WorldWideScience

Sample records for degree plan expires

  1. Expiration Times for Data Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Albrecht; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Saltenis, Simonas

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes an approach to incorporating the notion of expiration time into data management based on the relational model. Expiration times indicate when tuples cease to be current in a database. The paper presents a formal data model and a query algebra that handle expiration times...... transparently and declaratively. In particular, expiration times are exposed to users only on insertion and update, and when triggers fire due to the expiration of a tuple; for queries, they are handled behind the scenes and do not concern the user. Notably, tuples are removed automatically from (materialised......) query results as they expire in the (base) relations. For application developers, the benefits of using expiration times are (1) leaner application code, (2) lower transaction volume, (3) smaller databases, and, (4) higher consistency for replicated data with lower overhead. Expiration times turn out...

  2. Using near infrared spectroscopy to classify soybean oil according to expiration date.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Costa, Gean Bezerra; Fernandes, David Douglas Sousa; Gomes, Adriano A; de Almeida, Valber Elias; Veras, Germano

    2016-04-01

    A rapid and non-destructive methodology is proposed for the screening of edible vegetable oils according to conservation state expiration date employing near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and chemometric tools. A total of fifty samples of soybean vegetable oil, of different brands andlots, were used in this study; these included thirty expired and twenty non-expired samples. The oil oxidation was measured by peroxide index. NIR spectra were employed in raw form and preprocessed by offset baseline correction and Savitzky-Golay derivative procedure, followed by PCA exploratory analysis, which showed that NIR spectra would be suitable for the classification task of soybean oil samples. The classification models were based in SPA-LDA (Linear Discriminant Analysis coupled with Successive Projection Algorithm) and PLS-DA (Discriminant Analysis by Partial Least Squares). The set of samples (50) was partitioned into two groups of training (35 samples: 15 non-expired and 20 expired) and test samples (15 samples 5 non-expired and 10 expired) using sample-selection approaches: (i) Kennard-Stone, (ii) Duplex, and (iii) Random, in order to evaluate the robustness of the models. The obtained results for the independent test set (in terms of correct classification rate) were 96% and 98% for SPA-LDA and PLS-DA, respectively, indicating that the NIR spectra can be used as an alternative to evaluate the degree of oxidation of soybean oil samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Evaluation of gene expression data generated from expired Affymetrix GeneChip® microarrays using MAQC reference RNA samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tong Weida

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Affymetrix GeneChip® system is a commonly used platform for microarray analysis but the technology is inherently expensive. Unfortunately, changes in experimental planning and execution, such as the unavailability of previously anticipated samples or a shift in research focus, may render significant numbers of pre-purchased GeneChip® microarrays unprocessed before their manufacturer’s expiration dates. Researchers and microarray core facilities wonder whether expired microarrays are still useful for gene expression analysis. In addition, it was not clear whether the two human reference RNA samples established by the MAQC project in 2005 still maintained their transcriptome integrity over a period of four years. Experiments were conducted to answer these questions. Results Microarray data were generated in 2009 in three replicates for each of the two MAQC samples with either expired Affymetrix U133A or unexpired U133Plus2 microarrays. These results were compared with data obtained in 2005 on the U133Plus2 microarray. The percentage of overlap between the lists of differentially expressed genes (DEGs from U133Plus2 microarray data generated in 2009 and in 2005 was 97.44%. While there was some degree of fold change compression in the expired U133A microarrays, the percentage of overlap between the lists of DEGs from the expired and unexpired microarrays was as high as 96.99%. Moreover, the microarray data generated using the expired U133A microarrays in 2009 were highly concordant with microarray and TaqMan® data generated by the MAQC project in 2005. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that microarray data generated using U133A microarrays, which were more than four years past the manufacturer’s expiration date, were highly specific and consistent with those from unexpired microarrays in identifying DEGs despite some appreciable fold change compression and decrease in sensitivity. Our data also suggested that the

  4. Effect of artificial accelerated aging on the optical properties and monomeric conversion of composites used after expiration date.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Lucas da Fonseca Roberti; Mundim, Fabricio Mariano; Pires-de-Souza, Fernanda de Carvalho Panzeri; Puppin Rontani, Regina Maria; Consani, Simonides

    2013-01-01

    This study sought to evaluate how artificial accelerated aging (AAA) affected color stability (ΔE), opacity (ΔOP), and degree of conversion (DOC) for 3 composite materials (Tetric Ceram, Tetric Ceram HB, and Tetric Flow) used both 180 days before and 180 days after their expiration dates. To evaluate the materials' optical properties, 10 specimens of each composite-5 prior to expiration and 5 after the materials' expiration date-were made in a teflon matrix. After polishing, the specimens were submitted to initial color and opacity readings and submitted to AAA for 384 hours; at that point, new readings were taken to determine ΔE and ΔOP. To evaluate monomeric conversion evaluation, 6 specimens from each composite and expiration date-3 prior to AAA and 3 after-were submitted to DOC analysis. Results of the 2-way ANOVA and Bonferroni's tests (P 0.05). The expired Tetric Flow had the highest DOC values (71.42% ± 4.21) before AAA, significantly different than that of the other composites (P > 0.05). It was concluded that both expiration date and AAA affected the properties of the composites tested.

  5. 21 CFR 211.137 - Expiration dating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Expiration dating. 211.137 Section 211.137 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) DRUGS... § 211.137 Expiration dating. (a) To assure that a drug product meets applicable standards of identity...

  6. Displacement of structures in the thorax from expiration to inspiration as estimated by computed tomography and a 3-D treatment planning system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garmon, Pamela; Huang, David; Lutz, Steve; Zwicker, Robert

    1996-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: The spread of image based three dimensional treatment planning and conformal radiotherapy have brought new attention to the problems of patient motion during treatment. Recent studies of the effects of breathing on the motion of internal structures have led to the suggestion that gated irradiation might improve the therapeutic benefits of conformal therapy. In the present work we investigate the displacement of tumor and other structures in the thorax with breathing in order to assess further the potential benefit of gating in the treatment of lung tumors. Materials and Methods: Thoracic CT scans were obtained for patients immediately after inspiration and after expiration. Tumor positions were assessed by computing the centers of the outlined volumes for both inspiration and expiration. Effects of breathing motion along the longitudinal direction were evaluated by using a three dimensional treatment planning system to measure the distances between scans where the top of the diaphragm was present. Displacement within the transverse direction was assessed by measuring the positions of the field skin markers, the aorta and the esophagus. Results: Movement of the centers of the tumor volumes as computed by reconstructed volumes was measured to be 0.7-1.2cm. The magnitude of this movement was greatest for tumors in the mid to lower region of the lung and was primarily in the direction of superior to inferior combined with anterior to posterior. Displacement of the diaphragm ranged 1-3 cm with breathing. Displacement of the aorta and esophagus was measured to be 0.2-1.5 cm. Movement of these structures was only analyzed transversely and showed displacement to the patients' left and posterior upon expiration. The magnitude did not appear to correlate with position relative to the diaphragm. Patients with less diaphragm movement also had smaller tidal volumes and conversely, patients with larger diaphragm displacement had greater tidal volumes

  7. The relationship of normal body temperature, end-expired breath temperature, and BAC/BrAC ratio in 98 physically fit human test subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowan, J Mack; Burris, James M; Hughes, James R; Cunningham, Margaret P

    2010-06-01

    The relationship between normal body temperature, end-expired breath temperature, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC)/breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) ratio was studied in 98 subjects (84 men, 14 women). Subjects consumed alcohol sufficient to produce a BrAC of at least 0.06 g/210 L 45-75 min after drinking. Breath samples were analyzed using an Intoxilyzer 8000 specially equipped to measure breath temperature. Venous blood samples and body temperatures were then taken. The mean body temperature of the men (36.6 degrees C) was lower than the women (37.0 degrees C); however, their mean breath temperatures were virtually identical (men: 34.5 degrees C; women: 34.6 degrees C). The BAC exceeded the BrAC for every subject. BAC/BrAC ratios were calculated from the BAC and BrAC analytical results. There was no difference in the BAC/BrAC ratios for men (1:2379) and women (1:2385). The correlation between BAC and BrAC was high (r = 0.938, p body temperature and end-expired breath temperature, body temperature and BAC/BrAC ratio, and breath temperature and BAC/BrAC ratio were much lower. Neither normal body temperature nor end-expired breath temperature was strongly associated with BAC/BrAC ratio.

  8. REEXAMINING THE EXPIRATION DAY EFFECTS OF STOCK INDEX DERIVATIVES: EVIDENCE FROM TAIWAN

    OpenAIRE

    Chin-Lin Chuang; Dar-Hsin Chen; Chung-Hsien Su

    2008-01-01

    This study examines whether the expiration of derivative contracts affects the underlying spot assets in Taiwan. The expiration effect refers to abnormal return, price reversal, abnormal return volatility, and abnormal volume in underlying spot stock markets as derivatives contracts expire. Due to the unique settlement procedure in the Taiwan Futures Exchange, this study also examines if the expiration effects occur on the settlement day which is the next business day after the expiration day...

  9. Adhesive performance of precoated brackets after expiration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cloud, Cayce C; Trojan, Terry M; Suliman, Sam N; Tantbirojn, Daranee; Versluis, Antheunis

    2016-03-01

    To evaluate adhesive performance in terms of debonding forces of precoated metal and ceramic brackets 4 years after expiration. Buccal and lingual surfaces of embedded extracted maxillary premolars were etched with 34% Tooth Conditioner Gel (Dentsply Caulk, Milford, Del), rinsed, and dried. Transbond MIP (3M Unitek, Monrovia, Calif) was applied prior to placing adhesive precoated brackets (APC II Victory stainless steel and APC Plus Clarity ceramic brackets, 3M Unitek). The preexpiration brackets had 29-35 months before, and the postexpiration brackets were 45-52 months past, their expiration dates. Sample size was 17-21 per group. Debonding forces were determined by subjecting the bonded brackets to a shear force in a universal testing machine. Debonding forces were compared using two-way ANOVA. Debonded surfaces were examined under a stereomicroscope to determine failure modes, which were compared using the chi-square test. No statistically significant difference was found in debonding forces (P  =  .8581) or failure modes (P  =  .4538) between expired and unexpired brackets. Metal brackets required statistically significantly higher debonding forces than did ceramic brackets (P  =  .0001). For both expired and unexpired brackets, failure modes were mostly cohesive in the adhesive layer for ceramic brackets, and mixed between adhesive and cohesive failure in the adhesive layer for metal brackets. Adhesive precoated brackets did not have any reduction in enamel-adhesion properties up to 4 years after their expiration date. Extended shelf life testing for precoated dental brackets may be worth considering.

  10. Afs password expiration starts Feb 2nd 2004

    CERN Multimedia

    2004-01-01

    Due to security reasons, and in agreement with CERN management, afs/lxplus passwords will fall into line with Nice/Mail passwords on February 2nd and expire annually. As of the above date afs account holders who have not changed their passwords for over a year will have a 60 day grace period to make a change. Following this date their passwords will become invalid. What does this mean to you? If you have changed your afs password in the past 10 months the only difference is that 60 days before expiration you will receive a warning message. Similar warnings will also appear nearer the time of expiration. If you have not changed your password for more than 10 months, then, as of February 2nd you will have 60 days to change it using the command ‘kpasswd'. Help to choose a good password can be found at: http://security.web.cern.ch/security/passwords/ If you have been given a temporary password at any time by the Helpdesk or registration team this will automatically fall into the expiration category ...

  11. 23 CFR 1200.30 - Expiration of the right to incur costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 23 Highways 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Expiration of the right to incur costs. 1200.30 Section... HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS Closeout § 1200.30 Expiration of the right to incur costs. Unless extended in accordance with the provisions of § 1200.31 of this part, the right to incur costs under Section 402 expires...

  12. 24 CFR 891.590 - Notice upon HAP contract expiration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notice upon HAP contract expiration... Handicapped-Section 8 Assistance § 891.590 Notice upon HAP contract expiration. (a) Notice required. The HAP contract will provide that the Borrower will, at least one year before the end of the HAP contract term...

  13. THE EFFECT OF EXPIRED BREAD MEAL AS CORN SUBSTITUTION IN DIET ON BROILER PERFORMANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Kismiati

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available An experiment was conducted to investigate the expired bread meal used as corn substitution in thebroiler diets to optimally the product performance. One hundred day old chick (DOC male broilerswere given the same diet until 2 weeks old, and then given the treatment diet until 7 weeks of age. ACompletely Randomized Design was used in this study. Data were analyzed by variance of analysis, andfollowed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test The treatments were : T0 = control feed (without expiredbread meal, T1 = corn substituted with 10% expired bread meal, T2 = corn substituted with 20%expired bread meal, T3 = corn substituted with 30% expired bread meal and T4 = corn substituted with40% expired bread meal. The result indicated that corn substituted with expired bread meal up to 40%has not significantly affected on carcass weight, carcass percentage and feed conversion, but decreasedsignificantly on feed consumption and body weight gain. It can be concluded that the use of expiredbread meal 30% of the proportion of corn produced the most optimal broiler performance. Thesubstitution corn with expired bread meal 40% was decreased body weight gain.

  14. 78 FR 73696 - Extension of Expiration Date for Mental Disorders Body System Listings; Correction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-09

    ... of Expiration Date for Mental Disorders Body System Listings; Correction AGENCY: Social Security... published a final rule document extending the expiration date of the Mental Disorders body system in the...) extending the expiration date of the Mental Disorders body system in the Listing of Impairments (listings...

  15. Sensor gas analyzer for acetone determination in expired air

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranov, Vitaly V.

    2001-05-01

    Diseases and changes in the way of life change the concentration and composition of the expired air. Our adaptable gas analyzer is intended for the selective analysis of expired air and can be adapted for the solution of current diagnostic and analytical tasks by the user (a physician or a patient). Having analyzed the existing trends in the development of noninvasive diagnostics we have chosen the method of noninvasive acetone detection in expired air, where the acetone concentration correlates with blood and urine glucose concentrations. The appearance of acetone in expired air is indicative of disorders that may be caused not only by diabetes but also be wrong diet, incorrect sportsmen training etc. To control the disorders one should know the acetone concentration in the human body. This knowledge allows one to judge upon the state of the patient, choose a correct diet that will not cause damage to the patient's health, determine sportsmen training efficiency and results and solve the artificial pancreas problem. Our device provide highly accurate analysis, rapid diagnostics and authentic acetone quantification in the patient's body at any time aimed at prediction of the patient's state and assessing the efficiency of the therapy used. Clinical implementation of the device will improve the health and save lives of many thousands of diabetes sufferers.

  16. Expiration of Historical Databases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toman, David

    2001-01-01

    We present a technique for automatic expiration of data in a historical data warehouse that preserves answers to a known and fixed set of first-order queries. In addition, we show that for queries with output size bounded by a function of the active data domain size (the number of values that have...... ever appeared in the warehouse), the size of the portion of the data warehouse history needed to answer the queries is also bounded by a function of the active data do-main size and therefore does not depend on the age of the warehouse (the length of the history)....

  17. 78 FR 72571 - Extension of Expiration Date for Mental Disorders Body System Listings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-03

    ... of Expiration Date for Mental Disorders Body System Listings AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: We are extending the expiration date of the Mental Disorders body system in... need to evaluate mental disorders at step three of the sequential evaluation processes for initial...

  18. Disposal practices of unused and expired pharmaceuticals among general public in Kabul

    OpenAIRE

    Bashaar, Mohammadk; Thawani, Vijay; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Saleem, Fahad

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Most of the medicine users remain unaware about the disposal of unused or expired medicines. The aim of this study was to know the disposal practices of unused and expired medicines among the general public in Kabul. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews using prevalidated structured questionnaire. Returned questionnaires were double-checked for accuracy. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23 wa...

  19. A Character Segmentation Proposal for High-Speed Visual Monitoring of Expiration Codes on Beverage Cans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José C. Rodríguez-Rodríguez

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Expiration date labels are ubiquitous in the food industry. With the passage of time, almost any food becomes unhealthy, even when well preserved. The expiration date is estimated based on the type and manufacture/packaging time of that particular food unit. This date is then printed on the container so it is available to the end user at the time of consumption. MONICOD (MONItoring of CODes; an industrial validator of expiration codes; allows the expiration code printed on a drink can to be read. This verification occurs immediately after printing. MONICOD faces difficulties due to the high printing rate (35 cans per second and problematic lighting caused by the metallic surface on which the code is printed. This article describes a solution that allows MONICOD to extract shapes and presents quantitative results for the speed and quality.

  20. An Optimization Model for Expired Drug Recycling Logistics Networks and Government Subsidy Policy Design Based on Tri-level Programming

    OpenAIRE

    Huang, Hui; Li, Yuyu; Huang, Bo; Pi, Xing

    2015-01-01

    In order to recycle and dispose of all people’s expired drugs, the government should design a subsidy policy to stimulate users to return their expired drugs, and drug-stores should take the responsibility of recycling expired drugs, in other words, to be recycling stations. For this purpose it is necessary for the government to select the right recycling stations and treatment stations to optimize the expired drug recycling logistics network and minimize the total costs of recycling and disp...

  1. 14 CFR 61.427 - What must I do if my flight instructor certificate with a sport pilot rating expires?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... certificate with a sport pilot rating expires? 61.427 Section 61.427 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... GROUND INSTRUCTORS Flight Instructors With a Sport Pilot Rating § 61.427 What must I do if my flight instructor certificate with a sport pilot rating expires? You may exchange your expired flight instructor...

  2. An Optimization Model for Expired Drug Recycling Logistics Networks and Government Subsidy Policy Design Based on Tri-level Programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Hui; Li, Yuyu; Huang, Bo; Pi, Xing

    2015-07-09

    In order to recycle and dispose of all people's expired drugs, the government should design a subsidy policy to stimulate users to return their expired drugs, and drug-stores should take the responsibility of recycling expired drugs, in other words, to be recycling stations. For this purpose it is necessary for the government to select the right recycling stations and treatment stations to optimize the expired drug recycling logistics network and minimize the total costs of recycling and disposal. This paper establishes a tri-level programming model to study how the government can optimize an expired drug recycling logistics network and the appropriate subsidy policies. Furthermore, a Hybrid Genetic Simulated Annealing Algorithm (HGSAA) is proposed to search for the optimal solution of the model. An experiment is discussed to illustrate the good quality of the recycling logistics network and government subsides obtained by the HGSAA. The HGSAA is proven to have the ability to converge on the global optimal solution, and to act as an effective algorithm for solving the optimization problem of expired drug recycling logistics network and government subsidies.

  3. Measurements of pulmonary gas exchange efficiency using expired gas and oximetry: results in normal subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, John B; Wang, Daniel L; Prisk, G Kim

    2018-04-01

    We are developing a novel, noninvasive method for measuring the efficiency of pulmonary gas exchange in patients with lung disease. The patient wears an oximeter, and we measure the partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in inspired and expired gas using miniature analyzers. The arterial Po 2 is then calculated from the oximeter reading and the oxygen dissociation curve, using the end-tidal Pco 2 to allow for the Bohr effect. This calculation is only accurate when the oxygen saturation is ideal alveolar Po 2 minus the measured arterial Po 2 . That measurement requires an arterial blood sample. The present study suggests that this noninvasive procedure will be valuable in assessing the degree of impaired gas exchange in patients with lung disease.

  4. Disposal practices of unused and expired pharmaceuticals among general public in Kabul

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Bashaar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Most of the medicine users remain unaware about the disposal of unused or expired medicines. The aim of this study was to know the disposal practices of unused and expired medicines among the general public in Kabul. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews using prevalidated structured questionnaire. Returned questionnaires were double-checked for accuracy. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 23 was used for statistical analysis. Results Total of 301 valid questionnaires were returned with a response rate of 100% in which 73.4% men and 26.6% women participated. More than half of the respondents were university graduates. Interestingly, 83.4% of the interviewees purchased medicines on the prescription of which 47.2% were university graduates, while 14.6% purchased medicine over the counter. Among the respondents, 46.5/100 purchased antibiotics and the remaining purchased NSAIDs, anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic medicines. Significantly, 97/100 checked the expiry date of medicine before buying. Majority (95.3% of the respondents’ stored medicines at home. 77.7% of the respondents discarded the expired medicines in household trash. Majority of respondents held government responsible for creation of awareness for proper medicine disposal. Almost entire sample (98% felt that improper disposal of unused and expired medicines can affect the environment and health. Conclusion Gaps exist in practices, therefore robust, safe and cost-effective pharmaceutical waste management program supported with media campaign is needed. Healthcare practitioners and community pharmacists should offer training to educate customers on standard medicine disposal practices.

  5. Disposal practices of unused and expired pharmaceuticals among general public in Kabul.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bashaar, Mohammad; Thawani, Vijay; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Saleem, Fahad

    2017-01-07

    Most of the medicine users remain unaware about the disposal of unused or expired medicines. The aim of this study was to know the disposal practices of unused and expired medicines among the general public in Kabul. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews using prevalidated structured questionnaire. Returned questionnaires were double-checked for accuracy. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23 was used for statistical analysis. Total of 301 valid questionnaires were returned with a response rate of 100% in which 73.4% men and 26.6% women participated. More than half of the respondents were university graduates. Interestingly, 83.4% of the interviewees purchased medicines on the prescription of which 47.2% were university graduates, while 14.6% purchased medicine over the counter. Among the respondents, 46.5/100 purchased antibiotics and the remaining purchased NSAIDs, anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic medicines. Significantly, 97/100 checked the expiry date of medicine before buying. Majority (95.3%) of the respondents' stored medicines at home. 77.7% of the respondents discarded the expired medicines in household trash. Majority of respondents held government responsible for creation of awareness for proper medicine disposal. Almost entire sample (98%) felt that improper disposal of unused and expired medicines can affect the environment and health. Gaps exist in practices, therefore robust, safe and cost-effective pharmaceutical waste management program supported with media campaign is needed. Healthcare practitioners and community pharmacists should offer training to educate customers on standard medicine disposal practices.

  6. Breath-hold times in patients undergoing radiological examinations. Comparison of expiration and inspiration with and without hyperventilation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groell, R.; Schaffler, G.J.; Schloffer, S.

    2001-01-01

    Background. Breath-holding is necessary for imaging studies of the thorax and abdomen using computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound examinations. The purpose of this study was to compare the breath-hold times in expiration and inspiration and to evaluate the effects of hyperventilation. Patients and methods. Thirty patients and 19 healthy volunteers participated in this study after informed consent was obtained in all. The breath-hold times were measured in expiration and inspiration before and after hyperventilation. Results. The mean breath-hold times in expiration (patients: 24±9 sec, volunteers: 27±7 sec) were significantly shorter than those in inspiration (patients: 41±20 sec, p<0.001; volunteers: 62±18 sec, p<0.001). Additional hyperventilation resulted in a significant increase (range: 40-60%, p≤0.005) of the mean breathhold times either in expiration and in inspiration and for both patients and volunteers. Conclusions. Although breath-holding in expiration is recommended for various imaging studies particularly of the thorax and of the abdomen, suspending respiration in inspiration enables the patient a considerable longer breath-hold time. (author)

  7. An Optimization Model for Expired Drug Recycling Logistics Networks and Government Subsidy Policy Design Based on Tri-level Programming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Huang

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available In order to recycle and dispose of all people’s expired drugs, the government should design a subsidy policy to stimulate users to return their expired drugs, and drug-stores should take the responsibility of recycling expired drugs, in other words, to be recycling stations. For this purpose it is necessary for the government to select the right recycling stations and treatment stations to optimize the expired drug recycling logistics network and minimize the total costs of recycling and disposal. This paper establishes a tri-level programming model to study how the government can optimize an expired drug recycling logistics network and the appropriate subsidy policies. Furthermore, a Hybrid Genetic Simulated Annealing Algorithm (HGSAA is proposed to search for the optimal solution of the model. An experiment is discussed to illustrate the good quality of the recycling logistics network and government subsides obtained by the HGSAA. The HGSAA is proven to have the ability to converge on the global optimal solution, and to act as an effective algorithm for solving the optimization problem of expired drug recycling logistics network and government subsidies.

  8. THE ECSTACY OF GOLD Patent Expirations for Trastuzumab, Bevacizumab, Rituximab, and Cetuximab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serna-Gallegos, Tasha R; LaFargue, Christopher J; Tewari, Krishnansu S

    2017-11-22

    Fully humanized monoclonal antibodies have revolutionized the treatment of many solid tumors, including breast, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer. Among the most widely used monoclonal antibodies in clinical oncology are cetuximab, trastuzumab, rituximab, and bevacizumab. This article will review these four notable monoclonal antibodies, their role in clinical oncology, and the drug patents that are nearing expiration. They are used in both first and second line treatment regimens for multiple common malignancies. With recent patent expirations, pharmaceutical companies involved in biosimilar manufacture are looking to establish ownership over these financial monopolies. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  9. Sampling technique for collection of expired COsub(2) in studies using naturally labelled sup(13)C in calves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chevalier, R.; Pelletier, G.; Gagnon, M.

    1984-01-01

    Natural isotopic labelling of animal metabolic processes presents great advantages over the use of artificially enriched compounds. These advantages include the use of natural diets, low cost and easiness of handling, sampling and disposal. Changes in the sup(13)C/sup(12)C ratio of expired COsub(2) after ingestion of a test meal containing a variable proportion of Csub(3) and/or Csub(4) plant-derived products permits measurements of the immediate oxidation of dietary carbohydrates. A breathing device for collection of expired COsub(2) and purification techniques are described. The breath-sampling device is composed of a polypropylene enclosure and a rubber bag. The rubber bag is blown up by the animal and a sample of the expired gas is transferred to a sampling glass holder in which a vacuum had been previously achieved. Sample purification of expired COsub(2) is done by differential freezing

  10. Heart rate asymmetry follows the inspiration/expiration ratio in healthy volunteers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klintworth, Anne; Ajtay, Zénó; Paljunite, Alina; Szabados, Sándor; Hejjel, László

    2012-01-01

    Heart rate asymmetry (HRA) quantifies the uneven distribution of points above and below the identity-line in a Poincaré plot of RR-intervals. The authors investigated if HRA could be influenced by the inspiration/expiration ratio. Healthy volunteers (n = 18) were studied in the supine position at 4.5 s metronome breathing. ECG and breathing signals were recorded for 360 s at each breathing pattern: inspiration controlled, inspiration/expiration controlled (1:2, 1:1, 2:1 ratio), inspiration controlled again. Time domain, frequency domain and Poincaré plot heart rate variability (HRV) analysis with Porta's and Guzik's indices were performed on 300 s tachograms. There were no statistically significant differences in time domain, frequency domain and standard Poincaré plot parameters during the various breathing patterns, whereas Porta's and Guzik's indices significantly rose at 1:1 and 2:1 compared to physiological 1:2 breathing. There were no significant differences in the HRA parameters between the first and the last runs. In our population the inspiration/expiration ratio significantly influenced HRA, but not standard HRV parameters. Positive correlation of Guzik's and Porta's index reflects reciprocal changes of the number of points and their dispersion in the accelerating and decelerating sets of RR-intervals. HRA-analysis can be a promising method for investigating cardiovascular regulation/health particularly with further spreading of wearable monitors. (paper)

  11. A closed-loop model of the respiratory system: focus on hypercapnia and active expiration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaroslav I Molkov

    Full Text Available Breathing is a vital process providing the exchange of gases between the lungs and atmosphere. During quiet breathing, pumping air from the lungs is mostly performed by contraction of the diaphragm during inspiration, and muscle contraction during expiration does not play a significant role in ventilation. In contrast, during intense exercise or severe hypercapnia forced or active expiration occurs in which the abdominal "expiratory" muscles become actively involved in breathing. The mechanisms of this transition remain unknown. To study these mechanisms, we developed a computational model of the closed-loop respiratory system that describes the brainstem respiratory network controlling the pulmonary subsystem representing lung biomechanics and gas (O2 and CO2 exchange and transport. The lung subsystem provides two types of feedback to the neural subsystem: a mechanical one from pulmonary stretch receptors and a chemical one from central chemoreceptors. The neural component of the model simulates the respiratory network that includes several interacting respiratory neuron types within the Bötzinger and pre-Bötzinger complexes, as well as the retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group (RTN/pFRG representing the central chemoreception module targeted by chemical feedback. The RTN/pFRG compartment contains an independent neural generator that is activated at an increased CO2 level and controls the abdominal motor output. The lung volume is controlled by two pumps, a major one driven by the diaphragm and an additional one activated by abdominal muscles and involved in active expiration. The model represents the first attempt to model the transition from quiet breathing to breathing with active expiration. The model suggests that the closed-loop respiratory control system switches to active expiration via a quantal acceleration of expiratory activity, when increases in breathing rate and phrenic amplitude no longer provide sufficient

  12. Preparing for chemical terrorism: a study of the stability of expired pralidoxime (2-PAM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Robert S; Mercurio-Zappala, Maria; Bouchard, Nicole; Ravikumar, Padinjarekuttu; Goldfrank, Lewis

    2012-03-01

    Oximes such as pralidoxime (2-PAM) are essential antidotes for life-threatening organophosphate poisoning. Unfortunately, oximes are expensive, have limited use, and have short shelf lives. As such, maintaining large stockpiles in preparation for terrorist activity is not always possible. We have demonstrated that atropine is stable well beyond its labeled shelf life and that recently expired 2-PAM was clinically efficacious in a series of poisoned patients. Because 2-PAM is often dosed empirically, clinical improvement does not guarantee pharmacological stability. We therefore chose to analyze the chemical stability of expired 2-PAM. Samples of lyophylized 2-PAM were maintained according to the manufacturer's recommendations for 20 years beyond the published shelf life. We studied 2-PAM contained in a MARK I autoinjector that was stored properly for 3 years beyond its expiration date. An Agilent LC/MSD 1100 with diode-array detector and an Agilent Sorbax SB-C-18, 4.6 × 150-mm, 5-μm column were used with the following solvent systems: water with 0.01% trifluoroacetic acid and methanol with 0.01% trifluoroacetic acid. Fresh reagent grade 2-PAM was used as a standard. Results were repeated for consistency. Lyophylized 2-PAM was a white powder that was clear and colorless in solution. Liquid chromatography was identical to the standard and resulted in 2 isolated peaks with identical mass spectra, suggesting that they are stereoisomers. The autoinjector discharged a clear, yellowish solution. In addition to the 2 peaks identified for lyophylized 2-PAM, a small third peak was identified with a mass spectra corresponding to the reported N -methyl pyridinium carboxaldehyde degradation product. When properly stored, lyophylized 2-PAM appears to be chemically stable well beyond its expiration date. Although the relative amount of degradation product found in solubilized (autoinjector) 2-PAM was small, it is unclear whether this may be toxic and therefore is of concern

  13. Radiopacity and microhardness changes and effect of X-ray operating voltage in resin-based materials before and after the expiration date

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tirapelli Camila

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This study observed alteration in the radiopacity and microhardness of expired resin-based materials compared to non-expired materials and the operating characteristics of the X-ray source used. Five 2 mm-thick cured specimens were prepared for each material: composite resins (P60®, Z100®, and a compomer (Dyract AP®. Radiopacity of the specimens was evaluated comparing the density of the resin-based material to an equivalent (mm density of a 99.5% pure aluminum step wedge using a transmission densitometer. Surface microhardness measurements were carried out using a calibrated Vickers indenter on three different points of the same surface. ANOVA and Tukey tests (pre-set alpha = 0.05 revealed that expired materials showed no significant change in radiopacity. One material (Filtek P60 demonstrated lower radiopacity with lower KVp. Change in microhardness wa s statistically significant for Z100: for this material, the microhardness after expiration was significantly lower than before the expiration date.

  14. Biotechnology's Regulatory Science: The Case of Roundup Ready Soybean's Patent Expiration

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Puente Rodriguez, D.; Swart, J.A.A.

    2014-01-01

    The patent held by Monsanto for Roundup Ready® soybeans will expire soon and, therefore, the first generic agro-food product in the short history of agro-biotechnology will become a fact. Using insights from science and technology studies, the article elaborates on the importance of regulatory

  15. Administration of time-expired yellow fever vaccine: public health response and results of a serological investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, K W; Nguyen-Van-Tam, J S; Howells, J

    1999-06-01

    The discovery that a local travel clinic had administered 101 doses of time-expired yellow fever vaccine over a six month period prompted an immediate investigation in order to advise vaccinees about to travel to areas where yellow fever is endemic. No data were available to provide adequate reassurance about the potential efficacy of time-expired vaccine, so a rapid serological investigation was conducted, which provided evidence that the yellow fever vaccine had remained potent beyond its expiry date.

  16. Reversal of functional disorders by aspiration, expiration and cough reflexes and their voluntary counterparts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoltan eTomori

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Agonal gasping provoked by asphyxia can save ~15% of mammals even from untreated ventricular fibrillation, but it fails to revive infants with sudden infant death syndrome. Our systematic study of airway reflexes in cats and other animals indicated that in addition to cough, there are 2 distinct airway reflexes that may contribute to auto-resuscitation. Gasp- and sniff-like spasmodic inspirations can be elicited by nasopharyngeal stimulation, strongly activating the brainstem generator for inspiration, which is also involved in the control of gasping. This aspiration reflex (AspR is characterized by spasmodic inspiration without subsequent active expiration and can be elicited during agonal gasping, caused by brainstem trans-sections in cats. Stimulation of the larynx can activate the generator for expiration to evoke the expiration reflex, manifesting with prompt expiration without preceding inspiration. Stimulation of the oro-pharynx and lower airways provokes the cough reflex which results from activating of both generators. The powerful potential of the AspR resembling auto-resuscitation by gasping can influence the control mechanisms of vital functions, mediating reversal of various functional disorders.The AspR in cats interrupted hypoxic apnea, laryngo- and bronchospasm, apneusis and even transient asphyxic coma, and can normalize various hypo- and hyper-functional disorders. Introduction of a nasogastric catheter evoked similar spasmodic inspirations in premature infants and interrupted hiccough attacks in adults. Coughing on demand can prevent anaphylactic shock and resuscitate the pertinent subject. Sniff representing nasal inspiratory pressure and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures are voluntary counterparts of airway reflexes, and are useful for diagnosis and therapy of various cardio-respiratory and neuromuscular disorders.

  17. 41 CFR 102-85.205 - What happens if a customer agency continues occupancy after the expiration of an OA?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... assignments. However, provisions are necessary to cover the GSA and customer relationship if an OA expires... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What happens if a customer agency continues occupancy after the expiration of an OA? 102-85.205 Section 102-85.205 Public...

  18. Linearity of electrical impedance tomography during maximum effort breathing and forced expiration maneuvers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngo, Chuong; Leonhardt, Steffen; Zhang, Tony; Lüken, Markus; Misgeld, Berno; Vollmer, Thomas; Tenbrock, Klaus; Lehmann, Sylvia

    2017-01-01

    Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) provides global and regional information about ventilation by means of relative changes in electrical impedance measured with electrodes placed around the thorax. In combination with lung function tests, e.g. spirometry and body plethysmography, regional information about lung ventilation can be achieved. Impedance changes strictly correlate with lung volume during tidal breathing and mechanical ventilation. Initial studies presumed a correlation also during forced expiration maneuvers. To quantify the validity of this correlation in extreme lung volume changes during forced breathing, a measurement system was set up and applied on seven lung-healthy volunteers. Simultaneous measurements of changes in lung volume using EIT imaging and pneumotachography were obtained with different breathing patterns. Data was divided into a synchronizing phase (spontaneous breathing) and a test phase (maximum effort breathing and forced maneuvers). The EIT impedance changes correlate strictly with spirometric data during slow breathing with increasing and maximum effort ([Formula: see text]) and during forced expiration maneuvers ([Formula: see text]). Strong correlations in spirometric volume parameters [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]), [Formula: see text]/FVC ([Formula: see text]), and flow parameters PEF, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) were observed. According to the linearity during forced expiration maneuvers, EIT can be used during pulmonary function testing in combination with spirometry for visualisation of regional lung ventilation.

  19. End-expiration respiratory gating for a high-resolution stationary cardiac SPECT system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, Chung; Sinusas, Albert J; Liu, Chi; Harris, Mark; Le, Max; Biondi, James; Grobshtein, Yariv; Liu, Yi-Hwa

    2014-01-01

    Respiratory and cardiac motions can degrade myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) image quality and reduce defect detection and quantitative accuracy. In this study, we developed a dual respiratory and cardiac gating system for a high-resolution fully stationary cardiac SPECT scanner in order to improve the image quality and defect detection. Respiratory motion was monitored using a compressive sensor pillow connected to a dual respiratory–cardiac gating box, which sends cardiac triggers only during end-expiration phases to the single cardiac trigger input on the SPECT scanners. The listmode data were rebinned retrospectively into end-expiration frames for respiratory motion reduction or eight cardiac gates only during end-expiration phases to compensate for both respiratory and cardiac motions. The proposed method was first validated on a motion phantom in the presence and absence of multiple perfusion defects, and then applied on 11 patient studies with and without perfusion defects. In the normal phantom studies, the end-expiration gated SPECT (EXG-SPECT) reduced respiratory motion blur and increased myocardium to blood pool contrast by 51.2% as compared to the ungated images. The proposed method also yielded an average of 11.2% increase in myocardium to defect contrast as compared to the ungated images in the phantom studies with perfusion defects. In the patient studies, EXG-SPECT significantly improved the myocardium to blood pool contrast (p < 0.005) by 24% on average as compared to the ungated images, and led to improved perfusion uniformity across segments on polar maps for normal patients. For a patient with defect, EXG-SPECT improved the defect contrast and definition. The dual respiratory–cardiac gating further reduced the blurring effect, increased the myocardium to blood pool contrast significantly by 36% (p < 0.05) compared to EXG-SPECT, and further improved defect characteristics and visualization of fine structures at the expense of increased

  20. 77 FR 35264 - Extension of Expiration Dates for Several Body System Listings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-13

    ..., Social Security Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background We use... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 20 CFR Part 404 [Docket No. SSA-2012-0024] RIN 0960-AH49 Extension of Expiration Dates for Several Body System Listings AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION...

  1. 78 FR 54756 - Extension of Expiration Dates for Two Body System Listings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-06

    ... Security Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background We use the... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 20 CFR Part 404 [Docket No. SSA-2013-0039] RIN 0960-AH60 Extension of Expiration Dates for Two Body System Listings AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION...

  2. Reuse of Expired Cefort Drug in Nickel Electrodeposition From Watts Bath

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Delia-Andrada Duca

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper demonstrates the possibility to use ceftriaxone (CEFTR active compound from expired Cefort as additive in nickel electrodeposition from Watts baths. Electrochemical behaviour and the influence of CEFTR on nickel electroplating were studied by electrochemical methods. Experimental data recommends CEFTR as additive in nickel electroplating from Watts baths.

  3. [Primary antisera before and after the expiration date. Comparative immunohistochemical observations and analysis of data sheets and labels].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vigliani, R; Babache, N

    2002-06-01

    By means of positive and negative controls, the immunostaining properties of a series (B) of 78 primary antibodies (PAB) that had expired 7-77 months previously (mean, 26.3 months) were evaluated in comparison those of the same non expired (functioning) PAB. Qualitatively, no significative difference was observed in the specificity and sensitivity. Among all of the PAB (with the exception of one), no immunonegativity was observed. With special reference to immunohistochemical methods, dilution and retrieval procedures, as suggested on data sheets, were additionally considered. Moreover the residual availability of the reagents was checked. In fact 58 PAB were still available for further examination with probable prolongation of the duration of validity. Other observations are analytically reported as far as polyclonal, monoclonal, concentrated and predilluted expired PAB are concerned. In the same way, duration of available validity before the expiration date was examined for the expired PAB and for an additional series of 90 nonexpired PAB. Finally textual information (including intended use) reported on data sheets and labels has been scrutinized in detail. In conclusion, for the diagnostically applied immunohistochemistry on the basis of these findings and the recent American and European rules, the following propositions should be considered: (1) surveillance on methodological technical approach and diagnostic evaluation, with emphasis on accurate standardization and primary responsibility of the pathologist; (2) opportunity of a continuous feed-back between laboratories-customers and producers-traders, in order to render more uniform the information and establish more realistic parameters of utilization; and (3) possibility of cost reduction according to limited financial support from the health care administration.

  4. A stability-study of expired ampoules manufactured more than 40 years ago.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zilker, Markus; Sörgel, Fritz; Holzgrabe, Ulrike

    2018-02-20

    Pharmaceutical manufacturers have to study the stability of drug products before marketing according to ICH guideline Q1A(R2); data of those investigations aim to set expiry dates. The expiry date on the container of a remedy assures the physician and the patient a stability of the drug in its formulation i.e. within a specification of 95-105%. Only few studies show that shelf-lives of pharmaceutical products are often longer than expiration dates. The objective of the study presented here was determining the content of nine expired ampoules manufactured in the last century and identifying the impurity profile by means of HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS, respectively. The ampoules are part of the "PEAK-collection" of long expired finished pharmaceutical products at IBMP, Nürnberg-Heroldsberg, and consists among others of epinephrine (Suprarenin and Adrenalin in Oil), etilefrine (Effortil ® ), synephrine (Sympatol ® ), caffeine and procaine (Impletol), caffeine and sodium salicylate (Caffeinum Salicylicum), dipyridamole (Persantin ® ), furosemide (Lasix ® ), and metamizole (Novalgin ® ). For chromatographic investigations methods of the European Pharmacopoeia for related substances were used; for determining the content, they were validated for linearity, precision, and accuracy. The results were compared to current reference ampoules. Five out of nine ampoules were still within the specified content limits. In Suprarenin and Adrenalin in Oil, both containing epinephrine, Impletol (procaine), and Persantin ® (dipyridamole) contents were decreased to 70%, 74%, 79%, and 86%, respectively, and therefore out of specification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. 13 CFR 124.403 - How is a business plan updated and modified?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... incorporated into its business plan. The transition management strategy must describe: (1) How the Participant... business growth and promote profitable business operations after the expiration of its program term. (d... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How is a business plan updated and...

  6. Platelet lysates produced from expired platelet concentrates support growth and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra Mjoll Jonsdottir-Buch

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells are promising candidates in regenerative cell therapy. Conventional culture methods involve the use of animal substances, specifically fetal bovine serum as growth supplement. Since the use of animal-derived products is undesirable for human applications, platelet lysates produced from human platelets are an attractive alternative. This is especially true if platelet lysates from already approved transfusion units at blood banks can be utilized. The purpose of this study was to produce human platelet lysates from expired, blood bank-approved platelet concentrates and evaluate their use as growth supplement in the culture of mesenchymal stem cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were cultured with one of three culture supplements; fetal bovine serum, lysates from freshly prepared human platelet concentrates, or lysates from expired human platelet concentrates. The effects of these platelet-derived culture supplements on basic mesenchymal stem cell characteristics were evaluated. All cultures maintained the typical mesenchymal stem cell surface marker expression, trilineage differentiation potential, and the ability to suppress in vitro immune responses. However, mesenchymal stem cells supplemented with platelet lysates proliferated faster than traditionally cultured cells and increased the expression of the osteogenic marker gene RUNX-2; yet no difference between the use of fresh and expired platelet concentrates was observed. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggest that human platelet lysates produced from expired platelet concentrates can be used as an alternative to fetal bovine serum for mesenchymal stem cell culture to the same extent as lysates from fresh platelets.

  7. Investigation of molecular metabolites in expired air of healthy man in condition of long-term isolation in hermetical confined environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsarkov, Dmitriy; Mardanov, Robert; Markin, Andrey; Moukhamedieva, Lana

    Investigation of intermediary metabolites, produced in cells, in expired air of healthy man is directed on determination of molecular markers which are reflecting normal physiological pro-cesses in an organism, as well as on determination and validation of biomarkers for objective screening and non-invasive prenosological diagnostics of disorders in metabolic processes caused by negative effect of live environment. Investigation of influence of long-term isolation in her-metical confined environment on composition of healthy human expired air was made during experiment with 105 days isolation in condition of controlled environment and standard food ra-tion. Expired air samples were analyzed on gas chromatograph associated with the quadrupole mass spectrometer. The investigation results show that at rest hydroxy ketones, mostly 1-hydroxy-prorapanone-2 (acetol), aldehydes (decenal, benzaldehyde), acetophenone, phenol and fatty acids were determined. After physical performance (oxidative stress) the content of ke-tones (heptanone-2, heptanone-3), phenol, determined aldehydes (decenal, octadecenal) and acetol in expired air of volunteers decreased. It can be concerned with prevailing of alternative -methylglyoxalic metabolic pathway and caused by oxidative stress. Analysis of expired air samples taken on 30, 60 and 90 day of isolation showed that in conditions of long-term iso-lation concentration of heptanone-2, heptanone-3, 2,3-butadione, acetol, furanones, aldehydes (decenal, benzaldehyde) and acetophenone is increasing while concentration of phenol and fatty acids is decreasing as compared to samples taken before isolation. It was shown that dynamics of concentration of saturated hydrocarbons in expired air can be informative marker for estima-tion of organism response to oxidative stress, while the level of acetol can be used as indicator of man's training status, validity of exercise load and as a marker of hypoxic state.

  8. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure among non-smoking waiters: measurement of expired carbon monoxide levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronaldo Laranjeira

    2000-07-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXT: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is a health risk that is of concern to patrons and of particular concern to employees of restaurants and bars. OBJECTIVE: To assess environmental tobacco smoke exposure (using expired carbon monoxide levels in non-smoking waiters before and after a normal day's shift and to compare pre-exposure levels with non-smoking medical students. DESIGN: An observational study. SETTING: Restaurants with more than 50 tables or 100 places in São Paulo. SUBJECTS: 100 non-smoking restaurant waiters and 100 non-smoking medical students in São Paulo, Brazil. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Levels of expired carbon monoxide, measured with a Smokerlyser (Bedfont EC 50 Scientific, before and after a normal day's work. RESULTS: Waiters' pre-exposure expired carbon monoxide levels were similar to those of medical students, but after a mean of 9 hours exposure in the workplace, median levels more than doubled (2.0 ppm vs. 5.0 ppm, P <0.001. Post-exposure carbon monoxide levels were correlated with the number of tables available for smokers (Kendall's tau = 0.2, P <0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is the most likely explanation for the increase in carbon monoxide levels among these non-smoking waiters. These findings can be used to inform the ongoing public health debate on passive smoking.

  9. 25 CFR 161.610 - What will BIA do if livestock is not removed when a permit expires or is cancelled?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What will BIA do if livestock is not removed when a permit expires or is cancelled? 161.610 Section 161.610 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF... will BIA do if livestock is not removed when a permit expires or is cancelled? If the livestock is not...

  10. Training of Prospective Managers by Educational Institutions for Strategic Planning at the Stage of Studying for a Master’s Degree

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamara R. Gumennikova

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available In the given article the attention is focused on training of master’s degree students – prospective managers of an enterprise, institution, organization (in the field of education and industrial training for strategic planning by an educational institution.Ways of methodological accompaniment of educational manager’s training for strategic planning are presented. Fragments of systemic work of master’s degree teachers in the plane of the problem under investigation are demonstrated on actual examples.

  11. STARTing Again: What Happens After START I Expires?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mladineo, Stephen V.; Durbin, Karyn R.; Eastman, Christina M.

    2007-01-01

    The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), a seminal arms control agreement that substantially reduced the levels of deployed strategic nuclear arms in the United States and Russia, will expire in December 2009. At this time, it is unclear what - if anything - will replace it. While the treaty remains relevant, more than a simple extension is appropriate. Instead the authors advocate for a successor regime that builds on the START I legacy but does not rely on the traditional tools of arms control. This paper examines the strategic context in which a successor regime would be developed and proposes several recommendations for future action

  12. 42 CFR 137.137 - If the 45 day review period or extension thereto, has expired, and the Tribes offer is deemed...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ..., has expired, and the Tribes offer is deemed accepted by operation of law, are there any exceptions to... SERVICES INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE Final Offer § 137.137 If the 45 day review period or extension thereto, has expired, and the Tribes offer is deemed...

  13. Investigation of six-degree-of-freedom image registration between planning and cone beam computed tomography in esophageal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jiancheng; Pan Jianji; Hu Cairong; Wang Xiaoliang; Cheng Wenfang; Zhao Yunhui

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To explore six-degree-of-freedom (6-DF) registration methods between planning and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) during image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in esophageal cancer. Methods: Thirty pairs of CBCT images acquired before radiation and the corresponding planning computed tomography (CT) images of esophageal cancer were selected for further investigation. Registration markers for 6-DF image registration were determined and contoured in those images. The results of registration as well as time cost were compared among different registration methods of bone match, gray value match, manual match, and bone plus manual match. Results: Contouring bone and spinal canal posterior to the target volume of esophageal carcinoma as registration marker could make 6-DF registration quick and precise. Compared with manual match, set-up errors of v rotation in bone plus manual match (-0.55 degree vs.-0.88 degree, t=2.55, P=0.020), of x-axis and v rotation in bone match (0.12 mm vs.-2.33 mm, t=5.75, P=0.000; -0.35 degree vs. -0.88 degree, t=3.00, P=0.007), and of x-axis and w rotation in gray value match (7.20 mm vs. -2.33 mm, t=3.10, P=0.006; -0.10 degree vs. -0.59 degree, t=2.81, P =0.011) were significantly different. Compared with manual match, the coincidence rate of bone plus manual match was the highest (85.55%), followed by bone match and gray value match (74.45% and 74.45%). The time cost of each registration method from longest to shortest was: 6.00 -10.00 minutes for manual match, 1.00 - 5.00 minutes for bone plus manual match, 0.75 - 1.50 minutes for gray value match, and 0.50 - 0.83 minutes for bone match. Conclusions: Registration marker is useful for image registration of CBCT and planning CT in patients with esophageal cancer. Bone plus manual match may be the best registration method considering both registration time and accuracy. (authors)

  14. Value of digital radiography in expiration in detection of pneumothorax

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomsen, L.; Natho, O.; Feigen, U.; Kivelitz, D.; Schulz, U.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out whether pneumothorax detection and exclusion is superior in expiratory digital chest radiography. Materials and Methods: 131 patients with pneumothorax with paired inspiratory and expiratory chest radiographs were analyzed regarding localization and size of pneumothorax. Sensitivity, specificity, negative (npv) and positive predictive value (ppv) as well as the positive (LR+) and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) were determined in a blinded randomized interobserver study with 116 patients. The evaluation was performed by three board-certified radiologists. Results: In 131 patients, there were 139 pneumothoraces, 135 (97.1 %) were located apical, 88 (63.3 %) lateral and 33 (23.7 %) basal. Sensitivity was 99 % for inspiratory and 97 % for expiratory radiographs. The interobserver study yielded a mean sensitivity of 86.1 %/86.1 %, specificity of 97.3 %/93.4 %, npv of 88.7 %/88.5 % and ppv of 96.7 %/92.1 % for inspiration/expiration. For inspiratory radiographs the LR+/LR- were 40.2/0.14 and for expiration 13.9 and 0.15. McNemar-Test showed no significant difference for the detection of pneumothoraces in in-/exspiration. Conclusion: Inspiratory and expiratory digital radiographs are equally suitable for pneumothorax detection. Inspiratory radiographs are recommended as the initial examination of choice for pneumothorax detection, an additional expiratory radiograph is only recommended in doubtful cases. (orig.)

  15. 77 FR 25506 - Submission for Review: Expiring Information Collection, Interview Survey Form, INV 10

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-30

    ... OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Submission for Review: Expiring Information Collection, Interview... collection request (ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 3206- 0106, for the Interview[email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Interview Survey Form, INV 10, is a questionnaire that OPM...

  16. Non-nucleon degrees of freedom in nuclei and ABC plan for developing fundamental nuclear theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Qiren

    1996-01-01

    We emphasize that to develop a fundamental nuclear theory one has to consider various non-nucleon degrees of freedom in nuclei and to make the theory relativistic. A three step ABC Plan for this purpose is proposed. The A pan is to reform the relativistic hadron field theory by taking the finite baryon size into account. We call finite size baryons atoms in contrast with points. The fundamental nuclear theory in this form is therefore a quantum atom dynamics (QAD). The B plan is to reform the bag model for hadrons by making it be quantum bag dynamics (QBD). This is a model fundamental nuclear theory on the quark level. The fundamental nuclear theory should eventually be developed on the basis of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). This is the C Plan

  17. 9 CFR 114.14 - Extension of expiration date for a serial or subserial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Extension of expiration date for a serial or subserial. 114.14 Section 114.14 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION... tests designated in the filed Outline of Production for such product in accordance with § 113.4(b) of...

  18. The Problem of VAT Credit on Expired Goods: An Opinion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatma TAŞ

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available VAT paid on certain goods acquired does not allow the deducting of the Turkish tax system. One of them is the loss of goods VAT. There is no clear definition in the law is wasted. Therefore, there are certain problems in practice. The problems, in particular, focused on the VAT on expired or valueless goods. Current opinion on the subject of the tax administration is inconvenient regarding tax justice. Both states of the solution to the problem should be developed as well as an objective approach to protecting taxpayers.

  19. Effects of expiration of the Federal energy tax credit on the National Photovoltaics Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J. L.

    1984-01-01

    Projected 1986 sales are significantly reduced as a direct result of system price increases following from expiration of the Federal energy tax credits. There would be greatly reduced emphasis on domestic electric utility applications. Indirect effects arising from unrealized economies of scale and reduced private investment in PV research and development (R&D) and in production facilities could have a very large cumulative adverse impact on the U.S. PV industry. The industry forecasts as much as fourfold reduction in 1990 sales if tax credits expire, compared with what sales would be with the credits. Because the National Photovoltaics Program is explicitly structured as a government partnership, large changes in the motivation or funding of either partner can affect Program success profoundly. Reduced industry participation implies that such industry tasks as industrialization and new product development would slow or halt. Those research areas receiving heavy R&D support from private PV manufacturers would be adversely affected.

