WorldWideScience

Sample records for model home project

  1. City of Austin: Green habitat learning project. A green builder model home project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-12-01

    The purpose of the Year 14 UCETF project was to design and construct a residential structure that could serve as a demonstration facility, training site, and testing and monitoring laboratory for issues related to the implementation of sustainable building practices and materials. The Model Home Project builds on the previous and existing efforts, partially funded by the UCETF, of the City of Austin Green Builder Program to incorporate sustainable building practices into mainstream building activities. The Green Builder Program uses the term {open_quotes}green{close_quotes} as a synonym for sustainability. In the research and analysis that was completed for our earlier reports in Years 12 and 13, we characterized specific elements that we associate with sustainability and, thus, green building. In general, we refer to a modified life cycle assessment to ascertain if {open_quotes}green{close_quotes} building options reflect similar positive cyclical patterns found in nature (i.e. recyclability, recycled content, renewable resources, etc.). We additionally consider economic, human health and synergistic ecological impacts associated with our building choices and characterize the best choices as {open_quotes}green.{close_quotes} Our ultimate goal is to identify and use those {open_quotes}green{close_quotes} materials and processes that provide well for us now and do not compromise similar benefits for future generations. The original partnership developed for this project shifted during the year from a project stressing advanced (many prototypical) {open_quotes}green{close_quotes} building materials and techniques in a research and demonstration context, to off-the-shelf but underutilized {open_quotes}green{close_quotes} materials in the practical social context of using {open_quotes}green{close_quotes} technologies for low income housing. That project, discussed in this report, is called the Green Habitat Learning Project.

  2. A nationwide survey of patient centered medical home demonstration projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitton, Asaf; Martin, Carina; Landon, Bruce E

    2010-06-01

    The patient centered medical home has received considerable attention as a potential way to improve primary care quality and limit cost growth. Little information exists that systematically compares PCMH pilot projects across the country. Cross-sectional key-informant interviews. Leaders from existing PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform. We used a semi-structured interview tool with the following domains: project history, organization and participants, practice requirements and selection process, medical home recognition, payment structure, practice transformation, and evaluation design. A total of 26 demonstrations in 18 states were interviewed. Current demonstrations include over 14,000 physicians caring for nearly 5 million patients. A majority of demonstrations are single payer, and most utilize a three component payment model (traditional fee for service, per person per month fixed payments, and bonus performance payments). The median incremental revenue per physician per year was $22,834 (range $720 to $91,146). Two major practice transformation models were identified--consultative and implementation of the chronic care model. A majority of demonstrations did not have well-developed evaluation plans. Current PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform include large numbers of patients and physicians as well as a wide spectrum of implementation models. Key questions exist around the adequacy of current payment mechanisms and evaluation plans as public and policy interest in the PCMH model grows.

  3. Parents as Teachers Health Literacy Demonstration project: integrating an empowerment model of health literacy promotion into home-based parent education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Lauren N; Smith, Sandra A; Thomson, Nicole R

    2015-03-01

    The Parents as Teachers (PAT) Health Literacy Demonstration project assessed the impact of integrating data-driven reflective practices into the PAT home visitation model to promote maternal health literacy. PAT is a federally approved Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood Home Visiting program with the goal of promoting school readiness and healthy child development. This 2-year demonstration project used an open-cohort longitudinal design to promote parents' interactive and reflective skills, enhance health education, and provide direct assistance to personalize and act on information by integrating an empowerment paradigm into PAT's parent education model. Eight parent educators used the Life Skills Progression instrument to tailor the intervention to each of 103 parent-child dyads. Repeated-measures analysis of variance, paired t tests, and logistic regression combined with qualitative data demonstrated that mothers achieved overall significant improvements in health literacy, and that home visitors are important catalysts for these improvements. These findings support the use of an empowerment model of health education, skill building, and direct information support to enable parents to better manage personal and child health and health care. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  4. Fermilab History and Archives Project | Home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Special Events Early Users Meetings (1979 - 1989) The Tevatron Natural History Discoveries Technology Site Fermilab History and Archives Project Fermilab History and Archives Project Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Home About the Archives History & Archives Online Request Contact Us Site Index

  5. Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals Project (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2014-03-01

    The Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and a wide range of home energy performance industry professionals. The Guidelines project, managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for DOE, addresses the need for a highly-skilled weatherization workforce equipped to complete consistent, high-quality home energy upgrades for single-family homes, multifamily homes, and manufactured housing. In doing so, it helps increase energy efficiency in housing, which can mitigate climate change, one of the major challenges of the 21st century.

  6. The @Home project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Coxon, Ian Robert

    2014-01-01

    of being overshadowed by what is increasingly seen as new (and substantial) pharmacological and health equipment business market opportunities in what is now viewed as a health 'industry'. The Centre for Innovation at Mayo Clinic (CFI) in Rochester USA, has conducted many projects which border on and have...... investigated various aspects of care provision and patient experience within a patient's home environment. Considerable work by other researchers inside and outside the health field has also contributed insights and platforms for moving healthcare in this direction. In most areas of the western world......, the healthcare sector is struggling to cope with the scale of strain that shifting demographics, rising costs and increasing chronic/complex care is placing on the health system. The shift towards home based care and personal health self-management is seen as offering some possibilities to alleviate...

  7. A Nationwide Survey of Patient Centered Medical Home Demonstration Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitton, Asaf; Martin, Carina

    2010-01-01

    Background The patient centered medical home has received considerable attention as a potential way to improve primary care quality and limit cost growth. Little information exists that systematically compares PCMH pilot projects across the country. Design Cross-sectional key-informant interviews. Participants Leaders from existing PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform. Measurements We used a semi-structured interview tool with the following domains: project history, organization and participants, practice requirements and selection process, medical home recognition, payment structure, practice transformation, and evaluation design. Results A total of 26 demonstrations in 18 states were interviewed. Current demonstrations include over 14,000 physicians caring for nearly 5 million patients. A majority of demonstrations are single payer, and most utilize a three component payment model (traditional fee for service, per person per month fixed payments, and bonus performance payments). The median incremental revenue per physician per year was $22,834 (range $720 to $91,146). Two major practice transformation models were identified—consultative and implementation of the chronic care model. A majority of demonstrations did not have well-developed evaluation plans. Conclusion Current PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform include large numbers of patients and physicians as well as a wide spectrum of implementation models. Key questions exist around the adequacy of current payment mechanisms and evaluation plans as public and policy interest in the PCMH model grows. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-010-1262-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:20467907

  8. Michigan: Healthy Homes-Healthy Business Project (A Former EPA CARE Project)

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Healthy Homes-Healthy Business project is a recipient of a Level II CARE cooperative agreement. The communities of focus for this CARE level II project are the adjacent neighborhoods of Southwest Detroit and South Dearborn.

  9. The safe home project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arphorn, Sara; Jiraniratisai, Sopaphan; Rungtakul, Rungsri; Phutta, Nikom

    2011-12-01

    The Thai Health Promotion Foundation supported the Improvement of Quality of Life of Informal Workers project in Ban Luang District, Amphur Photaram, Ratchaburi Province. There were many informal workers in Ban Luang District. Sweet-crispy fish producers in Ban Luang were the largest group among the sweet-crispy fish producers in Thailand. This project was aimed at improving living and working conditions of informal workers, with a focus on the sweet-crispy fish group. Good practices of improved living and working conditions were used to help informal workers build safe, healthy and productive work environments. These informal workers often worked in substandard conditions and were exposed to various hazards in the working area. These hazards included risk of exposure to hot work environment, ergonomics-related injuries, chemical hazards, electrical hazards etc. Ergonomics problems were commonly in the sweet-crispy fish group. Unnatural postures such as prolonged sitting were performed dominantly. One hundred and fifty informal workers participated in this project. Occupational health volunteers were selected to encourage occupational health and safety in four groups of informal workers in 2009. The occupational health volunteers trained in 2008 were farmers, beauty salon workers and doll makers. The occupational health and safety knowledge is extended to a new informal worker group: sweet-crispy fish producer, in 2009. The occupational health and safety training for sweet-crispy fish group is conducted by occupational health volunteers. The occupational health volunteers increased their skills and knowledge assist in to make safe home and safe community through participatory oriented training. The improvement of living and working condition is conducted by using a modified WISH, Work Improvement for Safe Home, checklist. The plans of improvement were recorded. The informal workers showed improvement mostly on material handling and storage. The safe uses and safe

  10. Implementing a Zero Energy Ready Home Multifamily Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Springer, David [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States); German, Alea [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States)

    2015-08-01

    An objective of this project was to gain a highly visible foothold for residential buildings built to the U.S. Department of Energy's Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) specification that can be used to encourage participation by other California builders. This report briefly describes two single family homes that were ZERH-certified, and focuses on the experience of working with developer Mutual Housing on a 62 unit multi-family community at the Spring Lake subdivision in Woodland, CA. The Spring Lake project is expected to be the first ZERH certified multi-family project nationwide. This report discusses challenges encountered, lessons learned, and how obstacles were overcome.

  11. The sweet-home project: audio technology in smart homes to improve well-being and reliance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vacher, Michel; Istrate, Dan; Portet, François; Joubert, Thierry; Chevalier, Thierry; Smidtas, Serge; Meillon, Brigitte; Lecouteux, Benjamin; Sehili, Mohamed; Chahuara, Pedro; Méniard, Sylvain

    2011-01-01

    The Sweet-Home project aims at providing audio-based interaction technology that lets the user have full control over their home environment, at detecting distress situations and at easing the social inclusion of the elderly and frail population. This paper presents an overview of the project focusing on the multimodal sound corpus acquisition and labelling and on the investigated techniques for speech and sound recognition. The user study and the recognition performances show the interest of this audio technology.

  12. Do telemonitoring projects of heart failure fit the Chronic Care Model?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willemse, Evi; Adriaenssens, Jef; Dilles, Tinne; Remmen, Roy

    2014-07-01

    This study describes the characteristics of extramural and transmural telemonitoring projects on chronic heart failure in Belgium. It describes to what extent these telemonitoring projects coincide with the Chronic Care Model of Wagner. The Chronic Care Model describes essential components for high-quality health care. Telemonitoring can be used to optimise home care for chronic heart failure. It provides a potential prospective to change the current care organisation. This qualitative study describes seven non-invasive home-care telemonitoring projects in patients with heart failure in Belgium. A qualitative design, including interviews and literature review, was used to describe the correspondence of these home-care telemonitoring projects with the dimensions of the Chronic Care Model. The projects were situated in primary and secondary health care. Their primary goal was to reduce the number of readmissions for chronic heart failure. None of these projects succeeded in a final implementation of telemonitoring in home care after the pilot phase. Not all the projects were initiated to accomplish all of the dimensions of the Chronic Care Model. A central role for the patient was sparse. Limited financial resources hampered continuation after the pilot phase. Cooperation and coordination in telemonitoring appears to be major barriers but are, within primary care as well as between the lines of care, important links in follow-up. This discrepancy can be prohibitive for deployment of good chronic care. Chronic Care Model is recommended as basis for future.

  13. The Sweet-Home project: audio processing and decision making in smart home to improve well-being and reliance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vacher, Michel; Chahuara, Pedro; Lecouteux, Benjamin; Istrate, Dan; Portet, Francois; Joubert, Thierry; Sehili, Mohamed; Meillon, Brigitte; Bonnefond, Nicolas; Fabre, Sébastien; Roux, Camille; Caffiau, Sybille

    2013-01-01

    The Sweet-Home project aims at providing audio-based interaction technology that lets the user have full control over their home environment, at detecting distress situations and at easing the social inclusion of the elderly and frail population. This paper presents an overview of the project focusing on the implemented techniques for speech and sound recognition as context-aware decision making with uncertainty. A user experiment in a smart home demonstrates the interest of this audio-based technology.

  14. Netduino home automation projects for lazy boys

    CERN Document Server

    Cavanagh, Matt

    2013-01-01

    Netduino Home Automation Projects for Lazy Boys is written in a practical and friendly style. Reading this book will be an experience full of fun and learning as well.This book is ideally suited for someone who is interested in home automation, has some experience in C#, and has used a Netduino before but wants to explore more advanced topics. However, the book starts from the very basics so it can be picked up even by novices.

  15. The Data Rescue @ Home Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stickler, A.; Allan, R.; Valente, M. A.; Tinz, B.; Brönnimann, S.

    2012-04-01

    Climate science as a whole as well as reanalyses as a special case can significantly profit from the recovery, imaging and digitisation of historical observations. The importance of this fact is reflected in large, global data rescue projects and initiatives such as the Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth (ACRE, www.met-acre.org) or the EU FP7 ERA-CLIM project (www.era-clim.eu). From the time before 1957, there are still large amounts of surface data e.g. from former colonies and from overseas territories of European countries )e.g. Portugal, France and Germany) that need to be rescued. Also in case of the very early upper-air observations before the 1930s, even Europe and North America still hold an important quantity of data to be recovered in digital form. Here, we present the web platform "Data Rescue @ Home" (www.data-rescue-at-home.org), which has been developed at ETH Zurich and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, and which has been designed to take advantage of the voluntary assistance of the thousands of people on the web who are interested in climate or old weather data. On the website, these volunteers can enter meteorological data shown on digital images into entry masks that resemble the original. By registering, the users get access to their personal digitisation statistics and help optimising the project. At the moment, 4 digitisation projects are online: One project is dealing with German upper-air data from the Second World War period. In a second project, station data from Tulagi (Solomon Islands) is being digitised. Finally, two collaborative projects have been included: One in cooperation with the Instituto Dom Luiz (Univ. Lisbon, Portugal), where Portuguese station data from Angra (Azores) is digitised, and a further one in cooperation with the German Meteorological Service (DWD), in which precipitation data from former German colonies is being digitised. On our poster, we will report on the status of the projects

  16. Implementing a Zero Energy Ready Home Multifamily Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Springer, David [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); German, Alea [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-08-17

    Building cost-effective, high-performance homes that provide superior comfort, health, and durability is the goal of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program. Building America research and other innovative programs throughout the country have addressed many of the technical challenges of building to the ZERH standard. The cost-effectiveness of measure packages that result in 30% source energy savings compared to a code-compliant home have been demonstrated. However, additional challenges remain, particularly with respect to convincing production builders of the strong business case for ZERH. The Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) team believes that the keys to successfully engaging builders and developers in the California market are to help them leverage development agreement requirements, code compliance requirements, incentives, and competitive market advantages of ZERH certification, and navigate through this process. A primary objective of this project was to gain a highly visible foothold for residential buildings that are built to the DOE ZERH specification that can be used to encourage participation by other California builders. This report briefly describes two single-family homes that were ZERH certified and focuses on the experience of working with developer Mutual Housing on a 62-unit multifamily community at the Spring Lake subdivision in Woodland, California. The Spring Lake project is expected to be the first ZERH-certified multifamily project in the country. This report discusses the challenges encountered, lessons learned, and how obstacles were overcome.

  17. How Do The EV Project Participants Feel about Charging Their EV at Home?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Francfort, James E. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-02-01

    Key Observations from the Survey of the EV Project Participants; In June 2013, 72% of EV Project participants were very satisfied with their home charging experience; 21% of participants relied totally on home charging for all of their charging needs; Volt owners relied more on home charging than Leaf owners, who reported more use of away-from-home charging; 74% of participants reported that they plug in their plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) every time they park at home. Others plugged in as they determined necessary to support their driving needs; 40% of participants reported that they would not have or are unsure that in June 2013 whether they would have purchased an alternating current (AC) Level 2 electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for home charging if it had not been provided by The EV Project; and 61% of participants reported that The EV Project incentive was very important or important in their decision to obtain a PEV.

  18. [Life project of residents and institutional approach in nursing homes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chanut, Corinne

    The life project in a nursing home involves all the players concerned: first of all, the resident, then the caregivers, the families and the institution. This unifying tool, organised around the elderly, helps to develop collective competencies, favours the integration of new residents and reassures families. This article presents a nursing home's experience of setting up a life project. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. Organizational home care models across Europe: A cross sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Eenoo, Liza; van der Roest, Henriëtte; Onder, Graziano; Finne-Soveri, Harriet; Garms-Homolova, Vjenka; Jonsson, Palmi V; Draisma, Stasja; van Hout, Hein; Declercq, Anja

    2018-01-01

    Decision makers are searching for models to redesign home care and to organize health care in a more sustainable way. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize home care models within and across European countries by means of structural characteristics and care processes at the policy and the organization level. At the policy level, variables that reflected variation in health care policy were included based on a literature review on the home care policy for older persons in six European countries: Belgium, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, and the Netherlands. At the organizational level, data on the structural characteristics and the care processes were collected from 36 home care organizations by means of a survey. Data were collected between 2013 and 2015 during the IBenC project. An observational, cross sectional, quantitative design was used. The analyses consisted of a principal component analysis followed by a hierarchical cluster analysis. Fifteen variables at the organizational level, spread across three components, explained 75.4% of the total variance. The three components made it possible to distribute home care organizations into six care models that differ on the level of patient-centered care delivery, the availability of specialized care professionals, and the level of monitoring care performance. Policy level variables did not contribute to distinguishing between home care models. Six home care models were identified and characterized. These models can be used to describe best practices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Transitioning a home telehealth project into a sustainable, large-scale service: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wade, Victoria A; Taylor, Alan D; Kidd, Michael R; Carati, Colin

    2016-05-16

    This study was a component of the Flinders Telehealth in the Home project, which tested adding home telehealth to existing rehabilitation, palliative care and geriatric outreach services. Due to the known difficulty of transitioning telehealth projects services, a qualitative study was conducted to produce a preferred implementation approach for sustainable and large-scale operations, and a process model that offers practical advice for achieving this goal. Initially, semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior clinicians, health service managers and policy makers, and a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was undertaken to identify the range of options for ongoing operations, plus the factors affecting sustainability. Subsequently, the interviewees and other decision makers attended a deliberative forum in which participants were asked to select a preferred model for future implementation. Finally, all data from the study was synthesised by the researchers to produce a process model. 19 interviews with senior clinicians, managers, and service development staff were conducted, finding strong support for home telehealth but a wide diversity of views on governance, models of clinical care, technical infrastructure operations, and data management. The deliberative forum worked through these options and recommended a collaborative consortium approach for large-scale implementation. The process model proposes that the key factor for large-scale implementation is leadership support, which is enabled by 1) showing solutions to the problems of service demand, budgetary pressure and the relationship between hospital and primary care, 2) demonstrating how home telehealth aligns with health service policies, and 3) achieving clinician acceptance through providing evidence of benefit and developing new models of clinical care. Two key actions to enable change were marketing telehealth to patients, clinicians and policy-makers, and building a community of

  1. Michigan Oncology Medical Home Demonstration Project: First-Year Results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuntz, Gordon; Tozer, Jane; Snegosky, Jeff; Fox, John; Neumann, Kurt

    2014-03-01

    The Michigan Oncology Medical Home Demonstration Project (MOMHDP) is an innovative multipractice oncology medical home model, supported by payment reform. Sponsored by Priority Health, Physician Resource Management, and ION Solutions, MOMHDP includes four oncology practices and 29 physicians. Oncology practices used existing technologies, with MOMHDP providing evidence-based treatment guideline selection and compliance tracking, automated physician order entry, a patient portal, symptom management/standardized nurse triage, and advance care planning. To support changes in care and administrative models and to focus on quality, MOMHDP modifies provider payments. The program replaces the average sales price payment methodology with a drug acquisition reimbursement plus a care management fee, calculated to increase total drug reimbursement. Additionally, it reimburses for chemotherapy and treatment planning and advance care planning consultation. There is also a shared savings opportunity. MOMHDP will be enhanced in its second year to include a survivorship program, patient distress screening, imaging guidelines, and standardized patient satisfaction surveys. Priority Health patients receiving chemotherapy for a cancer diagnosis were recruited to the program. Results for this group were compared with a control group of patients from a prior period. In addition to the financial results, the project also accomplished the following: (1) adherence to practice-selected guidelines, (2) institution of advance care planning, (3) effective and standardized symptom management; and (4) payment reform. We have identified a number of critical success factors: strong payer/provider collaboration built on trust through transparent use and cost data; timing of clinical standardization must come from the practices, so they can effectively absorb new approaches; having comprehensive, written program documentation and consistently applied training facilitate practice understanding

  2. Modelling in Evaluating a Working Life Project in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarja, Anneli; Janhonen, Sirpa; Havukainen, Pirjo; Vesterinen, Anne

    2012-01-01

    This article describes an evaluation method based on collaboration between the higher education, a care home and university, in a R&D project. The aim of the project was to elaborate modelling as a tool of developmental evaluation for innovation and competence in project cooperation. The approach was based on activity theory. Modelling enabled a…

  3. A community-wide school health project for the promotion of smoke-free homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loke, Alice Yuen; Mak, Y W

    2015-11-26

    A community-wide school health project for the promotion of smoke-free homes was launched in June 2010 with the aim of promoting the benefits of smoke-free homes to all school-aged children (aged 6-18), and indirectly to their parents and family members. The 1-year project included health talks on a smoke-free life; the distribution of educational leaflets; slogan and visual art competitions; and a health fair held in June 2011. Two sets of questionnaires were developed to solicit a resolution and action from the participants regarding the establishment of a smoke-free home, and their decision to stay smoke-free. This is a paper to report on the activities of this project, the attempts to reach out to school-aged children, and their indications of agreement with, support for, and commitment to promoting smoke-free homes. The project reached an estimated 12,800 school-aged children in Hong Kong. A large proportion of those received educational leaflets (69.6-88.2 %). Of those who participated in the health fair, 69.7-87.6 % agreed to promote the concept of smoke-free homes to friends and family. More primary than secondary students pledged to not take up smoking (90.8 vs 85.8 %). About 82 % of those who had experimented with smoking pledged to stop. A small proportion of them reported already having established a smoke-free policy at home (14.9 %), placed a 'No Smoking' sign at home (16.4 %), informed visitors of their smoke-free policy at home (12.9 %), and asked visitors to dispose of lit cigarettes before entering their home (15.9 %). This community-wide school health project on the benefits of smoke-free homes reached a large number of students, and indirectly to family members, and home visitors. Public health efforts of this kind should be continued to reach younger generations and the general public.

  4. Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Greenbelt Homes, Inc. Pilot Retrofit Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2015-06-01

    In the fall of 2010, a multiyear pilot energy efficiency retrofit project was undertaken by Greenbelt Homes, Inc., (GHI) a 1,566 home cooperative of circa 1930 and 1940 homes in Greenbelt, Maryland. GHI established this pilot project to serve as a basis for decision making for the rollout of a community-wide upgrade program that will incorporate energy efficiency improvements to the building envelope and mechanical equipment. With the community upgrade fully funded by the cooperative through their membership without outside subsidies, this project presents a unique opportunity to evaluate and prioritize the wide range of benefits of high-performance retrofits based on member experience with and acceptance of the retrofit measures implemented during the pilot project. Addressing the complex interactions between benefits, trade-offs, construction methods, project management implications, realistic upfront costs, financing, and other considerations, serves as a case study for energy retrofit projects that include high-performance technologies based on the long-term value to the homeowner. The pilot project focused on identifying the added costs and energy-savings benefits of improvements. Phase 1—baseline evaluation for a representative set of 28 homes sited in seven buildings; Phase 2—installation of the building envelope improvements and continued monitoring of the energy consumption for the heating season; Phase 3—energy simulations supporting recommendations for HVAC and water heating upgrades.

  5. A National Implementation Project to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in Nursing Home Residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mody, Lona; Greene, M Todd; Meddings, Jennifer; Krein, Sarah L; McNamara, Sara E; Trautner, Barbara W; Ratz, David; Stone, Nimalie D; Min, Lillian; Schweon, Steven J; Rolle, Andrew J; Olmsted, Russell N; Burwen, Dale R; Battles, James; Edson, Barbara; Saint, Sanjay

    2017-08-01

    Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI) in nursing home residents is a common cause of sepsis, hospital admission, and antimicrobial use leading to colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms. To develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention to reduce catheter-associated UTI. A large-scale prospective implementation project was conducted in community-based nursing homes participating in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Long-Term Care. Nursing homes across 48 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico participated. Implementation of the project was conducted between March 1, 2014, and August 31, 2016. The project was implemented over 12-month cohorts and included a technical bundle: catheter removal, aseptic insertion, using regular assessments, training for catheter care, and incontinence care planning, as well as a socioadaptive bundle emphasizing leadership, resident and family engagement, and effective communication. Urinary catheter use and catheter-associated UTI rates using National Healthcare Safety Network definitions were collected. Facility-level urine culture order rates were also obtained. Random-effects negative binomial regression models were used to examine changes in catheter-associated UTI, catheter utilization, and urine cultures and adjusted for covariates including ownership, bed size, provision of subacute care, 5-star rating, presence of an infection control committee, and an infection preventionist. In 4 cohorts over 30 months, 568 community-based nursing homes were recruited; 404 met inclusion criteria for analysis. The unadjusted catheter-associated UTI rates decreased from 6.78 to 2.63 infections per 1000 catheter-days. With use of the regression model and adjustment for facility characteristics, the rates decreased from 6.42 to 3.33 (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.46; 95% CI, 0.36-0.58; P project. Catheter utilization remained unchanged (4.50 at baseline, 4.45 at conclusion of project; IRR, 0

  6. SpaceScience@Home: Authentic Research Projects that Use Citizen Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Méndez, B. J. H.

    2008-06-01

    In recent years, several space science research projects have enlisted the help of large numbers of non-professional volunteers, ``citizen scientists'', to aid in performing tasks that are critical to a project, but require more person-time (or computing time) than a small professional research team can practically perform themselves. Examples of such projects include SETI@home, which uses time from volunteers computers to process radio-telescope observation looking for signals originating from extra-terrestrial intelligences; Clickworkers, which asks volunteers to review images of the surface of Mars to identify craters; Spacewatch, which used volunteers to review astronomical telescopic images of the sky to identify streaks made by possible Near Earth Asteroids; and Stardust@home, which asks volunteers to review ``focus movies'' taken of the Stardust interstellar dust aerogel collector to search for possible impacts from interstellar dust particles. We shall describe these and other similar projects and discuss lessons learned from carrying out such projects, including the educational opportunities they create.

  7. Indonesia solar home systems project for rural electrification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanghvi, A.P.

    1997-12-01

    This paper presents, from a financing aspect the broad issues involved in a plan to provide solar home systems (SHS) to provide rural electrification in several areas of rural Indonesia. The paper discusses the approaches being used to provide funding, develop awareness of the technology, and assure the success of the project. The plan involves the use of grant money to help with some of the initial costs of such systems, and thereby to encourage local financing on a terms rather than cash basis. There are needs for market development, and development of a business structure in the country to support this type of technology. Provided this plan can succeed, it may serve as a model for further efforts.

  8. Research on the model of home networking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Xiang; Feng, Xiancheng

    2007-11-01

    It is the research hotspot of current broadband network to combine voice service, data service and broadband audio-video service by IP protocol to transport various real time and mutual services to terminal users (home). Home Networking is a new kind of network and application technology which can provide various services. Home networking is called as Digital Home Network. It means that PC, home entertainment equipment, home appliances, Home wirings, security, illumination system were communicated with each other by some composing network technology, constitute a networking internal home, and connect with WAN by home gateway. It is a new network technology and application technology, and can provide many kinds of services inside home or between homes. Currently, home networking can be divided into three kinds: Information equipment, Home appliances, Communication equipment. Equipment inside home networking can exchange information with outer networking by home gateway, this information communication is bidirectional, user can get information and service which provided by public networking by using home networking internal equipment through home gateway connecting public network, meantime, also can get information and resource to control the internal equipment which provided by home networking internal equipment. Based on the general network model of home networking, there are four functional entities inside home networking: HA, HB, HC, and HD. (1) HA (Home Access) - home networking connects function entity; (2) HB (Home Bridge) Home networking bridge connects function entity; (3) HC (Home Client) - Home networking client function entity; (4) HD (Home Device) - decoder function entity. There are many physical ways to implement four function entities. Based on theses four functional entities, there are reference model of physical layer, reference model of link layer, reference model of IP layer and application reference model of high layer. In the future home network

  9. The Environmental Health/Home Safety Education Project: a successful and practical U.S.-Mexico border initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forster-Cox, Susan C; Mangadu, Thenral; Jacquez, Benjamín; Fullerton, Lynne

    2010-05-01

    The Environmental Health/Home Safety Education Project (Proyecto de Salud Ambiental y Seguridad en el Hogar) has been developed in response to a wide array of severe and often preventable environmental health issues occurring in and around homes on the U.S.-Mexico border. Utilizing well-trained community members, called promotoras , homes are visited and assessed for potential environmental hazards, including home fire and food safety issues. Data analyzed from project years 2002 to 2005 shows a significant impact in knowledge levels and initial behavior change among targeted participants as it relates to fire and food safety issues. Since the initiation of the project in 1999, hundreds of participants have improved their quality of life by making their homes safer. The project has proven to be sustainable, replicable, flexible, and attractive to funders.

  10. Texas ''Recycled Content''/Advanced Green Builder Demonstration Home Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisk, P. III; Vittori, G.

    1993-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of principal issues addressed in the Advanced Green Builder Demonstration Home Project, with units to be constructed in Austin and Laredo. The project's objective is to introduce these distinct communities to a range of ''green'' housing materials and methods, emphasizing opportunities for recycled-content and by-product based construction materials. The project, principally funded by U.S. Department of Energy Oil Overcharge Funds administered by the Texas Governor's Energy Office, also is supported by several state, regional, and municipal agencies. As such, the project reflects a regional process, as open to adaptation to a region's natural resources as it is to its peoples. The design is specifically intended to bridge issues of social and family concerns, such as affordability, expandibility, and economic development. This is a result of a modular-based design framework, coupled with reliance on environmentally-conscious regional manufacture of by-product based materials. Environmental issues are addressed by establishing a user for pollutants considered major contributors to global concerns of acid rain (due to release of sulphur dioxide), global warming (due to release of carbon dioxide), and deforestation. The homes will be built without virgin wood products or portland cement

  11. Whole-House Design and Commissioning in the Project Home Again Hot-Humid New Construction Community

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kerrigan, P.

    2012-09-01

    BSC has been working with Project Home Again since 2008 and has consulted on the design of around 100 affordable, energy efficient new construction homes for victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This report details the effort on the final two phases of the project: Phases V and VI which resulted in a total of 25 homes constructed in 2011. The goal of this project was to develop and implement an energy efficiency package that will achieve at least 20% whole house source energy savings improvement over the B10 Benchmark.

  12. Whole-House Design and Commissioning in the Project Home Again Hot-Humid New Construction Community

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kerrigan, Philip [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States)

    2012-09-01

    Building Science Corporation has been working with Project Home Again since 2008 and has consulted on the design of around 100 affordable, energy efficient new construction homes for victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This report details the effort on the final two phases of the project: Phases V and VI, which resulted in a total of 25 homes constructed in 2011. The goal of this project was to develop and implement an energy efficiency package that will achieve at least 20% whole house source energy savings improvement over the B10 Benchmark.

  13. ATLAS@Home looks for CERN volunteers

    CERN Multimedia

    Rosaria Marraffino

    2014-01-01

    ATLAS@Home is a CERN volunteer computing project that runs simulated ATLAS events. As the project ramps up, the project team is looking for CERN volunteers to test the system before planning a bigger promotion for the public.   The ATLAS@home outreach website. ATLAS@Home is a large-scale research project that runs ATLAS experiment simulation software inside virtual machines hosted by volunteer computers. “People from all over the world offer up their computers’ idle time to run simulation programmes to help physicists extract information from the large amount of data collected by the detector,” explains Claire Adam Bourdarios of the ATLAS@Home project. “The ATLAS@Home project aims to extrapolate the Standard Model at a higher energy and explore what new physics may look like. Everything we’re currently running is preparation for next year's run.” ATLAS@Home became an official BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network ...

  14. Modelling home equity conversion loans with life insurance models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baškot Bojan

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Home equity represents a reserve that can be used for providing additional money for its owners during their retirement. Life insurance models can be successfully applied to model home equity conversion loans. The home equity conversion loan is a financial product that provides a certain flexibility by using home equity as a resource for a quality life during retirement. Home equity conversion loans do not have a predetermined maturity date, as do conventional loans. But, like every loan, it must be repaid. One potential advantage of using a home equity conversion loan during tough financial times instead of some types of need-based assistance is that eligibility is straightforward. Home equity conversion loans can be useful tools in the process of pension system reform.

  15. Discussion on the Implementation of the Patient Centred Medical Home model - Experiences from Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Safa Majidi Rahbar

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Different practitioners and academics have been working on the application of the Patient Centred Medical Home (PCMH model within the Australian context for many years. In early 2016, the Commonwealth government of Australia announced plans to establish Health Care Homes throughout the country based off the PCMH model, beginning with trial sites focused on the bundling of payments. As a result, the number of Primary Health Networks, policy makers and general practices receptive to establishing Health Care Homes is growing rapidly. The time is ripe to identify how best the elements of the model translate into the Australian context and how to implement its elements with success. As a contribution to the opportunity for a widespread implementation, the North Coast Primary Health Network is engaged in a project to build capacity in general practices to transition into Health Care Homes. The main outcomes of this project include: 1. Preparing “The Australian Handbook for Transitioning to Health Care Homes” A resource which will provide a rationale for transitioning to a HCH, milestones for transitioning along a continuum and tools for practice and practice support for establishing the model in general practice. Thus developing capacity to train ‘change facilitators’ to work to accompany transitioning practices. 2. Establishment of a National Network of Patient Centred HCH Collaborators Made up of PHN representatives, experts and policy makers working in the PCMH development space. Focused on improving advocacy effectiveness, knowledge sharing and keeping stakeholders up to date with unfolding developments. 3. Increasing local preparedness and interest for establishing HCHs Focused on propagation of development of interest locally for transitioning practices into HCHs. A local network of practitioners and collaborators informed of project updates and HCH learning and development opportunities in the region. 4. Local trial and

  16. Landscaping Habitat for Humanity Homes: A Community Outreach Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsay, Jodie L.

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this project is to incorporate a community service component into a Biology course at Northern State University (NSU) in Aberdeen, SD. Students in an upper-level botany course (Plant Structure and Function) provide landscaping services to homeowners who have purchased homes through Habitat for Humanity. Homeowner satisfaction with…

  17. Innovative Home Visit Models Associated With Reductions In Costs, Hospitalizations, And Emergency Department Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz, Sarah; Snyder, Lynne Page; Rotondo, Christina; Cross-Barnet, Caitlin; Colligan, Erin Murphy; Giuriceo, Katherine

    2017-03-01

    While studies of home-based care delivered by teams led by primary care providers have shown cost savings, little is known about outcomes when practice-extender teams-that is, teams led by registered nurses or lay health workers-provide home visits with similar components (for example, care coordination and education). We evaluated findings from five models funded by Health Care Innovation Awards of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Each model used a mix of different components to strengthen connections to primary care among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions; these connections included practice-extender home visits. Two models achieved significant reductions in Medicare expenditures, and three models reduced utilization in the form of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or both for beneficiaries relative to comparators. These findings present a strong case for the potential value of home visits by practice-extender teams to reduce Medicare expenditures and service use in a particularly vulnerable and costly segment of the Medicare population. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  18. Short-time home coming project in evacuation zone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tatsuzaki, Hideo

    2011-01-01

    Accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) forced neighboring residents to evacuate, and evacuation zone (20 km radius from NPPs) was defined as highly contaminated and designated as no-entry zones. Residents had been obliged to live a refugee life for a longer period than expected. Short-time home coming project was initiated according to their requests. They came to the meeting place called transfer place (20 - 30 km radius from NPPs), wore protective clothing and personal dosimeter with having drinking water and came home in evacuation zone with staffs by bus. Their healthcare management professionals were fully prepared for emergency. After collecting necessary articles at home within two hours, they returned to the meeting place by bus for screening and dressing, and went back to refuge house. If screening data were greater than 13 kcpm using GM counters, partial body decontamination had been conducted by wiping and if greater than 100 kcpm, whole body decontamination was requested but not conducted. Dose rate of residents and staffs was controlled less than 1 mSv, which was alarm level of personal dosimeter. Stable iodine was prepared but actually not used. (T. Tanaka)

  19. Project CHERISH (Children in Home Environments: Regulation To Improve Safety and Health). Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grubb, Paul Dallas

    In 1990, Project CHERISH (Children in Home Environments: Regulation to Increase Safety and Health) enabled the Texas Department of Human Services to implement and evaluate several innovative strategies to strengthen regulation of family day care homes. This report contains descriptions of those strategies, an evaluation of their efficacy, and…

  20. Monitoring Quality Across Home Visiting Models: A Field Test of Michigan's Home Visiting Quality Assurance System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heany, Julia; Torres, Jennifer; Zagar, Cynthia; Kostelec, Tiffany

    2018-06-05

    Introduction In order to achieve the positive outcomes with parents and children demonstrated by many home visiting models, home visiting services must be well implemented. The Michigan Home Visiting Initiative developed a tool and procedure for monitoring implementation quality across models referred to as Michigan's Home Visiting Quality Assurance System (MHVQAS). This study field tested the MHVQAS. This article focuses on one of the study's evaluation questions: Can the MHVQAS be applied across models? Methods Eight local implementing agencies (LIAs) from four home visiting models (Healthy Families America, Early Head Start-Home Based, Parents as Teachers, Maternal Infant Health Program) and five reviewers participated in the study by completing site visits, tracking their time and costs, and completing surveys about the process. LIAs also submitted their most recent review by their model developer. The researchers conducted participant observation of the review process. Results Ratings on the MHVQAS were not significantly different between models. There were some differences in interrater reliability and perceived reliability between models. There were no significant differences between models in perceived validity, satisfaction with the review process, or cost to participate. Observational data suggested that cross-model applicability could be improved by assisting sites in relating the requirements of the tool to the specifics of their model. Discussion The MHVQAS shows promise as a tool and process to monitor implementation quality of home visiting services across models. The results of the study will be used to make improvements before the MHVQAS is used in practice.

