest to find the lowest dose that yields the same efficacy as the active control. Besides the target dose confidence intervals are of importance to describe the quality of the target dose estimation. The calculation of case numbers and the determination of the dose steps to be studied are challenging under practical conditions. The contribution covers the demonstration of the statistical model the parameter estimation and the asymptotic properties based on maximum likelihood theory, the spline-based evaluation of nonlinear dose finding studies with active control and the planning of design and number of cases.

  19. Integrating Surface Water Management in Urban and Regional Planning, Case Study of Wuhan in China

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Du, N.

    2010-01-01

    The main goal of the study is to examine and develop a spatial planning methodology that would enhance the sustainability of urban development by integrating the surface water system in the urban and regional planning process. Theoretically, this study proposes that proactive-integrated policy and

  20. Open Planning: A Case Study in Educational Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadwallader, Mervyn L.

    1983-01-01

    The University of Wisconsin-Platteville needed something that would stimulate a mode of analysis and planning. The answer was something called a "Productivity Level Audit Through the Master Profile" (PLATT MAP). It grew from a sheet of paper to a gigantic display of data about the state of the campus (MLW)

  1. Planning Student Flow with Linear Programming: A Tunisian Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezeau, Lawrence

    A student flow model in linear programming format, designed to plan the movement of students into secondary and university programs in Tunisia, is described. The purpose of the plan is to determine a sufficient number of graduating students that would flow back into the system as teachers or move into the labor market to meet fixed manpower…

  2. Experiences of nurse case managers within a central discharge planning role of collaboration between physicians, patients and other healthcare professionals: A sociocultural qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thoma, Jorun E; Waite, Marion A

    2018-03-01

    To gain knowledge of nurse case managers' experiences within the German acute care context of collaboration with patients and physicians in a discharge planning role; further to learn about patients' assignment to the management of the nurse case managers; and explicitly to explore critical incidences of interactions between nurse case managers, patients and healthcare practitioner in discharge planning to understand the factor that contributes to effective collaboration. The defined role of nurse case managers in many contexts is a patient-centred responsibility for a central task of discharge management of patients with complex physical and social needs. Some studies have indicated that the general impact of the role reduces readmission rates. Given the necessity to work interprofessionally to achieve a safe discharge, little is known about how nurse case managers achieve this collaboratively. A qualitative case study within a German teaching hospital of nurse case managers (N = 8). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews prompted by a critical incident technique and rigorously analysed through the lenses of sociocultural theory. Consistent object being worked upon was a safe and effective discharge from hospital with a focus on patient advocacy. Significant themes were a self-value or recognition by others of professional expertise, reciprocal value on the capabilities of others thorough relational expertise and negotiation with patients and an identification of case trajectories. More continuity of nurse case managers' care and management, clarity of role and transparency to peers, physicians and other professionals would be beneficial in ensuring appropriate referral of complex patients to nurse case managers responsibility. Clearer role description and benefit realisation of the nurse case managers could be achieved by interventions that are interprofessional and focus on the tasks that matter from a collaborative perspective. This could lead

  3. Significance of preoperative planning software for puncture and channel establishment in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar DISCECTOMY: A study of 40 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Zhouyang; Li, Xinhua; Cui, Jian; He, Xiaobo; Li, Cong; Han, Yingchao; Pan, Jie; Yang, Mingjie; Tan, Jun; Li, Lijun

    2017-05-01

    Preoperative planning software has been widely used in many other minimally invasive surgeries, but there is a lack of information describing the clinical benefits of existing software applied in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD). This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of preoperative planning software in puncture and channel establishment of PELD with routine methods in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH). From June 2016 to October 2016, 40 patients who had single L4/5 or L5/S1 disc herniation were divided into two groups. Group A adopted planning software for preoperative puncture simulation while Group B took routine cases discussion for making puncture plans. The channel establishment time, operative time, fluoroscopic times and complications were compared between the two groups. The surgical efficacy was evaluated according to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and modified Macnab's criteria. The mean channel establishment time was 25.1 ± 4.2 min and 34.6 ± 5.4 min in Group A and B, respectively (P  0.05). The findings of modified Macnab's criteria at each follow-up also showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). The application of preoperative planning software in puncture and cannula insertion planning in PELD was easy and reliable, and could reduce the channel establishment time, operative time and fluoroscopic times of PELD significantly. Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. "Should I Buy the Jerry's Famous Frozen Desserts' Chain?" Case Study [and] Case Study Update: Our Advice on Jerry's Famous Frozen Desserts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finkle, Todd A.; And Others

    1996-01-01

    Offers a case study of a business plan in which the potential business owner examines the industry and the financial statements of the company he plans to purchase. A variety of experts give their perspectives on the situation and the authors provide a follow-up analysis. (JOW)

  5. Case-mix adjustment of consumer reports about managed behavioral health care and health plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eselius, Laura L; Cleary, Paul D; Zaslavsky, Alan M; Huskamp, Haiden A; Busch, Susan H

    2008-12-01

    To develop a model for adjusting patients' reports of behavioral health care experiences on the Experience of Care and Health Outcomes (ECHO) survey to allow for fair comparisons across health plans. Survey responses from 4,068 individuals enrolled in 21 managed behavioral health plans who received behavioral health care within the previous year (response rate = 48 percent). Potential case-mix adjustors were evaluated by combining information about their predictive power and the amount of within- and between-plan variability. Changes in plan scores and rankings due to case-mix adjustment were quantified. The final case-mix adjustment model included self-reported mental health status, self-reported general health status, alcohol/drug treatment, age, education, and race/ethnicity. The impact of adjustment on plan report scores was modest, but large enough to change some plan rankings. Adjusting plan report scores on the ECHO survey for differences in patient characteristics had modest effects, but still may be important to maintain the credibility of patient reports as a quality metric. Differences between those with self-reported fair/poor health compared with those in excellent/very good health varied by plan, suggesting quality differences associated with health status and underscoring the importance of collecting quality information.

  6. On eco-planning for an eco-demonstration park (EDP) and sustainability-Case study of the Luhua EDP in the Chongming Island of Shanghai,China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2008-01-01

    The background,concept,connotation,principles,and methods ofeco-planning for an Eco-Demonstration Park (EDP) and sustainability were examined based on a case study of the Luhua EDP in the Chongming Island of Shanghai,China,which is an important part of Shanghai Eco-city planning and construction in the 21st century.By analyzing natural,social and economic conditions,calculating population using the land capacity eco-model,eco-function zoning,and eco-construction,an innovative eco-industrial structure and technical chain were formulated.A comprehensive eco-planning scheme for the EDP was proposed,including planning and management strategies for subsystems of efficient industry,good quality human settlement,high standard eco-construction and eco-tourism as well as effective environmental protection and attractive landscape.The EDP should be an area with coordinated and sustainable economic,social and environmental subsystems.Eco-planning for the EDP should be a very important part of eco-city planning and sustainability.The paper aims to set up a theoretical framework and practical basis for eco-planning and promoting harmony between human and nature.

  7. A facilitated approach to family case conferencing for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes: perceptions of palliative care planning coordinators and other health professionals in the IDEAL study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luckett, Tim; Chenoweth, Lynnette; Phillips, Jane; Brooks, Deborah; Cook, Janet; Mitchell, Geoffrey; Pond, Dimity; Davidson, Patricia M; Beattie, Elizabeth; Luscombe, Georgina; Goodall, Stephen; Fischer, Thomas; Agar, Meera

    2017-10-01

    Palliative care for nursing home residents with advanced dementia is often sub-optimal due to poor communication and limited care planning. In a cluster randomized controlled trial, registered nurses (RNs) from 10 nursing homes were trained and funded to work as Palliative Care Planning Coordinators (PCPCs) to organize family case conferences and mentor staff. This qualitative sub-study aimed to explore PCPC and health professional perceptions of the benefits of facilitated case conferencing and identify factors influencing implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the RNs in the PCPC role, other members of nursing home staff, and physicians who participated in case conferences. Analysis was conducted by two researchers using a thematic framework approach. Interviews were conducted with 11 PCPCs, 18 other nurses, eight allied health workers, and three physicians. Perceived benefits of facilitated case conferencing included better communication between staff and families, greater multi-disciplinary involvement in case conferences and care planning, and improved staff attitudes and capabilities for dementia palliative care. Key factors influencing implementation included: staffing levels and time; support from management, staff and physicians; and positive family feedback. The facilitated approach explored in this study addressed known barriers to case conferencing. However, current business models in the sector make it difficult for case conferencing to receive the required levels of nursing qualification, training, and time. A collaborative nursing home culture and ongoing relationships with health professionals are also prerequisites for success. Further studies should document resident and family perceptions to harness consumer advocacy.

  8. Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment in US Nursing Homes: A Case Study of CRNP Engagement in the Care Planning Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerald A. Hartle

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This case study describes changes in Physician Orders for Life Saving Treatment (POLST status among long-stay residents of a US nursing home who had a certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP adopt the practice of participating in nursing home staff care plan meetings. The CRNP attended a nonrandomized sample of 60 care plan meetings, each featuring a review of POLST preferences with residents and/or family members. Days since original POLST completion, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, number of hospitalizations since index admission, and other sociodemographic characteristics including religion and payer source were among the data elements extracted via chart review for the sample as well as for a nonequivalent control group of 115 residents also under the care of the medical provider group practice at the nursing home. Twenty-three percent (n=14 of the 60 care conferences attended by the CRNP resulted in a change in POLST status after consultations with the resident and/or family. In all cases, POLST changes involved restated preferences from a higher level of intervention to a lower level of intervention. Fifty-nine percent of the CRNP-attended conferences resulted in the issuance of new medical provider orders. CRNP participation in care conferences may represent a best practice opportunity to revisit goals of care with individuals and their family members in the context of broader interprofessional treatment planning.

  9. TU-C-17A-09: Multi-Case Knowledge-Based IMRT Treatment Planning in Head and Neck Cancer: Are Six Heads Better Than One?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grzetic, S; Lutzky, C; Das, S; Lo, J

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: HNC IMRT treatment planning is a challenging process that relies heavily on the planner’s experience. Previously, we used the single, best match from a library of manually planned cases to semi-automatically generate IMRT plans for a new patient. The current multi-case Knowledge Based Radiation Therapy (MC-KBRT) study utilized different matching cases for each of six individual organs-at-risk (OARs), then combined those six cases to create the new treatment plan. Methods: From a database of 103 patient plans created by experienced planners, MC-KBRT plans were created for 40 (17 unilateral and 23 bilateral) HNC “query” patients. For each case, 2D beam’s-eye-view images were used to find similar geometric “match” patients separately for each of 6 OARs. Dose distributions for each OAR from the 6 matching cases were combined and then warped to suit the query case’s geometry. The dose-volume constraints were used to create the new query treatment plan without the need for human decision-making throughout the IMRT optimization. The optimized MC-KBRT plans were compared against the clinically approved plans and Version 1 (original KBRT) using the dose metrics: mean, median, and maximum (brainstem and cord+5mm) doses. Results: Compared to Version 1, MC-KBRT had no significant reduction of the dose to any of the OARs in either unilateral/bilateral cases. Compared to the manually-planned unilateral cases, there was significant reduction of the oral cavity mean/median dose (>2Gy) at the expense of the contralateral parotid. Compared to the manually-planned bilateral cases, reduction of dose was significant in the ipsilateral parotid, larynx, and oral cavity (>3Gy mean/median) while maintaining PTV coverage. Conclusion: MC-KBRT planning in head and neck cancer generates IMRT plans with equivalent dose sparing to manually created plans. MC-KBRT using multiple case matches does not show significant dose reduction compared to using a single match case with

  10. A plan quality classifier derived with overlap-wall-histogram of hollow organs for automatic IMRT plan quality control of prostate cancer cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ting Song

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: We developed a plan quality classification model to assess IMRT plan quality of prostate cancer patients for automatic plan quality control. Methods: For hollow organs such as rectum and bladder, dose-wall-histogram (DWH was used to evaluate OAR dose sparing in our institution. Correspondingly, we proposed a new descriptor called overlap-wall-histogram (OWH to describe the complex spatial relationship between PTV and a hollow organ. Two metrics calculated from the OWH and DWH are introduced to quantitatively evaluate the difficulty of patient geometry for planning and plan quality in terms of OAR sparing, respectively. A linear correlation between these two metrics was observed after plotting plan quality metric as a function of geometry difficulty metric studied from a database of prostate cases treated in our institution with acceptable plan quality. Thus, a fitting line was built acting as the boundary of high quality and poor quality plans. A query plan falling above the boundary is assessed as high quality, vice versa poor quality. Results: 15 prostate IMRT plans were used to test our model. One was identified as poor quality and the others were common-level. After re-planning all plans, the dose constraints for bladder wall W75 (percentage of wall receiving more than 75Gy, W70, W65 and W60 can be reduced by 3.34%, 3%, 6.99%, 6.54% for that poor quality plan and 1.11%, 0.95%, 1.45% and 1.81% averagely for the common-level quality group, without sacrificing PTV coverage and rectum dose sparing. Conclusion: An effective model was built to provide automatic IMRT plan quality control by evaluating hollow OAR dose sparing for prostate cancer patients. Furthermore, for the query plan with poor quality, potential improvement of plan quality can be estimated and a good reference plan with similar or harder geometry can be automatically chosen from our database to help guide the re-planning if necessary.---------------------------Cite this

  11. The Use of Restorative Justice Practices in a School Community Traumatized by an Incident of Planned School Violence: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mateer, Susan Carol

    2010-01-01

    In 2001, less than two years after the Columbine High School shootings, a plan to copycat the Columbine shooting in a junior high school was interrupted by police. This was one of the first documented cases of interrupted school violence and the school where this was to occur was traumatized both by the fact that students were planning violence…

  12. Connected vehicle impacts on transportation planning : technical memorandum #5 : case studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-01

    The principal objective of this project, Connected Vehicle Impacts on Transportation Planning, is to comprehensively assess how connected vehicles should be considered across the range of transportation planning processes and products developed...

  13. The Use of Case Studies in OR Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penn, Marion L.; Currie, Christine S. M.; Hoad, Kathryn A.; O'Brien, Frances A.

    2016-01-01

    This article investigates the current use of case studies in the teaching of Operational Research (OR) in the UK: how and where they are used; how they are developed; and whether there is an interest in training this area. It is aimed at lecturers teaching OR who are using or planning to use case studies in their teaching. It may also be of…

  14. Study on Strategic Planning of Road and Bridge Infrastructure Development in City Planning: Taking Porto-novo City of Benin Republic as Example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boko-haya Dossa Didier

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Concern about the townlet infrastructure construction in developing country is one of the crucial part of county town planning and development. By taking the overall planning and design in a case study of Porto-novo city at Republic of Benin, this paper analyzes the characteristics and opportunities of Porto-novo city and puts forward corresponding infrastructure construction strategy. In the end, the paper comes up with specific plan of planning and design under the background of Porto-novo's planning of development strategy.

  15. Off-site emergency response plans in case of technological catastrophes: the case Angra dos Reis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza Junior, M.D. de.

    1990-04-01

    In the first part of the thesis a discussion of the technical, operational and methodological features of the current practices for emergency planning in case of a nuclear fallout. Based on this general reference is possible to evaluate the features in the natural and social environment of Angra dos Reis that probably will obstruct the application of the protective countermeasures to the public. These critical points are enhanced to permit the discussion of a methodological approach that is supposed to be suitable to the reality of Angra dos Reis. The approach was developed specifically to this region and was introduced as a part of the general emergency off-site plan to the Central Nuclear Almirante Alvaro Alberto (CNAAA). Starting from this experience will be possible to enlarge this approach in a further research, in order to study this potential hazards of other industrial plants. (author)

  16. Planning and Designing Web- Based Electronic Commerce: a case study in the insurance industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rolf Teubner

    1998-11-01

    Full Text Available Electronic Commerce (EC comprises new ways of doing business with customers, suppliers and other business partners. EC is enabled by information and communication technology, in particular the World Wide Web (in short, the Web. While numerous organisations have started to use the Web as an interface to clients and business partners, many have been disappointed by lower than expected response rates and higher than expected costs. One reason for non profitable Web based EC applications is that they do not reflect the strategic preconditions of EC. This lack may be due to deficits in the process of developing an EC-strategy for their Web application. Furthermore, there is a void of instruments and tools to support this process. In order to fill this void, this paper proposes two basic frameworks for planning a Web based EC application. The application of these frameworks is illustrated by the example of a medium seized insurance company. Based on experiences drawn from the case study, the proposed frameworks will be evaluated.

  17. The connection between long-term and short-term risk management strategies: examples from land-use planning and emergency management in four European case studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prenger-Berninghoff, K.; Cortes, V. J.; Sprague, T.; Aye, Z. C.; Greiving, S.; Głowacki, W.; Sterlacchini, S.

    2014-04-01

    The need for continuous adaptation to complex and unforeseen events requires enhancing the links between planning and preparedness phases to reduce future risks in the most efficient way. In this context, the legal-administrative and cultural context has to be taken into account. This is why four case study areas of the CHANGES1 project (Nehoiu Valley in Romania, Ubaye Valley in France, Val Canale in Italy, and Wieprzówka catchment in Poland) serve as examples to highlight currently implemented risk management strategies for land-use planning and emergency preparedness. The strategies described in this paper were identified by means of exploratory and informal interviews in each study site. Results reveal that a dearth or, in very few cases, a weak link exists between spatial planners and emergency managers. Management strategies could benefit from formally intensifying coordination and cooperation between emergency services and spatial planning authorities. Moreover, limited financial funds urge for a more efficient use of resources and better coordination towards long-term activities. The research indicates potential benefits to establishing or, in some cases, strengthening this link and provides suggestions for further development in the form of information and decision support systems as a key connection point. Aside from the existent information systems for emergency management, it was found that a common platform, which integrates involvement of these and other relevant actors could enhance this connection and address expressed stakeholder needs. 1 Marie Curie ITN CHANGES - Changing Hydro-meteorological Risks as Analyzed by a New Generation of European Scientists.

  18. Conversion of helical tomotherapy plans to step-and-shoot IMRT plans--Pareto front evaluation of plans from a new treatment planning system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersson, Kristoffer; Ceberg, Crister; Engström, Per; Benedek, Hunor; Nilsson, Per; Knöös, Tommy

    2011-06-01

    The resulting plans from a new type of treatment planning system called SharePlan have been studied. This software allows for the conversion of treatment plans generated in a TomoTherapy system for helical delivery, into plans deliverable on C-arm linear accelerators (linacs), which is of particular interest for clinics with a single TomoTherapy unit. The purpose of this work was to evaluate and compare the plans generated in the SharePlan system with the original TomoTherapy plans and with plans produced in our clinical treatment planning system for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on C-arm linacs. In addition, we have analyzed how the agreement between SharePlan and TomoTherapy plans depends on the number of beams and the total number of segments used in the optimization. Optimized plans were generated for three prostate and three head-and-neck (H&N) cases in the TomoTherapy system, and in our clinical treatment planning systems (TPS) used for IMRT planning with step-and-shoot delivery. The TomoTherapy plans were converted into step-and-shoot IMRT plans in SharePlan. For each case, a large number of Pareto optimal plans were created to compare plans generated in SharePlan with plans generated in the Tomotherapy system and in the clinical TPS. In addition, plans were generated in SharePlan for the three head-and-neck cases to evaluate how the plan quality varied with the number of beams used. Plans were also generated with different number of beams and segments for other patient cases. This allowed for an evaluation of how to minimize the number of required segments in the converted IMRT plans without compromising the agreement between them and the original TomoTherapy plans. The plans made in SharePlan were as good as or better than plans from our clinical system, but they were not as good as the original TomoTherapy plans. This was true for both the head-and-neck and the prostate cases, although the differences between the plans for the latter were

  19. Reverse case study: to think like a nurse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyer, Deborah A

    2011-01-01

    Reverse case study is a collaborative, innovative, active learning strategy that nurse educators can use in the classroom. Groups of students develop a case study and a care plan from a list of medications and a short two- to three-sentence scenario. The students apply the nursing process to thoroughly develop a complete case study written as a concept map. The strategy builds on previous learned information and applies the information to new content, thus promoting critical thinking and problem solving. Reverse case study has been used in both associate and baccalaureate nursing degree theory courses to generate discussion and assist students in thinking like a nurse. 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  20. Risk-based flood protection planning under climate change and modeling uncertainty: a pre-alpine case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Dittes

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Planning authorities are faced with a range of questions when planning flood protection measures: is the existing protection adequate for current and future demands or should it be extended? How will flood patterns change in the future? How should the uncertainty pertaining to this influence the planning decision, e.g., for delaying planning or including a safety margin? Is it sufficient to follow a protection criterion (e.g., to protect from the 100-year flood or should the planning be conducted in a risk-based way? How important is it for flood protection planning to accurately estimate flood frequency (changes, costs and damage? These are questions that we address for a medium-sized pre-alpine catchment in southern Germany, using a sequential Bayesian decision making framework that quantitatively addresses the full spectrum of uncertainty. We evaluate different flood protection systems considered by local agencies in a test study catchment. Despite large uncertainties in damage, cost and climate, the recommendation is robust for the most conservative approach. This demonstrates the feasibility of making robust decisions under large uncertainty. Furthermore, by comparison to a previous study, it highlights the benefits of risk-based planning over the planning of flood protection to a prescribed return period.

  1. Risk-based flood protection planning under climate change and modeling uncertainty: a pre-alpine case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dittes, Beatrice; Kaiser, Maria; Špačková, Olga; Rieger, Wolfgang; Disse, Markus; Straub, Daniel

    2018-05-01

    Planning authorities are faced with a range of questions when planning flood protection measures: is the existing protection adequate for current and future demands or should it be extended? How will flood patterns change in the future? How should the uncertainty pertaining to this influence the planning decision, e.g., for delaying planning or including a safety margin? Is it sufficient to follow a protection criterion (e.g., to protect from the 100-year flood) or should the planning be conducted in a risk-based way? How important is it for flood protection planning to accurately estimate flood frequency (changes), costs and damage? These are questions that we address for a medium-sized pre-alpine catchment in southern Germany, using a sequential Bayesian decision making framework that quantitatively addresses the full spectrum of uncertainty. We evaluate different flood protection systems considered by local agencies in a test study catchment. Despite large uncertainties in damage, cost and climate, the recommendation is robust for the most conservative approach. This demonstrates the feasibility of making robust decisions under large uncertainty. Furthermore, by comparison to a previous study, it highlights the benefits of risk-based planning over the planning of flood protection to a prescribed return period.

  2. Integrated production planning and water management in the food industry: A cheese production case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pulluru, Sai Jishna; Akkerman, Renzo; Hottenrott, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    Efficient water management is increasingly relevant in the food industry. Exploiting water reuse opportunities in planning production activities is a key part of this. We study integrated water management and production planning in cheese production. For this, we develop a water-integrated lot

  3. A multi-criteria methodology for energy planning and developing renewable energy sources at a regional level: A case study Thassos, Greece

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mourmouris, J.C.; Potolias, C.

    2013-01-01

    Rational energy planning under the pressure of environmental and economic problems is imperative to humanity. An evaluational framework is proposed in order to support energy planning for promoting the use of renewable energy sources. A multi-criteria decision analysis is adopted, detailing exploitation of renewable energy sources (including Wind, Solar, Biomass, Geothermal, and small Hydro) for power and heat generation. The aim of this paper is the analysis and development of a multilevel decision-making structure, utilizing multiple criteria for energy planning and exploitation of Renewable Energy Sources of at the regional level. The proposed evaluation framework focuses on the use of a multi-criteria approach as a tool for supporting energy planning in the area of concern, based on a pool of qualitative and quantitative evaluation criteria. The final aim of this study is to discover the optimal amount of each Renewable Energy Source that can be produced in the region and to contribute to an optimal energy mix. In this paper, a case study for the island of Thassos, Greece is analyzed. The results prove that Renewable Energy Sources exploitation at a regional level can satisfy increasing power demands through environmental-friendly energy systems that combine wind power, biomass and PV systems. - Highlights: ► An evaluational framework is proposed in order to support energy planning. ► A multi-criteria decision analysis is adopted, detailing exploitation of RES for power and heat generation. ► The aim is to discover the optimal amount of each RES that can be produced in each region.

  4. Quality of Diagnosis and Treatment Plans After Using the 'Diagnostic Guideline for Anxiety and Challenging Behaviours' in People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Comparative Multiple Case Study Design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pruijssers, Addy; van Meijel, Berno; Maaskant, Marian; Keeman, Noortje; van Achterberg, Theo

    2016-07-01

    People with intellectual disabilities often have a multitude of concurrent problems due to the combination of cognitive impairments, psychiatric disorders (particularly anxiety) and related challenging behaviours. Diagnoses in people with intellectual disabilities are complicated. This study evaluates the quality of the diagnoses and treatment plans after using a guideline that was developed to support professionals in their diagnostic tasks. A comparative multiple case study with an experimental and control condition, applying deductive analyses of diagnoses and treatment plans. The analyses revealed that the number of diagnostic statements and planned treatment actions in the experimental group was significantly larger and more differentiated than in the control condition. In the control group, consequential harm and protective factors were hardly mentioned in diagnoses and treatment plans. Working with the 'Diagnostic Guideline for Anxiety and CB' leads to improved diagnoses and treatment plans compared with care as usual. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. A test case of computer aided motion planning for nuclear maintenance operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmitzberger, E.; Bouchet, J.L.; Schmitzberger, E.

    2001-01-01

    Needs for improved tools for nuclear power plant maintenance preparation are expressed by EDF engineering. These are an easier and better management of logistics constraints such as free spaces for motions or handling tasks. The lack of generic or well suited tools and the specificity of nuclear maintenance operation have led EDF R and D to develop its own motion planning tools in collaboration with LAAS-CNRS, Utrecht University and the software publisher CADCENTRE within the framework of the three years Esprit LTR project MOLOG. EDF users needs will be summed up in the first part of the paper under the title ''Motion feasibility studies for maintenance operation'' and then compared to the current industrial offer in the ''Software's background'''s part. The definition and objectives ''Towards motion planning tools'' follows. It explains why maintenance preparation pertains to automatic motion planning and how it makes studies much simpler. The ''MOLOG's Benchmark and first result'''s part describes the test-case used to evaluate the MOLOG project and gives an outlook at the results obtained so far. (author)

  6. Planning and roadmapping technological innovations cases and tools

    CERN Document Server

    Pizarro, Melinda; Talla, Rajasree

    2014-01-01

    Across industries, firms vary broadly on how they operate with respect to their Research & Development (R&D) activities.  This volume presents a holistic approach to evaluating the critical elements of R&D management, including planning, organization, portfolio management, project management, and knowledge transfer—by assessing R&D management from different sectors.  Featuring empirical research and in-depth case studies from industries as diverse as medical imaging, electric vehicles, and cyber security, the authors identify common features of successful R&D management, despite fundamental differences, such as company size, number of employees, industry sector, and the R&D budget.  In particular, they consider the implications for decision making with respect to resource allocation and investments, such as site selection, purchasing, and cross-departmental communication.

  7. Medical emergency planning in case of severe nuclear power plant accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohlenschlaeger, L.

    1980-01-01

    This paper is an attempt to discuss a three-step-plan on medical emergency planning in case of severe accidents at nuclear power plants on the basis of own experiences in the regional area as well as on the basis of recommendations of the Federal Minister of the Interior. The medical considerations take account of the severity and extension of an accident whereby the current definitions used in nuclear engineering for accident situations are taken as basis. A comparison between obligatory and actual state is made on the possibilities of medical emergency planning, taking all capacities of staff, facilities, and equipment available in the Federal Republic of Germany into account. To assure a useful and quick utilization of the existing infra-structure as well as nation-wide uniform training of physicians and medical assistants in the field of medical emergency in case of a nuclear catastrophe, a federal law for health protection is regarded urgently necessary. (orig.) [de

  8. Plan's CCCD approach - Country study PLAN-Bangladesh

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Uffelen, van G.J.

    2009-01-01

    PLAN Netherlands National Organisation has in coordination with PLAN International Headquarters commissioned an independent formative evaluation study to get systematic insight in the preconditions for appropriate functionality of Child Centred Community Development (CCCD) and to strengthen common

  9. PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS - A BASIC INSTRUMENT IN STRATEGIC PLANNING. CASE STUDY ON THE ROMANIAN INSURANCE MARKET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrescu Marian

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Practice proved that strategic planning is a necessary process for insurance companies. This process can help companies to adapt more easily to environmental changes. The strategic planning of the activity of an insurance company cannot be realized without a careful analysis of the evolution of the market and without studying the company's market position. A classic model used in the portfolio analysis is the Boston Consulting Group model. In this paper we have used the model for studying the activity of the leader of the Romanian insurance market. In 2009 Alliantz Tiriac had 17 types of insurance in the portfolio. Each class of insurance was considered a strategic business unit. We have studied the insurance portfolio by using secondary data from specialized publications, such as the Romanian Insurance Supervisory Commission. Using the data, we have calculated for Alliantz Tiriac, for each class of insurance, the relative market share. The company was leader on the market for five classes of insurance. The economic crisis had a severe impact on the evolution of the Romanian insurance market: from the 17 classes of insurance studied: nine had registered a decrease of the market, eight had registered an increase, but only for three of them the growth exceeded 10%. Using the relative market share and the market growth we have identified the “cash cows”: there are five classes of insurance in this category, among which the “Insurance for land vehicles (CASCO” which represented more than half of the sales (55.82%; unfortunately, in the case of this insurance type there was a very significant decrease of the market in 2010 compared to 2009: -25.12%, the “question marks” – there are three classes of insurance in this category, and the “dogs”. Due to the crisis, a large number of the company's products are in this category and there are no “star” products. This work was supported by CNCSIS – UEFISCSU, project number 915 / 2009

  10. Volumetric-modulated arc therapy in postprostatectomy radiotherapy patients: A planning comparison study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forde, Elizabeth; Kneebone, Andrew; Bromley, Regina; Guo, Linxin; Hunt, Peter; Eade, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare postprostatectomy planning for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with both single arc (SA) and double arcs (DA) against dynamic sliding window intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Ten cases were planned with IMRT, SA VMAT, and DA VMAT. All cases were planned to achieve a minimum dose of 68 Gy to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) and goals to limit rectal volume >40 Gy to 35% and >65 Gy to 17%, and bladder volumes >40 Gy to 50% and >65 Gy to 25%. Plans were averaged across the 10 patients and compared for mean dose, conformity, homogeneity, rectal and bladder doses, and monitor units. The mean dose to the clinical target volume and PTV was significantly higher (p<0.05) for SA compared with DA or IMRT. The homogeneity index was not significantly different: SA = 0.09; DA = 0.08; and IMRT = 0.07. The rectal V40 was lowest for the DA plan. The rectal V20 was significantly lower (p<0.05) for both the VMAT plans compared with IMRT. There were no significant differences for bladder V40 or rectal and bladder V65. The IMRT plans required 1400 MU compared with 745 for DA and 708 for SA. This study shows that for equivalent dose coverage, SA and DA VMAT plans result in higher mean doses to the clinical target volume and PTV. This greater dose heterogeneity is balanced by improved low-range rectal doses and halving of the monitor units

  11. Volumetric-modulated arc therapy in postprostatectomy radiotherapy patients: A planning comparison study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Forde, Elizabeth, E-mail: eforde@tcd.ie [Radiation Oncology Department, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, St Leonards, New South Wales (Australia); Kneebone, Andrew [Radiation Oncology Department, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, St Leonards, New South Wales (Australia); Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Bromley, Regina [Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Guo, Linxin; Hunt, Peter [Radiation Oncology Department, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, St Leonards, New South Wales (Australia); Eade, Thomas [Radiation Oncology Department, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, St Leonards, New South Wales (Australia); Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)

    2013-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare postprostatectomy planning for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with both single arc (SA) and double arcs (DA) against dynamic sliding window intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Ten cases were planned with IMRT, SA VMAT, and DA VMAT. All cases were planned to achieve a minimum dose of 68 Gy to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) and goals to limit rectal volume >40 Gy to 35% and >65 Gy to 17%, and bladder volumes >40 Gy to 50% and >65 Gy to 25%. Plans were averaged across the 10 patients and compared for mean dose, conformity, homogeneity, rectal and bladder doses, and monitor units. The mean dose to the clinical target volume and PTV was significantly higher (p<0.05) for SA compared with DA or IMRT. The homogeneity index was not significantly different: SA = 0.09; DA = 0.08; and IMRT = 0.07. The rectal V40 was lowest for the DA plan. The rectal V20 was significantly lower (p<0.05) for both the VMAT plans compared with IMRT. There were no significant differences for bladder V40 or rectal and bladder V65. The IMRT plans required 1400 MU compared with 745 for DA and 708 for SA. This study shows that for equivalent dose coverage, SA and DA VMAT plans result in higher mean doses to the clinical target volume and PTV. This greater dose heterogeneity is balanced by improved low-range rectal doses and halving of the monitor units.

  12. Combining landscape-level conservation planning and biodiversity offset programs: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  13. Case Study on Logistics Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahryar Sorooshian

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents research carried out at a medium‐size manufacturing organization in east Asia. The study tries to highlight the importance of supply chain management; specifically, our aim for this study is to understand logistics and performance measurement in the logistics and supply chain, and we include a theoretical discussion of online data collected and a case study of the logistic performance of a real organization. The study also examines the performance of the selected company, identifies the problems and provides recommendations for improvements. This study can be a guide for business advisers and those interested in analysing company performance, especially from a logistics viewpoint. We also suggest the methodology of this case study for those who want to have a better understanding of a business environment before starting their own business, or for benchmarking practice during strategic planning.

  14. A Case Study of Resources Management Planning with Multiple Objectives and Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    David L. Peterson; David G. Silsbee; Daniel L. Schmoldt

    1995-01-01

    Each National Park Service unit in the United States produces a resources management plan (RMP) every four years or less. The plans commit budgets and personnel to specific projects for four years, but they are prepared with little quantitative and analytical rigor and without formal decisionmaking tools. We have previously described a multiple objective planning...

  15. Incorporating energy efficiency into electric power transmission planning: A western United States case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbose, Galen L.; Sanstad, Alan H.; Goldman, Charles A.

    2014-01-01

    Driven by system reliability goals and the need to integrate significantly increased renewable power generation, long-range, bulk-power transmission planning processes in the United States are undergoing major changes. At the same time, energy efficiency is an increasing share of the electricity resource mix in many regions, and has become a centerpiece of many utility resource plans and state policies as a means of meeting electricity demand, complementing supply-side sources, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the electric power system. The paper describes an innovative project in the western United States to explicitly incorporate end-use efficiency into load forecasts – projections of electricity consumption and demand – that are a critical input into transmission planning and transmission planning studies. Institutional and regulatory background and context are reviewed, along with a detailed discussion of data sources and analytical procedures used to integrate efficiency into load forecasts. The analysis is intended as a practical example to illustrate the kinds of technical and institutional issues that must be addressed in order to incorporate energy efficiency into regional transmission planning activities. - Highlights: • Incorporating energy efficiency into electric power transmission planning is an emergent analytical and policy priority. • A new methodology for this purpose was developed and applied in the western U.S. transmission system. • Efficiency scenarios were created and incorporated into multiple load forecasts. • Aggressive deployment of efficiency policies and programs can significantly reduce projected load. • The approach is broadly applicable in long-range transmission planning

  16. Exploring Collaborative and Community Based Planning in Tourism Case Study Sitia-Cavo Sidero Project

    OpenAIRE

    Katsouli, Penelope

    2007-01-01

    The present paper has explored the policy planning and development in emerging tourism settings in Sitia. Comprehensively, this study, in the name of sustainable development, focused on the extent of collaborative and community-based planning. For that reason exploratory research has been used; the context and the structure of this paper aimed to uncover the socially constructed reality of Sitia's stakeholders, within the dynamic environment, and respond to and questions. Therein significant ...

  17. Leadership development and succession planning in case management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miodonski, Kathleen; Hines, Patricia

    2013-01-01

    The director of case management is one of health care's leadership positions most frequently in demand. The lack of qualified and effective case management leaders will continue to be an issue for organizations for years to come, influenced by increasing pressures on health care reimbursement and the aging case management workforce. Organizations have an opportunity to create a program to develop future case management leaders from their internal talent. The proposed strategies are designed for the acute care hospital but also have applicability in other health care settings where there are case managers and a need for case management leadership. The business community offers leadership research and leadership development models with relevance to case management. Identifying and developing internal talent for leadership roles has been proven to be effective in preparation for advanced responsibilities, has a positive effect on staff morale, and minimizes the impact of vacant leadership positions during recruitment and onboarding activities. Creating a case management leadership development program for an organization can be an alternative to the process of external recruitment for case management department leaders. Such a program can be undertaken even in today's budget conscious environment by accessing existing resources in an organization in a creative and organized manner. The authors outline an approach for case management leaders to accept responsibility for succession planning and for case managers to accept responsibility for promoting their own career development through creation of a leadership development program.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wicaksono, A. D.

    2017-06-01

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

  19. A case-based approach to understanding vacation planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Susan I. Stewart; Christine A. Vogt

    1999-01-01

    Vacations provide an opportunity to make many choices, and even for travelers who want their vacations to be spontaneous, planning is often an important part of vacationing. Although descriptive studies of travel planning have sketched out the elements of the vacation plan, these elements have not been drawn together in a conceptual model of the consumer planning...

  20. MRP (materiel requirements planning) II implementation: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheldon, D

    1994-05-01

    Manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) is a powerful and effective business planning template on which to build a continuous improvement culture. MRP II, when successfully implemented, encourages a disciplined yet nonthreatening environment centered on measurement and accountability. From the education that accompanies an MRP II implementation, the employees can better understand the vision and mission of the organization. This common goal keeps everyone's energy directed toward the same final objective. The Raymond Corporation is a major materiels handling equipment manufacturer headquartered in Greene, New York, with class "A" MRP II manufacturing facilities in Greene and Brantford, Ontario and an aftermark distribution facility in East Syracuse, New York. Prior to the implementation of MRP II in its Greene plant (from 1988 through 1990) good intentions and hard work were proving to be less than necessary to compete in the global market. Certified class "A" in February 1990. The Raymond Corporation has built a world-class organization from these foundations.

  1. Detailed Sponge City Planning Based on Hierarchical Fuzzy Decision-Making: A Case Study on Yangchen Lake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junyu Zhang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available We proposed a Hierarchical Fuzzy Inference System (HFIS framework to offer better decision supports with fewer user-defined data (uncertainty. The framework consists two parts: a fuzzified Geographic Information System (GIS and a HFIS system. The former provides comprehensive information on the criterion unit and the latter helps in making more robust decisions. The HFIS and the traditional Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM method were applied to a case study and compared. The fuzzified GIS maps maintained a majority of the dominant characteristics of the criterion unit but also revealed some non-significant information according to the surrounding environment. The urban planning map generated by the two methods shares similar strategy choices (6% difference, while the spatial distribution of strategies shares 69.7% in common. The HFIS required fewer subjective decisions than the MCDM (34 user-defined decision rules vs. 141 manual evaluations.

  2. The impact of disasters on small business disaster planning: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, David T

    2007-12-01

    A major flood in 1997 forced the evacuation of Grand Forks, North Dakota and caused damage of USD 1 billion. Despite this recent disaster there is only marginal evidence of an increase in disaster recovery planning by businesses that experienced the flood. This finding is consistent with the results of other business-related disaster research. Statistical tests of survey results from 2003 indicate that there is a significantly higher rate of disaster recovery planning in businesses started since the 1997 flood than in businesses started before the flood and still in business. Such an outcome indicates a need for public policy actions emphasizing the importance of disaster planning. Improved disaster planning is an aid to business recovery and the results demonstrate the need for more widespread efforts to improve disaster recovery planning on the part of smaller businesses, even in areas that have recently experienced disasters.

  3. Ecological Wisdom and Inspiration Underlying the Planning and Construction of Ancient Human Settlements: Case Study of Hongcun UNESCO World Heritage Site in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shanwen Zheng

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Human settlements are social-economic-natural complex ecosystems centered on human activities and the most prominent site for the contradictions between humans and the environment. Taking Hongcun, a UNESCO World Heritage site in China, as an example, this paper analyzes the methods and effect of coupling man and nature in Hongcun, summarizes the ecological wisdom of dealing with the relationship between human and nature, and uses this wisdom to shed light on the planning, construction, and management of contemporary urban and rural settlements. Firstly, the study introduces the Human-Natural Intergraded Ecological Planning (HNIEP model’s hypothesis, explaining its foundation and potential principles or approaches. Secondly, using the case study of Hongcun to explain, support, and validate the HNIEP model and its framework, the study found that the unique planning and construction of Hongcun has greatly promoted ecosystem services, such as local microclimate regulation, rainwater runoff regulation, water conservation, landscape aesthetic, and engagement with nature. Thirdly, Hongcun reflects the concept of harmonious coexistence between human and nature, the wisdom of rational use of ecosystem structures, processes and functions, and the wisdom of coupling human activities with the living environment and natural ecosystem. Finally, the paper summarizes the enlightenment brought by both the HNIEP model and Hongcun wisdom to contemporary urban-rural planning and construction management.

  4. Quality and clinical supply considerations of Paediatric Investigation Plans for IV preparations-A case study with the FP7 CloSed project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanning, Sara M; Orlu Gul, Mine; Winslade, Jackie; Baarslag, Manuel A; Neubert, Antje; Tuleu, Catherine

    2016-09-25

    A Paediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) is a development plan that aims to ensure that sufficient data are obtained through studies in paediatrics to support the generation of marketing authorisation of medicines for children. This paper highlights some practical considerations and challenges with respect to PIP submissions and paediatric clinical trials during the pharmaceutical development phase, using the FP7-funded Clonidine for Sedation of Paediatric Patients in the Intensive Care Unit (CloSed) project as a case study. Examples discussed include challenges and considerations regarding formulation development, blinding and randomisation, product labelling and shipment and clinical trial requirements versus requirements for marketing authorisation. A significant quantity of information is required for PIP submissions and it is hoped that future applicants may benefit from an insight into some critical considerations and challenges faced in the CloSed project. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. ROENTGEN: case-based reasoning and radiation therapy planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, J.

    1992-01-01

    ROENTGEN is a design assistant for radiation therapy planning which uses case-based reasoning, an artificial intelligence technique. It learns both from specific problem-solving experiences and from direct instruction from the user. The first sort of learning is the normal case-based method of storing problem solutions so that they can be reused. The second sort is necessary because ROENTGEN does not, initially, have an internal model of the physics of its problem domain. This dependence on explicit user instruction brings to the forefront representational questions regarding indexing, failure definition, failure explanation and repair. This paper presents the techniques used by ROENTGEN in its knowledge acquisition and design activities. PMID:1482869

  6. Evaluation of implementation of municipal roads’ maintenance plans in Palestine: A pilot case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amjad Issa

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The recent preparation of the Operation and Maintenance (O&M Manual for Palestinian municipalities is an important step to guide them towards preparing and implementing their O&M priority-based plans, considering scare resources. During the course of preparation of the Manual, the proposed procedures were applied at ten pilot municipalities. This study aims to explore the outcome of the implementation of the 2014 O&M road maintenance plans at these municipalities. To achieve this, analysis of the outcome of a questionnaire designed to collect relevant information from these municipalities was conducted. The results show that seven of the targeted municipalities used the prioritization criteria proposed in the O&M Manual. Despite that the remaining municipalities had the liberty to slightly change the relative weight of the indicators, sensitivity analysis was conducted and indicated robustness of the indicators. The average percentage of roads’ lengths of the actually maintained to the planned was 35%, suggesting that the plans were ambitious and need to be more rational. Most of the allocated funds for road maintenance came from the municipalities own budgets, indicating need to have more financing by the government to ensure the integrity of the municipal road infrastructure assets. The results also indicated that 95% of the maintenance works were executed through external contracts, and that the municipalities need to be supported and equipped to conduct the basic road maintenance works. Keywords: Road maintenance plans, Maintenance prioritization, Municipal roads’ maintenance, Maintenance plans evaluation, Palestine

  7. Cultural change in telecommunications companies: a case study

    OpenAIRE

    Anacleto, Cristiane Alves; Irion, Crishna; Paladini, Edson Pacheco

    2014-01-01

    This work aims to propose a model for the conduct of cultural change in the IT department of a company in the telecommunications industry. To achieve the goal proposed exploratory, technical procedures used were the case study and literature review. The techniques of data collection in the case study were: participant observation, unstructured interview and document analysis. The proposed model consists of five steps: analysis of the company's strategic planning, cultural diagnosis of the IT ...