  20. Comparison of several chemometric methods of libraries and classifiers for the analysis of expired drugs based on Raman spectra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Qun; Liu, Yan; Li, Hao; Chen, Hui; Chai, Yifeng; Lu, Feng

    2014-06-01

    Some expired drugs are difficult to detect by conventional means. If they are repackaged and sold back into market, they will constitute a new public health challenge. For the detection of repackaged expired drugs within specification, paracetamol tablet from a manufacturer was used as a model drug in this study for comparison of Raman spectra-based library verification and classification methods. Raman spectra of different batches of paracetamol tablets were collected and a library including standard spectra of unexpired batches of tablets was established. The Raman spectrum of each sample was identified by cosine and correlation with the standard spectrum. The average HQI of the suspicious samples and the standard spectrum were calculated. The optimum threshold values were 0.997 and 0.998 respectively as a result of ROC and four evaluations, for which the accuracy was up to 97%. Three supervised classifiers, PLS-DA, SVM and k-NN, were chosen to establish two-class classification models and compared subsequently. They were used to establish a classification of expired batches and an unexpired batch, and predict the suspect samples. The average accuracy was 90.12%, 96.80% and 89.37% respectively. Different pre-processing techniques were tried to find that first derivative was optimal for methods of libraries and max-min normalization was optimal for that of classifiers. The results obtained from these studies indicated both libraries and classifier methods could detect the expired drugs effectively, and they should be used complementarily in the fast-screening. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Comparison of human platelet lysate alternatives using expired and freshly isolated platelet concentrates for adipose-derived stromal cell expansion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dessels, Carla; Durandt, Chrisna; Pepper, Michael S

    2018-03-19

    Pooled human platelet lysate (pHPL) has been used to expand adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) and can be formulated using fresh or expired buffy coats (BCs) which are then resuspended in either plasma or an additive solution. Not much is known about the effects that expired products and additive solutions have on ASC expansion, and the need for quality control and release criteria has been expressed. This pilot study compared proliferation, cell size, morphology and immunophenotype of ASCs expanded in the different pHPL alternatives versus foetal bovine serum (FBS). Quality control criteria were assessed prior to and during the manufacture of the pHPL alternatives. ASCs were then expanded in 1%, 2.5%, 5% or 10% of the different pHPL alternatives or in 10% FBS. Cell size, morphology, cell number and immunophenotype were measured using microscopy and flow cytometry. The majority of the pHPL alternatives were within the recommended ranges for the quality control criteria. ASCs expanded in the pHPL alternatives were smaller in size, displayed a tighter spindle-shaped morphology, increased cell growth and had a similar immunophenotype (with the exception of CD34 and CD36) when compared to ASCs expanded in FBS. Here we report on the effects that expired BC products and additive solutions have on ASC expansion. When taken together, our findings indicate that all of the pHPL alternatives can be considered to be suitable replacements for FBS for ASC expansion, and that expired BC products can be used as an alternative to fresh BC products.

  2. 15 CFR 908.15 - Times for taking action; expiration on Saturday, Sunday, or holiday.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Saturday, Sunday, or holiday. 908.15 Section 908.15 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to... § 908.15 Times for taking action; expiration on Saturday, Sunday, or holiday. Whenever periods of time... under these rules for taking any action falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or on a Federal holiday, the action...

  3. Some infant ventilators do not limit peak inspiratory pressure reliably during active expiration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirpalani, H; Santos-Lyn, R; Roberts, R

    1988-09-01

    In order to minimize barotrauma in newborn infants with respiratory failure, peak inspiratory pressures should not exceed those required for adequate gas exchange. We examined whether four commonly used pressure-limited, constant flow ventilators limit pressure reliably during simulated active expiration against the inspiratory stroke of the ventilator. Three machines of each type were tested at 13 different expiratory flow rates (2 to 14 L/min). Flow-dependent pressure overshoot above a dialed pressure limit of 20 cm H2O was observed in all machines. However, the magnitude differed significantly between ventilators from different manufacturers (p = .0009). Pressure overshoot above 20 cm H2O was consistently lowest in the Healthdyne (0.8 cm H2O at 2 L/min, 3.6 cm H2O at 14 L/min) and highest in the Bourns BP200 (3.0 cm H2O at 2 L/min, 15.4 cm H2O at 14 L/min). We conclude that peak inspiratory pressure overshoots on pressure-limited ventilators occur during asynchronous expiration. This shortcoming may contribute to barotrauma in newborn infants who "fight" positive-pressure ventilation.

  4. Spectroscopic Analysis of Heterogeneous Biocatalysts for Biodiesel Production from Expired Sunflower Cooking Oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enoch Wembabazi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The study characterized heterogeneous biocatalyst synthesized from sucrose, saw dust, and chicken egg shells using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR spectroscopy coupled with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR technique. Acidic sulphonate (–SO3H groups were more visible in the spectrum generated for carbonized and sulphonated sucrose than in carbonized and sulphonated saw dust. This was highlighted further by the significantly higher conversion percentage achieved for sulphonated sucrose (62.5% than sulphonated saw dust (46.6% during esterification of expired sunflower oil (p=0.05. The spectra for calcinated egg shells also showed that the most active form of calcium oxide was produced at calcination temperature of 1000°C. This was confirmed in the single-step transesterification reaction in which calcium oxide generated at 1000°C yielded the highest biodiesel (87.8% from expired sunflower oil. The study further demonstrated the versatility of the FTIR technique in qualitative analysis of biodiesel and regular diesel by confirming the presence of specific characteristic peaks of diagnostic importance. These findings therefore highlight the potential of FTIR-ATR as an inexpensive, fast, and accurate diagnostic means for easy identification and characterization of different materials and products.

  5. Replacing carbon lost from forests. An assessment of insurance, reserves, and expiring credits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subak, Susan

    2003-01-01

    Concern over the 'non-permanence' or reversibility of carbon sequestration projects has been prominent in discussions over how to develop guidelines for forest project investments under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol. Accordingly, a number of approaches have been proposed that aim to help ensure that parties do not receive credit for carbon that is lost before project obligations are fulfilled. These approaches include forest carbon insurance, land reserves, and issuance of expiring credits. The potential costs of each of these different approaches are evaluated using a range of assumptions about project length, risk and discount rate, and a comparison of costs is ventured based on the estimated reduction in value of these credits compared with uninsured, and permanent credits. Obstacles to participation in the different approaches are discussed related to problems of long-term commitments, project scale, rising replacement costs, and low credit value. It is concluded that a system of expiring credits, which could be coupled with insurance or reserves, could guarantee obligations that span time-scales longer than that of conventional insurance policies while maintaining incentives for long-term sequestration

  6. 37 CFR 1.7 - Times for taking action; Expiration on Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES General Provisions General Information and Correspondence § 1.7 Times for taking action; Expiration on... taking any action or paying any fee in the United States Patent and Trademark Office falls on Saturday...

  7. A framework for an inventory model for deteriorating items with expiration under trapezoidal-type demand and partial backlogging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kunal T. Shukla

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: As in the case of deteriorating items, expiration plays a major role in inventory management, a generalized approach is studied based on an inventory model for deteriorating items with expiration dates. Methods: In this paper, the demand rate during the cycle time is assumed to be trapezoidal. Shortages are allowed and partially backlogged. An inventory replenishment strategy is formulated for trapezoidal demand rates and backlogging rates in general for retailers; with the support of fundamental concepts of calculus. Results: The method is illustrated with the support of numerical examples along with sensitivity analysis with respect to major parameters. Conclusion: This generalized approach provides a platform to develop a strategy using different demand functions and backlogging rates.

  8. 37 CFR 2.196 - Times for taking action: Expiration on Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...: Expiration on Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday. 2.196 Section 2.196 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights... Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday. Whenever periods of time are specified in this part in days, calendar... taking any action or paying any fee in the Office falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday within...

  9. Consumer perception and preference for suboptimal food under the emerging practice of expiration date based pricing in supermarkets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica

    2017-01-01

    , it is unclear which contextual, individual, and product-related factors impact consumer likelihood of choice and thus acceptance of the practice in the long run. The study aimed at exploring the effect of communicating different motives for purchase, the product being organic, familiarity with the practice...... and the interaction with gender is observed for milk in particular. Overall, perceived quality and estimated likelihood of consumption at home majorly determine likelihood of choice. Consumer acceptance of expiration date based pricing of suboptimal food can be increased through furthering consumer familiarity......Consumers have been found to majorly prefer ‘optimal’ food over ‘suboptimal’ when purchasing food. To provide an incentive for consumers to select suboptimal food and thus decrease food waste in the supply chain, expiration date based pricing is suggested and increasingly applied. However...

  10. Section 1603 Treasury Grant Expiration: Industry Insight on Financing and Market Implications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mendelsohn, M.; Harper, J.

    2012-06-01

    In the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crises, tax equity investors largely withdrew from the market, resulting in stagnation of project development. In response, Congress established the Treasury grant program pursuant to Section 1603 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (..Section..1603 Program) to offer a cash payment in lieu of a production and investment tax credit. This study addresses the likely project financing and market impacts from the expiration of the ..Section..1603 Program. The authors assembled an array of insights offered by financial executives active in the renewable energy (RE) market during conference panel discussions and in presentations, direct interviews, and email correspondences. This analysis found that the ..Section..1603 Program alleviated the need to monetize the tax credit incentives through specialized investors, helped lower the transaction and financing costs associated with renewable electricity projects, and generally supported an extensive build-out of renewable power generation capacity. With the expiration of the ..Section..1603 Program, smaller or less-established renewable power developers will have more difficulty attracting needed financial capital and completing their projects, development of projects relying on newer or 'innovative' technologies will likely slow as traditional tax equity investors are known to be highly averse to technology risk in the projects they fund, and, finally, projects relying on tax equity may be more expensive to develop due to higher transaction costs and potentially higher yields required to attract tax equity.

  11. Section 1603 Treasury Grant Expiration. Industry Insight on Financing and Market Implications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mendelsohn, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Harper, John [Birch Tree Capital, LLC, Framingham, MA (United States)

    2012-06-01

    In the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crises, tax equity investors largely withdrew from the market, resulting in stagnation of project development. In response, Congress established the Treasury grant program pursuant to Section 1603 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Section 1603 Program) to offer a cash payment in lieu of a production and investment tax credit. This study addresses the likely project financing and market impacts from the expiration of the Section 1603 Program. The authors assembled an array of insights offered by financial executives active in the renewable energy (RE) market during conference panel discussions and in presentations, direct interviews, and email correspondences. This analysis found that the Section 1603 Program alleviated the need to monetize the tax credit incentives through specialized investors, helped lower the transaction and financing costs associated with renewable electricity projects, and generally supported an extensive build-out of renewable power generation capacity. With the expiration of the Section 1603 Program, smaller or less-established renewable power developers will have more difficulty attracting needed financial capital and completing their projects, development of projects relying on newer or 'innovative' technologies will likely slow as traditional tax equity investors are known to be highly averse to technology risk in the projects they fund, and, finally, projects relying on tax equity may be more expensive to develop due to higher transaction costs and potentially higher yields required to attract tax equity.

  12. 78 FR 53422 - Notice of Request for Revision to and Reinstatement of an Expired Information Collection; Bees...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-29

    ... Expired Information Collection; Bees and Related Articles AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection... information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of bees and related articles into... coming. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the regulations for the importation of bees...

  13. Detailed analysis of the density change on chest CT of COPD using non-rigid registration of inspiration/expiration CT scans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Eun Young; Seo, Joon Beom; Lee, Hyun Joo; Kim, Namkug; Lee, Eunsol; Lee, Sang Min; Oh, Sang Young; Hwang, Hye Jeon; Oh, Yeon-Mok; Lee, Sang-Do

    2015-01-01

    One objective was to evaluate the air trapping index (ATI), measured by inspiration/expiration CT, in COPD patients and nonsmokers. Another objective was to assess the association between the pulmonary function test (PFT) and CT parameters such as ATI or other indices, separately in the whole lung, in emphysema, and in hyperinflated and normal lung areas. One hundred and thirty-eight COPD patients and 29 nonsmokers were included in our study. The ATI, the emphysema index (EI), the gas trapping index (Exp -856) and expiration/inspiration ratio of mean lung density (E/Iratio of MLD) were measured on CT. The values of the whole lung, of emphysema, and of hyperinflated and normal lung areas were compared and then correlated with various PFT parameters. Compared with nonsmokers, COPD patients showed a higher ATI in the whole lung and in each lung lesion (all P 25-75% , RV and RV/TLC, and was comparable to Exp -856 and the E/I ratio of MLD. The ATI of emphysema and hyperinflated areas on CT showed better correlation than the normal lung area with PFT parameters. Detailed analysis of density change at inspiration and expiration CT of COPD can provide new insights into pulmonary functional impairment in each lung area. (orig.)

  14. Portal venous blood flow while breath-holding after inspiration or expiration and during normal respiration in controls and cirrhotics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugano, Shigeo; Yamamoto, Kunihiro; Sasao, Ken-ichiro; Watanabe, Manabu

    1999-01-01

    In this study, we used magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to measure portal blood flow in 12 healthy controls and 17 cirrhotics while they were breath-holding after inspiration and after expiration. We then compared the results with measurements made during normal respiration in the healthy controls and cirrhotics. Blood flow in the main portal vein under basal fasting conditions was quantitated using the cine phase-contrast MR velocity mapping method. Three measurements were made on one occasion, as follows: throughout the cardiac cycle during normal respiration, with the subject breath-holding after maximal inspiration, and with the subject breath-holding after maximal expiration. During normal respiration, portal blood flow was 1.3±0.2 l/min in controls vs 1.0±0.1 l/min in cirrhotics (P<0.0001); while subjects were breath-holding after inspiration, portal blood flow was 1.0±0.2 l/min in controls vs 0.9±0.1 l/min in cirrhotics; and while subjects were breath-holding after expiration, portal blood flow was 1.5±0.2 l/min in controls vs 1.1±0.2 l/min in cirrhotics (P<0.0001). The differences were primarily due to changes in flow velocity. When the magnitude of these hemodynamic changes in the three respiratory conditions was compared in controls and cirrhotics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference (P<0.0001). In controls, portal blood flow decreased during maximal inspiration relative to flow during normal respiration (-24.6±8.3%). Changes in portal blood flow in controls were greater than in cirrhotics (-13.5±4.5%) (P<0.0001); however, the difference in blood flow increase associated with maximal expiration between the two groups (+11.8±9.4% vs +5.9±11.5%) was not significant. We found that the respiration-induced hemodynamic variation in portal blood flow was less in cirrhotics than in the healthy controls. Portal blood flow measurements made during normal respiration using MR imaging closely reflect nearly physiologic conditions

  15. Effectiveness of medicines authentication technology to detect counterfeit, recalled and expired medicines: a two-stage quantitative secondary care study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naughton, Bernard; Roberts, Lindsey; Dopson, Sue; Chapman, Stephen; Brindley, David

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To identify the authentication and detection rate of serialised medicines using medicines authentication technology. Design and intervention 4192 serialised medicines were entered into a hospital dispensary over two separate 8-week stages in 2015. Medicines were authenticated using secure external database cross-checking, triggered by the scanning of a two-dimensional data matrix with a unit specific 12-digit serial code. 4% of medicines included were preprogrammed with a message to identify the product as either expired, pack recalled, product recalled or counterfeit. Setting A site within a large UK National Health Service teaching hospital trust. Participants Accredited checking staff, pharmacists and dispensers in a pharmacy department. Primary outcome measures Authentication and detection rate of counterfeit expired and recalled medicines. Results The operational detection rate of counterfeit, recalled and expired medicines scanned as a combined group was 81.4% (stage 1 (S1)) and 87% (stage 2 (S2)). The technology's technical detection rate (TDR) was 100%; however, not all medicines were scanned and of those that were scanned not all that generated a warning message were quarantined. Owing to an operational authentication rate (OAR) of 66.3% (over both stages), only 31.8% of counterfeit medicines, 58% of recalled drugs and 64% of expired medicines were detected as a proportion of those entered into the study. Response times (RTs) of 152 ms (S1) and 165 ms (S2) were recorded, meeting the falsified medicines directive-mandated 300 ms limit. Conclusions TDRs and RTs were not a limiting factor in this study. The suboptimal OAR poses significant quality and safety issues with this detection approach. Authentication at the checking stage, however, demonstrated higher OARs. There is a need for further qualitative research to establish the reasons for less than absolute authentication and detection rates in the hospital environment to improve this

  16. Portal venous blood flow while breath-holding after inspiration or expiration and during normal respiration in controls and cirrhotics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sugano, Shigeo; Yamamoto, Kunihiro; Sasao, Ken-ichiro; Watanabe, Manabu [Saiseikai Wakakusa Hospital, Yakohama (Japan)

    1999-07-01

    In this study, we used magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to measure portal blood flow in 12 healthy controls and 17 cirrhotics while they were breath-holding after inspiration and after expiration. We then compared the results with measurements made during normal respiration in the healthy controls and cirrhotics. Blood flow in the main portal vein under basal fasting conditions was quantitated using the cine phase-contrast MR velocity mapping method. Three measurements were made on one occasion, as follows: throughout the cardiac cycle during normal respiration, with the subject breath-holding after maximal inspiration, and with the subject breath-holding after maximal expiration. During normal respiration, portal blood flow was 1.3{+-}0.2 l/min in controls vs 1.0{+-}0.1 l/min in cirrhotics (P<0.0001); while subjects were breath-holding after inspiration, portal blood flow was 1.0{+-}0.2 l/min in controls vs 0.9{+-}0.1 l/min in cirrhotics; and while subjects were breath-holding after expiration, portal blood flow was 1.5{+-}0.2 l/min in controls vs 1.1{+-}0.2 l/min in cirrhotics (P<0.0001). The differences were primarily due to changes in flow velocity. When the magnitude of these hemodynamic changes in the three respiratory conditions was compared in controls and cirrhotics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference (P<0.0001). In controls, portal blood flow decreased during maximal inspiration relative to flow during normal respiration (-24.6{+-}8.3%). Changes in portal blood flow in controls were greater than in cirrhotics (-13.5{+-}4.5%) (P<0.0001); however, the difference in blood flow increase associated with maximal expiration between the two groups (+11.8{+-}9.4% vs +5.9{+-}11.5%) was not significant. We found that the respiration-induced hemodynamic variation in portal blood flow was less in cirrhotics than in the healthy controls. Portal blood flow measurements made during normal respiration using MR imaging closely reflect nearly

  17. 8 CFR 211.3 - Expiration of immigrant visas, reentry permits, refugee travel documents, and Form I-551.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... permits, refugee travel documents, and Form I-551. 211.3 Section 211.3 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT... Expiration of immigrant visas, reentry permits, refugee travel documents, and Form I-551. An immigrant visa, reentry permit, refugee travel document, or Form I-551 shall be regarded as unexpired if the rightful...

  18. Plan Assurance Qualité for an Installation Contract

    OpenAIRE

    Gascon, C

    2001-01-01

    The current ST/EL group's installation and maintenance contract expires on June 2001. Official procedures for a new contract began a few months ago. Once the new contract has been adjudicated, contractor firm should establish a Quality Assurance Plan (PAQ) within 6 months to be approved. This PAQ is the essential main instrument which ST/EL group has in order to assure a perfect achievement of signed contract. PAQ efficiency depends on its good knowledge and its permanent application on the p...

  19. Detailed analysis of the density change on chest CT of COPD using non-rigid registration of inspiration/expiration CT scans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Eun Young [Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Radiology, Jeollabuk-do (Korea, Republic of); University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Joon Beom; Lee, Hyun Joo; Kim, Namkug; Lee, Eunsol; Lee, Sang Min; Oh, Sang Young [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Hye Jeon [Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Department of Radiology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Yeon-Mok; Lee, Sang-Do [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Clinical Research Center for Chronic Obstructive Airway Diseases, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-09-14

    One objective was to evaluate the air trapping index (ATI), measured by inspiration/expiration CT, in COPD patients and nonsmokers. Another objective was to assess the association between the pulmonary function test (PFT) and CT parameters such as ATI or other indices, separately in the whole lung, in emphysema, and in hyperinflated and normal lung areas. One hundred and thirty-eight COPD patients and 29 nonsmokers were included in our study. The ATI, the emphysema index (EI), the gas trapping index (Exp -856) and expiration/inspiration ratio of mean lung density (E/Iratio of MLD) were measured on CT. The values of the whole lung, of emphysema, and of hyperinflated and normal lung areas were compared and then correlated with various PFT parameters. Compared with nonsmokers, COPD patients showed a higher ATI in the whole lung and in each lung lesion (all P < 0.05). The ATI showed a higher correlation than EI with FEF{sub 25-75%}, RV and RV/TLC, and was comparable to Exp -856 and the E/I ratio of MLD. The ATI of emphysema and hyperinflated areas on CT showed better correlation than the normal lung area with PFT parameters. Detailed analysis of density change at inspiration and expiration CT of COPD can provide new insights into pulmonary functional impairment in each lung area. (orig.)

  20. Comparison of changes in the mobility of the pelvic floor muscle on during the abdominal drawing-in maneuver, maximal expiration, and pelvic floor muscle maximal contraction

    OpenAIRE

    Jung, Halim; Jung, Sangwoo; Joo, Sunghee; Song, Changho

    2016-01-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare changes in the mobility of the pelvic floor muscle during the abdominal drawing-in maneuver, maximal expiration, and pelvic floor muscle maximal contraction. [Subjects] Thirty healthy adults participated in this study (15 men and 15 women). [Methods] All participants performed a bridge exercise and abdominal curl-up during the abdominal drawing-in maneuver, maximal expiration, and pelvic floor muscle maximal contraction. Pelvic floor mobility...

  1. An understanding about the process of communicative interactions in Joint Planning Groups among professors of the physics degree course based on Theory of Communicative Acts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Ricardo Neves da Silva

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available This article presents the results of a study that aims to understand the possibilities from the accession of professors who teach specific topics of physics and physics teaching in the teachers formation degree in a Joint Planning Group about the relations among their disciplines. The study was built from the establishment and monitoring of a group of professors who met regularly during a year to plan their courses in the degree in physics together. Based on the theoretical perspective of the Theory of Communicative Acts, by Jürgen Habermas, the analysis aimed to understand the planning process through the use of language as a means of inter-subjective interaction and intention of understanding through the use of valid claims. The possibilities presented enable conceptualize the elements of a Joint Planning Group from the perspective of joint construction of concepts and practices, actions coordinating and theming of the practice in a an environment that enables communicative acts.

  2. Approach to recognition of flexible form for credit card expiration date recognition as example

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheshkus, Alexander; Nikolaev, Dmitry P.; Ingacheva, Anastasia; Skoryukina, Natalya

    2015-12-01

    In this paper we consider a task of finding information fields within document with flexible form for credit card expiration date field as example. We discuss main difficulties and suggest possible solutions. In our case this task is to be solved on mobile devices therefore computational complexity has to be as low as possible. In this paper we provide results of the analysis of suggested algorithm. Error distribution of the recognition system shows that suggested algorithm solves the task with required accuracy.

  3. Assessment of carbon monoxide values in smokers: a comparison of carbon monoxide in expired air and carboxyhaemoglobin in arterial blood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersson, Mette F; Møller, Ann M

    2010-01-01

    Smoking increases perioperative complications. Carbon monoxide concentrations can estimate patients' smoking status and might be relevant in preoperative risk assessment. In smokers, we compared measurements of carbon monoxide in expired air (COexp) with measurements of carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) ...

  4. Prototype apparatus for the measurement of tritium in expired air using plastic scintillator pellets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furuta, Etsuko; Ito, Takeshi

    2018-02-01

    A new apparatus for measuring tritiated water in expired air was developed using plastic scintillator (PS) pellets and a low-background liquid scintillation counter. The sensitivity of the apparatus was sufficient when a large adapted Teflon vial was used. The measurement method generated low amounts of organic waste because the PS pellets were reusable by rinsing, and had adequate detection limits. The apparatus is useful for the safety management of workers that are exposed to radioactive materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Comparison of changes in the mobility of the pelvic floor muscle on during the abdominal drawing-in maneuver, maximal expiration, and pelvic floor muscle maximal contraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Halim; Jung, Sangwoo; Joo, Sunghee; Song, Changho

    2016-01-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare changes in the mobility of the pelvic floor muscle during the abdominal drawing-in maneuver, maximal expiration, and pelvic floor muscle maximal contraction. [Subjects] Thirty healthy adults participated in this study (15 men and 15 women). [Methods] All participants performed a bridge exercise and abdominal curl-up during the abdominal drawing-in maneuver, maximal expiration, and pelvic floor muscle maximal contraction. Pelvic floor mobility was evaluated as the distance from the bladder base using ultrasound. [Results] According to exercise method, bridge exercise and abdominal curl-ups led to significantly different pelvic floor mobility. The pelvic floor muscle was elevated during the abdominal drawing-in maneuver and descended during maximal expiration. Finally, pelvic floor muscle mobility was greater during abdominal curl-up than during the bridge exercise. [Conclusion] According to these results, the abdominal drawing-in maneuver induced pelvic floor muscle contraction, and pelvic floor muscle contraction was greater during the abdominal curl-up than during the bridge exercise.

  6. Did the expiration of retail price caps affect prices in the restructured Texas electricity market?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Linhong; Zarnikau, Jay

    2009-01-01

    On January 1, 2007, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market became the first restructured market in the US to completely remove caps on the prices which could be charged to residential energy consumers by the retailers associated with the traditional or incumbent utility service providers. Our analysis suggests that the expiration of the price-to-beat (PTB) price caps may have led to a reduction in the average prices charged by competitive retail electric providers (REPs). (author)

  7. Air Force Officer Accession Planning: Addressing Key Gaps in Meeting Career Field Academic Degree Requirements for Nonrated Officers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-09

    C O R P O R A T I O N Research Report Air Force Officer Accession Planning Addressing Key Gaps in Meeting Career Field Academic Degree Requirements...potential performance, and how to include these quality measures in the classification process. The research sponsor asked us to focus on academic ...Andrew P., and James K. Lowe, “Decision Support for the Career Field Selection Process at the US Air Force Academy,” European Journal of Operational

  8. Application of the Novel Ventilation Mode FLow-Controlled EXpiration (FLEX): A Crossover Proof-of-Principle Study in Lung-Healthy Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirth, Steffen; Springer, Sebastian; Spaeth, Johannes; Borgmann, Silke; Goebel, Ulrich; Schumann, Stefan

    2017-10-01

    Traditionally, mechanical ventilation is achieved via active lung inflation during inspiration and passive lung emptying during expiration. By contrast, the novel FLEX (FLow-controlled EXpiration) ventilator mode actively decreases the rate of lung emptying. We investigated whether FLEX can be used during intraoperative mechanical ventilation of lung-healthy patients. In 30 adult patients scheduled for neurosurgical procedures, we studied respiratory system mechanics, regional ventilation, oxygenation, and hemodynamics during ventilation with and without FLEX at positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 5 and 7 cm H2O. The FLEX system was integrated into the expiratory limb and modified the expiratory flow profile by continuously changing expiratory resistance according to a computer-controlled algorithm. Mean airway pressure increased with PEEP by 1.9 cm H2O and with FLEX by 1 cm H2O (all P ventilated during general anesthesia. FLEX improves the homogeneous distribution of ventilation in the lungs.

  9. Breath-hold after forced expiration before removal of the biopsy needle decreased the rate of pneumothorax in CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Min, Lingfeng; Xu, Xingxiang [Subei People' s Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Clinical Medical School of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, Jiangsu (China); Song, Yong [Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medical, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu (China); Issahar, Ben-Dov [Pulmonary Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv (Israel); Wu, Jingtao; Zhang, Le; Huang, Qian [Subei People' s Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Clinical Medical School of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, Jiangsu (China); Chen, Mingxiang, E-mail: chenmx1129@126.com [Subei People' s Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Clinical Medical School of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, Jiangsu (China)

    2013-01-15

    Purpose: To assess the effect of a breath-hold after forced expiration on the rate of pneumothorax after computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic needle biopsy of pulmonary lesions. Materials and methods: Between January 2008 and December 2011, percutaneous CT-guided lung biopsy was performed in 440 patients. Two hundred and twenty-one biopsies were performed without (control group) and two hundred and nineteen biopsies were performed with (study group) the study maneuver – a breath-hold after forced expiratory approach. Multivariate analysis was performed between groups for risk factors for pneumothorax, including patient demographics, lesion characteristics, and biopsy technique. Results: A reduced number of pneumothoraces (18 [8.2%] vs 35 [15.8%]; P = 0.014) but no significant difference in rate of drainage catheter insertions (2 [0.9%] vs (4 [1.8%]; P = 0.418) were noted in the study group as compared with the control group. By logistic regression analysis, three factors significantly and independently affected the risk for pneumothorax including lesion size (transverse and longitudinal diameter), distance from pleura and utilizing or avoiding the breath-hold after deep expiration maneuver. Conclusion: Breath-holding after forced expiration before removal of the biopsy needle during the percutaneous CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy almost halved the rate of overall pneumothorax. Small lesion size (longitudinal diameter) and the distance from pleura were also predictors of pneumothorax in our study.

  10. Breath-hold after forced expiration before removal of the biopsy needle decreased the rate of pneumothorax in CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Lingfeng; Xu, Xingxiang; Song, Yong; Issahar, Ben-Dov; Wu, Jingtao; Zhang, Le; Huang, Qian; Chen, Mingxiang

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the effect of a breath-hold after forced expiration on the rate of pneumothorax after computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic needle biopsy of pulmonary lesions. Materials and methods: Between January 2008 and December 2011, percutaneous CT-guided lung biopsy was performed in 440 patients. Two hundred and twenty-one biopsies were performed without (control group) and two hundred and nineteen biopsies were performed with (study group) the study maneuver – a breath-hold after forced expiratory approach. Multivariate analysis was performed between groups for risk factors for pneumothorax, including patient demographics, lesion characteristics, and biopsy technique. Results: A reduced number of pneumothoraces (18 [8.2%] vs 35 [15.8%]; P = 0.014) but no significant difference in rate of drainage catheter insertions (2 [0.9%] vs (4 [1.8%]; P = 0.418) were noted in the study group as compared with the control group. By logistic regression analysis, three factors significantly and independently affected the risk for pneumothorax including lesion size (transverse and longitudinal diameter), distance from pleura and utilizing or avoiding the breath-hold after deep expiration maneuver. Conclusion: Breath-holding after forced expiration before removal of the biopsy needle during the percutaneous CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy almost halved the rate of overall pneumothorax. Small lesion size (longitudinal diameter) and the distance from pleura were also predictors of pneumothorax in our study

  11. Degree Output in the South, 1975-76: Distribution by Race.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mingle, James R.

    The first systematic national count of degree output by race is presented for use by institutional curriculum planners to help give students the opportunity to make realistic choices in career planning. Included are summary tables of degree production by level (doctoral, master's, bachelor's, and first-professional degrees awarded); degree changes…

  12. Studies on the relationship between the content of carbon monoxide in atmosphere and the health of mothers and babies. I. The status of carbon monoxide concentration in expired air of pregnant woman and its relationship to environmental and physical factors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sasai, A

    1974-03-01

    The actual condition of carbon monoxide content in expired air and its relation to life-environmental and physical factors was investigated in 277 pregnant women. Subjects residing in a midtown area of Tokyo have average CO concentrations in the expired air slightly higher than those previously reported. Seventy two women (26%) have CO concentrations over 10 ppM. The concentration of CO in expired air correlates with the CO level in the immediate life environment of the individual. Pregnant women with a history of abnormal gestation and/or abnormal delivery are more frequent in the areas with those exhibiting higher CO concentrations in expired air, compared to regions with women showing lower CO levels.

  13. Inflationary implications on an inventory with expiration date, capital constraint and uncertain lead time in a multi-echelon supply chain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jain, R.; Singh, S.R.

    2011-01-01

    The present study considers a multi-echelon supply system comprising of a supplier, a retailer and the end customer. The inventory is deteriorating and has a certain expiration date beyond which there is no demand for the item. The practicalities of real business world are embedded in the setup as

  14. Public vs. Private Provision of Charity Care? Evidence from the Expiration of Hill-Burton Requirements in Florida

    OpenAIRE

    Douglas Almond; Janet Currie; Emilia Simeonova

    2010-01-01

    This paper explores the consequences of the expiration of charity care requirements imposed on private hospitals by the Hill-Burton Act. We examine delivery care and the health of newborns using the universe of Florida births from 1989-2003 combined with hospital data from the American Hospital Association. We find that charity care requirements were binding on hospitals, but that private hospitals under obligation "cream skimmed" the least risky maternity patients. Conditional on patient cha...

  15. Abdominal and internal intercostal motoneurones are strong synergists for expiration but are not synergists for Group I monosynaptic afferent inputs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ford, Tim W; Meehan, Claire Francesca; Kirkwood, Peter

    2014-01-01

    , 9 being in Group B Dist motoneurones. The complete absence of heteronymous monosynaptic Group I reflex excitation between muscles that are synergistically activated in expiration leads us to conclude that such connections from muscle spindle afferents of the thoracic nerves have little role...... in controlling expiratory movements but, where present, support other motor acts....

  16. Plan Assurance Qualité for an Installation Contract

    CERN Document Server

    Gascon, C

    2001-01-01

    The current ST/EL group's installation and maintenance contract expires on June 2001. Official procedures for a new contract began a few months ago. Once the new contract has been adjudicated, contractor firm should establish a Quality Assurance Plan (PAQ) within 6 months to be approved. This PAQ is the essential main instrument which ST/EL group has in order to assure a perfect achievement of signed contract. PAQ efficiency depends on its good knowledge and its permanent application on the part of the contractor firm and especially on the part of ST/EL group. The acquired experience during last PAQ should be reflected in the future contract.

  17. Grasslands, wetlands, and agriculture: the fate of land expiring from the Conservation Reserve Program in the Midwestern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morefield, Philip E.; LeDuc, Stephen D.; Clark, Christopher M.; Iovanna, Richard

    2016-09-01

    The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the largest agricultural land-retirement program in the United States, providing many environmental benefits, including wildlife habitat and improved air, water, and soil quality. Since 2007, however, CRP area has declined by over 25% nationally with much of this land returning to agriculture. Despite this trend, it is unclear what types of CRP land are being converted, to what crops, and where. All of these specific factors greatly affect environmental impacts. To answer these questions, we quantified shifts in expiring CRP parcels to five major crop-types (corn, soy, winter and spring wheat, and sorghum) in a 12-state, Midwestern region of the United States using a US Department of Agriculture (USDA), field-level CRP database and USDA’s Cropland Data Layer. For the years 2010 through 2013, we estimate almost 30%, or more than 530 000 ha, of expiring CRP land returned to the production of these five crops in our study area, with soy and corn accounting for the vast majority of these shifts. Grasslands were the largest type of CRP land converted (360 000 ha), followed by specifically designated wildlife habitat (76 000 ha), and wetland areas (53 000 ha). These wetland areas were not just wetlands themselves, but also a mix of land covers enhancing or protecting wetland ecosystem services (e.g., wetland buffers). Areas in the Dakotas, Nebraska, and southern Iowa were hotspots of change, with the highest areas of CRP land moving back to agriculture. By contrast, we estimate only a small amount (˜3%) of the expiring land shifted into similar, non-CRP land-retirement or easement programs. Reconciling needs for food, feed, fuel, and healthy ecosystems is an immense challenge for farmers, conservationists, and state and federal agencies. Reduced enrollment and the turnover of CRP land from conservation to agriculture raises questions about sustaining ecosystem services in this region.

  18. Optimization of total arc degree for stereotactic radiotherapy by using integral biologically effective dose and irradiated volume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Do Hoon; Kim, Dae Yong; Lee, Myung Za; Chun, Ha Chung

    2001-01-01

    To find the optimal values of total arc degree to protect the normal brain tissue from high dose radiation in stereotactic radiotherapy planning. With Xknife-3 planning system and 4 MV linear accelerator, the authors planned under various values of parameters. One isocenter, 12, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 mm of collimator diameters, 100 deg, 200 deg, 300 deg, 400 deg, 500 deg, 600 deg, of total arc degrees, and 30 deg or 45 deg of arc intervals were used. After the completion of planning, the plans were compared each other using V 50 (the volume of normal brain that is delivered high dose radiation) and integral biologically effective dose. At 30 deg of arc interval, the values of V 50 had the decreased pattern with the increase of total arc degree in any collimator diameter. At 45 deg arc interval, up to 400 deg of total arc degree, the values of V 50 decreased with the increase of total arc degree, but at 500 deg and 600 deg of total arc degrees, the values increased. At 30 deg of arc interval, integral biologically effective dose showed the decreased pattern with the increase of total arc degree in any collimator diameter. At 45 deg arc interval with less than 40 mm collimator diameter, the integral biologically effective dose decreased with the increase of total arc degree, but with 50 and 60 mm of collimator diameters, up to 400 deg of total arc degree, integral biologically effective dose decreased with the increase of total arc degree, but at 500 deg and 600 deg of total arc degrees, the values increased. In the stereotactic radiotherapy planning for brain lesions, planning with 400 deg of total arc degree is optimal. Especially, when the larger collimator more than 50 mm diameter should be used, the uses of 500 deg and 600 deg of total arc degrees make the increase of V 50 and integral biologically effective dose, Therefore stereotactic radiotherapy planning using 400 deg of total arc degree can increase the therapeutic ratio and produce the effective outcome

  19. Product-line extensions and pricing strategies of brand-name drugs facing patent expiration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Song Hee; Shepherd, Marvin D; Scoones, David; Wan, Thomas T H

    2005-01-01

    This study proposed an alternative to brand loyalty as the explanation for the continued price rigidity of patent-expired brand-name prescription drugs despite the increase in market entry of generic drugs facilitated by the 1984 Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act. Study hypotheses were to test (1) whether market entries of new-product extensions are associated with market success of original brand-name drugs before generic drug entry, and (2) whether original brand-name drugs exhibit price rigidity to generic entry only when they are extended. The design is a retrospective follow-up study for the prescription drug brands that lost their patents between 1987 and 1992. The drug brands were limited to nonantibiotic, orally administered drugs containing only 1 active pharmaceutical ingredient. Information on patent expiration, entry of a product extension, and market success were determined from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.s Orange Book, First DataBank, and American Druggist, respectively. Market success was defined as whether an original drug brand was listed in the top 100 prescriptions most frequently dispensed before facing generic entry. Product-line extension was defined as the appearance of another product that a company introduces within the same market after its existing product. Drug prices were average wholesale prices from the Drug Topics Red Book. The relationship between product-line extension and market success was examined using a logistic regression analysis. The price rigidity to entry was tested using a panel regression analysis. A total of 27 drug brands lost their patents between 1987 and 1992. Drug brands that achieved market success were 16 times more likely to be extended than were those that did not (OR=16, 95% confidence interval, 2.12-120.65). The price rigidity to entry existed in drug brands with extensions (beta=2.65%, P new product-line extension introduced for an original brand helps the original price be

  20. Toward automatic regional analysis of pulmonary function using inspiration and expiration thoracic CT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Murphy, Keelin; Pluim, Josien P. W.; Rikxoort, Eva M. van

    2012-01-01

    and its results; (b) verify that the quantitative, regional ventilation measurements acquired through CT are meaningful for pulmonary function analysis; (c) identify the most effective of the calculated measurements in predicting pulmonary function; and (d) demonstrate the potential of the system...... disorder). Lungs, fissures, airways, lobes, and vessels are automatically segmented in both scans and the expiration scan is registered with the inspiration scan using a fully automatic nonrigid registration algorithm. Segmentations and registrations are examined and scored by expert observers to analyze...... to have good correlation with spirometry results, with several having correlation coefficients, r, in the range of 0.85–0.90. The best performing kNN classifier succeeded in classifying 67% of subjects into the correct COPD GOLD stage, with a further 29% assigned to a class neighboring the correct one...

  1. New bimaxillary orthognathic surgery planning and model surgery based on the concept of six degrees of freedom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Jaeho; Kim, Yongdeok; Kim, Jongryoul; Kang, Heejea; Ji, Hyunjin

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this paper was to propose a new method of bimaxillary orthognathic surgery planning and model surgery based on the concept of 6 degrees of freedom (DOF). A 22-year-old man with Class III malocclusion was referred to our clinic with complaints of facial deformity and chewing difficulty. To correct a prognathic mandible, facial asymmetry, flat occlusal plane angle, labioversion of the maxillary central incisors, and concavity of the facial profile, bimaxillary orthognathic surgery was planned. After preoperative orthodontic treatment, surgical planning based on the concept of 6 DOF was performed on a surgical treatment objective drawing, and a Jeon's model surgery chart (JMSC) was prepared. Model surgery was performed with Jeon's orthognathic surgery simulator (JOSS) using the JMSC, and an interim wafer was fabricated. Le Fort I osteotomy, bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy, and malar augmentation were performed. The patient received lateral cephalometric and posteroanterior cephalometric analysis in postretention for 1 year. The follow-up results were determined to be satisfactory, and skeletal relapse did not occur after 1.5 years of surgery. When maxillary and mandibular models are considered as rigid bodies, and their state of motion is described in a quantitative manner based on 6 DOF, sharing of exact information on locational movement in 3-dimensional space is possible. The use of JMSC and JOSS will actualize accurate communication and performance of model surgery among clinicians based on objective measurements. PMID:23503161

  2. Marked Increase in Flow Velocities During Deep Expiration: A Duplex Doppler Sign of Celiac Artery Compression Syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erden, Ayse; Yurdakul, Mehmet; Cumhur, Turhan

    1999-01-01

    Symptoms of chronic mesenteric ischemia develop when the celiac artery is constricted by the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm. Lateral aortography is the primary modality for diagnosing ligamentous compression of the celiac artery. However, duplex Doppler sonography performed during deep expiration can cause a marked increase in flow velocities at the compressed region of the celiac artery and suggest the diagnosis of celiac arterial constriction due to the diaphragmatic ligament. RID='''' ID='''' Correspondence to: A. Erden, M.D., Hafta sokak. 23/6, Gaziosmanpasa, 06700 Ankara, Turkey

  3. Shelf life modelling for first-expired-first-out warehouse management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hertog, Maarten L A T M; Uysal, Ismail; McCarthy, Ultan; Verlinden, Bert M; Nicolaï, Bart M

    2014-06-13

    In the supply chain of perishable food products, large losses are incurred between farm and fork. Given the limited land resources and an ever-growing population, the food supply chain is faced with the challenge of increasing its handling efficiency and minimizing post-harvest food losses. Huge value can be added by optimizing warehouse management systems, taking into account the estimated remaining shelf life of the product, and matching it to the requirements of the subsequent part of the handling chain. This contribution focuses on how model approaches estimating quality changes and remaining shelf life can be combined in optimizing first-expired-first-out cold chain management strategies for perishable products. To this end, shelf-life-related performance indicators are used to introduce remaining shelf life and product quality in the cost function when optimizing the supply chain. A combinatorial exhaustive-search algorithm is shown to be feasible as the complexity of the optimization problem is sufficiently low for the size and properties of a typical commercial cold chain. The estimated shelf life distances for a particular batch can thus be taken as a guide to optimize logistics.

  4. Shelf life modelling for first-expired-first-out warehouse management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hertog, Maarten L. A. T. M.; Uysal, Ismail; McCarthy, Ultan; Verlinden, Bert M.; Nicolaï, Bart M.

    2014-01-01

    In the supply chain of perishable food products, large losses are incurred between farm and fork. Given the limited land resources and an ever-growing population, the food supply chain is faced with the challenge of increasing its handling efficiency and minimizing post-harvest food losses. Huge value can be added by optimizing warehouse management systems, taking into account the estimated remaining shelf life of the product, and matching it to the requirements of the subsequent part of the handling chain. This contribution focuses on how model approaches estimating quality changes and remaining shelf life can be combined in optimizing first-expired-first-out cold chain management strategies for perishable products. To this end, shelf-life-related performance indicators are used to introduce remaining shelf life and product quality in the cost function when optimizing the supply chain. A combinatorial exhaustive-search algorithm is shown to be feasible as the complexity of the optimization problem is sufficiently low for the size and properties of a typical commercial cold chain. The estimated shelf life distances for a particular batch can thus be taken as a guide to optimize logistics. PMID:24797134

  5. Diagnosing lung nodules on oncologic MR/PET imaging: Comparison of fast T1-weighted sequences and influence of image acquisition in inspiration and expiration breath-hold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwenzer, Nina F.; Seith, Ferdinand; Gatidis, Sergios; Brendle, Cornelia; Schmidt, Holger; Pfannenberg, Christina A; LaFougère, Christian; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Schraml, Christina [University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen (Germany)

    2016-09-15

    First, to investigate the diagnostic performance of fast T1-weighted sequences for lung nodule evaluation in oncologic magnetic resonance (MR)/positron emission tomography (PET). Second, to evaluate the influence of image acquisition in inspiration and expiration breath-hold on diagnostic performance. The study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board. PET/CT and MR/PET of 44 cancer patients were evaluated by 2 readers. PET/CT included lung computed tomography (CT) scans in inspiration and expiration (CTin, CTex). MR/PET included Dixon sequence for attenuation correction and fast T1-weighted volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) sequences (volume interpolated breath-hold examination acquired in inspiration [VIBEin], volume interpolated breath-hold examination acquired in expiration [VIBEex]). Diagnostic performance was analyzed for lesion-, lobe-, and size-dependence. Diagnostic confidence was evaluated (4-point Likert-scale; 1 = high). Jackknife alternative free-response receiver-operating characteristic (JAFROC) analysis was performed. Seventy-six pulmonary lesions were evaluated. Lesion-based detection rates were: CTex, 77.6%; VIBEin, 53.3%; VIBEex, 51.3%; and Dixon, 22.4%. Lobe-based detection rates were: CTex, 89.6%; VIBEin, 58.3%; VIBEex, 60.4%; and Dixon, 31.3%. In contrast to CT, inspiration versus expiration did not alter diagnostic performance in VIBE sequences. Diagnostic confidence was best for VIBEin and CTex and decreased in VIBEex and Dixon (1.2 ± 0.6; 1.2 ± 0.7; 1.5 ± 0.9; 1.7 ± 1.1, respectively). The JAFROC figure-of-merit of Dixon was significantly lower. All patients with malignant lesions were identified by CTex, VIBEin, and VIBEex, while 3 patients were false-negative in Dixon. Fast T1-weighted VIBE sequences allow for identification of patients with malignant pulmonary lesions. The Dixon sequence is not recommended for lung nodule evaluation in oncologic MR/PET patients. In contrast to CT, inspiration versus

  6. Diagnosing Lung Nodules on Oncologic MR/PET Imaging: Comparison of Fast T1-Weighted Sequences and Influence of Image Acquisition in Inspiration and Expiration Breath-Hold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwenzer, Nina F.; Seith, Ferdinand; Gatidis, Sergios [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076 (Germany); Brendle, Cornelia [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076 (Germany); Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076 (Germany); Schmidt, Holger; Pfannenberg, Christina A. [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076 (Germany); Fougère, Christian la [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076 (Germany); Nikolaou, Konstantin; Schraml, Christina [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076 (Germany)

    2016-11-01

    First, to investigate the diagnostic performance of fast T1-weighted sequences for lung nodule evaluation in oncologic magnetic resonance (MR)/positron emission tomography (PET). Second, to evaluate the influence of image acquisition in inspiration and expiration breath-hold on diagnostic performance. The study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board. PET/CT and MR/PET of 44 cancer patients were evaluated by 2 readers. PET/CT included lung computed tomography (CT) scans in inspiration and expiration (CTin, CTex). MR/PET included Dixon sequence for attenuation correction and fast T1-weighted volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) sequences (volume interpolated breath-hold examination acquired in inspiration [VIBEin], volume interpolated breath-hold examination acquired in expiration [VIBEex]). Diagnostic performance was analyzed for lesion-, lobe-, and size-dependence. Diagnostic confidence was evaluated (4-point Likert-scale; 1 = high). Jackknife alternative free-response receiver-operating characteristic (JAFROC) analysis was performed. Seventy-six pulmonary lesions were evaluated. Lesion-based detection rates were: CTex, 77.6%; VIBEin, 53.3%; VIBEex, 51.3%; and Dixon, 22.4%. Lobe-based detection rates were: CTex, 89.6%; VIBEin, 58.3%; VIBEex, 60.4%; and Dixon, 31.3%. In contrast to CT, inspiration versus expiration did not alter diagnostic performance in VIBE sequences. Diagnostic confidence was best for VIBEin and CTex and decreased in VIBEex and Dixon (1.2 ± 0.6; 1.2 ± 0.7; 1.5 ± 0.9; 1.7 ± 1.1, respectively). The JAFROC figure-of-merit of Dixon was significantly lower. All patients with malignant lesions were identified by CTex, VIBEin, and VIBEex, while 3 patients were false-negative in Dixon. Fast T1-weighted VIBE sequences allow for identification of patients with malignant pulmonary lesions. The Dixon sequence is not recommended for lung nodule evaluation in oncologic MR/PET patients. In contrast to CT, inspiration versus

  7. Risk of iatrogenic human immunodeficiency virus infection through transfusion of blood tested by inappropriately stored or expired rapid antibody assays in a Zambian hospital

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Consten, E. C.; van der Meer, J. T.; de Wolf, F.; Heij, H. A.; Henny, P. C.; van Lanschot, J. J.

    1997-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to estimate the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection via the transfusion of blood tested by inappropriately stored or expired rapid antibody assays in Zambia. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Surgical patients (n = 370) were tested with antibody

  8. Assessment of carbon monoxide values in smokers: a comparison of carbon monoxide in expired air and carboxyhaemoglobin in arterial blood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersson, Mette F; Møller, Ann M

    2010-01-01

    Smoking increases perioperative complications. Carbon monoxide concentrations can estimate patients' smoking status and might be relevant in preoperative risk assessment. In smokers, we compared measurements of carbon monoxide in expired air (COexp) with measurements of carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) ......) in arterial blood. The objectives were to determine the level of correlation and to determine whether the methods showed agreement and evaluate them as diagnostic tests in discriminating between heavy and light smokers....

  9. HMOs outscore both PPOs, traditional indemnity plans in degree of customer satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, J

    1992-12-14

    A higher percentage of participants in health maintenance organizations say they are satisfied with their health plans than are those who have traditional indemnity plans or are enrolled in preferred provider organizations. The results, derived from a new study of consumer satisfaction, also show that 85% of Americans who have health insurance coverage say they are satisfied with those plans.

  10. Planning and implementing an honors degree in environmental science curricula: a case study from the University of Delaware, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levia, Delphis

    2015-04-01

    Environmental degradation is undermining the sustainability of our planet. The multi-faceted nature of environmental stressors, which inherently couples human-environment interactions across space and time, necessitates that we train environmental scientists holistically within an interdisciplinary framework. Recruiting top-notch honors students to major in the environmental sciences is a critical step to ensure that we have the human capital to tackle complicated environmental problems successfully. Planning and implementing an honors degree is no trivial task. Based upon a recently completed and implemented set of programmatic revisions*, this poster showcases a successful example of an honors curriculum in environmental science to recruit and educate dynamic thinkers capable of improving the quality of our environment. The interdisciplinary environmental science program at the University of Delaware emphasizes the cross-cutting among earth's spheres through a core set of courses which employ a quantitative approach which is supplemented by several environmental policy courses. The core is coupled with six different thematic concentrations (students choose one) which permit the student to delve into a particular area of environmental science. The honors component of the degree consists of twelve additional credits. These credits are met through a specially designed introductory environmental course, a field experience requiring data collection, analysis, and write-up, a capstone course, and one other environmentally related course. The environmental sciences honors curriculum outlined in this poster may serve as a useful guide to others wishing to establish an honors program of their own in environmental science to recruit and prepare the next generation to mitigate environmental degradation. -------------- * Please note that the planning process for the environmental programs was and is the collective effort of many dedicated people. Current members of the

  11. VET Providers Planning to Deliver Degrees: Good Practice Guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2015

    2015-01-01

    This good practice guide is intended to assist public and private registered training organisations (RTOs) planning to commence higher education (HE) delivery. The guide is based on research undertaken by Victor Callan and Kaye Bowman, who completed case studies with six providers currently delivering higher education qualifications in addition to…

  12. Don't Plan for the Unexpected: Planning Based on Plausibility Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Mikkel Birkegaard; Bolander, Thomas; Jensen, Martin Holm

    2015-01-01

    is not computationally feasible. Weak epistemic planning is not satisfactory either, as there is no way to qualify which of two weak plans is more likely to lead to the goal. This seriously limits the practical uses of weak planning, as the planning agent might for instance always choose a plan that relies...... that the agent achieves this goal. Conversely, a weak plan promises only the possibility of leading to the goal. In real-life planning scenarios where the planning agent is faced with a high degree of uncertainty and an almost endless number of possible exogenous events, strong epistemic planning...

  13. Schools Facing the Expiration of Windows XP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavanagh, Sean

    2013-01-01

    Microsoft's plans to end support for Windows XP, believed to be the dominant computer operating system in K-12 education, could pose big technological and financial challenges for districts nationwide--issues that many school systems have yet to confront. The giant software company has made it clear for years that it plans to stop supporting XP…

  14. Degree-degree correlations in random graphs with heavy-tailed degrees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofstad, van der R.W.; Litvak, N.

    2014-01-01

    Mixing patterns in large self-organizing networks, such as the Internet, the World Wide Web, social, and biological networks are often characterized by degree-degree dependencies between neighboring nodes. In assortative networks, the degree-degree dependencies are positive (nodes with similar

  15. Degree-Degree Dependencies in Random Graphs with Heavy-Tailed Degrees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Hofstad, Remco; Litvak, Nelly

    2014-01-01

    Mixing patterns in large self-organizing networks, such as the Internet, the World Wide Web, social, and biological networks are often characterized by degree-degree dependencies between neighboring nodes. In assortative networks, the degree-degree dependencies are positive (nodes with similar

  16. Value of digital radiography in expiration in detection of pneumothorax; Wertigkeit der digitalen Roentgenaufnahme in Exspiration zum Nachweis eines Pneumothorax

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomsen, L.; Natho, O.; Feigen, U.; Kivelitz, D. [Asklepios Klinik St. Georg, Hamburg (Germany). Dept. of Radiology; Schulz, U. [medistat GmbH, Kiel (Germany). Medical Statistics

    2014-03-15

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out whether pneumothorax detection and exclusion is superior in expiratory digital chest radiography. Materials and Methods: 131 patients with pneumothorax with paired inspiratory and expiratory chest radiographs were analyzed regarding localization and size of pneumothorax. Sensitivity, specificity, negative (npv) and positive predictive value (ppv) as well as the positive (LR+) and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) were determined in a blinded randomized interobserver study with 116 patients. The evaluation was performed by three board-certified radiologists. Results: In 131 patients, there were 139 pneumothoraces, 135 (97.1 %) were located apical, 88 (63.3 %) lateral and 33 (23.7 %) basal. Sensitivity was 99 % for inspiratory and 97 % for expiratory radiographs. The interobserver study yielded a mean sensitivity of 86.1 %/86.1 %, specificity of 97.3 %/93.4 %, npv of 88.7 %/88.5 % and ppv of 96.7 %/92.1 % for inspiration/expiration. For inspiratory radiographs the LR+/LR- were 40.2/0.14 and for expiration 13.9 and 0.15. McNemar-Test showed no significant difference for the detection of pneumothoraces in in-/exspiration. Conclusion: Inspiratory and expiratory digital radiographs are equally suitable for pneumothorax detection. Inspiratory radiographs are recommended as the initial examination of choice for pneumothorax detection, an additional expiratory radiograph is only recommended in doubtful cases. (orig.)

  17. Marketing Planning: Feeniks Koulu

    OpenAIRE

    Raut, Biranjan

    2013-01-01

    Degree Thesis “Marketing Planning: Feeniks Koulu” demonstrates structured marketing planning process with the help of case company “Feeniks Koulu”. The central idea of Thesis is to come up with systematic marketing plan following structured process. Thesis employs qualitative research methodology following inductive reasoning approach. Thesis, initiates by outlining theoretical planning methods, which then is materialized into marketing plan with the help of empirical research. Discussion and...

