Sample records for included sufficient information
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James, Ryan G.; Mahoney, John R.; Crutchfield, James P.
2017-06-01
One of the most basic characterizations of the relationship between two random variables, X and Y , is the value of their mutual information. Unfortunately, calculating it analytically and estimating it empirically are often stymied by the extremely large dimension of the variables. One might hope to replace such a high-dimensional variable by a smaller one that preserves its relationship with the other. It is well known that either X (or Y ) can be replaced by its minimal sufficient statistic about Y (or X ) while preserving the mutual information. While intuitively reasonable, it is not obvious or straightforward that both variables can be replaced simultaneously. We demonstrate that this is in fact possible: the information X 's minimal sufficient statistic preserves about Y is exactly the information that Y 's minimal sufficient statistic preserves about X . We call this procedure information trimming. As an important corollary, we consider the case where one variable is a stochastic process' past and the other its future. In this case, the mutual information is the channel transmission rate between the channel's effective states. That is, the past-future mutual information (the excess entropy) is the amount of information about the future that can be predicted using the past. Translating our result about minimal sufficient statistics, this is equivalent to the mutual information between the forward- and reverse-time causal states of computational mechanics. We close by discussing multivariate extensions to this use of minimal sufficient statistics.
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When is there sufficient information from the Site Investigations?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Andersson, Johan; Munier, Raymond; Stroem, Anders; Soederbaeck, Bjoern; Almen, Karl-Erik; Olsson, Lars
2004-04-01
can be used in the decision whether and how to continue the investigation. Highlight uncertainty evaluation of aspects of the Site Description judged to be critical to the decision of investigation sufficiency ('uncertainty of key aspects') and to help substantiate how these uncertainties should be explored such that they can be used in the decision analysis. In addressing these objectives the report describes some formal decision analyses tools, assessed potential feedback from Safety Assessment and Rock Engineering, explores some key uncertainty in the Site Description and also explores an example where the decision analyses tools are applied. Based on this work it is generally concluded that the question When to stop the site investigation is a decision problem. In simple words the site investigations should stop when the expected net gain of further investigations is zero or negative, where gain is related to the total cost, which includes several factors besides the direct monetary outlay. Furthermore, this decision perspective should be applied not only in determining the sufficiency of the programme, but also when optimising the remaining parts of the ongoing programme. In particular, it needs to be understood that the Site Investigation is only a step towards the ultimate decision of disposing waste and eventually sealing a repository. The cost and value of information obtained in the Site Investigation Phase, needs to be weighted against the costs and value of obtaining information during later stages. All issues need not be resolved during the Site Investigation Phase. Some could be much better handled later, e.g. during the construction and detailed investigation phase. More specifically, it is recommended to: to actively solicit feedback from Safety Assessment and Repository Engineering, keep track of the uncertainty evaluation of the key aspects of the Site Descriptive Models, develop the Underground Characterisation Programme as this is the next step
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When is there sufficient information from the Site Investigations?
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Andersson, Johan [JA Streamflow AB, Aelvsjoe (Sweden); Munier, Raymond; Stroem, Anders; Soederbaeck, Bjoern [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Almen, Karl-Erik [KEA Geo-konsult (Sweden); Olsson, Lars [Geostatistik AB, Tumba (Sweden)
2004-04-01
can be used in the decision whether and how to continue the investigation. Highlight uncertainty evaluation of aspects of the Site Description judged to be critical to the decision of investigation sufficiency ('uncertainty of key aspects') and to help substantiate how these uncertainties should be explored such that they can be used in the decision analysis. In addressing these objectives the report describes some formal decision analyses tools, assessed potential feedback from Safety Assessment and Rock Engineering, explores some key uncertainty in the Site Description and also explores an example where the decision analyses tools are applied. Based on this work it is generally concluded that the question When to stop the site investigation is a decision problem. In simple words the site investigations should stop when the expected net gain of further investigations is zero or negative, where gain is related to the total cost, which includes several factors besides the direct monetary outlay. Furthermore, this decision perspective should be applied not only in determining the sufficiency of the programme, but also when optimising the remaining parts of the ongoing programme. In particular, it needs to be understood that the Site Investigation is only a step towards the ultimate decision of disposing waste and eventually sealing a repository. The cost and value of information obtained in the Site Investigation Phase, needs to be weighted against the costs and value of obtaining information during later stages. All issues need not be resolved during the Site Investigation Phase. Some could be much better handled later, e.g. during the construction and detailed investigation phase. More specifically, it is recommended to: to actively solicit feedback from Safety Assessment and Repository Engineering, keep track of the uncertainty evaluation of the key aspects of the Site Descriptive Models, develop the Underground Characterisation Programme as this is the
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2011-07-05
... Information Collection: Transformation Initiative Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Small Grants AGENCY... information: Title of Proposal: Notice of Funding Availability for the Transformation Initiative Family Self..., think tanks, consortia, Institutions of higher education accredited by a national or regional...
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Information geometry and sufficient statistics
Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Ay, N.; Jost, J.; Le, Hong-Van; Schwachhöfer, L.
2015-01-01
Roč. 162, 1-2 (2015), s. 327-364 ISSN 0178-8051 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : Fisher quadratic form * Amari-Chentsov tensor * sufficient statistic Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.204, year: 2015 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00440-014-0574-8
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bradford T Ulery
Full Text Available Latent print examiners use their expertise to determine whether the information present in a comparison of two fingerprints (or palmprints is sufficient to conclude that the prints were from the same source (individualization. When fingerprint evidence is presented in court, it is the examiner's determination--not an objective metric--that is presented. This study was designed to ascertain the factors that explain examiners' determinations of sufficiency for individualization. Volunteer latent print examiners (n = 170 were each assigned 22 pairs of latent and exemplar prints for examination, and annotated features, correspondence of features, and clarity. The 320 image pairs were selected specifically to control clarity and quantity of features. The predominant factor differentiating annotations associated with individualization and inconclusive determinations is the count of corresponding minutiae; other factors such as clarity provided minimal additional discriminative value. Examiners' counts of corresponding minutiae were strongly associated with their own determinations; however, due to substantial variation of both annotations and determinations among examiners, one examiner's annotation and determination on a given comparison is a relatively weak predictor of whether another examiner would individualize. The extensive variability in annotations also means that we must treat any individual examiner's minutia counts as interpretations of the (unknowable information content of the prints: saying "the prints had N corresponding minutiae marked" is not the same as "the prints had N corresponding minutiae." More consistency in annotations, which could be achieved through standardization and training, should lead to process improvements and provide greater transparency in casework.
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Green, Carolyn J; Fortin, Patricia; Maclure, Malcolm; Macgregor, Art; Robinson, Sylvia
2006-12-01
Improvement of chronic disease management in primary care entails monitoring indicators of quality over time and across patients and practices. Informatics tools are needed, yet implementing them remains challenging. To identify critical success factors enabling the translation of clinical and operational knowledge about effective and efficient chronic care management into primary care practice. A prospective case study of positive deviants using key informant interviews, process observation, and document review. A chronic disease management (CDM) collaborative of primary care physicians with documented improvement in adherence to clinical practice guidelines using a web-based patient registry system with CDM guideline-based flow sheet. Thirty community-based physician participants using predominantly paper records, plus a project management team including the physician lead, project manager, evaluator and support team. A critical success factor (CSF) analysis of necessary and sufficient pathways to the translation of knowledge into clinical practice. A web-based CDM 'toolkit' was found to be a direct CSF that allowed this group of physicians to improve their practice by tracking patient care processes using evidence-based clinical practice guideline-based flow sheets. Moreover, the information and communication technology 'factor' was sufficient for success only as part of a set of seven direct CSF components including: health delivery system enhancements, organizational partnerships, funding mechanisms, project management, practice models, and formal knowledge translation practices. Indirect factors that orchestrated success through the direct factor components were also identified. A central insight of this analysis is that a comprehensive quality improvement model was the CSF that drew this set of factors into a functional framework for successful knowledge translation. In complex primary care settings environment where physicians have low adoption rates of
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DYNAMIC SUFFICIENCY OF THE MAGNETICALLY SUSPENDED TRAIN
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
V. A. Polyakov
2013-11-01
Full Text Available Purpose. The basic criterion of the magnetically suspended train's consumer estimation is a quality of its mechanical motion. This motion is realized in unpredictable conditions and, for purposefulness preservation, should adapt to them. Such adaptation is possible only within the limits of system’s dynamic sufficiency. Sufficiency is understood as presence at system of resources, which allow one to realize its demanded motions without violating actual restrictions. Therefore presence of such resources is a necessary condition of preservation of required purposefulness of train's dynamics, and verification of the mentioned sufficiency is the major component of this dynamic research. Methodology. Methods of the set theory are used in work. Desirable and actual approachability spaces of the train are found. The train is considered dynamically sufficient in zones of the specified spaces overlapping. Findings. Within the limits of the accepted treatment of train's dynamic sufficiency, verification of its presence, as well as a stock (or deficiency of preservations can be executed by the search and the subsequent estimation of such overlapping zones. Operatively (directly during motion it can be realized on the train's ODC with use, for example, of computer mathematics system Mathematica. It possesses extensive opportunities of highly efficient and, at the same time, demanding an expense concerning small resources information manipulation. The efficiency of using of created technique is illustrated on an example of vehicle's acceleration research. Calculation is executed with use of the constructed computer model of interaction of an independent traction electromagnetic subsystem of an artifact with its mechanical subsystem. Originality. The technique of verification of the high-speed magnetically suspended train's dynamic sufficiency is developed. The technique is highly efficient, it provides sufficient presentation and demands an expense of the
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LDR: A Package for Likelihood-Based Sufficient Dimension Reduction
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
R. Dennis Cook
2011-03-01
Full Text Available We introduce a new mlab software package that implements several recently proposed likelihood-based methods for sufficient dimension reduction. Current capabilities include estimation of reduced subspaces with a fixed dimension d, as well as estimation of d by use of likelihood-ratio testing, permutation testing and information criteria. The methods are suitable for preprocessing data for both regression and classification. Implementations of related estimators are also available. Although the software is more oriented to command-line operation, a graphical user interface is also provided for prototype computations.
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Vaccine procurement and self-sufficiency in developing countries.
Woodle, D
2000-06-01
This paper discusses the movement toward self-sufficiency in vaccine supply in developing countries (and countries in transition to new economic and political systems) and explains special supply concerns about vaccine as a product class. It traces some history of donor support and programmes aimed at self-financing, then continues with a discussion about self-sufficiency in terms of institutional capacity building. A number of deficiencies commonly found in vaccine procurement and supply in low- and middle-income countries are characterized, and institutional strengthening with procurement technical assistance is described. The paper also provides information about a vaccine procurement manual being developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for use in this environment. Two brief case studies are included to illustrate the spectrum of existing capabilities and different approaches to technical assistance aimed at developing or improving vaccine procurement capability. In conclusion, the paper discusses the special nature of vaccine and issues surrounding potential integration and decentralization of vaccine supply systems as part of health sector reform.
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Role of sufficient statistics in stochastic thermodynamics and its implication to sensory adaptation
Matsumoto, Takumi; Sagawa, Takahiro
2018-04-01
A sufficient statistic is a significant concept in statistics, which means a probability variable that has sufficient information required for an inference task. We investigate the roles of sufficient statistics and related quantities in stochastic thermodynamics. Specifically, we prove that for general continuous-time bipartite networks, the existence of a sufficient statistic implies that an informational quantity called the sensory capacity takes the maximum. Since the maximal sensory capacity imposes a constraint that the energetic efficiency cannot exceed one-half, our result implies that the existence of a sufficient statistic is inevitably accompanied by energetic dissipation. We also show that, in a particular parameter region of linear Langevin systems there exists the optimal noise intensity at which the sensory capacity, the information-thermodynamic efficiency, and the total entropy production are optimized at the same time. We apply our general result to a model of sensory adaptation of E. coli and find that the sensory capacity is nearly maximal with experimentally realistic parameters.
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Salahuddin; Husaini; Anwar
2018-01-01
The agricultural sector, especially food crops and horticulture, is one of the sectors driving regional economic pillars in Aceh Utara Regency of Aceh Province. Some agricultural products and food crops that become excellent products in North Aceh regency are: rice, corn, peanuts, long beans, cassava and soybeans. The Local Government of North Aceh Regency has not been optimal in empowering and maximizing the potential of agriculture resources. One of the obstacles is caused by the North Aceh Regency Government does not have an adequate database and web information system/GIS (Geographic Information System) for data management of agricultural centre in North Aceh Regency. This research is expected to assist local government of North Aceh Regency in managing agriculture sector to realize local food independence the region in supporting national food security program. The method in this research is using waterfall method for designing and making information system by conducting sequential process starting from data collection stage, requirement analysis, design, coding, testing and implementation system. The result of this research is a web-based information system for the management of agriculture superior agricultural product centre in North Aceh. This application provides information mapping the location of agricultural superior product producers and mapping of potential locations for the development of certain commodities in North Aceh Regency region in realizing food self-sufficiency in the region.
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Online Learning in Higher Education: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
Lim, Cher Ping
2005-01-01
The spectacular development of information and communication technologies through the Internet has provided opportunities for students to explore the virtual world of information. In this article, the author discusses the necessary and sufficient conditions for successful online learning in educational institutions. The necessary conditions…
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Sufficiency Grounded as Sufficiently Free: A Reply to Shlomi Segall
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Nielsen, Lasse
2016-01-01
be grounded on (i) any personal value, nor (ii) any impersonal value. Consequently, sufficientarianism is groundless. This article contains a rejoinder to this critique. Its main claim is that the value of autonomy holds strong potential for grounding sufficiency. It argues, firstly, that autonomy carries...... both personal value for its recipient as well as impersonal value, and that both of these values are suitable for grounding sufficiency. It thus follows that we should reject both (i) and (ii). Secondly, although autonomy is presumably the strongest candidate for grounding sufficiency, the article...... provides some counterargument to Segall’s rejection of the other candidates—the impersonal value of virtue; the personal value for the allocator; and the personal value for others. If the arguments are sound, they show that we need not worry about sufficientarianism being groundless....
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Energy Strategic Planning & Sufficiency Project
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Retziaff, Greg
2005-03-30
This report provides information regarding options available, their advantages and disadvantages, and the costs for pursuing activities to advance Smith River Rancheria toward an energy program that reduces their energy costs, allows greater self-sufficiency and stimulates economic development and employment opportunities within and around the reservation. The primary subjects addressed in this report are as follows: (1) Baseline Assessment of Current Energy Costs--An evaluation of the historical energy costs for Smith River was conducted to identify the costs for each component of their energy supply to better assess changes that can be considered for energy cost reductions. (2) Research Viable Energy Options--This includes a general description of many power generation technologies and identification of their relative costs, advantages and disadvantages. Through this research the generation technology options that are most suited for this application were identified. (3) Project Development Considerations--The basic steps and associated challenges of developing a generation project utilizing the selected technologies are identified and discussed. This included items like selling to third parties, wheeling, electrical interconnections, fuel supply, permitting, standby power, and transmission studies. (4) Energy Conservation--The myriad of federal, state and utility programs offered for low-income weatherization and utility bill payment assistance are identified, their qualification requirements discussed, and the subsequent benefits outlined. (5) Establishing an Energy Organization--The report includes a high level discussion of formation of a utility to serve the Tribal membership. The value or advantages of such action is discussed along with some of the challenges. (6) Training--Training opportunities available to the Tribal membership are identified.
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12 CFR 516.120 - What information should a comment include?
2010-01-01
... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What information should a comment include? 516.120 Section 516.120 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY APPLICATION PROCESSING PROCEDURES Comment Procedures § 516.120 What information should a comment include? (a...
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G Pitman, Alexander
2017-06-01
Referral to a clinical radiologist is the prime means of communication between the referrer and the radiologist. Current Australian and New Zealand government regulations do not prescribe what clinical information should be included in a referral. This work presents a qualitative compilation of clinical radiologist opinion, relevant professional recommendations, governmental regulatory positions and prior work on diagnostic error to synthesise recommendations on what clinical information should be included in a referral. Recommended requirements on what clinical information should be included in a referral to a clinical radiologist are as follows: an unambiguous referral; identity of the patient; identity of the referrer; and sufficient clinical detail to justify performance of the diagnostic imaging examination and to confirm appropriate choice of the examination and modality. Recommended guideline on the content of clinical detail clarifies when the information provided in a referral meets these requirements. High-quality information provided in a referral allows the clinical radiologist to ensure that exposure of patients to medical radiation is justified. It also minimises the incidence of perceptual and interpretational diagnostic error. Recommended requirements and guideline on the clinical detail to be provided in a referral to a clinical radiologist have been formulated for professional debate and adoption. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.
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Energy Strategic Planning & Self-Sufficiency Project
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Greg Retzlaff
2005-03-30
This report provides information regarding options available, their advantages and disadvantages, and the costs for pursuing activities to advance Smith River Rancheria toward an energy program that reduces their energy costs, allows greater self-sufficiency and stimulates economic development and employment opportunities within and around the reservation. The primary subjects addressed in this report are as follow: (1) Baseline Assessment of Current Energy Costs--An evaluation of the historical energy costs for Smith River was conducted to identify the costs for each component of their energy supply to better assess changes that can be considered for energy cost reductions. (2) Research Viable Energy Options--This includes a general description of many power generation technologies and identification of their relative costs, advantages and disadvantages. Through this research the generation technology options that are most suited for this application were identified. (3) Project Development Considerations--The basic steps and associated challenges of developing a generation project utilizing the selected technologies are identified and discussed. This included items like selling to third parties, wheeling, electrical interconnections, fuel supply, permitting, standby power, and transmission studies. (4) Energy Conservation--The myriad of federal, state and utility programs offered for low-income weatherization and utility bill payment assistance are identified, their qualification requirements discussed, and the subsequent benefits outlined. (5) Establishing an Energy Organization--The report includes a high level discussion of formation of a utility to serve the Tribal membership. The value or advantages of such action is discussed along with some of the challenges. (6) Training--Training opportunities available to the Tribal membership are identified.
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Enough is as good as a feast - sufficiency as policy
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Darby, Sarah [Lower Carbon Futures, Environmental Change Inst., Oxford Univ. Centre for the Environment (United Kingdom)
2007-07-01
The concept of sufficiency has a long history, related as it is to the timeless issues of how best to distribute and use resources. Where energy is concerned, absolute reductions in demand are increasingly seen as necessary in response to climate change and energy security concerns. There is an acknowledgement that, collectively if not individually, humans have gone beyond safe limits in their use of fuels. The relatively wealthy and industrialised nations urgently need to move beyond a primary focus on efficiency to the more contentious issues surrounding demand reduction and sufficiency. The paper considers definitions of energy sufficiency, looks at a recent attempt to model future energy use in terms of efficiency and sufficiency, and discusses quantitative and qualitative aspects of sufficiency and how they might become institutionalised. There are many arguments in favour of sufficiency but they often founder in the face of political requirements for market growth and the employment generated by it. Some options for 'sufficiency policy' are selected, including a focus on energy in relation to livelihoods, energy implications of our use of time and making energy use more transparent.
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The Army Ethic-Inchoate but Sufficient
2015-06-12
are constraints imposed by this thesis. Delimitations include the scope, jus ad bellum, cultural relativism , descriptive ethics , and implementation...politicians. Third, this thesis will not look in depth at cultural relativism and how changes in laws and society’s philosophical and ethical ...THE ARMY ETHIC –INCHOATE BUT SUFFICIENT A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sefer Gumus
2016-01-01
Full Text Available This study was performed in order to examine the relationship between organizational support perceptions and self-sufficiency levels of logistics sector employees and to determine whether organizational support perceptions and self-sufficiency levels of employees differ according to some specification. The questionnaire form consisting of perceived organizational support scale in accordance with the purpose, general self-sufficiency scale and personal information form, was applied to 124 employees of 3 separate logistics firms operating in Istanbul. The data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS17.0 statistical software package on computer. In the assessment of data, descriptive characteristics of employees were determined by frequency and percentage statistics and the self-sufficiency and perceived organizational support levels by the mean and standard deviation statistics. The t test, Tukey test and one-way Anova tests were utilized in determining employees' self-sufficiency and perceived organizational support levels differentiation according to descriptive characteristics, and correlation analysis was utilized in determining the relationship between self-sufficiency and perceived organizational support levels of employees. In conclusion, it was determined that there was statistical relationship between organizational support and self-sufficiency levels perceived by logistics sector employees. Accordingly, when employees' perceived organizational support levels increase then self-sufficiency levels also increase, and when perceived organizational support levels decrease then self-sufficiency levels also decrease.
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Long-Term Resource Adequacy, Long-Term Flexibility Requirements, and Revenue Sufficiency
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Milligan, Michael [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bloom, Aaron P [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Townsend, Aaron [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ela, Erik [Electric Power Research Institute; Botterud, Audun [Argonne National Laboratory; Levin, Todd [Argonne National Laboratory
2018-02-15
Variable generation (VG) can reduce market prices over time and also the energy that other suppliers can sell in the market. The suppliers that are needed to provide capacity and flexibility to meet the long-term reliability requirements may, therefore, earn less revenue. This chapter discusses the topics of resource adequacy and revenue sufficiency - that is, determining and acquiring the quantity of capacity that will be needed at some future date and ensuring that those suppliers that offer the capacity receive sufficient revenue to recover their costs. The focus is on the investment time horizon and the installation of sufficient generation capability. First, the chapter discusses resource adequacy, including newer methods of determining adequacy metrics. The chapter then focuses on revenue sufficiency and how suppliers have sufficient opportunity to recover their total costs. The chapter closes with a description of the mechanisms traditionally adopted by electricity markets to mitigate the issues of resource adequacy and revenue sufficiency and discusses the most recent market design changes to address these issues.
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2010-01-01
... RULEMAKING PROCEDURES Rulemaking Procedures General § 11.35 Does FAA include sensitive security information and proprietary information in the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)? (a) Sensitive security information. You should not submit sensitive security information to the rulemaking docket, unless you are...
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15 CFR 2006.1 - Information to be included in petition.
2010-01-01
... property right, or foreign direct investment matter for which the rights of the United States under the... nature of any foreign direct investment proposed by the United States person, including estimates of... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Information to be included in petition...
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Pricing and crude oil self-sufficiency. [Canada
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1979-11-01
How Canada should go about achieving crude oil self-sufficiency and who should develop Canada's petroleum resources are discussed. The degree of urgency and the level of commitment required by government, industry, and consumers are evaluated. What the price should be of Canadian crude oil and who should establish this price are also discussed. The economic aspects of investment, return, and taxation are also included. (DC)
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40 CFR 725.355 - Information to be included in the TME application.
2010-07-01
... or the environment as a result of the test marketing. The TME application must be in writing and must... the microorganism as a result of test marketing, including information regarding duration and route of... for Test Marketing § 725.355 Information to be included in the TME application. (a) To review a TME...
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Enough is as good as a feast - sufficiency as policy. Volume 1
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Darby, Sarah
2007-01-01
The concept of sufficiency has a long history, related as it is to the timeless issues of how best to distribute and use resources. Where energy is concerned, absolute reductions in demand are increasingly seen as necessary in response to climate change and energy security concerns. There is an acknowledgement that, collectively if not individually, humans have gone beyond safe limits in their use of fuels. The relatively wealthy and industrialised nations urgently need to move beyond a primary focus on efficiency to the more contentious issues surrounding demand reduction and sufficiency. The paper considers definitions of energy sufficiency, looks at a recent attempt to model future energy use in terms of efficiency and sufficiency, and discusses quantitative and qualitative aspects of sufficiency and how they might become institutionalised. There are many arguments in favour of sufficiency but they often founder in the face of political requirements for market growth and the employment generated by it. Some options for 'sufficiency policy' are selected, including a focus on energy in relation to livelihoods, energy implications of our use of time and making energy use more transparent
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Enough is as good as a feast - sufficiency as policy. Volume 1
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Darby, Sarah [Lower Carbon Futures, Environmental Change Inst., Oxford Univ. Centre for the Environment (United Kingdom)
2007-07-01
The concept of sufficiency has a long history, related as it is to the timeless issues of how best to distribute and use resources. Where energy is concerned, absolute reductions in demand are increasingly seen as necessary in response to climate change and energy security concerns. There is an acknowledgement that, collectively if not individually, humans have gone beyond safe limits in their use of fuels. The relatively wealthy and industrialised nations urgently need to move beyond a primary focus on efficiency to the more contentious issues surrounding demand reduction and sufficiency. The paper considers definitions of energy sufficiency, looks at a recent attempt to model future energy use in terms of efficiency and sufficiency, and discusses quantitative and qualitative aspects of sufficiency and how they might become institutionalised. There are many arguments in favour of sufficiency but they often founder in the face of political requirements for market growth and the employment generated by it. Some options for 'sufficiency policy' are selected, including a focus on energy in relation to livelihoods, energy implications of our use of time and making energy use more transparent.
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Information,Informal finance,and SME financing
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
LIN Justin Yifu; SUN Xifang
2006-01-01
Informal finance exists extensively and has been playing an important role in small-and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financing in developing economies,This paper tries to rationalize the extensiveness of informal finance.SME financing suffers more serious information asymmetry to the extent that most SMEs are more opaque and can only provide less collateral.Informal lenders have an advantage over formal financial institutions in collecting "soft information" about SME borrowers.This paper establishes a model including formal and informal lenders and high-and low-risk borrowers with or without sufficient collateral and shows that the credit market in which informal finance is eliminated will allocate funds in some inefficient way,and the efficiency of allocating credit funds can be improved once informal finance is allowed to coexist with formal finance.
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Empowering people. Alleviating poverty through self-sufficiency.
Nahariya, R
1993-03-01
Highlights from an interview with Benjamin D. de Leon, who was appointed Presidential Assistant for Social Development in the Philippines in September 1992, are presented. Mr. de Leon's concern for the marginal sectors of society in health, employment, housing, social welfare, and manpower training as well as his goals of poverty alleviation and people empowerment account for this appointment. Duties include formulating a social development agenda; assisting the Social Development Committee of the Cabinet and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in program implementation; and providing weekly information packages about family planning (FP), health, children, women, and the environment. The social development agenda of the Philippine Medium-term Plan (1992-1998) includes employment, income, wages; population, health and nutrition, and family planning; and housing, education, manpower development, social welfare, and community development. The Plan recognizes that poverty is aggravated by rapid population growth, and it strives to ensure that adolescents, military males, high-risk women, and young unmarried couples receive FP information and services from government agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Adequate resources for population and FP as well as recognizing the relationship among population, resources, and the environment are essential to meet the goals of the plan. The present population and FP policy is based on the 1987 Constitution, which spells out responsible parenthood but also rejects abortion as a method of contraception. The official FP program calls for child survival and safe motherhood and accessible, available, and affordable FP services. The Roman Catholic Church opposes the program, since the Church promotes only the rhythm method, but the other religions approve of the program. Some priests and nuns did not object to the promotion of FP. Sufficient financial support from the international community for the Philippine
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Implementing necessary and sufficient standards for radioactive waste management at LLNL
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sims, J.M.; Ladran, A.; Hoyt, D.
1995-01-01
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Field Office (DOE/OAK), are participating in a pilot program to evaluate the process to develop necessary and sufficient sets of standards for contractor activities. This concept of contractor and DOE jointly and locally deciding on what constitutes the set of standards that are necessary and sufficient to perform work safely and in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, grew out of DOE's Department Standards Committee (Criteria for the Department's Standards Program, August 1994, DOE/EH/-0416). We have chosen radioactive waste management activities as the pilot program at LLNL. This pilot includes low-level radioactive waste, transuranic (TRU) waste, and the radioactive component of low-level and TRU mixed wastes. Guidance for the development and implementation of the necessary and sufficient set of standards is provided in open-quotes The Department of Energy Closure Process for Necessary and Sufficient Sets of Standards,close quotes March 27, 1995 (draft)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stoss, F.W. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
1994-06-01
The issue of global change is international in scope. A body of international organizations oversees the worldwide coordination of research and policy initiatives. In the US the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was established in November of 1993 to provide coordination of science, space, and technology policies throughout the federal government. NSTC is organized into nine proposed committees. The Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources (CERN) oversees the US Department of Energy`s Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). As part of the USGCRP, the US Department of Energy`s Global Change Research Program aims to improve the understanding of Earth systems and to strengthen the scientific basis for the evaluation of policy and government action in response to potential global environmental changes. This paper examines the information and data management roles of several international and national programs, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL`s) global change information programs. An emphasis will be placed on the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC), which also serves as the World Data Center-A for Atmospheric Trace Gases.
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Energy self-sufficiency in Northampton, Massachusetts
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1979-10-01
The study is not an engineering analysis but begins the process of exploring the potential for conservation and local renewable-resource development in a specific community, Northampton, Massachusetts, with the social, institutional, and environmental factors in that community taken into account. Section I is an extensive executive summary of the full study, and Section II is a detailed examination of the potential for increased local energy self-sufficiency in Northampton, including current and future demand estimates, the possible role of conservation and renewable resources, and a discussion of the economic and social implications of alternative energy systems. (MOW)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bratic, S.; Krajacic, G.; Duic, N.; Cotar, A.; Jardas, D.
2011-01-01
In order to analyze energy self-sufficient island, example of a smaller island, connected to the power system of a bigger island with an undersea cable, was taken. Mounting substation 10/0,4 is situated on the island and for the moment it provides enough electricity using the medium voltage line. It is assumed that the island is situated on the north part of the Adriatic Sea. The most important problem that occurs on the island is the population drop that occurs for a significant number of years, therefore, life standard needs to be improved, and economic development needs to be encouraged immediately. Local authorities to stimulate sustainable development on the island through different projects, to breath in a new life to the island, open new jobs and attract new people to come live there. Because of the planned development and increase of the population, energy projects, planned as a support to sustainable development, and later achievement of the energy self-sufficiency, is described in this paper. Therefore, Rewisland methodology appliance is described taking into the account three possible scenarios of energy development. Each scenario is calculated until year 2030. Also, what is taken into the account is 100% usage of renewable sources of energy in 2030. Scenario PTV, PP, EE - This scenario includes installation of solar photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors on the buildings roofs, as well as well as implementation of energy efficiency on the island (replacement of the street light bulbs with LED lightning, replacement of the old windows and doors on the houses, as well as the installation of the thermal insulation). Scenario PV island - This scenario, similarly to the previous one, includes installation of solar photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors an the residential buildings, as well as the 2 MW photovoltaic power plant and ''Green Hotel'', a building that satisfies all of its energy needs completely from renewable energy sources
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Including patients’ perspectives in patient information leaflets: A polyocular approach
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Fage-Butler, Antoinette Mary
2013-01-01
Existing research reveals that patients’ perspectives are missing from mandatory patient information leaflets (PILs). At the same time, there is overwhelming consensus that they should be included in this genre, and a corresponding need for potential approaches to tackle this problem. This paper ...
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Sufficient education attainment for a decent standard of living in modern Australia
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Emily Joy Callander
2012-06-01
Full Text Available Education attainment will impact upon an individual’s capacity to engage in the labour force, their living standards and hence their poverty status. As such, education should be included in measures of poverty. However, it is not known what a sufficient level of education to have a decent standard of living is. Using the 2003 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers different levels of education attainment were tested for their association with labour force participation and income. Based upon this, it was concluded that Year 12 or higher is a sufficient level of education attainment for 15 to 64 year olds; and Year 10 or higher for people over the age of 65 years. This is in line with current government policies to improve Year 12 completion rates. Knowing what a ‘sufficient level of education attainment’ is, allows education to be included in multidimensional measures of poverty that view education as a key dimension of disadvantage.
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Extending FDA guidance to include consumer medication information (CMI) delivery on mobile devices.
Sage, Adam; Blalock, Susan J; Carpenter, Delesha
This paper describes the current state of consumer-focused mobile health application use and the current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on the distribution of consumer medication information (CMI), and discusses recommendations and considerations for the FDA to expand CMI guidance to include CMI in mobile applications. Smartphone-based health interventions have been linked to increased medication adherence and improved health outcomes. Trends in smartphone ownership present opportunities to more effectively communicate and disseminate medication information; however, current FDA guidance for CMI does not outline how to effectively communicate CMI on a mobile platform, particularly in regards to user-centered design and information sourcing. As evidence supporting the potential effectiveness of mobile communication in health care continues to increase, CMI developers, regulating entities, and researchers should take note. Although mobile-based CMI offers an innovative mechanism to deliver medication information, caution should be exercised. Specifically, considerations for developing mobile CMI include consumers' digital literacy, user experience (e.g., usability), and the quality and accuracy of new widely used sources of information (e.g., crowd-sourced reviews and ratings). Recommended changes to FDA guidance for CMI include altering the language about scientific accuracy to address more novel methods of information gathering (e.g., anecdotal experiences and Google Consumer Surveys) and including guidance for usability testing of mobile health applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Ishikawa, Tomoki; Fujiwara, Kensuke; Ohba, Hisateru; Suzuki, Teppei; Ogasawara, Katsuhiko
2017-09-12
In Japan, the shortage of physicians has been recognized as a major medical issue. In our previous study, we reported that the absolute shortage will be resolved in the long term, but maldistribution among specialties will persist. To address regional shortage, several Japanese medical schools increased existing quota and established "regional quotas." This study aims to assist policy makers in designing effective policies; we built a model for forecasting physician numbers by region to evaluate future physician supply-demand balances. For our case study, we selected Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan, a region displaying disparities in healthcare services availability between urban and rural areas. We combined a system dynamics (SD) model with geographic information system (GIS) technology to analyze the dynamic change in spatial distribution of indicators. For Hokkaido overall and for each secondary medical service area (SMSA) within the prefecture, we analyzed the total number of practicing physicians. For evaluating absolute shortage and maldistribution, we calculated sufficiency levels and Gini coefficient. Our study covered the period 2010-2030 in 5-year increments. According to our forecast, physician shortage in Hokkaido Prefecture will largely be resolved by 2020. Based on current policies, we forecast that four SMSAs in Hokkaido will continue to experience physician shortages past that date, but only one SMSA would still be understaffed in 2030. The results show the possibility that diminishing imbalances between SMSAs would not necessarily mean that regional maldistribution would be eliminated, as seen from the sufficiency levels of the various SMSAs. Urgent steps should be taken to place doctors in areas where our forecasting model predicts that physician shortages could occur in the future.
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12 CFR 516.55 - What information must I include in my public notice?
2010-01-01
... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What information must I include in my public notice? 516.55 Section 516.55 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY APPLICATION PROCESSING PROCEDURES Publication Requirements § 516.55 What information must I include in my...
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29 CFR 575.4 - Information to be included in application.
2010-07-01
... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Information to be included in application. 575.4 Section 575.4 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR REGULATIONS WAIVER OF CHILD LABOR PROVISIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT OF 10 AND 11 YEAR OLD MINORS IN HAND...
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Can New Zealand achieve self-sufficiency in its nursing workforce?
North, Nicola
2011-01-01
This paper reviews impacts on the nursing workforce of health policy and reforms of the past two decades and suggests reasons for both current difficulties in retaining nurses in the workforce and measures to achieve short-term improvements. Difficulties in retaining nurses in the New Zealand workforce have contributed to nursing shortages, leading to a dependence on overseas recruitment. In a context of global shortages and having to compete in a global nursing labour market, an alternative to dependence on overseas nurses is self-sufficiency. Discursive paper. Analysis of nursing workforce data highlighted threats to self-sufficiency, including age structure, high rates of emigration of New Zealand nurses with reliance on overseas nurses and an annual output of nurses that is insufficient to replace both expected retiring nurses and emigrating nurses. A review of recent policy and other documents indicates that two decades of health reform and lack of a strategic focus on nursing has contributed to shortages. Recent strategic approaches to the nursing workforce have included workforce stocktakes, integrated health workforce development and nursing workforce projections, with a single authority now responsible for planning, education, training and development for all health professions and sectors. Current health and nursing workforce development strategies offer wide-ranging and ambitious approaches. An alternative approach is advocated: based on workforce data analysis, pressing threats to self-sufficiency and measures available are identified to achieve, in the short term, the maximum impact on retaining nurses. A human resources in health approach is recommended that focuses on employment conditions and professional nursing as well as recruitment and retention strategies. Nursing is identified as 'crucial' to meeting demands for health care. A shortage of nurses threatens delivery of health services and supports the case for self-sufficiency in the nursing
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Sufficiency does energy consumption become a moral issue?
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Muller, Adrian (Socio-economic Inst. and Univ. Research Priority Programme in Ethics, Univ. of Zuerich, Zuerich (Switzerland))
2009-07-01
Reducing the externalities from energy use is crucial for sustainability. There are basically four ways to reduce externalities from energy use: increasing technical efficiency ('energy input per unit energy service'), increasing economic efficiency ('internalising external costs'), using 'clean' energy sources with few externalities, or sufficiency ('identifying 'optimal' energy service levels'). A combination of those strategies is most promising for sustainable energy systems. However, the debate on sustainable energy is dominated by efficiency and clean energy strategies, while sufficiency plays a minor role. Efficiency and clean energy face several problems, though. Thus, the current debate should be complemented with a critical discussion of sufficiency. In this paper, I develop a concept of sufficiency, which is adequate for liberal societies. I focus on ethical foundations for sufficiency, as the discussion of such is missing or cursory only in the existing literature. I first show that many examples of sufficiency can be understood as (economic) efficiency, but that the two concepts do not coincide. I then show that sufficiency based on moralization of actions can be understood as implementation of the boundary conditions for social justice that come with notions of liberal societies, in particular the duty not to harm other people. By this, to increase sufficiency becomes a duty beyond individual taste. I further illustrate this in the context of the adverse effects of climate change as externalities from energy use.
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10 CFR 719.10 - What information must be included in the legal management plan?
2010-01-01
... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What information must be included in the legal management plan? 719.10 Section 719.10 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CONTRACTOR LEGAL MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS Legal Management Plan § 719.10 What information must be included in the legal management plan? The legal management...
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Do invitations for cervical screening provide sufficient information to enable informed choice?
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kolthoff, Sie Karen; Hestbech, Mie Sara; Jørgensen, Karsten Juhl
2016-01-01
or unmentioned. The same applied to other important harms, such as false-positive results and the psychological consequences from an abnormal test result. The majority of invitations took a paternalistic approach. While only two invitations (17%) included a pre-assigned appointment date, eight (70...
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Self-sufficiency, free trade and safety.
Rautonen, Jukka
2010-01-01
The relationship between free trade, self-sufficiency and safety of blood and blood components has been a perennial discussion topic in the blood service community. Traditionally, national self-sufficiency has been perceived as the ultimate goal that would also maximize safety. However, very few countries are, or can be, truly self-sufficient when self-sufficiency is understood correctly to encompass the whole value chain from the blood donor to the finished product. This is most striking when plasma derived medicines are considered. Free trade of blood products, or competition, as such can have a negative or positive effect on blood safety. Further, free trade of equipment and reagents and several plasma medicines is actually necessary to meet the domestic demand for blood and blood derivatives in most countries. Opposing free trade due to dogmatic reasons is not in the best interest of any country and will be especially harmful for the developing world. Competition between blood services in the USA has been present for decades. The more than threefold differences in blood product prices between European blood services indicate that competition is long overdue in Europe, too. This competition should be welcomed but carefully and proactively regulated to avoid putting safe and secure blood supply at risk. Copyright 2009 The International Association for Biologicals. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Complete self-sufficiency planning: designing and building disaster-ready hospitals.
Brands, Chad K; Hernandez, Raquel G; Stenberg, Arnold; Carnes, Gary; Ellen, Jonathan; Epstein, Michael; Strouse, Timothy
2013-01-01
The need for healthcare systems and academic medical centers to be optimally prepared in the event of a disaster is well documented. Events such as Hurricane Katrina demonstrate a major gap in disaster preparedness for at-risk medical institutions. To address this gap, we outline the components of complete self-sufficiency planning in designing and building hospitals that will function at full operational capacity in the event of a disaster. We review the processes used and outcomes achieved in building a new critical access, freestanding children's hospital in Florida. Given that hurricanes are the most frequently occurring natural disaster in Florida, the executive leadership of our hospital determined that we should be prepared for worst-case scenarios in the design and construction of a new hospital. A comprehensive vulnerability assessment was performed. A building planning process that engaged all of the stakeholders was used during the planning and design phases. Subsequent executive-level review and discussions determined that a disaster would require the services of a fully functional hospital. Lessons learned from our own institution's previous experiences and those of medical centers involved in the Hurricane Katrina disaster were informative and incorporated into an innovative set of hospital design elements used for construction of a new hospital with full operational capacity in a disaster. A freestanding children's hospital was constructed using a new framework for disaster planning and preparedness that we have termed complete self-sufficiency planning. We propose the use of complete self-sufficiency planning as a best practice for disaster preparedness in the design and construction of new hospital facilities.
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2011-01-12
.... Information Technology Help Desk Services Including On-Site Leased Workers From Modis, West Norriton, PA..., applicable to workers of Quest Diagnostics, Inc., Information Technology Help Desk Services, West Norriton... Quest Diagnostics, Inc., Information Technology Help Desk [[Page 2145
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The sufficiency assumption of the reasoned approach to action
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
David Trafimow
2015-12-01
Full Text Available The reasoned action approach to understanding and predicting behavior includes the sufficiency assumption. Although variables not included in the theory may influence behavior, these variables work through the variables in the theory. Once the reasoned action variables are included in an analysis, the inclusion of other variables will not increase the variance accounted for in behavioral intentions or behavior. Reasoned action researchers are very concerned with testing if new variables account for variance (or how much traditional variables account for variance, to see whether they are important, in general or with respect to specific behaviors under investigation. But this approach tacitly assumes that accounting for variance is highly relevant to understanding the production of variance, which is what really is at issue. Based on the variance law, I question this assumption.
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Refueling availability for alternative fuel vehicle markets: Sufficient urban station coverage
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Melaina, Marc; Bremson, Joel
2008-01-01
Alternative fuel vehicles can play an important role in addressing the challenges of climate change, energy security, urban air pollution and the continued growth in demand for transportation services. The successful commercialization of alternative fuels for vehicles is contingent upon a number of factors, including vehicle cost and performance. Among fuel infrastructure issues, adequate refueling availability is one of the most fundamental to successful commercialization. A commonly cited source reports 164,300 refueling stations in operation nationwide. However, from the perspective of refueling availability, this nationwide count tends to overstate the number of stations required to support the widespread deployment of alternative fuel vehicles. In terms of spatial distribution, the existing gasoline station networks in many urban areas are more than sufficient. We characterize a sufficient level of urban coverage based upon a subset of cities served by relatively low-density station networks, and estimate that some 51,000 urban stations would be required to provide this sufficient level of coverage to all major urban areas, 33 percent less than our estimate of total urban stations. This improved characterization will be useful for engineering, economic and policy analyses. (author)
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EVALUATION OF FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN DISTRICTS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
R. E. Mansurov
2017-01-01
Full Text Available The article presents the author's method for estimation of the level of food self-sufficiency for the main types of food products in the regions of Republic of Tatarstan. The proposed method is based on the use of analytical methods and mathematical comparative analysis to compose a final rating. The proposed method can be used in the system of regional management of agro-industrial complex on the federal and local level. Relevance. The relevance of this work is caused by on the one hand a hardening of foreign policy that may negatively impact on national food security, and on the other hand the state crisis of the domestic agricultural sector. All this requires the development of new approaches to regional agribusiness management. Goal. To develop a methodology is used to assess the level of food self-sufficiency. To rate the level of self-sufficiency in main types of foodstuff in regions of Republic of Tatarstan. Materials and Methods. Statistical data of the results of the AIC of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2016 was used for the study. Analytical methods, including mathematical analysis and comparison were used. Results. Based on the analysis of the present situation for ensuring of food security in Russia it was shown that now it is necessary to develop effective indicators identifying the level of self-sufficiency in basic food regions. It was also revealed that there are no such indicators in system of regional agrarian and industrial complex at present time. As a result of analysis existing approaches the author's method of rating the level of self-sufficiency of regions was offered. This method was adopted on the example of the Republic of Tatarstan. Conclusions. The proposed method of rating estimation of self-sufficiency for basic foodstuffs can be used in the regional agroindustrial complex management system at the federal and local level. It can be used to rank areas in terms of their self-sufficiency for basic foodstuffs. This
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Biosemiotics: Communication and Causation (Information included
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Juan Ramon Álvarez
2009-11-01
Full Text Available Pretensions of Biosemiotics as a unified approach to biological information are critically scrutinized within the study of different projects of semiotisation of nature and naturalization ot cultural processes. Main textual references and arguments are presented and critically pondered. Biosemiotics is here presented as an analytical method to study communication as founded in causality.
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Sufficiency and Duality for Multiobjective Programming under New Invexity
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yingchun Zheng
2016-01-01
Full Text Available A class of multiobjective programming problems including inequality constraints is considered. To this aim, some new concepts of generalized F,P-type I and F,P-type II functions are introduced in the differentiable assumption by using the sublinear function F. These new functions are used to establish and prove the sufficient optimality conditions for weak efficiency or efficiency of the multiobjective programming problems. Moreover, two kinds of dual models are formulated. The weak dual, strong dual, and strict converse dual results are obtained under the aforesaid functions.
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On the use of risk-informed regulation including organizational factors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gibelli, S.M.O.; Alvarenga, M.A.B.
1998-01-01
Risk-Informed Regulation (RIR) can be applied by using Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) as a basic tool. Traditionally, PSA methodology encompasses the calculation of failure probabilities of Structures, Systems and Components (SSCs) and direct associated human errors. However, there are indirect causes related to human failures, associated with Organizational Factors, which are normally not included in fault trees, that may influence plant risk evaluation. This paper discusses on possible applications of RIR and on Organizational Factors. It also presents a classification of Angra-1 NPP unresolved issues, aiming a future inclusion of these factors into a PSA calculation. (author)
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Is Information a Sufficient Basis for Cognition? Part 2: Physical Foundations
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
José María Díaz Nafría
2011-10-01
Full Text Available In this second part of our inquiry into the relation between information and cognition, we delve into the physical limits of the manifestation of an arbitrary object first with independence of any observer, then considering the nature of perception. The analysis of the manifestations of an object in a homogeneous environment by means of wave phenomena shows that the information carried by such manifestations offers a constitutive fuzziness and ambiguity of the observed object. On the one hand, the details that can be specified concerning the object are strictly limited by the wave length; on the other hand, the volumetric details of the object (i.e. its bowls are outlawed to the observer, not in virtue of the object opacity, but to the very dimension or complexity of the wave phenomenon in the space surrounding the object. The analysis of perception, considering this physical boundary and the specificity of the animal sensitivity, shows the combined role of other concurrent or previous percept and some a priori knowledge in the perception and awareness of reality.
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[Vitamin-antioxidant sufficiency of winter sports athletes].
Beketova, N A; Kosheleva, O V; Pereverzeva, O G; Vrzhesinskaia, O A; Kodentsova, V M; Solntseva, T N; Khanfer'ian, R A
2013-01-01
The sufficiency of 169 athletes (six disciplines: bullet shooting, biathlon, bobsleigh, skeleton, freestyle skiing, snowboarding) with vitamins A, E, C, B2, and beta-carotene has been investigated in April-September 2013. All athletes (102 juniors, mean age--18.5 +/- 0.3 years, and 67 adult high-performance athletes, mean age--26.8 +/- 0.7 years) were sufficiently supplied with vitamin A (70.7 +/- 1.7 mcg/dl). Mean blood serum retinol level was 15% higher the upper limit of the norm (80 mcg/dl) in biathletes while median reached 90.9 mcg/dl. Blood serum level of tocopherols (1.22 +/- 0.03 mg/dl), ascorbic acid (1.06 +/- 0.03 mg/dl), riboflavin (7.1 +/- 0.4 ng/ml), and beta-carotene (25.1 +/- 1.7 mcg/dl) was in within normal range, but the incidence of insufficiency of vitamins E, C, B2, and carotenoid among athletes varied in the range of 0-25, 0-17, 15-67 and 42-75%, respectively. 95% of adults and 80% of younger athletes were sufficiently provided with vitamin E. Vitamin E level in blood serum of juniors involved in skeleton and biathlon was lower by 51 and 72% (p antioxidants (beta-carotene and vitamins E and C). In other sports, the relative quantity of athletes sufficiently supplied with these essential nutrients did not exceed 56%. The quota of supplied with all antioxidants among bullet shooters (31.1%) and bobsledders (23.5%) was significantly (p antioxidant (mainly beta-carotene) was most often recorded among persons engaged in bullet shooting (67%). The simultaneous lack of all three antioxidants was found only in freestylers and bobsledders (about 5%). Decreased level of antioxidants in blood serum in 40% of athletes was combined with vitamin B2 deficiency. The data obtained suggest the necessity to optimize diet vitamin content of all athletes, taking into account the age and gender differences. Contrary to prevailing stereotypes the optimization must involve not only an increase in the consumption of vitamins (vitamins E, B group) and carotenoids, but
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The feasibility and challenges of energy self-sufficient wastewater treatment plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gu, Yifan; Li, Yue; Li, Xuyao; Luo, Pengzhou; Wang, Hongtao; Robinson, Zoe P.; Wang, Xin; Wu, Jiang; Li, Fengting
2017-01-01
Highlights: •Various influencing factors of energy use in WWTPs are characterized. •Benchmark energy consumption in WWTPs in different countries are highlighted. •Energy recovery or saving technologies in WWTPs are summarized. •Recent advances in optimization of energy recovery technologies are highlighted. •Feasibility and challenges of energy self-sufficient WWTPs are explored. -- Abstract: Energy efficiency optimization is crucial for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) because of increasing energy costs and concerns about global climate change. Energy efficiency optimization can be achieved through a combination of energy recovery from the wastewater treatment process and energy saving-related technologies. Through these two approaches energy self-sufficiency of WWTPs is achievable, and research is underway to reduce operation costs and energy consumption and to achieve carbon neutrality. In this paper, we analyze energy consumption and recovery in WWTPs and characterize the factors that influence energy use in WWTPs, including treatment techniques, treatment capacities, and regional differences. Recent advances in the optimization of energy recovery technologies and theoretical analysis models for the analysis of different technological solutions are presented. Despite some challenges in implementation, such as technological barriers and high investment costs, particularly in developing countries, this paper highlights the potential for more energy self-sufficient WWTPs to be established in the future.
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A blueprint for complete energy self-sufficiency in British Columbia
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2007-01-01
The Endless Energy Project is a partnership between the Globe Foundation, BC Hydro, Day 4 Energy, the Power Technology Alliance, the National Research Council of Canada, and Western Economic Diversification. The purpose of the project is to examine British Columbia's potential to be energy self-sufficient from renewable sources by 2025. Background information on the Endless Energy Project was presented with reference to energy use in all sectors of the economy and energy supply from all sources indigenous to the province. The report discussed global drivers and scenarios as well as energy use trends specific to British Columbia. These trends were related to energy use for residential buildings; commercial sector; domestic transportation; gateway transportation; and industrial sources. The report also provided an outlook for each of these sectors. A large-scale supply outlook was also described for solar; geothermal; wind; hydro; biomass; forest waste to energy potential; ocean wave energy potential; and tidal current systems. The report concluded with a discussion of matching renewable energy supplies to demand. It was concluded that based on a combination of renewable energy supply, cleaner burning fuels, such as hydrogen and ethanol, and energy use reduction in homes, businesses, and public sector operations, British Columbia could reasonably achieve energy self-sufficiency by 2025. tabs., figs
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2013-11-15
... planus)) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire). Type of Review: New data collection. Abstract... (Including Flatfeet (pes planus)) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire) Under OMB Review AGENCY...)) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire)'' in any correspondence. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...