  8. An investigation of the effect of changes of planning criteria on power system expansion planning with a case study of the Jordanian power system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elkarmi, Fawwaz; Abu-Shikhah, Nazih; Abu-Zarour, Mohammad

    2010-01-01

    Many factors contribute to the planning process of power systems. In the context of expansion planning, focus is paid to selection criteria that enable the optimization of related factors that will result in the best performance. This is described as meeting demand whilst reducing costs and maintaining minimal risk in operation. In this paper, different criteria used in the planning of power system expansion studies are investigated with the objective of identifying their impact on the expansion plan. The results of these criteria on the expansion study of the Jordanian power system are presented. Results show good correspondence to the actual adopted solutions. The spinning reserve is the most influential planning criterion on the overall system expansion cost. This is followed by the peak load changes, and the forced outage rate of the candidate units used for capacity additions to meet future expected demand. Finally, the loss of load expectation and cost of energy not served have the least effect on the overall system expansion cost. These results highlight the importance to be placed on performing sensitivity analyses to determine the most cost effective and acceptable expansion plan of the electric power system. There is a need to continually update the planning criteria to cater for changes and developments in the power system and the economic situation. Finally, the methodology of this study can be generalized to other power systems.

  9. An investigation of the effect of changes of planning criteria on power system expansion planning with a case study of the Jordanian power system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elkarmi, Fawwaz; Abu-Shikhah, Nazih [Al-Ahliyya Amman University, College of Engineering, AA University Post Office, Zip code 19328 (Jordan); Abu-Zarour, Mohammad [NEPCO, Department of Generation Planning, P.O. Box 2310, Amman 11194 (Jordan)

    2010-10-15

    Many factors contribute to the planning process of power systems. In the context of expansion planning, focus is paid to selection criteria that enable the optimization of related factors that will result in the best performance. This is described as meeting demand whilst reducing costs and maintaining minimal risk in operation. In this paper, different criteria used in the planning of power system expansion studies are investigated with the objective of identifying their impact on the expansion plan. The results of these criteria on the expansion study of the Jordanian power system are presented. Results show good correspondence to the actual adopted solutions. The spinning reserve is the most influential planning criterion on the overall system expansion cost. This is followed by the peak load changes, and the forced outage rate of the candidate units used for capacity additions to meet future expected demand. Finally, the loss of load expectation and cost of energy not served have the least effect on the overall system expansion cost. These results highlight the importance to be placed on performing sensitivity analyses to determine the most cost effective and acceptable expansion plan of the electric power system. There is a need to continually update the planning criteria to cater for changes and developments in the power system and the economic situation. Finally, the methodology of this study can be generalized to other power systems. (author)

  10. Participation in planning – A study of urban development in Norway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Irene Falleth

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available In Norway, the dominance of neo-liberal ideas has resulted in a private planning practice whereby the developer is the principal actor in opaque negotiations between planning authorities and developers. We examine patterns of contact between stakeholders in urban development planning. Based on information obtained from a survey of the 145 most populous municipalities in Norway, as well as from case studies in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, we find considerable interaction between the stakeholders involved in the planning process. The interaction patterns are different for civil society actors and private developers. We find that while developers have contacts with the planning authorities, the civil actors have contacts with the politicians. In the initial phase, i.e. before formal planning begins, this pattern is highly significant. Politicians frequently feel bound by negotiations and agreements that are made by the planners and the developers during the initial planning process.

  11. Strategic planning model for Startups: A case study of Iranian packaging industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Mahdavi Mazdeh

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available In today’s turbulent and competitive world, strategic planning plays an important role for the success of firms. Despite the fact that there are literally numerous models proposed for different companies in various states and structures, the possibility of using strategic planning for startups has never been seriously considered. In this paper, we present a survey by asking experts to find out whether strategic planning is suitable for startups. We also propose a model for strategic planning in startups based on the strategic planning models for small businesses and entrepreneurship concepts. The model is similar to other models and what differentiates this models form other approaches is the methodology used for internal and external analysis and the parameters taken into consideration. The proposed model is examined on an Iranian food packaging industry for validation. The preliminary results indicate that the success of startups depends on two sets of parameters: “entrepreneurial opportunities” and “competitive advantages and entrepreneurial characteristics”.

  12. Teaching case studies on emergency evacuation : final report

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-15

    Through the development of four Harvard Kennedy School case studies, this project explored the policy and institutional dimensions of emergency evacuation planning and implementation in two major metropolitan areas Houston and New Orleans. By pro...

  13. Organization development and performance improvement planning: a case study of STFA ENERCOM

    OpenAIRE

    Düzgün, Alev

    1991-01-01

    Ankara : The Department of Management and the Graduate School of Business Administration of Bilkent Univ., 1991. Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 1991. Includes bibliographical references. Organization Development is a guidance of the Performance Improvement Planning Method, which is widely used to operationalize organizational change. The fundemental assumption of this study is that the Process Consultation Technique is an effective means to facilitate organiz...

  14. When Self-Organization intersects with Urban Planning: Two Cases from Helsinki

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horelli, Liisa; Saad-Sulonen, Joanna; Wallin, Sirkku

    2015-01-01

    Participation as self-organization has emerged as a new form of citizen activism, often supported by digital technology. A comparative qualitative analysis of two case studies in Helsinki indicates that the self-organization of citizens expands the practice of urban planning. Together, they enable...... the mobilization of different groups around issues related to urban space. The consequences have become visible in temporary uses of places, event making and community development through bottom-up cultures. However, the lacking links to decision-making constrains new solutions and creative actions....

  15. A test case of computer aided motion planning for nuclear maintenance operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmitzberger, E.; Bouchet, J.L. [Electricite de France (EDF), Dept. Surveillance Diagnostic Maintenance, 78 - Chatou (France); Schmitzberger, E. [Institut National Polytechnique, CRAN, 54 - Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France)

    2001-07-01

    Needs for improved tools for nuclear power plant maintenance preparation are expressed by EDF engineering. These are an easier and better management of logistics constraints such as free spaces for motions or handling tasks. The lack of generic or well suited tools and the specificity of nuclear maintenance operation have led EDF R and D to develop its own motion planning tools in collaboration with LAAS-CNRS, Utrecht University and the software publisher CADCENTRE within the framework of the three years Esprit LTR project MOLOG. EDF users needs will be summed up in the first part of the paper under the title ''Motion feasibility studies for maintenance operation'' and then compared to the current industrial offer in the ''Software's background'''s part. The definition and objectives ''Towards motion planning tools'' follows. It explains why maintenance preparation pertains to automatic motion planning and how it makes studies much simpler. The ''MOLOG's Benchmark and first result'''s part describes the test-case used to evaluate the MOLOG project and gives an outlook at the results obtained so far. (author)

  16. Treatment planning for carcinoma of the cervix: a patterns of care study report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ling, C. Clifton; Smith, Alfred R.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Owen, Jean B.; Brickner, Theodore J.; Hanks, Gerald E.

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: The Patterns of Care Study (PCS) of patients treated in 1988-89 included 'patterns of treatment planning' for radiotherapy of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. A Consensus Committee of radiation physicists and oncologists established current guidelines and developed questionnaires to assess the treatment planning process (i.e., the general structure, methodology, and tools) of institutions involved in the Patterns of Care Study. This paper reports the findings of the assessment. Methods and Materials: The PCS surveyed 73 radiotherapy facilities, of which 21 are academic institutions (AC), 26 hospital-based facilities (HB), and 26 free-standing centers (FS). In total, 242 cases were assessed with 39% from academic centers, 33% from hospital-based centers, and 28% from free-standing centers. The survey collected treatment planning information such as the use of computed tomography (CT), simulation procedure, contouring of patient outline, tumor or target delineation, identification of critical structures, method of dose prescription (point or isodose), etc. Data was also obtained concerning implant boosts, e.g., radioisotope used, use of midline block for external beam treatment, availability of remote afterloader, practice of interstitial implants, combination with hyperthermia, etc. Results: There is a high degree of compliance relative to the basic treatment planning standards. For example, 171 cases (out of 173) from AC and HB institutions included simulation and 169 used port film; for cases from FS centers, 61 out of 69 involved simulation and 66 out of 69 included port film. Most institutions used linacs (231 out of 242); in five cases, Co-60 units and in six cases betatron was used. In terms of treatment planning, 53% used skin contours, but only 14% had target volume delineation, with AC and HB being slightly more conscientious in these efforts. Critical organs did not appear to be explicitly considered in external beam treatment planning, with only

  17. Perspectives and Plans for Graduate Studies. 16. Biophysics 1974.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ontario Council on Graduate Studies, Toronto. Advisory Committee on Academic Planning.

    In March, 1973, after a review of the Ontario universities' three-year plans, a provisional embargo was placed on doctoral work in biophysics. A full-scale assessment with outside consultants was not necessary in the case of a provisional embargo. Instead, the method used to remove the embargo was self-study by the discipline group leading to a…

  18. The connection between long-term and short-term risk management strategies for flood and landslide hazards: examples from land-use planning and emergency management in four European case studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prenger-Berninghoff, K.; Cortes, V. J.; Sprague, T.; Aye, Z. C.; Greiving, S.; Głowacki, W.; Sterlacchini, S.

    2014-12-01

    Adaptation to complex and unforeseen events requires enhancing the links between planning and preparedness phases to reduce future risks in the most efficient way. In this context, the legal-administrative and cultural context has to be taken into account. This is why four case study areas of the CHANGES1 project (Nehoiu Valley in Romania, Ubaye Valley in France, Val Canale in Italy, and Wieprzówka catchment in Poland) serve as examples to highlight currently implemented risk management strategies for land-use planning and emergency preparedness. The focus is particularly on flood and landslide hazards. The strategies described in this paper were identified by means of exploratory and informal interviews in each study site. Results reveal that a dearth or, in very few cases, a weak link exists between spatial planners and emergency managers. Management strategies could benefit from formally intensifying coordination and cooperation between emergency services and spatial planning authorities. Moreover, limited financial funds urge for a more efficient use of resources and better coordination towards long-term activities. The research indicates potential benefits to establishing or, in some cases, strengthening this link through contextual changes, e.g., in organizational or administrative structures, that facilitate proper interaction between risk management and spatial planning. It also provides suggestions for further development in the form of information and decision support systems as a key connection point. 1 Marie Curie ITN CHANGES - Changing Hydro-meteorological Risks as Analyzed by a New Generation of European Scientists

  19. A case study of Florida Road, Durban

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2006-06-29

    Jun 29, 2006 ... planning in mixed-use precincts: A case study of .... Technology, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Department of Town and Regional .... development process of contemporary cities. The origins of this realisation .... financing, and a lack of collaboration .... surrounded by a transport network,.

  20. ICT plan dissemination through schools’ websites: a transverse study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuela Raposo-Rivas

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In 2007 Galicia establishes the compulsory to develop the ICT Plan in schools. This school document presents the actions to be carried out for the introduction and integration of Information and Communication Technologies in the teaching-learning process, pointing out the use of the website as one of the indicators of these actions. In the framework of an evaluative research to know the current reality of the ICT Plan, it raises an objective aimed at verifying the diffusion that said Plan has in web pages. Through a mixed methodology, the study focuses on the information obtained with a questionnaire to 38 management teams and a web page registration form for 140 educational schools in Ourense province. The results indicate that in almost all cases the website is used, which is updated with some frequency but rarely does the objective of disseminating the ICT Plan and serve as a bridge for communication with the educational community

  1. Can the right to health inform public health planning in developing countries? A case study for maternal healthcare from Indonesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Ambruoso, Lucia; Byass, Peter; Nurul Qomariyah, Siti

    2008-09-09

    Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high in developing countries despite international advocacy, development targets, and simple, affordable and effective interventions. In recent years, regard for maternal mortality as a human rights issue as well as one that pertains to health, has emerged. We study a case of maternal death using a theoretical framework derived from the right to health to examine access to and quality of maternal healthcare. Our objective was to explore the potential of rights-based frameworks to inform public health planning from a human rights perspective. Information was elicited as part of a verbal autopsy survey investigating maternal deaths in rural settings in Indonesia. The deceased's relatives were interviewed to collect information on medical signs, symptoms and the social, cultural and health systems circumstances surrounding the death. In this case, a prolonged, severe fever and a complicated series of referrals culminated in the death of a 19-year-old primagravida at 7 months gestation. The cause of death was acute infection. The woman encountered a range of barriers to access; behavioural, socio-cultural, geographic and economic. Several serious health system failures were also apparent. The theoretical framework derived from the right to health identified that none of the essential elements of the right were upheld. The rights-based approach could identify how and where to improve services. However, there are fundamental and inherent conflicts between the public health tradition (collective and preventative) and the right to health (individualistic and curative). As a result, and in practice, the right to health is likely to be ineffective for public health planning from a human rights perspective. Collective rights such as the right to development may provide a more suitable means to achieve equity and social justice in health planning.

  2. Enforcing planning regulations in areas of high immigration: a case study of London

    OpenAIRE

    Harris, Neil

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores the interface between immigration and compliance with planning regulations using data from interviews and a focus group with senior planning enforcement officers in London. The data reveal distinctive issues that arise for immigrants’ compliance with planning regulations; specific types of residential, commercial and cultural breach that occur with immigration; and operational issues that arise when investigating and resolving planning breaches involving immigrant communit...

  3. A comparative study in disaster planning in selected countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmode M

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Assessment of different strategic in disaster planning in selected countries. According to the international report indicating that IRAN is among the seven countries most susceptible to disaster, experiencing 31 known disasters out of 40 in the world, occurrence of 1536 moderate to severe earthquake, during 1370-80 and 712 other disasters at the same period it seems necessary to design a disaster plan."nMethods: This research is a comparative-descriptive and case based study in which the researcher used random sampling process in selecting the statistical society from both developed and developing countries. In this goal oriented research the necessary information are extracted from valid global reports, articles and many questionnaires which were subjected to scientific analysis."nResults: Studying different countries (which includes: Canada, Japan, India, USA, Turkey, Pakistan and Iran shows that there is a direct relationship between the level of countries development and their success in disaster planning and management (including preventive measures and confrontation. In most of the studied countries, decentralized planning caused many professional planners participate in different levels of disaster management which ultimately led to development of efficient and realistic plans which in turn decreased the catastrophic effects of disasters dramatically. The results of the aforementioned countries showed that a balanced approach to disaster plan with investment in prophylactic area is very important."nConclusion: As our country uses a centralized strategy for disaster management which has proven its ineffectiveness, the researcher suggests that we should change our approach in disaster management and let our planners participate from all levels include: provincial, rural and etc. This will led to a reality based planning and using all potential capacities in disaster management. According to this study it will be possible to use

  4. Creating a strategic plan for configuration management using computer aided software engineering (CASE) tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, P.R.; Sarfaty, R.

    1993-01-01

    This paper provides guidance in the definition, documentation, measurement, enhancement of processes, and validation of a strategic plan for configuration management (CM). The approach and methodology used in establishing a strategic plan is the same for any enterprise, including the Department of Energy (DOE), commercial nuclear plants, the Department of Defense (DOD), or large industrial complexes. The principles and techniques presented are used world wide by some of the largest corporations. The authors used industry knowledge and the areas of their current employment to illustrate and provide examples. Developing a strategic configuration and information management plan for DOE Idaho Field Office (DOE-ID) facilities is discussed in this paper. A good knowledge of CM principles is the key to successful strategic planning. This paper will describe and define CM elements, and discuss how CM integrates the facility's physical configuration, design basis, and documentation. The strategic plan does not need the support of a computer aided software engineering (CASE) tool. However, the use of the CASE tool provides a methodology for consistency in approach, graphics, and database capability combined to form an encyclopedia and a method of presentation that is easily understood and aids the process of reengineering. CASE tools have much more capability than those stated above. Some examples are supporting a joint application development group (JAD) to prepare a software functional specification document and, if necessary, provide the capability to automatically generate software application code. This paper briefly discusses characteristics and capabilities of two CASE tools that use different methodologies to generate similar deliverables

  5. Implementation plans for buried transuranic waste and stored special-case waste at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bullock, M.G.; Rodriguez, R.R.

    1987-05-01

    This document presents the current implementation plans for buried transuranic waste and stored special-case waste at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Information contained in this report was also included in several Department of Energy (DOE) planning documents for the Defense Transuranic Waste Program. This information can be found in the following DOE documents: Comprehensive Implementation Plan for the DOE Defense Buried TRU Waste Program; Defense Waste Management Plan for Buried Transuranic-Contaminated Waste, Transuranic-Contaminated Waste, Transuranic-Contaminated Soil, and Difficult-to-Certify Transuranic Waste; and Defense Special-Case Transuranic Waste Implementation Plan. 11 refs

  6. Curriculum Integration Using Enterprise Resource Planning: An Integrative Case Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cannon, David M.; Klein, Helen A; Koste, Lori L.; Magal, Simha R.

    2004-01-01

    Efforts to achieve greater curriculum integration in schools of business have included team teaching, student group projects, multidisciplinary cases, and, more recently, the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Although these approaches are beneficial, they tend to be implemented on an ad hoc basis rather than through curriculum…

  7. Strategic Planning Approaches for Creating Resilient Cities: A Case Study on Hangzhou City

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Liu; Dan; Hua; Chen

    2015-01-01

    In the twenty-first century, the population in China will be increasingly urbanized – focusing the sustainability challenge on cities and raising new challenges to address the urban resilience capacity. During the past two decades, China’s urban policies are state institution-directed, growth-oriented, and land-based, imposing unprecedented challenges on sustainability. Strengthening the capacity of cities to manage resilience appears to be a key factor for cities to effectively pursue sustainable development. The aim of this paper is to explore strategic planning approaches for creating resilient cities in China through a study on Hangzhou City in an integrated framework. Firstly, the paper gives a systematic insight into the structure of Hangzhou City. Secondly, the development trajectory of the urban system is analyzed to understand how the past has shaped the present and to get a broader perspective on its evolution. Thirdly, scenario planning is conducted to explore the adaptive capacity of Hangzhou City under different future conditions. At last, having analyzed the past, present, and future of the urban system, the paper discusses the strategies for resilient planning, which helps to identify factors and trends that might enhance or inhabit the adaptability.

  8. Use of travel cost models in planning: A case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allan Marsinko; William T. Zawacki; J. Michael Bowker

    2002-01-01

    This article examines the use of the travel cost, method in tourism-related decision making in the area of nonconsumptive wildlife-associated recreation. A travel cost model of nonconsumptive wildlife-associated recreation, developed by Zawacki, Maninko, and Bowker, is used as a case study for this analysis. The travel cost model estimates the demand for the activity...

  9. Consensus Building Through Systems Thinking: the case of policy and planning in healthcare

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kambiz E. Maani

    2002-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses a methodology and a case study using qualitative system dynamics to create consensus, team learning and shared vision in a public organisation. The case involves determining planning priorities for a Division of the Ministry of Health in New Zealand, leading to the creation of a business plan. The methodology involves Systems Thinking using Group Model Building (GMB - A three-step process starting with structured brainstorming using the partial KJ (Jiro Kawakita technique to identify priority areas and then clustering them into 'affinity' groups. Next, the priority clusters are used by the participants to construct causal loop diagrams representing 'systems of priorities'(in contrast with list of priorities. Finally, through a group process, leverage points or key priorities are identified as the basis for a business plan. While the above process was well agreed upon by the participants at the outset, strong group resistance was encountered when managers attempted to reduce the number of priority areas. Systems thinking approach was used to create consensus and the commitment to the outcome. The GMB approach offers significant promise in using qualitative system dynamics with non-systems experts. The methodology can be applied to change management initiative and complex decisions such as restructuring, reengineering, and supply chain design. The expected outcomes are greater commitment and shared vision.

  10. Evolution of a holistic systems approach to planning and managing road safety: the Victorian case study, 1970-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muir, Carlyn; Johnston, Ian R; Howard, Eric

    2018-06-01

    The Victorian Safe System approach to road safety slowly evolved from a combination of the Swedish Vision Zero philosophy and the Sustainable Safety model developed by the Dutch. The Safe System approach reframes the way in which road safety is viewed and managed. This paper presents a case study of the institutional change required to underpin the transformation to a holistic approach to planning and managing road safety in Victoria, Australia. The adoption and implementation of a Safe System approach require strong institutional leadership and close cooperation among all the key agencies involved, and Victoria was fortunate in that it had a long history of strong interagency mechanisms in place. However, the challenges in the implementation of the Safe System strategy in Victoria are generally neither technical nor scientific; they are predominantly social and political. While many governments purport to develop strategies based on Safe System thinking, on-the-ground action still very much depends on what politicians perceive to be publicly acceptable, and Victoria is no exception. This is a case study of the complexity of institutional change and is presented in the hope that the lessons may prove useful for others seeking to adopt more holistic planning and management of road safety. There is still much work to be done in Victoria, but the institutional cultural shift has taken root. Ongoing efforts must be continued to achieve alert and compliant road users; however, major underpinning benefits will be achieved through focusing on road network safety improvements (achieving forgiving infrastructure, such as wire rope barriers) in conjunction with reviews of posted speed limits (to be set in response to the level of protection offered by the road infrastructure) and by the progressive introduction into the fleet of modern vehicle safety features. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights

  11. Factors related to severe untreated tooth decay in rural adolescents: a case-control study for public health planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skaret, E; Weinstein, P; Milgrom, P; Kaakko, T; Getz, T

    2004-01-01

    In this case-control study of rural adolescents we identified factors to discriminate those who have high levels of tooth decay and receive treatment from those with similar levels who receive no treatment. The sample was drawn from all 12-20-year-olds (n = 439) in a rural high school in Washington State, U.S. The criterion for being included was 5 or more decayed, missing or filled teeth. The questionnaire included structure, history, cognition and expectation variables based on a model by Grembowski, Andersen and Chen. No structural variable was related to the dependent variable. Two of 10 history variables were related: perceived poor own dental health and perceived poor mother's dental health. Four of eight cognition variables were also predictive: negative beliefs about the dentist, not planning to go to a dentist even if having severe problems, not being in any club or playing on a sports team and not having a best friend. No relationship was found for the expectation variable 'usual source of care'. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that untreated tooth decay is associated with avoidance of care and point to the importance of history and cognition variables in planning efforts to improve oral health of rural adolescents.

  12. Legislative framework on establishing emergency response plan in the case of a nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novosel, N.; Valcic, I.; Biscan, R.

    2000-01-01

    To give an overview of the legislative framework, which defined emergency planning in Croatia in the case of a nuclear accident, it's necessary to look at all international recommendations and obligations and the national legislation, acts and regulations. It has to be emphasized that Croatia signed three international conventions in this field, and by that took over some responsibilities and obligations. Beside that, it is also in Croatian interest to follow the recommendations of international institutions such as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA standards and technical documents). On the other hand, national legislation in this field consists of several laws, which cover nuclear safety measures, governmental organization, natural disasters and acts (decree, decisions) of responsible authority for emergency planning in the case of a nuclear accident (Ministry of Economy). This paper presents an overview of the international and Croatian legislation which influenced the emergency planning in the case of a nuclear accident. (author)

  13. Policy Implementation Study on Spatial Planning for Environmental Conflict (Study Location: Rembang Regency)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusyuniadi, Indraya

    2018-02-01

    This study aims to see the impact and benefits as an outcome of a policy, where this policy is in the form of spatial planning (Regional Planning). As known RTRW is a product that can be regarded as "the book of development" in every region both in the provincial and regional levels. One of them is as a decision tool for investors (investors) in increasing local development investment, spatial planning (RTRW) is also expected to maintain the environment, in order to support the sustainability of regional development. In reality, there are still many conflicts of interest in the implementation process of regional development, especially between economic and environmental interests. Often the interests of regional sustainability are placed at a lower level (less priority) than investment / economy. Land conversion that is inconsistent with district / city spatial planning RTRW is relatively still occurring, especially for economic purposes. Lack of policy called spatial plan in this case RTRW Province and Regency in responding to existing condition in field. How can a product that is said to be "Scripture" a regional planning is powerless in fulfilling the space for investment in the form of industry, commercial, housing and so forth. There are several results that can be concluded in this study. Basically, the importance of the environment at least can be used as the basis or priority of the main decision makers above economic interests and other politic interests. The current Spatial Plan / RTRW document still holds a big question whether at the time of compilation it follows the norms and rules in a plan (data accuracy, through input process from the community).

  14. Policy Implementation Study on Spatial Planning for Environmental Conflict (Study Location: Rembang Regency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kusyuniadi Indraya

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to see the impact and benefits as an outcome of a policy, where this policy is in the form of spatial planning (Regional Planning. As known RTRW is a product that can be regarded as "the book of development" in every region both in the provincial and regional levels. One of them is as a decision tool for investors (investors in increasing local development investment, spatial planning (RTRW is also expected to maintain the environment, in order to support the sustainability of regional development. In reality, there are still many conflicts of interest in the implementation process of regional development, especially between economic and environmental interests. Often the interests of regional sustainability are placed at a lower level (less priority than investment / economy. Land conversion that is inconsistent with district / city spatial planning RTRW is relatively still occurring, especially for economic purposes. Lack of policy called spatial plan in this case RTRW Province and Regency in responding to existing condition in field. How can a product that is said to be "Scripture" a regional planning is powerless in fulfilling the space for investment in the form of industry, commercial, housing and so forth. There are several results that can be concluded in this study. Basically, the importance of the environment at least can be used as the basis or priority of the main decision makers above economic interests and other politic interests. The current Spatial Plan / RTRW document still holds a big question whether at the time of compilation it follows the norms and rules in a plan (data accuracy, through input process from the community.

  15. Planning for study abroad.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, L H; Hermann, C P

    1994-01-01

    There is more to planning for study abroad than buying airplane tickets. Providing a successful course away from the host institution requires a great deal of planning by the educator. This planning includes course development, budget, marketing, travel, housing, food, and entertainment. Careful preparation provides both the educator and student a unique and enriching experience that goes beyond the traditional course.

  16. Case Studies on Newly-emerging Long- and Medium-term Strategic Planning and Its Reference to Beijing

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2011-01-01

    Responding to the significant impacts brought by social, political, economic and environmental changes, some countries, regions and cities in the world have introduced new forms of long- and medium-term strategic planning since 2000, so as to promote the sustainable development of the cities or regions through a higher-level thoughts and a wider-perspective exploration. Taking America 2050, Future Ruhr 2030, New York 2030 and some other long- and medium-term strategic plans as examples, the paper analyzes the evolution of long- and medium-term strategic planning from the aspects of plan-making methods, analyzing techniques, research contents development trends etc. at the state, regional, and city levels. Based on international experience, this paper puts forward the necessity for Beijing to launch a new long-term strategic planning study "Beijing 2049." The innovation, challenges and development direction of "Beijing 2049" is also expounded in the paper.

  17. Participatory scenario planning in place-based social-ecological research: insights and experiences from 23 case studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa Oteros-Rozas

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Participatory scenario planning (PSP is an increasingly popular tool in place-based environmental research for evaluating alternative futures of social-ecological systems. Although a range of guidelines on PSP methods are available in the scientific and grey literature, there is a need to reflect on existing practices and their appropriate application for different objectives and contexts at the local scale, as well as on their potential perceived outcomes. We contribute to theoretical and empirical frameworks by analyzing how and why researchers assess social-ecological systems using place-based PSP, hence facilitating the appropriate uptake of such scenario tools in the future. We analyzed 23 PSP case studies conducted by the authors in a wide range of social-ecological settings by exploring seven aspects: (1 the context; (2 the original motivations and objectives; (3 the methodological approach; (4 the process; (5 the content of the scenarios; (6 the outputs of the research; and (7 the monitoring and evaluation of the PSP process. This was complemented by a reflection on strengths and weaknesses of using PSP for the place-based social-ecological research. We conclude that the application of PSP, particularly when tailored to shared objectives between local people and researchers, has enriched environmental management and scientific research through building common understanding and fostering learning about future planning of social-ecological systems. However, PSP still requires greater systematic monitoring and evaluation to assess its impact on the promotion of collective action for transitions to sustainability and the adaptation to global environmental change and its challenges.

  18. When ageing and disasters collide: Lessons from 16 international case studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powell, S.; Plouffe, L.; Gorr, P.

    2009-01-01

    Sixteen case studies examined the impact of various natural disasters and conflict-related emergencies on older people, the strengths and gaps in emergency planning, response and recovery, and the contributions older people made to their families and communities. Case examples were chosen from both developed and developing countries. Older persons suffered disproportionate impacts in several cases. Regardless of the country's level of prosperity, those most affected tended to be economically disadvantaged, disabled or frail, women, socially isolated, or caregivers of family members. Emergency responders were often not aware of distinct needs or abilities of older persons and not equipped to respond appropriately. The best emergency practices recognised and included specific needs within mainstream efforts and integrated older persons in community planning, response and recovery activities. This paper presents the 'lessons learned' from these case studies and makes the case for greater attention to this segment of the population in emergency management. (authors)

  19. Integrating management tools and concepts to develop an estuarine planning support system: A case study of the Humber Estuary, Eastern England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lonsdale, Jemma-Anne; Weston, Keith; Barnard, Steve; Boyes, Suzanne J; Elliott, Michael

    2015-11-15

    Estuaries are important because of their multiple uses and users which often makes them challenging to manage since management must strike a balance between the needs of users, the estuaries' ecological and economic value and the context of multiple legislative drivers. To facilitate management we have therefore developed an Estuarine Planning Support System (EPSS) framework using the Humber Estuary, Eastern England, as a case study which integrates the current legislation tools and concepts. This integrated EPSS framework is an improvement on previous approaches for assessing cumulative impacts as it takes into account legislative drivers, management tools and other mechanisms for controlling plans/projects specific to the estuary. It therefore enables managers and users to assess and address both the current state and the way in which a new industrial, port or urban development could impact an estuary in an accessible and understandable framework. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-12-01

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

  1. Practical planning extending the classical AI planning paradigm

    CERN Document Server

    Wilkins, David E

    2014-01-01

    Planning, or reasoning about actions, is a fundamental element of intelligent behavior--and one that artificial intelligence has found very difficult to implement. The most well-understood approach to building planning systems has been under refinement since the late 1960s and has now reached a level of maturity where there are good prospects for building working planners. Practical Planning is an in-depth examination of this classical planning paradigm through an intensive case study of SIPE, a significantly implemented planning system. The author, the developer of SIPE, defines the plann

  2. Does the IMRT technique allow improvement of treatment plans (e.g. lung sparing) for lung cancer patients with small lung volume: a planning study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komosinska, K.; Kepka, L.; Gizynska, M.; Zawadzka, A.

    2008-01-01

    Aim: We evaluated whether intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) may offer any advantages in comparison with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for patients with small lung volume (SLV). Methods: Treatment planning was performed for 10 NSCLC patients with the smallest lung volume (mean: 2241 cc) among 200 patients from our database. For each patient 3D-CRT and IMRT plans were prepared. The goal was to deliver 66 Gy/33 fractions, with dose constraints: mean lung dose (MLD) < 20 Gy, V20 < 35%; spinal cord - Dmax < 45 Gy. When the plan could not meet these criteria, total dose was reduced. The 3D-CRT and IMRT plans were compared. We investigated: prescribed dose, coverage and conformity indices, MLD, V5-V65 in the lung. Results: In 4 out of 10 plans, 3D-CRT did not allow 66 Gy to be delivered, because of predicted pulmonary toxicity. These 4 cases included 3 for which we did not reach 66 Gy with IMRT; still, for these 3 plans the total dose was increased by an average of 9 Gy with IMRT in comparison with 3D-CRT. Coverage indices were similar for both techniques. Conformity indices were better for IMRT plans. MLD was lower in five IMRT and two 3D-CRT plans if equal doses were delivered. The decrease in MLD was seen for cases with large PTV and high PTV/lung volume ratio. Lung V5 was lower for all 3D-CRT plans, 47% vs. 57% for IMRT; V15 and above were larger for 3D-CRT Conclusion: In the planning study, IMRT seems to be a promising technique for cases with SLV, especially when associated with large PT V. (authors)

  3. Which nature? A case study of Whitetop Mountain

    Science.gov (United States)

    David P. Robertson; R. Bruce Hull

    2000-01-01

    Nature is socially constructed and many different environmental conditions can be considered natural. These assertions have profound implications for landscape design, planning, and management. In our case study of Whitetop Mountain, we found four discrete but closely related natures - ecotourism, romanticism, pastoralism, and ecologism...

  4. How does decentralisation affect health sector planning and financial management? a case study of early effects of devolution in Kilifi County, Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsofa, Benjamin; Molyneux, Sassy; Gilson, Lucy; Goodman, Catherine

    2017-09-15

    A common challenge for health sector planning and budgeting has been the misalignment between policies, technical planning and budgetary allocation; and inadequate community involvement in priority setting. Health system decentralisation has often been promoted to address health sector planning and budgeting challenges through promoting community participation, accountability, and technical efficiency in resource management. In 2010, Kenya passed a new constitution that introduced 47 semi-autonomous devolved county governments, and a substantial transfer of responsibility for healthcare from the central government to these counties. This study analysed the effects of this major political decentralization on health sector planning, budgeting and overall financial management at county level. We used a qualitative, case study design focusing on Kilifi County, and were guided by a conceptual framework which drew on decentralisation and policy analysis theories. Qualitative data were collected through document reviews, key informant interviews, and participant and non-participant observations conducted over an eighteen months' period. We found that the implementation of devolution created an opportunity for local level prioritisation and community involvement in health sector planning and budgeting hence increasing opportunities for equity in local level resource allocation. However, this opportunity was not harnessed due to accelerated transfer of functions to counties before county level capacity had been established to undertake the decentralised functions. We also observed some indication of re-centralisation of financial management from health facility to county level. We conclude by arguing that, to enhance the benefits of decentralised health systems, resource allocation, priority setting and financial management functions between central and decentralised units are guided by considerations around decision space, organisational structure and capacity, and

  5. Financial Shenanigans : A Case Study in Malaysia

    OpenAIRE

    Ooi, Ki Wei

    2013-01-01

    This study investigates the financial shenanigan cases which subject to the enforcement actions by the Malaysian Securities Commission between 2006 and 2011 for alleged financial misreporting. The scope of this study includes the attempts used, causes and consequences of the financial shenanigans and the post-financial shenanigans recovery plans devised to turnaround the companies. This study finds that the most common attempt used by the sample companies is overstating the revenue, follows b...

  6. Examining alternative landscape metrics in ecological forest planning: a case for capercaillie in Catalonia

    OpenAIRE

    Palahi, M.; Pukkala, T.; Pascual, L.; Trasobares, A.

    2004-01-01

    This study examined the performance of four different landscape metrics in a landscape ecological forest planning situation in Catalonia: (1) proportion of suitable habitat (non-spatial) (%H); (2) spatial autocorrelation; (3) the proportion of habitat-habitat boundary of the total compartment boundary (H-H) and (4) the proportion of habitat-non-habitat boundary (H-nonH). They were analysed in a case study problem that aimed at the maintenance and improvement of capercaillie habitats in two si...

  7. A case study of resources management planning with multiple objectives and projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, David L.; Silsbee, David G.; Schmoldt, Daniel L.

    1994-09-01

    Each National Park Service unit in the United States produces a resources management plan (RMP) every four years or less. The plans commit budgets and personnel to specific projects for four years, but they are prepared with little quantitative and analytical rigor and without formal decision-making tools. We have previously described a multiple objective planning process for inventory and monitoring programs (Schmoldt and others 1994). To test the applicability of that process for the more general needs of resources management planning, we conducted an exercise on the Olympic National Park (NP) in Washington State, USA. Eight projects were selected as typical of those considered in RMPs and five members of the Olympic NP staff used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to prioritize the eight projects with respect to their implicit management objectives. By altering management priorities for the park, three scenarios were generated. All three contained some similarities in rankings for the eight projects, as well as some differences. Mathematical allocations of money and people differed among these scenarios and differed substantially from what the actual 1990 Olympic NP RMP contains. Combining subjective priority measures with budget dollars and personnel time into an objective function creates a subjective economic metric for comparing different RMP’s. By applying this planning procedure, actual expenditures of budget and personnel in Olympic NP can agree more closely with the staff’s management objectives for the park.

  8. The importance of work or productive activity in life care planning and case management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Christine; Riddick-Grisham, Susan

    2015-01-01

    The importance of work or productive activity for the well-being, community integration, and quality of life of people living with disabilities is addressed, with implications for life care planning and case management. The role of work or productive activity in our society, and consequences of deprivation if rehabilitation services do not address vocational effects of disabilities, is explored. A continuum of productivity options is introduced; types of vocational rehabilitation assessment processes and interventions are described. The role of vocational rehabilitation services in life care planning and case management is discussed, focusing on quality of life for people living with disabilities. Rehabilitation and health care professionals should understand the importance of work or other productive activity, and support the development of appropriate plans to address those needs among people who have disabilities.

  9. Collaborative planning in natural resource management – the case of regulation of nitrogen in the agri-environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vejre, Henrik; Andersen, Erling; Andersen, Peter Stubkjær

    approach is that local knowledge on, e.g. farming practices, soil, water and climate, can feed into the regulation process, making general rules less important, maybe even obsolete. Methods: The planning approach adapted for the study was inspired by concepts of collaborative planning in urban areas...... approaches are gaining momentum. The aim of this paper is to test a collaborative planning approach in the regulation of nitrogen in the farming sector. The overarching question is whether this regulation can be organised locally rather than by general, national rules. The benefits by adopting a local...... and various other concepts of participatory environmental planning. The approach was tested simultaneously in six case areas of rural Denmark, each comprising small watersheds (20-76km2). The strategic aim was to reduce the loss of nitrogen from farms to the aquatic environment. The planning process consisted...

  10. Integrated landscape planning and remuneration of agri-environmental services. Results of a case study in the Fuhrberg region of Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    V Haaren, Christina; Bathke, Manfred

    2008-11-01

    Until now, existing remuneration of environmental services has not sufficiently supported the goals of spending money more effectively on the environment and of motivating farmers. Only a small share of the budgets for agriculture in the EU, as well as in US and other countries, is available for buying environmental goods and services beyond the level of good farming practice (GFP). This combined with the insufficient targeting of compensation payments to areas where special measures are needed leads to an unsatisfactorily low impact of agri-environment measures compared to other driving forces that stimulate the intensification of farming. The goal of this paper is to propose a management concept that enhances the ecological and cost efficiency of agri-environment measures. Components of the concept are a comprehensive environmental information base with prioritised goals and targets (available in Germany from landscape planning) and new remuneration models, which complement conventional compensation payments that are based upon predetermined measures and cost. Comprehensive landscape planning locates and prioritises areas which require environmental action. It contains the information that authorities need to prioritise funding for environmental services and direct measures to sites which need environmental services beyond the level of GFP. Also appropriate remuneration models, which can enhance the cost efficiency of public spending and the motivation of the farmers, can be applied on the base of landscape planning. Testing of the planning methodology and of one of the remuneration models (success-oriented remuneration) in a case study area ("Fuhrberger Feld" north of Hanover, Germany) demonstrated the usability of the concept and led to proposals for future development of the methodology and its application in combination with other approaches.

  11. Successful Student Goal Completion: A Community College Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, Sara C.

    2013-01-01

    Research studies have shown that one half of all students who begin college fail to realize their goals. This case study of one community college provided a comprehensive examination of best practices developed over several years through strategic enrollment planning. Additionally, this dissertation examined the decision-making processes that…

  12. Patient mix optimisation in hospital admission planning: a case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adan, I.J.B.F.; Vissers, J.M.H.

    2002-01-01

    Admissions planning decides on the number of patients admitted for a specialty each day, but also on the mix of patients admitted. Within a specialty different categories of patients can be distinguished on behalf of their requirement of resources. The type of resources required for an admission may

  13. Patient mix optimisation in hospital admission planning : a case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adan, I.J.B.F.; Vissers, J.M.H.

    2001-01-01

    Admissions planning decides on the number of patients admitted for a specialty each day, but also on the mix of patients admitted. Within a specialty different categories of patients can be distinguished on behalf of their requirement of resources. The type of resources required for an admission may

  14. Pre-segmented 2-Step IMRT with subsequent direct machine parameter optimisation – a planning study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bratengeier, Klaus; Meyer, Jürgen; Flentje, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Modern intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) mostly uses iterative optimisation methods. The integration of machine parameters into the optimisation process of step and shoot leaf positions has been shown to be successful. For IMRT segmentation algorithms based on the analysis of the geometrical structure of the planning target volumes (PTV) and the organs at risk (OAR), the potential of such procedures has not yet been fully explored. In this work, 2-Step IMRT was combined with subsequent direct machine parameter optimisation (DMPO-Raysearch Laboratories, Sweden) to investigate this potential. In a planning study DMPO on a commercial planning system was compared with manual primary 2-Step IMRT segment generation followed by DMPO optimisation. 15 clinical cases and the ESTRO Quasimodo phantom were employed. Both the same number of optimisation steps and the same set of objective values were used. The plans were compared with a clinical DMPO reference plan and a traditional IMRT plan based on fluence optimisation and consequent segmentation. The composite objective value (the weighted sum of quadratic deviations of the objective values and the related points in the dose volume histogram) was used as a measure for the plan quality. Additionally, a more extended set of parameters was used for the breast cases to compare the plans. The plans with segments pre-defined with 2-Step IMRT were slightly superior to DMPO alone in the majority of cases. The composite objective value tended to be even lower for a smaller number of segments. The total number of monitor units was slightly higher than for the DMPO-plans. Traditional IMRT fluence optimisation with subsequent segmentation could not compete. 2-Step IMRT segmentation is suitable as starting point for further DMPO optimisation and, in general, results in less complex plans which are equal or superior to plans generated by DMPO alone

  15. Evaluation of planning dose accuracy in case of radiation treatment on inhomogeneous organ structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Chan Yong; Lee, Jae Hee; Kwak, Yong Kook; Ha, Min Yong [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-15

    We are to find out the difference of calculated dose of treatment planning system (TPS) and measured dose in case of inhomogeneous organ structure. Inhomogeneous phantom is made with solid water phantom and cork plate. CT image of inhomogeneous phantom is acquired. Treatment plan is made with TPS (Pinnacle3 9.2. Royal Philips Electronics, Netherlands) and calculated dose of point of interest is acquired. Treatment plan was delivered in the inhomogeneous phantom by ARTISTE (Siemens AG, Germany) measured dose of each point of interest is obtained with Gafchromic EBT2 film (International Specialty Products, US) in the gap between solid water phantom or cork plate. To simulate lung cancer radiation treatment, artificial tumor target of paraffin is inserted in the cork volume of inhomogeneous phantom. Calculated dose and measured dose are acquired as above. In case of inhomogeneous phantom experiment, dose difference of calculated dose and measured dose is about -8.5% at solid water phantom-cork gap and about -7% lower in measured dose at cork-solid water phantom gap. In case of inhomogeneous phantom inserted paraffin target experiment, dose difference is about 5% lower in measured dose at cork-paraffin gap. There is no significant difference at same material gap in both experiments. Radiation dose at the gap between two organs with different electron density is significantly lower than calculated dose with TPS. Therefore, we must be aware of dose calculation error in TPS and great care is suggested in case of radiation treatment planning on inhomogeneous organ structure.