  18. Clinical Correlates of Planned and Unplanned Suicide Attempts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhury, Sadia R; Singh, Tanya; Burke, Ainsley; Stanley, Barbara; Mann, J John; Grunebaum, Michael; Sublette, M Elizabeth; Oquendo, Maria A

    2016-11-01

    Suicide attempters differ in the degree of planning for their suicide attempts. The purpose of this study was to identify differences between individuals who make planned (≥3 hours of planning) and unplanned (suicide attempts. Depressed suicide attempters (n = 110) were compared based on degree of planning of their most recent suicide attempt on demographic and clinical variables. Participants who made planned suicide attempts were more likely to have family history of completed suicide, more severe and frequent suicidal ideation, greater trait impulsivity, and greater suicidal intent and more severe medical consequences for both their most recent and most serious suicide attempts. These results suggest clear clinical differences based on the degree of suicide attempt planning. Severe suicidal ideation, high suicide intent, family history of suicide completion, and high levels of motor impulsivity contribute to a phenotype that is at greater risk of planned, highly lethal suicide attempts.

  19. A degree of success? Messages from the new social work degree in England for nurse education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moriarty, Jo; Manthorpe, Jill; Stevens, Martin; Hussein, Shereen; Macintyre, Gillian; Orme, Joan; Green Lister, Pam; Sharpe, Endellion; Crisp, Beth

    2010-07-01

    In September 2008 the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved plans to change pre-registration nursing education in England to an all-graduate qualification in 2015. In 2001 the Department of Health announced a similar decision for social work qualifying education and the first graduate-only qualifying programmes began in 2003-2004. This article presents findings from a national in-depth evaluation of the social work degree in England and describes ways in which efforts have been made to improve the quality of social workers, raise the status of the profession and link practice and theory as part of the transformation to a degree level qualification. Messages for nurse educators are drawn in the light of the professions' commonalities. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Integrated Marketing Communications: A New Master's Degree Concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caywood, Clarke; Ewing, Raymond

    1991-01-01

    Describes how separate graduate degree programs have been fused into an integrated marketing communications program at Northwestern University. Discusses the five-quarter program that includes a core of new marketing communications planning and management classes, professional specialization classes in corporate public relations, advertising, and…

  1. Diretrizes para um Programa de Recolhimento de Medicamentos Vencidos no Brasil Guidelines for an Expired Medication Collection Program in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Débora Cynamon Kligerman

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste artigo é apontar e discutir diretrizes fundamentais para um programa de recolhimento de medicamentos vencidos para o Brasil e evidenciar a importância de campanhas de conscientização da população para seu sucesso. Este é um trabalho de revisão descritiva de base documental que analisa documentos oficiais, técnicos e normativos, de Portugal, México, Canadá e Colômbia, onde existem recolhimento de medicamentos vencidos em diferentes estágios de implementação, alguns já consolidados, outros em fase inicial, mas todos com bons resultados. Os países citados foram escolhidos objetivando-se representação da Europa, América do Norte e América Latina. Seis diretrizes comuns foram apontadas: corresponsabilidade na cadeia de fabricação e distribuição do medicamento; minimização de resíduos como estratégia; realização de programa piloto; investigação e classificação dos resíduos gerados; intersetorialidade entre diferentes esferas do governo e campanhas de sensibilização e conscientização da comunidade. Estas diretrizes constituem uma base para um Programa de Recolhimento de Medicamentos Usados no Brasil.The scope of this paper is to outline and discuss fundamental guidelines for an expired medication collection program for Brazil and to provide evidence supporting campaigns to raise the population's awareness for the program's success. It is a document-based descriptive review that analyzes official, technical and regulatory documents from Portugal, Canada and Colombia, where there are expired medication collection programs in different stages of implementation. Some of them are already fully implemented, while others are in the preliminary stages, but all of them are achieving good results. The countries listed above were chosen in order to represent Europe, North America and Latin America. Six common guidelines were outlined: co-responsibility in the drug's manufacturing and distribution chain; a

  2. Systems biology of stored blood cells: can it help to extend the expiration date?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paglia, Giuseppe; Palsson, Bernhard Ø; Sigurjonsson, Olafur E

    2012-12-05

    With increasingly stringent regulations regarding deferral and elimination of blood donors it will become increasingly important to extend the expiration date of blood components beyond the current allowed storage periods. One reason for the storage time limit for blood components is that platelets and red blood cells develop a condition called storage lesions during their storage in plastic blood containers. Systems biology provides comprehensive bio-chemical descriptions of organisms through quantitative measurements and data integration in mathematical models. The biological knowledge for a target organism can be translated in a mathematical format and used to compute physiological properties. The use of systems biology represents a concrete solution in the study of blood cell storage lesions, and it may open up new avenues towards developing better storage methods and better storage media, thereby extending the storage period of blood components. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Integrated omics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. A study on making a long-term improvement in the national energy efficiency and GHG control plans by the AHP approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Seong Kon; Yoon, Yong Jin; Kim, Jong Wook

    2007-01-01

    Owing to the expiration of the national 10-year period plan and the establishment of an efficient energy and resource technology R and D system, the Korean government needs to make a strategic long-term national energy and resource technology R and D plan (NERP) to cope with forthcoming 10-year period. A new NERP aims to improve the energy intensity, reduce the emissions of greenhouse gas within the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), and contribute to the construction of an advanced economic system. We determine the priorities in technology development for the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas control plans (EGCP), which are parts of a new NERP, by using the AHP approach for the first time. We suggest a scientific procedure to determine the priorities in technology development by using AHP

  4. [Preparation of the graduation dissertation at bachelor degree, a fruitful time for acquiring methodological competence: research regarding graduate satisfaction].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monaco, Rita Ester; Roccu, Mariangela; Pazzaglini, Annarita

    2008-01-01

    To sphere the plan for formative quality improvement a course at bachelor degree, II Faculty of Medicine and Surgery La Sapienza of Rome, Study Center St. John of God FBF, has started a plan hinged various levels. To revisit the regulation of a school regarding DM 3 November 1999 n. 509 and to Dm 22 October 2004 n 270; To specify an evaluation standard a varied typology of the graduation dissertation; To plan a student guide for the drawing up of the graduation dissertation a bachelor degree; To value a graduate's satisfaction. The article explains the plan of a specific evaluation standard, the plan is a student guide drawn up for the graduation dissertation at bachelor degree; and the results of the known research about the graduate 's satisfaction.

  5. Competencies and skills for future Industrial Engineers defined in Spanish degrees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Santandreu-Mascarell

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: This paper has a double purpose. First, to analyze the competencies and skills proposed as ideals for an Industrial Engineering degree and identify them in the current study plans implemented in Spanish universities. Second, to check the fit between competencies and skills described in Spanish Industrial Engineering degrees and a real business environment.Design/methodology/approach: We searched information from universities through the web www.universia.es and obtained the list of all Spanish Universities, which have been filtered one by one according to their studies about Industrial Engineering degree. In addition, to compare competencies with real business world we have used results provided from the web analysis and from a previous paper in which a qualitative methodology called grounded theory was used.Findings: On one hand, we have analyzed and identified the competencies and skills proposed as ideals for an Industrial Engineering degree in the current study plans implemented in Spanish universities: competencies as multidisciplinariety and R&D are considered in all the universities, but commercial or environment are not so popular. On the other hand we have checked the fit between competencies and skills described in Spanish Industrial Engineering degrees and a real business environment. As a result, competencies as rotation, experience, company vision and corporative strategy are in all the analyzed study plans, but competencies as shared vision, free access to information and involvement of managers do not appear in new degrees, but they are required in real business.Research limitations/implications: About the origin of information, we use official web sites belonging to Spanish public and some private universities, and corresponding schools. Some universities have not updated the information about degrees in Industrial Engineering, and they still have old plans information. Moreover, the comparison we can make between the

  6. [Models, methods, clinical contents in the specialized degree in nursing sciences].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zannini, Lucia

    2003-01-01

    The document presented is the result of a consensus conference where nurses involved in teaching, direct care and management discussed with professionals and experts of other disciplines on the role of the clinical teaching at specialistic level. Nursing education in fact recently underwent a re-organization therefore after the degree (first level) there is a second level (Specialistic degree and PhD) first and second level master courses. The main question of the consensus conference was if there is a role and what are the contents of clinical nursing to be taught at specialistic level. A consensus was reached on the importance of not separating the teaching of the methods from the contents of care, to allow the production of new knowledge relevant for patients' care. A nurse with a specialistic degree should be able to plan and implement innovative models of care based on scientific knowledge; to recognise unexpected and rapidly evolving problems; to plan and implement, in collaboration with other professionals, complex educational interventions; study and explore principles and theories of helping relationship. The differences in contents and methods of clinical teaching between master and specialistic degree need to be further discussed and explored.

  7. Examination of a Standardized Test for Evaluating the Degree of Cure of EVA Encapsulation (Presentation)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miller, D.; Wohlgemuth, J.; Gu, X.; Haldeman, S.; Hidalgo, M.; Malguth, E.; Reid, C.; Shioda, T.; Schulze, S.; Wang, Z.

    2013-11-01

    The curing of cross-linkable encapsulation is a critical consideration for photovoltaic (PV) modules manufactured using a lamination process. Concerns related to ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA) include the quality (e.g., expiration and uniformity) of the films or completion (duration) of the cross-linking of the EVA within a laminator. Because these issues are important to both EVA and module manufacturers, an international standard has recently been proposed by the Encapsulation Task-Group within the Working Group 2 (WG2) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 82 (TC82) for the quantification of the degree of cure for EVA encapsulation. The present draft of the standard calls for the use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as the rapid, enabling secondary (test) method. Both the residual enthalpy- and melt/freeze-DSC methods are identified. The DSC methods are calibrated against the gel content test, the primary (reference) method. Aspects of other established methods, including indentation and rotor cure metering, were considered by the group. Key details of the test procedure will be described.

  8. Examination of a Standardized Test for Evaluating the Degree of Cure of EVA Encapsulation: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miller, D. C.; Gu, X.; Haldenman, S.; Hidalgo, M.; Malguth, E.; Reid, C. G.; Shioda, T.; Schulze, S. H.; Wang, Z. Y.; Wohlgemuth, J. H.

    2013-11-01

    The curing of cross-linkable encapsulation is a critical consideration for photovoltaic (PV) modules manufactured using a lamination process. Concerns related to ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA) include the quality (e.g., expiration and uniformity) of the films or completion (duration) of the cross-linking of the EVA within a laminator. Because these issues are important to both EVA and module manufacturers, an international standard has recently been proposed by the Encapsulation Task-Group within the Working Group 2 (WG2) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 82 (TC82) for the quantification of the degree of cure for EVA encapsulation. The present draft of the standard calls for the use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as the rapid, enabling secondary (test) method. Both the residual enthalpy- and melt/freeze-DSC methods are identified. The DSC methods are calibrated against the gel content test, the primary (reference) method. Aspects of other established methods, including indentation and rotor cure metering, were considered by the group. Key details of the test procedure will be described.

  9. Planning For Armenian NPP Decommissioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghazaryan, K.; Atoyan, V.; Pyuskyulyan, K.

    2008-01-01

    Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) is situated in Ararat valley near the Metzamor town, approximately 30 km west of Yerevan. The plant consists of two units of WWER-440 Model V-270 that is seismically upgraded version of standard V-230 design. The two units were put in commercial operation in 1976 and 1980 respectively. An earthquake in northern Armenia occurred in December 1988. Although both plants continued to operate after the earthquake, the USSR Council of Ministers ordered the shutdown of both plants for safety reasons. Unit 1 was shutdown in February 1989; Unit 2 was shutdown in March 1989. Shortly after Armenia became an independent republic, the ''energy crisis'' began, leaving the country with virtually no power for five years. The Armenian Government ordered the restart of Unit 2 ANPP. Unit 2 was restarted in November 1995. Unit 1 remains in a long-term shutdown mode. Currently nuclear share in total electricity generation is about 45%. The design life of Unit 2 expires in 2016. As with many older reactors throughout the world the decommissioning issues had not been considered for ANPP at the design stage. The planning activities for ANPP decommissioning were started in 2002 taking into account the IAEA recommendations that early planning will facilitate future decommissioning activities, and the complexity of preparatory and D and D activities as well. (author)

  10. Flow-controlled expiration: a novel ventilation mode to attenuate experimental porcine lung injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goebel, U; Haberstroh, J; Foerster, K; Dassow, C; Priebe, H-J; Guttmann, J; Schumann, S

    2014-09-01

    Whereas the effects of various inspiratory ventilatory modifications in lung injury have extensively been studied, those of expiratory ventilatory modifications are less well known. We hypothesized that the newly developed flow-controlled expiration (FLEX) mode provides a means of attenuating experimental lung injury. Experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome was induced by i.v. injection of oleic acid in 15 anaesthetized and mechanically ventilated pigs. After established lung injury ([Formula: see text]ratio ventilation (VCV) or a treatment group receiving VCV with additional FLEX (VCV+FLEX). At predefined times, lung mechanics and oxygenation were assessed. At the end of the experiment, the pigs were killed, and bronchoalveolar fluid and lung biopsies were taken. Expression of inflammatory cytokines was analysed in lung tissue and bronchoalveolar fluid. Lung injury score was determined on the basis of stained tissue samples. Compared with the control group (VCV; n=8), the VCV+FLEX group (n=7) demonstrated greater dynamic lung compliance and required less PEEP at comparable [Formula: see text] (both Pprotective ventilation. © The Author [2014]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. A new method for noninvasive measurement of pulmonary gas exchange using expired gas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, John B; Prisk, G Kim

    2018-01-01

    Measurement of the gas exchange efficiency of the lung is often required in the practice of pulmonary medicine and in other settings. The traditional standard is the values of the PO2, PCO2, and pH of arterial blood. However arterial puncture requires technical expertise, is invasive, uncomfortable for the patient, and expensive. Here we describe how the composition of expired gas can be used in conjunction with pulse oximetry to obtain useful measures of gas exchange efficiency. The new procedure is noninvasive, well tolerated by the patient, and takes only a few minutes. It could be particularly useful when repeated measurements of pulmonary gas exchange are required. One product of the procedure is the difference between the PO2 of end-tidal alveolar gas and the calculated PO2 of arterial blood. This measurement is related to the classical alveolar-arterial PO2 difference based on ideal alveolar gas. However that traditional index is heavily influenced by lung units with low ventilation-perfusion ratios, whereas the new index has a broader physiological basis because it includes contributions from the whole lung. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. IMRT plan validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mijnheer, Ben

    2008-01-01

    The lecture encompassed the following topics: Utility of radiographic and radiochromic film dosimetry; Diode and chamber arrays; 3D gel dosimetry; 4D dosimetry; Experimental design for dosimetry; In vivo measurements. and Portal dosimetry. In conclusion, the following pitfalls, potential errors and possible actions are pointed to: (i) Lacking algorithm in the TPS for tongue-and-groove effect. Action: Design and verify a new plan in which the tongue-and-groove effect plays a minor role. Discuss the issue with the TPS manufacturer. (ii) Systematic deviations between TPS calculations and ionisation chamber measurements at the isocentre for plans with many small segments due to uncertainties in the output factor calculation. Action: Rescale the number of MUs. Discuss the issue with the TPS manufacturer. (iii) Large regions with gamma values larger than one during repeated film measurements, while ionisation chamber measurements are correct. Action: Check if the film batch is not expired and if so repeat the measurement with a new batch. (iv) Missing significant errors, e.g., resulting from MLC displacements, due to the limited resolution of the measuring device. Action: Move the device in different directions and repeat the measurement. (v) Missing errors at other parts of the PTV or in OARs by performing only one ionisation chamber measurement or an independent MU calculation at a point. Action: Perform also measurements in a plane for representative clinical cases. (vi) Wrong parameter in the TPS for the definition of leaf position. Action: Understand and verify the definition of leaf position in your TPS. (P.A.)

  13. Respiratory management of CT-transmission for accuracy fusion in PET/CT. A comparison between normal expiration and free breathing in 600 experiences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osawa, Atsushi; Takiguchi, Tomohiro; Tamura, Shintaro; Ohashi, Takashi; Miwa, Kenta; Akimoto, Kenta; Wagatsuma, Kei

    2010-01-01

    Image misregistration can occur in fusion positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, because of motion artifacts caused by the management of respiration. The standard imaging protocol of the CT component of PET/CT is normal expiration (NormExp) or free breathing (FB). The objective of this study was to compare NormExp and FB for the optimal breathing protocol for PET/CT scans. A total of 600 consecutive patients were examined using lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO)-based PET/CT. CT was acquired during NormExp (id est (i.e.), the level reached when the patient exhaled without forcing expiration and then held the breath) in 300 patients and during FB in 300 patients. The profile of liver measured along body axis was assessed. The distance of profile centers between the PET image and the CT image was measured. The misalignment between profile centers (PET) and profile centers (CT) was compared between NormExp and FB using the histogram of patients. An F test was used to test if the variances of two misalignments are equal. Next, the relationship between misalignment and age was evaluated in two managements of respiration. There was no significant difference between NormExp and FB in the histogram. However, significant misalignments (>10 cm) were found with NormExp. Patient age may have influenced the mismatch. FB is recommended for geriatric patients during acquisition of attenuation correction CT data sets. (author)

  14. [A comparison of degree of precision of auscultation, partial pressure of carbon dioxide in end-expiration, and transillumination technique in verifying accurate position of endotracheal tube].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Le; Liu, Rong; Tang, Enhui; Li, Shouchun; Jin, Jun; He, Xihuan; Lyu, Shaojun; Weng, Hao

    2015-10-01

    To evaluate the effect of auscultation, partial pressure of carbon dioxide in end-expiration (P(ET)CO2), transillumination technique to judge whether the endotracheal tube is misplaced into the esophagus. A blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted. Sixty patients with American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) grade I - II undergoing endotracheal intubation in Fengxian Central Hospital admitted from September 2014 to February 2015 were enrolled. Two endotracheal tubes with the same size were respectively inserted into the trachea and esophagus for the same depth after general anesthesia by the same person. Two blinded anesthetists with different experience checked the tube position using three methods including auscultation, P(ET)CO2, and transillumination technique, respectively. The order of the tubes tested (trachea or esophagus) and the method used were randomized according to randomise numbers table. The experienced anesthetists conducted the test first, followed by an inexperienced anesthetist conducting the same methods. The numbers of right and wrong determinations with different methods by different anesthetists were recorded. Sixty patients underwent the procedures for 180 times, with intratracheal intubation for 90 times, and esophageal intubation for 90 times. It was shown that the results were not different in two groups [96.7% (174/180) vs. 92.2% (166/180), χ2 = 3.500, P = 0.057]. By using auscultation, the correct rate of experienced anesthetist was higher than that of inexperienced (95.0% vs. 78.3%, χ2 = 5.786, P = 0.013). Using P(ET)CO2, both anesthetists were correct in all cases, and the accuracy was 100%. Using transillumination, the experienced anesthetist was mistaken in 3 cases (accuracy was 95.0%), while the inexperienced mistook in 1 case (accuracy was 98.3%), and no significant difference was found between two groups χ2 = 0.500, P = 0.250). The correct rate of using transillumination was significantly higher than that of using

  15. Six-Degree-of-Freedom Dynamic Test System (SDTS) User Test Planning Guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stokes, LeBarian

    2012-01-01

    Test process, milestones and inputs are unknowns to first-time users of the SDTS. The User Test Planning Guide aids in establishing expectations for both NASA and non- NASA facility customers. The potential audience for this guide includes both internal and commercial spaceflight hardware/software developers. It is intended to assist their test engineering personnel in test planning and execution. Material covered includes a roadmap of the test process, roles and responsibilities of facility and user, major milestones, facility capabilities, and inputs required by the facility. Samples of deliverables, test article interfaces, and inputs necessary to define test scope, cost, and schedule are included as an appendix to the guide.

  16. Degree-degree correlations in directed networks with heavy-tailed degrees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Hoorn, W.L.F.; Litvak, Nelli

    2013-01-01

    In network theory, Pearson's correlation coefficients are most commonly used to measure the degree assortativity of a network. We investigate the behavior of these coefficients in the setting of directed networks with heavy-tailed degree sequences. We prove that for graphs where the in- and

  17. Motion planning for multiple robots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aronov, B.; Berg, de M.; van der Stappen, A.F.; Svestka, P.; Vleugels, J.M.

    1999-01-01

    We study the motion-planning problem for pairs and triples of robots operating in a shared workspace containing n obstacles. A standard way to solve such problems is to view the collection of robots as one composite robot, whose number of degrees of freedom is d , the sum of the numbers of degrees

  18. Should the threshold for expired-air carbon monoxide concentration as a means of verifying self-reported smoking abstinence be reduced in clinical treatment programmes? Evidence from a Malaysian smokers' clinic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wee, Lei-Hum; West, Robert; Mariapun, Jeevitha; Chan, Caryn Mei-Hsien; Bulgiba, Awang; Peramalah, Devi; Jit, Swinder

    2015-08-01

    It has been proposed that the expired-air carbon monoxide (CO) threshold for confirming smoking abstinence in clinical practice be reduced below 10 ppm. Optimal thresholds may vary across regions. Data are needed to assess the impact of such a change on claimed success. A total of 253 smokers who attended the Tanglin quit smoking clinic in Malaysia were followed-up 1, 3 and 6 months after the target quit date. All participants received a standard behavioural support programme and were prescribed either varenicline or nicotine replacement therapy. Expired-air CO was measured at every visit. Respondents' smoking status was assessed using a range of different CO thresholds (3, 5 and 10 ppm) and the impact on quit rates was calculated. Predictors of success as defined using the different thresholds were assessed. The 6-month abstinence rates were: 1 month - 54.9% at 10 ppm, 54.9% at 5 ppm and 48.6% at 3 ppm; 3 months - 36.0% at 10 ppm, 35.2% at 5 ppm and 30.4% at 3 ppm; 6 months - 24.1% at 10 ppm, 24.1% at 5 ppm and 20.6% at 3 ppm. Older smokers were more likely to be recorded as abstinent at 6 months regardless of the threshold used. Reducing the threshold for expired-air carbon monoxide concentrations to verify claimed smoking abstinence from 10 ppm to 5 ppm makes minimal difference to documented success rates in Malaysian smoker's clinic patients. Reducing to 3 ppm decreases success rates slightly. Predictors of success at stopping appear to be unaffected by the threshold used. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Degree-degree dependencies in directed networks with heavy-tailed degrees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Hoorn, W.L.F.; Litvak, Nelly

    2015-01-01

    In network theory, Pearson’s correlation coefficients are most commonly used to measure the degree assortativity of a network. We investigate the behavior of these coefficients in the setting of directed networks with heavy-tailed degree sequences. We prove that for graphs where the in- and

  20. Modular Circuitry for Combining and Controlling Degrees of Freedom in the Limb

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Giszter, Simon

    2001-01-01

    Work in the frog spinal cord, and more recently in mammals, suggests that the degrees of freedom problem in motor planning may be simplified by building motor actions from combinations of motor primitives...

  1. Consumer perception and preference for suboptimal food under the emerging practice of expiration date based pricing in supermarkets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica

    2018-01-01

    Consumers have been found to majorly prefer ‘optimal’ food over ‘suboptimal’ when purchasing food. To provide an incentive for consumers to select suboptimal food and thus decrease food waste in the supply chain, expiration date based pricing is suggested and increasingly applied. However......, it is unclear which contextual, individual, and product-related factors impact consumer likelihood of choice and thus acceptance of the practice in the long run. The study aimed at exploring the effect of communicating different motives for purchase, the product being organic, familiarity with the practice......, individual preferences, and product-related factors. An online survey experiment among 842 Danish consumers realistically mimicked the current market context. Findings reveal that neither communicating budget saving or food waste avoidance nor the product being organic has an influence. However...

  2. 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

  3. Surface electromyography activity of the rectus abdominis, internal oblique, and external oblique muscles during forced expiration in healthy adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Kenichi; Nonaka, Koji; Ogaya, Shinya; Ogi, Atsushi; Matsunaka, Chiaki; Horie, Jun

    2016-06-01

    We aimed to characterize rectus abdominis, internal oblique, and external oblique muscle activity in healthy adults under expiratory resistance using surface electromyography. We randomly assigned 42 healthy adult subjects to 3 groups: 30%, 20%, and 10% maximal expiratory intraoral pressure (PEmax). After measuring 100% PEmax and muscle activity during 100% PEmax, the activity and maximum voluntary contraction of each muscle during the assigned experimental condition were measured. At 100% PEmax, the external oblique (pinternal oblique (pexternal oblique (pinternal oblique (pexternal oblique: pinternal oblique: p<0.01). The abdominal oblique muscles are the most active during forced expiration. Moreover, 30% PEmax is the minimum intensity required to achieve significant, albeit very slight, muscle activity during expiratory resistance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Strategic Planning for Management Information Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ein-Dor, Phillip; Segev, Eli

    1978-01-01

    Two factors predominate in determining the appropriateness of strategic plans for management information systems (MIS)--explicitness (the degree to which the process is conscious, formal, and documented) and situational fit (the degree to which the MIS is compatible with the specific organization and its members). (Author/IRT)

  5. Current Trends in Communication Graduate Degrees: Survey of Communications, Advertising, PR, and IMC Graduate Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quesenberry, Keith A.; Coolsen, Michael K.; Wilkerson, Kristen

    2015-01-01

    A survey of 61 master's degree advertising programs reveals significant trends in program titles, curriculum design, course delivery, and students served. The results provide insight for current and planned master's degree programs as research predicts a continued increase in demand for master's education over the next decade. Survey results are…

  6. A Study on Strategic Planning and Procurement of Medicals in Uganda's Regional Referral Hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masembe, Ishak Kamaradi

    2016-12-31

    This study was an analysis of the effect of strategic planning on procurement of medicals in Uganda's regional referral hospitals (RRH's). Medicals were defined as essential medicines, medical devices and medical equipment. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been carrying out strategic planning for the last 15 years via the Health Sector Strategic Plans. Their assumption was that strategic planning would translate to strategic procurement and consequently, availability of medicals in the RRH's. However, despite the existence of these plans, there have been many complaints about expired drugs and shortages in RRH's. For this purpose, a third variable was important because it served the role of mediation. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on perceptions of 206 respondents who were selected using simple random sampling. 8 key informant interviews were held, 2 in each RRH. 4 Focus Group Discussions were held, 1 for each RRH, and between 5 and 8 staff took part as discussants for approximately three hours. The findings suggested that strategic planning was affected by funding to approximately 34% while the relationship between funding and procurement was 35%. The direct relationship between strategic planning and procurement was 18%. However when the total causal effect was computed it turned out that strategic planning and the related variable of funding contributed 77% to procurement of medicals under the current hierarchical model where MOH is charged with development of strategic plans for the entire health sector. Since even with this contribution there were complaints, the study proposed a new model called CALF which according to a simulation, if adopted by MOH, strategic planning would contribute 87% to effectiveness in procurement of medicals.

  7. AUDIT plan documenting method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornecsu, M.

    1995-01-01

    The work describes a method of documenting the AUDIT plan upon the basis of two quantitative elements resulting from quality assurance program appraisal system function implementation degree as established from the latest AUDIT performed an system function weight in QAP, respectively, appraised by taking into account their significance for the activities that are to be performed in the period for which the AUDITs are planned. (Author) 3 Figs., 2 Refs

  8. Challenges and Driving Forces for Business Plans in Biobanking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macheiner, Tanja; Huppertz, Berthold; Bayer, Michaela; Sargsyan, Karine

    2017-04-01

    Due to increased utilization of biospecimens for research and emergence of new technologies, the availability and quality of biospecimens and their collection are coming more and more into focus. However, the long-term economic situation of biobanks is still mostly unclear. Also, the common sustainable utilization of various international biobanks is challenging due to local differences in sample processing, law and ethics. This article discusses possible strategies to achieve a sustainable utilization of biospecimens as part of the business plan of biobanks. The following questions were addressed as part of a business plan: (1) How can a biobank build up and maintain an up-to-date infrastructure? (2) What kind of funding can support the sustainability of a biobank? (3) Is there an international solution for informed consents to enable sample and data sharing? (4) How can a biobank react during economically unstable periods? (5) Which kind of biobanking research is innovative? (6) What kind of education could be most needful for knowledge transfer in biobanking? (7) Does an expiration date for a biobank make sense according to the period of funding? A strategy for optimal utilization begins with sharing of resources, infrastructure, and investments at the planning stage of a biobank, and continues to the transfer of knowledge and know-how by education. For clinical biobanks in particular, a long-term funding and cost recovery strategy is necessary for sustainable utilization.

  9. A Study on Strategic Planning and Procurement of Medicals in Uganda’s Regional Referral Hospitals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    This study was an analysis of the effect of strategic planning on procurement of medicals in Uganda’s regional referral hospitals (RRH’s). Medicals were defined as essential medicines, medical devices and medical equipment. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been carrying out strategic planning for the last 15 years via the Health Sector Strategic Plans. Their assumption was that strategic planning would translate to strategic procurement and consequently, availability of medicals in the RRH’s. However, despite the existence of these plans, there have been many complaints about expired drugs and shortages in RRH’s. For this purpose, a third variable was important because it served the role of mediation. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on perceptions of 206 respondents who were selected using simple random sampling. 8 key informant interviews were held, 2 in each RRH. 4 Focus Group Discussions were held, 1 for each RRH, and between 5 and 8 staff took part as discussants for approximately three hours. The findings suggested that strategic planning was affected by funding to approximately 34% while the relationship between funding and procurement was 35%. The direct relationship between strategic planning and procurement was 18%. However when the total causal effect was computed it turned out that strategic planning and the related variable of funding contributed 77% to procurement of medicals under the current hierarchical model where MOH is charged with development of strategic plans for the entire health sector. Since even with this contribution there were complaints, the study proposed a new model called CALF which according to a simulation, if adopted by MOH, strategic planning would contribute 87% to effectiveness in procurement of medicals. PMID:28299158

  10. Measurement of the Maximum Frequency of Electroglottographic Fluctuations in the Expiration Phase of Volitional Cough as a Functional Test for Cough Efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwahashi, Toshihiko; Ogawa, Makoto; Hosokawa, Kiyohito; Kato, Chieri; Inohara, Hidenori

    2017-10-01

    The hypotheses of the present study were that the maximum frequency of fluctuation of electroglottographic (EGG) signals in the expiration phase of volitional cough (VC) reflects the cough efficiency and that this EGG parameter is affected by impaired laryngeal closure, expiratory effort strength, and gender. For 20 normal healthy adults and 20 patients diagnosed with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP), each participant was fitted with EGG electrodes on the neck, had a transnasal laryngo-fiberscope inserted, and was asked to perform weak/strong VC tasks while EGG signals and a high-speed digital image of the larynx were recorded. The maximum frequency was calculated in the EGG fluctuation region coinciding with vigorous vocal fold vibration in the laryngeal HSDIs. In addition, each participant underwent spirometry for measurement of three aerodynamic parameters, including peak expiratory air flow (PEAF), during weak/strong VC tasks. Significant differences were found for both maximum EGG frequency and PEAF between the healthy and UVFP groups and between the weak and strong VC tasks. Among the three cough aerodynamic parameters, PEAF showed the highest positive correlation with the maximum EGG frequency. The correlation coefficients between the maximum EGG frequency and PEAF recorded simultaneously were 0.574 for the whole group, and 0.782/0.717/0.823/0.688 for the male/female/male-healthy/male-UVFP subgroups, respectively. Consequently, the maximum EGG frequency measured in the expiration phase of VC was shown to reflect the velocity of expiratory airflow to some extent and was suggested to be affected by vocal fold physical properties, glottal closure condition, and the expiratory function.

  11. Magnetic field control of 90 Degree-Sign , 180 Degree-Sign , and 360 Degree-Sign domain wall resistance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Majidi, Roya, E-mail: royamajidi@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Lavizan, 16788-15811 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2012-10-01

    In the present work, we have compared the resistance of the 90 Degree-Sign , 180 Degree-Sign , and 360 Degree-Sign domain walls in the presence of external magnetic field. The calculations are based on the Boltzmann transport equation within the relaxation time approximation. One-dimensional Neel-type domain walls between two domains whose magnetization differs by angle of 90 Degree-Sign , 180 Degree-Sign , and 360 Degree-Sign are considered. The results indicate that the resistance of the 360 Degree-Sign DW is more considerable than that of the 90 Degree-Sign and 180 Degree-Sign DWs. It is also found that the domain wall resistance can be controlled by applying transverse magnetic field. Increasing the strength of the external magnetic field enhances the domain wall resistance. In providing spintronic devices based on magnetic nanomaterials, considering and controlling the effect of domain wall on resistivity are essential.

  12. Planning with Reachable Distances

    KAUST Repository

    Tang, Xinyu

    2009-01-01

    Motion planning for spatially constrained robots is difficult due to additional constraints placed on the robot, such as closure constraints for closed chains or requirements on end effector placement for articulated linkages. It is usually computationally too expensive to apply sampling-based planners to these problems since it is difficult to generate valid configurations. We overcome this challenge by redefining the robot\\'s degrees of freedom and constraints into a new set of parameters, called reachable distance space (RD-space), in which all configurations lie in the set of constraint-satisfying subspaces. This enables us to directly sample the constrained subspaces with complexity linear in the robot\\'s number of degrees of freedom. In addition to supporting efficient sampling, we show that the RD-space formulation naturally supports planning, and in particular, we design a local planner suitable for use by sampling-based planners. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach for several systems including closed chain planning with multiple loops, restricted end effector sampling, and on-line planning for drawing/sculpting. We can sample single-loop closed chain systems with 1000 links in time comparable to open chain sampling, and we can generate samples for 1000-link multi-loop systems of varying topology in less than a second. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.

  13. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan - TA-60 Asphalt Batch Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandoval, Leonard Frank [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2018-01-31

    This Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§1251 et seq., as amended), and the Multi-Sector General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (U.S. EPA, June 2015) issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and using the industry specific permit requirements for Sector P-Land Transportation and Warehousing as a guide. This SWPPP applies to discharges of stormwater from the operational areas of the TA-60-01 Asphalt Batch Plant at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory (also referred to as LANL or the “Laboratory”) is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), and is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). Throughout this document, the term “facility” refers to the TA-60 Asphalt Batch Plant and associated areas. The current permit expires at midnight on June 4, 2020.

  14. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan - TA-60 Material Recycling Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandoval, Leonard Frank [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2018-01-31

    This Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§1251 et seq., as amended), and the Multi-Sector General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (U.S. EPA, June 2015) issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and using the industry specific permit requirements for Sector P-Land Transportation and Warehousing as a guide. This SWPPP applies to discharges of stormwater from the operational areas of the TA- 60 Material Recycling Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory (also referred to as LANL or the “Laboratory”) is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), and is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). Throughout this document, the term “facility” refers to the TA-60 Material Recycling Facility. The current permit expires at midnight on June 4, 2020.

  15. 'Plans are useless'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bland, Michael

    2013-01-01

    An essential element in crisis recovery is the protection and/or recovery of reputation. This calls for a crisis communications function that is of more than passing interest to the business continuity specialist and which presents two major challenges in this era of process-driven management: (1) it is an inexact science, more about common sense, psychology, empathy and 'playing it by ear' than about box ticking; (2) it does not lend itself to detailed, rigid plans, although some degree of planning is essential. This paper outlines a flexible approach that will help the crisis team to develop a workable communications plan that strikes a balance between being too detailed and too sketchy. It argues that the whole management team should be involved in developing the plan and sets a number of questions, which, on being answered, will help a realistic, achievable and effective plan to evolve.

  16. The system Cu-Rh-S at 900 degrees, 700 degrees, 540 degrees and 500 degrees C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karup-Møller, Sven; Makovicky, E.

    2007-01-01

    Phase relations in the dry condensed system Cu-Rh-S were determined at 900, 700, 540 and 500 degrees C. At 900 degrees C, the system contains digenite, four rhodium sulfides (Rh17S15, Rh3S4, Rh2S3 and RhS similar to 3), three ternary sulfides (CuRh2S4, CuxRhS3+x and a fibrous sulfide in the range...

  17. Master’s Degree Programs of Camarines Norte State College, Philippines: Impact on Its Graduates

    OpenAIRE

    Godofredo E. Peteza, Jr.

    2017-01-01

    This research determined the impact of the master’s degree programs offered in the Graduate School such as Master in Business Administration, Master in Public Administration, Master in Management majors in Human Resource Management and Educational Planning and Management on its graduates from 2009 to 2013. Descriptive-survey method supplemented by interview was employed to identify specifically the profile of the graduates of master’s degree programs in terms of age, sex, civil ...

  18. When Graduate Degrees Prostitute the Educational Process: Degrees Gone Wild

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lumadue, Richard T.

    2006-01-01

    Graduate degrees prostitute the educational process when they are sold to consumers by unaccredited degree/diploma mills as being equivalent to legitimate, bona-fide degrees awarded by accredited graduate schools. This article carefully analyzes the serious problems of bogus degrees and their association with the religious higher education…

  19. Dose monitoring in Partial Liquid Ventilation by infrared measurement of expired perfluorochemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzoni, M; Nugent, L; Klein, D; Hoffman, J; Sekins, K M; Flaim, S F

    1999-01-01

    Patients undergoing Partial Liquid Ventilation (PLV) with the perfluorochemical liquid perflubron (PFB) continuously evaporate the drug from the lung during ventilatory expiration. In this study, two infrared (IR) devices, a modified industrial analyzer ("experimental prototype") and a custom-designed device suitable for use in a clinical environment ("clinical prototype"), were calibrated and validated on the bench to measure a range of PFB concentrations (CPFB) in a gas stream. PFB loss from the lung (area under the CPFB-vs-time-curve) could be correlated during PLV simulation with changes in tidal volume, breathing rate, and variable CPFB-vs-time profiles. The two IR devices produced nearly identical measurements for the same CPFB standards (maximum deviation = 1.5%). The experimental IR prototype was tested in 17 anesthetized, paralyzed, and ventilated swine (42-53 kg) to quantify the total amount and rate of evaporate loss of PFB over 12 hours of PLV, both with and without periodic supplemental PFB doses. The residual PFB volumes in the animal lungs at the end of the study, as determined by a gravimetric postmortem lung method, were found to agree on average for all animals to within 10% of the residual PFB volume as predicted by the IR approach. Furthermore, the IR signal of CPFB does not appear to correlate with the absolute amount of PFB in the lungs, but may reflect the relative proportion of PFB-wetted airway and alveolar surface. The authors conclude that IR quantitation of PFB evaporative loss is acceptably accurate for extended periods of PLV and may be a useful tool in the clinic for PFB dose monitoring and maintenance, thereby helping to optimize PLV treatment.

  20. Progressively implementation of the new degrees at E.T.S. of Agriculture Engineering and extinction of the earlier degrees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arce, A.; Caniego, J.; Vazquez, J.; Serrano, A.; Tarquis, A. M.; Cartagena, M. C.

    2012-04-01

    The Bologna process is to improve the quality of education, mobility, diversity and the competitiveness and involves three fundamental changes: transform of the structure of titles, changing in methods of teaching and implementation of the systems of quality assurance. Once that the new degrees have been implemented with this structure, and began at E.T.S. of Agriculture Engineering (ETSIA) at Madrid from 2010-2011 course, the main aim of this work is to deeply study the changes in teaching methodology as well as progressively implementation of the educational planning of the three new degrees: Engineering and Agronomic Graduate, Food Industry Engineering Graduate and Agro-environmental Graduate. Each one of them presents 240 ECTS with a common first course and will have access to an official Master in Agronomic Engineering. As part as an educational innovation project awarded by the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) to improve educational quality, the second course has been designed with the main objective to continue the educative model implemented last course. This model identifies several teaching activities and represents a proper teaching style at ETSIA-UPM. At the same time, a monitoring and development coordination plans have been established. On the other hand, a procedure to extinguish the earlier plans of Agriculture Engineering was also defined. Other activities related to this Project were the information improvement of the grades, in particular at High Schools centers, improving the processes of reception, counseling and tutoring and mentoring. Likewise, cooperative working workshops and programs to support the teaching of English language were implemented. Satisfaction surveys and opinion polls were done to professors and students involved in first course in order to test several aspects of this project. The students surveys were analyzed taking in account the academic results and their participation in mentoring activities giving a highly

  1. Second-degree discrete Painleve equations conceal first-degree ones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramani, A; Grammaticos, B; Joshi, N

    2010-01-01

    We examine various second-degree difference equations which have been proposed over the years and according to their authors' claims should be integrable. This study is motivated by the fact that we consider that second-degree discrete systems cannot be integrable due to the proliferation of the images (and pre-images) of the initial point. We show that in the present cases no contradiction exists. In all cases examined, we show that there exists an underlying integrable first-degree mapping which allows us to obtain an appropriate solution of the second-degree one.

  2. Double nursing degree: potentialities and challenges of an international student academic experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nora, Carlise Rigon Dalla; Schaefer, Rafaela; Schveitzer, Mariana Cabral; Zoboli, Elma Lourdes Campos Pavone; Vieira, Margarida Maria

    2018-01-01

    Objective To share the experience of a Double Nursing degree promoted between the Nursing School of the Universidade de São Paulo and the Health Sciences Institute of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, reflecting on the potentialities and challenges of this opportunity for graduate students. Method This is an experience report presented in chronological order and of a descriptive nature. The double degree in Nursing was accomplished over a period of 6 months in a different institution from the institution of origin. Results Among the activities developed during the Double Degree are: participating in examining boards, congresses, seminars, courses, meetings, lectures, colloquium, classes, research groups and technical visits to health services. A table presents and describes the main benefits of the experience experienced by the authors. Conclusion When well-planned and well-developed, a double degree can promote personal, cultural and professional development of the students, favoring internationalization and contributing to the qualification of graduate programs.

  3. Long-term allocation of power from the Snettisham Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    The Alaska Power Administration (APA) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-0839) evaluating the Final Marketing Plan for the Snettisham Project that establishes long-term allocation and sales of power. The proposed long-term sales contract will replace a 20-year sales agreement that expires at the end of December, 1993. The EA evaluates the proposed alternative and the no action alternative. The proposed alternative replaces the expiring contract with a new 20-year contract with the same terms, conditions and allocation as the previous long-term contract. No other alternatives were developed, as there is only one utility in the Juneau area. The divestiture of this Federal project is expected to be approved by Congress; the present contractor would then assume the ownership and operation of the Snettisham Project. The EA identified no actions associated with the proposal that will cause significant environmental or socioeconomic impacts. The Final Marketing Plan for the Snettisham Project deals with the replacement of an expiring contract. The Final Marketing Plan does not include the addition of any major new resources, service to discrete major new loads, or major changes in operating parameters. No changes in rates are proposed in the Final Marketing Plan

  4. Reflux and Belching After 270 Degree Versus 360 Degree Laparoscopic Posterior Fundoplication

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broeders, Joris A.; Bredenoord, Albert J.; Hazebroek, Eric J.; Broeders, Ivo A.; Gooszen, Hein G.; Smout, André J.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To investigate differences in effects of 270 degrees (270 degrees LPF) and 360 degrees laparoscopic posterior fundoplication (360 degrees LPF) on reflux characteristics and belching. Background: Three hundred sixty degrees LPF greatly reduces the ability of the stomach to vent ingested

  5. Pursuit of STEM: Factors shaping degree completion for African American females in STEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkins, Ashlee N.

    The primary purpose of the study was to examine secondary data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman and College Senior Surveys to investigate factors shaping degree aspirations for African American female undergraduates partaking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the data and identify relationships between independent variables in relation to the dependent variable. The findings of the study reveal four key variables that were predictive of degree completion for African American females in STEM. Father's education, SAT composite, highest degree planned, and self-perception were positive predictors for females; while independent variable overall sense of community among students remained a negative predictor. Lastly implications for education and recommendations for future research were discussed.

  6. Temporal variations in the second-degree stokes tesseral geopotential coefficients from TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Burša, Milan; Kenyon, S.; Kouba, J.; Šíma, Zdislav; Vatrt, V.; Vítek, V.; Vojtíšková, M.

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 93, č. 1 (2003), s. 37-64 ISSN 0167-9295 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1003909 Keywords : T/P altimery * stokes 2-nd degree tesseral coeficients Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 0.418, year: 2003

  7. Statistical methods for the planning of inspections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hough, C.G.; Beetle, T.M.

    1976-01-01

    Inspection plans are designed to detect diversions of M kilograms of nuclear material with a high degree of confidence. Attribute sample plans were first developed and applied at a zero-energy fast reactor in the United Kingdom in co-operation with the Agency. Battelle-Northwest in the United States of America proposed a variables sample plan based on decision theory. The Karlsruhe Research Center in the Federal Republic of Germany developed the strategic points concept and sample plans based on game theory considerations. All these approaches were combined into a common approach which is summarized in this report. (author)

  8. CONCEPT MODEL OF CREATION AND EVALUATION OF THE DEGREE OF FOCUS-ON-CLIENTS OF THE ENTERPRISE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ladygina Ekaterina Evgen'evna

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This article considers the problem of ensuring competitive capacity of an enterprise, and identifies the reserves for increasing it. The focus-on-clients of an enterprise was identified to be the main direction for increasing the competitive capacity. This article features the parameters for assessment of the degree of focus-on-clients of an enterprise, as well as formulae for the said assessment. It also presents methods to evaluate the priority of the criteria. The article contains the model created for evaluating the development of focus-on-clients of the enterprise. This model allows to assess the parameters that influence the degree of focus-on-clients, priority of such parameters, and identify the reserves for improving them. In particular, method for calculating quantitative parameters by converting qualitative parameters into quantitative was introduced. In addition, plan of activities aimed at improving the degree of focus-on-clients and, therefore, competitive capacity of the enterprise, is presented. The article features formulae, functional relations, and calculation of all parameters as well. The model for assessment and development of focus-on-customers presented in the work defines the degree of conformance between the selected strategy and accounting for consumers' preferences when the plan of activities aimed at ensuring competitive capacity of the enterprise is implemented.

  9. Effect of irradiation on the pH for 11 commercial salad dressings near expiration date

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sagretti, Juliana M.A.; Fabbri, Adriana D.T.; Hirashima, Fabiana K.; Nunes, Thaise C.F.; Rogovschi, Vladimir D.; Sabato, Susy F.

    2013-01-01

    The demand for salad dressings has evolved significantly in recent years and has become a frequent option in the meal. The pH values for salad dressings are low, precisely because they are emulsions acidified by adding ingredients, such as, acetic acid and / or citric acid and preservatives like benzoic acid and / or sorbic those provide an environment unfavorable to the growth of many microorganisms. However, the deterioration of such products occur as a result of growth of lactobacilli, bacilli, yeasts, once damaged, can present loss of taste and dark spots on the surface as an indication of yeast colony formation. Whereas, the positive effects of gamma irradiation on food, such as improved safety and stability of food products on shelves, the pH is a key factor for assessing not only the conservation, but also to the quality. The aim of this study was to reassess the effects of radiation on the pH of 9 varieties of commercial salad dressing after 6 months of storage, near the expiration of samples validity. The samples were acquired on the market of Sao Paulo and subjected to low doses of radiation at irradiator Multipurpose IPEN / CNEN-SP. The irradiated samples were compared to control. Statistical analyzes were performed using the program Graph Pad 5 and adopting a significance level of 5% (p <0.05). (author)

  10. Effect of irradiation on the pH for 11 commercial salad dressings near expiration date

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sagretti, Juliana M.A.; Fabbri, Adriana D.T.; Hirashima, Fabiana K.; Nunes, Thaise C.F.; Rogovschi, Vladimir D.; Sabato, Susy F., E-mail: jusagretti@uol.com.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    The demand for salad dressings has evolved significantly in recent years and has become a frequent option in the meal. The pH values for salad dressings are low, precisely because they are emulsions acidified by adding ingredients, such as, acetic acid and / or citric acid and preservatives like benzoic acid and / or sorbic those provide an environment unfavorable to the growth of many microorganisms. However, the deterioration of such products occur as a result of growth of lactobacilli, bacilli, yeasts, once damaged, can present loss of taste and dark spots on the surface as an indication of yeast colony formation. Whereas, the positive effects of gamma irradiation on food, such as improved safety and stability of food products on shelves, the pH is a key factor for assessing not only the conservation, but also to the quality. The aim of this study was to reassess the effects of radiation on the pH of 9 varieties of commercial salad dressing after 6 months of storage, near the expiration of samples validity. The samples were acquired on the market of Sao Paulo and subjected to low doses of radiation at irradiator Multipurpose IPEN / CNEN-SP. The irradiated samples were compared to control. Statistical analyzes were performed using the program Graph Pad 5 and adopting a significance level of 5% (p <0.05). (author)

  11. CULTURAL HERITAGE IN STUDIES OF GEOGRAPHY AND TERRITORIAL PLANNING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARÍA DOLORES PALAZÓN BOTELLA

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available  The Geography and Territorial Planning Degree replaces, under the provisions of the European Higher Education Area and the recommendations of the “Libro Blanco: Título de Grado en Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio”, the Geography Bachelor’s Degree. This change not only affected its name, including territory and its planning, but it also developed into a regulation of its curricula, introducing new subjects that would train the future geographer in order to make him capable of confronting new challenges in their areas of work, where cultural heritage has become an additional option. 

  12. Unused and expired medications disposal practices in the community: a cross-sectional survey in Cheras, Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omotayo Fatokun*, Ai Wei Chang, Wan Nah Ng, Thashini Nair, Vanitha Balakrishnan

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Irresponsible disposal of unused and expired medicationsmay lead to both environmental and public health hazards andhas been subject of several studies [1-3]. The presence ofpharmaceuticals and their respective metabolites in theaquatic environment has become a source for rising concern inrecent years and several studies [2,3 ] have shown that theexistence of these substances in waste water and drinkingwater [4] and they may be potentially harmful to aquatic life.Besides, risk to human life remained a concern [2]. Therefore,the objective of this study was to assess medication disposalpractices and environmental risks awareness of improperdisposal of medications among individuals in the community.A 9-item structured questionnaire was developed based onexisting literature [1-3]. Following a pre-test on ten people in acommunity shopping mall, the final questionnaire wasadministered face-to-face to a convenience sample of 200participants at different areas in two large shopping malls andsurrounding restaurants in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Findings demonstrate that Majority of participants (51.5%were male. In terms of ethnic distribution, the majority ofparticipants surveyed were Chinese (66.5%, followed byMalays (17.0% and Indians (15.5%. Majority of participants(47.5% were aged between 20-29 years old.

  13. Learning experience using an app in Bachelor Degree

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Fossas-Olalla

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this paper is to expose the planning and implementation of a learning improvement app in subjects related to Operations Management in Bachelor`s Degrees. We show the experience of the app in two subjects, commenting on the differences, the difficulties encountered and the analysis of the results of a survey conducted to the students. This initiative arises from the experience of the Research Group on Production and Information and Communication Technologies (GIPTIC-UCM of the Complutense University of Madrid as a result of the participation in an Educational Innovation Project.

  14. The Degree Cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wood, Johanna

    2016-01-01

    , empirical data relevant to the development of the degree adverb function is presented and possible relevant constructions identified. It is argued that the degree adverb function of that possibly occurs later than the historical dictionaries indicate. The degree adverb function of this is challenging...

  15. 36 CFR 228.4 - Plan of operations-notice of intent-requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... meet the requirements for environmental protection in § 228.8. (d) The plan of operations shall cover... disturbance not covered by the initial plan. (e) At any time during operations under an approved plan of...), resulting in varying degrees of disturbance to vegetative resources, soil, water, air, or wildlife. The...

  16. Tensions related to implementation of postgraduate degree projects in specialist nursing education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    German Millberg, Lena; Berg, Linda; Lindström, Irma; Petzäll, Kerstin; Öhlén, Joakim

    2011-04-01

    In conjunction with the introduction of the Bologna process in Sweden, specialist nursing education programmes were moved up to the second cycle of higher education with the opportunity to take a one-year master's degree, which also meant that students would undertake a degree project carrying 15 ECTS. The purpose of this study was to examine the introduction of postgraduate degree projects on the second-cycle level into Swedish specialist nursing programmes in accordance with the Bologna process. Five universities were involved and the study design took the form of action research. Problem formulation, planning, evaluation and follow-up with reflection led to new actions over a period of 2 1/2 years. Through a review of local curriculum documents, the implementation of a postgraduate degree project was monitored and these reviews, together with field notes, were analysed by means of constant comparative analysis. The results revealed a variety of tensions that arose when postgraduate degree projects were introduced, taking the form of differing views on the relationship between research, clinical development, specific professional objectives and academic objectives. These tensions were reflected in six areas of change. In summary, it can be noted that implementation of the postgraduate degree projects highlighted tensions related to basic views of learning. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Career choice in engineering students: its relationship with motivation, satisfaction and the development of professional plans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iciar Pablo-Lerchundi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Choosing a university degree is a relevant process for the personal, social and economic development. This study was designed to explore the students' choice for technical degrees. It is centered on the relationship between the quality of their choice and their motivation, satisfaction and development of professional plans. The inquiry involved an incidental sample of 89 students from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM in Architecture, Computer Sciences and Forestry Engineering. After the analysis of the ad hoc adapted inventory, descriptive data and the results concerning dependence between the variables considered (analyzed with Pearson's chi-squared test are presented. Non-parametric tests were used to asses differences on satisfaction by gender and degree studied. Results show dependence between the students' motivation and satisfaction, and the later and their professional plans' content. Gender and degree are also dependent with professional plans' temporality, as well as degree with their structure. No significant differences were found for the means in satisfaction.

  18. Master’s Degree Programs of Camarines Norte State College, Philippines: Impact on Its Graduates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Godofredo E. Peteza, Jr.

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This research determined the impact of the master’s degree programs offered in the Graduate School such as Master in Business Administration, Master in Public Administration, Master in Management majors in Human Resource Management and Educational Planning and Management on its graduates from 2009 to 2013. Descriptive-survey method supplemented by interview was employed to identify specifically the profile of the graduates of master’s degree programs in terms of age, sex, civil status, level of appointment before and after taking the master’s degree program, monthly income before and after taking the master’s degree program, number of promotions after graduation, and years in service and the impact of the CNSC Graduate School’s Master’s Degree Programs along professional practice, career development; and employment. Results show that majority of the respondents are in the middle age from 31 -37 years old, married, mostly females, 6-10 years in service and have one promotion after they have graduated from their respective master’s degrees. The level of appointment of the respondents has a positive movement from rank and file to supervisory and managerial levels positions. The Graduate School’s Master’s degree programs provided high impact on the graduates’ professional practice, and on employment while average impact on career development.

  19. Perceived Speech Privacy in Computer Simulated Open-plan Offices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pop, Claudiu B.; Rindel, Jens Holger

    2005-01-01

    In open plan offices the lack of speech privacy between the workstations is one of the major acoustic problems. Improving the speech privacy in an open plan design is therefore the main concern for a successful open plan environment. The project described in this paper aimed to find an objective...... parameter that correlates well with the perceived degree of speech privacy and to derive a clear method for evaluating the acoustic conditions in open plan offices. Acoustic measurements were carried out in an open plan office, followed by data analysis at the Acoustic Department, DTU. A computer model...