  1. Strategy Guideline: Demonstration Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Savage, C.; Hunt, A.

    2012-12-01

    This guideline will provide a general overview of the different kinds of demonstration home projects, a basic understanding of the different roles and responsibilities involved in the successful completion of a demonstration home, and an introduction into some of the lessons learned from actual demonstration home projects. Also, this guideline will specifically look at the communication methods employed during demonstration home projects. And lastly, we will focus on how to best create a communication plan for including an energy efficient message in a demonstration home project and carry that message to successful completion.

  2. Strategy Guideline. Demonstration Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hunt, A.; Savage, C.

    2012-12-01

    This guideline will provide a general overview of the different kinds of demonstration home projects, a basic understanding of the different roles and responsibilities involved in the successful completion of a demonstration home, and an introduction into some of the lessons learned from actual demonstration home projects. Also, this guideline will specifically look at the communication methods employed during demonstration home projects. And lastly, we will focus on how to best create a communication plan for including an energy efficient message in a demonstration home project and carry that message to successful completion.

  3. Linux toys II 9 Cool New Projects for Home, Office, and Entertainment

    CERN Document Server

    Negus, Christopher

    2006-01-01

    Builds on the success of the original Linux Toys (0-7645-2508-5) and adds projects using different Linux distributionsAll-new toys in this edition include a car computer system with built-in entertainment and navigation features, bootable movies, a home surveillance monitor, a LEGO Mindstorms robot, and a weather mapping stationIntroduces small business opportunities with an Internet radio station and Internet caf ̌projectsCompanion Web site features specialized hardware drivers, software interfaces, music and game software, project descriptions, and discussion forumsIncludes a CD-ROM with scr

  4. The global classroom model simultaneous campus- and home-based education using videoconferencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weitze, Charlotte Lærke; Ørngreen, Rikke

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents and discusses findings about how students, teachers, and the organization experience a start-up-project applying videoconferences between campus and home. This is new territory for adult learning centers. The research is based on the Global Classroom Model as it is implemented...... experiences and on the organizational issues related to the transition to the Global Classroom Model as well as provide outlines to the consequences these findings may have, for example in relation to the continued development of the teachers' educational designs....

  5. Design, development and deployment of a hand/wrist exoskeleton for home-based rehabilitation after stroke - SCRIPT project

    OpenAIRE

    Amirabdollahian, F; Ates, Sedar; Basteris, A.; Cesario, A.; Buurke, Jaap; Hermens, Hermanus J.; Hofs, D.; Johansson, E.; Mountain, G.; Nasr, N.; Nijenhuis, S.M.; Prange, Grada Berendina; Rahman, N.; Sale, P.; Schätzlein, F.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: this manuscript introduces the Supervised Care and Rehabilitation Involving Personal Tele-robotics (SCRIPT) project. The main goal is to demonstrate design and development steps involved in a complex intervention, while examining feasibility of using an instrumented orthotic device for home-based rehabilitation after stroke. Methods: the project uses a user-centred design methodology to develop a hand/wrist rehabilitation device for home-based therapy after stroke. The patient bene...

  6. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Charles D.

    2015-01-01

    Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM) grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges. PMID:26740744

  7. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Charles D

    2015-01-01

    Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM) grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges.

  8. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM: A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles D. Phillips

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges.

  9. Results of the ITER toroidal field model coil project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salpietro, E.; Maix, R.

    2001-01-01

    In the scope of the ITER EDA one of the seven largest projects was devoted to the development, manufacture and testing of a Toroidal Field Model Coil (TFMC). The industry consortium AGAN manufactured the TFMC based on on a conceptual design developed by the ITER EDA EU Home Team. The TFMC was completed and assembled in the test facility TOSKA of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe in the first half of 2001. The first testing phase started in June 2001 and lasted till October 2001. The first results have shown that the main goals of the project have been achieved

  10. Research on evaluation of enterprise project culture based on Denison model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yucheng Zeng

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to build enterprise project culture evaluation model and search for the best evaluation method for Chinese enterprise project culture on the basis of studying and drawing lessons from enterprise culture evaluation theory and method at home and abroad. Design/methodology/approach: Referring to the Denison enterprise culture evaluation model, this paper optimizes it according to the difference of enterprise project culture, designs the enterprise project culture evaluation model and proves the practicability of the model through empirical. Finding: This paper finds that it`s more applicable to use the Denison model for enterprise project culture evaluation through the comparative analysis of domestic and foreign enterprise culture evaluation theory and method, the systematic project culture management framework of Chinese enterprises has not yet formed through empirical research, and four factors in enterprise project culture have important influence on project operation performance improvement. Research limitations/implications: The research on evaluation of enterprise project culture based on Denison model is a preliminary attempt, the design of evaluation index system, evaluation model and scale structure also need to be improved, but the thinking of this paper in this field provides a valuable reference for future research. Practical Implications: This paper provides the support of theory and practice for evaluating the present situation of enterprise project culture construction and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of project culture, which contributes to the "dialectical therapy" of enterprise project management, enterprise management and enterprise project culture construction. Originality/value: The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of Denison enterprise culture model. Combining with the actual situation of enterprises, this paper also builds the evaluation model for

  11. The TECS model leads to active use of technology in home care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Ulla Gars; Skov, Hanne

    2017-01-01

    Digitization in healthcare is accelerating worldwide. This article focuses on the X-Changery development project involving home-care nurses and their use of the iPad as a new tool in patients’ homes. The goal of the project was to bring knowledge from recent research on technological literacy...... in working life back to a work setting, thus giving nurses new technology competencies with the aim of enhancing their professionalism through the use of the iPad as a work tool. Through field observations, learning labs and focus-group interviews we can see that X-Changery gave home-care nurses a common...... language to exchange experiences and share knowledge about the iPad as a work tool. Use of the iPad in patients’ homes led to new habits and routines. Nurses acquired relational expertise, implying active use of technology. The results show the importance of focusing on and funding reflection...

  12. Reading and Writing Gains for Maori Students in Mainstream Schools: Effective Partnerships in the Rotorua Home and School Literacy Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glynn, Ted; Berryman, Mere; Glynn, Vin

    The Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust with support from the Ministry of Education funded a home and school literacy project in nine Rotorua primary schools. The project funded each school to train a home-school liaison worker (either a school staff member or a community person) to assist schools in developing a working partnership with the students'…

  13. Isolated elders demonstration project : closer to home - a descriptive evaluation

    OpenAIRE

    Cusack, Sandra A.

    1996-01-01

    The purpose of this demonstration project is to support isolated elders through outreach. The goal is to get seniors "out of their homes" and back into the community, assisting them to make decisions and take action on their own behalf. The process involved training a group of volunteers to interview elders, using a mini-life review technique to encourage reminiscence. In listening to their stories, the volunteer's task was to discover the elder's needs and barriers to socialization, and to l...

  14. Persona-based Adaptation in a Smart Green Home

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Havinga, P. (Paul); Leeuwen, van H. (Henk); Salomons, E. (Etto); Teeuw, W. (Wouter)

    2012-01-01

    In this paper Etto Salomons presents his vision of the GoGreen project on a smart home that is capable of decreasing energy consumption while at the same time increasing user comfort. To identify the main challenges he introduces a general model for intelligent homes that describes the current

  15. Exploring the critical quality attributes and models of smart homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ted Luor, Tainyi; Lu, Hsi-Peng; Yu, Hueiju; Lu, Yinshiu

    2015-12-01

    Research on smart homes has significantly increased in recent years owing to their considerably improved affordability and simplicity. However, the challenge is that people have different needs (or attitudes toward smart homes), and provision should be tailored to individuals. A few studies have classified the functions of smart homes. Therefore, the Kano model is first adopted as a theoretical base to explore whether the functional classifications of smart homes are attractive or necessary, or both. Second, three models and test user attitudes toward three function types of smart homes are proposed. Based on the Kano model, the principal results, namely, two "Attractive Quality" and nine "Indifferent Quality" items, are found. Verification of the hypotheses also indicates that the entertainment, security, and automation functions are significantly correlated with the variables "perceive useful" and "attitude." Cost consideration is negatively correlated with attitudes toward entertainment and automation. Results suggest that smart home providers should survey user needs for their product instead of merely producing smart homes based on the design of the builder or engineer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Washington State Nursing Home Administrator Model Curriculum. Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowan, Florence Kelly

    The course outlines presented in this final report comprise a proposed Fort Steilacoom Community College curriculum to be used as a statewide model two-year associate degree curriculum for nursing home administrators. The eight courses described are introduction to nursing, home administration, financial management of nursing homes, nursing home…

  17. Learning situation models in a smart home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brdiczka, Oliver; Crowley, James L; Reignier, Patrick

    2009-02-01

    This paper addresses the problem of learning situation models for providing context-aware services. Context for modeling human behavior in a smart environment is represented by a situation model describing environment, users, and their activities. A framework for acquiring and evolving different layers of a situation model in a smart environment is proposed. Different learning methods are presented as part of this framework: role detection per entity, unsupervised extraction of situations from multimodal data, supervised learning of situation representations, and evolution of a predefined situation model with feedback. The situation model serves as frame and support for the different methods, permitting to stay in an intuitive declarative framework. The proposed methods have been integrated into a whole system for smart home environment. The implementation is detailed, and two evaluations are conducted in the smart home environment. The obtained results validate the proposed approach.

  18. The EV Project Price/Fee Models for Publicly Accessible Charging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Francfort, James Edward [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-12-01

    As plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are introduced to the market place and gain more consumer acceptance, it is important for a robust and self-sustaining non-residential infrastructure of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to be established to meet the needs of PEV drivers. While federal and state financial incentives for electric vehicles were in place and remain so today, future incentives are uncertain. In order for PEVs to achieve mainstream adoption, an adequate and sustainable commercial or publicly available charging infrastructure was pursued by The EV Project to encourage increased PEV purchases by alleviating range anxiety, and by removing adoption barriers for consumers without a dedicated overnight parking location to provide a home-base charger. This included determining a business model for publicly accessible charge infrastructure. To establish this business model, The EV Project team created a fee for charge model along with various ancillary offerings related to charging that would generate revenue. And after placing chargers in the field the Project rolled out this fee structure.

  19. Open source home care technology : technical design and development, user research, cost-benefit analysis, and business modeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marike Hettinga; Ander de Keijzer; Guido van Alphen; Jan M. Nauta; Elles Gyaltsen-Lohuis; Niels Donninger; Rens Balkenende

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents the work in progress for the Hightech@home project. The aim of this project is to develop technology and knowledge concerning open source home care technology, utilizing open standards. Currently, there is limited availability of high tech sensor and communication technology

  20. A theoretical model of job retention for home health care nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenbecker, Carol Hall

    2004-08-01

    Predicted severe nursing shortages and an increasing demand for home health care services have made the retention of experienced, qualified nursing staff a priority for health care organizations. The purpose of this paper is to describe a theoretical model of job retention for home health care nurses. The theoretical model is an integration of the findings of empirical research related to intent to stay and retention, components of Neal's theory of home health care nursing practice and findings from earlier work to develop an instrument to measure home health care nurses' job satisfaction. The theoretical model identifies antecedents to job satisfaction of home health care nurses. The antecedents are intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics. The model also proposes that job satisfaction is directly related to retention and indirectly related to retention though intent to stay. Individual nurse characteristics are indirectly related to retention through intent to stay. The individual characteristic of tenure is indirectly related to retention through autonomy, as an intrinsic characteristic of job satisfaction, and intent to stay. The proposed model can be used to guide research that explores gaps in knowledge about intent to stay and retention among home health care nurses.

  1. Cross Layer QoS Provisioning in Home Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Jiayuan; Brewka, Lukasz Jerzy; Ruepp, Sarah Renée

    2011-01-01

    This paper introduces an innovative QoS provisioning scheme in home networks, by utilizing Optical Wireless (OW) MAC specification proposed by Home Gigabit Access Project (OMEGA) project. The specification is characterized by its resource reservation protocol and the use of Time Division Multiple...... Access (TDMA). By adopting OW MAC to the widely supported Universal Plug and Play – Quality of Service (UPnP-QoS) Architecture in the simulated home domain, algorithms for cross layer mapping QoS requirements are proposed. Compared to utilizing WLAN MAC, our scheme is able to provide guaranteed Qo......S levels to streams with different priorities, especially to delay-sensitive services. Efficiencies of the algorithms and network performance are validated by analyzing the results collected from OPNET simulation models....

  2. The Neurona at Home project: Simulating a large-scale cellular automata brain in a distributed computing environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acedo, L.; Villanueva-Oller, J.; Moraño, J. A.; Villanueva, R.-J.

    2013-01-01

    The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) has become the standard open source solution for grid computing in the Internet. Volunteers use their computers to complete an small part of the task assigned by a dedicated server. We have developed a BOINC project called Neurona@Home whose objective is to simulate a cellular automata random network with, at least, one million neurons. We consider a cellular automata version of the integrate-and-fire model in which excitatory and inhibitory nodes can activate or deactivate neighbor nodes according to a set of probabilistic rules. Our aim is to determine the phase diagram of the model and its behaviour and to compare it with the electroencephalographic signals measured in real brains.

  3. CULTURAL ADAPTATIONS OF EVIDENCE-BASED HOME-VISITATION MODELS IN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiratsuka, Vanessa Y; Parker, Myra E; Sanchez, Jenae; Riley, Rebecca; Heath, Debra; Chomo, Julianna C; Beltangady, Moushumi; Sarche, Michelle

    2018-05-01

    The Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (Tribal MIECHV) Program provides federal grants to tribes, tribal consortia, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to implement evidence-based home-visiting services for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families. To date, only one evidence-based home-visiting program has been developed for use in AI/AN communities. The purpose of this article is to describe the steps that four Tribal MIECHV Programs took to assess community needs, select a home-visiting model, and culturally adapt the model for use in AI/AN communities. In these four unique Tribal MIECHV Program settings, each program employed a rigorous needs-assessment process and developed cultural modifications in accordance with community strengths and needs. Adaptations occurred in consultation with model developers, with consideration of the conceptual rationale for the program, while grounding new content in indigenous cultures. Research is needed to improve measurement of home-visiting outcomes in tribal and urban AI/AN settings, develop culturally grounded home-visiting interventions, and assess the effectiveness of home visiting in AI/AN communities. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  4. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Cobblestone Homes — 2014 Model Home, Midland, MI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    none,

    2014-09-01

    This builder's first DOE Zero Energy Ready Home won a Custom Builder award in the 2014 Housing Innovation Awards, scored HERS 49 without PV or HERS 44 with 1.4 kW of PV, and served as a prototype and energy efficiency demonstration model while performance testing was conducted.

  5. The Green House Model of Nursing Home Care in Design and Implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Lauren W; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Reed, David; Brown, Patrick; Bowers, Barbara J; Nolet, Kimberly; Hudak, Sandra; Horn, Susan

    2016-02-01

    To describe the Green House (GH) model of nursing home (NH) care, and examine how GH homes vary from the model, one another, and their founding (or legacy) NH. Data include primary quantitative and qualitative data and secondary quantitative data, derived from 12 GH/legacy NH organizations February 2012-September 2014. This mixed methods, cross-sectional study used structured interviews to obtain information about presence of, and variation in, GH-relevant structures and processes of care. Qualitative questions explored reasons for variation in model implementation. Interview data were analyzed using related-sample tests, and qualitative data were iteratively analyzed using a directed content approach. GH homes showed substantial variation in practices to support resident choice and decision making; neither GH nor legacy homes provided complete choice, and all GH homes excluded residents from some key decisions. GH homes were most consistent with the model and one another in elements to create a real home, such as private rooms and baths and open kitchens, and in staff-related elements, such as self-managed work teams and consistent, universal workers. Although variation in model implementation complicates evaluation, if expansion is to continue, it is essential to examine GH elements and their outcomes. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  6. Higher Referrals for Diabetes Education in a Medical Home Model of Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manard, William T; Syberg, Kevin; Behera, Anit; Salas, Joanne; Schneider, F David; Armbrecht, Eric; Hooks-Anderson, Denise; Crannage, Erica; Scherrer, Jeffrey

    2016-01-01

    The medical home model has been gaining attention from the health care community as a strategy for improved outcomes for management of chronic disease, including diabetes. The purpose of this study was to compare referrals for diabetes education among patients receiving care from a medical home model versus a traditional practice. Data were obtained from a large, university-affiliated primary care patient data registry. All patients (age 18-96 years) with a diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes and seen by a physician at least twice during 2011 to 2013 were selected for inclusion. Multivariate regression models measuring the association between medical home status and referral to diabetes education were computed before and after adjusting for covariates. A significantly (P patients in a medical home than without a medical home (23.9% vs 13.5%) received a referral for diabetes education. After adjusting for covariates, medical home patients were 2.7 times more likely to receive a referral for diabetes education (odds ratio, 2.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.69-4.35). Patients in a medical home model were more likely to receive referrals for diabetes education than patients in a standard university-affiliated family medicine practice. Future longitudinal designs that match characteristics of patients with a medical home with those of patients without one will provide strong evidence to determine whether referral to diabetes education is a result of the medical home model of care independent of confounding factors. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  7. [Home health resource utilization measures using a case-mix adjustor model].

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Sun-Ju; Chang, Hyun-Sook

    2005-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to measure home health resource utilization using a Case-Mix Adjustor Model developed in the U.S. The subjects of this study were 484 patients who had received home health care more than 4 visits during a 60-day episode at 31 home health care institutions. Data on the 484 patients had to be merged onto a 60-day payment segment. Based on the results, the researcher classified home health resource groups (HHRG). The subjects were classified into 34 HHRGs in Korea. Home health resource utilization according to clinical severity was in order of Minimum (C0) service utilization moderate), and the lowest 97,000 won in group C2F3S1, so the former was 5.82 times higher than the latter. Resource utilization in home health care has become an issue of concern due to rising costs for home health care. The results suggest the need for more analytical attention on the utilization and expenditures for home care using a Case-Mix Adjustor Model.

  8. Model medication management process in Australian nursing homes using business process modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Siyu; Yu, Ping

    2013-01-01

    One of the reasons for end user avoidance or rejection to use health information systems is poor alignment of the system with healthcare workflow, likely causing by system designers' lack of thorough understanding about healthcare process. Therefore, understanding the healthcare workflow is the essential first step for the design of optimal technologies that will enable care staff to complete the intended tasks faster and better. The often use of multiple or "high risk" medicines by older people in nursing homes has the potential to increase medication error rate. To facilitate the design of information systems with most potential to improve patient safety, this study aims to understand medication management process in nursing homes using business process modeling method. The paper presents study design and preliminary findings from interviewing two registered nurses, who were team leaders in two nursing homes. Although there were subtle differences in medication management between the two homes, major medication management activities were similar. Further field observation will be conducted. Based on the data collected from observations, an as-is process model for medication management will be developed.

  9. Home Energy Saver

    Science.gov (United States)

    release announcing Home Energy Saver and a Q-and-A. The "About" page should tell you everything you need to know about using Home Energy Saver. If you have any questions, please email the project leader, Dr. Evan Mills. News Releases Microsoft Licenses Berkeley Lab's Home Energy Saver Code for Its

  10. A model based message passing approach for flexible and scalable home automation controllers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bienhaus, D. [INNIAS GmbH und Co. KG, Frankenberg (Germany); David, K.; Klein, N.; Kroll, D. [ComTec Kassel Univ., SE Kassel Univ. (Germany); Heerdegen, F.; Jubeh, R.; Zuendorf, A. [Kassel Univ. (Germany). FG Software Engineering; Hofmann, J. [BSC Computer GmbH, Allendorf (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    There is a large variety of home automation systems that are largely proprietary systems from different vendors. In addition, the configuration and administration of home automation systems is frequently a very complex task especially, if more complex functionality shall be achieved. Therefore, an open model for home automation was developed that is especially designed for easy integration of various home automation systems. This solution also provides a simple modeling approach that is inspired by typical home automation components like switches, timers, etc. In addition, a model based technology to achieve rich functionality and usability was implemented. (orig.)

  11. The Future of Home Health project: developing the framework for health care at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Teresa; Schiller, Jennifer

    2015-02-01

    In addition to providing high-quality care to vulnerable patient populations, home healthcare offers the least costly option for patients and the healthcare system, particularly in postacute care. As the baby boom generation ages, policymakers are expressing concerns about rising costs, variation in home healthcare service use, and program integrity. The Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation seeks to develop a research-based strategic framework for the future of home healthcare for older Americans and those with disabilities. This article describes the initiative and invites readers to provide comments and suggestions.

  12. Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies and Practices in Family Child Care Homes in Oregon: Baseline Findings from the Healthy Home Child Care Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunter, Katherine B.; Rice, Kelly R.; Trost, Stewart G.

    2012-01-01

    Baseline findings from the Healthy Home Child Care Project include data from Family Child Care Providers (FCCPs) in Oregon (n=53) who completed assessments of nutrition and physical activity policies and practices and BMI data for children in the care of FCCPs (n=205). Results show that a significant percentage of FCCPs failed to meet child care…

  13. SETI@home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Project Help Donate Porting Graphics Add-ons Science About SETI@home About Astropulse Science Community Message boards Questions and Answers Teams Profiles User search Web sites Pictures and music User University of California SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation

  14. Pervasive Home Care - Technological support for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers at home

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Simon Bo

    2006-01-01

    of the patient in collaboration with patient and home care clinicians. My main research method has been qualitative analysis of the empirical results generated during an experimental project using Participatory Design (PD) to investigate potential futures in the treatment of patients with diabetic foot ulcers...... the need arises for moving treatment and care involving specialised knowledge from the hospital to the home. In this dissertation I use the term Home Care" for the multidisciplinary investigation of how this movement can be supported with technology enabling the expert to carry on a treatment in the home...... approach that I outline in this dissertation. Furthermore I describe the results of the project contributing to three related scientific fields: home care technologies, telemedicine and computer supported cooperative work (CSCW). The main conclusion towards home care technologies is that the many visionary...

  15. At Home in the Office. A Guide for the Home Worker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Neil; And Others

    This guide provides information to persons interested in establishing a work-at-home program, specifically those in clerical or support staff positions who use modern automated office equipment. The text is divided into two sections. The Home Worker section provides a summary of the At Home in the Office Project, personality characteristics…

  16. Review series: Examples of chronic care model: the home-based chronic care model: redesigning home health for high quality care delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suter, Paula; Hennessey, Beth; Florez, Donna; Newton Suter, W

    2011-01-01

    Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face significant challenges due to frequent distressing dyspnea and deficits related to activities of daily living. Individuals with COPD are often hospitalized frequently for disease exacerbations, negatively impacting quality of life and healthcare expenditure burden. The home-based chronic care model (HBCCM) was designed to address the needs of patients with chronic diseases. This model facilitates the re-design of chronic care delivery within the home health sector by ensuring patient-centered evidence-based care. This HBCCM foundation is Dr. Edward Wagner s chronic care model and has four additional areas of focus: high touch delivery, theory-based self management, specialist oversight and the use of technology. This article will describe this model in detail and outline how model use for patients with COPD can bring value to stakeholders across the health care continuum.

  17. The role of advocacy coalitions in a project implementation process: the example of the planning phase of the At Home/Chez Soi project dealing with homelessness in Montreal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Vallée, Catherine; Hurtubise, Roch; Lévesque, Paul-André

    2014-08-01

    This study analyzed the planning process (summer 2008 to fall 2009) of a Montreal project that offers housing and community follow-up to homeless people with mental disorders, with or without substance abuse disorders. With the help of the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), advocacy groups that were able to navigate a complex intervention implementation process were identified. In all, 25 people involved in the Montreal At Home/Chez Soi project were surveyed through interviews (n=18) and a discussion group (n=7). Participant observations and documentation (minutes and correspondence) were also used for the analysis. The start-up phase of the At Home/Chez may be broken down into three separate periods qualified respectively as "honeymoon;" "clash of cultures;" and "acceptance & commitment". In each of the planning phases of the At Home/Chez Soi project in Montreal, at least two advocacy coalitions were in confrontation about their specific belief systems concerning solutions to address the recurring homelessness social problem, while a third, more moderate one contributed in rallying most key actors under specified secondary aspects. The study confirms the importance of policy brokers in achieving compromises acceptable to all advocacy coalitions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Ultra Low Sulfur Home Heating Oil Demonstration Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batey, John E. [Energy Research Center, Inc., Easton, CT (United States); McDonald, Roger [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

    2015-09-30

    This Ultra Low Sulfur (ULS) Home Heating Oil Demonstration Project was funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and has successfully quantified the environmental and economic benefits of switching to ULS (15 PPM sulfur) heating oil. It advances a prior field study of Low Sulfur (500 ppm sulfur) heating oil funded by NYSERDA and laboratory research conducted by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Canadian researchers. The sulfur oxide and particulate matter (PM) emissions are greatly reduced as are boiler cleaning costs through extending cleaning intervals. Both the sulfur oxide and PM emission rates are directly related to the fuel oil sulfur content. The sulfur oxide and PM emission rates approach near-zero levels by switching heating equipment to ULS fuel oil, and these emissions become comparable to heating equipment fired by natural gas. This demonstration project included an in-depth review and analysis of service records for both the ULS and control groups to determine any difference in the service needs for the two groups. The detailed service records for both groups were collected and analyzed and the results were entered into two spreadsheets that enabled a quantitative side-by-side comparison of equipment service for the entire duration of the ULS test project. The service frequency for the ULS and control group were very similar and did indicate increased service frequency for the ULS group. In fact, the service frequency with the ULS group was slightly less (7.5 percent) than the control group. The only exception was that three burner fuel pump required replacement for the ULS group and none were required for the control group.

  19. [Comparison of level of satisfaction of users of home care: integrated model vs. dispensaries model].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorina, Marta; Limonero, Joaquín T; Peñart, Xavier; Jiménez, Jordi; Gassó, Javier

    2014-01-01

    To determine the level of satisfaction of users that receive home health care through two different models of primary health care: integrated model and dispensaries model. cross-sectional, observational study. Two primary care centers in the province of Barcelona. The questionnaire was administered to 158 chronic patients over 65 years old, of whom 67 were receiving health care from the integrated model, and 91 from the dispensaries model. The Evaluation of Satisfaction with Home Health Care (SATISFAD12) questionnaire was, together with other complementary questions about service satisfaction of home health care, as well as social demographic questions (age, sex, disease, etc). The patients of the dispensaries model showed more satisfaction than the users receiving care from the integrated model. There was a greater healthcare continuity for those patients from the dispensaries model, and a lower percentage of hospitalizations during the last year. The satisfaction of the users from both models was not associated to gender, the health perception,or independence of the The user satisfaction rate of the home care by primary health care seems to depend of the typical characteristics of each organisational model. The dispensaries model shows a higher rate of satisfaction or perceived quality of care in all the aspects analysed. More studies are neede to extrapolate these results to other primary care centers belonging to other institutions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  20. LHC@home gets new home

    CERN Multimedia

    Oates, John

    2007-01-01

    "The distributed computing project LHC@home is moving to London from Cern in Switzerland. Researchers at Qeen Mary University have been trialling the system since June, but are now ready for the offical launch" (1 page)

  1. Quality management in home care: models for today's practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verhey, M P

    1996-01-01

    In less than a decade, home care providers have been a part of two major transitions in health care delivery. First, because of the advent of managed care and a shift from inpatient to community-based services, home care service delivery systems have experienced tremendous growth. Second, the principles and practices of total quality management and continuous quality improvement have permeated the organization, administration, and practice of home health care. Based on the work of Deming, Juran, and Crosby, the basic tenets of the new quality management philosophy involve a focus on the following five key areas: (1) systems and processes rather than individual performance; (2) involvement, collaboration, and empowerment; (3) internal and external "customers"; (4) data and measurement; and (5) standards, guidelines, and outcomes of care. Home care providers are among those in the forefront who are developing and implementing programs that integrate these foci into the delivery of quality home care services. This article provides a summary of current home care programs that address these five key areas of quality management philosophy and provide models for innovative quality management practice in home care. For further information about each program, readers are referred to the original reports in the home care and quality management journal literature, as cited herein.

  2. Home Feeling for the Modern Nomad

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borup Lynggaard, Aviaja

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes a research project, Mobile Home Center, about home and mobility in relation to transnational HCI. The project concerns design for mobile life and it is an investigation, through user studies and prototypes, of how to support the act of home making away from the primary home. We...... bring in the perspective that transnational HCI is not only concerning individuals distributed across boarders, but also the reality of individuals who live their lives as a modern nomad in multiple countries. We bring in a new perspective of how most people perform homing tactics rather than living...

  3. New American Home(regsign): Atlanta, Georgia - 2001; Building America--The New American Home

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    IBACOS; Anderson, R.

    2001-01-01

    The New American Home(reg s ign) is an annual showcase project designed by committee and co-sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders' National Council of the Housing Industry, BUILDERS Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. Hedgewood Properties teamed with Building America's IBACOS Consortium and Southface Energy Institute to build a house with a Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) level of 90

  4. Network computing with Einstein@home and climateprediction.net

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva; Christensen, Carl; Massey, Neil; Aina, Tolu; Marquina, Miguel Angel

    2005-01-01

    Einstein@Home is a project developed to search data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US and from the GEO 600 gravitational wave observatory in Germany for signals coming from extremely dense, rapidly rotating stars. Such sources are believed to be either quark stars or neutron stars, and a subclass of these are already observed by conventional means as pulsars or X-ray emitting celestial objects. Einstein@home is an official project of the Year of Physics. 2. climateprediction.net aims to investigate the approximations that have to be made in state-of-the-art climate models by running such models thousands of times under a range of approximations. This will help understand how sensitive different models are to small changes in, for example, the carbon dioxide and the sulphur cycle. This will contribute to exploring how climate may change in the next century under a wide range of different scenarios.

  5. Give Water a Hand. Home Site Action Guide. Organizing Water Conservation and Pollution Prevention Service Projects in Your Community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wisconsin Univ., Madison. Coll. of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

    Students grades 4-8 can use this guide to explore the topics of water and water conservation within the home while conducting an environmental community service project. Youth groups, led by a group leader, work with local experts from business, government, or environmental organizations to complete the project. Nine activity sections involve…

  6. Development of project wings home visits, a mental health intervention for Latino families using community-based participatory research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Carolyn; Hermann, Denise; Bartels, Anna; Matamoros, Pablo; Dick-Olson, Linda; Guerra de Patino, Janeth

    2012-11-01

    As the Latino population in the United States experiences rapid growth, the well-being of Latino adolescents is a growing concern because of their high rates of mental health problems. Latino adolescents have higher rates of mental health problems than their peers, including depressive symptoms, suicide attempts, and violence. Sophisticated, realistic health promotion efforts are needed to reduce these risk behaviors and enhance protective factors. Parents and schools can be key protective factors, or assets, in adolescents' lives. This article details the steps undertaken to develop Project Wings Home Visits, a collaborative school-based, community-linked mental health promotion intervention for Latino adolescents and their families. Core to the intervention is the use of a community health worker model to provide home-based outreach and education to parents of Latino adolescents. The intervention was developed using a community-based participatory research approach that involved the cooperation of a community health care system, a public high school, and a university. Our process demonstrates the benefits, strengths, and challenges of using community-based participatory research in creating and implementing health promotion interventions.

  7. Project (inverted exclamation mark)EXITO!: success through diversity and universality for outcomes improvement among Hispanic home care patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woerner, Louise; Espinosa, Javier; Bourne, Susan; O'Toole, Marie; Ingersoll, Gail L

    2009-01-01

    The National Health Disparities Report notes that Hispanics have poorer quality of care in 23 of 38 core measures. The result of this disparity is great personal and health system costs, which could be reduced. Prior studies have focused on access and language. We studied outcomes improvement. The purpose of this project was to develop a replicable theory-based outcomes improvement model for delivery of nursing care to Hispanic patients. The Leininger Sunrise Enabler approach was used to design a program specific to the cultural needs of a home care population. Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) data from 125 unduplicated home care patients were tracked. Nursing care delivery was analyzed using ethnographic research techniques. Delivery of nursing care using a culturally congruent approach reduced acute hospitalization and emergent care visits. Medication management and customer and nursing satisfaction also improved. National standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services in health care help reduce healthcare disparities, but improving Hispanic outcomes requires moving beyond symptoms and symptom management to transcultural care. The estimated savings to the health care system are significant.

  8. There is no place like @home!: The value of home consultations in paediatric rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Maren-Suir, I; Ketelaar, M; Brouns, B; van der Sanden, K; Verhoef, M

    2018-07-01

    Family-centred services (FCS) is widely regarded as the best practice approach in early interventions. Creating a therapeutic environment, which also stimulates collaboration between parents and service professionals, is a way to conform to the principles of FCS. The present paper describes the project entitled @home, involving the implementation of home consultations by a specialized team working with children aged 0-5 years at our rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands. The objectives of this article are to (a) describe the development and implementation of home consultations as part of regular care and (b) share the experiences of parents and service providers with home consultations. The implementation process was divided into 3 steps: (1) interviewing experts, (2) adjusting current rehabilitation trajectories, and (3) service providers offering consultations to children at home. The experiences with the home consultations were immediately incorporated in the system, making the implementation an iterative process. In 82% of the 133 home conducted consultations, the service professionals reported that it was more valuable to offer home consultations than seeing the child at the rehabilitation centre. The semistructured interviews revealed that parents and service providers found that they received and provided more tailored advice, perceived a more equal partnership between service professionals and parents, and reported that the home consultations provided a good natural therapeutic environment where a child can be itself and where the child performs best. By using the @home system based on the 3 service models, home consultations are now part of the regular paediatric rehabilitation system at our rehabilitation centre. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Mobbing among care workers in nursing homes: A cross-sectional secondary analysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Myriam; Schwendimann, René; Zúñiga, Franziska

    2017-01-01

    As a category of bullying, mobbing is a form of violence in the workplace that damages the employing organization as well as the targeted employee. In Europe, the overall prevalence of mobbing in healthcare is estimated at 4%. However, few studies have explored mobbing among long-term care workers. This study aims to examine the frequency of mobbing in Swiss nursing homes and its relationships with care workers' (i.e. registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, assistant nurse, nurse aide) health status, job satisfaction, and intention to leave, and to explore the work environment as a contributing factor to mobbing. A cross-sectional, multi-center sub-study of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resource Project (SHURP). Nursing homes in Switzerland's three language regions. A total of 162 randomly selected nursing homes with 20 or more beds, including 5311 care workers with various educational levels. Controlling for facility and care worker characteristics, generalized estimation equations were used to assess the relationships between mobbing and care workers' health status, job satisfaction, and intention to leave as well as the association of work environment factors with mobbing. In Swiss nursing homes, 4.6% of surveyed care workers (n=242) reported mobbing experiences in the last 6 months. Compared to untargeted persons, those directly affected by mobbing had higher odds of health complaints (Odds Ratios (OR): 7.81, 95% CI 5.56-10.96) and intention to leave (OR: 5.12, 95% CI 3.81-6.88), and lower odds of high job satisfaction (OR: 0.19, 95% CI 0.14-0.26). Odds of mobbing occurrences increased with declining teamwork and safety climate (OR: 0.41, 95% CI 0.30-0.58), less supportive leadership (OR: 0.42, 95% CI 0.30-0.58), and higher perceived inadequacy of staffing resources (OR: 0.66, 95% CI 0.48-0.92). Mobbing experiences in Swiss nursing homes are relatively rare. Alongside teamwork and safety climate, risk factors are strongly associated with superiors

  10. Gardening practices in a rural village in South Africa 10 years after completion of a home garden project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimpita, Tisungeni; Biggs, Chara; Faber, Mieke

    2015-03-01

    Few studies have documented whether the behavior changes produced by home garden projects have been maintained after completion of the projects. To determine the benefits and challenges affecting production and consumption of β-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits in a rural South African village 10 years after completion of a home garden project. This cross-sectional survey assessed gardening practices and household consumption of β-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits using a questionnaire (n = 186). Benefits and challenges affecting production and consumption of β-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits were assessed through focus group discussions. Thirty-nine percent of the households currently planted β-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits. Major challenges included lack of fencing, animals eating crops, and lack or shortage of water. Planting materials for β-carotene-rich vegetables were sourced from the community nursery, while papaya was grown from its own seed. Shops were the most likely alternative sources of β-carotene-rich vegetables. The frequency of consumption of orange-fleshed sweet potato, butternut, spinach, and papaya when in season differed significantly, with households planting β-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits having more frequent consumption than households not planting these vegetables and fruits. Households planting β-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits were perceived as "well-to-do" and "healthy" households and as "givers". This study showed that 10 years after the endline evaluation of a home garden project, approximately one-third of the households in the village planted β-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits, which is very similar to the proportion at project completion and a postintervention study that was done 6 years later, despite various challenges, indicating that the practice of planting these vegetables and fruits was continued over the years.

  11. Models of home care services for persons with dementia: a narrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Lee-Fay; Fletcher, Jennifer

    2015-10-01

    Worldwide trends of increasing dementia prevalence, have put economic and workforce pressures to shifting care for persons with dementia from residential care to home care. We reviewed the effects of the four dominant models of home care delivery on outcomes for community-dwelling persons with dementia. These models are: case management, integrated care, consumer directed care, and restorative care. This narrative review describes benefits and possible drawbacks for persons with dementia outcomes and elements that comprise successful programs. Case management for persons with dementia may increase use of community-based services and delay nursing home admission. Integrated care is associated with greater client satisfaction, increased use of community based services, and reduced hospital days however the clinical impacts on persons with dementia and their carers are not known. Consumer directed care increases satisfaction with care and service usage, but had little effect on clinical outcomes. Restorative models of home care have been shown to improve function and quality of life however these trials have excluded persons with dementia, with the exception of a pilot study. There has been a little research into models of home care for people with dementia, and no head-to-head comparison of the different models. Research to inform evidence-based policy and service delivery for people with dementia needs to evaluate both the impact of different models on outcomes, and investigate how to best deliver these models to maximize outcomes.

  12. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges

    OpenAIRE

    Phillips, Charles D.

    2015-01-01

    Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large sta...

  13. Monitoring results for the Factor 9 home

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fugler, D.; Dumont, R.