  16. Evaluation of planning dose accuracy in case of radiation treatment on inhomogeneous organ structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Chan Yong; Lee, Jae Hee; Kwak, Yong Kook; Ha, Min Yong

    2013-01-01

    We are to find out the difference of calculated dose of treatment planning system (TPS) and measured dose in case of inhomogeneous organ structure. Inhomogeneous phantom is made with solid water phantom and cork plate. CT image of inhomogeneous phantom is acquired. Treatment plan is made with TPS (Pinnacle3 9.2. Royal Philips Electronics, Netherlands) and calculated dose of point of interest is acquired. Treatment plan was delivered in the inhomogeneous phantom by ARTISTE (Siemens AG, Germany) measured dose of each point of interest is obtained with Gafchromic EBT2 film (International Specialty Products, US) in the gap between solid water phantom or cork plate. To simulate lung cancer radiation treatment, artificial tumor target of paraffin is inserted in the cork volume of inhomogeneous phantom. Calculated dose and measured dose are acquired as above. In case of inhomogeneous phantom experiment, dose difference of calculated dose and measured dose is about -8.5% at solid water phantom-cork gap and about -7% lower in measured dose at cork-solid water phantom gap. In case of inhomogeneous phantom inserted paraffin target experiment, dose difference is about 5% lower in measured dose at cork-paraffin gap. There is no significant difference at same material gap in both experiments. Radiation dose at the gap between two organs with different electron density is significantly lower than calculated dose with TPS. Therefore, we must be aware of dose calculation error in TPS and great care is suggested in case of radiation treatment planning on inhomogeneous organ structure

  17. Energy conserving site design case study: Shenandoah, Georgia. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-01-01

    The case study examines the means by which energy conservation can be achieved at an aggregate community level by using proper planning and analytical techniques for a new town, Shenandoah, Georgia, located twenty-five miles southwest of Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport. A potentially implementable energy conservation community plan is achieved by a study team examining the land use options, siting characteristics of each building type, alternate infrastructure plans, possible decentralized energy options, and central utility schemes to determine how community energy conservation can be achieved by use of pre-construction planning. The concept for the development of mixed land uses as a passively sited, energy conserving community is based on a plan (Level 1 Plan) that uses the natural site characteristics, maximizes on passive energy siting requirement, and allows flexibility for the changing needs of the developers. The Level 2 Plan is identical with Level 1 plan plus a series of decentraized systems that have been added to the residential units: the single-family detached, the apartments, and the townhouses. Level 3 Plan is similar to the Level 1 Plan except that higher density dwellings have been moved to areas adjacent to central site. The total energy savings for each plan relative to the conventional plan are indicated. (MCW)

  18. Case Study: Testing with Case Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herreid, Clyde Freeman

    2015-01-01

    This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue discusses using case studies to test for knowledge or lessons learned.

  19. The importance of work or productive activity in life care planning and case management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Christine; Riddick-Grisham, Susan

    2015-01-01

    Abstract INTRODUCTION: The importance of work or productive activity for the well-being, community integration, and quality of life of people living with disabilities is addressed, with implications for life care planning and case management. BACKGROUND: The role of work or productive activity in our society, and consequences of deprivation if rehabilitation services do not address vocational effects of disabilities, is explored. A continuum of productivity options is introduced; types of vocational rehabilitation assessment processes and interventions are described. PURPOSE: The role of vocational rehabilitation services in life care planning and case management is discussed, focusing on quality of life for people living with disabilities. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation and health care professionals should understand the importance of work or other productive activity, and support the development of appropriate plans to address those needs among people who have disabilities. PMID:26409330

  20. Retail Tactical Planning: An Aligned Process?

    OpenAIRE

    Dreyer , Heidi; Dukovska-Popovska , Iskra; Kiil , Kasper; Kaipia , Riikka

    2016-01-01

    Part 9: Quality in Production Management; International audience; This paper addresses tactical planning in retailing through a case study approach in one grocery retailing company. The issues are how tactical planning is conducted and how the different plans are connected. The study complements earlier retail planning studies by showing the sequence of planning phases and by studying the fragmented plans as a process. The master category planning is important and sets borders for the other p...

  1. The Dynamics of Organizational Culture and Academic Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willson, Richard

    2006-01-01

    Planning approaches are in a dynamic relationship with organizational culture. This article uses a case study of academic planning at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona to draw a correspondence between types of organizational culture and planning approaches. The case study shows the differing conceptions of organizational culture held…

  2. Developing a Comprehensive Housing Strategy: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsters, Tim; Bliss, Kelly

    2007-01-01

    In the current highly competitive higher education market in North America, many colleges have identified the importance of upgrading their existing residential housing facilities as part of their strategy to attract and retain students. The case study discussed in this article describes the successful planning process used by Perkins+Will and…

  3. Experience of Sponge City Master Plan: A Case Study of Nanning City

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhang Wei; Wang Jiazhuo; Che Han; Wang Chen; Zhang Chunyang; Shi Lian; Fan Jin; Li Caige

    2017-01-01

    As a new urban development pattern, the construction of sponge cities has been deeply integrated into the new urbanization and water safety strategy. Nanning City, as one of the first batch of experimental sponge cities in China, has undertaken exploration and practice on sponge city planning, construction, and management. The sponge city master plan of Nanning City establishes an urban ecological spatial pattern in order to protect the security of the sponge base. The sponge city construction strategy has also proposed an overall construction strategy of a sponge city in line with urban development features. Through the systematic analysis and planning, a “23+10+202” pattern of sponge city construction has been formed. “23” represents 23 drainage basins, in which major sponge facilities such as storage facilities, waterfront buffer zones, wetland parks, ecological rainwater corridor and sponge parks are allocated. “10” represents 10 sponge functional zones, which provide important reference for the establishment of sponge city construction index system. “202” represents 202 management units, which decomposes the general objective and provides technical support not only for sponge city construction and management, but also for the implementation of general objectives in the regulatory plan as well.

  4. Community College Budgeting and Financial Planning Issues: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krieger, Jennifer

    2011-01-01

    Soon after his election in 1995, Kentucky governor Paul E. Patton instituted a plan to restructure the commonwealth's system of postsecondary education to create a more efficient system designed to prepare Kentuckians for jobs in the new era. While Patton looked at all of postsecondary education, he focused on the 29 community and technical…

  5. Green stormwater infrastructure eco-planning and development on the regional scale: a case study of Shanghai Lingang New City, East China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Haishun; Chen, Liang; Zhao, Bing; Zhang, Qiuzhuo; Cai, Yongli

    2016-06-01

    Urban underlying surface has been greatly changed with rapid urbanization, considered to be one of the major causes for the destruction of urban natural hydrological processes. This has imposed a huge challenge for stormwater management in cities. There has been a shift from gray water management to green stormwater management thinking. The green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is regarded as an effective and cost-efficient stormwater management eco-landscape approach. China's GSI practice and the development of its theoretical framework are still in the initial stage. This paper presents an innovative framework for stormwater management, integrating green stormwater infrastructure and landscape security patterns on a regional scale based on an urban master plan. The core concept of green stormwater infrastructure eco-planning is to form an interconnected GSI network (i.e., stormwater management landscape security pattern) which consists of the location, portion, size, layout, and structure of GSI so as to efficiently safeguard natural hydrological processes. Shanghai Lingang New City, a satellite new town of Shanghai, China was selected as a case study for GSI studies. Simulation analyses of hydrological processes were carried out to identify the critical significant landscape nodes in the highpriority watersheds for stormwater management. GSI should be planned and implemented in these identified landscape nodes. The comprehensive stormwater management landscape security pattern of Shanghai Lingang New City is designed with consideration of flood control, stormwater control, runoff reduction, water quality protection, and rainwater utilization objectives which could provide guidelines for smart growth and sustainable development of this city.

  6. CULTURAL CHANGE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES: A CASE STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiane Alves Anacleto

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This work aims to propose a model for the conduct of cultural change in the IT department of a company in the telecommunications industry. To achieve the goal proposed exploratory, technical procedures used were the case study and literature review. The techniques of data collection in the case study were: participant observation, unstructured interview and document analysis. The proposed model consists of five steps: analysis of the company's strategic planning, cultural diagnosis of the IT department, brainstorming with the staff and managers, compared to the case studies surveyed and proposed actions for the conduct of cultural change. We conclude that a receptive environment, employees not only understand why the changes are necessary, but engage with the process and faithfully executes the steps required, favoring the strategic positioning of the company.

  7. Case studies and role play: learning strategies in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cogo, Ana Luísa Petersen; Pai, Daiane Dal; Aliti, Graziella Badin; Hoefel, Heloísa Karnas; Azzolin, Karina de Oliveira; Busin, Lurdes; Unicovsky, Margarita Ana Rubin; Kruse, Maria Henriqueta Luce

    2016-01-01

    to report professors' experience in a public university of Southern region of Brazil using case studies and role play as learning strategies for nursing care of hospitalized adults. learning experience report from the Nursing Care of Adults I class of nursing undergraduate course. the development of case studies and role play considered health care needs from epidemiological profile of chronic noncommunicable diseases morbidity and mortality, nursing as an assisting method, and social aspects of hospitalized individuals. Role play planning was made by creating a stage in laboratory of practices and dialogues comprising students and professors interaction. case studies and role play encouraged students to active search for learning and brought theory closer to real health care situations.

  8. ERGONOMIC ASPECTS IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF PROJECTS: A TEXTILE PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION CENTER PROJECT CASE STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emerson Lourenço da Silva

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The planning and execution phases of a distribution center project of a large textile industry was made, evaluating the ergonomic aspects related to the operations to be performed in the facility and staff anthropometric data. The ergonomic collaborative analysis of the tasks associated with the method of movement plotting, guided the planning of the picking, manual induction and order consolidation areas from the distribution center. Using this methodology, it was possible to obtain a proper ergonomically project planning and execution of the three studied areas.

  9. SU-E-T-766: Treatment Planning Comparison Study On Two Different Multileaf Collimators Delivered with Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, R; Xiaomei, F; Bai, W [The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei (China); Zhang, X [The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei (China); Gao, Y [Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei (China)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To compare and evaluate the performance of two different multileaf collimators(MLCi2 and Agility) delivery with volumetric modulated arc therapy techniques. Methods: Treatment plans were graded four (Low, Moderate, Moderate-High and High complexity) accorrding to the complexity. This includes 1 Low complexity(brain metastasis), 2 Moderate complexity(Lung and Liver), 1 Moderate-High complexity(prostate) and 1 High complexity ( head and neck) cases. Total dose of 60 Gy was given for all the plans. All cases were desigined two VMAT plans, one with MLCi2(group A) and the other with Agility(group B). All plans were done on Elekta VMAT with Monaco treatment planning system. All plans were generated with 6 MV X-rays for both Plan A and Plan B. Plans were evaluated based on the ability to meet the dose volume histogram, radiation conformity index, estimated radiation delivery time, dose homogeneity index(HI) and monitor units(MU) needed to deliver the prescribed dose. Results: Plans of group B achieved the best HI (HI = 1.05 Vs. 1.06) at the Low complexity cases while plans of group A were slightly better at the high complexity cases (HI = 1.12 Vs. 1.14). Faster VMAT plan delivery with Agility than with MLCi2 as plan complexity increased (Low complexity:52s Vs.52s, Moderate complexity:58s Vs. 55s, Moderate-High complexity: 171s Vs.152s, High complexity : 326s Vs. 202s ), especially for the most complex paradigms delivered time can be decresed 38%. No Significant changes were observed between the group B and group A plans in terms of the healthy tissue mean dose and MU. Both plans respected the planning objective for all organs at risk. Conclusion: The study concludes that VMAT plans with the novel Agility MLC can significant decrease the delivering time at the high complexity cases, while a slight compromise in the dose homogeneity index should be noted. This work was supported by The Medical Science Foundation of The health department of Hebei Province (No

  10. SU-E-T-766: Treatment Planning Comparison Study On Two Different Multileaf Collimators Delivered with Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, R; Xiaomei, F; Bai, W; Zhang, X; Gao, Y

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To compare and evaluate the performance of two different multileaf collimators(MLCi2 and Agility) delivery with volumetric modulated arc therapy techniques. Methods: Treatment plans were graded four (Low, Moderate, Moderate-High and High complexity) accorrding to the complexity. This includes 1 Low complexity(brain metastasis), 2 Moderate complexity(Lung and Liver), 1 Moderate-High complexity(prostate) and 1 High complexity ( head and neck) cases. Total dose of 60 Gy was given for all the plans. All cases were desigined two VMAT plans, one with MLCi2(group A) and the other with Agility(group B). All plans were done on Elekta VMAT with Monaco treatment planning system. All plans were generated with 6 MV X-rays for both Plan A and Plan B. Plans were evaluated based on the ability to meet the dose volume histogram, radiation conformity index, estimated radiation delivery time, dose homogeneity index(HI) and monitor units(MU) needed to deliver the prescribed dose. Results: Plans of group B achieved the best HI (HI = 1.05 Vs. 1.06) at the Low complexity cases while plans of group A were slightly better at the high complexity cases (HI = 1.12 Vs. 1.14). Faster VMAT plan delivery with Agility than with MLCi2 as plan complexity increased (Low complexity:52s Vs.52s, Moderate complexity:58s Vs. 55s, Moderate-High complexity: 171s Vs.152s, High complexity : 326s Vs. 202s ), especially for the most complex paradigms delivered time can be decresed 38%. No Significant changes were observed between the group B and group A plans in terms of the healthy tissue mean dose and MU. Both plans respected the planning objective for all organs at risk. Conclusion: The study concludes that VMAT plans with the novel Agility MLC can significant decrease the delivering time at the high complexity cases, while a slight compromise in the dose homogeneity index should be noted. This work was supported by The Medical Science Foundation of The health department of Hebei Province (No

  11. Planning Failure of Satellite Town: A Case Study of Korangi, Karachi-Pakistan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tania Ali Soomro

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The Satellite town of Korangiis part of the ‘Greater Karachi Resettlement Plan’ along with other satellite towns of Landhi and New Karachi proposed by the Greek Architect Constantinos Apostolou Doxiadis in 1958. It is located in southern part of Karachi next to the Arabian Sea at latitude: 24°49' and longitude: 67° 7'. It is considered as one of the major post-independence urban regeneration projects. The actual plan of Doxiadis was supposed to be developed as self-sufficient satellite town for refugees (from Indian sub-continent partition with the provision of employment through industries and commercial areas along with residential settlement. This research revolves around the planning strategies adopted by the architect influenced by the indigenous way of living. The analysis is based upon the main proposition of the Greater Karachi Resettlement Plan that aimed to develop industrial activity in the satellite towns of Landhi-Korangi and North Karachi freeing the central Karachi from low income groups (poor and from environmental degradation. From here began the multiple issues mainly the transportation troubles of city, as these settlement towns were positioned at least 25 Kilometer off the city centre which probably was the only working hub for most of people then. This eventually led to the failure of the plan leaving behind the inhabitants with economic pandemonium. The objective of this research is to understand the issues related to the existing satellite town and the reasons for its decline; not growing on the pace of what it was assumed to develop. The paper also focuses on the stated argument of the failure of this massive relocation plan and its impacts on rest of the city.

  12. Context sensitive multimodal road planning : a case study in Cape Town, South Africa

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beukes, Edward; Vanderschuren, Marianne; Vanderschuren, M.J.W.A.; Zuidgeest, M.H.P.

    2011-01-01

    Road planning practice relies almost exclusively on parameters related to traffic factors, such as private vehicle speeds and volumes. In many developing countries the requirements for public transport and non-motorised transport are not explicitly integrated into the planning process, despite the

  13. BNSF San Bernardino case study : positive train control risk assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-09-01

    The Federal Railroad Administration funded the BNSF San Bernardino Case Study to verify its Generalized Train Movement : Simulator (GTMS) risk assessment capabilities on a planned implementation of the I-ETMS PTC system. The analysis explicitly : sim...

  14. Hanging an Airplane: A Case Study in Static Equilibrium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Debora M.

    2009-11-01

    Our classrooms are filled with engineering majors who take a semester-long course in static equilibrium. Many students find this class too challenging and drop their engineering major. In our introductory physics class, we often breeze through static equilibrium; to physicists equilibrium is just a special case of Newton's second law. While it is difficult to find more time in the syllabus for any one topic, a hands-on case study may help students to develop their physical intuition about static equilibrium and may help them to succeed in their subsequent classes. This article describes a hands-on case study that you may wish to use in your classroom. (You may also wish to check a case study involving a boat published in this journal in the 1990s. ) The hands-on case study presented here can be easily modified to work at the high school or introductory college level. There are three major components: I) planning, II) doing, and III) calculating.

  15. A Descriptive Case Study of Appreciative Inquiry as an Approach to Strategic Planning for Special Education in a Public School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruhlman, Paul L., Jr.

    2014-01-01

    This study's purpose was to describe appreciative inquiry (AI) as an approach to strategic planning for special education in a public school. The study investigated four research questions. How do plans for special education emerge as participants engage in the four phases of AI during strategic planning for the future of special education in a…

  16. SU-F-T-44: A Comparison of the Pre-Plan, Intra-Operative Plan, and Post-Implant Dosimetry for a Prostate Implant Case Using Prefabricated Linear Polymer-Encapsulated Pd-103

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheu, R; Powers, A; McGee, H; Stock, R; Lo, Y

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the reproducibility and limitations of Pd-103 prostate brachytherapy using fixed length linear sources (CivaString). Methods: An LDR prostate brachytherapy case which was preplanned on MR images with prefabricated linear polymer-encapsulated Pd-103 sources (CivaString) was studied and compared with ultrasound based intra-operative planning and CT based post-implant dosimetry. We evaluated the following parameters among the three studies: prostate geometry (volume and cross sectional area), needle position and alignment deviations, and dosimetry parameters (D90). Results: The prostate volumes and axial cross sectional areas at center of prostate were measured as 41.8, 39.3 and 36.8 cc, and 14.9, 14.3, and 11.3 respectively on pre-plan MR, inter-op US, and post-implant CT studies. The deviation of prostate volumes and axial cross sectional areas measured on pre-planning MR and intra-operative US were within 5%. 17 out of 19 pre-planned needles were positioned within 5mm (the template grid size). One needle location was adjusted intra-operatively and another needle was removed due to proximity to urethra. The needle pathways were not always parallel to the trans-rectal probe due to the flexibility of CivaString. The angle of deviation was up to 10 degrees. Two pairs of needles were exchanged to better fit the length of prostate at the time of implant. This resulted in a prostate D90 of 153.8 Gy (124%) and 131.4 Gy (106.7%) for intra-op and PID respectively. Conclusion: Preplanning is a necessary part of implants performed with prefabricated linear polymer sources. However, as is often the case, there were real-time deviations from the pre-plan. Intra-op planning provides the ability conform to anatomy at the time of implant. Therefore, we propose to develop a systematic way to order extra strings of different length to provide the flexibility to perform intra-operative planning with fixed length strands.

  17. SU-F-T-44: A Comparison of the Pre-Plan, Intra-Operative Plan, and Post-Implant Dosimetry for a Prostate Implant Case Using Prefabricated Linear Polymer-Encapsulated Pd-103

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sheu, R; Powers, A; McGee, H; Stock, R; Lo, Y [Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To investigate the reproducibility and limitations of Pd-103 prostate brachytherapy using fixed length linear sources (CivaString). Methods: An LDR prostate brachytherapy case which was preplanned on MR images with prefabricated linear polymer-encapsulated Pd-103 sources (CivaString) was studied and compared with ultrasound based intra-operative planning and CT based post-implant dosimetry. We evaluated the following parameters among the three studies: prostate geometry (volume and cross sectional area), needle position and alignment deviations, and dosimetry parameters (D90). Results: The prostate volumes and axial cross sectional areas at center of prostate were measured as 41.8, 39.3 and 36.8 cc, and 14.9, 14.3, and 11.3 respectively on pre-plan MR, inter-op US, and post-implant CT studies. The deviation of prostate volumes and axial cross sectional areas measured on pre-planning MR and intra-operative US were within 5%. 17 out of 19 pre-planned needles were positioned within 5mm (the template grid size). One needle location was adjusted intra-operatively and another needle was removed due to proximity to urethra. The needle pathways were not always parallel to the trans-rectal probe due to the flexibility of CivaString. The angle of deviation was up to 10 degrees. Two pairs of needles were exchanged to better fit the length of prostate at the time of implant. This resulted in a prostate D90 of 153.8 Gy (124%) and 131.4 Gy (106.7%) for intra-op and PID respectively. Conclusion: Preplanning is a necessary part of implants performed with prefabricated linear polymer sources. However, as is often the case, there were real-time deviations from the pre-plan. Intra-op planning provides the ability conform to anatomy at the time of implant. Therefore, we propose to develop a systematic way to order extra strings of different length to provide the flexibility to perform intra-operative planning with fixed length strands.

  18. WATER RESOURCES AND URBAN PLANNING: THE CASE OF A COASTAL AREA IN BRAZIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iana Alexandra Alves Rufino

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Urban planning requires the integration of several disciplines, among them ones related to water resources. The impacts of urban development on those resources, and viceversa, are well known, but some aspects have not been well characterized in literature. This research analyzes a case that shows interesting relationships between urban planning, its legislation, the evolution of urban occupation and several aspects of water resources: groundwater, surface water, drainage and saltwater intrusion. The research argues for integrated and dynamic planning, monitoring and directive enforcement of the urban processes, including environmental dimension and water resources. Advanced decision support techniques are suggested as tools for supporting this integrated approach.

  19. Medium range production planning of "Tacer" company: a case study

    OpenAIRE

    Süer, Burak

    1994-01-01

    Ankara : Department of Management and the Graduate School of Business Administration of Bilkent University, 1994. Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 1994 Includes bibliographical references. In order to foresee the potential problems related with production, a production plan is undertaken for the year 1994. Product classification is determined according to the annual sales volume of the company "Tacer". A production schedule is prepared in relation with the forecast d...

  20. The Use of Scaffolding in the Financial Planning Classroom: An Australian Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janet Cowen

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on changes that can be adopted to ease students’ difficulties when challenged to prepare a personal financial plan. It reports the experiences of one Australian university’s use of a ‘scaffolding’ approach that was developed specifically to support students with this task. Such scaffolds provide a support for students to accomplish the task of constructing the financial plan by providing them with early, but temporary, supporting structures at particular points in the process. Over time these supports are removed. This pedagogic approach has proved successful and has assisted students in building confidence in, and mastery of, the financial planning process.

  1. Enhancing local action planning through quantitative flood risk analysis: a case study in Spain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castillo-Rodríguez, Jesica Tamara; Escuder-Bueno, Ignacio; Perales-Momparler, Sara; Ramón Porta-Sancho, Juan

    2016-07-01

    This article presents a method to incorporate and promote quantitative risk analysis to support local action planning against flooding. The proposed approach aims to provide a framework for local flood risk analysis, combining hazard mapping with vulnerability data to quantify risk in terms of expected annual affected population, potential injuries, number of fatalities, and economic damages. Flood risk is estimated combining GIS data of loads, system response, and consequences and using event tree modelling for risk calculation. The study area is the city of Oliva, located on the eastern coast of Spain. Results from risk modelling have been used to inform local action planning and to assess the benefits of structural and non-structural risk reduction measures. Results show the potential impact on risk reduction of flood defences and improved warning communication schemes through local action planning: societal flood risk (in terms of annual expected affected population) would be reduced up to 51 % by combining both structural and non-structural measures. In addition, the effect of seasonal population variability is analysed (annual expected affected population ranges from 82 to 107 %, compared with the current situation, depending on occupancy rates in hotels and campsites). Results highlight the need for robust and standardized methods for urban flood risk analysis replicability at regional and national scale.

  2. Using a Strategic Planning Tool as a Framework for Case Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Christine A.; Rivera, Julio C., Jr.

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the authors describe how they use a strategic planning tool known as SWOT as a framework for case analysis, using it to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a public works project intended to enhance regional economic development in Tempe, Arizona. Students consider the project in light of a variety of…

  3. B2B-Marketing Strategy For the Swedish Museum Sector : A Case Study of a Finnish Software Start-up Company

    OpenAIRE

    Kaukotie, Lauri

    2017-01-01

    The main purpose of this case study is to develop a functional primary marketing plan for a Finnish start-up software company looking to penetrate the Swedish museum sector. The case company has no prior marketing plan or a designated marketing and sales person, and therefore it was important to develop a plan that can be implemented even with limited knowledge of marketing and sales. The implementation of the case study consisted of interviews with three employees within the Swedish muse...

  4. Empirical study on voting power in participatory forest planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vainikainen, N; Kangas, A; Kangas, J

    2008-07-01

    Multicriteria decision support systems are applied in natural resource management in order to clarify the planning process for the stakeholders, to make all available information usable and all objectives manageable. Especially when the public is involved in planning, the decision support system should be easy to comprehend, transparent and fair. Social choice theory has recently been applied to group decision-making in natural resources management to accomplish these objectives. Although voting forms the basis of democracy, and is usually taken as a fair method, the influence of voters over the outcome may vary. It is also possible to vote strategically to improve the results from each stakeholder's point of view. This study examines the use of social choice theory in revealing stakeholders' preferences in participatory forest planning, and the influence of different voters on the outcome. The positional voting rules examined were approval voting and Borda count, but both rules were slightly modified for the purposes of this study. The third rule examined, cumulative rule, resembles utilitarian voting rules. The voting rules were tested in a real participatory forest planning situation in eastern Lapland, Finland. All voting rules resulted in a different joint order of importance of the criteria. Yet, the preference orders produced had also a lot in common and the criteria could be divided into three quite distinct groups according to their importance. The influence of individual voters varied between the voting rules, and in each case different voter was the most influential.

  5. The ecodesign and planning of sustainable neighbourhoods: the Vallbona case study (Barcelona

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farreny, R.

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Global sustainability is increasingly an issue of urban sustainability, being essential to encourage more benign trajectories of urbanisation. For this, there is need for a framework that could aid in the process of designing and redesigning (retrofitting cities. The aim of this paper is to present and describe the methodology of urban ecodesign, which is characterized by a systematic incorporation of environmental life cycle considerations into the design of urban systems. The paper presents a case study of neighbourhood ecodesign from the city of Barcelona (Vallbona neighbourhood. This practical experience shows that the inclusion of sustainability criteria at an early stage of the design and planning of urban systems is the best strategy for environmental protection.In addition; a methodological framework is described in order to provide planners with a structured way of designing urban settlements so as to move towards sustainable urban environments.

    La sostenibilidad global es cada vez más un tema de sostenibilidad urbana. Por este motivo, es necesario un marco de trabajo que pueda ayudar en el proceso de diseño y rediseño (rehabilitación de nuestras ciudades. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar y describir la metodología de ecodiseño adaptada a los entornos urbanos, la cual se caracteriza por la incorporación sistemática de las consideraciones ambientales a lo largo de su ciclo de vida. El documento presenta un caso de estudio de ecodiseño del barrio de Vallbona (Barcelona. Esta experiencia demuestra que la inclusión de criterios de sostenibilidad en las etapas iniciales de diseño y planificación de los sistemas urbanos es la mejor estrategia para la prevención ambiental. Además, se presenta un marco metodológico con el fin de proporcionar a los planificadores una forma estructurada de diseño de los asentamientos urbanos que les permita avanzar hacia entornos urbanos más sostenibles.

  6. Developing a master plan for hospital solid waste management: A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karamouz, Mohammad; Zahraie, Banafsheh; Kerachian, Reza; Jaafarzadeh, Nemat; Mahjouri, Najmeh

    2007-01-01

    Disposal of about 1750 tons of solid wastes per day is the result of a rapid population growth in the province of Khuzestan in the south west of Iran. Most of these wastes, especially hospital solid wastes which have contributed to the pollution of the environment in the study area, are not properly managed considering environmental standards and regulations. In this paper, the framework of a master plan for managing hospital solid wastes is proposed considering different criteria which are usually used for evaluating the pollution of hospital solid waste loads. The effectiveness of the management schemes is also evaluated. In order to rank the hospitals and determine the share of each hospital in the total hospital solid waste pollution load, a multiple criteria decision making technique, namely analytical hierarchy process (AHP), is used. A set of projects are proposed for solid waste pollution control and reduction in the proposed framework. It is partially applied for hospital solid waste management in the province of Khuzestan, Iran. The results have shown that the hospitals located near the capital city of the province, Ahvaz, produce more than 43% of the total hospital solid waste pollution load of the province. The results have also shown the importance of improving management techniques rather than building new facilities. The proposed methodology is used to formulate a master plan for hospital solid waste management

  7. A Socio-Ecological Approach to GIS Least-Cost Modelling for Regional Mining Infrastructure Planning: A Case Study from South-East Sulawesi, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex M. Lechner

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Regional planning approaches to mining infrastructure aim to reduce the conflict associated with mining operations and existing land uses, such as urban areas and biodiversity conservation, as well as the cumulative impacts that occur offsite. In this paper, we describe a method for conducting Geographical Information System (GIS least-cost path and least-cost corridor analysis for linear mining infrastructure, such as roads. Least-cost path analysis identifies the optimal pathways between two locations as a function of the cost of traveling through different land use/cover types. In a case study from South-East Sulawesi, Indonesia, we identify potential linear networks for road infrastructure connecting mines, smelters, and ports. The method used interview data from government officials to characterise their orientation (perceived importance and positive/negative attitude toward the social and environmental factors associated with mining infrastructure. A cost-surface was constructed by integrating spatial layers representing the social and environmental factors to identify areas that should be avoided and areas that were compatible with linear infrastructure using the least-cost path analysis. We compared infrastructure scenario outputs from local and national government officials by the degree of spatial overlap and found broad spatial agreement for infrastructure corridors. We conclude by discussing this approach in relation to the wider social-ecological and mine planning literature and how quantitative approaches can reduce the conflict associated with infrastructure planning.

  8. Analyzing barriers and facilitators to the implementation of an action plan to strengthen the midwifery professional role: a Moroccan case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abou-Malham, Sabina; Hatem, Marie; Leduc, Nicole

    2015-09-15

    As part of a national strategy for reaching Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 in Morocco, an action plan covering three systems (sociocultural, educational and professional) was developed to strengthen midwives' professional role in order to contribute to high quality maternity care. This study aimed to understand the implementation process by identifying the characteristics of this intervention and the dimensions of the three-systems which could act as barriers to/facilitators of the implementation process. We used a conceptual framework that builds on Hatem-Asmar's model that describes change in a health professional role; and on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research for our analysis. An embedded case study with three levels of analysis was conducted during June and July 2010. Data were collected through 11 semi-structured interviews, 20 focus groups, training session observations and documents. A purposive sample of 106 multi-stakeholders from two Moroccan regions (health professionals, academic staff, students, medical administrative officers and health programmers) and one international consultant were recruited. A thematic analysis was conducted using QDA Miner. Data showed a failure to carry out the plan as intended. Seventeen barriers and seven facilitators were identified. Misalignment of the values, methods, actors and targets of the sociocultural system with the values, methods and actors of the educational and professional systems, on one hand, and with the intervention, on the other hand, were likely the greatest impediments to implementing the plan. The bureaucratic structure and lack of readiness of the sociocultural system were among the most influential barriers to: dissemination of information, involvement of key actors in the process and readiness of the educational system. The main facilitators were the values promoted related to human rights, and the national and international policies to strengthen midwifery and reduce

  9. Treatment planning for radiotherapy with very high-energy electron beams and comparison of VHEE and VMAT plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena; Qu, Bradley; Palma, Bianey; Jensen, Christopher; Maxim, Peter G.; Loo, Billy W.; Hårdemark, Björn; Hynning, Elin

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this work was to develop a treatment planning workflow for rapid radiotherapy delivered with very high-energy electron (VHEE) scanning pencil beams of 60–120 MeV and to study VHEE plans as a function of VHEE treatment parameters. Additionally, VHEE plans were compared to clinical state-of-the-art volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) photon plans for three cases. Methods: VHEE radiotherapy treatment planning was performed by linking EGSnrc Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations with inverse treatment planning in a research version of RayStation. In order to study the effect of VHEE treatment parameters on VHEE dose distributions, a MATLAB graphical user interface (GUI) for calculation of VHEE MC pencil beam doses was developed. Through the GUI, pediatric case MC simulations were run for a number of beam energies (60, 80, 100, and 120 MeV), number of beams (13, 17, and 36), pencil beam spot (0.1, 1.0, and 3.0 mm) and grid (2.0, 2.5, and 3.5 mm) sizes, and source-to-axis distance, SAD (40 and 50 cm). VHEE plans for the pediatric case calculated with the different treatment parameters were optimized and compared. Furthermore, 100 MeV VHEE plans for the pediatric case, a lung, and a prostate case were calculated and compared to the clinically delivered VMAT plans. All plans were normalized such that the 100% isodose line covered 95% of the target volume. Results: VHEE beam energy had the largest effect on the quality of dose distributions of the pediatric case. For the same target dose, the mean doses to organs at risk (OARs) decreased by 5%–16% when planned with 100 MeV compared to 60 MeV, but there was no further improvement in the 120 MeV plan. VHEE plans calculated with 36 beams outperformed plans calculated with 13 and 17 beams, but to a more modest degree (<8%). While pencil beam spacing and SAD had a small effect on VHEE dose distributions, 0.1–3 mm pencil beam sizes resulted in identical dose distributions. For the 100 MeV VHEE pediatric

  10. Plan Repair as an Extension of Planning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van der Krogt, R.P.J.; De Weerdt, M.M.

    2005-01-01

    In dynamic environments, agents have to deal with changing situations. In these cases, repairing a plan is often more efficient than planning from scratch, but existing planning techniques are more advanced than existing plan repair techniques. Therefore, we propose a straightforward method to

  11. An employer's experience with infertility coverage: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silverberg, Kaylen; Meletiche, Dennis; Del Rosario, Gina

    2009-12-01

    A case study of Southwest Airlines, a Fortune 500 company, demonstrates that a well-designed infertility coverage plan can control resource use. This successful model could be used by employers who wish to ensure that their employees have access to high-quality, cost-effective infertility services in a managed-care environment.

  12. Making Meaning with Multimedia in Secondary English Language Arts: A Multiple Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahoney, Kerrigan Rose

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this multiple case study was to learn about how secondary English language arts (ELA) teachers help students to make meaning with multimedia. The study focused on how and why teachers plan and implement meaning-making learning experiences. The cases represent the experiences and perspectives of five ELA teachers who use digital and…

  13. University Interaction with National Development Plans: A Case Study from Iraq.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Naimi, Taha T.; Al-Nassri, Sabah A.

    1981-01-01

    The development of the University of Technology in Baghdad, Iraq, is discussed, illustrating how it has adjusted its work to national needs as expressed in national development plans. As industry in Iraq has broadened its scope, the curriculum in the university has widened. (Author/MLW)

  14. A new approach to nationwide sanitation planning for developing countries: Case study of Indonesia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kerstens, S.M., E-mail: sjoerd.kerstens@rhdhv.com [Royal HaskoningDHV, P.O. Box 1132, 3800 BC, Amersfoort (Netherlands); Spiller, M., E-mail: marc.spiller@wur.nl [Wageningen University, Sub-department of Environmental Technology, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen (Netherlands); Leusbrock, I., E-mail: ingo.leusbrock@wur.nl [Wageningen University, Sub-department of Environmental Technology, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen (Netherlands); Zeeman, G., E-mail: grietje.zeeman@wur.nl [Wageningen University, Sub-department of Environmental Technology, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen (Netherlands)

    2016-04-15

    Many developing countries struggle to provide wastewater and solid waste services. The backlog in access has been partly attributed to the absence of a functional sanitation planning framework. Various planning tools are available; however a comprehensive framework that directly links a government policy to nationwide planning is missing. Therefore, we propose a framework to facilitate the nationwide planning process for the implementation of wastewater and solid waste services. The framework requires inputs from government planners and experts in the formulation of starting points and targets. Based on a limited number of indicators (population density, urban functions) three outputs are generated. The first output is a visualization of the spatial distribution of wastewater and solid waste systems to support regional priority setting in planning and create awareness. Secondly, the total number of people served, budget requirements and distribution of systems is determined. Thirdly, the required budget is allocated to the responsible institution to assure effective implementation. The determined budgets are specified by their beneficiaries, distinguishing urban, rural, poor and non-poor households. The framework was applied for Indonesia and outputs were adopted in the National Development Plan. The required budget to reach the Indonesian government's 2019 target was determined to be 25 billion US$ over 5 years. The contribution from the national budget required a more than fivefold increase compared to the current budget allocation in Indonesia, corresponding to an increase from 0.5 to 2.7 billion US$ per year. The budget for campaigning, advocacy and institutional strengthening to enable implementation was determined to be 10% of the total budget. The proposed framework is not only suitable for Indonesia, but could also be applied to any developing country that aims to increase access to wastewater and solid waste facilities. - Highlights: • A nationwide

  15. A new approach to nationwide sanitation planning for developing countries: Case study of Indonesia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kerstens, S.M.; Spiller, M.; Leusbrock, I.; Zeeman, G.

    2016-01-01

    Many developing countries struggle to provide wastewater and solid waste services. The backlog in access has been partly attributed to the absence of a functional sanitation planning framework. Various planning tools are available; however a comprehensive framework that directly links a government policy to nationwide planning is missing. Therefore, we propose a framework to facilitate the nationwide planning process for the implementation of wastewater and solid waste services. The framework requires inputs from government planners and experts in the formulation of starting points and targets. Based on a limited number of indicators (population density, urban functions) three outputs are generated. The first output is a visualization of the spatial distribution of wastewater and solid waste systems to support regional priority setting in planning and create awareness. Secondly, the total number of people served, budget requirements and distribution of systems is determined. Thirdly, the required budget is allocated to the responsible institution to assure effective implementation. The determined budgets are specified by their beneficiaries, distinguishing urban, rural, poor and non-poor households. The framework was applied for Indonesia and outputs were adopted in the National Development Plan. The required budget to reach the Indonesian government's 2019 target was determined to be 25 billion US$ over 5 years. The contribution from the national budget required a more than fivefold increase compared to the current budget allocation in Indonesia, corresponding to an increase from 0.5 to 2.7 billion US$ per year. The budget for campaigning, advocacy and institutional strengthening to enable implementation was determined to be 10% of the total budget. The proposed framework is not only suitable for Indonesia, but could also be applied to any developing country that aims to increase access to wastewater and solid waste facilities. - Highlights: • A nationwide

  16. Multicriteria optimization informed VMAT planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Huixiao; Craft, David L.; Gierga, David P., E-mail: dgierga@partners.org

    2014-04-01

    We developed a patient-specific volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) optimization procedure using dose-volume histogram (DVH) information from multicriteria optimization (MCO) of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans. The study included 10 patients with prostate cancer undergoing standard fractionation treatment, 10 patients with prostate cancer undergoing hypofractionation treatment, and 5 patients with head/neck cancer. MCO-IMRT plans using 20 and 7 treatment fields were generated for each patient on the RayStation treatment planning system (clinical version 2.5, RaySearch Laboratories, Stockholm, Sweden). The resulting DVH of the 20-field MCO-IMRT plan for each patient was used as the reference DVH, and the extracted point values of the resulting DVH of the MCO-IMRT plan were used as objectives and constraints for VMAT optimization. Weights of objectives or constraints of VMAT optimization or both were further tuned to generate the best match with the reference DVH of the MCO-IMRT plan. The final optimal VMAT plan quality was evaluated by comparison with MCO-IMRT plans based on homogeneity index, conformity number of planning target volume, and organ at risk sparing. The influence of gantry spacing, arc number, and delivery time on VMAT plan quality for different tumor sites was also evaluated. The resulting VMAT plan quality essentially matched the 20-field MCO-IMRT plan but with a shorter delivery time and less monitor units. VMAT plan quality of head/neck cancer cases improved using dual arcs whereas prostate cases did not. VMAT plan quality was improved by fine gantry spacing of 2 for the head/neck cancer cases and the hypofractionation-treated prostate cancer cases but not for the standard fractionation–treated prostate cancer cases. MCO-informed VMAT optimization is a useful and valuable way to generate patient-specific optimal VMAT plans, though modification of the weights of objectives or constraints extracted from resulting DVH of MCO

  17. The Science Manager's Guide to Case Studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Branch, Kristi M.; Peffers, Melissa S.; Ruegg, Rosalie T.; Vallario, Robert W.

    2001-09-24

    This guide takes the science manager through the steps of planning, implementing, validating, communicating, and using case studies. It outlines the major methods of analysis, describing their relative merits and applicability while providing relevant examples and sources of additional information. Well-designed case studies can provide a combination of rich qualitative and quantitative information, offering valuable insights into the nature, outputs, and longer-term impacts of the research. An objective, systematic, and credible approach to the evaluation of U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science programs adds value to the research process and is the subject of this guide.

  18. Off the launch-pad: Tesco lays out plans to fully commercialize casing drilling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, M.

    2002-09-01

    A strategic plan to advance the company's patented casing drilling technology was recently unveiled by Calgary-based Tesco Corporation. The plans include construction of a $30 million Calgary manufacturing facility, construction and conversion of dozens of rigs for casing drilling capability and a training centre for engineers and operating personnel in Houston, Texas. Tesco Corporation expects to capture about five per cent of the market and generate one billion dollars in revenue within five years. The advantage of casing drilling is that it allows oil companies to drill wells without the need to constantly insert and withdraw drill strings in a process known as tripping, which is not only time consuming, but it opens up the well to such common downhole problems as sloughing, lost circulation and loss of well control. The technology can be used in virtually any drilling environment. Tesco has drilled straight, deviated and horizontal wells, reached depths of 12,000 feet and is pushing the limits well by well. Casing drilling has been shown to reduce the number of unscheduled events and reduce borehole instability that can cause delay or result in the loss of the well. It has also proven to be 30 per cent faster than conventional drilling. 3 figs.

  19. Automated IMRT planning with regional optimization using planning scripts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xhaferllari, Ilma; Wong, Eugene; Bzdusek, Karl; Lock, Michael; Chen, Jeff

    2013-01-07

    Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has become a standard technique in radiation therapy for treating different types of cancers. Various class solutions have been developed for simple cases (e.g., localized prostate, whole breast) to generate IMRT plans efficiently. However, for more complex cases (e.g., head and neck, pelvic nodes), it can be time-consuming for a planner to generate optimized IMRT plans. To generate optimal plans in these more complex cases which generally have multiple target volumes and organs at risk, it is often required to have additional IMRT optimization structures such as dose limiting ring structures, adjust beam geometry, select inverse planning objectives and associated weights, and additional IMRT objectives to reduce cold and hot spots in the dose distribution. These parameters are generally manually adjusted with a repeated trial and error approach during the optimization process. To improve IMRT planning efficiency in these more complex cases, an iterative method that incorporates some of these adjustment processes automatically in a planning script is designed, implemented, and validated. In particular, regional optimization has been implemented in an iterative way to reduce various hot or cold spots during the optimization process that begins with defining and automatic segmentation of hot and cold spots, introducing new objectives and their relative weights into inverse planning, and turn this into an iterative process with termination criteria. The method has been applied to three clinical sites: prostate with pelvic nodes, head and neck, and anal canal cancers, and has shown to reduce IMRT planning time significantly for clinical applications with improved plan quality. The IMRT planning scripts have been used for more than 500 clinical cases.

  20. The Study of Thermal Comfort in Transforming Residential Area in Bandung using ENVI-met Software. Case Study: Progo Street

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aziz Soelaiman, Tubagus M.; Soedarsono, Woerjantari K.; Donny Koerniawan, M.