  20. Innovation in Doctoral Degrees Designed for Adult Learners: A Hybrid Model in Personal Financial Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grable, John E.

    2011-01-01

    Innovation in doctoral degree program development and delivery provides an effective counterpoint to the expert-apprentice model established in the Middle Ages. The author outlines the importance of innovation in reaching adult learners and describes an innovative hybrid PhD program designed to allow aspiring doctoral adult-age students to pursue…

  1. WE-EF-BRA-03: Catheter- Free Ablation with External Photon Radiation: Treatment Planning, Delivery Considerations, and Correlation of Effects with Delivered Dose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deisher, A; Anderson, S; Cusma, J; Herman, M; Johnson, S; Lehmann, H; Packer, D; Parker, K; Song, L; Takami, M; Kruse, J

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To plan, target, and calculate delivered dose in atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation with volume-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in an intact porcine model. Methods: Seven pigs underwent AVN irradiation, with prescription doses ranging between 25 and 55Gy in a single fraction. Cardiac CT scans were acquired at expiration. Two physicians contoured AVN targets on 10 phases, providing estimates of target motion and inter-physician variability. Treatment planning was conducted on a static phase-averaged CT. The volume designated to receive prescription dose covered the full extent of AVN cardiac motion, expanded by 4mm for setup uncertainty. Optimization limited doses to risk structures according to single-fraction tumor treatment protocols. Orthogonal kV images were used to align bony anatomy at time of treatment. Localization was further refined with respiratory-gated cone-beam CT, and range of cardiac motion was verified under fluoroscopy. Beam delivery was respiratory-gated for expiration with a mean efficiency of 60%. Deformable registration of the 10 cardiac CT phases was used to calculate actual delivered dose for comparison to electro-anatomical and visually evident lesions. Results: The mean [minimum,maximum] amplitude of AVN cardiac motion was LR 2.9 [1.7,3.9]mm, AP 6.6 [4.4,10.4]mm, and SI 5.6 [2.0,9.9]mm. Incorporating cardiac motion into the dose calculation showed the volume receiving full dose was 40–80% of the volume indicated on the static planning image, although the contoured AVN target received full dose in all animals. Initial results suggest the dimensions of the electro-anatomical lesion are correlated with the 40Gy isodose volume. Conclusion: Image-guidance techniques allow for accurate and precise delivery of VMAT for catheter-free arrhythmia ablation. An arsenal of advanced radiation planning, dose optimization, and image-guided delivery techniques was employed to assess and mitigate effects of cardiac and respiratory motion

  2. WE-EF-BRA-03: Catheter- Free Ablation with External Photon Radiation: Treatment Planning, Delivery Considerations, and Correlation of Effects with Delivered Dose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deisher, A; Anderson, S; Cusma, J; Herman, M; Johnson, S; Lehmann, H; Packer, D; Parker, K; Song, L; Takami, M; Kruse, J [Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To plan, target, and calculate delivered dose in atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation with volume-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in an intact porcine model. Methods: Seven pigs underwent AVN irradiation, with prescription doses ranging between 25 and 55Gy in a single fraction. Cardiac CT scans were acquired at expiration. Two physicians contoured AVN targets on 10 phases, providing estimates of target motion and inter-physician variability. Treatment planning was conducted on a static phase-averaged CT. The volume designated to receive prescription dose covered the full extent of AVN cardiac motion, expanded by 4mm for setup uncertainty. Optimization limited doses to risk structures according to single-fraction tumor treatment protocols. Orthogonal kV images were used to align bony anatomy at time of treatment. Localization was further refined with respiratory-gated cone-beam CT, and range of cardiac motion was verified under fluoroscopy. Beam delivery was respiratory-gated for expiration with a mean efficiency of 60%. Deformable registration of the 10 cardiac CT phases was used to calculate actual delivered dose for comparison to electro-anatomical and visually evident lesions. Results: The mean [minimum,maximum] amplitude of AVN cardiac motion was LR 2.9 [1.7,3.9]mm, AP 6.6 [4.4,10.4]mm, and SI 5.6 [2.0,9.9]mm. Incorporating cardiac motion into the dose calculation showed the volume receiving full dose was 40–80% of the volume indicated on the static planning image, although the contoured AVN target received full dose in all animals. Initial results suggest the dimensions of the electro-anatomical lesion are correlated with the 40Gy isodose volume. Conclusion: Image-guidance techniques allow for accurate and precise delivery of VMAT for catheter-free arrhythmia ablation. An arsenal of advanced radiation planning, dose optimization, and image-guided delivery techniques was employed to assess and mitigate effects of cardiac and respiratory motion

  3. Collaborating with Industry to Enhance Financial Planning and Accounting Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Brimble

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Higher education is integral to the professionalisation of financial planning in Australia. However, thetraditional separation between ‘content’ and ‘practice’ in tertiary curriculum does not necessarily equipstudents with the skills required to apply the content in a professional context. Contextualisation of thefinancial planning curriculum requires collaboration between higher education institutions and the professionto develop authentic learning environments, such as work-integrated learning (WIL. This paper describes thecollaboration by one Australian university to develop a professionally integrated Financial Planning andAccounting degree and provides evidence of its impact from an industry perspective. The results reveal a highlevel of industry satisfaction with the degree, substantial professional integration, as well as the developmentof students’ professional skills. Students also developed an improved impression of the university, its studentsand its staff.

  4. Degree distribution in discrete case

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Li-Na; Chen, Bin; Yan, Zai-Zai

    2011-01-01

    Vertex degree of many network models and real-life networks is limited to non-negative integer. By means of measure and integral, the relation of the degree distribution and the cumulative degree distribution in discrete case is analyzed. The degree distribution, obtained by the differential of its cumulative, is only suitable for continuous case or discrete case with constant degree change. When degree change is not a constant but proportional to degree itself, power-law degree distribution and its cumulative have the same exponent and the mean value is finite for power-law exponent greater than 1. -- Highlights: → Degree change is the crux for using the cumulative degree distribution method. → It suits for discrete case with constant degree change. → If degree change is proportional to degree, power-law degree distribution and its cumulative have the same exponent. → In addition, the mean value is finite for power-law exponent greater than 1.

  5. Plans for Widening Women's Educational Opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koontz, Elizabeth Duncan

    This paper focuses on nonlegal plans for promoting women's educational opportunities and for overcoming institutional and psychological constraints that are discriminatory. The areas covered in this discussion include: continuing education programs; the open university and external degrees; education for "nontraditional professions"; career…

  6. Deuteron photodisintegration: Data and plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Napolitano, J.

    1993-01-01

    We review existing data for the exclusive reaction γd → pn at photon energies above ∼ 1 GeV. We compare these data to various models, most notably those which rely on fundamental quark and gluon degrees of freedom. We include a discussion of future plans for related measurements

  7. Strategic School Planning in Jordan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Zboon, Mohammad Saleem; Hasan, Manal Subhi

    2012-01-01

    The study aimed to measuring the applying degree of the strategic school planning stages at the Governmental high schools from the educational supervisors and principals perspective in the directorates related to Amman city, the study society was formed of the educational supervisors and principals working at Educational directorates related to…

  8. What contributes to action plan enactment? Examining characteristics of physical activity plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleig, Lena; Gardner, Benjamin; Keller, Jan; Lippke, Sonia; Pomp, Sarah; Wiedemann, Amelie U

    2017-11-01

    change. Plan enactment (i.e., degree to which plan is followed through) is positively linked to behaviour change. What does this study add? Specificity of occasion cues (i.e., when to act) and highly instrumental plans were positively associated with plan enactment. Individuals who planned less specific behavioural responses (i.e., what to do) were more likely to enact their plans. Planning interventions should focus on specificity of context cues but flexibility of behavioural action. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  9. Planning & Urban Affairs Library Manual.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knobbe, Mary L., Ed.; Lessel, Janice W., Ed.

    Written especially for persons without a library degree who are operating a small urban study or planning agency library on a part-time basis. Subjects covered are: (1) library function and staff function, duties and training; (2) physical layout and equipment of library; (3) establishing and maintaining the library; (4) library administration;…

  10. Management Plan: Demonstration testing and evaluation of in situ soil heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dev, H.

    1993-01-01

    In this project IITRI will demonstrate an in situ soil heating technology for the removal of hazardous organic contaminants present in the soil. In Situ heating will be accomplished by the application of 60 Hz AC power to the soil. The soil will be heated to a temperature of about 90 degree C. This technology is suited for the removal of those organic compounds which have a normal boiling point in the range of 100 degree to 210 degree C, or else for those which exhibit a pure component vapor pressure of at least 10 mm Hg in the 90 degree to 100 degree C temperature range. For example, perchloroethylene, dichlorobenzene, trichlorobenzene, etc. may be removed by in situ AC heating. It is planned to demonstrate the technology by heating approximately 400 tons of soil in the K-1070 Classified Burial Ground located at DOE's K-25 Site located in Oak Ridge, TN. It is estimated that the heating portion of the demonstration will take approximately 3 weeks at an average power input rate of 150 to 175 kill. IITRI expects to spend considerable time in the front end reviewing site characteristics, preparing detail design, developing Health and Safety Plans and other documents needed to obtain regulatory approval for the demonstration, arranging for site sampling, infrastructure development and document preparation. It is anticipated that site activities will begin in approximately 5 to 6 months. This contract was signed on September 30, 1993. IITRI started work on it in October 1993. It is planned to complete the demonstration and submit approved final reports by September 30, 1994. This project has 12 tasks and four major milestones. The major milestones and their planned completion dates are presented

  11. [Research in the Master's Degree program in Social Medicine].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurell, C; Mercer, H

    1981-01-01

    The authors report on research as part of the master's degree in social medicine at the Metropolitan Autonomous University, Xochimilco campus, Mexico. They discuss research within the curriculum design, instructional research, teaching staff and research, and research as a source of knowledge. They explain that in order to establish guidelines for research it is necessary to consider the health-disease process and medical practice within the economic and social framework and therefore subject to analysis by the social sciences. Finally, they summarize ongoing research in the fields of social epidemiology, medical practice and planning, and human resources.

  12. Degrees of Freedom in Planning, Running, Analyzing, and Reporting Psychological Studies: A Checklist to Avoid p-Hacking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wicherts, Jelte M; Veldkamp, Coosje L S; Augusteijn, Hilde E M; Bakker, Marjan; van Aert, Robbie C M; van Assen, Marcel A L M

    2016-01-01

    The designing, collecting, analyzing, and reporting of psychological studies entail many choices that are often arbitrary. The opportunistic use of these so-called researcher degrees of freedom aimed at obtaining statistically significant results is problematic because it enhances the chances of false positive results and may inflate effect size estimates. In this review article, we present an extensive list of 34 degrees of freedom that researchers have in formulating hypotheses, and in designing, running, analyzing, and reporting of psychological research. The list can be used in research methods education, and as a checklist to assess the quality of preregistrations and to determine the potential for bias due to (arbitrary) choices in unregistered studies.

  13. Evaluation of dosimetric variance in whole breast forward-planned intensity-modulated radiotherapy based on 4DCT and 3DCT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Wei; Li Jianbin; Hu Hongguang; Sun Tao; Xu Min; Fan Tingyong; Shao Qian

    2013-01-01

    This study was performed to explore and compare the dosimetric variance caused by respiratory movement in the breast during forward-planned intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) after breast-conserving surgery. A total of 17 enrolled patients underwent the three-dimensional computed tomography (3DCT) simulation scans followed by four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) simulation scans during free breathing. The treatment planning constructed using the 3DCT images was copied and applied to the end expiration (EE) and end inspiration (EI) scans and the dose distributions were calculated separately. CTV volume variance amplitude was very small (11.93±28.64 cm 3 ), and the percentage change of CTV volumes receiving 50 Gy and 55 Gy between different scans were all less than 0.8%. There was no statistically significant difference between EI and EE scans (Z=-0.26, P=0.795). However, significant differences were found when comparing the D mean at 3DCT planning with the EI and EE planning (P=0.010 and 0.019, respectively). The homogeneity index at EI, EE and 3D plannings were 0.139, 0.141 and 0.127, respectively, and significant differences existed between 3D and EI, and between 3D and EE (P=0.001 and 0.006, respectively). The conformal index (CI) increased significantly in 3D treatment planning (0.74±0.07) compared with the EI and EE phase plannings (P=0.005 and 0.005, respectively). The V 30 , V 40 , V 50 and D mean of the ipsilateral lung for EE phase planning were significantly lower than for EI (P=0.001-0.042). There were no significant differences in all the dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters for the heart among these plannings (P=0.128-0.866). The breast deformation during respiration can be disregarded in whole breast IMRT. 3D treatment planning is sufficient for whole breast forward-planned IMRT on the basis of our DVH analysis, but 4D treatment planning, breath-hold, or respiratory gate may ensure precise delivery of radiation dose. (author)

  14. Texture analysis on the fluence map to evaluate the degree of modulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, So-Yeon; Kim, Il Han; Ye, Sung-Joon; Carlson, Joel

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Texture analysis on fluence maps was performed to evaluate the degree of modulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans. Methods: A total of six textural features including angular second moment, inverse difference moment, contrast, variance, correlation, and entropy were calculated for fluence maps generated from 20 prostate and 20 head and neck VMAT plans. For each of the textural features, particular displacement distances (d) of 1, 5, and 10 were adopted. To investigate the deliverability of each VMAT plan, gamma passing rates of pretreatment quality assurance, and differences in modulating parameters such as multileaf collimator (MLC) positions, gantry angles, and monitor units at each control point between VMAT plans and dynamic log files registered by the Linac control system during delivery were acquired. Furthermore, differences between the original VMAT plan and the plan reconstructed from the dynamic log files were also investigated. To test the performance of the textural features as indicators for the modulation degree of VMAT plans, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (r s ) with the plan deliverability were calculated. For comparison purposes, conventional modulation indices for VMAT including the modulation complexity score for VMAT, leaf travel modulation complexity score, and modulation index supporting station parameter optimized radiation therapy (MI SPORT ) were calculated, and their correlations were analyzed in the same way. Results: There was no particular textural feature which always showed superior correlations with every type of plan deliverability. Considering the results comprehensively, contrast (d = 1) and variance (d = 1) generally showed considerable correlations with every type of plan deliverability. These textural features always showed higher correlations to the plan deliverability than did the conventional modulation indices, except in the case of modulating parameter differences. The r s values

  15. Optimization approaches for robot trajectory planning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Llopis-Albert

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The development of optimal trajectory planning algorithms for autonomous robots is a key issue in order to efficiently perform the robot tasks. This problem is hampered by the complex environment regarding the kinematics and dynamics of robots with several arms and/or degrees of freedom (dof, the design of collision-free trajectories and the physical limitations of the robots. This paper presents a review about the existing robot motion planning techniques and discusses their pros and cons regarding completeness, optimality, efficiency, accuracy, smoothness, stability, safety and scalability.

  16. High degree-of-freedom dynamic manipulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Michael P.; Stephens, Benjamin; Abe, Yeuhi; Rizzi, Alfred A.

    2012-06-01

    The creation of high degree of freedom dynamic mobile manipulation techniques and behaviors will allow robots to accomplish difficult tasks in the field. We are investigating the use of the body and legs of legged robots to improve the strength, velocity, and workspace of an integrated manipulator to accomplish dynamic manipulation. This is an especially challenging task, as all of the degrees of freedom are active at all times, the dynamic forces generated are high, and the legged system must maintain robust balance throughout the duration of the tasks. To accomplish this goal, we are utilizing trajectory optimization techniques to generate feasible open-loop behaviors for our 28 dof quadruped robot (BigDog) by planning the trajectories in a 13 dimensional space. Covariance Matrix Adaptation techniques are utilized to optimize for several criteria such as payload capability and task completion speed while also obeying constraints such as torque and velocity limits, kinematic limits, and center of pressure location. These open-loop behaviors are then used to generate feed-forward terms, which are subsequently used online to improve tracking and maintain low controller gains. Some initial results on one of our existing balancing quadruped robots with an additional human-arm-like manipulator are demonstrated on robot hardware, including dynamic lifting and throwing of heavy objects 16.5kg cinder blocks, using motions that resemble a human athlete more than typical robotic motions. Increased payload capacity is accomplished through coordinated body motion.

  17. [Public health competencies and contents in pharmacy degree programs in Spanish universities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lumbreras, Blanca; Davó-Blanes, María Carmen; Vives-Cases, Carmen; Bosch, Félix

    2015-01-01

    To identify public health core competencies and contents in pharmacy degrees at a meeting of public health lecturers in pharmacy degrees from various public and private universities. The first Meeting of the Forum of University Teaching Staff in Pharmacy Degrees was held at the Faculty of Medicine in the Complutense University, Madrid, Spain on the 19(th) and 20(th) of November 2013. The meeting was attended by 17 lecturers. Participants brought their own teaching programs and were given two previous studies on public health competencies for analysis of public health contents and competencies in pharmacy degrees. Working groups were formed and the results were shared. The highest number of core competencies was identified in the following functions: "Assessment of the population's health needs" and "Developing health policies". The final program included basic contents organized into 8 units: Concept of Public Health, Demography, Epidemiological Method, Environment and Health, Food Safety, Epidemiology of Major Health Problems, Health Promotion and Education, and Health Planning and Management. Representation of almost all the Spanish Pharmacy Faculties and the consensus reached in the description of competences and program contents will greatly improve the quality of teaching in this area. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  18. Computer aided planning of open cast coal. Planificacion informatizada cielo abierto carbon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ochoa Ester, J.L.; San Miguel, J.M. (Hullera Vasco Leonesa, Madrid (Spain))

    1988-01-01

    The paper describes the planning, highly automated, and obtaining the functions relating costs with ashes and ratios, allowing to select the best working. It is remarkable for its versatility for manual design studies and the high degree of automatism reached in Planning and the getting of results oriented toward the Annual Plan definition and decision making in the future exploitation.

  19. 360-Degree Feedback Implementation Plan: Dean Position, Graduate School of Business and Public Policy, Naval Postgraduate School

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Morrison, Devin

    2002-01-01

    360-degree feedback is a personal development and appraisal tool designed to quantify the competencies and skills of fellow employees by tapping the collective experience of their superiors, subordinates, and peers...

  20. Trade study plan for Reusable Hydrogen Composite Tank System (RHCTS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenberg, H. S.

    1994-07-01

    This TA 1 document describes the trade study plan (with support from TA 2) that will identify the most suitable structural configuration for an SSTO winged vehicle capable of delivering 25,000 lbs to a 220 nm circular orbit at 51.6 degree inclination. The analysis uses information derived in the TA 2 study as identified within the study plan. In view of this, for convenience, the TA 2 study plan is included as an appendix to this document.

  1. 26 CFR 601.201 - Rulings and determinations letters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... acceptability of the form of a master or prototype plan and any related trust or custodial account under... acceptability of the form of master or prototype plans and any related trusts or custodial accounts under... the declaration either his enrollment number or the expiration date of his enrollment card) and that...

  2. Comparison of two-stage thermophilic (68 degrees C/55 degrees C) anaerobic digestion with one-stage thermophilic (55 degrees C) digestion of cattle manure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, H B; Mladenovska, Z; Westermann, P; Ahring, B K

    2004-05-05

    A two-stage 68 degrees C/55 degrees C anaerobic degradation process for treatment of cattle manure was studied. In batch experiments, an increase of the specific methane yield, ranging from 24% to 56%, was obtained when cattle manure and its fractions (fibers and liquid) were pretreated at 68 degrees C for periods of 36, 108, and 168 h, and subsequently digested at 55 degrees C. In a lab-scale experiment, the performance of a two-stage reactor system, consisting of a digester operating at 68 degrees C with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3 days, connected to a 55 degrees C reactor with 12-day HRT, was compared with a conventional single-stage reactor running at 55 degrees C with 15-days HRT. When an organic loading of 3 g volatile solids (VS) per liter per day was applied, the two-stage setup had a 6% to 8% higher specific methane yield and a 9% more effective VS-removal than the conventional single-stage reactor. The 68 degrees C reactor generated 7% to 9% of the total amount of methane of the two-stage system and maintained a volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration of 4.0 to 4.4 g acetate per liter. Population size and activity of aceticlastic methanogens, syntrophic bacteria, and hydrolytic/fermentative bacteria were significantly lower in the 68 degrees C reactor than in the 55 degrees C reactors. The density levels of methanogens utilizing H2/CO2 or formate were, however, in the same range for all reactors, although the degradation of these substrates was significantly lower in the 68 degrees C reactor than in the 55 degrees C reactors. Temporal temperature gradient electrophoresis profiles (TTGE) of the 68 degrees C reactor demonstrated a stable bacterial community along with a less divergent community of archaeal species. Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Citizens and the planning of sustainability of mining

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoffmann, Birgitte

    2014-01-01

    will have a large impact on the citizen’s everyday life through the ongoing changes of settlement patterns and livelihoods. The key question of this paper is how the citizens may inform and influence the sustainability of planning and implementation of local raw material projects and urban planning. Further...... that the social, economic and environmental sustainability will depend on the degree to which the citizens are engaged in both local developments of specific mining projects, as well as in societal planning where multiple and complex issues are at stake such as urban settlement patterns, cultures, livelihood...

  4. Appeal in nuclear power proceedings dismissed on the grounds of expiration of the period for lodging an appeal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1981-01-01

    In its decision of November 18, 1980 - No. 22 B 80 a 796 - the Administrative Court of Bavaria dismissed the appeal lodged against the dismissal of the Administrative Court of Regensburg handed down on March 19, 1980. The complainants had filed a declaratory action concerning the nullity of the licence granted for the Niederaischbach reactor, and for the Isar reactor at Ohu. Their actions were dismissed with costs on the grounds of lacking interest in the declaration - the complainants live a few hundred kilometers away from the sites of the nuclear power plants. The decision of the Administrative Court of Bavaria is based on the fact that the period for lodging appeals had expired. (Exept for the changed decision on costs) the decision of the Administrative Court of Regensburg has become final. The value in litigation of a declaratory action of nullity filed by a private person who denounces the violation of his basic right to life and to inviolability of his person is generally to be assessed at DM 10.000. In case of several complaints filed by different complainants, the subject value of the individual complaints are to be added according to Sect. 5 of the Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO). (orig./HSCH) [de

  5. VOYAGE PLANNING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazimierz SKÓRA

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available A sea voyage can be divided into three parts with varying degrees of risk: - from the berth at the port of departure to the pilot disembarkation point - from the pilot disembarkation to another pilot embarkation point near the port of call/destination - from the pilot embarkation point to the berth Results of statistical research into ship accidents at sea point to an increased number of incidents and accidents, including groundings, especially in restricted areas. Such areas are often narrow and have limited depths, while their short straight sections require frequent course alterations, often in varying hydrometeorological conditions. Due to all these factors, the voyage has to be carefully planned and all watchkeeping officers have to be well prepared to conduct the ship safely. The article presents the objectives, scope, legal basis and stages in the process of voyage planning. The compliance with the outlined principles will reduce the level of risk in maritime transport.

  6. High resolution CT in cystic fibrosis--the contribution of expiratory scans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorloechter, Ludger; Nes, Harald; Fluge, Gjermund; Rosendahl, Karen

    2003-01-01

    Introduction: The use of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is well accepted as an accurate method for evaluation of lung parenchyma in cystic fibrosis (CF). Several scoring methods exist and, in common, all are based on HRCT findings during inspiration alone. Objective: To examine whether expiratory HRCT scans could add information about the degree of mosaic perfusion in patients with CF. Methods and patients: Pulmonary HRCT was performed in 17 CF patients (median age of 12 years) with 1-mm thin sections and 10-mm intervals during inspiration, followed by 1-mm thin sections with 20-mm intervals during expiration. HRCT was scored by using a modified Bhalla method. Results: The mean HRCT score was 8.2. Out of 17 patients, 11 (65%) demonstrated a pathological mosaic perfusion in expiration, while only three patients showed mosaic perfusion in inspiration. The degree of expiratory mosaic perfusion was graded as severe in nine patients and moderate in two patients. There was a significant correlation between our modified HRCT score and lung function, as measured by forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1% predicted, P<0.01). Conclusion: Mosaic perfusion in expiration was a common pathological HRCT finding in our study group. The clinical significance of this finding needs further evaluation

  7. Two Decades of Planning in Latin American Universities: Trends and Perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escala, Miguel J.

    The paper provides a framework for identifying trends in planning in Latin American universities for the last 20 years. Identification of the planning trends is based on two main dimensions: the purpose of the relationship between universities and the external environment (organization-centered versus society-centered), and the degree by which the…

  8. Birth plan compliance and its relation to maternal and neonatal outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Hidalgo-Lopezosa

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to know the degree of fulfillment of the requests that women reflect in their birth plans and to determine their influence on the main obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Method: retrospective, descriptive and analytical study with 178 women with birth plans in third-level hospital. Inclusion criteria: low risk gestation, cephalic presentation, single childbirth, delivered at term. Scheduled and urgent cesareans without labor were excluded. A descriptive and inferential analysis of the variables was performed. Results: the birth plan was mostly fulfilled in only 37% of the women. The group of women whose compliance was low (less than or equal to 50% had a cesarean section rate of 18.8% and their children had worse outcomes in the Apgar test and umbilical cord pH; while in women with high compliance (75% or more, the percentage of cesareans fell to 6.1% and their children had better outcomes. Conclusion: birth plans have a low degree of compliance. The higher the compliance, the better is the maternal and neonatal outcomes. The birth plan can be an effective tool to achieve better outcomes for the mother and her child. Measures are needed to improve its compliance.

  9. Texture analysis on the fluence map to evaluate the degree of modulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, So-Yeon [Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Interdisciplinary Program in Radiation Applied Life Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Il Han [Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Ye, Sung-Joon [Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-744, (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Program in Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Department of Transdisciplinary Studies, Seoul National University Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Suwon 433-270 (Korea, Republic of); Carlson, Joel [Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Program in Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Department of Transdisciplinary Studies, Seoul National University Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Suwon 433-270 (Korea, Republic of); and others

    2014-11-01

    Purpose: Texture analysis on fluence maps was performed to evaluate the degree of modulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans. Methods: A total of six textural features including angular second moment, inverse difference moment, contrast, variance, correlation, and entropy were calculated for fluence maps generated from 20 prostate and 20 head and neck VMAT plans. For each of the textural features, particular displacement distances (d) of 1, 5, and 10 were adopted. To investigate the deliverability of each VMAT plan, gamma passing rates of pretreatment quality assurance, and differences in modulating parameters such as multileaf collimator (MLC) positions, gantry angles, and monitor units at each control point between VMAT plans and dynamic log files registered by the Linac control system during delivery were acquired. Furthermore, differences between the original VMAT plan and the plan reconstructed from the dynamic log files were also investigated. To test the performance of the textural features as indicators for the modulation degree of VMAT plans, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (r{sub s}) with the plan deliverability were calculated. For comparison purposes, conventional modulation indices for VMAT including the modulation complexity score for VMAT, leaf travel modulation complexity score, and modulation index supporting station parameter optimized radiation therapy (MI{sub SPORT}) were calculated, and their correlations were analyzed in the same way. Results: There was no particular textural feature which always showed superior correlations with every type of plan deliverability. Considering the results comprehensively, contrast (d = 1) and variance (d = 1) generally showed considerable correlations with every type of plan deliverability. These textural features always showed higher correlations to the plan deliverability than did the conventional modulation indices, except in the case of modulating parameter differences. The r

  10. [Consumer satisfaction study in philanthropic hospital health plans].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerschman, Silvia; Veiga, Luciana; Guimarães, César; Ugá, Maria Alicia Dominguez; Portela, Margareth Crisóstomo; Vasconcellos, Miguel Murat; Barbosa, Pedro Ribeiro; Lima, Sheyla Maria Lemos

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of research aimed at identifying and analyzing the argumentation and rationale that justify the satisfaction of consumers with their health plans. The qualitative method applied used the focus group technique, for which the following aspects were defined: the criteria for choosing the health plans which were considered, the composition of the group and its distribution, recruitment strategy, and infrastructure and dynamics of the meetings. The health plan beneficiaries were classified into groups according to their social class, the place where they lived, mainly, the relationship that they established with the health plan operators which enabled us to develop a typology for the plan beneficiaries. Initially, we indicated how the health plan beneficiaries assess and use the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), and, then, considering the types of plans defined, we evaluated their degree of satisfaction with the different aspects of health care, and identified which aspects mostly contributed explain their satisfaction.

  11. Why do different people choose different university degrees? Motivation and the choice of degree

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anya eSkatova

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Different people choose which undergraduate degree to study at the university for different reasons. To date, there have been limited attempts to identify individual differences in motivation that drive the undergraduate degree choice. We identified that people choose university degrees for four reasons: career concerns (Career, intrinsic interest (Interest in the subject, an opportunity to help others (Helping and because they are looking for an easy option into higher education (Loafing. We investigated whether these motivation apply to the choice of undergraduate degree in two samples: (1 undergraduate (N = 989 and (2 prospective (N = 896 students. We developed the Motivations Influencing Course Choice (MICC questionnaire to measure these motivations. Scales of Helping, Career, Loafing and Interest showed good psychometric properties, showed validity with respect to general life goals and personality traits, and predicted actual and prospective degree choices. We demonstrated that medical degrees were chosen due to a mixture of Helping and Career, while engineering degrees were associated with Career and low interest in the degree. The choice of art and humanities degrees was driven by Interest and low concern about future career, accompanied with high Loafing. We also demonstrated gender differences: females were high in Helping (both samples and Interest (only in undergraduate sample motivation, while males scored higher in Career (only in undergraduate sample and Loafing (both samples. The findings can feed into both theoretical accounts of proximal motivation as well as help to improve degree programmes at universities and provide better career advice.

  12. Why do different people choose different university degrees? Motivation and the choice of degree.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skatova, Anya; Ferguson, Eamonn

    2014-01-01

    Different people choose undergraduate degrees to study at university for different reasons. To date, there have been limited attempts to identify individual differences in motivation that drive undergraduate degree choice. We identified that people choose university degrees for four reasons: career concerns (Career), intrinsic interest in the subject (Interest), an opportunity to help others (Helping) and because they are looking for an easy option to get into higher education (Loafing). We investigated whether these motivations apply to the choice of undergraduate degree in two samples: (1) undergraduate (N = 989) and (2) prospective (N = 896) students. We developed the Motivations Influencing Course Choice (MICC) questionnaire to measure these motivations. Scales of Helping, Career, Loafing, and Interest showed good psychometric properties, showed validity with respect to general life goals and personality traits, and predicted actual and prospective degree choices. We demonstrated that medical degrees were chosen due to a mixture of Helping and Career, while engineering degrees were associated with Career and low Interest in the degree. The choice of arts and humanities degrees was driven by Interest and low concern about future career, accompanied with high Loafing. We also demonstrated gender differences: females were high in Helping (both samples) and Interest (only in the undergraduate sample) motivation, while males scored higher in Career (only in the undergraduate sample) and Loafing (both samples). The findings can feed into both theoretical accounts of proximal motivation as well as provide help to improve degree programmes at universities and support better career advice.

  13. The influence of inspiratory effort and emphysema on pulmonary nodule volumetry reproducibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moser, J B; Mak, S M; McNulty, W H; Padley, S; Nair, A; Shah, P L; Devaraj, A

    2017-11-01

    To evaluate the impact of inspiratory effort and emphysema on reproducibility of pulmonary nodule volumetry. Eighty-eight nodules in 24 patients with emphysema were studied retrospectively. All patients had undergone volumetric inspiratory and end-expiratory thoracic computed tomography (CT) for consideration of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction. Inspiratory and expiratory nodule volumes were measured using commercially available software. Local emphysema extent was established by analysing a segmentation area extended circumferentially around each nodule (quantified as percent of lung with density of -950 HU or less). Lung volumes were established using the same software. Differences in inspiratory and expiratory nodule volumes were illustrated using the Bland-Altman test. The influences of percentage reduction in lung volume at expiration, local emphysema extent, and nodule size on nodule volume variability were tested with multiple linear regression. The majority of nodules (59/88 [67%]) showed an increased volume at expiration. Mean difference in nodule volume between expiration and inspiration was +7.5% (95% confidence interval: -24.1, 39.1%). No relationships were demonstrated between nodule volume variability and emphysema extent, degree of expiration, or nodule size. Expiration causes a modest increase in volumetry-derived nodule volumes; however, the effect is unpredictable. Local emphysema extent had no significant effect on volume variability in the present cohort. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The Curriculum Planning Process for Undergraduate Game Degree Programs in the United Kingdom and United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGill, Monica M.

    2012-01-01

    Digital games are marketed, mass-produced, and consumed by an increasing number of people and the game industry is only expected to grow. In response, postsecondary institutions in the UK and the U.S. have started to create game degree programs. Though curriculum theorists provide insight into the process of creating a new program, no formal…

  15. Importance of small-degree nodes in assortative networks with degree-weight correlations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Sijuan; Feng, Ling; Monterola, Christopher Pineda; Lai, Choy Heng

    2017-10-01

    It has been known that assortative network structure plays an important role in spreading dynamics for unweighted networks. Yet its influence on weighted networks is not clear, in particular when weight is strongly correlated with the degrees of the nodes as we empirically observed in Twitter. Here we use the self-consistent probability method and revised nonperturbative heterogenous mean-field theory method to investigate this influence on both susceptible-infective-recovered (SIR) and susceptible-infective-susceptible (SIS) spreading dynamics. Both our simulation and theoretical results show that while the critical threshold is not significantly influenced by the assortativity, the prevalence in the supercritical regime shows a crossover under different degree-weight correlations. In particular, unlike the case of random mixing networks, in assortative networks, the negative degree-weight correlation leads to higher prevalence in their spreading beyond the critical transmissivity than that of the positively correlated. In addition, the previously observed inhibition effect on spreading velocity by assortative structure is not apparent in negatively degree-weight correlated networks, while it is enhanced for that of the positively correlated. Detailed investigation into the degree distribution of the infected nodes reveals that small-degree nodes play essential roles in the supercritical phase of both SIR and SIS spreadings. Our results have direct implications in understanding viral information spreading over online social networks and epidemic spreading over contact networks.

  16. 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

  17. Hyperthermic-induced hyperventilation and associated respiratory alkalosis in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbiss, Chris R; Nosaka, Kazunori; Laursen, Paul B

    2007-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if increased environmental heat leads to hyperthermic-induced hypocapnia and associated alkalosis during prolonged self-paced cycling. Nine male cyclists completed three 100 km stochastic time trials in hot (34 degrees C), neutral (22 degrees C) and cold (10 degrees C) environments. Intermittent measurements of rectal and skin temperature, expired gases, blood pH, PaCO(2), PaO(2), and bicarbonate were made throughout. Rectal temperature increased significantly throughout all trials (P respiratory alkalosis.

  18. Performance and microbial community composition dynamics of aerobic granular sludge from sequencing batch bubble column reactors operated at 20 degrees C, 30 degrees C, and 35 degrees C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimi, Sirous; Gabus, Sébastien; Rohrbach-Brandt, Emmanuelle; Hosseini, Maryam; Rossi, Pierre; Maillard, Julien; Holliger, Christof

    2010-07-01

    Two bubble column sequencing batch reactors fed with an artificial wastewater were operated at 20 degrees C, 30 degrees C, and 35 degrees C. In a first stage, stable granules were obtained at 20 degrees C, whereas fluffy structures were observed at 30 degrees C. Molecular analysis revealed high abundance of the operational taxonomic unit 208 (OTU 208) affiliating with filamentous bacteria Leptothrix spp. at 30 degrees C, an OTU much less abundant at 20 degrees C. The granular sludge obtained at 20 degrees C was used for the second stage during which one reactor was maintained at 20 degrees C and the second operated at 30 degrees C and 35 degrees C after prior gradual increase of temperature. Aerobic granular sludge with similar physical properties developed in both reactors but it had different nutrient elimination performances and microbial communities. At 20 degrees C, acetate was consumed during anaerobic feeding, and biological phosphorous removal was observed when Rhodocyclaceae-affiliating OTU 214 was present. At 30 degrees C and 35 degrees C, acetate was mainly consumed during aeration and phosphorous removal was insignificant. OTU 214 was almost absent but the Gammaproteobacteria-affiliating OTU 239 was more abundant than at 20 degrees C. Aerobic granular sludge at all temperatures contained abundantly the OTUs 224 and 289 affiliating with Sphingomonadaceae indicating that this bacterial family played an important role in maintaining stable granular structures.

  19. [The role of expired air moisture condensate in assessment of pulmonary inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dotsenko, E K; Goncharova, V A; Kuzubova, N A; Kamenova, M Iu; Egorova, N V

    2008-01-01

    To study biochemical composition of expired air condensate (EAC) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in relation to a phase and severity of the disease and its treatment. EAC was investigated in 18 COPD patients and 9 healthy subjects. Basic broncholytic therapy with ipratropium bromide was combined with beclomethasone and fenspiride in 11 and 7 patients, respectively. The condensate was lyophilised, the residue was solved and analysed on the biochemical analyzer Casis (Beringer Manheim, Rosch). EAC was examined for albumin, C-reactive protein, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, uric acid, alkaline phosphatase (AP), lactate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, total calcium, magnesium. Compared to healthy subjects, COPD patients' EAC contains significantly higher levels of albumin, C-reactive protein, calcium, bilirubin and more active AP. Quantitative composition of EAC depends on COPD phase and severity. A negative correlation exists between FEV+AEA-1 and albumin concentration, FEV+AEA-1 and CRP concentration. The anti-inflammatory therapy decreases EAC content of both protein and lipid metabolism products, enzyme activity reflecting attenuation of oxidant and inflammatory processes, stabilization of cell membranes in the respiratory zone. EAC composition reflects metabolic processes in the lungs and can be used for assessment of airway affection, activity of the inflammatory process and COPD treatment efficacy.

  20. Texas Higher Education Strategic Plan: 2015-2030. 60x30TX

    Science.gov (United States)

    Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2015

    2015-01-01

    Higher education improves the lives of Texans. This new higher education plan, 60x30TX, focuses on the common goal by striving for 60 percent of the 25- to 34-year-old Texas population to hold a certificate or degree by 2030. The plan seeks to increase student success through the combined expertise and resources of many stakeholders. Because of…

  1. [General aspects of planning and care in mental health].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saforcada, E

    1976-09-01

    This paper reviews some general concepts on Planning, especially in public and welfare sectors, stressing those concerning the major flaws in the argentine system of mental health. The author considers the definition of planning levels, and sets forth three: general plan, program and project. The correlative implementation is also considered. The importance of feed-back from adequate evaluation is stressed, emphasizing three aspects: a) evaluation of dynamics, rate and extent of decrease, increase or stagnation; b) assessment of efficacity of factors involved; c) control and stabilization of goals already attained. The necessity to develop a human ecology, encompassing socio-cultural and psycho-social factors is stressed, together with fostering theoretical research and the use of its results by implementation agents. Several differences among prevailing mental health actions are pointed out which allow a distinction between two typical models: clinical and sanitarist. The main differences between them lye on: standard location of working sites, nature of basic actions, field of action, hypothesis for working, including ethiological and ecological assumptions, theoretical and methodological framework. A series of criteria for evaluating sanitary techniques and strategies are set forth, among which: operative procedures, length of treatments, degree of therapeutic concentration, and general pragmatic criteria. The indicators reviewed are: degree of efficacity, covering, degree of perseverance in treatments, cultural barriers between patient and therapist, delegation of functions into special, first-rate sanitary agents, needs for the training of mental health workers. An attempt is made at developping general evaluation criteria for mental health planning, and several indicators are proposed, among which: a) cost/efficacity ratio, including in costs the use of economical, human and physical resources; b) preventive capacities of the community; c) capacities for the

  2. Building a team through a strategic planning process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albert, Debra; Priganc, Dave

    2014-01-01

    Strategic planning is a process often left to senior hospital leadership, with limited input from unit-level, bedside patient care providers. This frequent approach to strategic planning misses the opportunity to engage a wide range of employees, build a shared sense of commitment, produce a collaborative team environment, and to generate greater acceptance of the plan. The Patient Care Services division at the University of Chicago Medicine used a strategic planning process that incorporated 360-degree input from both within the Patient Care Services division and outside of the division. The result is a strategic vision and plan that, shaped by broad-based input from both internal and external constituencies, is strengthened by the team that emerged from the process. Through the process of identifying a common understanding of the group's future direction, a shared purpose was created that transcended traditional professional boundaries and shaped a cohesive team focused on effective and efficient patient care. Now, with a focused strategic plan and a team centered on a shared purpose, the team is beginning to effectively deliver on the plan.

  3. United States high-level radioactive waste management program: Current status and plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, J.

    1992-01-01

    The inventory of spent fuel in storage at reactor sites in the United States is approximately 20,000 metric tons heavy metal (MTHM). It is increasing at a rate of 1700 to 2100 MTHM per year. According to current projections, by the time the last license for the current generation of nuclear reactors expires, there will be an estimated total of 84,000 MTHm. No commercial reprocessing capacity exists or is planned in the US. Therefore, the continued storage of spent fuel is required. The majority of spent fuel remains in the spent fuel pools of the utilities that generated it. Three utilities are presently supplementing pool capacity with on-site dry storage technologies, and four others are planning dry storage. Commercial utilities are responsible for managing their spent fuel until the Federal waste management system, now under development, accepts spent fuel for storage and disposal. Federal legislation charges the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) within the US Department of Energy (DOE) with responsibility for developing a system to permanently dispose of spent fuel and high level radioactive waste in a manner that protects the health and safety of the public and the quality of the environment. We are developing a waste management system consisting for three components: a mined geologic repository, with a projected start date of 2010; a monitored retrievable storage facility (MRS), scheduled to begin waste acceptance in 1998; and a transportation system to support MRS and repository operations. This paper discusses the background and framework for the program, as well as the current status and plans for management of spent nuclear fuel at commercial utilities; the OCRWM's development of a permanent geologic repository, an MRS, and a transportation system; the OCRWM's safety approach; the OCRWM's program management initiatives; and the OCRWM's external relations activities

  4. 40 CFR 52.515 - Original identification of plan section.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Natural Resources and Environmental Control. (19) The Plan revision entitled “Revisions to the..., Cylinder wipe, Emission unit, Federally enforceable, Flexography, Fugitive emission, Gas services, Gas..., Freeboard ratio, Mayor, Vehicular fuel tank. Abbreviations: (Degree), VOC, “%”. (ii) Additional material. (A...

  5. Economic planning: Time to reconsider?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kafouros Wassily

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Together with the collapse of what was once called the socialist system, was also the collapse of research on any other form of economic organization of a society. Administrative methods for running an economy, with economic planning foremost among them, were inseparably linked to the collapse of the socialist system and, in essence, were held responsible for it. Thus, although the dominant economic paradigm has once again failed to deliver in recent years, the research for other methods fell into oblivion along with the system they were attached to. This work represents an attempt to reconsider the potential of economic planning as a means of organizing an economy at various levels, at various degrees and in various environments. I shall try to illustrate that the blame for the collapse of different socialist systems should not have fallen on the systemic deficiencies of economic planning but, instead, on the political institutions responsible for its application. In addition, I will stress that economic planning has been condemned by non-economic parameters and the application of wrong planning methods. In making this argument I hope to provide an angle through which the discussion of economic organization can be opened to a broader scope of research.

  6. HRD Degrees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geber, Beverly

    1987-01-01

    The author describes the growing movement toward accreditation for human resources development professionals. She covers the issue of diversity, undergraduate versus graduate degrees, and future trends. (CH)

  7. High-temperature gas-cooled reactor safety-reliability program plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1981-03-01

    The purpose of this document is to present a safety plan as part of an overall program plan for the design and development of the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR). This plan is intended to establish a logical framework for identifying the technology necessary to demonstrate that the requisite degree of public risk safety can be achieved economically. This plan provides a coherent system safety approach together with goals and success criterion as part of a unifying strategy for licensing a lead reactor plant in the near term. It is intended to provide guidance to program participants involved in producing a technology base for the HTGR that is fully responsive to safety consideration in the design, evaluation, licensing, public acceptance, and economic optimization of reactor systems.

  8. HadISST (1-degree)/HadISST (1-degree)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Monthly version of HadISST sea surface temperature component (1-degree). See Rayner, N. A., Parker, D. E., Horton, E. B., Folland, C. K., Alexander, L. V., Rowell,...

  9. Comparison of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Planning Based on Manual and Automatically Generated Contours Using Deformable Image Registration in Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography of Lung Cancer Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, Elisabeth; Wijesooriya, Krishni; Ramakrishnan, Viswanathan; Keall, Paul J.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the implications of differences between contours drawn manually and contours generated automatically by deformable image registration for four-dimensional (4D) treatment planning. Methods and Materials: In 12 lung cancer patients intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning was performed for both manual contours and automatically generated ('auto') contours in mid and peak expiration of 4D computed tomography scans, with the manual contours in peak inspiration serving as the reference for the displacement vector fields. Manual and auto plans were analyzed with respect to their coverage of the manual contours, which were assumed to represent the anatomically correct volumes. Results: Auto contours were on average larger than manual contours by up to 9%. Objective scores, D 2% and D 98% of the planning target volume, homogeneity and conformity indices, and coverage of normal tissue structures (lungs, heart, esophagus, spinal cord) at defined dose levels were not significantly different between plans (p = 0.22-0.94). Differences were statistically insignificant for the generalized equivalent uniform dose of the planning target volume (p = 0.19-0.94) and normal tissue complication probabilities for lung and esophagus (p = 0.13-0.47). Dosimetric differences >2% or >1 Gy were more frequent in patients with auto/manual volume differences ≥10% (p = 0.04). Conclusions: The applied deformable image registration algorithm produces clinically plausible auto contours in the majority of structures. At this stage clinical supervision of the auto contouring process is required, and manual interventions may become necessary. Before routine use, further investigations are required, particularly to reduce imaging artifacts

  10. Evaluation and comparison of New 4DCT based strategies for proton treatment planning for lung tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Ning; Patyal, Baldev; Ghebremedhin, Abiel; Bush, David

    2013-01-01

    To evaluate different strategies for proton lung treatment planning based on four-dimensional CT (4DCT) scans. Twelve cases, involving only gross tumor volumes (GTV), were evaluated. Single image sets of (1) maximum intensity projection (MIP3) of end inhale (EI), middle exhale (ME) and end exhale (EE) images; (2) average intensity projection (AVG) of all phase images; and (3) EE images from 4DCT scans were selected as primary images for proton treatment planning. Internal target volumes (ITVs) outlined by a clinician were imported into MIP3, AVG, and EE images as planning targets. Initially, treatment uncertainties were not included in planning. Each plan was imported into phase images of 4DCT scans. Relative volumes of GTVs covered by 95% of prescribed dose and mean ipsilateral lung dose of a phase image obtained by averaging the dose in inspiration and expiration phases were used to evaluate the quality of a plan for a particular case. For comparing different planning strategies, the mean of the averaged relative volumes of GTVs covered by 95% of prescribed dose and its standard deviation for each planning strategy for all cases were used. Then, treatment uncertainties were included in planning. Each plan was recalculated in phase images of 4DCT scans. Same strategies were used for plan evaluation except dose-volume histograms of the planning target volumes (PTVs) instead of GTVs were used and the mean and standard deviation of the relative volumes of PTVs covered by 95% of prescribed dose and the ipsilateral lung dose were used to compare different planning strategies. MIP3 plans without treatment uncertainties yielded 96.7% of the mean relative GTV covered by 95% of prescribed dose (standard deviations of 5.7% for all cases). With treatment uncertainties, MIP3 plans yielded 99.5% of mean relative PTV covered by 95% of prescribed dose (standard deviations of 0.7%). Inclusion of treatment uncertainties improved PTV dose coverage but also increased the ipsilateral

  11. Set our Master's degrees free

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padman, Rachael

    2010-04-01

    Making UK undergraduate physics degrees longer must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Back in the early 1990s the standard three-year Bachelor's physics degree (four years in Scotland) was under pressure at both ends. The A-level curriculum - one of the requirements for entry onto a degree course - was being increasingly modularized, and dumbed down. Physics students were arriving at university less well prepared than in the past and there was an increasing awareness that graduates of five-year continental degree courses were better equipped for a professional scientific career than those in the UK. At the same time, local education authorities in the UK were required to provide full funding for a first degree, whether for three or four years.

  12. Office of Inspector General report on special audit of pension plans for Department of Energy contract employees of the University of California

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-08-01

    On May 15, 1996, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced its decision to extend and renegotiate its contracts with the University of California for the management and operation of the Los Alamos, Lawrence Berkeley, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. Current contracts for the operation of these laboratories expire in 1997. The renegotiation process provides an opportunity for the Department to: (1) recover at least $620 million in excess assets from the pension plans it has funded for University of California employees who work at DOE`s laboratories; and (2) improve the Department`s ability to exercise prudent management of its interest in those pension funds. According to Department records, as of July 1, 1995, the University of California Retirement Plan had between $620 million and $2.0 billion in excess assets that were attributable to the Department of Energy (emphasis supplied). The wide variation in excess assets is a function of the assumptions used in making these calculations. These are described in Appendix 1 to this report. It was concluded as a result of the audit that, as part of the contract renegotiation process, the Department should obtain the cooperation and assistance of the University of California in recovering excess pension plan assets in a manner that does not affect the defined retirement benefits of the contract employees. This could include jointly sponsoring legislation to modify any existing legal restrictions.

  13. Specificities of sustainable tourism planning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jegdić Vaso

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In the past two decades, companies have been mentioning achievement of sustainability in their activities as a target of companies, governments and non-profit organizations, although measuring the degree to which an organization conducts its activities in a sustainable manner, can be very difficult. Sustainable tourism development requires a process of planning and management that will unite the interests of various stakeholders in a sustainable and strategic way. It requires an understanding of the meaning of sustainable development and guiding values for promoting sustainable tourism. The paper points to the importance of cross-sector partnerships and the roles of different stakeholders in the planning of sustainable tourism projects. Special importance is given to the community of which a willingness to understand the impacts of tourism industry is expected, as well as various procedures of engagement in participatory planning, consensus building and conflict resolution among all stakeholders. The aim of this research is to find an optimal model of planning of sustainable tourism projects that would take into consideration the interests of all stakeholders and reflect the specificities imposed by the acceptance of the concept of sustainable development by all participants in the project.

  14. Opposite Degree Algorithm and Its Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Guang Yue

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The opposite (Opposite Degree, referred to as OD algorithm is an intelligent algorithm proposed by Yue Xiaoguang et al. Opposite degree algorithm is mainly based on the concept of opposite degree, combined with the idea of design of neural network and genetic algorithm and clustering analysis algorithm. The OD algorithm is divided into two sub algorithms, namely: opposite degree - numerical computation (OD-NC algorithm and opposite degree - Classification computation (OD-CC algorithm.

  15. The variability of expiration peak flow of workers employed in the washing installation (laundry) of Haji Adam Malik general hospital Medan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saragih, W.; Tarigan, A. P.; Nainggolan, N.; Eyanoer, P. C.

    2018-03-01

    Laundress in hospitals is very susceptible to respiratory disorders, especially occupational asthma. To investigate the occurrence of an obstruction, the daily Expiration Peak Flow (EPF) examination was carried to compare the EPF, before and after work. It is a descriptive study conducted in November 2016. The samplewas 24 workers in Haji Adam Malik General Hospital Medan Laundry Installation, without any exclusion criteria, where all workers have been working for more than one year. Sampling was by distributing daily questionnaires and EPF examination for 14 days. From the results of EPF examinations that have been conducted, there were nine persons were indicated to experience a decreased in lung function. Based on the most sex category, men were 5 people (55.6%), age ≥ 40 years were 2 people (22.2%), working duration ≥10 years were 3 people (33.3%), with the smoking habit were 5 people (55.6%), total dust ≥0.2 micron were 6 people (66.7), total exposure of bacterium ≥500 were 3 people (33.3%), poor APD usage was 3 people (33.3%). In conclusion, there was a decrease in lung function by ≥ 3.1% found in 9 workers.

  16. On the relationship between degree of hand-preference and degree of language lateralization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Somers, Metten; Ophoff, Roel A; Boks, Marco P; Fleer, Willemien; de Visser, Kees C L; Kahn, René S; Sommer, Iris E; Aukes, M.F.

    2015-01-01

    Language lateralization and hand-preference show inter-individual variation in the degree of lateralization to the left- or right, but their relation is not fully understood. Disentangling this relation could aid elucidating the mechanisms underlying these traits. The relation between degree of

  17. The design concept of the 6-degree-of-freedom hydraulic shaker at ESTEC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinkman, P. W.; Kretz, D.

    1992-01-01

    The European Space Agency (ESA) has decided to extend its test facilities at the European Space and Technology Center (ESTEC) at Noordwijk, The Netherlands, by implementing a 6-degree-of-freedom hydraulic shaker. This shaker will permit vibration testing of large payloads in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 100 Hz. Conventional single axis sine and random vibration modes can be applied without the need for a configuration change of the test set-up for vertical and lateral excitations. Transients occurring during launch and/or landing of space vehicles can be accurately simulated in 6-degrees-of-freedom. The performance requirements of the shaker are outlined and the results of the various trade-offs, which are investigated during the initial phase of the design and engineering program are provided. Finally, the resulting baseline concept and the anticipated implementation plan of the new test facility are presented.

  18. Diploma to degree 1976 to 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Price, Richard

    2009-01-01

    The debate on degree education for radiographers began in earnest in the mid-1970s. Initially the debate hinged around whether a degree education was necessary for radiographers. One argument was that it was felt that a degree would separate academic and clinical training but eventually when degrees were introduced practical skills were assessed formally for the first time; something that had not been achieved with the Diploma of the College of Radiographers (DCR). The DCR itself became a barrier to degree education as the College of Radiographers (CoR) insisted that it was the only qualification recognised for state registration and as such would have to remain embedded as a distinct qualification within a degree. A major breakthrough came when the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) recognised the DCR at the same level as an ordinary degree. Around the same time the CoR published its Degree Rationale which announced a change in policy by not insisting that the DCR was sacrosanct. Developments followed rapidly and the first honours degree in radiography was validated in 1989 despite opposition from scientific officers at the Department of Health. Degrees were approved for state registration and radiography became a graduate profession by 1993 following years of debate and after overcoming opposition from both within and external to the profession.

  19. 76 FR 77474 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-13

    ... number and types of personnel currently employed in administering the CNPs. The information is used to... determine the degree and type of system usage as well as potential areas for further study. Description of...-Authentication ID, telephone number, home zip code, email address, contract expiration date, temporary employee...