    2009-01-01

    The Factor 9 home is a new demonstration project that consists of a single family residence located in Regina, Saskatchewan. The home features extremely high levels of energy and water use efficiency. The home was completed in April 2007. Energy and water savings targets were established for the Factor 9 home. In order to assess the extent to which the performance objectives were met, a project was undertaken to monitor energy and water use for a one-year period ending May 31, 2008. Several indoor air quality indicators were also measured. This paper discussed the findings of the project, with particular reference to energy conservation features; water conservation features; performance results; incremental cost of energy and water efficiency features; indoor air quality; and suggested improvements to the Factor 9 home. It was concluded that the demonstration project house showcased high levels of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water efficiency with proven technologies. 3 refs., 4 figs.

  14. A review of community-based solar home system projects in the Philippines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Macabebe Erees Queen B.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Solar Home Systems (SHS are easy to deploy in island and in remote communities where grid connection is costly. However, issues related to maintenance of these systems emerge after they are deployed because of the remoteness and inaccessibility of the communities. This study looked into community-based programs in the Philippines and investigated the following: (1 social preparation, (2 role of the community in the project, and (3 sustainability of the program. In this paper, three communities under two government programs offering SHS are presented. These programs are the Solar Power Technology Support (SPOTS program of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR and the Household Electrification Program (HEP of the Department of Energy (DOE. A focused group discussion and key informant interviews were conducted in two communities in Bukidnon province and in a community in Kalinga to obtain information from the project beneficiaries and SHS users on the preparation, implementation and maintenance of the projects. The results revealed that emphasis on the economic value of the technology, proper training of the locals on the technical and management aspects of the project, as well as the establishment of a supply chain for replacement parts are crucial factors for the sustainability of the programs.

  15. Amigo - Ambient Intelligence for the networked home environment

    OpenAIRE

    Janse, M.D.

    2008-01-01

    The Amigo project develops open, standardized, interoperable middleware and attractive user services for the networked home environment. Fifteen of Europe's leading companies and research organizations in mobile and home networking, software development, consumer electronics and domestic appliances have joined together in the Amigo project to develop an integrated interoperable home networking framework. Amigo is an IST-funded IP project. This report is the final report providing an overview ...

  16. Smart homes, private homes? An empirical study of technology researchers' perceptions of ethical issues in developing smart-home health technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birchley, Giles; Huxtable, Richard; Murtagh, Madeleine; Ter Meulen, Ruud; Flach, Peter; Gooberman-Hill, Rachael

    2017-04-04

    Smart-home technologies, comprising environmental sensors, wearables and video are attracting interest in home healthcare delivery. Development of such technology is usually justified on the basis of the technology's potential to increase the autonomy of people living with long-term conditions. Studies of the ethics of smart-homes raise concerns about privacy, consent, social isolation and equity of access. Few studies have investigated the ethical perspectives of smart-home engineers themselves. By exploring the views of engineering researchers in a large smart-home project, we sought to contribute to dialogue between ethics and the engineering community. Either face-to-face or using Skype, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 early- and mid-career smart-home researchers from a multi-centre smart-home project, who were asked to describe their own experience and to reflect more broadly about ethical considerations that relate to smart-home design. With participants' consent, interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using a thematic approach. Two overarching themes emerged: in 'Privacy', researchers indicated that they paid close attention to negative consequences of potential unauthorised information sharing in their current work. However, when discussing broader issues in smart-home design beyond the confines of their immediate project, researchers considered physical privacy to a lesser extent, even though physical privacy may manifest in emotive concerns about being watched or monitored. In 'Choice', researchers indicated they often saw provision of choice to end-users as a solution to ethical dilemmas. While researchers indicated that choices of end-users may need to be restricted for technological reasons, ethical standpoints that restrict choice were usually assumed and embedded in design. The tractability of informational privacy may explain the greater attention that is paid to it. However, concerns about physical privacy may

  17. A service model for delivering care closer to home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodd, Joanna; Taylor, Charlotte Elizabeth; Bunyan, Paul; White, Philippa Mary; Thomas, Siân Myra; Upton, Dominic

    2011-04-01

    Upton Surgery (Worcestershire) has developed a flexible and responsive service model that facilitates multi-agency support for adult patients with complex care needs experiencing an acute health crisis. The purpose of this service is to provide appropriate interventions that avoid unnecessary hospital admissions or, alternatively, provide support to facilitate early discharge from secondary care. Key aspects of this service are the collaborative and proactive identification of patients at risk, rapid creation and deployment of a reactive multi-agency team and follow-up of patients with an appropriate long-term care plan. A small team of dedicated staff (the Complex Care Team) are pivotal to coordinating and delivering this service. Key skills are sophisticated leadership and project management skills, and these have been used sensitively to challenge some traditional roles and boundaries in the interests of providing effective, holistic care for the patient.This is a practical example of early implementation of the principles underlying the Department of Health's (DH) recent Best Practice Guidance, 'Delivering Care Closer to Home' (DH, July 2008) and may provide useful learning points for other general practice surgeries considering implementing similar models. This integrated case management approach has had enthusiastic endorsement from patients and carers. In addition to the enhanced quality of care and experience for the patient, this approach has delivered value for money. Secondary care costs have been reduced by preventing admissions and also by reducing excess bed-days. The savings achieved have justified the ongoing commitment to the service and the staff employed in the Complex Care Team. The success of this service model has been endorsed recently by the 'Customer Care' award by 'Management in Practice'. The Surgery was also awarded the 'Practice of the Year' award for this and a number of other customer-focussed projects.

  18. Feasibility of Achieving a Zero-Net-Energy, Zero-Net-Cost Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al-Beaini, S.; Borgeson, S.; Coffery, B.; Gregory, D.; Konis, K.; Scown, C.; Simjanovic, J.; Stanley, J.; Strogen, B.; Walker, I.

    2009-09-01

    A green building competition, to be known as the Energy Free Home Challenge (EFHC), is scheduled to be opened to teams around the world in 2010. This competition will encourage both design innovation and cost reduction, by requiring design entries to meet 'zero net energy' and 'zero net cost' criteria. For the purposes of this competition, a 'zero net energy' home produces at least as much energy as it purchases over the course of a year, regardless of the time and form of the energy (e.g., electricity, heat, or fuel) consumed or produced. A 'zero net cost' home is no more expensive than a traditional home of comparable size and comfort, when evaluated over the course of a 30-year mortgage. In other words, the 'green premium' must have a payback period less than 30 years, based on the value of energy saved. The overarching goal of the competition is to develop affordable, high-performance homes that can be mass-produced at a large scale, and are able to meet occupant needs in harsh climates (as can be found where the competition will be held in Illinois). This report outlines the goals of the competition, and gauges their feasibility using both modeling results and published data. To ensure that the established rules are challenging, yet reasonable, this report seeks to refine the competition goals after exploring their feasibility through case studies, cost projections, and energy modeling. The authors of this report conducted a survey of the most progressive home energy-efficiency practices expected to appear in competition design submittals. In Appendix A, a summary can be found of recent projects throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Japan, where some of the most progressive technologies have been implemented. As with past energy efficient home projects, EFHC competitors will incorporate a multitude of energy efficiency measures into their home designs. The authors believe that

  19. The Effects of the Green House Nursing Home Model on ADL Function Trajectory: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    YOON, Ju Young; BROWN, Roger L.; BOWERS, Barbara J.; SHARKEY, Siobhan S.; HORN, Susan D.

    2015-01-01

    Background Growing attention in the past few decades has focused on improving care quality and quality of life for nursing home residents. Many traditional nursing homes have attempted to transform themselves to become more homelike emphasizing individualized care. This trend is referred to as nursing home culture change in the U.S. A promising culture change nursing home model, the Green House (GH) nursing home model, has shown positive psychological outcomes. However, little is known about whether the GH nursing home model has positive effects on physical function compared to traditional nursing homes. Objectives To examine the longitudinal effects of the GH nursing home model by comparing change patterns of ADL function over time between GH home residents and traditional nursing home residents. Design A retrospective longitudinal study. Settings Four GH organizations (nine GH units and four traditional units). Participants A total of 242 residents (93 GH residents and 149 traditional home residents) who had stayed in the nursing home at least six months from admission. Methods The outcome was ADL function, and the main independent variable was the facility type in which the resident stayed: a GH or traditional unit. Age, gender, comorbidity score, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms at baseline were controlled. All of these measures were from a minimum dataset. Growth curve modeling and growth mixture modeling were employed in this study for longitudinal analyses. Results The mean ADL function showed deterioration over time, and the rates of deterioration between GH and traditional home residents were not different over time. Four different ADL function trajectories were identified for 18 months, but there was no statistical difference in the likelihood of being in one of the four trajectory classes between the two groups. Conclusions Although GH nursing homes are considered to represent an innovative model changing the nursing home environment into more

  20. Building America Case Study: Whole-House Solutions for Existing Homes: Greenbelt Homes, Inc. Pilot Retrofit Program; Whole-House Solutions for Existing Homes, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2015-06-01

    In the fall of 2010, a multiyear pilot energy efficiency retrofit project was undertaken by Greenbelt Homes, Inc, (GHI) a 1,566 home cooperative of circa 1930 and 1940 homes in Greenbelt, Maryland. GHI established this pilot project to serve as a basis for decision making for the rollout of a decade-long community-wide upgrade program that will incorporate energy efficiency improvements to the building envelope and mechanical equipment. With the community upgrade fully funded by the cooperative through their membership without outside subsidies, this project presents a unique opportunity to evaluate and prioritize the wide-range of benefits of high-performance retrofits based on member experience with and acceptance of the retrofit measures implemented during the pilot project. Addressing the complex interactions between benefits, trade-offs, construction methods, project management implications, realistic upfront costs, financing, and other considerations, serves as a case study for energy retrofit projects to include high-performance technologies based on the long-term value to the homeowner. The pilot project focused on identifying the added costs and energy savings benefits of improvements. Phase 1: baseline evaluation for a representative set of 28 homes sited in seven buildings; Phase 2: installation of the building envelope improvements and continued monitoring of the energy consumption for the heating season and energy simulations supporting recommendations for HVAC and water heating upgrades to be implemented in Phase 3.

  1. Medicare home health utilization as a function of nursing home market factors.

    OpenAIRE

    Swan, J H; Benjamin, A E

    1990-01-01

    Rapid increases in the size and costs of the home health market, unknown impacts of Medicare's DRG hospital reimbursement on the posthospital market, and general lack of knowledge about factors that explain interstate variation in home health utilization all suggest the importance of developing and testing models of Medicare home health use. This article proposes and tests a model of state home health utilization as a function of the nursing home market. This model proposes that home health u...

  2. Sensor-Based Optimization Model for Air Quality Improvement in Home IoT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jonghyuk; Hwangbo, Hyunwoo

    2018-03-23

    We introduce current home Internet of Things (IoT) technology and present research on its various forms and applications in real life. In addition, we describe IoT marketing strategies as well as specific modeling techniques for improving air quality, a key home IoT service. To this end, we summarize the latest research on sensor-based home IoT, studies on indoor air quality, and technical studies on random data generation. In addition, we develop an air quality improvement model that can be readily applied to the market by acquiring initial analytical data and building infrastructures using spectrum/density analysis and the natural cubic spline method. Accordingly, we generate related data based on user behavioral values. We integrate the logic into the existing home IoT system to enable users to easily access the system through the Web or mobile applications. We expect that the present introduction of a practical marketing application method will contribute to enhancing the expansion of the home IoT market.

  3. The effects of the Green House nursing home model on ADL function trajectory: A retrospective longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Ju Young; Brown, Roger L; Bowers, Barbara J; Sharkey, Siobhan S; Horn, Susan D

    2016-01-01

    Growing attention in the past few decades has focused on improving care quality and quality of life for nursing home residents. Many traditional nursing homes have attempted to transform themselves to become more homelike emphasizing individualized care. This trend is referred to as nursing home culture change in the U.S. A promising culture change nursing home model, the Green House nursing home model, has shown positive psychological outcomes. However, little is known about whether the Green House nursing home model has positive effects on physical function compared to traditional nursing homes. To examine the longitudinal effects of the Green House nursing home model by comparing change patterns of activities of daily living function over time between Green House home residents and traditional nursing home residents. A retrospective longitudinal study. Four Green House organizations (nine Green House units and four traditional units). A total of 242 residents (93 Green House residents and 149 traditional home residents) who had stayed in the nursing home at least 6 months from admission. The outcome was activities of daily living function, and the main independent variable was the facility type in which the resident stayed: a Green House or traditional unit. Age, gender, comorbidity score, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms at baseline were controlled. All of these measures were from a minimum dataset. Growth curve modeling and growth mixture modeling were employed in this study for longitudinal analyses. The mean activities of daily living function showed deterioration over time, and the rates of deterioration between Green House and traditional home residents were not different over time. Four different activities of daily living function trajectories were identified for 18 months, but there was no statistical difference in the likelihood of being in one of the four trajectory classes between the two groups. Although Green House nursing homes are

  4. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Amaris Homes, Afton Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

    2017-09-01

    Amaris Homes built this 3,734-ft2 home in Afton, Minnesota, to the performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program. A high-efficiency gas boiler provides hot water for the zoned radiant floor system as well as for faucets and showers. A high-efficiency heat pump provides zoned cooling.

  5. Modelizing home safety as experienced by people with mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Désormeaux-Moreau, Marjorie; Larivière, Nadine; Aubin, Ginette

    2018-05-01

    As more individuals with mental disorders now live in the community and as the custodial care housing model has shifted to supported housing, home safety has become a rising issue, however, not well documented. To describe the phenomenon of home safety for people with a mental disorder as well as its contributing factors. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Individual interviews were conducted with persons with a mental disorder (n = 8), while focus groups were conducted with relatives, health and social service providers and community stakeholders (n = 21). The data were analyzed with the grounded theory analysis as described by Paillé (1994). Findings suggest that home safety implies risk and protective factors, which are associated with (1) the person's characteristics; (2) the quality of the home environment; (3) the nature of the activities in which the individual engages. These dimensions are interrelated so that home incidents arise from a dynamic interaction between risk and protective factors. Home incidents therefore occur when the interaction between these dimensions is altered. Considering this situation, Occupational Therapists are well positioned to play a leading role and act as key contributors in the area of home safety in people with mental disorders.

  6. Projection Models 2010

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Illerup, J. B.; Birr-Pedersen, K.; Mikkelsen, M. H

    Models for projection of SO2-, NOx-, NMVOC- and NH3-emissions to the atmosphere have been developed and the Danish emissions have been projected until 2010 from a basis scenario including all implemented and planned measures. The projections of the four pollutants indicate that it may be difficult...

  7. A positive deviance approach to understanding key features to improving diabetes care in the medical home

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gabbay, R.A.; Friedberg, M.W.; Miller-Day, M.; Cronholm, P.F.; Adelman, A.; Schneider, E.C.

    2013-01-01

    PURPOSE The medical home has gained national attention as a model to reorganize primary care to improve health outcomes. Pennsylvania has undertaken one of the largest state-based, multipayer medical home pilot projects. We used a positive deviance approach to identify and compare factors driving

  8. Modular Zero Energy. BrightBuilt Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aldrich, Robb [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States). Steven Winters Associates, Inc.; Butterfield, Karla [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States). Steven Winters Associates, Inc.

    2016-03-01

    Kaplan Thompson Architects (KTA) has specialized in sustainable, energy-efficient buildings, and they have designed several custom, zero-energy homes in New England. These zero-energy projects have generally been high-end, custom homes with budgets that could accommodate advanced energy systems. In an attempt to make zero energy homes more affordable and accessible to a larger demographic, KTA explored modular construction as way to provide high-quality homes at lower costs. In the mid-2013, KTA formalized this concept when they launched BrightBuilt Home (BBH). The BBH mission is to offer a line of architect-designed, high-performance homes that are priced to offer substantial savings off the lifetime cost of a typical home and can be delivered in less time. For the past two years, CARB has worked with BBH and Keiser Homes (the primary modular manufacturer for BBH) to discuss challenges related to wall systems, HVAC, and quality control. In Spring of 2014, CARB and BBH began looking in detail on a home to be built in Lincolnville, ME by Black Bros. Builders. This report details the solution package specified for this modular plan and the challenges that arose during the project.

  9. Using a data-constrained model of home range establishment to predict abundance in spatially heterogeneous habitats.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark C Vanderwel

    Full Text Available Mechanistic modelling approaches that explicitly translate from individual-scale resource selection to the distribution and abundance of a larger population may be better suited to predicting responses to spatially heterogeneous habitat alteration than commonly-used regression models. We developed an individual-based model of home range establishment that, given a mapped distribution of local habitat values, estimates species abundance by simulating the number and position of viable home ranges that can be maintained across a spatially heterogeneous area. We estimated parameters for this model from data on red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi abundances in 31 boreal forest sites in Ontario, Canada. The home range model had considerably more support from these data than both non-spatial regression models based on the same original habitat variables and a mean-abundance null model. It had nearly equivalent support to a non-spatial regression model that, like the home range model, scaled an aggregate measure of habitat value from local associations with habitat resources. The home range and habitat-value regression models gave similar predictions for vole abundance under simulations of light- and moderate-intensity partial forest harvesting, but the home range model predicted lower abundances than the regression model under high-intensity disturbance. Empirical regression-based approaches for predicting species abundance may overlook processes that affect habitat use by individuals, and often extrapolate poorly to novel habitat conditions. Mechanistic home range models that can be parameterized against abundance data from different habitats permit appropriate scaling from individual- to population-level habitat relationships, and can potentially provide better insights into responses to disturbance.

  10. SIRI on your wrist: making your home smart

    OpenAIRE

    Ojuroye, Olivia; Wilde, Adriana

    2015-01-01

    The adoption of smart devices in the homes is on the increase. There are tangible benefits for those making the leap, such as increased independence and improved quality of life. This project addresses these issues with the development of a two-part proof-of-concept system for smart home dwellers, consisting of a flexible wearable wristband device that communicates wirelessly with a voice-activated home hub, which, in a future version of this project, would increase accessibility in the home ...

  11. Formal and informal home learning activities in relation to children's early numeracy and literacy skills: the development of a home numeracy model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skwarchuk, Sheri-Lynn; Sowinski, Carla; LeFevre, Jo-Anne

    2014-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to propose and test a model of children's home numeracy experience based on Sénéchal and LeFevre's home literacy model (Child Development, 73 (2002) 445-460). Parents of 183 children starting kindergarten in the fall (median child age=58 months) completed an early home learning experiences questionnaire. Most of the children whose parents completed the questionnaire were recruited for numeracy and literacy testing 1 year later (along with 32 children from the inner city). Confirmatory factor analyses were used to reduce survey items, and hierarchical regression analyses were used to predict the relation among parents' attitudes, academic expectations for their children, reports of formal and informal numeracy, and literacy home practices on children's test scores. Parental reports of formal home numeracy practices (e.g., practicing simple sums) predicted children's symbolic number system knowledge, whereas reports of informal exposure to games with numerical content (measured indirectly through parents' knowledge of children's games) predicted children's non-symbolic arithmetic, as did numeracy attitudes (e.g., parents' enjoyment of numeracy). The home literacy results replicated past findings; parental reports of formal literacy practices (e.g., helping their children to read words) predicted children's word reading, whereas reports of informal experiences (i.e., frequency of shared reading measured indirectly through parents' storybook knowledge) predicted children's vocabulary. These findings support a multifaceted model of children's early numeracy environment, with different types of early home experiences (formal and informal) predicting different numeracy outcomes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. The Medical Home Model and Pediatric Asthma Symptom Severity: Evidence from a National Health Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rojanasarot, Sirikan; Carlson, Angeline M

    2018-04-01

    The objective was to investigate the association between receiving care under the medical home model and parental assessment of the severity of asthma symptoms. It was hypothesized that parents of children who received care under the medical home model reported less severe asthma symptoms compared with their counterparts, whose care did not meet the medical home criteria. Secondary analyses were conducted using cross-sectional data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Children with asthma aged 0-17 years were included and classified as receiving care from the medical home if their care contained 5 components: a personal doctor, a usual source of sick care, family-centered care, no problems getting referrals, and effective care coordination. Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between parent-rated severity of asthma symptoms (mild, moderate, and severe symptoms) and the medical home. Approximately 52% of 8229 children who reported having asthma received care from the medical home. Only 30.8% of children with severe asthma symptoms received care that met the medical home criteria, compared to 55.7% of children with mild symptoms. After accounting for confounding factors, obtaining care under the medical home model decreased the odds of parent-reported severe asthma symptoms by 31% (adjusted odds ratio 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.85). Study results suggest that the medical home model can reduce parent-rated severity of asthma symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of providing medical home care to children with asthma to improve the outcomes that matter most to children and their families.

  13. Modeling Visit Behaviour in Smart Homes using Unsupervised Learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nait Aicha, A.; Englebienne, G.; Kröse, B.

    2014-01-01

    Many algorithms on health monitoring from ambient sensor networks assume that only a single person is present in the home. We present an unsupervised method that models visit behaviour. A Markov modulated multidimensional non-homogeneous Poisson process (M3P2) is described that allows us to model

  14. A cost-constrained model of strategic service quality emphasis in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, M A; Provan, K G

    1996-02-01

    This study employed structural equation modeling to test the relationship between three aspects of the environmental context of nursing homes; Medicaid dependence, ownership status, and market demand, and two basic strategic orientations: low cost and differentiation based on service quality emphasis. Hypotheses were proposed and tested against data collected from a sample of nursing homes operating in a single state. Because of the overwhelming importance of cost control in the nursing home industry, a cost constrained strategy perspective was supported. Specifically, while the three contextual variables had no direct effect on service quality emphasis, the entire model was supported when cost control orientation was introduced as a mediating variable.

  15. Sensor-Based Optimization Model for Air Quality Improvement in Home IoT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonghyuk Kim

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available We introduce current home Internet of Things (IoT technology and present research on its various forms and applications in real life. In addition, we describe IoT marketing strategies as well as specific modeling techniques for improving air quality, a key home IoT service. To this end, we summarize the latest research on sensor-based home IoT, studies on indoor air quality, and technical studies on random data generation. In addition, we develop an air quality improvement model that can be readily applied to the market by acquiring initial analytical data and building infrastructures using spectrum/density analysis and the natural cubic spline method. Accordingly, we generate related data based on user behavioral values. We integrate the logic into the existing home IoT system to enable users to easily access the system through the Web or mobile applications. We expect that the present introduction of a practical marketing application method will contribute to enhancing the expansion of the home IoT market.

  16. Microcomputers in Vocational Home Economics Classrooms in USD #512.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shawnee Mission Public Schools, KS.

    A project was conducted to identify software suitable for use in home economics classes and to train home economics teachers to use that software with an Apple II Plus microcomputer. During the project, home economics software was identified, evaluated, and catalogued. Teaching strategies were adapted to include using the computer in the…

  17. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: TC Legend Homes, Seattle, Washington

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    none,

    2013-09-01

    This house incorporates slab-on-grade, EPS roof, and radiant heating with an air-to-water heat pump that also preheats domestic hot water. Without counting in the solar panels, the home earns a home energy rating system (HERS) score of 37, with projected utility bills of about $740 a year. With the 6.4-kW photovoltaic power system installed on the roof, the home’s HERS scores drops to -1 and utility bills for the all-electric home drop to zero. This home was awarded a 2013 Housing Innovation Award in the affordable builder category.

  18. A Web-Based Model for Diabetes Education and Decision Support for the Home Care Nurse

    OpenAIRE

    Hill, Michelle; Kirby, Judy

    1998-01-01

    Diabetes education for the home care population requires expert knowledge to be available at the point-of-care, the patient's home. This poster displays a model for Web-based diabetes education and decision support for the home care nurse. The system utilizes the line of reasoning (LOR) model to organize and represent expert decision-making thought processes.

  19. Representing in-home and out-of-home energy consumption behavior in Beijing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Biying; Zhang Junyi; Fujiwara, Akimasa

    2011-01-01

    It is expected that in-home and out-of-home energy consumption behavior in a household might be correlated with each other, probably due to the existence of household budget constraints. Ownership and usage of energy-saving technologies for in-home appliances (or vehicles) might lead to the increase in out-of-home (or in-home) energy consumption. It is therefore necessary to jointly represent in-home and out-of-home energy consumption in the same modeling framework. With this consideration, we first build a new type of energy consumption model based on the Multiple Discrete-Continuous Extreme Value (MDCEV) modeling framework. Next, we conducted a questionnaire survey in Beijing in 2009 and successfully collected the information about households' energy consumption, ownership/usage of in-home appliances and vehicles, and households' and their members' attributes from 1014 households. Throughout an empirical analysis, it is confirmed that the MDCEV model is effective to simultaneously describe the in-home and out-of-home energy consumption behavior. In addition, it is revealed that a set of household and personal attributes affect the ownership and usage of in-home appliances and vehicles. Furthermore, it is shown that the unobserved factors play a much more important role in explaining energy consumption behavior than the observed attributes of households and their members. - Highlights: → Representing in-home and out-of-home energy consumption behavior jointly. → MDCEV model is built to describe household energy consumption behavior. → Log-linear competitive relationships are found among expenditures of end-uses. → Model results provide some insights about the influence of varied observed factors. → Unobserved factors are more important in explaining energy consumption behavior.

  20. On participatory design of home-based healthcare

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grönvall, Erik; Kyng, Morten

    2013-01-01

    Participatory design (PD) activities in private homes challenge how we relate to the PD process, compared to PD in professional settings. Grounded in a project related to chronic dizziness among older people, we identified four challenges when performing PD with ill, weak users in their private...... homes. The challenges are (1) designing for, and negotiating knowledge about, the home, (2) ill, weak users and their participation in PD, (3) divergent interests of participants and (4) usable and sustainable post-project solutions. These challenges have to be carefully addressed, and we use them...... to reflect upon differences between a home-based PD process with non-workers, such as ours, and work-place projects, such as Utopia. Through this reflection, the paper contributes to a more general discussion on PD in non-work settings with weak users. Indeed, differences do exist between traditional PD...

  1. INDICATIVE MODEL OF DEVIATIONS IN PROJECT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Олена Борисівна ДАНЧЕНКО

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The article shows the process of constructing the project deviations indicator model. It based on a conceptual model of project deviations integrated management (PDIM. During the project different causes (such as risks, changes, problems, crises, conflicts, stress lead to deviations of integrated project indicators - time, cost, quality, and content. For a more detailed definition of where in the project deviations occur and how they are dangerous for the whole project, it needs to develop an indicative model of project deviations. It allows identifying the most dangerous deviations that require PDIM. As a basis for evaluation of project's success has been taken famous model IPMA Delta. During the evaluation, IPMA Delta estimated project management competence of organization in three modules: I-Module ("Individuals" - a self-assessment personnel, P-module ("Projects" - self-assessment of projects and/or programs, and O-module ("Organization" - used to conduct interviews with selected people during auditing company. In the process of building an indicative model of deviations in the project, the first step is the assessment of project management in the organization by IPMA Delta. In the future, built cognitive map and matrix of system interconnections of the project, which conducted simulations and built a scale of deviations for the selected project. They determined a size and place of deviations. To identify the detailed causes of deviations in the project management has been proposed to use the extended system of indicators, which is based on indicators of project management model Project Excellence. The proposed indicative model of deviations in projects allows to estimate the size of variation and more accurately identify the place of negative deviations in the project and provides the project manager information for operational decision making for the management of deviations in the implementation of the project

  2. Development of a clinical pharmacy model within an Australian home nursing service using co-creation and participatory action research: the Visiting Pharmacist (ViP) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Rohan A; Lee, Cik Yin; Beanland, Christine; Goeman, Dianne P; Petrie, Neil; Petrie, Barbara; Vise, Felicity; Gray, June

    2017-11-03

    To develop a collaborative, person-centred model of clinical pharmacy support for community nurses and their medication management clients. Co-creation and participatory action research, based on reflection, data collection, interaction and feedback from participants and other stakeholders. A large, non-profit home nursing service in Melbourne, Australia. Older people referred to the home nursing service for medication management, their carers, community nurses, general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists, a multidisciplinary stakeholder reference group (including consumer representation) and the project team. Feedback and reflections from minutes, notes and transcripts from: project team meetings, clinical pharmacists' reflective diaries and interviews, meetings with community nurses, reference group meetings and interviews and focus groups with 27 older people, 18 carers, 53 nurses, 15 GPs and seven community pharmacists. The model was based on best practice medication management standards and designed to address key medication management issues raised by stakeholders. Pharmacist roles included direct client care and indirect care. Direct care included home visits, medication reconciliation, medication review, medication regimen simplification, preparation of medication lists for clients and nurses, liaison and information sharing with prescribers and pharmacies and patient/carer education. Indirect care included providing medicines information and education for nurses and assisting with review and implementation of organisational medication policies and procedures. The model allowed nurses to refer directly to the pharmacist, enabling timely resolution of medication issues. Direct care was provided to 84 older people over a 15-month implementation period. Ongoing feedback and consultation, in line with participatory action research principles, informed the development and refinement of the model and identification of enablers and challenges. A collaborative

  3. Naesliden project: FEM modelling strategies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borg, T.

    1980-05-15

    A schematized description is given of the different stages in the project. The aim is to show the development of the project and the strategies which have been chosen. The four different stages in the project are treated from the following points of view: the reasons for the choice of material models; the determination of model properties; and the control of the calculated values. In the origin plan for the project it was stated to only use a joint element model. However, it was shown to be a reasonable strategy to use both a general linear elastic model and a geometric restricted model with joint elements. During the course of the Project's development stages, it was found that a reduction in the number of rock types could be made without loss of generality. A modified strategy is suggested based on more studies of the rock bahavior and less advanced calculations in the first stages of the project.

  4. Measured Whole-House Performance of TaC Studios Test Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butler, T. [Southface Energy Institute, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Curtis, O. [Southface Energy Institute, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Stephenson, R. [Southface Energy Institute, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

    2013-12-01

    As part of the NAHB Research Center Industry Partnership, Southface partnered with TaC Studios, an Atlanta-based architecture firm specializing in residential and light commercial design, on the construction of a new test home in Atlanta, GA, in the mixed humid climate. This home serves as a residence and home office for the firm's owners, as well as a demonstration of their design approach to potential and current clients. Southface believes the home demonstrates current best practices for the mixed-humid climate, including a building envelope featuring advanced air sealing details and low density spray foam insulation, glazing that exceeds ENERGY STAR requirements, and a high performance heating and cooling system. Construction quality and execution was a high priority for TaC Studios and was ensured by a third party review process. Post-construction testing showed that the project met stated goals for envelope performance, an air infiltration rate of 2.15 ACH50. The homeowners wished to further validate whole house energy savings through the project's involvement with Building America and this long-term monitoring effort. As a Building America test home, this home was evaluated to detail whole house energy use, end use loads, and the efficiency and operation of the ground source heat pump and associated systems. Given that the home includes many non-typical end use loads including a home office, pool, landscape water feature, and other luxury features not accounted for in Building America modeling tools, these end uses were separately monitored to determine their impact on overall energy consumption.

  5. Reducing Energy Use in Existing Homes by 30%: Learning From Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liaukus, C. [Building America Research Alliance (BARA), Kent, WA (United States)

    2014-12-01

    The improvement of existing homes in the United States can have a much greater impact on overall residential energy use than the construction of highly efficient new homes. There are over 130 million existing housing units in the U.S., while annually new construction represents less than two percent of the total supply (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). Therefore, the existing housing stock presents a clear opportunity and responsibility for Building America (BA) to guide the remodeling and retrofit market toward higher performance existing homes. There are active programs designed to improve the energy performance of existing homes. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) is a market-rate program among them. BARA's research in this project verified that the New Jersey HPwES program is achieving savings in existing homes that meet or exceed BA's goal of 30%. Among the 17 HPwES projects with utility data included in this report, 15 have actual energy savings ranging from 24% to 46%. Further, two of the homes achieved that level of energy savings without the costly replacement of heating and cooling equipment, which indicates that less costly envelope packages could be offered to consumers unable to invest in more costly mechanical packages, potentially creating broader market impact.

  6. Volunteer computing experience with ATLAS@Home

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00068610; The ATLAS collaboration; Bianchi, Riccardo-Maria; Cameron, David; Filipčič, Andrej; Lançon, Eric; Wu, Wenjing

    2016-01-01

    ATLAS@Home is a volunteer computing project which allows the public to contribute to computing for the ATLAS experiment through their home or office computers. The project has grown continuously since its creation in mid-2014 and now counts almost 100,000 volunteers. The combined volunteers’ resources make up a sizeable fraction of overall resources for ATLAS simulation. This paper takes stock of the experience gained so far and describes the next steps in the evolution of the project. These improvements include running natively on Linux to ease the deployment on for example university clusters, using multiple cores inside one task to reduce the memory requirements and running different types of workload such as event generation. In addition to technical details the success of ATLAS@Home as an outreach tool is evaluated.

  7. Volunteer Computing Experience with ATLAS@Home

    CERN Document Server

    Cameron, David; The ATLAS collaboration; Bourdarios, Claire; Lan\\c con, Eric

    2016-01-01

    ATLAS@Home is a volunteer computing project which allows the public to contribute to computing for the ATLAS experiment through their home or office computers. The project has grown continuously since its creation in mid-2014 and now counts almost 100,000 volunteers. The combined volunteers' resources make up a sizable fraction of overall resources for ATLAS simulation. This paper takes stock of the experience gained so far and describes the next steps in the evolution of the project. These improvements include running natively on Linux to ease the deployment on for example university clusters, using multiple cores inside one job to reduce the memory requirements and running different types of workload such as event generation. In addition to technical details the success of ATLAS@Home as an outreach tool is evaluated.

  8. Volunteer Computing Experience with ATLAS@Home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adam-Bourdarios, C.; Bianchi, R.; Cameron, D.; Filipčič, A.; Isacchini, G.; Lançon, E.; Wu, W.; ATLAS Collaboration

    2017-10-01

    ATLAS@Home is a volunteer computing project which allows the public to contribute to computing for the ATLAS experiment through their home or office computers. The project has grown continuously since its creation in mid-2014 and now counts almost 100,000 volunteers. The combined volunteers’ resources make up a sizeable fraction of overall resources for ATLAS simulation. This paper takes stock of the experience gained so far and describes the next steps in the evolution of the project. These improvements include running natively on Linux to ease the deployment on for example university clusters, using multiple cores inside one task to reduce the memory requirements and running different types of workload such as event generation. In addition to technical details the success of ATLAS@Home as an outreach tool is evaluated.

  9. Embracing Complexity: Using Technology to Develop a Life-Long Learning Model for Non-Working Time in the Interdependent Homes for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, I-Tsun; Chen, Mei-Li

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to employ complexity theory as a theoretical framework and technology to facilitate the development of a life-long learning model for non-working time in the interdependent homes for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A "Shining Star Sustainable Action Project" of the ROC Foundation for Autistic…

  10. On the Path to Zero Energy Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Merrigan, T.

    2001-03-30

    Just imagine living in Florida and your fantasies might turn to swaying palms, fresh orange juice and lots of air-conditioning. For most people, a summer spent in Florida's heat and humidity would be unbearable without it. So air-conditioning is a necessity. But it's also a big energy drain, accounting for about 35% of all electricity used in a typical Florida house. As the largest single source of energy consumption in Florida, a home's air-conditioning load represents the biggest energy challenge. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) designed a project to answer this challenge. Two homes were built with the same floor plan on near-by lots. The difference was that one (the ''control home'') conformed to local residential building practices, and the other (the ''Zero Energy home'') was designed with energy efficiency in mind and solar technology systems on the roof. The homes were then monitored carefully for energy use. The project's designers were looking to answer two important questions: Could a home in a climate such as central Florida's be engineered and built so efficiently that a relatively small PV system would serve the majority of its cooling needs--and even some of its daytime electrical needs? And, would that home be as comfortable and appealing as the conventional model built alongside it? The answer to both questions turned out to be a resounding yes. And the test was especially rigorous, because it was conducted in the summer of 1998--one of the hottest summers on record in Florida. This news is important for city planners, architects, builders, and homeowners not only in the Sunshine State, but elsewhere, too. The solar/energy efficiency combo worked so well in Florida that it can--and should--be tried in other parts of the country. This brochure describes the Zero Energy Homes concept using a case study.

  11. [Training of communication skills in stationary long care homes--the evaluation of a model project to develop communication skills and transfer it into practice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinemann-Knoch, M; Korte, E; Heusinger, J; Klünder, M; Knoch, T

    2005-02-01

    The training of communication skills of professional caregivers in six homes for elderly people has been developed and evaluated in a model project. The purpose of the project was to strengthen the staff's orientation towards the residents, their needs, handicaps and abilities. Therefore, a series of 8 in-house training courses as well as procedures to establish the contents of the program into daily care-giving (transfer) have been developed and implemented with six teams during one year. The evaluation included interviews, questionnaires and observations and was realized with participants and non-participants of the program once before the implementation of the training program and once afterwards. We found evidence for positive effects of the training: although the staff's positive self perception of the climate of communication remained stable and mainly not affected by the training, this was contradictory to the observations. The way of giving information to the residents was improved by the training program as well as the quality of relations between staff and residents. Again, sending messages about oneself which are not care-oriented had not been affected by the training-as to the observations of care giving situations. Although the staff's self perception about the change of sending these messages was highly positive.Thus, the further development of the training program has to consider these effects.To establish the transfer of the training program into daily care giving, it proved to be helpful to specify exercises after each session which had to be carried out and discussed by the participants until the next training session.

  12. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Amaris Custom Homes, St. Paul, Minnesota

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2015-06-01

    For this project, Amaris worked with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) team, NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership, to develop the first Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) in Minnesota's cold climate using reasonable, cost-effective, and replicable construction materials and practices. The result is a passive solar, super-efficient 3542-ft2 walkout ranch-style home with all the creature comforts. Along with meeting ZERH standards, Amaris also achieved certifications for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design for Homes v4, MN Green Path Emerald, and a Builders Association of the Twin Cities Reggie Award of Excellence. The home achieves a HERS score of 41 without photovoltaics; with PV, the home achieves a HERS score of 5.