    2018-05-01

    Bandung has a high potential in attracting tourists. This potential impact on building function near tourist attraction that can transform residential uses into commercial uses. Progo Street and its surrounding area used as the case study, which is close to Gedung Sate and Riau Street as tourist destinations in Bandung. Moreover, this transformation is also reinforced by the spatial planning policies in Bandung, known as RTRW and RDTR, said that this area will be fully non-residential area. This condition in some cases could affect thermal comfort. This paper provides the changes of thermal comfort phenomenon that occurs using EnviMet software. The study compares Predicted Mean Voted (PMV) as thermal comfort indicator between existing and Bandung detailed spatial plan (RDTR) condition. The result shows that the PMV value of current condition is higher than future planning, nonetheless the planned area will be changed into higher non-residential buildings and less greeneries. Some environmental factors that are used to calculate PMV such as air temperature, mean radiant temperature, humidity, and wind speed are also examined to find out what makes the plan more comfortable than the existing. Simulations using ENVI-met software could be considered in making more objective planning policy in the future.

  1. Hybrid production planning system in make-to-order company - case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents hybrid production planning and shop floor control system in make-to-order manufacturing of complex products. It presents the general idea of multi-hybrid system and selected practical aspects of its creation and its implementation. The construction of this system is based on the planning and executive levels and main aspects of its integration and its support tools. The research was carried out in HCP S.A. Poznan (Diesel Engines and Generating Sets Factory. HCP S.A. Poznan is the producer of high-power marine engines. The lead-time of the final product manufacturing is between 9 months and 1 year, and takes about 40.000 hours per one engine. The main problems of this production system are high share of the work in progress and long lead-time, which, as a result, causes many expenses. The flow of material streams is extremely complex and represents "A-plant" class, according to V-A-T classification, including significant internal constraints ("bottlenecks".

  2. Sustainability in urban transport plans. Case study: Monorail in a hillside area in Medellin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pineda Jaramillo, J.D.

    2016-07-01

    One of the most important concepts today is the incorporation of sustainability in urban transport plans. This paper presents the importance that sustainable urban transport plans must have on mobility policy in cities. It also shows the factors that make a transportation mode like urban railway be sustainable. Finally, the Monorail project in the Metropolitan Green Belt (Medellín-Colombia) is presented, showing its implication on the mobility in this low-income region and its integration with urban and regional plans. (Author)

  3. Air Freight Service Development Plan : Case: CMA CGM Logistics Vietnam

    OpenAIRE

    Nguyen, Giang

    2014-01-01

    Being one of the fastest-growing nations in the world, Vietnam is trading across the border actively and at the same time attracting multiple foreign investments. Import and export activities are occurring vigorously which leads to a huge potential for international transportation sectors, particularly for aviation industry. Hence, the ultimate goal of this thesis is to establish a development plan of air freight service for the case company – CMA CGM Logistics Vietnam (CCLOG VN). The stu...

  4. DEVELOPING INTERNET MARKETING PLAN. CASE COMPANY: ANTOREE INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD.

    OpenAIRE

    Nguyen, Ngoc Minh

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the thesis was to develop a current digital marketing plan of a service provider in Vietnam called Antoree International Pte. Ltd. There presented theories about the service marketing mix in the impact of the Internet; marketing strategy for service providers and all popular types of Internet marketing. In empirical part, information about the case company would follow next. A SWOT analysis would then provide readers a comprehensive look into the current situation of Antore...

  5. Guidelines for Conducting Positivist Case Study Research in Information Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graeme Shanks

    2002-11-01

    Full Text Available The case study research approach is widely used in a number of different ways within the information systems community. This paper focuses on positivist, deductive case study research in information systems. It provides clear definitions of important concepts in positivist case study research and illustrates these with an example research study. A critical analysis of the conduct and outcomes of two recently published positivist case studies is reported. One is a multiple case study that validated concepts in a framework for viewpoint development in requirements definition. The other is a single case study that examined the role of social enablers in enterprise resource planning systems implementation. A number of guidelines for successfully undertaking positivist case study research are identified including developing a clear understanding of key concepts and assumptions within the positivist paradigm; providing clear and unambiguous definitions of the units and interactions when using any theory; carefully defining the boundary of the theory used in the case study; using hypotheses rather than propositions in the empirical testing of theory; using fuzzy or probabilistic propositions in recognising that reality can never be perfectly known; selecting case studies carefully, particularly single case studies; and recognising that generalisation from positivist, single case studies is inherently different from generalisation from single experiments. When properly undertaken, positivist, deductive case study research is a valuable research approach for information systems researchers, particularly when used within pluralist research programs that use a number of different research approaches from different paradigms.

  6. Planning According to New Urbanism: the Ostadsara Neighborhood Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nader Zali

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The modern urbanism activities have led to rupture of previous spatial structure of neighborhoods and destruction of their identity. The New Urbanism Movement, as one of the successful models in urbanization field attempts to revive this lost national-social identity through the project of returning to traditional structure of neighborhoods by applying modern urbanization models and methods. The current paper aims at evaluation and analysis of “the Ostadsara neighborhood's organization based on new urbanism principles” and representation of solutions for planning a successful neighborhood center considering these principles. In this regard, various methods including library method, observation, photography, questionnaire and interview with users of the environment were utilized. The results from identification and assessment of weaknesses and strengths and specification and analysis of potential threats and opportunities shows the possibility of applying walkability, connectivity and integration, improvement of public transportation, improvement of architecture quality and urban design, maintenance and improvement of public and green open spaces, maintenance and strengthening the structure of traditional neighborhood units and using cooperation of Ostadsara neighborhood's inhabitants. Finally, the current study will represent appropriate strategies for changing the mentioned neighborhood into a desirable and prosperous one.

  7. Radiobiological Impact of Planning Techniques for Prostate Cancer ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... of RapidArc planning techniques for prostate cancer in terms of TCP and normal NTCP. Subjects and Methods: A computed tomography data set of ten cases involving low.risk prostate cancer was selected for this retrospective study. For each case, two RapidArc plans were created in Eclipse treatment planning system.

  8. The Participation Role of Villagers in Village Plan Implementation: A Comparative Study on Two Villages in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Chengzhi; YIN; Haitao; CHEN

    2013-01-01

    China is in a process of rapid urbanization. Meanwhile, building development in rural areas is also accelerating. The paper intends to illustrate an original study focusing on villagers’ role in participation in village plan implementation in rural areas of China. Case studies, comparative studies, interviews, and questionnaires have been applied to reveal the mechanism of villager participation in village plan imple-mentation. Two case villages, which are pioneer units in the transition in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have been selected. The study outcome shows that the villager participation plays an extremely important role in implementing the official village plan. The ideal development regulation mode in village planning in rural China should be a local government-villager cooperating system formed by three pillars: financial and technical supports from local governments; the participation of rural autonomous organizations, non-governmental organizations, and 'able persons' in formulation, implementation, and monitoring of official village plans; village construction teams like developers.

  9. Case Study of Resilient Baton Rouge: Applying Depression Collaborative Care and Community Planning to Disaster Recovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robin Keegan

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Addressing behavioral health impacts of major disasters is a priority of increasing national attention, but there are limited examples of implementation strategies to guide new disaster responses. We provide a case study of an effort being applied in response to the 2016 Great Flood in Baton Rouge. Methods: Resilient Baton Rouge was designed to support recovery after major flooding by building local capacity to implement an expanded model of depression collaborative care for adults, coupled with identifying and responding to local priorities and assets for recovery. For a descriptive, initial evaluation, we coupled analysis of documents and process notes with descriptive surveys of participants in initial training and orientation, including preliminary comparisons among licensed and non-licensed participants to identify training priorities. Results: We expanded local behavioral health service delivery capacity through subgrants to four agencies, provision of training tailored to licensed and non-licensed providers and development of advisory councils and partnerships with grassroots and government agencies. We also undertook initial efforts to enhance national collaboration around post-disaster resilience. Conclusion: Our partnered processes and lessons learned may be applicable to other communities that aim to promote resilience, as well as planning for and responding to post-disaster behavioral health needs.

  10. Geographic specificity and positionality of public input in transportation: a rural transportation planning case from Central Texas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Greg P. Griffin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Current transportation planning processes often incorporate public input, but the types of engagement techniques can affect the ability of practitioners to meaningfully include local ideas. This study incorporates literature integrating communicative rationality with participatory mapping, supported by a case study focusing on two public engagement techniques. A transportation planning process in Central Texas is evaluated in terms of the geographic specificity and positionality of comments received from open-ended responses on a questionnaire and a facilitated mapping session, and reviews this input for relevance to developing a transportation plan. Although all input received from the public can be valuable in the process, location-based comments may be more actionable by transportation planners. Participants’ perceived roles likely affect their level of engagement, which planners can facilitate to maximize the quality of involvement. Planners are advised to understand the positionality of project stakeholders and professionals, designing involvement methods considering geographic specificity appropriate for each project.

  11. Benefits of a Teacher and Coach Collaboration: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neuberger, Jim

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes a case study of a math teacher working with a math coach and the effects of their interaction. A guiding question was whether the coaching intervention had affected the teacher's classroom practices and, if so, in what way. The study utilized data from teacher/coach planning sessions, classroom lessons, follow-up debriefing…

  12. Digital Badges and Library Instructional Programs: Academic Library Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Andrea Reed; Puterbaugh, Mark

    2017-01-01

    This case study describes the planning, implementation, and migration process of Eastern University Library's information literacy digital badge. Prior to implementing a badging program, information literacy sessions were informally embedded in first-year college writing courses as a "one-shot" presentation. Spurred on by accreditation…

  13. Twelve Middle-School Teachers' Planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Deborah Sardo

    1988-01-01

    Case studies described 12 middle-school teachers' instructional yearly, unit, weekly, and daily planning on the basis of a background questionnaire, interview protocols, an analysis of written plans, think-aloud typescripts, and a questionnaire. A process model best characterized teachers long-term planning, while an agenda-formulation model fit…

  14. Study on environmental friendly national park management plan: concentrated on the support plan for national park residents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Yong Ha; Byun, Byoung Seol; Chung, Hoe Seong; Kim, Mi Sook; Kim, Jeong Won; Joo, Yong Joon [Korea Environment Institute, Seoul (Korea)

    1999-12-01

    National parks in Korea have been selected for preserving beautiful sceneries of nature or diversity of organisms. Today as the increase of population and industrialization has caused the increase of natural resource demand, it is difficult to preserve all ecosystems equally. Therefore the national park system has established to prevent the damage to an ecosystem or to preserve a region that can be damaged by selecting a valuable area. The objective of this study is to recommend an efficient support plan for national park residents, to induce their activities to be environmental friendly and to preserve an ecosystem in a national park. To achieve this, the similar systems, laws and cases in the advanced countries have compared and reviewed and a support plan for residents appropriate for Korean situation has discussed. 41 refs., 4 figs., 33 tabs.

  15. UF's Lone Cabbage Oyster Reef Restoration Project: a use case in implementing a data management plan (DMP)

    OpenAIRE

    Aufmuth, Joe

    2018-01-01

    Data management plans are created to satisfy funding agency proposal requirements related to the data life cycle. Once an award is made researchers must implement the plan they described. But how is this best accomplished? The presentation UF’s Lone Cabbage Oyster Reef Restoration Project: a use case in implementing a data management plan (DMP) describes how PI's for this grant funded research project are achieving its data management plan goals using an academic library's consulting team.

  16. [Study on accuracy of virtual surgical planning in free fibula mandibular reconstruction by using SurgiCase software].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Guangqi; Wang, Xue; Tan, Xuexin; Wang, Xukai; Yang, Mingliang; Lu, Li

    2013-08-01

    To evaluate the directional significance of SurgiCase software in free fibula mandibular reconstruction. Between September 2010 and March 2012, 10 patients with mandibular defect underwent free fibula mandibular reconstruction. There were 7 males and 3 females, with an age range of 19-43 years (mean, 27 years). The extent of lesions was 7 cm x 5 cm to 16 cm x 8 cm. In each case, three-dimensional spiral CT scan of the maxilla, mandible, and fibula was obtained before surgery. The CT data were imported into the SurgiCase software and the virtual surgery planning was performed. After that, the mandibular rapid prototyping was made according to customized design. The reconstruction surgery was then carried out using these preoperative data. During actual surgery, the extent of mandibular defect was from 6 cm x 3 cm to 16 cm x 5 cm; the length of fibula which was used to reconstruct mandible was 6-17 cm; and the area of flap was from 6 cm x 5 cm to 16 cm x 6 cm. Preoperative data could not be applied because the intraoperative size of tumor was larger than preoperative design in 1 case of mandibular ameloblastoma, and the fibula was shaped according to the actual osteotomy location; operations were performed successfully according to preoperative design in the other 9 patients. The operation time was 5-7 hours (mean, 6 hours). Primary healing of incision was obtained, without early complications. Ten patients were followed up 1 year. At last follow-up, 8 patients were satisfactory with the appearance and 2 patients complained with unsatisfied wide facial pattern. The panoramic radiograghs showed good bone healing. The range of mouth opening was 2.5-3.5 cm. SurgiCase software can provide precise data for free fibula mandibular reconstruction during surgery. It can be applied widely in clinic.

  17. A Quality-Oriented Urban Development Pattern? Two Case Studies in Shanghai

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Yi

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: This article concentrates on the transformation of development patterns due to economic transitions in Shanghai through two case studies looking at different spatial levels. In the transformation process, the improvement of spatial quality in the existing urban space will play the central role in achieving a balance in the future among the relevant economic, social and environmental aspects. Relatedly, economic growth is no longer seen as the only important goal. Social and environmental issues have gained more and more attention, and are increasingly seen as the basic foundation for sustainable development. Given that such significant changes have occurred within a very short period of time, the author will discuss different critical factors and related symptoms as embodied in urban planning practice. Two case studies regarding the transformation in goal setting and the implementation process will be introduced, with a focus on the issues of accessibility and quality of life. One case relates to the development plan for Hongqiao Business Park, which is one of three focus development areas for Shanghai and is located near the comprehensive Hongqiao Transport Hub. The other case considers an area located to the south of the area of interest in the first case; both areas are well connected with each other. A new development strategy for the development of new towns in knowledge economy clusters has been advanced in the outskirts of Shanghai's city center, and has also influenced such efforts on the regional level, i.e., where the Huangpu River flows through the planning area and connects to other parts of the broader Shanghai region. KEYWORDS: Quality-oriented, urban development pattern, economic transition, Shanghai

  18. The Gerontologist as a case manager: simulation of experiences in distinct and specific studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Piovezan

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available In Case Management are identified the characteristics that involve elderly and their families by providing adequate planning to meet their needs. Case studies of three subjects were prepared containing relevant information to the preparation of action plans that have been divided into categories. The actions aim to promote quality of life of the aged, as well as of their families and caregivers. The work highlighted the possibility and need of insertion of the method to the Gerontologist performance.

  19. The Challenges of Implementing Sustainable Development: The Case of Sofia’s Master Plan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandar D. Slaev

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we explore how master planning promotes and implements particular urban development patterns and, more generally, contributes to sustainability. Our goal is to understand the link between urban growth intentions articulated through the master planning process and realisation of its specific forms, e.g., monocentric or polycentric, compact or dispersed. As a case study, we examine the current General Urban Development Plan (GUDP of the Bulgarian capital Sofia against the city’s actual development pattern. We observe that the primary goals of the GUDP are to promote a polycentric urban structure and low-density expansion, as well as preserve green edges. While the question of whether and how these goals reflect the sustainability ideal requires further consideration, there are some indications that Sofia’s GUDP may not be effective in encouraging sustainable forms of growth. Substantial inconsistencies exist between the plan’s overall goals and some of its measures and implementation tools. The results on the ground suggest that, despite the plan’s low-density aspirations, Sofia is becoming more compact and densified, while losing its green edges and failing to redirect growth to its northern territories where ample space and opportunities exist. We conclude that employing the achievements of research on sustainability and developing relevant implementation tools such as more effective zoning regulations and viable suburban transportation infrastructure are necessary for realising both the patterns proposed through master planning and achieving sustainable urban growth.

  20. Effect of MLC leaf width on the planning and delivery of SMLC IMRT using the CORVUS inverse treatment planning system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burmeister, Jay; McDermott, Patrick N.; Bossenberger, Todd; Ben-Josef, Edgar; Levin, Kenneth; Forman, Jeffrey D.

    2004-01-01

    This study investigates the influence of multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf width on intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans delivered via the segmented multileaf collimator (SMLC) technique. IMRT plans were calculated using the Corvus treatment planning system for three brain, three prostate, and three pancreas cases using leaf widths of 0.5 and 1 cm. Resulting differences in plan quality and complexity are presented here. Plans calculated using a 1 cm leaf width were chosen over the 0.5 cm leaf width plans in seven out of nine cases based on clinical judgment. Conversely, optimization results revealed a superior objective function result for the 0.5 cm leaf width plans in seven out of the nine comparisons. The 1 cm leaf width objective function result was superior only for very large target volumes, indicating that expanding the solution space for plan optimization by using narrower leaves may result in a decreased probability of finding the global minimum. In the remaining cases, we can conclude that we are often not utilizing the objective function as proficiently as possible to meet our clinical goals. There was often no apparent clinically significant difference between the two plans, and in such cases the issue becomes one of plan complexity. A comparison of plan complexity revealed that the average 1 cm leaf width plan required roughly 60% fewer segments and over 40% fewer monitor units than required by 0.5 cm leaf width plans. This allows a significant decrease in whole body dose and total treatment time. For very complex IMRT plans, the treatment delivery time may affect the biologically effective dose. A clinically significant improvement in plan quality from using narrower leaves was evident only in cases with very small target volumes or those with concavities that are small with respect to the MLC leaf width. For the remaining cases investigated in this study, there was no clinical advantage to reducing the MLC leaf width from 1 to 0.5 cm. In

  1. Diagnosis, treatment planning, and full-mouth rehabilitation in a case of amelogenesis imperfecta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mayuri Naik

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Amelogenesis imperfecta is a genetic condition affecting the teeth resulting in aberrations of the structure and clinical appearance of enamel. The treatment of amelogenesis imperfecta involves a multidisciplinary treatment approach requiring a comprehensive examination, diagnosis, and effective treatment planning strategy along with satisfaction of patient-related factors. The clinical case described here involves judicious involvement of different disciplines to formulate a treatment plan best suitable to confirm with the patient's needs and expectations, at the same time maintaining the integrity and harmony of associated hard and soft tissues.

  2. Analyzing an Integrated Planning Approach Among Planning Scale and Sector a Case Study of Malang City's Vision as the City of Education

    OpenAIRE

    Amirudin, Akhmad; Fefta Wijaya, Andy; Yossomsakdi, Samrit

    2014-01-01

    Integrated planning is more needed by government today because of the complexity of problems and limited resources. Integrated planning can undertake the problems by giving comprehensive solution and provide how much resources are needed to reach the goal. Integrated planning approach is implied to provide better tools to guide actions towards the development of cities, improvement of human conditions, and ultimately a better urbanism. So the research focused on integrated planning in Malang ...

  3. Healthcare Strategic Planning as Part of National and Regional Development in the Israeli Galilee: A Case Study of the Planning Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peled, Ronit; Schenirer, Jerry

    2009-10-01

    This article describes a systematic process of geographic and strategic planning for healthcare services as a part of a regional development plan in the Israeli Galilee. The planning process consisted of three stages: (a) assessment of needs, demand and existing resources; (b) prioritisation of initiatives; and (c) scheduling of theoretical priorities. For many years the region has suffered from inequities and inequalities regarding the availability and accessibility of a regional healthcare system, resulting in high mortality and morbidity rates and low quality of life. The aim of the healthcare strategic plan was to suggest initiatives and actions to be taken in order to improve healthcare provision and the health and wellbeing of local residents.

  4. A planning and delivery study of a rotational IMRT technique with burst delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kainz, Kristofer; Chen, Guang-Pei; Chang, Yu-Wen; Prah, Douglas; Sharon Qi, X.; Shukla, Himanshu P.; Stahl, Johannes; Allen Li, X.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: A novel rotational IMRT (rIMRT) technique using burst delivery (continuous gantry rotation with beam off during MLC repositioning) is investigated. The authors evaluate the plan quality and delivery efficiency and accuracy of this dynamic technique with a conventional flat 6 MV photon beam. Methods: Burst-delivery rIMRT was implemented in a planning system and delivered with a 160-MLC linac. Ten rIMRT plans were generated for five anonymized patient cases encompassing head and neck, brain, prostate, and prone breast. All plans were analyzed retrospectively and not used for treatment. Among the varied plan parameters were the number of optimization points, number of arcs, gantry speed, and gantry angle range (alpha) over which the beam is turned on at each optimization point. Combined rotational/step-and-shoot rIMRT plans were also created by superimposing multiple-segment static fields at several optimization points. The rIMRT trial plans were compared with each other and with plans generated using helical tomotherapy and VMAT. Burst-mode rotational IMRT plans were delivered and verified using a diode array, ionization chambers, thermoluminescent dosimeters, and film. Results: Burst-mode rIMRT can achieve plan quality comparable to helical tomotherapy, while the former may lead to slightly better OAR sparing for certain cases and the latter generally achieves slightly lower hot spots. Few instances were found in which increasing the number of optimization points above 36, or superimposing step-and-shoot IMRT segments, led to statistically significant improvements in OAR sparing. Using an additional rIMRT partial arc yielded substantial OAR dose improvements for the brain case. Measured doses from the rIMRT plan delivery were within 4% of the plan calculation in low dose gradient regions. Delivery time range was 228-375 s for single-arc rIMRT 200-cGy prescription with a 300 MU/min dose rate, comparable to tomotherapy and VMAT. Conclusions: Rotational IMRT

  5. Management & Communication: Project Management Case Study

    CERN Multimedia

    Nathalie Dumeaux

    2004-01-01

    We are pleased to announce the recent launch of a new workshop on Project Management. This is designed for People with budgetary, scheduling and/or organizational responsibilities in a project or a sub-project. The objectives through a management case study specially suited to CERN are: to become familiar with modern management techniques in use for structuring, planning, scheduling, costing and progress monitoring of a project or a sub-project. to understand in-depth issues associated with Deliverable-oriented Project Management, Earned Value Management, Advanced Project Cost Engineering and Project Risk Management. The full description of this workshop can be found here. The next session will be held on 8 October 2004. If you are interested in this workshop, please contact Nathalie Dumeaux, email or 78144. Programme of Seminars October to December 2004 Situation : 21.09.2004 Séminaires bilingues Dates Jours Places disponibles Project Management Case study 8 October 1 oui Intr...

  6. Multi-institutional Comparison of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) Planning Strategies and Planning Results for Nasopharyngeal Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Sung Ho; Park, Suk Won; Oh, Do Hoon; Choi, Youngmin; Kim, Jeung Kee; Ahn, Yong Chan; Park, Won; Suh, Hyun Sook; Lee, Rena; Bae, Hoonsik

    2009-01-01

    The intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning strategies for nasopharyngeal cancer among Korean radiation oncology facilities were investigated. Five institutions with IMRT planning capacity using the same planning system were invited to participate in this study. The institutions were requested to produce the best plan possible for 2 cases that would deliver 70 Gy to the planning target volume of gross tumor (PTV1), 59.4 Gy to the PTV2, and 51.5 Gy to the PTV3 in which elective irradiation was required. The advised fractionation number was 33. The planning parameters, resultant dose distributions, and biological indices were compared. We found 2-3-fold variations in the volume of treatment targets. Similar degree of variation was found in the delineation of normal tissue. The physician-related factors in IMRT planning had more influence on the plan quality. The inhomogeneity index of PTV dose ranged from 4 to 49% in Case 1, and from 5 to 46% in Case 2. Variation in tumor control probabilities for the primary lesion and involved LNs was less marked. Normal tissue complication probabilities for parotid glands and skin showed marked variation. Results from this study suggest that greater efforts in providing training and continuing education in terms of IMRT planning parameters usually set by physician are necessary for the successful implementation of IMRT. PMID:19399266

  7. Improvement of Students’ Ability to Analyzing Cases on Case Studies Through Journal and Learning Log

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riska Ahmad

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to improve the ability of students in guidance and counseling  to  analyzing the case through journals and learning logs This research is classroom action research consists of two cycles. The research phase consisted of planning, implementation, observation and reflection. The research subject are students in guidance and counseling while they are in sixth semester, totaling 20 people who were taking courses in Case Study. The research instrument is the observation guidelines, assessment rubrics and documentation of case studies in the form of journals and learning logs, and case study reports. The study was conducted collaboratively with student magister’s program guidance and counseling. The results showed that in cycle 1 students are able to identify cases, to develop ideas about the case, select and use instruments to analyze the cause of the problem. The results of the research cycle 2, showed 17 of the 20 students were able to analyze the cause of the problem, select the type of service and provide appropriate assistance in accordance with problem cases. Overall value obtained by the students in the subject of Case Studies also increased. In terms of the ability of explanation of the concept, the concept of truth and creativity, based on the ratings given by fellow students of average ability students were in either category, although there is less good, as are associated with the activity of the opinion and the quality of the opinions expressed.

  8. Effective planning for internal audit

    OpenAIRE

    Cirtautas, Marius

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this thesis is to find a way to effectively plan for internal audit. Conditions necessary for effective planning are formulated by using analysis of scientific literature. In second part author suggests a model for effective internal audit planning. In third part model is applied and analyzed using a case study.

  9. With Interest It Comes To...Unconscionable Clauses in Sales Contracts. A Student's Lesson Plan [and] A Teacher's Lesson Plan [and] A Lawyer's Lesson Plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Estelle; And Others

    One of a series of secondary level teaching units presenting case studies with pro and con analysis of particular legal problems, the document presents a student's lesson plan, a teacher's lesson plan, and a lawyer's lesson plan on unconscionable clauses in sales contracts. The unit acquaints students with the operation of sales contracts and…

  10. Sensitivity analysis in electric system expansion planning study using DECADES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez Martin, D.; Lopez Lopez, I.

    1998-01-01

    To cover the increasing electricity demand as a key economic and social factor of development, it is necessary to have adequate expansion police. The delay in installation of certain capabilities produces electricity deficit. In other hand, construction of oversized capacities generates excessive costs. Therefore it is important to acquire or develop adequate methodologies according to the country specific conditions to carry out electric expansion planning studies. The goal is to chose optimal solutions in order to reach sustainable development using owns energy resources and preserving the environment. In the paper the Decades methodology is used for electricity system expansion planning. Premises and main assumptions for the calculations are presented. Some electric system expansion cases are evaluated. We also present the results of a sensibility study varying the discount rate, loss of load probability energy not served cost, fuel availability and fuel and investment costs. The reliability criteria currently not used in Cuban electric system are evaluated. We discuss the results and display the conclusions and recommendations

  11. IMRT treatment plans and functional planning with functional lung imaging from 4D-CT for thoracic cancer patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Tzung-Chi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background and purpose Currently, the inhomogeneity of the pulmonary function is not considered when treatment plans are generated in thoracic cancer radiotherapy. This study evaluates the dose of treatment plans on highly-functional volumes and performs functional treatment planning by incorporation of ventilation data from 4D-CT. Materials and methods Eleven patients were included in this retrospective study. Ventilation was calculated using 4D-CT. Two treatment plans were generated for each case, the first one without the incorporation of the ventilation and the second with it. The dose of the first plans was overlapped with the ventilation and analyzed. Highly-functional regions were avoided in the second treatment plans. Results For small targets in the first plans (PTV  Conclusion Radiation treatments affect functional lung more seriously in large tumor cases. With compromise of dose to other critical organs, functional treatment planning to reduce dose in highly-functional lung volumes can be achieved

  12. Experience in Modelling Nuclear Energy Systems with MESSAGE: Country Case Studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2018-01-01

    Member States have recognized the increasing need to model future nuclear power scenarios in order to develop strategies for sustainable nuclear energy systems. The IAEA model for energy supply strategy alternatives and their general environmental impacts (MESSAGE) code is a tool that supports energy analysis and planning in Member States. This publication documents the experience gained on modelling and scenario analysis of nuclear energy systems (NES) using the MESSAGE code through various case studies performed by the participating Member States on evaluation and planning for nuclear energy sustainability at the regional or national level. The publication also elaborates on experience gained in modelling of global nuclear energy systems with a focus on specific aspects of collaboration among technology holder and technology user countries and the introduction of innovative nuclear technologies. It presents country case studies covering a variety of nuclear energy systems based on a once-through fuel cycle and a closed fuel cycle for thermal reactors, fast reactors and advanced systems. The feedback from case studies proves the analytical capabilities of the MESSAGE model and highlight the path forward for further advancements in the MESSAGE code and NES modelling.

  13. Underperformance of Planning for Peri-Urban Rural Sustainable Development: The Case of Mentougou District in Beijing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Lin

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available As the basic cell of social structures and spatial units, rural settlement is now experiencing profound changes through the rapid urbanization process underway in China, particularly in peri-urban areas which serve as the main platform and battlefield for urban–rural integration in China’s latest round of new urbanization. Therefore, how to achieve better planning for rural settlement in peri-urban areas is becoming a pressing and paramount research agenda. This paper attempts to explore the possible reasons for the underperformance of planning practice for rural settlement in peri-urban areas of China by taking the Mentougou district of Beijing as a case study. Following a quick and comprehensive review of planning in Mentougou district, a systematic and critical evaluation is then conducted accordingly. It shows that the plans generally play a positive role in development orientation and implementation. Yet, there is still a lot of room for improvement, particularly in the following aspects: (1 lack of initiative and innovation at the local level; (2 lack of long-term vision and consistent implementation; (3 lack of rationale-oriented approach; (4 lack of scientific and in-depth research; (5 lack of multi-stakeholder participation. As a way forward, this paper thus proposes a revised planning scheme for local practice, including classification of typologies and the customized planning design for each typology. At last, this paper calls for more in-depth scientific research on some key topics in the planning field, domestically and internationally.

  14. A Case Study of Line-of-Balance based Schedule Planning and Control System

    OpenAIRE

    Seppänen, Olli; Aalto, Erno

    2005-01-01

    Line-of-Balance is a graphical technique which can be used to plan and manage work flow. It is suit-able for construction projects because of their large degree of repetition. Despite its strengths Line-of-Balance has not gained widespread use in construction industry internationally. However, it has been used as the principal scheduling tool in Finland since 1980s. As a result of two decades of research and use in industry, a comprehensive schedule planning and control system has been develo...

  15. Collaborative Design of World Wide Web Pages: A Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrew, Paige G; Musser, Linda R.

    1997-01-01

    This case study of the collaborative design of an earth science World Wide Web page at Pennsylvania State University highlights the role of librarians. Discusses the original Web site and links, planning, the intended audience, and redesign and recommended changes; and considers the potential contributions of librarians. (LRW)

  16. Urbanisation, urban growth and planning in the Copenhagen Metropolitan Region with reference studies from Europe and the USA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fertner, Christian

    pressure. Growth management strategies are necessary to secure future balanced and sustainable development throughout the whole urban region. The analysis of urbanisation and urban growth in peri-urban areas is at the core of this study, including socio-demographic and functional dynamics, land use impacts...... and options for spatial planning. The main case was the metropolitan region of Copenhagen, Denmark. Other cases from Europe and the USA were used as reference studies. The methods included quantitative analyses of register and land use data as well as general case study work to investigate options for spatial...... planning. The study shows that, while the most visible impacts of land use changes can be found at the close urban fringe, many other dynamics have a much longer reach into the rural-urban region. In the Copenhagen metropolitan region, we can observe migration to peri-urban areas and to the urban core...

  17. Land use planning using transit oriented development concept: Case study: Salaya station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarritthai, Supanee; Techpeeraparnich, Wasaporn

    2017-10-01

    The urban sprawl of Bangkok has increased with a motorization rate along with the expansion of the road network to adjacent cities. Nakhonpathom province, located at the southern edge of Bangkok has been affected by the urban sprawl. One of Nakhonpathom's Districts named "Salaya" Salaya has been quickly urbanized due to the establishment of many large academic institutes, such as universities, colleges and high schools as well as many commercial shopping malls. The period of 2013-2017, the Thai government introduced sustainable urban planning policy and promoted the use of public transportation systems. The Light Red Line railway extension of the Bangkok Metro Transit system will soon be constructed and the current Salaya Station will be replaced with new station. Many railway expansion projects will be built, should be designed by using transit-oriented development (TOD) scheme. This paper explores demographic information of the area, the demands of the community and relevant stakeholders for designing of the area using TOD. The proposed land use planning is designed based on the existing condition of the area as much as possible to meet the TOD standard and stakeholders' requirement. The result revealed that the guidelines of transit oriented development concept were of importance not only for planning of urban land use, supporting public transport, but also improving the quality of life.

  18. Design and sampling plan optimization for RT-qPCR experiments in plants: a case study in blueberry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose V Die

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The qPCR assay has become a routine technology in plant biotechnology and agricultural research. It is unlikely to be technically improved, but there are still challenges which center around minimizing the variability in results and transparency when reporting technical data in support of the conclusions of a study. There are a number of aspects of the pre- and post-assay workflow that contribute to variability of results. Here, through the study of the introduction of error in qPCR measurements at different stages of the workflow, we describe the most important causes of technical variability in a case study using blueberry. In this study, we found that the stage for which increasing the number of replicates would be the most beneficial depends on the tissue used. For example, we would recommend the use of more RT replicates when working with leaf tissue, while the use of more sampling (RNA extraction replicates would be recommended when working with stems or fruits to obtain the most optimal results. The use of more qPCR replicates provides the least benefit as it is the most reproducible step. By knowing the distribution of error over an entire experiment and the costs at each step, we have developed a script to identify the optimal sampling plan within the limits of a given budget. These findings should help plant scientists improve the design of qPCR experiments and refine their laboratory practices in order to conduct qPCR assays in a more reliable-manner to produce more consistent and reproducible data.

  19. Participatory approach in planning for low carbon and eco-village: A case of Felda Taib Andak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ngah, I; Zulkifli, A S

    2014-01-01

    Participatory approaches have becoming an important tool in planning of sustainable communities. Although participation is conceived as a malleable concept there are certain methods that planners can adopt to ensure a meaningful participation. This paper will provide some experiences and lessons on how participatory planning could be carried out with local people, the role of planners in the process of plan preparation, implementation and the outcome. This paper first explores some of the meanings of participation, the criteria of participation and the approaches of participation in planning for sustainable community. The second part is a description and discussion of how participatory approach in planning was applied in planning for low carbon and eco-village in Iskandar Malaysia based on a case study of planning of Felda Taib Andak scheme. The participatory approach involved a series of meetings, site visit and focus group discussions with representative of the Felda Village to come out with action plan and actual implementation. From focus group discussions a roadmap consisted of a vision and objectives and a dozen actions were formulated and adopted. In the process of implementation the main implementation and coordination committee was form in which the author (planner) is one of its members to look into fund raising and implementation strategies together with the local people. Several task forces or sub committees responsible to implement the dozen actions were also formed. The outcome was encouraging in which some of the actions such as planting of bamboo trees, reduction of pollution from oil palm factory and bicycling activities has been implemented and shown progress. The paper also highlights some of the issues and challenges in participatory planning

  20. Ethical decision making within the bureaucratic context: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desai, Kathryn

    2003-01-01

    Balancing the polarized notions of quality and quantity of service and care is a challenge for the 21st century health and social service system. The expectation of transparent decision making at both the policy and the practice level of case management has forced practitioners to seek guidance in ethical decision making. Case management, as a system, has potential to lead this new practice approach by incorporating the principles of ethical decision making in planning and coordinating care. A recent case study of ethical decision making within the bureaucratic context offers some insight and learning and may help inform future practice.

  1. Site study plan for geochemical analytical requirements and methodologies: Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-12-01

    This site study plan documents the analytical methodologies and procedures that will be used to analyze geochemically the rock and fluid samples collected during Site Characterization. Information relating to the quality aspects of these analyses is also provided, where available. Most of the proposed analytical procedures have been used previously on the program and are sufficiently sensitive to yield high-quality analyses. In a few cases improvements in analytical methodology (e.g., greater sensitivity, fewer interferences) are desired. Suggested improvements to these methodologies are discussed. In most cases these method-development activities have already been initiated. The primary source of rock and fluid samples for geochemical analysis during Site Characterization will be the drilling program, as described in various SRP Site Study Plans. The Salt Repository Project (SRP) Networks specify the schedule under which the program will operate. Drilling will not begin until after site ground water baseline conditions have been established. The Technical Field Services Contractor (TFSC) is responsible for conducting the field program of drilling and testing. Samples and data will be handled and reported in accordance with established SRP procedures. A quality assurance program will be utilized to assure that activities affecting quality are performed correctly and that the appropriate documentation is maintained. 28 refs., 9 figs., 14 tabs

  2. Emergency Response Program Designing Based On Case Study ERP Regulations In Ilam Gas Refinery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Tahmasbi

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The study of Emergency response plan designing is one of the most important prevention approaches in crisis management. This study aims to design emergency response plan based on case study ERP regulations in Ilam gas refinery. On the basis of risk assessment and identification techniques such as HAZOP and FMEA in Ilam gas refinery the risks have been prioritized and then according to this prioritization the design of possible scenarios which have the highest rate of occurrence and the highest level of damage has been separated. Possible scenarios were simulated with PHAST software. Then emergency response program has been designed for the special mode or similar cases. According to the internal emergency response plan for Ilam gas refinery and predictable conditions of the process special instructions should be considered at the time of the incident to suffer the least damage on people and environment in the shortest time possible.

  3. Aligning IT and Business Strategy: An Australian University Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dent, Alan

    2015-01-01

    Alignment with business objectives is considered to be an essential outcome of information technology (IT) strategic planning. This case study examines the process of creating an IT strategy for an Australian university using an industry standard methodology. The degree of alignment is determined by comparing the strategic priorities supported by…

  4. Urban simulation evaluation with study case of the Singapore Management University, Singapore

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seanders, O.

    2018-01-01

    This paper reports and discusses about the urban simulation evaluation with a study case, The Singapore Managemant University (SMU), the first major university to be located in the city centre. It is located in Bras Basah District, with some controversy on the geographical establishment, the physical realization of the University in the original plan required some demolishes, urban historical building, a public park and in the end will impact the lose of some certain qualities of the urban space. From this case we can see that the urban design and cultural heritage principles could come into conflicts with the more practical concerns of space constraints and transportation efficiency. This SMU case reflect the problem of the developing countries that have to decide between conservation of buildings and green spaces and space demands. In this case, for Singapore, it marks a progress in the step of greater community involvement in the planning process.

  5. Environmentalism and land use planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso, P A.G.

    1986-01-01

    This dissertation considers the research question: Can land-use planning attain the goals of environmentalism. The research question instigates the development of models for environmentalism and land use planning, test of their congruence, analysis of institutional means to joint them, case study of the specific method of lifestyle zoning for Nature conservation, international comparisons, and suggestions for the implementation of the ideology of environmentalism by the techniques of land-use planning. Comparison among the industrially advanced anglophone countries of Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the United States of America enable cross-cultural insight into environmentalism, land-use planning, and measures for the protection of dedicated areas. The evaluation of the fit between environmentalism and land-use planning considers their origins, values, operating principles, programs and problems. The ideological outline of contemporary environmental planning provides a framework for detailed analysis of the case study of an Environmental Living Zone on the fringe of urban Melbourne, Australia. Historical research, interpretation of planning schemes, maps and aerial photographs, interviews, and observation provided insight into the social and environmental factors in residential conservation. From the empirical and theoretical analyses, the work suggests implications for practitioners and directions for further research.

  6. Multicriteria plan optimization in the hands of physicians: a pilot study in prostate cancer and brain tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Birgit S; Shih, Helen A; Efstathiou, Jason A; Bortfeld, Thomas; Craft, David

    2017-11-06

    The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of physician driven planning in intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with a multicriteria optimization (MCO) treatment planning system and template based plan optimization. Exploiting the full planning potential of MCO navigation, this alternative planning approach intends to improve planning efficiency and individual plan quality. Planning was retrospectively performed on 12 brain tumor and 10 post-prostatectomy prostate patients previously treated with MCO-IMRT. For each patient, physicians were provided with a template-based generated Pareto surface of optimal plans to navigate, using the beam angles from the original clinical plans. We compared physician generated plans to clinically delivered plans (created by dosimetrists) in terms of dosimetric differences, physician preferences and planning times. Plan qualities were similar, however physician generated and clinical plans differed in the prioritization of clinical goals. Physician derived prostate plans showed significantly better sparing of the high dose rectum and bladder regions (p(D1) plans indicated higher doses for targets and brainstem (p(D1) plan comparisons physicians preferred the clinical plans more often (brain: 6:3 out of 12, prostate: 2:6 out of 10) (not statistically significant). While times of physician involvement were comparable for prostate planning, the new workflow reduced the average involved time for brain cases by 30%. Planner times were reduced for all cases. Subjective benefits, such as a better understanding of planning situations, were observed by clinicians through the insight into plan optimization and experiencing dosimetric trade-offs. We introduce physician driven planning with MCO for brain and prostate tumors as a feasible planning workflow. The proposed approach standardizes the planning process by utilizing site specific templates and integrates physicians more tightly into treatment planning. Physicians

  7. Life cycle assessment as an analytical tool in strategic environmental assessment. Lessons learned from a case study on municipal energy planning in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Björklund, Anna

    2012-01-01

    Life cycle assessment (LCA) is explored as an analytical tool in strategic environmental assessment (SEA), illustrated by case where a previously developed SEA process was applied to municipal energy planning in Sweden. The process integrated decision-making tools for scenario planning, public participation and environmental assessment. This article describes the use of LCA for environmental assessment in this context, with focus on methodology and practical experiences. While LCA provides a systematic framework for the environmental assessment and a wider systems perspective than what is required in SEA, LCA cannot address all aspects of environmental impact required, and therefore needs to be complemented by other tools. The integration of LCA with tools for public participation and scenario planning posed certain methodological challenges, but provided an innovative approach to designing the scope of the environmental assessment and defining and assessing alternatives. - Research highlights: ► LCA was explored as analytical tool in an SEA process of municipal energy planning. ► The process also integrated LCA with scenario planning and public participation. ► Benefits of using LCA were a systematic framework and wider systems perspective. ► Integration of tools required some methodological challenges to be solved. ► This proved an innovative approach to define alternatives and scope of assessment.

  8. Inter-Organisational Systems, Strategy and Structure: the case for planning environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pat Finnegan

    1998-11-01

    Full Text Available Electronic trade and commerce have brought inter organisational co-operation to the forefront of organisational strategies. However, inter-organisational systems (IOS planning lacks appropriate methodological guidelines, and tends to be practised in an insular manner. This paper examines the development of systems in three interorganisational networks in Ireland in order to ascertain the planning that went into them. The networks studied are representative of three types of structural interdependencies - pooled, reciprocal and sequential. Although it is difficult to identify an activity that can be clearly labelled IOS planning, planning is integral to the development of all networks. The interdependencies influence planning processes and outcomes. For the pooled and reciprocal networks, the planning process gives a focus. For the sequential network, the main planning is done by the hub organisation, and extended to the spokes. Planning interactions across all networks illustrate similarities that reveal that existence of planning environments within which IOS planning takes place. These planning environments are proposed as being an appropriate basis for the development of IOS planning guidelines.

  9. Self-Mapping in Treating Suicide Ideation: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Lloyd Hawkeye

    2011-01-01

    This case study traces the development and use of a self-mapping exercise in the treatment of a youth who had been at risk for re-attempting suicide. A life skills exercise was modified to identify units of culture called "memes" from which a map of the youth's self was prepared. A successful treatment plan followed the mapping exercise. The…

  10. Socioeconomic Site Study Plan: Draft

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-07-01

    Social and economic issues and concerns of the Deak Smith County site area will be evaluated during site characterization. Effects that the area could experience from a repository project include demographic, economic, community service, fiscal, and social impacts. The Socioeconomic Site Study Plan is designed to provide a strategy to assess the potential for those impacts. The Socioeconomic Site Study Plan is structured to provide an overview of the socioeconomic program requirements, objectives, and activities to be conducted during site characterization. This report will describe the study design and its rationale; data collection, management, and reporting; program schedules and milestones; site study organization and management; and quality assurance issues. 43 refs

  11. Addressing trend-related changes within cumulative effects studies in water resources planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canter, L.W.; Chawla, M.K.; Swor, C.T.