  20. Fracture toughness testing of V-4Cr-4Ti at 25{degrees}C and -196{degrees}C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, H.X.; Kurtz, R.J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

    1996-10-01

    Measurements of the fracture toughness of the production-scale heat (832665) of V-4Cr-4Ti have been performed at 25{degrees}C and {minus}196{degrees}C using compact tension (CT) specimens. Test specimens were vacuum annealed at either 1000{degrees}C for 1 hour (HT1) or 1050{degrees}C for two hours (HT2). Specimens given the HT1 treatment were annealed after final machining, whereas the HT2 specimens received the 1050{degrees}C anneal at Teledyne Wah Chang prior to final machining. Following machining HT2 specimens were then vacuum annealed at 180{degrees}C for two hours to remove hydrogen. Specimens treated using HT1 had a partially recrystallized microstructure and those treated using HT2 had a fully recrystallized microstructure. The fracture toughness at 25{degrees}C was determined by J-integral tests and at {minus}196{degrees}C by ASTM E 399 type tests. Toughness values obtained at {minus}196{degrees}C were converted to J-integral values for comparison to the 25{degrees}C data. The 25{degrees}C fracture toughness was very high with none of the specimens giving valid results per ASTM criteria. Specimens fractured by microvoid coalescence. The fracture toughness at {minus}196{degrees}C was much lower than that at 25{degrees}C and the fracture surface showed predominantly cleavage features. The present results show a transition from ductile to brittle behavior with decreasing test temperature which is not observed from one-third scale Charpy impact tests. The fracture toughness at {minus}196{degrees}C was still quite high, however, at about 75 kJ/m{sup 2}. Delaminations in planes normal to the thickness direction were seen at both test temperatures. Fracture surfaces inside the delaminations exhibited nearly 100% cleavage facets. The cause of the brittle delaminations was not determined, but will be a subject for further investigation.

  1. SU-E-T-83: A Study On Evaluating the Directional Dependency of 2D Seven 29 Ion Chamber Array Clinically with Different IMRT Plans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Syam [Malabar Cancer Centre, Kannur, Kerala (India); Aswathi, C.P. [University of Calicut, Calicut, Kerala (India)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To evaluate the directional dependency of 2D seven 29 ion chamber array clinically with different IMRT plans. Methods: 25 patients already treated with IMRT plans were selected for the study. Verification plans were created for each treatment plan in eclipse 10 treatment planning system using the AAA algorithm with the 2D array and the Octavius CT phantom. Verification plans were done 2 times for a single patient. First plan with real IMRT (plan-related approach) and second plan with zero degree gantry angle (field-related approach). Measurements were performed on a Varian Clinac-iX, linear accelerator equipped with a millennium 120 multileaf collimator. Fluence was measured for all the delivered plans and analyzed using the verisoft software. Comparison was done by selecting the fluence delivered in static gantry (zero degree gantry) versus IMRT with real gantry angles. Results: The gamma pass percentage is greater than 97 % for all IMRT delivered with zero gantry angle and between 95%–98% for real gantry angles. Dose difference between the TPS calculated and measured for IMRT delivered with zero gantry angle was found to be between (0.03 to 0.06Gy) and with real gantry angles between (0.02 to 0.05Gy). There is a significant difference between the gamma analysis between the zero degree and true angle with a significance of 0.002. Standard deviation of gamma pass percentage between the IMRT plans with zero gantry angle was 0.68 and for IMRT with true gantry angle was found to be 0.74. Conclusion: The gamma analysis for IMRT with zero degree gantry angles shows higher pass percentage than IMRT delivered with true gantry angles. Verification plans delivered with true gantry angles lower the verification accuracy when 2D array is used for measurement.

  2. Comparison of two-stage thermophilic (68 degrees C/55 degrees C) anaerobic digestion with one-stage thermophilic (55 degrees C) digestion of cattle manure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, H.B.; Mladenovska, Zuzana; Westermann, Peter

    2004-01-01

    A two-stage 68degreesC/55degreesC anaerobic degradation process for treatment of cattle manure was studied. In batch experiments, an increase of the specific methane yield, ranging from 24% to 56%, was obtained when cattle manure and its fractions (fibers and liquid) were pretreated at 68degrees......, was compared with a conventional single-stage reactor running at 55degreesC with 15-days HRT. When an organic loading of 3 g volatile solids (VS) per liter per day was applied, the two-stage setup had a 6% to 8% higher specific methane yield and a 9% more effective VS-removal than the conventional single......-stage reactor. The 68degreesC reactor generated 7% to 9% of the total amount of methane of the two-stage system and maintained a volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration of 4.0 to 4.4 g acetate per liter. Population size and activity of aceticlastic methanogens, syntrophic bacteria, and hydrolytic...

  3. The Design of an Undergraduate Degree Program in Computer & Digital Forensics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gary C. Kessler

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Champlain College formally started an undergraduate degree program in Computer & Digital Forensics in 2003. The underlying goals were that the program be multidisciplinary, bringing together the law, computer technology, and the basics of digital investigations; would be available as on online and on-campus offering; and would have a process-oriented focus. Success of this program has largely been due to working closely with practitioners, maintaining activity in events related to both industry and academia, and flexibility to respond to ever-changing needs. This paper provides an overview of how this program was conceived, developed, and implemented; its evolution over time; and current and planned initiatives.

  4. 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

  5. Germany unveils €18bn research plan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banks, Michael

    2009-07-01

    The German government has unveiled an ambitious plan to inject a total of €18bn into teaching and research over the next decade. The German chancellor Angela Merkel, who has a degree in physics, announced that she was releasing the funds despite concerns from her social-democrat coalition partners that financing the package could be difficult in the economic downturn.

  6. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan - TA-60 Roads and Grounds Facility and Associated Sigma Mesa Staging Area

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandoval, Leonard Frank [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2018-01-31

    This Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§1251 et seq., as amended), and the Multi-Sector General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (U.S. EPA, June 2015) issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and using the industry specific permit requirements for Sector P-Land Transportation and Warehousing as a guide. This SWPPP applies to discharges of stormwater from the operational areas of the TA-60 Roads and Grounds and Associated Sigma Mesa Staging Area at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory (also referred to as LANL or the “Laboratory”) is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), and is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). Throughout this document, the term “facility” refers to the TA-60 Roads and Grounds and Associated Sigma Mesa Staging Area. The current permit expires at midnight on June 4, 2020.

  7. A study of the lived experiences of African American women STEM doctoral degree completers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Squires, Stephanie Michelle

    This study examined the lived experiences of African American women (AAW) who completed doctoral degrees in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) discipline in the United States. This study sought to fill the gap in the literature by examining how AAW described and made meaning of lived STEM educational experiences during doctoral degree completion in the context of the intersection of being African American and a woman. This study utilized a theoretical perspective based upon three theories: (a) critical race theory as a framework to gather AAW's narratives about STEM doctorate education, (b) Black feminist thought as a framework to view the intersection of being African American and a woman in the United States, and (c) the science identity model as a framework to view how women of color successfully complete scientific graduate degrees. Participants revealed that being an African American and a woman in a STEM doctoral program often complicated an already difficult process of completing the doctoral degree. The participants described the educational experience as challenging, particularly the writing of the dissertation. The challenges that the participants faced were due to various factors such as difficult advisor/advisee relationships, tedious writing and revision processes, politics, and lack of information regarding the doctoral degree process. The findings suggested that AAW participants confronted intrinsic bias while completing STEM doctoral degrees, which led to isolation and feelings of being an impostor---or feelings of not belonging in scientific studies. The findings also indicated that the women in this study ascribed success in dissertation writing and degree completion to one or more of the following attributes: (a) having a clear plan, (b) taking ownership of the writing process, (c) having an engaged advisor, (d) learning the writing style of the advisor, (e) understanding the temperament of the advisor, (f) personal will

  8. Beneficiary price sensitivity in the Medicare prescription drug plan market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frakt, Austin B; Pizer, Steven D

    2010-01-01

    The Medicare stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) came into existence in 2006 as part of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. It is the most popular plan type among Medicare drug plans and large numbers of plans are available to all beneficiaries. In this article we present the first analysis of beneficiary price sensitivity in the PDP market. Our estimate of elasticity of enrollment with respect to premium, -1.45, is larger in magnitude than has been found in the Medicare HMO market. This high degree of beneficiary price sensitivity for PDPs is consistent with relatively low product differentiation, low fixed costs of entry in the PDP market, and the fact that, in contrast to changing HMOs, beneficiaries can select a PDP without disrupting doctor-patient relationships.

  9. SU-F-T-504: Non-Divergent Planning Method for Craniospinal Irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sperling, N; Bogue, J; Parsai, E [University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, OH (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Traditional Craniospinal Irradiation (CSI) planning techniques require careful field placement to allow optimal divergence and field overlap at depth, and measurement of skin gap. The result of this is a necessary field overlap resulting in dose heterogeneity in the spinal canal. A novel, nondivergent field matching method has been developed to allow simple treatment planning and delivery without the need to measure skin gap. Methods: The CSI patient was simulated in the prone, and a plan was developed. Bilateral cranial fields were designed with couch and collimator rotation to eliminate divergence with the upper spine field and minimize anterior divergence into the lenses. Spinal posterior-to-anterior fields were designed with the couch rotated to 90 degrees to allow gantry rotation to eliminate divergence at the match line, and the collimator rotated to 90 degrees to allow appropriate field blocking with the MLCs. A match line for the two spinal fields was placed and the gantry rotated to equal angles in opposite directions about the match line. Jaw positions were then defined to allow 1mm overlap at the match line to avoid cold spots. A traditional CSI plan was generated using diverging spinal fields, and a comparison between the two techniques was generated. Results: The non-divergent treatment plan was able to deliver a highly uniform dose to the spinal cord with a cold spot of only 95% and maximum point dose of 115.8%, as compared to traditional plan cold spots of 87% and hot spots of 132% of the prescription dose. Conclusion: A non-divergent method for planning CSI patients has been developed and clinically implemented. Planning requires some geometric manipulation in order to achieve an adequate dose distribution, however, it can help to manage cold spots and simplify the shifts needed between spinal fields.

  10. SU-F-T-504: Non-Divergent Planning Method for Craniospinal Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sperling, N; Bogue, J; Parsai, E

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Traditional Craniospinal Irradiation (CSI) planning techniques require careful field placement to allow optimal divergence and field overlap at depth, and measurement of skin gap. The result of this is a necessary field overlap resulting in dose heterogeneity in the spinal canal. A novel, nondivergent field matching method has been developed to allow simple treatment planning and delivery without the need to measure skin gap. Methods: The CSI patient was simulated in the prone, and a plan was developed. Bilateral cranial fields were designed with couch and collimator rotation to eliminate divergence with the upper spine field and minimize anterior divergence into the lenses. Spinal posterior-to-anterior fields were designed with the couch rotated to 90 degrees to allow gantry rotation to eliminate divergence at the match line, and the collimator rotated to 90 degrees to allow appropriate field blocking with the MLCs. A match line for the two spinal fields was placed and the gantry rotated to equal angles in opposite directions about the match line. Jaw positions were then defined to allow 1mm overlap at the match line to avoid cold spots. A traditional CSI plan was generated using diverging spinal fields, and a comparison between the two techniques was generated. Results: The non-divergent treatment plan was able to deliver a highly uniform dose to the spinal cord with a cold spot of only 95% and maximum point dose of 115.8%, as compared to traditional plan cold spots of 87% and hot spots of 132% of the prescription dose. Conclusion: A non-divergent method for planning CSI patients has been developed and clinically implemented. Planning requires some geometric manipulation in order to achieve an adequate dose distribution, however, it can help to manage cold spots and simplify the shifts needed between spinal fields.

  11. The Kilo-Degree Survey

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Jong, J. T. A.; Kuijken, K.; Applegate, D.; Begeman, K.; Belikov, A.; Blake, C.; Bout, J.; Boxhoorn, D.; Buddelmeijer, H.; Buddendiek, A.; Cacciato, M.; Capaccioli, M.; Choi, A.; Cordes, O.; Covone, G.; Dall'Ora, M.; Edge, A.; Erben, T.; Franse, J.; Getman, F.; Grado, A.; Harnois-Deraps, J.; Helmich, E.; Herbonnet, R.; Heymans, C.; Hildebrandt, H.; Hoekstra, H.; Huang, Z.; Irisarri, N.; Joachimi, B.; Köhlinger, F.; Kitching, T.; La Barbera, F.; Lacerda, P.; McFarland, J.; Miller, L.; Nakajima, R.; Napolitano, N. R.; Paolillo, M.; Peacock, J.; Pila-Diez, B.; Puddu, E.; Radovich, M.; Rifatto, A.; Schneider, P.; Schrabback, T.; Sifon, C.; Sikkema, G.; Simon, P.; Sutherland, W.; Tudorica, A.; Valentijn, E.; van der Burg, R.; van Uitert, E.; van Waerbeke, L.; Velander, M.; Kleijn, G. V.; Viola, M.; Vriend, W.-J.

    2013-01-01

    The Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS), a 1500-square-degree optical imaging survey with the recently commissioned OmegaCAM wide-field imager on the VLT Survey Telescope (VST), is described. KiDS will image two fields in u-,g-,r- and i-bands and, together with the VIKING survey, produce nine-band (u- to

  12. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan for the TA-60-01 Heavy Equipment Shop, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Revision 3, January 2018

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burgin, Jillian Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2018-02-01

    This Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§1251 et seq., as amended), and the Multi-Sector General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (U.S. EPA, June 2015) issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and using the industry specific permit requirements for Sector P-Land Transportation and Warehousing as a guide. This SWPPP applies to discharges of stormwater from the operational areas of the TA-60-01 Heavy Equipment Shop at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory (also referred to as LANL or the “Laboratory”) is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), and is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). Throughout this document, the term “facility” refers to the TA-60-01 Heavy Equipment Shop and associated areas. The current permit expires at midnight on June 4, 2020.

  13. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan for the TA-03-38 Metals Fabrication Shop, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Revision 3, January 2018

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burgin, Jillian Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2018-02-01

    This Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§1251 et seq., as amended), and the Multi-Sector General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (U.S. EPA, June 2015) issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and using the industry specific permit requirements for Sector AA-Fabricated Metal Products as a guide. This SWPPP applies to discharges of stormwater from the operational areas of the TA-03-38 Metals Fabrication Shop at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory (also referred to as LANL or the “Laboratory”) is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), and is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). Throughout this document, the term “facility” refers to the TA-03-38 Metals Fabrication Shop and associated areas. The current permit expires at midnight on June 4, 2020.

  14. A distributed planning concept for Space Station payload operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagopian, Jeff; Maxwell, Theresa; Reed, Tracey

    1994-01-01

    The complex and diverse nature of the payload operations to be performed on the Space Station requires a robust and flexible planning approach. The planning approach for Space Station payload operations must support the phased development of the Space Station, as well as the geographically distributed users of the Space Station. To date, the planning approach for manned operations in space has been one of centralized planning to the n-th degree of detail. This approach, while valid for short duration flights, incurs high operations costs and is not conducive to long duration Space Station operations. The Space Station payload operations planning concept must reduce operations costs, accommodate phased station development, support distributed users, and provide flexibility. One way to meet these objectives is to distribute the planning functions across a hierarchy of payload planning organizations based on their particular needs and expertise. This paper presents a planning concept which satisfies all phases of the development of the Space Station (manned Shuttle flights, unmanned Station operations, and permanent manned operations), and the migration from centralized to distributed planning functions. Identified in this paper are the payload planning functions which can be distributed and the process by which these functions are performed.

  15. 78 FR 22940 - Information Collection Available for Public Comments and Recommendations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-17

    ...-ENG3. Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from date of approval by the Office of Management and Budget. Summary of Collection of Information: The United States Merchant Marine Academy is an accredited federal service academy that confers BS and MS degrees. The Academy is expected to assess its educational...

  16. 810 Future plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Etkin, A.; Foley, K.J.; Hackenburg, R.W.; Longacre, R.S.; Love, W.A.; Morris, T.W.; Platner, E.D.; Saulys, A.C.; Lindenbaum, S.J.; Chan, C.S.; Kramer, M.A.; Hallman, T.J.; Madansky, L.; Bonner, B.E.; Buchanan, J.A.; Chiou, C.N.; Clement, J.M.; Corcoran, M.D.; Kruk, J.W.; Miettinen, H.E.; Mutchler, G.S.; Nessi-Tedaldi, F.; Nessi, M.; Roberts, J.B.

    1990-01-01

    It is believed that a good bet for finding the Quark-Gluon Plasma at AGS energies is with the heaviest projectiles on the heaviest target, i.e. Au on Au. One of the likely signatures of the plasma is strangeness enhancement. Al Saulys has shown what it's like to find Δ and K degree with Si projectiles. Our Monte Carlo simulations show track densities 4 times higher for Au projectiles. In addition, the Au beam itself produces 30 times more ionization. Thus the present TPC's will be limited to only a few hundred ions per sec. This paper discusses plans for these experiments and modification to TPC. 9 figs

  17. College Savings Plans, Financial Aid, and Tax Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiteside, Richard; Mentz, George S.

    2004-01-01

    A college degree is one of the most expensive purchases an American family can make. While today's costs are higher than ever before, parents have many more options whose sheer number and complexity have given rise to a whole new field-financial planning for college. This article, which is based on materials created for the enrollment management…

  18. Determination of Career Planning Profiles of Turkish Athletes Who Are Ranked in the Olympics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hulya, Bingol; Cemal, Gundogdu; Sukru, Bingol

    2012-01-01

    This study researched in the level of career planning of Turkish athletes ranked in the Olympics during the time they were active in sports and after they retired. This study which aimed to determine the career planning efficiency of Turkish athletes ranked in the Olympics based on the viewpoints of the athletes holding Olympic degree is scanning…

  19. Planning "discrete" movements using a continuous system: insights from a dynamic field theory of movement preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schutte, Anne R; Spencer, John P

    2007-04-01

    The timed-initiation paradigm developed by Ghez and colleagues (1997) has revealed two modes of motor planning: continuous and discrete. Continuous responding occurs when targets are separated by less than 60 degrees of spatial angle, and discrete responding occurs when targets are separated by greater than 60 degrees . Although these two modes are thought to reflect the operation of separable strategic planning systems, a new theory of movement preparation, the Dynamic Field Theory, suggests that two modes emerge flexibly from the same system. Experiment 1 replicated continuous and discrete performance using a task modified to allow for a critical test of the single system view. In Experiment 2, participants were allowed to correct their movements following movement initiation (the standard task does not allow corrections). Results showed continuous planning performance at large and small target separations. These results are consistent with the proposal that the two modes reflect the time-dependent "preshaping" of a single planning system.

  20. Outcomes of torsional microcoaxial phacoemulsification performed by 12-degree and 22-degree bent tips.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helvacioglu, Firat; Yeter, Celal; Tunc, Zeki; Sencan, Sadik

    2013-08-01

    To compare the safety and efficacy of Ozil Intelligent Phaco torsional microcoaxial phacoemulsification surgeries performed with 12-degree and 22-degree bent tips using the Infiniti Vision System. Maltepe University School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology, Istanbul, Turkey. Comparative case series. Eyes were assigned to 2.2 mm microcoaxial phacoemulsification using the torsional mode with a 22-degree bent tip (Group 1) or a 12-degree bent tip (Group 2). The primary outcome measures were ultrasound time (UST), cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), longitudinal and torsional ultrasound (US) amplitudes, mean surgical time, mean volume of balanced salt solution used, and surgical complications. Both groups included 45 eyes. The mean UST, CDE, longitudinal US amplitude, and torsional US amplitude were 65 seconds ± 27.23 (SD), 11.53 ± 6.99, 0.22 ± 0.26, and 42.86 ± 15.64, respectively, in Group 1 and 84 ± 45.04 seconds, 16.68 ± 10.66, 0.48 ± 0.68, and 46.27 ± 14.74, respectively, in Group 2. The mean UST, CDE, and longitudinal amplitudes were significantly lower in Group 1 (P=.003, P=.008, and P=.022, respectively). The mean volume of balanced salt solution was 73.33 ± 28.58 cc in Group 1 and 82.08 ± 26.21 cc in Group 2 (P=.134). Torsional phacoemulsification performed with 22-degree bent tips provided more effective lens removal than 12-degree bent tips, with a lower UST and CDE. Copyright © 2013 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. SNU-KAERI Degree and Research Center for Radiation Convergence Sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jo, Sungkee; Kim, S. U.; Roh, C. H

    2011-12-01

    In this study, we tried to establish and perform the demonstrative operation of the 'Degree and Research Center for Radiation Convergence Sciences' to raise the Korea's technology competitiveness. As results of this project we got the successful accomplishment as below: 1. Operation of Degree and Research Center for Radiation Convergence Sciences and establishment of expert researcher training system Ο Presentation of an efficient model for expert researcher training program through the operation of university-institute collaboration courses by combining of Graduate course and DRC system. Ο Radiation Convergence Sciences major is scheduled to be established in 2013 at SNU Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology Ο A big project for research, education, and training of radiation convergence science is under planning 2. Establishment and conduction of joint research by organization of radiation convergence research consortium · Joint research was conducted in close connection with the research projects of researchers participating in this DRC project (44 articles published in journals, 6 patents applied, 88 papers presented in conferences) · The resources of the two organization (SNU and KAERI), such as research infrastructure (hightech equipment and etc), manpower (professor/researcher), and original technology and know how were utilized to conduct the joint research and to establish the collaboration system of the two organizations

  2. Environmental Assessment for power marketing policy for Southwestern Power Administration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-12-01

    Southwestern Power Administration (Southwestern) needs to renew expiring power sales contracts with new term (10 year) sales contracts. The existing contracts have been in place for several years and many will expire over the next ten years. Southwestern completed an Environmental Assessment on the existing power allocation in June, 1979 (a copy of the EA is attached), and there are no proposed additions of any major new generation resources, service to discrete major new loads, or major changes in operating parameters, beyond those included in the existing power allocation. Impacts from a no action plan, proposed alternative, and market power for less than 10 years are described.

  3. Environmental Assessment for power marketing policy for Southwestern Power Administration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Southwestern Power Administration (Southwestern) needs to renew expiring power sales contracts with new term (10 year) sales contracts. The existing contracts have been in place for several years and many will expire over the next ten years. Southwestern completed an Environmental Assessment on the existing power allocation in June, 1979 (a copy of the EA is attached), and there are no proposed additions of any major new generation resources, service to discrete major new loads, or major changes in operating parameters, beyond those included in the existing power allocation. Impacts from a no action plan, proposed alternative, and market power for less than 10 years are described

  4. Physical and chemical stability of expired fixed dose combination artemether-lumefantrine in uncontrolled tropical conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hess Kimberly

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background New artemisinin combination therapies pose difficulties of implementation in developing and tropical settings because they have a short shelf-life (two years relative to the medicines they replace. This limits the reliability and cost of treatment, and the acceptability of this treatment to health care workers. A multi-pronged investigation was made into the chemical and physical stability of fixed dose combination artemether-lumefantrine (FDC-ALU stored under heterogeneous, uncontrolled African conditions, to probe if a shelf-life extension might be possible. Methods Seventy samples of expired FDC-ALU were collected from private pharmacies and malaria researchers in seven African countries. The samples were subjected to thin-layer chromatography (TLC, disintegration testing, and near infrared Raman spectrometry for ascertainment of active ingredients, tablet integrity, and chemical degradation of the tablet formulation including both active ingredients and excipients. Results Seventy samples of FDC-ALU were tested in July 2008, between one and 58 months post-expiry. 68 of 70 (97% samples passed TLC, disintegration and Raman spectrometry testing, including eight samples that were post-expiry by 20 months or longer. A weak linear association (R2 = 0.33 was observed between the age of samples and their state of degradation relative to brand-identical samples on Raman spectrometry. Sixty-eight samples were retested in February 2009 using Raman spectrometry, between eight and 65 months post-expiry. 66 of 68 (97% samples passed Raman spectrometry retesting. An unexpected observation about African drug logistics was made in three batches of FDC-ALU, which had been sold into the public sector at concessional pricing in accordance with a World Health Organization (WHO agreement, and which were illegally diverted to the private sector where they were sold for profit. Conclusion The data indicate that FDC-ALU is chemically and

  5. Undergraduate Game Degree Programs in the United Kingdom and United States: A Comparison of the Curriculum Planning Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGill, Monica M.

    2010-01-01

    Digital games are marketed, mass-produced, and consumed by an increasing number of people and the game industry is only expected to grow. In response, post-secondary institutions in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have started to create game degree programs. Though curriculum theorists provide insight into the process of…

  6. Families of Smooth Rational Curves of Small Degree on the Fano Variety of Degree 5 of Main Series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. S. Omelkova

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we consider some families of smooth rational curves of degree 2, 3 and 4 on a smooth Fano threefold X which is a linear section of the Grassmanian G(1, 4 under the Pl¨ucker embedding. We prove that these families are irreducible. The proof of the irreducibility of the families of curves of degree d is based on the study of degeneration of a rational curve of degree d into a curve which decomposes into an irreducible rational curve of degree d−1 and a projective line intersecting transversally at a point. We prove that the Hilbert scheme of curves of degree d on X is smooth at the point corresponding to such a reducible curve. Then calculations in the framework of deformation theory show that such a curve varies into a smooth rational curve of degree d. Thus, the set of reducible curves of degree d of the above type lies in the closure of a unique component of the Hilbert scheme of smooth rational curves of degree d on X. From this fact and the irreducibility of the Hilbert scheme of smooth rational curves of degree d on the Grassmannian G(1, 4 one deduces the irreducibility of the Hilbert scheme of smooth rational curves of degree d on a general Fano threefold X.

  7. 45 CFR 2400.41 - Degree programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... degree in history or political science (including government or politics), the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching in history or political science (including government or politics), or a related master's degree in education that permits a concentration in American history, American government, social studies...

  8. Polymorphic Uncertain Linear Programming for Generalized Production Planning Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinbo Zhang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A polymorphic uncertain linear programming (PULP model is constructed to formulate a class of generalized production planning problems. In accordance with the practical environment, some factors such as the consumption of raw material, the limitation of resource and the demand of product are incorporated into the model as parameters of interval and fuzzy subsets, respectively. Based on the theory of fuzzy interval program and the modified possibility degree for the order of interval numbers, a deterministic equivalent formulation for this model is derived such that a robust solution for the uncertain optimization problem is obtained. Case study indicates that the constructed model and the proposed solution are useful to search for an optimal production plan for the polymorphic uncertain generalized production planning problems.

  9. 10 CFR 70.38 - Expiration and termination of licenses and decommissioning of sites and separate buildings or...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... of decommissioning operations and presents no undue risk from radiation to the public health and... description of the planned final radiation survey; and (v) An updated detailed cost estimate for... physical security plan and material control and accounting plan provisions in place during decommissioning...

  10. 10 CFR 905.37 - Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... ENERGY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Power Marketing Initiative § 905.37 Process. Modified contractual... to new customers from the initial resource pool will take effect when existing contracts expire... Division, Western will offer contracts to existing customers for resource extensions no sooner than the...

  11. 77 FR 23715 - Public Information Collections Approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-20

    ... carriers that have market power. Additionally, the information collection is necessary to analyze market...: August 17, 2011. Expiration Date: August 31, 2014. Title: 28 GHz Band Segmentation Plan Amending the... Commission in considering whether FCC rules require modification to accommodate the changing market. The...

  12. 24 CFR 402.2 - Definitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...: affiliate, disabled family, elderly family, eligible project, HUD, MAHRA, owner, PAE, Restructuring Plan... in section 512 of MAHRA: expiration date, fair market rent, renewal, and tenant-based assistance. (c) Other defined terms. In this part, the term— Comparable market rents means rents determined in...

  13. THE DEGREE OF CONSUMER SATISFACTION WITH HOTEL SERVICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danka CURAKOVIĆ

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The customer focus is one of the principles of quality management in organizations whose decisions, policy and strategy are based on market analysis. The results of the analysis are then used in the introduction of innovation, planning, investment in order to positioning in the market and meeting customer needs. The subject of research is the degree of consumer satisfaction with hotel services in order to determining the extent to which their quality meets customer needs and preferences. For the purposes of this paper there was conducted a research of primary and secondary materials, as well as field research in the July-August 2011. The research was conducted in hotels and B&B hotels in Novi Sad. The principal part of the paper is the analysis and description of results obtained in the study. The research results can be used by hotel managers in order to improve and adapt hotel services to market needs, as well by students.

  14. Virtual displays for 360-degree video

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Stephen; Boonsuk, Wutthigrai; Kelly, Jonathan W.

    2012-03-01

    In this paper we describe a novel approach for comparing users' spatial cognition when using different depictions of 360- degree video on a traditional 2D display. By using virtual cameras within a game engine and texture mapping of these camera feeds to an arbitrary shape, we were able to offer users a 360-degree interface composed of four 90-degree views, two 180-degree views, or one 360-degree view of the same interactive environment. An example experiment is described using these interfaces. This technique for creating alternative displays of wide-angle video facilitates the exploration of how compressed or fish-eye distortions affect spatial perception of the environment and can benefit the creation of interfaces for surveillance and remote system teleoperation.

  15. Reachable Distance Space: Efficient Sampling-Based Planning for Spatially Constrained Systems

    KAUST Repository

    Xinyu Tang,

    2010-01-25

    Motion planning for spatially constrained robots is difficult due to additional constraints placed on the robot, such as closure constraints for closed chains or requirements on end-effector placement for articulated linkages. It is usually computationally too expensive to apply sampling-based planners to these problems since it is difficult to generate valid configurations. We overcome this challenge by redefining the robot\\'s degrees of freedom and constraints into a new set of parameters, called reachable distance space (RD-space), in which all configurations lie in the set of constraint-satisfying subspaces. This enables us to directly sample the constrained subspaces with complexity linear in the number of the robot\\'s degrees of freedom. In addition to supporting efficient sampling of configurations, we show that the RD-space formulation naturally supports planning and, in particular, we design a local planner suitable for use by sampling-based planners. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach for several systems including closed chain planning with multiple loops, restricted end-effector sampling, and on-line planning for drawing/sculpting. We can sample single-loop closed chain systems with 1,000 links in time comparable to open chain sampling, and we can generate samples for 1,000-link multi-loop systems of varying topologies in less than a second. © 2010 The Author(s).

  16. Rural environmental planning in a family farm: education, extension and sustainability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dayana Almeida

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Developing research, teaching and extension in university programs is fundamental to capacitate professionals for the challenging endeavors. Considering the importance of these three university functions as relevant learning practices, the objective of this study was to analyze qualitatively the development of teaching project proposals associated with extension activities, directed to the rural environmental planning in an Agricultural Production Unit, in order to identify the issues and their degree of applicability. Twenty project proposals were developed in the "Rural Environmental Planning" course to plan an Agricultural Production Unit, which were subsequently evaluated by the farmer. This discipline is part of the Bachelor's degree course in Environmental Management and Analysis of the Universidade Federal de São Carlos. The projects followed qualitative research methods using the systemic and participatory approach. At the end of the process the farmer answered an evaluation matrix of the projects. Development of the projects was particularly important for the students and for their knowledge on the various topics covered, which also resulted in factual improvement perspectives in the Agricultural Production Unit. Construction of knowledge was participatory and integrated between the students and farmer.

  17. Measuring Direct Teaching Costs: Does an Undergraduate Business Degree Cost More to Produce than a Nonbusiness Degree?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, Michael M.; Karagiannidis, Iordanis

    2016-01-01

    Many universities have implemented tuition differentials for certain undergraduate degree programs, citing higher degree costs or higher demand. However, most college accounting systems are unsuited for measuring cost differentials by degree program. This research outlines a method that can convert commonly available financial data to a more…

  18. Plan de Marketing: agencia de viajes

    OpenAIRE

    ÁLVARO PÉREZ, MARÍA PILAR

    2017-01-01

    [EN] Nowadays, a lot of little local travel agencies had lost a lot of clients due to the economic crisis, new competitors and digital obsolescence. The objective of this dissertation is to elaborate a marketing plan, basically digital, to help little companies to solve the problem. Another objective is to reflect the knowledge that has been learned in the Business Management Degree. The analysed company is fictitious, a little travel agency located in Valencia, but it reflects the reali...

  19. Labeling schemes for bounded degree graphs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adjiashvili, David; Rotbart, Noy Galil

    2014-01-01

    We investigate adjacency labeling schemes for graphs of bounded degree Δ = O(1). In particular, we present an optimal (up to an additive constant) log n + O(1) adjacency labeling scheme for bounded degree trees. The latter scheme is derived from a labeling scheme for bounded degree outerplanar...... graphs. Our results complement a similar bound recently obtained for bounded depth trees [Fraigniaud and Korman, SODA 2010], and may provide new insights for closing the long standing gap for adjacency in trees [Alstrup and Rauhe, FOCS 2002]. We also provide improved labeling schemes for bounded degree...

  20. Master plans for pedestrian and bicycle transportation: community characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinman, Lesley; Doescher, Mark; Levinger, David; Perry, Cynthia; Carter, Louise; Eyler, Amy; Aytur, Semra; Cradock, Angie L I; Evenson, Kelly R; Heinrich, Katie; Kerr, Jacqueline; Litt, Jill; Severcan, Yucel; Voorhees, Carolyn

    2010-03-01

    Recent research demonstrates the importance of targeting the built environment to support individual physical activity, particularly for people experiencing health disparities. Master plans to promote biking and/or pedestrians (BPMPs) are a potential method for environmental change. This descriptive study aims to provide a snapshot of plan attributes and better understand demographic, social and transportation characteristics of communities with BPMPs. We collected a census sample of BPMPs from 4 states. Population and commuting data were obtained from national statistics. 294 master plans were included, with most plans representing municipalities. 62% of plans targeted biking only, one-fifth targeted biking and walking, and 15% targeted walking only. The sampled locations have a similar demographic profile as the overall U.S. for median age and household income, people of color, high school education, and income inequality. The degree of racial diversity of sampled communities is slightly less than the U.S. average and the percentage of people who walk to work were slightly higher. Given that communities with master plans have a similar profile as the overall U.S., BPMPs could feasibly be spread to communities throughout the country. Further research is planned to describe BPMPs in detail toward informing future plan development.

  1. Lessons Learned: Creating an Online Business Degree from a Successful On-Campus Business Degree

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordeiro, William P.; Muraoka, Dennis

    2015-01-01

    The horse has left the barn. Distance education is here to stay and the number of degree programs offered online is growing rapidly. California State University Channel Islands (CI) admitted its first students in 2002, and the undergraduate and graduate degrees in business were among its first program offerings. From its inception, the…

  2. Cooling hyperthermic firefighters by immersing forearms and hands in 10 degrees C and 20 degrees C water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giesbrecht, Gordon G; Jamieson, Christopher; Cahill, Farrell

    2007-06-01

    Firefighters experience significant heat stress while working with heavy gear in a hot, humid environment. This study compared the cooling effectiveness of immersing the forearms and hands in 10 and 20 degrees C water. Six men (33 +/- 10 yr; 180 +/- 4 cm; 78 +/- 9 kg; 19 +/- 5% body fat) wore firefighter 'turn-out gear' (heavy clothing and breathing apparatus weighing 27 kg) in a protocol including three 20-min exercise bouts (step test, 78 W, 40 degrees C air, 40% RH) each followed by a 20-min rest/cooling (21 degrees C air); i.e., 60 min of exercise, 60 min of cooling. Turn-out gear was removed during rest/cooling periods and subjects either rested (Control), immersed their hands in 10 or 20 degrees C water (H-10, H-20), or immersed their hands and forearms in 10 or 20 degrees C water (HF-10, HF-20). In 20 degrees C water, hand immersion did not reduce core temperature compared with Control; however, including forearm immersion decreased core temperature below Control values after both the second and final exercise periods (p hand immersion produced a lower core temperature (0.8 degrees C above baseline) than all other conditions (1.1 to 1.4 degrees C above baseline) after the final exercise period (p Hand and forearm immersion in cool water is simple, reduces heat strain, and may increase work performance in a hot, humid environment. With 20 degrees C water, forearms should be immersed with the hands to be effective. At lower water temperatures, forearm and/or hand immersion will be effective, although forearm immersion will decrease core temperature further.

  3. Determining the most stable breathing phase for respiratory gating using velocity deformable registration in patients with lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aarons, Y.; Wightman, F.; Roxby, P.; Kron, T.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: Respiratory gated radiotherapy is a high-precision technique where the treatment beam is turned on during a predetermined phase of the breathing cycle in order to minimise dose to surrounding healthy dose sensitive structures. We aim to compare inspiration and expiration phases to determine which is more stable in the breathing cycle to perform respiratory gating. Methods Nine patients underwent a planning time resolved 4DCT (Philips Brilliance 16-multislice widebore) and repeat 4DCT during weeks I, 3 and 5 of a radical course of radiotherapy for lung cancer. Inspiration scans were co-registered to the same phase image of the original planning CT using rigid and then deformable registration with Velocity software. The process was repeated for scans at exhalation phase. The deformation matrix for the diaphragm was used to compare the reproducibility of breathing phases. In the majority of patients (seven of nine) the expiration phase was found to be the more stable compared with inspiration. The maximum diaphragm displacement exceeded 3 cm in one case for the registered inhalation images while the deformation was typically half of that in the exhalation images. Interestingly, several patients showed significant differences in deformation for the left and right diaphragm. Conclusions In a group of lung cancer patients we found the expiration phase to be more reproducible for delivering respiratory gated RT, when compared with inspiration.

  4. Plan de negocio para una agencia de viajes situada en Valencia

    OpenAIRE

    SÁEZ LÓPEZ, PATRICIA

    2015-01-01

    [EN] The following Final University Project consists in a Business Plan for the development and implementation of a travel agency located in Valencia. This company is focused on the mediation with the offer and the demand offering several touristic products. The objective of this project is to determine its viability. The decision of making a business plan is based on the knowledge obtained on the degree. It’s a great opportunity to put into practice what I learned. Furthermore, it has cho...

  5. Statement of position of the United States Department of Energy in the matter of proposed rulemaking on the storage and disposal of nuclear waste (waste confidence rulemaking)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    Purpose of this proceeding is to assess generically the degree of assurance that the radioactive waste can be safely disposed of, to determine when such disposal or off-site storage will be available, and to determine whether wastes can be safely stored on-site past license expiration until off-site disposal/storage is available

  6. Statement of position of the United States Department of Energy in the matter of proposed rulemaking on the storage and disposal of nuclear waste (waste confidence rulemaking)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-04-15

    Purpose of this proceeding is to assess generically the degree of assurance that the radioactive waste can be safely disposed of, to determine when such disposal or off-site storage will be available, and to determine whether wastes can be safely stored on-site past license expiration until off-site disposal/storage is available. (DLC)

  7. Environmental performance evaluation of Beijing's energy use planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Lei; Xu Linyu; Song Huimin

    2011-01-01

    In line with rapid economic development, urban energy consumption is increasing rapidly, resulting in environmental problems. After considering several methods to evaluate the environmental performance of energy use, including: energy ecological footprint, input-output analysis, emergy-exergy analysis, and multi-criteria decision-making, an environmental performance evaluation model is proposed, which combines the analytical hierarchy process, fuzzy extent analysis, and membership degree analysis. In the model, 18 sub-indicators of environmental performance from energy use planning are classified into four categories: structure of energy use and industry, technology and efficiency of energy use, environmental impacts caused by energy use, and the socio-economic benefits of energy use. Membership degree analysis is applied to each indicator. Three energy use scenarios which are, respectively, environment-friendly, technology-led, and economic policy-led are evaluated. The results show that the technology-led energy use planning is best. The sustainable energy use policies are proposed from three aspects, including optimizing the energy use and industrial structure, encouraging development of energy-saving and air pollution control technologies, and enhancing legislation on energy use management. The policies are helpful to optimize the trade-offs between economic growth and environmental protection in Beijing. - Highlights: → Our paper establishes a system of indicators according to the structure of urban energy use planning. → We have created a comprehensive environmental performance evaluation model in the research. → The model and results can serve as an important basis for decision-making to guide local government.

  8. VISUAL UAV TRAJECTORY PLAN SYSTEM BASED ON NETWORK MAP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. L. Li

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The base map of the current software UP-30 using in trajectory plan for Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle is vector diagram. UP-30 draws navigation points manually. But in the field of operation process, the efficiency and the quality of work is influenced because of insufficient information, screen reflection, calculate inconveniently and other factors. If we do this work in indoor, the effect of external factors on the results would be eliminated, the network earth users can browse the free world high definition satellite images through downloading a client software, and can export the high resolution image by standard file format. This brings unprecedented convenient of trajectory plan. But the images must be disposed by coordinate transformation, geometric correction. In addition, according to the requirement of mapping scale ,camera parameters and overlap degree we can calculate exposure hole interval and trajectory distance between the adjacent trajectory automatically . This will improve the degree of automation of data collection. Software will judge the position of next point according to the intersection of the trajectory and the survey area and ensure the position of point according to trajectory distance. We can undertake the points artificially. So the trajectory plan is automatic and flexible. Considering safety, the date can be used in flying after simulating flight. Finally we can export all of the date using a key

  9. Visual Uav Trajectory Plan System Based on Network Map

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X. L.; Lin, Z. J.; Su, G. Z.; Wu, B. Y.

    2012-07-01

    The base map of the current software UP-30 using in trajectory plan for Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle is vector diagram. UP-30 draws navigation points manually. But in the field of operation process, the efficiency and the quality of work is influenced because of insufficient information, screen reflection, calculate inconveniently and other factors. If we do this work in indoor, the effect of external factors on the results would be eliminated, the network earth users can browse the free world high definition satellite images through downloading a client software, and can export the high resolution image by standard file format. This brings unprecedented convenient of trajectory plan. But the images must be disposed by coordinate transformation, geometric correction. In addition, according to the requirement of mapping scale ,camera parameters and overlap degree we can calculate exposure hole interval and trajectory distance between the adjacent trajectory automatically . This will improve the degree of automation of data collection. Software will judge the position of next point according to the intersection of the trajectory and the survey area and ensure the position of point according to trajectory distance. We can undertake the points artificially. So the trajectory plan is automatic and flexible. Considering safety, the date can be used in flying after simulating flight. Finally we can export all of the date using a key

  10. Radioiodotherapy: dosimetry planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apyan, A.; Mileshin, O.; Klyopov, A.; Shishkanov, N.; Matusevich, E.; Roziev, A.

    2001-01-01

    The results of treatment of 142 case histories of 125 patients who had been treated with radioactive iodine at the Medical Radiological Research Center of Russian Academy of Medicine Sciences from 1983 to 1999 are given in the presentation. Among the patients, 35 cases of diffuse toxic goiter with signs of thyrotoxicosis of a mild degree, 25 cases of Diffuse toxic goiter with severe thyrotoxicosis, 6 cases of differentiated thyroid cancer with metastases to lymph-nodes of the neck, 30 cases of thyroid cancer with metastases to lymph-nodes of the neck and lung and 1 case of thyroid cancer with metastases to bones were diagnosed. This paper gives recommendations for individual dosimetry planning for radioiodine-therapy. (authors)

  11. 77 FR 64318 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-19

    ... Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) or FMP amendments for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, sharks, and billfish... membership in the HMS AP (note that there are no Environmental/NGO terms expiring, so no nominations for that...: Jenni Wallace, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring...

  12. Pathways to a Four-Year Degree: Determinants of Degree Completion among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabrera, Alberto F.; Burkum, Kurt R.; La Nasa, Steven M.

    The High School Sophomore Cohort of 1980 followed nine different pathways to a 4-year college degree. These paths were formed by a combination of different levels of academic preparation secured in high school and the first type of postsecondary institution attended. The pathway most likely to lead to a 4-year degree is one defined by acquiring…

  13. Paying Medicare Advantage plans by competitive bidding: how much competition is there?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biles, Brian; Pozen, Jonah; Guterman, Stuart

    2009-08-01

    Private health plans that enroll Medicare beneficiaries--known as Medicare Advantage (MA) plans--are being paid $11 billion more in 2009 than it would cost to cover these beneficiaries in regular fee-for-service Medicare. To generate Medicare savings for offsetting the costs of health reform, the Obama Administration has proposed eliminating these extra payments to private insurers and instituting a competitive bidding system that pays MA plans based on the bids they submit. This study examines the concentration of enrollment among MA plans and the degree to which firms offering MA plans actually face competition. The results show that in the large majority of U.S. counties, MA plan enrollment is highly concentrated in a small number of firms. Given the relative lack of competition in many markets as well as the potential impact on traditional Medicare, the authors call for careful consideration of a new system for setting MA plan payments.

  14. Creating a Business Plan for a Start-up Business Consultancy in Namibia

    OpenAIRE

    von Wietersheim, Julia

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this Thesis is to investigate the process of creating an extensive Business Plan and thereby to practically apply the theory studied during the Degree Programme of International Business. To achieve this objective, a practical business plan for a start-up Business Consultancy in Namibia (called VW-Business Consulting) is created, which at the same time provides a deeper understanding of the current demand for, and awareness of, business consulting companies in Namibia. An...

  15. Physics to a degree

    CERN Document Server

    Thomas, EG

    2014-01-01

    Physics to a Degree provides an extensive collection of problems suitable for self-study or tutorial and group work at the level of an undergraduate physics course. This novel set of exercises draws together the core elements of an undergraduate physics degree and provides students with the problem solving skills needed for general physics' examinations and for real-life situations encountered by the professional physicist. Topics include force, momentum, gravitation, Bernoulli's Theorem, magnetic fields, blackbody radiation, relativistic travel, mechanics near the speed of light, radioactive

  16. Revised Environmental Assessment for the Sacramento Area Office Western Area Power Administration, 1994 Power Marketing Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-08-01

    This document presents information on power marketing; expiring contracts; economic methods and assumptions; detailed power supply cost data; guidelines and acceptance criteria for conservation and renewable energy projects; hourly flow impacts graphs; difference in hydro dispatch; generation data; flow data; fishery resources of the Sacramento River; and water quality

  17. Does a bachelor’s degree pay off?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neugebauer, Martin; Weiss, Felix

    Academic education is generally rewarded by employers, but what happens to graduates if they are trained for two years less and have to compete with vocationally trained labor market entrants in a similar field of study? Focusing on Germany, we analyze labor market entries of individuals eligible...... for higher education, who either opted for newly introduced short bachelor’s degrees, or for well-established vocational degrees. Based on Microcensus data, we find that bachelor’s degrees from classical universities are associated with higher earnings and more prestigious jobs than initial vocational...... training degrees, and with higher prestige (but similar earnings) than further vocational degrees. However, bachelor’s degrees from universities are also related to higher risks of unemployment or fixed-term employment. Universities of applied sciences, which combine academic and practical training, offer...

  18. Planning of optimal electricity and gas distribution networks; Planung von optimalen Strom- und Gasverteilungsnetzen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berg, Andreas; Hinueber, Gerd; Moser, Albert [RWTH Aachen (DE). Inst. fuer Elektrische Anlagen und Energiewirtschaft (IAEW)

    2009-12-15

    Framework conditions for the planning of energy networks are changing under the influence of European energy policy, incentive regulation and the politically motivated promotion of new technologies such as electromobility or intelligent metering. The future use of information and communication technologies in energy networks will create new degrees of freedom. This will necessitate changes in the way in which gas and electricity networks have been planned in the past. Especially computer-assisted methods for objectifying planning decisions are moving into the focus of network operators as a valuable network development tool.

  19. Astrometric studies of the regions BD + 17 degree 4946, BD -5 degree 3071, and Ross 730-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, J.; Gatewood, G.

    1975-01-01

    Positions, proper motions, and absolute parallaxes were found for 46 stars in the regions of BD +17 degree4946, BD -5 degree3071, and Ross 730-1. BD +17 degree4946 showed some evidence of irregular variations in position and magnitude. The residuals for Ross 730-1 were used in a preliminary study to test for an appropriate weighting system; a weak weighting system was indicated. (auth)

  20. 48 CFR 2152.237-70 - Continuity of services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...-out services for up to 10 months after this contract expires and (2) negotiate in good faith a plan... contract. The Contractor also must, except if prohibited by applicable law, disclose necessary personnel... PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Text of Provisions and Clauses 2152.237-70 Continuity of services. As...

  1. Exact sampling of graphs with prescribed degree correlations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassler, Kevin E.; Del Genio, Charo I.; Erdős, Péter L.; Miklós, István; Toroczkai, Zoltán

    2015-08-01

    Many real-world networks exhibit correlations between the node degrees. For instance, in social networks nodes tend to connect to nodes of similar degree and conversely, in biological and technological networks, high-degree nodes tend to be linked with low-degree nodes. Degree correlations also affect the dynamics of processes supported by a network structure, such as the spread of opinions or epidemics. The proper modelling of these systems, i.e., without uncontrolled biases, requires the sampling of networks with a specified set of constraints. We present a solution to the sampling problem when the constraints imposed are the degree correlations. In particular, we develop an exact method to construct and sample graphs with a specified joint-degree matrix, which is a matrix providing the number of edges between all the sets of nodes of a given degree, for all degrees, thus completely specifying all pairwise degree correlations, and additionally, the degree sequence itself. Our algorithm always produces independent samples without backtracking. The complexity of the graph construction algorithm is {O}({NM}) where N is the number of nodes and M is the number of edges.

  2. Succession Planning and Management: The Backbone of the Radiology Group's Future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donner, E Michael; Gridley, Daniel; Ulreich, Sidney; Bluth, Edward I

    2017-01-01

    The transition of leadership within radiology practices is often not a planned replacement process with formal development of potential future leaders. To ensure their ongoing success, however, practices need to develop comprehensive succession plans that include a robust developmental program for potential leaders consisting of mentoring, coaching, structured socialization, 360-degree feedback, developmental stretch assignments, job rotation, and formal education. Succession planning and leadership development will be necessary in the future for a practice to be successful in its business relationships and to be financially viable. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Distribution network planning method considering distributed generation for peak cutting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ouyang Wu; Cheng Haozhong; Zhang Xiubin; Yao Liangzhong

    2010-01-01

    Conventional distribution planning method based on peak load brings about large investment, high risk and low utilization efficiency. A distribution network planning method considering distributed generation (DG) for peak cutting is proposed in this paper. The new integrated distribution network planning method with DG implementation aims to minimize the sum of feeder investments, DG investments, energy loss cost and the additional cost of DG for peak cutting. Using the solution techniques combining genetic algorithm (GA) with the heuristic approach, the proposed model determines the optimal planning scheme including the feeder network and the siting and sizing of DG. The strategy for the site and size of DG, which is based on the radial structure characteristics of distribution network, reduces the complexity degree of solving the optimization model and eases the computational burden substantially. Furthermore, the operation schedule of DG at the different load level is also provided.

  4. SU-E-T-130: Are Proton Gantries Needed? An Analysis of 4332 Patient Proton Gantry Treatment Plans From the Past 10 Years

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, S; Lu, H; Flanz, J; Depauw, N; Adams, J; Gorissen, BL; Wang, Y; Daartz, J; Bortfeld, T

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To ascertain the necessity of a proton gantry, as compared to the feasibility of using a horizontal fixed proton beam-line for treatment with advanced technology. Methods: To calculate the percentage of patients that can be treated with a horizontal fixed beam-line instead of a gantry, we analyze the distributions of beam orientations of our proton gantry patients treated over the past 10 years. We identify three horizontal fixed beam geometries (FIXED, BEND and MOVE) with the patient in lying and/or sitting positions. The FIXED geometry includes only table/chair rotations and translations. In BEND, the beam can be bent up/down for up to 20 degrees. MOVE allows for patient head/body angle adjustment. Based on the analysis, we select eight patients whose plan involves beams which are still challenging to achieve with a horizontal fixed beam. These beams are removed in the pencil beam scanning (PBS) plan optimized for the fixed beam-line (PBS-fix). We generate non-coplanar PBS-gantry plans for comparison, and perform a robustness analysis. Results: The percentage of patients with head-and-neck/brain tumors that can be treated with horizontal fixed beam is 44% in FIXED, 70% in 20-degrees BEND, and 100% in 90-degrees MOVE. For torso regions, 99% of the patients can be treated in 20-degree BEND. The target coverage is more homogeneous with PBS-fix plans compared to the clinical scattering treatment plans. The PBS-fix plans reduce the mean dose to organs-at-risk by a factor of 1.1–28.5. PBS-gantry plans are as good as PBS-fix plans, sometimes marginally better. Conclusion: The majority of the beam orientations can be realized with a horizontal fixed beam-line. Challenging non-coplanar beams can be eliminated with PBS delivery. Clinical implementation of the proposed fixed beam-line requires use of robotic patient positioning, further developments in immobilization, and image guidance. However, our results suggest that fixed beam-lines can be as effective as

  5. SU-E-T-130: Are Proton Gantries Needed? An Analysis of 4332 Patient Proton Gantry Treatment Plans From the Past 10 Years

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan, S; Lu, H; Flanz, J; Depauw, N; Adams, J; Gorissen, BL; Wang, Y; Daartz, J; Bortfeld, T [Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To ascertain the necessity of a proton gantry, as compared to the feasibility of using a horizontal fixed proton beam-line for treatment with advanced technology. Methods: To calculate the percentage of patients that can be treated with a horizontal fixed beam-line instead of a gantry, we analyze the distributions of beam orientations of our proton gantry patients treated over the past 10 years. We identify three horizontal fixed beam geometries (FIXED, BEND and MOVE) with the patient in lying and/or sitting positions. The FIXED geometry includes only table/chair rotations and translations. In BEND, the beam can be bent up/down for up to 20 degrees. MOVE allows for patient head/body angle adjustment. Based on the analysis, we select eight patients whose plan involves beams which are still challenging to achieve with a horizontal fixed beam. These beams are removed in the pencil beam scanning (PBS) plan optimized for the fixed beam-line (PBS-fix). We generate non-coplanar PBS-gantry plans for comparison, and perform a robustness analysis. Results: The percentage of patients with head-and-neck/brain tumors that can be treated with horizontal fixed beam is 44% in FIXED, 70% in 20-degrees BEND, and 100% in 90-degrees MOVE. For torso regions, 99% of the patients can be treated in 20-degree BEND. The target coverage is more homogeneous with PBS-fix plans compared to the clinical scattering treatment plans. The PBS-fix plans reduce the mean dose to organs-at-risk by a factor of 1.1–28.5. PBS-gantry plans are as good as PBS-fix plans, sometimes marginally better. Conclusion: The majority of the beam orientations can be realized with a horizontal fixed beam-line. Challenging non-coplanar beams can be eliminated with PBS delivery. Clinical implementation of the proposed fixed beam-line requires use of robotic patient positioning, further developments in immobilization, and image guidance. However, our results suggest that fixed beam-lines can be as effective as

  6. The future in Agricultural Engineering: news degrees in the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cartagena, M. Carmen; Tarquis, A. M.; Vázquez, J.; Serrano, A.; Arce, A.

    2010-05-01

    The Bologna process is to improve the quality of education, mobility, diversity and the competitiveness and involves three fundamental changes: transform of the structure of titles, changing in methods of teaching and implementation of the systems of quality assurance. Engineer Agronomist at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) has been offered as a degree of five years with a total of 400 credits and seven optional orientations: Crop Production, Plant and Breeding Protection, Environment, Agricultural Economics, Animal Production, Rural Engineering and Food Technology. Actually, the Bologna plan creates three new degrees: Engineering and Science Agronomic, Food Engineering and Agro-Environmental Engineering, with 240 ECTS each one of them and with specific professional characteristics. The changes that involve the introduction of these new degrees is perhaps the largest occurred never at the Spanish university system, not only by the drastic transformation in the structure of titles, but also by the new changes that lie ahead in teaching methods. Among others we will comment the following ones: -A year decreased duration of studies and therefore incorporation into the market. - Elimination of the seven current guidelines to create three specific qualifications of degree. -Decrease of optional subjects and increase in credits for the basic subjects. - Inclusion of business practices. - Increase in the number of credits of final project. - Changes in methodologies and a higher involvement of teachers and students in the education.