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Exploring Societal Preferences for Energy Sufficiency Measures in Switzerland
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Moser, Corinne; Rösch, Andreas; Stauffacher, Michael
2015-01-01
Many countries are facing a challenging transition toward more sustainable energy systems, which produce more renewables and consume less energy. The latter goal can only be achieved through a combination of efficiency measures and changes in people’s lifestyles and routine behaviors (i.e., sufficiency). While research has shown that acceptance of technical efficiency is relatively high, there is a lack of research on societal preferences for sufficiency measures. However, this is an important prerequisite for designing successful interventions to change behavior. This paper analyses societal preferences for different energy-related behaviors in Switzerland. We use an online choice-based conjoint analysis (N = 150) to examine preferences for behaviors with high technical potentials for energy demand reduction in the following domains: mobility, heating, and food. Each domain comprises different attributes across three levels of sufficiency. Respondents were confronted with trade-off situations evoked through different fictional lifestyles that comprised different combinations of attribute levels. Through a series of trade-off decisions, participants were asked to choose their preferred lifestyle. The results revealed that a vegetarian diet was considered the most critical issue that respondents were unwilling to trade off, followed by distance to workplace and means of transportation. The highest willingness to trade off was found for adjustments in room temperature, holiday travel behaviors, and living space. Participants’ preferences for the most energy-sufficient lifestyles were rather low. However, the study showed that there were lifestyles with substantive energy-saving potentials that were well accepted among respondents. Our study results suggest that the success of energy-sufficiency interventions might depend strongly on the targeted behavior. We speculate that they may face strong resistance (e.g., vegetarian diet). Thus, it seems promising to
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Exploring Societal Preferences for Energy Sufficiency Measures in Switzerland
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Moser, Corinne, E-mail: corinne.moser@zhaw.ch [Institute of Sustainable Development, School of Engineering, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur (Switzerland); Natural and Social Science Interface, Institute for Environmental Decisions, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich (Switzerland); Rösch, Andreas [Natural and Social Science Interface, Institute for Environmental Decisions, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich (Switzerland); Stauffacher, Michael [Natural and Social Science Interface, Institute for Environmental Decisions, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich (Switzerland); Transdisciplinarity Laboratory, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich (Switzerland)
2015-09-16
Many countries are facing a challenging transition toward more sustainable energy systems, which produce more renewables and consume less energy. The latter goal can only be achieved through a combination of efficiency measures and changes in people’s lifestyles and routine behaviors (i.e., sufficiency). While research has shown that acceptance of technical efficiency is relatively high, there is a lack of research on societal preferences for sufficiency measures. However, this is an important prerequisite for designing successful interventions to change behavior. This paper analyses societal preferences for different energy-related behaviors in Switzerland. We use an online choice-based conjoint analysis (N = 150) to examine preferences for behaviors with high technical potentials for energy demand reduction in the following domains: mobility, heating, and food. Each domain comprises different attributes across three levels of sufficiency. Respondents were confronted with trade-off situations evoked through different fictional lifestyles that comprised different combinations of attribute levels. Through a series of trade-off decisions, participants were asked to choose their preferred lifestyle. The results revealed that a vegetarian diet was considered the most critical issue that respondents were unwilling to trade off, followed by distance to workplace and means of transportation. The highest willingness to trade off was found for adjustments in room temperature, holiday travel behaviors, and living space. Participants’ preferences for the most energy-sufficient lifestyles were rather low. However, the study showed that there were lifestyles with substantive energy-saving potentials that were well accepted among respondents. Our study results suggest that the success of energy-sufficiency interventions might depend strongly on the targeted behavior. We speculate that they may face strong resistance (e.g., vegetarian diet). Thus, it seems promising to
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Staple Food Self-Sufficiency of Farmers Household Level in The Great Solo
Darsono
2017-04-01
Analysis of food security level of household is a novelty of measurement standards which usually includes regional and national levels. With household approach is expected to provide the basis of sharp food policy formulation. The purpose of this study are to identify the condition of self-sufficiency in staple foods, and to find the main factors affecting the dynamics of self-sufficiency in staple foods on farm household level in Great Solo. Using primary data from 50 farmers in the sample and secondary data in Great Solo (Surakarta city, Boyolali, Sukoharjo, Karanganyar, Wonogiri, Sragen and Klaten). Compiled panel data were analyzed with linear probability regression models to produce a good model. The results showed that farm households in Great Solo has a surplus of staple food (rice) with an average consumption rate of 96.8 kg/capita/year. This number is lower than the national rate of 136.7 kg/capita/year. The main factors affecting the level of food self-sufficiency in the farmer household level are: rice production, rice consumption, land tenure, and number of family members. Key recommendations from this study are; improvement scale of the land cultivation for rice farming and non-rice diversification consumption.
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Gordo, D G M; Espigolan, R; Tonussi, R L; Júnior, G A F; Bresolin, T; Magalhães, A F Braga; Feitosa, F L; Baldi, F; Carvalheiro, R; Tonhati, H; de Oliveira, H N; Chardulo, L A L; de Albuquerque, L G
2016-05-01
CS, FP, and MS could be used as selection criteria to improve HCW, BF, and LMA. The use of genomic information permitted the detection of greater additive genetic variability for LMA and BF. For HCW, the high magnitude of the genetic correlations with visual scores was probably sufficient to recover genetic variability. The methods provided similar breeding value accuracies, especially for the visual scores.
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Revenue Sufficiency and Reliability in a Zero Marginal Cost Future
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Frew, Bethany A.
2017-04-17
Features of existing wholesale electricity markets, such as administrative pricing rules and policy-based reliability standards, can distort market incentives from allowing generators sufficient opportunities to recover both fixed and variable costs. Moreover, these challenges can be amplified by other factors, including (1) inelastic demand resulting from a lack of price signal clarity, (2) low- or near-zero marginal cost generation, particularly arising from low natural gas fuel prices and variable generation (VG), such as wind and solar, and (3) the variability and uncertainty of this VG. As power systems begin to incorporate higher shares of VG, many questions arise about the suitability of the existing marginal-cost-based price formation, primarily within an energy-only market structure, to ensure the economic viability of resources that might be needed to provide system reliability. This article discusses these questions and provides a summary of completed and ongoing modelling-based work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to better understand the impacts of evolving power systems on reliability and revenue sufficiency.
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12 CFR 563b.105 - What information must I include in my business plan?
2010-01-01
... information must I include in my business plan? (a) Prior to filing an application for conversion, you must adopt a business plan reflecting your intended plans for deployment of the proposed conversion proceeds. Your business plan is required, under § 563b.150, to be included in your conversion application. At a...
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Elaboration of a guide including relevant project and logistic information: a case study
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Costa, Tchaikowisky M. [Faculdade de Tecnologia e Ciencias (FTC), Itabuna, BA (Brazil); Bresci, Claudio T.; Franca, Carlos M.M. [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)
2009-07-01
For every mobilization of a new enterprise it is necessary to quickly obtain the greatest amount of relative information in regards to location and availability of infra-structure, logistics, and work site amenities. Among this information are reports elaborated for management of the enterprise, (organizational chart, work schedule, objectives, contacts, etc.) as well as geographic anomalies, social-economic and culture of the area to be developed such as territorial extension, land aspects, local population, roads and amenities (fuel stations ,restaurants and hotels), infra-structure of the cities (health, education, entertainment, housing, transport, etc.) and logistically the distance between cities the estimated travel time, ROW access maps and notable points, among other relevant information. With the idea of making this information available for everyone involved in the enterprise, it was elaborated for GASCAC Spread 2A a rapid guide containing all the information mentioned above and made it available for all the vehicles used to transport employees and visitors to the spread. With this, everyone quickly received the majority of information necessary in one place, in a practical, quick, and precise manner, since the information is always used and controlled by the same person. This study includes the model used in the gas pipeline GASCAC Spread 2A project and the methodology used to draft and update the information. Besides the above, a file in the GIS format was prepared containing all necessary planning, execution and tracking information for enterprise activities, from social communication to the execution of the works previously mentioned. Part of the GIS file information was uploaded to Google Earth so as to disclose the information to a greater group of people, bearing in mind that this program is free of charge and easy to use. (author)
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Improving the Perception of Self-Sufficiency towards Creative Drama
Pekdogan, Serpil; Korkmaz, Halil Ibrahim
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a Creative Drama Based Perception of Self-sufficiency Skills Training Program on 2nd grade bachelor degree students' (who are attending a preschool teacher training program) perception of self-sufficiency. This is a quasi-experimental study. Totally 50 students were equally divided into…
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Boronico, Jess; Murdy, Jim; Kong, Xinlu
2014-01-01
This manuscript proposes a mathematical model to address faculty sufficiency requirements towards assuring overall high quality management education at a global university. Constraining elements include full-time faculty coverage by discipline, location, and program, across multiple campus locations subject to stated service quality standards of…
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Reassessing Rogers' necessary and sufficient conditions of change.
Watson, Jeanne C
2007-09-01
This article reviews the impact of Carl Rogers' postulate about the necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic change on the field of psychotherapy. It is proposed that his article (see record 2007-14630-002) made an impact in two ways; first, by acting as a spur to researchers to identify the active ingredients of therapeutic change; and, second, by providing guidelines for therapeutic practice. The role of the necessary and sufficient conditions in process-experiential therapy, an emotion-focused therapy for individuals, and their limitations in terms of research and practice are discussed. It is proposed that although the conditions are necessary and important in promoting clients' affect regulation, they do not take sufficient account of other moderating variables that affect clients' response to treatment and may need to be balanced with more structured interventions. Notwithstanding, Rogers highlighted a way of interacting with clients that is generally acknowledged as essential to effective psychotherapy practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
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Deuterium-tritium fuel self-sufficiency in fusion reactors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Abdou, M.A.; Vold, E.L.; Gung, C.Y.; Youssef, M.Z.; Shin, K.
1986-01-01
Conditions necessary to achieve deuterium-tritium fuel self-sufficiency in fusion reactors are derived through extensive modeling and calculations of the required and achievable tritium breeding ratios as functions of the many reactor parameters and candidate design concepts. It is found that the excess margin in the breeding potential is not sufficient to cover all present uncertainties. Thus, the goal of attaining fuel self-sufficiency significantly restricts the allowable parameter space and design concepts. For example, the required breeding ratio can be reduced by (A) attaining high tritium fractional burnup, >5%, in the plasma, (B) achieving very high reliability, >99%, and very short times, <1 day, to fix failures in the tritium processing system, and (C) ensuring that nonradioactive decay losses from all subsystems are extremely low, e.g., <0.1% for the plasma exhaust processing system. The uncertainties due to nuclear data and calculational methods are found to be significant, but they are substantially smaller than those due to uncertainties in system definition
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A pacemaker magnet check alone is sufficient for the majority of patients postpacemaker implant.
Jones, Michael A; Wong, Kelvin C K; Qureshi, Norman; Rajappan, Kim; Bashir, Yaver; Betts, Timothy R
2014-12-01
Patients postpacemaker implant can undergo a full assessment by pacing system programmer (PSP) or a magnet check. The former takes longer, but provides more detailed information; a magnet-mode assessment is faster, but provides only capture data in an asynchronous pacing mode. A magnet-mode assessment alone may be sufficient in most cases, and current clinical practice varies considerably. A retrospective single-center assessment of all pacemaker implants receiving PSP and magnet checks between September 2009 and April 2010. Patient records were reviewed. The results of PSP and magnet checks and any subsequent device-related management were noted. A total of 168 patients underwent pacemaker implantation, magnet-mode assessment, and then PSP interrogation during this period. Magnet-mode assessment revealed a problem in only one patient-failure of atrial capture, leading to subsequent atrial lead repositioning. None of the remaining 167 patients have a serious problem at PSP interrogation; six had minor issues at PSP check, none of which required repeat surgical intervention. The magnet-mode test only provides information on lead capture in an asynchronous pacing mode, which is the most essential data postoperatively. Our study has suggested that a magnet-mode assessment without PSP interrogation may be sufficient in the immediate postimplant assessment of these patients. Routine postimplant PSP interrogation is time consuming, labor intensive, and adds only minimal additional benefit to the safe management of these patients above and beyond a magnet check, coupled with informed assessment of the associated electrocardiogram/rhythm strip, clinical examination, and chest x-ray. ©2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Energy self-sufficient sensory ball screw drive; Energieautarker sensorischer Kugelgewindetrieb
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bertram, Oliver
2012-07-01
Nowadays the availability of machine tools plays a decisive role in competition to increase in productivity. From state of the art it arises, that ball screw drives are the most abusive component in feed drives because of abrasive wear. Furthermore condition monitoring enables avoiding unplanned machine failure and increasing the availability of the deployed production facility. Thereby the application of additional sensors allows the direct acquisition of wear correlative measurements. To reduce the required effort for integration and increase the robustness, reliability and clarity in industrial environment energy self-sufficient sensor systems can be applied. In this thesis the development and investigation of an energy self-sufficient sensory ball screw drive with direct measurement of wear correlative pretension for condition monitoring application is described. The prototype measures the pretension with force sensors based on strain gauges. The sensor system includes microcontroller-based electronics for signal processing as well as wireless data transmission with ZigBee-standard. A hybrid system assures the energy supply of the sensor system. On the one hand a stepper motor generator produces electrical energy from the motion energy of the ball screw drive. On the other hand an energy buffer based on super caps is reloaded in stationary position by wireless energy transmission. For verification a prototype system is build up. In measurements the sensory and energetic characteristics of the energy self-sufficient sensor systems are analyzed. Moreover, the functionality of the ball screw drive as well as the signal characteristics of the force sensors are examined for different pretensions. In addition, pretension losses due to wear are established in realized endurance trials, which means that timely maintenance can be planned.
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American National Red Cross, Washington, DC.
This preparedness guide explains and describes tornadoes, and includes safety information for schools. A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The guide explains the cause of tornadoes, provides diagrams of how they form, describes variations of tornadoes, and classifies tornadoes by…
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Sufficient conditions for Lagrange, Mayer, and Bolza optimization problems
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Boltyanski V.
2001-01-01
Full Text Available The Maximum Principle [2,13] is a well known necessary condition for optimality. This condition, generally, is not sufficient. In [3], the author proved that if there exists regular synthesis of trajectories, the Maximum Principle also is a sufficient condition for time-optimality. In this article, we generalize this result for Lagrange, Mayer, and Bolza optimization problems.
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[The informed consent in international clinical trials including developing countries].
Montenegro Surís, Alexander; Monreal Agüero, Magda Elaine
2008-01-01
The informed consent procedure has been one of the most important controversies of ethical debates about clinical trials in developing countries. In this essay we present our recommendations about important aspects to consider in the informed consent procedure for clinical trials in developing countries. We performed a full publications review identified by MEDLINE using these terms combinations: informed consent, developing countries, less developed countries and clinical trials. To protect volunteers in less developed countries should be valuated the importance of the community in the informed consent proceeding. The signing and dating of the informed consent form is not always the best procedure to document the informed consent. The informed consent form should be written by local translators. Alternative medias of communications could be needed for communicatios of the information to volunteers. Comparing with developed countries the informed consent proceeding in clinical trials in developing countries frequently require additional efforts. The developing of pragmatic researches is needed to implement informed consent proceedings assuring subjects voluntarily in each developing country. The main aspects to define in each clinical trial for each country are the influence of the community, the effective communication of the information, the documentation of the informed consent and local authority's control.
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Mantel, Bruno; Stoffregen, Thomas A.; Campbell, Alain; Bardy, Benoît G.
2015-01-01
Body movement influences the structure of multiple forms of ambient energy, including optics and gravito-inertial force. Some researchers have argued that egocentric distance is derived from inferential integration of visual and non-visual stimulation. We suggest that accurate information about egocentric distance exists in perceptual stimulation as higher-order patterns that extend across optics and inertia. We formalize a pattern that specifies the egocentric distance of a stationary object across higher-order relations between optics and inertia. This higher-order parameter is created by self-generated movement of the perceiver in inertial space relative to the illuminated environment. For this reason, we placed minimal restrictions on the exploratory movements of our participants. We asked whether humans can detect and use the information available in this higher-order pattern. Participants judged whether a virtual object was within reach. We manipulated relations between body movement and the ambient structure of optics and inertia. Judgments were precise and accurate when the higher-order optical-inertial parameter was available. When only optic flow was available, judgments were poor. Our results reveal that participants perceived egocentric distance from the higher-order, optical-inertial consequences of their own exploratory activity. Analysis of participants’ movement trajectories revealed that self-selected movements were complex, and tended to optimize availability of the optical-inertial pattern that specifies egocentric distance. We argue that accurate information about egocentric distance exists in higher-order patterns of ambient energy, that self-generated movement can generate these higher-order patterns, and that these patterns can be detected and used to support perception of egocentric distance that is precise and accurate. PMID:25856410
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vannisa Hakoon
2017-06-01
Full Text Available This research was aimed to make students majoring in early childhood education learn about the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy by integrating learning process through practicing planting vegetables and herbs, harvesting, processing products and selling the products at the CEECE farm. This case study include 104 students in total, 2 males students and 102 females students majoring in early childhood education in the second semester of academic year 2016, Mahasarakham university. The researcher integrated the learning with subjects in early childhood education field such as Story and literature for young Children, Thai languages and literacy for young children, Independent study in early childhood education and Early childhood education quality assurance. The research instruments were 1 CEECE Farm area for practicing growing vegetables and herbs and 2 Self Reflection from the students. Data collection was conducted through three phases including 1 preparation 2 process and 3 data collection. The researcher analyzed the content by describing and drawing conclusions from students opinions about the learning. This research revealed: 1. Factors affecting success or barriers to learning include students, location, materials, budget, academic advisors and other factors such as climate and workloads of students. 2. Students majoring in early childhood education learn the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy through practicing at the CEECE farm. Students learn Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and knowledge as follows ; 2.1 Moderation: Students learn to use the resources sufficiently. Students realize the value and use resources in order to maximize savings ; location, materials and budget. 2.2 Reasonableness: Students learn to apply the principles of reason and critical thinking to planning decisions and resolving issues arising from the implementation based on information that they have gathered and relies on the concept, “if students are consumers, will they
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2011-06-03
..., Inc., Including On-Site Leased Workers From Comsys Information Technology Services, Megaforce, and Kelly Services Kansas City, MO; DST Technologies, a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc., Boston... Information Technology Services, Megaforce, and Kelly Services, Kansas City, Missouri (subject firm). The...
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2012-07-03
... response (i.e., change travel times, modes, etc.). With a sufficient level of behavior change, it should be... drivers possessed prior to and during a storm, including knowledge of observed and forecast weather... information provided. Analyses of the information gathered will focus on driver knowledge, perceptions, and...
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Transforming the energy system: Why municipalities strive for energy self-sufficiency
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Engelken, Maximilian; Römer, Benedikt; Drescher, Marcus; Welpe, Isabell
2016-01-01
Despite evidence that a rising number of municipalities in Germany are striving for energy self-sufficiency, there is little understanding of the driving factors behind this development. We investigate economic, ecological, social and energy system related factors that drive municipalities to strive for energy self-sufficiency with a focus on electricity supply. The empirical data for this study is based on insights generated through expert interviews (N =19) with mayors, energy experts and scientists as well as a quantitative study among mayors and energy officers (N =109) of German municipalities. Results show that environmental awareness, tax revenues and greater independence from private utilities are positively related to the mayors’ attitude towards the realization of energy self-sufficiency. Furthermore, citizens, the political environment, the mayor's political power, and his/her financial resources are relevant factors for a municipality striving for energy self-sufficiency. Policymakers need to decide whether or not to support mayors in this development. For suitable policy interventions, the results suggest the importance of an integrated approach that considers a combination of identified factors. Finally, we propose a morphological box to structure different aspects of energy self-sufficiency and categorize the present study. - Highlights: • Municipalities striving for energy self-sufficiency can play a key role in the transition of the energy system. • Tax revenues and environmental awareness main drivers behind mayors’ attitude towards energy self-sufficiency. • Citizens and the political environment main influencers of mayors striving for energy self-sufficiency. • 19 expert interviews analyzed for the framework of the study based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). • 109 mayors and energy officers participated in the quantitative main survey.
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Revenue Sufficiency and Reliability in a Zero Marginal Cost Future: Preprint
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Frew, Bethany A.; Milligan, Michael; Brinkman, Greg; Bloom, Aaron; Clark, Kara; Denholm, Paul
2016-12-01
Features of existing wholesale electricity markets, such as administrative pricing rules and policy-based reliability standards, can distort market incentives from allowing generators sufficient opportunities to recover both fixed and variable costs. Moreover, these challenges can be amplified by other factors, including (1) inelastic demand resulting from a lack of price signal clarity, (2) low- or near-zero marginal cost generation, particularly arising from low natural gas fuel prices and variable generation (VG), such as wind and solar, and (3) the variability and uncertainty of this VG. As power systems begin to incorporate higher shares of VG, many questions arise about the suitability of the existing marginal-cost-based price formation, primarily within an energy-only market structure, to ensure the economic viability of resources that might be needed to provide system reliability. This article discusses these questions and provides a summary of completed and ongoing modelling-based work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to better understand the impacts of evolving power systems on reliability and revenue sufficiency.
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Sufficient conditions for uniqueness of the weak value
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dressel, J; Jordan, A N
2012-01-01
We review and clarify the sufficient conditions for uniquely defining the generalized weak value as the weak limit of a conditioned average using the contextual values formalism introduced in Dressel, Agarwal and Jordan (2010 Phys. Rev. Lett. http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.240401). We also respond to criticism of our work by Parrott (arXiv:1105.4188v1) concerning a proposed counter-example to the uniqueness of the definition of the generalized weak value. The counter-example does not satisfy our prescription in the case of an underspecified measurement context. We show that when the contextual values formalism is properly applied to this example, a natural interpretation of the measurement emerges and the unique definition in the weak limit holds. We also prove a theorem regarding the uniqueness of the definition under our sufficient conditions for the general case. Finally, a second proposed counter-example by Parrott (arXiv:1105.4188v6) is shown not to satisfy the sufficiency conditions for the provided theorem. (paper)
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Increasing urban water self-sufficiency: New era, new challenges
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Rygaard, Martin; Binning, Philip John; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen
2011-01-01
and 15 in-depth case studies, solutions used to increase water self-sufficiency in urban areas are analyzed. The main drivers for increased self-sufficiency were identified to be direct and indirect lack of water, constrained infrastructure, high quality water demands and commercial and institutional...... pressures. Case studies demonstrate increases in self-sufficiency ratios to as much as 80% with contributions from recycled water, seawater desalination and rainwater collection. The introduction of alternative water resources raises several challenges: energy requirements vary by more than a factor of ten...... amongst the alternative techniques, wastewater reclamation can lead to the appearance of trace contaminants in drinking water, and changes to the drinking water system can meet tough resistance from the public. Public water-supply managers aim to achieve a high level of reliability and stability. We...
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Denmark. Self-sufficiency and reserves management
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Erceville, H. d'.
1997-01-01
Since 1991, Denmark is a self-sufficient and a net petroleum and natural gas exporting country. Like all neighboring countries of the North sea, this country enjoys many advantages. However, Denmark exports and imports about a third of its hydrocarbons. This policy is a way to control its reserves for the future. (J.S.)
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41 CFR 301-71.103 - What information must be included on all travel authorizations?
2010-07-01
... included on all travel authorizations? 301-71.103 Section 301-71.103 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ALLOWANCES AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES 71-AGENCY TRAVEL ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS Travel Authorization § 301-71.103 What information must be...
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33 CFR 115.30 - Sufficiency of State authority for bridges.
2010-07-01
... for bridges. 115.30 Section 115.30 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES BRIDGE LOCATIONS AND CLEARANCES; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES § 115.30 Sufficiency of State authority for bridges. An opinion of the attorney general of the State as to the sufficiency of State...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tuley, N.
1999-01-01
The Model, or Additional, Protocol to the Model Safeguards Agreement, INFCIRC/153, contains, inter alia, provisions for expanded declarations from Member States to the IAEA. These provisions include earlier design information declarations and information on fuel cycles activities, such a mining and milling, that were not previously part of safeguards. The session discusses the extent of the expanded declarations and provides examples of the forms that will be used to provide the information to the Agency. (author)
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Quantification is Neither Necessary Nor Sufficient for Measurement
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mari, Luca; Maul, Andrew; Torres Irribarra, David; Wilson, Mark
2013-01-01
Being an infrastructural, widespread activity, measurement is laden with stereotypes. Some of these concern the role of measurement in the relation between quality and quantity. In particular, it is sometimes argued or assumed that quantification is necessary for measurement; it is also sometimes argued or assumed that quantification is sufficient for or synonymous with measurement. To assess the validity of these positions the concepts of measurement and quantitative evaluation should be independently defined and their relationship analyzed. We contend that the defining characteristic of measurement should be the structure of the process, not a feature of its results. Under this perspective, quantitative evaluation is neither sufficient nor necessary for measurement
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Necessary and Sufficient Process leading to Work Smart Standards. Final report
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1996-11-01
The Necessary and Sufficient Process leading to Work Smart Standards is a Department of Energy initiative to assure adequate protection for workers, the public, and the environment. The Work Smart Standards initiative directs the Laboratory to develop a set of ES and H standards based on the work performed at the Laboratory and the hazards associated with the work. Berkeley Lab`s set of Work Smart Standards includes required Federal, State and local laws and, additionally, national and international standards which represent the highest operating standards of industrial and commercial institutions.
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Necessary and Sufficient Process leading to Work Smart Standards. Final report
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1996-11-01
The Necessary and Sufficient Process leading to Work Smart Standards is a Department of Energy initiative to assure adequate protection for workers, the public, and the environment. The Work Smart Standards initiative directs the Laboratory to develop a set of ES and H standards based on the work performed at the Laboratory and the hazards associated with the work. Berkeley Lab's set of Work Smart Standards includes required Federal, State and local laws and, additionally, national and international standards which represent the highest operating standards of industrial and commercial institutions
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The level of energy sufficiency - why all the controversy?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Maillard, D.
2000-01-01
It as become fashionable in certain circles to attempt to demolish the notion of energy sufficiency, a concept which is now seen as being archaic and unsuitable. To back up their claims, proponents of this standpoint take great pleasure in attacking the corresponding indicator - the rate of energy sufficiency calculated as a ratio of national primary energy production and the total consumption of primary energy (in the same unit and without climatic corrections). Confirming its precarious, conventional and debatable nature seems in their eyes to be the best means of ensuring that both the word, the concept and the measuring method of energy sufficiency are consigned to the dustbin of economic history. After having examined with perhaps a certain irony some of the usual criticisms, I intend to proceed with a re-examination of questions which in my eyes appear to be essential. (author)
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12 CFR 516.20 - What information must I include in my draft business plan?
2010-01-01
... business plan? 516.20 Section 516.20 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE... What information must I include in my draft business plan? If you must submit a draft business plan... described in the savings association's draft business plan; and (d) Demonstrate how applicable requirements...
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Zhou, Ping; Schechter, Clyde; Cai, Ziyong; Markowitz, Morri
2011-06-01
To highlight complexities in defining vitamin D sufficiency in children. Serum 25-(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels from 140 healthy obese children age 6 to 21 years living in the inner city were compared with multiple health outcome measures, including bone biomarkers and cardiovascular risk factors. Several statistical analytic approaches were used, including Pearson correlation, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and "hockey stick" regression modeling. Potential threshold levels for vitamin D sufficiency varied by outcome variable and analytic approach. Only systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly correlated with 25(OH)D (r = -0.261; P = .038). ANCOVA revealed that SBP and triglyceride levels were statistically significant in the test groups [25(OH)D 25 ng/mL]. ANCOVA also showed that only children with severe vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D model regression analyses found evidence of a threshold level in SBP, with a 25(OH)D breakpoint of 27 ng/mL, along with a 25(OH)D breakpoint of 18 ng/mL for triglycerides, but no relationship between 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone. Defining vitamin D sufficiency should take into account different vitamin D-related health outcome measures and analytic methodologies. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Information needs and risk perception as predictors of risk information seeking
ter Huurne, E.F.J.; Gutteling, Jan M.
2008-01-01
This paper introduces a theoretical framework that describes the importance of public's information sufficiency, risk perception, and self-efficacy as predictors of intended risk information seeking behaviour. Based on theoretical assumptions, measurement instruments for relevant concepts were
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Boyce, Lindsay M
2016-01-01
Library orientation at an academic health sciences library consisted of a five-minute overview within new student orientation. Past experience indicated this brief presentation was insufficient for students to learn about library resources. In 2014, an effort was made to supplement orientation by developing an online game aimed at enabling students to become self-sufficient through hands-on learning. A gaming model was chosen with expectations that competition and rewards would motivate students. Although the pilots suffered from low participation rates, the experience merits further research into the potential of a broader model of online library instruction in the health sciences environment.
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41 CFR 102-75.125 - What information must agencies include in the title report?
2010-07-01
... CFR part 373, took place on the property. Hazardous substance activity includes situations where any hazardous substance was stored for one year or more, known to have been released, or disposed of on the... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What information must...
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Error Bounds: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Outrata, Jiří; Kruger, A.Y.; Fabian, Marián; Henrion, R.
2010-01-01
Roč. 18, č. 2 (2010), s. 121-149 ISSN 1877-0533 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750802 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506; CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : Error bounds * Calmness * Subdifferential * Slope Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.333, year: 2010 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2010/MTR/outrata-error bounds necessary and sufficient conditions.pdf
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2010-04-01
... administration. 301.6103(h)(2)-1 Section 301.6103(h)(2)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT... Returns Returns and Records § 301.6103(h)(2)-1 Disclosure of returns and return information (including..., shall, to the extent provided by section 6103(h)(2) (A), (B), and (C) and subject to the requirements of...
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2010-04-01
...: Hearing Process for Restricting an IIM Account § 115.605 What information will the BIA include in its... notice of its decision to restrict your account, the only information the public notice will include is... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What information will the BIA include in its notice of...
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Torres-Lapasió, J R; Pous-Torres, S; Ortiz-Bolsico, C; García-Alvarez-Coque, M C
2015-01-16
The optimisation of the resolution in high-performance liquid chromatography is traditionally performed attending only to the time information. However, even in the optimal conditions, some peak pairs may remain unresolved. Such incomplete resolution can be still accomplished by deconvolution, which can be carried out with more guarantees of success by including spectral information. In this work, two-way chromatographic objective functions (COFs) that incorporate both time and spectral information were tested, based on the peak purity (analyte peak fraction free of overlapping) and the multivariate selectivity (figure of merit derived from the net analyte signal) concepts. These COFs are sensitive to situations where the components that coelute in a mixture show some spectral differences. Therefore, they are useful to find out experimental conditions where the spectrochromatograms can be recovered by deconvolution. Two-way multivariate selectivity yielded the best performance and was applied to the separation using diode-array detection of a mixture of 25 phenolic compounds, which remained unresolved in the chromatographic order using linear and multi-linear gradients of acetonitrile-water. Peak deconvolution was carried out using the combination of orthogonal projection approach and alternating least squares. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Information Assurance in Wireless Networks
Kabara, Joseph; Krishnamurthy, Prashant; Tipper, David
2001-09-01
Emerging wireless networks will contain a hybrid infrastructure based on fixed, mobile and ad hoc topologies and technologies. In such a dynamic architecture, we define information assurance as the provisions for both information security and information availability. The implications of this definition are that the wireless network architecture must (a) provide sufficient security measures, (b) be survivable under node or link attack or failure and (c) be designed such that sufficient capacity remains for all critical services (and preferably most other services) in the event of attack or component failure. We have begun a research project to investigate the provision of information assurance for wireless networks viz. survivability, security and availability and here discuss the issues and challenges therein.
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New Sufficient LMI Conditions for Static Output Stabilization
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Adegas, Fabiano Daher
2014-01-01
This paper presents new linear matrix inequality conditions to the static output feedback stabilization problem. Although the conditions are only sufficient, numerical experiments show excellent success rates in finding a stabilizing controller....
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Gayatri, Siwi; Vaarst, Mette
2016-01-01
Beef self-sufficiency programme (BSSP) was launched in Indonesia in 2004 in response to the massive import of beef from other countries. The objective of the present article is to explore and discuss how Indonesian extension agents perceived the practical implementation of the programme, including...... of the programme, the future of self-sufficiency regarding beef production in the country, and how this learning could be captured and used for the future....
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Sufficient conditions for positivity of non-Markovian master equations with Hermitian generators
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wilkie, Joshua; Wong Yinmei
2009-01-01
We use basic physical motivations to develop sufficient conditions for positive semidefiniteness of the reduced density matrix for generalized non-Markovian integrodifferential Lindblad-Kossakowski master equations with Hermitian generators. We show that it is sufficient for the memory function to be the Fourier transform of a real positive symmetric frequency density function with certain properties. These requirements are physically motivated, and are more general and more easily checked than previously stated sufficient conditions. We also explore the decoherence dynamics numerically for some simple models using the Hadamard representation of the propagator. We show that the sufficient conditions are not necessary conditions. We also show that models exist in which the long time limit is in part determined by non-Markovian effects
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Non-completion and informed consent.
Wertheimer, Alan
2014-02-01
There is a good deal of biomedical research that does not produce scientifically useful data because it fails to recruit a sufficient number of subjects. This fact is typically not disclosed to prospective subjects. In general, the guidance about consent concerns the information required to make intelligent self-interested decisions and ignores some of the information required for intelligent altruistic decisions. Bioethics has worried about the 'therapeutic misconception', but has ignored the 'completion misconception'. This article argues that, other things being equal, prospective subjects should be informed about the possibility of non-completion as part of the standard consent process if (1) it is or should be anticipatable that there is a non-trivial possibility of non-completion and (2) that information is likely to be relevant to a prospective subject's decision to consent. The article then considers several objections to the argument, including the objection that disclosing non-completion information would make recruitment even more difficult.
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34 CFR 364.42 - What objectives and information must be included in the State plan?
2010-07-01
... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What objectives and information must be included in the State plan? 364.42 Section 364.42 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE...
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Patient's right to information under the New Zealand Code of Rights.
Mullen, Kyla
2015-09-01
The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights includes right 6: the "Right to be Fully Informed". Analysis of the Health and Disability Commissioners' opinions between 2008 and 2013 that have discussed right 6 shows that the duties on providers have increased in a number of areas: the need to inform of risks, including provider-inherent risks; open disclosure of adverse events; ongoing need to inform consumers throughout the therapeutic relationship; information of all available options; and provision of sufficient time between disclosure of information and obtaining informed consent for provision of health services. Following a breach opinion, the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the Health Practitioners Competency Tribunal, on occasion, have the opportunity to consider the case but their role in law development is limited compared with that of the Commissioner. The limitations of law development in this manner are discussed.
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Shea, M Kyla; Loeser, Richard F; McAlindon, Timothy E; Houston, Denise K; Kritchevsky, Stephen B; Booth, Sarah L
2017-10-17
Vitamins K and D are important for the function of vitamin K-dependent proteins in joint tissues. It is unclear if these nutrients are mutually important to functional outcomes related to knee osteoarthritis (OA). We evaluated the association of vitamin K and D sufficiency with lower-extremity function in the Health, Aging Body Composition Knee OA Sub-study (Health ABC) and conducted a replication analysis in an independent cohort, the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). In Health ABC (60% female, 75±3 years) baseline nutrient status was measured using circulating vitamin K and 25(OH)D. Lower-extremity function was assessed using the short physical performance battery (SPPB) and usual 20-meter gait speed. In the OAI (58% female, 61±9 years), baseline nutrient intake was estimated by food frequency questionnaire. Lower-extremity function was assessed using usual 20-meter gait speed and chair stand completion time. Multivariate mixed models were used to evaluate the association of vitamin K and D status and intake with lower-extremity function over 4-5 years. Health ABC participants with sufficient plasma vitamin K (≥1.0 nmol/L) and serum 25(OH)D (≥50 nmol/L) generally had better SPPB scores and faster usual gait speed over follow-up (p≤0.002). In the OAI, sufficient vitamin K and vitamin D intake combined was associated with overall faster usual gait speed and chair stand completion time over follow-up (p≤0.029). Sufficient vitamin K status combined with sufficient vitamin D status was associated with better lower-extremity function in two knee OA cohorts. These findings merit confirmation in vitamin K and D co-supplementation trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Foster, R.F.; Rickard, W.H.; Strand, J.A.; Warner, M.L.
1979-11-01
Reconnaissance level information (RLI) sufficient for comparing the environmental and socio-economic features of candidate sites for nuclear power stations and for guiding plant design, baseline surveys, and operational practices is usually available from published reports, public records, and knowledgeable individuals. Environmental concerns of special importance for site evaluation include: aquatic ecology, terrestrial ecology, land and water use, socio-economics, and institutional constraints. A scheme is suggested for using RLI to assign classifications to candidate sites based on the potential level of concern associated with the different environmental features.
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Global Sufficient Optimality Conditions for a Special Cubic Minimization Problem
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xiaomei Zhang
2012-01-01
Full Text Available We present some sufficient global optimality conditions for a special cubic minimization problem with box constraints or binary constraints by extending the global subdifferential approach proposed by V. Jeyakumar et al. (2006. The present conditions generalize the results developed in the work of V. Jeyakumar et al. where a quadratic minimization problem with box constraints or binary constraints was considered. In addition, a special diagonal matrix is constructed, which is used to provide a convenient method for justifying the proposed sufficient conditions. Then, the reformulation of the sufficient conditions follows. It is worth noting that this reformulation is also applicable to the quadratic minimization problem with box or binary constraints considered in the works of V. Jeyakumar et al. (2006 and Y. Wang et al. (2010. Finally some examples demonstrate that our optimality conditions can effectively be used for identifying global minimizers of the certain nonconvex cubic minimization problem.
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INFORMATION ON FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS INCLUDED IN ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marius Gust
2013-01-01
Full Text Available This survey aims at emphasizing several aspects of the recognition, measurement and presentation of information on capital assets and how they are reflected in accounting. In this respect, here is a presentation of the calculation, preparation and regulation of impairment that can affect capital assets and the way accounting entries may influence the financial status and performance of a company. Although the bookkeeping variants of asset impairment, namely the Romanian and the international ones, are different, the information reported in annual financial statements is the same and assets are shown at their fair values. The issues approached in the paper herein are vast and they open new prospects to scientific research.
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Shakeri, Habibesadat; Pournaghi, Seyed-Javad; Hashemi, Javad; Mohammad-Zadeh, Mohammad; Akaberi, Arash
2017-10-26
The changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in adolescents from summer to winter and optimal serum vitamin D levels in the summer to ensure adequate vitamin D levels at the end of winter are currently unknown. This study was conducted to address this knowledge gap. The study was conducted as a cohort study. Sixty-eight participants aged 7-18 years and who had sufficient vitamin D levels at the end of the summer in 2011 were selected using stratified random sampling. Subsequently, the participants' vitamin D levels were measured at the end of the winter in 2012. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine optimal cutoff points for vitamin D at the end of the summer to predict sufficient vitamin D levels at the end of the winter. The results indicated that 89.7% of all the participants had a decrease in vitamin D levels from summer to winter: 14.7% of them were vitamin D-deficient, 36.8% had insufficient vitamin D concentrations and only 48.5% where able to maintain sufficient vitamin D. The optimal cutoff point to provide assurance of sufficient serum vitamin D at the end of the winter was 40 ng/mL at the end of the summer. Sex, age and vitamin D levels at the end of the summer were significant predictors of non-sufficient vitamin D at the end of the winter. In this age group, a dramatic reduction in vitamin D was observed over the follow-up period. Sufficient vitamin D at the end of the summer did not guarantee vitamin D sufficiency at the end of the winter. We found 40 ng/mL as an optimal cutoff point.
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On necessity and sufficiency in counseling and psychotherapy (revisited).
Lazarus, Arnold A
2007-09-01
It seems to me that Carl Rogers (see record 2007-14639-002) was far too ambitious in trying to specify general conditions of necessity and sufficiency that would be relevant to the entire spectrum of problems and the diverse expectancies and personalities of the people who seek our help. Rogers' position and orientation almost totally overlook the array of problems under the rubric of "response deficits" that stem from misinformation and missing information and call for active correction, training, and retraining. Rogers also paid scant attention to problems with significant biological determinants. Nevertheless, as exemplified by his seminal 1957 article and many other articles and books, Rogers made major contributions within the domain of the therapeutic alliance. Today, the scientific emphasis looks at accountability, the need to establish various treatments of choice, and the need to understand their presumed mechanisms. Treatment efficacy and generalizability across different methodologies are now considered key issues. The efficacy narrowing and clinically self-limiting consequences of adhering to one particular school of thought are now self-evident to most. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
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Constraining new resonant physics with top spin polarisation information
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Englert, Christoph; Nordstroem, Karl [University of Glasgow, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, Glasgow (United Kingdom); Ferrando, James [DESY Hamburg, Hamburg (Germany)
2017-06-15
We provide a comprehensive analysis of the power of including top quark-polarisation information to kinematically challenging top pair resonance searches, for which ATLAS and CMS start losing sensitivity. Following the general modelling and analysis strategies pursued by the experiments, we analyse the semi-leptonic and the di-lepton channels and show that including polarisation information can lead to large improvements in the limit setting procedures with large data sets. This will allow us to set stronger limits for parameter choices where sensitivity from the invariant mass of the top pair is not sufficient. This highlights the importance of spin observables as part of a more comprehensive set of observables to gain sensitivity to BSM resonance searches. (orig.)
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POLITICAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF RICE SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN INDONESIA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sri Nuryanti
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Rice self-sufficiency is an important programme in Indonesia. The programme has four major targets, i.e. increasing production, stabilizing prices and reserve stocks, and minimizing import. For that purpose, the government gave a mandate to a parastatal, namely National Logistic Agency (Bulog in implementing the rice policies. Some studies found that involvement of such a parastatal could lead to government failure in budget allocation. The study aimed to estimate social cost of rice self-sufficiency programme based on the implementation of rice instrument policies by Bulog. The study used the national annual data of 2002–2014 period. The method used was the political preference function model to estimate economic rent and dead-weight loss using rice price elasticity of demand and supply. The result showed that in terms of percentage of food security budget, the average of economic rent reached IDR 6.37 trillion per annum (18.54%, while the average of dead-weight loss amounted at IDR 0.90 trillion per annum (2.34%. It proved that rice self-sufficiency programme along with the involvement of Bulog was economically inefficient. The government should provide better agricultural infrastructure, review governmental procurement prices, and stop rice import policy to remedy market failure.
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12 CFR 573.6 - Information to be included in privacy notices.
2010-01-01
... and 573.15; (4) The categories of nonpublic personal information about your former customers that you... personal information about your former customers, other than those parties to whom you disclose information... applicable; and (ii) State whether the third party is: (A) A service provider that performs marketing...
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Albano, Maria Grazia; Jourdain, Patrick; De Andrade, Vincent; Domenke, Aukse; Desnos, Michel; d'Ivernois, Jean-François
2014-05-01
Therapeutic patient education programmes on heart failure have been widely proposed for many years for heart failure patients, but their efficiency remains questionable, partly because most articles lack a precise programme description, which makes comparative analysis of the studies difficult. To analyse the degree of precision in describing therapeutic patient education programmes in recent randomized controlled trials. Three major recent recommendations on therapeutic patient education in heart failure inspired us to compile a list of 23 relevant items that an 'ideal' description of a therapeutic patient education programme should contain. To discover the extent to which recent studies into therapeutic patient education in heart failure included these items, we analysed 19 randomized controlled trials among 448 articles published in this field from 2005 to 2012. The major elements required to describe a therapeutic patient education programme were present, but some other very important pieces of information were missing in most of the studies we analysed: the patient's educational needs, health literacy, projects, expectations regarding therapeutic patient education and psychosocial status; the educational methodology used; outcomes evaluation; and follow-up strategies. Research into how therapeutic patient education can help heart failure patients will be improved if more precise descriptions of patients, educational methodology and evaluation protocols are given by authors, ideally in a standardized format. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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Bauman, Adrian; Milton, Karen; Kariuki, Maina; Fedel, Karla; Lewicka, Mary
2017-11-28
The proliferation of studies using motivational signs to promote stair use continues unabated, with their oft-cited potential for increasing population-level physical activity participation. This study examined all stair use promotional signage studies since 1980, calculating pre-estimates and post-estimates of stair use. The aim of this project was to conduct a sequential meta-analysis to pool intervention effects, in order to determine when the evidence base was sufficient for population-wide dissemination. Using comparable data from 50 stair-promoting studies (57 unique estimates) we pooled data to assess the effect sizes of such interventions. At baseline, median stair usage across interventions was 8.1%, with an absolute median increase of 2.2% in stair use following signage-based interventions. The overall pooled OR indicated that participants were 52% more likely to use stairs after exposure to promotional signs (adjusted OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.37 to 1.70). Incremental (sequential) meta-analyses using z-score methods identified that sufficient evidence for stair use interventions has existed since 2006, with recent studies providing no further evidence on the effect sizes of such interventions. This analysis has important policy and practice implications. Researchers continue to publish stair use interventions without connection to policymakers' needs, and few stair use interventions are implemented at a population level. Researchers should move away from repeating short-term, small-scale, stair sign interventions, to investigating their scalability, adoption and fidelity. Only such research translation efforts will provide sufficient evidence of external validity to inform their scaling up to influence population physical activity. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cinar, N.; Kose, D.; Altinkaynak, S.
2015-01-01
Objective: To determine the relationship between maternal attachment, perceived social support and breast-feeding sufficiency. Study Design: Descriptive correlational design. Place and Duration of Study: A state hospital and two family health centers in Sakarya, Turkey, between June to December 2011. Methodology: The sample was 122 voluntary mothers who had healthy babies of 1 - 2 months old. The data were collected by a Personal Information Form, Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Breast-feeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF). The data collected were analysed by percentage distribution, mean square, independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskall-Wallis and Pearson correlation. Results: The mean age of the mothers was 25.01 ± 2.2 years, and 48.4% of them were primary school graduates. BSESSF was 61.02 ± 8.44 (16 - 70), MAI was 99.07 ± 7.19 (56 - 100) and MSPSS was 66.40 ± 13.58 (37 - 84). There was a positive, medium level, significant relationship between the total scores of BSES-SF and MAI (r=0.370, p < 0.001). There was a positive, medium level, significant relationship between the total score of BSES-SF and the score from family subdimension of MSPSS (r=0.255, p < 0.01).There was a positive, medium level, significant relationship between the total score of MAI and the total score of family subdimension of MSPSS (r=0.339, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Successful maternal attachment and familial support positively affected the breast-feeding sufficiency of the mother. (author)
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New research builds strong case for including informal migrant ...
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)
2016-04-21
Apr 21, 2016 ... The informal sector is a major source of income for the urban poor. ... Two new studies supported by IDRC seek to address this gap. ... provided a detailed analysis of businesses owned by cross-border traders in a number of ...
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Intellectual Freedom and Economic Sufficiency as Educational Entitlements.
Morse, Jane Fowler
2001-01-01
Using the theories of John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx, this article supports the educational entitlements of intellectual freedom and economic sufficiency. Explores these issues in reference to their implications for teaching, the teaching profession and its training. Concludes that ideas cannot be controlled by the interests of the dominant class.…
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Status of sorption information retrieval system
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hostetler, D.D.; Serne, R.J.; Brandstetter, A.
1979-09-01
A Sorption Information Retrieval System (SIRS) is being designed to provide an efficient, computerized, data base for information on radionuclide sorption in geologic media. The data bank will include Kd values for a large number of radionuclides occurring in radioactive wastes originating from the commercial nuclear power industry. Kd values determined to date span several groundwater compositions and a wide variety of rock types and minerals. The data system will not only include Kd values, but also background information on the experiments themselves. This will allow the potential user to retrieve not only the Kd values of interest but also sufficient information to evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of the data. During FY-1979, the logic structure of the system was designed, the software programmed, the data categories selected, and the data format specified. About 40% of the approximately 5000 Kd experiments performed by the Waste Isolation Safety Assessment Program (WISAP) and its subcontractors during FY-1977 and FY-1978 have been evaluated, coded and keypunched. Additional software improvements and system testing are needed before the system will be fully operational. A workshop requested by the NEA was held to discuss potential internatioal participation in the data system
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Impact of Market Behavior, Fleet Composition, and Ancillary Services on Revenue Sufficiency
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Frew, Bethany [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Gallo, Giulia [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Brinkman, Gregory [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Milligan, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Clark, Kara [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bloom, Aaron [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2016-06-01
Revenue insufficiency, or the missing money problem, occurs when the revenues that generators earn from the market are not sufficient to cover both fixed and variable costs to remain in the market and/or justify investments in new capacity, which may be needed for reliability. The near-zero marginal cost of variable renewable generators further exacerbates these revenue challenges. Estimating the extent of the missing money problem in current electricity markets is an important, nontrivial task that requires representing both how the power system operates and how market participants behave. This paper explores the missing money problem using a production cost model that represented a simplified version of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) energy-only market for the years 2012-2014. We evaluate how various market structures -- including market behavior, ancillary services, and changing fleet compositions -- affect net revenues in this ERCOT-like system. In most production cost modeling exercises, resources are assumed to offer their marginal capabilities at marginal costs. Although this assumption is reasonable for feasibility studies and long-term planning, it does not adequately consider the market behaviors that impact revenue sufficiency. In this work, we simulate a limited set of market participant strategic bidding behaviors by means of different sets of markups; these markups are applied to the true production costs of all gas generators, which are the most prominent generators in ERCOT. Results show that markups can help generators increase their net revenues overall, although net revenues may increase or decrease depending on the technology and the year under study. Results also confirm that conventional, variable-cost-based production cost simulations do not capture prices accurately, and this particular feature calls for proxies for strategic behaviors (e.g., markups) and more accurate representations of how electricity markets work. The
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Informal work and formal plans
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Dalsted, Rikke Juul; Hølge-Hazelton, Bibi; Kousgaard, Marius Brostrøm
2012-01-01
trajectories. METHODS AND THEORY: An in-depth case study of patient trajectories at a Danish hospital and surrounding municipality using individual interviews with patients. Theory about trajectory and work by Strauss was included. RESULTS: Patients continuously took initiatives to organize their treatment...... and care. They initiated processes in the trajectories, and acquired information, which they used to form their trajectories. Patients presented problems to the healthcare professionals in order to get proper help when needed. DISCUSSION: Work done by patients was invisible and not perceived as work....... The patients' requests were not sufficiently supported in the professional organisation of work or formal planning. Patients' insertion and use of information in their trajectories challenged professional views and working processes. And the design of the formal pathway models limits the patients' active...
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Informal work and formal plans
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Dalsted, Rikke Juul; Hølge-Hazelton, Bibi; Kousgaard, Marius Brostrøm
2012-01-01
INTRODUCTION: Formal pathways models outline that patients should receive information in order to experience a coherent journey but do not describe an active role for patients or their relatives. The aim of this is paper is to articulate and discuss the active role of patients during their cancer...... trajectories. METHODS AND THEORY: An in-depth case study of patient trajectories at a Danish hospital and surrounding municipality using individual interviews with patients. Theory about trajectory and work by Strauss was included. RESULTS: Patients continuously took initiatives to organize their treatment....... The patients' requests were not sufficiently supported in the professional organisation of work or formal planning. Patients' insertion and use of information in their trajectories challenged professional views and working processes. And the design of the formal pathway models limits the patients' active...
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Redox self-sufficient whole cell biotransformation for amination of alcohols.
Klatte, Stephanie; Wendisch, Volker F
2014-10-15
Whole cell biotransformation is an upcoming tool to replace common chemical routes for functionalization and modification of desired molecules. In the approach presented here the production of various non-natural (di)amines was realized using the designed whole cell biocatalyst Escherichia coli W3110/pTrc99A-ald-adh-ta with plasmid-borne overexpression of genes for an l-alanine dehydrogenase, an alcohol dehydrogenase and a transaminase. Cascading alcohol oxidation with l-alanine dependent transamination and l-alanine dehydrogenase allowed for redox self-sufficient conversion of alcohols to the corresponding amines. The supplementation of the corresponding (di)alcohol precursors as well as amino group donor l-alanine and ammonium chloride were sufficient for amination and redox cofactor recycling in a resting buffer system. The addition of the transaminase cofactor pyridoxal-phosphate and the alcohol dehydrogenase cofactor NAD(+) was not necessary to obtain complete conversion. Secondary and cyclic alcohols, for example, 2-hexanol and cyclohexanol were not aminated. However, efficient redox self-sufficient amination of aliphatic and aromatic (di)alcohols in vivo was achieved with 1-hexanol, 1,10-decanediol and benzylalcohol being aminated best. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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CANDU: Meeting the demand for energy self-sufficiency
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lawson, D.S.
1985-01-01
The success of the CANDU program can been seen quickly by examining the comparison of typical electricity bills in various provinces of Canada. The provinces of Quebec and Manitoba benefit b extensive hydro electric schemes, many of which were constructed years ago at low capital cost. In Ontario, the economic growth has outstripped these low cost sources of hydro power and hence the province has to rely on thermal sources of electricity generation. The success of the CANDU program is shown by the fact that it can contribute over a third of electricity in Ontario while keeping the total electricity rate comparable with that of those provinces that can rely on low cost hydro sources. Energy self-sufficiency encompasses a spectrum of requirements. One consideration would be the reliable supply and control of fuel during the operating life of a power plant: A greater degree of self-sufficiency would be obtained by having an involvement in the building and engineering of the power plant prior to its operation
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Nature exposure sufficiency and insufficiency: The benefits of environmental preservation.