  13. Improving Maternal Healthcare Access and Neonatal Survival through a Birthing Home Model in Rural Haiti

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth Wickstrom

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available High neonatal mortality in Haiti is sustained by limited access to essential maternity services, particularly for Haiti’s rural population. We investigated the feasibility of a rural birthing home model to provide basic prenatal, delivery, and neonatal services for women with uncomplicated pregnancies while simultaneously providing triage and transport of women with pregnancy related complications. The model included consideration of the local context, including women’s perceptions of barriers to healthcare access and available resources to implement change. Evaluation methods included the performance of a baseline community census and collection of pregnancy histories from 791 women living in a defined area of rural Haiti. These retrospective data were compared with pregnancy outcome for 668 women subsequently receiving services at the birthing home. Of 764 reported most recent pregnancies in the baseline survey, 663(87% occurred at home with no assistance from skilled health staff. Of 668 women followed after opening of the birthing home, 514 (77% subsequently gave birth at the birthing home, 94 (14% were referred to a regional hospital for delivery, and only 60 (9% delivered at home or on the way to the birthing home. Other measures of clinical volume and patient satisfaction also indicated positive changes in health care seeking. After introduction of the birthing home, fewer neonates died than predicted by historical information or national statistics. The present experience points out the feasibility of a rural birthing home model to increase access to essential maternity services.

  14. Sustainable solar home systems model: Applying lessons from Bangladesh to Myanmar's rural poor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Newcombe, Alex; Ackom, Emmanuel

    2017-01-01

    Myanmar's rural population has very low access to electricity, mainly due to low disposal income and the remoteness of communities. This paper attempts to test the potential applicability of Grameen Shakti-Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), which is a Bangladeshi public private...... partnership microfinance model, to rural Myanmar towards enhanced solar home systems (SHS) deployment. Rural poor are enabled by this microfinancing scheme to own SHSs in a few years for as low as US$6.40 per month. The objectives of this paper are to assess the experience of Grameen Shakti-IDCOL and other...... similar projects for invaluable lessons, identify barriers to sustainable electrification for Myanmar's rural poor and to apply these lessons learned to overcome barriers by developing policy recommendations for sustainable electrification for rural poor in Myanmar. Recommendations are provided suggesting...

  15. A model for ageing-home-care service process improvement

    OpenAIRE

    Yu, Shu-Yan; Shie, An-Jin

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop an integrated model to improve service processes in ageing-home-care. According to the literature, existing service processes have potential service failures that affect service quality and efficacy. However, most previous studies have only focused on conceptual model development using New Service Development (NSD) and fail to provide a systematic model to analyse potential service failures and facilitate managers developing solutions to improve the se...

  16. Prevalence and potentially reversible factors associated with anorexia among older nursing home residents: results from the ULISSE project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landi, Francesco; Lattanzio, Fabrizia; Dell'Aquila, Giuseppina; Eusebi, Paolo; Gasperini, Beatrice; Liperoti, Rosa; Belluigi, Andrea; Bernabei, Roberto; Cherubini, Antonio

    2013-02-01

    The principal aims of the present study were to explore the prevalence of anorexia and the factors correlated to anorexia in a large population of older people living in nursing home. Secondary, we evaluated the impact of anorexia on 1-year survival. Data are from baseline evaluation of 1904 participants enrolled in the Un Link Informatico sui Servizi Sanitari Esistenti per l'Anziano study, a project evaluating the quality of care for older persons living in an Italian nursing home. All participants underwent a standardized comprehensive evaluation using the Italian version of the inter Resident Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set (version 2.0) for Nursing Home. We defined anorexia as the presence of lower food intake. The relationship between covariates and anorexia was estimated by deriving ORs and relative 95% CIs from multiple logistic regression models including anorexia as the dependent variable of interest. Hazard ratios and 95% CIs for mortality by anorexia were calculated. More than 12% (240 participants) of the study sample suffered from anorexia, as defined by the presence of decreased food intake or the presence of poor appetite. Participants with functional impairment, dementia, behavior problems, chewing problems, renal failure, constipation, and depression, those treated with proton pump inhibitors and opioids had a nearly 2-fold increased risk of anorexia compared with participants not affected by these syndromes. Furthermore, participants with anorexia had a higher risk of death for all causes compared with nonanorexic participants (hazard ratio 2.26, 95% CI: 2.14-2.38). The major finding is that potentially reversible causes, such as depression, pharmacologic therapies, and chewing problems, were strongly and independently associated with anorexia among frail older people living in nursing home. Furthermore, anorexia was associated with higher rate of mortality, independently of age and other clinical and functional variables. Copyright © 2013

  17. Performance Evaluation and Opportunity Assessment for St. Bernard Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dickson, B.

    2011-06-01

    This report describes efforts by IBACOS, a Department of Energy Building America research team, in the St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit, community-based organization whose mission is to assist Hurricane Katrina survivors return to their homes in the New Orleans area. The report focuses on energy modeling results of two plans that the St. Bernard Project put forth as 'typical' building types and on quality issues that were observed during the field walk and Best Practice recommendations that could improve the energy efficiency and durability of the renovated homes.

  18. Performance Evaluation and Opportunity Assessment for St. Bernard Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dickson, Bruce [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2011-06-01

    This report describes efforts by IBACOS, a Building America research team, in the St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit, community-based organization whose mission is to assist Hurricane Katrina survivors to return to their homes in the New Orleans area. The report focuses on energy modeling results of two plans that the St. Bernard Project put forth as 'typical' building types and on quality issues that were observed during the field walk and best practice recommendations that could improve the energy efficiency and durability of the renovated homes.

  19. Measured Whole-House Performance of TaC Studios Test Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butler, T. [Partnership for Home Innovation (PHI), Upper Marlboro, MD (United States). Southface Energy Inst.; Curtis, O. [Partnership for Home Innovation (PHI), Upper Marlboro, MD (United States). Southface Energy Inst.; Stephenson, R. [Partnership for Home Innovation (PHI), Upper Marlboro, MD (United States). Southface Energy Inst.

    2013-12-01

    As part of the NAHB Research Center Industry Partnership, Southface partnered with TaC Studios, an Atlanta-based architecture firm specializing in residential and light commercial design, on the construction of a new test home in Atlanta, GA in the mixed humid climate. This home serves as a residence and home office for the firm's owners, as well as a demonstration of their design approach topotential and current clients. Southface believes the home demonstrates current best practices for the mixed-humid climate, including a building envelope featuring advanced air sealing details and low density spray foam insulation, glazing that exceeds ENERGY STAR requirements, and a high performance heating and cooling system. Construction quality and execution was a high priority for TaCStudios and was ensured by a third party review process. Post-construction testing showed that the project met stated goals for envelope performance, an air infiltration rate of 2.15 ACH50. The homeowners wished to further validate whole house energy savings through the project's involvement with Building America and this long-term monitoring effort. As a Building America test home, this homewas evaluated to detail whole house energy use, end use loads, and the efficiency and operation of the ground source heat pump and associated systems. Given that the home includes many non-typical end use loads including a home office, pool, landscape water feature, and other luxury features not accounted for in Building America modeling tools, these end uses were separately monitored todetermine their impact on overall energy consumption.

  20. The development of an integrated care model for patients with severe or very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): the COPD-Home model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunde, Synnøve; Walstad, Rolf Aksel; Bentsen, Signe Berit; Lunde, Solfrid J; Wangen, Eva Marie; Rustøen, Tone; Henriksen, Anne Hildur

    2014-09-01

    Adherence to guidelines for managing stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its exacerbations is inadequate among healthcare workers and patients. An appropriate care model would meet patient needs, enhance their coping with COPD and improve their quality of life (QOL). This study aims to present the 'COPD-Home' as an integrated care model for patients with severe or very severe COPD. One principle of the COPD-Home model is that hospital treatment should lead to follow up in the patient's home. The model also includes education, improved coordination of levels of care, improved accessibility and a management plan. One of the main elements of the COPD-Home model is the clear role of the home-care nurse. Model development is based on earlier research and clinical experience. It comprises: (i) education provided through an education programme for patients and involved nurses, (ii) joint visits and telephone checks, (iii) a call centre for support and communication with a general practitioner and (iv) an individualised self-management plan including home monitoring and a plan for pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. The COPD-Home model attempts to cultivate competences and behaviours of patients and community nurses that better accord with guidelines for interventions. The next step in its development will be to evaluate its ability to assist both healthcare workers and planners to improve the management of COPD, reduce exacerbations and improve QOL and coping among patients with COPD. © 2013 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  1. Building America Case Study: Retrofitting a 1960s Split-Level, Cold-Climate Home, Westport, Connecticut; Whole-House Solutions for Existing Homes, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2015-08-01

    ??National programs such as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR(R) and numerous other utility air sealing programs have brought awareness to homeowners of the benefits of energy efficiency retrofits. Yet, these programs tend to focus on the low-hanging fruit: air-sealing the thermal envelope and ductwork where accessible, switch to efficient lighting, and low-flow fixtures. At the other end of the spectrum, deep-energy retrofit programs are also being encouraged by various utilities across the country. While deep energy retrofits typically seek 50% energy savings, they are often quite costly and most applicable to gut-rehab projects. A significant potential for lowering energy usage in existing homes lies between the low hanging fruit and deep energy retrofit approaches - retrofits that save approximately 30% in energy over the existing conditions. A key is to be non-intrusive with the efficiency measures so the retrofit projects can be accomplished in occupied homes. This cold climate retrofit project involved the design and optimization of a home in Connecticut that sought to improve energy savings by at least 30% (excluding solar PV) over the existing home's performance. This report documents the successful implementation of a cost-effective solution package that achieved performance greater than 30% over the pre-retrofit - what worked, what did not, and what improvements could be made. Confirmation of successfully achieving 30% source energy savings over the pre-existing conditions was confirmed through energy modeling and comparison of the utility bills pre- and post- retrofit.

  2. Accelerating the Delivery of Home Performance Upgrades through a Synergistic Business Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schirber, Tom; Ojczyk, Cindy

    2016-04-11

    Achieving Building America energy savings goals (40% by 2030) will require many existing homes to install energy upgrades. Engaging large numbers of homeowners in building science-guided upgrades during a single remodeling event has been difficult for a number of reasons. Performance upgrades in existing homes tend to occur over multiple years and usually result from component failures (furnace failure) and weather damage (ice dams, roofing, siding). This research attempted to: A) understand the homeowner's motivations regarding investing in building science based performance upgrades; B) determining a rapidly scalable approach to engage large numbers of homeowners directly through existing customer networks; and C) access a business model that will manage all aspects of the contractor-homeowner-performance professional interface to ensure good upgrade decisions over time. The solution results from a synergistic approach utilizing networks of suppliers merging with networks of homeowner customers. Companies in the $400 to $800 billion home services industry have proven direct marketing and sales proficiencies that have led to the development of vast customer networks. Companies such as pest control, lawn care, and security have nurtured these networks by successfully addressing the ongoing needs of homes. This long-term access to customers and trust established with consistent delivery has also provided opportunities for home service providers to grow by successfully introducing new products and services like attic insulation and air sealing. The most important component for success is a business model that will facilitate and manage the process. The team analyzes a group that developed a working model.

  3. Using home networks to create atmospheres in the home: Technology push or (latent) user need?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuiper-Hoyng, L.L.M.L.; Beusmans, J.W.F.

    2004-01-01

    The Atmosphere Controller is an implementation of home networking technology that could make life at home a totally new experience. An atmosphere is created by combining light (intensity and colour), music and wallpaper projection. To find out if is this type of experience fits into everyday life of

  4. Collaborative business model development for home energy renovations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mlecnik, E.; Straub, A.; Haavik, T

    2018-01-01

    In the EU, housing retrofit rates have to increase to about 2.5–3% of the housing stock per year to achieve policy goals. The development of new business models and collaboration of SMEs in a fragmented market is expected to result in an increase in home renovations. This study presents a way to

  5. Active home-based cancer treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bordonaro S

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Sebastiano Bordonaro Fabio Raiti, Annamaria Di Mari, Calogera Lopiano, Fabrizio Romano, Vitalinda Pumo, Sebastiano Rametta Giuliano, Margherita Iacono, Eleonora Lanteri, Elena Puzzo, Sebastiano Spada, Paolo TralongoUOC Medical Oncology, RAO, ASP 8 Siracusa, ItalyBackground: Active home-based treatment represents a new model of health care. Chronic treatment requires continuous access to facilities that provide cancer care, with considerable effort, particularly economic, on the part of patients and caregivers. Oral chemotherapy could be limited as a consequence of poor compliance and adherence, especially by elderly patients.Methods: We selected 30 cancer patients referred to our department and treated with oral therapy (capecitabine, vinorelbine, imatinib, sunitinib, sorafenib, temozolomide, ibandronate. This pilot study of oral therapy in the patient’s home was undertaken by a doctor and two nurses with experience in clinical oncology. The instruments used were clinical diaries recording home visits, hospital visits, need for caregiver support, and a questionnaire specially developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC, known as the QLQ-C30 version 2.0, concerning the acceptability of oral treatment from the patient’s perspective.Results: This program decreased the need to access cancer facilities by 98.1%, promoted better quality of life for patients, as reflected in increased EORTC QLQ-C30 scores over time, allowing for greater adherence to oral treatment as a result of control of drug administration outside the hospital. This model has allowed treatment of patients with difficult access to care (elderly, disabled or otherwise needed caregivers that in the project represent the majority (78% of these.Conclusions: This model of active home care improves quality of life and adherence with oral therapy, reduces the need to visit the hospital, and consequently decreases the number of lost hours of work on

  6. Byggmeister Test Home: Analysis and Initial Results of Cold Climate Wood-Framed Home Retrofit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gates, C.

    2013-01-01

    BSC seeks to further the energy efficiency market for New England area retrofit projects by supporting projects that are based on solid building science fundamentals and verified implementation. With the high exposure of energy efficiency and retrofit terminology being used in the general media at this time, it is important to have evidence that measures being proposed will in fact benefit the homeowner through a combination of energy savings, improved durability, and occupant comfort. There are several basic areas of research to which the technical report for these test homes can be expected to contribute. These include the combination of measures that is feasible, affordable and acceptable to homeowners as well as expectations versus results. Two Byggmeister multi-family test homes in Massachusetts are examined with the goal of providing case studies that could be applied to other similar New England homes.

  7. Patient-centered medical home model: do school-based health centers fit the model?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Satu A; Chapman, Susan A

    2013-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) are an important component of health care reform. The SBHC model of care offers accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, and compassionate care to infants, children, and adolescents. These same elements comprise the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care being promoted by the Affordable Care Act with the hope of lowering health care costs by rewarding clinicians for primary care services. PCMH survey tools have been developed to help payers determine whether a clinician/site serves as a PCMH. Our concern is that current survey tools will be unable to capture how a SBHC may provide a medical home and therefore be denied needed funding. This article describes how SBHCs might meet the requirements of one PCMH tool. SBHC stakeholders need to advocate for the creation or modification of existing survey tools that allow the unique characteristics of SBHCs to qualify as PCMHs.

  8. An Adaptive Agent-Based Model of Homing Pigeons: A Genetic Algorithm Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francis Oloo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Conventionally, agent-based modelling approaches start from a conceptual model capturing the theoretical understanding of the systems of interest. Simulation outcomes are then used “at the end” to validate the conceptual understanding. In today’s data rich era, there are suggestions that models should be data-driven. Data-driven workflows are common in mathematical models. However, their application to agent-based models is still in its infancy. Integration of real-time sensor data into modelling workflows opens up the possibility of comparing simulations against real data during the model run. Calibration and validation procedures thus become automated processes that are iteratively executed during the simulation. We hypothesize that incorporation of real-time sensor data into agent-based models improves the predictive ability of such models. In particular, that such integration results in increasingly well calibrated model parameters and rule sets. In this contribution, we explore this question by implementing a flocking model that evolves in real-time. Specifically, we use genetic algorithms approach to simulate representative parameters to describe flight routes of homing pigeons. The navigation parameters of pigeons are simulated and dynamically evaluated against emulated GPS sensor data streams and optimised based on the fitness of candidate parameters. As a result, the model was able to accurately simulate the relative-turn angles and step-distance of homing pigeons. Further, the optimised parameters could replicate loops, which are common patterns in flight tracks of homing pigeons. Finally, the use of genetic algorithms in this study allowed for a simultaneous data-driven optimization and sensitivity analysis.

  9. Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program High-Performance Test Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hewes, Tom; Peeks, Brady

    2015-09-15

    ?This project represents the third phase of a multi-year effort to develop and bring to market a High Performance Manufactured Home (HPMH). The scope of this project involved building four HPMH prototypes, resulting in what is expected to be a 30% savings relative to the Building America Benchmark. (The actual % savings varies depending on choice of heating equipment and climate zone). The HPMH home is intended to make significant progress toward performing as zero-net-energy ready. Previous phases of this project created a HPMH specification and prototyped individual measures from the package to obtain engineering approvals and develop preliminary factory construction processes. This report describes the project team's work during 2014 to build prototype homes to the HPMH specifications and to monitor the homes for energy performance and durability during 2014. Monitoring is expected to continue into 2016.

  10. A home-based comprehensive care model in patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A study pre-protocol [version 1; referees: 2 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lufei Young

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Background Disability is prevalent in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS, leading to difficulty in care access, significant caregiver burden, immense challenges in self-care and great societal burden.  Without highly coordinated, competent and accessible care, individuals living with progressive MS experience psychological distress, poor quality of life, suffer from life-threatening complications, and have frequent but avoidable healthcare utilizations. Unfortunately, current healthcare delivery models present severe limitations in providing easily accessible, patient-centered, coordinated comprehensive care to those with progressive MS. We propose a home-based comprehensive care model (MAHA to address the unmet needs, challenges, and avoidable complications in individuals with progressive MS with disabling disease. Objective The article aims to describe the study design and methods used to implement and evaluate the proposed intervention.   Method The study will use a randomized controlled design to evaluate the feasibility of providing a 24-month, home-based, patient-centered comprehensive care program to improve quality of life, reduce complications and healthcare utilizations overtime (quarterly for 24 months. A transdisciplinary team led by a MS-Comprehensivist will carry out this project. Fifty MS patients will be randomly assigned to the intervention and usual care program using block randomization procedures. We hypothesize that patients in the intervention group will have fewer complications, higher quality of life, greater satisfaction with care, and reduced healthcare utilization. The proposed project is also expected to be financially sustainable in fee-for-service models but best suited for and gain financial success in valued-based care systems.   Discussion This is the first study to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a home-based comprehensive care management program in MS patients living with progressive

  11. Why Hospitals and Payers are Recommending Home Care Upon Discharge Instead of SNF or Traditional Home Health Services--Alternative Payment Model Hospital Incentives Aligning with Patient Choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luke, Josh

    2016-01-01

    Seniors and other hospital patients in the United States have traditionally had the option of being discharged to a skilled nursing facility (convalescent home) for post-acute services, or home with nursing and therapy services provided in the home setting. Traditionally, these home based services have been referred to as "home health." As more Americans have retired, home health services have expanded and are readily accessible. This growth put tremendous stress on the Medicare fund which pays for senior care services. However, "Home Care," which traditionally has been viewed as non-medical home based services, has also become a booming industry for the cost conscious in recent years as more Americans reach retirement age. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, providers and payers are now finding themselves responsible for post-acute care and continuous patient health, so cost efficient solutions for post-acute care are thriving. For the first time in history, American hospitals and Insurers are recognizing Home Care as an effective model that achieves the Triple Aim of Health Care reform. Home Care, which is no longer completely non-medical services, has proven to be an integral part of the care continuum for seniors in recent years and is now becoming a viable solution for keeping patients well, while still honoring their desire to age and heal at home. This paper analyzes the benefits and risks of home care and provides a clear understanding as to why American hospitals are emphasizing SNF Avoidance and skipping home health, opting instead to refer patients directly to home care as the preferred discharge solution in a value based model.

  12. Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water by Adsorptive Media - U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Hot Springs Mobile Home Park in Willard, Utah - Final Performance Evaluation Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    This report documents activities performed for and results obtained from the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Hot Springs Mobile Home Park (HSMHP) in Willard, UT. The objectives of the project were to evaluate the effectiveness of Adsorbsia™ GTO™...

  13. AP@home: The Artificial Pancreas Is Now at Home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinemann, Lutz; Benesch, Carsten; DeVries, J Hans

    2016-07-01

    In the past years the development of an artificial pancreas (AP) has made great progress and many activities are ongoing in this area of research. The major step forward made in the last years was moving the evaluation of AP systems from highly controlled experimental conditions to daily life conditions at the home of patients with diabetes; this was also the aim of the European Union-funded AP@home project. Over a time period of 5 years a series of clinical studies were performed that culminated in 2 "final studies" during which an AP system was used by patients in their home environment for 2 or 3 months without supervision by a physician, living their normal lives. Two different versions of the AP system developed within this project were evaluated. A significant improvement in glycated hemoglobin was observed during closed-loop conditions despite the fact that during the control period the patients used the best currently available therapeutic option. In addition, a "single-port AP system" was developed within the project that combines continuous glucose monitoring and insulin infusion at a single tissue site. By using such a combined device the patients not only have to carry one less device around, the number of access points through the skin is also reduced from 2 to 1. In summary, close cooperation of 12 European partners, both academic centers and industry, enabled the development and evaluation of AP systems under daily life conditions. The next step is to develop these into products in cooperation with commercial partners. © 2016 Diabetes Technology Society.

  14. Patient-centered medical homes in Louisiana had minimal impact on Medicaid population's use of acute care and costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Evan S; Campbell, Claudia; Diana, Mark L; Webber, Larry; Culbertson, Richard

    2015-01-01

    The patient-centered medical home model of primary care has received considerable attention for its potential to improve outcomes and reduce health care costs. Yet little information exists about the model's ability to achieve these goals for Medicaid patients. We sought to evaluate the effect of patient-centered medical home certification of Louisiana primary care clinics on the quality and cost of care over time for a Medicaid population. We used a quasi-experimental pre-post design with a matched control group to assess the effect of medical home certification on outcomes. We found no impact on acute care use and modest support for reduced costs and primary care use among medical homes serving higher proportions of chronically ill patients. These findings provide preliminary results related to the ability of the patient-centered medical home model to improve outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries. The findings support a case-mix-adjusted payment policy for medical homes going forward. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  15. World energy projection system: Model documentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-06-01

    The World Energy Project System (WEPS) is an accounting framework that incorporates projects from independently documented models and assumptions about the future energy intensity of economic activity (ratios of total energy consumption divided by gross domestic product) and about the rate of incremental energy requirements met by hydropower, geothermal, coal, and natural gas to produce projections of world energy consumption published annually by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the International Energy Outlook (IEO). Two independently documented models presented in Figure 1, the Oil Market Simulation (OMS) model and the World Integrated Nuclear Evaluation System (WINES), provide projections of oil and nuclear power consumption published in the IEO. Output from a third independently documented model, and the International Coal Trade Model (ICTM), is not published in the IEO but is used in WEPS as a supply check on projections of world coal consumption produced by WEPS and published in the IEO. A WEPS model of natural gas production documented in this report provides the same type of implicit supply check on the WEPS projections of world natural gas consumption published in the IEO. Two additional models are included in Figure 1, the OPEC Capacity model and the Non-OPEC Oil Production model. These WEPS models provide inputs to the OMS model and are documented in this report.

  16. World energy projection system: Model documentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-06-01

    The World Energy Project System (WEPS) is an accounting framework that incorporates projects from independently documented models and assumptions about the future energy intensity of economic activity (ratios of total energy consumption divided by gross domestic product) and about the rate of incremental energy requirements met by hydropower, geothermal, coal, and natural gas to produce projections of world energy consumption published annually by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the International Energy Outlook (IEO) (Figure 1). Two independently documented models presented in Figure 1, the Oil Market Simulation (OMS) model and the World Integrated Nuclear Evaluation System (WINES) provide projections of oil and nuclear power consumption published in the IEO. Output from a third independently documented model, and the International Coal Trade Model (ICTM), is not published in the IEO but is used in WEPS as a supply check on projections of world coal consumption produced by WEPS and published in the IEO. A WEPS model of natural gas production documented in this report provides the same type of implicit supply check on the WEPS projections of world natural gas consumption published in the IEO. Two additional models are included in Figure 1, the OPEC Capacity model and the Non-OPEC Oil Production model. These WEPS models provide inputs to the OMS model and are documented in this report

  17. The Future of Home Health Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landers, Steven; Madigan, Elizabeth; Leff, Bruce; Rosati, Robert J.; McCann, Barbara A.; Hornbake, Rodney; MacMillan, Richard; Jones, Kate; Bowles, Kathryn; Dowding, Dawn; Lee, Teresa; Moorhead, Tracey; Rodriguez, Sally; Breese, Erica

    2016-01-01

    The Future of Home Health project sought to support transformation of home health and home-based care to meet the needs of patients in the evolving U.S. health care system. Interviews with key thought leaders and stakeholders resulted in key themes about the future of home health care. By synthesizing this qualitative research, a literature review, case studies, and the themes from a 2014 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council workshop on “The Future of Home Health Care,” the authors articulate a vision for home-based care and recommend a bold framework for the Medicare-certified home health agency of the future. The authors also identify challenges and recommendations for achievement of this framework. PMID:27746670

  18. A multivariate fall risk assessment model for VHA nursing homes using the minimum data set.

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, Dustin D; Werner, Dennis C; Campbell, Robert R; Powell-Cope, Gail M; Nelson, Audrey L; Rubenstein, Laurence Z; Bulat, Tatjana; Spehar, Andrea M

    2007-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a multivariate fall risk assessment model beyond the current fall Resident Assessment Protocol (RAP) triggers for nursing home residents using the Minimum Data Set (MDS). Retrospective, clustered secondary data analysis. National Veterans Health Administration (VHA) long-term care nursing homes (N = 136). The study population consisted of 6577 national VHA nursing home residents who had an annual assessment during FY 2005, identified from the MDS, as well as an earlier annual or admission assessment within a 1-year look-back period. A dichotomous multivariate model of nursing home residents coded with a fall on selected fall risk characteristics from the MDS, estimated with general estimation equations (GEE). There were 17 170 assessments corresponding to 6577 long-term care nursing home residents. The increased odds ratio (OR) of being classified as a faller relative to the omitted "dependent" category of activities of daily living (ADL) ranged from OR = 1.35 for "limited" ADL category up to OR = 1.57 for "extensive-2" ADL (P canes, walkers, or crutches, or the use of wheelchairs increases the odds of being a faller (OR = 1.17, P falls in long-term care settings. The model incorporated an ADL index and adjusted for case mix by including only long-term care nursing home residents. The study offers clinicians practical estimates by combining multiple univariate MDS elements in an empirically based, multivariate fall risk assessment model.

  19. Multipayer patient-centered medical home implementation guided by the chronic care model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabbay, Robert A; Bailit, Michael H; Mauger, David T; Wagner, Edward H; Siminerio, Linda

    2011-06-01

    A unique statewide multipayer ini Pennsylvania was undertaken to implement the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) guided by the Chronic Care Model (CCM) with diabetes as an initial target disease. This project represents the first broad-scale CCM implementation with payment reform across a diverse range of practice organizations and one of the largest PCMH multipayer initiatives. Practices implemented the CCM and PCMH through regional Breakthrough Series learning collaboratives, supported by Improving Performance in Practice (IPIP) practice coaches, with required monthly quality reporting enhanced by multipayer infrastructure payments. Some 105 practices, representing 382 primary care providers, were engaged in the four regional collaboratives. The practices from the Southeast region of Pennsylvania focused on diabetes patients (n = 10,016). During the first intervention year (May 2008-May 2009), all practices achieved at least Level 1 National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Physician Practice Connections Patient-Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH) recognition. There was significant improvement in the percentage of patients who had evidence-based complications screening and who were on therapies to reduce morbidity and mortality (statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors). In addition, there were small but statistically significant improvements in key clinical parameters for blood pressure and cholesterol levels, with the greatest absolute improvement in the highest-risk patients. Transforming primary care delivery through implementation of the PCMH and CCM supported by multipayer infrastructure payments holds significant promise to improve diabetes care.

  20. Home healthcare nurse retention and patient outcome model: discussion and model development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenbecker, Carol Hall; Cushman, Margaret

    2012-08-01

    This paper discusses additions to an empirically tested model of home healthcare nurse retention. An argument is made that the variables of shared decision-making and organizational commitment be added to the model based on the authors' previous research and additional evidence from the literature. Previous research testing the home healthcare nurse retention model established empirical relationships between nurse, agency, and area characteristics to nurse job satisfaction, intent to stay, and retention. Unexplained model variance prompted a new literature search to augment understanding of nurse retention and patient and agency outcomes. Data come from the authors' previous research, and a literature search from 1990 to 2011 on the topics organizational commitment, shared decision-making, nurse retention, patient outcomes and agency performance. The literature provides a rationale for the additional variables of shared decision-making and affective and continuous organizational commitment, linking these variables to nurse job satisfaction, nurse intent to stay, nurse retention and patient outcomes and agency performance. Implications for nursing.  The new variables in the model suggest that all agencies, even those not struggling to retain nurses, should develop interventions to enhance nurse job satisfaction to assure quality patient outcomes. The new nurse retention and patient outcome model increases our understanding of nurse retention. An understanding of the relationship among these variables will guide future research and the development of interventions to create and maintain nursing work environments that contribute to nurse affective agency commitment, nurse retention and quality of patient outcomes. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. Effectiveness of a Home Program Intervention for Young Children with Autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozonoff, Sally; Cathcart, Kristina

    1998-01-01

    This project evaluated the effectiveness of the Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped CHildren (TEACCH) home program intervention model for young children with autism, which encourages parents to be active, ongoing co-therapists. The 11 children in the treatment group, compared to the control, improved…

  2. High performance homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beim, Anne; Vibæk, Kasper Sánchez

    2014-01-01

    Can prefabrication contribute to the development of high performance homes? To answer this question, this chapter defines high performance in more broadly inclusive terms, acknowledging the technical, architectural, social and economic conditions under which energy consumption and production occur....... Consideration of all these factors is a precondition for a truly integrated practice and as this chapter demonstrates, innovative project delivery methods founded on the manufacturing of prefabricated buildings contribute to the production of high performance homes that are cost effective to construct, energy...

  3. Task 9. Deployment of photovoltaic technologies: co-operation with developing countries. Summary of models for the implementation of solar home systems in developing countries - Part 2: Practical experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2003-03-15

    This second part of a report for the International Energy Agency (IEA) made by Task 9 of the Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) programme takes a look at the implementation of Solar Home Systems in developing countries. The objective of Task 9 is to increase the successful deployment of PV systems in developing countries. This summary outlines various models for the implementation of small domestic photovoltaic (PV) systems (Solar Home Systems, SHS) in developing countries. The first part of this two-part document discussed three generic models. Part 2 of the document is based on work prepared for the Renewable Energy Supply Models (RESUM) project. Examples are quoted which describe the operations of a number of companies supplying solar home systems in developing countries. These examples of practical experience provide a description of businesses, highlighting the success and failure factors of the organisations. They are only a sample of the many PV companies operating internationally and are not to be considered as a critical evaluation of the implementation models; they attempt to give the reader an idea of the realities of using the models in practice.

  4. Parental eating behaviours, home food environment and adolescent intakes of fruits, vegetables and dairy foods: longitudinal findings from Project EAT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arcan, Chrisa; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Hannan, Peter; van den Berg, Patricia; Story, Mary; Larson, Nicole

    2007-11-01

    To examine longitudinal associations of parental report of household food availability and parent intakes of fruits, vegetables and dairy foods with adolescent intakes of the same foods. This study expands upon the limited research of longitudinal studies examining the role of parents and household food availability in adolescent dietary intakes. Longitudinal study. Project EAT-II followed an ethnically and socio-economically diverse sample of adolescents from 1999 (time 1) to 2004 (time 2). In addition to the Project EAT survey, adolescents completed the Youth Adolescent Food-Frequency Questionnaire in both time periods, and parents of adolescents completed a telephone survey at time 1. General linear modelling was used to examine the relationship between parent intake and home availability and adolescent intake, adjusting for time 1 adolescent intakes. Associations were examined separately for the high school and young adult cohorts and separately for males and females in combined cohorts. The sample included 509 pairs of parents/guardians and adolescents. Vegetables served at dinner significantly predicted adolescent intakes of vegetables for males (P = 0.037), females (P = 0.009), high school (P = 0.033) and young adults (P = 0.05) at 5-year follow-up. Among young adults, serving milk at dinner predicted dairy intake (P = 0.002). Time 1 parental intakes significantly predicted intakes of young adults for fruit (P = 0.044), vegetables (P = 0.041) and dairy foods (P = 0.008). Parental intake predicted intake of dairy for females (P = 0.02). The findings suggest the importance of providing parents of adolescents with knowledge and skills to enhance the home food environment and improve their own eating behaviours.

  5. Competency model for the project managers of technical projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, William R.

    1992-05-01

    Traditional job description techniques were developed to support compensation decisions for hourly wage earners in a manufacturing environment. Their resultant focus on activities performed on the job works well in this environment where the ability to perform the activity adequately is objectively verifiable by testing and observation. Although many organizations have adapted these techniques for salaried employees and service environments, the focus on activities performed has never been satisfactory. For example, stating that a project manager `prepares regular project status reports' tells us little about what to look for in a potential project manager or how to determine if a practicing project manager is ready for additional responsibilities. The concept of a `competency model' has been developed within the last decade to address this shortcoming. Competency models focus on what skills are needed to perform the tasks defined by the job description. For example, a project manager must be able to communicate well both orally and in writing in order to `prepare regular project status reports.'

  6. The housing development process: green homes in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fazdliel Aswad Ibrahim

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Green building has been adopted and became an accepted norm in the developed countries like USA, UK, Canada and Australia. Despite the good efforts shown by the developed countries on how to build green building, the developing and less developed countries inclusive Malaysia seem lag behind in this aspect. The issue of sustainable approach in building industry in Malaysia is still new and there are a little of housing projects are meeting the criteria of green buildings. The housing developers are exposed to the risk of uncertainty demand from the house buyers if they are interested to develop green homes. This paper discuss the development of concept and design of green homes by using product development process model in the manufacturing and building industry in order to assist the housing developers to reduce the risk associated with this new product such this green homes.

  7. Mountain Home Geothermal Project: geothermal energy applications in an integrated livestock meat and feed production facility at Mountain Home, Idaho. [Contains glossary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Longyear, A.B.; Brink, W.R.; Fisher, L.A.; Matherson, R.H.; Neilson, J.A.; Sanyal, S.K.

    1979-02-01

    The Mountain Home Geothermal Project is an engineering and economic study of a vertically integrated livestock meat and feed production facility utilizing direct geothermal energy from the KGRA (Known Geothermal Resource Area) southeast of Mountain Home, Idaho. A system of feed production, swine raising, slaughter, potato processing and waste management was selected for study based upon market trends, regional practices, available technology, use of commercial hardware, resource characteristics, thermal cascade and mass flow considerations, and input from the Advisory Board. The complex covers 160 acres; utilizes 115 million Btu per hour (34 megawatts-thermal) of geothermal heat between 300/sup 0/F and 70/sup 0/F; has an installed capital of $35.5 million;produces 150,000 hogs per year, 28 million lbs. of processed potatoes per year, and on the order of 1000 continuous horsepower from methane. The total effluent is 200 gallons per minute (gpm) of irrigation water and 7300 tons per year of saleable high grade fertilizer. The entire facility utilizes 1000 gpm of 350/sup 0/F geothermal water. The economic analysis indicates that the complex should have a payout of owner-invested capital of just over three years. Total debt at 11% per year interest would be paid out in 12 (twelve) years.

  8. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Sterling Brook Custom Homes — Village Park Eco Home, Double Park, TX

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    none,

    2014-09-01

    This builder won a Custom Builder honor in the 2014 Housing Innovation Awards for this showcase home that serves as an energy-efficient model home for the custom home builder: 1,300 visitors toured the home, thousands more learned about the home’s advanced construction via the webpage, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

  9. Behavioral health and health care reform models: patient-centered medical home, health home, and accountable care organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bao, Yuhua; Casalino, Lawrence P; Pincus, Harold Alan

    2013-01-01

    Discussions of health care delivery and payment reforms have largely been silent about how behavioral health could be incorporated into reform initiatives. This paper draws attention to four patient populations defined by the severity of their behavioral health conditions and insurance status. It discusses the potentials and limitations of three prominent models promoted by the Affordable Care Act to serve populations with behavioral health conditions: the Patient-Centered Medical Home, the Health Home initiative within Medicaid, and the Accountable Care Organization. To incorporate behavioral health into health reform, policymakers and practitioners may consider embedding in the reform efforts explicit tools-accountability measures and payment designs-to improve access to and quality of care for patients with behavioral health needs.

  10. The Efficacy of Telemedicine-Supported Discharge Within an In Home Model of Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenup, Edwin P; McCusker, Melissa; Potts, Boyd A; Bryett, Andrew

    2017-09-01

    To determine if mobile videoconferencing technology can facilitate the discharge of low-acuity patients receiving in-home care without compromising short-term health outcomes. A 6-month trial commenced in July 2015 with 345 patients considered unsuited to Criteria Led Discharge (CLD) receiving in-home care included as participants. Nurses providing clinical support to patients in their homes were supplied with a tablet computer (Apple iPad) with Internet connectivity (Telstra 4G Network) and videoconferencing software (Cisco Jabber for Telepresence). Device usage data combined with hospital admission records were collected to determine (a) instances where a telemedicine-facilitated discharge occurred and (b) if the accepted measure of short-term health outcomes (readmission within 28 days) was adversely affected by this alternative method. Telemedicine technology facilitated the discharge of 10.1% (n = 35) of patients considered unsuitable for CLD from the Hospital in the Home model during the trial period. Statistically insignificant differences in rates of readmission between patients discharged in person versus those participating in the telemedicine-supported model suggest that the clinical standards of the service have been maintained. The results of evaluating telemedicine support for nurses providing low-acuity in-home care indicate that patients may be discharged remotely while maintaining the existing clinical standards of the service.

  11. ARSENIC REMOVAL FROM DRINKING WATER BY ADSORPTIVE MEDIA U.S. EPA DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AT SPRING BROOK MOBILE HOME PARK IN WALES, ME SIX-MONTH EVALUATION REPORT

    Science.gov (United States)

    This report documents the activities performed during and the results obtained from the first six months of the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Spring Brook Mobile Home Park in Wales, ME. The objectives of the project are to evaluate the effectiv...