  7. ALICE Zero Degree Calorimeter

    CERN Multimedia

    De Marco, N

    2013-01-01

    Two identical sets of calorimeters are located on both sides with respect to the beam Interaction Point (IP), 112.5 m away from it. Each set of detectors consists of a neutron (ZN) and a proton (ZP) Zero Degree Calorimeter (ZDC), positioned on remotely controlled platforms. The ZN is placed at zero degree with respect to the LHC beam axis, between the two beam pipes, while the ZP is positioned externally to the outgoing beam pipe. The spectator protons are separated from the ion beams by means of the dipole magnet D1.

  8. Research Degrees as Professional Education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnacle, Robyn; Dall'Alba, Gloria

    2011-01-01

    There is an increasing trend within higher education and, more specifically, in higher degrees by research, to treat a professional skills set as a desirable graduate outcome. The increasing value that is being placed on a professional skills set in large part reflects growing interest around the world in the role of research degrees in labour…

  9. FDG-PET-based radiotherapy planning in lung cancer. Optimum breathing protocol and patient positioning - an intraindividual comparison; FDG-PET-basierte Bestrahlungsplanung von nicht kleinzelligen Bronchialkarzinomen. Optimales Atemprotokoll und Patientenpositionierung - ein intraindividueller Vergleich

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grgic, A.; Schaefer-Schuler, A.; Kirsch, C.M.; Hellwig, D. [Universitaetsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar (Germany). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin; Nestle, U. [Universitaetsklinikum Freiburg (Germany). Klinik fuer Strahlenheilkunde; Kremp, S. [Universitaetsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar (Germany). Klinik fuer Strahlentherapie und Radioonkologie

    2008-12-15

    FDG-PET and PET / CT is increasingly used for radiotherapy (RT) planning in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The planning process is often based on separately-acquired FDG-PET / CT and planning CT. We compared intraindividual differences between PET acquired in diagnostic and radiotherapy treatment position coregistered with planning CTs acquired using different breathing protocols. Sixteen patients with NSCLC underwent two PET acquisitions (diagnostic position-D-PET, radiotherapy position-RT-PET) and three planning-CT acquisitions (expiration-EXP, inspiration-INS, mid-breathhold-MID) on the same day. All scans were rigidly coregistered resulting in six fused datasets: D-INS, D-EXP, D-MID, RT-INS, RT-EXP and RT-MID. Fusion accuracy was assessed by three readers at eight anatomical landmarks: lung apices, aortic arch, heart, spine, sternum, carina, diaphragm and tumor using an alignment score ranging from 1 (no alignment) to 5 (exact alignment). RT-PET showed better alignment with any CT than D-PET (p < 0.001). With regard to breathing, RT-MID showed the best mean alignment score (3.7 {+-} 1.0) followed by RT-EXP (3.5 {+-} 0.9) and RT-INS (3.0 {+-} 0.8), all differences being significant (p < 0.001). Comparing the alignment scores with regard to anatomical landmarks, the largest deviations were found at diaphragm, heart and apices. Overall, there was a fair agreement (? = 0.48; p < 0.001) among the three readers. Significantly better fusion of PET and planning-CT can be reached with PET acquired in RT-position. The best intraindividual fusion results are obtained with the planning-CT performed during mid-breathhold. Our data justify the acquisition of a separate planning-PET in RT-treatment position if only a diagnostic PET-scan is available. (orig.)

  10. EU Research and Innovation (R and I) in renewable energies: The role of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hervas Soriano, Fernando [Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Edificio EXPO, c/ Inca Garcilaso 3, E-41092 Seville (Spain); Mulatero, Fulvio, E-mail: fulvio.mulatero@ec.europa.eu [Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Edificio EXPO, c/ Inca Garcilaso 3, E-41092 Seville (Spain)

    2011-06-15

    The SET-Plan established a strategy to use Research and Innovation (R and I) to green the EU energy sector while ensuring a secure supply and increasing EU competitiveness. The strategy sets clear objectives and programming plans and takes stock of existing initiatives in the energy sector, fosters a cooperative approach to R and I, introduces a high-level steering group (the SET-Plan Steering Group) to monitor progress, creates a dedicated information system (the SETIS) to fill the void in policy information and produces estimates of financial needs over the programming period. In this respect, the SET-Plan could serve as a blueprint for R and I strategies to tackle other societal challenges. To be effective, such strategies should further clarify the hierarchy of existing objectives and instruments, introduce specific instruments to pull the demand of new technologies, strengthen links with education and training policies and formalize links with the governance structures of existing initiatives. - Highlights: > This paper assesses the impact of the SET-Plan on EU renewable energy policy. > We analyze the degree of complementarity and duplication with existing initiatives. > We discuss the role of a new system of indicators (SETIS). > The analysis of financing reveals the existence of sizeable shortfalls. > Lessons for future similar initiatives are sketched.

  11. EU Research and Innovation (R and I) in renewable energies: The role of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hervas Soriano, Fernando; Mulatero, Fulvio

    2011-01-01

    The SET-Plan established a strategy to use Research and Innovation (R and I) to green the EU energy sector while ensuring a secure supply and increasing EU competitiveness. The strategy sets clear objectives and programming plans and takes stock of existing initiatives in the energy sector, fosters a cooperative approach to R and I, introduces a high-level steering group (the SET-Plan Steering Group) to monitor progress, creates a dedicated information system (the SETIS) to fill the void in policy information and produces estimates of financial needs over the programming period. In this respect, the SET-Plan could serve as a blueprint for R and I strategies to tackle other societal challenges. To be effective, such strategies should further clarify the hierarchy of existing objectives and instruments, introduce specific instruments to pull the demand of new technologies, strengthen links with education and training policies and formalize links with the governance structures of existing initiatives. - Highlights: → This paper assesses the impact of the SET-Plan on EU renewable energy policy. → We analyze the degree of complementarity and duplication with existing initiatives. → We discuss the role of a new system of indicators (SETIS). → The analysis of financing reveals the existence of sizeable shortfalls. → Lessons for future similar initiatives are sketched.

  12. Measurement of the oxidation of spent fuel between 140/degree/ and 225/degree/C by thermogravimetric analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woodley, R.E.; Einziger, R.E.; Buchanan, H.C.

    1988-09-01

    A series of PWR spent fuel samples from Turkey Point Unit 3 have been oxidized at temperatures between 140/degree/ and 225/degree/C in air atmospheres with dew points between 14.5/degree/ and /minus/70/degree/C, using a thermogravimetric analysis system (TGA). Tests lasted between 400 and 2100 hours. At the conclusion of a test, the atmosphere was sampled to determine the release of fission gas during testing, and the fuel samples were analyzed for microstructural changes. It appears that the mechanism for oxidation of spent fuel to U/sub 3/O/sub 7/ takes place in two steps that occur somewhat simultaneously. Oxygen migrates along the grain boundaries, which are oxidized and enlarged. The grains oxidize by the inward progression of a layer of U/sub 4/O/sub 9/ saturated with oxygen. A simplified model of the mechanism, which considers oxygen diffusion through the product layer as the rate-controlling step, yields an activation energy of 27 /plus minus/ 4 kcal/mol. Moisture, between dew points of /minus/70/degree/ to +14.5/degree/C, i.e., water vapor partial pressures varying over four orders of magnitude, had no significant effect on the oxidation rate. 34 refs., 12 figs., 6 tabs

  13. Local climate action plans in climate change mitigation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damsø, Tue Noa Jacques; Kjær, Tyge; Christensen, Thomas Budde

    2016-01-01

    the extent, targets and scope of LG CAPs and find that Danish LGs are highly involved in mitigation activities with a widespread CAP adoption and an overall high degree of sectoral coverage on base year accounts and action plans, albeit with some significant shortcomings. Different approaches for target...... and scope definition are identified and assessed, and the overall contribution of LGs to the Danish energy transition is discussed....

  14. A Gadamerian Phenomenological Study Examining the Meaning of Having a Bachelor's Degree Expressed by Associate Degree Nurses (ADN) Who Educationally Transitioned to a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sauld, Jill Pierpont

    2017-01-01

    Since the inception of associate degree nursing programs, professional nursing conversations and debate have grappled with reckoning differences between the associate degree in nursing (ADN) and the bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Research reporting better patient outcomes with more baccalaureate prepared nurses has been a driving force for…

  15. Computed tomography of the trachea: normal and abnormal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gamsu, G.; Webb, W.R.

    1982-01-01

    The trachea was investigated by means of computed tomography (CT) in 50 patients without tracheal or mediastinal abnormalities and in 39 patients with various diseases of the trachea. The variations in the normal CT appearance of the trachea and surrounding structures are described. CT did not provide additional information in the detection of characterization of tracheal stenosis beyond that obtained from more conventional studies, including tomography and positive-contrast tracheography. In patients with a saber-sheath trachea, CT demonstrated the abnormal configuration of the tracheal cartilages and abnormal collapse of the trachea on forced expiration. In patients with primary or secondary neoplasms involving the trachea, CT was most accurate in defining the intraluminal presence of tumor, the degree of airway compression, and the extratracheal extension of tumor. CT can be of value in determining the resectability of primary tracheal neoplasms and the planning of radiation therapy in metastatic lesions to the trachea and surrounding mediastinum

  16. Radioactive and mixed waste management plan for the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Hazardous Waste Handling Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    This Radioactive and Mixed Waste Management Plan for the Hazardous Waste Handling Facility at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory is written to meet the requirements for an annual report of radioactive and mixed waste management activities outlined in DOE Order 5820.2A. Radioactive and mixed waste management activities during FY 1994 listed here include principal regulatory and environmental issues and the degree to which planned activities were accomplished

  17. Internet plan and planning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kahriman Emina

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Paper discuss specific features of internet plan as well as planning as management process in general in the contemporary environment. No need to stress out that marketing plan and marketing planning is core activity in approaching to market. At the same time, there are a lot specific c request in preparing marketing plan comparing to business planning due to marketing plan is an essential part. The importance of internet plan and planning rely on specific features of the internet network but as a part of general corporate as well as marketing strategy.

  18. Effects of passive smoking in the work place on expiration air carbon monoxide (Co) and carboxihemoglobin (cohb) levels: results of a survey in Turkey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acimis, N.M.; Bostanci, M.; Ergin, A.; Bozkurt, A.Y.; Ozsahin, A.

    2009-01-01

    To assess the prevalence of smoking and the effects of passive smoking among bank employees. This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2001 and 2002. Data was collected through questionnaire. The level of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and the percentage of Carboxihemoglobin (COHb) level in the blood were measured by using Bend fond Pico Smokerlyser. Chi-square and ANOVA were used. Six hundred fifty four respondents participated in the study which included 384 (58.7%) male and 267 (40.6%) female. The mean value for CO in the expiration air was 14.57+-11.1 ppm [(18.49 +- 11.21, 7.74 +- 5.71 and 4.85 +- 2.35; for current smokers, non-smokers with current exposure and non-smokers without current exposure, respectively (p<0.001)]. The mean value for COHb % was 2.97 +- 1.9 [(3.60 +- 1.88, 1.80 +- 1.17 and 1.21 +- 0.99; for current smokers, non-smokers with current exposure and non-smokers without current exposure, respectively (p<0.001)]. Passive smoking is still a significant health problem in the work place. Anti-tobacco implementations should be carried out strictly in all work places. (author)

  19. The new general data protection regulation : Still a sound system for the protection of individuals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Hert, Paul; Papakonstantinou, Vagelis

    2016-01-01

    The five-year wait is finally over; a few days before expiration of 2015 the “trilogue” that had started a few months earlier between the Commission, the Council and the Parlia- ment suddenly bore fruit and the EU data protection reform package has finally been concluded. As planned since the

  20. 10 CFR 905.31 - Term.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Term. 905.31 Section 905.31 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Power Marketing Initiative § 905.31 Term. Western will extend resource commitments for 20 years from the date existing contracts expire to existing customers with long...

  1. 75 FR 70045 - Proposed Submission of Information Collections for OMB Review; Comment Request; Multiemployer...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-16

    ... hours and $6,700. 10. Notice of Insolvency (29 CFR Part 4245) (OMB Control Number 1212- 0033) (Expires... insolvency'' to PBGC, contributing employers, and plan participants and their unions in accordance with PBGC rules. For each insolvency year under ERISA section 4245(b)(4), ERISA section 4245(e) also requires the...

  2. Nuclear engineering enrollments and degrees, 1981

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Little, J.R.; Shirley, D.L.

    1982-05-01

    This report presents data on the number of students enrolled and the degrees awarded in academic year 1980-81 from 73 US institutions offering degree programs in nuclear engineering or nuclear options within other engineering fields. Presented here are historical data for the last decade, which provide information such as trends by degree level, foreign national student participation, female and minority student participation, and placement of graduates. Also included is a listing of the universities by type of program and number of students

  3. Combined 30-degree bevel up and down technique against 0-degree phaco tip for phacoemulsification surgery of hard cataracts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshi RS

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Rajesh Subhash Joshi, Sonal Jayant Muley Department of Ophthalmology, Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College, Yavatmal, Maharashtra, India Purpose: To evaluate the effective phaco time (EPT, cumulative dissipated energy (CDE and nucleus emulsification time (NET as phaco parameters with 0- and 30-degree phaco tip. Patients and methods: This prospective, interventional and observational case series included 294 patients scheduled for cataract removal by phacoemulsification technique. Patients with nuclear cataracts of grade 4 and 5 nuclear opalescence of Lens Opacities Classification System III were included in the study. Patients were consecutively allocated to phaco chop technique with 0-degree (0-degree group, n=147 and combined bevel up and down position using 30-degree phaco tip (combined bevel up/down group, n=147. The 0-degree group had phacoemulsification with 0-degree phaco tip, while the 30-degree group had chopping of the nucleus with bevel down phaco tip and emulsification of nuclear fragments was accomplished with bevel up tip. EPT, CDE, NET and intraoperative complications were noted and compared between the groups using analysis of variance. Results: Average EPT, CDE and NET were lower in the 30-degree group than in the 0-degree group. However, no statistically significant difference was found in EPT (P=0.0733, CDE (P=0.0663 and NET (P=0.0633 between the two groups. No serious intraoperative complications were noted. The anterior chamber was maintained throughout the procedure in both groups. No patients had wound burn and miosis during the procedure. None of the patients developed bullous keratopathy, uveitis and cystoid macular edema during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Combined bevel up and down 30-degree tip can yield effective hard nucleus phacoemulsification. Bevel down tip of 30-degree helps in effective chopping and bevel up tip assists in emulsification of the nuclear fragments. Although combined bevel up and down 30

  4. Variation in meroplankton along 78 degrees E Meridian

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Balachandran, T.; Peter, K.J.

    Variations along the meridian 78 degrees E between 8 degrees N and 25 degrees S, based on 43 zooplankton samples were studied. Fish larvae exhibited fluctuations in abundance (26 to 57 specimens/IOSN haul) in the three zones studied (8 degrees N-5...

  5. Hanford Site Waste Management Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-12-01

    The Hanford Site Waste Management Plan (HWMP) was prepared in accordance with the outline and format described in the US Department of Energy Orders. The HWMP presents the actions, schedules, and projected costs associated with the management and disposal of Hanford defense wastes, both radioactive and hazardous. The HWMP addresses the Waste Management Program. It does not include the Environmental Restoration Program, itself divided into the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program and the Decontamination and Decommissioning Program. The executive summary provides the basis for the plans, schedules, and costs within the scope of the Waste Management Program at Hanford. It summarizes fiscal year (FY) 1988 including the principal issues and the degree to which planned activities were accomplished. It further provides a forecast of FY 1989 including significant milestones. Section 1 provides general information for the Hanford Site including the organization and administration associated with the Waste Management Program and a description of the Site focusing on waste management operations. Section 2 and Section 3 describe radioactive and mixed waste management operations and hazardous waste management, respectively. Each section includes descriptions of the waste management systems and facilities, the characteristics of the wastes managed, and a discussion of the future direction of operations

  6. Availability and Perceived Value of Masters of Business Administration Degree Programs in Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clauson, Kevin A.; Latif, David A.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives. To examine pharmacist-targeted master of business administration (MBA) degree programs and investigate pharmacists’ perceptions regarding them. Methods. Specialized MBA programs in pharmaceutical marketing and management offered at US colleges and schools of pharmacy were identified in the literature and compared. Pharmacists’ perceptions of MBA programs were evaluated through a survey of clinical preceptors affiliated with a school of pharmacy. Results. Seven US universities that offer an MBA program in pharmaceutical marketing and management were identified. Thirty-three percent of the 57 pharmacist preceptors who responded to the survey reported plans to pursue an MBA degree program. Respondents preferred MBA programs related to healthcare or pharmacy (66%) over general MBA programs (33%). Conclusion. An MBA in pharmaceutical marketing and management could provide pharmacists with advanced knowledge of the operational and strategic business aspects of pharmacy practice and give pharmacy graduates an advantage in an increasingly competitive job market. PMID:22611273

  7. Availability and perceived value of masters of business administration degree programs in pharmaceutical marketing and management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhateeb, Fadi M; Clauson, Kevin A; Latif, David A

    2012-05-10

    To examine pharmacist-targeted master of business administration (MBA) degree programs and investigate pharmacists' perceptions regarding them. Specialized MBA programs in pharmaceutical marketing and management offered at US colleges and schools of pharmacy were identified in the literature and compared. Pharmacists' perceptions of MBA programs were evaluated through a survey of clinical preceptors affiliated with a school of pharmacy. Seven US universities that offer an MBA program in pharmaceutical marketing and management were identified. Thirty-three percent of the 57 pharmacist preceptors who responded to the survey reported plans to pursue an MBA degree program. Respondents preferred MBA programs related to healthcare or pharmacy (66%) over general MBA programs (33%). An MBA in pharmaceutical marketing and management could provide pharmacists with advanced knowledge of the operational and strategic business aspects of pharmacy practice and give pharmacy graduates an advantage in an increasingly competitive job market.

  8. A Decade Lost: Primary Healthcare Performance Reporting across Canada under the Action Plan for Health System Renewal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Sharon; Hogel, Matthew

    2016-05-01

    In 2004, Canada's First Ministers committed to reforms that would shape the future of the Canadian healthcare landscape. These agreements included commitments to improved performance reporting within the primary healthcare system. The aim of this paper was to review the state of primary healthcare performance reporting after the public reporting mandate agreed to a decade ago in the Action Plan for Health System Renewal of 2003 expired. A grey literature search was performed to identify reports released by the governmental and independent reporting bodies across Canada. No province, or the federal government, met their performance reporting obligations from the 2004 accords. Although the indicators required to report on in the 2004 Accord no longer reflect the priorities of patients, policy makers and physicians, provinces are also failing to report on these priorities. Canada needs better primary healthcare performance reporting to enable accountability and improvement within and across provinces. Despite the national mandate to improve public health system reporting, an opportunity to learn from the diverse primary healthcare reforms, underway across Canada for the past decade, has already been lost. Copyright © 2016 Longwoods Publishing.

  9. Implications of free breathing motion assessed by 4D-computed tomography on the delivered dose in radiotherapy for esophageal cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duma, Marciana Nona, E-mail: Marciana.Duma@mri.tum.de [Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München (Germany); Berndt, Johannes [Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München (Germany); Rondak, Ina-Christine [Institute of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München (Germany); Devecka, Michal; Wilkens, Jan J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München (Germany); Geinitz, Hans [Department of Radiation Oncology, Krankenhaus Barmherzige Schwestern Linz (Austria); Combs, Stephanie Elisabeth; Oechsner, Markus [Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München (Germany)

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the effect of breathing motion on the delivered dose in esophageal cancer 3-dimensional (3D)-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). We assessed 16 patients with esophageal cancer. All patients underwent 4D-computed tomography (4D-CT) for treatment planning. For each of the analyzed patients, 1 3D-CRT, 1 IMRT, and 1 VMAT (RapidArc—RA) plan were calculated. Each of the 3 initial plans was recalculated on the 4D-CT (for the maximum free inspiration and maximum free expiration) to assess the effect of breathing motion. We assessed the minimum dose (D{sub min}) and mean dose (D{sub mean}) to the esophagus within the planning target volume, the volume changes of the lungs, the D{sub mean} and the total lung volume receiving at least 40 Gy (V{sub 40}), and the V{sub 30}, V{sub 20}, V{sub 10}, and V{sub 5}. For the heart we assessed the D{sub mean} and the V{sub 25}. Over all techniques and all patients the change in D{sub mean} as compared with the planned D{sub mean} (planning CT [PCT]) to the esophagus was 0.48% in maximum free inspiration (CT-insp) and 0.55% in maximum free expiration (CT-exp). The D{sub min} CT-insp change was 0.86% and CT-exp change was 0.89%. The D{sub mean} change of the lungs (heart) was in CT-insp 1.95% (2.89%) and 3.88% (2.38%) in CT-exp. In all, 4 patients had a clinically relevant change of the dose (≥ 5% D{sub mean} to the heart and the lungs) between inspiration and expiration. These patients had a very cranially or caudally situated tumor. There are no relevant differences in the delivered dose to the regions of interest among the 3 techniques. Breathing motion management could be considered to achieve a better sparing of the lungs or heart in patients with cranially or caudally situated tumors.

  10. Interagency Communication and Collaboration on School Crisis Response Planning and Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skavdahl, Britta M.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine what research-based and federally recommended practices in the area of school crisis response planning and management were being implemented in K-8 school districts in Northern California, as well as the degree with which the recommended practices were being implemented. Finally, the study…

  11. How Adult Online Graduates Portray Their Degree

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagan, Eric J.

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative case study investigated how adult graduates of online Bachelor's degree programs describe the online aspect of their degree. Online education is promoted as a method for adult students to access the benefits of a college degree. Therefore, it is important for prospective online students, higher education institutions and…

  12. Career Paths for Physics Degree Recipients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulvey, Patrick

    Physics degree holders have a diverse set of career opportunities open to them. So what are these opportunities? Where are they employed? How much do they earn? What skills will they need? Physics degrees make up a small proportion of the degrees conferred in the US but they play an important role in meeting workforce needs at many levels. This talk will give an overview of the employment outcomes of physics bachelors, masters and PhDs. It will discuss the diverse set fields they work in and the skills they use.

  13. Decoupling the use and meaning of strategic plans in public healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lega, Federico; Longo, Francesco; Rotolo, Andrea

    2013-01-04

    The culture of New Public Management has promoted the diffusion of strategic management tools throughout Public Healthcare Organisations (PHOs). There is consensus that better strategic planning tools are required to achieve higher levels of organisational performance. This paper provides evidence and understanding of the emergent uses and scope of strategic planning in PHOs, in order to answer three research questions: (i) has the New Public Management approach changed the organisational culture of PHOs in terms of how they adopt, diffuse, and use strategic planning documents? (ii) how coherent are strategic planning documents in PHOs? and (iii) what are the main purposes of strategic documents in PHOs? An analysis was carried out in three Italian Local Health Authorities. We analysed the number and types of formal strategic documents adopted between 2004 and 2012, evaluating their degree of coherence and coordination, their hierarchy, their degree of disclosure, and the consistency of their strategic goals. A content analysis was performed to investigate overlap in terms of content and focus, and a qualitative analysis was carried out to study and represent the relationships between documents. The analysis showed that a rich set of strategic documents were adopted by each PHO. However, these are often uncoordinated and overlap in terms of content. They adopt different language and formats for various stakeholders. The presence of diverse external drivers may explain the divergent focus, priorities and inconsistent goals in the strategic documents. This planning complexity makes it difficult to determine how the overall goals and mission of an organisation are defined and made visible. The evidence suggests that PHOs use a considerable number of strategic documents. However, they employ no clear or explicit overarching strategy currently, and strategic planning appears to be externally oriented. All the documents communicate similar topics to different

  14. Decoupling the use and meaning of strategic plans in public healthcare

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background The culture of New Public Management has promoted the diffusion of strategic management tools throughout Public Healthcare Organisations (PHOs). There is consensus that better strategic planning tools are required to achieve higher levels of organisational performance. This paper provides evidence and understanding of the emergent uses and scope of strategic planning in PHOs, in order to answer three research questions: (i) has the New Public Management approach changed the organisational culture of PHOs in terms of how they adopt, diffuse, and use strategic planning documents? (ii) how coherent are strategic planning documents in PHOs? and (iii) what are the main purposes of strategic documents in PHOs? Methods An analysis was carried out in three Italian Local Health Authorities. We analysed the number and types of formal strategic documents adopted between 2004 and 2012, evaluating their degree of coherence and coordination, their hierarchy, their degree of disclosure, and the consistency of their strategic goals. A content analysis was performed to investigate overlap in terms of content and focus, and a qualitative analysis was carried out to study and represent the relationships between documents. Results The analysis showed that a rich set of strategic documents were adopted by each PHO. However, these are often uncoordinated and overlap in terms of content. They adopt different language and formats for various stakeholders. The presence of diverse external drivers may explain the divergent focus, priorities and inconsistent goals in the strategic documents. This planning complexity makes it difficult to determine how the overall goals and mission of an organisation are defined and made visible. Conclusions The evidence suggests that PHOs use a considerable number of strategic documents. However, they employ no clear or explicit overarching strategy currently, and strategic planning appears to be externally oriented. All the documents communicate

  15. Degree and connectivity of the Internet's scale-free topology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Lian-Ming; Wu Xiang-Sheng; Deng Xiao-Heng; Yu Jian-Ping

    2011-01-01

    This paper theoretically and empirically studies the degree and connectivity of the Internet's scale-free topology at an autonomous system (AS) level. The basic features of scale-free networks influence the normalization constant of degree distribution p(k). It develops a new mathematic model for describing the power-law relationships of Internet topology. From this model we theoretically obtain formulas to calculate the average degree, the ratios of the k min -degree (minimum degree) nodes and the k max -degree (maximum degree) nodes, and the fraction of the degrees (or links) in the hands of the richer (top best-connected) nodes. It finds that the average degree is larger for a smaller power-law exponent λ and a larger minimum or maximum degree. The ratio of the k min -degree nodes is larger for larger λ and smaller k min or k max . The ratio of the k max -degree ones is larger for smaller λ and k max or larger k min . The richer nodes hold most of the total degrees of Internet AS-level topology. In addition, it is revealed that the increased rate of the average degree or the ratio of the k min -degree nodes has power-law decay with the increase of k min . The ratio of the k max -degree nodes has a power-law decay with the increase of k max , and the fraction of the degrees in the hands of the richer 27% nodes is about 73% (the ‘73/27 rule’). Finally, empirically calculations are made, based on the empirical data extracted from the Border Gateway Protocol, of the average degree, ratio and fraction using this method and other methods, and find that this method is rigorous and effective for Internet AS-level topology. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  16. Degree-based graph construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyunju; Toroczkai, Zoltan; Erdos, Peter L; Miklos, Istvan; Szekely, Laszlo A

    2009-01-01

    Degree-based graph construction is a ubiquitous problem in network modelling (Newman et al 2006 The Structure and Dynamics of Networks (Princeton Studies in Complexity) (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press), Boccaletti et al 2006 Phys. Rep. 424 175), ranging from social sciences to chemical compounds and biochemical reaction networks in the cell. This problem includes existence, enumeration, exhaustive construction and sampling questions with aspects that are still open today. Here we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a sequence of nonnegative integers to be realized as a simple graph's degree sequence, such that a given (but otherwise arbitrary) set of connections from an arbitrarily given node is avoided. We then use this result to present a swap-free algorithm that builds all simple graphs realizing a given degree sequence. In a wider context, we show that our result provides a greedy construction method to build all the f-factor subgraphs (Tutte 1952 Can. J. Math. 4 314) embedded within K n setmn S k , where K n is the complete graph and S k is a star graph centred on one of the nodes. (fast track communication)

  17. Competency-Based Business Degree. Issue Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, 2014

    2014-01-01

    In January 2015, thirteen Washington community colleges launched an online, competency-based business transfer degree--the first in the state's community and technical college system. This issue brief provides answers to commonly asked questions about the new competency-based degree.

  18. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan for the TA-03-22 Power and Steam Plant, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Revision 3, January 2018

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burgin, Jillian Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2018-02-01

    This Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§1251 et seq., as amended), and the Multi-Sector General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (U.S. EPA, June 2015) issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and using the industry specific permit requirements for Sector O-Steam Electric Generating Facilities as a guide. This SWPPP applies to discharges of stormwater from the operational areas of the TA-03-22 Power and Steam Plant at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory (also referred to as LANL or the “Laboratory”) is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), and is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). Throughout this document, the term “facility” refers to the TA-03-22 Power and Steam Plant and associated areas. The current permit expires at midnight on June 4, 2020.

  19. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan for the TA-03-38 Carpenter's Shop, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Revision 3, January 2018

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burgin, Jillian Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2018-02-01

    This Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§1251 et seq., as amended), and the Multi-Sector General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (U.S. EPA, June 2015) issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and using the industry specific permit requirements for Sector A–Timber Products, Subsector A4 (Wood Products Facilities not elsewhere classified) as a guide. This SWPPP applies to discharges of stormwater from the operational areas of the TA-03-38 Carpenter’s Shop at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory (also referred to as LANL or the “Laboratory”) is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), and is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). Throughout this document, the term “facility” refers to the TA-03-38 Carpenter’s Shop and associated areas. The current permit expires at midnight on June 4, 2020.

  20. 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...

  1. Summary statement on emergency planning for transportation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Penner, S S

    1983-08-01

    Present federal policy relies mainly on market forces for assuring adequate energy supplies. In addition to national oil stockpiles, the federal government has developed, but not yet tested, an early warning system for energy shortages, in cooperation with the Department of Defense. Primary responsibility for detailed contingency planning rests with the states. Transportation systems are undergoing general change and adaptation, which government should promote while managing its own transportation resources optimally. Government planning for emergencies of all varieties should be inter-agency directed, but constrained by full recognition of extensive remedial action taken at the local level. Industry emergency planning encompasses measures by the manufacturing sector, including optimal fuel economy for vehicles and the possible use of alternative fuels. Railroad contingency planning requires some federal and regional government regulatory reforms. The federal fuel allocation program was detrimental to all transportation modes. The appropriate degree of fuel price stabilization during shortages remains highly controversial, partly on the grounds that controls lower GNP. The prevalent view was that priority allocations at any level are worse than price allocations. Equity issues should be addressed at the local level and transfers carried out in the form of money. Field evaluations, combined with quantitative modeling of the issues raised here, would be highly desirable.

  2. 77 FR 65326 - Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-26

    ... to reduce overfishing occurring on Gulf of Maine cod in anticipation of further action to end overfishing in the 2013 fishing year. DATES: The expiration date of the temporary rule published May 1, 2012..., overfishing of GOM cod while the Council developed a rebuilding plan. In response to the Council request and...

  3. 78 FR 11930 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-20

    ... and open market and a national market system and, in general, to protect investors and the public..., and perfects the mechanism of, a free and open market and a national market system. Additionally... will now expire on the earlier of the initial date of operations of the Regulation NMS Plan to Address...

  4. Actuator with Multi Degrees of Freedom(Actuator)

    OpenAIRE

    矢野, 智昭; Tomoaki, YANO; 産業技術総合研究所

    2006-01-01

    The advantages, problems and the recent developments of the actuator with multi degrees of freedom are presented. At first, the advantages of the actuator with multi degrees of freedom are described. Next, the problems needed to solve for practical use are presented. The recent applications of the actuator with multi degrees of freedom are also reviewed.

  5. Lens positioner with five degrees of freedom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobierecki, M.W.; Rienecker, F. Jr.

    1978-01-01

    A device for positioning lenses precisely with five degrees of freedom (three translations and two angular rotations). The unique features of the device are its compact design, large clear aperture, and high degree of positioning accuracy combined with five degrees of freedom in axis motion. Thus, the device provides precision and flexibility in positioning of optical components

  6. High degree modes and instrumental effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Korzennik, S G [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (United States); Rabello-Soares, M C; Schou, J [Stanford University, Stanford, CA (United States)], E-mail: skorzennik@cfa.harvard.edu

    2008-10-15

    Full-disk observations taken with the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, or the upgraded Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) instruments, have enough spatial resolution to resolve modes up to {iota} = 1000 if not {iota} = 1500. The inclusion of such high-degree modes (i.e., {iota} {<=} 1000) improves dramatically inferences near the surface. Unfortunately, observational and instrumental effects cause the characterization of high degree modes to be quite complicated. Indeed, the characteristics of the solar acoustic spectrum are such that, for a given order, mode lifetimes get shorter and spatial leaks get closer in frequency as the degree of a mode increases. A direct consequence of this property is that individual modes are resolved only at low and intermediate degrees. At high degrees the individual modes blend into ridges and the power distribution of the ridge defines the ridge central frequency, masking the underlying mode frequency. An accurate model of the amplitude of the peaks that contribute to the ridge power distribution is needed to recover the underlying mode frequency from fitting the ridge. We present a detailed discussion of the modeling of the ridge power distribution, and the contribution of the various observational and instrumental effects on the spatial leakage, in the context of the MDI instrument. We have constructed a physically motivated model (rather than an ad hoc correction scheme) that results in a methodology that can produce unbiased estimates of high-degree modes. This requires that the instrumental characteristics are well understood, a task that has turned out to pose a major challenge. We also present our latest results, where most of the known instrumental and observational effects that affect specifically high-degree modes were removed. These new results allow us to focus our attention on changes with solar activity. Finally, we present variations of mode

  7. Changes In The Heating Degree-days In Norway Due Toglobal Warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skaugen, T. E.; Tveito, O. E.; Hanssen-Bauer, I.

    A continuous spatial representation of temperature improves the possibility topro- duce maps of temperature-dependent variables. A temperature scenario for the period 2021-2050 is obtained for Norway from the Max-Planck-Institute? AOGCM, GSDIO ECHAM4/OPEC 3. This is done by an ?empirical downscaling method? which in- volves the use of empirical links between large-scale fields and local variables to de- duce estimates of the local variables. The analysis is obtained at forty-six sites in Norway. Spatial representation of the anomalies of temperature in the scenario period compared to the normal period (1961-1990) is obtained with the use of spatial interpo- lation in a GIS. The temperature scenario indicates that we will have a warmer climate in Norway in the future, especially during the winter season. The heating degree-days (HDD) is defined as the accumulated Celsius degrees be- tween the daily mean temperature and a threshold temperature. For Scandinavian countries, this threshold temperature is 17 Celsius degrees. The HDD is found to be a good estimate of accumulated cold. It is therefore a useful index for heating energy consumption within the heating season, and thus to power production planning. As a consequence of the increasing temperatures, the length of the heating season and the HDD within this season will decrease in Norway in the future. The calculations of the heating season and the HDD is estimated at grid level with the use of a GIS. The spatial representation of the heating season and the HDD can then easily be plotted. Local information of the variables being analysed can be withdrawn from the spatial grid in a GIS. The variable is prepared for further spatial analysis. It may also be used as an input to decision making systems.

  8. Meson degrees of freedom in nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delorme, J.

    1982-01-01

    A review is presented of the successes and shortcomings of the theory of meson degrees of freedom in nuclei with special emphasis on recent progress and on the necessity to bridge the gap with the degrees of freedom of QCD theory. (orig.)

  9. SU-G-JeP2-10: On the Need for a Dynamic Model for Patient-Specific Distortion Corrections for MR-Only Pelvis Treatment Planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glide-Hurst, C; Zheng, W [Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Stehning, C; Weiss, S; Renisch, S [Philips Research Laboratories, Hamburg (Germany)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Patient-specific distortions, particularly near tissue/air interfaces, require assessment and possible corrections for MRI-only radiation treatment planning (RTP). However, patients are dynamic due to changes in physiological status and motion during imaging sessions. This work investigated the need for dynamic patient-specific distortion corrections to support pelvis MR-only RTP. Methods: The pelvises of healthy volunteers were imaged at 1.0T, 1.5T, and 3.0T. Patient-specific distortion field maps were generated using a dual-echo gradient-recalled echo (GRE) sequence with B0 field maps obtained from the phase difference between the two echoes acquired at two timepoints: empty and full bladders. To quantify changes arising from respiratory state, end-inhalation and end-expiration data were acquired. Distortion map differences were computed between the empty/full bladder and inhalation/expiration to characterize local changes. The normalized frequency distortion distributions in T2-weighted TSE images were characterized, particularly for simulated prostate planning target volumes (PTVs). Results: Changes in rectal and bowel air location were observed, likely due to changes in bladder filling. Within the PTVs, displacement differences (mean ± stdev, range) were −0.02 ± 0.02 mm (−0.13 to 0.07 mm) for 1.0T, −0.1 ± 0.2 mm (−0.92 to 0.74 mm) for 1.5T, and −0.20 ± 0.03 mm (−0.61 to 0.38 mm) for 3.0T. Local changes of ∼1 mm at the prostate-rectal interface were observed for an extreme case at 1.5T. For end-inhale and end-exhale scans at 3.0T, 99% of the voxels had Δx differences within ±0.25mm, thus the displacement differences due to respiratory state appear negligible in the pelvis. Conclusion: Our work suggests that transient bowel/rectal gas due to bladder filling may yield non-negligible patient-specific distortion differences near the prostate/rectal interface, whereas respiration had minimal effect. A temporal patient model for patient

  10. Astronomy Enrollments and Degrees: Results from the 2012 Survey of Astronomy Enrollments and Degrees. Focus On

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulvey, Patrick; Nicholson, Starr

    2014-01-01

    Interest in astronomy degrees in the U.S. remains strong, with astronomy enrollments at or near all-time highs for the 2012-13 academic year. The total number of students taking an introductory astronomy course at a degree-granting physics or astronomy department is approaching 200,000. Enrollments in introductory astronomy courses have been…

  11. Branding the bio/biomedical engineering degree.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voigt, Herbert F

    2011-01-01

    The future challenges to medical and biological engineering, sometimes referred to as biomedical engineering or simply bioengineering, are many. Some of these are identifiable now and others will emerge from time to time as new technologies are introduced and harnessed. There is a fundamental issue regarding "Branding the bio/biomedical engineering degree" that requires a common understanding of what is meant by a B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, or Biological Engineering. In this paper we address some of the issues involved in branding the Bio/Biomedical Engineering degree, with the aim of clarifying the Bio/Biomedical Engineering brand.

  12. A modified method of planning and delivery for dynamic multileaf collimator intensity-modulated radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dogan, Nesrin; Leybovich, Leonid B.; Sethi, Anil; Krasin, Matthew; Emami, Bahman

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: To develop a modified planning and delivery technique that reduces dose nonuniformity for tomographic delivery of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials: The NOMOS-CORVUS system delivers IMRT in a tomographic paradigm. This type of delivery is prone to create multiple dose nonuniformity regions at the arc abutment regions. The modified technique was based on the cyclical behavior of arc positions as a function of a target length. With the modified technique, two plans are developed for the same patient, one with the original target and the second with a slightly increased target length and the abutment regions shifted by ∼5 mm compared to the first plan. Each plan is designed to deliver half of the target prescription dose delivered on alternate days, resulting in periodic shifts of abutment regions. This method was experimentally tested in phantoms with and without intentionally introduced errors in couch indexing. Results: With the modified technique, the degree of dose nonuniformity was reduced. For example, with 1 mm error in couch indexing, the degree of dose nonuniformity changed from ∼25% to ∼12%. Conclusion: Use of the modified technique reduces dose nonuniformity due to periodic shifts of abutment regions during treatment delivery

  13. Radiological findings of meconium aspiration of the newborn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Young Seok; Lee, Sung Sik; Lee, Hong Kyu; Kim, Kye Tae; Lee, Soon Il; Yeon, Kyung Mo

    1985-01-01

    Authors reviewed 264 cases of meconium aspiration pneumonia of the newborn at Sohwa Children's Hospital from July 1981 to June 1984. The radiological findings were retrospectively analysed with particular attention to the degree of pulmonic infiltrations. The results were as follows: 1. The male to female ratio was 1.8 : 1 and clinical condition which commonly associated were post-term infants (41.3%), placental dysfunction syndrome (33%) and perinatal asphyxia (11.4%). 2. There were improved (76.9%) and expired cases (12.1%) as clinical course. 3. Radiologic findings were noticed as pulmonic infiltration (68.2%), hyperinflation (35.2%), pneumo-mediastinum (18.6%), pleural effusion (14.4%), pneumothorax (13.3%) and suggestive interstitial emphysema (6.8%). The more the degree of pulmonary infiltration was been severe, the more the incidence of other pulmonary lesions was increased. 4. Pulmonary infiltrations were commonly occurred in both lungs but pneumothorax, pleural effusion and hyperinflation in right. 5. Radiologic findings of 32 expired cases were noticed as pulmonic infiltrations (93.8%), hyperinflation (53.1%), pneumomediastinum (37.5%), pneumothorax (18.8%), suggestive interstitial emphysema (18.8%) and pleural effusion (18.8%)

  14. Radiological findings of meconium aspiration of the newborn

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Young Seok; Lee, Sung Sik; Lee, Hong Kyu; Kim, Kye Tae; Lee, Soon Il [Sohwa Children' s Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yeon, Kyung Mo [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1985-02-15

    Authors reviewed 264 cases of meconium aspiration pneumonia of the newborn at Sohwa Children's Hospital from July 1981 to June 1984. The radiological findings were retrospectively analysed with particular attention to the degree of pulmonic infiltrations. The results were as follows: 1. The male to female ratio was 1.8 : 1 and clinical condition which commonly associated were post-term infants (41.3%), placental dysfunction syndrome (33%) and perinatal asphyxia (11.4%). 2. There were improved (76.9%) and expired cases (12.1%) as clinical course. 3. Radiologic findings were noticed as pulmonic infiltration (68.2%), hyperinflation (35.2%), pneumo-mediastinum (18.6%), pleural effusion (14.4%), pneumothorax (13.3%) and suggestive interstitial emphysema (6.8%). The more the degree of pulmonary infiltration was been severe, the more the incidence of other pulmonary lesions was increased. 4. Pulmonary infiltrations were commonly occurred in both lungs but pneumothorax, pleural effusion and hyperinflation in right. 5. Radiologic findings of 32 expired cases were noticed as pulmonic infiltrations (93.8%), hyperinflation (53.1%), pneumomediastinum (37.5%), pneumothorax (18.8%), suggestive interstitial emphysema (18.8%) and pleural effusion (18.8%)

  15. A marketing plan for the ice cream brand Max Adventures in food service

    OpenAIRE

    Carbó, Marina Cercós

    2013-01-01

    A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics This project consists on developing a marketing plan in the Spanish market for the ice cream brand Max Adventures in the food service sector. The objective of the plan is to increase current level of sales and distribution. For this reason an external and internal audit is done in order to understand the context, observe what competitors are...

  16. Application for verification of monitor units of the treatment planning system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suero Rodrigo, M. A.; Marques Fraguela, E.

    2011-01-01

    Current estimates algorithms achieve acceptable degree of accuracy. However, operate on the basis of un intuitive models. It is therefore necessary to verify the calculation of monitor units of the treatment planning system (TPS) with those obtained by other independent formalisms. To this end, we have developed an application based on factorization formalism that automates the calculation of dose.

  17. Instrumental and Expressive Education: College Planning in the Face of Poverty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deterding, Nicole M.

    2015-01-01

    Nearly all young people in the United States aspire to a college degree, but many fail to complete college in a timely manner. Does this lack of attainment reflect abandoned college plans? I analyze mixed-methods data from a five-year study of 700 low-income mothers at two Louisiana community colleges. Hurricane Katrina displaced respondents and…

  18. Data on ground-water quality for the Lovelock 1 degree by 2 degree quadrangle, western Nevada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welch, Alan H.; Williams, Rhea P.

    1987-01-01

    Water quality data for groundwater has been compiled for the Lovelock 1 degree x 2 degree quadrangle which covers a portion of western Nevada. Chemical characteristics of the water are shown on a map (at a scale of 1:250,000) and on trilinear diagrams for the major ions. The data for the area are also presented in a table. (USGS)

  19. Radioactive waste isolation in salt: peer review of the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation's plans for repository performance assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrison, W.

    1984-05-01

    In the peer review of the preliminary performance assessment plan, suggestions to improve the presentation are given, technical issues are addressed, a page-by-page commentary is included, and recommendations are summarized. In the peer review of the verification and validation plan, the following are addressed: suggestions to improve presentation; key activities that have been overlooked; improving the technical content of the plan; and degree to which code documents support the plan. Comments on other supporting code documents, page-by-page commentary, and summary of recommendations are included

  20. Feasibility of preference-driven radiotherapy dose treatment planning to support shared decision making in anal cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rønde, Heidi S; Wee, Leonard; Pløen, John

    2017-01-01

    PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Chemo-radiotherapy is an established primary curative treatment for anal cancer, but clinically equal rationale for different target doses exists. If joint preferences (physician and patient) are used to determine acceptable tradeoffs in radiotherapy treatment planning, multipl...... that preference-informed dose planning is feasible for clinical studies utilizing shared decision making....... dose plans must be simultaneously explored. We quantified the degree to which different toxicity priorities might be incorporated into treatment plan selection, to elucidate the feasible decision space for shared decision making in anal cancer radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective plans.......7%-points; (0.3; 30.6); p decision space available in anal cancer radiotherapy to incorporate preferences, although tradeoffs are highly patient-dependent. This study demonstrates...

  1. SU-E-T-616: Plan Quality Assessment of Both Treatment Planning System Dose and Measurement-Based 3D Reconstructed Dose in the Patient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olch, A

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Systematic radiotherapy plan quality assessment promotes quality improvement. Software tools can perform this analysis by applying site-specific structure dose metrics. The next step is to similarly evaluate the quality of the dose delivery. This study defines metrics for acceptable doses to targets and normal organs for a particular treatment site and scores each plan accordingly. The input can be the TPS or the measurement-based 3D patient dose. From this analysis, one can determine whether the delivered dose distribution to the patient receives a score which is comparable to the TPS plan score, otherwise replanning may be indicated. Methods: Eleven neuroblastoma patient plans were exported from Eclipse to the Quality Reports program. A scoring algorithm defined a score for each normal and target structure based on dose-volume parameters. Each plan was scored by this algorithm and the percentage of total possible points was obtained. Each plan also underwent IMRT QA measurements with a Mapcheck2 or ArcCheck. These measurements were input into the 3DVH program to compute the patient 3D dose distribution which was analyzed using the same scoring algorithm as the TPS plan. Results: The mean quality score for the TPS plans was 75.37% (std dev=14.15%) compared to 71.95% (std dev=13.45%) for the 3DVH dose distribution. For 3/11 plans, the 3DVH-based quality score was higher than the TPS score, by between 0.5 to 8.4 percentage points. Eight/11 plans scores decreased based on IMRT QA measurements by 1.2 to 18.6 points. Conclusion: Software was used to determine the degree to which the plan quality score differed between the TPS and measurement-based dose. Although the delivery score was generally in good agreement with the planned dose score, there were some that improved while there was one plan whose delivered dose quality was significantly less than planned. This methodology helps evaluate both planned and delivered dose quality. Sun Nuclear Corporation has

  2. SU-E-T-616: Plan Quality Assessment of Both Treatment Planning System Dose and Measurement-Based 3D Reconstructed Dose in the Patient

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olch, A [University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Systematic radiotherapy plan quality assessment promotes quality improvement. Software tools can perform this analysis by applying site-specific structure dose metrics. The next step is to similarly evaluate the quality of the dose delivery. This study defines metrics for acceptable doses to targets and normal organs for a particular treatment site and scores each plan accordingly. The input can be the TPS or the measurement-based 3D patient dose. From this analysis, one can determine whether the delivered dose distribution to the patient receives a score which is comparable to the TPS plan score, otherwise replanning may be indicated. Methods: Eleven neuroblastoma patient plans were exported from Eclipse to the Quality Reports program. A scoring algorithm defined a score for each normal and target structure based on dose-volume parameters. Each plan was scored by this algorithm and the percentage of total possible points was obtained. Each plan also underwent IMRT QA measurements with a Mapcheck2 or ArcCheck. These measurements were input into the 3DVH program to compute the patient 3D dose distribution which was analyzed using the same scoring algorithm as the TPS plan. Results: The mean quality score for the TPS plans was 75.37% (std dev=14.15%) compared to 71.95% (std dev=13.45%) for the 3DVH dose distribution. For 3/11 plans, the 3DVH-based quality score was higher than the TPS score, by between 0.5 to 8.4 percentage points. Eight/11 plans scores decreased based on IMRT QA measurements by 1.2 to 18.6 points. Conclusion: Software was used to determine the degree to which the plan quality score differed between the TPS and measurement-based dose. Although the delivery score was generally in good agreement with the planned dose score, there were some that improved while there was one plan whose delivered dose quality was significantly less than planned. This methodology helps evaluate both planned and delivered dose quality. Sun Nuclear Corporation has

  3. A Treatment Planning Analysis of Inverse-Planned and Forward-Planned Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poon, Ian M; Xia Ping; Weinberg, Vivien; Sultanem, Khalil; Akazawa, Clayton C.; Akazawa, Pamela C.; Verhey, Lynn; Quivey, Jeanne Marie; Lee, Nancy

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To compare dose-volume histograms of target volumes and organs at risk in 57 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with inverse- (IP) or forward-planned (FP) intensity-modulated radiation treatment (IMRT). Methods and Materials: The DVHs of 57 patients with NPC with IMRT with or without chemotherapy were reviewed. Thirty-one patients underwent IP IMRT, and 26 patients underwent FP IMRT. Treatment goals were to prescribe a minimum dose of 66-70 Gy for gross tumor volume and 59.4 Gy for planning target volume to greater than 95% of the volume. Multiple selected end points were used to compare dose-volume histograms of the targets, including minimum, mean, and maximum doses; percentage of target volume receiving less than 90% (1-V90%), less than 95% (1-V95%), and greater than 105% (1-V105%). Dose-volume histograms of organs at risk were evaluated with characteristic end points. Results: Both planning methods provided excellent target coverage with no statistically significant differences found, although a trend was suggested in favor of improved target coverage with IP IMRT in patients with T3/T4 NPC (p = 0.10). Overall, IP IMRT statistically decreased the dose to the parotid gland, temporomandibular joint, brain stem, and spinal cord overall, whereas IP led to a dose decrease to the middle/inner ear in only the T1/T2 subgroup. Conclusions: Use of IP and FP IMRT can lead to good target coverage while maintaining critical structures within tolerance. The IP IMRT selectively spared these critical organs to a greater degree and should be considered the standard of treatment in patients with NPC, particularly those with T3/T4. The FP IMRT is an effective second option in centers with limited IP IMRT capacity. As a modification of conformal techniques, the human/departmental resources to incorporate FP-IMRT should be nominal

  4. Outcomes of planned home birth with registered midwife versus planned hospital birth with midwife or physician.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janssen, Patricia A; Saxell, Lee; Page, Lesley A; Klein, Michael C; Liston, Robert M; Lee, Shoo K

    2009-09-15

    Studies of planned home births attended by registered midwives have been limited by incomplete data, nonrepresentative sampling, inadequate statistical power and the inability to exclude unplanned home births. We compared the outcomes of planned home births attended by midwives with those of planned hospital births attended by midwives or physicians. We included all planned home births attended by registered midwives from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2004, in British Columbia, Canada (n = 2889), and all planned hospital births meeting the eligibility requirements for home birth that were attended by the same cohort of midwives (n = 4752). We also included a matched sample of physician-attended planned hospital births (n = 5331). The primary outcome measure was perinatal mortality; secondary outcomes were obstetric interventions and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The rate of perinatal death per 1000 births was 0.35 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00-1.03) in the group of planned home births; the rate in the group of planned hospital births was 0.57 (95% CI 0.00-1.43) among women attended by a midwife and 0.64 (95% CI 0.00-1.56) among those attended by a physician. Women in the planned home-birth group were significantly less likely than those who planned a midwife-attended hospital birth to have obstetric interventions (e.g., electronic fetal monitoring, relative risk [RR] 0.32, 95% CI 0.29-0.36; assisted vaginal delivery, RR 0.41, 95% 0.33-0.52) or adverse maternal outcomes (e.g., third- or fourth-degree perineal tear, RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.28-0.59; postpartum hemorrhage, RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.49-0.77). The findings were similar in the comparison with physician-assisted hospital births. Newborns in the home-birth group were less likely than those in the midwife-attended hospital-birth group to require resuscitation at birth (RR 0.23, 95% CI 0.14-0.37) or oxygen therapy beyond 24 hours (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.24-0.59). The findings were similar in the comparison with

  5. Minimization In Digital Design As A Meta-Planning Problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, William P. C.; Wu, Jung-Gen

    1987-05-01

    In our model-based expert system for automatic digital system design, we formalize the design process into three sub-processes - compiling high-level behavioral specifications into primitive behavioral operations, grouping primitive operations into behavioral functions, and grouping functions into modules. Consideration of design minimization explicitly controls decision-making in the last two subprocesses. Design minimization, a key task in the automatic design of digital systems, is complicated by the high degree of interaction among the time sequence and content of design decisions. In this paper, we present an AI approach which directly addresses these interactions and their consequences by modeling the minimization prob-lem as a planning problem, and the management of design decision-making as a meta-planning problem.

  6. Proposed plan for education and training in nonnuclear and nuclear energy technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vachon, R.I.; Griffith, D.E.

    1977-02-01

    This report presents the results of a systems approach by an ERDA/ASEE Task Force to a charge from the 94th Congress to the Energy Research and Development Administration to develop a plan for a comprehensive program for education and training in nonnuclear energy technologies. The PLAN as presented is the recommendation of the Task Force and is not to be construed as the ERDA Plan. The interpretation of the charge leads to the following definitive statements. The PLAN should consist of a program and organizational and administrative means within ERDA to develop and manage the program. The program should: (1) include general educational subprograms, vocational skill subprograms to degree and post degree programs; (2) include nuclear as well as nonnuclear education and training; (3) encourage, assist, and utilize all institutions from labor unions to universities to assure educated and trained manpower to meet the nation's energy needs; (4) be catalytic in nature and rely not only on funding as a catalytic agent but also on information and leadership; (5) give equal opportunity to all seeking or needing education and training to become a part of the energy labor market in all regions of the nation; (6) be supplementary to what can be accomplished by the private sector; (7) promote interaction between ERDA and other Federal government agencies and state and local governments; (8) be responsive as well as anticipatory; (9) be applicable from energy resource exploration to energy and use; and (10) provide for input and feedback from the private sector

  7. Strategies for Pursuing a Master's Degree.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Cynthia M; McIntosh, Constance E; Mensik, Jennifer S

    2016-01-01

    Health care has become very complex and is in a constant state of change. As a result of the evolving change and increasing complexity, a more educated nursing workforce is needed (Dracup K. Master's nursing programs. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 2015; Institute of Medicine. The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. 2010). It is now becoming necessary for registered nurses to earn an advanced degree to work at the highest level of their practice authority (Dracup K. Master's nursing programs. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 2015; Institute of Medicine. The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. 2010.). Preparing to reenter college may be an overwhelming prospect for some registered nurses seeking an advanced degree. However, there are some simple strategies that may help sort out the many degree options, financial obligations, decisions about brick and mortar versus online learning, commitment to degree completion, and changing career paths. This article will provide the registered nurse valuable information that will assist in the exciting process of returning to college.