Reddon, John R; Durante, Salvatore B
2018-01-01
Increasing industrialization, urbanization, and a failure of many world leaders to appreciate the consequences of climate change are deleteriously impacting quality of life as well as diminishing the prospects for long term survival. Economic competitiveness and corporate profitability often pre-empt environmental concerns. The calving of an iceberg in Antarctica and the hurricane activity in the Caribbean during 2017 are unfortunate illustrations of the continuing escalation of environmental issues. We provide historical and current evidence for the importance of Nature Exposure (NE) and introduce the continuum Nature Exposure Sufficiency (NES) and Insufficiency (NEI). Insufficiency includes impoverished environments (e.g., slums and prisons) where nature exposure is very limited. Nature Exposure Sufficiency (NES) is an optimal amount of exposure to nature where many benefits such as reinvigoration can be obtained by everyone. NES also has several benefits for individuals with various health conditions such as arthritis, dementia, or depression. The benefits of NE are not just derivable from parks, forests, and other natural settings. Interiors of buildings and homes can be enhanced with plants and even pictures or objects from nature. Additionally, there is abundant evidence indicating that virtual and artificial environments depicting nature can provide substantial NE and therefore contribute to general wellbeing. Besides the difficulty in achieving cooperation amongst nations, corporations, and other collectives in developing and implementing long range plans to deal with climate change, there is also sometimes an aversion at the individual level whereby people are unwilling to experience nature due to insects and other discomforts. Such individuals are often averse to supplanting the comforts of home, even temporarily, with inadequate facilities that are seemingly less pleasant than their typical dwellings. We propose using the term Nature Exposure Aversion
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FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES – ENERGETIC APPROACH
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Arkadiusz Sadowski
2016-06-01
Full Text Available The paper covers the issues of a basic social need, namely alimentation. The aim of the research is to evaluate the energetic food self-sufficiency and its changes in the European Union countries. The research has been conducted using the author’s methodology basing on the amount of energy produced and consumed in 1990-2009. The analyses proved that within the considered period, the European Union became an importer of net energy comprised in agricultural products. The excess in produced energy was mainly observed by the countries of European lowland. Moreover in most of the countries, a decrease in the analyzed factor was observed when compared with the 1990-1999 period. On the other hand, in relation to the new member states the increase in food energetic self-sufficiency was observed. The conclusion has been drawn that, while the general food self-sufficiency is mainly determined by environmental factors, its dynamics is primarily influenced by the factors connected with agricultural policy.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Suga, Kazuyoshi
2010-01-01
Ventilation (V)-perfusion (Q) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provides important information of functional impairment in various lung diseases, and often sensitively detects CT-undetectable lesions. V·Q SPECT also provides objective and quantitative assessment of severity of lung functional impairment. Functional-morphological correlation on V·Q SPECT-CT fusion images further facilitates these advantages of V·Q SPECT. This article describes clinical feasibility of V·Q SPECT in functional assessment and diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung diseases, and lung right-to-left shunt diseases. This article hopefully provides sufficient responses to the crucial query of ''Is CT imaging alone really sufficient for diagnosis and pathophysiological assessment of various lung diseases?'' (author)
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12 CFR 716.6 - Information to be included in privacy notices.
2010-01-01
...) Financial service providers; (ii) Non-financial companies; and (iii) Others. (4) Disclosures under exception... CREDIT UNIONS PRIVACY OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL INFORMATION Privacy and Opt Out Notices § 716.6 Information... jointly with another financial institution, you satisfy the disclosure requirement of paragraph (a)(5) of...
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How, When, and Where? Assessing Renewable Energy Self-Sufficiency at the Neighborhood Level.
Grosspietsch, David; Thömmes, Philippe; Girod, Bastien; Hoffmann, Volker H
2018-02-20
Self-sufficient decentralized systems challenge the centralized energy paradigm. Although scholars have assessed specific locations and technological aspects, it remains unclear how, when, and where energy self-sufficiency could become competitive. To address this gap, we develop a techno-economic model for energy self-sufficient neighborhoods that integrates solar photovoltaics (PV), conversion, and storage technologies. We assess the cost of 100% self-sufficiency for both electricity and heat, comparing different technical configurations for a stylized neighborhood in Switzerland and juxtaposing these findings with projections on market and technology development. We then broaden the scope and vary the neighborhood's composition (residential share) and geographic position (along different latitudes). Regarding how to design self-sufficient neighborhoods, we find two promising technical configurations. The "PV-battery-hydrogen" configuration is projected to outperform a fossil-fueled and grid-connected reference configuration when energy prices increase by 2.5% annually and cost reductions in hydrogen-related technologies by a factor of 2 are achieved. The "PV-battery" configuration would allow achieving parity with the reference configuration sooner, at 21% cost reduction. Additionally, more cost-efficient deployment is found in neighborhoods where the end-use is small commercial or mixed and in regions where seasonal fluctuations are low and thus allow for reducing storage requirements.
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Towards a sufficiency-driven business model : Experiences and opportunities
Bocken, N.M.P.; Short, SW
2016-01-01
Business model innovation is an important lever for change to tackle pressing sustainability issues. In this paper, ‘sufficiency’ is proposed as a driver of business model innovation for sustainability. Sufficiency-driven business models seek to moderate overall resource consumption by curbing
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12 CFR 40.6 - Information to be included in privacy notices.
2010-01-01
... categories of nonpublic personal information about the bank's former customers that the bank discloses and... personal information about the bank's former customers, other than those parties to whom the bank discloses... performs marketing services on the bank's behalf or on behalf of the bank and another financial institution...
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Hanley, Christine; Duncan, Mitch J; Mummery, W Kerry
2013-03-01
Population surveys are frequently used to assess prevalence, correlates and health benefits of physical activity. However, nonsampling errors, such as question order effects, in surveys may lead to imprecision in self reported physical activity. This study examined the impact of modified question order in a commonly used physical activity questionnaire on the prevalence of sufficient physical activity. Data were obtained from a telephone survey of adults living in Queensland, Australia. A total of 1243 adults participated in the computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey conducted in July 2008 which included the Active Australia Questionnaire (AAQ) presented in traditional or modified order. Binary logistic regression analyses was used to examine relationships between question order and physical activity outcomes. Significant relationships were found between question order and sufficient activity, recreational walking, moderate activity, vigorous activity, and total activity. Respondents who received the AAQ in modified order were more likely to be categorized as sufficiently active (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.01-1.60). This study highlights the importance of question order on estimates of self reported physical activity. This study has shown that changes in question order can lead to an increase in the proportion of participants classified as sufficiently active.
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Entrepreneurship by any other name: self-sufficiency versus innovation.
Parker Harris, Sarah; Caldwell, Kate; Renko, Maija
2014-01-01
Entrepreneurship has been promoted as an innovative strategy to address the employment of people with disabilities. Research has predominantly focused on the self-sufficiency aspect without fully integrating entrepreneurship literature in the areas of theory, systems change, and demonstration projects. Subsequently there are gaps in services, policies, and research in this field that, in turn, have limited our understanding of the support needs and barriers or facilitators of entrepreneurs with disabilities. A thorough analysis of the literature in these areas led to the development of two core concepts that need to be addressed in integrating entrepreneurship into disability employment research and policy: clarity in operational definitions and better disability statistics and outcome measures. This article interrogates existing research and policy efforts in this regard to argue for a necessary shift in the field from focusing on entrepreneurship as self-sufficiency to understanding entrepreneurship as innovation.
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16 CFR 313.6 - Information to be included in privacy notices.
2010-01-01
... nonpublic personal information about your former customers that you disclose and the categories of... former customers, other than those parties to whom you disclose information under §§ 313.14 and 313.15... marketing services on your behalf or on behalf of you and another financial institution; or (B) A financial...
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
van Zweden, Jelle Stijn; Vitikainen, Emma; D'Ettorre, Patrizia
2011-01-01
Split sex ratio theory predicts that when kin structure varies among colonies of social insects, in order to maximize the inclusive fitness, colonies with relatively high sister-sister relatedness should specialize in producing reproductive females, whereas in those with relatively low sister......-sister relatedness workers should bias their sex ratio towards males. However, in order to achieve this, workers need to be able to reliably assess the type of colony in which they live. The information on colony kin structure may be encoded in cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), assuming that genetic variability....... However, within-colony relatedness remains the key determinant of colony sex ratios. Based on our results, CHC variability cannot serve as accurate information on within-colony relatedness, kin structure, or full-sib affiliation, nor do workers seem to use colony CHC variability as a proxy for sex...
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12 CFR 332.6 - Information to be included in privacy notices.
2010-01-01
... of nonpublic personal information about your former customers that you disclose and the categories of... former customers, other than those parties to whom you disclose information under §§ 332.14 and 332.15... third party is: (A) A service provider that performs marketing services on your behalf or on behalf of...
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2009-01-01
In the Netherlands, public information is often used as an instrument to improve road safety. The purpose of each public information campaign is a voluntary and lasting change in traffic behaviour. This requires road users to have sufficient knowledge about a problem and to adapt their behaviour.
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Assessing sufficient capability: A new approach to economic evaluation.
Mitchell, Paul Mark; Roberts, Tracy E; Barton, Pelham M; Coast, Joanna
2015-08-01
Amartya Sen's capability approach has been discussed widely in the health economics discipline. Although measures have been developed to assess capability in economic evaluation, there has been much less attention paid to the decision rules that might be applied alongside. Here, new methods, drawing on the multidimensional poverty and health economics literature, are developed for conducting economic evaluation within the capability approach and focusing on an objective of achieving "sufficient capability". This objective more closely reflects the concern with equity that pervades the capability approach and the method has the advantage of retaining the longitudinal aspect of estimating outcome that is associated with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), whilst also drawing on notions of shortfall associated with assessments of poverty. Economic evaluation from this perspective is illustrated in an osteoarthritis patient group undergoing joint replacement, with capability wellbeing assessed using ICECAP-O. Recommendations for taking the sufficient capability approach forward are provided. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Needs, demands and motivation in the use of sources of information
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lancaster, F W [Illinois Univ., Urbana, IL (United States). Graduate School of Library and Information Science
1990-05-01
For designers and managers of information services it is important to have some understanding of the factors that influence the probability that an information need will arise in the mind of some individual, that this individual will be sufficiently motivated to seek the needed information, and that he or she will select a particular information source. While our knowledge of these matters is still very far from complete, the many hundreds of ``user studies`` that have been performed have at least shed some light on them. Factors affecting the selection of a particular information source (e.g., information center or library) will include some user factors (e.g., previous experience with a source) and many source-related factors, including currency, cost, accessibility, reputation, dissemination and marketing efforts, and the format and content of the information available. Accessibility will be a major factor influencing use of an information source but this goes far beyond physical accessibility; intellectual and psychological accessibility must also be considered. This paper combines these various factors into a ``model`` of information-seeking behaviour and from this attempts to draw conclusions that may be useful in the design of future information services. 61 refs, 1 fig.
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Needs, demands and motivation in the use of sources of information
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lancaster, F.W.
1990-05-01
For designers and managers of information services it is important to have some understanding of the factors that influence the probability that an information need will arise in the mind of some individual, that this individual will be sufficiently motivated to seek the needed information, and that he or she will select a particular information source. While our knowledge of these matters is still very far from complete, the many hundreds of ''user studies'' that have been performed have at least shed some light on them. Factors affecting the selection of a particular information source (e.g., information center or library) will include some user factors (e.g., previous experience with a source) and many source-related factors, including currency, cost, accessibility, reputation, dissemination and marketing efforts, and the format and content of the information available. Accessibility will be a major factor influencing use of an information source but this goes far beyond physical accessibility; intellectual and psychological accessibility must also be considered. This paper combines these various factors into a ''model'' of information-seeking behaviour and from this attempts to draw conclusions that may be useful in the design of future information services. 61 refs, 1 fig
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McNally, Shawna L; Donohue, Michael C; Newton, Kimberly P; Ogletree, Sandra P; Conner, Kristen K; Ingegneri, Sarah E
2012-01-01
98 (52%) websites contained less than 50% of the core celiac disease information that was considered important for inclusion on websites that provide general information about celiac disease. Academic websites were significantly less transparent (P = .005) than commercial websites in attributing authorship, timeliness of information, sources of information, and other important disclosures. The type of website publisher did not predict website accuracy, comprehensiveness, or overall website quality. Only 4 of 98 (4%) websites achieved an overall quality score of 80 or above, which a priori was set as the minimum score for a website to be judged trustworthy and reliable. Conclusions The information on many websites addressing celiac disease was not sufficiently accurate, comprehensive, and transparent, or presented at an appropriate reading grade level, to be considered sufficiently trustworthy and reliable for patients, health care providers, celiac disease support groups, and the general public. This has the potential to adversely affect decision making about important aspects of celiac disease, including its appropriate and proper diagnosis, treatment, and management. PMID:23611901
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McNally, Shawna L; Donohue, Michael C; Newton, Kimberly P; Ogletree, Sandra P; Conner, Kristen K; Ingegneri, Sarah E; Kagnoff, Martin F
2012-04-04
50% of the core celiac disease information that was considered important for inclusion on websites that provide general information about celiac disease. Academic websites were significantly less transparent (P = .005) than commercial websites in attributing authorship, timeliness of information, sources of information, and other important disclosures. The type of website publisher did not predict website accuracy, comprehensiveness, or overall website quality. Only 4 of 98 (4%) websites achieved an overall quality score of 80 or above, which a priori was set as the minimum score for a website to be judged trustworthy and reliable. The information on many websites addressing celiac disease was not sufficiently accurate, comprehensive, and transparent, or presented at an appropriate reading grade level, to be considered sufficiently trustworthy and reliable for patients, health care providers, celiac disease support groups, and the general public. This has the potential to adversely affect decision making about important aspects of celiac disease, including its appropriate and proper diagnosis, treatment, and management.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
1986-01-01
With NRC concurrence, the Licensing Plan for the Standard HTGR describes an application program consistent with 10CFR50, Appendix O to support a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) review and design certification of an advanced Standard modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR) design. Consistent with the NRC's Advanced Reactor Policy, the Plan also outlines a series of preapplication activities which have as an objective the early issuance of an NRC Licensability Statement on the Standard MHTGR conceptual design. This Preliminary Safety Information Document (PSID) has been prepared as one of the submittals to the NRC by the US Department of Energy in support of preapplication activities on the Standard MHTGR. Other submittals to be provided include a Probabilistic Risk Assessment, a Regulatory Technology Development Plan, and an Emergency Planning Bases Report.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kulvadee Kansuntisukmongkol
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Major components within the philosophy of a sufficiency economy include moderation, prudence, and self-immunity together with knowledge and morality. These components were proposed to safeguard local communities from adverse changes and crises. Climatic crises due to global warming can impact upon local agricultural production and consumption systems. Yet, it is still questionable whether communities following the sufficiency economy philosophy can cope with climate change. The objective of this research was to study the coping and adaptive capacity to climate change of local agricultural communities following the sufficiency economy philosophy and to analyze the success factors of adaptation to climate change. The research found five adaptive strategies leading to a resilient livelihood: (1 self-evaluation, (2 diversity dependency, (3 storage and reserve, (4 cooperation, and (5 mobility over space and time. These strategies help to reduce exposure and sensitivity, while increasing adaptive capacity to climate change with the aims of sustainability and adaptation for survival, and protecting natural resource bases for food and settlement security. Moderation, prudence, and self-immunity are critical success factors of adaptation measures, whereas local ecological knowledge with morality is a core enabling factor for adapting to climate change. These factors can be applied in community-based climate change adaptation in the National Adaptation Plan.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Piyapong Janmaimool
2016-08-01
Full Text Available The concept of economic self-reliance, widely known by Thai people as the philosophy of sufficiency economy, has been widely promoted in rural Thai societies. By practicing this philosophy, it is expected that the citizens’ quality of life and local environments could be sustainably improved. This study aims to explore the contribution of the community practices of the sufficiency economy philosophy to rural villagers’ quality of life improvement, and to investigate potential factors that determine the trust of villagers in the philosophy. With the purpose to propose strategies which could enhance trust and promote villagers’ practices of the philosophy, the study investigated influences of three relevant factors on trust towards the philosophy. Those factors included factors related to cognitive-based trust, factors related to emotional-based trust, and factors related to demographic characteristics. Questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews with community leaders and local villagers were conducted in the Ban Jamrung community, in Thailand’s Rayong Province. The results of the statistical analysis revealed that the residents who applied the sufficiency economy philosophy in their daily lives experienced a relatively better quality of life. Additionally, it was found that trust in the philosophy could be predicted more by rational factors than by emotional factors. These findings could be utilized to develop strategies to maintain and enhance the trust of the people in the philosophy of sufficiency economy.
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Yamamoto, Michiko; Doi, Hirohisa; Watanabe, Kazuhiro
2016-01-01
According to the Japanese revitalization strategy endorsed by the government in June, 2013, pharmacies are expected to play an active role as the hub of health information. But this is not sufficiently organized: an infrastructure for providing neutral information which becomes the basis of such health information is not yet established for healthcare professionals, patients and consumers. As for drug information available subsequent to the marketing of pharmaceutical products, information from the pharmaceutical companies including Package Inserts and Interview-forms are often found. However, though such information from companies is important, it is necessary for healthcare professionals and patients to have access to the information evaluated by a trustworthy third party. With overseas distribution, the dissemination of drug information is provided by third parties, which are independent of regulatory agencies. For example, National Health Service (NHS) Evidence in the UK offers wide-ranging information based on evidence from a disease to pharmaceutical products, and is a widely available information source for healthcare professionals, patients and consumers. With regard to therapeutic medications, drug information and health foods in the Japanese community, it is necessary for patients and healthcare professionals that we establish neutral and common systematic information based on the research evidence. By providing information on the Internet, which enables people to access the information easily and to assess a product's usefulness objectively, we hope to eventually develop a system that ensures a patient's safety in the use of drugs.
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Crozier, G K D; Martin, Dominique
2012-04-01
One of the areas of concern raised by cross-border reproductive travel regards the treatment of women who are solicited to provide their ova or surrogacy services to foreign consumers. This is particularly troublesome in the context of developing countries where endemic poverty and low standards for both medical care and informed consent may place these women at risk of exploitation and harm. We explore two contrasting proposals for policy development regarding the industry, both of which seek to promote ethical outcomes and social justice: While one proposal advocates efforts to minimize cross-border demand for female reproductive resources through the pursuit of national self-sufficiency, the other defends cross-border trade as a means for meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. Despite the conflicting objectives of the proposed strategies, the paper identifies common values and points of agreement between the two, including the importance of regulations to safeguard those providing ova or surrogacy services. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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India's baseline plan for nuclear energy self-sufficiency
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bucher, R.G.
2009-01-01
India's nuclear energy strategy has traditionally strived for energy self-sufficiency, driven largely by necessity following trade restrictions imposed by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) following India's 'peaceful nuclear explosion' of 1974. On September 6, 2008, the NSG agreed to create an exception opening nuclear trade with India, which may create opportunities for India to modify its baseline strategy. The purpose of this document is to describe India's 'baseline plan,' which was developed under constrained trade conditions, as a basis for understanding changes in India's path as a result of the opening of nuclear commerce. Note that this treatise is based upon publicly available information. No attempt is made to judge whether India can meet specified goals either in scope or schedule. In fact, the reader is warned a priori that India's delivery of stated goals has often fallen short or taken a significantly longer period to accomplish. It has been evident since the early days of nuclear power that India's natural resources would determine the direction of its civil nuclear power program. It's modest uranium but vast thorium reserves dictated that the country's primary objective would be thorium utilization. Estimates of India's natural deposits vary appreciably, but its uranium reserves are known to be extremely limited, totaling approximately 80,000 tons, on the order of 1% of the world's deposits; and nominally one-third of this ore is of very low uranium concentration. However, India's roughly 300,000 tons of thorium reserves account for approximately 30% of the world's total. Confronted with this reality, the future of India's nuclear power industry is strongly dependent on the development of a thorium-based nuclear fuel cycle as the only way to insure a stable, sustainable, and autonomous program. The path to India's nuclear energy self-sufficiency was first outlined in a seminal paper by Drs. H. J. Bhabha and N. B. Prasad presented at the Second
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Information seeking research needs extension towards tasks and technology
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kalervo Järvelin
2004-01-01
Full Text Available This paper discusses the research into information seeking and its directions at a general level. We approach this topic by analysis and argumentation based on past research in the domain. We begin by presenting a general model of information seeking and retrieval (IS&R which is used to derive nine broad dimensions that are needed to analyze IS&R. Past research is then contrasted with the dimensions and shown not to cover the dimensions sufficiently. Based on an analysis of the goals of information seeking research, and a view on human task performance augmentation, it is then shown that information seeking is intimately associated with, and dependent on, other aspects of work; tasks and technology included. This leads to a discussion on design and evaluation frameworks for IS&R, based on which two action lines are proposed: information retrieval research needs extension towards more context and information seeking research needs extension towards tasks and technology.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mohammad Kavoosi Kalashami
2014-08-01
Full Text Available Cultivation of the strategic crop of rice highly depends to the existence of sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water, and water shortage stresses have irreparable effects on yield and quality of productions. Decrease of the Sefidrud river inflow in Guilan province which is the main source of supplying irrigation water for 171 thousand hectares under rice cropping area of this province, has been challenged sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply in many regions of mentioned province. Hence, in present study estimating the value that paddy farmers place on sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply has been considered. Economic valuation of sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply improves water resource management policies in demand side. Requested data set were obtained on the base of a survey and are collected from 224 paddy farms in rural regions that faced with irrigation water shortages. Then, using open-ended valuation approach and estimation of Tobit model via ML and two stages Heckman approach, eliciting paddy farmers' willingness to pay for sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply has been accomplished. Results revealed that farmers in investigated regions willing to pay 26.49 percent more than present costs of providing irrigation water in order to have sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water.
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Powerful Statistical Inference for Nested Data Using Sufficient Summary Statistics
Dowding, Irene; Haufe, Stefan
2018-01-01
Hierarchically-organized data arise naturally in many psychology and neuroscience studies. As the standard assumption of independent and identically distributed samples does not hold for such data, two important problems are to accurately estimate group-level effect sizes, and to obtain powerful statistical tests against group-level null hypotheses. A common approach is to summarize subject-level data by a single quantity per subject, which is often the mean or the difference between class means, and treat these as samples in a group-level t-test. This “naive” approach is, however, suboptimal in terms of statistical power, as it ignores information about the intra-subject variance. To address this issue, we review several approaches to deal with nested data, with a focus on methods that are easy to implement. With what we call the sufficient-summary-statistic approach, we highlight a computationally efficient technique that can improve statistical power by taking into account within-subject variances, and we provide step-by-step instructions on how to apply this approach to a number of frequently-used measures of effect size. The properties of the reviewed approaches and the potential benefits over a group-level t-test are quantitatively assessed on simulated data and demonstrated on EEG data from a simulated-driving experiment. PMID:29615885
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Ideal energy self-sufficient bioclimatic house
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Talamo, C.
1990-04-01
This paper points out some of the interesting architectural features of a conceptual house being designed to be self-sufficient relative to the use of conventional energy sources. Brief notes are given on the following special design characteristics: the house's orientation and form - essentially a V - shaped two storey design with an orientation such as to maximize the surface area exposed to winter insolation; its special low emissivity glazing equipped with nightfall insulating screens; the adoption of maximized insulation, in which case cost benefits were assessed based on amortization over the entire life span of the house; hybrid space heating and ventilation systems involving the integration of pumps and ventilators for air circulation, and the use of a varied mix of active and passive solar heating and cooling systems.
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Puhl, R M; Himmelstein, M S; Gorin, A A; Suh, Y J
2017-03-01
Pervasive weight stigma and discrimination have led to ongoing calls for efforts to reduce this bias. Despite increasing research on stigma-reduction strategies, perspectives of individuals who have experienced weight stigma have rarely been included to inform this research. The present study conducted a systematic examination of women with high body weight to assess their perspectives about a broad range of strategies to reduce weight-based stigma. Women with overweight or obesity ( N = 461) completed an online survey in which they evaluated the importance, feasibility and potential impact of 35 stigma-reduction strategies in diverse settings. Participants (91.5% who reported experiencing weight stigma) also completed self-report measures assessing experienced and internalized weight stigma. Most participants assigned high importance to all stigma-reduction strategies, with school-based and healthcare approaches accruing the highest ratings. Adding weight stigma to existing anti-harassment workplace training was rated as the most impactful and feasible strategy. The family environment was viewed as an important intervention target, regardless of participants' experienced or internalized stigma. These findings underscore the importance of including people with stigmatized identities in stigma-reduction research; their insights provide a necessary and valuable contribution that can inform ways to reduce weight-based inequities and prioritize such efforts.
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Use of reconnaissance level information for environmental assessment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Foster, R.F.; Rickard, W.H.; Strand, J.A.; Warner, M.L.
1979-11-01
Reconnaissance level information (RLI) sufficient for comparing the environmental and socio-economic features of candidate sites for nuclear power stations and for guiding plant design, baseline surveys, and operational practices is usually available from published reports, public records, and knowledgeable individuals. Environmental concerns of special importance for site evaluation include: aquatic ecology, terrestrial ecology, land and water use, socio-economics, and institutional constraints. A scheme is suggested for using RLI to assign classifications to candidate sites based on the potential level of concern associated with the different environmental features
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jacob W. Malcom
2016-07-01
Full Text Available Managers of large, complex wildlife conservation programs need information on the conservation status of each of many species to help strategically allocate limited resources. Oversimplifying status data, however, runs the risk of missing information essential to strategic allocation. Conservation status consists of two components, the status of threats a species faces and the species’ demographic status. Neither component alone is sufficient to characterize conservation status. Here we present a simple key for scoring threat and demographic changes for species using detailed information provided in free-form textual descriptions of conservation status. This key is easy to use (simple, captures the two components of conservation status without the cost of more detailed measures (sufficient, and can be applied by different personnel to any taxon (consistent. To evaluate the key’s utility, we performed two analyses. First, we scored the threat and demographic status of 37 species recently recommended for reclassification under the Endangered Species Act (ESA and 15 control species, then compared our scores to two metrics used for decision-making and reports to Congress. Second, we scored the threat and demographic status of all non-plant ESA-listed species from Florida (54 spp., and evaluated scoring repeatability for a subset of those. While the metrics reported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS are often consistent with our scores in the first analysis, the results highlight two problems with the oversimplified metrics. First, we show that both metrics can mask underlying demographic declines or threat increases; for example, ∼40% of species not recommended for reclassification had changes in threats or demography. Second, we show that neither metric is consistent with either threats or demography alone, but conflates the two. The second analysis illustrates how the scoring key can be applied to a substantial set of species to
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2011-12-29
..., Inc., Automation and Control Solutions Division, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Manpower...., Automation and Control Solutions Division. The Department has determined that these workers were sufficiently...., Automation and Control Solutions Division, including on-site leased workers from Manpower, Spherion...
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Goodbye to Universal Development and Call for Diversified, Democratic Sufficiency and Frugality
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Buch-Hansen, Mogens
2012-01-01
for development within a finite ecological planet calls for radical new thinking about development in terms of sufficiency, frugality and sustainability. The interdisciplinary approach of development studies can play a pertinent role in the necessary redefinition of development in rich and poor countries. This...... World countries materialistic welfare similarly to the developed countries, the poorest countries keep falling further behind in poverty. Rapidly growing emerging economies, however, that all together contain more than half of the world population, now adds up to existing mass consumerism and demand...... changing the established North-South hegemonic world order based in the linear concept of development. This creates two new scenarios. One is the rapidly growing challenges to the global ecosystems, including greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere that with the expected global population by the middle...
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Incorporation prior belief in the general path model: A comparison of information sources
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Coble, Jamie; Hines, Wesley
2014-01-01
The general path model (GPM) is one approach for performing degradation-based, or Type III, prognostics. The GPM fits a parametric function to the collected observations of a prognostic parameter and extrapolates the fit to a failure threshold. This approach has been successfully applied to a variety of systems when a sufficient number of prognostic parameter observations are available. However, the parametric fit can suffer significantly when few data are available or the data are very noisy. In these instances, it is beneficial to include additional information to influence the fit to conform to a prior belief about the evolution of system degradation. Bayesian statistical approaches have been proposed to include prior information in the form of distributions of expected model parameters. This requires a number of run-to-failure cases with tracked prognostic parameters; these data may not be readily available for many systems. Reliability information and stressor-based (Type I and Type II, respectively) prognostic estimates can provide the necessary prior belief for the GPM. This article presents the Bayesian updating framework to include prior information in the GPM and compares the efficacy of including different information sources on two data sets.
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Information system for sandstone uranium exploration based on Arc View 3.2
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Han Shaoyang; Hou Huiqun; Huang Shutao
2001-01-01
The compositive platform of the system is geographic information system software-Arc View 3.2. The secondary development has been finished through the language-AVENUE provided by Arc View 3.2. The system integrates all kinds of data, graphic information, analysis results, spatial analysis methods in data processing and integrated evaluation models during the sandstone uranium exploration. According to the need of multi-source-information management and integrated evaluation, a series of new functions was appended to the basic platform through AVENUE language on a basis of sufficiently inheriting Arc View software functions, and the friendly graphic user interface is created so that the system realizes the functions better, which include information query, data base management, graphics editing, geology cartography, model analysis and result outputs
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Information Acquisition and Strategic Disclosure in Oligopoly
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jansen, Jos
2008-01-01
I study the incentives of oligopolists to acquire and disclose information on a common demand intercept. Because firms may fail to acquire information even when they invest in information acquisition, firms can credibly conceal unfavorable news while disclosing favorable news. Firms may earn high...... Cournot duopolists prefer strategic disclosure, if their goods are sufficiently differentiated....
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bender Ralf
2011-09-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background To assess the reporting of loss to follow-up (LTFU information in articles on randomised controlled trials (RCTs with time-to-event outcomes, and to assess whether discrepancies affect the validity of study results. Methods Literature survey of all issues of the BMJ, Lancet, JAMA, and New England Journal of Medicine published between 2003 and 2005. Eligible articles were reports of RCTs including at least one Kaplan-Meier plot. Articles were classified as "assessable" if sufficient information was available to assess LTFU. In these articles, LTFU information was derived from Kaplan-Meier plots, extracted from the text, and compared. Articles were then classified as "consistent" or "not consistent". Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the validity of study results. Results 319 eligible articles were identified. 187 (59% were classified as "assessable", as they included sufficient information for evaluation; 140 of 319 (44% presented consistent LTFU information between the Kaplan-Meier plot and text. 47 of 319 (15% were classified as "not consistent". These 47 articles were included in sensitivity analyses. When various imputation methods were used, the results of a chi2-test applied to the corresponding 2 × 2 table changed and hence were not robust in about half of the studies. Conclusions Less than half of the articles on RCTs using Kaplan-Meier plots provide assessable and consistent LTFU information, thus questioning the validity of the results and conclusions of many studies presenting survival analyses. Authors should improve the presentation of both Kaplan-Meier plots and LTFU information, and reviewers of study publications and journal editors should critically appraise the validity of the information provided.
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Sufficient condition for black-hole formation in spherical gravitational collapse
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Giambo, Roberto; Giannoni, Fabio; Magli, Giulio
2002-01-01
A sufficient condition for the validity of cosmic censorship in spherical gravitational collapse is formulated and proved. The condition relies on an attractive mathematical property of the apparent horizon, which holds if 'minimal' requirements of physical reasonableness are satisfied by the matter model. (letter to the editor)
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Stability of matrices with sufficiently strong negative-dominant-diagonal submatrices
Nieuwenhuis, H.J.; Schoonbeek, L.
A well-known sufficient condition for stability of a system of linear first-order differential equations is that the matrix of the homogeneous dynamics has a negative dominant diagonal. However, this condition cannot be applied to systems of second-order differential equations. In this paper we
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Sufficient Stochastic Maximum Principle in a Regime-Switching Diffusion Model
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Donnelly, Catherine, E-mail: C.Donnelly@hw.ac.uk [Heriot-Watt University, Department of Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics (United Kingdom)
2011-10-15
We prove a sufficient stochastic maximum principle for the optimal control of a regime-switching diffusion model. We show the connection to dynamic programming and we apply the result to a quadratic loss minimization problem, which can be used to solve a mean-variance portfolio selection problem.
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Sufficient Stochastic Maximum Principle in a Regime-Switching Diffusion Model
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Donnelly, Catherine
2011-01-01
We prove a sufficient stochastic maximum principle for the optimal control of a regime-switching diffusion model. We show the connection to dynamic programming and we apply the result to a quadratic loss minimization problem, which can be used to solve a mean-variance portfolio selection problem.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oliveira e Silva de, Guilherme; Hendrick, Patrick
2016-01-01
Highlights: • Grid parity is reached for PV installations up to nearly 40% self-sufficiency. • Reaching beyond 40% self-sufficiency requires storage and support policies. • Peak consumption remains constant but load variability rises with self-sufficiency. • Changes in power plants portfolio and wholesale electricity prices are expected. • Limiting feed-in power is a promising solution for reducing load variability. - Abstract: With distributed generation of electricity growing in importance (especially with photovoltaics) and buildings being one of the main consumers of energy in modern societies, distributed storage of energy in buildings is expected to become increasingly present. This paper analyses the use of residential lead–acid energy storage coupled with photovoltaics and its possible interaction with the grid for different limits of feed-in power without any support policies. In the literature, these subjects are often treated independently and for very specific, non-optimised cases, thus motivating further research. Results show that reaching self-sufficiency values up to 40% is possible, close to grid parity values, and only with photovoltaics. Beyond 40%, energy storage must be used, strongly raising the cost of the electricity consumed and therefore the need for support policies for widespread adoption. Also, peak power consumption from the grid remains constant and load variability rises, suggesting that an increase in self-sufficiency would be accompanied by lower utilisation factors of power plants and, consequently, higher wholesale electricity prices during no sunshine hours. Limiting feed-in power attenuates the increased load variability and only slightly affects the economic viability of such installations. These results present a novel optimisation tool for developers and should be considered in future studies of distributed photovoltaics and energy storage as well as in energy policy.
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Physicians' pharmacogenomics information needs and seeking behavior: a study with case vignettes.
Heale, Bret S E; Khalifa, Aly; Stone, Bryan L; Nelson, Scott; Del Fiol, Guilherme
2017-08-01
Genetic testing, especially in pharmacogenomics, can have a major impact on patient care. However, most physicians do not feel that they have sufficient knowledge to apply pharmacogenomics to patient care. Online information resources can help address this gap. We investigated physicians' pharmacogenomics information needs and information-seeking behavior, in order to guide the design of pharmacogenomics information resources that effectively meet clinical information needs. We performed a formative, mixed-method assessment of physicians' information-seeking process in three pharmacogenomics case vignettes. Interactions of 6 physicians' with online pharmacogenomics resources were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for prominent themes. Quantitative data included information-seeking duration, page navigations, and number of searches entered. We found that participants searched an average of 8 min per case vignette, spent less than 30 s reviewing specific content, and rarely refined search terms. Participants' information needs included a need for clinically meaningful descriptions of test interpretations, a molecular basis for the clinical effect of drug variation, information on the logistics of carrying out a genetic test (including questions related to cost, availability, test turn-around time, insurance coverage, and accessibility of expert support).Also, participants sought alternative therapies that would not require genetic testing. This study of pharmacogenomics information-seeking behavior indicates that content to support their information needs is dispersed and hard to find. Our results reveal a set of themes that information resources can use to help physicians find and apply pharmacogenomics information to the care of their patients.
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Sufficient condition for black-hole formation in spherical gravitational collapse
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Giambo, Roberto [Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Universita di Camerino (Italy); Giannoni, Fabio [Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Universita di Camerino (Italy); Magli, Giulio [Dipartimento di Matematica, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
2002-01-21
A sufficient condition for the validity of cosmic censorship in spherical gravitational collapse is formulated and proved. The condition relies on an attractive mathematical property of the apparent horizon, which holds if 'minimal' requirements of physical reasonableness are satisfied by the matter model. (letter to the editor)
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Information Security Management: The Study of Lithuanian State Institutions
Jastiuginas, Saulius
2012-01-01
Growing information security cases and scope illustrate that the relevance of information security issues becomes critical and present information security means are not sufficient enough to manage information security. Narrow comprehension of information security merely as technological problem is broadened by the research results of economic, managerial, psychological, legal and other related aspects’ influence to information security. Information is named as the object of information s...
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Electoral Competition when Candidates are Better Informed than Voters
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jensen, Thomas
candidates are both completely office-motivated but differ in state-dependent quality. Voters have some information about the state but candidates are better informed. If voters' information is unknown to the candidates when they take positions and sufficiently accurate then candidates will, in refined...
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Threshold policy for global games with noisy information sharing
Mahdavifar, Hessam
2015-12-15
It is known that global games with noisy sharing of information do not admit a certain type of threshold policies [1]. Motivated by this result, we investigate the existence of threshold-type policies on global games with noisy sharing of information and show that such equilibrium strategies exist and are unique if the sharing of information happens over a sufficiently noisy environment. To show this result, we establish that if a threshold function is an equilibrium strategy, then it will be a solution to a fixed point equation. Then, we show that for a sufficiently noisy environment, the functional fixed point equation leads to a contraction mapping, and hence, its iterations converge to a unique continuous threshold policy.
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[The concept of nutritional self-sufficiency and the demographic equilibrium of Rwanda].
Habimana Nyirasafari, G
1987-12-01
Achieving food self-sufficiency is the basic strategy of Rwanda's 4th 5-year plan covering 1987-91. The population growth rate has increased from 3% in 1970 to 3.7% in 1983, with the population doubling between 1964 and 1985. Food production grew by about 4%/year between 1966-83, creating a slight increase in per capita food availability, but the 2171 calories available per capita is dangerously close to the theoretical minimum requirement of 2100 per day. The theoretical protein requirement is almost covered, but there is a serious shortage of oils. The increase in production since 1966 has been due almost exclusively to the extension of cultivated land. But the land supply is limited, and future production increases will need to be based on increased yields per unit cultivated. The National Office of Population has developed a simulation model that analyzes the parallel evolution of population and production so as to identify demographic and development policies that will assure food self-sufficiency and an improvement in living conditions. The population subsystem subjects the population divided by age and sex to the effects of fertility, migration, and mortality. Births are the result of 36 different fertility rates applied to the population of women aged 14-49 years. The agricultural subsystem is tied to the population subsystem by comparison of the volume of population to that of production, by estimation of the proportion of the population living exclusively by subsistence agriculture, by calculation of the potential emigration resulting from overpopulation of the countryside, and by estimation of the links between nutritional level, mortality, and duration of breastfeeding. 5 annexes contain subsystems showing effects of demographic growth on education, employment, and health. The model has various limitations including those of the reliability of its data, but it is sufficiently precise for its main function of clarifying the choices facing policymakers. 6
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Knowledge, mistakes, communication with patients and informed consent
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alessandra De Palma
2013-04-01
Full Text Available BACKGROUND Communication is very important in medical activity, particularly to maintain or re-establish trust-based relationships between patients, doctors, nurses and all the people who work in Hospital or for the Italian National Health Service. Health services include the relationship between doctors and patients: the partnership is important as much as the technical ability in Medicine. But it is difficult to learn empathy: doctors are not taught about that at University, nor afterwards, at least not sufficiently. CONCLUSIONS The informed consent form, even if it is very detailed, is not the real answer to that problem.
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2010-05-20
.... The Department has determined that workers from Spherion Staffing were sufficiently under the control..., Including On-Site Leased Workers From Manpower and Spherion Staffing, Including On-Site Workers From Hagemeyer North America, Lake Mills, IA; Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility To Apply for Worker...
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A solar house self-sufficient of energy. Experiences on the way to energy autarky
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Voss, K.; Dohlen, K. v.; Lehmberg, H.; Stahl, W.; Wittwer, C.; Goetzberger, A.
1994-01-01
The solar house Freiburg which is self-sufficient of energy was completed in October 1992. After a long and complex planning phase now measuring and monitoring tasks as well as the realization fo improvement measures are to the fore. This article presents exemplary results of the first year of operation and compare them with the expectations. Self-sufficient operation of the building could be attained between April and October 1993. Here among others hydrogen was successfully produced by photovoltaic supplied electrolysis and was to a large degree used for thermal applications (cooking, heating). The fact that the supply of energy was not self-sufficient all the year round was due to the failure of the fuel cell used to produce electric power again with hydrogen. (orig./BWI) [de
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Stable dynamics in forced systems with sufficiently high/low forcing frequency.
Bartuccelli, M; Gentile, G; Wright, J A
2016-08-01
We consider parametrically forced Hamiltonian systems with one-and-a-half degrees of freedom and study the stability of the dynamics when the frequency of the forcing is relatively high or low. We show that, provided the frequency is sufficiently high, Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) theorem may be applied even when the forcing amplitude is far away from the perturbation regime. A similar result is obtained for sufficiently low frequency, but in that case we need the amplitude of the forcing to be not too large; however, we are still able to consider amplitudes which are outside of the perturbation regime. In addition, we find numerically that the dynamics may be stable even when the forcing amplitude is very large, well beyond the range of validity of the analytical results, provided the frequency of the forcing is taken correspondingly low.
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Informed Consent and Capacity to Give Consent in Mental Disorders
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zeynep Mackali
2014-09-01
Full Text Available Among four basic principles (respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance, and justice which determine ethical behaviors in healthcare, informed consent is mostly related to and lsquo;respect for autonomy'. Also, it reflects patient/client's right for decision and the value given for the client and his/her autonomy. Informed consent is an information sharing process including both rational decision-making about the most appropriate method among many different options and the interaction between the clinician and the client. This concept sheds light on criteria regarding the limits of confidentiality, competency, appropriate and sufficient information sharing and voluntariness. In this theoretical review, the definitions and the content of informed consent were shared, and then a section regarding the required content of informed consent for psychotherapy process was provided. Then, the components of informed consent were discussed and the relationship between capacity to consent and mental disorders in terms of aforementioned diagnostic groups was examined. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2014; 6(3.000: 227-242
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An experiment on selecting most informative variables in socio-economic data
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
L. Jenkins
2014-01-01
Full Text Available In many studies where data are collected on several variables, there is a motivation to find if fewer variables would provide almost as much information. Variance of a variable about its mean is the common statistical measure of information content, and that is used here. We are interested whether the variability in one variable is sufficiently correlated with that in one or more of the other variables that the first variable is redundant. We wish to find one or more ‘principal variables’ that sufficiently reflect the information content in all the original variables. The paper explains the method of principal variables and reports experiments using the technique to see if just a few variables are sufficient to reflect the information in 11 socioeconomic variables on 130 countries from a World Bank (WB database. While the method of principal variables is highly successful in a statistical sense, the WB data varies greatly from year to year, demonstrating that fewer variables wo uld be inadequate for this data.
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Pathogens in Sludge: A Case of Sufficient Challenge
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lesilind, R. Aarne
2003-07-01
There is increasing pressure in many countries to strengthen the regulations controlling the land disposal of wastewater sludges. In this paper I argue that although there is little doubt that sludges from wastewater treatment contain pathogenic organisms, not only are there no data to show that such disposal is a public health problem, but I want to suggest that small doses of pathogens in the environment provide a ''sufficient challenge'' that actually enhances public health. There therefore seems little reason, from a public health standpoint, to pass stricter sludge disposal regulations. (author)
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Library service delivery, information literacy knowledge: a modelling ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Knowledge preservation, access to information and dissemination has rapidly changed the way people seek and use information. The study concluded that the application of IT will encourage self sufficiency in food production, good health and rapid development among the citizenry. Keywords: Library service delivery, ...
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Operation of CANDU power reactor in thorium self-sufficient fuel cycle
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
These disadvantages of thorium fuel cycle were seemingly the reasons why that ... According to the data of figure 2, maximum (equilibrium) content of 233U in ..... Self-sufficient mode is related with rather big effort in the extraction of isotopes of.
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Sufficient conditions for robust BIBO stabilization : given by the gap metric
Zhu, S.Q.; Hautus, M.L.J.; Praagman, C.
1988-01-01
A relation between coprime fractions and the gap metric is presented. Using this result we provide some sufficient conditions for robust BIBO stabilization for a wide class of systems. These conditions allow the plant and the compensator to be disturbed simultaneously.
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Opportunities and constraints facing informal street traders ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
A small income and the limited ability of the government and the formal business sector to provide sufficient employment opportunities to people in the economically active age categories are two of the main reasons for informal trading in South African cities. As a result, the informal street trading sector plays an important ...
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Sufficient conditions for BIBO robust stabilization : given by the gap metric
Zhu, S.Q.; Hautus, M.L.J.; Praagman, C.
1987-01-01
A relation between coprlme fractions and the gap metric is presented. Using this result we provide some sufficient conditions for BIBO robust stabilization for a very wide class of systems. These conditions allow the plant and compensator to be disturbed simultaneously. Keywords: Robust
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Necessary and Sufficient Condition for Local Exponential Synchronization of Nonlinear Systems
Andrieu, Vincent; Jayawardhana, Bayu; Tarbouriech, Sophie
2015-01-01
Based on recent works on transverse exponential stability, some necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a (locally) exponential synchronizer are established. We show that the existence of a structured synchronizer is equivalent to the existence of a stabilizer for the individual
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Report: EPA Needs to Improve Oversight of Its Information Technology Projects
Report #2005-P-00023, September 14, 2005. EPA’s Office of Environmental Information (OEI) did not sufficiently oversee information technology projects to ensure they met planned budgets and schedules.
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When is Information Sufficient for Action Search with Unreliable Yet Informative Intelligence
2016-03-30
specificity. Math . Methods Oper. Res. 68(3): 539–549. Lange R-J (2012) Brownian motion and multidimensional decision making. Unpublished doctoral...intelligence assets, political ramifications, etc. We describe the problem in §2 and formulate the mathe - matical model in §3. The cases of n= 2 and n...boundary problem in n dimensions. When n> 2 cells, our problem relates to the family of multinomial selection problems (Kim and Nelson 2006) in which an
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Impact of Market Behavior, Fleet Composition, and Ancillary Services on Revenue Sufficiency
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Frew, Bethany
2016-04-26
This presentation provides an overview of new and ongoing NREL research that aims to improve our understanding of reliability and revenue sufficiency challenges through modeling tools within a markets framework.
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The Effects of Simple Necessity and Sufficiency Relationships on Children's Causal Inferences
Siegler, Robert S.
1976-01-01
Attempted to determine (1) whether developmental differences existed in children's comprehension of simple necessity and simple sufficiency relationships, and (2) the source of developmental differences in children's causal reasoning. (SB)
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17 CFR 160.6 - Information to be included in privacy notices.
2010-04-01
... future to disclose, but to whom you do not currently disclose, nonpublic personal information. (f) Model... privacy notices. 160.6 Section 160.6 Commodity and Securities Exchanges COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING... that you make disclosures to other nonaffiliated companies: (1) For your everyday business purposes...
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CaFe2O4 as a self-sufficient solar energy converter
Tablero, C.
2017-10-01
An ideal solar energy to electricity or fuel converter should work without the use of any external bias potential. An analysis of self-sufficiency when CaFe2O4 is used to absorb the sunlight is carried out based on the CaFe2O4 absorption coefficient. We started to obtain this coefficient theoretically within the experimental bandgap range in order to fix the interval of possible values of photocurrents, maximum absorption efficiencies, and photovoltages and thus that of self-sufficiency considering only the radiative processes. Also for single-gap CaFe2O4, we evaluate an alternative for increasing the photocurrent and maximum absorption efficiency based on inserting an intermediate band using high doping or alloying.
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Information Management for Factory Planning and Design
Chen, Danfang
2012-01-01
This thesis is dedicated to the manufacturing industry for the improvement of information management within the factory planningand design domain, and for more efficient factory planning and design. Currently the manufacturing industry lacks sufficient methods for capturing, structuring, and representing information and knowledge for easy access, exchange, integration and reuse within the domain. Therefore the focus of this thesis is on information and knowledge management within factory plan...
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17 CFR 248.6 - Information to be included in privacy notices.
2010-04-01
... examples to illustrate the types of third parties in each category: (i) Financial service providers; (ii) Non-financial companies; and (iii) Others. (4) Disclosures under exception for service providers and... (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS S-P AND S-AM Regulation S-P: Privacy of Consumer Financial Information and...
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12 CFR 216.6 - Information to be included in privacy notices.
2010-01-01
... customers that you disclose and the categories of affiliates and nonaffiliated third parties to whom you disclose nonpublic personal information about your former customers, other than those parties to whom you... applicable; and (ii) State whether the third party is: (A) A service provider that performs marketing...
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A sufficient condition for de Sitter vacua in type IIB string theory
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rummel, Markus [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Westphal, Alexander [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)
2011-07-15
We derive a sufficient condition for realizing meta-stable de Sitter vacua with small positive cosmological constant within type IIB string theory flux compactifications with spontaneously broken supersymmetry. There are a number of 'lamp post' constructions of de Sitter vacua in type IIB string theory and supergravity. We show that one of them - the method of 'Kaehler uplifting' by F-terms from an interplay between non-perturbative effects and the leading {alpha}'-correction - allows for a more general parametric understanding of the existence of de Sitter vacua. The result is a condition on the values of the flux induced superpotential and the topological data of the Calabi-Yau compactification, which guarantees the existence of a meta-stable de Sitter vacuum if met. Our analysis explicitly includes the stabilization of all moduli, i.e. the Kaehler, dilaton and complex structure moduli, by the interplay of the leading perturbative and non-perturbative effects at parametrically large volume. (orig.)
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Lane, David M.; Sandor, Aniko
2009-01-01
Statistical graphs are commonly used in scientific publications. Unfortunately, graphs in psychology journals rarely portray distributional information beyond central tendency, and few graphs portray inferential statistics. Moreover, those that do portray inferential information generally do not portray it in a way that is useful for interpreting…
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Threshold policy for global games with noisy information sharing
Mahdavifar, Hessam; Beirami, Ahmad; Touri, Behrouz; Shamma, Jeff S.