    2014-01-01

    Summarized herein are 28 case studies wherein trend-related causative physical, social, or institutional changes were connected to consequential changes in runoff, water quality, and riparian and aquatic ecological features. The reviewed cases were systematically evaluated relative to their identified environmental effects; usage of analytical frameworks, and appropriate models, methods, and technologies; and the attention given to mitigation and/or management of the resultant causative and consequential changes. These changes also represent important considerations in project design and operation, and in cumulative effects studies associated therewith. The cases were grouped into five categories: institutional changes associated with legislation and policies (seven cases); physical changes from land use changes in urbanizing watersheds (eight cases); physical changes from land use changes and development projects in watersheds (four cases); physical, institutional, and social changes from land use and related policy changes in river basins (three cases); and multiple changes within a comprehensive study of land use and policy changes in the Willamette River Basin in Oregon (six cases). A tabulation of 110 models, methods and technologies used in the studies is also presented. General observations from this review were that the features were unique for each case; the consequential changes were logically based on the causative changes; the analytical frameworks provided relevant structures for the studies, and the identified methods and technologies were pertinent for addressing both the causative and consequential changes. One key lesson was that the cases provide useful, “real-world” illustrations of the importance of addressing trend-related changes in cumulative effects studies within water resources planning. Accordingly, they could be used as an “initial tool kit” for addressing trend-related changes

  12. Addressing trend-related changes within cumulative effects studies in water resources planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canter, L.W., E-mail: envimptr@aol.com [University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma and President, Canter Associates, Inc., Horseshoe Bay, TX (United States); Chawla, M.K. [ERDC-CERL, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Champaign, IL (United States); Swor, C.T. [Canter Associates, Inc., Frankewing, TN (United States)

    2014-01-15

    Summarized herein are 28 case studies wherein trend-related causative physical, social, or institutional changes were connected to consequential changes in runoff, water quality, and riparian and aquatic ecological features. The reviewed cases were systematically evaluated relative to their identified environmental effects; usage of analytical frameworks, and appropriate models, methods, and technologies; and the attention given to mitigation and/or management of the resultant causative and consequential changes. These changes also represent important considerations in project design and operation, and in cumulative effects studies associated therewith. The cases were grouped into five categories: institutional changes associated with legislation and policies (seven cases); physical changes from land use changes in urbanizing watersheds (eight cases); physical changes from land use changes and development projects in watersheds (four cases); physical, institutional, and social changes from land use and related policy changes in river basins (three cases); and multiple changes within a comprehensive study of land use and policy changes in the Willamette River Basin in Oregon (six cases). A tabulation of 110 models, methods and technologies used in the studies is also presented. General observations from this review were that the features were unique for each case; the consequential changes were logically based on the causative changes; the analytical frameworks provided relevant structures for the studies, and the identified methods and technologies were pertinent for addressing both the causative and consequential changes. One key lesson was that the cases provide useful, “real-world” illustrations of the importance of addressing trend-related changes in cumulative effects studies within water resources planning. Accordingly, they could be used as an “initial tool kit” for addressing trend-related changes.

  13. Teaching Ambition: A Case Study of High School Music Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Draves, Tami

    2012-01-01

    Music teacher socialisation (MTS) has received increased attention in music education research, but few researchers have explored MTS with students during their primary socialisation, or pre-college, years. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine the perspectives of high school music students who plan to pursue a music…

  14. Economic planning and equilibrium growth of human resources and capital in health-care sector: Case study of Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahboobi-Ardakan, Payman; Kazemian, Mahmood; Mehraban, Sattar

    2017-01-01

    During different planning periods, human resources factor has been considerably increased in the health-care sector. The main goal is to determine economic planning conditions and equilibrium growth for services level and specialized workforce resources in health-care sector and also to determine the gap between levels of health-care services and specialized workforce resources in the equilibrium growth conditions and their available levels during the periods of the first to fourth development plansin Iran. In the study after data collection, econometric methods and EViews version 8.0 were used for data processing. The used model was based on neoclassical economic growth model. The results indicated that during the former planning periods, although specialized workforce has been increased significantly in health-care sector, lack of attention to equilibrium growth conditions caused imbalance conditions for product level and specialized workforce in health-care sector. In the past development plans for health services, equilibrium conditions based on the full employment in the capital stock, and specialized labor are not considered. The government could act by choosing policies determined by the growth model to achieve equilibrium level in the field of human resources and services during the next planning periods.

  15. SU-E-T-521: Feasibility Study of a Rotational Step-And-Shoot IMRT Treatment Planning Approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, X; Chang, S; Cullip, T; Yuan, L; Zhang, X; Lian, J; Tang, X; Tracton, G; Dooley, J

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Rotational step-and-shot IMRT (r-IMRT) could improve delivery efficiency with good dose conformity, especially if it can leverage the burst mode of the accelerator where radiation is turned on/off momentarily while the gantry rotates continuously. The challenge for the r-IMRT planning is to minimize the number of beams to achieve a fast and smooth rotational delivery. Methods: Treatment plans for r-IMRT were created using an in-house treatment planning system. To generate the plan using a very few beams, gantry angle was optimized by weighting the beam monitoring unit (MU), and beam shape optimization was a combination of column search with k-means clustering. A prostate case and a head and neck case were planned using r-IMRT. The dosimetry is compared to s-IMRT planned with Varian Eclipse treatment planning system. Results: With the same PTV dose coverage D95=100%, the r-IMRT plans shows comparable sparing as the s-IMRT plans in the prostate for the rectum D10cc and the bladder Dmean, and in the head and neck for the spinal cord Dmax, the brain stem Dmax, the left/right parotid Dmean, the larynx Dmean, and the mandible Dmean. Both plans meet the established institutional clinical dosimetric criteria. The r-IMRT plan uses 19 beam/405 MU for the prostate, and 68 beam/880 MU for the head and neck, while the s-IMRT uses 7 beam/724 MU and 9 beam/1812 MU, respectively. Compared to the corresponding s-IMRT, r-IMRT has a reduction of MUs of 44% for the prostate case and 41% for the head and neck case. Conclusions: We have demonstrated the feasibility of a rotational step and shoot IMRT treatment planning approach that significantly shortens the conventional IMRT treatment beam-on time without degrading the dose comformity

  16. SU-E-T-521: Feasibility Study of a Rotational Step-And-Shoot IMRT Treatment Planning Approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, X [Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Chang, S [UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Cullip, T [UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Yuan, L; Zhang, X [Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Lian, J; Tang, X [UniversityNorth Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Tracton, G; Dooley, J [University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: Rotational step-and-shot IMRT (r-IMRT) could improve delivery efficiency with good dose conformity, especially if it can leverage the burst mode of the accelerator where radiation is turned on/off momentarily while the gantry rotates continuously. The challenge for the r-IMRT planning is to minimize the number of beams to achieve a fast and smooth rotational delivery. Methods: Treatment plans for r-IMRT were created using an in-house treatment planning system. To generate the plan using a very few beams, gantry angle was optimized by weighting the beam monitoring unit (MU), and beam shape optimization was a combination of column search with k-means clustering. A prostate case and a head and neck case were planned using r-IMRT. The dosimetry is compared to s-IMRT planned with Varian Eclipse treatment planning system. Results: With the same PTV dose coverage D95=100%, the r-IMRT plans shows comparable sparing as the s-IMRT plans in the prostate for the rectum D10cc and the bladder Dmean, and in the head and neck for the spinal cord Dmax, the brain stem Dmax, the left/right parotid Dmean, the larynx Dmean, and the mandible Dmean. Both plans meet the established institutional clinical dosimetric criteria. The r-IMRT plan uses 19 beam/405 MU for the prostate, and 68 beam/880 MU for the head and neck, while the s-IMRT uses 7 beam/724 MU and 9 beam/1812 MU, respectively. Compared to the corresponding s-IMRT, r-IMRT has a reduction of MUs of 44% for the prostate case and 41% for the head and neck case. Conclusions: We have demonstrated the feasibility of a rotational step and shoot IMRT treatment planning approach that significantly shortens the conventional IMRT treatment beam-on time without degrading the dose comformity.

  17. The Evaluation and Application Plan Report for the Development of Nuclear Power Plant DCS Using CASE Tools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, B.Y.; Moon, H.J.; Yoon, M.H.; Lee, Y.K. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

    2000-06-01

    This report contains the evaluation and application plan report for the development of nuclear power plant DCS using CASE tools. In this report, the necessity of using CASE tools is considered and a available CASE environment is suggested. And, also according to the IEEE Std 1209 Recommended Practice for Evaluation and Selection of CASE Tools, their functional and economical evaluation about available commercial CASE tools is performed and described. (author). 6 figs., 3 tabs.

  18. A self-adaptive case-based reasoning system for dose planning in prostate cancer radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mishra, Nishikant; Petrovic, Sanja; Sundar, Santhanam [Automated Scheduling, Optimisation and Planning Research Group, School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG8 1BB (United Kingdom); Department of Oncology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham NG5 1PB (United Kingdom)

    2011-12-15

    Purpose: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the male population. Radiotherapy is often used in the treatment for prostate cancer. In radiotherapy treatment, the oncologist makes a trade-off between the risk and benefit of the radiation, i.e., the task is to deliver a high dose to the prostate cancer cells and minimize side effects of the treatment. The aim of our research is to develop a software system that will assist the oncologist in planning new treatments. Methods: A nonlinear case-based reasoning system is developed to capture the expertise and experience of oncologists in treating previous patients. Importance (weights) of different clinical parameters in the dose planning is determined by the oncologist based on their past experience, and is highly subjective. The weights are usually fixed in the system. In this research, the weights are updated automatically each time after generating a treatment plan for a new patient using a group based simulated annealing approach. Results: The developed approach is analyzed on the real data set collected from the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Hospital Campus, UK. Extensive experiments show that the dose plan suggested by the proposed method is coherent with the dose plan prescribed by an experienced oncologist or even better. Conclusions: The developed case-based reasoning system enables the use of knowledge and experience gained by the oncologist in treating new patients. This system may play a vital role to assist the oncologist in making a better decision in less computational time; it utilizes the success rate of the previously treated patients and it can also be used in teaching and training processes.

  19. A self-adaptive case-based reasoning system for dose planning in prostate cancer radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mishra, Nishikant; Petrovic, Sanja; Sundar, Santhanam

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the male population. Radiotherapy is often used in the treatment for prostate cancer. In radiotherapy treatment, the oncologist makes a trade-off between the risk and benefit of the radiation, i.e., the task is to deliver a high dose to the prostate cancer cells and minimize side effects of the treatment. The aim of our research is to develop a software system that will assist the oncologist in planning new treatments. Methods: A nonlinear case-based reasoning system is developed to capture the expertise and experience of oncologists in treating previous patients. Importance (weights) of different clinical parameters in the dose planning is determined by the oncologist based on their past experience, and is highly subjective. The weights are usually fixed in the system. In this research, the weights are updated automatically each time after generating a treatment plan for a new patient using a group based simulated annealing approach. Results: The developed approach is analyzed on the real data set collected from the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Hospital Campus, UK. Extensive experiments show that the dose plan suggested by the proposed method is coherent with the dose plan prescribed by an experienced oncologist or even better. Conclusions: The developed case-based reasoning system enables the use of knowledge and experience gained by the oncologist in treating new patients. This system may play a vital role to assist the oncologist in making a better decision in less computational time; it utilizes the success rate of the previously treated patients and it can also be used in teaching and training processes.

  20. Improvement of the plan of measures for cases of catastrophes corresponding to radiological accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jerez Vegueria, Pablo F.; Lopez Forteza; Yamil; Diaz Guerra, Pedro I.

    2003-01-01

    In the year 1988 the Plan of Measures for Cases of Catastrophe (PMCC) it was focused basically to the Central Electronuclear of Juragua and the Center of Investigations Nuclear both in construction in that moment. In Cuba, with the Ordinance Law Not. 170 of the System of Civil Defense of 1997 assign the EMNDC the responsibility for the address and coordination of the material resources and humans to make in front of any catastrophe type, including the emergencies radiological. However the radiological events that could happen in rest of those practical with ionizing radiations that were carried out in the country they were not contemplated in the old conception of planning of emergency of the PMCC. In the year 2001 the CNSN and EMNDC begin a revision of the national planning from the answer to radiological emergencies developing new conceptions of planning, preparation and answer to radiological emergencies using for it categories of planning recommended by the IAEA in new technical documents emitted to the effect. Presently work is exposed the new philosophy of planning and national answer that it sustains the current Annex radiological Accidents of the PMCC

  1. Evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan Practices in the Turkish Case

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doruk Özügül, M.; Yerliyurt, Bora; Seçilmişler, Töre

    2017-10-01

    plan contents with the ideal ICZM plans” and “absence of legal basis” could be defined as the major discussion topics which reflect the dilemmas of ICZM practice in the Turkish case.

  2. Novel Heuristics for Cell Radius Determination in WCDMA Systems and Their Application to Strategic Planning Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Esteve-Asensio

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose and compare three novel heuristics for the calculation of the optimal cell radius in mobile networks based on Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA technology. The proposed heuristics solve the problem of the load assignment and cellular radius calculation. We have tested our approaches with experiments in multiservices scenarios showing that the proposed heuristics maximize the cell radius, providing the optimum load factor assignment. The main application of these algorithms is strategic planning studies, where an estimation of the number of Nodes B of the mobile operator, at a national level, is required for economic analysis. In this case due to the large number of different scenarios considered (cities, towns, and open areas other methods than simulation need to be considered. As far as we know, there is no other similar method in the literature and therefore these heuristics may represent a novelty in strategic network planning studies. The proposed heuristics are implemented in a strategic planning software tool and an example of their application for a case in Spain is presented. The proposed heuristics are used for telecommunications regulatory studies in several countries.

  3. Road-corridor planning in the EIA procedure in Spain. A review of case studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loro, Manuel, E-mail: manuel.loro@upm.es [Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Environment, Civil Engineering School, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Transport Research Centre (TRANSyT-UPM) Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Centro de investigación del transporte, TRANSyT-UPM, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Arce, Rosa M., E-mail: rosa.arce.ruiz@upm.es [Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Environment, Civil Engineering School, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Transport Research Centre (TRANSyT-UPM) Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Centro de investigación del transporte, TRANSyT-UPM, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Ortega, Emilio, E-mail: e.ortega@upm.es [Transport Research Centre (TRANSyT-UPM) Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Centro de investigación del transporte, TRANSyT-UPM, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Department of Construction and Rural Roads, Forestry Engineering School, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); and others

    2014-01-15

    The assessment of different alternatives in road-corridor planning must be based on a number of well-defined territorial variables that serve as decision making criteria, and this requires a high-quality preliminary environmental assessment study. In Spain the formal specifications for the technical requirements stipulate the constraints that must be considered in the early stages of defining road corridors, but not how they should be analyzed and ranked. As part of the feasibility study of a new road definition, the most common methodology is to establish different levels of Territorial Carrying Capacity (TCC) in the study area in order to summarize the territorial variables on thematic maps and to ease the tracing process of road-corridor layout alternatives. This paper explores the variables used in 22 road-construction projects conducted by the Ministry of Public Works that were subject to the Spanish EIA regulation and published between 2006 and 2008. The aim was to evaluate the quality of the methods applied and the homogeneity and suitability of the variables used for defining the TCC. The variables were clustered into physical, environmental, land-use and cultural constraints for the purpose of comparing the TCC values assigned in the studies reviewed. We found the average quality of the studies to be generally acceptable in terms of the justification of the methodology, the weighting and classification of the variables, and the creation of a synthesis map. Nevertheless, the methods for assessing the TCC are not sufficiently standardized; there is a lack of uniformity in the cartographic information sources and methodologies for the TCC valuation. -- Highlights: • We explore 22 road-corridor planning studies subjected to the Spanish EIA regulation. • We analyze the variables selected for defining territorial carrying capacity. • The quality of the studies is acceptable (methodology, variable weighting, mapping). • There is heterogeneity in the

  4. A case study of radiotherapy planning for a bilateral metal hip prosthesis prostate cancer patient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Andy; Reft, Chester; Rash, Carla; Price, Jennifer; Jani, Ashesh B.

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this report is to communicate the observed advantage of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in a patient with bilateral metallic hip prostheses. In this patient with early-stage low-risk disease, a dose of 74 Gy was planned in two phases-an initial 50 Gy to the prostate and seminal vesicles and an additional 24 Gy to the prostate alone. Each coplanar beam avoided the prosthesis in the beam's eye view. Using the same target expansions for each phase, IMRT and 3D-conformal radiotherapy (CRT) plans were compared for target coverage and inhomogeneity as well as dose to the bladder and rectum. The results of the analysis demonstrated that IMRT provided superior target coverage with reduced dose to normal tissues for both individual phases of the treatment plan as well as for the composite treatment plan. The dose to the rectum was significantly reduced with the IMRT technique, with a composite V80 of 35% for the IMRT plan versus 70% for 3D-CRT plan. Similarly, the dose to the bladder was significantly reduced with a V80 of 9% versus 20%. Overall, various dosimetric parameters revealed the corresponding 3D-CRT plan would not have been acceptable. The results indicate significant success with IMRT in a clinical scenario where there were no curative alternatives for local treatment other than external beam radiotherapy. Therefore, definitive external beam radiation of prostate cancer patients with bilateral prosthesis is made feasible with IMRT. The work described herein may also have applicability to other groups of patients, such as those with gynecological or other pelvic malignancies

  5. Urban sustainability through strategic planning: A case of metropolitan planning in Khulna city, Bangladesh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Ashiq Ur Rahman

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Planning is a crucial element for any development initiative. Planning entails choice making in pursuit of stated goals e.g. improving living conditions for individuals and societies. Planning initiatives are employed within social systems that are governed by institution, and planning intervenes with and may reconfigure these institutions resulting in social change. This paper discusses how urban sustainability can be achieved through strategic action in urban development by analysing the planning process of Khulna city, Bangladesh. This paper reviews different scholarly articles to draw a conceptual framework for identifying the interface of strategic planning, components of strategic action planning and urban sustainability. Based on this conceptual framework this paper identifies the scope of achieving urban sustainability through analysing the current planning practice of Khulna city, Bangladesh. This paper identifies that though the Khulna city plan adopted the approach of strategic planning but it failed to comply with its theoretical notion to achieve the issues related to urban sustainability. Analysis reveals that in terms of social attribute that recognizes the interest of different group of people the exiting planning packages is not sustainable. Similar phenomenon have been observed in terms of recognition of gender and marginalized people in planning, equitable provision of income and employment generation, peoples’ participation in planning and polices for ensuring equitable access to infrastructure services. Therefore the existing planning package of Khulna city failed to achieve the issues of urban sustainability through its adapted strategic planning approach.

  6. Not planning a sustainable transport system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Finnveden, Göran; Åkerman, Jonas

    2014-01-01

    The overall objective of the Swedish transport policy is to ensure the economically efficient and sustainable provision of transport services for people and business throughout the country. More specifically, the transport sector shall, among other things, contribute to the achievement of environmental quality objectives in which the development of the transport system plays an important role in the achievement of the objectives. The aim of this study is to analyse if current transport planning supports this policy. This is done by analysing two recent cases: the National Infrastructure Plan 2010–2021, and the planning of Bypass Stockholm, a major road investment. Our results show that the plans are in conflict with several of the environmental quality objectives. Another interesting aspect of the planning processes is that the long-term climate goals are not included in the planning processes, neither as a clear goal nor as factor that will influence future transport systems. In this way, the long-term sustainability aspects are not present in the planning. We conclude that the two cases do not contribute to a sustainable transport system. Thus, several changes must be made in the processes, including putting up clear targets for emissions. Also, the methodology for the environmental assessments needs to be further developed and discussed. - Highlights: • Two cases are studied to analyse if current planning supports a sustainable transport system. • Results show that the plans are in conflict with several of the environmental quality objectives. • Long-term climate goals are not included in the planning processes. • Current practices do not contribute to a sustainable planning processes. • Methodology and process for environmental assessments must be further developed and discussed

  7. Not planning a sustainable transport system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Finnveden, Göran, E-mail: goran.finnveden@abe.kth.se; Åkerman, Jonas

    2014-04-01

    The overall objective of the Swedish transport policy is to ensure the economically efficient and sustainable provision of transport services for people and business throughout the country. More specifically, the transport sector shall, among other things, contribute to the achievement of environmental quality objectives in which the development of the transport system plays an important role in the achievement of the objectives. The aim of this study is to analyse if current transport planning supports this policy. This is done by analysing two recent cases: the National Infrastructure Plan 2010–2021, and the planning of Bypass Stockholm, a major road investment. Our results show that the plans are in conflict with several of the environmental quality objectives. Another interesting aspect of the planning processes is that the long-term climate goals are not included in the planning processes, neither as a clear goal nor as factor that will influence future transport systems. In this way, the long-term sustainability aspects are not present in the planning. We conclude that the two cases do not contribute to a sustainable transport system. Thus, several changes must be made in the processes, including putting up clear targets for emissions. Also, the methodology for the environmental assessments needs to be further developed and discussed. - Highlights: • Two cases are studied to analyse if current planning supports a sustainable transport system. • Results show that the plans are in conflict with several of the environmental quality objectives. • Long-term climate goals are not included in the planning processes. • Current practices do not contribute to a sustainable planning processes. • Methodology and process for environmental assessments must be further developed and discussed.

  8. A case study of cost-efficient staffing under annualized hours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Veen, Egbert; Hans, Erwin W; Veltman, Bart; Berrevoets, Leo M; Berden, Hubert J J M

    2015-09-01

    We propose a mathematical programming formulation that incorporates annualized hours and shows to be very flexible with regard to modeling various contract types. The objective of our model is to minimize salary cost, thereby covering workforce demand, and using annualized hours. Our model is able to address various business questions regarding tactical workforce planning problems, e.g., with regard to annualized hours, subcontracting, and vacation planning. In a case study for a Dutch hospital two of these business questions are addressed, and we demonstrate that applying annualized hours potentially saves up to 5.2% in personnel wages annually.

  9. Slovenia’s Construction Act and Implementation Plans: A Case Study of Izola IPA-8

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ažman Momirski, Lucija

    2017-10-01

    The guidelines for urban design in Izola’s IPA-8 planning area, which is earmarked for hotels, apartment complexes, and sports, specify diverse forms of leisure living space required by modern society. The new tourist complex is not a large monotonous hotel complex, but rather a spatial arrangement in which guests experience an authentic local environment and city residents enjoy the new high-quality ambience. The hotel area is defined by three major communication axes from north to south, linking the countryside to the coastal area and opening up attractive sea views in the new complex. Internal east-west links connect buildings and public spaces. Because of the terraced terrain, a large number of paved ramps and internal public gardens have been designed between the structures. The extensions of the communication axes are laid out as squares, named based on the function of the public spaces. Hotel Street is the central axis and main connecting street, with public hotel services and restaurants. The west axis extends into Culture Square, where activities related to Izola’s culture and history are presented; here there is an opportunity to create new galleries, a small local museum, and an exhibition room. Apartment Square is located on the east communication axis, along which only a limited number of trade, catering, and service activities are planned. The plan received first prize in a public competition, and it later developed into detailed municipal spatial plan. In this process, it became clear that Slovenia’s Construction Act (ZGO-1) does not support plans to create terraced buildings.

  10. Development of a nurse case management service: a proposed business plan for rural hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Marsha Howell; Crow, Carolyn S

    2005-01-01

    The nurse case management service (NCMS) for rural hospitals is an entrepreneurial endeavor designed to provide rural patients with quality, cost-effective healthcare. This article describes the development of an NCMS. A detailed marketing and financial plan, a review of industry trends, and the legal structure and risks associated with the development of the venture are presented. The financial plan projects a minimum savings of 223,200 dollars for rural institutions annually. To improve quality and reduce cost for rural hospitals, the authors recommend implementation of an NCMS.

  11. A Business Plan of Teahouse in Helsinki, Finland

    OpenAIRE

    Xu, Zelu

    2013-01-01

    By studying what is a business plan, this paper introduces how to make a business plan with a real life case, starting a teashop business in Helsinki, Finland. It was started by studying how to make a business plan, which includes the structure of a business plan, such as operational planning, marketing planning and financial planning. It is the internal and external analysis that determines the corporate strategy, corporate strategy determines marketing strategy and operational strategy, ope...

  12. Integrating Enterprise Resource Planning (SAP) in the Accounting Curriculum: A Systematic Literature Review and Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blount, Yvette; Abedin, Babak; Vatanasakdakul, Savanid; Erfani, Seyedezahra

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates how an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software package SAP was integrated into the curriculum of an accounting information systems (AIS) course in an Australian university. Furthermore, the paper provides a systematic literature review of articles published between 1990 and 2013 to understand how ERP systems were…

  13. Planning for integrated solid waste management at the industrial Park level: A case of Tianjin, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geng Yong; Zhu Qinghua; Haight, Murray

    2007-01-01

    Industrial parks play a significant role in the production and use of goods and services. The proper management of solid waste is a major challenge for industrial parks due to the large quantity of wastes and the variability of waste characteristics from these types of developments. Therefore, integrated solid waste management has become very crucial to the industrial park managers. Such an approach requires industrial park managers to assess the overall use of resources, and to seek waste reduction, reuse and recycling opportunities both at the individual company level and among different tenant companies. The adoption of this method can bring both economic and environmental benefits. This paper introduces the planning efforts of a real case in China. It first presents the basic information on Tianjin Economic Development Area (TEDA), and then introduces its current practices on solid waste management. The main focus of this paper is to describe how to plan an integrated solid waste management system at TEDA. Benefits and challenges are all identified and analyzed. The experiences and methods from this case study should be applied in other industrial parks so as to improve the overall eco-efficiency of the whole industrial park

  14. CASE STUDY CRITIQUE; UPPER CLINCH CASE STUDY

    Science.gov (United States)

    Case study critique: Upper Clinch case study (from Research on Methods for Integrating Ecological Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment: A Trade-off Weighted Index Approach to Integrating Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment). This critique answers the questions: 1) does ...

  15. DETERMINING TACTICAL OPERATIONAL PLANNING POLICIES FOR AN AUTO CARRIER – A CASE STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.J. Du Plessis

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available

    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was done to assist a local auto carrier company with tactical operational planning. The objective of the planning process is to maximise the number of vehicles delivered while being on time and adhering to staff and maintenance schedule constraints.

    We investigated the feasibility of allowing part of the fleet to roam the closed spatial network, as opposed to the traditional assignment of the complete fleet to fixed routes. We developed decision-making rules for roaming and fixed-to-route auto carriers, and evaluated the quality of these proposed rules, in combination with different fleet compositions, using discrete event simulation and four performance measures.

    We found that the auto carrier company should adopt a tactical operations policy where at least 50% of the fleet is allowed to roam, while roaming auto carriers pick vehicles to transport according to specific rules.

    AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is gedoen om ’n plaaslike motorvervoer-onderneming te help met taktiese bedryfsbeplanning. Die doelwit van die beplanningsproses is om die aantal voertuie wat betyds afgelewer word te maksimeer met inagneming van personeel- en instandhoudingbeperkings. Ons het die moontlikheid dat ’n deel van die vragmotorvloot swerwend in die geslote ruimtelike roete-network moet opereer, ondersoek. Dit is in teenstelling met die tradisionele vaste toedeling van vragmotors aan roetes. Besluitnemingreëls vir swerwende en vaste-roete vragmotors is ontwikkel, en die gehalte van die reëls is met diskrete simulasie en vier prestasiemaatstawwe evalueer.

    Ons het bevind dat die vervoeronderneming ’n bedryfsbeleid behoort te aanvaar wat toelaat dat ten minste 50% van die vloot swerf, terwyl hierdie swerwende vragmotors voertuie volgens spesifieke reëls by oplaaipunte moet kies.

  16. Case Studies of Community-Academic Partnerships Established Using the Give-Get Grid Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behringer, Bruce; Southerland, Jodi L; Plummer, Robert M

    2017-11-01

    While partnerships for health delivery and improvement are frequently described by their structure, goals, and plans, less attention is paid to the interactive relationships among partners or for larger stakeholder groups' coalition memberships. The Give-Get Grid group process tool can be used to assess each stakeholders' expected benefits ("gets") and contributions ("gives") needed to establish and maintain long-term, mutually advantageous community-academic partnerships. This article describes three case study experiences using the Give-Get Grid in real-world context to understand and generate ideas to address contemporary health promotion opportunities among a variety of stakeholders. The case studies address three distinct community health promotion opportunities: prevention of school-based adolescent obesity disparities, higher education health professions training programs in rural community-based settings, and methods for engaging community coalitions in state Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs. The case studies demonstrate the Give-Get Grid's utility in both planning and evaluating partnerships and documenting key elements for progress in health promotion initiatives built on long-term community-academic relationships. Steps are explained with practical lessons learned in using the Grid.

  17. Case Study: Does training of private networks of Family Planning clinicians in urban Pakistan affect service utilization?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background To determine whether training of providers participating in franchise clinic networks is associated with increased Family Planning service use among low-income urban families in Pakistan. Methods The study uses 2001 survey data consisting of interviews with 1113 clinical and non-clinical providers working in public and private hospitals/clinics. Data analysis excludes non-clinical providers reducing sample size to 822. Variables for the analysis are divided into client volume, and training in family planning. Regression models are used to compute the association between training and service use in franchise versus private non-franchise clinics. Results In franchise clinic networks, staff are 6.5 times more likely to receive family planning training (P = 0.00) relative to private non-franchises. Service use was significantly associated with training (P = 0.00), franchise affiliation (P = 0.01), providers' years of family planning experience (P = 0.02) and the number of trained staff working at government owned clinics (P = 0.00). In this setting, nurses are significantly less likely to receive training compared to doctors (P = 0.00). Conclusions These findings suggest that franchises recruit and train various cadres of health workers and training maybe associated with increased service use through improvement in quality of services. PMID:21062460

  18. Case Study: Does training of private networks of Family Planning clinicians in urban Pakistan affect service utilization?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qureshi Asma M

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To determine whether training of providers participating in franchise clinic networks is associated with increased Family Planning service use among low-income urban families in Pakistan. Methods The study uses 2001 survey data consisting of interviews with 1113 clinical and non-clinical providers working in public and private hospitals/clinics. Data analysis excludes non-clinical providers reducing sample size to 822. Variables for the analysis are divided into client volume, and training in family planning. Regression models are used to compute the association between training and service use in franchise versus private non-franchise clinics. Results In franchise clinic networks, staff are 6.5 times more likely to receive family planning training (P = 0.00 relative to private non-franchises. Service use was significantly associated with training (P = 0.00, franchise affiliation (P = 0.01, providers' years of family planning experience (P = 0.02 and the number of trained staff working at government owned clinics (P = 0.00. In this setting, nurses are significantly less likely to receive training compared to doctors (P = 0.00. Conclusions These findings suggest that franchises recruit and train various cadres of health workers and training maybe associated with increased service use through improvement in quality of services.

  19. Case Study: Does training of private networks of Family Planning clinicians in urban Pakistan affect service utilization?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureshi, Asma M

    2010-11-09

    To determine whether training of providers participating in franchise clinic networks is associated with increased Family Planning service use among low-income urban families in Pakistan. The study uses 2001 survey data consisting of interviews with 1113 clinical and non-clinical providers working in public and private hospitals/clinics. Data analysis excludes non-clinical providers reducing sample size to 822. Variables for the analysis are divided into client volume, and training in family planning. Regression models are used to compute the association between training and service use in franchise versus private non-franchise clinics. In franchise clinic networks, staff are 6.5 times more likely to receive family planning training (P = 0.00) relative to private non-franchises. Service use was significantly associated with training (P = 0.00), franchise affiliation (P = 0.01), providers' years of family planning experience (P = 0.02) and the number of trained staff working at government owned clinics (P = 0.00). In this setting, nurses are significantly less likely to receive training compared to doctors (P = 0.00). These findings suggest that franchises recruit and train various cadres of health workers and training maybe associated with increased service use through improvement in quality of services.

  20. Superconducting power cables in Denmark - a case study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Jacob

    1997-01-01

    A case study of a 450 MVA, 132 kV high temperature superconducting (HTS) power transmission cable has been carried out. In the study, a superconducting cable system is compared to a conventional cable system which is under construction for an actual transmission line in the Danish grid. The study...... that HTS cables will be less expensive for high power ratings, have lower losses for lines with a high load, and have a reduced reactive power production. The use of superconducting cables in Denmark accommodate plans by the Danish utility to make a substantial conversion of overhead lines to underground...

  1. Making a difference: Ten case studies of DSM/IRP interactive efforts and related advocacy group activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    English, M.; Schexnayder, S.; Altman, J. [Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States). Energy, Environment and Resources Center; Schweitzer, M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

    1994-03-01

    This report discusses the activities of organizations that seek to promote integrated resource planning and aggressive, cost-effective demand-side management by utilities. The activities of such groups -- here called energy efficiency advocacy groups (EEAGs) -- are examined in ten detailed am studies. Nine of the cases involve some form of interactive effort between investor-owned electric utilities and non-utility to develop policies, plans, or programs cooperatively. Many but not all of the interactive efforts examined are formal collaboratives. In addition, all ten cases include discussion of other EEAG activities, such as coalition-building, research, participation in statewide energy planning, and intervention in regulatory proceedings.

  2. Economic planning and equilibrium growth of human resources and capital in health-care sector: Case study of Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahboobi-Ardakan, Payman; Kazemian, Mahmood; Mehraban, Sattar

    2017-01-01

    CONTEXT: During different planning periods, human resources factor has been considerably increased in the health-care sector. AIMS: The main goal is to determine economic planning conditions and equilibrium growth for services level and specialized workforce resources in health-care sector and also to determine the gap between levels of health-care services and specialized workforce resources in the equilibrium growth conditions and their available levels during the periods of the first to fourth development plansin Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study after data collection, econometric methods and EViews version 8.0 were used for data processing. The used model was based on neoclassical economic growth model. RESULTS: The results indicated that during the former planning periods, although specialized workforce has been increased significantly in health-care sector, lack of attention to equilibrium growth conditions caused imbalance conditions for product level and specialized workforce in health-care sector. CONCLUSIONS: In the past development plans for health services, equilibrium conditions based on the full employment in the capital stock, and specialized labor are not considered. The government could act by choosing policies determined by the growth model to achieve equilibrium level in the field of human resources and services during the next planning periods. PMID:28616419

  3. Are the healthy behaviors of US high-deductible health plan enrollees driven by people who chose these plans? Smoking as a case study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey T Kullgren

    Full Text Available To determine whether negative associations between enrollment in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP and one exemplar unhealthy behavior--daily smoking--are found only among people who chose these plans.Cross-sectional analysis of nationally-representative data.United States from 2007 to 2008.6,941 privately insured non-elderly adult participants in the 2007 Health Tracking Household Survey.Self-reported smoking status.We classified subjects as HDHP or traditional health plan enrollees with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI and no choice of plans, ESI with a choice of plans, or coverage through the non-group market. We used multivariate logistic regression to measure associations between HDHP enrollment and daily smoking within each of the 3 coverage source groups while controlling for potential confounders.HDHP enrollment was associated with lower odds of smoking among individuals with ESI and a choice of plans (AOR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33-0.90 and those with non-group coverage (AOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.34-1.22, though the latter association was not statistically significant. HDHP enrollment was not associated with lower odds of smoking among individuals with ESI and no choice of plans (AOR 1.04, 95% CI 0.69-1.56.HDHP enrollment is associated with lower odds of smoking only among individuals who chose to enroll in an HDHP. Lower rates of unhealthy behaviors among HDHP enrollees may be a reflection of individuals who choose these plans.

  4. Improving IMRT-plan quality with MLC leaf position refinement post plan optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niu Ying; Zhang Guowei; Berman, Barry L.; Parke, William C.; Yi Byongyong; Yu, Cedric X.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: In intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning, reducing the pencil-beam size may lead to a significant improvement in dose conformity, but also increase the time needed for the dose calculation and plan optimization. The authors develop and evaluate a postoptimization refinement (POpR) method, which makes fine adjustments to the multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf positions after plan optimization, enhancing the spatial precision and improving the plan quality without a significant impact on the computational burden. Methods: The authors’ POpR method is implemented using a commercial treatment planning system based on direct aperture optimization. After an IMRT plan is optimized using pencil beams with regular pencil-beam step size, a greedy search is conducted by looping through all of the involved MLC leaves to see if moving the MLC leaf in or out by half of a pencil-beam step size will improve the objective function value. The half-sized pencil beams, which are used for updating dose distribution in the greedy search, are derived from the existing full-sized pencil beams without need for further pencil-beam dose calculations. A benchmark phantom case and a head-and-neck (HN) case are studied for testing the authors’ POpR method. Results: Using a benchmark phantom and a HN case, the authors have verified that their POpR method can be an efficient technique in the IMRT planning process. Effectiveness of POpR is confirmed by noting significant improvements in objective function values. Dosimetric benefits of POpR are comparable to those of using a finer pencil-beam size from the optimization start, but with far less computation and time. Conclusions: The POpR is a feasible and practical method to significantly improve IMRT-plan quality without compromising the planning efficiency.

  5. Nuclear Knowledge Management Case Studies Catalogue “NKM CSC”

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atieh, T.

    2016-01-01

    Full text: Over the past several years, many nuclear organizations in IAEA’s Member States have accumulated considerable experiences and achievements in the development and application of nuclear knowledge management (NKM) methodology and tools to improve their organizational performance. The IAEA NKM Section has initiated a project entitled “NKM Case Studies Catalogue (NKM CSC)” to capture and document, as well as preserve NKM experience and facilitate its sharing among NKM practitioners and experts. This is done through collection and preservation of information of relevant experiential knowledge in “case study” format. The catalogue will therefore support community of practice mechanisms. An input template is currently under development and will be used to help contributors in Member States who are providing concise set of information about their respective case studies. This information will be made searchable and easily retrievable through a platform that supports collaboration among NKM practitioners and experts. It is planned to launch the Nuclear Knowledge Management Case Studies Catalogue “NKM CSC” at the occasion of the “Third International Conference on Nuclear Knowledge Management—Challenges and Approaches, 7-–11 November 2016, Vienna, Austria”, and to include the accepted case studies submitted to this Conference. (author

  6. Uncorrected land-use planning highlighted by flooding: the Alba case study (Piedmont, Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luino, F.; Turconi, L.; Petrea, C.; Nigrelli, G.

    2012-07-01

    Alba is a town of over 30 000 inhabitants located along the Tanaro River (Piedmont, northwestern Italy) and is famous for its wine and white truffles. Many important industries and companies are based in Alba, including the famous confectionery group Ferrero. The town suffered considerably from a flood that occurred on 5-6 November 1994. Forty-eight percent of the urban area was inundated, causing severe damage and killing nine people. After the flood, the Alba area was analysed in detail to determine the reasons for its vulnerability. Information on serious floods in this area since 1800 was gathered from official records, state technical office reports, unpublished documents in the municipal archives, and articles published in local and national newspapers. Maps, plans and aerial photographs (since 1954) were examined to reconstruct Alba's urban development over the last two centuries and the planform changes of the Tanaro River. The results were compared with the effects of the November 1994 flood, which was mapped from aerial photographs taken immediately after the flood, field surveys and eyewitness reports. The territory of Alba was subdivided into six categories: residential; public service; industrial, commercial and hotels; sports areas, utilities and standards (public gardens, parks, athletics grounds, private and public sport clubs); aggregate plants and dumps; and agriculture and riverine strip. The six categories were then grouped into three classes with different flooding-vulnerability levels according to various parameters. Using GIS, the three river corridors along the Tanaro identified by the Autorità di Bacino del Fiume Po were overlaid on the three classes to produce a final map of the risk areas. This study shows that the historic floods and their dynamics have not been duly considered in the land-use planning of Alba. The zones that were most heavily damaged in the 1994 flood were those that were frequently affected in the past and sites of

  7. Uncorrected land-use planning highlighted by flooding: the Alba case study (Piedmont, Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Luino

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Alba is a town of over 30 000 inhabitants located along the Tanaro River (Piedmont, northwestern Italy and is famous for its wine and white truffles. Many important industries and companies are based in Alba, including the famous confectionery group Ferrero.

    The town suffered considerably from a flood that occurred on 5–6 November 1994. Forty-eight percent of the urban area was inundated, causing severe damage and killing nine people. After the flood, the Alba area was analysed in detail to determine the reasons for its vulnerability.

    Information on serious floods in this area since 1800 was gathered from official records, state technical office reports, unpublished documents in the municipal archives, and articles published in local and national newspapers. Maps, plans and aerial photographs (since 1954 were examined to reconstruct Alba's urban development over the last two centuries and the planform changes of the Tanaro River.

    The results were compared with the effects of the November 1994 flood, which was mapped from aerial photographs taken immediately after the flood, field surveys and eyewitness reports.

    The territory of Alba was subdivided into six categories: residential; public service; industrial, commercial and hotels; sports areas, utilities and standards (public gardens, parks, athletics grounds, private and public sport clubs; aggregate plants and dumps; and agriculture and riverine strip. The six categories were then grouped into three classes with different flooding-vulnerability levels according to various parameters. Using GIS, the three river corridors along the Tanaro identified by the Autorità di Bacino del Fiume Po were overlaid on the three classes to produce a final map of the risk areas.