  8. The degree of irreversibility in deterministic finite automata

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Axelsen, Holger Bock; Holzer, Markus; Kutrib, Martin

    2016-01-01

    the language, and show that the degree induces a strict infinite hierarchy of languages. We examine how the degree of irreversibility behaves under the usual language operations union, intersection, complement, concatenation, and Kleene star, showing tight bounds (some asymptotically) on the degree....

  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. Time to Degree: A National View of the Time Enrolled and Elapsed for Associate and Bachelor's Degree Earners. (Signature Report No. 11)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Doug; Dundar, Afet; Wakhungu, Phoebe Khasiala; Yuan, Xin; Nathan, Angel; Hwang, Youngsik

    2016-01-01

    This report examines time to degree completion for a cohort of students who earned an associate degree as their first and only postsecondary degree or a bachelor's degree as their first four-year degree between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. Overall, the average time enrolled for associate and bachelor's degree earners was 3.3 years and 5.1…

  11. Astronautics Degrees for Space Industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruntman, M.; Brodsky, R.; Erwin, D.; Kunc, J.

    The Astronautics Program (http://astronautics.usc.edu) of the University of Southern California (USC) offers a full set of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Aerospace Engineering with emphasis in Astronautics. The Bachelor of Science degree program in Astronautics combines basic science and engineering classes with specialized astronautics classes. The Master of Science degree program in Astronautics offers classes in various areas of space technology. The Certificate in Astronautics targets practicing engineers and scientists who enter space-related fields and/or who want to obtain training in specific space-related areas. Many specialized graduate classes are taught by adjunct faculty working at the leading space companies. The Master of Science degree and Certificate are available through the USC Distance Education Network (DEN). Today, the Internet allows us to reach students anywhere in the world through webcasting. The majority of our graduate students, as well as those pursuing the Certificate, work full time as engineers in the space industry and government research and development centers. The new world of distance learning presents new challenges and opens new opportunities. We show how the transformation of distance learning and particularly the introduction of webcasting transform organization of the program and class delivery. We will describe in detail the academic focus of the program, student reach, and structure of program components. Program development is illustrated by the student enrollment dynamics and related industrial trends; the lessons learned emphasize the importance of feedback from the students and from the space industry.

  12. Project Planning and Control in a Developing Economy: Implementation and Realisation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Abdul-Rahman

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available In the competitive and uncertain environment of the construction industry, the ability to deliver end products with the required quality, schedule and budget is vital to the survival of any construction-related firm. Before embarking on any project, realistic planning and, consequently, a control procedure must be in place to enable the parties to manage the project with sufficient degree of authority and certainty. This paper addresses issues associated with the implementation of project planning and control, identificati on of impacts in the implementation of project planning and the critical success factors of project planning. A questionnaire survey was conducted on construction professionals and contractors involved in the running of construction projects. The survey results showed that common problems associated with the project planning and control are the lack of experienced staff and poor coordination by the contractor. During site operation, a delay in decision making aggravates the effect of poor planning and control and much of the effect of project planning rests on the pro-activeness of experienced staff. The positive impact associated with proper planning and control is the high probability of finishing the project on time while the negative impact is that it is a time-consuming and costly process. The critical success factors identified from the survey are Excellent Teamwork and Experienced Team.

  13. How Much Does It Cost Institutions to Produce Stem Degrees? Data Brief. The Price and Cost of Science Degrees Series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delta Cost Project at American Institutes for Research, 2013

    2013-01-01

    This AIR Data Brief breaks down the "cost per degree" estimates for 28 disciplines, including those in the STEM fields, which among the most expensive degrees to produce. The brief points to ways colleges can change their tuition structure to finance STEM degrees more affordably. This data brief is the fourth of four in the series. (See…

  14. Role of the state in population planning: Singapore and Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, R

    1984-01-01

    State intervention in population and family planning has been gradually increasing on the assumption that unregulated population growth poses serious national problems requiring public action. Among 152 developing nations in areas surveyed with respect to population and family planning policies in 1980, 52 supported family planning primarily from a demographic rationale and 65 from a health or human rights rationale, while only 35 provide no support. There appear to be 4 major underlying sociophilosophical perspectives on the role of the state in population planning: 1) the deontic/utilitarian whose prime concern is with the rights and obligations of present generations to future generations; this view provides a very vague basis for a general policy of population planning, 2) the environmentalist, which with varying degrees of pessimism in different formulations argue the need to limit population and economic growth because of the limited nature of the world's resources; this view ignores a considerable body of evidence that more than just overpopulation is involved in environmental problems, 3) the family planning perspective, advocated and supported by various international organizations and conferences, holds that decisions about birth control should be made by prospective parents. The assumption is that making birth control methods and education readily accessible to everyone will eventually result in birth rates which are desirable for the society as a whole. In practice, it is difficult to establish whether such voluntaristic measures are enough to control population, 4) the developmental distributionist position sees low birth rates as resulting from modernization, including such factors as more equitable distribution of income and increased educational and social services. Pakistan's family planning program has undergone 3 major bureaucratic reorganizations and shifts in strategy consequent on changes in national leadership since services were 1st offered

  15. Characteristics of regents college nontraditional nuclear technology degrees

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeSain, G.W.

    1989-01-01

    In 1971, the Board of Regents of The University of The State of New York created Regents College Degrees to assess academic knowledge of working adults and award college degrees based on demonstrated knowledge rather than time spent in a college classroom. It was founded on a basic premise that seemed radical to some but which is now widely accepted: What a person knows is more important than how or where that knowledge was acquired. Regents College degrees, therefore, are a different concept of a college: one that is an assessing institution rather than a teaching institution. It has no campus and offers no courses. Students can combine college credits from a variety of different sources int an accredited degree program. Staff and faculty evaluate that credit according to the requirements of the particular degree program. When all requirements are met, the Board or Regents of The University of The State of New York confers the degree

  16. Part four: The research dissertation: planning, producing and writing a thesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quick, J; Hall, S

    2015-11-01

    Dissertations have become common inclusions to postgraduate degrees in healthcare. To the novice researcher, undertaking an extensive project of this kind can appear daunting. In this final article in the series 'Spotlight on Research', Julie Quick and Susan Hall advise perioperative practitioners on how to plan, produce and write a research dissertation. Guidance is also given on disseminating the results from research studies.

  17. Expiring Funds Reports

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Housing and Urban Development — This weekly report assist Participating Jurisdictions in identifying FY 2006 and older grant balances, the Office of Affordable Housing Programs (OAHP) will post a...

  18. Contraception. Family planning: by whom and for whom?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stemerding, B

    1992-01-01

    Many people consider family planning to be the cure for population growth and its consequences (poverty, child mortality, morbidity, depletion of natural resources, and environmental degradation). International organizations support family planning programs and population-political strategies control their operations. Other key players in family planning are the pharmaceutical industry, the churches, and governments. Women tend not be involved in developing population and family planning policies, however, but instead implement the policies. Population planners are generally not interested in family planning methods which give women control over their own bodies, e.g., female-controlled barrier methods. In fact, they distrust them because the planners consider women to be unreliable. Besides, the low effectiveness of these methods means women need to rely on abortion, which is a problem in many developing countries, e.g., Latin America. Further, family planning programs must meet predetermined goals, so their service is lacking, e.g., limited supply of contraceptives and not enough time to provide information to clients. Family planning revolves around women. For example, they encourage them to talk their partners into approving the women's use of contraception, but this is almost always difficult for women in developing countries. Provision of family planning cannot be successful without society accepting and treating women as full citizens. In addition, society needs to realize that women have a sexuality separate from men. Political will is needed for these changes in attitude. The international women's movement does not agree on the degree which women can control contraceptives themselves. Women's groups are working to improve the position and independence of women and contraception is just 1 factor which can help them achieve this goal. The Women's Sexuality and Health Feminist Collective in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is an example of a coalition of women's health

  19. Evaluation of model for end-stage liver disease score cut off values in patients with hepatic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khurram, M.; Qayyum, W.; Umar, M.; Abedin, Z.U.; Bushra, H.T.

    2015-01-01

    Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) is scoring system used for prioritization of patients waiting liver transplantation. Patients with decompensated chronic liver disease (DCLD) with higher MELD score and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) have poor outcome. We planned to note association between short term mortality and various cut-off values of at admission MELD score in HCV related DCLD patients presenting with HE. Methods: In this descriptive case series, 208 Hepatitis C (HCV) related chronic liver disease (CLD) patients with HE were included. At admission serum bilirubin, creatinine and INR were sought to calculate MELD score. Patients who improved were discharged and kept under regular follow up. Outcome was categorized into alive or expired in 3 months after admission. Based on MELD score cut off values of >15, >20, >25 and >30, association with outcome was determined using Chi-square test. Results: One hundred and six (51%) patients were female. Mean patient age was 55.3±10.6 years. Outcome wise, 128 (61.5%) were alive and 80 (38.5%) expired. Mean MELD score of expired was 22.17±9.14. 55 (51%) patients with MELD score >15, 44 (65.7%) patients with >20, 30 (73.2%) patients with >25, and 21 (72.5%) patients with >30 expired. MELD score >20 had strongest association with outcome, p value less than o.01. Conclusion: At admission MELD score >20 are most significantly associated with poor outcome in DCLD patients with HE. (author)

  20. Implementation of Capacity Planning Agent of Demand Responsive Planning Framework : Master’s Thesis in Production Engineering of The Royal Institute of Technology

    OpenAIRE

    Juhong, Nirut

    2013-01-01

    This master’s thesis is conducted as a conclusion of Master degree of Science in Production Engineering and Management at The Royal Institute of Technology. The focus of this thesis work is to implement a Capacity planning agent. Nowadays, companies need to adapt themselves to be as responsive to customers’ demand as possible. However, the responsiveness is usually limited by the fixed capacity of the production. Evolvable Production System (EPS), motivated by the limitation mentioned above, ...

  1. [Comparison of ability to humidification of inspired air through the nose and oral cavity using dew point hygrometer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paczesny, Daniel; Rapiejko, Piotr; Weremczuk, Jerzy; Jachowicz, Ryszard; Jurkiewicz, Dariusz

    2007-01-01

    Aim of this study was to check at the hospital the dew point hygrometer for fast measurement of air humidity in upper airways. The nose ability to humidification of inspired air and partially recover moisture from expired air was evaluated. Measurements from respiration through the nose and oral cavity were compared. The study was carried out in a group of 30 people (8 female and 22 male), age group 18 to 70 (mean age: 37 years old). In 22 of the participants there were no deviation from normal state in laryngologic examination, while in 4 participants nasal septum deviation without imaired nasal; oatency was found, in other 3--nasal vonchae hyperthrophy and in 1--nasal polips (grade I). The measurements of air humidity in upper air ways was done using specially designed and constructed measurement system. The air inspired through the nose and oral cavity is humidified. For typical external conditions (T = 22 degrees C i RH = 50%) the nose humidifies inspired air two times better then oral cavity (short time range of measurement approximately 1 min). Moisture from expired air through the nose is partially recovered (for patients with regular patency is 25% of the value of humidifying of inspired air). The oral cavity does not have ability to partially recovery moisture form expired air. The paper presented fast dew point hygrometer based on semiconductor microsystems for measurement humidity in inspired and expired air through the nose and oral cavity. Presented system can be a proper instrument for evaluation of nasal functions.

  2. Diagnosis of the Skills of the Master’s Degree: Case Study at the University Pablo of Olavide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Ordóñez Olmedo

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The work team of the Postgraduate Studies Centre (henceforth CEDEP of Pablo de Olavide University (henceforth UPO has submitted a questionnaire in order to identify the training needs of the directors of the master’s degrees which are implemented in The UPO during the academic year 2016/2017. This article aims to analyze how the lessons are planned and how the acquisition of the competencies defined in each master’s degree are achieved, in order to assess the current situation and propose solutions for university quality improvement. This research presents a mixed design: quantitative and qualitative non-experimental descriptive through a questionnaire. Further to the study analysis conducted, the need to create a manual of recommended practice to arrange curricula by competencies at the master level is presented, as 62.16% of the participants reflect a great lack of knowledge about the theoretical description of the competencies classification and 73% support a complementary material need for the design of the curriculum.

  3. Representation in the Care Planning Process for Nursing Home Residents With Dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCreedy, Ellen; Loomer, Lacey; Palmer, Jennifer A; Mitchell, Susan L; Volandes, Angelo; Mor, Vincent

    2018-05-01

    Federally mandated assessments of nursing home (NH) residents drive individualized care planning. Residents with cognitive impairment may not be able to meaningfully communicate their care needs and preferences during this process-a gap that may be partially addressed by involving surrogates. We describe the prevalence of family participation in the care planning process for long-stay NH residents with varying degrees of cognitive impairment. Retrospective study using administrative data made available as part of an ongoing pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial. A total of 292 NHs from 1 large for-profit NH system. Long-stay NH residents in 2016. We identified all care planning assessments conducted in 2016 for long-stay NH residents. Cognitive functioning was defined using the Cognitive Function Scale. The Minimum Data Set was used to determine whether a resident, family member, and/or legal guardian participated in the assessment process. Certification and Survey Provider Enhance Reporting system data was used to identify facility-level correlates of family participation. Bivariate and multivariable hierarchical regression results are presented. The analytic sample included 18,552 long-stay NH residents. Family member/representative participation varied by degree of resident cognitive impairment; 8% of residents with no cognitive impairment had family or representative participation in care planning during 2016, compared with 26% of residents with severe impairment. NHs with more social workers had greater family participation in care planning. Available NH characteristics do not explain most of the variation in family participation between NHs (residual intraclass correlation = .57). Only a minority of family members and surrogates participate in NH care planning, even for residents with severe cognitive impairment. The association between social work staffing and participation suggests family involvement may be a measure of quality improvement

  4. Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2005 Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

    2006-01-01

    This annual report details the number of nuclear engineering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees awarded at a sampling of academic programs from 1998-2005. it also looks at nuclear engineering degrees by curriculum and the number of students enrolled in nuclear engineering degree programs at 30 U.S. universities in 2005

  5. Scholarship in nursing: Degree-prepared nurses versus diploma ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    All but one (n = 18) nursing educators who obtained a degree as first qualification are educators in the private sector that include both universities as well as nursing colleges of private hospital groups. Data further revealed that most nurse educators and those in managerial positions were degree prepared. More degree ...

  6. Degree-regular triangulations of torus and Klein bottle

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences; Volume 115; Issue 3 ... A triangulation of a connected closed surface is called degree-regular if each of its vertices have the same degree. ... In [5], Datta and Nilakantan have classified all the degree-regular triangulations of closed surfaces on at most 11 vertices.

  7. Health Physics Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2005 Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

    2006-01-01

    This annual report details the number of health physics bachelor's, master's, and postdoctoral degrees awarded at a sampling of academic programs from 1998-2005. It also looks at health physics degrees by curriculum and the number of students enrolled in health physics degree programs at 30 U.S. universities in 2005

  8. Health Physics Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2004 Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

    2005-01-01

    This annual report details the number of health physics bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees awarded at a sampling of academic programs from 1998-2004. It also looks at health physics degrees by curriculum and the number of students enrolled in health physics degree programs at 28 U.S. universities in 2004

  9. Durability of Expanded Physician Assistant Training Positions Following the End of Health Resources and Services Administration Expansion of Physician Assistant Training Funding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolls, Joanne; Keahey, David

    2016-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the number of Health Resources and Services Administration Expansion of Physician Assistant Training (EPAT)-funded physician assistant (PA) programs planning to maintain class size at expanded levels after grant funds expire and to report proposed financing methods. The 5-year EPAT grant expired in 2015, and the effect of this funding on creating a durable expansion of PA training seats has not yet been investigated. The study used an anonymous, 9-question, Web-based survey sent to the program directors at each of the PA programs that received EPAT funding. Data were analyzed in Excel and using SAS statistical analysis software for both simple percentages and for Fisher's exact test. The survey response rate was 81.48%. Eighty-two percent of responding programs indicated that they planned to maintain all expanded positions. Fourteen percent will revert to their previous student class size, and 4% will maintain a portion of the expanded positions. A majority of the 18 programs (66%) maintaining all EPAT seats will be funded by tuition pass-through, and one program (6%) will increase tuition. There was no statistical association between the program type and the decision to maintain expanded positions (P = .820). This study demonstrates that the one-time EPAT PA grant funding opportunity created a durable expansion in PA training seats. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of the program in increasing the number of graduates choosing to practice in primary care and the durability of expansion several years after funding expiration.

  10. Effect of time and temperature exposition in the crystallinity degree of sulfonated poly-(styrene acrylic acid) (PSAA-S)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duarte, G.W.; Becker, E.B.; Silva, L.; Naspolini, A.M.; Consenso, E.C.; Paula, M.M.S.; Fiori, M.A.; Silveira, F.Z.

    2010-01-01

    Polymers with special properties have been increasingly applied in the development of technological devices. For example, polymeric materials with special electric properties, such as sulfonated poly-(styrene-acrylic acid) - PSAA-S, are of great interest for showing different conductivities depending on the environment where they are applied. The special properties of PSAA are obtained only after sulfonation step in acidic media. The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of time and temperature exposition in the crystallinity degree of PSAA-S, through a statistical experimental factorial planning. The samples of PSAA-S were submitted to FT-IR and DRX tests. The results showed that the temperature and the time of exposition are significant factors in the crystallinity degree of PSAA-S, considering that the crystal lattices created during the polymerization are damaged by the action of time and temperature at which the polymer is exposed. (author)

  11. Effect of time and temperature exposition in the crystallinity degree of sulfonated poly-(styrene acrylic acid) (PSAA-S)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duarte, G.W.; Becker, E.B.; Silva, L.; Naspolini, A.M.; Consenso, E.C.; Paula, M.M.S.; Fiori, M.A., E-mail: glau_bn@hotmail.co [University of Extreme South of Santa Catarina Criciuma, SC (Brazil). Dept. of Materials Engineering; Silveira, F.Z. [Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    2010-07-01

    Polymers with special properties have been increasingly applied in the development of technological devices. For example, polymeric materials with special electric properties, such as sulfonated poly-(styrene-acrylic acid) - PSAA-S, are of great interest for showing different conductivities depending on the environment where they are applied. The special properties of PSAA are obtained only after sulfonation step in acidic media. The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of time and temperature exposition in the crystallinity degree of PSAA-S, through a statistical experimental factorial planning. The samples of PSAA-S were submitted to FT-IR and DRX tests. The results showed that the temperature and the time of exposition are significant factors in the crystallinity degree of PSAA-S, considering that the crystal lattices created during the polymerization are damaged by the action of time and temperature at which the polymer is exposed. (author)

  12. High-Degree Neurons Feed Cortical Computations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholas M Timme

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Recent work has shown that functional connectivity among cortical neurons is highly varied, with a small percentage of neurons having many more connections than others. Also, recent theoretical developments now make it possible to quantify how neurons modify information from the connections they receive. Therefore, it is now possible to investigate how information modification, or computation, depends on the number of connections a neuron receives (in-degree or sends out (out-degree. To do this, we recorded the simultaneous spiking activity of hundreds of neurons in cortico-hippocampal slice cultures using a high-density 512-electrode array. This preparation and recording method combination produced large numbers of neurons recorded at temporal and spatial resolutions that are not currently available in any in vivo recording system. We utilized transfer entropy (a well-established method for detecting linear and nonlinear interactions in time series and the partial information decomposition (a powerful, recently developed tool for dissecting multivariate information processing into distinct parts to quantify computation between neurons where information flows converged. We found that computations did not occur equally in all neurons throughout the networks. Surprisingly, neurons that computed large amounts of information tended to receive connections from high out-degree neurons. However, the in-degree of a neuron was not related to the amount of information it computed. To gain insight into these findings, we developed a simple feedforward network model. We found that a degree-modified Hebbian wiring rule best reproduced the pattern of computation and degree correlation results seen in the real data. Interestingly, this rule also maximized signal propagation in the presence of network-wide correlations, suggesting a mechanism by which cortex could deal with common random background input. These are the first results to show that the extent to

  13. SU-F-T-384: Step and Shoot IMRT, VMAT and Autoplan VMAT Nasopharnyx Plan Robustness to Linear Accelerator Delivery Errors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pogson, EM; Hansen, C; Blake, S; Thwaites, D; Arumugam, S; Holloway, L

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To identify the robustness of different treatment techniques in respect to simulated linac errors on the dose distribution to the target volume and organs at risk for step and shoot IMRT (ssIMRT), VMAT and Autoplan generated VMAT nasopharynx plans. Methods: A nasopharynx patient dataset was retrospectively replanned with three different techniques: 7 beam ssIMRT, one arc manual generated VMAT and one arc automatically generated VMAT. Treatment simulated uncertainties: gantry, collimator, MLC field size and MLC shifts, were introduced into these plans at increments of 5,2,1,−1,−2 and −5 (degrees or mm) and recalculated in Pinnacle. The mean and maximum doses were calculated for the high dose PTV, parotids, brainstem, and spinal cord and then compared to the original baseline plan. Results: Simulated gantry angle errors have <1% effect on the PTV, ssIMRT is most sensitive. The small collimator errors (±1 and ±2 degrees) impacted the mean PTV dose by <2% for all techniques, however for the ±5 degree errors mean target varied by up to 7% for the Autoplan VMAT and 10% for the max dose to the spinal cord and brain stem, seen in all techniques. The simulated MLC shifts introduced the largest errors for the Autoplan VMAT, with the larger MLC modulation presumably being the cause. The most critical error observed, was the MLC field size error, where even small errors of 1 mm, caused significant changes to both the PTV and the OAR. The ssIMRT is the least sensitive and the Autoplan the most sensitive, with target errors of up to 20% over and under dosages observed. Conclusion: For a nasopharynx patient the plan robustness observed is highest for the ssIMRT plan and lowest for the Autoplan generated VMAT plan. This could be caused by the more complex MLC modulation seen for the VMAT plans. This project is supported by a grant from NSW Cancer Council.

  14. SU-F-T-384: Step and Shoot IMRT, VMAT and Autoplan VMAT Nasopharnyx Plan Robustness to Linear Accelerator Delivery Errors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pogson, EM [Institute of Medical Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Hansen, C [Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Odense University Hospital, Odense (Denmark); Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense (Denmark); Blake, S; Thwaites, D [Institute of Medical Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Arumugam, S [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Holloway, L [Institute of Medical Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Odense University Hospital, Odense (Denmark); South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (Australia); University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW (Australia)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To identify the robustness of different treatment techniques in respect to simulated linac errors on the dose distribution to the target volume and organs at risk for step and shoot IMRT (ssIMRT), VMAT and Autoplan generated VMAT nasopharynx plans. Methods: A nasopharynx patient dataset was retrospectively replanned with three different techniques: 7 beam ssIMRT, one arc manual generated VMAT and one arc automatically generated VMAT. Treatment simulated uncertainties: gantry, collimator, MLC field size and MLC shifts, were introduced into these plans at increments of 5,2,1,−1,−2 and −5 (degrees or mm) and recalculated in Pinnacle. The mean and maximum doses were calculated for the high dose PTV, parotids, brainstem, and spinal cord and then compared to the original baseline plan. Results: Simulated gantry angle errors have <1% effect on the PTV, ssIMRT is most sensitive. The small collimator errors (±1 and ±2 degrees) impacted the mean PTV dose by <2% for all techniques, however for the ±5 degree errors mean target varied by up to 7% for the Autoplan VMAT and 10% for the max dose to the spinal cord and brain stem, seen in all techniques. The simulated MLC shifts introduced the largest errors for the Autoplan VMAT, with the larger MLC modulation presumably being the cause. The most critical error observed, was the MLC field size error, where even small errors of 1 mm, caused significant changes to both the PTV and the OAR. The ssIMRT is the least sensitive and the Autoplan the most sensitive, with target errors of up to 20% over and under dosages observed. Conclusion: For a nasopharynx patient the plan robustness observed is highest for the ssIMRT plan and lowest for the Autoplan generated VMAT plan. This could be caused by the more complex MLC modulation seen for the VMAT plans. This project is supported by a grant from NSW Cancer Council.

  15. Personality Traits and Training Initiation Process: Intention, Planning, and Action Initiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laguna, Mariola; Purc, Ewelina

    2016-01-01

    The article aims at investigating the role of personality traits in relation to training initiation. Training initiation is conceptualized as a goal realization process, and explained using goal theories. There are three stages of the process analyzed: intention to undertake training, plan formulation, and actual training undertaking. Two studies tested the relationships between five personality traits, defined according to the five factor model, and the stages of the goal realization process. In Study 1, which explains training intention and training plans' formulation, 155 employees participated. In Study 2, which was time-lagged with two measurement points, and which explains intention, plans, and training actions undertaken, the data from 176 employees was collected at 3 month intervals. The results of these studies show that personality traits, mainly openness to experience, predict the training initiation process to some degree: intention, plans, and actual action initiation. The findings allow us to provide recommendations for practitioners responsible for human resource development. The assessment of openness to experience in employees helps predict their motivation to participate in training activities. To increase training motivation it is vital to strengthen intentions to undertake training, and to encourage training action planning.

  16. The role of risk in electricity resource planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nicodemus, Gerd

    1998-01-01

    Sources of risk in electricity resource planning include: liberalisation electricity markets and environmental effects of energy choice. Market liberalisation favours more flexible, efficient options, risk-adjusted discount rates will account for different project risks, regulation shifts to incentive-based rather than direct control. Choice of social discount rate takes degree of environmental irreversibility into account (time period affected by economic activity) to preserve flexibility; 'public good' character of environmental risk requires lowering the discount rate. Elaborated risk-management policies are helpful in identifying cost-effective energy options

  17. Astronomy Enrollments and Degrees: Results from the 2009 & 2010 Surveys of Physics & Astronomy Enrollments and Degrees. Focus On

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholson, Starr; Mulvey, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    The Statistical Research Center of the American Institute of Physics conducts an annual census from October through February of all departments that offer degrees in astronomy (78) in the United States. Astronomy departments consist of stand-alone degree-granting departments (39) and departments that are administered along with a physics program…

  18. [The specialty program as a training tool: an individual training plan for each resident].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez González, R; Capilla Cabezuelo, E

    2010-01-01

    The official training program for the specialty "Diagnostic Imaging" establishes minimum learning objectives that must be fulfilled. Each accredited teaching unit is responsible for designing and carrying out a curriculum to ensure that these objectives are met, and this approach permits a degree of flexibility. Various aspects must be considered in the individual training plans for each resident: the rotation scheme according to the way the department is organized, plans for recovering missed material or reinforcing weak points, optional rotations, increasing degrees of responsibility as skills are acquired during training, and accommodating special needs of handicapped persons. Nevertheless, the individual plan must be fitted to the established curriculum and guarantee that the content of the official program is covered and that the objectives stipulated therein are met. Furthermore, the methods of teaching must be adapted to the individual characteristics of the residents, and this is the most important aspect of the individualization of training. To this end, it is fundamental for residents to take on an active role in their training, guided by their tutor and with the participation of all the radiologists in the department including the other residents, all of whom should act as teachers. Copyright © 2010 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  19. A multi-objective approach for developing national energy efficiency plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haydt, Gustavo; Leal, Vítor; Dias, Luís

    2014-01-01

    This paper proposes a new approach to deal with the problem of building national energy efficiency (EE) plans, considering multiple objectives instead of only energy savings. The objectives considered are minimizing the influence of energy use on climate change, minimizing the financial risk from the investment, maximizing the security of energy supply, minimizing investment costs, minimizing the impacts of building new power plants and transmission infrastructures, and maximizing the local air quality. These were identified through literature review and interaction with real decision makers. A database of measures is established, from which millions of potential EE plans can be built by combining measures and their respective degree of implementation. Finally, a hybrid multi-objective and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model is proposed to search and select the EE plans that best match the decision makers’ preferences. An illustration of the working mode and the type of results obtained from this novel hybrid model is provided through an application to Portugal. For each of five decision perspectives a wide range of potential best plans were identified. These wide ranges show the relevance of introducing multi-objective analysis in a comprehensive search space as a tool to inform decisions about national EE plans. - Highlights: • A multiple objective approach to aid the choice of national energy efficiency plans. • A hybrid multi-objective MCDA model is proposed to search among the possible plans. • The model identified relevant plans according to five different idealized DMs. • The approach is tested with Portugal

  20. Adolescent obesity and future college degree attainment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler-Brown, Angela G; Ngo, Long H; Phillips, Russell S; Wee, Christina C

    2010-06-01

    The current impact of adolescent obesity on educational attainment is not clear. The objectives of our study were to determine whether adolescent obesity is associated with college degree attainment and how this association may have changed over time. We used data from a contemporary national cohort of over 4,000 persons who were adolescents (aged 14-18) in 1997 to assess the relationship between adolescent obesity and education. To assess for changes in this relationship over time, we also analyzed an older, similarly structured cohort of over 3,000 persons who were adolescents (aged 16-18) in 1981. Our primary outcome was college degree completion. We found that in the older cohort (adolescents in 1979), there were no differences in college degree attainment by adolescent weight status before and after adjustment. However, unadjusted analysis of the contemporary cohort (adolescents in 1997) demonstrated that those who were normal weight as adolescents had a higher prevalence of college degree attainment at follow-up compared to obese adolescents (24% vs. 10%). After adjustment for socio-demographic variables (age, sex, race, height, parental income-to-poverty ratio, parental education, aptitude test scores), obese adolescents were less likely to have attained a college degree compared to normal weight peers (adjusted risk ratio 0.61 95% confidence interval 0.38-0.83). Expectations for a future college degree did not vary by weight status and did not explain this observation. In conclusion, adolescent obesity is associated with lower likelihood of college completion. This relationship was not observed in an older cohort of adolescents.

  1. A Broadly Adaptive Array of Dose-Constraint Templates for Planning of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Advanced T-Stage Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chau, R.M.-C.; Leung, S.-F.; Kam, M.K.-M.; Cheung, K.-Y.; Kwan, W.-H.; Yu, K.-H.; Chiu, K.-W.; Cheung, M.L.-M.; Chan, A.T.-C.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To develop and validate adaptive dose-constraint templates in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning for advanced T-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Method and Materials: Dose-volume histograms of clinically approved plans for 20 patients with advanced T-stage NPC were analyzed, and the pattern of distribution in relation to the degree of overlap between targets and organs at risk (OARs) was explored. An adaptive dose constraint template (ADCT) was developed based on the degree of overlap. Another set of 10 patients with advanced T-stage NPC was selected for validation. Results of the manual arm optimization protocol and the ADCT optimization protocol were compared with respect to dose optimization time, conformity indices, multiple-dose end points, tumor control probability, and normal tissue complication probability. Results: For the ADCT protocol, average time required to achieve an acceptable plan was 9 minutes, with one optimization compared with 94 minutes with more than two optimizations of the manual arm protocol. Target coverage was similar between the manual arm and ADCT plans. A more desirable dose distribution in the region of overlap between planning target volume and OARs was achieved in the ADCT plan. Dose end points of OARs were similar between the manual arm and ADCT plans. Conclusions: With the developed ADCT, IMRT treatment planning becomes more efficient and less dependent on the planner's experience on dose optimization. The developed ADCT is applicable to a wide range of advanced T-stage NPC treatment and has the potential to be applied in a broader context to IMRT planning for other cancer sites

  2. Quasi-monoenergetic neutron energy spectra for 246 and 389 MeV (7)Li(p,n) reactions at angles from 0 degrees to 300 degrees

    CERN Document Server

    Iwamoto, Y; Nakamura, T; Nakashima, H; Mares, V; Itoga, T; Matsumoto, T; Nakane, Y; Feldbaumer, E; Jaegerhofer, L; Pioch, C; Tamii, A; Satoh, D; Masuda, A; Sato, T; Iwase, H; Yashima, H; Nishiyama, J; Hagiwara, M; Hatanaka, K; Sakamoto, Y

    2011-01-01

    The authors measured the neutron energy spectra of a quasi-monoenergetic (7)Li(p,n) neutron source with 246 and 389 MeV protons set at seven angles (0 degrees, 2.5 degrees, 5 degrees, 10 degrees, 15 degrees, 20 degrees and 30 degrees), using a time-of-flight (TOF) method employing organic scintillators NE213 at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP) of Osaka University. The energy spectra of the source neutrons were precisely deduced down to 2 MeV at 0 degrees and 10 MeV at other angles. The cross-sections of the peak neutron production reaction at 0 degrees were on the 35-40 mb line of other experimental data, and the peak neutron angular distribution agreed well with the Taddeucci formula. Neutron energy spectra below 100 MeV at all angles were comparable, but the shapes of the continuum above 150 MeV changed considerably with the angle. In order to consider the correction required to derive the response in the peak region from the measured total response for high-energy neutron monitors such as DAR...

  3. Interdisciplinary planning in the education of professionals in education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eudaldo Enrique Espinoza-Freire

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The work had as objective to compile information in the scientific literature, on the implementation of interdisciplinary in the educational teaching process in the formation of the professional of the education. The methodology followed in this inquiry, was to consult the literature results of research about interdisciplinary and ways of implementing it in the teaching-learning process, planning and educational relations interdisciplinary, it-reviewed publications in journals, thesis of degree of master's degrees and doctorates, and other materials such as conferences. In this review, we found the problems existing in educational institutions with respect to teacher training and the interdisciplinary approach, the conceptualization of this category, among other aspects. As a result, we present an updated material that will contribute to the update of the teachers about the content about interdisciplinary and its implementation in the teaching-learning process.

  4. Consideration of Environmental Factors in Planning and Development of Urban Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kustysheva, I.

    2017-11-01

    Environmental factors, in varying degrees, always have a direct influence on the urban environment formation and the provision of favorable and safe conditions for the life of the population. Their role in the planning and development of urban areas remains an integral part of the management of such areas. Management should be aimed at improving the efficiency of use of the territories and ecological environment improvement. Planning must be done with the consideration of identified ecological processes in cities on the basis of the information about their occurrence in the past and present. Currently, cities face a multitude of problems that require urgent and immediate solutions. One of the most important issues is the poor state of the urban environment, so the environmental factors remain one of the most critical problems that should be considered by the authorities while implementing the urban areas’ development plans. The article discusses the role of environmental factors in the management and planning of urban territories by the example of the city of Tobolsk.

  5. Thermal Stabilization FY 1999 blend plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    RISENMAY, H.R.

    1999-02-23

    This Blend Plan documents the alternate feed material items for the thermal stabilization process that will be used in place of the metal items that were originally planned to be processed. Problems with resolution of the safety basis for the metal items resulted in the decision to run material that already had an established safety basis. Various in process and scrap recovery items stored in gloveboxes, plutonium oxide and plutonium oxide mixed with uranium oxide stored in 2736-Z vaults will be processed through the stabilization furnaces until the safety basis for the metal items has been resolved. The purpose of thermal stabilization is to heat the material to 1000 degrees Celsius to drive off all volatile materials and leave the plutonium and/or uranium as oxides. The stabilized material will be sampled to determine the Loss On Ignition (LOI). The stabilized material must meet LOI of less than 0.5% to be acceptable for storage under DOE-STD-3013-94 specifications. Out of specification material will be recycled through the furnaces until the LOI limits are met.

  6. Thermal Stabilization FY 1999 blend plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    RISENMAY, H.R.

    1999-01-01

    This Blend Plan documents the alternate feed material items for the thermal stabilization process that will be used in place of the metal items that were originally planned to be processed. Problems with resolution of the safety basis for the metal items resulted in the decision to run material that already had an established safety basis. Various in process and scrap recovery items stored in gloveboxes, plutonium oxide and plutonium oxide mixed with uranium oxide stored in 2736-Z vaults will be processed through the stabilization furnaces until the safety basis for the metal items has been resolved. The purpose of thermal stabilization is to heat the material to 1000 degrees Celsius to drive off all volatile materials and leave the plutonium and/or uranium as oxides. The stabilized material will be sampled to determine the Loss On Ignition (LOI). The stabilized material must meet LOI of less than 0.5% to be acceptable for storage under DOE-STD-3013-94 specifications. Out of specification material will be recycled through the furnaces until the LOI limits are met

  7. Thermal stabilization FY 1999 blend plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    RISENMAY, H.R.

    1999-01-01

    This Blend Plan documents the alternate feed material items for the thermal stabilization process that will be used in place of the metal items that were originally planned to be processed. Problems with resolution of the safety basis for the metal items resulted in the decision to run material that already had an established safety basis. Various in process and scrap recovery items stored in gloveboxes, plutonium oxide and plutonium oxide mixed with uranium oxide stored in 2736-2 vaults will be processed through the stabilization furnaces until the safety basis for the metal items has been resolved. The purpose of thermal stabilization is to heat the material to 1000 degrees Celsius to drive off all volatile materials and leave the plutonium and/or uranium as oxides. The stabilized material will be sampled to determine the Loss On Ignition (LOI). The stabilized material must meet LOI of less than 0.5% to be acceptable for storage under DOE-STD-3013-94 specifications. Out of specification material will be recycled through the furnaces until the LOI limits are met

  8. Thermal stabilization FY 1999 blend plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    RISENMAY, H.R.

    1999-06-01

    This Blend Plan documents the alternate feed material items for the thermal stabilization process that will be used in place of the metal items that were originally planned to be processed. Problems with resolution of the safety basis for the metal items resulted in the decision to run material that already had an established safety basis. Various in process and scrap recovery items stored in gloveboxes, plutonium oxide and plutonium oxide mixed with uranium oxide stored in 2736-2 vaults will be processed through the stabilization furnaces until the safety basis for the metal items has been resolved. The purpose of thermal stabilization is to heat the material to 1000 degrees Celsius to drive off all volatile materials and leave the plutonium and/or uranium as oxides. The stabilized material will be sampled to determine the Loss On Ignition (LOI). The stabilized material must meet LOI of less than 0.5% to be acceptable for storage under DOE-STD-3013-94 specifications. Out of specification material will be recycled through the furnaces until the LOI limits are met.

  9. Empowering stakeholders through simulation in water resources planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palmer, R.N.; Keyes, A.M.; Fisher, S.

    1993-01-01

    During the past two years, researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have had the unique opportunity to facilitate and observe the development of drought planning activities associated with the National Drought Study (NDS) and its Drought Preparedness Studies (DPS) sites as sponsored by the Institute of Water Resources of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Each of the DPS sites is unique, with different study objectives and institutional constraints. However, one uniform requirement of the study is to develop tactical and strategic drought plans that can be successfully implemented within the study region. At the onset of the study, it was recognized that successful implementation is directly related to the active involvement of affected parties and agencies (denoted as stakeholders) and the degree to which they support the plan's conclusions. Their involvement is also necessary because the problems addressed by the DPS's require the experience and knowledge of a variety of water resource interests in order to arrive at effective alternatives. Their support of the plan conclusions enables regional implementation. Several techniques were used to encourage stakeholder participation in the planning process. Individuals representing the stakeholders had a wide range of professional backgrounds. This paper concentrates on one specific approach found useful in encouraging comprehensive and meaningful participation by a wide range of stakeholders; the development of object-oriented simulation models for the water resource systems under study. Simulation models were to develop tactical and strategic drought plans and to ensure the acceptance of the plans by building consensus among the stakeholders. The remainder of this paper describes: how simulation models became a part of the National Drought Study, procedures used to develop the DPS models, and how the model empowered stakeholders

  10. THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ECONOMIC MOROCCAN SME’s PERFORMANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan ABBAR

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Among management activities, the strategic function retains increasingly attention of authors being interested in SME's (small and medium-sized enterprise performance. Indeed, there are many authors who think that by following a strategy building formal process, SMEs can increase chances of success, while others consider that by trusting their manager’s intuition, SMEs can stimulate creativity and develop important competitive advantages at the same time. Further to these controversies, we aim through this communication to partake in this debate mattering to both researchers and managers by revising the relation between strategic planning and SMEs' economic performance. So as to handle this matter, we verify nearby 100 Moroccan SMEs, the degree of importance they grant to strategic planning. We also examine how SMEs strategic planning may or not be associated with their economic performance as measured by average variation sales over the last three years.

  11. Predicting College Students' Intention to Graduate: A Test of the Theory of Planned Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, Nate; Paulson, Sharon

    2016-01-01

    The current study examined whether it is possible to increase college students' intention to earn a four-year degree with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Three research questions were examined: (1) Can the TPB predict traditional undergraduates' graduation intention? (2) Does graduation intention differ by traditional students' year of…

  12. Tax savings for your practice. New tax law accelerates depreciation write-off.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dennis-Escoffier, Shirley; Quintana, Olga

    2004-04-01

    The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 provides benefits for your medical group practice by quadrupling the expensing deduction and increasing additional first-year bonus depreciation. These increases are not permanent--some expire as soon as the end of 2004. So now is the time to start planning to maximize the tax-saving benefits for your practice.

  13. Increasingly Global: Combining an International Business Degree with a Post-Degree Designation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Rachel; Terry, Andy; Vibhakar, Ashvin

    2006-01-01

    In the increasingly complex and competitive global marketplace, many students seek to gain multiple skills and credentials that can aid them in their career goals. One such career strategy weds a general overarching comprehensive degree with a specific and targeted skill set. This paper provides a viable curriculum path for students who seek…

  14. Using a virtual world for robot planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benjamin, D. Paul; Monaco, John V.; Lin, Yixia; Funk, Christopher; Lyons, Damian

    2012-06-01

    We are building a robot cognitive architecture that constructs a real-time virtual copy of itself and its environment, including people, and uses the model to process perceptual information and to plan its movements. This paper describes the structure of this architecture. The software components of this architecture include PhysX for the virtual world, OpenCV and the Point Cloud Library for visual processing, and the Soar cognitive architecture that controls the perceptual processing and task planning. The RS (Robot Schemas) language is implemented in Soar, providing the ability to reason about concurrency and time. This Soar/RS component controls visual processing, deciding which objects and dynamics to render into PhysX, and the degree of detail required for the task. As the robot runs, its virtual model diverges from physical reality, and errors grow. The Match-Mediated Difference component monitors these errors by comparing the visual data with corresponding data from virtual cameras, and notifies Soar/RS of significant differences, e.g. a new object that appears, or an object that changes direction unexpectedly. Soar/RS can then run PhysX much faster than real-time and search among possible future world paths to plan the robot's actions. We report experimental results in indoor environments.

  15. Roster of Astronomy Departments with Enrollment and Degree Data, 2012: Results from the 2012 Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. Focus On

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholson, Starr; Mulvey, Patrick J.

    2013-01-01

    The U.S. has experienced a sharp increase in the number of bachelor astronomy degrees awarded in recent years with about twice as many degrees now being awarded than a decade ago. There were 385 astronomy bachelor's degrees awarded in the 2011-12 academic year. The number of astronomy PhDs awarded in recent years is up about 50% from a decade…

  16. Framework for Risk-based Planning of Operation and Maintenance for Offshore Wind Turbines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    2009-01-01

    , and to sequential optimal decision making on planning of OM taking into account new information. Deterioration mechanisms such as fatigue, corrosion, wear and erosion are associated with significant uncertainty. Observations of the degree of damage can increase the reliability of predictions, especially......For offshore wind turbines, costs to operation and maintenance (OM) are substantial. This paper describes a risk-based life cycle approach for optimal planning of OM. The approach is based on pre-posterior Bayesian decision theory, and can be used both to overall, initial planning of OM...... in connection with condition-based maintenance. The approach can be used for gearboxes, generators, fatigue cracks, corrosion, etc. This paper also describes how probabilistic indicators can be used to quantify indirect information about the damage state for critical components, e.g. gearboxes....

  17. Current Trends in Associate Degree Nursing Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackstone, Elaine Grant

    This study was designed to ascertain current trends in associate degree nursing programs and to discover innovative ideas and techniques which could be applied to the existing program at Miami-Dade Community College (Florida). Data was compiled from interviews with representatives of ten associate degree nursing programs in six states. Information…

  18. Requirements of British universities for higher medical degrees.

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, R

    1991-01-01

    OBJECTIVE--To examine the requirements and opportunities for obtaining a doctor of medicine or master of surgery degree from a university in the United Kingdom other than the graduate's own, particularly in the case of foreign graduates. DESIGN--Review of regulations governing the award of doctor of medicine and master of surgery degrees in British universities. SETTING--All 19 universities in the United Kingdom offering clinical courses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Availability of degrees to gradu...

  19. Degree Day Requirements for Kudzu Bug (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), a Pest of Soybeans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Jessica I; Lamp, William O

    2018-04-02

    Understanding the phenology of a new potential pest is fundamental for the development of a management program. Megacopta cribraria Fabricius (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), kudzu bug, is a pest of soybeans first detected in the United States in 2009 and in Maryland in 2013. We observed the phenology of kudzu bug life stages in Maryland, created a Celsius degree-day (CDD) model for development, and characterized the difference between microhabitat and ambient temperatures of both kudzu, Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. (Fabales: Fabaceae) and soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merrill (Fabales: Fabaceae). In 2014, low population numbers yielded limited resolution from field phenology observations. We observed kudzu bug populations persisting within Maryland; but between 2013 and 2016, populations were low compared to populations in the southeastern United States. Based on the degree-day model, kudzu bug eggs require 80 CDD at a minimum temperature of 14°C to hatch. Nymphs require 545 CDD with a minimum temperature of 16°C for development. The CDD model matches field observations when factoring a biofix date of April 1 and a minimum preoviposition period of 17 d. The model suggests two full generations per year in Maryland. Standard air temperature monitors do not affect model predictions for pest management, as microhabitat temperature differences did not show a clear trend between kudzu and soybeans. Ultimately, producers can predict the timing of kudzu bug life stages with the CDD model for the use of timing management plans in soybean fields.

  20. Protograph LDPC Codes with Node Degrees at Least 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Divsalar, Dariush; Jones, Christopher

    2006-01-01

    In this paper we present protograph codes with a small number of degree-3 nodes and one high degree node. The iterative decoding threshold for proposed rate 1/2 codes are lower, by about 0.2 dB, than the best known irregular LDPC codes with degree at least 3. The main motivation is to gain linear minimum distance to achieve low error floor. Also to construct rate-compatible protograph-based LDPC codes for fixed block length that simultaneously achieves low iterative decoding threshold and linear minimum distance. We start with a rate 1/2 protograph LDPC code with degree-3 nodes and one high degree node. Higher rate codes are obtained by connecting check nodes with degree-2 non-transmitted nodes. This is equivalent to constraint combining in the protograph. The condition where all constraints are combined corresponds to the highest rate code. This constraint must be connected to nodes of degree at least three for the graph to have linear minimum distance. Thus having node degree at least 3 for rate 1/2 guarantees linear minimum distance property to be preserved for higher rates. Through examples we show that the iterative decoding threshold as low as 0.544 dB can be achieved for small protographs with node degrees at least three. A family of low- to high-rate codes with minimum distance linearly increasing in block size and with capacity-approaching performance thresholds is presented. FPGA simulation results for a few example codes show that the proposed codes perform as predicted.

  1. Progressive Diaphragm Atrophy in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glau, Christie L; Conlon, Thomas W; Himebauch, Adam S; Yehya, Nadir; Weiss, Scott L; Berg, Robert A; Nishisaki, Akira

    2018-02-05

    Diaphragm atrophy is associated with delayed weaning from mechanical ventilation and increased mortality in critically ill adults. We sought to test for the presence of diaphragm atrophy in children with acute respiratory failure. Prospective, observational study. Single-center tertiary noncardiac PICU in a children's hospital. Invasively ventilated children with acute respiratory failure. Diaphragm thickness at end-expiration and end-inspiration were serially measured by ultrasound in 56 patients (median age, 17 mo; interquartile range, 5.5-52), first within 36 hours of intubation and last preceding extubation. The median duration of mechanical ventilation was 140 hours (interquartile range, 83-201). At initial measurement, thickness at end-expiration was 2.0 mm (interquartile range, 1.8-2.5) and thickness at end-inspiration was 2.5 mm (interquartile range, 2-2.8). The change in thickness at end-expiration during mechanical ventilation between first and last measurement was -13.8% (interquartile range, -27.4% to 0%), with a -3.4% daily atrophy rate (interquartile range, -5.6 to 0%). Thickening fraction = ([thickness at end-inspiration - thickness at end-expiration]/thickness at end-inspiration) throughout the course of mechanical ventilation was linearly correlated with spontaneous breathing fraction (beta coefficient, 9.4; 95% CI, 4.2-14.7; p = 0.001). For children with a period of spontaneous breathing fraction less than 0.5 during mechanical ventilation, those with exposure to a continuous neuromuscular blockade infusion (n = 15) had a significantly larger decrease in thickness at end-expiration compared with children with low spontaneous breathing fraction who were not exposed to a neuromuscular blockade infusion (n = 18) (-16.4%, [interquartile range, -28.4% to -7.0%] vs -7.3%; [interquartile range, -10.9% to -0%]; p = 0.036). Diaphragm atrophy is present in children on mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure. Diaphragm contractility, measured as

  2. Structure and origin of the 85 degrees E ridge

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Ramana, M.V.; Subrahmanyam, V.; Chaubey, A.K.; Ramprasad, T.; Sarma, K.V.L.N.S.; Krishna, K.S.; Desa, M.; Murty, G.P.S.; Subrahmanyam, C

    The submerged 85 degrees E Ridge in the Bay of Bengal trends approximately N-S between 19 degrees N and 6 degrees N latitudes. Off the southeast coast of Sri Lanka it takes an arcuate shape and seems to terminate with the northweard extension...

  3. Shrinkage Degree in $L_{2}$ -Rescale Boosting for Regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Lin; Lin, Shaobo; Wang, Yao; Xu, Zongben

    2017-08-01

    L 2 -rescale boosting ( L 2 -RBoosting) is a variant of L 2 -Boosting, which can essentially improve the generalization performance of L 2 -Boosting. The key feature of L 2 -RBoosting lies in introducing a shrinkage degree to rescale the ensemble estimate in each iteration. Thus, the shrinkage degree determines the performance of L 2 -RBoosting. The aim of this paper is to develop a concrete analysis concerning how to determine the shrinkage degree in L 2 -RBoosting. We propose two feasible ways to select the shrinkage degree. The first one is to parameterize the shrinkage degree and the other one is to develop a data-driven approach. After rigorously analyzing the importance of the shrinkage degree in L 2 -RBoosting, we compare the pros and cons of the proposed methods. We find that although these approaches can reach the same learning rates, the structure of the final estimator of the parameterized approach is better, which sometimes yields a better generalization capability when the number of sample is finite. With this, we recommend to parameterize the shrinkage degree of L 2 -RBoosting. We also present an adaptive parameter-selection strategy for shrinkage degree and verify its feasibility through both theoretical analysis and numerical verification. The obtained results enhance the understanding of L 2 -RBoosting and give guidance on how to use it for regression tasks.

  4. Maximizing the Spread of Influence via Generalized Degree Discount.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaojie; Zhang, Xue; Zhao, Chengli; Yi, Dongyun

    2016-01-01

    It is a crucial and fundamental issue to identify a small subset of influential spreaders that can control the spreading process in networks. In previous studies, a degree-based heuristic called DegreeDiscount has been shown to effectively identify multiple influential spreaders and has severed as a benchmark method. However, the basic assumption of DegreeDiscount is not adequate, because it treats all the nodes equally without any differences. To consider a general situation in real world networks, a novel heuristic method named GeneralizedDegreeDiscount is proposed in this paper as an effective extension of original method. In our method, the status of a node is defined as a probability of not being influenced by any of its neighbors, and an index generalized discounted degree of one node is presented to measure the expected number of nodes it can influence. Then the spreaders are selected sequentially upon its generalized discounted degree in current network. Empirical experiments are conducted on four real networks, and the results show that the spreaders identified by our approach are more influential than several benchmark methods. Finally, we analyze the relationship between our method and three common degree-based methods.

  5. Dirac's minimum degree condition restricted to claws

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broersma, Haitze J.; Ryjacek, Z.; Schiermeyer, I.

    1997-01-01

    Let G be a graph on n 3 vertices. Dirac's minimum degree condition is the condition that all vertices of G have degree at least . This is a well-known sufficient condition for the existence of a Hamilton cycle in G. We give related sufficiency conditions for the existence of a Hamilton cycle or a

  6. Evaluation of Plan Implementation: Peri-urban Development and the Shanghai Master Plan 1999-2020

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinghuan He

    2015-01-01

    guided by the Plan 1999. It is not surprising that plans are left behind in the context of such unprecedented growth, but the pilot programmes and the key projects proposed in the Plan 1999 were implemented with a high level of conformance. However, the Plan 1999 performed differently in local urban projects, with varying degrees of project conformity, development process and development timing. Second, there was variation in the delivery of the main objectives to the subsequent urban plans, the consistency between the Plan 1999 and the related sector plans, the ways of interaction between involved actors and their reactions to the plan, and the methods of land development. Overall, the Plan 1999 performed better in the case of North Jinqiao Export Processing Zone because the governments (at both national and municipal levels intervened more in the development process, compared with the case of Xinmin Development Area. The performance of the plan is closely related to the level of conformity between the plan and the actual development. Therefore, although the conformance-based and performance-based approaches to implementation can be separated conceptually, they are very interconnected in practice. Third, the urban planning system in Shanghai has experienced a structural reorganization in terms of the system of plans, the involved actors and the planning instruments since the late 1980s. But the emphasis on the rational technocratic process used in the 1960s in the western society is still predominant in the planning system in Shanghai. Aside from the demanding urban growth, the other reason of non-conformance between the actual peri-urban development and the Plan 1999 and bad performance of the Plan 1999 in local projects is a big gap between the seemingly rational operation of the urban planning system and the reality of external challenges. The current planning system lacks proper coordination with the external challenges, such as insufficient investigation of the

  7. Text Linguistics in Research Papers Prepared by University Students: Teaching through Lesson Plans and Textbooks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Albarrán-Santiago

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This research project revolves around the properties of text linguistics under a qualitative approach.  The author analyzed drafts of a research paper by two university students as well as lesson plans and textbooks of high school Spanish Language and Literature courses and lesson plans of courses from the Licentiate degree in Education.  According to the information from the drafts, students struggle with coherence and cohesion in writing; however, they succeed in choosing the correct language for the type of writing.  Difficulties are most likely due to fact that this topic is not included in secondary education plans and is not commonly addressed in textbooks or university classes.  In conclusion, teachers should include the properties of text linguistics in their lesson plans in order to help students overcome these difficulties.