2015-01-01
of information and show that such equilibrium strategies exist and are unique if the sharing of information happens over a sufficiently noisy environment. To show this result, we establish that if a threshold function is an equilibrium strategy, then it will be a
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Sufficient and necessary condition of separability for generalized Werner states
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Deng Dongling; Chen Jingling
2009-01-01
In a celebrated paper [Optics Communications 179, 447, 2000], A.O. Pittenger and M.H. Rubin presented for the first time a sufficient and necessary condition of separability for the generalized Werner states. Inspired by their ideas, we generalized their method to a more general case. We obtain a sufficient and necessary condition for the separability of a specific class of N d-dimensional system (qudits) states, namely special generalized Werner state (SGWS): W [d N ] (v)=(1-v)(I (N) )/(d N ) +v|ψ d N > d N |, where |ψ d N >=Σ i=0 d-1 α i |i...i> is an entangled pure state of N qudits system and α i satisfies two restrictions: (i) Σ i=0 d-1 α i α i *=1; (ii) Matrix 1/d (I (1) +TΣ i≠j α i |i> j *), where T=Min i≠j {1/|α i α j |}, is a density matrix. Our condition gives quite a simple and efficiently computable way to judge whether a given SGWS is separable or not and previously known separable conditions are shown to be special cases of our approach
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NI PUTU MIRAH PERMATASARI; I NYOMAN WIDANA; KARTIKA SARI
2016-01-01
The aim of this research was to get the formula of premium reserves through the premium sufficiency method. Premium reserve is the amount of fund that is collected by the insurance company in preparation for the claim’s payment. Premium sufficiency method is gross premium calculation. To construct that formula, this research used Tabel Mortalitas Indonesia (TMI) 2011, interest rate 2.5% and cost of alpha %. Based on simulation result in men premium reserve value of age 1 of 56 years propotio...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shaghaghi A
2004-07-01
Full Text Available Background: Experience of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR in real clinical setting is not easily possible for all medical students. Purpose: To assess medical student perceived self-sufficiency on three procedural skill on internship courses after they had taken a training course in clerkship period. Methods: Forty three medical students who had attended a workshop on CPR, tracheal intubations and venopuncture answered the questionnaires on their perceived self-sufficiency in performing these procedures after serving a few months as interns. Results: The mean score for perceived self-sufficiency (PSS was 75.84 (±18.63.Thre were a high correlation between the score given for the applicability of training in real life situation and the stress reduction scores on first time performing the procedure. Conclusion: The high degree of correlation between PSS scores and applicability scores, may warrant the consideration of new methods in procedural skills. Keywords: SKILL TRAINING, CPR TRAINING, PERCEIVED SELF-SUFFICIENCY
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Sioen, Giles Bruno; Sekiyama, Makiko; Terada, Toru; Yokohari, Makoto
2017-07-10
Background : Post-earthquake studies from around the world have reported that survivors relying on emergency food for prolonged periods of time experienced several dietary related health problems. The present study aimed to quantify the potential nutrient production of urban agricultural vegetables and the resulting nutritional self-sufficiency throughout the year for mitigating post-disaster situations. Methods : We estimated the vegetable production of urban agriculture throughout the year. Two methods were developed to capture the production from professional and hobby farms: Method I utilized secondary governmental data on agricultural production from professional farms, and Method II was based on a supplementary spatial analysis to estimate the production from hobby farms. Next, the weight of produced vegetables [t] was converted into nutrients [kg]. Furthermore, the self-sufficiency by nutrient and time of year was estimated by incorporating the reference consumption of vegetables [kg], recommended dietary allowance of nutrients per capita [mg], and population statistics. The research was conducted in Nerima, the second most populous ward of Tokyo's 23 special wards. Self-sufficiency rates were calculated with the registered residents. Results : The estimated total vegetable production of 5660 tons was equivalent to a weight-based self-sufficiency rate of 6.18%. The average nutritional self-sufficiencies of Methods I and II were 2.48% and 0.38%, respectively, resulting in an aggregated average of 2.86%. Fluctuations throughout the year were observed according to the harvest seasons of the available crops. Vitamin K (6.15%) had the highest self-sufficiency of selected nutrients, while calcium had the lowest (0.96%). Conclusions : This study suggests that depending on the time of year, urban agriculture has the potential to contribute nutrients to diets during post-disaster situations as disaster preparedness food. Emergency responses should be targeted
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Giles Bruno Sioen
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Background: Post-earthquake studies from around the world have reported that survivors relying on emergency food for prolonged periods of time experienced several dietary related health problems. The present study aimed to quantify the potential nutrient production of urban agricultural vegetables and the resulting nutritional self-sufficiency throughout the year for mitigating post-disaster situations. Methods: We estimated the vegetable production of urban agriculture throughout the year. Two methods were developed to capture the production from professional and hobby farms: Method I utilized secondary governmental data on agricultural production from professional farms, and Method II was based on a supplementary spatial analysis to estimate the production from hobby farms. Next, the weight of produced vegetables [t] was converted into nutrients [kg]. Furthermore, the self-sufficiency by nutrient and time of year was estimated by incorporating the reference consumption of vegetables [kg], recommended dietary allowance of nutrients per capita [mg], and population statistics. The research was conducted in Nerima, the second most populous ward of Tokyo’s 23 special wards. Self-sufficiency rates were calculated with the registered residents. Results: The estimated total vegetable production of 5660 tons was equivalent to a weight-based self-sufficiency rate of 6.18%. The average nutritional self-sufficiencies of Methods I and II were 2.48% and 0.38%, respectively, resulting in an aggregated average of 2.86%. Fluctuations throughout the year were observed according to the harvest seasons of the available crops. Vitamin K (6.15% had the highest self-sufficiency of selected nutrients, while calcium had the lowest (0.96%. Conclusions: This study suggests that depending on the time of year, urban agriculture has the potential to contribute nutrients to diets during post-disaster situations as disaster preparedness food. Emergency responses should be
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MSEBAG: a dynamic classifier ensemble generation based on `minimum-sufficient ensemble' and bagging
Chen, Lei; Kamel, Mohamed S.
2016-01-01
In this paper, we propose a dynamic classifier system, MSEBAG, which is characterised by searching for the 'minimum-sufficient ensemble' and bagging at the ensemble level. It adopts an 'over-generation and selection' strategy and aims to achieve a good bias-variance trade-off. In the training phase, MSEBAG first searches for the 'minimum-sufficient ensemble', which maximises the in-sample fitness with the minimal number of base classifiers. Then, starting from the 'minimum-sufficient ensemble', a backward stepwise algorithm is employed to generate a collection of ensembles. The objective is to create a collection of ensembles with a descending fitness on the data, as well as a descending complexity in the structure. MSEBAG dynamically selects the ensembles from the collection for the decision aggregation. The extended adaptive aggregation (EAA) approach, a bagging-style algorithm performed at the ensemble level, is employed for this task. EAA searches for the competent ensembles using a score function, which takes into consideration both the in-sample fitness and the confidence of the statistical inference, and averages the decisions of the selected ensembles to label the test pattern. The experimental results show that the proposed MSEBAG outperforms the benchmarks on average.
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Informed consent: information or knowledge?
Berger, Ken
2003-01-01
A fiduciary relationship should be nurtured between patient and physician. This requires effective communication throughout all aspects of care - especially pertaining to treatment decisions. In the context of illness as experienced by the patient a unique set of circumstances is presented. However, communication in an illness context is fraught with problems. The patient is vulnerable and the situation may be overwhelming. Voluminous amounts of information are available to patients from a host of health care providers, family members, support groups, advocacy centers, books, journals, and the internet. Often conflicting and confusion, frequently complex, this information may be of greater burden than benefit. Some information is of high validity and reliability while other information is of dubious reliability. The emotional freight of bad news may further inhibit understanding. An overload of information may pose an obstacle in decision-making. To facilitate the transformation of information into knowledge, the health care provider must act on some occasions as a filter, on other occasions as a conduit, and on still other occasions simply as a reservoir. The evolution of patient rights to receive or refuse treatment, the right to know or not to know calls for a change in processing of overwhelming information in our modem era. In this paper we will discuss the difference between information and knowledge. How can health care providers ensure they have given their patients all necessary and sufficient information to make an autonomous decision? How can they facilitate the transformation of information into knowledge? The effect of knowledge to consent allows a more focused, relevant and modern approach to choice in health care.
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Physical Exercise During Pregnancy - How Active Are Pregnant Women in Germany and How Well Informed?
Schmidt, Thorsten; Heilmann, Thorsten; Savelsberg, Luisa; Maass, Nicolai; Weisser, Burkhard; Eckmann-Scholz, Christel
2017-05-01
There is sufficient evidence showing the positive effects of physical exercise on various aspects of pregnancy. This study evaluates knowledge and status of physical exercise among pregnant women. The standardised paper-pencil questionnaire "Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire" (PPAQ) as well as general demographic questions were used to assess the exercise behaviour of study participants. 83 questionnaires completed by women presenting to the Kiel University Hospital for antenatal assessment were included in the analysis. At the time of questionnaire completion 10 women were in the first trimester of pregnancy, 64 in the second, and 9 in the third. Just less than 90% of participants felt they had been informed "sufficiently" on the topic physical exercise during pregnancy, over 50% felt they were "well" or "very well" informed. Just less than half of participants received their information from a doctor (either their gynaecologist or general practitioner) and none of these felt "insufficiently" informed. Almost 80% of participants reported still doing no sport or less exercise than before falling pregnant. The maximum proportional energy expenditure for recreational activity - just under 20% - was in the third trimester. Women who felt they had been well counselled tended to have higher activity levels. Study participants demonstrated a clear decline in physical exercise during pregnancy despite clear evidence of the benefits of regular exercise for pregnant women, and despite participants feeling they were well informed. Detailed information on the recommendations for physical exertion in pregnancy should form an integral part of antenatal counselling.
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Operation of CANDU power reactor in thorium self-sufficient fuel cycle
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
This paper presents the results of calculations for CANDU reactor operation in thorium fuel cycle. Calculations are performed to estimate the feasibility of operation of heavy-water thermal neutron power reactor in self-sufficient thorium cycle. Parameters of active core and scheme of fuel reloading were considered to be the ...
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set includes physical specimens, paper logs and Freezerworks database of all logged information on specimens collected from Hawaiian monk seals since 1975....
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2010-12-13
..., Inc., Automation and Control Solutions Division, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Manpower... Solutions Division. The Department has determined that these workers were sufficiently under the control of Honeywell International, Inc., Automation and Control Solutions Division to be considered leased workers...
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Information science and its core concepts
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hjørland, Birger
2013-01-01
One often encounters disagreements in information science (IS) (or library and information science, LIS), even disagreements about what might seem rather trivial questions. Such disagreements range from the designation of the field to questions such as whether IS is an academic discipline or not...... terminological hygiene” may account for some of the disagreements, but basically the problem is seen as a lack of sufficient strong centripetal tendencies keeping the field together....
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[Quality of information in the process of informed consent for anesthesia].
Guillén-Perales, José; Luna-Maldonado, Aurelio; Fernández-Prada, María; Guillén-Solvas, José Francisco; Bueno-Cavanillas, Aurora
2013-11-01
To assess the quality of the information that patients receive in the informed consent document signed prior to surgery. Cross-sectional study of a sample of cancer patients admitted for surgery at the University Hospital San Cecilio of Granada in 2011. After checking the inclusion criteria and obtaining their consent, demographic data were collected and procedure data, and a questionnaire «ad hoc» to assess the quality and comprehensiveness of the information provided in the informed consent. 150 patients were studied. The majority (109 over 150) said they had received sufficient information, in appropriate language, and had the opportunity to ask questions, but only 44.7% correctly answered three or more issues related to anesthesia. University education level, knowledge of the intervention, information about the anesthesia problems and appropriate language were associated. Although systematic informed consent was performed, half of the patients did not comprehend the anesthesia risks. Variables primarily related to the information received were associated with the quality of the response, but not with patient characteristics. Copyright © 2013 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.
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Richardson, Jessica; Harris, Laurel; Plante, Elena; Gerken, Louann
2006-12-01
The purpose of this experiment was to determine if nonreferential morphophonological information was sufficient to facilitate the learning of gender subcategories (i.e., masculine vs. feminine) in individuals with normal language (NL) and those with a history of language-based learning disabilities (HLD). Thirty-two adults listened for 18 min to a familiarization set of Russian words that included either 1 (single-marked) or 2 (double-marked) morphophonological markers indicating gender. Participants were then tested on their knowledge of both trained and untrained members of each gender subcategory. Testing indicated that morphophonological information is sufficient for lexical subcategory learning in both NL and HLD groups, although the HLD group had lower overall accuracy. The HLD group benefited from double-marking relative to single-marking for subcategory learning. The results demonstrated that learning through implicit mechanisms occurred after a relatively brief exposure to the language stimuli. In addition, the weaker overall learning by the HLD group was facilitated when multiple cues to linguistic subcategory were available in the input group members received.
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Research and implementation of geographic information service mode in digital home
Lei, B.; Liu, K.; Gan, Y.; Zhong, M.
2014-04-01
Accompanying infrastructure improvements and networking technology innovation, the development of digital home service industry has gotten more and more attention. However, the digital home service levels have not sufficiently met rising demand from users. Therefore, it is urgent to propose and develop new service modes for the digital home. Geographic information services can provide various spatial information services such as map search, spatial information query. It has become an inevitable trend to implement geographic information services in the digital home. This paper proposes three new geographic information services modes for the digital home after sufficient requirement analysis: pushed information service mode, interactive information service mode, personalized information service mode. The key technologies to implement geographic information services on digital televisions are studied, involving digital television middleware technology, network transmission technology and visualization technology. According to the service modes' characteristics mentioned above, a service system in the digital home is established to implement geographic information services on the basis of digital television. The implementation of geographic information services in the digital home not only enriches the digital home services content, but also promotes geographic information from specialization to public popularity.
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TxDOT's pavement management information system : current status and future directions
1997-12-01
Phase 2 focuses on improving The Texas Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) implementation at the district level, the goal being to provide sufficient information to move from network to project level decision making. Phase 2 implementation ...
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Coleman, Aaron B; Lam, Diane P; Soowal, Lara N
2015-01-01
Gaining an understanding of how science works is central to an undergraduate education in biology and biochemistry. The reasoning required to design or interpret experiments that ask specific questions does not come naturally, and is an essential part of the science process skills that must be learned for an understanding of how scientists conduct research. Gaps in these reasoning skills make it difficult for students to become proficient in reading primary scientific literature. In this study, we assessed the ability of students in an upper-division biochemistry laboratory class to use the concepts of correlation, necessity, and sufficiency in interpreting experiments presented in a format and context that is similar to what they would encounter when reading a journal article. The students were assessed before and after completion of a laboratory module where necessary vs. sufficient reasoning was used to design and interpret experiments. The assessment identified two types of errors that were commonly committed by students when interpreting experimental data. When presented with an experiment that only establishes a correlation between a potential intermediate and a known effect, students frequently interpreted the intermediate as being sufficient (causative) for the effect. Also, when presented with an experiment that tests only necessity for an intermediate, they frequently made unsupported conclusions about sufficiency, and vice versa. Completion of the laboratory module and instruction in necessary vs. sufficient reasoning showed some promise for addressing these common errors. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
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Are mini DNA-barcodes sufficiently informative to resolve species ...
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
... between mini-barcode and the full- length DNA barcode was carried out in Microsoft Excel. (http://www.office.microsoft.com). ..... Received 15 June 2013, in final revised form 5 April 2014; accepted 3 June 2014. Unedited version published ...
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Wahid, Fathul; Teduh Dirgahayu, Raden; Hamzah, Almed; Setiaji, Hari
2018-03-01
The clear majority of previous studies have found that the absence of information systems to properly manage data is one of the main challenges in improving public health management. The present study offers an alternate perspective, revealing other emerging problems in cases where there are many information systems in place but without sufficient orchestration. The national government of Indonesia has been coercive in its implementation of various information systems without involving users at public health facilities, which has created many problems on the ground. The problems identified relate to the quality of the disconnected information systems currently in use, the lack of human resource development, unclear procedures, uncoordinated reports and the absence of an incentive scheme. The present study also highlights some practical implications, including the use of a more holistic perspective in designing and developing an integrated public health information infrastructure.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
NI PUTU MIRAH PERMATASARI
2016-08-01
Full Text Available The aim of this research was to get the formula of premium reserves through the premium sufficiency method. Premium reserve is the amount of fund that is collected by the insurance company in preparation for the claim’s payment. Premium sufficiency method is gross premium calculation. To construct that formula, this research used Tabel Mortalitas Indonesia (TMI 2011, interest rate 2.5% and cost of alpha %. Based on simulation result in men premium reserve value of age 1 of 56 years propotional with insured periods, but after56 years enhancement of premium reserve value.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Maeda, Yasushi; Kimura, En; Uchida, Yuji; Nishida, Yasuto; Yamashita, Satoshi; Arima, Toshiyuki; Uchino, Makoto
2003-01-01
Previous analyses have demonstrated that packaging of the adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) genome is dependent on at least seven cis-acting elements, called AI to AVII, which are located in the left-end region of the genome. These elements have different packaging efficiencies, and without AI through AV, viral DNA cannot be packaged. Here we report the identification of the cis-acting Ad5 packaging domain in vivo by using the Cre/loxP system. We found that an adenoviral DNA fragment (nt 192 to nt 358), which includes elements AI to AV, is excised by Cre recombinase and packaged into capsids. Furthermore, this mutant adenovirus replicated so efficiently by repetitive propagation that its purification by CsCI equilibrium gradient was possible. This study clarified that the region from nt 358 to nt 454 on the viral genome is sufficient for packaging. Recently, the helper-dependent adenoviral vector (HDAd) construction system has been developed for the purpose of gene therapy. This system uses a helper virus with two parallel loxP sites flanking the packaging signal. This region is eliminated by Cre-mediated excision, which prevents helper virus packaging. Our data provide useful information regarding factors affecting efficient elimination
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Pramuka, Bambang Agus
1995-01-01
The intent of consolidated financial statements is to provide meaningful, relevant, useful, and reliable information about the operations of a group of companies. In compliance with AASB 1024 'Consolidated Accounts', and AAS 24 Consolidated Financial Reports', a parent entity now has to include in its consolidated financial statements all controlled entities, regardless of their legal form or the ownership interest held. The new Standard also pr...
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Food Self-Sufficiency across scales: How local can we go?
Pradhan, Prajal; Lüdeke, Matthias K. B.; Reusser, Dominik E.; Kropp, Jürgen P.
2013-04-01
"Think global, act local" is a phrase often used in sustainability debates. Here, we explore the potential of regions to go for local supply in context of sustainable food consumption considering both the present state and the plausible future scenarios. We analyze data on the gridded crop calories production, the gridded livestock calories production, the gridded feed calories use and the gridded food calories consumption in 5' resolution. We derived these gridded data from various sources: Global Agro-ecological Zone (GAEZ v3.0), Gridded Livestock of the World (GLW), FAOSTAT, and Global Rural-Urban Mapping Project (GRUMP). For scenarios analysis, we considered changes in population, dietary patterns and possibility of obtaining the maximum potential yield. We investigate the food self-sufficiency multiple spatial scales. We start from the 5' resolution (i.e. around 10 km x 10 km in the equator) and look at 8 levels of aggregation ranging from the plausible lowest administrative level to the continental level. Results for the different spatial scales show that about 1.9 billion people live in the area of 5' resolution where enough calories can be produced to sustain their food consumption and the feed used. On the country level, about 4.4 billion population can be sustained without international food trade. For about 1 billion population from Asia and Africa, there is a need for cross-continental food trade. However, if we were able to achieve the maximum potential crop yield, about 2.6 billion population can be sustained within their living area of 5' resolution. Furthermore, Africa and Asia could be food self-sufficient by achieving their maximum potential crop yield and only round 630 million populations would be dependent on the international food trade. However, the food self-sufficiency status might differ under consideration of the future change in population, dietary patterns and climatic conditions. We provide an initial approach for investigating the
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High spatial validity is not sufficient to elicit voluntary shifts of attention.
Pauszek, Joseph R; Gibson, Bradley S
2016-10-01
Previous research suggests that the use of valid symbolic cues is sufficient to elicit voluntary shifts of attention. The present study interpreted this previous research within a broader theoretical context which contends that observers will voluntarily use symbolic cues to orient their attention in space when the temporal costs of using the cues are perceived to be less than the temporal costs of searching without the aid of the cues. In this view, previous research has not addressed the sufficiency of valid symbolic cues, because the temporal cost of using the cues is usually incurred before the target display appears. To address this concern, 70%-valid spatial word cues were presented simultaneously with a search display. In addition, other research suggests that opposing cue-dependent and cue-independent spatial biases may operate in these studies and alter standard measures of orienting. After identifying and controlling these opposing spatial biases, the results of two experiments showed that the word cues did not elicit voluntary shifts of attention when the search task was relatively easy but did when the search task was relatively difficult. Moreover, the findings also showed that voluntary use of the word cues changed over the course of the experiment when the task was difficult, presumably because the temporal cost of searching without the cue lessened as the task got easier with practice. Altogether, the present findings suggested that the factors underlying voluntary control are multifaceted and contextual, and that spatial validity alone is not sufficient to elicit voluntary shifts of attention.
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A Sufficient Condition for an Interval Matrix to have Full Column Rank
Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Rohn, Jiří
2017-01-01
Roč. 22, č. 2 (2017), s. 59-66 ISSN 1560-7534 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : interval matrix * full column rank * sufficient condition * double condition Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Applied mathematics http://www.ict.nsc.ru/jct/annotation/1779?l=eng
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2013-06-17
..., crystalline and infectious arthritis) and Dysbaric Osteonecrosis Disability Benefits Questionnaire). Type of... Osteonecrosis Disability Benefits Questionnaire) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY: Veterans Benefits... solicits comments on information needed to adjudicate the claim for VA disability benefits related to a...
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Cherednychenko, O.O.
2014-01-01
The rapid expansion of European contract law in the field of consumer financial services gives rise to the question to what extent it is self-sufficient. A self-sufficient European contract law presupposes the existence of an EU-made and EU-enforced contract-related legal order which is largely
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Buttram, Mance E
2018-01-23
Limited data suggest that some gay and other men who have sex with men are using antiretroviral medications informally, without a prescription, for HIV prevention. This qualitative study examined this phenomenon among gay and other men who have sex with men in South Florida. Participants initiated informal antiretroviral medication use as a means of protecting each other and because of the confidence in knowledge of antiretroviral medications shared by their friends and sex partners. The most commonly used medications included Truvada and Stribild. Motivations for use included condom avoidance, risk reduction, and fear of recent HIV exposure. Participants described positive and negative sentiments related to informal use, including concerns about informal antiretroviral medications offering sufficient protection against HIV, and limited knowledge about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Because the antiretroviral medications used for PrEP have the potential to prevent HIV infection, future research must consider the informal antiretroviral medication use and related concerns, including adherence, diversion and viral resistance.
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THE POINT OF VIEW OF POOR PEOPLE WORKING IN INFORMAL SECTOR ON POVERTY
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gonul ICLI
2010-01-01
Full Text Available Even though the poor with a lower income than poverty line though hired to be paid constitute the majority of the whole population in many countries, they have not been researched sufficiently. Working poor people can not reach the sufficient level of income to meet their expenses as a result of familial circumstances like insufficient education, divorce, excessiveness of the number of children, loss of a spouse as well as working for low wage due to the labour market. This research is supposed to be about poor people working as wage earners in informal sector in Denizli. 100 apartment doorkeepers, 100 house cleaners and 100 baby sitters have been included into the research as its samples. This research is concerned with the point of view about poverty of working poor people, their strategies of coping with poverty and their social relations
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Sonic hedgehog in the notochord is sufficient for patterning of the intervertebral discs.
Choi, Kyung-Suk; Lee, Chanmi; Harfe, Brian D
2012-01-01
The intervertebral discs, located between adjacent vertebrae, are required for stability of the spine and distributing mechanical load throughout the vertebral column. All cell types located in the middle regions of the discs, called nuclei pulposi, are derived from the embryonic notochord. Recently, it was shown that the hedgehog signaling pathway plays an essential role during formation of nuclei pulposi. However, during the time that nuclei pulposi are forming, Shh is expressed in both the notochord and the nearby floor plate. To determine the source of SHH protein sufficient for formation of nuclei pulposi we removed Shh from either the floor plate or the notochord using tamoxifen-inducible Cre alleles. Removal of Shh from the floor plate resulted in phenotypically normal intervertebral discs, indicating that Shh expression in this tissue is not required for disc patterning. In addition, embryos that lacked Shh in the floor plate had normal vertebral columns, demonstrating that Shh expression in the notochord is sufficient for pattering the entire vertebral column. Removal of Shh from the notochord resulted in the absence of Shh in the floor plate, loss of intervertebral discs and vertebral structures. These data indicate that Shh expression in the notochord is sufficient for patterning of the intervertebral discs and the vertebral column. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Wilson, Kumanan; Atkinson, Katherine M; Deeks, Shelley L; Crowcroft, Natasha S
2016-01-01
Immunization registries or information systems are critical to improving the quality and evaluating the ongoing success of immunization programs. However, the completeness of these systems is challenged by a myriad of factors including the fragmentation of vaccine administration, increasing mobility of individuals, new vaccine development, use of multiple products, and increasingly frequent changes in recommendations. Mobile technologies could offer a solution, which mitigates some of these challenges. Engaging individuals to have more control of their own immunization information using their mobile devices could improve the timeliness and accuracy of data in central immunization information systems. Other opportunities presented by mobile technologies that could be exploited to improve immunization information systems include mobile reporting of adverse events following immunization, the capacity to scan 2D barcodes, and enabling bidirectional communication between individuals and public health officials. Challenges to utilizing mobile solutions include ensuring privacy of data, access, and equity concerns, obtaining consent and ensuring adoption of technology at sufficiently high rates. By empowering individuals with their own health information, mobile technologies can also serve as a mechanism to transfer immunization information as individuals cross local, regional, and national borders. Ultimately, mobile enhanced immunization information systems can help realize the goal of the individual, the healthcare provider, and public health officials always having access to the same immunization information. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Australian mineral industry annual review 1977 (including information to June 1978)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ward, J
1979-01-01
This article records growth of the Australian mineral industry and reports production, consumption, treatment, trade, prices, new developments, exploration, and resources for all mineral commodities including fuels. Equivalent development abroad is summarized. Appendices include principal mineral producers, associations, etc. and royalties. Black coal is described under the headings: production, ex-mine value of output, employment, wages and salaries, production per manshift, interstate trade, port facilities, consumption, stock, prices, new developments, exploration, resources, world review, and coke. There are numerous tables of data and a flow chart of the Australian black coal industry, 1977. Brown coal includes production, consumption, new developments, exploration, resources, and world review.
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Essays on Information and Firm Behavior
Kwok, Siwei
2016-01-01
This dissertation consists of two chapters. In the first chapter, which is co-authored with Marcus Studart, we study the interaction of information and competition in incentivizing firms to produce high quality. We estimate a discrete quality choice game, using restaurant hygiene inspection data in Los Angeles County, from 1995 through 1998. Our results show that information is sufficient for competition to have an effect on quality provision. We also find that after the mandatory disclosure ...
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Spiricheva, T V; Vrezhesinskaia, O A; Beketova, N A; Pereverzeva, O G; Kosheleva, O V; Kharitonchik, L A; Kodentsova, V M; Iudina, A V; Spirichev, V B
2010-01-01
The research of influence of vitamin complexes in the form of a drink or kissel on vitamin sufficiency of working persons has been carried out. Long inclusion (6,5 months) in a diet of vitamin drinks containing about 80% from recommended daily consumption of vitamins, was accompanied by trustworthy improvement of vitamins C and B6 sufficiency and prevention of seasonal deterioration of beta-carotene status. As initially surveyed have been well provided with vitamins A and E, their blood serum level increase had not occurred.
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Economic efficiency or self-sufficiency: alternative strategies for oil consumers?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Heal, D.W.
1992-01-01
The ideal energy source is low cost (efficient) and reliable (secure). The high price and perceived political unreliability of Middle East oil supplies prompted a nearly worldwide trend towards energy self-sufficiency. Gains in energy efficiency, which have been most marked in the OECD, are permanent and, prompted by environmental concern, probably progressive. But the opportunity that is still available to low cost oil suppliers to regain lost markets will only be realized if those supplies are demonstrably reliable. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Clare S. Johnson
2017-07-01
Full Text Available The inclusion of online elements in learning environments is becoming commonplace in Post Compulsory Education. A variety of research into the value of such elements is available, and this study aims to add further evidence by looking specifically at the use of collaborative technologies such as online discussion forums and wikis to encourage higher order thinking and self-sufficient learning. In particular, the research examines existing pedagogical models including Salmon’s five-stage model, along with other relevant literature. A case study of adult learners in community-based learning centres forms the basis of the research, and as a result of the findings, an arrow model is suggested as a framework for online collaboration that emphasises the learner, mentions pre-course preparation and then includes three main phases of activity: post, interact and critique. This builds on Salmon’s five-stage model and has the benefit of being flexible and responsive, as well as allowing for further development beyond the model, particularly in a blended learning environment.
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One-leader and multiple-follower Stackelberg games with private information
Nakamura, Tomoya
2014-01-01
This study analyzes one-leader and multiple-follower Stackelberg games with private information regarding demand uncertainty. In the equilibrium of the Stackelberg games, a leader's private information becomes public information among followers. This study demonstrates that the strategic relationship between the leader and each follower is determined by the weight on public information regarding a follower's estimation of demand uncertainty. If the weight is sufficiently low (high), then the ...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Markuszewski, R.; Capadocia, S.R.; Worster, C.L.; Kosman, J.E. [IGT (United States)
1997-11-01
Surveys on technical information relevant to the gas industry showed that no single information source was sufficient for all needs, while a number of sources include some pertinent information as part of their mission. The surveys concluded that access was difficult and wide usage of electronic resources had some real as well as some perceived problems. With the availability of the Internet and World Wide Web, many of these difficulties are being overcome. The natural gas industry is moving rapidly toward an era of electronic information with global access to a wide variety of technical, financial, and operational information. The most important sources of technical information are reviewed, and access to resources is briefly described. Cost comparison, relevancy, ease of use, and other factors are also discussed. The current status and future developments of gas industry information resources and technology are addressed in terms of emerging technologies and management issues which will bring critical information to the desktop of engineers, planners, and marketers. (au)
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Countrywide Evaluation of the Long-Term Family Self-Sufficiency Plan. Establishing the Baselines
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Schoeni, Robert
2002-01-01
...) Plan on November 16,1999. The LTFSS Plan consists of 46 projects whose goal is to promote self-sufficiency among families that are participating in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs...
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Use of Monte Carlo Bootstrap Method in the Analysis of Sample Sufficiency for Radioecological Data
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Silva, A. N. C. da; Amaral, R. S.; Araujo Santos Jr, J.; Wilson Vieira, J.; Lima, F. R. de A.
2015-01-01
There are operational difficulties in obtaining samples for radioecological studies. Population data may no longer be available during the study and obtaining new samples may not be possible. These problems do the researcher sometimes work with a small number of data. Therefore, it is difficult to know whether the number of samples will be sufficient to estimate the desired parameter. Hence, it is critical do the analysis of sample sufficiency. It is not interesting uses the classical methods of statistic to analyze sample sufficiency in Radioecology, because naturally occurring radionuclides have a random distribution in soil, usually arise outliers and gaps with missing values. The present work was developed aiming to apply the Monte Carlo Bootstrap method in the analysis of sample sufficiency with quantitative estimation of a single variable such as specific activity of a natural radioisotope present in plants. The pseudo population was a small sample with 14 values of specific activity of 226 Ra in forage palm (Opuntia spp.). Using the R software was performed a computational procedure to calculate the number of the sample values. The re sampling process with replacement took the 14 values of original sample and produced 10,000 bootstrap samples for each round. Then was calculated the estimated average θ for samples with 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14 values randomly selected. The results showed that if the researcher work with only 11 sample values, the average parameter will be within a confidence interval with 90% probability . (Author)
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On the Necessary and Sufficient Assumptions for UC Computation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Damgård, Ivan Bjerre; Nielsen, Jesper Buus; Orlandi, Claudio
2010-01-01
for all of them. Perhaps most interestingly we show that: • For even the minimal meaningful KRA, where we only assume that the secret key is a value which is hard to compute from the public key, one can UC securely compute any poly-time functionality if there exists a passive secure oblivious...... that in the KRA model one-way functions are sufficient for UC commitment and UC zero-knowledge. These are the first examples of UC secure protocols for non-trivial tasks which do not assume the existence of public-key primitives. In particular, the protocols show that non-trivial UC computation is possible...
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2013-08-27
... these workers were sufficiently under the control of the subject firm to be considered leased workers...; Springfield, Missouri Division Including On-site Leased Workers From Penmac Personnel Services and GCA Services Group Springfield, Missouri; Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility to Apply for Worker...
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A Total Information Management System For All Medical Images
Ouimette, Donald; Nudelman, Sol; Ramsby, Gale; Spackman, Thomas
1985-09-01
A PACS has been designed for the University of Connecticut Health Center to serve all departments acquiring images for diagnosis, surgery and therapy. It incorporates a multiple community communications architecture to provide complete information management for medical images, medical data and departmental administrative matter. The system is modular and expandable. It permits an initial installation for radiology and subsequent expansion to include other departments at the Health Center, beginning with internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology and dentistry. The design permits sufficient expansion to offer the potential for accepting the additional burden of a hospital information system. Primary parameters that led to this system design were based on the anticipation that departments in time could achieve generating 60 to 90% of their images suited to insertion in a PACS, that a high network throughput for large block image transfers would be essen-tial and that total system reliability was fundamental to success.
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Private information alone can trigger trapping of ant colonies in local feeding optima.
Czaczkes, Tomer J; Salmane, Anete K; Klampfleuthner, Felicia A M; Heinze, Jürgen
2016-03-01
Ant colonies are famous for using trail pheromones to make collective decisions. Trail pheromone systems are characterised by positive feedback, which results in rapid collective decision making. However, in an iconic experiment, ants were shown to become 'trapped' in exploiting a poor food source, if it was discovered earlier. This has conventionally been explained by the established pheromone trail becoming too strong for new trails to compete. However, many social insects have a well-developed memory, and private information often overrules conflicting social information. Thus, route memory could also explain this collective 'trapping' effect. Here, we disentangled the effects of social and private information in two 'trapping' experiments: one in which ants were presented with a good and a poor food source, and one in which ants were presented with a long and a short path to the same food source. We found that private information is sufficient to trigger trapping in selecting the poorer of two food sources, and may be sufficient to cause it altogether. Memories did not trigger trapping in the shortest path experiment, probably because sufficiently detailed memories did not form. The fact that collective decisions can be triggered by private information alone may require other collective patterns previously attributed solely to social information use to be reconsidered. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
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Hopmans, W.; Damman, O.C.; Timmermans, D.R.M.; Haasbeek, C.J.A.; Slotman, B.J.; Senan, S.
2014-01-01
Background: Online cancer information can support patients in making treatment decisions. However, such information may not be adequately tailored to the patient's perspective, particularly if healthcare professionals do not sufficiently engage patient groups when developing online information. We
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christian Pötzinger
2015-08-01
Full Text Available This paper analyzes the behavior of residential solar-powered electrical energy storage systems. For this purpose, a simulation model based on MATLAB/Simulink is developed. Investigating both short-time and seasonal hydrogen-based storage systems, simulations on the basis of real weather data are processed on a timescale of 15 min for a consideration period of 3 years. A sensitivity analysis is conducted in order to identify the most important system parameters concerning the proportion of consumption and the degree of self-sufficiency. Therefore, the influences of storage capacity and of storage efficiencies are discussed. A short-time storage system can increase the proportion of consumption by up to 35 percentage points compared to a self-consumption system without storage. However, the seasonal storing system uses almost the entire energy produced by the photovoltaic (PV system (nearly 100% self-consumption. Thereby, the energy drawn from the grid can be reduced and a degree of self-sufficiency of about 90% is achieved. Based on these findings, some scenarios to reach self-sufficiency are analyzed. The results show that full self-sufficiency will be possible with a seasonal hydrogen-based storage system if PV area and initial storage level are appropriate.
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Petit, V.
2017-01-01
Patients are nowadays increasingly responsible for their own care process. However, it has been shown that patients experience difficulties in managing their own disease. In order to empower patients, they need to have sufficient knowledge on the care process. Patients who are well informed are more
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Informed consent prior to coronary angiography in a real world scenario: what do patients remember?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Aslihan Eran
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Patients' informed consent is legally essential before elective invasive cardiac angiography (CA and successive intervention can be done. It is unknown to what extent patients can remember previous detailed information given by a specially trained doctor in an optimal scenario as compared to standard care. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this prospective cohort study 150 consecutive in-patients and 50 out-patients were included before elective CA was initiated. The informed consent was provided and documented in in-patients by trained and instructed physicians the day before CA. In contrast, out-patients received standard information by different not trained physicians, who did not know about this investigation. All patients had to sign a form stating that enough information had been given and all questions had been answered sufficiently. One hour before CA an assessment of the patients' knowledge about CA was performed using a standard point-by-point questionnaire by another independent physician. The supplied information was composed of 12 potential complications, 3 general, 4 periprocedural and 4 procedural aspects. 95% of the patients felt that they had been well and sufficiently informed. Less than half of the potential complications could be remembered by the patients and more patients could remember less serious than life-threatening complications (27.9±8.8% vs. 47.1±11.0%; p<0.001. Even obvious complications like local bleeding could not be remembered by 35% of in-patients and 36% of out-patients (p = 0.87. Surprisingly, there were only a few knowledge differences between in- and out-patients. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge about CA of patients is vague when they give their informed consent. Even structured information given by a specially trained physician did not increase this knowledge.
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Grewe, Jan; Kruscha, Alexandra; Lindner, Benjamin; Benda, Jan
2017-03-07
Synchronous activity in populations of neurons potentially encodes special stimulus features. Selective readout of either synchronous or asynchronous activity allows formation of two streams of information processing. Theoretical work predicts that such a synchrony code is a fundamental feature of populations of spiking neurons if they operate in specific noise and stimulus regimes. Here we experimentally test the theoretical predictions by quantifying and comparing neuronal response properties in tuberous and ampullary electroreceptor afferents of the weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus These related systems show similar levels of synchronous activity, but only in the more irregularly firing tuberous afferents a synchrony code is established, whereas in the more regularly firing ampullary afferents it is not. The mere existence of synchronous activity is thus not sufficient for a synchrony code. Single-cell features such as the irregularity of spiking and the frequency dependence of the neuron's transfer function determine whether synchronous spikes possess a distinct meaning for the encoding of time-dependent signals.
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Simulation studies for the evaluation of health information technologies
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ammenwerth, Elske; Hackl, Werner; Binzer, Kristine
2012-01-01
It is essential for new health information technologies (IT) to undergo rigorous evaluations to ensure they are effective and safe for use in real-world situations. However, evaluation of new health IT is challenging, as field studies are often not feasible when the technology being evaluated...... is not sufficiently mature. Laboratory-based evaluations have also been shown to have insufficient external validity. Simulation studies seem to be a way to bridge this gap. The aim of this study was to evaluate, using a simulation methodology, the impact of a new prototype of an electronic medication management...... system on the appropriateness of prescriptions and drugrelated activities, including laboratory test ordering or medication changes. This article presents the results of a controlled simulation study with 50 simulation runs, including ten doctors and five simulation patients, and discusses experiences...
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Concept and development of information flow diagram for literature survey
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Noda, Masaru; Sato, Shoko; Ueda, Tadashi; Tsuchi, Hiroyuki; Koike, Akihisa
2007-01-01
The Information Flow Diagram for Literature Survey (IFDLS) has been developed to manage information and procedure in the literature survey phase of the PTAs selection process. It is a tool utilizing information technology, which can organize, analyze, and evaluate information from literature survey and manage their process systematically. IFDLS is able to show the flow of information and data, and the history of information management processing. Information coverage and quality is not homogenous throughout the country and, in some areas, there may not even be sufficient data available to be able to reach a judgment on conformity with the site-specific evaluation factors (SSEF). Literature surveys could only be conducted on a volunteer area before it is nominated as a PIA. However, the absence of information on any factor mentioned will not constitute disqualification of the area. On the contrary, an attempt to compare these sites with analogous areas in Japan will be done to assemble sufficient data and consequently make a decision on whether to proceed further. The application of IFDLS to literature survey phase of the PIA selection process is being proposed. The concept, construction, application and evolution of IFDLS towards application phase on a trial basis are discussed. (authors)
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Artificial Self-Sufficient P450 in Reversed Micelles
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Teruyuki Nagamune
2010-04-01
Full Text Available Cytochrome P450s are heme-containing monooxygenases that require electron transfer proteins for their catalytic activities. They prefer hydrophobic compounds as substrates and it is, therefore, desirable to perform their reactions in non-aqueous media. Reversed micelles can stably encapsulate proteins in nano-scaled water pools in organic solvents. However, in the reversed micellar system, when multiple proteins are involved in a reaction they can be separated into different micelles and it is then difficult to transfer electrons between proteins. We show here that an artificial self-sufficient cytochrome P450, which is an enzymatically crosslinked fusion protein composed of P450 and electron transfer proteins, showed micelle-size dependent catalytic activity in a reversed micellar system. Furthermore, the presence of thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase promoted the P450-catalyzed reaction due to cofactor regeneration.
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Seidl, Roman; Moser, Corinne; Blumer, Yann
2017-01-01
Many countries have some kind of energy-system transformation either planned or ongoing for various reasons, such as to curb carbon emissions or to compensate for the phasing out of nuclear energy. One important component of these transformations is the overall reduction in energy demand. It is generally acknowledged that the domestic sector represents a large share of total energy consumption in many countries. Increased energy efficiency is one factor that reduces energy demand, but behavioral approaches (known as "sufficiency") and their respective interventions also play important roles. In this paper, we address citizens' heterogeneity regarding both their current behaviors and their willingness to realize their sufficiency potentials-that is, to reduce their energy consumption through behavioral change. We collaborated with three Swiss cities for this study. A survey conducted in the three cities yielded thematic sets of energy-consumption behavior that various groups of participants rated differently. Using this data, we identified four groups of participants with different patterns of both current behaviors and sufficiency potentials. The paper discusses intervention types and addresses citizens' heterogeneity and behaviors from a city-based perspective.
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36 CFR 51.5 - What information will the prospectus include?
2010-07-01
... minimum requirements of the concession contract. The minimum requirements of the concession contract, include, but are not limited to the following: (1) The minimum acceptable franchise fee or other forms of... resources of the park area; and (5) Any other minimum requirements that the new contract may specify...
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Valencia, Daniela; Guillén, Marina; Fürst, Maximilian; Josep, López-Santín; Álvaro, Gregorio
BACKGROUND The requirement of expensive cofactors that must be efficiently recycled is one of the major factors hindering the wide implementation of industrial biocatalytic oxidation processes. In this research, a sustainable approach based on immobilized self-sufficient Baeyer-Villiger
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Quantum information and convex optimization
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Reimpell, Michael
2008-07-01
This thesis is concerned with convex optimization problems in quantum information theory. It features an iterative algorithm for optimal quantum error correcting codes, a postprocessing method for incomplete tomography data, a method to estimate the amount of entanglement in witness experiments, and it gives necessary and sufficient criteria for the existence of retrodiction strategies for a generalized mean king problem. (orig.)
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Quantum information and convex optimization
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Reimpell, Michael
2008-01-01
This thesis is concerned with convex optimization problems in quantum information theory. It features an iterative algorithm for optimal quantum error correcting codes, a postprocessing method for incomplete tomography data, a method to estimate the amount of entanglement in witness experiments, and it gives necessary and sufficient criteria for the existence of retrodiction strategies for a generalized mean king problem. (orig.)
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Internet usage among pregnant women for seeking health information: A review article
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marzieh Javanmardi
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Background: In recent years, the Internet has become one of the most popular sources of health information for users, and pregnant women are no exception. This study aimed to investigate Internet usage among pregnant women for achieving health information on the finding of related studies. Materials and Methods: This review study was conducted by searching databases such as IranMedex, Magiran, Scientific Information Database, Irandoc, PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Scopus in December 2016. Restrictions were placed on publication to within 16 years and language of publication was restricted to English and Persian. Keywords used in the search included information-seeking behavior, information-seeking, information needs, access to information, pregnancy, and pregnant women. Results: This search resulted in 106 related publications and among them sixteen articles met inclusion criteria. This review showed that the use of the Internet by pregnant women was driven by information needs, ease, and speed of access and finding people with the same situation. Fetal development, symptoms, and complications of pregnancy, prenatal tests and nutrition, activities during pregnancy, and stages of delivery were the most often mentioned topics of interest. The benefits of internet use include reduced anxiety, personal support, creating an emotional connection and an increased confidence. Conclusions: Health providers must have sufficient ability for interpreting the achieved information from the Internet and should allocate efficient amount of time for discussing information-seeking manners with pregnant women. Furthermore, they must try to respond to the doubts of pregnant women and provide valid and reliable online educational resources.
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Necessary and sufficient conditions for the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effect
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Atmanspacher, Harald; Ehm, Werner; Gneiting, Tilmann
2003-01-01
A necessary and sufficient condition for the occurrence of the quantum Zeno effect is given, refining a recent conjecture of Luo, Wang and Zhang. An analogous condition is derived for the quantum anti-Zeno effect. Both results rely on a formal connection between the quantum (anti-)Zeno effect and the weak law of large numbers
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AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO MEET BEEF SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN WEST PAPUA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
S. Hartono
2011-09-01
Full Text Available The main objective of this research is to present an alternative approach to meet beef self-sufficiency in West Papua, Indonesia. It mainly focuses on calculating the needed number of productive cows to enhance beef production in the province. Out of the total farmer households in Manokwari, Indonesia, 189 farmer-respondents were selected as samples of the study. Selection of the sample was based on the number of cattle kept in every age group (less than one (2 years old and the number of productive cows. Secondary data came from the time series data of the number of slaughtered cattle vis-à-vis the population of all districts in West Papua Province from 1980-2008. Data were analyzed using the Partial Adjustment Model (PAM and Ordinary Least Square (OLS method. Results of the study showed that beef self-sufficiency in West Papua depend on the availability of the number of productive cows to produce ready-slaughtered-bull in the previous year. Particularly for West Papua, to produce one unit of bull in the tth –year, with the assumption that cattle mortality is 4.92%, a number of 2.38 animal units AU of productive cows must be provided in the previous two (2 years.
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Attended but unseen: visual attention is not sufficient for visual awareness.
Kentridge, R W; Nijboer, T C W; Heywood, C A
2008-02-12
Does any one psychological process give rise to visual awareness? One candidate is selective attention-when we attend to something it seems we always see it. But if attention can selectively enhance our response to an unseen stimulus then attention cannot be a sufficient precondition for awareness. Kentridge, Heywood & Weiskrantz [Kentridge, R. W., Heywood, C. A., & Weiskrantz, L. (1999). Attention without awareness in blindsight. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, 266, 1805-1811; Kentridge, R. W., Heywood, C. A., & Weiskrantz, L. (2004). Spatial attention speeds discrimination without awareness in blindsight. Neuropsychologia, 42, 831-835.] demonstrated just such a dissociation in the blindsight subject GY. Here, we test whether the dissociation generalizes to the normal population. We presented observers with pairs of coloured discs, each masked by the subsequent presentation of a coloured annulus. The discs acted as primes, speeding discrimination of the colour of the annulus when they matched in colour and slowing it when they differed. We show that the location of attention modulated the size of this priming effect. However, the primes were rendered invisible by metacontrast-masking and remained unseen despite being attended. Visual attention could therefore facilitate processing of an invisible target and cannot, therefore, be a sufficient precondition for visual awareness.
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Ørts, Lene Maria; Løkke, Anders; Bjerregaard, Anne-Louise; Maindal, Helle Terkildsen; Sandbæk, Annelli
2016-12-01
Early detection of lung diseases can help to reduce their severity. Lung diseases are among the most frequently occurring and serious diseases worldwide; nonetheless, many patients remain undiagnosed. Preventive health checks including spirometry can detect lung diseases at early stages; however, recruitment for health checks remains a challenge, and little is known about what motivates the attendance. The aim of the study is to examine whether focused information on spirometry in the invitation compared to general information will impact the attendance rate in preventive health checks. This randomized, controlled trial tests the effect of information on spirometry embedded in the Check your Health Preventive Program (CHPP). The CHPP is an open-label, household cluster-randomized, controlled trial offering a preventive health check to 30- to -49-year-olds in a Danish municipality from 2012 to 2017 (n = 26,216). During 2015-2016, 4356 citizens aged 30-49 years will be randomized into two groups. The intervention group receives an invitation which highlights the value and contents of spirometry as part of a health check and information about lung diseases. The comparison group receives a standard invitation containing practical information and specifies the contents of the general health check. Outcomes are (1) differences in attendance rates measured by the proportion of citizens attending each of the two study groups and (2) proportion of persons at risk defined by smoking status and self-reported lung symptoms in the study groups. The proportion of participants with abnormal spirometry assessed at the preventive health check will be compared between the two study groups. The results from the present study will inform future recruitment strategies to health checks. The developed material on content, value, and information about lung disease is feasible and transferable to other populations, making it easy to implement if effective. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT
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Mining biomarker information in biomedical literature
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Younesi Erfan
2012-12-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background For selection and evaluation of potential biomarkers, inclusion of already published information is of utmost importance. In spite of significant advancements in text- and data-mining techniques, the vast knowledge space of biomarkers in biomedical text has remained unexplored. Existing named entity recognition approaches are not sufficiently selective for the retrieval of biomarker information from the literature. The purpose of this study was to identify textual features that enhance the effectiveness of biomarker information retrieval for different indication areas and diverse end user perspectives. Methods A biomarker terminology was created and further organized into six concept classes. Performance of this terminology was optimized towards balanced selectivity and specificity. The information retrieval performance using the biomarker terminology was evaluated based on various combinations of the terminology's six classes. Further validation of these results was performed on two independent corpora representing two different neurodegenerative diseases. Results The current state of the biomarker terminology contains 119 entity classes supported by 1890 different synonyms. The result of information retrieval shows improved retrieval rate of informative abstracts, which is achieved by including clinical management terms and evidence of gene/protein alterations (e.g. gene/protein expression status or certain polymorphisms in combination with disease and gene name recognition. When additional filtering through other classes (e.g. diagnostic or prognostic methods is applied, the typical high number of unspecific search results is significantly reduced. The evaluation results suggest that this approach enables the automated identification of biomarker information in the literature. A demo version of the search engine SCAIView, including the biomarker retrieval, is made available to the public through http
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Using TELOS for the planning of the information system audit
Drljaca, D. P.; Latinovic, B.
2018-01-01
This paper intent is to analyse different aspects of information system audit and to synthesise them into the feasibility study report in order to facilitate decision making and planning of information system audit process. The TELOS methodology provides a comprehensive and holistic review for making feasibility study in general. This paper examines the use of TELOS in the identification of possible factors that may influence the decision on implementing information system audit. The research question relates to TELOS provision of sufficient information to decision makers to plan an information system audit. It was found that the TELOS methodology can be successfully applied in the process of approving and planning of information system audit. The five aspects of the feasibility study, if performed objectively, can provide sufficient information to decision makers to commission an information system audit, and also contribute better planning of the audit. Using TELOS methodology can assure evidence-based and cost-effective decision-making process and facilitate planning of the audit. The paper proposes an original approach, not examined until now. It is usual to use TELOS for different purposes and when there is a need for conveying of the feasibility study, but not in the planning of the information system audit. This gives originality to the paper and opens further research questions about evaluation of the feasibility study and possible research on comparative and complementary methodologies.
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Reddy, P.V.; Engwerda, J.C.
2011-01-01
In this article we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of Pareto optimal solutions for infinite horizon cooperative differential games. We consider games defined by non autonomous and discounted autonomous systems. The obtained results are used to analyze the regular
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Artificial intelligence applications in information and communication technologies
Bouguila, Nizar
2015-01-01
This book presents various recent applications of Artificial Intelligence in Information and Communication Technologies such as Search and Optimization methods, Machine Learning, Data Representation and Ontologies, and Multi-agent Systems. The main aim of this book is to help Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) practitioners in managing efficiently their platforms using AI tools and methods and to provide them with sufficient Artificial Intelligence background to deal with real-life problems. .
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Pant, Sanjay
2018-05-01
A new class of functions, called the 'information sensitivity functions' (ISFs), which quantify the information gain about the parameters through the measurements/observables of a dynamical system are presented. These functions can be easily computed through classical sensitivity functions alone and are based on Bayesian and information-theoretic approaches. While marginal information gain is quantified by decrease in differential entropy, correlations between arbitrary sets of parameters are assessed through mutual information. For individual parameters, these information gains are also presented as marginal posterior variances, and, to assess the effect of correlations, as conditional variances when other parameters are given. The easy to interpret ISFs can be used to (a) identify time intervals or regions in dynamical system behaviour where information about the parameters is concentrated; (b) assess the effect of measurement noise on the information gain for the parameters; (c) assess whether sufficient information in an experimental protocol (input, measurements and their frequency) is available to identify the parameters; (d) assess correlation in the posterior distribution of the parameters to identify the sets of parameters that are likely to be indistinguishable; and (e) assess identifiability problems for particular sets of parameters. © 2018 The Authors.
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Pieper, Barbara; Templin, Thomas N
2015-04-01
Adequate nutrition has long been considered a critical component for wound healing, but literature regarding the relationship between nutrition and venous ulcer (VU) healing is limited. A person's nutrition is affected by the availability of food as well as his/her overall health. Food sufficiency and nutrition are important concerns in the care of persons of low income with injection-related VUs, which tend to be large and slow to heal. A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted to explore the relationship between food sufficiency/security and nutrition with regard to demographic, wound, quality-of-life, physical activity, falls, and fall risk variables. Nutrition was examined using 2 well-developed instruments that measure food sufficiency/security and assess nutrition--the United States Department of Agriculture's Adult Food Sufficiency Questionnaire (FSQ) and the Nestle Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). All participants (N = 31, 54% men, mean age 56.1 ± 3.6 years, all African American) were recruited from an outpatient clinic. All had injection-related VUs from a history of injecting illicit substances. In terms of food sufficiency/security, most participants (26, 84%) reported having enough food in the house, but 10 (32%) worried about running out of food. From 16% to 22.6% of participants expressed concern with food sufficiency/security in terms of cutting meal size, eating less, hunger, and weight loss. Food sufficiency/security was high for 19 (61.3%), but 12 (39%) had marginal or lower food sufficiency/security. MNA scores showed 16 participants (52%) were at risk of malnutrition or malnourished. Low food sufficiency/security was significantly (P nutrition assessment scores were significantly associated (P nutrition assessment are important to assess in low-income persons with injection-related VUs. A number of significant relationships of the FSQ and MNA to other variables was found but needs further investigation with a larger sample.