  12. ARSENIC REMOVAL FROM DRINKING WATER BY ADSORPTIVE MEDIA U.S. EPA DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AT CHATEAU ESTATES MOBILE HOME PARK IN SPRINGFIELD, OH. SIX-MONTH EVALUATION REPORT

    Science.gov (United States)

    This report documents the activities performed for and the results obtained from the first six months of the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Chateau Estates Mobile Home Park at Springfield, OH. The objectives of the project are to evaluate the ef...

  13. ARSENIC REMOVAL FROM DRINKING WATER BY IRON REMOVAL USEPA DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AT BIG SAUK LAKE MOBILE HOME PARK IN SAUK CENTRE, MN. SIX MONTH EVALUATION REPORT

    Science.gov (United States)

    This report documents the activities performed and the results obtained from the first six months of the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Big Sauk Lake Mobile Home Park (BSLMHP) in Sauk Centre, MN. The objectives of the project are to evaluate the...

  14. Improving wound and pressure area care in a nursing home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sprakes, Kate; Tyrer, Julie

    Wound and pressure ulcer prevention are key quality indicators of nursing care. This article describes a collaborative project between a community skin care service and a nursing home. The aim of the project was to establish whether the implementation of a wound and pressure ulcer management competency framework within a nursing home would improve patient outcomes and reduce the severity and number of wounds and pressure ulcers. Following the project's implementation, there was a reduction in the number of wounds and pressure ulcers, hospital admissions and district nursing visits. Nursing home staff also reported an increase in their knowledge and skills.

  15. Beyond theory : Towards a probabilistic causation model to support project governance in infrastructure projects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chivatá Cárdenas, Ibsen; Voordijk, Johannes T.; Dewulf, Geert

    2017-01-01

    A new project governance model for infrastructure projects is described in this paper. This model contains causal mechanisms that relate a number of project governance variables to project performance. Our proposed model includes relevant variables for measuring project governance in construction

  16. Advances in ATLAS@Home towards a major ATLAS computing resource

    CERN Document Server

    Cameron, David; The ATLAS collaboration

    2018-01-01

    The volunteer computing project ATLAS@Home has been providing a stable computing resource for the ATLAS experiment since 2013. It has recently undergone some significant developments and as a result has become one of the largest resources contributing to ATLAS computing, by expanding its scope beyond traditional volunteers and into exploitation of idle computing power in ATLAS data centres. Removing the need for virtualization on Linux and instead using container technology has made the entry barrier significantly lower data centre participation and in this paper, we describe the implementation and results of this change. We also present other recent changes and improvements in the project. In early 2017 the ATLAS@Home project was merged into a combined LHC@Home platform, providing a unified gateway to all CERN-related volunteer computing projects. The ATLAS Event Service shifts data processing from file-level to event-level and we describe how ATLAS@Home was incorporated into this new paradigm. The finishing...

  17. Home Automation

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmed, Zeeshan

    2010-01-01

    In this paper I briefly discuss the importance of home automation system. Going in to the details I briefly present a real time designed and implemented software and hardware oriented house automation research project, capable of automating house's electricity and providing a security system to detect the presence of unexpected behavior.

  18. Performing Home in Barcelona: A Practice-Based Photo Essay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pons, Esther Belvis

    2018-01-01

    During the winter of 2016, I carried out an artistic project in Barcelona entitled 'Performing Home' that aimed to explore the affective and social challenges that artists in political asylum or refuge cope with. The project began with a simple question: "where in public spaces do artists in asylum feel 'at home'?" It explored how public…

  19. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2017 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update; Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model; and Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-11-03

    This final rule updates the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) payment rates, including the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates, and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factor; effective for home health episodes of care ending on or after January 1, 2017. This rule also: Implements the last year of the 4-year phase-in of the rebasing adjustments to the HH PPS payment rates; updates the HH PPS case-mix weights using the most current, complete data available at the time of rulemaking; implements the 2nd-year of a 3-year phase-in of a reduction to the national, standardized 60-day episode payment to account for estimated case-mix growth unrelated to increases in patient acuity (that is, nominal case-mix growth) between CY 2012 and CY 2014; finalizes changes to the methodology used to calculate payments made under the HH PPS for high-cost "outlier" episodes of care; implements changes in payment for furnishing Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) using a disposable device for patients under a home health plan of care; discusses our efforts to monitor the potential impacts of the rebasing adjustments; includes an update on subsequent research and analysis as a result of the findings from the home health study; and finalizes changes to the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model, which was implemented on January 1, 2016; and updates to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP).

  20. HAD 2020 Project: A proposal to consolidate hospital-based home care in Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oriol Estrada Cuxart

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Hospital at home (HAH appeared in Spain 36 years ago with the opening of several units. The initial push was truncated by the lack of political leadership and sometimes clinical as well. The current reality offers an irregular implementation with a wide disparity of assistance and resource models. The Sociedad Española de Hospitalización a Domicilio (SEHAD has not played either the expected scientific or professional leadership roles. The “Plan HAD2020: key of the future” was designed as revulsive. This is an ambitious 4-year project to consolidate HAH as a care modality. Its deployment consists of five phases. Preparation: the foundations of the strategic plan (EP were established. Situation analysis: a national survey was carried out on the 106 operational units (data 2014. Validation of the EP: contributions and proposals of action of the members of SEHAD. National Congress 2016: presentation and approval of EP conclusions and proposals. EP deployment phase: it will be extended until 2020 and will be executed by various teams of referents spread over five lines of work. The final objective set for the year 2020 is: to come up with a more homogenous care model; to promote the training and professional recognition of those who work in the HAD; that each hospital in Spain has a HAH unit; recognition and empowerment by the national health system. HAD2020 has marked an inflection point in the SEHAD. The traced path and the effort of all the HAH professionals will allow reaching the vision which the pioneers of the HAH in Spain pursued.

  1. Constrained bayesian inference of project performance models

    OpenAIRE

    Sunmola, Funlade

    2013-01-01

    Project performance models play an important role in the management of project success. When used for monitoring projects, they can offer predictive ability such as indications of possible delivery problems. Approaches for monitoring project performance relies on available project information including restrictions imposed on the project, particularly the constraints of cost, quality, scope and time. We study in this paper a Bayesian inference methodology for project performance modelling in ...

  2. Modular Zero Energy. BrightBuilt Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aldrich, Robb [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States); Butterfield, Karla [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States)

    2016-03-01

    With funding from the Building America Program, part of the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office, the Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) worked with BrightBuilt Home (BBH) to evaluate and optimize building systems. CARB’s work focused on a home built by Black Bros. Builders in Lincolnville, Maine (International Energy Conservation Code Climate Zone 6). As with most BBH projects to date, modular boxes were built by Keiser Homes in Oxford, Maine.

  3. Foraging optimally for home ranges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Michael S.; Powell, Roger A.

    2012-01-01

    Economic models predict behavior of animals based on the presumption that natural selection has shaped behaviors important to an animal's fitness to maximize benefits over costs. Economic analyses have shown that territories of animals are structured by trade-offs between benefits gained from resources and costs of defending them. Intuitively, home ranges should be similarly structured, but trade-offs are difficult to assess because there are no costs of defense, thus economic models of home-range behavior are rare. We present economic models that predict how home ranges can be efficient with respect to spatially distributed resources, discounted for travel costs, under 2 strategies of optimization, resource maximization and area minimization. We show how constraints such as competitors can influence structure of homes ranges through resource depression, ultimately structuring density of animals within a population and their distribution on a landscape. We present simulations based on these models to show how they can be generally predictive of home-range behavior and the mechanisms that structure the spatial distribution of animals. We also show how contiguous home ranges estimated statistically from location data can be misleading for animals that optimize home ranges on landscapes with patchily distributed resources. We conclude with a summary of how we applied our models to nonterritorial black bears (Ursus americanus) living in the mountains of North Carolina, where we found their home ranges were best predicted by an area-minimization strategy constrained by intraspecific competition within a social hierarchy. Economic models can provide strong inference about home-range behavior and the resources that structure home ranges by offering falsifiable, a priori hypotheses that can be tested with field observations.

  4. The medical home and integrated behavioral health: advancing the policy agenda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ader, Jeremy; Stille, Christopher J; Keller, David; Miller, Benjamin F; Barr, Michael S; Perrin, James M

    2015-05-01

    There has been a considerable expansion of the patient-centered medical home model of primary care delivery, in an effort to reduce health care costs and to improve patient experience and population health. To attain these goals, it is essential to integrate behavioral health services into the patient-centered medical home, because behavioral health problems often first present in the primary care setting, and they significantly affect physical health. At the 2013 Patient-Centered Medical Home Research Conference, an expert workgroup convened to determine policy recommendations to promote the integration of primary care and behavioral health. In this article we present these recommendations: Build demonstration projects to test existing approaches of integration, develop interdisciplinary training programs to support members of the integrated care team, implement population-based strategies to improve behavioral health, eliminate behavioral health carve-outs and test innovative payment models, and develop population-based measures to evaluate integration. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  5. A state-space model for estimating detailed movements and home range from acoustic receiver data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Martin Wæver; Weng, Kevin

    2013-01-01

    We present a state-space model for acoustic receiver data to estimate detailed movement and home range of individual fish while accounting for spatial bias. An integral part of the approach is the detection function, which models the probability of logging tag transmissions as a function of dista......We present a state-space model for acoustic receiver data to estimate detailed movement and home range of individual fish while accounting for spatial bias. An integral part of the approach is the detection function, which models the probability of logging tag transmissions as a function...... that the location error scales log-linearly with detection range and movement speed. This result can be used as guideline for designing network layout when species movement capacity and acoustic environment are known or can be estimated prior to network deployment. Finally, as an example, the state-space model...... is used to estimate home range and movement of a reef fish in the Pacific Ocean....

  6. Home in the heat: Dramatic seasonal variation in home range of desert golden eagles informs management for renewable energy development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braham, Melissa A.; Miller, Tricia A.; Duerr, Adam E.; Lanzone, Michael J.; Fesnock, Amy; LaPre, Larry; Driscoll, Daniel; Katzner, Todd E.

    2015-01-01

    Renewable energy is expanding quickly with sometimes dramatic impacts to species and ecosystems. To understand the degree to which sensitive species may be impacted by renewable energy projects, it is informative to know how much space individuals use and how that space may overlap with planned development. We used global positioning system–global system for mobile communications (GPS-GSM) telemetry to measure year-round movements of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) from the Mojave Desert of California, USA. We estimated monthly space use with adaptive local convex hulls to identify the temporal and spatial scales at which eagles may encounter renewable energy projects in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan area. Mean size of home ranges was lowest and least variable from November through January and greatest in February–March and May–August. These monthly home range patterns coincided with seasonal variation in breeding ecology, habitat associations, and temperature. The expanded home ranges in hot summer months included movements to cooler, prey-dense, mountainous areas characterized by forest, grasslands, and scrublands. Breeding-season home ranges (October–May) included more lowland semi-desert and rock vegetation. Overlap of eagle home ranges and focus areas for renewable energy development was greatest when eagle home ranges were smallest, during the breeding season. Golden eagles in the Mojave Desert used more space and a wider range of habitat types than expected and renewable energy projects could affect a larger section of the regional population than was previously thought.

  7. Effective use of smart home technology to increase well-being

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Don Bouwhuis; B.A.M. Ben Schouten; Paul Rutten; Anne-mie Sponselee

    2008-01-01

    The effectiveness of smart home technology in home care situations depends on the acceptance and use of the technology by both users and end-users. In the Netherlands many projects have started to introduce smart home technology and telecare in the homes of elderly people, but only some have been

  8. Interactive CaringTV® supporting elderly living at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehto, Paula

    2013-01-01

    Interactive CaringTV® is a Finnish innovation that was developed by Laurea University of Applied Sciences in 2006. CaringTV was developed through action research during three research projects. The aim of interactive CaringTV is to support the health and well-being of elderly people living in their own homes. The Safe Home project was based on action research, userdriven methods, and a case study. User-driven methods were applied in planning, implementing and evaluating the programme and eServices e.g. testing and evaluating peer support, including eConsultation as the methods for supporting clients´ coping with life in their own homes. Costeffectiveness and process modelling were studied through the case study. The user-driven approach and the collected data formed the basis for the interactive programme. The online CaringTV programme included content to: support everyday life for the elderly, safety, and activities of daily living, support social relationships, participate in rehabilitation and physical exercises, manage self-care, and health issues. Active participation in the CaringTV programme provided functional ability and everyday coping as well as a meaningful activity in everyday life. CaringTV is an interactive platform to support elderly in their everyday life and help them cope at home. User-driven methods enable participants´ active involvement in planning interactive and online programmes and eServices via CaringTV. The ultimate goal of the CaringTV is to support elderly´s health, wellbeing and interaction. CaringTV empowers elderly people to take responsibility for their own health care as part of healthy ageing.

  9. Spiral model pilot project information model

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-01-01

    The objective was an evaluation of the Spiral Model (SM) development approach to allow NASA Marshall to develop an experience base of that software management methodology. A discussion is presented of the Information Model (IM) that was used as part of the SM methodology. A key concept of the SM is the establishment of an IM to be used by management to track the progress of a project. The IM is the set of metrics that is to be measured and reported throughout the life of the project. These metrics measure both the product and the process to ensure the quality of the final delivery item and to ensure the project met programmatic guidelines. The beauty of the SM, along with the IM, is the ability to measure not only the correctness of the specification and implementation of the requirements but to also obtain a measure of customer satisfaction.

  10. Privacy versus autonomy: a tradeoff model for smart home monitoring technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townsend, Daphne; Knoefel, Frank; Goubran, Rafik

    2011-01-01

    Smart homes are proposed as a new location for the delivery of healthcare services. They provide healthcare monitoring and communication services, by using integrated sensor network technologies. We validate a hypothesis regarding older adults' adoption of home monitoring technologies by conducting a literature review of articles studying older adults' attitudes and perceptions of sensor technologies. Using current literature to support the hypothesis, this paper applies the tradeoff model to decisions about sensor acceptance. Older adults are willing to trade privacy (by accepting a monitoring technology), for autonomy. As the information captured by the sensor becomes more intrusive and the infringement on privacy increases, sensors are accepted if the loss in privacy is traded for autonomy. Even video cameras, the most intrusive sensor type were accepted in exchange for the height of autonomy which is to remain in the home.

  11. Phased Retrofits in Existing Homes in Florida Phase II: Shallow Plus Retrofits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sutherland, K. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Cocoa, FL (United States); Parker, D. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Cocoa, FL (United States); Martin, E. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Cocoa, FL (United States); Chasar, D. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Cocoa, FL (United States); Amos, B. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Cocoa, FL (United States)

    2016-02-03

    The BAPIRC team and Florida Power and Light (FPL) electric utility pursued a pilot phased energy-efficiency retrofit program in Florida by creating detailed data on the energy and economic performance of two levels of retrofit - simple and deep. For this Phased Deep Retrofit (PDR) project, a total of 56 homes spread across the utility partner's territory in east central Florida, southeast Florida, and southwest Florida were instrumented between August 2012 and January 2013, and received simple pass-through retrofit measures during the period of March 2013 - June 2013. Ten of these homes received a deeper package of retrofits during August 2013 - December 2013. A full account of Phase I of this project, including detailed home details and characterization, is found in Parker et al, 2015 (currently in draft). Phase II of this project, which is the focus of this report, applied the following additional retrofit measures to select homes that received a shallow retrofit in Phase I: a) Supplemental mini-split heat pump (MSHP) (6 homes); b) Ducted and space coupled Heat Pump Water Heater (8 homes); c) Exterior insulation finish system (EIFS) (1 homes); d) Window retrofit (3 homes); e) Smart thermostat (21 homes: 19 NESTs; 2 Lyrics); f) Heat pump clothes dryer (8 homes); g) Variable speed pool pump (5 homes).

  12. Amigo - Ambient Intelligence for the networked home environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janse, M.D.

    2008-01-01

    The Amigo project develops open, standardized, interoperable middleware and attractive user services for the networked home environment. Fifteen of Europe's leading companies and research organizations in mobile and home networking, software development, consumer electronics and domestic appliances

  13. Transparent face recognition in the home environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beumer, G.M.; Veldhuis, Raymond N.J.; Bazen, A.M.

    2004-01-01

    The BASIS project is about the secure application of transparent biometrics in the home environment. Due to transparency and home-setting requirements there is variance in appearance of the subject. An other problem which needs attention is the extraction of features. The quality of the extracted

  14. High performance homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beim, Anne; Vibæk, Kasper Sánchez

    2014-01-01

    . Consideration of all these factors is a precondition for a truly integrated practice and as this chapter demonstrates, innovative project delivery methods founded on the manufacturing of prefabricated buildings contribute to the production of high performance homes that are cost effective to construct, energy...

  15. Turning the Co-Production Corner: Methodological Reflections from an Action Research Project to Promote LGBT Inclusion in Care Homes for Older People

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almack, Kathryn; Simpson, Paul; Billings, Barbara; Mall, Naresh

    2018-01-01

    Background: Older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) residents are often invisible in long-term care settings. This article presents findings from a community-based action research project, which attempted to address this invisibility through co-produced research with LGBT community members. Particular Question: What conditions enable co-produced research to emerge in long-term residential care settings for older people? Aims of Project: To analyse outcomes and challenges of action-oriented, co-produced research in the given context. In particular, we explore how co-production as a collaborative approach to action-orientated research can emerge during the research/fieldwork process; and reflect critically on the ethics and effectiveness of this approach in advancing inclusion in context. Methods: The project was implemented across six residential care homes in England. Reflections are based on qualitative evaluation data gathered pre- and post-project, which includes 37 interviews with care home staff, managers and community advisors (two of whom are co-authors). Results and Conclusions: We discuss how the co-production turn emerged during research and evaluate how the politics of this approach helped advance inclusion—itself crucial to well-being. We argue for the value of co-produced research in instigating organizational change in older people’s care environments and of non-didactic storytelling in LGBT awareness-raising amongst staff. PMID:29642460

  16. Turning the Co-Production Corner: Methodological Reflections from an Action Research Project to Promote LGBT Inclusion in Care Homes for Older People.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willis, Paul; Almack, Kathryn; Hafford-Letchfield, Trish; Simpson, Paul; Billings, Barbara; Mall, Naresh

    2018-04-07

    Background : Older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) residents are often invisible in long-term care settings. This article presents findings from a community-based action research project, which attempted to address this invisibility through co-produced research with LGBT community members. Particular Question: What conditions enable co-produced research to emerge in long-term residential care settings for older people? Aims of Project: To analyse outcomes and challenges of action-oriented, co-produced research in the given context. In particular, we explore how co-production as a collaborative approach to action-orientated research can emerge during the research/fieldwork process; and reflect critically on the ethics and effectiveness of this approach in advancing inclusion in context. The project was implemented across six residential care homes in England. Reflections are based on qualitative evaluation data gathered pre- and post-project, which includes 37 interviews with care home staff, managers and community advisors (two of whom are co-authors) . Results and Conclusions: We discuss how the co-production turn emerged during research and evaluate how the politics of this approach helped advance inclusion-itself crucial to well-being. We argue for the value of co-produced research in instigating organizational change in older people's care environments and of non-didactic storytelling in LGBT awareness-raising amongst staff.

  17. Turning the Co-Production Corner: Methodological Reflections from an Action Research Project to Promote LGBT Inclusion in Care Homes for Older People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Willis

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT residents are often invisible in long-term care settings. This article presents findings from a community-based action research project, which attempted to address this invisibility through co-produced research with LGBT community members. Particular Question: What conditions enable co-produced research to emerge in long-term residential care settings for older people? Aims of Project: To analyse outcomes and challenges of action-oriented, co-produced research in the given context. In particular, we explore how co-production as a collaborative approach to action-orientated research can emerge during the research/fieldwork process; and reflect critically on the ethics and effectiveness of this approach in advancing inclusion in context. Methods: The project was implemented across six residential care homes in England. Reflections are based on qualitative evaluation data gathered pre- and post-project, which includes 37 interviews with care home staff, managers and community advisors (two of whom are co-authors. Results and Conclusions: We discuss how the co-production turn emerged during research and evaluate how the politics of this approach helped advance inclusion—itself crucial to well-being. We argue for the value of co-produced research in instigating organizational change in older people’s care environments and of non-didactic storytelling in LGBT awareness-raising amongst staff.

  18. Home-Based Primary Care: Beyond Extension of the Independence at Home Demonstration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rotenberg, James; Kinosian, Bruce; Boling, Peter; Taler, George

    2018-04-01

    The Independence at Home (IAH) Demonstration Year 2 results confirmed that the first-year savings were 10 times as great as those of the pioneer accountable care organizations during their initial 2 years. We update projected savings from nationwide conversion of the IAH demonstration, incorporating Year 2 results and improving attribution of IAH-qualified (IAH-Q) Medicare beneficiaries to home-based primary care (HBPC) practices. Applying IAH qualifying criteria to beneficiaries in the Medicare 5% claims file, the effect of expanding HBPC to the 2.4 million IAH-Q beneficiaries is projected using various growth rates. Total 10-year system-wide savings (accounting for IAH implementation but before excluding shared savings) range from $2.6 billion to $27.8 billion, depending on how many beneficiaries receive HBPC on conversion to a Medicare benefit, mix of clinical practice success, and growth rate of IAH practices. Net projected savings to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) after routine billing for IAH services and distribution of shared savings ranges from $1.8 billion to $10.9 billion. If aligning IAH with other advanced alternative payment models achieved at least 35% penetration of the eligible population in 10 years, CMS savings would exceed savings with the current IAH design and HBPC growth rate. If the demonstration were simply extended 2 years with a beneficiary cap of 50,000 instead of 15,000 (as currently proposed), CMS would save an additional $46 million. The recent extension of IAH, a promising person-centered CMS program for managing medically complex and frail elderly adults, offers the chance to evaluate modifications to promote more rapid HBPC growth. © 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.

  19. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2018 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update and CY 2019 Case-Mix Adjustment Methodology Refinements; Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model; and Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-11-07

    This final rule updates the home health prospective payment system (HH PPS) payment rates, including the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates, and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factor, effective for home health episodes of care ending on or after January 1, 2018. This rule also: Updates the HH PPS case-mix weights using the most current, complete data available at the time of rulemaking; implements the third year of a 3-year phase-in of a reduction to the national, standardized 60-day episode payment to account for estimated case-mix growth unrelated to increases in patient acuity (that is, nominal case-mix growth) between calendar year (CY) 2012 and CY 2014; and discusses our efforts to monitor the potential impacts of the rebasing adjustments that were implemented in CY 2014 through CY 2017. In addition, this rule finalizes changes to the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model and to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP). We are not finalizing the implementation of the Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) in this final rule.

  20. Approaches to quality improvement in nursing homes: Lessons learned from the six-state pilot of CMS's Nursing Home Quality Initiative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Palmer Laura

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In November 2002, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS launched a Nursing Home Quality Initiative that included publicly reporting a set of Quality Measures for all nursing homes in the country, and providing quality improvement assistance to nursing homes nationwide. A pilot of this initiative occurred in six states for six months prior to the launch. Methods Review and analysis of the lessons learned from the six Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs that led quality improvement efforts in nursing homes from the six pilot states. Results QIOs in the six pilot states found several key outcomes of the Nursing Home Quality Initiative that help to maximize the potential of public reporting to leverage effective improvement in nursing home quality of care. First, public reporting focuses the attention of all stakeholders in the nursing home industry on achieving good quality outcomes on a defined set of measures, and creates an incentive for partnership formation. Second, publicly reported quality measures motivate nursing home providers to improve in certain key clinical areas, and in particular to seek out new ways of changing processes of care, such as engaging physicians and the medical director more directly. Third, the lessons learned by QIOs in the pilot of this Initiative indicate that certain approaches to providing quality improvement assistance are key to guiding nursing home providers' desire and enthusiasm to improve towards a using a systematic approach to quality improvement. Conclusion The Nursing Home Quality Initiative has already demonstrated the potential of public reporting to foster collaboration and coordination among nursing home stakeholders and to heighten interest of nursing homes in quality improvement techniques. The lessons learned from this pilot project have implications for any organizations or individuals planning quality improvement projects in the nursing home setting.

  1. Home-School Literacy Bags for Twenty-First Century Preschoolers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brand, Susan Trostle; Marchand, Jessica; Lilly, Elizabeth; Child, Martha

    2014-01-01

    Combining home-school literacy bags with preschool family literature circles provided a strong foundation for family involvement at home and school during this year-long Reading Partners project, and helped parents become essential partners in their children's literacy development. Using home-school literacy bags, children and parents learned…

  2. Activity recognition using semi-Markov models on real world smart home datasets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Kasteren, T.L.M.; Englebienne, G.; Kröse, B.J.A.

    2010-01-01

    Accurately recognizing human activities from sensor data recorded in a smart home setting is a challenging task. Typically, probabilistic models such as the hidden Markov model (HMM) or conditional random fields (CRF) are used to map the observed sensor data onto the hidden activity states. A

  3. Home-Based Comprehensive Assessment of Rural Elderly Persons: The CARE Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cravens, David D.; Mehr, David R.; Campbell, James D.; Armer, Jane; Kruse, Robin L.; Rubenstein, Laurence Z.

    2005-01-01

    Context: Home-based comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been effective in urban areas but has had little study in rural areas. CGA involves medical history taking, a physical exam, and evaluation of functional status, mental status, cognitive status, gait and balance, medications, vision, extent of social supports, and home safety. We…

  4. Teaching mathematical modelling through project work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blomhøj, Morten; Kjeldsen, Tinne Hoff

    2006-01-01

    are reported in manners suitable for internet publication for colleagues. The reports and the related discussions reveal interesting dilemmas concerning the teaching of mathematical modelling and how to cope with these through “setting the scene” for the students modelling projects and through dialogues......The paper presents and analyses experiences from developing and running an in-service course in project work and mathematical modelling for mathematics teachers in the Danish gymnasium, e.g. upper secondary level, grade 10-12. The course objective is to support the teachers to develop, try out...... in their own classes, evaluate and report a project based problem oriented course in mathematical modelling. The in-service course runs over one semester and includes three seminars of 3, 1 and 2 days. Experiences show that the course objectives in general are fulfilled and that the course projects...

  5. Interactive Healthcare Systems in the Home: Vestibular Rehabilitation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aarhus, Rikke; Grönvall, Erik; Larsen, Simon Bo

    2010-01-01

    Vestibular dysfunction is a balance disorder, causing dizziness that provokes discomfort and fall situations. This paper discusses early results from a project that aims to develop assistive technologies to support home-based rehabilitation for elderly affected by Vestibular dysfunction.......Vestibular dysfunction is a balance disorder, causing dizziness that provokes discomfort and fall situations. This paper discusses early results from a project that aims to develop assistive technologies to support home-based rehabilitation for elderly affected by Vestibular dysfunction....

  6. Towards a smart home framework

    OpenAIRE

    Alam, Muddasser; Alan, Alper; Rogers, Alex; Ramchurn, Sarvapali D.

    2013-01-01

    We present our Smart Home Framework (SHF) which simplifies the modelling, prototyping and simulation of smart infrastructure (i.e., smart home and smart communities). It provides the buildings blocks (e.g., home appliances) that can be extended and assembled together to build a smart infrastructure model to which appropriate AI techniques can be applied. This approach enables rapid modelling where new research initiatives can build on existing work.

  7. A Role Model Mother/caregiver Programme to Expand Home-based ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In Nigeria, a Role Model Mother/Caregiver (RMM/C) programme was initiated by the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) to provide home-based management of malaria. Criteria for RMM/C selection were developed centrally by the Nigerian NMCP for community use. RMM/Cs were identified and recruited by the ...

  8. Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water by Iron Removal - U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Big Sauk Lake Mobile Home Park in Sauk Centre, MN Final Performance Evaluation Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    This report documents the activities performed and the results obtained from the one-year arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Big Sauk Lake Mobile Home Park (BSLMHP) in Sauk Centre, MN. The objectives of the project are to evaluate (1) the effective...

  9. Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program High-Performance Test Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hewes, Tom [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Corvallis, OR (United States); Peeks, Brady [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Corvallis, OR (United States)

    2015-09-01

    This project represents the third phase of a multi-year effort to develop and bring to market a High Performance Manufactured Home (HPMH), which is intended to make significant progress toward performing as zero-net-energy ready. The scope of this project involved building four HPMH prototypes, resulting in what is expected to be a 30% savings relative to the Building America Benchmark. (The actual percent savings varies depending on choice of heating equipment and climate zone). Previous phases of this project created a HPMH specification and prototyped individual measures from the package to obtain engineering approvals and develop preliminary factory construction processes. This report describes the project team's work during 2014 to build prototype homes to the HPMH specifications and to monitor the homes for energy performance and durability during 2014. Monitoring is expected to continue into 2016.

  10. Asteroids@Home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durech, Josef; Hanus, J.; Vanco, R.

    2012-10-01

    We present a new project called Asteroids@home (http://asteroidsathome.net/boinc). It is a volunteer-computing project that uses an open-source BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) software to distribute tasks to volunteers, who provide their computing resources. The project was created at the Astronomical Institute, Charles University in Prague, in cooperation with the Czech National Team. The scientific aim of the project is to solve a time-consuming inverse problem of shape reconstruction of asteroids from sparse-in-time photometry. The time-demanding nature of the problem comes from the fact that with sparse-in-time photometry the rotation period of an asteroid is not apriori known and a huge parameter space must be densely scanned for the best solution. The nature of the problem makes it an ideal task to be solved by distributed computing - the period parameter space can be divided into small bins that can be scanned separately and then joined together to give the globally best solution. In the framework of the the project, we process asteroid photometric data from surveys together with asteroid lightcurves and we derive asteroid shapes and spin states. The algorithm is based on the lightcurve inversion method developed by Kaasalainen et al. (Icarus 153, 37, 2001). The enormous potential of distributed computing will enable us to effectively process also the data from future surveys (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Gaia mission, etc.). We also plan to process data of a synthetic asteroid population to reveal biases of the method. In our presentation, we will describe the project, show the first results (new models of asteroids), and discuss the possibilities of its further development. This work has been supported by the grant GACR P209/10/0537 of the Czech Science Foundation and by the Research Program MSM0021620860 of the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic.

  11. World Energy Projection System model documentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hutzler, M.J.; Anderson, A.T.

    1997-09-01

    The World Energy Projection System (WEPS) was developed by the Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting within the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the independent statistical and analytical agency of the US Department of Energy. WEPS is an integrated set of personal computer based spreadsheets containing data compilations, assumption specifications, descriptive analysis procedures, and projection models. The WEPS accounting framework incorporates projections from independently documented models and assumptions about the future energy intensity of economic activity (ratios of total energy consumption divided by gross domestic product GDP), and about the rate of incremental energy requirements met by natural gas, coal, and renewable energy sources (hydroelectricity, geothermal, solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable resources). Projections produced by WEPS are published in the annual report, International Energy Outlook. This report documents the structure and procedures incorporated in the 1998 version of the WEPS model. It has been written to provide an overview of the structure of the system and technical details about the operation of each component of the model for persons who wish to know how WEPS projections are produced by EIA

  12. World Energy Projection System model documentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hutzler, M.J.; Anderson, A.T.

    1997-09-01

    The World Energy Projection System (WEPS) was developed by the Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting within the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the independent statistical and analytical agency of the US Department of Energy. WEPS is an integrated set of personal computer based spreadsheets containing data compilations, assumption specifications, descriptive analysis procedures, and projection models. The WEPS accounting framework incorporates projections from independently documented models and assumptions about the future energy intensity of economic activity (ratios of total energy consumption divided by gross domestic product GDP), and about the rate of incremental energy requirements met by natural gas, coal, and renewable energy sources (hydroelectricity, geothermal, solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable resources). Projections produced by WEPS are published in the annual report, International Energy Outlook. This report documents the structure and procedures incorporated in the 1998 version of the WEPS model. It has been written to provide an overview of the structure of the system and technical details about the operation of each component of the model for persons who wish to know how WEPS projections are produced by EIA.

  13. Natural Aggregation Approach based Home Energy Manage System with User Satisfaction Modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, F. J.; Ranzi, G.; Dong, Z. Y.; Murata, J.

    2017-07-01

    With the prevalence of advanced sensing and two-way communication technologies, Home Energy Management System (HEMS) has attracted lots of attentions in recent years. This paper proposes a HEMS that optimally schedules the controllable Residential Energy Resources (RERs) in a Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing and high solar power penetrated environment. The HEMS aims to minimize the overall operational cost of the home, and the user’s satisfactions and requirements on the operation of different household appliances are modelled and considered in the HEMS. Further, a new biological self-aggregation intelligence based optimization technique previously proposed by the authors, i.e., Natural Aggregation Algorithm (NAA), is applied to solve the proposed HEMS optimization model. Simulations are conducted to validate the proposed method.

  14. Testing Software Development Project Productivity Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipkin, Ilya

    Software development is an increasingly influential factor in today's business environment, and a major issue affecting software development is how an organization estimates projects. If the organization underestimates cost, schedule, and quality requirements, the end results will not meet customer needs. On the other hand, if the organization overestimates these criteria, resources that could have been used more profitably will be wasted. There is no accurate model or measure available that can guide an organization in a quest for software development, with existing estimation models often underestimating software development efforts as much as 500 to 600 percent. To address this issue, existing models usually are calibrated using local data with a small sample size, with resulting estimates not offering improved cost analysis. This study presents a conceptual model for accurately estimating software development, based on an extensive literature review and theoretical analysis based on Sociotechnical Systems (STS) theory. The conceptual model serves as a solution to bridge organizational and technological factors and is validated using an empirical dataset provided by the DoD. Practical implications of this study allow for practitioners to concentrate on specific constructs of interest that provide the best value for the least amount of time. This study outlines key contributing constructs that are unique for Software Size E-SLOC, Man-hours Spent, and Quality of the Product, those constructs having the largest contribution to project productivity. This study discusses customer characteristics and provides a framework for a simplified project analysis for source selection evaluation and audit task reviews for the customers and suppliers. Theoretical contributions of this study provide an initial theory-based hypothesized project productivity model that can be used as a generic overall model across several application domains such as IT, Command and Control

  15. Patient-centeredness to anticipate and organize an end-of-life project for patients receiving at-home palliative care: a phenomenological study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oude Engberink, Agnès; Badin, Mélanie; Serayet, Philippe; Pavageau, Sylvain; Lucas, François; Bourrel, Gérard; Norton, Joanna; Ninot, Grégory; Senesse, Pierre

    2017-02-23

    The development of end-of-life primary care is a socio-medical and ethical challenge. However, general practitioners (GPs) face many difficulties when initiating appropriate discussion on proactive shared palliative care. Anticipating palliative care is increasingly important given the ageing population and is an aim shared by many countries. We aimed to examine how French GPs approached and provided at-home palliative care. We inquired about their strategy for delivering care, and the skills and resources they used to devise new care strategies. Twenty-one GPs from the South of France recruited by phone according to their various experiences of palliative care agreed to participate. Semi-structured interview transcripts were examined using a phenomenological approach inspired by Grounded theory, and further studied with semiopragmatic analysis. Offering palliative care was perceived by GPs as a moral obligation. They felt vindicated in a process rooted in the paradigm values of their profession. This study results in two key findings: firstly, their patient-centred approach facilitated the anticipatory discussions of any potential event or intervention, which the GPs openly discussed with patients and their relatives; secondly, this approach contributed to build an "end-of-life project" meeting patients' wishes and needs. The GPs all shared the idea that the end-of-life process required human presence and recommended that at-home care be coordinated and shared by multi-professional referring teams. The main tenets of palliative care as provided by GPs are a patient-centred approach in the anticipatory discussion of potential events, personalized follow-up with referring multi-professional teams, and the collaborative design of an end-of-life project meeting the aspirations of the patient and his or her family. Consequently, coordination strategies involving specialized teams, GPs and families should be modelled according to the specificities of each care system.

  16. Advancing Replicable Solutions for High-Performance Homes in the Southeast

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roberts, S. G. [Southface Energy Inst., Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Sweet, M. L. [Southface Energy Inst., Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Francisco, A. [Southface Energy Inst., Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

    2016-03-01

    Southface Energy Institute (Southface) partnered with owners and/or builders with various market constraints and ultimate goals for three projects in different climate zones: Savannah, GA (CZ 2), Clemson, SC (CZ 3), and LaFayette, GA (CZ 4). This report documents the design process, computational energy modeling, construction, envelope performance metrics, long-term monitoring results, and successes and failures of the design and execution of these high performance homes. The three bedroom/two bathroom test home in Savannah Gardens on an elevated slab foundation has a semi-conditioned, encapsulated attic. A neighboring home built to EarthCraft specifications was also monitored as a control for exterior foam insulation and a heat pump water heater (HPWH). For the JMC Patrick Square, a single-story project in Clemson, the small-scale production builder wanted to increase their level of energy efficiency beyond their current green building practices, including bringing ducts into conditioned space. Through a combination of upgrade measures the team met this goal and achieved many Zero Energy Ready Home requirements. LaFayette Housing Authority undertook a development of 30 affordable rental housing units in 15 duplexes in LaFayette, GA. Because they would be long-term owners, their priorities were low utility bills for the residents and durable, maintainable buildings. The team employed BEopt to optimize buildling envelope and systems choices, including 2x6 advanced framed walls, insulated slab, and heat pump water heater in a utility closet which was ducted to/from an encapsulated attic.

  17. Boxing Clever: Using Shoeboxes to Support Home-School Knowledge Exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenhough, Pamela; Scanlan, Mary; Feiler, Anthony; Johnson, David; Yee, Wan Ching; Andrews, Jane; Price, Alison; Smithson, Maggie; Hughes, Martin

    2005-01-01

    A key tenet of the Home-School Knowledge Exchange Project is that children's learning will be enhanced if the knowledge and experience that are to be found both at home and in school can be brought together. In this paper we explore ways of connecting home and school to support literacy learning at Key Stage 1, focusing on the home-to-school…

  18. K3 projective models in scrolls

    CERN Document Server

    Johnsen, Trygve

    2004-01-01

    The exposition studies projective models of K3 surfaces whose hyperplane sections are non-Clifford general curves. These models are contained in rational normal scrolls. The exposition supplements standard descriptions of models of general K3 surfaces in projective spaces of low dimension, and leads to a classification of K3 surfaces in projective spaces of dimension at most 10. The authors bring further the ideas in Saint-Donat's classical article from 1974, lifting results from canonical curves to K3 surfaces and incorporating much of the Brill-Noether theory of curves and theory of syzygies developed in the mean time.