  8. A Degree Distribution Optimization Algorithm for Image Transmission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Wei; Yang, Junjie

    2016-09-01

    Luby Transform (LT) code is the first practical implementation of digital fountain code. The coding behavior of LT code is mainly decided by the degree distribution which determines the relationship between source data and codewords. Two degree distributions are suggested by Luby. They work well in typical situations but not optimally in case of finite encoding symbols. In this work, the degree distribution optimization algorithm is proposed to explore the potential of LT code. Firstly selection scheme of sparse degrees for LT codes is introduced. Then probability distribution is optimized according to the selected degrees. In image transmission, bit stream is sensitive to the channel noise and even a single bit error may cause the loss of synchronization between the encoder and the decoder. Therefore the proposed algorithm is designed for image transmission situation. Moreover, optimal class partition is studied for image transmission with unequal error protection. The experimental results are quite promising. Compared with LT code with robust soliton distribution, the proposed algorithm improves the final quality of recovered images obviously with the same overhead.

  9. Epilogue: degrees of transparency

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hengeveld, K.

    2011-01-01

    In this epilogue the results of the analyses of four different languages in the preceding papers are compared. It is shown that the degrees of transparency of these languages can be represented on an implicational scale, and that the features themselves can be ranked on a transparency scale as well.

  10. Application of super-omni wedge concept to conformal radiotherapy treatment planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai Jianrong; Fu Weihua; Hu Yimin

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To describe a method which can optimize beam weight, wedge angle, and wedge orientation simultaneously by combining the super-omni wedge (SOW) concept with the function of beam weight optimization provided by a commercial treatment planning system. Methods: A five-step procedure including: Step 1. To set up four 60 degree nominal wedged beams for each beam direction with the wedge orientations of 'LEFT', 'IN', 'RIGHT', 'OUT', respectively; Step 2. To define an optimization request, including an optimization goal and constraints. Authors use CMS Focus treatment planning system which allows us to choose 'maximize target dose' or 'minimize critical structure dose' as the optimization goal, and to set minimum target dose, maximum target dose, and maximum average dose of critical structures as constraints. Then the optimization process was launched as step 3; Step 4. To evaluate the plan using isodose distributions and dose-volume histograms. If acceptable, go to Step 5. Otherwise, go back to Step 2 to modify optimization constraints; and Step 5. Transform the SOW beams into the beams of omni wedge so as to reduce the number of to-be-delivered beams. Results: This procedure was found being able to demonstrate successfully in two clinical cases: an esophageal carcinoma and a brain tumor. Compared with manually designed plan, the optimized plan showed better dose homogeneity in the targets and better sparing of the critical structures. Conclusions: This method described is able to optimize beam weights while working with a treatment planning system. Not only does it improve treatment plans' quality, but also shorten the treatment planning process

  11. Degrees of polarization for a quantum field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez-Soto, L L; Soederholm, J; Yustas, E C; Klimov, A B; Bjoerk, G

    2006-01-01

    Unpolarized light is invariant with respect to any SU(2) polarization transformation. Since this fully characterizes the set of density matrices representing unpolarized states, we introduce the degree of polarization of a quantum state as its distance to the set of unpolarized states. We discuss different candidates of distance, and show that they induce fundamentally different degrees of polarization

  12. Planning documents: a business planning strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaehrle, P A

    2000-06-01

    Strategic planning and business plan development are essential nursing management skills in today's competitive, fast paced, continually changing health care environment. Even in times of great uncertainty, nurse managers need to plan and forecast for the future. A well-written business plan allows nurse managers to communicate their expertise and proactively contribute to the programmatic decisions and changes occurring within their patient population or service area. This article presents the use of planning documents as a practical, strategic business planning strategy. Although the model addresses orthopedic services specifically, nurse managers can gain an understanding and working knowledge of planning concepts that can be applied to all patient populations.

  13. Making Sense of the Combined Degree Experience: The Example of Criminology Double Degrees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wimshurst, Kerry; Manning, Matthew

    2017-01-01

    Little research has been undertaken on student experiences of combined degrees. The few studies report that a considerable number of students experienced difficulty with the contrasting epistemic/disciplinary demands of the component programmes. A mixed-methods approach was employed to explore the experiences of graduates from four double degrees…

  14. Wind energy planning in England, Wales and Denmark: Factors influencing project success

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLaren Loring, Joyce

    2007-01-01

    Land-use planning poses a significant barrier to the further development of on-shore wind energy in many countries. There has been increasing discussion regarding the use of public participation in the planning process in order to address concerns of local residents and ease conflicts. This research explores the dynamics of the planning process for wind energy in England, Wales and Denmark in order to better understand the factors influencing project success. Through 18 in-depth case studies, it investigates the degree of local community participation in the planning process and the stability of the network of individuals and organisations involved in the project to determine their relationship to the public's acceptance of the project and the planning outcome. The study draws on the frameworks of public participation in planning and actor-network theories in order to develop indicators of the level of community involvement and network formation for each case. The analysis discusses predictions made by the theoretical approaches as to the importance of these variables to the success of new projects. The results indicate that projects with high levels of participatory planning are more likely to be publicly accepted and successful. In addition, stable supporting networks are more likely to form. The presence of a stable network of supporters is not found to be related to project acceptance and success; however, the absence of a stable network of opponents is found to be necessary for project acceptance and success in receiving planning permission

  15. First discoveries of z ˜ 6 quasars with the Kilo-Degree Survey and VISTA Kilo-Degree Infrared Galaxy survey

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Venemans, B. P.; Verdoes Kleijn, G. A.; Mwebaze, J.; Valentijn, E. A.; Bañados, E.; Decarli, R.; de Jong, J. T. A.; Findlay, J. R.; Kuijken, K. H.; Barbera, F. La; Mc Farland, John; McMahon, R. G.; Napolitano, N.; Sikkema, G.; Sutherland, W. J.

    2015-01-01

    We present the results of our first year of quasar search in the ongoing ESO public Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) and VISTA Kilo-Degree Infrared Galaxy (VIKING) surveys. These surveys are among the deeper wide-field surveys that can be used to uncover large numbers of z ˜ 6 quasars. This allows us to

  16. Astronautics degrees for the space industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruntman, M.; Brodsky, R. F.; Erwin, D. A.; Kunc, J. A.

    2004-01-01

    The Astronautics Program (http://astronautics.usc.edu) of the University of Southern California (USC) offers a full set of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Aerospace Engineering with emphasis in Astronautics. The Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree programs in Astronautics combine basic science and engineering classes with specialized classes in space technology. The Certificate in Astronautics targets practicing engineers and scientists who enter space-related fields and/or who want to obtain training in specific space-related areas. Many specialized graduate classes are taught by adjunct faculty working at the leading space companies. The Master of Science degree and Certificate are available entirely through the USC Distance Education Network (DEN). Today, the Internet allows us to reach students anywhere in the world through webcasting. The majority of our graduate students, as well as those pursuing the Certificate, work full time as engineers in the space industry and government research and development centers while earning their degrees. The new world of distance learning presents new challenges and opens new opportunities. Distance learning, and particularly the introduction of webcasting, transform the organization of the graduate program and class delivery. We describe in detail the program's academic focus, student reach, and structure of program components. Program development is illustrated by the student enrollment dynamics and related industrial trends; the lessons learned emphasize the importance of feedback from the students and from the space industry.

  17. Registered Nurse (Associate Degree).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

    This document, which is designed for use in developing a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of registered nurse (with an associate degree), lists technical competencies and competency builders for 19 units pertinent to the health technologies cluster in general and 5 units specific to the occupation of registered nurse. The following…

  18. THE PROFESSIONAL CHOICE OF GRADUATES WITH A BACHELOR DEGREE AS A PROGNOSTIC TASK SOLUTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. A. Regush

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Nowadays, modern students graduate from higher education institutions in the conditions of unwarranted employment, and they are given full freedom of the professional choice after graduation. The aim of the research is to describe the process of the professional choice among graduates with an accredited bachelor degree as a prognostic task solution. Methodology and research methods. The research is based on the analysis and generalization of research literature on the issues of professional self-determination, the theory of anticipation, forecasting psychology, and modeling of predictive activity at the speech-thought level. The method of experiment was used as an empirical method wherein the predictive task was the stimulus material. Results and scientific novelty. The characteristic of a predictive task is given. The authors’ technique «Predictive Task: Professional Choice» is briefly presented; empirical data on professional intentions of graduates with a bachelors degree were collected during the approbation. The weakest links of the professional choice process among the students are revealed as follows: a lack of relevant system information for implementation of the professional choice; incompleteness  of professional self-identification and hypothetical thinking among students during their training in higher education institutions. Thus, the directions of further studies of professional self-determination of university graduates are planned: identification of psychological determinants; comparison of initial attitudes of employment of students of federal and regional higher education institutions; analysis of features of the professional choice of graduates of various specialties. Practical significance. The materials of the present research can form the basis for development of the practical recommendations to optimize pedagogical maintenance of professional self-determination of students of higher education

  19. Social vulnerability indicators as a sustainable planning tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Yung-Jaan

    2014-01-01

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

  20. Social vulnerability indicators as a sustainable planning tool

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2014-01-15

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

  1. Sci-Thur AM: Planning - 04: Evaluation of the fluence complexity, solution quality, and run efficiency produced by five fluence parameterizations implemented in PARETO multiobjective radiotherapy treatment planning software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Champion, H; Fiege, J; McCurdy, B; Potrebko, P; Cull, A

    2012-07-01

    PARETO (Pareto-Aware Radiotherapy Evolutionary Treatment Optimization) is a novel multiobjective treatment planning system that performs beam orientation and fluence optimization simultaneously using an advanced evolutionary algorithm. In order to reduce the number of parameters involved in this enormous search space, we present several methods for modeling the beam fluence. The parameterizations are compared using innovative tools that evaluate fluence complexity, solution quality, and run efficiency. A PARETO run is performed using the basic weight (BW), linear gradient (LG), cosine transform (CT), beam group (BG), and isodose-projection (IP) methods for applying fluence modulation over the projection of the Planning Target Volume in the beam's-eye-view plane. The solutions of each run are non-dominated with respect to other trial solutions encountered during the run. However, to compare the solution quality of independent runs, each run competes against every other run in a round robin fashion. Score is assigned based on the fraction of solutions that survive when a tournament selection operator is applied to the solutions of the two competitors. To compare fluence complexity, a modulation index, fractal dimension, and image gradient entropy are calculated for the fluence maps of each optimal plan. We have found that the LG method results in superior solution quality for a spine phantom, lung patient, and cauda equina patient. The BG method produces solutions with the highest degree of fluence complexity. Most methods result in comparable run times. The LG method produces superior solution quality using a moderate degree of fluence modulation. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  2. [Study of the reineta protein modifications (Brama australis), put under freezing and storage to -18 degrees C and -30 degrees C].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abugoch, Lilian; Quitral, Vilma; Larraín, M Angélica; Vinagre, Julia; Kriukov, Andrei; Chávez, Gloria

    2006-12-01

    The objective of the present work was to study functional and thermal properties of reineta (Brama australis) frozen meat, analysed by water retention capacity (WRC), gel forming capacity (GFC), texture, emulsifying capacity and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For this study, reineta fillets were obtained and extracted by the same conditions, and cutted, packaged, frozen and stored at -18 degrees C and -30 degrees C for 7 months. The results obtained, showed that there were no signifficant differences in the responses to thermal treatment for all the specimens. For samples frozen at -18 degrees C and -30 degrees C, the protein contents were 23.5 + 0.0 and 25.4 + 1.0%, respectively. The WRC values were 0.45 + 0.1 and 1.59 +/- 0.0 g water/g protein, respectively. The gel forming capacity was only present in the fresh samples, whereas the frozen stored ones only form protein aggregates. The emulsifying capacity was between 960 and 1400 g oil / g protein, and the storage time increased this value. The miosin denaturation temperature (Td) and denaturation enthalpy (?H), obtained by DSC, fluctuated between 39.2 +/- 0.5 to 44.8 +/- 0.8 degrees C and 1.12 +/- 0.3 to 0.52 +/- 0.2 J/g, respectively. The actina values were between 71.0 +/- 0.6 to 75.3 +/- 0.5 degrees C and between 0.5 +/- 0.1 to 0.7 +/- 0.1 J/g. Cooperativity decreased as the storage time increased. This is showing a certain degree of protein displacement. The values found by thermal analyses showed a direct relationship with the functional properties, both decreasing with storage time.

  3. Developing 360 degree feedback system for KINS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, In Soo; Cheon, B. M.; Kim, T. H.; Ryu, J. H. [Chungman National Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2003-12-15

    This project aims to investigate the feasibility of a 360 degree feedback systems for KINS and to design guiding rules and structures in implementing that systems. Literature survey, environmental analysis and questionnaire survey were made to ensure that 360 degree feedback is the right tool to improve performance in KINS. That review leads to conclusion that more readiness and careful feasibility review are needed before implementation of 360 degree feedback in KINS. Further the project suggests some guiding rules that can be helpful for successful implementation of that system in KINS. Those include : start with development, experiment with one department, tie it to a clear organization's goal, train everyone involve, make sure to try that system in an atmosphere of trust.

  4. Developing 360 degree feedback system for KINS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, In Soo; Cheon, B. M.; Kim, T. H.; Ryu, J. H.

    2003-12-01

    This project aims to investigate the feasibility of a 360 degree feedback systems for KINS and to design guiding rules and structures in implementing that systems. Literature survey, environmental analysis and questionnaire survey were made to ensure that 360 degree feedback is the right tool to improve performance in KINS. That review leads to conclusion that more readiness and careful feasibility review are needed before implementation of 360 degree feedback in KINS. Further the project suggests some guiding rules that can be helpful for successful implementation of that system in KINS. Those include : start with development, experiment with one department, tie it to a clear organization's goal, train everyone involve, make sure to try that system in an atmosphere of trust

  5. Copula-based modeling of degree-correlated networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raschke, Mathias; Schläpfer, Markus; Trantopoulos, Konstantinos

    2014-01-01

    Dynamical processes on complex networks such as information exchange, innovation diffusion, cascades in financial networks or epidemic spreading are highly affected by their underlying topologies as characterized by, for instance, degree–degree correlations. Here, we introduce the concept of copulas in order to generate random networks with an arbitrary degree distribution and a rich a priori degree–degree correlation (or ‘association’) structure. The accuracy of the proposed formalism and corresponding algorithm is numerically confirmed, while the method is tested on a real-world network of yeast protein–protein interactions. The derived network ensembles can be systematically deployed as proper null models, in order to unfold the complex interplay between the topology of real-world networks and the dynamics on top of them. (paper)

  6. Radiation protection enrollments and degrees, 1979 and 1980

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gove, R.M.; Little, J.R.; Shirley, D.L.

    1981-07-01

    Public concern over the effects of low-level radiation and other aspects of the use of nuclear energy has grown in recent years, and the demand for radiation protection has continued to increase. Radiation Protection Enrollments and Degrees presents the results of the latest survey of institutions offering degree programs in this field. Students obtaining such degrees are vital to the development of industry, medicine, research, power production, construction, and agriculture. These surveys assist state and federal governments in their search for such personnel

  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. The Synthesis Method of Automated System of Operational Planning in Low-Space Communication System Messaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serhii Kovbasiuk

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available One of the reasons for the decrease of efficiency in low-speed communication systems, satellite communication, which are based on nanoplatform is a high degree of operational planning centralisation. To overcome this problem the method which carries out the distribution of tasks of communications operational planning minimizing the exchange of information between spatially remote sites, and takes into account the computing performance of software and hardware was developed. The technique is based on the use of methods of structural and parametric synthesis, simulation and statistical analysis of the results. Its use allows to obtain the optimal structure of the automated system of operational planning in low-space communication system messaging evaluation of efficiency in terms of fixed communication of information load.

  9. Planning deficits in polysubstance dependent users: Differential associations with severity of drug use and intelligence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valls-Serrano, C; Verdejo-García, A; Caracuel, A

    2016-05-01

    Polysubstance use is associated with alterations in different components of executive functioning such as working memory and response inhibition. Nevertheless, less attention has been given to executive planning skills, which are required to benefit of low structured interventions. This study examines the association between severity of use of cocaine, heroin, alcohol, fluid and crystallized intelligence and planning tasks varying on degree of structure. Data were collected from 60 polysubstance users and 30 healthy controls. Cognitive assessment consisted of three planning tasks with different structure levels: Stockings of Cambridge, Zoo Map test, and Multiple Errands Test. Polysubstance users had significant planning deficits across the three tasks compared to healthy controls. Hierarchical regression models showed that severity of drug use and fluid and crystallized intelligence significantly explained performance in all the planning tasks. However, these associations were higher for low-structured real world tasks. These low-structured tasks also showed a unique association with crystallized but not fluid intelligence. Drug abuse is negatively associated with planning abilities, and intelligence is positively associated with planning performance in real-world tasks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Test plan for ISV laboratory-pyrolysis testing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McAtee, R.E.

    1991-09-01

    The objective of the laboratory-pyrolysis studies is to obtain information on the high temperature (< 1200{degree}C) degradation and alteration of organic chemicals and materials similar to those found in the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, Pit 9. This test plan describes experimental procedures, sampling and analysis strategy, sampling procedures, sample control, and document management. It addresses safety issues in the experimental apparatus and procedures, personal training, and hazardous waste disposal. Finally, it describes the data quality objectives using the EPA tiered approach to treatability studies to define where research/scoping tests fit into these studies and the EPA analytical levels required for the tests.

  11. Health Physics Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2006 Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

    2007-01-01

    This annual survey collects 2006 data on the number of health physics degrees awarded as well as the number of students enrolled in health physics academic programs. Thirty universities offer health physics degrees; all responded to the survey

  12. Geometric evolution of complex networks with degree correlations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Charles; Allard, Antoine; Laurence, Edward; St-Onge, Guillaume; Dubé, Louis J.

    2018-03-01

    We present a general class of geometric network growth mechanisms by homogeneous attachment in which the links created at a given time t are distributed homogeneously between a new node and the existing nodes selected uniformly. This is achieved by creating links between nodes uniformly distributed in a homogeneous metric space according to a Fermi-Dirac connection probability with inverse temperature β and general time-dependent chemical potential μ (t ) . The chemical potential limits the spatial extent of newly created links. Using a hidden variable framework, we obtain an analytical expression for the degree sequence and show that μ (t ) can be fixed to yield any given degree distributions, including a scale-free degree distribution. Additionally, we find that depending on the order in which nodes appear in the network—its history—the degree-degree correlations can be tuned to be assortative or disassortative. The effect of the geometry on the structure is investigated through the average clustering coefficient 〈c 〉 . In the thermodynamic limit, we identify a phase transition between a random regime where 〈c 〉→0 when β 0 when β >βc .

  13. The Striking Progress of African Americans in Degree Attainments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 2002

    2002-01-01

    While the number of blacks earning bachelor's and master's degrees has risen significantly since 1985, and the number of black doctoral degrees rose 110 percent, the percentage of all degrees awarded to blacks at all levels is far lower than the black percentage of the U.S. population. Black women earn 65.7 percent of all doctorates awarded to…

  14. Multivariate correlation analysis of eye cyclotorsion degree in corneal refractive surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Guang Niu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To explore the correlation between eye cyclotorsion degrees and patient's age, gender, diopter and other factors in corneal refractive surgery. METHODS: A total of 762 wavefront-guided LASIK patients with 1524 eyes were retrospectively analyzed from January 2010 to December 2013 in our hospital. Iris recognition was accomplished successfully and eye cyclotorsion degrees were recorded intraoperatively for all the patients. The correlations between eye cyclotorsion degrees and patient's age, gender, different eye, diopter and the dominant eye or not were statistically analyzed. In which correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between eye cyclotorsion degrees and age and diopter, while the correlations with gender, different eye and the dominant eye or not were analyzed using t-test.RESULTS: The eye cyclotorsion degrees of patients were 0 to 9.7 degrees with an average of 3.08±2.22 degrees. Amongst the average cyclotorsion of 444 men with 888 eyes were 3.05±2.26 degrees, 318 women with 636 eyes were 3.12±2.15 degrees and there were no significant differences(t=1.905, P=0.168. The average age of all the patients was 22.6±5.4y. No significant correlation was found between cyclotorsion degrees and age(r=-0.012, P=0.748. The mean spherical equivalent was -4.76±1.77 degrees, and there was no significant correlation between the eye cyclotorsion degrees and spherical equivalent(r=0.017, P=0.633. The mean cylinder was -0.60±0.64 degrees of no significant correlation with eye cyclotorsion degrees(r=-0.004, P=0.910. The cyclotorsion of dominant eyes of all the patients was 3.0±2.17 degrees, and the non-dominant eyes were 3.11±2.12 degrees. No significant differences were found(t=-0.521,P=0.603. CONCLUSION: The eye cyclotorsion degrees occurred in LASIK surgery had no correlation with age, gender, different eye, diopter and the dominant eye or not.

  15. Most probable degree distribution at fixed structural entropy

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Here we derive the most probable degree distribution emerging ... the structural entropy of power-law networks is an increasing function of the expo- .... tition function Z of the network as the sum over all degree distributions, with given energy.

  16. Education evolution: a historical perspective of associate degree nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orsolini-Hain, Liana; Waters, Verle

    2009-05-01

    Exploring the inception and growth of associate degree nursing education informs our understanding of what led to such explosive growth so that most of the nursing workforce is currently educated at the associate degree level. The success of associate degree nursing programs led to many divisive years in nursing education of differentiation of practice debates that were hardly productive. Work world practices and patient needs are creating pressures on community colleges to join forces with universities to increase the percentage of baccalaureate-educated nurses. Associate degree nursing education continues to evolve to meet the demands of a higher educated nursing workforce.

  17. Astronomy Degree Recipients Initial Employment: Results from the Follow-Up Survey of Degree Recipients, Classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012 Combined. Focus On

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pold, Jack; Mulvey, Patrick

    2015-01-01

    Each fall the Statistical Research Center (SRC) conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the US to provide information concerning the numbers of students they have enrolled and counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, SRC asks for the names and…

  18. Astronomy Degree Recipients: Initial Employment. Data from the Degree Recipient Follow-Up Survey for the Classes of 2007, 2008 and 2009. Focus On

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulvey, Patrick; Shindel, Brandon

    2011-01-01

    Each fall the Statistical Research Center conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the US to provide information concerning the numbers of students they have enrolled and counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, the authors ask for the names and…

  19. Where are the black-hole entropy degrees of freedom?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Saurya; Shankaranarayanan, S

    2007-01-01

    Understanding the area proportionality of black-hole entropy (the 'area law') from an underlying fundamental theory has been one of the goals of all models of quantum gravity. A key question that one asks is: where are the degrees of freedom giving rise to black-hole entropy located? Taking the point of view that entanglement between field degrees of freedom inside and outside the horizon can be a source of this entropy, we show that when the field is in its ground state, the degrees of freedom near the horizon contribute most to the entropy, and the area law is obeyed. However, when it is in an excited state, degrees of freedom far from the horizon contribute more significantly, and deviations from the area law are observed. In other words, we demonstrate that horizon degrees of freedom are responsible for the area law

  20. Uncovering the multiple objectives behind national energy efficiency planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haydt, Gustavo; Leal, Vítor; Dias, Luís

    2013-01-01

    This work seeks to identify the fundamental objectives behind the development of energy efficiency (EE) plans for countries. It also presents a method to quantify the degree of achievement of each objective, through the identification and operationalization of attributes. This was achieved by applying Keeney's value-focused thinking approach. For that purpose, three key decision makers in EE planning were interviewed along with a bibliographic review on the subject. From this process six fundamental objectives were identified formalizing the problem as a multi-objective one: (i) to minimize the influence of energy use on climate change; (ii) to minimize the financial risk from the investment; (iii) to maximize the security of energy supply; (iv) to minimize investment costs; (v) to minimize the impacts of building new power plants and transmission infrastructures and (vi) to maximize the local air quality. The respective attributes were: (i) CO 2 emissions savings; (ii) payback; (iii) imported energy savings; (iv) investment cost; (v) electricity savings; and (vi) total suspended particles savings. To show the usefulness of the work, the objectives and attributes identified were used to show the possible outcomes from five hypothetical EE plans for Portugal

  1. A quality assurance index for brachytherapy treatment plan verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simpson, J.B.; Clarke, J.P.

    2000-01-01

    A method is described which provides an independent verification of a brachytherapy treatment plan. The method is applicable to any common geometric configuration and utilises a simple equation derived from a common form of nonlinear regression. The basis for the index value is the relationship between the treatment time, prescribed dose, source strength and plan geometry. This relationship may be described mathematically as: Total Treatment Time ∝ Prescribed Dose/Source Strength x (a geometric term) with the geometric term incorporating three geometric components, namely the distance from source positions to points of dose normalisation (d), the total length of the dwell positions (L), and the number of source trains or catheters (N). A general equation of the form GF = k (d) -α (L) -β (N) -y is used to describe the plan geometry, where GF is what we have termed the geometric factor, k is a constant of proportionality and the exponents are derived from the non-linear regression process. The resulting index is simple to calculate prior to patient treatment and sensitive enough to identify significant error whilst being robust enough to allow for a normal degree of geometric distortion

  2. Clean air plans and action plans: perspectives from the viewpoint of environmental and public health; Luftreinhalteplaene und Aktionsplaene - eine Bewertung aus umweltmedizinischer Sicht

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eikmann, T.; Herr, C. [Inst. fuer Hygiene und Umweltmedizin, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg, Justus-Liebig-Univ. Giessen, Giessen (Germany); [Technische Univ. Dreden, Pirna (Germany). Inst. fuer Abfallwirtschaft und Altlasten; Koeckler, H. [Center for Environmental Systems Research (CESR), Univ. Kassel (Germany); [Mentec GmbH, Aue/Sa. (Germany); Nieden, A. zur [Inst. fuer Hygiene und Umweltmedizin, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg, Justus-Liebig-Univ. Giessen, Giessen (Germany); FG Stadtklimatologie, Univ. Kassel (Germany); Katzschner, L. [FG Stadtklimatologie, Univ. Kassel (Germany); [INTECUS Dresden GmbH (Germany); Schimmelpfennig, M. [Gesundheitsamt der Stadt Kassel (Germany); Eikmann, S. [GUK - Gesellschaft fuer Umwelttoxikologie und Krankenhaushygiene mbH, Wetzlar (Germany)

    2005-07-01

    The present discussion on the health effects associated with airborne fine particulate matter has lead to an increased public interest in the general framework of compilation and evaluation of clean air plans and actions plans. While the surveys of the ''old'' clean air plans of the 80ies and 90ies of the last century relied on assessment of direct and indirect effects of air pollution on human health (and ecology), theses surveys are not part of the ''new'' clean air plans according to European law. This reduction of surveys and actions directed at threshold compliance only, abandons assessing, i.e., documentation and evaluation the health status and quality of life of populations. Assessment of individual and focus group specific sensibility and vulnerability becomes possible once health related, sociodemographic and environmental data are combined. By this, unequal life chance, i.e., unimpaired health as well as reasonable strategies towards minimizing environmental injustice can be identified. As of yet it is unclear, to what extend quality of life and quality of environment of populations living in air polluted areas are attributable to socioeconomic factors. Likewise, it is not known to which degree the environmental quality of individuals and families is self determined. This has to be considered especially for children, immigrants and women. These issues i.e., environmental justice/injustice should be considered in future projects on the development of clean air plans and especially actions plans derived thereof. Scientists, government officials and physicians working in field of preventive or environmental medicine cannot agree to a limitation of the cautionary principle to the bare compliance with thresholds. (orig.)

  3. Independence, Odd Girth, and Average Degree

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Löwenstein, Christian; Pedersen, Anders Sune; Rautenbach, Dieter

    2011-01-01

      We prove several tight lower bounds in terms of the order and the average degree for the independence number of graphs that are connected and/or satisfy some odd girth condition. Our main result is the extension of a lower bound for the independence number of triangle-free graphs of maximum...... degree at most three due to Heckman and Thomas [Discrete Math 233 (2001), 233–237] to arbitrary triangle-free graphs. For connected triangle-free graphs of order n and size m, our result implies the existence of an independent set of order at least (4n−m−1) / 7.  ...

  4. Mixed-Degree Spherical Simplex-Radial Cubature Kalman Filter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiyuan Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Conventional low degree spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filters often generate low filtering accuracy or even diverge for handling highly nonlinear systems. The high-degree Kalman filters can improve filtering accuracy at the cost of increasing computational complexity; nevertheless their stability will be influenced by the negative weights existing in the high-dimensional systems. To efficiently improve filtering accuracy and stability, a novel mixed-degree spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filter (MSSRCKF is proposed in this paper. The accuracy analysis shows that the true posterior mean and covariance calculated by the proposed MSSRCKF can agree accurately with the third-order moment and the second-order moment, respectively. Simulation results show that, in comparison with the conventional spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filters that are based on the same degrees, the proposed MSSRCKF can perform superior results from the aspects of filtering accuracy and computational complexity.

  5. Are UK undergraduate Forensic Science degrees fit for purpose?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welsh, Charles; Hannis, Marc

    2011-09-01

    In October 2009 Skills for Justice published the social research paper 'Fit for purpose?: Research into the provision of Forensic Science degree programmes in UK Higher Education Institutions.' The research engaged employers representing 95% of UK Forensic Science providers and 79% of UK universities offering Forensic Science or Crime Scene degree programmes. In addition to this, the research collected the views of 430 students studying these degrees. In 2008 there were approximately 9000 people working in the Forensic Science sector in the UK. The research found that the numbers of students studying Forensic Science or Crime Scene degrees in the UK have more than doubled since 2002-03, from 2191 in to 5664 in 2007-08. Over the same period there were twice as many females as males studying for these degrees. The research concluded that Forensic Science degree programmes offered by UK universities were of a good quality and they provided the student with a positive learning experience but the content was not relevant for Forensic Science employers. This echoed similar research by the former Government Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on graduates from wider science, technology, engineering and mathematics degree programmes. The research also found that 75% of students studying Forensic Science or Crime Scene degrees expected to have a career in the Forensic Science sector, meaning that ensuring these courses are relevant for employers is a key challenge for universities. This paper reflects on the original research and discusses the implications in light of recent government policy. Copyright © 2011 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. 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

  7. Characteristic of 120 degree C thermoluminescence peak of iceland spar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Xinwei; Han Jia

    2006-01-01

    The basic characteristic of 120 degree C thermoluminescence peak of iceland spar was studied. The experimental result indicates the longevity of 120 degree C thermoluminescence peak of iceland spar is about 2 h under 30 degree C. The thermoluminescence peak moves to the high temperature when the heating speed increasing. The intensity of 120 degree C thermoluminescence peak of iceland spar is directly proportional to radiation dose under 15 Gy. (authors)

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2005-12-01

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

  9. A robotized six degree of freedom stage for optical microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avramov, M. Z.; Ivanov, I.; Pavlov, V.; Zaharieva, K.

    2013-04-01

    This work represents an investigation of the possibility to use a hexapod system for optical microscopy investigation and measurements. An appropriate hexapod stage has been developed. The stage has been calibrated and used for several different optical microscopy applications. The construction of the stage is based on the classic Stewart platform and thus represents a parallel robot with 6 degree of freedom. Appropriate software is controlling the transformation of the 3 position coordinates of the moving plate and the 3 Euler angles in position velocities and accelerations of the plate motion. An embedded microcontroller is implementing the motion plan and the PID controller regulating the kinematics. By difference to the available in the market hexapods the proposed solution is with lower precision but is significantly cheaper and simple to maintain. The repeatability obtained with current implementation is 0,05 mm and 0,001 rad. A specialized DSP based video processing engine is used for both feedback computation and application specific image processing in real-time. To verify the concept some applications has been developed for specific tasks and has been used for specific measurements.

  10. A unique degree program for pre-pharmacy education: An undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari, Mahtab

    2018-02-01

    Within the coming decade, the demand for well-trained pharmacists is expected to only increase, especially with the aging of the United States (US) population. To help fill this growing demand, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) aims to offer a unique pre-pharmacy degree program and has developed a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences to help achieve this goal. In this commentary, we share our experience with our curriculum and highlight its features in an effort to encourage other institutions to enhance the learning experience of their pre-pharmacy students. The efforts of the UCI Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences has resulted in UCI being consistently ranked as one of the top feeder institutions by the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) in recent years. The UCI Pharmaceutical Sciences Bachelor of Science offers a unique pre-pharmacy educational experience in an effort to better prepare undergraduates for the rigors of the doctorate of pharmacy curriculum. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  11. Population equations for degree-heterogenous neural networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kähne, M.; Sokolov, I. M.; Rüdiger, S.

    2017-11-01

    We develop a statistical framework for studying recurrent networks with broad distributions of the number of synaptic links per neuron. We treat each group of neurons with equal input degree as one population and derive a system of equations determining the population-averaged firing rates. The derivation rests on an assumption of a large number of neurons and, additionally, an assumption of a large number of synapses per neuron. For the case of binary neurons, analytical solutions can be constructed, which correspond to steps in the activity versus degree space. We apply this theory to networks with degree-correlated topology and show that complex, multi-stable regimes can result for increasing correlations. Our work is motivated by the recent finding of subnetworks of highly active neurons and the fact that these neurons tend to be connected to each other with higher probability.

  12. Linear analysis of degree correlations in complex networks

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Many real-world networks such as the protein–protein interaction networks and metabolic networks often display nontrivial correlations between degrees of vertices connected by edges. Here, we analyse the statistical methods used usually to describe the degree correlation in the networks, and analytically give linear ...

  13. Effect of beamlet step-size on IMRT plan quality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Guowei; Jiang Ziping; Shepard, David; Earl, Matt; Yu, Cedric

    2005-01-01

    We have studied the degree to which beamlet step-size impacts the quality of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment plans. Treatment planning for IMRT begins with the application of a grid that divides each beam's-eye-view of the target into a number of smaller beamlets (pencil beams) of radiation. The total dose is computed as a weighted sum of the dose delivered by the individual beamlets. The width of each beamlet is set to match the width of the corresponding leaf of the multileaf collimator (MLC). The length of each beamlet (beamlet step-size) is parallel to the direction of leaf travel. The beamlet step-size represents the minimum stepping distance of the leaves of the MLC and is typically predetermined by the treatment planning system. This selection imposes an artificial constraint because the leaves of the MLC and the jaws can both move continuously. Removing the constraint can potentially improve the IMRT plan quality. In this study, the optimized results were achieved using an aperture-based inverse planning technique called direct aperture optimization (DAO). We have tested the relationship between pencil beam step-size and plan quality using the American College of Radiology's IMRT test case. For this case, a series of IMRT treatment plans were produced using beamlet step-sizes of 1, 2, 5, and 10 mm. Continuous improvements were seen with each reduction in beamlet step size. The maximum dose to the planning target volume (PTV) was reduced from 134.7% to 121.5% and the mean dose to the organ at risk (OAR) was reduced from 38.5% to 28.2% as the beamlet step-size was reduced from 10 to 1 mm. The smaller pencil beam sizes also led to steeper dose gradients at the junction between the target and the critical structure with gradients of 6.0, 7.6, 8.7, and 9.1 dose%/mm achieved for beamlet step sizes of 10, 5, 2, and 1 mm, respectively

  14. Radiation treatment planning techniques for lymphoma of the stomach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Della Biancia, Cesar; Hunt, Margie; Furhang, Eli; Wu, Elisa; Yahalom, Joachim

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: Involved-field radiation therapy of the stomach is often used in the curative treatment of gastric lymphoma. Yet, the optimal technique to irradiate the stomach with minimal morbidity has not been well established. This study was designed to evaluate treatment planning alternatives for stomach irradiation, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), to determine which approach resulted in improved dose distribution and to identify patient-specific anatomic factors that might influence a treatment planning choice. Methods and Materials: Fifteen patients with lymphoma of the stomach (14 mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas and 1 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) were categorized into 3 types, depending on the geometric relationship between the planning target volume (PTV) and kidneys. AP/PA and 3D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) plans were generated for each patient. IMRT was planned for 4 patients with challenging geometric relationship between the PTV and the kidneys to determine whether it was advantageous to use IMRT. Results: For type I patients (no overlap between PTV and kidneys), there was essentially no benefit from using 3DCRT over AP/PA. However, for patients with PTVs in close proximity to the kidneys (type II) or with high degree of overlap (type III), the 4-field 3DCRT plans were superior, reducing the kidney V 15Gy by approximately 90% for type II and 50% for type III patients. For type III, the use of a 3DCRT plan rather than an AP/PA plan decreased the V 15Gy by approximately 65% for the right kidney and 45% for the left kidney. In the selected cases, IMRT led to a further decrease in left kidney dose as well as in mean liver dose. Conclusions: The geometric relationship between the target and kidneys has a significant impact on the selection of the optimum beam arrangement. Using 4-field 3DCRT markedly decreases the kidney dose. The addition of IMRT led to further incremental improvements in the left kidney and liver

  15. Bouguer gravity anomaly and isostatic residual gravity maps of the Tonopah 1 degree by 2 degrees Quadrangle, central Nevada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plouff, Donald

    1992-01-01

    These gravity maps are part of a folio of maps of the Tonopah 1 degree by 2 degrees quadrangle, Nevada, prepared under the Conterminous United States Mineral Assessment Program. Each product of the folio is designated by a different letter symbol, starting with A, in the MF-1877 folio. The quadrangle encompasses an area of about 19,500 km2  in the west central part of Nevada.

  16. Language Planning and Planned Languages: How Can Planned Languages Inform Language Planning?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Humphrey Tonkin

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The field of language planning (LP has largely ignored planned languages. Of classic descriptions of LP processes, only Tauli (preceded by Wüster suggests that planned languages (what Wüster calls Plansprache might bear on LP theory and practice. If LP aims "to modify the linguistic behaviour of some community for some reason," as Kaplan and Baldauf put it, creating a language de novo is little different. Language policy and planning are increasingly seen as more local and less official, and occasionally more international and cosmopolitan. Zamenhof's work on Esperanto provides extensive material, little studied, documenting the formation of the language and linking it particularly to issues of supranational LP. Defining LP decision-making, Kaplan & Baldauf begin with context and target population. Zamenhof's Esperanto came shortly before Ben-Yehuda's revived Hebrew. His target community was (mostly the world's educated elite; Ben-Yehuda's was worldwide Jewry. Both planners were driven not by linguistic interest but by sociopolitical ideology rooted in reaction to anti-Semitism and imbued with the idea of progress. Their territories had no boundaries, but were not imaginary. Function mattered as much as form (Haugen's terms, status as much as corpus. For Zamenhof, status planning involved emphasis on Esperanto's ownership by its community - a collective planning process embracing all speakers (cf. Hebrew. Corpus planning included a standardized European semantics, lexical selectivity based not simply on standardization but on representation, and the development of written, and literary, style. Esperanto was successful as linguistic system and community language, less as generally accepted lingua franca. Its terminology development and language cultivation offers a model for language revival, but Zamenhof's somewhat limited analysis of language economy left him unprepared to deal with language as power.

  17. Constrained multi-degree reduction with respect to Jacobi norms

    KAUST Repository

    Ait-Haddou, Rachid; Barton, Michael

    2015-01-01

    We show that a weighted least squares approximation of Bézier coefficients with factored Hahn weights provides the best constrained polynomial degree reduction with respect to the Jacobi L2L2-norm. This result affords generalizations to many previous findings in the field of polynomial degree reduction. A solution method to the constrained multi-degree reduction with respect to the Jacobi L2L2-norm is presented.

  18. Constrained multi-degree reduction with respect to Jacobi norms

    KAUST Repository

    Ait-Haddou, Rachid

    2015-12-31

    We show that a weighted least squares approximation of Bézier coefficients with factored Hahn weights provides the best constrained polynomial degree reduction with respect to the Jacobi L2L2-norm. This result affords generalizations to many previous findings in the field of polynomial degree reduction. A solution method to the constrained multi-degree reduction with respect to the Jacobi L2L2-norm is presented.

  19. 78 FR 59998 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BOX Options Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-30

    ...-Laws. The change will apply only to series of option contracts opened for trading after the effective...-monthly expiration contracts are currently traded with business day expiration dates. These include FLEX... business day of their expiration (i.e., for Friday expirations), or, in the case of an option contract...

  20. Minimal-effort planning of active alignment processes for beam-shaping optics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haag, Sebastian; Schranner, Matthias; Müller, Tobias; Zontar, Daniel; Schlette, Christian; Losch, Daniel; Brecher, Christian; Roßmann, Jürgen

    2015-03-01

    In science and industry, the alignment of beam-shaping optics is usually a manual procedure. Many industrial applications utilizing beam-shaping optical systems require more scalable production solutions and therefore effort has been invested in research regarding the automation of optics assembly. In previous works, the authors and other researchers have proven the feasibility of automated alignment of beam-shaping optics such as collimation lenses or homogenization optics. Nevertheless, the planning efforts as well as additional knowledge from the fields of automation and control required for such alignment processes are immense. This paper presents a novel approach of planning active alignment processes of beam-shaping optics with the focus of minimizing the planning efforts for active alignment. The approach utilizes optical simulation and the genetic programming paradigm from computer science for automatically extracting features from a simulated data basis with a high correlation coefficient regarding the individual degrees of freedom of alignment. The strategy is capable of finding active alignment strategies that can be executed by an automated assembly system. The paper presents a tool making the algorithm available to end-users and it discusses the results of planning the active alignment of the well-known assembly of a fast-axis collimator. The paper concludes with an outlook on the transferability to other use cases such as application specific intensity distributions which will benefit from reduced planning efforts.

  1. AN INVESTIGATION ON THE FOREST ROAD PLANNING AND ROAD GROUND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hafız Hulusi ACAR

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available It is required that the capital used for construction of road must be technical, economical and used in its location. For this reason, the projects must be prepared for forest roads and all operations belong to roads must be guided according to these projects. In this investigation, available forest road network plan and constructed forest roads were investigated at the point of view technical and forest transportation. After this, it were studied to reach the highest exploitation rate as can as possible. Available forest road density were found as 11.9 m/ha in forest areas for Yesiltepe District. In this condition, exploitation rate was 78 %. After that, optimum forest road network were planned and road density were reached to 22 m/ha and exploitation rate to 86 %. Directed sample method were used from taking soil sample methods and samples were took in mixed system. According to results of the experiments, available forest roads were found in a good degree at the point of view endurance, pressing and transportation capacity. With these results, it is aimed to reach higher exploitation rate with given attention to landslide areas during planning of forest roads on the mountain areas such as Black Sea Region. For this reason, required importance must be given to planning of truck and logging roads. Ground analysis must be done and took care before during planning process of forest road network.

  2. [The use of the quality function deployment (QFD) in the planning of care].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuda, L M; Evora, Y D; Boan, F S

    1998-01-01

    This research aimed at suggesting an alternative to achieve quality in Nursing Service through an exploratory-descriptive study with 114 patients. A planning model was has been elaborated the steps and actions outlined by the Quality Function Deployment Method. It was based on Total Quality Control management approach. Seventeen steps has been established in order to seek clients' needs and through successive deployment and priority, the main Quality Features and Procedures which supported standardisation and monitoring of proposed actions has been determined. The outcomes showed that this method is feasible for Nursing Service Quality Planning because it has enabled to review the context as a whole, providing major degree of certainty on decisions.

  3. Cautious but Committed: Moving Toward Adaptive Planning and Operation Strategies for Renewable Energy's Wildlife Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Köppel, Johann; Dahmen, Marie; Helfrich, Jennifer; Schuster, Eva; Bulling, Lea

    2014-10-01

    Wildlife planning for renewable energy must cope with the uncertainties of potential wildlife impacts. Unfortunately, the environmental policies which instigate renewable energy and those which protect wildlife are not coherently aligned—creating a green versus green dilemma. Thus, climate mitigation efforts trigger renewable energy development, but then face substantial barriers from biodiversity protection instruments and practices. This article briefly reviews wind energy and wildlife interactions, highlighting the lively debated effects on bats. Today, planning and siting of renewable energy are guided by the precautionary principle in an attempt to carefully address wildlife challenges. However, this planning attitude creates limitations as it struggles to negotiate the aforementioned green versus green dilemma. More adaptive planning and management strategies and practices hold the potential to reconcile these discrepancies to some degree. This adaptive approach is discussed using facets of case studies from policy, planning, siting, and operational stages of wind energy in Germany and the United States, with one case showing adaptive planning in action for solar energy as well. This article attempts to highlight the benefits of more adaptive approaches as well as the possible shortcomings, such as reduced planning security for renewable energy developers. In conclusion, these studies show that adaptive planning and operation strategies can be designed to supplement and enhance the precautionary principle in wildlife planning for green energy.

  4. Cautious but committed: moving toward adaptive planning and operation strategies for renewable energy's wildlife implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Köppel, Johann; Dahmen, Marie; Helfrich, Jennifer; Schuster, Eva; Bulling, Lea

    2014-10-01

    Wildlife planning for renewable energy must cope with the uncertainties of potential wildlife impacts. Unfortunately, the environmental policies which instigate renewable energy and those which protect wildlife are not coherently aligned-creating a green versus green dilemma. Thus, climate mitigation efforts trigger renewable energy development, but then face substantial barriers from biodiversity protection instruments and practices. This article briefly reviews wind energy and wildlife interactions, highlighting the lively debated effects on bats. Today, planning and siting of renewable energy are guided by the precautionary principle in an attempt to carefully address wildlife challenges. However, this planning attitude creates limitations as it struggles to negotiate the aforementioned green versus green dilemma. More adaptive planning and management strategies and practices hold the potential to reconcile these discrepancies to some degree. This adaptive approach is discussed using facets of case studies from policy, planning, siting, and operational stages of wind energy in Germany and the United States, with one case showing adaptive planning in action for solar energy as well. This article attempts to highlight the benefits of more adaptive approaches as well as the possible shortcomings, such as reduced planning security for renewable energy developers. In conclusion, these studies show that adaptive planning and operation strategies can be designed to supplement and enhance the precautionary principle in wildlife planning for green energy.

  5. Assessment of Aliasing Errors in Low-Degree Coefficients Inferred from GPS Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Na Wei

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available With sparse and uneven site distribution, Global Positioning System (GPS data is just barely able to infer low-degree coefficients in the surface mass field. The unresolved higher-degree coefficients turn out to introduce aliasing errors into the estimates of low-degree coefficients. To reduce the aliasing errors, the optimal truncation degree should be employed. Using surface displacements simulated from loading models, we theoretically prove that the optimal truncation degree should be degree 6–7 for a GPS inversion and degree 20 for combing GPS and Ocean Bottom Pressure (OBP with no additional regularization. The optimal truncation degree should be decreased to degree 4–5 for real GPS data. Additionally, we prove that a Scaled Sensitivity Matrix (SSM approach can be used to quantify the aliasing errors due to any one or any combination of unresolved higher degrees, which is beneficial to identify the major error source from among all the unresolved higher degrees. Results show that the unresolved higher degrees lower than degree 20 are the major error source for global inversion. We also theoretically prove that the SSM approach can be used to mitigate the aliasing errors in a GPS inversion, if the neglected higher degrees are well known from other sources.

  6. Degree of Success? A Review of Delivering BSc Honours Degrees in an FE College

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, Colin; Lloyd, Mary Golding

    2009-01-01

    Widening participation initiatives led by the government encourage non-traditional students to enrol in higher education courses usually offered through a franchising arrangement between a Higher Education Institution (HEI) and a local Further Education Institution (FEI). The focus has been on the development of foundation degrees with most…

  7. Chapter 3: Crossing Boundaries--Foundation Degrees in England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longhurst, Derek

    2010-01-01

    This chapter traces the history, purposes, and distinctive features of the foundation degree, a short-cycle higher education qualification introduced in England in 2000-2001 and offered by both universities and further education colleges. The key characteristics of the foundation degree are discussed: employer involvement in curriculum development…

  8. Cross-Evaluation of Degree Programmes in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kettunen, Juha

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: This study seeks to develop and describe the benchmarking approach of enhancement-led evaluation in higher education and to present a cross-evaluation process for degree programmes. Design/methodology/approach: The benchmarking approach produces useful information for the development of degree programmes based on self-evaluation,…

  9. Linear analysis of degree correlations in complex networks

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2016-11-02

    Nov 2, 2016 ... 4College of Science, Qi Lu University of Technology, Jinan 250353, Shandong, China ... cal methods used usually to describe the degree correlation in the ... Most social networks show assorta- .... a clear but only qualitative description of the degree ... is difficult to give quantitative relation between DCC.

  10. Special Report: Top 100 Degree Producers. Part II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black Issues in Higher Education, 1999

    1999-01-01

    Data on the colleges and universities producing the highest numbers of minority master's, doctoral, and first professional degrees in 1996-1997 are presented. Rankings are organized by degree level, ethnic group (African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American), discipline group, and overall graduation rate. Breakouts are also…

  11. 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.

  12. Georgia Power Company's college degree program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coggin, C.L.

    1988-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe Georgia Power Company's on-site college degree program for nuclear power plant personnel. In February 1986, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a policy statement concerning engineering expertise on shift (Generic Letter 86-04), which appeared in Volume 50, Number 208 of the October 28, 1985 Federal Register. One of the options available to nuclear power plant personnel to meet the requirement was the combined senior reactor operator/shift technical adviser position. One of the methods for meeting the option included a bachelor's degree in engineering technology for an accredited institution, including course work in the physical, mathematical, or engineering sciences

  13. Challenges Encountered by Connecticut Partner School Districts when Implementing Legislatively Required District Improvement Plans: An Exploratory Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins, Meghan G.

    2010-01-01

    This research developed a survey that measures the degree to which challenges are experienced by school and district leaders, and teachers, when attempting to implement legislatively required District Improvement Plans (DIPs). The data indicate that there are certainly challenges when implementing DIPs and that teachers report experiencing a…

  14. Effects of action planning and coping planning within the theory of planned behaviour

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pakpour, Amir H.; Zedi, Isa mohammadi; Chatzisarantis, Nikos

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Patients on dialysis have low physical activity levels. The aim of the study was to examine the validity of action planning and coping planning within the theory of planned behaviour framework, for predicting physical activity behaviour of patients on hemodialysis. Methods: One hundred...... and forty four patients who were undergoing emodialysis were selected from dialysis centers. The mean age of the patients was 56.61 (SD= 11.38) years. The patients completed a questionnaire including variables from the theory of planned behaviour, action planning and coping planning. Physical activity...... was prospectively assessed at 4-weeks with the validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire self-report measure. A hierarchical regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of action planning and coping planning on physical activity behaviour. Results: There was a main effect for coping...

  15. Burden of volcanic dust and nuclear debris after injection into the stratosphere at 40 degree to 58 degree N

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volz, F.E.

    1975-01-01

    Meridional profiles of turbidity at some periods after the explosion of Katmai volcano in June 1912 at 58degreeN are compared with debris burden from Chinese nuclear tests. Katmai turbidity was previously obtained from solar radiation data, and debris burden was calculated from published mixing ratio data. Turbidity and burden generally peak strongly in arctic latitudes. Only two tests show indications of a bulge at 30degree-45degreeN which probably existed for Katmai dust in spring 1913. The residence time of Katmai dust was found to have been about 1 year, whereas fallout of nuclear debris seems not to have started before the winter following the tests. For September 1912 the total amount of Katmai aerosol is estimated to have been 13 million metric tons. Analogies to predicted meridional distribution of SST pollutants are being mentioned

  16. Measuring the effectiveness of enterprise resource planning education on business process comprehension

    OpenAIRE

    Monk, Ellen Fischer

    2013-01-01

    This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) are very large and complex software packages that run every aspect of an organization. Increasingly, ERP systems are used in higher education to teach business processes, essential knowledge for students competing in today’s business environment. Past research attempting to measure learning business processes with ERP has been inconclusive and lac...

  17. Development and Field Testing of the FootFall Planning System for the ATHLETE Robots

    Science.gov (United States)

    SunSpiral, Vytas; Wheeler, D. W.; Chavez-Clementa, Daniel; Mittman, David

    2011-01-01

    The FootFall Planning System is a ground-based planning and decision support system designed to facilitate the control of walking activities for the ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) family of robots. ATHLETE was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and is a large six-legged robot designed to serve multiple roles during manned and unmanned missions to the Moon; its roles include transportation, construction and exploration. Over the four years from 2006 through 2010 the FootFall Planning System was developed and adapted to two generations of the ATHLETE robots and tested at two analog field sites (the Human Robotic Systems Project's Integrated Field Test at Moses Lake, Washington, June 2008, and the Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS), held at Black Point Lava Flow in Arizona, September 2010). Having 42 degrees of kinematic freedom, standing to a maximum height of just over 4 meters, and having a payload capacity of 450 kg in Earth gravity, the current version of the ATHLETE robot is a uniquely complex system. A central challenge to this work was the compliance of the high-DOF (Degree Of Freedom) robot, especially the compliance of the wheels, which affected many aspects of statically-stable walking. This paper will review the history of the development of the FootFall system, sharing design decisions, field test experiences, and the lessons learned concerning compliance and self-awareness.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  19. Phase relations in the metal-rich portions of the phase system Pt-Ir-Fe-S at 1000 degrees C and 1100 degrees C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Makovicky, E.; Karup-Møller, Sven

    2000-01-01

    Phase relations in the S-poor portions of the dry condensed Pt-Ir-Fe-S system were determined at 1000 degrees and 1100 degreesC with a particular emphasis on delineation of the solid solubility fields of the Pt-Ir-Fe alloys. At both temperatures, a broad field of gamma (Ir,Fe,Pt) alloy coexists...... with gamma-(Pt,Fe), Pt3Fe and PtFe which dissolve respectively at least 5.1, 29.3 and 24.0 at.% Ir at 1100 degreesC (2.2, 23.6 and less than or equal to 17.2 at.% Ir at 1000 degreesC). Gaps between the nearly Ir-free Pt-Fe alloys gamma (Pt,Fe), Pt3Fe s.s., PtFe s.s. and gamma (Fe,Pt) were estimated as 20......-23 at.%, 40-42 at.% and 54.2-similar to 57 at.% Fe at 1100 degreesC (18-23, 39.5-42.5 and 59-62 at.% Fe at 1000 degreesC). The first gap agrees with data from natural phases by Cabri et ni. (1996). The Fe-rich sulphide melt dissolves only traces of Pt and Ir; Fe1-xS dissolves up to 5.8 at.% Ir at 1100...

  20. Business plan: A preliminary approach to an unknown genre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federico Navarro

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The business plan has been widely included in the curricula of economics degrees and is key to business practice worldwide, but has not been studied from a socio-discursive perspective yet due to restrictions in its social, spatial, and temporal circulation. Based on interviews and a qualitative analysis of a corpus of 38 texts written in Spanish, I aim to provide a preliminary description of the genre. Results indicate that a chain of four phases is associated to a continuum of social settings organized through entrepreneurial/corporate and expert/training variables; its rhetorical structure includes “describing present/potential situation of the company and market” and “describing future processes of strategic actions regarding the marketing, production, and financial plans”. This analysis offers methodological innovations to account for occluded genres, encourages the contrastive study of the business plan in different cultural and linguistic environments, and assists business teachers with a situated picture of the genre