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2010-10-01
... sufficient amount of saliva for an alcohol screening test? (a) As the STT, you must take the following steps if an employee is unable to provide sufficient saliva to complete a test on a saliva screening device (e.g., the employee does not provide sufficient saliva to activate the device). (1) You must conduct...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. Paul Gough
2008-07-01
Full Text Available Landauer’s principle is applied to information in the universe. Once stars began forming there was a constant information energy density as the increasing proportion of matter at high stellar temperatures exactly compensated for the expanding universe. The information equation of state was close to the dark energy value, w = -1, for a wide range of redshifts, 10 > z > 0.8, over one half of cosmic time. A reasonable universe information bit content of only 1087 bits is sufficient for information energy to account for all dark energy. A time varying equation of state with a direct link between dark energy and matter, and linked to star formation in particular, is clearly relevant to the cosmic coincidence problem. In answering the ‘Why now?’ question we wonder ‘What next?’ as we expect the information equation of state to tend towards w = 0 in the future.c
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On the uniqueness of fully informative rational expectations equilibria
Peter DeMarzo; Costis Skiadas
1998-01-01
This paper analyzes two equivalent equilibrium notions under asymmetric information: risk neutral rational expectations equilibria (rn-REE), and common knowledge equilibria. We show that the set of fully informative rn-REE is a singleton, and we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of partially informative rn-REE. In a companion paper (DeMarzo and Skiadas (1996)) we show that equilibrium prices for the larger class of quasi-complete economies can be characterized as r...
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Platelet-rich plasma for chronic lateral epicondylitis: is one injection sufficient?
Glanzmann, Michael C; Audigé, Laurent
2015-12-01
Chronic lateral epicondylitis is generally treated using nonsurgical methods including physiotherapy and infiltrations of cortisone or platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The latter is known for its simple application as well as associated low risk of adverse events, which lend to its widespread use in treating various musculoskeletal conditions. There is limited evidence on the effectiveness of PRP injections to optimally treat chronic lateral epicondylitis. This study explored the effectiveness of single or repeated injections for patients with symptoms that spanned 6 months or more and were unresponsive to alternate conservative measures. Patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis received PRP injections in 4-week intervals that were complemented with standardized physical therapy. Patient-reported outcomes based on the patient-rated elbow evaluation (PREE), quick disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (qDASH), and EuroQol (five dimensions) 3-level version (EQ5D3L) questionnaires were documented at each visit including 6 months after the first injection. These outcomes were compared between patients receiving 1 vs. 2 or 3 PRP injections. Sixty-two patients received one (n = 36) or more (n = 26) PRP injections. The mean baseline to 6-month follow-up scores of the PREE and qDASH questionnaires improved significantly from 54.0 to 23.0 and 50.3 to 20.7, respectively. The mean baseline EQ5D3L-visual analogue scale score improved from 62.5 to 82.9 by 6 months post-injection. These outcomes did not significantly differ between the patients who received varying numbers of injections. Patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis reported significant pain relief and gain in function as well as quality of life 6 months after localized PRP treatment. A single PRP injection may be sufficient.
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2013-02-12
... job; self-employment/small business ownership; no longer needing benefits provided under one or more..., which include: Getting a first job; getting a higher paying job; self-employment/small business... employment opportunities. Families accrue money in their escrow accounts as they increase their earnings. To...
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Mating motives are neither necessary nor sufficient to create the beauty premium.
Hafenbrädl, Sebastian; Dana, Jason
2017-01-01
Mating motives lead decision makers to favor attractive people, but this favoritism is not sufficient to create a beauty premium in competitive settings. Further, economic approaches to discrimination, when correctly characterized, could neatly accommodate the experimental and field evidence of a beauty premium. Connecting labor economics and evolutionary psychology is laudable, but mating motives do not explain the beauty premium.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
San-Yang Liu
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Two unified frameworks of some sufficient descent conjugate gradient methods are considered. Combined with the hyperplane projection method of Solodov and Svaiter, they are extended to solve convex constrained nonlinear monotone equations. Their global convergence is proven under some mild conditions. Numerical results illustrate that these methods are efficient and can be applied to solve large-scale nonsmooth equations.
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Camenga, D R; Fiellin, L E; Pendergrass, T; Miller, Erica; Pentz, M A; Hieftje, K
2018-07-01
Flavored tobacco products have been shown to appeal to youth, however tobacco control strategies have traditionally not focused on these products. To inform the adaptation of an existing videogame to focus on the prevention of flavored tobacco product use, this study explored adolescents' perceptions, beliefs, and social norms surrounding these products, including flavored e-cigarettes. We conducted and analyzed transcripts from seven focus groups with 11-17-year-old adolescents (n = 33) from after-school programs in CT and CA in 2016. Participants discussed flavored tobacco product beliefs and experiences, and how these compared to traditional cigarettes. Thematic analysis of transcripts revealed that participants could name flavors in tobacco products, even though few discussed first-hand experience with the products. Most groups perceived that flavored tobacco product and flavored e-cigarette use facilitated peer approval and acceptance. All groups discussed how youth could easily access flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Flavoring was a salient aspect of e-cigarette advertisements; however the groups did not recall exposure to other types of flavored tobacco product counter-marketing. These data can help inform the development of tobacco control strategies, novel interventions (such as videogames), and future FDA efforts to prevent adolescent tobacco product use through education and risk communication. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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TGF-β Signaling Is Necessary and Sufficient for Pharyngeal Arch Artery Angioblast Formation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Maryline Abrial
2017-07-01
Full Text Available The pharyngeal arch arteries (PAAs are transient embryonic blood vessels that mature into critical segments of the aortic arch and its branches. Although defects in PAA development cause life-threating congenital cardiovascular defects, the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate PAA morphogenesis remain unclear. Through small-molecule screening in zebrafish, we identified TGF-β signaling as indispensable for PAA development. Specifically, chemical inhibition of the TGF-β type I receptor ALK5 impairs PAA development because nkx2.5+ PAA progenitor cells fail to differentiate into tie1+ angioblasts. Consistent with this observation, we documented a burst of ALK5-mediated Smad3 phosphorylation within PAA progenitors that foreshadows angioblast emergence. Remarkably, premature induction of TGF-β receptor activity stimulates precocious angioblast differentiation, thereby demonstrating the sufficiency of this pathway for initiating the PAA progenitor to angioblast transition. More broadly, these data uncover TGF-β as a rare signaling pathway that is necessary and sufficient for angioblast lineage commitment.
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2010-05-12
... Company Franklin Pulp & Paper Mill Including On-Site Leased Workers From Railserve, Franklin, VA; Amended... workers of International Paper Company, Franklin Pulp & Paper Mill, Franklin, Virginia. The notice was... Pulp & Paper Mill. The Department has determined that these workers were sufficiently under the control...
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Samstag, Lisa Wallner
2007-09-01
Carl Rogers' article (see record 2007-14639-002) on the necessary and sufficient conditions for personality change has had a significant impact on the field of psychotherapy and psychotherapy research. He emphasized the client as arbiter of his or her own subjective experience and tested his hypothesized therapist-offered conditions of change using recorded sessions. This aided in demystifying the therapeutic process and led to a radical shift in the listening stance of the therapist. I briefly outline my views regarding the influence of the ideas presented in this work, describe the intellectual and cultural context of the times, and discuss a number of ways in which the therapist-offered conditions for psychological transformation are neither necessary nor sufficient. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
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Intact information sampling in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
Zamarian, Laura; Trinka, Eugen; Kuchukhidze, Giorgi; Bodner, Thomas; Unterberger, Iris; Luef, Gerhard; Delazer, Margarete
2015-11-01
Previous studies have reported deficits in decision making under ambiguity for patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). It is unknown whether mTLE is also associated with alterations at a predecisional stage. This study aimed to gain insight into predecisional processing of patients with mTLE. We compared performance of patients with mTLE (n = 25) with that of healthy controls (n = 75) on the information sampling task (IST), a task assessing reflection-impulsivity and predecisional information sampling. Patients and healthy controls showed a similar performance pattern in both conditions of the IST as indicated by the amount of information gathered, the degree of uncertainty tolerated, and the number of decision errors made. They both also demonstrated a significant sensitivity to the different reward characteristics of the task. For the patient group, we found no significant effects on performance on the IST of epilepsy lateralization, abnormality side, structural abnormality (hippocampus vs. amygdala), and medication (monotherapy vs. polytherapy). Reflection processes and predecisional information sampling as tested by the IST are intact in mTLE. Patients collect as much information as healthy individuals and adapt their behavior according to the changing reward conditions. Our findings indicate that in well-defined risk situations, where memory demands are sufficiently minimized, patients with mTLE should be able to gather sufficient information, weight risks and benefits, and make advantageous decisions. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
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Arterial stiffening provides sufficient explanation for primary hypertension.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Klas H Pettersen
2014-05-01
Full Text Available Hypertension is one of the most common age-related chronic disorders, and by predisposing individuals for heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease, it is a major source of morbidity and mortality. Its etiology remains enigmatic despite intense research efforts over many decades. By use of empirically well-constrained computer models describing the coupled function of the baroreceptor reflex and mechanics of the circulatory system, we demonstrate quantitatively that arterial stiffening seems sufficient to explain age-related emergence of hypertension. Specifically, the empirically observed chronic changes in pulse pressure with age and the impaired capacity of hypertensive individuals to regulate short-term changes in blood pressure arise as emergent properties of the integrated system. The results are consistent with available experimental data from chemical and surgical manipulation of the cardio-vascular system. In contrast to widely held opinions, the results suggest that primary hypertension can be attributed to a mechanogenic etiology without challenging current conceptions of renal and sympathetic nervous system function.
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Necessary and sufficient liveness condition of GS3PR Petri nets
Liu, GaiYun; Barkaoui, Kamel
2015-05-01
Structural analysis is one of the most important and efficient methods to investigate the behaviour of Petri nets. Liveness is a significant behavioural property of Petri nets. Siphons, as structural objects of a Petri net, are closely related to its liveness. Many deadlock control policies for flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) modelled by Petri nets are implemented via siphon control. Most of the existing methods design liveness-enforcing supervisors by adding control places for siphons based on their controllability conditions. To compute a liveness-enforcing supervisor with as much as permissive behaviour, it is both theoretically and practically significant to find an exact controllability condition for siphons. However, the existing conditions, max, max‧, and max″-controllability of siphons are all overly restrictive and generally sufficient only. This paper develops a new condition called max*-controllability of the siphons in generalised systems of simple sequential processes with resources (GS3PR), which are a net subclass that can model many real-world automated manufacturing systems. We show that a GS3PR is live if all its strict minimal siphons (SMS) are max*-controlled. Compared with the existing conditions, i.e., max-, max‧-, and max″-controllability of siphons, max*-controllability of the SMS is not only sufficient but also necessary. An example is used to illustrate the proposed method.
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Consumer informatics: helping patients to access health information via the Internet.
Rhodes, E
2000-01-01
Now that many patients independently access health information on the World Wide Web (WWW), healthcare professionals are becoming concerned with control and quality of information available there. The technology has the potential to help patients to become more self-sufficient in managing their own health care and outcomes. This paper examines the importance of developing mechanisms to assess the quality and content of health information websites.
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Design of fuel cell powered data centers for sufficient reliability and availability
Ritchie, Alexa J.; Brouwer, Jacob
2018-04-01
It is challenging to design a sufficiently reliable fuel cell electrical system for use in data centers, which require 99.9999% uptime. Such a system could lower emissions and increase data center efficiency, but the reliability and availability of such a system must be analyzed and understood. Currently, extensive backup equipment is used to ensure electricity availability. The proposed design alternative uses multiple fuel cell systems each supporting a small number of servers to eliminate backup power equipment provided the fuel cell design has sufficient reliability and availability. Potential system designs are explored for the entire data center and for individual fuel cells. Reliability block diagram analysis of the fuel cell systems was accomplished to understand the reliability of the systems without repair or redundant technologies. From this analysis, it was apparent that redundant components would be necessary. A program was written in MATLAB to show that the desired system reliability could be achieved by a combination of parallel components, regardless of the number of additional components needed. Having shown that the desired reliability was achievable through some combination of components, a dynamic programming analysis was undertaken to assess the ideal allocation of parallel components.
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Fuel self-sufficient and low proliferation risk multi-recycling of spent fuel
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cho, N. Z.; Hong, S. G.; Kim, T. H.; Greenspan, E.; Kastenberg, W. E.
1998-01-01
A preliminary feasibility study has been performed in search of promising nuclear energy systems which could make efficient use of the spent fuel from LWRs and be proliferation resistant. The energy considered consist of a dry process and a fuel-self-sufficient reactor which are synergistic. D 2 O, H 2 O and Pb (or Pb-Bi) are considered for the coolant. The most promising identified consists of Pb-cooled reactors with either an AIROX or an IFR-like reprocessing. H 2 O- (possibly mixed with D 2 O) cooled reactors can be designed to be fuel-self-sufficient and multi-recycle LWR spent fuel, provided they are accelerator driven. Moderator-free, D 2 O-cooled critical reactors can multi-recycle Th- 233 U fuel using IFR-type reprocessing; they are significantly more attractive than their thermal counterparts. H 2 O- (possibly mixed with D 2 O) cooled, accelerator-driven reactors appear attractive for converting Th into denatured 233 U using LWR spent fuel and the IFR process. The CANDU reactor technology appears highly synergistic with accelerator-driven systems. (author). 25 refs., 3 tabs., 6 figs
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Information Security in Small and Medium-Sized Companies
David Kral
2011-01-01
Information security doesn’t involve only large organizations. Small and medium-sized companies must closely examine this issue too, because they are increasingly threatened by cyber attacks. Many of them mistakenly believe, that security of their valuable data is sufficient, or that the attackers are not interested in them. Existing standards and methodologies for implementation and management of information security are often hard to transfer to the environment of small and medium-sized bus...
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A Study on the Operation Strategy for Combined Accident including TLOFW accident
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kim, Bo Gyung; Kang, Gook Young; Yoon, Ho Joon
2014-01-01
It is difficult for operators to recognize the necessity of a feed-and-bleed (F-B) operation when the loss of coolant accident and failure of secondary side occur. An F-B operation directly cools down the reactor coolant system (RCS) using the primary cooling system when residual heat removal by the secondary cooling system is not available. The plant is not always necessary the F-B operation when the secondary side is failed. It is not necessary to initiate an F-B operation in the case of a medium or large break because these cases correspond to low RCS pressure sequences when the secondary side is failed. If the break size is too small to sufficiently decrease the RCS pressure, the F-B operation is necessary. Therefore, in the case of a combined accident including a secondary cooling system failure, the provision of clear information will play a critical role in the operators' decision to initiate an F-B operation. This study focuses on the how we establish the operation strategy for combined accident including the failure of secondary side in consideration of plant and operating conditions. Previous studies have usually focused on accidents involving a TLOFW accident. The plant conditions to make the operators confused seriously are usually the combined accident because the ORP only focuses on a single accident and FRP is less familiar with operators. The relationship between CET and PCT under various plant conditions is important to decide the limitation of initiating the F-B operation to prevent core damage
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Consciousness: a unique way of processing information.
Marchetti, Giorgio
2018-02-08
In this article, I argue that consciousness is a unique way of processing information, in that: it produces information, rather than purely transmitting it; the information it produces is meaningful for us; the meaning it has is always individuated. This uniqueness allows us to process information on the basis of our personal needs and ever-changing interactions with the environment, and consequently to act autonomously. Three main basic cognitive processes contribute to realize this unique way of information processing: the self, attention and working memory. The self, which is primarily expressed via the central and peripheral nervous systems, maps our body, the environment, and our relations with the environment. It is the primary means by which the complexity inherent to our composite structure is reduced into the "single voice" of a unique individual. It provides a reference system that (albeit evolving) is sufficiently stable to define the variations that will be used as the raw material for the construction of conscious information. Attention allows for the selection of those variations in the state of the self that are most relevant in the given situation. Attention originates and is deployed from a single locus inside our body, which represents the center of the self, around which all our conscious experiences are organized. Whatever is focused by attention appears in our consciousness as possessing a spatial quality defined by this center and the direction toward which attention is focused. In addition, attention determines two other features of conscious experience: periodicity and phenomenal quality. Self and attention are necessary but not sufficient for conscious information to be produced. Complex forms of conscious experiences, such as the various modes of givenness of conscious experience and the stream of consciousness, need a working memory mechanism to assemble the basic pieces of information selected by attention.
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Talikka, Marja; Soukka, Risto; Eskelinen, Harri
2018-01-01
Engineering students often conduct information searches without sufficient consideration of the context of their research topic. This article discusses how development of a new information literacy (IL) mindset through instruction in integrated IL education affects students' understanding of research problems and formulation of information search…
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Can British Columbia Achieve Electricity Self-Sufficiency and Meet its Renewable Portfolio Standard?
Sopinka, A.; Kooten, van G.C.; Wong, L.
2012-01-01
British Columbia’s energy policy is at a crossroads; the province has set a goal of electricity self-sufficiency, a 93% renewable portfolio standard and provincial natural gas strategy that could increase electricity consumption by 2,500-3,800 MW. To ascertain the reality of BC’s supply position, we
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2010-07-01
... convenience of an employee considered sufficient justification to authorize home-to-work transportation? 102-5...-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.95 Is the comfort and/or convenience of an employee considered sufficient justification to authorize home-to-work transportation? No, the comfort and/or convenience of an...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stapp, Henry P.
2011-05-10
The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason-based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for the choice is empirically identifiable. It is shown here that if the statistical laws of quantum mechanics were to be biased in this way then the basically forward-in-time unfolding of empirical reality described by orthodox quantum mechanics would generate the appearances of backward-time-effects of the kind that have been reported in the scientific literature.
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Goranitis, Ilias; Coast, Joanna; Day, Ed; Copello, Alex; Freemantle, Nick; Frew, Emma
2017-07-01
Conventional practice within the United Kingdom and beyond is to conduct economic evaluations with "health" as evaluative space and "health maximization" as the decision-making rule. However, there is increasing recognition that this evaluative framework may not always be appropriate, and this is particularly the case within public health and social care contexts. This article presents a methodological case study designed to explore the impact of changing the evaluative space within an economic evaluation from health to capability well-being and the decision-making rule from health maximization to the maximization of sufficient capability. Capability well-being is an evaluative space grounded on Amartya Sen's capability approach and assesses well-being based on individuals' ability to do and be the things they value in life. Sufficient capability is an egalitarian approach to decision making that aims to ensure everyone in society achieves a normatively sufficient level of capability well-being. The case study is treatment for drug addiction, and the cost-effectiveness of 2 psychological interventions relative to usual care is assessed using data from a pilot trial. Analyses are undertaken from a health care and a government perspective. For the purpose of the study, quality-adjusted life years (measured using the EQ-5D-5L) and years of full capability equivalent and years of sufficient capability equivalent (both measured using the ICECAP-A [ICEpop CAPability measure for Adults]) are estimated. The study concludes that different evaluative spaces and decision-making rules have the potential to offer opposing treatment recommendations. The implications for policy makers are discussed.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stapp, Henry P.
2011-01-01
The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason-based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for the choice is empirically identifiable. It is shown here that if the statistical laws of quantum mechanics were to be biased in this way then the basically forward-in-time unfolding of empirical reality described by orthodox quantum mechanics would generate the appearances of backward-time-effects of the kind that have been reported in the scientific literature.
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A Sufficient Condition on Convex Relaxation of AC Optimal Power Flow in Distribution Networks
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Huang, Shaojun; Wu, Qiuwei; Wang, Jianhui
2016-01-01
This paper proposes a sufficient condition for the convex relaxation of AC Optimal Power Flow (OPF) in radial distribution networks as a second order cone program (SOCP) to be exact. The condition requires that the allowed reverse power flow is only reactive or active, or none. Under the proposed...... solution of the SOCP can be converted to an optimal solution of the original AC OPF. The efficacy of the convex relaxation to solve the AC OPF is demonstrated by case studies of an optimal multi-period planning problem of electric vehicles (EVs) in distribution networks....... sufficient condition, the feasible sub-injection region (power injections of nodes excluding the root node) of the AC OPF is convex. The exactness of the convex relaxation under the proposed condition is proved through constructing a group of monotonic series with limits, which ensures that the optimal...
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Information Support for Sustainable Tourism
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kodym Oldřich
2017-01-01
Full Text Available This paper focuses on possibilities of information provision for tourists so that they can get familiar more easily with new cultures and the “unknown” environment by means of commonly known and user friendly interfaces. Each object of interest can be equipped with a wireless identification tag that can serve as: 1 Pointer to already downloaded information and thus associate it with the real object in his proper environment. 2 Link for downloading of information in real time – if a wireless communication is available. 3 Direct provider of such information – if the identification tag has sufficient capacity. 4 Provider for feedback inclusive management of tourist movement so that the communication routes are not overloaded. Information support for such kinds of tourist areas is presented. Logistic model based on Petri nets is used for simulation and life cycle assessment following Ekoindikator 99 is evaluated. Advantages of described solutions are discussed.
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Aghakouchak, Amir; Tourian, Mohammad J.
2015-04-01
Development of reliable drought monitoring, prediction and recovery assessment tools are fundamental to water resources management. This presentation focuses on how gravimetry information can improve drought assessment. First, we provide an overview of the Global Integrated Drought Monitoring and Prediction System (GIDMaPS) which offers near real-time drought information using remote sensing observations and model simulations. Then, we present a framework for integration of satellite gravimetry information for improving drought prediction and recovery assessment. The input data include satellite-based and model-based precipitation, soil moisture estimates and equivalent water height. Previous studies show that drought assessment based on one single indicator may not be sufficient. For this reason, GIDMaPS provides drought information based on multiple drought indicators including Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Soil Moisture Index (SSI) and the Multivariate Standardized Drought Index (MSDI) which combines SPI and SSI probabilistically. MSDI incorporates the meteorological and agricultural drought conditions and provides composite multi-index drought information for overall characterization of droughts. GIDMaPS includes a seasonal prediction component based on a statistical persistence-based approach. The prediction component of GIDMaPS provides the empirical probability of drought for different severity levels. In this presentation we present a new component in which the drought prediction information based on SPI, SSI and MSDI are conditioned on equivalent water height obtained from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). Using a Bayesian approach, GRACE information is used to evaluate persistence of drought. Finally, the deficit equivalent water height based on GRACE is used for assessing drought recovery. In this presentation, both monitoring and prediction components of GIDMaPS will be discussed, and the results from 2014
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A sufficiency property arising from the characterization of extremes of Markov chains
Bortot, Paola; Coles, Stuart
2000-01-01
At extreme levels, it is known that for a particular choice of marginal distribution, transitions of a Markov chain behave like a random walk. For a broad class of Markov chains, we give a characterization for the step length density of the limiting random walk, which leads to an interesting sufficiency property. This representation also leads us to propose a new technique for kernel density estimation for this class of models.
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Virtual water and water self-sufficiency in agricultural and livestock products in Brazil.
da Silva, Vicente de Paulo R; de Oliveira, Sonaly D; Braga, Célia C; Brito, José Ivaldo B; de Sousa, Francisco de Assis S; de Holanda, Romildo M; Campos, João Hugo B C; de Souza, Enio P; Braga, Armando César R; Rodrigues Almeida, Rafaela S; de Araújo, Lincoln E
2016-12-15
Virtual water trade is often considered a solution for restricted water availability in many regions of the world. Brazil is the world leader in the production and export of various agricultural and livestock products. The country is either a strong net importer or a strong net exporter of these products. The objective of this study is to determine the volume of virtual water contained in agricultural and livestock products imported/exported by Brazil from 1997 to 2012, and to define the water self-sufficiency index of agricultural and livestock products in Brazil. The indexes of water scarcity (WSI), water dependency (WDI) and water self-sufficiency (WSSI) were calculated for each Brazilian state. These indexes and the virtual water balance were calculated following the methodology developed by Chapagain and Hoekstra (2008) and Hoekstra and Hung (2005). The total water exports and imports embedded in agricultural and livestock products were 5.28 × 10 10 and 1.22 × 10 10 Gm 3 yr -1 , respectively, which results in positive virtual water balance of 4.05 × 10 10 Gm 3 yr -1 . Brazil is either a strong net importer or a strong net exporter of agricultural and livestock products among the Mercosur countries. Brazil has a positive virtual water balance of 1.85 × 10 10 Gm 3 yr -1 . The indexes used in this study reveal that Brazil is self-sufficient in food production, except for a few products such as wheat and rice. Horticultural products (tomato, onion, potato, cassava and garlic) make up a unique product group with negative virtual water balance in Brazil. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Automatic physical inference with information maximizing neural networks
Charnock, Tom; Lavaux, Guilhem; Wandelt, Benjamin D.
2018-04-01
Compressing large data sets to a manageable number of summaries that are informative about the underlying parameters vastly simplifies both frequentist and Bayesian inference. When only simulations are available, these summaries are typically chosen heuristically, so they may inadvertently miss important information. We introduce a simulation-based machine learning technique that trains artificial neural networks to find nonlinear functionals of data that maximize Fisher information: information maximizing neural networks (IMNNs). In test cases where the posterior can be derived exactly, likelihood-free inference based on automatically derived IMNN summaries produces nearly exact posteriors, showing that these summaries are good approximations to sufficient statistics. In a series of numerical examples of increasing complexity and astrophysical relevance we show that IMNNs are robustly capable of automatically finding optimal, nonlinear summaries of the data even in cases where linear compression fails: inferring the variance of Gaussian signal in the presence of noise, inferring cosmological parameters from mock simulations of the Lyman-α forest in quasar spectra, and inferring frequency-domain parameters from LISA-like detections of gravitational waveforms. In this final case, the IMNN summary outperforms linear data compression by avoiding the introduction of spurious likelihood maxima. We anticipate that the automatic physical inference method described in this paper will be essential to obtain both accurate and precise cosmological parameter estimates from complex and large astronomical data sets, including those from LSST and Euclid.
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Informing patients of risks inherent in treatment.
Griffith, Richard; Tengnah, Cassam
2009-11-01
Consent to treatment lies at the heart of autonomous decision making by patients who are entitled to make a free choice about whether to accept or refuse treatment. To help patients arrive at their decision district nurses must ensure that they give sufficient information about the nature and risks inherent in the treatment to allow an informed choice to be made. This article considers how much information regarding risks needs to be disclosed. It discusses how the law requires a different level of disclosure for patients who ask no questions about risks, those who make general enquiries about risks and those who ask specific questions about the risks inherent in treatment.
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IMNN: Information Maximizing Neural Networks
Charnock, Tom; Lavaux, Guilhem; Wandelt, Benjamin D.
2018-04-01
This software trains artificial neural networks to find non-linear functionals of data that maximize Fisher information: information maximizing neural networks (IMNNs). As compressing large data sets vastly simplifies both frequentist and Bayesian inference, important information may be inadvertently missed. Likelihood-free inference based on automatically derived IMNN summaries produces summaries that are good approximations to sufficient statistics. IMNNs are robustly capable of automatically finding optimal, non-linear summaries of the data even in cases where linear compression fails: inferring the variance of Gaussian signal in the presence of noise, inferring cosmological parameters from mock simulations of the Lyman-α forest in quasar spectra, and inferring frequency-domain parameters from LISA-like detections of gravitational waveforms. In this final case, the IMNN summary outperforms linear data compression by avoiding the introduction of spurious likelihood maxima.
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Osteocalcin is necessary and sufficient to maintain muscle mass in older mice
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Paula Mera
2016-10-01
Full Text Available Objective: A decrease in muscle protein turnover and therefore in muscle mass is a hallmark of aging. Because the circulating levels of the bone-derived hormone osteocalcin decline steeply during aging in mice, monkeys and humans we asked here whether this hormone might regulate muscle mass as mice age. Methods: We examined muscle mass and strength in mice lacking osteocalcin (Ocn−/− or its receptor in all cells (Gprc6a−/− or specifically in myofibers (Gprc6aMck−/− as well as in 9 month-old WT mice receiving exogenous osteocalcin for 28 days. We also examined protein synthesis in WT and Gprc6a−/− mouse myotubes treated with osteocalcin. Results: We show that osteocalcin signaling in myofibers is necessary to maintain muscle mass in older mice in part because it promotes protein synthesis in myotubes without affecting protein breakdown. We further show that treatment with exogenous osteocalcin for 28 days is sufficient to increase muscle mass of 9-month-old WT mice. Conclusion: This study uncovers that osteocalcin is necessary and sufficient to prevent age-related muscle loss in mice. Author Video: Author Video Watch what authors say about their articles Keywords: Osteocalcin, Muscle mass, Aging
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Inge Snyman
2015-12-01
Full Text Available The development of legislation for the progressive realisation of the right to access to sufficient food is labelled as an international and national objective. Section 27(2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 assigns a compulsory mandate to the South African government to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of the right to access to sufficient food. The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO proposes a three-level strategy for the implementation of the right to food on a national legislative level, namely through: constitutional recognition, the implementation of a food framework law and the reviewing of relevant sectoral legislation. This contribution focuses on the last level of legislative provisioning, namely the reviewing of relevant sectoral legislation which influences, or possibly can, influence the realisation of the right to access to sufficient food. The right to access to sufficient food has multidimensional, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral characteristics and consequently various sectors are involved in the realisation of the right to access to sufficient food. The FAO determines that the intended purpose will be to identify and review all sectoral legislation that might influence the availability, stability, access and adequacy of food, by means of a proposed reviewing process. The suggested reviewing process of the FAO is comprehensive and diverse; therefore the focus of this contribution is based on the reviewing of relevant environmental-related legislation only. The FAO does not make recommendations with regard to the specific aspects that need to be incorporated in environmental-related legislation to contribute to the progressive realisation of the right to access to sufficient food (in other words the aspects against which environmental-related legislation can be evaluated. Therefore this
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gijzen, A.H.J.; Kock, H.W. de; Meulendijk, P.N.; Schmidt, N.A.; Schopman, W.; Tertoolen, J.F.W.; Voogd, C.E.
1983-01-01
Eight radiochemical methods for the assay of vitamin B 12 in serum were compared with the microbiological assay with Lactobacillus leichmannii ATCC 7830 using 198 individual sera of patients. There was a good agreement between the results of most samples with some kits and the microbiological assay. However, especially in the sera of vitamin B 12 -deficient patients large discrepancies between the results could occur. These variations were due to both the kits used and the performance of the assays in different laboratories. A sufficient number of non-pooled sera of vitamin B 12 -deficient patients should be included in investigations to validate radiochemical methods. (Auth.)
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Purpose Restrictions on Information Use
2013-06-03
outcomes can be probabilistic since the network does not know what ad will be best for each visitor but does have statistical information about various...beliefs as such beliefs are a sufficient statistic . Thus, the agent need only consider for each possible belief β it can have, what action it would...access control. In Proceedings of the Eighteenth Australasian Database Conference (2007), Australian Computer Society, Inc., pp. 23–32. [3] Baker, C. L
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Identification of necessary and sufficient conditions for real non-negativeness of rational matrices
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Saeed, K.
1982-12-01
The necessary and sufficient conditions for real non-negativeness of rational matrices have been identified. A programmable algorithm is developed and is given with its computer flow chart. This algorithm can be used as a general solution to test the real non-negativeness of rational matrices. The computer program assures the feasibility of the suggested algorithm. (author)
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Rahim, Farah Hanim Abdul; Abidin, Norhaslinda Zainal; Hawari, Nurul Nazihah
2017-11-01
The Malaysian government had targeted for the rice industry in the country to achieve 100% rice self-sufficiency where Malaysia's rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) is currently at 65% to 75%. Thus, the government had implemented few policies to increase the rice production in Malaysia in order to meet the growing demand of rice. In this paper, the effect of price support on the rice production system in Malaysia is investigated. This study utilizes the system dynamics approach of the rice production system in Malaysia where the complexity of the factor is interrelated and changed dynamically through time. Scenario analysis was conducted using system dynamics model by making changes on the price subsidy to see its effect on the rice production and rice SSL. The system dynamics model provides a framework for understanding the effect of price subsidy on the rice self-sufficiency level. The scenario analysis of the model shows that a 50% increase in the price subsidy leads to a substantial increase in demand as the rice price drops. Accordingly, the local production increases by 15%. However, the SSL slightly decreases as the local production is insufficient to meet the large demand.
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Forty Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Regularity of Interval Matrices: A survey
Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Rohn, Jiří
2009-01-01
Roč. 18, - (2009), s. 500-512 E-ISSN 1081-3810 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/1957; GA ČR GC201/08/J020 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : interval matrix * regularity * singularity * necessary and sufficient condition * algorithm Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.892, year: 2009 http://www.math.technion.ac.il/iic/ ela / ela -articles/articles/vol18_pp500-512.pdf
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Inokuchi, Kasumi; Imamura, Fumiaki; Takeuchi, Haruki; Kim, Ryang; Okuno, Hiroyuki; Nishizumi, Hirofumi; Bito, Haruhiko; Kikusui, Takefumi; Sakano, Hitoshi
2017-07-21
Odour information induces various innate responses that are critical to the survival of the individual and for the species. An axon guidance molecule, Neuropilin 2 (Nrp2), is known to mediate targeting of olfactory sensory neurons (primary neurons), to the posteroventral main olfactory bulb (PV MOB) in mice. Here we report that Nrp2-positive (Nrp2 + ) mitral cells (MCs, second-order neurons) play crucial roles in transmitting attractive social signals from the PV MOB to the anterior part of medial amygdala (MeA). Semaphorin 3F, a repulsive ligand to Nrp2, regulates both migration of Nrp2 + MCs to the PV MOB and their axonal projection to the anterior MeA. In the MC-specific Nrp2 knockout mice, circuit formation of Nrp2 + MCs and odour-induced attractive social responses are impaired. In utero, electroporation demonstrates that activation of the Nrp2 gene in MCs is sufficient to instruct their circuit formation from the PV MOB to the anterior MeA.
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Sufficiency of the Nuclear Fuel
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pevec, D.; Knapp, V.; Matijevic, M.
2008-01-01
Estimation of the nuclear fuel sufficiency is required for rational decision making on long-term energy strategy. In the past an argument often invoked against nuclear energy was that uranium resources are inadequate. At present, when climate change associated with CO 2 emission is a major concern, one novel strong argument for nuclear energy is that it can produce large amounts of energy without the CO 2 emission. Increased interest in nuclear energy is evident, and a new look into uranium resources is relevant. We examined three different scenarios of nuclear capacity growth. The low growth of 0.4 percent per year in nuclear capacity is assumed for the first scenario. The moderate growth of 1.5 percent per year in nuclear capacity preserving the present share in total energy production is assumed for the second scenario. We estimated draining out time periods for conventional resources of uranium using once through fuel cycle for the both scenarios. For the first and the second scenario we obtained the draining out time periods for conventional uranium resources of 154 years and 96 years, respectively. These results are, as expected, in agreement with usual evaluations. However, if nuclear energy is to make a major impact on CO 2 emission it should contribute much more in the total energy production than at present level of 6 percent. We therefore defined the third scenario which would increase nuclear share in the total energy production from 6 percent in year 2020 to 30 percent by year 2060 while the total world energy production would grow by 1.5 percent per year. We also looked into the uranium requirement for this scenario, determining the time window for introduction of uranium or thorium reprocessing and for better use of uranium than what is the case in the once through fuel cycle. The once through cycle would be in this scenario sustainable up to about year 2060 providing most of the expected but undiscovered conventional uranium resources were turned
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40 CFR 725.155 - Information to be included in the MCAN.
2010-07-01
... evaluation of the health and environmental effects of the microorganism, or any microbial mixture or article... genetic material, including any regulatory sequences and structural genes and the products of those genes... introduction; and a description of the regulatory and structural genes that are components of the introduced...
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2012-10-05
... relevant period and that the subject firm had sufficient control over the leased workers for the Department to determine that there was operational control of the leased workers by the subject firm. The... Managerial Services, Inc., Including On-Site Leased Workers of Entegee East Longmeadow, MA Amended...
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Hegerová, Petra; Dědková, Zuzana; Sobotka, Luboš
2015-01-01
An acute disease is regularly associated with inflammation, decreased food intake, and low physical activity; the consequence is loss of muscle mass. However, the restoration of muscle tissue is problematic, especially in older patients. Loss of muscle mass leads to further decrease of physical activity which leads, together with recurring disease, to the progressive muscle mass loss accompanied by loss of self-sufficiency. Early nutrition support and physical activity could reverse this situation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether an active approach based on early nutritional therapy and exercise would influence the development of sarcopenia and impaired self-sufficiency during acute illness. Two hundred patients >78 y were admitted to a hospital internal medicine department and participated in a prospective, randomized controlled study. The patients were randomized to a control group receiving standard treatment (n = 100) or to an intervention group (n = 100). The intervention consisted of nutritional supplements (600 kcal, 20 g/d protein) added to a standard diet and a simultaneous intensive rehabilitation program. The tolerance of supplements and their influence on spontaneous food intake, self-sufficiency, muscle strength, and body composition were evaluated during the study period. The patients were then regularly monitored for 1 y post-discharge. The provision of nutritional supplements together with early rehabilitation led to increased total energy and protein intake while the intake of standard hospital food was not reduced. The loss of lean body mass and a decrease in self-sufficiency were apparent at discharge from the hospital and 3 mo thereafter in the control group. Nutritional supplementation and the rehabilitation program in the study group prevented these alterations. A positive effect of nutritional intervention and exercise during the hospital stay was apparent at 6 mo post-discharge. The early nutritional intervention
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Identification of appropriate tools of information and communication ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Access to sufficient and desirable food is one of the principles of any developing and healthy society. One of the important means for attainment of food security is information and communication technologies (ICT). The purpose of the research was to identify appropriate tools of ICT in improving food security of Iran's rural ...
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10 CFR 52.47 - Contents of applications; technical information.
2010-01-01
... information sufficiently detailed to permit the preparation of acceptance and inspection requirements by the... combustible gas control as required by 10 CFR 50.44; (13) The list of electric equipment important to safety... accidents, e.g., challenges to containment integrity caused by core-concrete interaction, steam explosion...
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40 CFR 25.4 - Information, notification, and consultation responsibilities.
2010-07-01
... participation in all significant decisions covered by § 25.2(a), particularly where alternative courses of... shall highlight significant issues that will be the subject of decision-making. Whenever possible... distribution of information and must occur sufficiently in advance of decision-making to allow the agency to...
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Requirements on qualification, competence and sufficient number of personnel for NPP operation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Simon, M.
2004-01-01
The safe operation of NPPs presupposes qualified personnel on site in sufficient numbers. While the acquisition and preservation of technical expertise and the qualification of the shift personnel and other staff is well regulated by regulatory guidelines in Germany, there is a lack of such regulations with the exception for shift personnel - for the minimum number of technical personnel required for safe operation of a NPP. By order of the BMU, an attempt was made with this study to work out the requirements for qualification, competence and number of personnel to be maintained at the plant, representing the minimum requirements for safe operation of a NPP. The scope of the project was restricted to requirements for technical plant personnel. The aim was to work out requirements which would be as independent as possible of the existing organisation in a particular power plant. This study therefore does not assume a given organisational structure but was rather more oriented on the work processes in a NPP which are the basis for planning and performing routine work in the plant. For the study a work process model of typical tasks in a NPP had to be developed. Then, the tasks to be performed within the so defined work processes were described (task profiles) on the basis of existing manuals for plant organisation. From these task profiles such tasks were defined or selected which shall not be delegated to external personnel for specific reasons, and which were called vital competences. To keep these vital competences at the plant, an assessment and/or calculation of the necessary number of plant technical personnel was made using the task profiles for responsible personnel, but also by the evaluation of thousands of work orders for maintenance personnel. On the basis of these data, a proposal was made for the minimal number of technical personnel which is necessary to operate a NPP unit safely. Beside of this number, general criteria were developed which should be
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Laukkanen Eila
2010-09-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background There has been a considerable increase in the need for psychiatric services for adolescents. Primary health care practitioners have a major role in detecting, screening and helping these adolescents. An intervention entitled SCREEN is described in this article. The SCREEN intervention was developed to help practitioners to detect and screen adolescent needs, to care for adolescents at the primary health care level and to facilitate the referral of adolescents to secondary care services in collaboration between primary and secondary health care. Secondly, the article presents the background and clinical characteristics of youths seeking help from the SCREEN services, and compares the background factors and clinical characteristics of those patients referred and not referred to secondary care services. Methods The SCREEN intervention consisted of 1 to 5 sessions, including assessment by a semi-structured anamnesis interview, the structured Global Assessment Scale, and by a structured priority rating scale, as well as a brief intervention for each adolescent's chosen problem. Parents took part in the assessment in 39% of cases involving girls and 50% involving boys. During 34 months, 2071 adolescents (69% females entered the intervention and 70% completed it. The mean age was 17.1 years for boys and 17.3 years for girls. Results For 69% of adolescents, this was the first contact with psychiatric services. The most common reasons for seeking services were depressive symptoms (31%. Self-harming behaviour had occurred in 25% of girls and 16% of boys. The intervention was sufficient for 37% of those who completed it. Psychosocial functioning improved during the intervention. Factors associated with referral for further treatment were female gender, anxiety as the main complaint, previous psychiatric treatment, self-harming behaviour, a previous need for child welfare services, poor psychosocial functioning and a high score in the
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tahir Shah, K.
1995-01-01
There are an estimated 100,000 genes in the human genome of which 97% is non-coding. On the other hand, bacteria have little or no non-coding DNA. Non-coding region includes introns, ALU sequences, satellite DNA, and other segments not expressed as proteins. Why it exists? Why nature has kept non-coding during the long evolutionary period if it has no role in the development of complex life forms? Does complexity of a species somehow correlated to the existence of apparently useless sequences? What kind of capability is encoded within such nucleotide sequences that is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for the evolution of complex life forms, keeping in mind the C-value paradox and the omnipresence of non-coding segments in higher eurkaryotes and also in many archea and prokaryotes. The physico-chemical description of biological processes is hardware oriented and does not highlight algorithmic or information processing aspect. However, an algorithm without its hardware implementation is useless as much as hardware without its capability to run an algorithm. The nature and type of computation an information-processing hardware can perform depends only on its algorithm and the architecture that reflects the algorithm. Given that enormously difficult tasks such as high fidelity replication, transcription, editing and regulation are all achieved within a long linear sequence, it is natural to think that some parts of a genome are involved is these tasks. If some complex algorithms are encoded with these parts, then it is natural to think that non-coding regions contain processing-information algorithms. A comparison between well-known automatic sequences and sequences constructed out of motifs is found in all species proves the point: noncoding regions are a sort of ''hardwired'' programs, i.e., they are linear representations of information-processing machines. Thus in our model, a noncoding region, e.g., an intron contains a program (or equivalently, it is
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Prospect of Cattle Development to Support Self Sufficiency of Meat in North Sumatera Province
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Akhmad Rifai Lubis
2010-06-01
Full Text Available Shortage of beef supply to meet national needs is also found locally in North Sumatera Province. The trend for beef in this area was triggered by the increasing of population, economic improvement and desire for better nutrient comsumption. Level of beef consumption is increased 17% from year 2004 to 2008, so in the same period the number of cattle entered into the North Sumatera Province also increased. Some efforts had been conducted to develop beef cattle program in North Sumatera Self Sufficiency Program in Beef through technical and policy approaches. Several programs have been developed to accelerate the development of productivity and the population in North Sumatra, among others, 1 Agribusiness Development Program, 2 Food Security Improvement Program, 3 Farmer's Welfare Program; which are financed by both central and local budgets. Institutional aspects that have been developed to support the PSDS-2014 is the Regional Artificial Insemination Center to serve the needs of semen for districts and municipalities in the Province of North Sumatera. In the year 2008, it has been distributed as many as 44 000 doses of semen for frozen semen to meet the demands of 11 Districts. The amount of land resources for development indicated the availability of pastural land area of 1,311,159 ha from oil palm and rubber plantation, area of 1,192,172 ha for crops and livestock integration system. It is estimated that biomass production of rice straw, bean straw and sugarcane straw reaches 7,062,227; 68 145 and 14 664 tons per year, respectively. Also available as many as 689,478 tons of rice bran and palm oil industry waste as much as 4,159,203 tons per year. Some challenges in the North Sumatera PSDS programs in accordance with a predetermined time include: 1 Not all of the stakeholders get a complete information about the program, 2 the difficulties to prevent productive cows being slaughtered, 3 limited capital in an effort to pick up and redistribute
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Increased conjugated bilirubin is sufficient to initiate screening for biliary atresia
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Madsen, Stine Skipper; Kvist, Nina; Thorup, Jørgen
2015-01-01
. This percentage value has caused diagnostic trouble over the years. The objective of the present study was to investigate the possibility of changing the recommendations. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of the medical records of children operated for biliary atresia in the 1993-2012 period. RESULTS......: mean 129.7 μmol/l (42-334 μmol/l) and 73% (28-97%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The total amount of conjugated bilirubin above 20 μmol/l is sufficient to require further evaluation for biliary atresia. The percentage value is unnecessary and may cause confusion. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Y. M. Krotiuk
2008-01-01
Full Text Available The paper considers a methodological approach to an analysis and estimation of information security in the information systems which is based on the analysis of vulnerabilities and an extent of their hazard. By vulnerability hazard it is meant a complexity of its operation as a part of an information system. The required and sufficient vulnerability operational conditions have been determined in the paper. The paper proposes a generalized model for attack realization which is used as a basis for construction of an attack realization model for an operation of a particular vulnerability. A criterion for estimation of information protection in the information systems which is based on the estimation of vulnerability hazard is formulated in the paper. The proposed approach allows to obtain a quantitative estimation of the information system security on the basis of the proposed schemes on realization of typical attacks for the distinguished classes of vulnerabilities.The methodical approach is used for choosing variants to be applied for realization of protection mechanisms in the information systems as well as for estimation of information safety in the operating information systems.
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Stapp, Henry P.
2011-11-01
The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason-based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for the choice is empirically identifiable. It is shown here that if the statistical laws of quantum mechanics were to be biased in this way then the basically forward-in-time unfolding of empirical reality described by orthodox quantum mechanics would generate the appearances of backward-time-effects of the kind that have been reported in the scientific literature.
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Should Relational Aggression Be Included in DSM-V?
Keenan, Kate; Coyne, Claire; Lahey, Benjamin B.
2008-01-01
The study examines whether relational aggression should be included in DSM-V disruptive behavior disorders. The results conclude that some additional information is gathered from assessing relational aggression but not enough to be included in DSM-V.
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Oktyajati, Nancy; Hisjam, Muh.; Sutopo, Wahyudi
2018-02-01
Consider food become one of the basic human needs in order to survive so food sufficiency become very important. Food sufficiency of soybean commodity in Central Java still depends on imported soybean. Insufficiency of soybean because of there is much gap between local soybean productions and its demand. In the year 2016 the shortage of supply soybean commodity as much 68.79%. Soybean is an important and strategic commodity after rice and corn. The increasing consumption of soybean is related to increasing population, increasing incomes, changing of healthy life style. The aims of this study are to determine the soybean dynamic model based on supply chain perspective, define the proper price of local soybean to trigger increasing of local production, and to define the alternative solution to support food self sufficiency. This study will capture the real condition into dynamics model, then simulate a series of scenario into a computer program to obtain the best results. This study will be conducted the following first scenario with government intervention policy and second without government intervention policy. The best solution of the alternative can be used as government consideration for governmental policy. The results of the propose scenarios showed that self sufficiency on soybean can be achieved after the next 20 years by increasing planting area 4% and land productivity 1% per year.
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Peltonen, Laura-Maria; Lundgrén-Laine, Heljä; Siirala, Eriikka; Löyttyniemi, Eliisa; Aantaa, Riku; Salanterä, Sanna
2018-03-01
The aims were (1) to evaluate the modified version of the Intensive Care Unit Information Need Questionnaire for the broader hospital setting, and (2) to describe the differences in respondents' managerial activities and information needs according to the position held by the respondent and the type of hospital unit. Information systems do not support managerial decision-making sufficiently and information needed in the day-to-day operations management in hospital units is unknown. An existing questionnaire was modified and evaluated. Shift leaders, that is, the nurses and physicians responsible for the day-to-day operations management in hospital units were reached using purposive sampling (n = 258). The questionnaire ascertained the importance of information. Cronbach's α ranged from .85-.96 for the subscales. Item - total correlations showed good explanatory power. Managerial activities and information needs differed between respondents in different positions, although all shared about one-third of important information needs. The response rate was 26% (n = 67). The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were good. Attention should be paid to the positions of shift leaders when developing information systems. The questionnaire can be used to determine important information when developing information systems to support day-to-day operations management in hospitals. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Beeden, R J; Turner, M A; Dryden, J; Merida, F; Goudkamp, K; Malone, C; Marshall, P A; Birtles, A; Maynard, J A
2014-12-01
Managing to support coral reef resilience as the climate changes requires strategic and responsive actions that reduce anthropogenic stress. Managers can only target and tailor these actions if they regularly receive information on system condition and impact severity. In large coral reef areas like the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP), acquiring condition and impact data with good spatial and temporal coverage requires using a large network of observers. Here, we describe the result of ~10 years of evolving and refining participatory monitoring programs used in the GBR that have rangers, tourism operators and members of the public as observers. Participants complete Reef Health and Impact Surveys (RHIS) using a protocol that meets coral reef managers' needs for up-to-date information on the following: benthic community composition, reef condition and impacts including coral diseases, damage, predation and the presence of rubbish. Training programs ensure that the information gathered is sufficiently precise to inform management decisions. Participants regularly report because the demands of the survey methodology have been matched to their time availability. Undertaking the RHIS protocol we describe involves three ~20 min surveys at each site. Participants enter data into an online data management system that can create reports for managers and participants within minutes of data being submitted. Since 2009, 211 participants have completed a total of more than 10,415 surveys at more than 625 different reefs. The two-way exchange of information between managers and participants increases the capacity to manage reefs adaptively, meets education and outreach objectives and can increase stewardship. The general approach used and the survey methodology are both sufficiently adaptable to be used in all reef regions.
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Time to Improve Informed Consent for Dialysis: An International Perspective.
Brennan, Frank; Stewart, Cameron; Burgess, Hannah; Davison, Sara N; Moss, Alvin H; Murtagh, Fliss E M; Germain, Michael; Tranter, Shelley; Brown, Mark
2017-06-07
The literature reveals that current nephrology practice in obtaining informed consent for dialysis falls short of ethical and legal requirements. Meeting these requirements represents a significant challenge, especially because the benefits and risks of dialysis have shifted significantly with the growing number of older, comorbid patients. The importance of informed consent for dialysis is heightened by several concerns, including: ( 1 ) the proportion of predialysis patients and patients on dialysis who lack capacity in decision making and ( 2 ) whether older, comorbid, and frail patients understand their poor prognosis and the full implications to their independence and functional status of being on dialysis. This article outlines the ethical and legal requirements for a valid informed consent to dialysis: ( 1 ) the patient was competent, ( 2 ) the consent was made voluntarily, and ( 3 ) the patient was given sufficient information in an understandable manner to make the decision. It then considers the application of these requirements to practice across different countries. In the process of informed consent, the law requires a discussion by the physician of the material risks associated with dialysis and alternative options. We argue that, legally and ethically, this discussion should include both the anticipated trajectory of the illness and the effect on the life of the patient with particular regard to the outcomes most important to the individual. In addition, a discussion should occur about the option of a conservative, nondialysis pathway. These requirements ensure that the ethical principle of respect for patient autonomy is honored in the context of dialysis. Nephrologists need to be open to, comfortable with, and skillful in communicating this information. From these clear, open, ethically, and legally valid consent discussions, a significant dividend will hopefully flow for patients, families, and nephrologists alike. Copyright © 2017 by the
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Intersubject information mapping: revealing canonical representations of complex natural stimuli
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nikolaus Kriegeskorte
2015-03-01
Full Text Available Real-world time-continuous stimuli such as video promise greater naturalism for studies of brain function. However, modeling the stimulus variation is challenging and introduces a bias in favor of particular descriptive dimensions. Alternatively, we can look for brain regions whose signal is correlated between subjects, essentially using one subject to model another. Intersubject correlation mapping (ICM allows us to find brain regions driven in a canonical manner across subjects by a complex natural stimulus. However, it requires a direct voxel-to-voxel match between the spatiotemporal activity patterns and is thus only sensitive to common activations sufficiently extended to match up in Talairach space (or in an alternative, e.g. cortical-surface-based, common brain space. Here we introduce the more general approach of intersubject information mapping (IIM. For each brain region, IIM determines how much information is shared between the subjects' local spatiotemporal activity patterns. We estimate the intersubject mutual information using canonical correlation analysis applied to voxels within a spherical searchlight centered on each voxel in turn. The intersubject information estimate is invariant to linear transforms including spatial rearrangement of the voxels within the searchlight. This invariance to local encoding will be crucial in exploring fine-grained brain representations, which cannot be matched up in a common space and, more fundamentally, might be unique to each individual – like fingerprints. IIM yields a continuous brain map, which reflects intersubject information in fine-grained patterns. Performed on data from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI of subjects viewing the same television show, IIM and ICM both highlighted sensory representations, including primary visual and auditory cortices. However, IIM revealed additional regions in higher association cortices, namely temporal pole and orbitofrontal cortex. These
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A necessary and sufficient condition for a real quadratic extension to have class number one
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Alemu, Y.