  19. Interventions to delay institutionalization of frail older persons: design of a longitudinal study in the home care setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Almeida Mello Johanna

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Older people usually prefer staying at home rather than going into residential care. The Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance wishes to invest in home care by financing innovative projects that effectively help older people to stay at home longer. In this study protocol we describe the evaluation of 34 home care projects. These projects are clustered according to the type of their main intervention such as case management, night care, occupational therapy at home and psychological/psychosocial support. The main goal of this study is to identify which types of projects have the most effect in delaying institutionalization of frail older persons. Methods/design This is a longitudinal intervention study based on a quasi-experimental design. Researchers use three comparison strategies to evaluate intervention - comparison among different types of projects, comparisons between older persons in the projects and older persons not benefiting from a project but who are still at home and between older persons in the projects and older persons who are already institutionalized. Projects are asked to include clients who are frail and at risk of institutionalization. In the study we use internationally validated instruments such as the interRAI Home Care instrument, the WHO-QOL-8 and the Zarit Burden Interview-12. These instruments are filled out at baseline, at exit from the project and 6 months after baseline. Additionally, caregivers have to do a follow-up every 6 months until exit from the project. Criteria to exit the cohort will be institutionalization longer than 3 months and death. The main analysis in the study consists of the calculation of incidence rates, cumulative incidence rates and hazard rates of definitive institutionalization through survival analyses for each type of project. Discussion This research will provide knowledge on the functional status of frail older persons who are still living at

  20. Interventions to delay institutionalization of frail older persons: design of a longitudinal study in the home care setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Almeida Mello, Johanna; Van Durme, Therese; Macq, Jean; Declercq, Anja

    2012-08-06

    Older people usually prefer staying at home rather than going into residential care. The Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance wishes to invest in home care by financing innovative projects that effectively help older people to stay at home longer. In this study protocol we describe the evaluation of 34 home care projects. These projects are clustered according to the type of their main intervention such as case management, night care, occupational therapy at home and psychological/psychosocial support. The main goal of this study is to identify which types of projects have the most effect in delaying institutionalization of frail older persons. This is a longitudinal intervention study based on a quasi-experimental design. Researchers use three comparison strategies to evaluate intervention--comparison among different types of projects, comparisons between older persons in the projects and older persons not benefiting from a project but who are still at home and between older persons in the projects and older persons who are already institutionalized. Projects are asked to include clients who are frail and at risk of institutionalization. In the study we use internationally validated instruments such as the interRAI Home Care instrument, the WHO-QOL-8 and the Zarit Burden Interview-12. These instruments are filled out at baseline, at exit from the project and 6 months after baseline. Additionally, caregivers have to do a follow-up every 6 months until exit from the project. Criteria to exit the cohort will be institutionalization longer than 3 months and death. The main analysis in the study consists of the calculation of incidence rates, cumulative incidence rates and hazard rates of definitive institutionalization through survival analyses for each type of project. This research will provide knowledge on the functional status of frail older persons who are still living at home. This is important information to identify determinants of

  1. Comparison of additive (absolute) risk projection models and multiplicative (relative) risk projection models in estimating radiation-induced lifetime cancer risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kai, Michiaki; Kusama, Tomoko

    1990-01-01

    Lifetime cancer risk estimates depend on risk projection models. While the increasing lengths of follow-up observation periods of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki bring about changes in cancer risk estimates, the validity of the two risk projection models, the additive risk projection model (AR) and multiplicative risk projection model (MR), comes into question. This paper compares the lifetime risk or loss of life-expectancy between the two projection models on the basis of BEIR-III report or recently published RERF report. With Japanese cancer statistics the estimates of MR were greater than those of AR, but a reversal of these results was seen when the cancer hazard function for India was used. When we investigated the validity of the two projection models using epidemiological human data and animal data, the results suggested that MR was superior to AR with respect to temporal change, but there was little evidence to support its validity. (author)

  2. The Impact and Feasibility of Efforts To Reduce Turnover in the Home Care Industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldman, Penny Hollander

    A Ford Foundation demonstration project intended to improve the quality of work life and reduce turnover among homemakers/home health aides in the home care industry was evaluated. The project supported three separate work life demonstration at home care agencies in New York City and Syracuse, New York and in San Diego, California. The…

  3. Hospital-in-the-Home — essential to an integrated model of paediatric care

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Hensey, CC

    2017-01-01

    The National Clinical Programme for Paediatrics and Neonatology is proposing a model of care that will determine the future delivery of children’s health services in Ireland1. The focus is on the provision of an integrated service with improved co-ordination between primary, secondary, and tertiary level facilities. A parallel goal is improvements in chronic care and medical care in the home. An expanded role for ambulatory care and hospital at home schemes with a reduced reliance on inpatient care is proposed in line with international best practice. Achieving these goals requires a paradigm shift in delivery of children’s health care, and reconfiguration of current services to deliver multidisciplinary care in hospital and at home. The recently approved planning application for the new children’s hospital provides an opportunity and heralds a change in the structure of paediatric services in Ireland. It will act as the nexus of paediatric care throughout Ireland; supporting paediatric services nationally through outreach programmes, and ensuring children are treated as close to home as possible. A Hospital-in-the-Home (HITH) program would help meet these objectives; and could provide home based acute paediatric care, leading to economic benefits, and the delivery of quality family-centred care.

  4. Final Scientific/Technical Report: Context-Aware Smart Home Energy Manager (CASHEM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foslien, Wendy K. [Honeywell International Inc., Golden Valley, MN (United States); Curtner, Keith L. [Honeywell International Inc., Golden Valley, MN (United States)

    2013-01-15

    Because of growing energy demands and shortages, residential home owners are turning to energy conservation measures and smart home energy management devices to help them reduce energy costs and live more sustainably. In this context, the Honeywell team researched, developed, and tested the Context Aware Smart Home Energy Manager (CASHEM) as a trusted advisor for home energy management. The project focused on connecting multiple devices in a home through a uniform user interface. The design of the user interface was an important feature of the project because it provided a single place for the homeowner to control all devices and was also where they received coaching. CASHEM then used data collected from homes to identify the contexts that affect operation of home appliances. CASHEM's goal was to reduce energy consumption while keeping the user's key needs satisfied. Thus, CASHEM was intended to find the opportunities to minimize energy consumption in a way that fit the user's lifestyle.

  5. Dementia care worker stress associations with unit type, resident, and work environment characteristics: a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project (SHURP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, Barbara; De Geest, Sabina; Fierz, Katharina; Beckmann, Sonja; Zúñiga, Franziska

    2017-03-01

    Although caring for residents with dementia in nursing homes is associated with various stressors for care workers, the role of the unit type, and particularly the proportion of residents with dementia, remains unclear. This study aimed to explore associations between unit type and care worker stress, taking into account additional potential stressors. This cross-sectional study was a secondary data analysis in the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project, which included data from 3,922 care workers from 156 Swiss nursing homes. Care workers' stress was measured with a shortened version of the Health Professions Stress Inventory. Generalized estimating equation models were used to assess care worker stress and its relationships with three unit types (special care units and others with high or low proportions of residents with dementia), work environment factors, and aggressive resident behavior. After including all potential stressors in the models, no significant differences between the three unit types regarding care worker stress were found. However, increased care worker stress levels were significantly related to lower ratings of staffing and resources adequacy, the experience of verbal aggression, and the observation of verbal or physical aggression among residents. Although the unit type plays only a minor role regarding care worker stress, this study confirms that work environment and aggressive behavior of residents are important factors associated with work-related stress. To prevent increases of care worker stress, interventions to improve the work environment and strengthen care workers' ability to cope with aggressive behavior are suggested.

  6. Byggmeister Test Home. Analysis and Initial Results of Cold Climate Wood-Framed Home Retrofit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gates, C. [Building Science Corporation (BSC), Somerville, MA (United States)

    2013-01-01

    BSC seeks to further the energy efficiency market for New England area retrofit projects by supporting projects that are based on solid building science fundamentals that will benefit the homeowner through a combination of energy savings, improved durability, and occupant comfort. This report describes a deep retrofit project of a two-family wood-framed home in Belmont, Massachusetts, and examines the retrofit measures for the enclosure amd mechanical systems and reviews the decision-making process that took place during planning.

  7. The SUSTAIN Project: A European Study on Improving Integrated Care for Older People Living at Home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoop, Annerieke; Billings, Jenny; Leichsenring, Kai; Ruppe, Georg; Tram, Nhu; Barbaglia, María Gabriela; Ambugo, Eliva A.; Zonneveld, Nick; Paat-Ahi, Gerli; Hoffmann, Henrik; Khan, Usman; Stein, Viktoria; Wistow, Gerald; Lette, Manon; Jansen, Aaltje P.D.; Nijpels, Giel; Baan, Caroline A.

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: Integrated care programmes are increasingly being put in place to provide care to older people who live at home. Knowledge of how to further develop integrated care and how to transfer successful initiatives to other contexts is still limited. Therefore, a cross-European research project, called Sustainable Tailored Integrated Care for Older People in Europe (SUSTAIN), has been initiated with a twofold objective: 1. to collaborate with local stakeholders to support and monitor improvements to established integrated care initiatives for older people with multiple health and social care needs. Improvements focus on person-centredness, prevention orientation, safety and efficiency; 2. to make these improvements applicable and adaptable to other health and social care systems, and regions in Europe. This paper presents the overall structure and approach of the SUSTAIN project. Methods: SUSTAIN uses a multiple embedded case study design. In three phases, SUSTAIN partners: (i) conduct interviews and workshops with stakeholders from fourteen established integrated care initiatives to understand where they would prefer improvements to existing ways of working; (ii) collaborate with local stakeholders to support the design and implementation of improvement plans, evaluate implementation progress and outcomes per initiative, and carry out overarching analyses to compare the different initiatives, and; (iii) translate knowledge and experience to an online roadmap. Discussion: SUSTAIN aims to generate evidence on how to improve integrated care, and apply and transfer the knowledge gained to other health and social care systems, and regions. Lessons learned will be brought together in practical tools to inform and support policy-makers and decision-makers, as well as other stakeholders involved in integrated care, to manage and improve care for older people living at home. PMID:29632456

  8. Developing Project Duration Models in Software Engineering

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Pierre Bourque; Serge Oligny; Alain Abran; Bertrand Fournier

    2007-01-01

    Based on the empirical analysis of data contained in the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group(ISBSG) repository, this paper presents software engineering project duration models based on project effort. Duration models are built for the entire dataset and for subsets of projects developed for personal computer, mid-range and mainframeplatforms. Duration models are also constructed for projects requiring fewer than 400 person-hours of effort and for projectsre quiring more than 400 person-hours of effort. The usefulness of adding the maximum number of assigned resources as asecond independent variable to explain duration is also analyzed. The opportunity to build duration models directly fromproject functional size in function points is investigated as well.

  9. A four factor model for estimating human radiation exposure to radon daughters in the home

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCullough, R.S.; Letourneau, E.G.; Waight, P.J.

    1981-01-01

    This model is intended to represent the exposure received by individuals who spend any part of their day in a private home. Variables are defined to represent (1) different human groups, (2) basement and other levels in a house, (3) the four seasons of the year, and (4) activities within the home. The model is extremely flexible and appears to be applicable to other exposure circumstances. The number and definition of each of the variables can be changed easily. (author)

  10. Designing Intuitive Web Solutions for Monitoring Patients’ Rehabilitation at Home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raihana Ferdous

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the design of web-based remote monitoring interfaces aimed at supporting therapists and caregivers in supervising motor-cognitive rehabilitation plans of care to be performed by patients at home. This work was part of a three years’ research project where game-based environments for upper body motor rehabilitation of post-stroke patients were developed in collaboration with two main rehabilitation centers in Italy and Austria, for a subsequent deployment at patients’ homes. The paper will specifically focus on describing the iterative design of the home rehabilitation features for clinicians over the first two years of the project to enable the delivery and monitoring of more personalized, engaging plans of care for home therapy by rehabilitation centers and services.

  11. Multi-Agent Modeling in Managing Six Sigma Projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Y. Chau

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a multi-agent model is proposed for considering the human resources factor in decision making in relation to the six sigma project. The proposed multi-agent system is expected to increase the acccuracy of project prioritization and to stabilize the human resources service level. A simulation of the proposed multiagent model is conducted. The results show that a multi-agent model which takes into consideration human resources when making decisions about project selection and project team formation is important in enabling efficient and effective project management. The multi-agent modeling approach provides an alternative approach for improving communication and the autonomy of six sigma projects in business organizations.

  12. The INTRACOIN model comparison project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawson, G.

    1982-01-01

    The International Nuclide Transport Code Intercomparison (INTRACOIN) project is investigating the different models and associated computer codes describing the transport of radionuclides in flowing ground-water following the disposal of solid radioactive wastes in geologic formations. Level I of the project has shown good agreement in the numerical accuracy of most of the codes. In Level II the ability of the codes to model field experiments with radioactive tracers will be compared. Level III will show to what extent the adoption of different models and computer codes for the transport of radionuclides with ground water affects the results of repository assessments. (U.K.)

  13. Marketing and promoting solar water heaters to home builders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keller, C.; Ghent, P.

    1999-12-06

    This is the final report of a four-task project to develop a marketing plan designed for businesses interested in marketing solar water heaters in the new home industry. This report outlines suggested marketing communication materials and other promotional tools focused on selling products to the new home builder. Information relevant to promoting products to the new home buyer is also included.

  14. The Alzheimer's Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Navigation Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues The Alzheimer's Project Past Issues / Spring 2009 Table of Contents ... of this page please turn Javascript on. The Alzheimer's Project A 4-Part Documentary Series Starting May ...

  15. You Winsome, you lose some: Home and hospitality in the Northern Rivers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grayson Cooke

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The Home Project was a three-year collaborative research project, established through a partnership between Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA and the School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS at Southern Cross University (SCU. The Home Project’s objective was to raise awareness of homelessness in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales through creative arts practice and community engagement activities. The broad project aims were to explore questions of home, homelessness and belonging in Northern Rivers’ communities; to address the experiences of individuals affected by homelessness; and, where appropriate, to provide avenues for public dissemination of the stories of individuals who are or have been without a home. This article discusses the activities undertaken in each year of the project, providing a case study of a community engaged research project involving collaboration between university staff and students, a performing arts organisation and a community service provider. We analyse the development of the project over the three years and discuss the emergence of the theme of ‘hospitality’, which came to frame the project in its latter stages as we focused our activities at the Winsome Hotel, a Heritage listed and iconic Australian hotel that now offers low-cost daily lunches and a short-term accommodation service for marginalised men. This focus on the Winsome Hotel and hospitality gave us, as researchers, a new way to think about the provision of services to people without a home. Keywords: Homelessness, hospitality, creative arts practice, community engagement, NORPA, Southern Cross University

  16. The Einstein@Home search for gravitational waves and neutron stars

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2012-01-01

    Einstein@Home is a volunteer distributed computing project with more than 300,000 participants. Like other volunteer computing projects, Einstein@Home harvests idle computer cycles from the the laptop and desktop computers of the general public. This provides enormous computing power, on the scale of some of the world's fastest supercomputers, but at very low cost. I describe the current status of the Einstein@Home search for new neutron stars, using data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), from the Arecibo and Parkes radio telescopes, and from the Fermi gamma-ray satellite. The sensitivity of these searches is limited by computing power, so the Einstein@Home approach allows the detection of weaker signals than more conventional approaches. In the past 18 months, Einstein@Home has discovered more than 20 new radio and gamma-ray pulsars, including a number of particularly interesting and exotic systems.

  17. Engaged at work and happy at home: a spillover-crossover model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rodriguez-Muñoz, A.; Sanz-Vergel, A.I.; Demerouti, E.; Bakker, A.B.

    2014-01-01

    The current diary study among 50 Spanish dual-earner couples examines whether engagement at work has an impact on own and partners’ well-being. Based on the Spillover–Crossover model, we hypothesized that individuals’ work engagement would spill over to the home domain, increasing their happiness

  18. The nursing process in crisis-oriented psychiatric home care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boomsma, J; Dingemans, C A; Dassen, T W

    1997-08-01

    Crisis-oriented psychiatric home care is a recent development in the Dutch mental health care system. Because of the difference between psychiatric care in the home and in the hospital, an action research project was initiated. This project was directed at the nursing process and the nurses' role and skills in psychiatric home care. The main goal of the project was to describe and to standardize nursing diagnoses and interventions used in crisis-oriented and long-term psychiatric home care. The development of supporting methods of assessment and intervention were also important aspects of this project. In this article a crisis-oriented psychiatric home care programme and the first developmental research activities within this programme are described. To support the nursing process, the development of a nursing record and an assessment-format, based on Gordon's Functional Health Patterns (FHP), took place. By means of content analysis of 61 nursing records, the most frequently stated nursing diagnoses, based upon the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) taxonomy, were identified. The psychiatric diagnostic categories of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) were also collected. The most common categories found were those of mood disorders and schizophrenia or psychotic disorders. Seventy-five per cent of the nursing diagnoses showed up within four FHP: role-relationship, coping-stress tolerance, self-perception/self-concept and activity-exercise. The nursing diagnosis of 'ineffective individual coping' was stated most frequently. This is not surprising because of the similarities in the definitions of this nursing diagnosis and the concept of 'crisis' to which the psychiatric home care programme is oriented. Further research activities will be focused on standardization of nursing diagnosis and the interventions that nurses undertake in this type of care.

  19. Supporting frail seniors through a family physician and Home Health integrated care model in Fraser Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grace Haeson Park

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: A major effort is underway to integrate primary and community care in Canada's western province of British Columbia and in Fraser Health, its largest health authority. Integrated care is a critical component of Fraser Health's planning, to meet the challenges of caring for a growing, elderly population that is presenting more complex and chronic medical conditions. Description of integrated practice: An integrated care model partners family physicians with community-based home health case managers to support frail elderly patients who live at home. It is resulting in faster response times to patient needs, more informed assessments of a patient's state of health and pro-active identification of emerging patient issues. Early results: The model is intended to improve the quality of patient care and maintain the patients’ health status, to help them live at home confidently and safely, as long as possible. Preliminary pilot data measuring changes in home care services is showing positive trends when it comes to extending the length of a person's survival/tenure in the community (living in their home vs. admitted to residential care or deceased. Conclusion: Fraser Health's case manager–general practitioner partnership model is showing promising results including higher quality, appropriate, coordinated and efficient care; improved patient, caregiver and physician interactions with the system; improved health and prevention of acute care visits by senior adult patients.

  20. Learning by Living: Life-Altering Medical Education through Nursing Home-Based Experiential Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gugliucci, Marilyn R.; Weiner, Audrey

    2013-01-01

    The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine Learning by Living Project (referred to as Learning by Living) was piloted in 2006 as an experiential medical education learning model. Since its inception, medical and other health professions students have been "admitted" into nursing homes to live the life of an older adult nursing…

  1. Evidence-based practice for pain identification in cognitively impaired nursing home residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sacoco, Christina; Ishikawa, Sally

    2014-09-01

    Pain identification of cognitively impaired elderly is very challenging. This project aimed to identify best practices for pain assessment in nursing home residents with cognitive impairment and to establish a standardized pain assessment guide to optimize nursing practice and resident outcomes. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality of Care guided the project's process. Phase I of the project analyzed data gained from chart reviews on current practices of pain assessment, and Phase II used the results of Phase I to develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based practice standard for nursing assessment of pain for cognitively impaired residents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. At Home with Students

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyngsø, Anita

    2015-01-01

    This article reflects the methodological challenges presented in the research process, where the principle of 'following the field’ means that the researcher must also follow students engaged in online activities in their own homes. The ethnographic studies are a part of a PhD project...

  3. Outcomes of care for 16,924 planned home births in the United States: the Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project, 2004 to 2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheyney, Melissa; Bovbjerg, Marit; Everson, Courtney; Gordon, Wendy; Hannibal, Darcy; Vedam, Saraswathi

    2014-01-01

    Between 2004 and 2010, the number of home births in the United States rose by 41%, increasing the need for accurate assessment of the safety of planned home birth. This study examines outcomes of planned home births in the United States between 2004 and 2009. We calculated descriptive statistics for maternal demographics, antenatal risk profiles, procedures, and outcomes of planned home births in the Midwives Alliance of North American Statistics Project (MANA Stats) 2.0 data registry. Data were analyzed according to intended and actual place of birth. Among 16,924 women who planned home births at the onset of labor, 89.1% gave birth at home. The majority of intrapartum transfers were for failure to progress, and only 4.5% of the total sample required oxytocin augmentation and/or epidural analgesia. The rates of spontaneous vaginal birth, assisted vaginal birth, and cesarean were 93.6%, 1.2%, and 5.2%, respectively. Of the 1054 women who attempted a vaginal birth after cesarean, 87% were successful. Low Apgar scores (home births in the United States, outcomes are congruent with the best available data from population-based, observational studies that evaluated outcomes by intended place of birth and perinatal risk factors. Low-risk women in this cohort experienced high rates of physiologic birth and low rates of intervention without an increase in adverse outcomes. © 2014 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  4. Retrofitting a 1960s Split-Level, Cold-Climate Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puttagunta, Srikanth [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings, Norwalk, CT (United States)

    2015-07-01

    National programs such as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® and numerous other utility air sealing programs have brought awareness to homeowners of the benefits of energy efficiency retrofits. Yet, these programs tend to focus on the low-hanging fruit: air-sealing the thermal envelope and ductwork where accessible, switch to efficient lighting, and low-flow fixtures. At the other end of the spectrum, deep-energy retrofit programs are also being encouraged by various utilities across the country. While deep energy retrofits typically seek 50% energy savings, they are often quite costly and most applicable to gut-rehab projects. A significant potential for lowering energy usage in existing homes lies between the low hanging fruit and deep energy retrofit approaches - retrofits that save approximately 30% in energy over the existing conditions. A key is to be non-intrusive with the efficiency measures so the retrofit projects can be accomplished in occupied homes. This cold climate retrofit project involved the design and optimization of a home in Connecticut that sought to improve energy savings by at least 30% (excluding solar PV) over the existing home's performance. This report documents the successful implementation of a cost-effective solution package that achieved performance greater than 30% over the pre-retrofit - what worked, what did not, and what improvements could be made.

  5. Exploring Multilevel Factors for Family Engagement in Home Visiting Across Two National Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latimore, Amanda D; Burrell, Lori; Crowne, Sarah; Ojo, Kristen; Cluxton-Keller, Fallon; Gustin, Sunday; Kruse, Lakota; Hellman, Daniela; Scott, Lenore; Riordan, Annette; Duggan, Anne

    2017-07-01

    The associations of family, home visitor and site characteristics with family engagement within the first 6 months were examined. The variation in family engagement was also explored. Home visiting program participants were drawn from 21 Healthy Families America sites (1707 families) and 9 Nurse-Family Partnership sites (650 families) in New Jersey. Three-level nested generalized linear mixed models assessed the associations of family, home visitor and site characteristics with family receipt of a high dose of services in the first 6 months of enrollment. A family was considered to have received a high dose of service in the first 6 months of enrollment if they were active at 6 months and had received at least 50% of their expected visits in the first 6 months. In general, both home visiting programs engaged, at a relatively high level (Healthy Families America (HFA) 59%, Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) 64%), with families demonstrating high-risk characteristics such as lower maternal education, maternal smoking, and maternal mental health need. Home visitor characteristics explained more of the variation (87%) in the receipt of services for HFA, while family characteristics explained more of the variation (75%) in the receipt of services for NFP. At the family level, NFP may improve the consistency with which they engage families by increasing retention efforts among mothers with lower education and smoking mothers. HFA sites seeking to improve engagement consistency should consider increasing the flexible in home visitor job responsibilities and examining the current expected-visit policies followed by home visitors on difficult-to-engage families.

  6. The role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes: The THAW project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maddox, P.; Doran, C.; Williams, I.D.; Kus, M.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Children can be effective advocates in changing their parents' lifestyles. → We investigated the role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes. → Waste Watch's Take Home Action on Waste project worked with 6705 children in 39 schools. → The results showed increased participation in recycling and declines in residual waste. → The study shows that recycling behaviour is positively impacted by intergenerational influence. - Abstract: Whilst the education of young people is often seen as a part of the solution to current environmental problems seeking urgent attention, it is often forgotten that their parents and other household members can also be educated/influenced via home-based educational activities. This paper explores the theory of intergenerational influence in relation to school based waste education. Waste Watch, a UK-based environmental charity ( (www.wastewatch.org.uk)), has pioneered a model that uses practical activities and whole school involvement to promote school based action on waste. This methodology has been adopted nationally. This paper outlines and evaluates how effective school based waste education is in promoting action at a household level. The paper outlines Waste Watch's 'Taking Home Action on Waste (THAW)' project carried out for two and half years in Rotherham, a town in South Yorkshire, England. The project worked with 6705 primary age children in 39 schools (44% of primary schools in the project area) to enable them to take the 'reduce, reuse and recycle message' home to their families and to engage these (i.e. families) in sustainable waste management practices. As well as substantial increases in students' knowledge and understanding of waste reduction, measurement of the impact of the project in areas around 12 carefully chosen sample schools showed evidence of increased participation in recycling and recycling tonnages as well as declining levels of residual waste. Following delivery of

  7. Sharks, Minnows, and Wheelbarrows: Calculus Modeling Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Michael D.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to present two very active applied modeling projects that were successfully implemented in a first semester calculus course at Hollins University. The first project uses a logistic equation to model the spread of a new disease such as swine flu. The second project is a human take on the popular article "Do Dogs Know…

  8. Work-life balance culture, work-home interaction, and emotional exhaustion: a structural equation modeling approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitzsche, Anika; Pfaff, Holger; Jung, Julia; Driller, Elke

    2013-01-01

    To examine the relationships among employees' emotional exhaustion, positive and negative work-home interaction, and perceived work-life balance culture in companies. Data for this study were collected through online surveys of employees from companies in the micro- and nanotechnology sectors (N = 509). A structural equation modeling analysis was performed. A company culture perceived by employees as supportive of their work-life balance was found to have both a direct negative effect on emotional exhaustion and an indirect negative effect meditated by negative work-home interaction. In addition, whereas negative work-home interaction associated positively with emotional exhaustion, positive work-home interaction had no significant effect. The direct and indirect relationship between work-life balance culture and emotional exhaustion has practical implications for health promotion in companies.

  9. Elastic Labour Supply and Home Production in a Monetary Growth Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Bin Zhang

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available This study constructs a monetary gender growth model with capital accumulation and endogenous labour supply. The real aspects of the model are based on the neoclassical growth theory and monetary aspects of the model are based on the cash-in-advance (CIA approach. We show that the dynamics of the economy can be described by 2-dimensional differential equations. We simulate equilibrium and motion of the economy with specified monetary policies, household preference and technology. As the monetary economic system is unstable, the economy may either experience unlimited growth or economic crisis. We also study effects of changes in some parameters on the economic equilibrium. For instance, as the woman raises her propensity to stay at home, the capital intensity is not affected, which results in that the wage rates, the rate and output level per unit of labour input are not affected. Nevertheless, the man increases his work time and the woman reduces her work time, resulting in the fall of the labour supply. The money holing, durable goods used at home and consumption level per household are reduced; also the total wealth, total capital inputs, total durable goods and total output levels are reduced.

  10. A facility specialist model for improving retention of nursing home staff: results from a randomized, controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pillemer, Karl; Meador, Rhoda; Henderson, Charles; Robison, Julie; Hegeman, Carol; Graham, Edwin; Schultz, Leslie

    2008-07-01

    This article reports on a randomized, controlled intervention study designed to reduce employee turnover by creating a retention specialist position in nursing homes. We collected data three times over a 1-year period in 30 nursing homes, sampled in stratified random manner from facilities in New York State and Connecticut and randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. Staff outcomes were measured through certified nursing assistant interviews, and turnover rates were measured over the course of the year. In the intervention condition, a staff member was selected to be the facility retention specialist, who would advocate for and implement programs to improve staff retention and commitment throughout the facility. Retention specialists received an intensive 3-day training in retention leadership and in a number of evidence-based retention programs. Ongoing support was provided throughout the project. Treatment facilities experienced significant declines in turnover rates compared to control facilities. As predicted, we found positive effects on certified nursing assistant assessments of the quality of retention efforts and of care provided in the facility; we did not find effects for job satisfaction or stress. The study provides evidence for the effectiveness of the retention specialist model. Findings from a detailed process evaluation suggest modifications of the program that may increase program effects.

  11. Overview of research work activities in German language in the Home Automation area; Ueberblick deutschsprachiger Forschungsaktivitaeten im Bereich Home Automation. Forschungsinstitute, Themen, Ergebnisse - Schlussbericht

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Staub, R.

    2010-02-15

    This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at research work carried out in Germany and Austria on 'smart homes'. The aim of the project was to determine which work has already been carried out in Germany and Austria so that work in Switzerland can be concentrated on questions that have not been looked at in Germany and Austria. The appropriate research institutions are listed. Concrete projects are briefly described and their relevance for Swiss efforts is examined. Various Home Automation project categories are listed, as are the most important research institutes involved. The particular research projects in Germany and Austria and their relevance to Swiss efforts are listed.

  12. Retrofitting Vegas: Implementing Energy Efficiency in Two Las Vegas Test Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puttagunta, S.

    2013-04-01

    In 2009, the state of Nevada received nearly forty million dollars in Neighborhood Stabilization Funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The purpose of this funding was to stabilize communities that have suffered from foreclosures and abandonment. In an effort to provide guidance to local officials and maximize how effectively this NSP funding is utilized in retrofitting homes, CARB provided design specifications, energy modeling, and technical support for the Building America Retrofit Alliance (BARA) team and its local partners - Better Building Performance, Nevada Energy Star Partners Green Alliance, and Home Free Nevada - for two retrofit test homes. One home was to demonstrate a modest retrofit and the other a deep energy retrofit. Through this project, CARB has provided two robust solution packages for retrofitting homes built in this region between the 1980s and early 1990s without substantially inconveniencing the occupants. The two test homes, the Carmen and Sierra Hills, demonstrate how cost-effectively energy efficient upgrades can be implemented in the hot, dry climate of the Southwest. In addition, the homes were used as an educational experience for home performance professionals, building trades, remodelers, and the general public. In-field trainings on air-sealing, HVAC upgrades, and insulating were provided to local contractors during the retrofit and BARA documented these retrofits through a series of video presentations, beginning with a site survey and concluding with the finished remodel and test out.

  13. Advancing Replicable Solutions for High-Performance Homes in the Southeast

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roberts, S. G. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States). Southface Energy Inst.; Sweet, M. L. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States). Southface Energy Inst.; Francisco, A. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States). Southface Energy Inst.

    2016-03-01

    The work presented in this report advances the goals of the U.S. Department of Energy Building America program by improving the energy performance of affordable and market-rate housing. Southface Energy Institute (Southface), part of the U.S. Department of Energy Building America research team Partnership for Home Innovation, worked with owners and builders with various market constraints and ultimate goals for three projects in three climate zones (CZs): Savannah Gardens in Savannah, Georgia (CZ 2); JMC Patrick Square in Clemson, South Carolina (CZ 3); and LaFayette in LaFayette, Georgia (CZ 4). This report documents the design process, computational energy modeling, construction, envelope performance metrics, long-term monitoring results, and successes and failures of the design and execution of these high-performance homes.

  14. Behavioral Health and Health Care Reform Models: Patient-Centered Medical Home, Health Home, and Accountable Care Organization

    OpenAIRE

    Bao, Yuhua; Casalino, Lawrence P.; Pincus, Harold Alan

    2013-01-01

    Discussions of health care delivery and payment reforms have largely been silent about how behavioral health could be incorporated into reform initiatives. This paper draws attention to four patient populations defined by the severity of their behavioral health conditions and insurance status. It discusses the potentials and limitations of three prominent models promoted by the Affordable Care Act to serve populations with behavioral health conditions: the Patient Centered Medical Home, the H...

  15. Economic impact analysis of an end-of-life programme for nursing home residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teo, W-S Kelvin; Raj, Anusha Govinda; Tan, Woan Shin; Ng, Charis Wei Ling; Heng, Bee Hoon; Leong, Ian Yi-Onn

    2014-05-01

    Due to limited end-of-life discussions and the absence of palliative care, hospitalisations are frequent at the end of life among nursing home residents in Singapore, resulting in high health-care costs. Our objective was to evaluate the economic impact of Project Care at the End-of-Life for Residents in homes for the Elderly (CARE) programme on nursing home residents compared to usual end-of-life care. DESIGN AND SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS: Project CARE was introduced in seven nursing homes to provide advance care planning and palliative care for residents identified to be at risk of dying within 1 year. The cases consisted of nursing home residents enrolled in the Project CARE programme for at least 3 months. A historical group of nursing home residents not in any end-of-life care programme was chosen as the matched controls. Cost differences between the two groups were analysed over the last 3 months and final month of life. The final sample comprised 48 Project CARE cases and 197 controls. Compared to the controls, the cases were older with more comorbidities and higher nursing needs. After risk adjustment, Project CARE cases demonstrated per-resident cost savings of SGD$7129 (confidence interval: SGD$4544-SGD$9714) over the last 3 months of life and SGD$3703 (confidence interval: SGD$1848-SGD$5557) over the last month of life (US$1 = SGD$1.3). This study demonstrated substantial savings associated with an end-of-life programme. With a significant proportion of the population in Singapore requiring nursing home care in the near future, these results could assist policymakers and health-care providers in decision-making on allocation of health-care resources.

  16. Hybrid-Aware Model for Senior Wellness Service in Smart Home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Yuchae

    2017-05-22

    Smart home technology with situation-awareness is important for seniors to improve safety and security. With the development of context-aware computing, wearable sensor technology, and ubiquitous computing, it is easier for seniors to manage their health problem in smart home environment. For monitoring senior activity in smart home, wearable, and motion sensors-such as respiration rate (RR), electrocardiography (ECG), body temperature, and blood pressure (BP)-were used for monitoring movements of seniors. For context-awareness, environmental sensors-such as gas, fire, smoke, dust, temperature, and light sensors-were used for senior location data collection. Based on senior activity, senior health status can be classified into positive and negative. Based on senior location and time, senior safety is classified into safe and emergency. In this paper, we propose a hybrid inspection service middleware for monitoring elderly health risk based on senior activity and location. This hybrid-aware model for the detection of abnormal status of seniors has four steps as follows: (1) data collection from biosensors and environmental sensors; (2) monitoring senior location and time of stay in each location using environmental sensors; (3) monitoring senior activity using biometric data; finally, (4) expectation-maximization based decision-making step recommending proper treatment based on a senior health risk ratio.

  17. The role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes: the THAW project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maddox, P; Doran, C; Williams, I D; Kus, M

    2011-12-01

    Whilst the education of young people is often seen as a part of the solution to current environmental problems seeking urgent attention, it is often forgotten that their parents and other household members can also be educated/influenced via home-based educational activities. This paper explores the theory of intergenerational influence in relation to school based waste education. Waste Watch, a UK-based environmental charity (www.wastewatch.org.uk), has pioneered a model that uses practical activities and whole school involvement to promote school based action on waste. This methodology has been adopted nationally. This paper outlines and evaluates how effective school based waste education is in promoting action at a household level. The paper outlines Waste Watch's 'Taking Home Action on Waste (THAW)' project carried out for two and half years in Rotherham, a town in South Yorkshire, England. The project worked with 6705 primary age children in 39 schools (44% of primary schools in the project area) to enable them to take the "reduce, reuse and recycle message" home to their families and to engage these (i.e. families) in sustainable waste management practices. As well as substantial increases in students' knowledge and understanding of waste reduction, measurement of the impact of the project in areas around 12 carefully chosen sample schools showed evidence of increased participation in recycling and recycling tonnages as well as declining levels of residual waste. Following delivery of the project in these areas, an average increase of 8.6% was recorded in recycling set out rates which led to a 4.3% increase in paper recycling tonnages and an 8.7% increase in tonnages of cans, glass and textiles collected for recycling. Correspondingly, there was a 4.5% fall in tonnages of residual waste. Waste Watch's THAW project was the first serious attempt to measure the intergenerational influence of an education programme on behaviour at home (i.e. other than schools

  18. Climate@Home: Crowdsourcing Climate Change Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, C.; Yang, C.; Li, J.; Sun, M.; Bambacus, M.

    2011-12-01

    Climate change deeply impacts human wellbeing. Significant amounts of resources have been invested in building super-computers that are capable of running advanced climate models, which help scientists understand climate change mechanisms, and predict its trend. Although climate change influences all human beings, the general public is largely excluded from the research. On the other hand, scientists are eagerly seeking communication mediums for effectively enlightening the public on climate change and its consequences. The Climate@Home project is devoted to connect the two ends with an innovative solution: crowdsourcing climate computing to the general public by harvesting volunteered computing resources from the participants. A distributed web-based computing platform will be built to support climate computing, and the general public can 'plug-in' their personal computers to participate in the research. People contribute the spare computing power of their computers to run a computer model, which is used by scientists to predict climate change. Traditionally, only super-computers could handle such a large computing processing load. By orchestrating massive amounts of personal computers to perform atomized data processing tasks, investments on new super-computers, energy consumed by super-computers, and carbon release from super-computers are reduced. Meanwhile, the platform forms a social network of climate researchers and the general public, which may be leveraged to raise climate awareness among the participants. A portal is to be built as the gateway to the climate@home project. Three types of roles and the corresponding functionalities are designed and supported. The end users include the citizen participants, climate scientists, and project managers. Citizen participants connect their computing resources to the platform by downloading and installing a computing engine on their personal computers. Computer climate models are defined at the server side. Climate

  19. Dom IRIS in njegova vloga v rehabilitaciji: Smart Home IRIS and its role in rehabilitation: Smart Home IRIS and its role in rehabilitation:

    OpenAIRE

    Jenko, Mojca; Ocepek, Julija; Zupan, Anton

    2010-01-01

    Smart Home IRIS is a demonstrative apartment, founded in 2008 on the basis of numerous European smart home projects. The aim of this study was to establish the role of Smart Home IRIS in improving quality of life for persons with disabilities and elderly in Slovenia and the satisfaction of persons who have already been involved in a treatment in it. We analyzed a satisfaction questionnaire of the treatment in Smart Home IRIS, sent to all patients in 2008 (79 in total), as well as the problems...