    This study shows that the historic floods and their dynamics have not been duly considered in the land-use planning of Alba. The zones that were most heavily damaged in the 1994 flood were

  8. SU-C-202-05: Pilot Study of Online Treatment Evaluation and Adaptive Re-Planning for Laryngeal SBRT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mao, W [The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Ctr, Dallas, TX (United States); Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Liu, C; Zhong, H [Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Rozario, T; Lu, W; Gu, X; Yan, Y; Jia, X; Sumer, B; Schwartz, D [The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Ctr, Dallas, TX (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: We have instigated a phase I trial of 5-fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for advanced-stage laryngeal cancer. We conducted this pilot dosimetric study to confirm the potential utility of online adaptive re-planning to preserve treatment quality. Methods: Ten cases of larynx cancer were evaluated. Baseline and daily SBRT treatment plans were generated per trial protocol. Daily volumetric images were acquired prior to every fraction of treatment. Reference simulation CT images were deformably registered to daily volumetric images using Eclipse. Planning contours were then deformably propagated to daily images. Reference SBRT plans were directly copied to calculate delivered dose distributions on deformed reference CT images. In-house software platform has been developed to calculate cumulative dose over a course of treatment in four steps: 1) deforming delivered dose grid to reference CT images using deformation information exported from Eclipse; 2) generating tetrahedrons using deformed dose grid as vertices; 3) resampling dose to a high resolution within every tetrahedron; 4) calculating dose-volume histograms. Our inhouse software was benchmarked with a commercial software, Mirada. Results: In all ten cases including 49 fractions of treatments, delivered daily doses were completely evaluated and treatment could be re-planned within 10 minutes. Prescription dose coverage of PTV was less than intended in 53% of fractions of treatment (mean: 94%, range: 84%–98%) while minimum coverage of CTV and GTV was 94% and 97%, respectively. Maximum bystander point dose limits to arytenoids, parotids, and spinal cord remained respected in all cases, although variances in carotid artery doses were observed in a minority of cases. Conclusion: Although GTV and CTV coverage is preserved by in-room 3D image guidance of larynx SBRT, PTV coverage can vary significantly from intended plans. Online adaptive treatment evaluation and re-planning is potentially

  9. Integrated Hydrographical Basin Management. Study Case - Crasna River Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visescu, Mircea; Beilicci, Erika; Beilicci, Robert

    2017-10-01

    Hydrographical basins are important from hydrological, economic and ecological points of view. They receive and channel the runoff from rainfall and snowmelt which, when adequate managed, can provide fresh water necessary for water supply, irrigation, food industry, animal husbandry, hydrotechnical arrangements and recreation. Hydrographical basin planning and management follows the efficient use of available water resources in order to satisfy environmental, economic and social necessities and constraints. This can be facilitated by a decision support system that links hydrological, meteorological, engineering, water quality, agriculture, environmental, and other information in an integrated framework. In the last few decades different modelling tools for resolving problems regarding water quantity and quality were developed, respectively water resources management. Watershed models have been developed to the understanding of water cycle and pollution dynamics, and used to evaluate the impacts of hydrotechnical arrangements and land use management options on water quantity, quality, mitigation measures and possible global changes. Models have been used for planning monitoring network and to develop plans for intervention in case of hydrological disasters: floods, flash floods, drought and pollution. MIKE HYDRO Basin is a multi-purpose, map-centric decision support tool for integrated hydrographical basin analysis, planning and management. MIKE HYDRO Basin is designed for analyzing water sharing issues at international, national and local hydrographical basin level. MIKE HYDRO Basin uses a simplified mathematical representation of the hydrographical basin including the configuration of river and reservoir systems, catchment hydrology and existing and potential water user schemes with their various demands including a rigorous irrigation scheme module. This paper analyzes the importance and principles of integrated hydrographical basin management and develop a case

  10. Futuring, Strategic Planning and Shared Awareness: An Ohio University Libraries' Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staley, David J.; Seaman, Scott; Theodore-Shusta, Eileen

    2012-01-01

    A critical component of strategic planning is creating a shared-awareness among library staff of the potential societal, political, economic and technological changes that will influence how future users will create and consume scholarly materials, what will be expected of library services, and how facilities will be used. The ACRL Futuring…

  11. Developing a business plan for a company in Finland owned by foreigners. Case: Prime Sails Ltd

    OpenAIRE

    Honkonen-Kulagina, Alina Linda

    2012-01-01

    To establish a new company is challenging for any businessman or businesswomen. Starting up a company in a foreign country is twice is hard. The purpose of the thesis is to examine the factors that affect the success of a company newly-established by immigrants. These include such areas as good business plan, market research, cultural knowledge and awareness of the legislative environment. The case study focuses on the company Prime Sails Ltd, which is a supplier of sails. The main ob...

  12. Regional health workforce planning through action research: lessons for commissioning health services from a case study in Far North Queensland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panzera, Annette June; Murray, Richard; Stewart, Ruth; Mills, Jane; Beaton, Neil; Larkins, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    Creating a stable and sustainable health workforce in regional, rural and remote Australia has long been a challenge to health workforce planners, policy makers and researchers alike. Traditional health workforce planning is often reactive and assumes continuation of current patterns of healthcare utilisation. This demonstration project in Far North Queensland exemplifies how participatory regional health workforce planning processes can accurately model current and projected local workforce requirements. The recent establishment of Primary Health Networks (PHNs) with the intent to commission health services tailored to individual healthcare needs underlines the relevance of such an approach. This study used action research methodology informed by World Health Organization (WHO) systems thinking. Four cyclical stages of health workforce planning were followed: needs assessment; health service model redesign; skills-set assessment and workforce redesign; and development of a workforce and training plan. This study demonstrated that needs-based loco-regional health workforce planning can be achieved successfully through participatory processes with stakeholders. Stronger health systems and workforce training solutions were delivered by facilitating linkages and planning processes based on community need involving healthcare professionals across all disciplines and sectors. By focusing upon extending competencies and skills sets, local health professionals form a stable and sustainable local workforce. Concrete examples of initiatives generated from this process include developing a chronic disease inter-professional teaching clinic in a rural town and renal dialysis being delivered locally to an Aboriginal community. The growing trend of policy makers decentralising health funding, planning and accountability and rising health system costs increase the future utility of this approach. This type of planning can also assist the new PHNs to commission health services

  13. Scenario Planning Analysis for Startup Business Case Study: Kemilau Indonesia Magazine

    OpenAIRE

    Mulyanto, Frieta Miasari; Sunitiyoso, Yos

    2013-01-01

    This research explained about the application of scenario planning analysis as solution for Kemilau Indonesia Magazine (KIM) which was born from the opportunities as information and promotion media of tourism. As a new player, KIM has several internal and external issues that impact on its survival. The technique used in this method is to collect data and information to be analyzed in order to generate predictions as a preparation for decision making process. This method give an overview of e...

  14. Addressing cumulative effects through strategic environmental assessment: a case study of small hydro development in Newfoundland, Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonnell, S.; Storey, K.

    2000-01-01

    Environmental assessment (EA) is widely used as a means of incorporating environmental considerations into decision-making, primarily at the project level. The scope of EA has been expanded considerably in recent years to include earlier stages of the decision-making process, namely, policies, plans and programmes. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) facilitates a planning approach to addressing the overall, cumulative effects of the projects that occur as a result of these decisions. This paper demonstrates the potential benefits of SEA in the assessment and management of cumulative effects, using a case study of recent hydroelectric development planning in Newfoundland, Canada. It goes on to illustrate how SEA could be used to address potential cumulative effects at the various stages of such a decision-making process. Through the case study, the paper also explores a number of issues in the implementation of such a planning approach. (author)

  15. FAMILY BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDIES IN BUSINESS OF THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO

    OpenAIRE

    Victor Antonio Barros Belmonte; Wesley Ricardo Souza Freitas

    2013-01-01

    The present study was to examine, from two case studies, management processes (strategic planning, management control systems and human resources) and cultural (succession and organizational culture) two family businesses in the state of São Paulo. Concepts were discussed, and specific features, as well as factors related to organizational management of family businesses (planning, control, people management, culture and succession) to support the studies described. Through interviews and obs...

  16. Fostering effective studying and study planning with study questions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wilhelm, P.; Pieters, J.M.

    2007-01-01

    In a course on biological psychology and neuropsychology, study questions were provided that also appeared as test questions in the course exam. This method was introduced to support students in active processing and reproduction of the study texts, and study planning. Data were gathered to test the

  17. Business models for horizontal collaboration : a practical case study with reusable crates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brandi, Teresa

    2012-01-01

    This project is centered in the topic of horizontal collaboration. The first part focuses on finding business models for horizontal collaboration. The second part is a practical case study at Kuehne + Nagel. Horizontal collaboration consists of two or more independent companies that plan and execute

  18. Bricolage Planning: Understanding Planning in a Fragmented City

    OpenAIRE

    Jihad, Farah; Jacques, Teller

    2012-01-01

    Planning today is a field in reconstruction where new ways of thinking and making the city are experienced. It is trying to deal with the increasing fragmentation of space and society that is challenging its efficacy - even its relevance. In this chapter, by relying on Actor-Network Theory's concepts and case studies of Beirut's suburbs, we observe and analyze new practices, tools and efforts made to charter new ways for gathering resources and organizing collective action. In these case stud...

  19. [Lean logistics management in healthcare: a case study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar-Escobar, V G; Garrido-Vega, P

    2013-01-01

    To study the applicability of the principles of Lean Production to manage the supply chain of a hospital. In particular, to determine which Lean practices and principles are applicable, the benefits obtained and the main barriers for its implementation. Managing the hospital supply chain is an important issue, both for its effect on the quality of care and its impact on costs. This study is based on a case study. 2005-10. Hospital Virgen Macarena in Seville. Process of implementing a comprehensive logistics management plan based on Lean principles and technological investments. The implementation of the comprehensive plan has reduced inventory, decreased lead times and improved service quality. Also, there have been other important improvements: enhanced employee satisfaction and increased staff productivity, both dedicated to health and the logistics. The experience analysed has shown the applicability and appropriateness of Lean principles and some of its techniques in managing the logistics of hospitals. It also identifies some of the main difficulties that may arise. Copyright © 2011 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  20. Planning for renewable energy in Devon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-04-01

    The aim of the Study was to examine the technical, planning and environmental factors, and the resource availability, which may affect the development of renewable energy schemes in Devon, with particular reference to West Devon. The study was undertaken to draw up a specimen planning policy framework for the development of renewable energy in Devon, looking at each major renewable energy source and at the relevant environmental and planning constraints; using this framework, to amplify the draft Structure Plan policy for renewable energy; to draw up draft guidance and specimen policies for a Local Plan covering renewable energy for a District Council, in this case, West Devon Borough; and to provide a pilot study for implementing the draft Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) on renewable energy. (author)

  1. Planning comparison between intensity modulated radiation therapy and intensity modulated proton therapy in a case of head and neck cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, T. T. C.; Nguyen, B. T.; Mai, N. V.

    2018-03-01

    In this work, we made the comparison between IMRT plan and IMPT plan for a head and neck case. We used Prowess Panther to perform IMRT plan and LAP- CERR for IMPT plan. The result showed that IMPT plan had better coverage than IMRT plan. In the IMRT plan, normal structures received higher dose with higher volume. Especially, the maximum dose of spinal cord is 31.5 Gy (RBE) using IMRT technique compared to 13.5 Gy (RBE) using IMPT technique. These results showed that IMPT is beneficial for head and neck cancer compared to IMRT technique.

  2. A Case Study Examination of Best Practices of Professional Learning Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akopoff, Tanya M.

    2010-01-01

    A current trend in education is that small teacher groups, called professional learning communities (PLC), are being advocated as a tool to help teachers reach struggling students. Educators planning to use PLC as an intervention strategy can benefit from research-based information about PLC best practices. This multiple case study addressed the…

  3. Comparison of CT based-CTV plan and CT based-ICRU38 plan in brachytherapy planning of uterine cervix cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shim, Jin Sup; Jo, Jung Kun; Si, Chang Keun; Lee, Ki Ho; Lee, Du Hyun; Choi, Kye Suk

    2004-01-01

    Although Improve of CT, MRI Radio-diagnosis and Radiation Therapy Planing, but we still use ICRU38 Planning system(2D film-based) broadly. 3-Dimensional ICR plan(CT image based) is not only offer tumor and normal tissue dose but also support DVH information. On this study, we plan irradiation-goal dose on CTV(CTV plan) and irradiation-goal dose on ICRU 38 point(ICRU38 plan) by use CT image. And compare with tumor-dose, rectal-dose, bladder-dose on both planning, and analysis DVH Sample 11 patients who treated by Ir-192 HDR. After 40 Gy external radiation therapy, ICR plan established. All the patients carry out CT-image scanned by CT-simulator. And we use PLATO(Nucletron) v.14.2 planing system. We draw CTV, rectum, bladder on the CT image. And establish plan irradiation- dose on CTV(CTV plan) and irradiation- dose on A-point(ICRU38 plan) CTV volume(average±SD) is 21.8±26.6 cm 3 , rectum volume(average±SD) is 60.9±25.0 cm 3 , bladder volume(average±SD) is 116.1±40.1cm 3 sampled 11 patients. The volume including 100% dose is 126.7±18.9 cm 3 on ICRU plan and 98.2±74.5 cm 3 on CTV plan. On ICRU planning, the other one's 22.0 cm 3 CTV volume who residual tumor size excess 4cm is not including 100% isodose. 8 patient's 12.9±5.9 cm 3 tumor volume who residual tumor size below 4 cm irradiated 100% dose. Bladder dose(recommended by ICRU 38) is 90.1±21.3 % on ICRU plan, 68.7±26.6% on CTV plan, and rectal dose is 86.4±18.3%, 76.9±15.6%. Bladder and Rectum maximum dose is 137.2±5.9%, 101.1±41.8% on ICRU plan, 107.6±47.9%, 86.9±30.8% on CTV plan. Therefore CTV plan more less normal issue-irradiated dose than ICRU plan. But one patient case who residual tumor size excess 4 cm, Normal tissue dose more higher than critical dose remarkably on CTV plan. 80% over-Irradiated rectal dose(V80rec) is 1.8±2.4 cm 3 on ICRU plan, 0.7±1.0 cm 3 on CTV plan. 80% over-Irradiated bladder dose(V80bla) is 12.2%±8.9 cm 3 on ICRU plan, 3.5±4.1 cm 3 on CTV plan. Likewise, CTV

  4. Resilience of Self-Organised and Top-Down Planned Cities--A Case Study on London and Beijing Street Networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiaqiu Wang

    Full Text Available The success or failure of the street network depends on its reliability. In this article, using resilience analysis, the author studies how the shape and appearance of street networks in self-organised and top-down planned cities influences urban transport. Considering London and Beijing as proxies for self-organised and top-down planned cities, the structural properties of London and Beijing networks first are investigated based on their primal and dual representations of planar graphs. The robustness of street networks then is evaluated in primal space and dual space by deactivating road links under random and intentional attack scenarios. The results show that the reliability of London street network differs from that of Beijing, which seems to rely more on its architecture and connectivity. It is found that top-down planned Beijing with its higher average degree in the dual space and assortativity in the primal space is more robust than self-organised London using the measures of maximum and second largest cluster size and network efficiency. The article offers an insight, from a network perspective, into the reliability of street patterns in self-organised and top-down planned city systems.

  5. Test plan for qualification of the S-type fiberglass materials for use as the liquid observation well casing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parra, S.A.

    1995-01-01

    This test plan presents the guidelines and requirements for acceptance of the S-type fiberglass material for use as the liquid observation well casing material. The plan for evaluating the physical properties of the candidate fiberglass materials when subjected to radiation, corrosive chemicals, and high temperatures typically found in the waste tanks are outlined. The tests also include tube connection evaluations. Finally, the test plan identifies the participants, their responsibilities, and the schedule for completion of the work

  6. A study of the plan dosimetric evaluation on the rectal cancer treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeong, Hyun Hak; An, Beom Seok; Kim, Dae Il; Lee, Yang Hoon; Lee, Je Hee [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-12-15

    In order to minimize the dose of femoral head as an appropriate treatment plan for rectal cancer radiation therapy, we compare and evaluate the usefulness of 3-field 3D conformal radiation therapy(below 3fCRT), which is a universal treatment method, and 5-field 3D conformal radiation therapy(below 5fCRT), and Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT). The 10 cases of rectal cancer that treated with 21EX were enrolled. Those cases were planned by Eclipse(Ver. 10.0.42, Varian, USA), PRO3(Progressive Resolution Optimizer 10.0.28) and AAA(Anisotropic Analytic Algorithm Ver. 10.0.28). 3fCRT and 5fCRT plan has 0 degrees, 270 degrees, 90 degrees and 0 degrees, 95 degrees, 45 degrees, 315 degrees, 265 degrees gantry angle, respectively. VMAT plan parameters consisted of 15MV coplanar 360 degrees 1 arac. Treatment prescription was employed delivering 54Gy to recum in 30 fractions. To minimize the dose difference that shows up randomly on optimizing, VMAT plans were optimized and calculated twice, and normalized to the target V100%=95%. The indexes of evaluation are D of Both femoral head and aceta fossa, total MU, H.I.(Homogeneity index) and C.I.(Conformity index) of the PTV. All VMAT plans were verified by gamma test with portal dosimetry using EPID. D of Rt. femoral head was 53.08 Gy, 50.27 Gy, and 30.92 Gy, respectively, in the order of 3fCRT, 5fCRT, and VMAT treatment plan. Likewise, Lt. Femoral head showed average 53.68 Gy, 51.01 Gy and 29.23 Gy in the same order. D of Rt. aceta fossa was 54.86 Gy, 52.40 Gy, 30.37 Gy, respectively, in the order of 3fCRT, 5fCRT, and VMAT treatment plan. Likewise, Lt. Femoral head showed average 53.68 Gy, 51.01 Gy and 29.23 Gy in the same order. The maximum dose of both femoral head and aceta fossa was higher in the order of 3fCRT, 5fCRT, and VMAT treatment plan. C.I. showed the lowest VMAT treatment plan with an average of 1.64, 1.48, and 0.99 in the order of 3fCRT, 5fCRT, and VMAT treatment plan. There was no significant difference on H

  7. Status of women and family planning: the Indian case.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaidyanathan, K E

    1989-06-01

    This article examines the extent to which the status of women is related to awareness, knowledge, and practice of family planning in India. It uses both macro-level data for the states of India and date from household surveys and field studies to assess the extent of interaction between the women's status indicators and family planning indicators. Results show a definite statistical relationship between women's status and women's ability to control fertility. The strongest relationship to adoption of family planning is the educational attainment of women, followed by age at marriage, and women's work participation, particularly in nonagricultural activities. Evidence from various surveys on the effects of crucial variables on reproductive behavior include 1) a marked reduction in fertility with increases in the educational level; 2) lower fertility for working women, and especially for non-manual workers; 3) a reduction in fertility with increases in age at marriage; and 4) a higher percentage of couples practicing family planning who have 2 or more surviving children, particularly if they have boys. A 1972 survey of 3 Indian states showed that 1) husbands impose a variety of restrictions on wives, with rural husbands placing more restrictions than urban husbands; 2) women's role in decision making in household affairs is positively correlated with the degree of awareness and knowledge of contraceptives as well as adoption of family planning; and 3) interspousal communication was significantly related to the practice of family planning in both rural and urban areas. In conclusion, to help encourage adoption of family planning and reduce fertility, India should 1) emphasize education for women, 2) enforce the legal minimum age at marriage, 3) promote employment opportunities for women, 4) improve women's role in decision making, and 5) encourage interspousal communication in family affairs.

  8. Urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction: A case study of Wenchuan County, China

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liu, L.X.; Lin, Y.L.; Wang, S.F.

    2014-01-01

    Urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction emphasizes strategies, safety, memorials and institutional arrangements. It is closely related to earthquake recovery plans. This article reviews general studies on urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction, before focussing on the case of

  9. Fostering Effective Studying and Study Planning with Study Questions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilhelm, Pascal; Pieters, Jules M.

    2007-01-01

    In a course on biological psychology and neuropsychology, study questions were provided that also appeared as test questions in the course exam. This method was introduced to support students in active processing and reproduction of the study texts, and study planning. Data were gathered to test the hypothesis that study question use would be…

  10. Case studies in organic contaminant hydrogeology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, J.A.

    1989-01-01

    The effective management of domestic solid waste and hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste is a major problem in the area of environmental geology and water sciences throughout the world. A series of case studies is presented of organic contaminants from both solid and hazardous waste disposal facilities to provide examples of these problems. The facilities were investigated to determine risks and liabilities before acquisition, to determine the site hydrogeologic conditions for design of appropriate groundwater monitoring plans, and/or to determine the potential for groundwater contamination. The case studies are of disposal facilities located in glacial tills, carbonaceous weathered clay soils, weathered shale, limestone bedrock, dolomite bedrock, and alluvial and sedimentary deposits. The results of these studies and investigations show certain relationships in the distribution of organic pollutants to the different geologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of each facility. In each of the four case studies, all 129 priority pollutants were analyzed in private wells and/or monitoring wells. The 31 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the priority pollutant list were the majority of organic compounds detected. When VOCs are found in groundwater impacted by disposal facilities, they are present in groups and tend to be distributed in patterns based on their relative concentrations. It is rare to find only one or two VOCs from facilities where leakage has been detected. The ethylenes and ethanes appear to be more prevalent and mobile than aromatic VOCs. The aromatics are restricted primarily to leachates and wastes and in monitoring wells located adjacent to facilities. 2 refs., 15 figs

  11. Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Oconee case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flynn, J.

    1982-07-01

    This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Oconee nuclear power stations. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

  12. Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Surry case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flynn, J.

    1982-07-01

    This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Surry nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

  13. Current advance care planning practice in the Australian community: an online survey of home care package case managers and service managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellars, Marcus; Detering, Karen M; Silvester, William

    2015-04-23

    Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of planning for future healthcare that is facilitated by a trained healthcare professional, whereby a person's values, beliefs and treatment preferences are made known to guide clinical decision-making at a future time when they cannot communicate their decisions. Despite the potential benefits of ACP for community aged care clients the availability of ACP is unknown, but likely to be low. In Australia many of these clients receive services through Home Care Package (HCP) programs. This study aimed to explore current attitudes, knowledge and practice of advance care planning among HCP service managers and case managers. An invitation to take part in a cross-sectional online survey was distributed by email to all HCP services across Australia in November 2012. Descriptive analyses were used to examine overall patterns of responses to each survey item in the full sample. 120 (response rate 25%) service managers and 178 (response rate 18%) case managers completed the survey. Only 34% of services had written ACP policies and procedures in place and 48% of case managers had previously completed any ACP training. In addition, although most case managers (70%) had initiated an ACP discussion in the past 12 months and viewed ACP as part of their role, the majority of the conversations (80%) did not result in documentation of the client's wishes and most (85%) of the case managers who responded did not believe ACP was done well within their service. This survey shows low organisational ACP systems and support for case managers and a lack of a normative approach to ACP across Australian HCP services. As HCPs become more prevalent it is essential that a model of ACP is developed and evaluated in this setting, so that clients have the opportunity to discuss and document their future healthcare wishes if they choose to.

  14. Scenario for concurrent conceptual assembly line design: A case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mas, F.; Ríos, J.; Menéndez, J. L.

    2012-04-01

    The decision to design and build a new aircraft is preceded by years of research and study. Different disciplines work together throughout the lifecycle to ensure not only a complete functional definition of the product, but also a complete industrialization, a marketing plan, a maintenance plan, etc. This case study focuses on the conceptual design phase. During this phase, the design solutions that will meet the functional and industrial requirements are defined, i.e.: the basic requirements of industrialization. During this phase, several alternatives are studied, and the most attractive in terms of performance and cost requirements is selected. As a result of the study of these alternatives, it is possible to define an early conceptual design of the assembly line and its basic parameters. The plant needs, long cycle jigs & tools or industrial means and human resources with the necessary skills can be determined in advance.

  15. Lessons learned from case studies of worker exposures to radioactive aerosols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoover, M.D.; Guilmette, R.A.; Scott, B.R.

    1995-01-01

    Considerable efforts in the aerosol science and health protection communities are devoted to developing a defensible technical basis for measuring, modeling, and mitigating toxic aerosols. These efforts involve understanding aerosol source terms, projecting potential aerosol releases, describing their behavior in the workplace and environment, developing instruments and techniques to measure the aerosols, designing ways to contain or control the aerosols, modeling and measuring uptake by workers and other people, estimating health effects, and planning appropriate responses. To help in this effort, we have compiled a data base of case studies involving releases of aerosols and worker exposures in a wide range of industries. Sources of information have included personal communications, limited distribution reports, open literature publications, and reports of abnormal occurrences in U.S. Department of Energy facilities and among licensees of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The data base currently includes more than 100 cases. The case studies have been organized according to the radionuclides involved and the circumstances and consequences of the release. This information has been used to address a number of important questions, such as the adequacy of current aerosol sampling and monitoring procedures, areas needing improvement, and strategies for planning for or responding to accidents. One area of particular interest is related to strategies for prospective or retrospective characterization of aerosol source terms. In some cases, worker exposures have involved aerosols that are similar in particle size distribution, composition, and solubility to aerosols routinely produced in the normal process activities. In such cases, prospective characterization of aerosol source terms has provided relevant and useful information

  16. Planning for seven generations: Energy planning of American Indian tribes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brookshire, Daniel; Kaza, Nikhil

    2013-01-01

    The prevalence of energy resources on American Indian lands, the links between energy management and tribal sovereignty, and recent federal government incentives make tribal energy planning an interesting case study for community energy planning in the US. This paper studies the strategic energy planning efforts, energy resource development, and energy efficiency policies established by tribes within the continental US. The paper analyzes the results of a survey of various tribes′ energy resource development and planning efforts and supplements the responses with publicly available information on resources, economics, and demographics. We find that incentives and advisory services from the federal government are key to developing the capacity of the tribes to pursue energy planning and energy resource development. These incentives largely avoid the misdeeds of past federal policy by promoting tribal control over energy planning and energy resource development efforts. Tribes with formal energy plans or visions are more likely to develop energy resources than tribes without them and are engaged in a more comprehensive and sustainable approach to energy resource development and energy efficiency. - Highlights: • American Indian tribal energy planning is an understudied topic. • Tribal energy planning is interconnected with tribal sovereignty and sustainability. • We report the results of a survey of energy planning and development efforts. • Federal Government assistance is critical to the efforts of the tribes. • Tribes with energy plans take a more comprehensive approach to energy resource development

  17. [Ethical issues in a market dispute between clinical laboratories and a health plan: case report].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinheiro, Malone Santos; de Brito, Ana Maria Guedes; Jeraldo, Verônica de Lourdes Sierpe; Pinheiro, Kariny Souza

    2011-01-01

    In Brazil the private health plans appear as an alternative to the public health assistance. This segment suffered great intensification in the seventies and eighties, culminating in the entry of large insurance company in the scenario of supplementary medicine. Quickly, the service providers associated with these insurance companies, consolidating them in the market and triggering a relationship of dependency. This article analyzed, in the form of a case report, a marketing dispute between clinical laboratories and a health plan, emphasizing the moral and ethical aspects involved in this episode.

  18. Planning a Library Leadership Retreat on the Cheap: Case Study and Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brower, Stewart

    2016-01-01

    Staying ahead of the pitch: an old baseball metaphor that means to anticipate where the ball is going to go so that the batter can score a hit. But to anticipate changes in a field as robust and challenging as information sciences, reflection and contemplation are often key to good planning. With simple day-to-day management of libraries already…

  19. Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Diablo Canyon case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pijawka, K.D.; Yaquinto, G.

    1982-07-01

    This report documents a case study of the socioeconomic impacts of the construction and operation of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socioeconomic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period, 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socioeconomic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

  20. Geothermal Exploration Case Studies on OpenEI (Presentation)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Young, K.; Bennett, M.; Atkins, D.

    2014-03-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) resource assessment (Williams et al., 2008) outlined a mean 30 GWe of undiscovered hydrothermal resource in the western United States. One goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technology Office (GTO) is to accelerate the development of this undiscovered resource. DOE has focused efforts on helping industry identify hidden geothermal resources to increase geothermal capacity in the near term. Increased exploration activity will produce more prospects, more discoveries, and more readily developable resources. Detailed exploration case studies akin to those found in oil and gas (e.g. Beaumont and Foster, 1990-1992) will give developers central location for information gives models for identifying new geothermal areas, and guide efficient exploration and development of these areas. To support this effort, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been working with GTO to develop a template for geothermal case studies on the Geothermal Gateway on OpenEI. In 2012, the template was developed and tested with two case studies: Raft River Geothermal Area (http://en.openei.org/wiki/Raft_River_Geothermal_Area) and Coso Geothermal Area (http://en.openei.org/wiki/Coso_Geothermal_Area). In 2013, ten additional case studies were completed, and Semantic MediaWiki features were developed to allow for more data and the direct citations of these data. These case studies are now in the process of external peer review. In 2014, NREL is working with universities and industry partners to populate additional case studies on OpenEI. The goal is to provide a large enough data set to start conducting analyses of exploration programs to identify correlations between successful exploration plans for areas with similar geologic occurrence models.

  1. Applying TEAM in Regional Sketch Planning: Three Case Studies in Atlanta, Orlando, St. Louis

    Science.gov (United States)

    This EPA report documents 3 case studies of the application of TEAM (Travel Efficiency Assessment Method) to develop, assess and quantify regional greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emission reductions from travel efficiency strategies in a cost effecti

  2. Success and Failures of Acquisitions: A Case Study for a Chemical Company

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shainaaz MOOSA MUSTAFFA

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to perform a universal inspection of the processes adopted in acquisitions by concentrating on attributes which are speedily implemented in the industry. The approach to this research study was based on literature reviews to gain knowledge on the causes of failure and the factors attributed to the success of acquisitions in the case study concerning a chemical company. This method was applied to identify if the failures and successes researched are shown in the case study. The research study firstly looked at various approaches to acquisitions, namely, the pre-acquisition, post-acquisition and integration phases together with the motives for acquisitions. The study delves further into factors influencing the failures and successes of acquisitions. A notable body of research was consulted to focus on these factors. The research study highlights a framework incorporating the management of post-integration strategy concurrently with the people and the organisational goals. The key findings showed that the company lacked a formal integration plan, cultural integration, ad proper communication plans. This resulted in staff unrest and high attrition of staff from deal announcement date up to post integration, leading to high resistance from staff and poor people integration. The company did however achieve financial success through synergy realisation. This positive outcome could have been achieved quicker with the proper integration plans within the different phases of the acquisition. The knowledge attained from this study will hopefully add to the body of knowledge on acquisitions.

  3. Toward Fully Automated Multicriterial Plan Generation: A Prospective Clinical Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voet, Peter W.J.; Dirkx, Maarten L.P.; Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Fransen, Dennie; Levendag, Peter C.; Heijmen, Ben J.M.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To prospectively compare plans generated with iCycle, an in-house-developed algorithm for fully automated multicriterial intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) beam profile and beam orientation optimization, with plans manually generated by dosimetrists using the clinical treatment planning system. Methods and Materials: For 20 randomly selected head-and-neck cancer patients with various tumor locations (of whom 13 received sequential boost treatments), we offered the treating physician the choice between an automatically generated iCycle plan and a manually optimized plan using standard clinical procedures. Although iCycle used a fixed “wish list” with hard constraints and prioritized objectives, the dosimetrists manually selected the beam configuration and fine tuned the constraints and objectives for each IMRT plan. Dosimetrists were not informed in advance whether a competing iCycle plan was made. The 2 plans were simultaneously presented to the physician, who then selected the plan to be used for treatment. For the patient group, differences in planning target volume coverage and sparing of critical tissues were quantified. Results: In 32 of 33 plan comparisons, the physician selected the iCycle plan for treatment. This highly consistent preference for the automatically generated plans was mainly caused by the improved sparing for the large majority of critical structures. With iCycle, the normal tissue complication probabilities for the parotid and submandibular glands were reduced by 2.4% ± 4.9% (maximum, 18.5%, P=.001) and 6.5% ± 8.3% (maximum, 27%, P=.005), respectively. The reduction in the mean oral cavity dose was 2.8 ± 2.8 Gy (maximum, 8.1 Gy, P=.005). For the swallowing muscles, the esophagus and larynx, the mean dose reduction was 3.3 ± 1.1 Gy (maximum, 9.2 Gy, P<.001). For 15 of the 20 patients, target coverage was also improved. Conclusions: In 97% of cases, automatically generated plans were selected for treatment because of

  4. Water environmental planning and management at the watershed scale:A case study of Lake Qilu,China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2008-01-01

    Water environmental planning and management has become essential for guiding the water pollution control activities.Past water pollution control activities have been site specific,with little thought on water quality standard reaching at the watershed scale.Based on the watershed approach,a seven-step methodological framework for water environmental planning and management was developed.The framework was applied to water environmental planning and management of the Lake Qilu watershed in Yunnan Province,China.Results show that the reduction amount of total nitrogen (TN) under the plan is 1,205 tons per year so that the target of environmental capacity can be reached in 2020.Compared with traditional methods,the framework has its prevalence and could be generalized to analogous watersheds.

  5. SU-D-BRD-01: Cloud-Based Radiation Treatment Planning: Performance Evaluation of Dose Calculation and Plan Optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Na, Y; Kapp, D; Kim, Y; Xing, L; Suh, T

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To report the first experience on the development of a cloud-based treatment planning system and investigate the performance improvement of dose calculation and treatment plan optimization of the cloud computing platform. Methods: A cloud computing-based radiation treatment planning system (cc-TPS) was developed for clinical treatment planning. Three de-identified clinical head and neck, lung, and prostate cases were used to evaluate the cloud computing platform. The de-identified clinical data were encrypted with 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm. VMAT and IMRT plans were generated for the three de-identified clinical cases to determine the quality of the treatment plans and computational efficiency. All plans generated from the cc-TPS were compared to those obtained with the PC-based TPS (pc-TPS). The performance evaluation of the cc-TPS was quantified as the speedup factors for Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations and large-scale plan optimizations, as well as the performance ratios (PRs) of the amount of performance improvement compared to the pc-TPS. Results: Speedup factors were improved up to 14.0-fold dependent on the clinical cases and plan types. The computation times for VMAT and IMRT plans with the cc-TPS were reduced by 91.1% and 89.4%, respectively, on average of the clinical cases compared to those with pc-TPS. The PRs were mostly better for VMAT plans (1.0 ≤ PRs ≤ 10.6 for the head and neck case, 1.2 ≤ PRs ≤ 13.3 for lung case, and 1.0 ≤ PRs ≤ 10.3 for prostate cancer cases) than for IMRT plans. The isodose curves of plans on both cc-TPS and pc-TPS were identical for each of the clinical cases. Conclusion: A cloud-based treatment planning has been setup and our results demonstrate the computation efficiency of treatment planning with the cc-TPS can be dramatically improved while maintaining the same plan quality to that obtained with the pc-TPS. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute (1

  6. SU-D-BRD-01: Cloud-Based Radiation Treatment Planning: Performance Evaluation of Dose Calculation and Plan Optimization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Na, Y; Kapp, D; Kim, Y; Xing, L [Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Suh, T [Catholic UniversityMedical College, Seoul, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: To report the first experience on the development of a cloud-based treatment planning system and investigate the performance improvement of dose calculation and treatment plan optimization of the cloud computing platform. Methods: A cloud computing-based radiation treatment planning system (cc-TPS) was developed for clinical treatment planning. Three de-identified clinical head and neck, lung, and prostate cases were used to evaluate the cloud computing platform. The de-identified clinical data were encrypted with 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm. VMAT and IMRT plans were generated for the three de-identified clinical cases to determine the quality of the treatment plans and computational efficiency. All plans generated from the cc-TPS were compared to those obtained with the PC-based TPS (pc-TPS). The performance evaluation of the cc-TPS was quantified as the speedup factors for Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations and large-scale plan optimizations, as well as the performance ratios (PRs) of the amount of performance improvement compared to the pc-TPS. Results: Speedup factors were improved up to 14.0-fold dependent on the clinical cases and plan types. The computation times for VMAT and IMRT plans with the cc-TPS were reduced by 91.1% and 89.4%, respectively, on average of the clinical cases compared to those with pc-TPS. The PRs were mostly better for VMAT plans (1.0 ≤ PRs ≤ 10.6 for the head and neck case, 1.2 ≤ PRs ≤ 13.3 for lung case, and 1.0 ≤ PRs ≤ 10.3 for prostate cancer cases) than for IMRT plans. The isodose curves of plans on both cc-TPS and pc-TPS were identical for each of the clinical cases. Conclusion: A cloud-based treatment planning has been setup and our results demonstrate the computation efficiency of treatment planning with the cc-TPS can be dramatically improved while maintaining the same plan quality to that obtained with the pc-TPS. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute (1

  7. Committed to Differentiation and Engagement: A Case Study of Two American Secondary Social Studies Teachers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek Anderson

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This case study examines two 10th-grade US History teachers who collaborated to create and implement an integrated, thematic eight-week unit on war with an emphasis differentiated instruction. Drawing on the National Council for the Social Studies (2010 framework for powerful and purposeful social studies instruction, the case study uses multiple sources of data, including 38 lesson observations, analyses of the teachers’ lesson plans and student work, and interviews of teachers. Initially, the teachers were successful at engaging students in simulations, small-group discussions, and higher-order thinking. As the unit progressed, however, the teachers reverted to transmission-style teaching with an emphasis on breadth over depth. Changing teaching practice requires overcoming barriers associated with prior experiences and deeply-held beliefs about teaching and learning.

  8. The use of programme planning and social marketing models by a state public health agency: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohr, J M; Strack, R W; Newton-Ward, M; Cooke, C H

    2008-03-01

    To investigate the use of planning models and social marketing planning principles within a state's central public health agency as a means for informing improved planning practices. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 key programme planners in selected division branches, and a quantitative survey was distributed to 63 individuals responsible for programme planning in 12 programme-related branches. Employees who have an appreciation of and support for structured programme planning and social marketing may be considered the 'low hanging fruit' or 'early adopters'. On the other hand, employees that do not support or understand either of the two concepts have other barriers to using social marketing when planning programmes. A framework describing the observed factors involved in programme planning on an individual, interpersonal and organizational level is presented. Understanding the individual and structural barriers and facilitators of structured programme planning and social marketing is critical to increase the planning capacity within public health agencies.

  9. Marketing Plan for a New Product : A Study for a Case Company

    OpenAIRE

    Saari, Tomi

    2015-01-01

    This Bachelor’s thesis was conducted as a commission for a case company operating in the electrotechnical manufacturing and wholesale industry. The purpose of this thesis is to provide the case company some new marketing insights in order to penetrate a market with a new product faster. The theoretical framework aims at analyzing the case company’s macro environment through a PESTEL analysis, as well as the internal and external factors for success with the company SWOT analysis. The prod...

  10. Strategic planning in hospitals in two Australian states: an exploratory study of its practice using planning documentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayasuriya, R; Sim, A B

    1998-01-01

    Hospitals are under pressure to respond to new challenges and competition. Many hospitals have used strategic planning to respond to these environmental changes. This exploratory study examines the extent of strategic planning in hospitals in two Australian States, New South Wales and Victoria, using a sample survey. Based on planning documentation, the study indicated that 47% of the hospitals surveyed did not have a strategic or business plan. A significant difference was found in the comprehensiveness of the plans between the two States. Plans from Victorian hospitals had more documented evidence of external/internal analysis, competitor orientation and customer orientation compared with plans from New South Wales hospitals. The paper discusses the limitations of the study and directions for future research.

  11. Bridging the accountability divide: male circumcision planning in Rwanda as a case study in how to merge divergent operational planning approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPherson, Dacia B; Balisanga, Helene N; Mbabazi, Jennifer K

    2014-10-01

    When voluntary medical male circumcision (MC) was confirmed as an effective tool for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa in 2007, many public health policy makers and practitioners were eager to implement the intervention. How to roll out the tool as part of comprehensive strategy however was less clear. At the time, very little was known about the capacity of health systems to scale delivery of the new intervention. Today, nearly all countries prioritized for the intervention are far behind their targets. To contribute to the discourse on why this is, we develop a historical analysis of medical MC planning in sub-Saharan Africa using our own experience of this process in Rwanda. We compare our previously unpublished feasibility analysis from 2008 with international research published in 2009, which suggested how Rwanda could reduce HIV incidence through a rapid MC intervention, and Rwanda's eventual 2010 official operational plan. We trace how, in the face of uncertainty, operational plans avoided discussing the details of feasibility and focused instead on defining optimal circumcision capacity needed to achieve country level target reductions in HIV incidence. We show a distinct gap between the targets set in the official operational plan and what we determined was feasible in 2008. With actual data from the ground now available, we show our old feasibility models more closely approximate circumcision delivery rates to date. With an eye toward the future of long-term policy planning, we discuss the mechanics of how accountability gaps like this occur in global health policy making and how practitioners can better create achievable operational targets. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2013.

  12. A case method for Sales and Operations Planning: a learning experience from Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Felipe Scavarda

    Full Text Available Abstract Adequate preparation, learning, and training is required for Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP to aid organizations in achieving the full expected benefits from its implementation. This paper presents a case method for S&OP and the learning experience of its application at the University of Münster (Germany. The “constructive alignment principle” was applied with a “team teaching” approach, involving an executive from the case company. Students improved their knowledge on S&OP and their analytical skills by understanding the conceptual S&OP building blocks and by learning how to deal with them to provide a solution for a case based on a real-life situation. The learning results were evaluated positively during the discipline’s student evaluation of teaching (SET. The applied case method enhanced the student’s motivation and engagement (e.g., higher preparation effort and class attendance, which were considered higher than in other disciplines with the traditional lecture-based education.

  13. INTERNAL GOVERNANCE AND ROLE OF INTERNAL AUDIT IN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. CASE STUDY: RISK BASED PLANNING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrei Florin

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The global financial crisis from 2008 was considered a trigger to reshape the financial systems and to enhance the risk management practices. Considering the developments and new guidelines that are now used it can be observed a “positive” effect of the crisis, in particular to strengthen the risk management culture and governance in all aspects. Comparing to 2008 year, the improvements that have been made to the risk management systems can be easily observed in the financial institutions. For the scope of the article, the subject of this review will be focused on the internal audit function. The main aspect is to capture the new practices that are now used in order to contribute to a performing internal governance system. A case study will be presented in order to better understand how the internal audit function is designed and acting as a “line” of defence in the internal governance system. Also, it is in the scope of the article to issue some recommendations for future developments of the audit function in order to better manage its mission and the objectives. A risk based model used in the planning activities is presented. The financial institutions improved significantly their internal governance system. The internal audit function is now better integrated in the internal structures and clear lines of communication were settled. As the conclusion of the article is illustrating, the internal governance was frequently not sufficiently developed causing a failure in the risk management systems from the systemically financial institutions. The content of the article has practical applicability, as the results and the recommendations could be used in the design of an audit function within a financial institution.

  14. Framing in policy processes: a case study from hospital planning in the National Health Service in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Lorelei; Exworthy, Mark

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports from an ethnographic study of hospital planning in England undertaken between 2006 and 2009. We explored how a policy to centralise hospital services was espoused in national policy documents, how this shifted over time and how it was translated in practice. We found that policy texts defined hospital planning as a clinical issue and framed decisions to close hospitals or hospital departments as based on the evidence and necessary to ensure safety. We interpreted this framing as a rhetorical strategy for implementing organisational change in the context of community resistance to service closure and a concomitant policy emphasising the importance of public and patient involvement in planning. Although the persuasive power of the framing was limited, a more insidious form of power was identified in the way the framing disguised the political nature of the issue by defining it as a clinical problem. We conclude by discussing how the clinical rationale constrains public participation in decisions about the delivery and organisation of healthcare and restricts the extent to which alternative courses of action can be considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Stakeholders and Apart Hotels: Multiple Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth Kyoko Wada

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Means of accommodation involve a wide range of social actors and agents, as well as different business models. Management strategies in this sector have been increasingly important for long-term sustainability and competitiveness of business organizations. This study aims to analyze the interactions between apart-hotels and their stakeholders to foster an improvement of services provided, aligning the interface of strategic management from the point of view of managers and their key stakeholders. It is an exploratory study, with qualitative chacter, along with multiple case studies of the following establishments: Travel Inn, Hotels Slaviero and Etoile george v. Brazilian enterprises, which manage lodging facilities with apart-hotel concepts, combining features that enable comparative analysis of the study. For conceptual understanding, this study was based on literature about stakeholders, taking the work of Freeman (1984 and Freeman et al (2010 as main references. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with managers of lodging facilities and their key stakeholders and through direct observation and documentation. We found that not all groups of influence are considered in the planning of service flats. However, the organizations surveyed indicated that the market has realized the importance of the groups that exert influence and are influenced by their goals, and are therefore increasingly alert for integration of such groups in their strategic planning.

  16. Final Report for Phase II Study: Prototyping the Sketch Planning Visualization Tool for Non-Motorized Travel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Ho-Ling [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Wilson, Daniel W [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Reuscher, Tim [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Chin, Shih-Miao [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Taylor, Rob D [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2014-02-01

    To further examine how factors such as those identified from the Phase I NMT study, and the modeling framework developed under that effort could be applied to local/regional level planning activities, FHWA decided to pursue a Phase II study. It was determined that a small geographic area with more detailed local data would be necessary. Although Washington D.C. was not one of the 2009 NHTS add-ons, it did conduct a household travel survey of 11,000 households in 2007-2008. The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) conducted the household travel survey. The data coverage under the MWCOG survey is much higher than that of the NHTS. As a part of the Phase II study, a prototype of a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based sketch planning visualization tool was also to be developed. The intent was to use a neighborhood in the Washington D.C. region as a case study for this prototype application.