1990-02-01
We give a necessary and sufficient condition for a real quadratic extension to have class number one and discuss the applicability of the result to find the class number one fields with small discriminant. 9 refs, 3 tabs
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2012-10-17
... workers of Johnson Controls, Inc., including on-site leased workers from Valley Staffing, Hudson..., Wisconsin location of Johnson Controls, Inc. The Department has determined that these workers were sufficiently under the control of the subject firm to be considered leased workers. Based on these findings...
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Santatiwongchai, Benjarin; Chantarastapornchit, Varit; Wilkinson, Thomas; Thiboonboon, Kittiphong; Rattanavipapong, Waranya; Walker, Damian G; Chalkidou, Kalipso; Teerawattananon, Yot
2015-01-01
Information generated from economic evaluation is increasingly being used to inform health resource allocation decisions globally, including in low- and middle- income countries. However, a crucial consideration for users of the information at a policy level, e.g. funding agencies, is whether the studies are comparable, provide sufficient detail to inform policy decision making, and incorporate inputs from data sources that are reliable and relevant to the context. This review was conducted to inform a methodological standardisation workstream at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and assesses BMGF-funded cost-per-DALY economic evaluations in four programme areas (malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and vaccines) in terms of variation in methodology, use of evidence, and quality of reporting. The findings suggest that there is room for improvement in the three areas of assessment, and support the case for the introduction of a standardised methodology or reference case by the BMGF. The findings are also instructive for all institutions that fund economic evaluations in LMICs and who have a desire to improve the ability of economic evaluations to inform resource allocation decisions.
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Information theoretic bounds for compressed sensing in SAR imaging
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jingxiong, Zhang; Ke, Yang; Jianzhong, Guo
2014-01-01
Compressed sensing (CS) is a new framework for sampling and reconstructing sparse signals from measurements significantly fewer than those prescribed by Nyquist rate in the Shannon sampling theorem. This new strategy, applied in various application areas including synthetic aperture radar (SAR), relies on two principles: sparsity, which is related to the signals of interest, and incoherence, which refers to the sensing modality. An important question in CS-based SAR system design concerns sampling rate necessary and sufficient for exact or approximate recovery of sparse signals. In the literature, bounds of measurements (or sampling rate) in CS have been proposed from the perspective of information theory. However, these information-theoretic bounds need to be reviewed and, if necessary, validated for CS-based SAR imaging, as there are various assumptions made in the derivations of lower and upper bounds on sub-Nyquist sampling rates, which may not hold true in CS-based SAR imaging. In this paper, information-theoretic bounds of sampling rate will be analyzed. For this, the SAR measurement system is modeled as an information channel, with channel capacity and rate-distortion characteristics evaluated to enable the determination of sampling rates required for recovery of sparse scenes. Experiments based on simulated data will be undertaken to test the theoretic bounds against empirical results about sampling rates required to achieve certain detection error probabilities
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Exploring informed consent in HIV clinical trials: A case study in Uganda
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Agnes Ssali
2016-11-01
Conclusion: This study’s findings indicated that obtaining a volunteer’s signature or thumbprint on a consent form did not necessarily mean that the participant was fully-informed about the information relevant to their taking part nor that they understood all the information shared with them. Informed consent requires sufficient time in the research process to have staff trained well enough before research begins. Ensuring and gaining informed consent should be understood and treated as a relation-centred, dynamic supportive process throughout the duration of a research study.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wong Kelly_Kai_Seng
2017-01-01
Full Text Available The objective of this study is to construct an econometric commodity model in order to forecast the long term rice production performance of the state of Sabah, Malaysia. The baseline projection shows that the Sabah rice self-sufficiency is estimated to achieve approximately38% in the next 10 years due to the scarcity of the suitable land bank allocate for paddy cultivation. In order to achieve 60% of targeted rice self-sufficiency level (SSL, the size of land for paddy cultivation must be increased in Sabah. Based on the scenario simulation projection result, the expansion of paddy cultivation area will contribute a positively to the industrial rice production and consequently achieving the expected 60% of SSL by the end of 2024. In a nutshell, the state government of Sabah possess state autonomy on the land management, thus the state government plays a significant key role on promoting the local rice self-sufficiency level in the long-term period
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Mishulin, Georgy M.; Molchan, Alexey S.; Biryukov, Alexey Yu.; Haradzhyan, Levon V.
2016-01-01
The control system of marketing functions in real time. Therefore, to reduce the degree of uncertainty and risk, the company must have reliable, correct, sufficient and timely marketing information. Market research and obtaining the necessary information allows us to assess their capabilities and determine the target market segments, which leads to the profit increase. Therefore, special employees find out what information about the market first are necessary for heads of various ranks, and d...
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Self-sufficiency of an autonomous reconfigurable modular robotic organism
Qadir, Raja Humza
2015-01-01
This book describes how the principle of self-sufficiency can be applied to a reconfigurable modular robotic organism. It shows the design considerations for a novel REPLICATOR robotic platform, both hardware and software, featuring the behavioral characteristics of social insect colonies. Following a comprehensive overview of some of the bio-inspired techniques already available, and of the state-of-the-art in re-configurable modular robotic systems, the book presents a novel power management system with fault-tolerant energy sharing, as well as its implementation in the REPLICATOR robotic modules. In addition, the book discusses, for the first time, the concept of “artificial energy homeostasis” in the context of a modular robotic organism, and shows its verification on a custom-designed simulation framework in different dynamic power distribution and fault tolerance scenarios. This book offers an ideal reference guide for both hardware engineers and software developers involved in the design and implem...
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Are emotions necessary and sufficient for making moral judgments?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marco Aurélio Sousa Alves
2013-07-01
Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1677-2954.2013v12n1p113 Jesse Prinz (2006, 2007 claimed that emotions are necessary and sufficient for moral judgments. First of all, I clarify what this claim amounts to. The view that he labels emotionism will then be critically assessed. Prinz marshals empirical findings to defend a series of increasingly strong theses about how emotions are essential for moral judgments. I argue that the empirical support upon which his arguments are based is not only insufficient, but it even suggests otherwise, if properly interpreted. My criticism is then extended to his sentimentalist theory, that accounts for how emotions are integrated into moral judgments. The central problem is that Prinz’s view fails to capture the rational aspect of moral evaluation. I make this failure explicit and defend that some version or other of neosentimentalism is a more promising route.
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Guess LOD approach: sufficient conditions for robustness.
Williamson, J A; Amos, C I
1995-01-01
Analysis of genetic linkage between a disease and a marker locus requires specifying a genetic model describing both the inheritance pattern and the gene frequencies of the marker and trait loci. Misspecification of the genetic model is likely for etiologically complex diseases. In previous work we have shown through analytic studies that misspecifying the genetic model for disease inheritance does not lead to excess false-positive evidence for genetic linkage provided the genetic marker alleles of all pedigree members are known, or can be inferred without bias from the data. Here, under various selection or ascertainment schemes we extend these previous results to situations in which the genetic model for the marker locus may be incorrect. We provide sufficient conditions for the asymptotic unbiased estimation of the recombination fraction under the null hypothesis of no linkage, and also conditions for the limiting distribution of the likelihood ratio test for no linkage to be chi-squared. Through simulation studies we document some situations under which asymptotic bias can result when the genetic model is misspecified. Among those situations under which an excess of false-positive evidence for genetic linkage can be generated, the most common is failure to provide accurate estimates of the marker allele frequencies. We show that in most cases false-positive evidence for genetic linkage is unlikely to result solely from the misspecification of the genetic model for disease or trait inheritance.
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CSIR Research Space (South Africa)
Cooper, Antony K
2011-07-01
Full Text Available , Information and Computational Viewpoints of the Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP). We identified six stakeholders: Policy Maker, Producer, Provider, Broker, Value-added Reseller and End User. The Internet has spawned the development...
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Stucki, Gerold; Bickenbach, Jerome; Melvin, John
2017-09-01
A complete understanding of the experience of health requires information relevant not merely to the health indicators of mortality and morbidity but also to functioning-that is, information about what it means to live in a health state, "the lived experience of health." Not only is functioning information relevant to healthcare and the overall objectives of person-centered healthcare but to the successful operation of all components of health systems.In light of population aging and major epidemiological trends, the health strategy of rehabilitation, whose aim has always been to optimize functioning and minimize disability, will become a key health strategy. The increasing prominence of the rehabilitative strategy within the health system drives the argument for the integration of functioning information as an essential component in national health information systems.Rehabilitation professionals and researchers have long recognized in WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health the best prospect for an internationally recognized, sufficiently complete and powerful information reference for the documentation of functioning information. This paper opens the discussion of the promise of integrating the ICF as an essential component in national health systems to secure access to functioning information for rehabilitation, across health systems and countries.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
George Kourouniotis
2016-07-01
Full Text Available The binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF to EGF receptor (EGFR stimulates cell mitogenesis and survival through various signalling cascades. EGF also stimulates rapid EGFR endocytosis and its eventual degradation in lysosomes. The immediate events induced by ligand binding include receptor dimerization, activation of intrinsic tyrosine kinase and autophosphorylation. However, in spite of intensified efforts, the results regarding the roles of these events in EGFR signalling and internalization is still very controversial. In this study, we constructed a chimeric EGFR by replacing its extracellular domain with leucine zipper (LZ and tagged a green fluorescent protein (GFP at its C-terminus. We showed that the chimeric LZ-EGFR-GFP was constitutively dimerized. The LZ-EGFR-GFP dimer autophosphorylated each of its five well-defined C-terminal tyrosine residues as the ligand-induced EGFR dimer does. Phosphorylated LZ-EGFR-GFP was localized to both the plasma membrane and endosomes, suggesting it is capable of endocytosis. We also showed that LZ-EGFR-GFP activated major signalling proteins including Src homology collagen-like (Shc, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK and Akt. Moreover, LZ-EGFR-GFP was able to stimulate cell proliferation. These results indicate that non-ligand induced dimerization is sufficient to activate EGFR and initiate cell signalling and EGFR endocytosis. We conclude that receptor dimerization is a critical event in EGF-induced cell signalling and EGFR endocytosis.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2007-01-01
The report is the documentation of the research project StSch4456 of the German department of environment, nature protection and reactor safety. The project was aimed to investigate the question how to design information for the public concerning a radiological event. This requires not only knowledge on the everyday information reception habit and preferences of the public including web-based information, but also specific knowledge on the human information processing under conditions of incomplete information, time pressure or emotional strains
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2010-04-19
... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-70,115] Senco Brands, Inc., fka... workers of Senco Brands, Inc., fka Senco Products, Inc., including the on-site leased workers of Manpower... Brands, Inc., fka Senco Products, Inc. The Department has determined that these workers were sufficiently...
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Nakata, Akinori
2011-05-01
Depression due to long work hours and sleep deprivation is a major occupational health concern. The extent to which work hours and sleep are associated with depression was investigated in employees of small- and medium-scale businesses in the Japanese city of Yashio, Saitama, and in the Ohta ward of Tokyo, a suburb of Tokyo, controlling for various potential confounders. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 2,643 full-time employees (1,928 men and 715 women), aged 18-79 years (mean = 45 years), in 296 small- and medium-scale businesses were surveyed from August 2002 to December 2002 using a self-administered questionnaire evaluating work hours, sleep status, and covariates including sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, biological factors, medication usage, and occupational factors. Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Prevalence of depression by work hours, sleep status, and covariates was analyzed by χ² test. Risk of depression by work hours, sleep status, and both combined was estimated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Participants working > 10 hours per day, sleeping hours per day, and reporting insufficient sleep were, respectively, 37%, 43%, and 97% more likely to be depressed than those working 6 to 8 hours per day, sleeping 6 to hours per day, and reporting sufficient sleep (P working > 10 hours per day or > 8 to 10 hours per day with hours per day of sleep showed a 41%-169% higher prevalence of depression versus those working 6 to 8 hours per day with 6+ hours per day of sleep (P work-hour categories (6 to 8, > 8 to 10, and > 10 hours per day) showed a 62%-179% increase in the prevalence of depression versus those working 6 to 8 hours per day and reporting sufficient sleep (P work-hour category with 6+ hours of sleep or with subjective sufficient sleep. Depression associated with long work hours is primarily a result of sleep deprivation. Greater attention should be
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Chakraborty, Sagnik
2018-03-01
We present a general framework for the information backflow (IB) approach of Markovianity that not only includes a large number, if not all, of IB prescriptions proposed so far but also is equivalent to completely positive divisibility for invertible evolutions. Following the common approach of IB, where monotonic decay of some physical property or some information quantifier is seen as the definition of Markovianity, we propose in our framework a general description of what should be called a proper "physicality quantifier" to define Markovianity. We elucidate different properties of our framework and use them to argue that an infinite family of non-Markovianity measures can be constructed, which would capture varied strengths of non-Markovianity in the dynamics. Moreover, we show that generalized trace-distance measure in two dimensions serve as a sufficient criteria for IB Markovianity for a number of prescriptions suggested earlier in the literature.
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Hoysted, Claire; Babl, Franz E; Kassam-Adams, Nancy; Landolt, Markus A; Jobson, Laura; Curtis, Sarah; Kharbanda, Anupam B; Lyttle, Mark D; Parri, Niccolò; Stanley, Rachel; Alisic, Eva
2017-09-01
To examine Australian and New Zealand emergency department (ED) staff's training, knowledge and confidence regarding trauma-informed care for children after trauma, and barriers to implementation. ED staff's perspectives on trauma-informed care were assessed using a web-based self-report questionnaire. Participants included 468 ED staff (375 nursing and 111 medical staff) from hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, χ 2 tests and multiple regressions. Over 90% of respondents had not received training in trauma-informed care and almost all respondents (94%) wanted training in this area. While knowledge was associated with a respondent's previous training and profession, confidence was associated with the respondent's previous training, experience level and workplace. Dominant barriers to the implementation of trauma-informed care were lack of time and lack of training. There is a need and desire for training and education of Australian and New Zealand ED staff in trauma-informed care. This study demonstrates that experience alone is not sufficient for the development of knowledge of paediatric traumatic stress reactions and trauma-informed care practices. Existing education materials could be adapted for use in the ED and to accommodate the training preferences of Australian and New Zealand ED staff. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).
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Expression of a single, viral oncoprotein in skin epithelium is sufficient to recruit lymphocytes.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Allison Choyce
Full Text Available Established cancers are frequently associated with a lymphocytic infiltrate that fails to clear the tumour mass. In contrast, the importance of recruited lymphocytes during premalignancy is less well understood. In a mouse model of premalignant skin epithelium, transgenic mice that express the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16 E7 oncoprotein under a keratin 14 promoter (K14E7 mice display epidermal hyperplasia and have a predominant infiltrate of lymphocytes consisting of both CD4 and CD8 T cells. Activated, but not naïve T cells, were shown to preferentially traffic to hyperplastic skin with an increased frequency of proliferative CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells expressing CCR6 within the tissue. Disruption of the interaction between E7 protein and retinoblastoma tumour suppressor protein (pRb led to reduced epithelial hyperplasia and T cell infiltrate. Finally, while K14E7 donor skin grafts are readily accepted onto syngeneic, non-transgenic recipients, these same skin grafts lacking skin-resident lymphocytes were rejected. Our data suggests that expression of a single oncoprotein in the epidermis is sufficient for lymphocyte trafficking (including immunosuppressive lymphocytes to premalignant skin.
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Are world uranium resources sufficient to fuel global growth in nuclear generating capacity?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cameron, R.; Vance, R.E.
2012-01-01
Increased uranium prices since 2003 have produced more activity in the sector than the previous 20 years. Nuclear reactor construction is proceeding in some countries, ambitious expansion plans have been announced in others and several, particularly in the developing world, are considering introducing nuclear power as a means of meeting rising electricity demand without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Others have recently decided to either withdraw from the use of nuclear power or not proceed with development plans following the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan in March 2011. Since the mid-1960, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency have jointly prepared a comprehensive update of global uranium resources, production and demand (commonly known as the 'Red Book'. The Red Book is based on government responses to a questionnaire that requests information on uranium exploration and mine development activity, resources and plans for nuclear development to 2035. This presentation provides an overview of the global situation based on the recently published 2011 edition. It features a compilation of global uranium resources, projected mine development and production capability in all the countries currently producing uranium or with plans to do so in the near future. This is compared to updated, post-Fukushima demand projections, reflecting nuclear phase-out plans announced in some countries and ambitious expansion plans of others. The 2011 Red Book shows that currently defined uranium resources are sufficient to meet high case projections of nuclear power development to 2035. (authors)
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Necessary and sufficient conditions for Hopf bifurcation in tri-neuron equation with a delay
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Liu Xiaoming; Liao Xiaofeng
2009-01-01
In this paper, we consider the delayed differential equations modeling three-neuron equations with only a time delay. Using the time delay as a bifurcation parameter, necessary and sufficient conditions for Hopf bifurcation to occur are derived. Numerical results indicate that for this model, Hopf bifurcation is likely to occur at suitable delay parameter values.
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The autonomous house: a bio-hydrogen based energy self-sufficient approach.
Chen, Shang-Yuan; Chu, Chen-Yeon; Cheng, Ming-Jen; Lin, Chiu-Yue
2009-04-01
In the wake of the greenhouse effect and global energy crisis, finding sources of clean, alternative energy and developing everyday life applications have become urgent tasks. This study proposes the development of an "autonomous house" emphasizing the use of modern green energy technology to reduce environmental load, achieve energy autonomy and use energy intelligently in order to create a sustainable, comfortable living environment. The houses' two attributes are: (1) a self-sufficient energy cycle and (2) autonomous energy control to maintain environmental comfort. The autonomous house thus combines energy-conserving, carbon emission-reducing passive design with active elements needed to maintain a comfortable environment.
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The Autonomous House: A Bio-Hydrogen Based Energy Self-Sufficient Approach
Chen, Shang-Yuan; Chu, Chen-Yeon; Cheng, Ming-jen; Lin, Chiu-Yue
2009-01-01
In the wake of the greenhouse effect and global energy crisis, finding sources of clean, alternative energy and developing everyday life applications have become urgent tasks. This study proposes the development of an “autonomous house” emphasizing the use of modern green energy technology to reduce environmental load, achieve energy autonomy and use energy intelligently in order to create a sustainable, comfortable living environment. The houses’ two attributes are: (1) a self-sufficient energy cycle and (2) autonomous energy control to maintain environmental comfort. The autonomous house thus combines energy-conserving, carbon emission-reducing passive design with active elements needed to maintain a comfortable environment. PMID:19440531
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The sufficient condition for an extremum in the classical action integral as an eingenvalue problem
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hussein, M.S.; Pereira, J.G.
The sufficient condition for an extremum in the classical action integral is studied using Morse's theory. Applications to the classical harmonic and anharmonic oscillators are made. The analogy of the calculations to the quantum mechanical problems in one dimension is stressed. (Author) [pt
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Scheduling of Crude Oil Operations in Refinery without Sufficient Charging Tanks Using Petri Nets
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yan An
2017-05-01
Full Text Available A short-term schedule for crude oil operations in a refinery should define and sequence the activities in detail. Each activity involves both discrete-event and continuous variables. The combinatorial nature of the scheduling problem makes it difficult to solve. For such a scheduling problem, charging tanks are a type of critical resources. If the number of charging tanks is not sufficient, the scheduling problem is further complicated. This work conducts a study on the scheduling problem of crude oil operations without sufficient charging tanks. In this case, to make a refinery able to operate, a charging tank has to be in simultaneous charging and feeding to a distiller for some time, called simultaneously-charging-and-feeding (SCF mode, leading to disturbance to the oil distillation in distillers. A hybrid Petri net model is developed to describe the behavior of the system. Then, a scheduling method is proposed to find a schedule such that the SCF mode is minimally used. It is computationally efficient. An industrial case study is given to demonstrate the obtained results.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Tataru, Paula Cristina; Hobolth, Asger
2011-01-01
past evolutionary events (exact times and types of changes) are unaccessible and the past must be inferred from DNA sequence data observed in the present. RESULTS: We describe and implement three algorithms for computing linear combinations of expected values of the sufficient statistics, conditioned......BACKGROUND: Continuous time Markov chains (CTMCs) is a widely used model for describing the evolution of DNA sequences on the nucleotide, amino acid or codon level. The sufficient statistics for CTMCs are the time spent in a state and the number of changes between any two states. In applications...... of the algorithms is available at www.birc.au.dk/~paula/. CONCLUSIONS: We use two different models to analyze the accuracy and eight experiments to investigate the speed of the three algorithms. We find that they have similar accuracy and that EXPM is the slowest method. Furthermore we find that UNI is usually...
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Informal work and formal plans: articulating the active role of patients in cancer trajectories
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rikke Juul Dalsted
2012-12-01
Full Text Available Introduction: Formal pathways models outline that patients should receive information in order to experience a coherent journey but do not describe an active role for patients or their relatives. The aim of this is paper is to articulate and discuss the active role of patients during their cancer trajectories. Methods and theory: An in-depth case study of patient trajectories at a Danish hospital and surrounding municipality using individual interviews with patients. Theory about trajectory and work by Strauss was included. Results: Patients continuously took initiatives to organize their treatment and care. They initiated processes in the trajectories, and acquired information, which they used to form their trajectories. Patients presented problems to the healthcare professionals in order to get proper help when needed. Discussion: Work done by patients was invisible and not perceived as work. The patients' requests were not sufficiently supported in the professional organisation of work or formal planning. Patients' insertion and use of information in their trajectories challenged professional views and working processes. And the design of the formal pathway models limits the patients´ active participation. When looking at integrated care from the perspective of patients, the development of a more holistic and personalized approach is needed. Introduction: Formal pathway models outline that patients should receive information in order to experience a coherent journey but do not describe an active role for patients or their relatives. The aim of this is paper is to articulate and discuss the active role of patients during their cancer trajectories. Methods and theory: An in-depth case study of patient trajectories at a Danish hospital and surrounding municipality using individual interviews with patients. Theory about trajectory and work by Strauss was included. Results: Patients continuously took initiatives to organize their
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Information needs for risk assessment
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
DeRosa, C.T.; Choudhury, H.; Schoeny, R.S.
1990-12-31
Risk assessment can be thought of as a conceptual approach to bridge the gap between the available data and the ultimate goal of characterizing the risk or hazard associated with a particular environmental problem. To lend consistency to and to promote quality in the process, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published Guidelines for Risk Assessment of Carcinogenicity, Developmental Toxicity, Germ Cell Mutagenicity and Exposure Assessment, and Risk Assessment of Chemical Mixtures. The guidelines provide a framework for organizing the information, evaluating data, and for carrying out the risk assessment in a scientifically plausible manner. In the absence of sufficient scientific information or when abundant data are available, the guidelines provide alternative methodologies that can be employed in the risk assessment. 4 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.
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28 CFR 20.32 - Includable offenses.
2010-07-01
... Exchange of Criminal History Record Information § 20.32 Includable offenses. (a) Criminal history record... vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of drugs or liquor, and hit and run), when unaccompanied by a § 20.32(a) offense. These exclusions may not be applicable to criminal history records...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1984-06-01
The Public Information Plan is intended to be used in conjunction with the DOE-UMTRA Project ''Public Participation Plan'' to describe the Department of Energy's plan for involving the public in the decision-making process related to the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. This project was authorized by Congress in the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control of Act of 1978, PL95-604. The Act provides for a cooperative effort with affected states and Indian tribes for the cleanup of designated abandoned or inactive uranium mill tailings sites. The objective of the Public Information Plan of the UMTRA Project is timely and sufficient dissemination of factual information to promote understanding of the project by federal, state, and local officials, the media, special interest groups, and the general public; and thereby to encourage informed participation in the project by the public and government officials. The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act provides for public involvement in remedial action planning, with special consideration given to landowners, Indian tribes, and the states. According to the Act, the Secretary of Energy shall hold public hearings in the states where processing sites, vicinity properties, and disposal sites are located. Public participation in the UMTRA Project will not, however, be limited to those mechanisms formally required by law. The public may also be involved informally through informational meetings, workshops, and local citizens' task forces. 12 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab
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A simple threshold rule is sufficient to explain sophisticated collective decision-making.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Elva J H Robinson
Full Text Available Decision-making animals can use slow-but-accurate strategies, such as making multiple comparisons, or opt for simpler, faster strategies to find a 'good enough' option. Social animals make collective decisions about many group behaviours including foraging and migration. The key to the collective choice lies with individual behaviour. We present a case study of a collective decision-making process (house-hunting ants, Temnothorax albipennis, in which a previously proposed decision strategy involved both quality-dependent hesitancy and direct comparisons of nests by scouts. An alternative possible decision strategy is that scouting ants use a very simple quality-dependent threshold rule to decide whether to recruit nest-mates to a new site or search for alternatives. We use analytical and simulation modelling to demonstrate that this simple rule is sufficient to explain empirical patterns from three studies of collective decision-making in ants, and can account parsimoniously for apparent comparison by individuals and apparent hesitancy (recruitment latency effects, when available nests differ strongly in quality. This highlights the need to carefully design experiments to detect individual comparison. We present empirical data strongly suggesting that best-of-n comparison is not used by individual ants, although individual sequential comparisons are not ruled out. However, by using a simple threshold rule, decision-making groups are able to effectively compare options, without relying on any form of direct comparison of alternatives by individuals. This parsimonious mechanism could promote collective rationality in group decision-making.
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A simple threshold rule is sufficient to explain sophisticated collective decision-making.
Robinson, Elva J H; Franks, Nigel R; Ellis, Samuel; Okuda, Saki; Marshall, James A R
2011-01-01
Decision-making animals can use slow-but-accurate strategies, such as making multiple comparisons, or opt for simpler, faster strategies to find a 'good enough' option. Social animals make collective decisions about many group behaviours including foraging and migration. The key to the collective choice lies with individual behaviour. We present a case study of a collective decision-making process (house-hunting ants, Temnothorax albipennis), in which a previously proposed decision strategy involved both quality-dependent hesitancy and direct comparisons of nests by scouts. An alternative possible decision strategy is that scouting ants use a very simple quality-dependent threshold rule to decide whether to recruit nest-mates to a new site or search for alternatives. We use analytical and simulation modelling to demonstrate that this simple rule is sufficient to explain empirical patterns from three studies of collective decision-making in ants, and can account parsimoniously for apparent comparison by individuals and apparent hesitancy (recruitment latency) effects, when available nests differ strongly in quality. This highlights the need to carefully design experiments to detect individual comparison. We present empirical data strongly suggesting that best-of-n comparison is not used by individual ants, although individual sequential comparisons are not ruled out. However, by using a simple threshold rule, decision-making groups are able to effectively compare options, without relying on any form of direct comparison of alternatives by individuals. This parsimonious mechanism could promote collective rationality in group decision-making.
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Petkau, Terri L; Blanco, Jake; Leavitt, Blair R
2017-10-01
Progranulin deficiency due to heterozygous null mutations in the GRN gene is a common cause of familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), while homozygous loss-of-function GRN mutations cause neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL). Aged progranulin-knockout mice display highly exaggerated lipofuscinosis, microgliosis, and astrogliosis, as well as mild cell loss in specific brain regions. Progranulin is a secreted glycoprotein expressed in both neurons and microglia, but not astrocytes, in the brain. We generated conditional progranulin-knockout mice that lack progranulin in nestin-expressing cells (Nes-cKO mice), which include most neurons as well as astrocytes. We confirmed near complete knockout of progranulin in neurons in Nes-cKO mice, while microglial progranulin levels remained similar to that of wild-type animals. Overall brain progranulin levels were reduced by about 50% in Nes-cKO, and no Grn was detected in primary Nes-cKO neurons. Nes-cKO mice aged to 12months did not display any increase in lipofuscin deposition, microgliosis, or astrogliosis in the four brain regions examined, though increases were observed for most of these measures in Grn-null animals. We conclude that neuron-specific loss of progranulin is not sufficient to cause similar neuropathological changes to those seen in constitutive Grn-null animals. Our results suggest that increased lipofuscinosis and gliosis in Grn-null animals are not caused by intrinsic progranulin deficiency in neurons, and that microglia-derived progranulin may be sufficient to maintain neuronal health and homeostasis in the brain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Communication Strategy: Proper Structure Necessary but not Sufficient
2010-12-01
Information, (1998), http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ bookshelf /br.fcgi?book=nap6200&part=a20006484ddd00073 (accessed November 12, 2010). “The multidimensional...Biotechnology Information (1998). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ bookshelf /br.fcgi?book=nap6200&part=a20006484ddd000 73 (accessed November 12, 2010
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Jacques Ellul and Democracy's "Vital Information" Premise. Journalism Monographs No. 45.
Christians, Clifford G.
In the course of elaborating "la technique," Jacques Ellul stoutly contradicts the democratic assumption that citizens can have sufficient information to participate knowledgeably in the governing process. "La technique" converts message systems into propagandization networks and erects an inflexible boundary which democracy…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xudong Dai
2007-03-01
Full Text Available Uncovering pathways underlying drug-induced toxicity is a fundamental objective in the field of toxicogenomics. Developing mechanism-based toxicity biomarkers requires the identification of such novel pathways and the order of their sufficiency in causing a phenotypic response. Genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi phenotypic screening has emerged as an effective tool in unveiling the genes essential for specific cellular functions and biological activities. However, eliciting the relative contribution of and sufficiency relationships among the genes identified remains challenging. In the rodent, the most widely used animal model in preclinical studies, it is unrealistic to exhaustively examine all potential interactions by RNAi screening. Application of existing computational approaches to infer regulatory networks with biological outcomes in the rodent is limited by the requirements for a large number of targeted permutations. Therefore, we developed a two-step relay method that requires only one targeted perturbation for genome-wide de novo pathway discovery. Using expression profiles in response to small interfering RNAs (siRNAs against the gene for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (Ppara, our method unveiled the potential causal sufficiency order network for liver hypertrophy in the rodent. The validity of the inferred 16 causal transcripts or 15 known genes for PPARalpha-induced liver hypertrophy is supported by their ability to predict non-PPARalpha-induced liver hypertrophy with 84% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Simulation shows that the probability of achieving such predictive accuracy without the inferred causal relationship is exceedingly small (p < 0.005. Five of the most sufficient causal genes have been previously disrupted in mouse models; the resulting phenotypic changes in the liver support the inferred causal roles in liver hypertrophy. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of defining pathways mediating drug
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Silvas, E.; Hereijgers, K.; Peng, Huei; Hofman, T.; Steinbuch, M.
2016-01-01
This paper describes a new method to synthesize driving cycles, where not only the velocity is considered, yet also the road slope information of the real-world measured driving cycle. Driven by strict emission regulations and tight fuel targets, hybrid or electric vehicle manufacturers aim to
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DIFABLE PERCEPTION FOR ACCESSIBILITY AND INFORMATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN JAKARTA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mochdiana Hernawan
2015-02-01
Full Text Available Every human being has equal right for accessing to the transportation. Difable persons that have different ability also have the same right. The provision of the accessibility and information facility in public transport is not fully meet difable need and therefore difable persons have difficulties in accessibility and information while using public transports. This research will investigate the difable perceptions about accessibility and traveler information for the public transport in Jakarta. Questionnaire method will be used for this purpose and then analyzed by Importance Performance Analysis. The improvement for the transport infrastructure and information system will be elaborated. The findings of the research could be used as input for the local authority while planning or re-construction public transport infrastructure and information system so that difable persons become more accessible and convenience. The study results show that the average value of the perceived performance for the accessibility is 2.78 from 5 scales. This means the performance of the accessibility in overall is fairly. For the information facility, the average performance is 3.11 that meaning the performance in overall is good. The respondents required the provision of waiting room for difable persons as a priority. The information about the departure of the vehicle should been improved as priority to be increased. Furthermore, it is obtained that the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI value for accessibility is 56%. This indicates the entire respondents satisfied sufficiently with the accessibility facility. Also, 62% of the CSI value shows that the respondents satisfied sufficiently with the provided information.
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Nabovati, Ehsan; Vakili-Arki, Hasan; Eslami, Saeid; Khajouei, Reza
2014-04-01
This study was conducted to evaluate the usability of widely used laboratory and radiology information systems. Three usability experts independently evaluated the user interfaces of Laboratory and Radiology Information Systems using heuristic evaluation method. They applied Nielsen's heuristics to identify and classify usability problems and Nielsen's severity rating to judge their severity. Overall, 116 unique heuristic violations were identified as usability problems. In terms of severity, 67 % of problems were rated as major and catastrophic. Among 10 heuristics, "consistency and standards" was violated most frequently. Moreover, mean severity of problems concerning "error prevention" and "help and documentation" heuristics was higher than of the others. Despite widespread use of specific healthcare information systems, they suffer from usability problems. Improving the usability of systems by following existing design standards and principles from the early phased of system development life cycle is recommended. Especially, it is recommended that the designers design systems that inhibit the initiation of erroneous actions and provide sufficient guidance to users.
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Predator confusion is sufficient to evolve swarming behaviour.
Olson, Randal S; Hintze, Arend; Dyer, Fred C; Knoester, David B; Adami, Christoph
2013-08-06
Swarming behaviours in animals have been extensively studied owing to their implications for the evolution of cooperation, social cognition and predator-prey dynamics. An important goal of these studies is discerning which evolutionary pressures favour the formation of swarms. One hypothesis is that swarms arise because the presence of multiple moving prey in swarms causes confusion for attacking predators, but it remains unclear how important this selective force is. Using an evolutionary model of a predator-prey system, we show that predator confusion provides a sufficient selection pressure to evolve swarming behaviour in prey. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the evolutionary effect of predator confusion on prey could in turn exert pressure on the structure of the predator's visual field, favouring the frontally oriented, high-resolution visual systems commonly observed in predators that feed on swarming animals. Finally, we provide evidence that when prey evolve swarming in response to predator confusion, there is a change in the shape of the functional response curve describing the predator's consumption rate as prey density increases. Thus, we show that a relatively simple perceptual constraint--predator confusion--could have pervasive evolutionary effects on prey behaviour, predator sensory mechanisms and the ecological interactions between predators and prey.
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Ganya, Wandile; Kling, Sharon; Moodley, Keymanthri
2016-11-02
A child is a developing person with evolving capacities that include autonomy, mental (decisional) capacity and capacity to assume responsibility. Hence, children are entitled to participatory (autonomy) rights in South Africa as observed in the Children's Act 38 of 2005. According to section 129 of the Act a child may consent to his or her own medical treatment provided that he or she is over the age of 12 years and is of sufficient maturity and decisional capacity to understand the various implications of the treatment including the risks and benefits thereof. However, the Act does not provide a definition for what qualifies as 'sufficient maturity' nor does it stipulate how health professionals ought to assess the decisional capacity of a child. In addition, South Africa is a culturally diverse country. The Western liberal notion of autonomy may not necessarily find equal prominence in the mores of people with a different worldview. Hence we demonstrate a few salient comparisons between legal liberal moral theory and African communitarianism as pertinent to the autonomy of the child. Children are rights-holders by virtue of their humanity. Their dignity as individual human persons affords them the entitlement to human rights as contemplated under the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. However, contrary to the traditional Western notion of individual autonomous persons African societies hold a communalistic notion of person hence there is less regard for individual autonomy and rights with more emphasis on the communal good and maintaining the continuity of relationships and interdependencies shared within a community. A child considered in this view is not regarded as a full person. This implies that decisions concerning the child, including consent to medical treatment are discussed and determined by the community to which the child belongs. Lastly, in this article, we draw on the notion of capacity for responsibility to produce a pragmatic
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Research and application of information system for sandstone-type uranium exploration
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Han Shaoyang; Huang Shutao; Hou Huiqun
2003-01-01
The GIS (Geographical Information System) technique is applied to the exploration and evaluation of in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposits and the GIS application system of desktop is created for non-GIS professionals. ArcView3.2 is taken as compositive platform of the information system. The secondary design is developed through the AVENUE language provided by ArcView3.2 on the software functions. According to the needs of multi-source information management and integrated evaluation, a series of new functions are appended to the basic platform through AVENUE language on a basis of sufficiently inheriting ArcView3.2 software functions and a friendly graphic user interface is also created, so that the system implements the following functions better, including information query, data base management, editing graphics, geologic mapping, image processing, spatial analysis, model analysis and result output. In order to manage the plenty of borehole data better and quickly realize the borehole mapping, a system software of borehole data management and mapping on the base of GIS software platform is developed. The system software has been applied to uranium survey project in the west of Hailaer basin. Based on multi-source geoscience information database including geologic, geophysical, geochemical and remote sensing data, the system software has been used to perform the integrated analysis of spatial data for realizing the deep analysis and studies of the metallogenic geologic environments of sandstone-type uranium deposits. In the Kelulun basin, the weights of evidence analysis have been used to quantitatively predict the prospective areas of sandstone uranium deposits. Information system has also been applied to the integrated evaluation of uranium resource in the south of Yili basin, Songliao basin and other areas. (authors)
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Guidelines for Using Movement Science to Inform Biodiversity Policy
Barton, Philip S.; Lentini, Pia E.; Alacs, Erika; Bau, Sana; Buckley, Yvonne M.; Burns, Emma L.; Driscoll, Don A.; Guja, Lydia K.; Kujala, Heini; Lahoz-Monfort, José J.; Mortelliti, Alessio; Nathan, Ran; Rowe, Ross; Smith, Annabel L.
2015-10-01
Substantial advances have been made in our understanding of the movement of species, including processes such as dispersal and migration. This knowledge has the potential to improve decisions about biodiversity policy and management, but it can be difficult for decision makers to readily access and integrate the growing body of movement science. This is, in part, due to a lack of synthesis of information that is sufficiently contextualized for a policy audience. Here, we identify key species movement concepts, including mechanisms, types, and moderators of movement, and review their relevance to (1) national biodiversity policies and strategies, (2) reserve planning and management, (3) threatened species protection and recovery, (4) impact and risk assessments, and (5) the prioritization of restoration actions. Based on the review, and considering recent developments in movement ecology, we provide a new framework that draws links between aspects of movement knowledge that are likely the most relevant to each biodiversity policy category. Our framework also shows that there is substantial opportunity for collaboration between researchers and government decision makers in the use of movement science to promote positive biodiversity outcomes.
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Guidelines for Using Movement Science to Inform Biodiversity Policy.
Barton, Philip S; Lentini, Pia E; Alacs, Erika; Bau, Sana; Buckley, Yvonne M; Burns, Emma L; Driscoll, Don A; Guja, Lydia K; Kujala, Heini; Lahoz-Monfort, José J; Mortelliti, Alessio; Nathan, Ran; Rowe, Ross; Smith, Annabel L
2015-10-01
Substantial advances have been made in our understanding of the movement of species, including processes such as dispersal and migration. This knowledge has the potential to improve decisions about biodiversity policy and management, but it can be difficult for decision makers to readily access and integrate the growing body of movement science. This is, in part, due to a lack of synthesis of information that is sufficiently contextualized for a policy audience. Here, we identify key species movement concepts, including mechanisms, types, and moderators of movement, and review their relevance to (1) national biodiversity policies and strategies, (2) reserve planning and management, (3) threatened species protection and recovery, (4) impact and risk assessments, and (5) the prioritization of restoration actions. Based on the review, and considering recent developments in movement ecology, we provide a new framework that draws links between aspects of movement knowledge that are likely the most relevant to each biodiversity policy category. Our framework also shows that there is substantial opportunity for collaboration between researchers and government decision makers in the use of movement science to promote positive biodiversity outcomes.
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Information content analysis: the potential for methane isotopologue retrieval from GOSAT-2
Malina, Edward; Yoshida, Yukio; Matsunaga, Tsuneo; Muller, Jan-Peter
2018-02-01
Atmospheric methane is comprised of multiple isotopic molecules, with the most abundant being 12CH4 and 13CH4, making up 98 and 1.1 % of atmospheric methane respectively. It has been shown that is it possible to distinguish between sources of methane (biogenic methane, e.g. marshland, or abiogenic methane, e.g. fracking) via a ratio of these main methane isotopologues, otherwise known as the δ13C value. δ13C values typically range between -10 and -80 ‰, with abiogenic sources closer to zero and biogenic sources showing more negative values. Initially, we suggest that a δ13C difference of 10 ‰ is sufficient, in order to differentiate between methane source types, based on this we derive that a precision of 0.2 ppbv on 13CH4 retrievals may achieve the target δ13C variance. Using an application of the well-established information content analysis (ICA) technique for assumed clear-sky conditions, this paper shows that using a combination of the shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands on the planned Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT-2) mission, 13CH4 can be measured with sufficient information content to a precision of between 0.7 and 1.2 ppbv from a single sounding (assuming a total column average value of 19.14 ppbv), which can then be reduced to the target precision through spatial and temporal averaging techniques. We therefore suggest that GOSAT-2 can be used to differentiate between methane source types. We find that large unconstrained covariance matrices are required in order to achieve sufficient information content, while the solar zenith angle has limited impact on the information content.
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Adams, Jean; Hillier-Brown, Frances C; Moore, Helen J; Lake, Amelia A; Araujo-Soares, Vera; White, Martin; Summerbell, Carolyn
2016-09-29
Grey literature includes a range of documents not controlled by commercial publishing organisations. This means that grey literature can be difficult to search and retrieve for evidence synthesis. Much knowledge and evidence in public health, and other fields, accumulates from innovation in practice. This knowledge may not even be of sufficient formality to meet the definition of grey literature. We term this knowledge 'grey information'. Grey information may be even harder to search for and retrieve than grey literature. On three previous occasions, we have attempted to systematically search for and synthesise public health grey literature and information-both to summarise the extent and nature of particular classes of interventions and to synthesise results of evaluations. Here, we briefly describe these three 'case studies' but focus on our post hoc critical reflections on searching for and synthesising grey literature and information garnered from our experiences of these case studies. We believe these reflections will be useful to future researchers working in this area. Issues discussed include search methods, searching efficiency, replicability of searches, data management, data extraction, assessing study 'quality', data synthesis, time and resources, and differentiating evidence synthesis from primary research. Information on applied public health research questions relating to the nature and range of public health interventions, as well as many evaluations of these interventions, may be predominantly, or only, held in grey literature and grey information. Evidence syntheses on these topics need, therefore, to embrace grey literature and information. Many typical systematic review methods for searching, appraising, managing, and synthesising the evidence base can be adapted for use with grey literature and information. Evidence synthesisers should carefully consider the opportunities and problems offered by including grey literature and information
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An Intelligent Information Retrieval Approach Based on Two Degrees of Uncertainty Fuzzy Ontology
Maryam Hourali; Gholam Ali Montazer
2011-01-01
In spite of the voluminous studies in the field of intelligent retrieval systems, effective retrieving of information has been remained an important unsolved problem. Implementations of different conceptual knowledge in the information retrieval process such as ontology have been considered as a solution to enhance the quality of results. Furthermore, the conceptual formalism supported by typical ontology may not be sufficient to represent uncertainty information due to the lack of clear-cut ...
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Using Annotated Conceptual Models to Derive Information System Implementations
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Anthony Berglas
1994-05-01
Full Text Available Producing production quality information systems from conceptual descriptions is a time consuming process that employs many of the world's programmers. Although most of this programming is fairly routine, the process has not been amenable to simple automation because conceptual models do not provide sufficient parameters to make all the implementation decisions that are required, and numerous special cases arise in practice. Most commercial CASE tools address these problems by essentially implementing a waterfall model in which the development proceeds from analysis through design, layout and coding phases in a partially automated manner, but the analyst/programmer must heavily edit each intermediate stage. This paper demonstrates that by recognising the nature of information systems, it is possible to specify applications completely using a conceptual model that has een annotated with additional parameters that guide automated implementation. More importantly, it will be argued that a manageable number of annotations are sufficient to implement realistic applications, and techniques will be described that enabled the author's commercial CASE tool, the Intelligent Develope to automated implementation without requiring complex theorem proving technology.
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Sustainability and energy self-sufficiency; overcoming the barriers
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rania Abdel Galil
2015-12-01
on the energy sustainability front (WEC, 2013. That is not to say that social barriers do not exist. They are manifested in the hindrance of knowledge transfer between social actors including misinformation, inadequate public consultation, and lack of inertia, access to relevant professional services, expertise and skills. Also, community concern over aesthetics, environmental issues and a perception of unequal distribution of benefits. However, in the MENA there is barely any awareness on the issue of energy security, equity and sustainability among individuals and the society, with lack of education and information on production and consumption, and no incentives for change. The rate of adoption, although not homogenous across the region, has been slow to date. Policy makers will not be persuaded to change, as a bottom-up approach is unlikely and the market will not develop accordingly, for lack of demand. Also, top-bottom approaches will be ineffective as the adoption of new systems are often met with resistance and the uptake will require change of entrenched practices and incentives for adoption.Challenges to the wider adoption of renewable energy lie in two areas; provision and choice. The later can be overcome by awareness campaigns, incentive-based initiatives, and involving and empowering individuals and local communities in the development of renewable energy solutions. There is an urgent need to support initiatives in the MENA region to collaborate on environmental and energy related issues, build capacities to enable civil society engagement in the context of developing and implementing national energy plans and increase awareness on the needed shift towards a sustainable energy future. Meaningful global price for carbon is but one example to provide incentives for everyone to play their role in meeting the world’s increasing energy needs whilst combating climate change and maintaining good air and water quality. To conclude, a quote by the United
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Fine-resolution conservation planning with limited climate-change information.
Shah, Payal; Mallory, Mindy L; Ando, Amy W; Guntenspergen, Glenn R
2017-04-01
Climate-change induced uncertainties in future spatial patterns of conservation-related outcomes make it difficult to implement standard conservation-planning paradigms. A recent study translates Markowitz's risk-diversification strategy from finance to conservation settings, enabling conservation agents to use this diversification strategy for allocating conservation and restoration investments across space to minimize the risk associated with such uncertainty. However, this method is information intensive and requires a large number of forecasts of ecological outcomes associated with possible climate-change scenarios for carrying out fine-resolution conservation planning. We developed a technique for iterative, spatial portfolio analysis that can be used to allocate scarce conservation resources across a desired level of subregions in a planning landscape in the absence of a sufficient number of ecological forecasts. We applied our technique to the Prairie Pothole Region in central North America. A lack of sufficient future climate information prevented attainment of the most efficient risk-return conservation outcomes in the Prairie Pothole Region. The difference in expected conservation returns between conservation planning with limited climate-change information and full climate-change information was as large as 30% for the Prairie Pothole Region even when the most efficient iterative approach was used. However, our iterative approach allowed finer resolution portfolio allocation with limited climate-change forecasts such that the best possible risk-return combinations were obtained. With our most efficient iterative approach, the expected loss in conservation outcomes owing to limited climate-change information could be reduced by 17% relative to other iterative approaches. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.
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Fine‐resolution conservation planning with limited climate‐change information
Shah, Payal; Mallory, Mindy L.; Ando , Amy W.; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.
2017-01-01
Climate‐change induced uncertainties in future spatial patterns of conservation‐related outcomes make it difficult to implement standard conservation‐planning paradigms. A recent study translates Markowitz's risk‐diversification strategy from finance to conservation settings, enabling conservation agents to use this diversification strategy for allocating conservation and restoration investments across space to minimize the risk associated with such uncertainty. However, this method is information intensive and requires a large number of forecasts of ecological outcomes associated with possible climate‐change scenarios for carrying out fine‐resolution conservation planning. We developed a technique for iterative, spatial portfolio analysis that can be used to allocate scarce conservation resources across a desired level of subregions in a planning landscape in the absence of a sufficient number of ecological forecasts. We applied our technique to the Prairie Pothole Region in central North America. A lack of sufficient future climate information prevented attainment of the most efficient risk‐return conservation outcomes in the Prairie Pothole Region. The difference in expected conservation returns between conservation planning with limited climate‐change information and full climate‐change information was as large as 30% for the Prairie Pothole Region even when the most efficient iterative approach was used. However, our iterative approach allowed finer resolution portfolio allocation with limited climate‐change forecasts such that the best possible risk‐return combinations were obtained. With our most efficient iterative approach, the expected loss in conservation outcomes owing to limited climate‐change information could be reduced by 17% relative to other iterative approaches.
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Nuangchalerm, Prasart; Chansirisira, Pacharawit
2012-01-01
This study employs action research to develop community service through university roles by applying the philosophy of sufficiency economy of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej to fulfill villagers' way of life. Participatory learning, seminar, field trip and supervision were employed for strategic plan. Data were collected by participatory…
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Children's Sleep Needs: Is There Sufficient Evidence to Recommend Optimal Sleep for Children?
Matricciani, Lisa; Blunden, Sarah; Rigney, Gabrielle; Williams, Marie T.; Olds, Tim S.
2013-01-01
It is widely recognized that sleep is important for children's health and well-being and that short sleep duration is associated with a wide range of negative health outcomes. Recently, there has been much interest in whether or not there are sufficient data to support the specific recommendations made for how much sleep children need. In this article we explore concepts related to children's sleep need, discuss the theory, rationale, and empirical evidence for contemporary sleep recommendati...
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Jenicek, P; Kutil, J; Benes, O; Todt, V; Zabranska, J; Dohanyos, M
2013-01-01
The anaerobic digestion of primary and waste activated sludge generates biogas that can be converted into energy to power the operation of a sewage wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). But can the biogas generated by anaerobic sludge digestion ever completely satisfy the electricity requirements of a WWTP with 'standard' energy consumption (i.e. industrial pollution not treated, no external organic substrate added)? With this question in mind, we optimized biogas production at Prague's Central Wastewater Treatment Plant in the following ways: enhanced primary sludge separation; thickened waste activated sludge; implemented a lysate centrifuge; increased operational temperature; improved digester mixing. With these optimizations, biogas production increased significantly to 12.5 m(3) per population equivalent per year. In turn, this led to an equally significant increase in specific energy production from approximately 15 to 23.5 kWh per population equivalent per year. We compared these full-scale results with those obtained from WWTPs that are already energy self-sufficient, but have exceptionally low energy consumption. Both our results and our analysis suggest that, with the correct optimization of anaerobic digestion technology, even WWTPs with 'standard' energy consumption can either attain or come close to attaining energy self-sufficiency.
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Informal information for web-based engineering catalogues
Allen, Richard D.; Culley, Stephen J.; Hicks, Ben J.
2001-10-01
Success is highly dependent on the ability of a company to efficiently produce optimal designs. In order to achieve this companies must minimize time to market and possess the ability to make fully informed decisions at the early phase of the design process. Such decisions may include the choice of component and suppliers, as well as cost and maintenance considerations. Computer modeling and electronic catalogues are becoming the preferred medium for the selection and design of mechanical components. In utilizing these techniques, the designer demands the capability to identify, evaluate and select mechanical components both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative decisions generally encompass performance data included in the formal catalogue representation. It is in the area of qualitative decisions that the use of what the authors call 'Informal Information' is of crucial importance. Thus, 'Informal Information' must often be incorporated into the selection process and selection systems. This would enable more informed decisions to be made quicker, without the need for information retrieval via discussion with colleagues in the design environment. This paper provides an overview of the use of electronic information in the design of mechanical systems, including a discussion of limitations of current technology. The importance of Informal Information is discussed and the requirements for association with web based electronic catalogues are developed. This system is based on a flexible XML schema and enables the storage, classification and recall of Informal Information packets. Furthermore, a strategy for the inclusion of Informal Information is proposed, and an example case is used to illustrate the benefits.
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Sufficient condition for confinement of static quarks by a vortex condensation mechanism
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mack, G.; Petkova, V.B.