  20. Modeling Research Project Risks with Fuzzy Maps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodea, Constanta Nicoleta; Dascalu, Mariana Iuliana

    2009-01-01

    The authors propose a risks evaluation model for research projects. The model is based on fuzzy inference. The knowledge base for fuzzy process is built with a causal and cognitive map of risks. The map was especially developed for research projects, taken into account their typical lifecycle. The model was applied to an e-testing research…

  1. Analysis of Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Measure Packages

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baker, J. [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Chicago, IL (United States); Yee, S. [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Chicago, IL (United States); Brand, L. [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Chicago, IL (United States)

    2013-09-01

    Through the Chicagoland Single Family Housing Characterization and Retrofit Prioritization report, the Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit research team characterized 15 housing types in the Chicagoland region based on assessor data, utility billing history, and available data from prior energy efficiency programs. Within these 15 groups, a subset showed the greatest opportunity for energy savings based on BEopt Version 1.1 modeling of potential energy efficiency package options and the percent of the housing stock represented by each group. In this project, collected field data from a whole-home program in Illinois are utilized to compare marketplace-installed measures to the energy saving optimal packages previously developed for the 15 housing types. Housing type, conditions, energy efficiency measures installed, and retrofit cost information were collected from 19 homes that participated in the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program in 2012, representing eight of the characterized housing groups. Two were selected for further case study analysis to provide an illustration of the differences between optimal and actually installed measures. Taken together, these homes are representative of 34.8% of the Chicagoland residential building stock. In one instance, actual installed measures closely matched optimal recommended measures.

  2. EXPENSES FORECASTING MODEL IN UNIVERSITY PROJECTS PLANNING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergei A. Arustamov

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with mathematical model presentation of cash flows in project funding. We describe different types of expenses linked to university project activities. Problems of project budgeting that contribute most uncertainty have been revealed. As an example of the model implementation we consider calculation of vacation allowance expenses for project participants. We define problems of forecast for funds reservation: calculation based on methodology established by the Ministry of Education and Science calculation according to the vacation schedule and prediction of the most probable amount. A stochastic model for vacation allowance expenses has been developed. We have proposed methods and solution of the problems that increase the accuracy of forecasting for funds reservation based on 2015 data.

  3. Wake models developed during the Wind Shadow project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larsen, S.; Ott, S.; Pena, A.; Berg, J.; Nielsen, M.; Rathmann, O.; Joergensen, H.

    2011-11-15

    The Wind Shadow project has developed and validated improved models for determining the wakes losses, and thereby the array efficiency of very large, closely packed wind farms. The rationale behind the project has been that the existing software has been covering these types of wind farms poorly, both with respect to the densely packed turbines and the large fetches needed to describe the collective shadow effects of one farm to the next. Further the project has developed the necessary software for the use of the models. Guidelines with recommendations for the use of the models are included in the model deliverables. The project has been carried out as a collaborative project between Risoe DTU, DONG, Vattenfall, DNV and VESTAS, and it has been financed by energinet.dk grant no. 10086. (Author)

  4. Air-to-Water Heat Pumps With Radiant Delivery in Low-Load Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Backman, C. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); German, A. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Dakin, B. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Springer, D. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States)

    2013-12-01

    Space conditioning represents nearly 50% of average residential household energy consumption, highlighting the need to identify alternative cost-effective, energy-efficient cooling and heating strategies. As homes are better built, there is an increasing need for strategies that are particularly well suited for high performance, low load homes. ARBI researchers worked with two test homes in hot-dry climates to evaluate the in-situ performance of air-to-water heat pump systems, an energy efficient space conditioning solution designed to cost-effectively provide comfort in homes with efficient, safe, and durable operation. Two monitoring projects of test houses in hot-dry climates were initiated in 2010 to test this system. Both systems were fully instrumented and have been monitored over one year to capture complete performance data over the cooling and heating seasons. Results are used to quantify energy savings, cost-effectiveness, and system performance using different operating modes and strategies. A calibrated TRNSYS model was developed and used to evaluate performance in various climate regions. This strategy is most effective in tight, insulated homes with high levels of thermal mass (i.e. exposed slab floors).

  5. Air-to-Water Heat Pumps With Radiant Delivery in Low-Load Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Backman, C. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States). Davis Energy Group; German, A. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States). Davis Energy Group; Dakin, B. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States). Davis Energy Group; Springer, D. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States). Davis Energy Group

    2013-12-01

    Space conditioning represents nearly 50% of average residential household energy consumption, highlighting the need to identify alternative cost-effective, energy-efficient cooling and heating strategies. As homes are better built, there is an increasing need for strategies that are particularly well suited for high performance, low load homes. ARBI researchers worked with two test homes in hot-dry climates to evaluate the in-situ performance of air-to-water heat pump (AWHP) systems, an energy efficient space conditioning solution designed to cost-effectively provide comfort in homes with efficient, safe, and durable operation. Two monitoring projects of test houses in hot-dry climates were initiated in 2010 to test this system. Both systems were fully instrumented and have been monitored over one year to capture complete performance data over the cooling and heating seasons. Results are used to quantify energy savings, cost-effectiveness, and system performance using different operating modes and strategies. A calibrated TRNSYS model was developed and used to evaluate performance in various climate regions. This strategy is most effective in tight, insulated homes with high levels of thermal mass (i.e. exposed slab floors).

  6. An HL7-FHIR-based Object Model for a Home-Centered Data Warehouse for Ambient Assisted Living Environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartze, Jonas; Jansen, Lars; Schrom, Harald; Wolf, Klaus-Hendrik; Haux, Reinhold; Marschollek, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Current AAL environments focus on assisting a single person with seperated technologies. There is no interoperability between sub-domains in home environments, like building energy management or housing industry services. BASIS (Building Automation by a Scalable and Intelligent System) aims to integrate all sensors and actuators into a single, efficient home bus. First step is to create a semtically enriched data warehouse object model. We choose FHIR and built an object model mainly based on the Observation, Device and Location resources with minor extensions needed by AAL-foreign sub domains. FHIR turned out to be very flexible and complete for other home related sub-domains. The object model is implemented in a separated software-partition storing all structural and procedural data of BASIS.

  7. Financial and organizational models of NPP construction projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, Timur

    2010-01-01

    The recent evolution of financial and organizational models of NPP projects can be truly reputed to open a new page of the world market of NPP construction. The definition of the concrete model is based mostly on specific cooperation backgrounds and current terms and conditions under which the particular NPP project is being evolved. In this article the most commonly known strategies and schemes of financing structuring for export NPP construction projects are scrutinized. Special attention is paid to the analysis of BOO/BOT models which are based on the public-private partnership. Most BOO/BOT projects in the power sector has Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) as an integral part of them. The PPA key principles are studied here as well. The flexibility and adaptability of the public-private partnership models for financing and organization of the NPP projects contributes substantially to the competitiveness of the NPP projects especially under current economic conditions. (orig.)

  8. Model county ordinance for wind projects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bain, D.A. [Oregon Office of Energy, Portland, OR (United States)

    1997-12-31

    Permitting is a crucial step in the development cycle of a wind project and permits affect the timing, cost, location, feasibility, layout, and impacts of wind projects. Counties often have the lead responsibility for permitting yet few have appropriate siting regulations for wind projects. A model ordinance allows a county to quickly adopt appropriate permitting procedures. The model county wind ordinance developed for use by northwest states is generally applicable across the country and counties seeking to adopt siting or zoning regulations for wind will find it a good starting place. The model includes permitting procedures for wind measurement devices and two types of wind systems. Both discretionary and nondiscretionary standards apply to wind systems and a conditional use permit would be issued. The standards, criteria, conditions for approval, and process procedures are defined for each. Adaptation examples for the four northwest states are provided along with a model Wind Resource Overlay Zone.

  9. Home Visiting Processes: Relations with Family Characteristics and Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Carla A.; Roggman, Lori A.; Green, Beth; Chazan-Cohen, Rachel; Korfmacher, Jon; McKelvey, Lorraine; Zhang, Dong; Atwater, Jane B.

    2013-01-01

    Variations in dosage, content, and family engagement with Early Head Start (EHS) home visiting services were examined for families participating in the EHS Research and Evaluation Project. Families were grouped by characteristics of maternal age, maternal ethnicity, and level of family risk. All home visiting variables were related differentially…

  10. Management information system for cost-schedule integration control for nuclear power projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Wei; Wang Yongqing; Tian Li

    2001-01-01

    Based on the project management experience abroad and at home, a cost-schedule integration control model was developed to improve nuclear power project management. The model integrates cost data with the scheduling data by unity coding to efficiently implement cost-schedule integration control on line. The software system architecture and database is designed and implemented. The system functions include estimating and forecasting dynamically cash flow, scheduling and evaluating deviation from the cost-schedule plan, etc. The research and development of the system should improve the architecture of computer integrated management information systems for nuclear power projects in China

  11. Mental models of adherence: parallels in perceptions, values, and expectations in adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and other personal regimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizzo, Jon; Bell, Alexandra

    2018-05-09

    A mental model is the collection of an individual's perceptions, values, and expectations about a particular aspect of their life, which strongly influences behaviors. This study explored orthopedic outpatients mental models of adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and how they related to mental models of adherence to other types of personal regimens. The study followed an interpretive description qualitative design. Data were collected via two semi-structured interviews. Interview One focused on participants prior experiences adhering to personal regimens. Interview Two focused on experiences adhering to their current prescribed home exercise program. Data analysis followed a constant comparative method. Findings revealed similarity in perceptions, values, and expectations that informed individuals mental models of adherence to personal regimens and prescribed home exercise programs. Perceived realized results, expected results, perceived social supports, and value of convenience characterized mental models of adherence. Parallels between mental models of adherence for prescribed home exercise and other personal regimens suggest that patients adherence behavior to prescribed routines may be influenced by adherence experiences in other aspects of their lives. By gaining insight into patients adherence experiences, values, and expectations across life domains, clinicians may tailor supports that enhance home exercise adherence. Implications for Rehabilitation A mental model is the collection of an individual's perceptions, values, and expectations about a particular aspect of their life, which is based on prior experiences and strongly influences behaviors. This study demonstrated similarity in orthopedic outpatients mental models of adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and adherence to personal regimens in other aspects of their lives. Physical therapists should inquire about patients non-medical adherence experiences, as strategies patients

  12. Developing and utilising a new funding model for home-care services in New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsons, Matthew; Rouse, Paul; Sajtos, Laszlo; Harrison, Julie; Parsons, John; Gestro, Lisa

    2018-05-01

    Worldwide increases in the numbers of older people alongside an accompanying international policy incentive to support ageing-in-place have focussed the importance of home-care services as an alternative to institutionalisation. Despite this, funding models that facilitate a responsive, flexible approach are lacking. Casemix provides one solution, but the transition from the well-established hospital system to community has been problematic. This research seeks to develop a Casemix funding solution for home-care services through meaningful client profile groups and supporting pathways. Unique assessments from 3,135 older people were collected from two health board regions in 2012. Of these, 1,009 arose from older people with non-complex needs using the interRAI-Contact Assessment (CA) and 2,126 from the interRAI-Home-Care (HC) from older people with complex needs. Home-care service hours were collected for 3 months following each assessment and the mean weekly hours were calculated. Data were analysed using a decision tree analysis, whereby mean hours of weekly home-care was the dependent variable with responses from the assessment tools, the independent variables. A total of three main groups were developed from the interRAI-CA, each one further classified into "stable" or "flexible." The classification explained 16% of formal home-care service hour variability. Analysis of the interRAI-HC generated 33 clusters, organised through eight disability "sub" groups and five "lead" groups. The groupings explained 24% of formal home-care services hour variance. Adopting a Casemix system within home-care services can facilitate a more appropriate response to the changing needs of older people. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Dealing with project complexity by matrix-based propagation modelling for project risk analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Fang , Chao; Marle , Franck

    2012-01-01

    International audience; Engineering projects are facing a growing complexity and are thus exposed to numerous and interdependent risks. In this paper, we present a quantitative method for modelling propagation behaviour in the project risk network. The construction of the network requires the involvement of the project manager and related experts using the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) method. A matrix-based risk propagation model is introduced to calculate risk propagation and thus to re-eva...

  14. Mobile home automation-merging mobile value added services and home automation technologies

    OpenAIRE

    Rosendahl, Andreas; Hampe, Felix J.; Botterweck, Goetz

    2007-01-01

    non-peer-reviewed In this paper we study mobile home automation, a field that emerges from an integration of mobile application platforms and home automation technologies. In a conceptual introduction we first illustrate the need for such applications by introducing a two-dimensional conceptual model of mobility. Subsequently we suggest an architecture and discuss different options of how a user might access a mobile home automation service and the controlled devices. As another contrib...

  15. LHC@home is ready to support HiLumi LHC: take part!

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Bulletin

    2011-01-01

    Recently relaunched, the LHC@home volunteer computing project is now ready to support the HiLumi LHC project, the design phase of the planned upgrade of the LHC that will increase its luminosity by a factor of 5 to 10 beyond its original design value. HiLumi will need massive simulations to test the beam dynamics. Whether you are at home or at work, you can help experts design the future LHC by connecting your computer to LHC@home. Go for it!   LHC@home is aimed at involving the public in real science. If you have a computer that is connected to the Internet, you can join the large team of volunteers who are already supporting its two main projects: Test4Theory, which runs computer simulations of high-energy particle collisions, and SixTrack, which is aimed at optimizing the LHC performance by performing beam dynamics simulations. In both cases, the software is designed to run only when your computer is idle and causes no disruption to your normal activities. To the simulations run by the Six...

  16. The Canada Goose Project: A First Project with Children under 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, Ruth A.

    2010-01-01

    This project report describes how five children (an infant, three toddlers, and a preschooler) enrolled at a private day care home engaged in their first journey into project work through a study of Canada geese living on a nearby body of water. Prior to the experience described in this paper, the author had used the Project Approach only with…

  17. On the Disambiguation of Passively Measured In-home Gait Velocities from Multi-person Smart Homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, Daniel; Hayes, Tamara L; Kaye, Jeffrey; Mattek, Nora; Pavel, Misha

    2011-01-01

    In-home monitoring of gait velocity with passive PIR sensors in a smart home has been shown to be an effective method of continuously and unobtrusively measuring this important predictor of cognitive function and mobility. However, passive measurements of velocity are nonspecific with regard to who generated each measurement or walking event. As a result, this method is not suitable for multi-person homes without additional information to aid in the disambiguation of gait velocities. In this paper we propose a method based on Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) combined with infrequent clinical assessments of gait velocity to model in-home walking speeds of two or more residents. Modeling the gait parameters directly allows us to avoid the more difficult problem of assigning each measured velocity individually to the correct resident. We show that if the clinically measured gait velocities of residents are separated by at least 15 cm/s a GMM can be accurately fit to the in-home gait velocity data. We demonstrate the accuracy of this method by showing that the correlation between the means of the GMMs and the clinically measured gait velocities is 0.877 (p value < 0.0001) with bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals of (0.79, 0.94) for 54 measurements of 20 subjects living in multi-person homes. Example applications of using this method to track in-home mean velocities over time are also given.

  18. Biowaste home composting: experimental process monitoring and quality control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tatàno, Fabio; Pagliaro, Giacomo; Di Giovanni, Paolo; Floriani, Enrico; Mangani, Filippo

    2015-04-01

    Because home composting is a prevention option in managing biowaste at local levels, the objective of the present study was to contribute to the knowledge of the process evolution and compost quality that can be expected and obtained, respectively, in this decentralized option. In this study, organized as the research portion of a provincial project on home composting in the territory of Pesaro-Urbino (Central Italy), four experimental composters were first initiated and temporally monitored. Second, two small sub-sets of selected provincial composters (directly operated by households involved in the project) underwent quality control on their compost products at two different temporal steps. The monitored experimental composters showed overall decreasing profiles versus composting time for moisture, organic carbon, and C/N, as well as overall increasing profiles for electrical conductivity and total nitrogen, which represented qualitative indications of progress in the process. Comparative evaluations of the monitored experimental composters also suggested some interactions in home composting, i.e., high C/N ratios limiting organic matter decomposition rates and final humification levels; high moisture contents restricting the internal temperature regime; nearly horizontal phosphorus and potassium evolutions contributing to limit the rates of increase in electrical conductivity; and prolonged biowaste additions contributing to limit the rate of decrease in moisture. The measures of parametric data variability in the two sub-sets of controlled provincial composters showed decreased variability in moisture, organic carbon, and C/N from the seventh to fifteenth month of home composting, as well as increased variability in electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, and humification rate, which could be considered compatible with the respective nature of decreasing and increasing parameters during composting. The modeled parametric kinetics in the monitored experimental

  19. Home-Based HIV Testing and Counseling for Male Couples (Project Nexus): A Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephenson, Rob; Freeland, Ryan; Sullivan, Stephen P; Riley, Erin; Johnson, Brent A; Mitchell, Jason; McFarland, Deborah; Sullivan, Patrick S

    2017-05-30

    HIV prevalence remains high among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States, yet the majority of research has focused on MSM as individuals, not as dyads, and has discussed HIV risks primarily in the context of casual sex. Nexus is an online prevention program that combines home-based HIV testing and couples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC). It allows partners in dyadic MSM relationships to receive HIV testing and care in the comfort of their designated residence, via video-based chat. By using video-based technologies (eg, VSee video chat), male couples receive counseling and support from a remote online counselor, while testing for HIV at home. This randomized control trial (RCT) aims to examine the effects of video-based counseling combined with home-based HIV testing on couples' management of HIV risk, formation and adherence to explicit sexual agreements, and sexual risk-taking. The research implements a prospective RCT of 400 online-recruited male couples: 200 self-reported concordant-negative couples and 200 self-reported discordant couples. Couples in the control arm will receive one or two home-based HIV self-testing kits and will be asked to report their results via the study's website. Couples in the experimental arm will receive one or two home-based HIV self-testing kits and will conduct these tests together under the facilitation of a remotely located counselor during a prescheduled VSee-based video CHTC session. Study assessments are taken at baseline, as well as at 3- and 6-month follow-up sessions. Project Nexus was launched in April 2016 and is ongoing. To date, 219 eligible couples have been enrolled and randomized. Combining home-based HIV testing with video-based counseling creates an opportunity to expand CHTC to male couples who (1) live outside metro areas, (2) live in rural areas without access to testing services or LGBTQ resources, or (3) feel that current clinic-based testing is not for them (eg, due to fears of

  20. A Model of Project and Organisational Dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jenny Leonard

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The strategic, transformational nature of many information systems projects is now widely understood. Large-scale implementations of systems are known to require significant management of organisational change in order to be successful. Moreover, projects are rarely executed in isolation – most organisations have a large programme of projects being implemented at any one time. However, project and value management methodologies provide ad hoc definitions of the relationship between a project and its environment. This limits the ability of an organisation to manage the larger dynamics between projects and organisations, over time, and between projects. The contribution of this paper, therefore, is to use literature on organisational theory to provide a more systematic understanding of this area. The organisational facilitators required to obtain value from a project are categorised, and the processes required to develop those facilitators are defined. This formalisation facilitates generalisation between projects and highlights any time and path dependencies required in developing organisational facilitators. The model therefore has the potential to contribute to the development of IS project management theory within dynamic organisational contexts. Six cases illustrate how this model could be used.

  1. Simultaneous modeling of individuals' duration and expenditure decisions in out-of-home leisure activities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dane, Gamze; Arentze, Theo A.; Timmermans, Harry J P; Ettema, Dick

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we propose an activity model under time and budget constraints to simultaneously predict the allocation of time and money to out-of-home leisure activities. The proposed framework considers the activity episode level, given that the activity is scheduled. Thus, the model considers the

  2. The safety net medical home initiative: transforming care for vulnerable populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugarman, Jonathan R; Phillips, Kathryn E; Wagner, Edward H; Coleman, Katie; Abrams, Melinda K

    2014-11-01

    Despite findings that medical homes may reduce or eliminate health care disparities among underserved and minority populations, most previous medical home pilot and demonstration projects have focused on health care delivery systems serving commercially insured patients and Medicare beneficiaries. To develop a replicable approach to support medical home transformation among diverse practices serving vulnerable and underserved populations. Facilitated by a national program team, convening organizations in 5 states provided coaching and learning community support to safety net practices over a 4-year period. To guide transformation, we developed a framework of change concepts aligned with supporting tools including implementation guides, activity checklists, and measurement instruments. Sixty-five health centers, homeless clinics, private practices, residency training centers, and other safety net practices in Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. We evaluated implementation of the change concepts using the Patient-Centered Medical Home-Assessment, and conducted a survey of participating practices to assess perceptions of the impact of the technical assistance. All practices implemented key features of the medical home model, and nearly half (47.6%) implemented the 33 identified key changes to a substantial degree as evidenced by level A Patient-Centered Medical Home-Assessment scores. Two thirds of practices that achieved substantial implementation did so only after participating in the initiative for >2 years. By the end of the initiative, 83.1% of sites achieved external recognition as medical homes. Despite resource constraints and high-need populations, safety net clinics made considerable progress toward medical home implementation when provided robust, multimodal support over a 4-year period.

  3. Modeling and Detecting Feature Interactions among Integrated Services of Home Network Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igaki, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Masahide

    This paper presents a framework for formalizing and detecting feature interactions (FIs) in the emerging smart home domain. We first establish a model of home network system (HNS), where every networked appliance (or the HNS environment) is characterized as an object consisting of properties and methods. Then, every HNS service is defined as a sequence of method invocations of the appliances. Within the model, we next formalize two kinds of FIs: (a) appliance interactions and (b) environment interactions. An appliance interaction occurs when two method invocations conflict on the same appliance, whereas an environment interaction arises when two method invocations conflict indirectly via the environment. Finally, we propose offline and online methods that detect FIs before service deployment and during execution, respectively. Through a case study with seven practical services, it is shown that the proposed framework is generic enough to capture feature interactions in HNS integrated services. We also discuss several FI resolution schemes within the proposed framework.

  4. Airtightness Results of Roof-Only Air Sealing Strategies on 1 ½-Story Homes in Cold Climates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ojczyk, C.; Murry, T.; Mosiman, G.

    2014-07-01

    In this second study on solutions to ice dams in 1-1/2 story homes, the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team analyzed five test homes located in both cold and very cold climates for air leakage reduction rates following modifications by independent contractors on owner-occupied homes. These homes were chosen for testing as they are common in Minnesota and very difficult to air seal and insulate effectively. Two projects followed a roof-only Exterior Thermal Moisture Management System (ETMMS) process. One project used an interior-only approach to roof air sealing and insulation. The remaining two projects used a deep energy retrofit approach for whole house (foundation wall, above grade wall, roof) air leakage and heat loss reduction. All were asked to provide information regarding project goals, process, and pre and post-blower door test results. Additional air leakage reduction data was provided by several NorthernSTAR industry partners for interior-applied, roof-only modifications on 1-1/2 story homes. The data represents homes in the general market as well as homes that were part of the state of Minnesota weatherization program. A goal was to compare exterior air sealing methods with interior approaches. This pool of data enabled the team to compare air tightness data from over 220 homes using similar air seal methods.

  5. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor U.S. Home Team Quality Assurance Plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sowder, W. K.

    1998-10-01

    The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project is unique in that the work is divided among an international Joint Central Team and four Home Teams, with the overall responsibility for the quality of activities performed during the project residing with the ITER Director. The ultimate responsibility for the adequacy of work performed on tasks assigned to the U.S. Home Team resides with the U.S. Home Team Leader and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fusion Energy (DOE-OFE). This document constitutes the quality assurance plan for the ITER U.S. Home Team. This plan describes the controls exercised by U.S. Home Team management and the Performing Institutions to ensure the quality of tasks performed and the data developed for the Engineering Design Activities assigned to the U.S. Home Team and, in particular, the Research and Development Large Projects (7). This plan addresses the DOE quality assurance requirements of 10 CFR 830.120, "Quality Assurance." The plan also describes U.S. Home Team quality commitments to the ITER Quality Assurance Program. The ITER Quality Assurance Program is based on the principles described in the International Atomic Energy Agency Standard No. 50-C-QA, "Quality Assurance for Safety in Nuclear Power Plants and Other Nuclear Facilities." Each commitment is supported with preferred implementation methodology that will be used in evaluating the task quality plans to be submitted by the Performing Institutions. The implementing provisions of the program are based on guidance provided in American National Standards Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers NQA-1 1994, "Quality Assurance." The individual Performing Institutions will implement the appropriate quality program provisions through their own established quality plans that have been reviewed and found to comply with U.S. Home Team quality assurance plan commitments to the ITER Quality Assurance Program. The extent of quality program provisions

  6. Flooded homes, broken bonds, the meaning of home, psychological processes and their impact on psychological health in a disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Bob; Morbey, Hazel; Balogh, Ruth; Araoz, Gonzalo

    2009-06-01

    In 2005, Carlisle suffered severe flooding and 1600 houses were affected. A qualitative research project to study the social and health impacts was undertaken. People whose homes had been flooded and workers who had supported them were interviewed. The findings showed that there was severe disruption to people's lives and severe damage to their homes, and many suffered from psychological health issues. Phenomenological and transactional perspectives are utilised to analyse the psychological processes (identity, attachment, alienation and dialectics) underlying the meaning of home and their impact on psychological health. Proposals for policy and practice are made.

  7. Family participation in care plan meetings : Promoting a collaborative organizational culture in nursing homes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dijkstra, Ate

    In this study, the author evaluated a project in The Netherlands that aimed to promote family members' participation in care plan meetings at a psychogeriatric nursing home. The small-scale pilot project, which was conducted in four wards of the nursing home, was designed to involve families in

  8. Irvine Smart Grid Demonstration, a Regional Smart Grid Demonstration Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yinger, Robert [Southern California Edison Company, Rosemead, CA (United States); Irwin, Mark [Southern California Edison Company, Rosemead, CA (United States)

    2015-12-29

    ISGD was a comprehensive demonstration that spanned the electricity delivery system and extended into customer homes. The project used phasor measurement technology to enable substation-level situational awareness, and demonstrated SCE’s next-generation substation automation system. It extended beyond the substation to evaluate the latest generation of distribution automation technologies, including looped 12-kV distribution circuit topology using URCIs. The project team used DVVC capabilities to demonstrate CVR. In customer homes, the project evaluated HAN devices such as smart appliances, programmable communicating thermostats, and home energy management components. The homes were also equipped with energy storage, solar PV systems, and a number of energy efficiency measures (EEMs). The team used one block of homes to evaluate strategies and technologies for achieving ZNE. A home achieves ZNE when it produces at least as much renewable energy as the amount of energy it consumes annually. The project also assessed the impact of device-specific demand response (DR), as well as load management capabilities involving energy storage devices and plug-in electric vehicle charging equipment. In addition, the ISGD project sought to better understand the impact of ZNE homes on the electric grid. ISGD’s SENet enabled end-to-end interoperability between multiple vendors’ systems and devices, while also providing a level of cybersecurity that is essential to smart grid development and adoption across the nation. The ISGD project includes a series of sub-projects grouped into four logical technology domains: Smart Energy Customer Solutions, Next-Generation Distribution System, Interoperability and Cybersecurity, and Workforce of the Future. Section 2.3 provides a more detailed overview of these domains.

  9. Green House Adoption and Nursing Home Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afendulis, Christopher C; Caudry, Daryl J; O'Malley, A James; Kemper, Peter; Grabowski, David C

    2016-02-01

    To evaluate the impact of the Green House (GH) model on nursing home resident-level quality of care measures. Resident-level minimum data set (MDS) assessments merged with Medicare inpatient claims for the period 2005 through 2010. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we compared changes in care quality and outcomes in 15 nursing homes that adopted the GH model relative to changes over the same time period in 223 matched nursing homes that had not adopted the GH model. For individuals residing in GH homes, adoption of the model lowered readmissions and several MDS measures of poor quality, including bedfast residents, catheter use, and pressure ulcers, but these results were not present across the entire GH organization, suggesting possible offsetting effects for residents of non-GH "legacy" units within the GH organization. GH adoption led to improvement in rehospitalizations and certain nursing home quality measures for individuals residing in a GH home. The absence of evidence of a decline in other clinical quality measures in GH nursing homes should reassure anyone concerned that GH might have sacrificed clinical quality for improved quality of life. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  10. Prediction of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Tabriz Elderly and Nursing Home Residents Using Stereotype Regression Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zohreh Razzaghi

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most important health problems of any society. It is more common in elderly even in those dwelling in rest homes. By now, several studies have been conducted on vitamin D deficiency using current statistical models. In this study, corresponding proportional odds and stereotype regression methods were used to identify threatening factors related to vitamin D deficiency in elderly living in rest homes and comparing them with those who live out of the mentioned places. Methods & Materials: In this case-control study, there were 140 older persons living in rest homes and 140 ones not dwelling in these centers. In the present study, 25(OHD serum level variable and age, sex, body mass index, duration of exposure to sunlight variables were regarded as response and predictive variables to vitamin D deficiency, respectively. The analyses were carried out using corresponding proportional odds and stereotype regression methods and estimating parameters of these two models. Deviation statistics (AIC was used to evaluate and compare the mentioned methods. Stata.9.1 software was elected to conduct the analyses. Results: Average serum level of 25(OHD was 16.10±16.65 ng/ml and 39.62±24.78 ng/ml in individuals living in rest homes and those not living there, respectively (P=0.001. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng/ml was observed in 75% of members of the group consisting of those living in rest homes and 23.78% of members of another group. Using corresponding proportional odds and stereotype regression methods, age, sex, body mass index, duration of exposure to sunlight variables and whether they are member of rest home were fitted. In both models, variables of group and duration of exposure to sunlight were regarded as meaningful (P<0.001. Stereotype regression model included group variable (odd ratio for a group suffering from severe vitamin D deficiency was 42.85, 95%CI:9.93-185.67 and

  11. Exploring new operational research opportunities within the Home Care context: the chemotherapy at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chahed, Salma; Marcon, Eric; Sahin, Evren; Feillet, Dominique; Dallery, Yves

    2009-06-01

    Home Care (HC) services provide complex and coordinated medical and paramedical care to patients at their homes. As health care services move into the home setting, the need for developing innovative approaches that improve the efficiency of home care organizations increases. We first conduct a literature review of investigations dealing with operation planning within the area of home care management. We then address a particular issue dealing with the planning of operations related to chemotherapy at home as it is an emergent problem in the French context. Our interest is focused on issues specific to the anti-cancer drug supply chain. We identify various models that can be developed and analyze one of them.

  12. A functional-dynamic reflection on participatory processes in modeling projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seidl, Roman

    2015-12-01

    The participation of nonscientists in modeling projects/studies is increasingly employed to fulfill different functions. However, it is not well investigated if and how explicitly these functions and the dynamics of a participatory process are reflected by modeling projects in particular. In this review study, I explore participatory modeling projects from a functional-dynamic process perspective. The main differences among projects relate to the functions of participation-most often, more than one per project can be identified, along with the degree of explicit reflection (i.e., awareness and anticipation) on the dynamic process perspective. Moreover, two main approaches are revealed: participatory modeling covering diverse approaches and companion modeling. It becomes apparent that the degree of reflection on the participatory process itself is not always explicit and perfectly visible in the descriptions of the modeling projects. Thus, the use of common protocols or templates is discussed to facilitate project planning, as well as the publication of project results. A generic template may help, not in providing details of a project or model development, but in explicitly reflecting on the participatory process. It can serve to systematize the particular project's approach to stakeholder collaboration, and thus quality management.

  13. Ensemble of regional climate model projections for Ireland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolan, Paul; McGrath, Ray

    2016-04-01

    The method of Regional Climate Modelling (RCM) was employed to assess the impacts of a warming climate on the mid-21st-century climate of Ireland. The RCM simulations were run at high spatial resolution, up to 4 km, thus allowing a better evaluation of the local effects of climate change. Simulations were run for a reference period 1981-2000 and future period 2041-2060. Differences between the two periods provide a measure of climate change. To address the issue of uncertainty, a multi-model ensemble approach was employed. Specifically, the future climate of Ireland was simulated using three different RCMs, driven by four Global Climate Models (GCMs). To account for the uncertainty in future emissions, a number of SRES (B1, A1B, A2) and RCP (4.5, 8.5) emission scenarios were used to simulate the future climate. Through the ensemble approach, the uncertainty in the RCM projections can be partially quantified, thus providing a measure of confidence in the predictions. In addition, likelihood values can be assigned to the projections. The RCMs used in this work are the COnsortium for Small-scale MOdeling-Climate Limited-area Modelling (COSMO-CLM, versions 3 and 4) model and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The GCMs used are the Max Planck Institute's ECHAM5, the UK Met Office's HadGEM2-ES, the CGCM3.1 model from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and the EC-Earth consortium GCM. The projections for mid-century indicate an increase of 1-1.6°C in mean annual temperatures, with the largest increases seen in the east of the country. Warming is enhanced for the extremes (i.e. hot or cold days), with the warmest 5% of daily maximum summer temperatures projected to increase by 0.7-2.6°C. The coldest 5% of night-time temperatures in winter are projected to rise by 1.1-3.1°C. Averaged over the whole country, the number of frost days is projected to decrease by over 50%. The projections indicate an average increase in the length of the growing season

  14. Comparing consumer-directed and agency models for providing supportive services at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benjamin, A E; Matthias, R; Franke, T M

    2000-04-01

    To examine the service experiences and outcomes of low-income Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities under two different models for organizing home-based personal assistance services: agency-directed and consumer-directed. A survey of a random sample of 1,095 clients, age 18 and over, who receive services in California's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program funded primarily by Medicaid. Other data were obtained from the California Management and Payrolling System (CMIPS). The sample was stratified by service model (agency-directed or consumer-directed), client age (over or under age 65), and severity. Data were collected on client demographics, condition/functional status, and supportive service experience. Outcome measures were developed in three areas: safety, unmet need, and service satisfaction. Factor analysis was used to reduce multiple outcome measures to nine dimensions. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of service model on each outcome dimension, taking into account the client-provider relationship, client demographics, and case mix. Recipients of IHSS services as of mid-1996 were interviewed by telephone. The survey was conducted in late 1996 and early 1997. On various outcomes, recipients in the consumer-directed model report more positive outcomes than those in the agency model, or they report no difference. Statistically significant differences emerge on recipient safety, unmet needs, and service satisfaction. A family member present as a paid provider is also associated with more positive reported outcomes within the consumer-directed model, but model differences persist even when this is taken into account. Although both models have strengths and weaknesses, from a recipient perspective the consumer-directed model is associated with more positive outcomes. Although health professionals have expressed concerns about the capacity of consumer direction to assure quality, particularly with respect to safety, meeting unmet