  17. Virtual surgical planning and 3D printing in prosthetic orbital reconstruction with percutaneous implants: a technical case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yu-Hui; Seelaus, Rosemary; Zhao, Linping; Patel, Pravin K; Cohen, Mimis

    2016-01-01

    Osseointegrated titanium implants to the cranial skeleton for retention of facial prostheses have proven to be a reliable replacement for adhesive systems. However, improper placement of the implants can jeopardize prosthetic outcomes, and long-term success of an implant-retained prosthesis. Three-dimensional (3D) computer imaging, virtual planning, and 3D printing have become accepted components of the preoperative planning and design phase of treatment. Computer-aided design and computer-assisted manufacture that employ cone-beam computed tomography data offer benefits to patient treatment by contributing to greater predictability and improved treatment efficiencies with more reliable outcomes in surgical and prosthetic reconstruction. 3D printing enables transfer of the virtual surgical plan to the operating room by fabrication of surgical guides. Previous studies have shown that accuracy improves considerably with guided implantation when compared to conventional template or freehand implant placement. This clinical case report demonstrates the use of a 3D technological pathway for preoperative virtual planning through prosthesis fabrication, utilizing 3D printing, for a patient with an acquired orbital defect that was restored with an implant-retained silicone orbital prosthesis.

  18. Dynamic Adaptive Approach to Transportation-Infrastructure Planning for Climate Change: San Francisco Bay Area Case Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wall, T.A.; Walker, W.E.; Marchau, V.A.W.J.; Bertolini, L.

    2015-01-01

    Adaptation of existing infrastructure is a response to climate change that can ensure a viable, safe, and robust transportation network. However, deep uncertainties associated with climate change pose significant challenges to adaptation planning. Specifically, current transportation planning

  19. Analysing contemporary metropolitan spatial plans in Europe through their institutional context, instrumental content and planning process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elinbaum, Pablo; Galland, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    This article sets out to propose and apply a qualitative framework for thinking about how to analyze and compare metropolitan spatial plans in a milieu of divergent spatial planning traditions and discretionary planning practices. In doing so, the article reviews and develops an understanding...... concerning the institutional context, instrumental content and planning processes associated with four contemporary metropolitan spatial plans in Europe, namely London, Copenhagen, Paris and Barcelona. Through the results of a multiple case study and a subsequent cross comparative analysis, the article...... stresses that contemporary metropolitan spatial plans tend to merge characteristics associated with project-based and strategy-based spatial plans, thus contrasting with the typical land-use character of municipal plans and the often strategic, growth-oriented pursuit of regional plans in Europe...

  20. Institutional barriers to a ‘perfect’ policy: A case study of the Senegalese Rural Electrification Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mawhood, Rebecca; Gross, Robert

    2014-01-01

    This paper investigates the political and institutional factors that have influenced the success of the Senegalese Rural Electrification Action Plan (Plan d'Action Sénégalais d'Électrification Rurale, PASER). PASER is of interest because its innovative design attracted extensive offers of finance from donors and independent power providers, however it has had limited effect on electrification levels. This paper examines PASER's progress and problems in detail, with the aim of informing rural electrification policy internationally. An extensive literature review was combined with 26 semi-structured stakeholder interviews, to produce a snapshot of the Plan's status after its first decade of operation. PASER's experiences are compared with other reform-based rural electrification initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa. PASER has faced significant institutional and political barriers, with delays arising from organisational opposition, inconsistent ministerial support, protracted consultations and the inherent challenges of implementing an innovative policy framework in a country with limited institutional capacity. The development of human and institutional capacity has been compromised by inconsistent political commitment. Such experiences mirror those of electrification initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa. Whilst PASER's successes in garnering external support and fundraising are noteworthy and won praise from early reviews, in terms of delivery the Plan has failed to resolve common institutional barriers. - Highlights: • Factors influencing the Senegalese Rural Electrification Action Plan are investigated. • 26 Stakeholder interviews inform a review of the Plan after 10 years of operation. • The Plan has attracted extensive finance, but installations are severely delayed. • The delays are found to be largely the result of institutional and political barriers. • These barriers mirror the experiences of electrification

  1. Strategies for automatic online treatment plan reoptimization using clinical treatment planning system: A planning parameters study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Taoran; Wu, Qiuwen; Zhang, You; Vergalasova, Irina; Lee, W. Robert; Yin, Fang-Fang; Wu, Q. Jackie

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Adaptive radiation therapy for prostate cancer using online reoptimization provides an improved control of interfractional anatomy variations. However, the clinical implementation of online reoptimization is currently limited by the low efficiency of current strategies and the difficulties associated with integration into the current treatment planning system. This study investigates the strategies for performing fast (∼2 min) automatic online reoptimization with a clinical fluence-map-based treatment planning system; and explores the performance with different input parameters settings: dose-volume histogram (DVH) objective settings, starting stage, and iteration number (in the context of real time planning).Methods: Simulated treatments of 10 patients were reoptimized daily for the first week of treatment (5 fractions) using 12 different combinations of optimization strategies. Options for objective settings included guideline-based RTOG objectives, patient-specific objectives based on anatomy on the planning CT, and daily-CBCT anatomy-based objectives adapted from planning CT objectives. Options for starting stages involved starting reoptimization with and without the original plan's fluence map. Options for iteration numbers were 50 and 100. The adapted plans were then analyzed by statistical modeling, and compared both in terms of dosimetry and delivery efficiency.Results: All online reoptimized plans were finished within ∼2 min with excellent coverage and conformity to the daily target. The three input parameters, i.e., DVH objectives, starting stage, and iteration number, contributed to the outcome of optimization nearly independently. Patient-specific objectives generally provided better OAR sparing compared to guideline-based objectives. The benefit in high-dose sparing from incorporating daily anatomy into objective settings was positively correlated with the relative change in OAR volumes from planning CT to daily CBCT. The use of the

  2. Case studies of geothermal leasing and development on federal lands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trummel, Marc

    1978-09-29

    In response to a widely expressed need to examine the impact of the federal regulatory system on the rate of geothermal power development, the Department of Energy-Division of Geothermal Energy (DGE) has established a Streamlining Task Force in cooperation with appropriate federal agencies. The intent is to find a way of speeding development by modification of existing laws or regulations or by better understanding and mechanization of the existing ones. The initial focus was on the leasing and development of federal lands. How do the existing processes work? Would changes produce positive results in a variety of cases? These are questions which must be considered in a national streamlining process. This report presents case studies of federal leasing actions on seven diverse locations in the western region. Characteristics of existing high geothermal potential areas are quite diverse; geography, environment, industry interest and the attitudes and activities of the responsible federal land management agencies and the interested public vary widely. Included are descriptions of post and current activities in leasing exploration and development and discussions of the probable future direction of activities based on current plans. Implications of these plans are presented. The case studies were based on field interviews with the appropriate State and District BLM officer and with the regional forester's office and the particular forest office. Documentation was utilized to the extent possible and has been included in whole or in part in appendices as appropriate.

  3. Influence of the demand information quality on planning process accuracy in supply chain. Case studies

    OpenAIRE

    Natalia Szozda; Sylwia Werbińska-Wojciechowska

    2013-01-01

    Background: Identification and analysis of factors that affect the accuracy of demand planning process across the supply chain is one of the most important problems which influence the effectiveness of its material and information flows. Material and methods: On the basis of demand planning process investigation authors define the main elements affecting the right supply chain performance level and investigate the possible connections between demand information quality and demand plannin...

  4. Explicit optimization of plan quality measures in intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engberg, Lovisa; Forsgren, Anders; Eriksson, Kjell; Hårdemark, Björn

    2017-06-01

    To formulate convex planning objectives of treatment plan multicriteria optimization with explicit relationships to the dose-volume histogram (DVH) statistics used in plan quality evaluation. Conventional planning objectives are designed to minimize the violation of DVH statistics thresholds using penalty functions. Although successful in guiding the DVH curve towards these thresholds, conventional planning objectives offer limited control of the individual points on the DVH curve (doses-at-volume) used to evaluate plan quality. In this study, we abandon the usual penalty-function framework and propose planning objectives that more closely relate to DVH statistics. The proposed planning objectives are based on mean-tail-dose, resulting in convex optimization. We also demonstrate how to adapt a standard optimization method to the proposed formulation in order to obtain a substantial reduction in computational cost. We investigated the potential of the proposed planning objectives as tools for optimizing DVH statistics through juxtaposition with the conventional planning objectives on two patient cases. Sets of treatment plans with differently balanced planning objectives were generated using either the proposed or the conventional approach. Dominance in the sense of better distributed doses-at-volume was observed in plans optimized within the proposed framework. The initial computational study indicates that the DVH statistics are better optimized and more efficiently balanced using the proposed planning objectives than using the conventional approach. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  5. Evaluating Land Use and Emergency Management Plans for Natural Hazards as a Function of Good Governance:A Case Study from New Zealand

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Wendy Saunders; Emily Grace; James Beban; David Johnston

    2015-01-01

    Plan evaluation is of utmost importance as a function of good governance. It provides a means to im-prove the institutional basis for implementing land use controls, provides an important opportunity to improve future plans to reduce risk, and improves the vision for sustainable development and management. This article provides an overview of the methods and findings of a plan evaluation project undertaken in New Zealand. The project analyzed 99 operative plans, provided in-depth analysis of ten plans, and included a capability and capacity study of councils. This is the first time all operative plans in New Zealand have had their natural hazard provisions assessed in this manner. The information provides an important baseline for future policy improvements, and a basis for future research and policy directions. The project found that, while New Zealand land use plans appear to be im-proving over time, there are still opportunities for im-provement. These include improving linkages between objectives, policies, and rules within land use plans; and strengthening the linkages between land use and emer-gency management plans. The largest challenge is the ac-cessibility, understanding of, and updating of hazard information.

  6. SU-D-19A-06: The Effect of Beam Parameters On Very High-Energy Electron Radiotherapy: A Planning Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palma, B; Bazalova, M; Qu, B; Loo, B; Maxim, P [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (United States); Hardemark, B; Hynning, E [RaySearch Laboratories AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: We evaluated the effect of very high-energy electron (VHEE) beam parameters on the planning of a lung cancer case by means of Monte Carlo simulations. Methods: We simulated VHEE radiotherapy plans using the EGSnrc/BEAMnrc-DOSXYZnrc code. We selected a lung cancer case that was treated with 6MV photon VMAT to be planned with VHEE. We studied the effect of beam energy (80 MeV, 100 MeV, and 120 MeV), number of equidistant beams (16 or 32), and beamlets sizes (3 mm, 5 mm or 7 mm) on PTV coverage, sparing of organs at risk (OARs) and dose conformity. Inverse-planning optimization was performed in a research version of RayStation (RaySearch Laboratories AB) using identical objective functions and constraints for all VHEE plans. Results: Similar PTV coverage and dose conformity was achieved by all the VHEE plans. The 100 MeV and 120 MeV VHEE plans were equivalent amongst them and were superior to the 80 MeV plan in terms of OARs sparing. The effect of using 16 or 32 equidistant beams was a mean difference in average dose of 2.4% (0%–7.7%) between the two plans. The use of 3 mm beamlet size systematically reduced the dose to all the OARs. Based on these results we selected the 100MeV-16beams-3mm-beamlet-size plan to compare it against VMAT. The selected VHEE plan was more conformal than VMAT and improved OAR sparing (heart and trachea received 125% and 177% lower dose, respectively) especially in the low-dose region. Conclusion: We determined the VHEE beam parameters that maximized the OAR dose sparing and dose conformity of the actually delivered VMAT plan of a lung cancer case. The selected parameters could be used for the planning of other treatment sites with similar size, shape, and location. For larger targets, a larger beamlet size might be used without significantly increasing the dose. B Palma: None. M Bazalova: None. B Hardemark: Employee, RaySearch Americas. E Hynning: Employee, RaySearch Americas. B Qu: None. B Loo Jr.: Research support, Ray

  7. SU-D-19A-06: The Effect of Beam Parameters On Very High-Energy Electron Radiotherapy: A Planning Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palma, B; Bazalova, M; Qu, B; Loo, B; Maxim, P; Hardemark, B; Hynning, E

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: We evaluated the effect of very high-energy electron (VHEE) beam parameters on the planning of a lung cancer case by means of Monte Carlo simulations. Methods: We simulated VHEE radiotherapy plans using the EGSnrc/BEAMnrc-DOSXYZnrc code. We selected a lung cancer case that was treated with 6MV photon VMAT to be planned with VHEE. We studied the effect of beam energy (80 MeV, 100 MeV, and 120 MeV), number of equidistant beams (16 or 32), and beamlets sizes (3 mm, 5 mm or 7 mm) on PTV coverage, sparing of organs at risk (OARs) and dose conformity. Inverse-planning optimization was performed in a research version of RayStation (RaySearch Laboratories AB) using identical objective functions and constraints for all VHEE plans. Results: Similar PTV coverage and dose conformity was achieved by all the VHEE plans. The 100 MeV and 120 MeV VHEE plans were equivalent amongst them and were superior to the 80 MeV plan in terms of OARs sparing. The effect of using 16 or 32 equidistant beams was a mean difference in average dose of 2.4% (0%–7.7%) between the two plans. The use of 3 mm beamlet size systematically reduced the dose to all the OARs. Based on these results we selected the 100MeV-16beams-3mm-beamlet-size plan to compare it against VMAT. The selected VHEE plan was more conformal than VMAT and improved OAR sparing (heart and trachea received 125% and 177% lower dose, respectively) especially in the low-dose region. Conclusion: We determined the VHEE beam parameters that maximized the OAR dose sparing and dose conformity of the actually delivered VMAT plan of a lung cancer case. The selected parameters could be used for the planning of other treatment sites with similar size, shape, and location. For larger targets, a larger beamlet size might be used without significantly increasing the dose. B Palma: None. M Bazalova: None. B Hardemark: Employee, RaySearch Americas. E Hynning: Employee, RaySearch Americas. B Qu: None. B Loo Jr.: Research support, Ray

  8. Treating Selective Mutism Using Modular CBT for Child Anxiety: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reuther, Erin T.; Davis, Thompson E., III; Moree, Brittany N.; Matson, Johnny L.

    2011-01-01

    Selective mutism is a rare, debilitating condition usually seen in children. Unfortunately, there is little research examining effective treatments for this disorder, and designing an evidence-based treatment plan can be difficult. This case study presents the evidence-based treatment of an 8-year-old Caucasian boy with selective mutism using an…

  9. Implementation of nutrition care service development plan at Banning Memorial Hospital: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Oumlil, A; Rao, C P

    1992-01-01

    Health care service markets in general and hospital care service markets in particular are characterized by many competitive developments. Hence, hospital marketing managers are forced to respond to these emerging competitive pressures. However, in formulating appropriate marketing management strategies, hospital managers need to have detailed knowledge about consumers and their behaviors in the marketplace. This paper focuses on the Nutrition Care division of the Department of Nutrition Service at a hospital and its venture into new service development. This case study is intended to emphasize the significance of acquiring adequate knowledge of customers in the health care services industry. It particularly emphasizes the critical role that this type of information concerning customer behavior plays in the development and implementation of an appropriate business expansion strategy. Furthermore, the aim of this case study is to help the reader to relate the acquired marketing information to the problem at hand, and make the appropriate marketing management decision.

  10. Case study : power distribution PBR plans of National Grid USA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hill, T.

    2001-01-01

    This power point presentation described the progressive approach taken by the Northeastern United States towards electric power restructuring and performance based ratemaking (PBR) with reference to National Grid USA and the NEES tradition of pursuing regulatory matters. The catalyst for change was the NEES acquisition of EUA (and National Grid USA acquisition of NEES). Another catalyst for change was the desire to merge operating companies and consolidate rates. This paper described the settlement negotiations of the New England Process with reference to meeting the customer's desire for lower electricity prices and rate stability.The paper also described a multi-year PBR-based plan proposed for Niagara Mohawk which offers incentives for both cost efficiency and service quality. It was concluded that PBR is a sound basis for optimizing customer and shareholder benefits. It was emphasized that while PBR has universal application, detailed implementation must be sensitive to local issues and priorities. tabs., figs

  11. Study on optimization of normal plant outage work plan for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoki, Takayuki; Kodama, Noriko; Takase, Kentaro; Miya, Kenzo

    2011-01-01

    This paper discusses maintenance optimization in maintenance implementation stage following maintenance planning stage in nuclear power plants and proposes a methodology to get an optimum maintenance work plan. As a result of consideration, the followings were obtained. (1) The quantitative evaluation methodology for optimizing maintenance work plan in nuclear power plants was developed. (2) Utilizing the above methodology, a simulation analysis of maintenance work planning for BWR's PLR and RHR systems in a normal plant outage was performed. Maintenance cost calculation in several cases was carried out on the condition of smoothening man loading over the plant outage schedule as much as possible. (3) As a result of the simulation, the economical work plans having a flat man loading over the plant outage schedule were obtained. (author)

  12. Risk assessment of major hazards and its application in urban planning: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yafei; Liu, Mao

    2012-03-01

    With the rapid development of industry in China, the number of establishments that are proposed or under construction is increasing year by year, and many are industries that handle flammable, explosive, toxic, harmful, and dangerous substances. Accidents such as fire, explosion, and toxic diffusion inevitably happen. Accidents resulting from these major hazards in cities cause a large number of casualties and property losses. It is increasingly important to analyze the risk of major hazards in cities realistically and to suitably plan and utilize the surrounding land based on the risk analysis results, thereby reducing the hazards. A theoretical system for risk assessment of major hazards in cities is proposed in this article, and the major hazard risk for the entire city is analyzed quantitatively. Risks of various major accidents are considered together, superposition effect is analyzed, individual risk contours of the entire city are drawn out, and the level of risk in the city is assessed using "as low as reasonably practicable" guidelines. After the entire city's individual risk distribution is obtained, risk zones are divided according to corresponding individual risk value of HSE, and land-use planning suggestions are proposed. Finally, a city in China is used as an example to illustrate the risk assessment process of the city's major hazard and its application in urban land-use planning. The proposed method has a certain theoretical and practical significance in establishing and improving risk analysis of major hazard and urban land-use planning. On the one hand, major urban public risk is avoided; further, the land is utilized in the best possible way in order to obtain the maximum benefit from its use. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

  13. Financial planning as a policy tool in the petroleum industry (the case study: ojsc ”SURGUTNEFTEGAS”)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanyuk, Vera; Karyakina, Anna; Vershkova, Elena; Grinkevish, Larisa; Pozdeeva, Galina

    2016-09-01

    The article deals with the financial planning of oil and gas company activities including capital structure optimization. One of the main tasks of up-to-date financial management is to optimize the capital structure of an organization and minimize the weighted average cost of capital. The applied method in capital structure optimization affects the research quality results, as well as management decisions. The study was conducted on the basis of OJSC "Surgutneftegas" financial statements.

  14. Multi-criteria evaluation in strategic environmental assessment for waste management plan, a case study: the city of Belgrade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Josimović, Boško; Marić, Igor; Milijić, Saša

    2015-02-01

    Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is one of the key instruments for implementing sustainable development strategies in planning in general; in addition to being used in sectoral planning, it can also be used in other areas such as waste management planning. SEA in waste management planning has become a tool for considering the benefits and consequences of the proposed changes in space, also taking into account the capacity of space to sustain the implementation of the planned activities. In order to envisage both the positive and negative implications of a waste management plan for the elements of sustainable development, an adequate methodological approach to evaluating the potential impacts must be adopted and the evaluation results presented in a simple and clear way, so as to allow planners to make relevant decisions as a precondition for the sustainability of the activities planned in the waste management sector. This paper examines the multi-criteria evaluation method for carrying out an SEA for the Waste Management Plan for the city of Belgrade (BWMP). The method was applied to the evaluation of the impacts of the activities planned in the waste management sector on the basis of the environmental and socioeconomic indicators of sustainability, taking into consideration the intensity, spatial extent, probability and frequency of impact, by means of a specific planning approach and simple and clear presentation of the obtained results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. WE-AB-209-07: Explicit and Convex Optimization of Plan Quality Metrics in Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Engberg, L; Eriksson, K; Hardemark, B; Forsgren, A

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To formulate objective functions of a multicriteria fluence map optimization model that correlate well with plan quality metrics, and to solve this multicriteria model by convex approximation. Methods: In this study, objectives of a multicriteria model are formulated to explicitly either minimize or maximize a dose-at-volume measure. Given the widespread agreement that dose-at-volume levels play important roles in plan quality assessment, these objectives correlate well with plan quality metrics. This is in contrast to the conventional objectives, which are to maximize clinical goal achievement by relating to deviations from given dose-at-volume thresholds: while balancing the new objectives means explicitly balancing dose-at-volume levels, balancing the conventional objectives effectively means balancing deviations. Constituted by the inherently non-convex dose-at-volume measure, the new objectives are approximated by the convex mean-tail-dose measure (CVaR measure), yielding a convex approximation of the multicriteria model. Results: Advantages of using the convex approximation are investigated through juxtaposition with the conventional objectives in a computational study of two patient cases. Clinical goals of each case respectively point out three ROI dose-at-volume measures to be considered for plan quality assessment. This is translated in the convex approximation into minimizing three mean-tail-dose measures. Evaluations of the three ROI dose-at-volume measures on Pareto optimal plans are used to represent plan quality of the Pareto sets. Besides providing increased accuracy in terms of feasibility of solutions, the convex approximation generates Pareto sets with overall improved plan quality. In one case, the Pareto set generated by the convex approximation entirely dominates that generated with the conventional objectives. Conclusion: The initial computational study indicates that the convex approximation outperforms the conventional objectives

  16. Total dural irradiation: RapidArc versus static-field IMRT: A case study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelly, Paul J., E-mail: paulj.kelly@hse.ie [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana Farber/Brigham and Women' s Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Mannarino, Edward; Lewis, John Henry; Baldini, Elizabeth H.; Hacker, Fred L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana Farber/Brigham and Women' s Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)

    2012-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare conventional fixed-gantry angle intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with RapidArc for total dural irradiation. We also hypothesize that target volume-individualized collimator angles may produce substantial normal tissue sparing when planning with RapidArc. Five-, 7-, and 9-field fixed-gantry angle sliding-window IMRT plans were generated for comparison with RapidArc plans. Optimization and normal tissue constraints were constant for all plans. All plans were normalized so that 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) received at least 100% of the dose. RapidArc was delivered using 350 Degree-Sign clockwise and counterclockwise arcs. Conventional collimator angles of 45 Degree-Sign and 315 Degree-Sign were compared with 90 Degree-Sign on both arcs. Dose prescription was 59.4 Gy in 33 fractions. PTV metrics used for comparison were coverage, V{sub 107}%, D1%, conformality index (CI{sub 95}%), and heterogeneity index (D{sub 5}%-D{sub 95}%). Brain dose, the main challenge of this case, was compared using D{sub 1}%, Dmean, and V{sub 5} Gy. Dose to optic chiasm, optic nerves, globes, and lenses was also compared. The use of unconventional collimator angles (90 Degree-Sign on both arcs) substantially reduced dose to normal brain. All plans achieved acceptable target coverage. Homogeneity was similar for RapidArc and 9-field IMRT plans. However, heterogeneity increased with decreasing number of IMRT fields, resulting in unacceptable hotspots within the brain. Conformality was marginally better with RapidArc relative to IMRT. Low dose to brain, as indicated by V5Gy, was comparable in all plans. Doses to organs at risk (OARs) showed no clinically meaningful differences. The number of monitor units was lower and delivery time was reduced with RapidArc. The case-individualized RapidArc plan compared favorably with the 9-field conventional IMRT plan. In view of lower monitor unit requirements and shorter delivery time, Rapid

  17. A Systematic, Automated Network Planning Method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Jens Åge; Pedersen, Jens Myrup

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes a case study conducted to evaluate the viability of a systematic, automated network planning method. The motivation for developing the network planning method was that many data networks are planned in an adhoc manner with no assurance of quality of the solution with respect...... structures, that are ready to implement in a real world scenario, are discussed in the end of the paper. These are in the area of ensuring line independence and complexity of the design rules for the planning method....

  18. Proposals for enhancing tactical planning in grocery retailing with S&OP

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dreyer, Heidi Carin; Kiil, Kasper; Dukovska-Popovska, Iskra

    2018-01-01

    Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to explore tactical planning in grocery retailing and propose how process and integration mechanisms from sales and operations planning (S&OP) can enhance retail tactical planning.Design/methodology/approach-This work follows an explorative design with case...... studies from the grocery retailing industry in Finland, Norway, and the UK.Findings-The tactical planning process focuses on demand management and securing product availability from suppliers in order to reach sales targets. Less attention is directed toward balancing supply and demand or toward providing...... a single plan to guide company operations. Planning appeared to be functionally oriented with limited coordination between functional plans, but it did include external integration that improved forecast accuracy.Research limitations/implications-The study involves grocery retailer cases with variable...

  19. Ecohydrological Responses to Diversion of Groundwater: Case Study of a Deep-Rock Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Werner, Kent; Collinder, Per; Berglund, Sten; Maartensson, Erik

    2013-01-01

    Planning and license applications concerning groundwater diversion in areas containing water-dependent or water-favored habitats must take into account both hydrological effects and associated ecological consequences. There is at present no established methodology to assess such ecohydrological responses. Thus, this paper describes a new stepwise methodology to assess ecohydrological responses to groundwater diversion from, e.g., water-drained pits, shafts, tunnels, and caverns in rock below the groundwater table. The methodology is illustrated using the planned deep-rock repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in central Sweden as a case study, offering access to a unique hydrological and ecological dataset. The case study demonstrates that results of ecohydrological assessments can provide useful inputs to planning of monitoring programs and mitigation measures in infrastructure projects. As a result of the assessment, artificial water supply to wetlands is planned in order to preserve biological diversity, nature values, and vulnerable species

  20. Bottom-up approach for decentralised energy planning. Case study of Tumkur district in India

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hiremath, Rahul B. [Walchand Institute of Technology, Solapur 413006 (India); Kumar, Bimlesh [Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati 781039 (India); Balachandra, P. [Energy Technology Innovation Policy, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ravindranath, N.H. [CST, IISc, Bangalore 560012 (India)

    2010-02-15

    Decentralized Energy Planning (DEP) is one of the options to meet the rural and small-scale energy needs in a reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable way. The main aspect of the energy planning at decentralized level would be to prepare an area-based DEP to meet energy needs and development of alternate energy sources at least-cost to the economy and environment. Present work uses goal-programming method in order to analyze the DEP through bottom-up approach. This approach includes planning from the lowest scale of Tumkur district in India. The scale of analysis included village level - Ungra, panchayat level (local council) - Yedavani, block level - Kunigal and district level - Tumkur. The approach adopted was bottom-up (village to district) to allow a detailed description of energy services and the resulting demand for energy forms and supply technologies. Different scenarios are considered at four decentralized scales for the year 2005 and are developed and analyzed for the year 2020. Decentralized bioenergy system for producing biogas and electricity, using local biomass resources, are shown to promote development compared to other renewables. This is because, apart from meeting energy needs, multiple goals could be achieved such as self-reliance, local employment, and land reclamation apart from CO{sub 2} emissions reduction. (author)

  1. Bottom-up approach for decentralised energy planning: Case study of Tumkur district in India

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hiremath, Rahul B., E-mail: rahulhiremath@gmail.co [Walchand Institute of Technology Solapur 413006 (India); Kumar, Bimlesh, E-mail: bimk@iitg.ernet.i [Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati 781039 (India); Balachandra, P., E-mail: balachandra_patil@hks.harvard.ed [Energy Technology Innovation Policy, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ravindranath, N.H., E-mail: ravi@ces.iisc.ernet.i [CST, IISc, Bangalore 560012 (India)

    2010-02-15

    Decentralized Energy Planning (DEP) is one of the options to meet the rural and small-scale energy needs in a reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable way. The main aspect of the energy planning at decentralized level would be to prepare an area-based DEP to meet energy needs and development of alternate energy sources at least-cost to the economy and environment. Present work uses goal-programming method in order to analyze the DEP through bottom-up approach. This approach includes planning from the lowest scale of Tumkur district in India. The scale of analysis included village level-Ungra, panchayat level (local council)-Yedavani, block level-Kunigal and district level-Tumkur. The approach adopted was bottom-up (village to district) to allow a detailed description of energy services and the resulting demand for energy forms and supply technologies. Different scenarios are considered at four decentralized scales for the year 2005 and are developed and analyzed for the year 2020. Decentralized bioenergy system for producing biogas and electricity, using local biomass resources, are shown to promote development compared to other renewables. This is because, apart from meeting energy needs, multiple goals could be achieved such as self-reliance, local employment, and land reclamation apart from CO{sub 2} emissions reduction.

  2. Evaluation of a collaborative model: a case study analysis of watershed planning in the intermountain west

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gary Bentrup

    2001-01-01

    Collaborative planning processes have become increasingly popular for addressing environmental planning issues, resulting in a number of conceptual models for collaboration. A model proposed by Selin and Chavez suggests that collaboration emerges from a series of antecedents and then proceeds sequentially through problem-setting, direction-setting, implementation, and...

  3. Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Calvert Cliffs case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flynn, J.

    1982-07-01

    This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

  4. Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Rancho Seco case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergmann, P.A.

    1982-07-01

    This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Rancho Seco nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

  5. Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Peach Bottom case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pijawka, K.D.

    1982-07-01

    This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Peach Bottom nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

  6. Teaching case studies on earthquake preparedness efforts in the transportation sector, Los Angeles metropolitan area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Through the development of a Harvard Kennedy School case study (intended for : use as curriculum in graduate-level and executive education programs), this project : examines earthquake preparedness and planning processes in the Los Angeles : metropol...

  7. Multi-criteria evaluation in strategic environmental assessment for waste management plan, a case study: The city of Belgrade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Josimović, Boško; Marić, Igor; Milijić, Saša

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The paper deals with the specific method of multi-criteria evaluation applied in drafting the SEA for the Belgrade WMP. • MCE of the planning solutions, assessed according to 37 objectives of the SEA and four sets of criteria, was presented in the matrix form. • The results are presented in the form of graphs so as to be easily comprehensible to all the participants in the decision-making process. • The results represent concrete contribution proven in practice. - Abstract: Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is one of the key instruments for implementing sustainable development strategies in planning in general; in addition to being used in sectoral planning, it can also be used in other areas such as waste management planning. SEA in waste management planning has become a tool for considering the benefits and consequences of the proposed changes in space, also taking into account the capacity of space to sustain the implementation of the planned activities. In order to envisage both the positive and negative implications of a waste management plan for the elements of sustainable development, an adequate methodological approach to evaluating the potential impacts must be adopted and the evaluation results presented in a simple and clear way, so as to allow planners to make relevant decisions as a precondition for the sustainability of the activities planned in the waste management sector. This paper examines the multi-criteria evaluation method for carrying out an SEA for the Waste Management Plan for the city of Belgrade (BWMP). The method was applied to the evaluation of the impacts of the activities planned in the waste management sector on the basis of the environmental and socioeconomic indicators of sustainability, taking into consideration the intensity, spatial extent, probability and frequency of impact, by means of a specific planning approach and simple and clear presentation of the obtained results

  8. Multi-criteria evaluation in strategic environmental assessment for waste management plan, a case study: The city of Belgrade

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Josimović, Boško, E-mail: bosko@iaus.ac.rs; Marić, Igor; Milijić, Saša

    2015-02-15

    Highlights: • The paper deals with the specific method of multi-criteria evaluation applied in drafting the SEA for the Belgrade WMP. • MCE of the planning solutions, assessed according to 37 objectives of the SEA and four sets of criteria, was presented in the matrix form. • The results are presented in the form of graphs so as to be easily comprehensible to all the participants in the decision-making process. • The results represent concrete contribution proven in practice. - Abstract: Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is one of the key instruments for implementing sustainable development strategies in planning in general; in addition to being used in sectoral planning, it can also be used in other areas such as waste management planning. SEA in waste management planning has become a tool for considering the benefits and consequences of the proposed changes in space, also taking into account the capacity of space to sustain the implementation of the planned activities. In order to envisage both the positive and negative implications of a waste management plan for the elements of sustainable development, an adequate methodological approach to evaluating the potential impacts must be adopted and the evaluation results presented in a simple and clear way, so as to allow planners to make relevant decisions as a precondition for the sustainability of the activities planned in the waste management sector. This paper examines the multi-criteria evaluation method for carrying out an SEA for the Waste Management Plan for the city of Belgrade (BWMP). The method was applied to the evaluation of the impacts of the activities planned in the waste management sector on the basis of the environmental and socioeconomic indicators of sustainability, taking into consideration the intensity, spatial extent, probability and frequency of impact, by means of a specific planning approach and simple and clear presentation of the obtained results.

  9. Coping with traumatic brain injury: representative case studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwasnica, C M; Heinemann, A

    1994-04-01

    This case report compares the use of social supports and vulnerability to substance abuse for two rehabilitation clients after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using a psychosocial assessment, the Motivational Structure Questionnaire, Adaptive Skills Battery, and Ways of Coping Checklist within a representative case method, we studied two individuals in depth to understand differences in postinjury drinking behaviors. We also examined differences in availability and use of social supports and how support was related to coping efforts. Finally, we illustrated goal-setting and the relationship between long-term planning and follow-through on goals. Social supports, adaptive problem-solving behaviors, and positive reappraisal of situations seem to be important elements in postinjury abstinence. Clinically, this research supports the need for fostering use of both social supports and substance use prevention and treatment services when working with both inpatient and outpatient TBI clients.

  10. GAINING SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE IT ADVANTAGES: MULTIPLE CASE STUDIES IN INTERNATIONALIZED BUSINESSES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Armando

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available This research studies how the studied firms gain sustainable competitive advantages (SCAs. The issue has been studied in the literature on business strategy: the challenge for managers is to identify, develop, protect and use resources and skills that provide the firm with SCAs. Eight cases were studied. All concerned Information Technology firms that sell to other companies. The variables used were qualitative. Data was collected from primary and secondary sources of information. The primary sources consisted of the studied firms, where interviews with management were held. The main results are: (1 One firm develops products abroad and this aspect is a competitive advantage. (2 There are cases that resort to a model that provides them with great operating flexibility. (3 One firm obtained SCAs by developing a strategy whereby it implemented a franchise model for development and distribution. The franchise system encourages entrepreneurial behavior among the franchisees. (4 One case gained a competitive advantage through the complexity and sophistication of its products. (5 Some of the cases searched for market niches that were less exposed to competition.Key-words: Strategic management. Strategic planning. Advanced Technology firms. Management of multinationals. 

  11. Program Plan: field radionuclide migration studies in Climax granite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isherwood, D.; Raber, E.; Coles, D.; Stone, R.

    1980-01-01

    This Program Plan describes the field radionuclide migration studies we plan to conduct in the Climax granite at the Nevada Test Site. Laboratory support studies are included to help us understand the geochemical and hydrologic processes involved in the field. The Program Plan begins with background information (Section 1) on how this program fits into the National Waste Terminal Storage Program Plan and discusses the needs for field studies of this type. The objectives stated in Section 2 are in direct response to these needs, particularly the need to determine whether laboratory studies accurately reflect actual field conditions and the need for field testing to provide a data base for verification of hydrologic and mass transport models. The technical scope (Section 3) provides a work breakdown structure that integrates the various activities and establishes a base for the technical approach described in Section 4. Our approach combines an interactive system of field and laboratory migration experiments with the use of hydrologic models for pre-test predictions and data interpretation. Section 5 on program interfaces identifies how information will be transferred to other related DOE projects. A schedule of activities and major milestones (Section 6) and the budget necessary to meet the project objectives (Section 7) are included in the Program Plan. Sections 8 and 9 contain brief descriptions of how the technical and program controls will be established and maintained and an outline of our quality assurance program. This program plan is an initial planning document and provides a general description of activities. An Engineering Test Plan containing detailed experimental test plans, an instrumentation plan and equipment design drawings will be published as a separate document

  12. Authenticity and Unification in Quechua Language Planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hornberger, Nancy H.; King, Kendall

    1998-01-01

    Examines the potentially problematic tension between the goals of authenticity and unification in Quechua-language planning. One case study examines the orthographic debate that arose in Peru, and the second case study concerns two indigenous communities in Saraguro in the Southern Ecuadorian highlands where Spanish predominates but two Quichua…

  13. [Regional ecological planning and ecological network construction: a case study of "Ji Triangle" Region].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bo; Han, Zeng-Lin; Tong, Lian-Jun

    2009-05-01

    By the methods of in situ investigation and regional ecological planning, the present ecological environment, ecosystem vulnerability, and ecological environment sensitivity in "Ji Triangle" Region were analyzed, and the ecological network of the study area was constructed. According to the ecological resources abundance degree, ecological recovery, farmland windbreak system, environmental carrying capacity, forestry foundation, and ecosystem integrity, the study area was classified into three regional ecological function ecosystems, i. e., east low hill ecosystem, middle plain ecosystem, and west plain wetland ecosystem. On the basis of marking regional ecological nodes, the regional ecological corridor (Haerbin-Dalian regional axis, Changchun-Jilin, Changchun-Songyuan, Jilin-Songyuan, Jilin-Siping, and Songyuan-Siping transportation corridor) and regional ecological network (one ring, three links, and three belts) were constructed. Taking the requests of regional ecological security into consideration, the ecological environment security system of "Ji Triangle" Region, including regional ecological conservation district, regional ecological restored district, and regional ecological management district, was built.

  14. Planning Brings Vision Into Focus (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2013-04-01

    This case study/fact sheet highlights the strategic energy planning process for Tribes that was developed by the DOE Office of Indian Energy. This nine-step process, which is outlined in one of the foundational education courses offered by the Office, enables Tribes to pursue energy projects in a well-planned and strategic manner.

  15. Studi Faktor-faktor Pemotivasi Manajemen Melakukan Tax Planning

    OpenAIRE

    Indrawati Indrawati; Gideon Setyo Budiwitaksono

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of Tax Policy, Tax Law, and Tax Administration on Tax Planning. Our samples consist of 20 Tax Cosultant’s Clients in Surabaya.The Results of this study show that tax policy and tax administration is not a factor that can motivate management to perform tax planning. While the tax laws is a factor that can motivate management to perform tax planning. This research suggests to the Government to issue tax regulations clearly and unambigu...

  16. Schedule optimization study implementation plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-11-01

    This Implementation Plan is intended to provide a basis for improvements in the conduct of the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at Hanford. The Plan is based on the findings of the Schedule Optimization Study (SOS) team which was convened for two weeks in September 1992 at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland Operations Office (RL). The need for the study arose out of a schedule dispute regarding the submission of the 1100-EM-1 Operable Unit (OU) Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) Work Plan. The SOS team was comprised of independent professionals from other federal agencies and the private sector experienced in environmental restoration within the federal system. The objective of the team was to examine reasons for the lengthy RI/FS process and recommend ways to expedite it. The SOS team issued their Final Report in December 1992. The report found the most serious impediments to cleanup relate to a series of management and policy issues which are within the control of the three parties managing and monitoring Hanford -- the DOE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the State of Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology). The SOS Report identified the following eight cross-cutting issues as the root of major impediments to the Hanford Site cleanup. Each of these eight issues is quoted from the SOS Report followed by a brief, general description of the proposed approach being developed

  17. Evaluation of participatory planning: Lessons from Hungarian Natura 2000 management planning processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovács, Eszter; Kelemen, Eszter; Kiss, Gabriella; Kalóczkai, Ágnes; Fabók, Veronika; Mihók, Barbara; Megyesi, Boldizsár; Pataki, György; Bodorkós, Barbara; Balázs, Bálint; Bela, Györgyi; Margóczi, Katalin; Roboz, Ágnes; Molnár, Dániel

    2017-12-15

    Stakeholder participation in nature conservation policies and especially in the management of protected areas has gained importance in the last decades. These changes are underlined by democratic principles and the perceived contribution of stakeholder involvement to the effectiveness of conservation management. Evaluating participatory processes is essential to learn about the past and thus increase the quality of future processes. The evaluation can be useful for the organisations responsible for planning and management, stakeholders and policy makers as well. The present paper shows the results of a systematic evaluation of 25 participatory processes related to the development of management plans for Natura 2000 sites in Hungary between 2007 and 2015. A conceptual framework was developed to evaluate the process and outcome of participatory management planning processes. Criteria were based on the scientific literature on public participation and tailored to conservation-related management planning and stakeholder involvement. Evaluated processes were grouped in three cases based on their time range and financial sources. Overall, the analysed processes scored at a medium level, showing better performance in the process criteria than in the outcome criteria. The best case scored significantly higher in four criteria compared to the other cases: representativeness, resource availability for facilitation, new, creative ideas and impact on the plan. The main factors behind the success were (1) embeddedness of the planning process in a larger project, where the plan was a tool for conservation, (2) carrying out only one process at a time, (3) previous experience of facilitators and planners with participatory planning and (4) the opportunity and capacity to propose a payment scheme as an incentive. But even this case received low scores in some criteria: conflict resolution, early involvement and well defined goals. Based on the results we suggest that more data is

  18. PLANNING EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION AND KNOWLEDGE – A CASE FROM TURKEY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ebru Cubukcu

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Sustainable development is one of the great challenges of 21st century for various disciplines including city and regional planning. Studies showed that city plans fail to promote sustainable development, design professionals have limited understanding of sustainability issues, and curriculums in design education schools do not put the necessary emphasis on sustainability concepts. However, no study has tested whether planning students’ have a different perception and understanding of sustainable development than other students. Thus, this study aims to understand attitudes of planning students towards sustainable development and compare planning students’ and other students’ knowledge about sustainable development. Data were collected by means of questionnaires, which asked questions about perception and attitudes towards sustainable development, source of information to improve sustainability knowledge, and level of knowledge for general, legal and architectural aspects of sustainability. One hundred ten volunteers (79 planning students, 31 general students participated in the study. Results showed that students thought that very little sustainable practice appears to be undertaken. Although, planning students thought that the sensitivity to sustainability determines an important percentage of their final grades in a studio project, they reported not using many of the sustainability principles in studios. In addition, planning students reported that they improve their understanding of sustainable development via classes, scientific articles and books. On the other hand, other students reported that they rely on visual and written media to improve their understanding of sustainable development. Despite those differences in sources of information, results showed that, planning students’ level of knowledge (for general, legal and architectural aspects of sustainability was not different than that of other students. In conclusion, although

  19. Solar envelope zoning: application to the city planning process. Los Angeles case study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-06-01

    Solar envelope zoning represents a promising approach to solar access protection. A solar envelope defines the volume within which a building will not shade adjacent lots or buildings. Other solar access protection techniques, such as privately negotiated easements, continue to be tested and implemented but none offer the degree of comprehensiveness evident in this approach. Here, the City of Los Angeles, through the Mayor's Energy Office, the City Planning Department, and the City Attorney's Office, examine the feasibility of translating the concept of solar envelopes into zoning techniques. They concluded that envelope zoning is a fair and consistent method of guaranteeing solar access, but problems of complexity and uncertainty may limit its usefulness. Envelope zoning may be inappropriate for the development of high density centers and for more restrictive community plans. Aids or tools to administer envelope zoning need to be developed. Finally, some combination of approaches, including publicly recorded easements, subdivision approval and envelope zoning, need to be adopted to encourage solar use in cities. (MHR)

  20. Long term generation planning in Cyprus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kellas, A [Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Nicosia (Cyprus)

    1997-09-01

    The Wien Automatic System Planning (WASP) model has been used for carrying out generation expansion planning studies in Cyprus since many years. This paper focuses on the problems encountered in the use of the model and illustrates these problems by means of a case study, specially developed for this purpose. Suggestions for future improvements of the model are also made in this paper. (author). 2 figs, 10 tabs.