1978-11-01
We derive a sufficient condition for confinement of static quarks by a vortex condensation mechanism. It admits vortices that are thick at all times at the cost of constraining them to a finite volume Λi whose complement is not simply connected. The confining potential V(L) is estimated in terms of the change of free energy of a system enclosed in Λi which is induced by a change in vorticity (= singular gauge transformation applied to boundary conditions on deltaΛi). For Abelian gauge theories in 3 dimensions the confining Coulomb potential is reproduced as a lower bound. (orig.) [de
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Health-based risk adjustment: is inpatient and outpatient diagnostic information sufficient?
Lamers, L M
Adequate risk adjustment is critical to the success of market-oriented health care reforms in many countries. Currently used risk adjusters based on demographic and diagnostic cost groups (DCGs) do not reflect expected costs accurately. This study examines the simultaneous predictive accuracy of inpatient and outpatient morbidity measures and prior costs. DCGs, pharmacy cost groups (PCGs), and prior year's costs improve the predictive accuracy of the demographic model substantially. DCGs and PCGs seem complementary in their ability to predict future costs. However, this study shows that the combination of DCGs and PCGs still leaves room for cream skimming.
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On necessary and sufficient conditions for some Higgs potentials to be bounded from below
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Klimenko, K.G.
1984-01-01
The necessary and sufficient (NS) conditions have been obtained to make the Higgs potentials be bounded from below. Here these potentials are constructed from: (i) two doublets, as well as two doublets and a singlet of SU(2)-group; (ii) adjoint and vector representations of SO(n). For the potential constructed from the adjoint and fundamental SU(n) multiplets, the problem of NS conditions is solved partially
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Lin, Jingmei; Fan, Rong; Zhao, Zijin; Cummings, Oscar W; Chen, Shaoxiong
2013-04-01
Histopathology assessment is crucial for the diagnosis of graft versus host disease (GVHD), as the presence of crypt apoptosis is the cardinal criterion required. However, crypt apoptosis is not limited to GVHD; it also occurs in other conditions such as infection, drug reaction, or inflammatory reactions unrelated to GVHD. To better determine whether the presence of 6 or fewer apoptotic bodies is sufficient for the diagnosis of GVHD, we retrospectively reviewed 78 colon biopsies from 66 patients who received either hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) or cord blood cell transplantation and whose colon biopsies exhibited apoptotic bodies. Among them, 41 cases contained 6 or fewer apoptotic bodies in the colon biopsy. These biopsies were compared with 141 colon biopsy controls that showed no significant pathologic changes as well as 16 colon biopsies with cytomegalovirus colitis from patients without a history of bone marrow transplantation. Among the 41 cases reviewed, 7 patients had coexisting GVHD in other organs (skin or liver). However, gastrointestinal symptoms of at least 4 HSCT patients whose colon biopsies contained 6 or fewer apoptotic bodies completely resolved in the absence of further intervention for GVHD. The discrepancy between pathologic findings and the clinical course may be due to confounding factors, such as infection or medication-induced injury. Our data suggest that identifying 6 or fewer crypt apoptotic bodies in colon biopsies from HSCT patients is worth reporting in order to alert the clinicians of the possibility of GVHD but not sufficient to render a diagnosis on the pathologic grounds alone. The colon biopsies containing 6 or fewer apoptotic bodies represent a heterogenous group. We suggest this group to be classified as indeterminate for GVHD, instead of diagnosing GVHD outright. Synthesis of all clinical, endoscopic, and pathologic information, including the status of infection, coexisting GVHD involvement in the other organs, and
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Samuel A. Cushman; Erin L. Landguth; Curtis H. Flather
2012-01-01
Aim: The goal of this study was to evaluate the sufficiency of the network of protected lands in the U.S. northern Rocky Mountains in providing protection for habitat connectivity for 105 hypothetical organisms. A large proportion of the landscape...
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Information Systems Foundations - Karl Popper's third world
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Craig McDonald
2002-11-01
Full Text Available The various information professions have matured separately over the years, developing different bodies of theory and practice to meet their evolving purposes and needs. A problem arises however, when different information professions address the same knowledge domain and there is no explicit correspondence between the conceptual structures embedded independently in each. In this situation, a knowledge worker involved in the domain is faced with a range of possibly incompatible structures presented in different forms by a range of information professions. This is a common problem that is being exacerbated by the explosion in information production and the widening access to information distribution technology, notably the World Wide Web. Information Systems now need to combine the best of what the information professions in a domain have to offer the domain’s knowledge workers. This paper examines the problem by exploring one of the foundations of the information disciplines - Karl Popper’s 3 Worlds theory, applying it to a case study and suggesting that the Information Systems discipline alone has a sufficiently broad agenda to integrate the various Informatics themes needed to support today’s knowledge workers.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1963-01-01
One of the major aims of the International Atomic Energy Agency in furthering the peaceful uses of atomic energy is to encourage the development of economical nuclear power. Certainly, one of the more obvious methods of producing economical nuclear power is the development of economical fuels that can be used at high temperatures for long periods of time, and which have sufficient strength and integrity to operate under these conditions without permitting the release of fission products. In addition it is desirable that after irradiation these new fuels be economically reprocessed to reduce further the cost of the fuel cycle. As nuclear power becomes more and more competitive with conventional power the interest in new and more efficient higher-temperature fuels naturally increases rapidly. For these reasons, the Agency organized a Conference on New Nuclear Materials Technology, Including Non-Metallic Fuel Elements, which was held from 1 to 5 July 1963 at the International Hotel, Prague, with the assistance and co-operation of the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. A total of 151 scientists attended, from 23 countries and 4 international organizations. The participants heard and discussed more than 60 scientific papers. The Agency wishes to thank the scientists who attended this Conference for their papers and for many spirited discussions that truly mark a successful meeting. The Agency wishes also to record its gratitude for the assistance and generous hospitality accorded the Conference, the participants and the Agency's staff by the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and by the people of Prague. The scientific information contained in these Proceedings should help to quicken the pace of progress in the fabrication of new and m ore economical fuels, and it is hoped that these proceedings will be found useful to all workers in this and related fields
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On the Development of College Student Information Management System
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jin Anjiang
2015-01-01
Full Text Available currently there exist severe fragmentation, different development standards, lack of sufficient support and other problems in the development of college student information management system. Therefore accelerating the development of student information management system is of necessity to improve universities’ management and administration efficiency. From the perspective of customers’ demands, the system should be designed and developed on the basis of Web Service by adopting B/S structure and SQL Server technology so as to coordinate applicability, security, compatibility, stability, maintainability and other non-functional demands.
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Information Content of Aerosol Retrievals in the Sunglint Region
Ottaviani, M.; Knobelspiesse, K.; Cairns, B.; Mishchenko, M.
2013-01-01
We exploit quantitative metrics to investigate the information content in retrievals of atmospheric aerosol parameters (with a focus on single-scattering albedo), contained in multi-angle and multi-spectral measurements with sufficient dynamical range in the sunglint region. The simulations are performed for two classes of maritime aerosols with optical and microphysical properties compiled from measurements of the Aerosol Robotic Network. The information content is assessed using the inverse formalism and is compared to that deriving from observations not affected by sunglint. We find that there indeed is additional information in measurements containing sunglint, not just for single-scattering albedo, but also for aerosol optical thickness and the complex refractive index of the fine aerosol size mode, although the amount of additional information varies with aerosol type.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Benjarin Santatiwongchai
Full Text Available Information generated from economic evaluation is increasingly being used to inform health resource allocation decisions globally, including in low- and middle- income countries. However, a crucial consideration for users of the information at a policy level, e.g. funding agencies, is whether the studies are comparable, provide sufficient detail to inform policy decision making, and incorporate inputs from data sources that are reliable and relevant to the context. This review was conducted to inform a methodological standardisation workstream at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF and assesses BMGF-funded cost-per-DALY economic evaluations in four programme areas (malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and vaccines in terms of variation in methodology, use of evidence, and quality of reporting. The findings suggest that there is room for improvement in the three areas of assessment, and support the case for the introduction of a standardised methodology or reference case by the BMGF. The findings are also instructive for all institutions that fund economic evaluations in LMICs and who have a desire to improve the ability of economic evaluations to inform resource allocation decisions.
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IPM strategies and their dilemmas including an introduction to www.Eurowheat.org
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jørgensen, Lise Nistrup; Hovmøller, Mogens Støvring; Hansen, Jens Grønbech
2014-01-01
Information about disease management in winter wheat (Triticum aestiva) in eight European countries was collated and analysed by scientists and extension workers within a European Network for Durable Exploitation (ENDURE). This included information about specific disease thresholds, decision...... information platformwww.EuroWheat.org was used for dissemination of information and results including information on control thresholds, cultural practices which can influence disease attack, fungicide efficacy, fungicide resistance and pathogen virulence, which are all elements supporting IPM for disease...... control in wheat. The platform is open to all users. The target groups of EuroWheat information are researchers, advisors, breeders and similar partners dealing with disease management in wheat....
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Effective information provision to rural dwellers in the era of ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Rural dwellers in Nigeria make up the larger proportion of the people whose information needs are not sufficiently met even though they contribute meaningfully to national development. The failure of the Nigerian public libraries to effectively perform its roles as a local gate way to knowledge and the layman's university has ...
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Quality of online information on type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study.
Weymann, Nina; Härter, Martin; Dirmaier, Jörg
2015-12-01
Evidence-based health information is a prerequisite for patients with type 2 diabetes to engage in self-management and to make informed medical decisions. The Internet is an important source of health information. In the present study, we systematically assessed formal quality, quality of decision support and usability of German and English language websites on type 2 diabetes. The search term 'type 2 diabetes' was entered in the two most popular search engines. Descriptive data on website quality are presented. Additionally, associations between website quality and affiliation (commercial vs. non-commercial), presence of the HON code quality seal and website traffic were explored. Forty-six websites were included. Most websites provided basic information necessary for decision-making, while only one website also provided decision support. Websites with a HON code had significantly better formal quality than websites without HON code. We found a highly significant correlation between usability and website traffic and a significant correlation between formal quality and website traffic. Most websites do not provide sufficient information to support patients in medical decision-making. Our finding that usability and website traffic are tightly associated is consistent with previous research indicating that design is the most important cue for users assessing website credibility. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Pakbaznejad Esmaeili, Elmira; Ekholm, Marja; Haukka, Jari; Evälahti, Marjut; Waltimo-Sirén, Janna
2016-02-01
Children are especially vulnerable to harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Cutting down the dimensions of the X-ray beam is the most effective way to reduce the patient dose. We evaluated the appropriateness of field-size in the most frequent radiographs, dental panoramic tomographs (DPTs) and lateral cephalometric radiographs (LCRs) among 7- to 12-year-olds. The image field-size of 241 DPTs and 118 LCRs was analysed. The image field was considered appropriate when it did not include anatomic structures beyond the area of clinical interest. The image field was compared with factors such as the age of the patient, the radiographic equipment used and the programme selected. Moreover, we assessed the use of thyroid shield in LCR. The field-size was too large in 70% of the DPTs horizontally and in 96% vertically. None of the DPTs were segmented. Every LCR showed appropriate limitation anteriorly, but the image field was too large in 54% posteriorly, in 86% superiorly, and in 76% inferiorly. A thyroid shield had been used in only 71% of cases. Most DPTs and LCRs had been performed sub-optimally. An abundancy of DPTs had been taken using an adult programme, and the field-size had not been sufficiently adjusted in LCRs, possibly for technical reasons. To facilitate adherence to radiological best practice the equipment used for DPTs and LCRs should facilitate the adjustment of field-size in both the vertical and horizontal planes. In addition, those involved in taking radiographs should maintain their skills through regular update courses. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Elections, Private Information, and State-Dependent Candidate Quality
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jensen, Thomas
In this paper we contribute to the study of how democracy works when politicians are better informed than the electorate about conditions relevant for policy choice. We do so by setting up and analyzing a game theoretic model of electoral competition. An important feature of the model is that can......In this paper we contribute to the study of how democracy works when politicians are better informed than the electorate about conditions relevant for policy choice. We do so by setting up and analyzing a game theoretic model of electoral competition. An important feature of the model...... is that candidate quality is state-dependent. Our main insight is that if the electorate is sufficiently well informed then there exists an equilibrium where the candidates' policy positions reveal their information and the policy outcome is the same as it would be if voters were fully informed (the median policy...
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Information content analysis: the potential for methane isotopologue retrieval from GOSAT-2
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
E. Malina
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Atmospheric methane is comprised of multiple isotopic molecules, with the most abundant being 12CH4 and 13CH4, making up 98 and 1.1 % of atmospheric methane respectively. It has been shown that is it possible to distinguish between sources of methane (biogenic methane, e.g. marshland, or abiogenic methane, e.g. fracking via a ratio of these main methane isotopologues, otherwise known as the δ13C value. δ13C values typically range between −10 and −80 ‰, with abiogenic sources closer to zero and biogenic sources showing more negative values. Initially, we suggest that a δ13C difference of 10 ‰ is sufficient, in order to differentiate between methane source types, based on this we derive that a precision of 0.2 ppbv on 13CH4 retrievals may achieve the target δ13C variance. Using an application of the well-established information content analysis (ICA technique for assumed clear-sky conditions, this paper shows that using a combination of the shortwave infrared (SWIR bands on the planned Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT-2 mission, 13CH4 can be measured with sufficient information content to a precision of between 0.7 and 1.2 ppbv from a single sounding (assuming a total column average value of 19.14 ppbv, which can then be reduced to the target precision through spatial and temporal averaging techniques. We therefore suggest that GOSAT-2 can be used to differentiate between methane source types. We find that large unconstrained covariance matrices are required in order to achieve sufficient information content, while the solar zenith angle has limited impact on the information content.
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A review of the information required by technical justifications and its availability
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Worrall, G.M.; Conroy, P.J.; Whittle, M.J.; Roscoe, P.
1997-03-01
A central feature of the European approach to Inspection Qualification (IQ) is the use of Technical Justifications (TJ). This arises from the recognition that practical trials of an inspection can never, by themselves, generate sufficient information to provide confidence in an inspection. The central role of TJ has raised concerns that information which is vital to their production may currently not be available. The range of roles that TJ can play in IQ is described in this report, their typical structure, the key input information, and the essential variables defined. The extent to which this information currently is available is then discussed. Information needs are defined. 10 refs
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Capes, Deborah L; Goldschen-Ohm, Marcel P; Arcisio-Miranda, Manoel; Bezanilla, Francisco; Chanda, Baron
2013-08-01
Voltage-gated sodium channels are critical for the generation and propagation of electrical signals in most excitable cells. Activation of Na(+) channels initiates an action potential, and fast inactivation facilitates repolarization of the membrane by the outward K(+) current. Fast inactivation is also the main determinant of the refractory period between successive electrical impulses. Although the voltage sensor of domain IV (DIV) has been implicated in fast inactivation, it remains unclear whether the activation of DIV alone is sufficient for fast inactivation to occur. Here, we functionally neutralize each specific voltage sensor by mutating several critical arginines in the S4 segment to glutamines. We assess the individual role of each voltage-sensing domain in the voltage dependence and kinetics of fast inactivation upon its specific inhibition. We show that movement of the DIV voltage sensor is the rate-limiting step for both development and recovery from fast inactivation. Our data suggest that activation of the DIV voltage sensor alone is sufficient for fast inactivation to occur, and that activation of DIV before channel opening is the molecular mechanism for closed-state inactivation. We propose a kinetic model of sodium channel gating that can account for our major findings over a wide voltage range by postulating that DIV movement is both necessary and sufficient for fast inactivation.
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The Right to Consent and Control Personal Information Processing in Cyberspace
Thilla Rajaretnam
2015-01-01
Consumer concerns over the safety of their personal information and the violation of their privacy rights are described as being the single overwhelming barrier to rapid growth of e- commerce. This paper explores the problems for e-commerce users when there is collection, use, and disclosure of personal information that are based on implied consent in e- commerce transactions. It questions the assumption that consent is sufficient to waive privacy interests in relation to e-commerce transacti...
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The role of information system in multiple sclerosis management.
Ajami, Sima; Ahmadi, Golchehreh; Etemadifar, Masoud
2014-12-01
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of central nervous system. The multiple sclerosis information system (MSIS), such as other information system (IS), depends on identification, collection and processing of data for producing useful information. Lack of the integrated IS for collecting standard data causes undesirable effects on exchanging, comparing, and managing. The aim of this study was to recognize the role of the IS in the MS management and determine the advantages and barriers in implementing of the MSIS. The present study was a nonsystematized review that was done in order to recognize the role of the IS in the MS management. In this study, electronic scientific resources such as scientific magazines and books and published topics at conferences were used. We used key words (IS, chronic disease management, and multiple sclerosis), their combination or their synonyms in title, key words, abstracts, and text of English articles and published reports from 1980 until 2013, and by using search engines such as Google, Google Scholar and scientific databases and electronic issues such as iPubMed, sufficiently important difference, Scopus, Medlib, and Magiran for gathering information. More than 200 articles and reports were collected and assessed and 139 of them. Findings showed that the MSIS can reduce of disease expenses through continuously collecting correct, accurate, sufficient, and timely patients and disease nature information; recoding; editing; processing; exchanging, and distributing among different health care centers. Although the MSIS has many advantages; but, we cannot ignore cultural, economic, technical, organizational, and managerial barriers. Therefore, it is necessary to do studies for preventing, reducing, and controlling them. One of the ways is to recognize the advantages of the MSIS and usage information technology in optimizing disease management.
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Resource use and food self-sufficiency at farm scale within two agro-ecological zones of Rwanda
Bucagu, C.; Vanlauwe, B.; Wijk, van M.T.; Giller, K.E.
2014-01-01
Resource use and management are major determinants of the food self-sufficiency of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. A study was conducted in Rwanda in two contrasting agro-ecological zones (Central plateau and Buberuka) to characterise farms, quantify their resource flows, and evaluate the
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Traore, Bouba; Descheemaeker, Katrien; Wijk, van Mark T.; Corbeels, Marc; Supit, Iwan; Giller, Ken E.
2017-01-01
Future climate change will have far reaching consequences for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Here we assessed the farm-level impact of climate change on family food self-sufficiency and evaluated potential adaptation
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Alsaffar, Hussain; Wilson, Lindsay; Kamdar, Dev P; Sultanov, Faizullo; Enepekides, Danny; Higgins, Kevin M
2016-02-13
Informed consent consists of basic five elements: voluntarism, capacity, disclosure, understanding, and ultimate decision-making. Physician disclosure, patient understanding, and information retention are all essential in the doctor-patient relationship. This is inclusive of helping patients make and manage their decisions and expectations better and also to deal with any consequences and/or complications that arise. This study investigates whether giving patients procedure-specific handouts pre-operatively as part of the established informed consent process significantly improves overall risk-recall following surgery. These handouts outline the anticipated peri-operative risks and complications associated with total thyroidectomy, as well as the corrective measures to address complications. In addition, the influence of potential confounders affecting risk-recall, such as anxiety and pre-existing memory disturbance, are also examined. Consecutive adult (≥18 years old) patients undergoing total thyroidectomy at a single academic tertiary care referral centre are included. Participants are randomly assigned into either the experimental group (with pamphlets) or the control group by a computerized randomization system (Clinstat). All participants filled out a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and they are tested by the physician for short-term memory loss using the Memory Impairment Screen (MIS) exam. All patients are evaluated at one week post-operatively. The written recall questionnaire test is also administered during this clinical encounter. Forty-nine patients are included--25 of them receive verbal consent only, while another 24 patients received both verbal consent and patient education information pamphlets. The overall average of correct answers for each group was 83% and 80% in the control and intervention groups, respectively, with no statistically significant differences. There are also no statistically significant differences between the
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Informational support of the investment process in a large city economy
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tamara Zurabovna Chargazia
2016-12-01
Full Text Available Large cities possess a sufficient potential to participate in the investment processes both at the national and international levels. A potential investor’s awareness of the possibilities and prospects of a city development is of a great importance for him or her to make a decision. So, providing a potential investor with relevant, laconic and reliable information, the local authorities increase the intensity of the investment process in the city economy and vice-versa. As a hypothesis, there is a proposition that a large city administration can sufficiently activate the investment processes in the economy of a corresponding territorial entity using the tools of the information providing. The purpose of this article is to develop measures for the improvement of the investment portal of a large city as an important instrument of the information providing, which will make it possible to brisk up the investment processes at the level under analysis. The reasons of the unsatisfactory information providing on the investment process in a large city economy are deeply analyzed; the national and international experience in this sphere is studied; advantages and disadvantages of the information providing of the investment process in the economy of the city of Makeyevka are considered; the investment portals of different cities are compared. There are suggested technical approaches for improving the investment portal of a large city. The research results can be used to improve the investment policy of large cities.
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State Policy Against Information War
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dmitry Shibaev
2016-01-01
Full Text Available The most recent and effective method to resolve aconflict between countries is information war. Information warfare, i.e. propaganda, information sabotage, blackmail, could be more damaging than the effects of the traditional methods of war. The government must be prepared to prevent and counteract the bleeding-edge techniques of warfare that is to work out measures, to oppose enemy’s information weapons , to gain information superiority , to develop a society thatis immune to disinformation, to elaborate a concept of information warfare counteraction.The authors have examined both foreign and Russian sources of law which define the requirements for the government activities to oppose information warfare. They also refer to the opinions of foreign and Russian researchers, politicians and public figures who have commented on the concept and features of such political and legal constructs as information warfare and information weapons. The problem of information warfare must be identified as a profoundly serious and damaging threat. This paper provides the features of information warfare and the methods to resist it as well as the proposals to amend the domestic legislation to create conditions for an accurate understanding of this political and legal phenomenon. In addition, it points out that the amendment of the Information Security Doctrine is not sufficient to counterbalance the threat of information warfare. In a certain document it is necessary to recount all notions, requirements and methods for the government actions aimed to gradually change the situation, particularly, the development of sectoral (information security legislation, specialists training to be able to deal with informational and psychological aggression forming public opinion through the government-run mass media, etc.
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Simulations of tokamak disruptions including self-consistent temperature evolution
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bondeson, A.
1986-01-01
Three-dimensional simulations of tokamaks have been carried out, including self-consistent temperature evolution with a highly anisotropic thermal conductivity. The simulations extend over the transport time-scale and address the question of how disruptive current profiles arise at low-q or high-density operation. Sharply defined disruptive events are triggered by the m/n=2/1 resistive tearing mode, which is mainly affected by local current gradients near the q=2 surface. If the global current gradient between q=2 and q=1 is sufficiently steep, the m=2 mode starts a shock which accelerates towards the q=1 surface, leaving stochastic fields, a flattened temperature profile and turbulent plasma behind it. For slightly weaker global current gradients, a shock may form, but it will dissipate before reaching q=1 and may lead to repetitive minidisruptions which flatten the temperature profile in a region inside the q=2 surface. (author)
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Hindbrain ghrelin receptor signaling is sufficient to maintain fasting glucose.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael M Scott
Full Text Available The neuronal coordination of metabolic homeostasis requires the integration of hormonal signals with multiple interrelated central neuronal circuits to produce appropriate levels of food intake, energy expenditure and fuel availability. Ghrelin, a peripherally produced peptide hormone, circulates at high concentrations during nutrient scarcity. Ghrelin promotes food intake, an action lost in ghrelin receptor null mice and also helps maintain fasting blood glucose levels, ensuring an adequate supply of nutrients to the central nervous system. To better understand mechanisms of ghrelin action, we have examined the roles of ghrelin receptor (GHSR expression in the mouse hindbrain. Notably, selective hindbrain ghrelin receptor expression was not sufficient to restore ghrelin-stimulated food intake. In contrast, the lowered fasting blood glucose levels observed in ghrelin receptor-deficient mice were returned to wild-type levels by selective re-expression of the ghrelin receptor in the hindbrain. Our results demonstrate the distributed nature of the neurons mediating ghrelin action.
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Analyzing the Impacts of Increased Wind Power on Generation Revenue Sufficiency: Preprint
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wang, Qin; Wu, Hongyu; Tan, Jin; Hodge, Bri-Mathias; Li, Wanning; Luo, Cheng
2016-08-01
The Revenue Sufficiency Guarantee (RSG), as part of make-whole (or uplift) payments in electricity markets, is designed to recover the generation resources' offer-based production costs that are not otherwise covered by their market revenues. Increased penetrations of wind power will bring significant impacts to the RSG payments in the markets. However, literature related to this topic is sparse. This paper first reviews the industrial practices of implementing RSG in major U.S. independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission operators (RTOs) and then develops a general RSG calculation method. Finally, an 18-bus test system is adopted to demonstrate the impacts of increased wind power on RSG payments.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cattoen, Celine; Visser, Matt
2005-01-01
Until recently, the physically relevant singularities occurring in FRW cosmologies had traditionally been thought to be limited to the 'big bang', and possibly a 'big crunch'. However, over the last few years, the zoo of cosmological singularities considered in the literature has become considerably more extensive, with 'big rips' and 'sudden singularities' added to the mix, as well as renewed interest in nonsingular cosmological events such as 'bounces' and 'turnarounds'. In this paper we present an extensive catalogue of such cosmological milestones, both at the kinematical and dynamical level. First, using generalized power series, purely kinematical definitions of these cosmological events are provided in terms of the behaviour of the scale factor a(t). The notion of a 'scale-factor singularity' is defined, and its relation to curvature singularities (polynomial and differential) is explored. Second, dynamical information is extracted by using the Friedmann equations (without assuming even the existence of any equation of state) to place constraints on whether or not the classical energy conditions are satisfied at the cosmological milestones. We use these considerations to derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of cosmological milestones such as bangs, bounces, crunches, rips, sudden singularities and extremality events. Since the classification is extremely general and, modulo certain technical assumptions, is complete, the corresponding results are to a high degree model independent: in particular, we provide a characterization of the class of bangs, crunches and sudden singularities for which the dominant energy condition is satisfied
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If Physics Is an Information Science, What Is an Observer?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chris Fields
2012-02-01
Full Text Available Interpretations of quantum theory have traditionally assumed a “Galilean” observer, a bare “point of view” implemented physically by a quantum system. This paper investigates the consequences of replacing such an informationally-impoverished observer with an observer that satisfies the requirements of classical automata theory, i.e., an observer that encodes sufficient prior information to identify the system being observed and recognize its acceptable states. It shows that with reasonable assumptions about the physical dynamics of information channels, the observations recorded by such an observer will display the typical characteristics predicted by quantum theory, without requiring any specific assumptions about the observer’s physical implementation.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hill, R.L.
2000-01-01
This paper summarizes the development and implementation of Integrated Safety Management (ISM) at an Order Compliance Site (Savannah River Site) and a Necessary and Sufficient Site (Nevada Test Site). A discussion of each core safety function of ISM is followed by an example from an Order Compliance Site and a Necessary and Sufficient Site. The Savannah River Site was the first DOE site to have a DOE Headquarters-validated and approved ISM System. The NTS is beginning the process of verification and validation. This paper defines successful strategies for integrating Environment, Safety, and Health management into work under various scenarios
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A necessary and sufficient condition for the convergence of an AOR iterative method
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hu Jiagan
1992-01-01
In this paper, a necessary and sufficient condition for the convergence of an AOR iterative method is given under the condition that the coefficient matrix A is consistently ordered and the eigenvalues of the Jacobi matrix of A are all real. With the same method the condition for the convergence of t he extrapolation Gauss-Seidel (EGS) method is also obtained. As an example, the conditions for the model problem are given. The rate of convergence of the EGS method is about twice that of the GS method
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INDONESIAN FOOD POLICY: THE PROGRAMS FOR STRENGTHENING FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN REFORMATION ERA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kamrussamad
2018-04-01
Full Text Available The 2012 decree #18, the policy on food states that objective of food implementation is to meet basic human needs and provide fair, equitable, and sustainable benefits based on food sovereignty, food self-sufficiency, and national food security. Food sovereignty, independence and security are fundamental and supports implementation of policies related to food implementation in Indonesia. The 2012 decree #18 stated that food implementation aims to improve ability to produce food independently, provide a variety of food and meet the requirements of security, quality, and nutrition for public consumption.
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Syndesmotic Malreduction after Ankle ORIF; Is Radiography Sufficient?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alireza Manafi Rasi
2013-12-01
Full Text Available Background: Ankle fractures, especially those resulting from external rotation mechanisms are associated with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis. Some authors have recommended performing CT scanning after open ankle surgery to evaluate the reduction of syndesmosis. In this current study, we aimed to investigate the sensitivity of plain radiography in diagnosing syndesmosis malreduction after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF in patients with ankle fractures. Methods: Thirty patients with ankle fractures participated in this prospective study. ORIFs were performed with respect to all of the technical guidelines shown in orthopedic literature for exact syndesmosis reduction, such as fibular length and proper settings. In the operating room, plain radiography was performed in anteroposterior, mortise and lateral views to assess whether syndesmosis was malreduced. If malreduction was detected, the patient was revised. As the gold standard, patients underwent postoperative bilateral CT scanning to investigate the syndesmosis reduction which was then compared to the healthy side. Finally, the sensitivity of plain radiography in the diagnosis of syndesmosis malreduction was determined by comparing this method to CT scanning. Results: In both of the methods we did not find any patient with syndesmosis malreduction. Hence, the sensitivity of plain radiography was determined 100%. Conclusion: Based on our findings, there is no need to perform CT scanning to evaluate syndesmosis reduction after ankle ORIF in patients with ankle fractures. Plain radiography is sufficient and has satisfactory sensitivity in these patients.
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Syndesmotic Malreduction after Ankle ORIF; Is Radiography Sufficient?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alireza Manafi Rasi
2013-12-01
Full Text Available Background: Ankle fractures, especially those resulting from external rotation mechanisms are associated with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis. Some authors have recommended performing CT scanning after open ankle surgery to evaluate the reduction of syndesmosis. In this current study, we aimed to investigate the sensitivity of plain radiography in diagnosing syndesmosis malreduction after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF in patients with ankle fractures. Methods: Thirty patients with ankle fractures participated in this prospective study. ORIFs were performed with respect to all of the technical guidelines shown in orthopedic literature for exact syndesmosis reduction, such as fibular length and proper settings. In the operating room, plain radiography was performed in anteroposterior, mortise and lateral views to assess whether syndesmosis was malreduced. If malreduction was detected, the patient was revised. As the gold standard, patients underwent postoperative bilateral CT scanning to investigate the syndesmosis reduction which was then compared to the healthy side. Finally, the sensitivity of plain radiography in the diagnosis of syndesmosis malreduction was determined by comparing this method to CT scanning. Results: In both of the methods we did not find any patient with syndesmosis malreduction. Hence, the sensitivity of plain radiography was determined 100%. Conclusion: Based on our findings, there is no need to perform CT scanning to evaluate syndesmosis reduction after ankle ORIF in patients with ankle fractures. Plain radiography is sufficient and has satisfactory sensitivity in these patients.
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The degree of C0-sufficiency of analytic function germs with respect to an ideal
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pham Tien Son
2006-07-01
Let f:(C 2 , 0) → (C, 0) be an analytic function germ of two complex variables and let I be an ideal of C{x,y). We give some formulae for the degree of C 0 -sufficiency of f with respect to I. When I is the maximal ideal we retrieve a result of T.C. Kuo and Y.C. Lu. (author)
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sekamane, Jonas Khubute; Katz, Jonas; Skytte, Klaus
2017-01-01
This review of the literature collects innovative market mechanisms that tend to get overlooked in the discussion of whether unassisted energy-only markets can ensure sufficient capacity or if capacity remuneration mechanisms are required. The paper complements existing literature reviews...... and pinpoints advantageous research areas relating to the market design of electricity systems with high shares of variable renewable energy...
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The nitrogen (N) sufficiency approach to assess plant N status for in-season N management requires a non-N-limiting reference to make N recommendations. Use of reference strips in fields with spatially variable soils and the impact this variability has within N enriched reference strips are not we...
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How Strategic are Strategic Information Systems?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alan Eardley
1996-11-01
Full Text Available There are many examples of information systems which are claimed to have created and sustained competitive advantage, allowed beneficial collaboration or simply ensured the continued survival of the organisations which used them These systems are often referred to as being 'strategic'. This paper argues that many of the examples of strategic information systems as reported in the literature are not sufficiently critical in determining whether the systems meet the generally accepted definition of the term 'strategic' - that of achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Eight of the information systems considered to be strategic are examined here from the standpoint of one widely-accepted 'competition' framework- Porter's model of industry competition . The framework is then used to question the linkage between the information systems and the mechanisms which are required for the enactment of strategic business objectives based on competition. Conclusions indicate that the systems are compatible with Porter's framework. Finally, some limitations of the framework are discussed and aspects of the systems which extend beyond the framework are highlighted
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Factors shaping effective utilization of health information technology in urban safety-net clinics.
George, Sheba; Garth, Belinda; Fish, Allison; Baker, Richard
2013-09-01
Urban safety-net clinics are considered prime targets for the adoption of health information technology innovations; however, little is known about their utilization in such safety-net settings. Current scholarship provides limited guidance on the implementation of health information technology into safety-net settings as it typically assumes that adopting institutions have sufficient basic resources. This study addresses this gap by exploring the unique challenges urban resource-poor safety-net clinics must consider when adopting and utilizing health information technology. In-depth interviews (N = 15) were used with key stakeholders (clinic chief executive officers, medical directors, nursing directors, chief financial officers, and information technology directors) from staff at four clinics to explore (a) nonhealth information technology-related clinic needs, (b) how health information technology may provide solutions, and (c) perceptions of and experiences with health information technology. Participants identified several challenges, some of which appear amenable to health information technology solutions. Also identified were requirements for effective utilization of health information technology including physical infrastructural improvements, funding for equipment/training, creation of user groups to share health information technology knowledge/experiences, and specially tailored electronic billing guidelines. We found that despite the potential benefit that can be derived from health information technologies, the unplanned and uninformed introduction of these tools into these settings might actually create more problems than are solved. From these data, we were able to identify a set of factors that should be considered when integrating health information technology into the existing workflows of low-resourced urban safety-net clinics in order to maximize their utilization and enhance the quality of health care in such settings.
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Electric Power Monthly, August 1990. [Glossary included
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1990-11-29
The Electric Power Monthly (EPM) presents monthly summaries of electric utility statistics at the national, Census division, and State level. The purpose of this publication is to provide energy decisionmakers with accurate and timely information that may be used in forming various perspectives on electric issues that lie ahead. Data includes generation by energy source (coal, oil, gas, hydroelectric, and nuclear); generation by region; consumption of fossil fuels for power generation; sales of electric power, cost data; and unusual occurrences. A glossary is included.
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2010-01-25
... provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection... prescribes the use of Form MA 8-7, Transmittal for Unemployment Insurance Materials. This simple check off... interested in comments that: Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Colmenar-Santos, Antonio; Campíñez-Romero, Severo; Pérez-Molina, Clara; Castro-Gil, Manuel
2012-01-01
Spain exhibits a high level of energy dependence and has significant solar energy resources. These two facts have given rise to the prominence that renewable energy, particularly solar photovoltaic technology, has enjoyed in recent years, supported by a favorable regulatory framework. Currently, the Spanish Government is providing new ways in energy policy to enhance and accelerate the development of low-power photovoltaic generation facilities for self-consumption by introducing energy policies for feed-in payments of surplus electricity. Such facilities are an example of distributed electrical generation with important benefits for the environment and the rest of the electrical system because, when properly managed, they can help improve the system’s stability and reduce overall losses. By analyzing household demand and solar photovoltaic energy resources, the profitability of such facilities is considered in this article, taking into account the technical and economic impact of storage systems and proposing models for feed-in payments of surplus electricity, in an attempt to assess whether this method of electricity generation versus the method of conventionally supplied power from a grid at a regulated tariff can rival each other economically, in terms of parity. - Highlight: ► The use of grid-connected photovoltaic facilities for household electricity self-sufficiency is presented. ► The need for legal frameworks that include retributive mechanisms for the surplus energy is pointed out. ► Two models are proposed for the remuneration of surplus energy generated. ► Models show economic profitability without feed-in-tariff or compensations. ► Facilities described offer ancillary services for grid stability and smart-grid integration.
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Overexpression of ERβ is sufficient to inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor-1 transactivation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Park, Choa; Lee, YoungJoo
2014-01-01
Highlights: • We examined the effect of ERβ specific ligand on HIF-1 inhibition. • DPN down-regulates the ARNT protein levels in PC3 cells. • DPN did not show additional effect in ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. • Our study shows that unliganded ERβ is sufficient to inhibit HIF-1 in systems of overexpression. - Abstract: Estrogen receptor (ER) β is predicted to play an important role in the prevention of breast cancer development and progression. We have previously shown that ERβ suppresses hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1-mediated transcription through aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) degradation via ubiquitination processes. In this study, we attempted to examine the effect of ERβ specific ligand on HIF-1 inhibition in ERβ positive PC3 cells and ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. ERβ specific agonist diarylpropionitrile (DPN) stimulated estrogen response element (ERE)-luciferase activity in a similar fashion to estradiol in PC3 cells. We observed that DPN down-regulates the ARNT protein levels leading to an attenuation of hypoxia-induced hypoxia response element (HRE)-driven luciferase reporter gene activation in PC3 cells. Treatment of DPN reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and co-treatment with ERβ specific antagonist PHTPP abrogated the effect in PC3 cells. We then examined the effect of DPN in ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. HIF-1 transcriptional activity repression by ERβ was not further reduced by DPN, as examined by HRE-driven luciferase assays. Expression of ERβ significantly decreased VEGF secretion and ARNT expression under hypoxic conditions. However, DPN did not additionally affect this suppression in MCF-7 cells transfected with ERβ. This result shows that unliganded ERβ is sufficient to inhibit HIF-1 in systems of overexpression
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Overexpression of ERβ is sufficient to inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor-1 transactivation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Park, Choa; Lee, YoungJoo, E-mail: yjlee@sejong.ac.kr
2014-07-18
Highlights: • We examined the effect of ERβ specific ligand on HIF-1 inhibition. • DPN down-regulates the ARNT protein levels in PC3 cells. • DPN did not show additional effect in ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. • Our study shows that unliganded ERβ is sufficient to inhibit HIF-1 in systems of overexpression. - Abstract: Estrogen receptor (ER) β is predicted to play an important role in the prevention of breast cancer development and progression. We have previously shown that ERβ suppresses hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1-mediated transcription through aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) degradation via ubiquitination processes. In this study, we attempted to examine the effect of ERβ specific ligand on HIF-1 inhibition in ERβ positive PC3 cells and ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. ERβ specific agonist diarylpropionitrile (DPN) stimulated estrogen response element (ERE)-luciferase activity in a similar fashion to estradiol in PC3 cells. We observed that DPN down-regulates the ARNT protein levels leading to an attenuation of hypoxia-induced hypoxia response element (HRE)-driven luciferase reporter gene activation in PC3 cells. Treatment of DPN reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and co-treatment with ERβ specific antagonist PHTPP abrogated the effect in PC3 cells. We then examined the effect of DPN in ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. HIF-1 transcriptional activity repression by ERβ was not further reduced by DPN, as examined by HRE-driven luciferase assays. Expression of ERβ significantly decreased VEGF secretion and ARNT expression under hypoxic conditions. However, DPN did not additionally affect this suppression in MCF-7 cells transfected with ERβ. This result shows that unliganded ERβ is sufficient to inhibit HIF-1 in systems of overexpression.
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Aquaculture information package
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Boyd, T.; Rafferty, K.
1998-08-01
This package of information is intended to provide background information to developers of geothermal aquaculture projects. The material is divided into eight sections and includes information on market and price information for typical species, aquaculture water quality issues, typical species culture information, pond heat loss calculations, an aquaculture glossary, regional and university aquaculture offices and state aquaculture permit requirements. A bibliography containing 68 references is also included.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Niculae, C.
2003-01-01
Full text: It is now widely recognized in the social and management sciences that the effective support of decision-making requires a multi-disciplinary perspective, with businesses increasingly using inter-disciplinary teams. This trend is also seen in nuclear emergency management, for example in the UK inter-disciplinary groups are formed to focus on specific topics such as remediation where their recommendations are feed to the decision makers. The necessity of taking a multi-disciplinary perspective is particularly important for contexts in which the decision makers are likely to be under high stress and so could revert to instinctive patterns of behaviour and modes of communication found in their core disciplines. Yet when we look at the design of the information systems produced to support emergency management, we find a very partial set of disciplinary perspectives providing a strongly rationalistic, technocratic view. These systems have been developed by the technical community with little consultation with non-expert decision makers and limited understanding of emergency management processes across Europe and the social systems with which they interact. In this paper we have considered the Cynefin model, developed by IBM, which draws together much of the work on decision making and decision context over the past 30-40 years, describing the possible contexts in which decision-making may take place, the known, the knowable, the complex and the chaotic space. The known space is the realm of scientific knowledge where the cause and effect are understood. Next, there is the knowable space the realm of scientific enquiry where the cause and effect can be determined with sufficient data. In the complex space there are many interacting cause and effects, to the extent that we do not have sufficiently refined models to predict what will happen as a consequence of any particular actions and the cause and effect may only be explained after the event. In the chaotic
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Haux, Reinhold; Hein, Andreas; Kolb, Gerald; Künemund, Harald; Eichelberg, Marco; Appell, Jens-E; Appelrath, H-Jürgen; Bartsch, Christian; Bauer, Jürgen M; Becker, Marcus; Bente, Petra; Bitzer, Jörg; Boll, Susanne; Büsching, Felix; Dasenbrock, Lena; Deparade, Riana; Depner, Dominic; Elbers, Katharina; Fachinger, Uwe; Felber, Juliane; Feldwieser, Florian; Forberg, Anne; Gietzelt, Matthias; Goetze, Stefan; Gövercin, Mehmet; Helmer, Axel; Herzke, Tobias; Hesselmann, Tobias; Heuten, Wilko; Huber, Rainer; Hülsken-Giesler, Manfred; Jacobs, Gerold; Kalbe, Elke; Kerling, Arno; Klingeberg, Timo; Költzsch, Yvonne; Lammel-Polchau, Christopher; Ludwig, Wolfram; Marschollek, Michael; Martens, Birger; Meis, Markus; Meyer, Eike Michael; Meyer, Jochen; Meyer Zu Schwabedissen, Hubertus; Moritz, Niko; Müller, Heiko; Nebel, Wolfgang; Neyer, Franz J; Okken, Petra-Karin; Rahe, Julia; Remmers, Hartmut; Rölker-Denker, Lars; Schilling, Meinhard; Schöpke, Birte; Schröder, Jens; Schulze, Gisela C; Schulze, Mareike; Siltmann, Sina; Song, Bianying; Spehr, Jens; Steen, Enno-Edzard; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth; Tanschus, Nele-Marie; Tegtbur, Uwe; Thiel, Andreas; Thoben, Wilfried; van Hengel, Peter; Wabnik, Stefan; Wegel, Sandra; Wilken, Olaf; Winkelbach, Simon; Wist, Thorben; Wolf, Klaus-Hendrik; Wolf, Lars; Zokoll-van der Laan, Melanie
2014-01-01
Many societies across the world are confronted with demographic changes, usually related to increased life expectancy and, often, relatively low birth rates. Information and communication technologies (ICT) may contribute to adequately support senior citizens in aging societies with respect to quality of life and quality and efficiency of health care processes. For investigating and for providing answers on whether new information and communication technologies can contribute to keeping, or even improving quality of life, health and self-sufficiency in ageing societies through new ways of living and new forms of care, the Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing (GAL) had been established as a five years research project, running from 2008 to 2013. Ambient-assisted living (AAL) technologies in personal and home environments were especially important. In this article we report on the GAL project, and present some of its major outcomes after five years of research. We report on major challenges and lessons learned in running and organizing such a large, inter- and multidisciplinary project and discuss GAL in the context of related research projects. With respect to research outcomes, we have, for example, learned new knowledge about multimodal and speech-based human-machine-interaction mechanisms for persons with functional restrictions, and identified new methods and developed new algorithms for identifying activities of daily life and detecting acute events, particularly falls. A total of 79 apartments of senior citizens had been equipped with specific "GAL technology", providing new insights into the use of sensor data for smart homes. Major challenges we had to face were to deal constructively with GAL's highly inter- and multidisciplinary aspects, with respect to research into GAL's application scenarios, shifting from theory and lab experimentation to field tests, and the complexity of organizing and, in our view, successfully managing
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Communication of genetic information to families with inherited rhythm disorders.
Burns, Charlotte; James, Cynthia; Ingles, Jodie
2017-11-23
Given the dynamic nature of the electrical activity of the heart and ongoing challenges in the diagnostics of inherited heart rhythm disorders, genetic information can be a vital aspect of family management. Communication of genetic information is complex, and the responsibility to convey this information to the family lies with the proband. Current practice falls short, requiring additional support from the clinician and multidisciplinary team. Communication is a 2-part iterative process, reliant on both the understanding of the probands and their ability to effectively communicate with relatives. With the surge of high-throughput genetic testing, results generated are increasingly complex, making the task of communication more challenging. Here we discuss 3 key issues. First, the probabilistic nature of genetic test results means uncertainty is inherent to the practice. Second, secondary findings may arise. Third, personal preferences, values, and family dynamics also come into play and must be acknowledged when considering how best to support effective communication. Here we provide insight into the challenges and provide practical advice for clinicians to support effective family communication. These strategies include acknowledging and managing genetic uncertainty, genetic counseling and informed consent, and consideration of personal and familial barriers to effective communication. We will explore the potential for developing resources to assist clinicians in providing patients with sufficient knowledge and support to communicate complex information to their at-risk relatives. Specialized multidisciplinary clinics remain the best equipped to manage patients and families with inherited heart rhythm disorders given the need for a high level of information and support. Copyright © 2017 Heart Rhythm Society. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Luke S Lambeth
Full Text Available Estrogens play a key role in sexual differentiation of both the gonads and external traits in birds. The production of estrogen occurs via a well-characterised steroidogenic pathway, which is a multi-step process involving several enzymes, including cytochrome P450 aromatase. In chicken embryos, the aromatase gene (CYP19A1 is expressed female-specifically from the time of gonadal sex differentiation. To further explore the role of aromatase in sex determination, we ectopically delivered this enzyme using the retroviral vector RCASBP in ovo. Aromatase overexpression in male chicken embryos induced gonadal sex-reversal characterised by an enlargement of the left gonad and development of ovarian structures such as a thickened outer cortex and medulla with lacunae. In addition, the expression of key male gonad developmental genes (DMRT1, SOX9 and Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH was suppressed, and the distribution of germ cells in sex-reversed males followed the female pattern. The detection of SCP3 protein in late stage sex-reversed male embryonic gonads indicated that these genetically male germ cells had entered meiosis, a process that normally only occurs in female embryonic germ cells. This work shows for the first time that the addition of aromatase into a developing male embryo is sufficient to direct ovarian development, suggesting that male gonads have the complete capacity to develop as ovaries if provided with aromatase.
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Tataru, Paula; Hobolth, Asger
2011-12-05
Continuous time Markov chains (CTMCs) is a widely used model for describing the evolution of DNA sequences on the nucleotide, amino acid or codon level. The sufficient statistics for CTMCs are the time spent in a state and the number of changes between any two states. In applications past evolutionary events (exact times and types of changes) are unaccessible and the past must be inferred from DNA sequence data observed in the present. We describe and implement three algorithms for computing linear combinations of expected values of the sufficient statistics, conditioned on the end-points of the chain, and compare their performance with respect to accuracy and running time. The first algorithm is based on an eigenvalue decomposition of the rate matrix (EVD), the second on uniformization (UNI), and the third on integrals of matrix exponentials (EXPM). The implementation in R of the algorithms is available at http://www.birc.au.dk/~paula/. We use two different models to analyze the accuracy and eight experiments to investigate the speed of the three algorithms. We find that they have similar accuracy and that EXPM is the slowest method. Furthermore we find that UNI is usually faster than EVD.
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Is Advanced Real-Time Energy Metering Sufficient to Persuade People to Save Energy?
Ting, L.; Leite, H.; Ponce de Leão, T.
2012-10-01
In order to promote a low-carbon economy, EU citizens may soon be able to check their electricity consumption from smart meter. It is hoped that smart meter can, by providing real-time consumption and pricing information to residential users, help reducing demand for electricity. It is argued in this paper that, according the Elaborative Likelihood Model (ELM), these methods are most likely to be effective when consumers perceive the issue of energy conservation relevant to their lives. Nevertheless, some fundamental characteristics of these methods result in limited amount of perceived personal relevance; for instance, energy expenditure expense may be relatively small comparing to other household expenditure like mortgage and consumption information does not enhance interpersonal trust. In this paper, it is suggested that smart meter can apply the "nudge" approaches which respond to ELM as the use of simple rules to make decision, which include the change of feedback delivery and device design.
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Is Advanced Real-Time Energy Metering Sufficient to Persuade People to Save Energy?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Leite H.
2012-10-01
Full Text Available In order to promote a low-carbon economy, EU citizens may soon be able to check their electricity consumption from smart meter. It is hoped that smart meter can, by providing real-time consumption and pricing information to residential users, help reducing demand for electricity. It is argued in this paper that, according the Elaborative Likelihood Model (ELM, these methods are most likely to be effective when consumers perceive the issue of energy conservation relevant to their lives. Nevertheless, some fundamental characteristics of these methods result in limited amount of perceived personal relevance; for instance, energy expenditure expense may be relatively small comparing to other household expenditure like mortgage and consumption information does not enhance interpersonal trust. In this paper, it is suggested that smart meter can apply the “nudge” approaches which respond to ELM as the use of simple rules to make decision, which include the change of feedback delivery and device design.
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Duintjer Tebbens, Radboud J; Zimmermann, Marita; Pallansch, Mark A; Thompson, Kimberly M
2017-12-01
Poliovirus surveillance plays a critical role in achieving and certifying eradication and will play a key role in the polio endgame. Environmental surveillance can provide an opportunity to detect circulating polioviruses prior to the observation of any acute flaccid paralysis cases. We completed a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications on environmental surveillance for polio including the search terms "environmental surveillance" or "sewage," and "polio," "poliovirus," or "poliomyelitis," and compared characteristics of the resulting studies. The review included 146 studies representing 101 environmental surveillance activities from 48 countries published between 1975 and 2016. Studies reported taking samples from sewage treatment facilities, surface waters, and various other environmental sources, although they generally did not present sufficient details to thoroughly evaluate the sewage systems and catchment areas. When reported, catchment areas varied from 50 to over 7.3 million people (median of 500,000 for the 25% of activities that reported catchment areas, notably with 60% of the studies not reporting this information and 16% reporting insufficient information to estimate the catchment area population size). While numerous studies reported the ability of environmental surveillance to detect polioviruses in the absence of clinical cases, the review revealed very limited information about the costs and limited information to support quantitative population effectiveness of conducting environmental surveillance. This review motivates future studies to better characterize poliovirus environmental surveillance systems and the potential value of information that they may provide in the polio endgame.
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How Informed Are Informal Educators?
Lederman, Norman G.; Niess, Margaret L.
1998-01-01
Explores current reforms in both mathematics and science education that emphasize the importance of learning in informal settings. Suggests that informal education must include planned and purposeful attempts to facilitate students' understanding of mathematics and science in community settings other than the local school. (Author/CCM)
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LTRACK: Beam-transport calculation including wakefield effects
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chan, K.C.D.; Cooper, R.K.
1988-01-01
LTRACK is a first-order beam-transport code that includes wakefield effects up to quadrupole modes. This paper will introduce the readers to this computer code by describing the history, the method of calculations, and a brief summary of the input/output information. Future plans for the code will also be described
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Sufficient Statistics for Divergence and the Probability of Misclassification
Quirein, J.
1972-01-01
One particular aspect is considered of the feature selection problem which results from the transformation x=Bz, where B is a k by n matrix of rank k and k is or = to n. It is shown that in general, such a transformation results in a loss of information. In terms of the divergence, this is equivalent to the fact that the average divergence computed using the variable x is less than or equal to the average divergence computed using the variable z. A loss of information in terms of the probability of misclassification is shown to be equivalent to the fact that the probability of misclassification computed using variable x is greater than or equal to the probability of misclassification computed using variable z. First, the necessary facts relating k-dimensional and n-dimensional integrals are derived. Then the mentioned results about the divergence and probability of misclassification are derived. Finally it is shown that if no information is lost (in x = Bz) as measured by the divergence, then no information is lost as measured by the probability of misclassification.
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van der Zaag, Pieter; Juizo, Dinis; Vilanculos, Agostinho; Bolding, Alex; Uiterweer, Nynke Post
This paper verifies whether the water resources of the transboundary Limpopo River Basin are sufficient for the planned massive irrigation developments in the Mozambique part of this basin, namely 73,000 ha, in addition to existing irrigation (estimated at 9400 ha), and natural growth of common use irrigation (4000 ha). This development includes the expansion of sugar cane production for the production of ethanol as a biofuel. Total additional water requirements may amount to 1.3 × 10 9 m 3/a or more. A simple river basin simulation model was constructed in order to assess different irrigation development scenarios, and at two storage capacities of the existing Massingir dam. Many uncertainties surround current and future water availability in the Lower Limpopo River Basin. Discharge measurements are incomplete and sometimes inconsistent, while upstream developments during the last 25 years have been dramatic and future trends are unknown. In Mozambique it is not precisely known how much water is currently consumed, especially by the many small-scale users of surface and shallow alluvial groundwater. Future impacts of climate change increase existing uncertainties. Model simulations indicate that the Limpopo River does not carry sufficient water for all planned irrigation. A maximum of approx. 58,000 ha of irrigated agriculture can be sustained in the Mozambican part of the basin. This figure assumes that Massingir will be operated at increased reservoir capacity, and implies that only about 44,000 ha of new irrigation can be developed, which is 60% of the envisaged developments. Any additional water use would certainly impact downstream users and thus create tensions. Some time will elapse before 44,000 ha of new irrigated land will have been developed. This time could be used to improve monitoring networks to decrease current uncertainties. Meanwhile the four riparian Limpopo States are preparing a joint river basin study. In this study a methodology could be
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ahmedov, Anvarjon A; Nurullah bin Rasedee, Ahmad Fadly; Rakhimov, Abdumalik
2013-01-01
In this work we investigate the localization principle of the Fourier-Laplace series of the distribution. Here we prove the sufficient conditions of the localization of the Riesz means of the spectral expansions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on the unit sphere.
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Determining Data Information Literacy Needs: A Study of Students and Research Faculty
Carlson, Jacob; Fosmire, Michael; Miller, C. C.; Nelson, Megan Sapp
2011-01-01
Researchers increasingly need to integrate the disposition, management, and curation of their data into their current workflows. However, it is not yet clear to what extent faculty and students are sufficiently prepared to take on these responsibilities. This paper articulates the need for a data information literacy program (DIL) to prepare…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
E. V. Pustynnikova
2016-01-01
Full Text Available At present time the high trade turnover is typical of the Russian economy, which in turn, activates a sufficient intensity of goods movement. Logistics, as a goods movement path in the context of a variety of delivery methods: road, air, water, pipeline, railroad transport, including across the customs border, is acutely affected by all kinds of economic transformation. Therefore, the creation of stable conditions for movement of goods under the terms of mutually beneficial cooperation is a priority for logistics. Trends of economic development are characterized by growth of integration processes which have expressed themselves positively and proven their economic suitability. Such transformations denote the necessity of the control mechanisms improvement, including logistics. The actual issue of business processes information support in circumstances of logistical integration is considered in this article. The basis of the information system consists of information and communication resources, tools and technologies, the use of which is aimed at solving specific problems for the shaping of information infrastructure, business process reengineering, supporting economic security of business. In process of this issue studying are becoming obvious undeniable advantages of information and communication technologies use in logistics operations, the gaining of which is possible as a result of an integrated system’s interests harmonization. The article provides evidence that the market has a certain influence on the improvement of information and communication systems and technologies for complex carrying out logistical operations, which, in turn, optimizes the duration of the movement of goods and related with this process costs, thereby determines the improvement of logistic conditions in terms of business growth and competitiveness development The article provides evidence that the market has a certain influence on the improvement of information
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Schoelitsz, Bruce; Poortvliet, P Marijn; Takken, Willem
2018-06-01
The public's negative attitudes towards household insects drive tolerance for these insects and their control. Tolerance levels are important in integrated pest management (IPM), as are pest knowledge and information. The risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model describes the relationships between personal factors and information-seeking behaviour. We combined IPM and RISP to determine important relationships between factors driving insect tolerance levels and information-seeking behaviour through an online survey and tested whether this model is valid and generally applicable. Relationships between variables from both IPM and RISP models were tested for seven insect species. Tolerance levels were measured with two factors: willingness to pay for pest control and whether insects are tolerated. Willingness to pay for control was positively affected by age, experience, risk perception, insect characteristics, and negative emotions and affected behavioural intention, by influencing information sufficiency and information-seeking behaviour. Tolerability was influenced by perception of insect characteristics and determines whether control measures are taken. It was possible to combine the RISP and IPM models. Relevant driving factors were a person's age, experience, risk perception, negative affective responses, tolerance levels, relevant channel beliefs about online forums, information sufficiency and information-seeking behaviour. There was, however, variation in important factors between different insects. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Lin28b is sufficient to drive liver cancer and necessary for its maintenance in murine models
Nguyen, Liem H.; Robinton, Daisy A.; Seligson, Marc; Wu, Linwei; Li, Lin; Rakheja, Dinesh; Comerford, Sarah; Ramezani, Saleh; Sun, Xiankai; Parikh, Monisha; Yang, Erin; Powers, John T.; Shinoda, Gen; Shah, Samar; Hammer, Robert; Daley, George Q.; Zhu, Hao
2014-01-01
SUMMARY Lin28a/b are RNA-binding proteins that influence stem cell maintenance, metabolism, and oncogenesis. Poorly differentiated, aggressive cancers often overexpress Lin28, but its role in tumor initiation or maintenance has not been definitively addressed. We report that LIN28B overexpression is sufficient to initiate hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma in murine models. We also detected Lin28b overexpression in MYC-driven hepatoblastomas, and liver-specific deletion of Lin28a/b reduced tumor burden, extended latency, and prolonged survival. Both intravenous siRNA against Lin28b and conditional Lin28b deletion reduced tumor burden and prolonged survival. Igf2bp proteins are upregulated and Igf2bp3 is required in the context of LIN28B overexpression to promote growth. Thus, multiple murine models demonstrate that Lin28b is both sufficient to initiate liver cancer and necessary for its maintenance. PMID:25117712
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49 CFR 195.589 - What corrosion control information do I have to maintain?
2010-10-01
... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What corrosion control information do I have to... SAFETY TRANSPORTATION OF HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE Corrosion Control § 195.589 What corrosion control... sufficient detail to demonstrate the adequacy of corrosion control measures or that corrosion requiring...
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Brown, Brendan; Llewellyn, Rick; Nuberg, Ian
2018-01-01
Purpose: To explore why substantial agricultural information gaps persist in African smallholder farming communities and how to reduce them. Design/methodology/approach: Using conservation agriculture (CA) as a case study, we deeply explore with 29 smallholder farmers why they are yet to obtain sufficient information to enable practice evaluation.…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Valentin Aleksandrovich Ivanov
2016-03-01
Full Text Available The successful development of Northern and Arctic areas depends on sustainable functioning of the agricultural sector. Agriculture and fishing agriculture is a way of life of the indigenous population. The article discusses the state of agriculture and food self-sufficiency in the Komi Republic in the years of relatively stable development (1960–1980 and in the conditions of market reforms. It analyzes production and consumption of food and shows a positive effect of modernization processes on the agricultural sector in the pre-reform period. It studies market transformation of the agrarian economy, accompanied in the 1990s by the sharp decline in agricultural production, degradation of productive capacity, rural demography, rural infrastructure, decrease in living standard of farmers, and disparity of prices on agricultural and industrial products. The paper discloses trends in food self-sufficiency of the northern region in 1980–2013 and reveals reasons for the decrease in its level in the period of market reforms. It considers possible scenarios to develop the agrarian sector and food self-sufficiency. To predict the agriculture development the author identifies strong and weak sides, opportunities and threats by means of SWOT-analysis. The article proposes 3 scenarios: inertial (pessimistic, baseline and optimistic. It finds out the most reasonable optimistic development scenario based on innovative modernization for the Komi Republic. The study results can be used to adjust the current State program of agricultural development and elaborate the strategy of the agro-food sector of the region
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Keskin, İ.; Akbaba, N.; Tosun, M.; Tüfekçi, M. K.; Bulut, D.; Avcı, F.; Gökçe, O.
2018-01-01
The accelerated developments in information technology in recent years, increased the amount of usage of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) in disaster management considerably and the access from mobile and web-based platforms to continuous, accurate and sufficient data needed for decision-making became easier accordingly. The Disaster Management and Decision Support System (AYDES) has been developed with the purpose of managing the disaster and emergency manageme...
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MIRO: guidelines for minimum information for the reporting of an ontology.
Matentzoglu, Nicolas; Malone, James; Mungall, Chris; Stevens, Robert
2018-01-18
Creation and use of ontologies has become a mainstream activity in many disciplines, in particular, the biomedical domain. Ontology developers often disseminate information about these ontologies in peer-reviewed ontology description reports. There appears to be, however, a high degree of variability in the content of these reports. Often, important details are omitted such that it is difficult to gain a sufficient understanding of the ontology, its content and method of creation. We propose the Minimum Information for Reporting an Ontology (MIRO) guidelines as a means to facilitate a higher degree of completeness and consistency between ontology documentation, including published papers, and ultimately a higher standard of report quality. A draft of the MIRO guidelines was circulated for public comment in the form of a questionnaire, and we subsequently collected 110 responses from ontology authors, developers, users and reviewers. We report on the feedback of this consultation, including comments on each guideline, and present our analysis on the relative importance of each MIRO information item. These results were used to update the MIRO guidelines, mainly by providing more detailed operational definitions of the individual items and assigning degrees of importance. Based on our revised version of MIRO, we conducted a review of 15 recently published ontology description reports from three important journals in the Semantic Web and Biomedical domain and analysed them for compliance with the MIRO guidelines. We found that only 41.38% of the information items were covered by the majority of the papers (and deemed important by the survey respondents) and a large number of important items are not covered at all, like those related to testing and versioning policies. We believe that the community-reviewed MIRO guidelines can contribute to improving significantly the quality of ontology description reports and other documentation, in particular by increasing consistent
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Alstone, Peter; Jacobson, Arne; Mills, Evan
2010-08-26
Efforts to promote rechargeable electric lighting as a replacement for fuel-based light sources in developing countries are typically predicated on the notion that lighting service levels can be maintained or improved while reducing the costs and environmental impacts of existing practices. However, the extremely low incomes of those who depend on fuel-based lighting create a need to balance the hypothetically possible or desirable levels of light with those that are sufficient and affordable. In a pilot study of four night vendors in Kenya, we document a field technique we developed to simultaneously measure the effectiveness of lighting service provided by a lighting system and conduct a survey of lighting service demand by end-users. We took gridded illuminance measurements across each vendor's working and selling area, with users indicating the sufficiency of light at each point. User light sources included a mix of kerosene-fueled hurricane lanterns, pressure lamps, and LED lanterns.We observed illuminance levels ranging from just above zero to 150 lux. The LED systems markedly improved the lighting service levels over those provided by kerosene-fueled hurricane lanterns. Users reported that the minimum acceptable threshold was about 2 lux. The results also indicated that the LED lamps in use by the subjects did not always provide sufficient illumination over the desired retail areas. Our sample size is much too small, however, to reach any conclusions about requirements in the broader population. Given the small number of subjects and very specific type of user, our results should be regarded as indicative rather than conclusive. We recommend replicating the method at larger scales and across a variety of user types and contexts. Policymakers should revisit the subject of recommended illuminance levels regularly as LED technology advances and the price/service balance point evolves.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bobula, E.; Kalicka, Z.
1981-10-01
In the paper we consider the one-dimensional solidification of binary alloys in the finite system. The authors present the sufficient condition for solidification in the liquid in front of the moving solid-liquid interface. The effect may produce a fluctuating concentration distributin in the solid. The convection in the liquid and supercooling required for homogeneous nucleation are omitted. A local-equilibrium approximation at the liquid-solid interface is supposed. (author)
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Losavio, Michael
2012-01-01
Information Crisis discusses the scope and types of information available online and teaches readers how to critically assess it and analyze potentially dangerous information, especially when teachers, editors, or other information gatekeepers are not available to assess the information for them. Chapters and topics include:. The Internet as an information tool. Critical analysis. Legal issues, traps, and tricks. Protecting personal safety and identity. Types of online information.
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Zucker, Benjamin E; Kontovounisios, Christos
2018-01-01
The ubiquitous nature of social media has meant that its effects on fields outside of social communication have begun to be felt. The generation undergoing medical education are of the generation referred to as "digital natives", and as such routinely incorporate social media into their education. Social media's incorporation into medical education includes its use as a platform to distribute information to the public ("distributive education") and as a platform to provide information to a specific audience ("push education"). These functions have proved beneficial in many regards, such as enabling constant access to the subject matter, other learners, and educators. However, the usefulness of using social media as part of medical education is limited by the vast quantities of poor quality information and the time required to find information of sufficient quality and relevance, a problem confounded by many student's preoccupation with "efficient" learning. In this Perspective, the authors discuss whether social media has proved useful as a tool for medical education. The current growth in the use of social media as a tool for medical education seems to be principally supported by students' desire for efficient learning rather than by the efficacy of social media as a resource for medical education. Therefore, improvements in the quality of information required to maximize the impact of social media as a tool for medical education are required. Suggested improvements include an increase in the amount of educational content distributed on social media produced by academic institutions, such as universities and journals.
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Market research and complementary advertising under asymmetric information
Tsuchihashi, Toshihiro
2008-01-01
We consider whether market research can always increase a seller's sales under bilateral asymmetric information. If a monopoly seller provides a high quality object, market research cannot increase sales even when the cost is sufficiently low. A low quality seller, on the other hand, can likely benefit from market research. However, this research has shown that market research alone does not improve sales and that advertising complements market research. Thus the high quality seller can incre...
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Information barriers for the protection of sensitive information
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dougan, A.D.; Dunn, J.; Seager, K.; Smith, M.; Beach, D.; Clinton, J.; Vanier, P.
2013-01-01
An Information Barrier is a combination of technology and procedures that prevent the release of a host country's sensitive information to a monitoring party during an inspection of a sensitive item, while enabling assurance of an accurate assessment of host country declarations regarding the item. Information barriers, as a concept, arose from the need to balance two competing requirements - specifically, certification of information protection by a host country and authentication of measurement and information accuracy by a monitoring party. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, in conjunction with several U.S. National Laboratories, has explored information barrier development in detail, and has continued the evolution of essential work done by the U.S. Information Barrier Working Group beginning in the late 1990's, and other international efforts, including the U.S.-Russia-IAEA Trilateral Initiative. This paper explains the rationale for information barriers, and explores the development and application of information barrier concepts for potential future arms control initiatives, including recent work and advances in capabilities. It also considers applications of information barrier concepts applied in other fields.The paper is followed by the slides of the presentation. (authors)
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Increase in Complexity and Information through Molecular Evolution
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Peter Schuster
2016-11-01
Full Text Available Biological evolution progresses by essentially three different mechanisms: (I optimization of properties through natural selection in a population of competitors; (II development of new capabilities through cooperation of competitors caused by catalyzed reproduction; and (III variation of genetic information through mutation or recombination. Simplified evolutionary processes combine two out of the three mechanisms: Darwinian evolution combines competition (I and variation (III and is represented by the quasispecies model, major transitions involve cooperation (II of competitors (I, and the third combination, cooperation (II and variation (III provides new insights in the role of mutations in evolution. A minimal kinetic model based on simple molecular mechanisms for reproduction, catalyzed reproduction and mutation is introduced, cast into ordinary differential equations (ODEs, and analyzed mathematically in form of its implementation in a flow reactor. Stochastic aspects are investigated through computer simulation of trajectories of the corresponding chemical master equations. The competition-cooperation model, mechanisms (I and (II, gives rise to selection at low levels of resources and leads to symbiontic cooperation in case the material required is abundant. Accordingly, it provides a kind of minimal system that can undergo a (major transition. Stochastic effects leading to extinction of the population through self-enhancing oscillations destabilize symbioses of four or more partners. Mutations (III are not only the basis of change in phenotypic properties but can also prevent extinction provided the mutation rates are sufficiently large. Threshold phenomena are observed for all three combinations: The quasispecies model leads to an error threshold, the competition-cooperation model allows for an identification of a resource-triggered bifurcation with the transition, and for the cooperation-mutation model a kind of stochastic threshold for
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Jones, Christine D; Cumbler, Ethan; Honigman, Benjamin; Burke, Robert E; Boxer, Rebecca S; Levy, Cari; Coleman, Eric A; Wald, Heidi L
2017-01-01
Information exchange is critical to high-quality care transitions from hospitals to post-acute care (PAC) facilities. We conducted a survey to evaluate the completeness and timeliness of information transfer and communication between a tertiary-care academic hospital and its related PAC facilities. This was a cross-sectional Web-based 36-question survey of 110 PAC clinicians and staff representing 31 PAC facilities conducted between October and December 2013. We received responses from 71 of 110 individuals representing 29 of 31 facilities (65% and 94% response rates). We collapsed 4-point Likert responses into dichotomous variables to reflect completeness (sufficient vs insufficient) and timeliness (timely vs not timely) for information transfer and communication. Among respondents, 32% reported insufficient information about discharge medical conditions and management plan, and 83% reported at least occasionally encountering problems directly related to inadequate information from the hospital. Hospital clinician contact information was the most common insufficient domain. With respect to timeliness, 86% of respondents desired receipt of a discharge summary on or before the day of discharge, but only 58% reported receiving the summary within this time frame. Through free-text responses, several participants expressed the need for paper prescriptions for controlled pain medications to be sent with patients at the time of transfer. Staff and clinicians at PAC facilities perceive substantial deficits in content and timeliness of information exchange between the hospital and facilities. Such deficits are particularly relevant in the context of the increasing prevalence of bundled payments for care across settings as well as forthcoming readmissions penalties for PAC facilities. Targets identified for quality improvement include structuring discharge summary information to include information identified as deficient by respondents, completion of discharge summaries
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Zaag, van der P.; Juizo, D.; Vilanculos, A.; Bolding, J.A.; Post Uiterweer, N.C.
2010-01-01
This paper verifies whether the water resources of the transboundary Limpopo River Basin are sufficient for the planned massive irrigation developments in the Mozambique part of this basin, namely 73,000 ha, in addition to existing irrigation (estimated at 9400 ha), and natural growth of common use
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Rizzo, Erika; Pizzol, Lisa; Zabeo, Alex; Giubilato, Elisa; Critto, Andrea; Cosmo, Luca; Marcomini, Antonio
2018-07-01
In the EU brownfield presence is still considered a widespread problem. Even though, in the last decades, many research projects and initiatives developed a wealth of methods, guidelines, tools and technologies aimed at supporting brownfield regeneration. However, this variety of products had and still has a limited practical impact on brownfield revitalisation success, because they are not used in their entire potential due to their scarce visibility. Also, another problem that stakeholders face is finding customised information. To overcome this non-visibility and not-sufficient customisation of information, the Information System for Brownfield Regeneration (ISBR) has been developed, based on Artificial Neural Networks, which allows understanding stakeholders' information needs by providing tailored information. The ISBR has been tested by stakeholders from the EU project TIMBRE case studies, located in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Romania. Data gained during tests allowed to understand stakeholders' information needs. Overall, stakeholders showed to be concerned first on remediation aspects, then on benchmarking information, which are valuable to improve practices in the complex field of brownfield regeneration, and then on the relatively new issue of sustainability applied to brownfield regeneration and remediation. Mature markets confirmed their interest for remediation-related aspects, highlighting the central role that risk assessment plays in the process. Emerging markets showed to seek information and tools for strategic and planning issues, like brownfield inventories and georeferenced data sets. Results led to conclude that a new improved platform, combining the ISBR functionalities with geo-referenced ones, would be useful and could represent a further research application. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENHANCING INFORMATIVE VALUE OF AUDIT REPORTS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Silviya Kostova
2016-07-01
Full Text Available The question of information content of audit reports is discovered in this paper. The role of audit reports in decision-making by its users is examined in the paper. It was found that audit reports are an important source of information for the users of such statements. The need to increase the information content of audit reports and the criteria as such informative have been established. This publication considers the requirements which are brought to the Auditor's report. Attention is directed both to those charged with governance in the company and all stakeholders. An audit report should describe the responsibilities of the auditor, i.e. to identify and assess risks of material misstatements in the financial statement; to design and implement audit procedures in response to those risks and to obtain sufficient and relevant audit evidence on which the audit opinion will be based. The aim of the article is to discuss the changes in international auditing standards and auditors' liability.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tataru Paula
2011-12-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Continuous time Markov chains (CTMCs is a widely used model for describing the evolution of DNA sequences on the nucleotide, amino acid or codon level. The sufficient statistics for CTMCs are the time spent in a state and the number of changes between any two states. In applications past evolutionary events (exact times and types of changes are unaccessible and the past must be inferred from DNA sequence data observed in the present. Results We describe and implement three algorithms for computing linear combinations of expected values of the sufficient statistics, conditioned on the end-points of the chain, and compare their performance with respect to accuracy and running time. The first algorithm is based on an eigenvalue decomposition of the rate matrix (EVD, the second on uniformization (UNI, and the third on integrals of matrix exponentials (EXPM. The implementation in R of the algorithms is available at http://www.birc.au.dk/~paula/. Conclusions We use two different models to analyze the accuracy and eight experiments to investigate the speed of the three algorithms. We find that they have similar accuracy and that EXPM is the slowest method. Furthermore we find that UNI is usually faster than EVD.
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40 CFR 720.45 - Information that must be included in the notice form.
2010-07-01
... manufactured, processed, or used. (2) A process description of each manufacture, processing, and use operation which includes a diagram of the major unit operations and chemical conversions, the identity and entry... composition that can be represented by a specific, complete chemical structure diagram (a Class 1 substance...
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2011-10-26
... Management, Inc., Corporate Service Group, Information Technology (IT) Division, Including On-Site Leased... Information Management, Inc., Corporate Service Group, Information Technology (IT) Division, including on-site... location of Iron Mountain Information Management, Inc., Corporate Service Group, Information Technology (IT...
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Funding for teratology information services: up, down, and all around.
Quinn, Dee
2012-08-01
Funding for Teratology Information Services has been an ongoing struggle over the 25 years of its existence. Traditional and novel funding mechanisms have been explored with varying success. The importance of providing teratology risk assessment and counseling to all women of reproductive age is now an established health care objective. Sufficient and stable funding for these services is essential. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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De novo mutations in synaptic transmission genes including DNM1 cause epileptic encephalopathies
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
2014-01-01
in five individuals and de novo mutations in GABBR2, FASN, and RYR3 in two individuals each. Unlike previous studies, this cohort is sufficiently large to show a significant excess of de novo mutations in epileptic encephalopathy probands compared to the general population using a likelihood analysis (p...... = 8.2 × 10(-4)), supporting a prominent role for de novo mutations in epileptic encephalopathies. We bring statistical evidence that mutations in DNM1 cause epileptic encephalopathy, find suggestive evidence for a role of three additional genes, and show that at least 12% of analyzed individuals have...... analyzed exome-sequencing data of 356 trios with the "classical" epileptic encephalopathies, infantile spasms and Lennox Gastaut syndrome, including 264 trios previously analyzed by the Epi4K/EPGP consortium. In this expanded cohort, we find 429 de novo mutations, including de novo mutations in DNM1...
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Is docosahexaenoic acid synthesis from α-linolenic acid sufficient to supply the adult brain?
Domenichiello, Anthony F; Kitson, Alex P; Bazinet, Richard P
2015-07-01
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is important for brain function, and can be obtained directly from the diet or synthesized in the body from α-linolenic acid (ALA). Debate exists as to whether DHA synthesized from ALA can provide sufficient DHA for the adult brain, as measures of DHA synthesis from ingested ALA are typically <1% of the oral ALA dose. However, the primary fate of orally administered ALA is β-oxidation and long-term storage in adipose tissue, suggesting that DHA synthesis measures involving oral ALA tracer ingestion may underestimate total DHA synthesis. There is also evidence that DHA synthesized from ALA can meet brain DHA requirements, as animals fed ALA-only diets have brain DHA concentrations similar to DHA-fed animals, and the brain DHA requirement is estimated to be only 2.4-3.8 mg/day in humans. This review summarizes evidence that DHA synthesis from ALA can provide sufficient DHA for the adult brain by examining work in humans and animals involving estimates of DHA synthesis and brain DHA requirements. Also, an update on methods to measure DHA synthesis in humans is presented highlighting a novel approach involving steady-state infusion of stable isotope-labeled ALA that bypasses several limitations of oral tracer ingestion. It is shown that this method produces estimates of DHA synthesis that are at least 3-fold higher than brain uptake rates in rats. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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Dodhia, Vikash Rajnikant; Fantuzzi, Andrea; Gilardi, Gianfranco
2006-10-01
The membrane-bound human cytochrome P450s have essential roles in the metabolism of endogenous compounds and drugs. Presented here are the results on the construction and characterization of three fusion proteins containing the N-terminally modified human cytochrome P450s CYP2C9, CY2C19 and CYP3A4 fused to the soluble NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase domain of CYP102A1 from Bacillus megaterium. The constructs, CYP2C9/BMR, CYP2C19/BMR and CYP3A4/BMR are well expressed in Escherichia coli as holo proteins. The chimeras can be purified in the absence of detergent and the purified enzymes are both active and correctly folded in the absence of detergent, as demonstrated by circular dichroism and functional studies. Additionally, in comparison with the parent P450 enzyme, these chimeras have greatly improved solubility properties. The chimeras are catalytically self-sufficient and present turnover rates similar to those reported for the native enzymes in reconstituted systems, unlike previously reported mammalian cytochrome P450 fusion proteins. Furthermore the specific activities of these chimeras are not dependent on the enzyme concentration present in the reaction buffer and they do not require the addition of accessory proteins, detergents or phospholipids to be fully active. The solubility, catalytic self-sufficiency and wild-type like activities of these chimeras would greatly simplify the studies of cytochrome P450 mediated drug metabolism in solution.
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On the necessity and sufficiency of local commutativity for causality in quantum mechanics
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Muynck, W.M. de.
1984-01-01
This thesis contributes to the resolution of the question whether quantum mechanics admits an objectivistic interpretation if the description is restricted to the phenomenalistic domain of the quantum mechanical observables. Without touching the realism-phenomenalism dichotomy, this thesis investigates the possibility to disregard the influence of the measurement interaction on the qm measuring results. In the first part, the measuring process is studied and its influence on the objectivity of measuring results. The measurement of a local observable is interpreted as a local operation. Its local commutativity is a necessary condition for macrocausality. In the second part the converse question is studied, viz. Whether local commutativity is sufficient for macrocausality. (Auth.)
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National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
2007-01-01
.... The six countries have taken different approaches in the design of their accrual-based budgets, and all continue to use cash information particularly for evaluating the overall fiscal condition...
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Evolution favors protein mutational robustness in sufficiently large populations
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Venturelli Ophelia S
2007-07-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background An important question is whether evolution favors properties such as mutational robustness or evolvability that do not directly benefit any individual, but can influence the course of future evolution. Functionally similar proteins can differ substantially in their robustness to mutations and capacity to evolve new functions, but it has remained unclear whether any of these differences might be due to evolutionary selection for these properties. Results Here we use laboratory experiments to demonstrate that evolution favors protein mutational robustness if the evolving population is sufficiently large. We neutrally evolve cytochrome P450 proteins under identical selection pressures and mutation rates in populations of different sizes, and show that proteins from the larger and thus more polymorphic population tend towards higher mutational robustness. Proteins from the larger population also evolve greater stability, a biophysical property that is known to enhance both mutational robustness and evolvability. The excess mutational robustness and stability is well described by mathematical theory, and can be quantitatively related to the way that the proteins occupy their neutral network. Conclusion Our work is the first experimental demonstration of the general tendency of evolution to favor mutational robustness and protein stability in highly polymorphic populations. We suggest that this phenomenon could contribute to the mutational robustness and evolvability of viruses and bacteria that exist in large populations.
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Genomic information as a behavioral health intervention: can it work?
Bloss, Cinnamon S; Madlensky, Lisa; Schork, Nicholas J; Topol, Eric J
2011-01-01
Individuals can now obtain their personal genomic information via direct-to-consumer genetic testing, but what, if any, impact will this have on their lifestyle and health? A recent longitudinal cohort study of individuals who underwent consumer genome scanning found minimal impacts of testing on risk-reducing lifestyle behaviors, such as diet and exercise. These results raise an important question: is personal genomic information likely to beneficially impact public health through motivation of lifestyle behavioral change? In this article, we review the literature on lifestyle behavioral change in response to genetic testing for common disease susceptibility variants. We find that only a few studies have been carried out, and that those that have been done have yielded little evidence to suggest that the mere provision of genetic information alone results in widespread changes in lifestyle health behaviors. We suggest that further study of this issue is needed, in particular studies that examine response to multiplex testing for multiple genetic markers and conditions. This will be critical as we anticipate the wide availability of whole-genome sequencing and more comprehensive phenotyping of individuals. We also note that while simple communication of genomic information and disease susceptibility may be sufficient to catalyze lifestyle changes in some highly motivated groups of individuals, for others, additional strategies may be required to prompt changes, including more sophisticated means of risk communication (e.g., in the context of social norm feedback) either alone or in combination with other promising interventions (e.g., real-time wireless health monitoring devices). PMID:22199991
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Information Architecture in Library and Information Science Curricula.
Robins, David
2002-01-01
Discusses how information architecture is being handled in some library and information science (LIS) programs and suggests mappings between traditional LIS curricula and the marketplace for information architects. Topics include terminology used in LIS curricula; current job opportunities; and projections for the future. (LRW)
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Sample Size in Qualitative Interview Studies: Guided by Information Power.
Malterud, Kirsti; Siersma, Volkert Dirk; Guassora, Ann Dorrit
2015-11-27
Sample sizes must be ascertained in qualitative studies like in quantitative studies but not by the same means. The prevailing concept for sample size in qualitative studies is "saturation." Saturation is closely tied to a specific methodology, and the term is inconsistently applied. We propose the concept "information power" to guide adequate sample size for qualitative studies. Information power indicates that the more information the sample holds, relevant for the actual study, the lower amount of participants is needed. We suggest that the size of a sample with sufficient information power depends on (a) the aim of the study, (b) sample specificity, (c) use of established theory, (d) quality of dialogue, and (e) analysis strategy. We present a model where these elements of information and their relevant dimensions are related to information power. Application of this model in the planning and during data collection of a qualitative study is discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.
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$C^1$ actions on manifolds by lattices in Lie groups with sufficiently high rank
Damjanovic, Danijela; Zhang, Zhiyuan
2018-01-01
In this paper we study Zimmer's conjecture for $C^1$ actions of higher-rank lattices of a connected, semisimple Lie group with finite center on compact manifolds. We show that if the Lie group has no compact factor, and all of whose non-compact factors are of ranks in some sense sufficiently large with respect to the dimension of the manifold, then every $C^1$ action of an irreducible, co-compact lattice has a finite image. As a corollary of our results, for every (uniform or non-uniform) lat...
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Monte Carlo based demonstration of sufficiently dimensioned shielding for a Co-60 testing facility
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wind, Michael; Beck, Peter; Latocha, Marcin
2015-01-01
The electrical properties of electronic equipment can be changed in an ionized radiation field. The knowledge of these changes is necessary for applications in space, in air traffic and nuclear medicine. Experimental tests will be performed in Co-60 radiation fields in the irradiation facility (TEC facility) of the Seibersdorf Labor GmbH that is in construction. The contribution deals with a simulation that is aimed to calculate the local dose rate within and outside the building for demonstration of sufficient dimensioning of the shielding in compliance with the legal dose rate limits.
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Dimerization of glycoprotein Ibα is not sufficient to induce platelet clearance.
Liang, X; Syed, A K; Russell, S R; Ware, J; Li, R
2016-02-01
ESSENTIALS: Many anti-glycoprotein (GP)Ibα antibodies induce platelet clearance in a dimer-dependent manner. Characterization of monoclonal antibodies that bind the mechanosensitive domain (MSD) of GPIbα. An anti-MSD antibody binds two copies of GPIbα in platelets but does not induce platelet clearance. The prevailing clustering model of GPIbα signaling is incorrect or needs revision. The mechanism of platelet clearance is not clear. Many antibodies binding the membrane-distal ligand-binding domain of glycoprotein (GP)Ibα induce rapid clearance of platelets and acute thrombocytopenia, which requires the bifurcated antibody structure. It was thought that binding of these antibodies induced lateral dimerization or clustering of GPIbα in the plasma membrane, which leads to downstream signaling and platelet clearance. However, many antibodies targeting GPIbβ and GPIX, which are associated with GPIbα in the GPIb-IX complex, do not induce platelet clearance, which is in contradiction to the clustering model. To test whether dimerization or clustering of GPIbα is sufficient to transmit the signal that leads to platelet clearance. We have recently raised several mAbs targeting the mechanosensitive domain (MSD) of GPIbα. Binding of these anti-MSD antibodies was characterized with biochemical methods. Their ability to stimulate platelets and induce platelet clearance in mice was assessed. Infusion of anti-MSD antibodies does not cause thrombocytopenia in mice. These antibodies show no detectable effects on platelet activation and aggregation in vitro. Further biochemical investigation showed that the anti-MSD antibody 3D1 binds two copies of GPIbα on the platelet surface. Therefore, lateral dimerization of GPIbα induced by antibody binding is not sufficient to initiate GPIb-IX signaling and induce platelet clearance. Our results suggest that a factor other than or in addition to clustering of GPIbα is required to induce platelet clearance. © 2015 International
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Martin-Lujan Francisco
2011-11-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background There is current controversy about the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions that are based on information obtained by spirometry. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness in the primary care setting of structured motivational intervention to achieve smoking cessation, compared with usual clinical practice. Methods Design Multicentre randomized clinical trial with an intervention and a control group. Setting 12 primary care centres in the province of Tarragona (Spain. Subjects of study 600 current smokers aged between 35 and 70 years with a cumulative habit of more than 10 packs of cigarettes per year, attended in primary care for any reason and who did not meet any of the exclusion criteria for the study, randomly assigned to structured intervention or standard clinical attention. Intervention Usual advice to quit smoking by a general practitioner as well as a 20-minute personalized visit to provide detailed information about spirometry results, during which FEV1, FVC, FEF 25-75% and PEF measurements were discussed and interpreted in terms of theoretical values. Additional information included the lung age index (defined as the average age of a non-smoker with the same FEV1 as the study participant, comparing this with the chronological age to illustrate the pulmonary deterioration that results from smoking. Measurements Spirometry during the initial visit. Structured interview questionnaire administered at the primary care centre at the initial visit and at 12-month follow-up. Telephone follow-up interview at 6 months. At 12-month follow-up, expired CO was measured in patients who claimed to have quit smoking. Main variables Smoking cessation at 12 months. Analysis Data will be analyzed on the basis of "intention to treat" and the unit of analysis will be the individual smoker. Expected results Among active smokers treated in primary care we anticipate significantly higher smoking cessation in the
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Muscular sufficiency, serum protein, enzymes and bioenergetic studies in chronic malnutrition
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gupta, R.K.; Mittal, R.D.; Agarwal, K.N.; Agarwal, D.K.
1994-01-01
Muscle sufficiency was significantly lower in 1336 children with chronic malnutrition of moderate to severe degree. 18 children with a chronic moderate degree of malnutrition and 8 well-nourished age-matched controls were selected for biochemical and 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31-P MRS) studies. The results shows that: a) serum total protein, albumin, iron, calcium and inorganic phosphate were similar in both groups; b) serum enzyme levels were significantly increased in the malnuourished group; c) 31-P MRS showed significantly higher means for total ATP, β-ATP, α-ATP and inorganic phosphate for the malnourished compared to the control group. In chronic malnutrition, proteins are maintained by degradation in muscle resulting in release of amino acids and enzymes. 31-P MRS studies showing increases in total ATP, β-ATP and inorganic phosphate and a decrease in phosphocreatine suggest that ATP is maintained at the cost of phosphocreatine. 22 refs., 4 tabs. 1 fig
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2012-09-14
... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services [OMB Control Number 1615... Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a 30-day..., 2012, to ensure the public sufficient opportunity to comment on the information collection. In the 30...
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Information Warfare, Threats and Information Security
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dmitriy Nikolaevich Bespalov
2014-01-01
Full Text Available The article presents the opposite, but dependent on each other's reality - Revolutionary War information,information security goals and objectives of their study within the scheme "challenge-response", methodological and analytical support, the role of elites and the information society in promoting information security. One of the features of contemporaneityis the global spread of ICT, combined with poor governance and other difficulties in the construction of innovation infrastructures that are based on them in some countries. This leads to the reproduction of threats, primarily related to the ability to use ICT for purposes that are inconsistent with the objectives of maintaining international peace and security, compliance with the principles of non-use of force, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, etc. In this regard, include such terms as "a threat of information warfare", "information terrorism" and so forth. Information warfare, which stay in the policy declared the struggle for existence, and relationships are defined in terms of "friend-enemy", "ours-foreign". Superiority over the opponent or "capture of its territory" is the aim of political activity. And information security, serving activities similar process of political control, including a set of components, is a technology until their humanitarian. From the context and the decision itself is the ratio of the achieved results of information and political influence to the target - a positive image of Russia. Bringing its policy in line with the demands of a healthy public opinion provides conductivity of theauthorities initiatives in the country and increases the legitimacy of the Russian Federation actions in the world.
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Spirituality, hope, and self-sufficiency among low-income job seekers.
2015-04-01
Self-sufficiency (SS) is an important social welfare policy goal in the United States, yet little is known about the process that leads to SS. To address this gap in the literature, this study examined the relationship between spirituality, hope, and SS among a sample of low-income job seekers (N = 116). It was hypothesized that spirituality would be related to hope, and that hope, in turn, would be related to SS. Using survey data from two workforce development agencies, this hypothesis was confirmed-hope fully mediated the relationship between spirituality and SS. Of the two factors through which hope is commonly operationalized-agency and pathways-supplemental analysis suggested that spirituality only affects SS through the agency channel. To help foster hope in direct practice settings, it is suggested that social workers might employ spiritually modified cognitive-behavioral therapy protocols. Macrostructural interventions that block the pathway component of hope are also suggested to help reverse exclusion from labor market entry. As such, hope needs to be addressed comprehensively-intrapsychically and macrostructurally-to effect bottom-up change for SS. Engendering hope may assist clients overcome some of the many challenges they encounter on the journey to SS.
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Heterogeneous Beliefs, Public Information, and Option Markets
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Qin, Zhenjiang
In an incomplete market setting with heterogeneous prior beliefs, I show that public information and strike price of option have substantial infl‡uence on asset pricing in option markets, by investigating an absolute option pricing model with negative exponential utility investors and normally...... distributed dividend. I demonstrate that heterogeneous prior variances give rise to the economic value of option markets. Investors speculate in option market and public information improves allocational efficiency of markets only when there is heterogeneity in prior variance. Heterogeneity in mean is neither...... a necessary nor sufficient condition for generating speculations in option markets. With heterogeneous beliefs, options are non-redundant assets which can facilitate side-betting and enable investors to take advantage of the disagreements and the differences in con…dence. This fact leads to a higher growth...
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40 CFR 1045.205 - What must I include in my application?
2010-07-01
... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What must I include in my application... Engine Families § 1045.205 What must I include in my application? This section specifies the information... system components for controlling exhaust emissions, including all auxiliary emission control devices...
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Ortega, Fabian E.; Rengarajan, Michelle; Chavez, Natalie; Radhakrishnan, Prathima; Gloerich, Martijn; Bianchini, Julie; Siemers, Kathleen; Luckett, William S.; Lauer, Peter; Nelson, W. James; Theriot, Julie A.
2017-01-01
The intestinal epithelium is the first physiological barrier breached by the Gram-positive facultative pathogen Listeria monocytogenes during an in vivo infection. Listeria monocytogenes binds to the epithelial host cell receptor E-cadherin, which mediates a physical link between the bacterium and filamentous actin (F-actin). However, the importance of anchoring the bacterium to F-actin through E-cadherin for bacterial invasion has not been tested directly in epithelial cells. Here we demonstrate that depleting αE-catenin, which indirectly links E-cadherin to F-actin, did not decrease L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells in tissue culture. Instead, invasion increased due to increased bacterial adhesion to epithelial monolayers with compromised cell–cell junctions. Furthermore, expression of a mutant E-cadherin lacking the intracellular domain was sufficient for efficient L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells. Importantly, direct biotin-mediated binding of bacteria to surface lipids in the plasma membrane of host epithelial cells was sufficient for uptake. Our results indicate that the only requirement for L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells is adhesion to the host cell surface, and that E-cadherin–mediated coupling of the bacterium to F-actin is not required. PMID:28877987
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Retrieval per se is not sufficient to trigger reconsolidation of human fear memory.
Sevenster, Dieuwke; Beckers, Tom; Kindt, Merel
2012-03-01
Ample evidence suggests that consolidated memories, upon their retrieval, enter a labile state, in which they might be susceptible to change. It has been proposed that memory labilization allows for the integration of relevant information in the established memory trace (memory updating). Memory labilization and reconsolidation do not necessarily occur when a memory is being reactivated, but only when there is something to be learned during memory retrieval (prediction error). Thus, updating of a fear memory trace should not occur under retrieval conditions in which the outcome is fully predictable (no prediction error). Here, we addressed this issue, using a human differential fear conditioning procedure, by eliminating the very possibility of reinforcement of the reminder cue. A previously established fear memory (picture-shock pairings) was reactivated with shock-electrodes attached (Propranolol group, n=18) or unattached (Propranolol No-Shock Expectation group, n=19). We additionally tested a placebo-control group with the shock-electrodes attached (Placebo group, n=18). Reconsolidation was not triggered when nothing could be learned during the reminder trial, as noradrenergic blockade did not affect expression of the fear memory 24h later in the Propranolol No-Shock Expectation group. Only when the outcome of the retrieval cue was not fully predictable, propranolol, contrary to placebo, reduced the startle fear response and prevented the return of fear (reinstatement) the following day. In line with previous studies, skin conductance response and shock expectancies were not affected by propranolol. Remarkably, a double dissociation emerged between the emotional (startle response) and more cognitive expression (expectancies, SCR) of the fear memory. Our findings have important implications for reconsolidation blockade as treatment strategy for emotional disorders. First, fear reducing procedures that target the emotional component of fear memory do not
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78 FR 38033 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
2013-06-25
...: 7100-0341. Frequency: Annually, semi-annually, quarterly, and monthly. Reporters: Large banking... adequacy and that their capital resources are sufficient given their business focus, activities, and... BHCs, including continuous monitoring of BHCs' planning and management of liquidity and funding...
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Sanou, Aboubakary; Kouyaté, Bocar; Bibeau, Gilles; Nguyen, Vinh-Kim
2011-08-01
An innovative immunization improvement strategy was proposed by the CRSN (Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna) to improve the low coverage rate for children aged 0-11 months in the health district of Nouna in Burkina Faso. This article reports on the Evaluability Assessment (EA) study that aimed to orient decisions for its evaluation in close relationship with the information needs of the stakeholders. Various methods were used, including document reviews, individual interviews, focus group discussions, meetings, literature reviews and site visits. A description of the intervention theory and philosophy is provided with its logic models and its reality documented. Lessons on the procedure include the importance of the position of the evaluability assessor, the value of replicating some steps of the assessment and the relationships between EA and process evaluation. The evaluability study concludes that the intervention had some evaluable components. To satisfy the stakeholders' needs, the initially planned community randomized controlled trial can be maintained and complemented with a process evaluation. There is a need to provide sufficient information on the cost of the intervention. This will inform decision makers on the possibility of replicating the intervention in other contexts. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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2012-12-07
... format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly... prescribes the use of Form MA 8-7, Transmittal for Unemployment Insurance Materials. This simple check off... particularly interested in comments which: Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary...
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Solis, Armando D
2015-12-01
To reduce complexity, understand generalized rules of protein folding, and facilitate de novo protein design, the 20-letter amino acid alphabet is commonly reduced to a smaller alphabet by clustering amino acids based on some measure of similarity. In this work, we seek the optimal alphabet that preserves as much of the structural information found in long-range (contact) interactions among amino acids in natively-folded proteins. We employ the Information Maximization Device, based on information theory, to partition the amino acids into well-defined clusters. Numbering from 2 to 19 groups, these optimal clusters of amino acids, while generated automatically, embody well-known properties of amino acids such as hydrophobicity/polarity, charge, size, and aromaticity, and are demonstrated to maintain the discriminative power of long-range interactions with minimal loss of mutual information. Our measurements suggest that reduced alphabets (of less than 10) are able to capture virtually all of the information residing in native contacts and may be sufficient for fold recognition, as demonstrated by extensive threading tests. In an expansive survey of the literature, we observe that alphabets derived from various approaches-including those derived from physicochemical intuition, local structure considerations, and sequence alignments of remote homologs-fare consistently well in preserving contact interaction information, highlighting a convergence in the various factors thought to be relevant to the folding code. Moreover, we find that alphabets commonly used in experimental protein design are nearly optimal and are largely coherent with observations that have arisen in this work. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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1986-10-01
34 syndrome . Five techniques for developing user self-sufficiency were discussed in-depth: (1) provide training at different proficiency levels, id provide...WY aba. 4 ’-a ’aba. @9 "a,.. I bJ~ V N- S ha. E-ii S ’a ’baa .4, .;y ’. ; . a.,. ~ ~ .: ;r YK’.- xYY I. r d’...da.4/ 4/ tq..ttf.%r./..v-./ - "cc~’ v,-r...data base, accessible through a user friendly interfaces, to correlate and deliver crime , traffic, vehicle, and personnel information to " / fixed and
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tuominen Kimmo
2004-01-01
Full Text Available The paper analyses accounts of information behaviour that are produced by 20 heart surgery patients and their spouses. It is shown that patients and their significant others have to act in a context in which health ideologies stressing self sufficiency and patient compliance play a strong role. Thus, the analysed accounts and narratives of information seeking reflect moral demands that ill persons and their significant others are facing in contemporary society. The author uses social constructionist discourse analysis to examine how the interviewees have to relate their descriptions of information practices to existing moral presuppositions on how rational individuals should behave.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. L.S. Mataboge
2016-10-01
Full Text Available Globally challenges regarding healthcare provision are sometimes related to a failure to estimate client numbers in peri-urban areas due to rapid population growth. About one-sixth of the world's population live in informal settlements which are mostly characterised by poor healthcare service provision. Poor access to primary healthcare may expose residents of informal settlement more to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV and to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS than their rural and urban counterparts due to a lack of access to information on prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of both the reproductive health services' clients and the healthcare providers with regard to the provision of reproductive health services including the prevention of HIV and AIDS in a primary healthcare setting in Tshwane. A qualitative, exploratory and contextual design using a phenomenological approach to enquire about the participants' experiences was implemented. Purposive sampling resulted in the selection of 23 clients who used the reproductive healthcare services and ten healthcare providers who were interviewed during individual and focus group interviews respectively. Tesch's method for qualitative data analysis was used. Ethical principles guided the study, and certain strategies were followed to ensure trustworthiness. The findings revealed that females who lived in informal settlements were aware of the inability of the PHC setting to provide adequate reproductive healthcare to meet their needs. The HCPs acknowledged that healthcare provision was negatively affected by policies. It was found that the community members could be taught how to coach teenagers and support each other in order to bridge staff shortages and increase health outcomes including HIV/AIDS prevention.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M.L.S. Mataboge
2016-12-01
Full Text Available Globally challenges regarding healthcare provision are sometimes related to a failure to estimate client numbers in peri-urban areas due to rapid population growth. About one-sixth of the world's population live in informal settlements which are mostly characterised by poor healthcare service provision. Poor access to primary healthcare may expose residents of informal settlement more to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV and to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS than their rural and urban counterparts due to a lack of access to information on prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of both the reproductive health services' clients and the healthcare providers with regard to the provision of reproductive health services including the prevention of HIV and AIDS in a primary healthcare setting in Tshwane. A qualitative, exploratory and contextual design using a phenomenological approach to enquire about the participants' experiences was implemented. Purposive sampling resulted in the selection of 23 clients who used the reproductive healthcare services and ten healthcare providers who were interviewed during individual and focus group interviews respectively. Tesch's method for qualitative data analysis was used. Ethical principles guided the study, and certain strategies were followed to ensure trustworthiness. The findings revealed that females who lived in informal settlements were aware of the inability of the PHC setting to provide adequate reproductive healthcare to meet their needs. The HCPs acknowledged that healthcare provision was negatively affected by policies. It was found that the community members could be taught how to coach teenagers and support each other in order to bridge staff shortages and increase health outcomes including HIV/AIDS prevention.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Korzenevica, Marina
2016-01-01
Following the civil war of 1996–2006, there was a dramatic increase in the labor mobility of young men and the inclusion of young women in formal education, which led to the transformation of the political landscape of rural Nepal. Mobility and schooling represent a level of prestige that rural...... politics. It analyzes how formal education and mobility either challenge or reinforce traditional gendered norms which dictate a lowly position for young married women in the household and their absence from community politics. The article concludes that women are simultaneously excluded and included from...... community politics. On the one hand, their mobility and decision-making powers decrease with the increase in the labor mobility of men and their newly gained education is politically devalued when compared to the informal education that men gain through mobility, but on the other hand, schooling strengthens...
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The Trends and Prospects of Health Information Standards : Standardization Analysis and Suggestions
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kim, Chang Soo
2008-01-01
Ubiquitous health care system, which is one of the developing solution technologies of IT, BT and NT, could give us new medical environments in future. Implementing health information systems can be complex, expensive and frustrating. Healthcare professionals seeking to acquire or upgrade systems do not have a convenient, reliable way of specifying a level of adherence to communication standards sufficient to achieve truly efficient interoperability. Great progress has been made in establishing such standards-DICOM, IHE and HL7, notably, are now highly advanced. IHE has defined a common framework to deliver the basic interoperability needed for local and regional health information networks. It has developed a foundational set of standards-based integration profiles for information exchange with three interrelated efforts. HL7 is one of several ANSI-accredited Standards Developing Organizations operating in the healthcare arena. Most SDOs produce standards (protocols) for a particular healthcare domain such as pharmacy, medical devices, imaging or insurance transactions. HL7's domain is clinical and administrative data. HL7 is an international community of healthcare subject matter experts and information scientists collaborating to create standards for the exchange, management and integration of electronic healthcare information. The ASTM specification for Continuity of Care Record was developed by subcommittee E31.28 on electronic health records, which includes clinicians, provider institutions, administrators, patient advocates, vendors, and health industry. In this paper, there are suggestions that provide a test bed, demonstration and specification of how standards such a IHE, HL7, ASTM can be used to provide an integrated environment.
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The Trends and Prospects of Health Information Standards : Standardization Analysis and Suggestions
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kim, Chang Soo [Dept. of Radiological Science, College of Health Science, Catholic University of Pusan, Pusan (Korea, Republic of)
2008-03-15
Ubiquitous health care system, which is one of the developing solution technologies of IT, BT and NT, could give us new medical environments in future. Implementing health information systems can be complex, expensive and frustrating. Healthcare professionals seeking to acquire or upgrade systems do not have a convenient, reliable way of specifying a level of adherence to communication standards sufficient to achieve truly efficient interoperability. Great progress has been made in establishing such standards-DICOM, IHE and HL7, notably, are now highly advanced. IHE has defined a common framework to deliver the basic interoperability needed for local and regional health information networks. It has developed a foundational set of standards-based integration profiles for information exchange with three interrelated efforts. HL7 is one of several ANSI-accredited Standards Developing Organizations operating in the healthcare arena. Most SDOs produce standards (protocols) for a particular healthcare domain such as pharmacy, medical devices, imaging or insurance transactions. HL7's domain is clinical and administrative data. HL7 is an international community of healthcare subject matter experts and information scientists collaborating to create standards for the exchange, management and integration of electronic healthcare information. The ASTM specification for Continuity of Care Record was developed by subcommittee E31.28 on electronic health records, which includes clinicians, provider institutions, administrators, patient advocates, vendors, and health industry. In this paper, there are suggestions that provide a test bed, demonstration and specification of how standards such a IHE, HL7, ASTM can be used to provide an integrated environment.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Paul Walton
2014-09-01
Full Text Available This paper uses an approach drawn from the ideas of computer systems modelling to produce a model for information itself. The model integrates evolutionary, static and dynamic views of information and highlights the relationship between symbolic content and the physical world. The model includes what information technology practitioners call “non-functional” attributes, which, for information, include information quality and information friction. The concepts developed in the model enable a richer understanding of Floridi’s questions “what is information?” and “the informational circle: how can information be assessed?” (which he numbers P1 and P12.