  1. Improved Planning Time and Plan Quality Through Multicriteria Optimization for Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Craft, David L.; Hong, Theodore S.; Shih, Helen A.; Bortfeld, Thomas R.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To test whether multicriteria optimization (MCO) can reduce treatment planning time and improve plan quality in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials: Ten IMRT patients (5 with glioblastoma and 5 with locally advanced pancreatic cancers) were logged during the standard treatment planning procedure currently in use at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Planning durations and other relevant planning information were recorded. In parallel, the patients were planned using an MCO planning system, and similar planning time data were collected. The patients were treated with the standard plan, but each MCO plan was also approved by the physicians. Plans were then blindly reviewed 3 weeks after planning by the treating physician. Results: In all cases, the treatment planning time was vastly shorter for the MCO planning (average MCO treatment planning time was 12 min; average standard planning time was 135 min). The physician involvement time in the planning process increased from an average of 4.8 min for the standard process to 8.6 min for the MCO process. In all cases, the MCO plan was blindly identified as the superior plan. Conclusions: This provides the first concrete evidence that MCO-based planning is superior in terms of both planning efficiency and dose distribution quality compared with the current trial and error–based IMRT planning approach.

  2. A knowledge-based approach to improving and homogenizing intensity modulated radiation therapy planning quality among treatment centers: an example application to prostate cancer planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Good, David; Lo, Joseph; Lee, W Robert; Wu, Q Jackie; Yin, Fang-Fang; Das, Shiva K

    2013-09-01

    Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning can have wide variation among different treatment centers. We propose a system to leverage the IMRT planning experience of larger institutions to automatically create high-quality plans for outside clinics. We explore feasibility by generating plans for patient datasets from an outside institution by adapting plans from our institution. A knowledge database was created from 132 IMRT treatment plans for prostate cancer at our institution. The outside institution, a community hospital, provided the datasets for 55 prostate cancer cases, including their original treatment plans. For each "query" case from the outside institution, a similar "match" case was identified in the knowledge database, and the match case's plan parameters were then adapted and optimized to the query case by use of a semiautomated approach that required no expert planning knowledge. The plans generated with this knowledge-based approach were compared with the original treatment plans at several dose cutpoints. Compared with the original plan, the knowledge-based plan had a significantly more homogeneous dose to the planning target volume and a significantly lower maximum dose. The volumes of the rectum, bladder, and femoral heads above all cutpoints were nominally lower for the knowledge-based plan; the reductions were significantly lower for the rectum. In 40% of cases, the knowledge-based plan had overall superior (lower) dose-volume histograms for rectum and bladder; in 54% of cases, the comparison was equivocal; in 6% of cases, the knowledge-based plan was inferior for both bladder and rectum. Knowledge-based planning was superior or equivalent to the original plan in 95% of cases. The knowledge-based approach shows promise for homogenizing plan quality by transferring planning expertise from more experienced to less experienced institutions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Alumni Views about Educational Administration, Supervision, Planning and Economics Non-Thesis Master’s Program: The Case of Gaziantep University

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murat BAĞLIBEL

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to determine alumni views about Educational Administration, Supervision, Planning and Economics Non-Thesis Master’s Program which is carried out in Gaziantep University. The working group of the study consists of 16 participants graduated from Educational Administration, Supervision, Planning and Economics Non-Thesis Master’s Program of Gaziantep University until June, 2013. It is a case study of qualitative research designs. In order to collect research data, semistructured interview method is used. Research data are analyzed with descriptive and content analysis methods in accordance with qualitative research approach. At the end of the study, developing oneself in terms of occupational, personal and social relationships emerged as the reasons of choosing the program for education. The participants specify that the program met their expectations to a large extent. Regulating the program fee, starting distance education program, increasing the number of practical lessons of the program and Ministry of National Education’s giving more importance to the alumni of this Non-Thesis Master’s Program are among the proposals of the study.

  4. Planning and managing a corporate event : case: Event Activation Galaxy Studio Samsung S7/ S7 Edge

    OpenAIRE

    Bui, Quyen; Tran, Fa

    2017-01-01

    The thesis was written about the case: Event Activation Studio Galaxy Samsung S7/S7 Edge. Samsung is a global leading conglomerate company in the technology industry. This thesis discusses how to plan and manage an Event Activation for Samsung. The primary objective of this thesis was to provide a step-by-step guideline for planning and managing a corporate event. This objective was achieved by performing the following tasks: clarifying the influential role of corporate events in marketi...

  5. The Comparison Study of Quadratic Infinite Beam Program on Optimization Instensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning (IMRTP) between Threshold and Exponential Scatter Method with CERR® In The Case of Lung Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardiyanti, Y; Haekal, M; Waris, A; Haryanto, F

    2016-01-01

    This research compares the quadratic optimization program on Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning (IMRTP) with the Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research (CERR) software. We assumed that the number of beams used for the treatment planner was about 9 and 13 beams. The case used the energy of 6 MV with Source Skin Distance (SSD) of 100 cm from target volume. Dose calculation used Quadratic Infinite beam (QIB) from CERR. CERR was used in the comparison study between Gauss Primary threshold method and Gauss Primary exponential method. In the case of lung cancer, the threshold variation of 0.01, and 0.004 was used. The output of the dose was distributed using an analysis in the form of DVH from CERR. The maximum dose distributions obtained were on the target volume (PTV) Planning Target Volume, (CTV) Clinical Target Volume, (GTV) Gross Tumor Volume, liver, and skin. It was obtained that if the dose calculation method used exponential and the number of beam 9. When the dose calculation method used the threshold and the number of beam 13, the maximum dose distributions obtained were on the target volume PTV, GTV, heart, and skin. (paper)

  6. Quality Assessment of Family Planning Sterilization Services at Health Care Facilities: Case Record Audit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathur, Medha; Goyal, Ram Chandra; Mathur, Navgeet

    2017-05-01

    Quality of sterilization services is a matter of concern in India because population control is a necessity. Family Planning Sterilization (FPS) services provided at public health care facilities need to be as per Standard Operating Procedures. To assess the quality of FPS services by audit of case records at selected health care facilities. This cross-sectional study was conducted for two and a half year duration at selected public health care facilities of central India by simple random sampling where FPS services were provided. As per the standards of Government of India, case records were audited and compliance was calculated to assess the quality of services. Results of record audit were satisfactory but important criteria like previous contraceptive history and postoperative counselling were found to be deviated from standards. At Primary Health Centres (PHCs) only 89.5% and at Community Health Centres (CHCs) 58.7% of records were having details of previous contraceptive history. Other criteria like mental illness (only 70% at CHCs) assessment were also inadequate. Although informed consent was found to be having 100% compliance in all records. Quality of care in FPS services is the matter of concern in present scenario for better quality of services. This study may enlighten the policy makers regarding improvements needed for providing quality care.

  7. Data Base Design with GIS in Ecosystem Based Multiple Use Forest Management in Artvin, Turkey: A Case Study in Balcı Forest Management Planning Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yolasığmaz, Hacı Ahmet; Keleş, Sedat

    2009-01-01

    In Turkey, the understanding of planning focused on timber production has given its place on Multiple Use Management (MUM). Because the whole infrastructure of forestry with inventory system leading the way depends on timber production, some cases of bottle neck are expected during the transition period. Database design, probably the most important stage during the transition to MUM, together with the digital basic maps making up the basis of this infrastructure constitute the main point of this article. Firstly, the forest management philosophy of Turkey in the past was shortly touched upon in the article. Ecosystem Based Multiple Use Forest Management (EBMUFM) approaches was briefly introduced. The second stage of the process of EBMUFM, database design was described by examining the classical planning infrastructure and the coverage to be produced and consumed were suggested in the form of lists. At the application stage, two different geographical databases were established with GIS in Balcı Planning Unit of the years 1984 and 2006. Following that the related basic maps are produced. Timely diversity of the planning unit of 20 years is put forward comparatively with regard to the stand parameters such as tree types, age class, development stage, canopy closure, mixture, volume and increment.

  8. IMRT for adjuvant radiation in gastric cancer: A preferred plan?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ringash, Jolie; Perkins, Greg; Brierley, James; Lockwood, Gina; Islam, Mohammad; Catton, Pamela; Cummings, Bernard; Kim, John; Wong, Rebecca; Dawson, Laura

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the potential advantage of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) over conformal planning for postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with gastric carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Twenty patients who had undergone treatment planning with conformal beam arrangements for 4500 cGy adjuvant radiotherapy between 2000 and 2001 underwent repeat planning using IMRT techniques. Conformal five-field plans were compared with seven- to nine-field coplanar sliding-window IMRT plans. For each patient, the cumulative dose-volume histograms and organ-dose summaries (without distributions or digitally reconstructed radiographs) were provided to two independent, 'blinded' GI radiation oncologists. The oncologists indicated which plan provided better planning target volume coverage and critical organ sparing, any safety concerns with either plan, and which plan they would choose to treat the patient. Results: In 18 (90%) of 20 cases, both oncologists chose the same plan. Cases with disagreement were given to a third 'blinded' reviewer. A 'preferred plan' could be determined in 19 (95%) of 20 cases. IMRT was preferred in 17 (89%) of 19 cases. In 4 (20%) of 20 IMRT plans at least one radiation oncologist had safety concerns because of the spinal cord dose (3 cases) or small bowel dose (2 cases). Of 42 ratings, IMRT was thought to provide better planning target volume coverage in 36 (86%) and better sparing of the spinal cord in 31 (74%) of 42, kidneys in 29 (69%), liver in 30 (71%), and heart in 29 (69%) of 42 ratings. The median underdose volume (1.7 vs. 4.1 cm 3 ), maximal dose to the spinal cord (36.85 vs. 45.65 Gy), and dose to 50% of the liver (17.29 vs. 27.97), heart (12.89 vs. 15.50 Gy), and left kidney (15.50 vs. 16.06 Gy) were lower with IMRT than with the conformal plans. Conclusion: Compared with the conformal plans, oncologists frequently preferred IMRT plans when using dose-volume histogram data. The advantages of IMRT plans include both

  9. SU-E-T-357: Semi-Automated Knowledge-Based Radiation Therapy (KBRT) Planning for Head-And-Neck Cancer (HNC): Can KBRT Plans Achieve Better Results Than Manual Planning?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lutzky, C; Grzetic, S; Lo, J; Das, S

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Knowledge Based Radiation Therapy Treatment (KBRT) planning can be used to semi-automatically generate IMRT plans for new patients using constraints derived from previously manually-planned, geometrically similar patients. We investigate whether KBRT plans can achieve greater dose sparing than manual plans using optimized, organspecific constraint weighting factors. Methods: KBRT planning of HNC radiotherapy cases geometrically matched each new (query) case to one of the 105 clinically approved plans in our database. The dose distribution of the planned match was morphed to fit the querys geometry. Dose-volume constraints extracted from the morphed dose distribution were used to run the IMRT optimization with no user input. In the first version, all constraints were multiplied by a weighting factor of 0.7. The weighting factors were then systematically optimized (in order of OARs with increasing separation from the target) to maximize sparing to each OAR without compromising other OARs. The optimized, second version plans were compared against the first version plans and the clinically approved plans for 45 unilateral/bilateral target cases using the dose metrics: mean, median and maximum (brainstem and cord) doses. Results: Compared to the first version, the second version significantly reduced mean/median contralateral parotid doses (>2Gy) for bilateral cases. Other changes between the two versions were not clinically meaningful. Compared to the original clinical plans, both bilateral and unilateral plans in the second version had lower average dose metrics for 5 of the 6 OARs. Compared to the original plans, the second version achieved dose sparing that was at least as good for all OARs and better for the ipsilateral parotid (bilateral) and oral cavity (bilateral/unilateral). Differences in planning target volume coverage metrics were not clinically significant. Conclusion: HNC-KBRT planning generated IMRT plans with at least equivalent dose sparing to

  10. SU-E-T-357: Semi-Automated Knowledge-Based Radiation Therapy (KBRT) Planning for Head-And-Neck Cancer (HNC): Can KBRT Plans Achieve Better Results Than Manual Planning?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lutzky, C; Grzetic, S; Lo, J; Das, S [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: Knowledge Based Radiation Therapy Treatment (KBRT) planning can be used to semi-automatically generate IMRT plans for new patients using constraints derived from previously manually-planned, geometrically similar patients. We investigate whether KBRT plans can achieve greater dose sparing than manual plans using optimized, organspecific constraint weighting factors. Methods: KBRT planning of HNC radiotherapy cases geometrically matched each new (query) case to one of the 105 clinically approved plans in our database. The dose distribution of the planned match was morphed to fit the querys geometry. Dose-volume constraints extracted from the morphed dose distribution were used to run the IMRT optimization with no user input. In the first version, all constraints were multiplied by a weighting factor of 0.7. The weighting factors were then systematically optimized (in order of OARs with increasing separation from the target) to maximize sparing to each OAR without compromising other OARs. The optimized, second version plans were compared against the first version plans and the clinically approved plans for 45 unilateral/bilateral target cases using the dose metrics: mean, median and maximum (brainstem and cord) doses. Results: Compared to the first version, the second version significantly reduced mean/median contralateral parotid doses (>2Gy) for bilateral cases. Other changes between the two versions were not clinically meaningful. Compared to the original clinical plans, both bilateral and unilateral plans in the second version had lower average dose metrics for 5 of the 6 OARs. Compared to the original plans, the second version achieved dose sparing that was at least as good for all OARs and better for the ipsilateral parotid (bilateral) and oral cavity (bilateral/unilateral). Differences in planning target volume coverage metrics were not clinically significant. Conclusion: HNC-KBRT planning generated IMRT plans with at least equivalent dose sparing to

  11. Personal Study Planning in Doctoral Education in Industrial Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahenius, K.; Martinsuo, M.

    2010-01-01

    The duration of doctoral studies has increased in Europe. Personal study planning has been considered as one possible solution to help students in achieving shorter study times. This study investigates how doctoral students experience and use personal study plans in one university department of industrial engineering. The research material…

  12. The Impacts of Gender Discrimination, Socio-Economic Capital & University Enrollment Plans: A Case Study in Ankara Distinct

    OpenAIRE

    Ulusoy, M. Demet

    2017-01-01

    Drawing on a sample of 726 non-clinical adolescents (aged 17-18 years) from high schools in Ankara/ Turkey, this study investigated the interacting relationships between Turkish adolescents’ university plans and personal capital variables such as gender, school achievement, self-esteem, anxiety/depression, goal setting, course attendance and family atmosphere such as parental supporting, parental monitoring, parental separation and socio-economic c...

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juang, T; Bush, K; Loo, B; Gensheimer, M

    2016-01-01

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

  14. Freshwater conservation planning: the case for systematic approaches

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Linke, S

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The authors review recent advances in systematic conservation planning in fresh waters. Most modern systematic planning approaches are based on the CARE principles: comprehensiveness, adequacy, representativeness and efficiency. Efficiency...

  15. Vector-model-supported approach in prostate plan optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Eva Sau Fan; Wu, Vincent Wing Cheung; Harris, Benjamin; Lehman, Margot; Pryor, David; Chan, Lawrence Wing Chi

    2017-01-01

    Lengthy time consumed in traditional manual plan optimization can limit the use of step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiotherapy/volumetric-modulated radiotherapy (S&S IMRT/VMAT). A vector model base, retrieving similar radiotherapy cases, was developed with respect to the structural and physiologic features extracted from the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files. Planning parameters were retrieved from the selected similar reference case and applied to the test case to bypass the gradual adjustment of planning parameters. Therefore, the planning time spent on the traditional trial-and-error manual optimization approach in the beginning of optimization could be reduced. Each S&S IMRT/VMAT prostate reference database comprised 100 previously treated cases. Prostate cases were replanned with both traditional optimization and vector-model-supported optimization based on the oncologists' clinical dose prescriptions. A total of 360 plans, which consisted of 30 cases of S&S IMRT, 30 cases of 1-arc VMAT, and 30 cases of 2-arc VMAT plans including first optimization and final optimization with/without vector-model-supported optimization, were compared using the 2-sided t-test and paired Wilcoxon signed rank test, with a significance level of 0.05 and a false discovery rate of less than 0.05. For S&S IMRT, 1-arc VMAT, and 2-arc VMAT prostate plans, there was a significant reduction in the planning time and iteration with vector-model-supported optimization by almost 50%. When the first optimization plans were compared, 2-arc VMAT prostate plans had better plan quality than 1-arc VMAT plans. The volume receiving 35 Gy in the femoral head for 2-arc VMAT plans was reduced with the vector-model-supported optimization compared with the traditional manual optimization approach. Otherwise, the quality of plans from both approaches was comparable. Vector-model-supported optimization was shown to offer much shortened planning time and iteration

  16. Vector-model-supported approach in prostate plan optimization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Eva Sau Fan [Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia); Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong); Wu, Vincent Wing Cheung [Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong); Harris, Benjamin [Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia); Lehman, Margot; Pryor, David [Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia); School of Medicine, University of Queensland (Australia); Chan, Lawrence Wing Chi, E-mail: wing.chi.chan@polyu.edu.hk [Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong)

    2017-07-01

    Lengthy time consumed in traditional manual plan optimization can limit the use of step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiotherapy/volumetric-modulated radiotherapy (S&S IMRT/VMAT). A vector model base, retrieving similar radiotherapy cases, was developed with respect to the structural and physiologic features extracted from the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files. Planning parameters were retrieved from the selected similar reference case and applied to the test case to bypass the gradual adjustment of planning parameters. Therefore, the planning time spent on the traditional trial-and-error manual optimization approach in the beginning of optimization could be reduced. Each S&S IMRT/VMAT prostate reference database comprised 100 previously treated cases. Prostate cases were replanned with both traditional optimization and vector-model-supported optimization based on the oncologists' clinical dose prescriptions. A total of 360 plans, which consisted of 30 cases of S&S IMRT, 30 cases of 1-arc VMAT, and 30 cases of 2-arc VMAT plans including first optimization and final optimization with/without vector-model-supported optimization, were compared using the 2-sided t-test and paired Wilcoxon signed rank test, with a significance level of 0.05 and a false discovery rate of less than 0.05. For S&S IMRT, 1-arc VMAT, and 2-arc VMAT prostate plans, there was a significant reduction in the planning time and iteration with vector-model-supported optimization by almost 50%. When the first optimization plans were compared, 2-arc VMAT prostate plans had better plan quality than 1-arc VMAT plans. The volume receiving 35 Gy in the femoral head for 2-arc VMAT plans was reduced with the vector-model-supported optimization compared with the traditional manual optimization approach. Otherwise, the quality of plans from both approaches was comparable. Vector-model-supported optimization was shown to offer much shortened planning time and iteration

  17. A Comparative, Holistic, Multiple-Case Study of the Implementation of the Strategic Thinking Protocol© and Traditional Strategic Planning Processes at a Southeastern University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Deborah J.

    2012-01-01

    This study explores the strategic thinking and strategic planning efforts in a department, college and university in the Southeastern United States. The goal of the study was to identify elements of strategic planning processes that meet the unique organizational features and complexities of a higher education institution. The study employed a…

  18. Treatment Planning Study to Determine Potential Benefit of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Versus Conformal Radiotherapy for Unresectable Hepatic Malignancies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eccles, Cynthia L.; Bissonnette, Jean-Pierre; Craig, Tim; Taremi, Mojgan; Wu Xia; Dawson, Laura A.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To compare intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with conformal RT (CRT) for hypofractionated isotoxicity liver RT and explore dose escalation using IMRT for the same/improved nominal risk of liver toxicity in a treatment planning study. Methods and Materials: A total of 26 CRT plans were evaluated. Prescription doses (24-54 Gy within six fractions) were individualized on the basis of the effective liver volume irradiated maintaining ≤5% risk of radiation-induced liver disease. The dose constraints included bowel (0.5 cm 3 ) and stomach (0.5 cm 3 ) to ≤30 Gy, spinal cord to ≤25 Gy, and planning target volume (PTV) to ≤140% of the prescribed dose. Two groups were evaluated: (1) PTV overlapping or directly adjacent to serial functioning normal tissues (n = 14), and (2) the liver as the dose-limiting normal tissue (n = 12). IMRT plans using direct machine parameter optimization maintained the CRT plan beam arrangements, an estimated radiation-induced liver disease risk of 5%, and underwent dose escalation, if all normal tissue constraints were maintained. Results: IMRT improved PTV coverage in 19 of 26 plans (73%). Dose escalation was feasible in 9 cases by an average of 3.8 Gy (range, 0.6-13.2) in six fractions. Three of seven plans without improved PTV coverage had small gross tumor volumes (≤105 cm 3 ) already receiving 54 Gy, the maximal prescription dose allowed. In the remaining cases, the PTV range was 9.6-689 cm 3 ; two had overlapped organs at risk; and one had four targets. IMRT did not improve these plans owing to poor target coverage (n = 2) and nonliver (n = 2) dose limits. Conclusion: Direct machine parameter optimization IMRT improved PTV coverage while maintaining normal tissue tolerances in most CRT liver plans. Dose escalation was possible in a minority of patients

  19. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies: Data collection, analysis and reporting results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verani, Jennifer R; Baqui, Abdullah H; Broome, Claire V; Cherian, Thomas; Cohen, Cheryl; Farrar, Jennifer L; Feikin, Daniel R; Groome, Michelle J; Hajjeh, Rana A; Johnson, Hope L; Madhi, Shabir A; Mulholland, Kim; O'Brien, Katherine L; Parashar, Umesh D; Patel, Manish M; Rodrigues, Laura C; Santosham, Mathuram; Scott, J Anthony; Smith, Peter G; Sommerfelt, Halvor; Tate, Jacqueline E; Victor, J Chris; Whitney, Cynthia G; Zaidi, Anita K; Zell, Elizabeth R

    2017-06-05

    The case-control methodology is frequently used to evaluate vaccine effectiveness post-licensure. The results of such studies provide important insight into the level of protection afforded by vaccines in a 'real world' context, and are commonly used to guide vaccine policy decisions. However, the potential for bias and confounding are important limitations to this method, and the results of a poorly conducted or incorrectly interpreted case-control study can mislead policies. In 2012, a group of experts met to review recent experience with case-control studies evaluating vaccine effectiveness; we summarize the recommendations of that group regarding best practices for data collection, analysis, and presentation of the results of case-control vaccine effectiveness studies. Vaccination status is the primary exposure of interest, but can be challenging to assess accurately and with minimal bias. Investigators should understand factors associated with vaccination as well as the availability of documented vaccination status in the study context; case-control studies may not be a valid method for evaluating vaccine effectiveness in settings where many children lack a documented immunization history. To avoid bias, it is essential to use the same methods and effort gathering vaccination data from cases and controls. Variables that may confound the association between illness and vaccination are also important to capture as completely as possible, and where relevant, adjust for in the analysis according to the analytic plan. In presenting results from case-control vaccine effectiveness studies, investigators should describe enrollment among eligible cases and controls as well as the proportion with no documented vaccine history. Emphasis should be placed on confidence intervals, rather than point estimates, of vaccine effectiveness. Case-control studies are a useful approach for evaluating vaccine effectiveness; however careful attention must be paid to the collection

  20. Target dose study of effects of changes in the AAA calculation resolution on lung SABR plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dae Il; Son, Sang Jun; Ahn, Bum Seok; Jung, Chi Hoon; Yoo, Suk Hyun

    2014-01-01

    Changing the calculation grid of AAA in Lung SABR plan and to analyze the changes in target dose, and investigated the effects associated with it, and considered a suitable method of application. 4D CT image that was used to plan all been taken with Brilliance Big Bore CT (Philips, Netherlands) and in Lung SABR plan(Eclipse TM ver10.0.42, Varian, the USA), use anisotropic analytic algorithm(AAA, ver.10, Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA, USA) and, was calculated by the calculation grid 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 mm in each Lung SABR plan. Lung SABR plan of 10 cases are using each of 1.0 mm, 3.0 mm, 5.0 mm calculation grid, and in case of use a 1.0 mm calculation grid V98 of the prescribed dose is about 99.5%±1.5%, Dmin of the prescribed dose is about 92.5±1.5% and Homogeneity Index(HI) is 1.0489±0.0025. In the case of use a 3.0 mm calculation grid V98 dose of the prescribed dose is about 90±4.5% , Dmin of the prescribed dose is about 87.5±3% and HI is about 1.07±1. In the case of use a 5.0 mm calculation grid V98 dose of the prescribed dose is about 63±15%, Dmin of the prescribed dose is about 83±4% and HI is about 1.13±0.2, respectively. The calculation grid of 1.0 mm is better improves the accuracy of dose calculation than using 3.0 mm and 5.mm, although calculation times increase in the case of smaller PTV relatively. As lung, spread relatively large and low density and small PTV, it is considered and good to use a calculation grid of 1.0 mm

  1. Resource Requirements Planning for Hospitals Treating Serious Infectious Disease Cases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vugrin, Eric D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Verzi, Stephen Joseph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Finley, Patrick D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Turnquist, Mark A. [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States); Wyte-Lake, Tamar [Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center; Griffin, Ann R. [Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center; Ricci, Karen J. [Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center; Plotinsky, Rachel [Providence Health and Services, Renton, WA (United States)

    2015-02-01

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

  2. Service platforms management strategy: case study of an interior design firm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonel Del Rey de Melo Filho

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Platform management is a strategic tool for firms of various sizes, although it demands studies in the service sector. The aim of this paper is to investigate a use of platform management, designed to reach flexibility and operational dynamics in service projects. The studied platform is evaluated as a strategic resource in a particular case. The contributions of the service platform were explored from Resource-Based View (RBV and Service Marketing (SM perspectives, to study their effects on firms’ performance. The research strategy used was an exploratory case study in an interior design firm. The data collection techniques included a participant observation, document analysis and a focus group with firm managers. The research demonstrated that platform management is a strategic resource that assists with the planning of internal capabilities, market positioning, and provides better customer service.

  3. A social marketing approach to quality improvement in family planning services: a case study from Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulzar, Jamshaid; Ali, Moazzam; Kuroiwa, Chushi

    2008-02-01

    In the 1990s, social marketing approach was introduced in Pakistan to improve the quality and accessibility of family planning methods involving private practitioners. This study measured six quality elements using a Bruce-Jain framework. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 29 randomly selected Green Star clinics. The study's four components were 1) an inventory of each outlet (infrastructure, equipment, and supplies); 2) an observation guide for interaction between family planning clients and service providers; 3) exit interviews with clients attending the outlet; and 4) interviews with providers at the outlet. Of the 29 clients participating in the exit interviews, 72% were new users of family planning. The clients' mean age was 32 years; all clients were married; 93% had received formal education. Housework was the principal activity of 93% of clients. The mean number of children reported was three. Both hormonal and intrauterine contraceptives (IUCDs) were available in all facilities; 86% of the clients reported being able to obtain their contraceptive of choice. Most facilities had the equipment and supplies needed to deliver services; service personnel were trained and regularly supervised; the service outlets emphasized mechanisms to ensure continuity of use. Notable shortcomings included a shortage of information on alternative methods, contraindications, and side-effect management, as well as a dearth of registration records. In conclusion, this is a good example of public-private partnership involving private practitioners using a social marketing approach. The quality components of a Bruce-Jain framework were achieved, resulting in a satisfied clientele. Involvement of private service outlets increased the accessibility and enhanced the use of services. Social marketing may be expanded to improve quality and access by involving further components of health care.

  4. Case Study Research Methodology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Widdowson

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Commenting on the lack of case studies published in modern psychotherapy publications, the author reviews the strengths of case study methodology and responds to common criticisms, before providing a summary of types of case studies including clinical, experimental and naturalistic. Suggestions are included for developing systematic case studies and brief descriptions are given of a range of research resources relating to outcome and process measures. Examples of a pragmatic case study design and a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design are given and the paper concludes with some ethical considerations and an exhortation to the TA community to engage more widely in case study research.

  5. Network expansion by a proactive transmission system operator: A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groppi, Angelamaria; Fumagalli, Elena

    2014-01-01

    Complex planning procedures often amplify the difference in investment time between generation and transmission. In this work we consider a transmission project in Italy and, relying on a recently proposed methodology, we compare costs and benefits of anticipating the planning process before the connection of new power plants becomes certain. Whereas the system faces lower congestion costs if the network is reinforced immediately, anticipation constitutes a sunk cost in case generation is not built. For realistic load and generation scenarios, anticipation costs, as well as differences in investment times, our results indicate that anticipation is the most efficient choice for a relatively low connection probability. Analyses of this sort are particularly relevant in light of the increasing complexity of public engagement processes and of the remarkable growth in renewable generation. - Highlights: • Delays in transmission investments can increase congestion costs. • Anticipating a transmission upgrade before a generator connects has costs/benefits. • Case study: real-life transmission project in the North of Italy. • Anticipation is the efficient choice under several scenarios

  6. The strategic planning of health management information systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J

    1995-01-01

    This paper discusses the roles and functions of strategic planning of information systems in health services. It selects four specialised methodologies of strategic planning for analysis with respect to their applicability in the health field. It then examines the utilisation of information planning in case studies of three health organisations (two State departments of health and community services and one acute care institution). Issues arising from the analysis concern the planning process, the use to which plans are put, and implications for management.

  7. Library Automation in Sub Saharan Africa: Case Study of the University of Botswana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mutula, Stephen Mudogo

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: This article aims to present experiences and the lessons learned from the University of Botswana (UB) library automation project. The implications of the project for similar libraries planning automation in sub Saharan Africa and beyond are adduced. Design/methodology/approach: The article is a case study of library automation at the…

  8. Determinants of modern family planning use among women of reproductive age in the Nkwanta district of Ghana: a case–control study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Average contraceptive prevalence rate in the Nkwanta district of Ghana was estimated to be 6.2% relative to the national average at the time, of 19%. While several efforts had been made to improve family planning in the country, the district still had very low use of modern family planning methods. This study sought to determine the factors that influenced modern family planning use in general and specifically, the factors that determined the consistently low use of modern family planning methods in the district. Methods A case–control study was conducted in the Nkwanta district of Ghana to determine socio-economic, socio-cultural and service delivery factors influencing family planning usage. One hundred and thirty cases and 260 controls made up of women aged 15–49 years were interviewed using structured questionnaires. A logistic regression was fitted. Results Awareness and knowledge of modern family planning methods were high among cases and controls (over 90%). Lack of formal education among women, socio-cultural beliefs and spousal communication were found to influence modern family planning use. Furthermore, favourable opening hours of the facilities and distance to health facilities influenced the use of modern contraceptives. Conclusion While modern family planning seemed to be common knowledge among these women, actual use of such contraceptives was limited. There is need to improve use of modern family planning methods in the district. In addition to providing health facilities and consolidating close-to-client service initiatives in the district, policies directed towards improving modern family planning method use need to consider the influence of formal education. Promoting basic education, especially among females, will be a crucial step as the district is faced with high levels of school dropout and illiteracy rates. PMID:25117887

  9. Planning for avian flu disruptions on global operations: a DMAIC case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sameer

    2012-01-01

    The author aims to assess the spread of avian flu, its impact on businesses operating in the USA and overseas, and the measures required for corporate preparedness. Six Sigma DMAIC process is used to analyze avian flu's impact and how an epidemic could affect large US business operations worldwide. Wal-Mart and Dell Computers were chosen as one specializes in retail and the other manufacturing. The study identifies avian flu pandemic risks including failure modes on Wal-Mart and Dell Computers global operations. It reveals the factors that reinforce avian-flu pandemic's negative impact on company global supply chains. It also uncovers factors that balance avian-flu pandemic's impact on their global supply chains. Avian flu and its irregularity affect the research outcomes because its spread could fluctuate based on so many factors that could come into play. Further, the potential cost to manufacturers and other supply chain partners is relatively unknown. As a relatively new phenomenon, quantitative data were not available to determine immediate costs. In this decade, the avian influenza H5N1 virus has killed millions of poultry in Asia, Europe and Africa. This flu strain can infect and kill humans who come into contact with this virus. An avian influenza H5N1 outbreak could lead to a devastating effect on global food supply, business services and business operations. The study provides guidance on what global business operation managers can do to prepare for such events, as well as how avian flu progression to a pandemic can disrupt such operations. This study raises awareness about avian flu's impact on businesses and humans and also highlights the need to create contingency plans for corporate preparedness to avoid incurring losses.

  10. Project management case studies

    CERN Document Server

    Kerzner, Harold R

    2013-01-01

    A new edition of the most popular book of project management case studies, expanded to include more than 100 cases plus a ""super case"" on the Iridium Project Case studies are an important part of project management education and training. This Fourth Edition of Harold Kerzner''s Project Management Case Studies features a number of new cases covering value measurement in project management. Also included is the well-received ""super case,"" which covers all aspects of project management and may be used as a capstone for a course. This new edition:Contains 100-plus case studies drawn from re

  11. Tourism-planning network knowledge dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dredge, Dianne

    2014-01-01

    This chapter explores the characteristics and functions of tourism networks as a first step in understanding how networks facilitate and reproduce knowledge. A framework to progress understandings of knowledge dynamics in tourism networks is presented that includes four key dimensions: context......, network agents, network boundaries and network resources. A case study of the development of the Next Generation Tourism Handbook (Queensland, Australia), a policy initiative that sought to bring tourism and land use planning knowledge closer together is presented. The case study illustrates...... that the tourism policy and land use planning networks operate in very different spheres and that context, network agents, network boundaries and network resources have a significant influence not only on knowledge dynamics but also on the capacity of network agents to overcome barriers to learning and to innovate....

  12. Three dimensional intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT): Dosimetry algorithm and inverse treatment planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi Chengyu; Guo Bingqi; Cheng, Chih-Yao; Esquivel, Carlos; Eng, Tony; Papanikolaou, Niko

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The feasibility of intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) to improve dose conformity for irregularly shaped targets has been previously investigated by researchers by means of using partially shielded sources. However, partial shielding does not fully explore the potential of IMBT. The goal of this study is to introduce the concept of three dimensional (3D) intensity modulated brachytherapy and solve two fundamental issues regarding the application of 3D IMBT treatment planning: The dose calculation algorithm and the inverse treatment planning method. Methods: A 3D IMBT treatment planning system prototype was developed using the MATLAB platform. This system consists of three major components: (1) A comprehensive IMBT source calibration method with dosimetric inputs from Monte Carlo (EGSnrc) simulations; (2) a ''modified TG-43'' (mTG-43) dose calculation formalism for IMBT dosimetry; and (3) a physical constraint based inverse IMBT treatment planning platform utilizing a simulated annealing optimization algorithm. The model S700 Axxent electronic brachytherapy source developed by Xoft, Inc. (Fremont, CA), was simulated in this application. Ten intracavitary accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) cases were studied. For each case, an ''isotropic plan'' with only optimized source dwell time and a fully optimized IMBT plan were generated and compared to the original plan in various dosimetric aspects, such as the plan quality, planning, and delivery time. The issue of the mechanical complexity of the IMBT applicator is not addressed in this study. Results: IMBT approaches showed superior plan quality compared to the original plans and the isotropic plans to different extents in all studied cases. An extremely difficult case with a small breast and a small distance to the ribs and skin, the IMBT plan minimized the high dose volume V 200 by 16.1% and 4.8%, respectively, compared to the original and the isotropic plans. The conformity index for the

  13. Three dimensional intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT): Dosimetry algorithm and inverse treatment planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shi Chengyu; Guo Bingqi; Cheng, Chih-Yao; Esquivel, Carlos; Eng, Tony; Papanikolaou, Niko [Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Oklahoma University Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 (United States); Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229 (United States)

    2010-07-15

    Purpose: The feasibility of intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) to improve dose conformity for irregularly shaped targets has been previously investigated by researchers by means of using partially shielded sources. However, partial shielding does not fully explore the potential of IMBT. The goal of this study is to introduce the concept of three dimensional (3D) intensity modulated brachytherapy and solve two fundamental issues regarding the application of 3D IMBT treatment planning: The dose calculation algorithm and the inverse treatment planning method. Methods: A 3D IMBT treatment planning system prototype was developed using the MATLAB platform. This system consists of three major components: (1) A comprehensive IMBT source calibration method with dosimetric inputs from Monte Carlo (EGSnrc) simulations; (2) a ''modified TG-43'' (mTG-43) dose calculation formalism for IMBT dosimetry; and (3) a physical constraint based inverse IMBT treatment planning platform utilizing a simulated annealing optimization algorithm. The model S700 Axxent electronic brachytherapy source developed by Xoft, Inc. (Fremont, CA), was simulated in this application. Ten intracavitary accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) cases were studied. For each case, an ''isotropic plan'' with only optimized source dwell time and a fully optimized IMBT plan were generated and compared to the original plan in various dosimetric aspects, such as the plan quality, planning, and delivery time. The issue of the mechanical complexity of the IMBT applicator is not addressed in this study. Results: IMBT approaches showed superior plan quality compared to the original plans and the isotropic plans to different extents in all studied cases. An extremely difficult case with a small breast and a small distance to the ribs and skin, the IMBT plan minimized the high dose volume V{sub 200} by 16.1% and 4.8%, respectively, compared to the original and the

  14. Three dimensional intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT): dosimetry algorithm and inverse treatment planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chengyu; Guo, Bingqi; Cheng, Chih-Yao; Esquivel, Carlos; Eng, Tony; Papanikolaou, Niko

    2010-07-01

    The feasibility of intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) to improve dose conformity for irregularly shaped targets has been previously investigated by researchers by means of using partially shielded sources. However, partial shielding does not fully explore the potential of IMBT. The goal of this study is to introduce the concept of three dimensional (3D) intensity modulated brachytherapy and solve two fundamental issues regarding the application of 3D IMBT treatment planning: The dose calculation algorithm and the inverse treatment planning method. A 3D IMBT treatment planning system prototype was developed using the MATLAB platform. This system consists of three major components: (1) A comprehensive IMBT source calibration method with dosimetric inputs from Monte Carlo (EGSnrc) simulations; (2) a "modified TG-43" (mTG-43) dose calculation formalism for IMBT dosimetry; and (3) a physical constraint based inverse IMBT treatment planning platform utilizing a simulated annealing optimization algorithm. The model S700 Axxent electronic brachytherapy source developed by Xoft, Inc. (Fremont, CA), was simulated in this application. Ten intracavitary accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) cases were studied. For each case, an "isotropic plan" with only optimized source dwell time and a fully optimized IMBT plan were generated and compared to the original plan in various dosimetric aspects, such as the plan quality, planning, and delivery time. The issue of the mechanical complexity of the IMBT applicator is not addressed in this study. IMBT approaches showed superior plan quality compared to the original plans and tht isotropic plans to different extents in all studied cases. An extremely difficult case with a small breast and a small distance to the ribs and skin, the IMBT plan minimized the high dose volume V200 by 16.1% and 4.8%, respectively, compared to the original and the isotropic plans. The conformity index for the target was increased by 0.13 and 0

  15. Introduction of an Electronic Forum for Annual Development Planning (A Case Study in Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irwanto Irwanto

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Indonesian constitution was amended in 1999 and requested for local government to establish bottom up planning process that has been set as a standard approach to accommodate local aspiration in the making of annual development plan. The Musrenbang (Musyawarah Perencanaan Pembangunan/The Deliberation of development Plan was amended by Law No. 25/2004 as the stages of planning formulation process in which stakeholders and Public Administrator sit down for forum to communicate each other to find best means for local problem solution. Musrenbang need to modify since it tend to not work as become effective mechanism to accommodate aspirations of stakeholders (bottom level and hand them over to local government (upper level due to several barriers, such as; geographical distance, limited transportation system, irregular political intervention and bureaucratic red tape. Using Information Communication Technology (ICT that able to simplify the planning process by utilizing the people’s interactions expectedly can make simpler and faster procedure, including maximizing the role of Musrenbang. An Electronic forum for annual development planning will set to improve validity, effectiveness and efficiency. Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatera, Indonesia is now making preparation to introduce this system. PCM method was applied to analyze the problems for its introduction. Keywords: development plan, information communication technology, local government, musrenbang.

  16. Implant-Supported PMMA Monolithic Full-Arch Rehabilitation with Surgical Computer-Planned Guide and Immediate Provisional: A Case Report with One Year Follow-Up

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincenzo Luca Zizzari

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this case report is to describe the surgical and prosthetic procedures to achieve maxillary and mandibular implant-supported PMMA monolithic full-arch rehabilitation (PMFR with surgical computer-planned guide and immediate provisional. In such cases, the correct planning of dental implants’ position, length, and diameter and the prosthetic phases via computer-aided design are very important to achieve good aesthetic and functional long-lasting results.

  17. Implant-Supported PMMA Monolithic Full-Arch Rehabilitation with Surgical Computer-Planned Guide and Immediate Provisional: A Case Report with One Year Follow-Up

    OpenAIRE

    Zizzari, Vincenzo Luca; Tacconelli, Gianmarco

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this case report is to describe the surgical and prosthetic procedures to achieve maxillary and mandibular implant-supported PMMA monolithic full-arch rehabilitation (PMFR) with surgical computer-planned guide and immediate provisional. In such cases, the correct planning of dental implants’ position, length, and diameter and the prosthetic phases via computer-aided design are very important to achieve good aesthetic and functional long-lasting results.

  18. Value chain management for commodities: a case study from the chemical industry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kannegiesser, M.; Gunther, H.O.; van Beek, P.

    2009-01-01

    decisions by volume and value throughout the value chain to ensure profitability. Contract and spot demand differentiation with volatile and uncertain spot prices, spot sales quantity flexibility, spot sales price-quantity functions and variable raw material consumption rates in production are problem...... quantity, price and supply decisions throughout the value chain. A two-phase optimization approach supports robust planning ensuring minimum profitability even in case of worst-case spot sales price scenarios. Model evaluations with industry case data demonstrate the impact of elasticities, variable raw......We present a planning model for chemical commodities related to an industry case. Commodities are standard chemicals characterized by sales and supply volatility in volume and value. Increasing and volatile prices of crude oil-dependent raw materials require coordination of sales and supply...

  19. Inverse planning for interstitial gynecologic template brachytherapy: truly anatomy-based planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lessard, Etienne; Hsu, I-Chou; Pouliot, Jean

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: Commercially available optimization schemes generally result in an undesirable dose distribution, because of the particular shapes of tumors extending laterally from the tandem. Dose distribution is therefore manually obtained by adjusting relative dwell time values until an acceptable solution is found. The objective of this work is to present the clinical application of an inverse planning dose optimization tool for the automatic determination of source dwell time values in the treatment of interstitial gynecologic templates. Methods and Materials: In cases where the tumor extends beyond the range of the tandem-ovoid applicator, catheters as well as the tandem are inserted into the paravaginal and parametrial region in an attempt to cover the tumor volume. CT scans of these patients are then used for CT-based dose planning. Dose distribution is obtained manually by varying the relative dwell times until adequate dose coverage is achieved. This manual planning is performed by an experienced physician. In parallel, our in-house inverse planning based on simulated annealing is used to automatically determine which of all possible dwell positions will become active and to calculate the dwell time values needed to fulfill dose constraints applied to the tumor volume and to each organ at risk. To compare the results of these planning methods, dose-volume histograms and isodose distributions were generated for the target and each organ at risk. Results: This procedure has been applied for the dose planning of 12 consecutive interstitial gynecologic templates cases. For all cases, once the anatomy was contoured, the routine of inverse planning based on simulated annealing found the solution to the dose constraints within 1 min of CPU time. In comparison, manual planning took more than 45 min. The inverse planning-generated plans showed improved protection to organs at risk for the same coverage compared to manual planning. Conclusion: This inverse planning tool

  20. FAMILY BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDIES IN BUSINESS OF THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor Antonio Barros Belmonte

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study was to examine, from two case studies, management processes (strategic planning, management control systems and human resources and cultural (succession and organizational culture two family businesses in the state of São Paulo. Concepts were discussed, and specific features, as well as factors related to organizational management of family businesses (planning, control, people management, culture and succession to support the studies described. Through interviews and observation of routine business, it was concluded that there is evidence that the management in Company "B" moving towards professionalization, due to be developing a formal strategic planning. This company already has clear goals for employees and creating an area of ​​people management. In contrast, Company "A", still needs to improve its organizational structure, as there is lack of planning, strategies and formal actions, so that decisions are focused on owners and taken in light of action-reaction.