  15. Results of the deepest all-sky survey for continuous gravitational waves on LIGO S6 data running on the Einstein@Home volunteer distributed computing project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acemese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Phythian-Adams, A.T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V. B.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwa, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Aiello, L.; Ain, A.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Altin, P. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C. C.; Areeda, J. S.; Arnaud, N.; Arun, K. G.; Ascenzi, S.; Ashton, G.; Ast, M.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Babak, S.; Bacon, P.; Bader, M. K. M.; Baker, P. T.; Baldaccini, F.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barclay, S. E.; Barish, B. C.; Arker, Bd.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barta, D.; Bartlett, J.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Baune, C.; Bavigadda, V.; Bazzan, M.; Bejger, M.; Be, A. S.; Berger, B. K.; Bergmann, G.; Berry, C. P. L.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Bhagwat, S.; Bhandare, R.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, M.J.; Birney, R.; Biscans, S.; Bisht, A.; Bitoss, M.; Biwer, C.; Bizouard, M. A.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blair, C. D.; Blair, D. G.; Blair, R. M.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, J.G.; Bogan, C.; Bohe, A.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonnand, R.; Boom, B. A.; Bork, R.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Boutfanais, Y.; Bozzi, A.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brockill, P.; Broida, J. E.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, A.D.; Brown, D.; Brown, N. M.; Brunett, S.; Buchanan, C. C.; Buikema, A.; Bulik, O.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cabero, M.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, C.; Cahillane, C.; Bustillo, J. Calderon; Callister, T. A.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Cannon, K. C.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Capocasa, E.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Diaz, J. Casanueva; Casentini, C.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglia, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C. B.; Baiardi, L. Cerboni; Cerretani, G.; Cesarini, E.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chan, M.; Chao, D. S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Cheeseboro, B. D.; Chen, H. Y.; Chen, Y; Cheng, C.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Cho, M.; Chow, J. H.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P. -F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C. G.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M., Jr.; Conte, A.; Conti, L.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Cortese, S.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S. B.; Coulon, J. -P.; Countryman, S. T.; Couvares, P.; Cowan, E. E.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cripe, J.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, Laura; Cuoco, E.; Dal Canton, T.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Darman, N. S.; Dasgupta, A.; Costa, C. F. Da Silva; Dattilo, V.; Dave, I.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; De, S.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; De laurentis, M.; Deleglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dergachev, V.A.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Devine, R. C.; Dhurandhar, S.; Diaz, M. C.; Di Fiore, L.; Giovanni, M. Di; Di Girolamo, T.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Pace, S.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dolique, V.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Dreyer, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S. E.; Edo, T. B.; Edwards, M. C.; Effler, A.; Egizenstein, H. -B.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholel, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Engels, W.; Essick, R. C.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T. M.; Everett, R.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, O.; Fair, H.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, X.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Far, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fays, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Fenyvesi, E.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, E. C.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Fiori, I.; Fiorucci, D.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fletcher, M.M.; Fournier, J. -D.; Frasca, J. -D; Frasconi, F.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Frey, V.; Fritsche, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gabbard, H. A. G.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S. G.; Garuti, F.; Gaur, G.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Geng, P.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; George, J.; Gergely, L.; Germain, V.; Ghosh, Abhirup; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gi, K.; Glaetke, A.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; Gonzalez, Idelmis G.; Castro, J. M. Gonzalez; Gopakumar, A.; Gordon, N. A.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S. E.; Lee-Gosselin, M.; Gouaty, R.; Grado, A.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Granta, A.; Gras, S.; Cray, C.; Greco, G.; Green, A. C.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guo, X.; Gupta, A.; Gupta, M. K.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hacker, J. J.; Hall, B. R.; Hall, E. D.; Hammond, G.; Haney, M.; Hanke, M. M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Hardwick, T.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hart, M. J.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C. -J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, S.; Hennig, J.; Henry, J.A.; Heptonsta, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hofman, D.; Holt, K.; Holz, D. E.; Hopkins, P.; Hough, J.; Houston, E. A.; Howel, E. J.; Hu, Y. M.; Huang, O.; Huerta, E. A.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Indik, N.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isa, H. N.; Isac, J. -M.; Isi, M.; Isogai, T.; Lyer, B. R.; Fzumi, K.; Jaccimin, T.; Jang, D.H.; Jani, K.; Jaranowski, P.; Jawahar, S.; Jian, L.; Jimenez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W.; Jones, I.D.; Jones, R.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; Wads, k; Kalaghatgi, C. V.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kapadia, S. J.; Karki, S.; Karvinen, K. S.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, S.; Kaur, T.; Kawabe, K.; Kefelian, F.; Keh, M. S.; Keite, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Kennedy, R.E.; Key, J. S.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khan, I.; Khan, S.; Khan, Z.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kijbunchoo, N.; Kim, Chi-Woong; Kim, Chunglee; Kim, J.; Kim, K.; Kim, Namjun; Kim, W.; Kimbre, S. J.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kisse, J. S.; Klein, B.; Kleybolte, L.; Klimenko, S.; Koehlenbeck, S. M.; Koley, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kontos, A.; Korobko, M.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kringe, V.; Krishnan, B.; Krolak, A.; Krueger, C.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Lackey, B. D.; Landry, M.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; Lasky, P. D.; Laxen, M.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, K.H.; Lee, M.H.; Lee, K.; Lenon, A.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Lewis, J. B.; Li, T. G. F.; Libson, A.; Littenberg, T. B.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lombardi, A. L.; London, L. T.; Lord, J. E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J. D.; Liick, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ivia, Y.; Machenschalk, B.; Maclnnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magafia-Sandoval, F.; Zertuche, L. Magafia; Magee, R. M.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Manse, G. L.; Manske, M.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Marka, S.; Marka, Z.; Markosyan, A. S.; Maros, E.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martynov, D. V.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Masso-Reid, M.; Mastrogiovanni, S.; Matiehard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McCormick, S.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McManus, D. J.; McRae, T.; McWilliams, S. T.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Meidam, J.; Melatos, A.; Mende, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Merilh, E. L.; Merzougui, M.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Messick, C.; Metzdorff, R.; Meyers, P. M.; Mezzani, F.; Miao, H.; Miche, C.; Middleton, H.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, A. L.; Miller, A.; Miller, B. B.; Miller, J.; Millhouse, M.; Minenkov, Y.; Ming, J.; Mirshekari, S.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Montani, M.; Moore, B.C.; Moore, C. J.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, G.; Muir, A. W.; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, S.D.; Mukherjee, S.; Mukund, N.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D. J.; Murray, P.G.; Mytidis, A.; Nardecehia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Nedkova, K.; Nelemans, G.; Nelson, T. J. N.; Gutierrez-Neri, M.; Neunzert, A.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T. T.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Oberling, J.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Hang, S.; Ohme, F.; Oliver, M.; Oppermann, P.; Ram, Richard J.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Ottaway, D. J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Pai, A.; Pai, S. A.; Palamos, J. R.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pal-Singh, A.; Pan, H.; Pankow, C.; Pannarale, F.; Pant, B. C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H. R.; Parker, W.S; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patricelli, B.; Patrick, Z.; Pearlstone, B. L.; Pedraza, M.; Pedurand, R.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Perri, L. M.; Phelps, M.; Piccinni, . J.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poe, M.; Poggiani, R.; Popolizio, P.; Post, A.; Powel, J.; Prasad, J.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L. G.; Puncken, .; Punturo, M.; Purrer, PuppoM.; Qi, H.; Qin, J.; Qiu, S.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E. A.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajan, C.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rew, H.; Reyes, S. D.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Rizzo, M.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V. J.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rowan, RosiliskaS.; Ruggi, RiidigerP.; Ryan, K.; Sachdev, Perminder S; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Sakellariadou, M.; Salconi, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Samajdar, A.; Sammut, L.; Sanchez, E. J.; Sandberg, V.; Sandeen, B.; Sanders, J. R.; Sassolas, B.; Saulson, P. R.; Sauter, E. S.; Savage, R. L.; Sawadsky, A.; Schale, P.; Schilling, R.; Schmidt, J; Schmidt, P.; Schnabe, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schonbeck, A.; Schreiber, K.E.C.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Setyawati, Y.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaffer, T. J.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Sheperd, A.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Sielleez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sieniawska, M.; Sigg, D.; Silva, António Dias da; Singer, A.; Singer, L. P.; Singh, A.; Singh, R.; Singhal, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith, N.D.; Smith, R. J. E.; Son, E. J.; Sorazus, B.; Sorrentino, F.; Souradeep, T.; Srivastava, A. K.; Staley, A.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stephens, B. C.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Stratta, G.; Strauss, N. A.; Strigin, S. E.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sunil, Suns; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B. L.; Szczepariczyk, M. J.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tapai, M.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taracchini, A.; Taylor, W.R.; Theeg, T.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, E. G.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, S.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toland, K.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Tomasi, Z.; Torres, C. V.; Tome, C.; Tot, D.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trifire, D.; Tringali, M. C.; Trozz, L.; Tse, M.; Turconi, M.; Tuyenbayev, D.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Valente, G.; Valdes, G.; van Bake, N.; Van Beuzekom, Martin; Van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.F.F.; Vander-Hyde, D. C.; van der Schaaf, L.; Van Heilningen, J. V.; Van Vegge, A. A.; Vardaro, M.; Vass, S.; Vaslith, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P.J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Vicere, A.; Vinciguerra, S.; Vine, D. J.; Vinet, J. -Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Voss, D. V.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L. E.; Wade, MT; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Vvang, G.; Wang, O.; Wang, X.; Wiang, Y.; Ward, R. L.; Wiarner, J.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L. -W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Weliels, P.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whiting, B. F.; Williams, D.R.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; WilIke, B.; Wimmer, M. H.; Whinkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; De Witte, H.; Woan, G.; Woehler, J.; Worden, J.; Wright, J.L.; Wu, D. S.; Wu, G.; Yablon, J.; Yam, W.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yu, H.; Yvert, M.; Zadrozny, A.; Zangrando, L.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J. P.; Zevin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, S.J.; Zhu, X.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S. E.; Zweizig, J.

    2016-01-01

    We report results of a deep all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars in data from the S6 LIGO science run. The search was possible thanks to the computing power provided by the volunteers of the Einstein@Home distributed computing project. We find no significant

  16. Demonstration of Hydrogen Energy Network and Fuel Cells in Residential Homes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirohisa Aki; Tetsuhiko Maeda; Itaru Tamura; Akeshi Kegasa; Yoshiro Ishikawa; Ichiro Sugimoto; Itaru Ishii

    2006-01-01

    The authors proposed the setting up of an energy interchange system by establishing energy networks of electricity, hot water, and hydrogen in residential homes. In such networks, some homes are equipped with fuel cell stacks, fuel processors, hydrogen storage devices, and large storage tanks for hot water. The energy network enables the flexible operation of the fuel cell stacks and fuel processors. A demonstration project has been planned in existing residential homes to evaluate the proposal. The demonstration will be presented in a small apartment building. The building will be renovated and will be equipped with a hydrogen production facility, a hydrogen interchange pipe, and fuel cell stacks with a heat recovery device. The energy flow process from hydrogen production to consumption in the homes will be demonstrated. This paper presents the proposed energy interchange system and demonstration project. (authors)

  17. Analysis of Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR(R) Measure Packages

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baker, J.; Yee, S.; Brand, L.

    2013-09-01

    Through the Chicagoland Single Family Housing Characterization and Retrofit Prioritization report, the Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit characterized 15 housing types in the Chicagoland region based on assessor data, utility billing history, and available data from prior energy efficiency programs. Within these 15 groups, a subset showed the greatest opportunity for energy savings based on BEopt Version 1.1 modeling of potential energy efficiency package options and the percent of the housing stock represented by each group. In this project, collected field data from a whole-home program in Illinois are utilized to compare marketplace-installed measures to the energy saving optimal packages previously developed for the 15 housing types. Housing type, conditions, energy efficiency measures installed, and retrofit cost information were collected from 19 homes that participated in the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program in 2012, representing eight of the characterized housing groups. Two were selected for further case study analysis to provide an illustration of the differences between optimal and actually installed measures. Taken together, these homes are representative of 34.8% of the Chicagoland residential building stock. In one instance, actual installed measures closely matched optimal recommended measures.

  18. A multigroup analysis of the job demands-resources model in four home care organizations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, A.B.; Demerouti, E.; Taris, A.W. (Toon); Schaufeli, W.B.; Schreurs, Paul J.G.

    2003-01-01

    The job demands-resources (JD-R) model was tested in a study among 3,092 employees working in 1 of 4 different home care organizations. The central assumption in the model is that burnout develops when certain job demands are high and when job resources are limited because such negative working

  19. Volunteer computers in homes to fight against Malaria in Africa

    CERN Document Server

    2006-01-01

    "Africa@home, a project conceived and coordinated by CERN1, was launched publicly this week. It is recruiting volunteer computers in homes and offices to run a computer-intensive simulation program called MalariaControl.net, developed by researchers at the Swiss Tropical Institute (STI)" (1 page)

  20. Modeling route choice criteria from home to major streets: A discrete choice approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Osiris Vidana-Bencomo

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available A discrete choice model that consists of three sub-models was developed to investigates the route choice criteria of drivers who travel from their homes in the morning to the access point along the major streets that bound the Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs. The first sub-model is a Nested Logit Model (NLM that estimates the probability of a driver has or has no multiple routes, and if the driver has multiple routes, the route selection criteria are based on the access point’s intersection control type or other factors. The second sub-model is a Mixed Logit (MXL model. It estimates the probabilities of the type of intersection control preferred by a driver. The third sub-model is a NLM that estimates the probabilities of a driver selecting his/her route for its shortest travel time or to avoid pedestrian, and if the aim is to take the fastest route, the decision criteria is based on the shortest distance or minimum stops and turns. Data gathered in a questionnaire survey were used to estimate the sub-models. The attributes of the utility functions of the sub-models are the driver’s demographic and trip characteristics. The model provides a means for transportation planners to distribute the total number of home-based trips generated within a TAZ to the access points along the major streets that bound the TAZ.

  1. Business case for smart homes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Franck, E.; Nauta, J.; Haan, R. de

    2016-01-01

    The application of home automation in “smart homes” has been successful from a technological point of view. In practice, however, few projects seem able to survive after the initial financing period has ended, failing to establish a positive business case. This chapter addresses why the positive

  2. Knowledge Model: Project Knowledge Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Durao, Frederico; Dolog, Peter; Grolin, Daniel

    2009-01-01

    The Knowledge model for project management serves several goals:Introducing relevant concepts of project management area for software development (Section 1). Reviewing and understanding the real case requirements from the industrial perspective. (Section 2). Giving some preliminary suggestions...... for usage in KIWI system (Sections 3). This document is intended for technological partners to understand how for example the software development concepts can be applied to a semantic wiki framework....

  3. Environmental policy implications of working from home: Modelling the impacts of land-use, infrastructure and socio-demographics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu Miao; Andrew Kelly, J.; Peter Clinch, J.; King, Fearghal

    2012-01-01

    Working from home is generally perceived as an effective means of reducing energy use and associated pollution from commuter transport. In order to consider the merits of mechanisms and policies to support a change in behaviour that results in greater take-up of home working, this paper applies energy consumption per commute calculations and a logit model using a case study of Ireland. In marked contrast with larger countries, the energy consumption per commute is relatively low in Ireland. Nonetheless, the analysis indicates that, on average, at least an average net saving of 9.33 kW h per day can be achieved where an individual converts to working from home, after deducting the home energy consumption associated with home working. We find that land use patterns, public transport networks, internet infrastructure, commute distances and socio-demographic characteristics can serve to influence rates of home working. Encouraging the higher and lower professional categories and those in the service sectors to work from home should be the highest priority in terms of energy and emissions reductions. Increased coverage of internet services and railway coverage will support higher rates of home working. Increased dispersion of residential, commercial and industrial areas serves to encourage greater home working. - Highlights: ► An average net energy saving of 9.33 kW h per day can be achieved by an individual changing to working from home. ► Land use patterns, public transport and internet infrastructure influence rates of home working. ► Commute distances and socio-demographic characteristics influence the take-up of home working. ► Encouraging home-working by higher and lower professionals and the service sectors is the priority.

  4. Starting a hospital-based home health agency: Part II--Key success factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montgomery, P

    1993-09-01

    In Part II of a three-part series, the financial, technological and legislative issues of a hospital-based home health-agency are discussed. Beginning a home healthcare service requires intensive research to answer key environmental and operational questions--need, competition, financial projections, initial start-up costs and the impact of delayed depreciation. Assessments involving technology, staffing, legislative and regulatory issues can help project service volume, productivity and cost-control.

  5. Home is to be understood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buhl, Mie; Werner Hansen, Siv

    2018-01-01

    , and involved artists with refugee status (mainly from Syria), a group of local volunteers, and members of the museum staff. The project derived from the annual theme “ON THE MOVE” and culminated in an art exhibition and event on June 4th 2016. Up until then the museum had invited the artists to create artworks...... for the exhibition, while including the volunteers in the process, facilitating the meeting of those who are at home and those who are on the run. In this sense, the MFSK situates themselves as a social-political activist; a contemporary institution dealing with contemporary societal issues. The migrant and refugee...... of engaging with themes of refuge, home and exile? What are the implications of volunteering in such project? The paper’s discussions are framed by the theories of gallery education (Bishop, 2006; Mörsch, 2009), co-creation in museums (Simon, 2010), community arts (Kester, 2013), and draws on fieldwork...

  6. Quality of working life and workload in home help services: a review of the literature and a proposal for a research model.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Arts, S.E.J.; Kerkstra, A.; Zee, J. van der; Huyer Abu-Saad, H.

    2001-01-01

    In this literature review, several models for quality of working life and workload appropriate for home help services are presented. The aim was to develop a model for assessing the psychological and physical outcomes of working in home help services. Although the models described in this review

  7. Certified Nursing Assistants’ Explanatory Models of Nursing Home Resident Depression

    OpenAIRE

    Piven, Mary Lynn; Anderson, Ruth A.; Colón-Emeric, Cathleen S.; Sandelowski, Margarete

    2008-01-01

    In this study, we explored how Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) understood resident depression. Interviews with 18 CNAs, working in two nursing homes were guided by Kleinman’s Explanatory Models of Illness framework. Interview data were content analyzed and CNAs’ descriptions of depression were compared to the MDS 2.0 Mood Screen and to DSM-IV-TR Depression Criteria. CNAs identified causes, signs, and symptoms of depression, but they were unsure about the duration and normalcy of depressio...

  8. Technologies for an aging society: a systematic review of "smart home" applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demiris, G; Hensel, B K

    2008-01-01

    A "smart home" is a residence wired with technology features that monitor the well-being and activities of their residents to improve overall quality of life, increase independence and prevent emergencies. This type of informatics applications targeting older adults, people with disabilities or the general population is increasingly becoming the focus of research worldwide. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive review of health related smart home projects and discuss human factors and other challenges. To cover not only the medical but also the social sciences and electronics literature, we conducted extensive searches across disciplines (e.g., Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Electronics and Communications Abstracts, Web of Science etc.). In order to be inclusive of all new initiatives and efforts in this area given the innovativeness of the concept, we manually searched for relevant references in the retrieved articles as well as published books on smart homes and gerontechnology. A total of 114 publications (including papers, abstracts and web pages) were identified and reviewed to identify the overarching projects. Twenty one smart home projects were identified (71% of the projects include technologies for functional monitoring, 67% for safety monitoring, 47% for physiological monitoring, 43% for cognitive support or sensory aids, 19% for monitoring security and 19% to increase social interaction). Evidence for their impact on clinical outcomes is lacking. The field of smart homes is a growing informatics domain. Several challenges including not only technical but also ethical ones need to be addressed.

  9. Ex vivo study of the home-use TriPollar RF device using an experimental human skin model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boisnic, Sylvie; Branchet, Marie Christine

    2010-09-01

    A wide variety of professional radio frequency (RF) aesthetic treatments for anti-aging are available aiming at skin tightening. A new home-use RF device for facial treatments has recently been developed based on TriPollar technology. To evaluate the mechanism of the new home-use device, in the process of collagen remodeling, using an ex vivo skin model. Human skin samples were collected in order to evaluate the anti-aging effect of a home-use device for facial treatments on an ex vivo human skin model. Skin tightening was evaluated by dermal histology, quantitative analysis of collagen fibers and dosage of collagen synthesis. Significant collagen remodeling following RF treatment with the device was found in the superficial and mid-deep dermis. Biochemical measurement of newly synthesized collagen showed an increase of 41% in the treated samples as compared to UV-aged control samples. The new home-use device has been demonstrated to affect significant collagen remodeling, in terms of the structural and biochemical improvement of dermal collagen on treated skin samples.

  10. Optimal taxation with home production

    OpenAIRE

    Olovsson, Conny

    2014-01-01

    Optimal taxes for Europe and the U.S. are derived in a realistically calibrated model in which agents buy consumption goods and services and use home capital and labor to produce household services. The optimal tax rate on services is substantially lower than the tax rate on goods. Specifically, the planner cannot tax home production directly and instead lowers the tax rate on market services to increase the relative price of home production. The optimal tax rate on the return to home capital...

  11. Solid Waste Projection Model: Model user's guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stiles, D.L.; Crow, V.L.

    1990-08-01

    The Solid Waste Projection Model (SWPM) system is an analytical tool developed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for Westinghouse Hanford company (WHC) specifically to address solid waste management issues at the Hanford Central Waste Complex (HCWC). This document, one of six documents supporting the SWPM system, contains a description of the system and instructions for preparing to use SWPM and operating Version 1 of the model. 4 figs., 1 tab

  12. The care unit in nursing home research: evidence in support of a definition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estabrooks, Carole A; Morgan, Debra G; Squires, Janet E; Boström, Anne-Marie; Slaughter, Susan E; Cummings, Greta G; Norton, Peter G

    2011-04-14

    Defining what constitutes a resident care unit in nursing home research is both a conceptual and practical challenge. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence in support of a definition of care unit in nursing homes by demonstrating: (1) its feasibility for use in data collection, (2) the acceptability of aggregating individual responses to the unit level, and (3) the benefit of including unit level data in explanatory models. An observational study design was used. Research (project) managers, healthcare aides, care managers, nursing home administrators and directors of care from thirty-six nursing homes in the Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provided data for the study. A definition of care unit was developed and applied in data collection and analyses. A debriefing session was held with research managers to investigate their experiences with using the care unit definition. In addition, survey responses from 1258 healthcare aides in 25 of the 36 nursing homes in the study, that had more than one care unit, were analyzed using a multi-level modeling approach. Trained field workers administered the Alberta Context Tool (ACT), a 58-item self-report survey reflecting 10 organizational context concepts, to healthcare aides using computer assisted personal interviews. To assess the appropriateness of obtaining unit level scores, we assessed aggregation statistics (ICC(1), ICC(2), η², and ω²), and to assess the value of using the definition of unit in explanatory models, we performed multi-level modeling. In 10 of the 36 nursing homes, the care unit definition developed was used to align the survey data (for analytic purposes) to specific care units as designated by our definition, from that reported by the facility administrator. The aggregation statistics supported aggregating the healthcare aide responses on the ACT to the realigned unit level. Findings from the multi-level modeling further supported unit level aggregation. A

  13. How to Begin a Quality Improvement Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silver, Samuel A; Harel, Ziv; McQuillan, Rory; Weizman, Adam V; Thomas, Alison; Chertow, Glenn M; Nesrallah, Gihad; Bell, Chaim M; Chan, Christopher T

    2016-05-06

    Quality improvement involves a combined effort among health care staff and stakeholders to diagnose and treat problems in the health care system. However, health care professionals often lack training in quality improvement methods, which makes it challenging to participate in improvement efforts. This article familiarizes health care professionals with how to begin a quality improvement project. The initial steps involve forming an improvement team that possesses expertise in the quality of care problem, leadership, and change management. Stakeholder mapping and analysis are useful tools at this stage, and these are reviewed to help identify individuals who might have a vested interest in the project. Physician engagement is a particularly important component of project success, and the knowledge that patients/caregivers can offer as members of a quality improvement team should not be overlooked. After a team is formed, an improvement framework helps to organize the scientific process of system change. Common quality improvement frameworks include Six Sigma, Lean, and the Model for Improvement. These models are contrasted, with a focus on the Model for Improvement, because it is widely used and applicable to a variety of quality of care problems without advanced training. It involves three steps: setting aims to focus improvement, choosing a balanced set of measures to determine if improvement occurs, and testing new ideas to change the current process. These new ideas are evaluated using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, where knowledge is gained by testing changes and reflecting on their effect. To show the real world utility of the quality improvement methods discussed, they are applied to a hypothetical quality improvement initiative that aims to promote home dialysis (home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis). This provides an example that kidney health care professionals can use to begin their own quality improvement projects. Copyright © 2016 by the American

  14. Solution approach for efficient spectrum management in Home Networking scenarios

    OpenAIRE

    Casellas Lopez, Francesc

    2011-01-01

    Català: En aquest projecte es realitza un estudi qualitatiu del grau de congestió i utilització de l'espectre radioelèctric en escenaris de Home Networking, a la vegada que es proposa una solució a aquesta problemàtica. Castellano: En este proyecto se realiza un estudio cualitativo del grado de congestión y utilización del espectro radioeléctrico en escenarios de Home Netowrking a la vez que se propone una solución a esta problemática English: This Project is researching the congestion ...

  15. Action research in nursing homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, John; Bilfeldt, Annette

    2016-01-01

    quality in a joint effort between care workers, residents at the nursing home, and researchers. It concludes that the project led to empowerment of the residents and staff and played an important role in the development of democratic knowledge building about better quality and ethics in elder care....

  16. The Overseas Service Veteran At Home Pilot: How Choice of Care May Affect Use of Nursing Home Beds and Waiting Lists. Brief Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedlar, David; Walker, John

    2004-01-01

    In 1999 Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) implemented the Overseas Service Veterans (OSV) At Home Pilot Project in response to the problem that a growing number of clients were on waiting lists for beds in long-term care facilities. The At Home pilot offered certain clients on waiting lists, who met nursing-level care and military-service…

  17. HOME CARE NURSES’ ROLES IN ENHANCING QUALITY OF NURSING CARE FOR PATIENTS AT HOME: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

    OpenAIRE

    Titan Ligita

    2017-01-01

    Background: Provision of health care service at home is one of the advanced forms of care for patients being discharged from hospitalization. Little is known about the experience of nurses providing home care services through a nursing home-care model especially in Indonesian context. Objective: This study aims to explore the experience in order to increase understanding on the form of home care provision, and consequently the nurses may understand the form of home care globally. Metho...

  18. PROJECT ACTIVITY ANALYSIS WITHOUT THE NETWORK MODEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Munapo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available

    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper presents a new procedure for analysing and managing activity sequences in projects. The new procedure determines critical activities, critical path, start times, free floats, crash limits, and other useful information without the use of the network model. Even though network models have been successfully used in project management so far, there are weaknesses associated with the use. A network is not easy to generate, and dummies that are usually associated with it make the network diagram complex – and dummy activities have no meaning in the original project management problem. The network model for projects can be avoided while still obtaining all the useful information that is required for project management. What are required are the activities, their accurate durations, and their predecessors.

    AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsing beskryf ’n nuwerwetse metode vir die ontleding en bestuur van die sekwensiële aktiwiteite van projekte. Die voorgestelde metode bepaal kritiese aktiwiteite, die kritieke pad, aanvangstye, speling, verhasing, en ander groothede sonder die gebruik van ’n netwerkmodel. Die metode funksioneer bevredigend in die praktyk, en omseil die administratiewe rompslomp van die tradisionele netwerkmodelle.

  19. Raspberry Pi home automation with Arduino

    CERN Document Server

    Dennis, Andrew K

    2015-01-01

    If you are new to the Raspberry Pi, the Arduino, or home automation and wish to develop some amazing projects using these tools, then this book is for you. Any experience in using the Raspberry Pi would be an added advantage.

  20. Home Appliance Load Scheduling with SEMIAH

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Rune Hylsberg; Ghasem Azar, Armin; Zhang, Qi

    2015-01-01

    The European research project SEMIAH aims at designing a scalable infrastructure for residential demand response. This paper presents the progress towards a centralized load scheduling algorithm for controlling home appliances taking power grid constraints and satisfaction of consumers into account....

  1. Quality improvement in healthcare delivery utilizing the patient-centered medical home model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinci, Fevzi; Patel, Poonam M

    2014-01-01

    Despite the fact that the United States dedicates so much of its resources to healthcare, the current healthcare delivery system still faces significant quality challenges. The lack of effective communication and coordination of care services across the continuum of care poses disadvantages for those requiring long-term management of their chronic conditions. This is why the new transformation in healthcare known as the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) can help restore confidence in our population that the healthcare services they receive is of the utmost quality and will effectively enhance their quality of life. Healthcare using the PCMH model is delivered with the patient at the center of the transformation and by reinvigorating primary care. The PCMH model strives to deliver effective quality care while attempting to reduce costs. In order to relieve some of our healthcare system distresses, organizations can modify their delivery of care to be patient centered. Enhanced coordination of services, better provider access, self-management, and a team-based approach to care represent some of the key principles of the PCMH model. Patients that can most benefit are those that require long-term management of their conditions such as chronic disease and behavioral health patient populations. The PCMH is a feasible option for delivery reform as pilot studies have documented successful outcomes. Controversy about the lack of a medical neighborhood has created concern about the overall sustainability of the medical home. The medical home can stand independently and continuously provide enhanced care services as a movement toward higher quality care while organizations and government policy assess what types of incentives to put into place for the full collaboration and coordination of care in the healthcare system.

  2. Maternity waiting homes in Rural Health Centers of Ethiop: The ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    kim

    1 The Last Ten Kilometers Project, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., Addis ... The main aim of this study was to assess the situation of maternity waiting ... experiences and challenges of mothers using waiting homes. ..... education on MWHs were home visits by HEWs ... travel long distances to deliver food, which meant.

  3. A proposed model for construction project management ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Keywords: Communication skills and leadership model, construction project ..... help a manager handle stress and break tension (Gido & Clements,. 2012: 331; Harrin .... production and management of projects, the higher the demand for.

  4. An Efficient Recommendation Filter Model on Smart Home Big Data Analytics for Enhanced Living Environments

    OpenAIRE

    Hao Chen; Xiaoyun Xie; Wanneng Shu; Naixue Xiong

    2016-01-01

    With the rapid growth of wireless sensor applications, the user interfaces and configurations of smart homes have become so complicated and inflexible that users usually have to spend a great amount of time studying them and adapting to their expected operation. In order to improve user experience, a weighted hybrid recommender system based on a Kalman Filter model is proposed to predict what users might want to do next, especially when users are located in a smart home with an enhanced livin...

  5. Automated home cage assessment shows behavioral changes in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 17.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portal, Esteban; Riess, Olaf; Nguyen, Huu Phuc

    2013-08-01

    Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 17 (SCA17) is an autosomal dominantly inherited, neurodegenerative disease characterized by ataxia, involuntary movements, and dementia. A novel SCA17 mouse model having a 71 polyglutamine repeat expansion in the TATA-binding protein (TBP) has shown age related motor deficit using a classic motor test, yet concomitant weight increase might be a confounding factor for this measurement. In this study we used an automated home cage system to test several motor readouts for this same model to confirm pathological behavior results and evaluate benefits of automated home cage in behavior phenotyping. Our results confirm motor deficits in the Tbp/Q71 mice and present previously unrecognized behavioral characteristics obtained from the automated home cage, indicating its use for high-throughput screening and testing, e.g. of therapeutic compounds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Pilot Test of a New Personal Health System Integrating Environmental and Wearable Sensors for Telemonitoring and Care of Elderly People at Home (SMARTA Project).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pigini, Lucia; Bovi, Gabriele; Panzarino, Claudia; Gower, Valerio; Ferratini, Maurizio; Andreoni, Giuseppe; Sassi, Roberto; Rivolta, Massimo W; Ferrarin, Maurizio

    2017-01-01

    The increase in life expectancy is accompanied by a growing number of elderly subjects affected by chronic comorbidities, a health issue which also implies important socioeconomic consequences. Shifting from hospital or community dwelling care towards a home personalized healthcare paradigm would promote active aging with a better quality of life, along with a reduction in healthcare-related costs. The aim of the SMARTA project was to develop and test an innovative personal health system integrating standard sensors as well as innovative wearable and environmental sensors to allow home telemonitoring of vital parameters and detection of anomalies in daily activities, thus supporting active aging through remote healthcare. A first phase of the project consisted in the definition of the health and environmental parameters to be monitored (electrocardiography and actigraphy, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, weight, ear temperature, glycemia, home interaction monitoring - water tap, refrigerator, and dishwasher), the feedbacks for the clinicians, and the reminders for the patients. It was followed by a technical feasibility analysis leading to an iterative process of prototype development, sensor integration, and testing. Once the prototype had reached an advanced stage of development, a group of 32 volunteers - including 15 healthy adult subjects, 13 elderly people with cardiac diseases, and 4 clinical operators - was recruited to test the system in a real home setting, in order to evaluate both technical reliability and user perception of the system in terms of effectiveness, usability, acceptance, and attractiveness. The testing in a real home setting showed a good perception of the SMARTA system and its functionalities both by the patients and by the clinicians, who appreciated the user interface and the clinical governance system. The moderate system reliability of 65-70% evidenced some technical issues, mainly related to sensor integration, while the patient

  7. Gerontechnology for demented patients: smart homes for smart aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisardi, Vincenza; Imbimbo, Bruno P

    2011-01-01

    In an aging world, maintaining good health and independence for as long as possible is essential. Instead of hospitalization or institutionalization, the elderly with chronic conditions, especially those with cognitive impairment, can be assisted in their own environment with numerous 'smart' devices that support them in their activity of daily living. A "smart home" is a residence equipped with technology that facilitates monitoring of residents to improve quality of life and promote physical independence, as well as to reduce caregiver burden. Several projects worldwide have been conducted, but some ethical and legal issues are still unresolved and, at present, there is no evidence of the effects of smart homes on health outcomes. Randomized controlled trials are needed to understand the plus and minuses of these projects, but this will only be possible with a widespread proliferation and penetration of smart homes in the social network.

  8. Practical Arduino Cool Projects for Open Source Hardware

    CERN Document Server

    Oxer, Jonathan

    2010-01-01

    Create your own Arduino-based designs, gain in-depth knowledge of the architecture of Arduino, and learn the user-friendly Arduino language all in the context of practical projects that you can build yourself at home. Get hands-on experience using a variety of projects and recipes for everything from home automation to test equipment. Arduino has taken off as an incredibly popular building block among ubicomp (ubiquitous computing) enthusiasts, robotics hobbyists, and DIY home automation developers. Authors Jonathan Oxer and Hugh Blemings provide detailed instructions for building a wide range

  9. Second-home electricity consumption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersen, Frits M.; Christensen, Morten S.; Jensen, Ole Michael; Kofoed, Niels-Ulrik; Morthorst, Poul Erik

    2008-01-01

    In Denmark, electricity consumption in first and second homes has developed quite differently. Since 1990, electricity consumption in ordinary residences has grown moderately, while consumption in weekend and second homes has increased considerably. In turn, this development has been blamed on a growing number of luxury cottages, new legislation permitting senior citizens to have their permanent address in their second home and a growing number of electric appliances. In order to examine the growing electricity consumption in second homes and to estimate future demand, a multidisciplinary study combining top-down and bottom-up analyses was conducted, i.e., combining models using aggregated economic parameters and feasibility studies using technical parameters, respectively. The top-down estimation showed that changes in electricity consumption in second homes correlate to changes in income. The bottom-up estimation showed that consumption was mainly affected by the frequency with which second homes were used in the winter time. This indicates that additional second homes, increased full-time use and intensified use of electric appliances are the main reasons for the observed increases in electricity consumption. Luxury tourism use and senior citizens' that use a few per cent of the second homes as their home contribute to a minor degree to the overall increase of electricity consumption. Scenarios show that this development may accelerate with increased leisure time, increased use and more permanent settlement in second homes

  10. PROBLEMS OF VALUE-ORIENTED FORMATION OF PROJECT PRODUCT’S MODEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Тигран Георгиевич ГРИГОРЯН

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Problems of formation of the project output model related to the complexity of information transmission in the communication between the project participants and stakeholders are considered. The concept of forming a project output model based on allocation of stages of model developing and specification and efficiency of the formation of a model that takes into account the need to plan the project output value creation and transferring to the sponsor and consumers is proposed.

  11. Strategy Guideline. Partnering for High Performance Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prahl, Duncan [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2013-01-01

    High performance houses require a high degree of coordination and have significant interdependencies between various systems in order to perform properly, meet customer expectations, and minimize risks for the builder. Responsibility for the key performance attributes is shared across the project team and can be well coordinated through advanced partnering strategies. For high performance homes, traditional partnerships need to be matured to the next level and be expanded to all members of the project team including trades, suppliers, manufacturers, HERS raters, designers, architects, and building officials as appropriate. This guide is intended for use by all parties associated in the design and construction of high performance homes. It serves as a starting point and features initial tools and resources for teams to collaborate to continually improve the energy efficiency and durability of new houses.

  12. Modeling activity recognition of multi resident using label combination of multi label classification in smart home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Raihani; Perumal, Thinagaran; Sulaiman, Md Nasir; Mustapha, Norwati; Zainudin, M. N. Shah

    2017-10-01

    Pertaining to the human centric concern and non-obtrusive way, the ambient sensor type technology has been selected, accepted and embedded in the environment in resilient style. Human activities, everyday are gradually becoming complex and thus complicate the inferences of activities when it involving the multi resident in the same smart environment. Current works solutions focus on separate model between the resident, activities and interactions. Some study use data association and extra auxiliary of graphical nodes to model human tracking information in an environment and some produce separate framework to incorporate the auxiliary for interaction feature model. Thus, recognizing the activities and which resident perform the activity at the same time in the smart home are vital for the smart home development and future applications. This paper will cater the above issue by considering the simplification and efficient method using the multi label classification framework. This effort eliminates time consuming and simplifies a lot of pre-processing tasks comparing with previous approach. Applications to the multi resident multi label learning in smart home problems shows the LC (Label Combination) using Decision Tree (DT) as base classifier can tackle the above problems.

  13. Modelling of project cash flow on construction projects in Malang city

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djatmiko, Bambang

    2017-09-01

    Contractors usually prepare a project cash flow (PCF) on construction projects. The flow of cash in and cash out within a construction project may vary depending on the owner, contract documents, and construction service providers who have their own authority. Other factors affecting the PCF are down payment, termyn, progress schedule, material schedule, equipment schedule, manpower schedules, and wages of workers and subcontractors. This study aims to describe the cash inflow and cash outflow based on the empirical data obtained from contractors, develop a PCF model based on Halpen & Woodhead's PCF model, and investigate whether or not there is a significant difference between the Halpen & Woodhead's PCF model and the empirical PCF model. Based on the researcher's observation, the PCF management has never been implemented by the contractors in Malang in serving their clients (owners). The research setting is in Malang City because physical development in all field and there are many new construction service providers. The findings in this current study are summarised as follows: 1) Cash in included current assets (20%), owner's down payment (20%), termyin I (5%-25%), termyin II (20%), termyin III (25%), termyin IV (25%) and retention (5%). Cash out included direct cost (65%), indirect cost (20%), and profit + informal cost(15%), 2)the construction work involving the empirical PCF model in this study was started with the funds obtained from DP or current assets and 3) The two models bear several similarities in the upward trends of direct cost, indirect cost, Pro Ic, progress billing, and S-curve. The difference between the two models is the occurrence of overdraft in the Halpen and Woodhead's PCF model only.

  14. Multi-model-based Access Control in Construction Projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Hilbert

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available During the execution of large scale construction projects performed by Virtual Organizations (VO, relatively complex technical models have to be exchanged between the VO members. For linking the trade and transfer of these models, a so-called multi-model container format was developed. Considering the different skills and tasks of the involved partners, it is not necessary for them to know all the models in every technical detailing. Furthermore, the model size can lead to a delay in communication. In this paper an approach is presented for defining model cut-outs according to the current project context. Dynamic dependencies to the project context as well as static dependencies on the organizational structure are mapped in a context-sensitive rule. As a result, an approach for dynamic filtering of multi-models is obtained which ensures, together with a filtering service, that the involved VO members get a simplified view of complex multi-models as well as sufficient permissions depending on their tasks.

  15. Airtightness Results of Roof-Only Air Sealing Strategies on 1-1/2 Story Homes in Cold Climates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ojczyk, C.; Murry, T.; Mosiman, G.

    2014-07-01

    In this second study on solutions to ice dams in 1-1/2 story homes, five test homes located in both cold and very cold climates were analyzed for air leakage reduction rates following modifications by independent contractors on owner-occupied homes. The reason for choosing this house type was they are very common in our area and very difficult to air seal and insulate effectively. Two projects followed a roof-only Exterior Thermal Moisture Management System (ETMMS) process. One project used an interior-only approach to roof air sealing and insulation. The remaining two projects used a deep energy retrofit approach for whole house (foundation wall, above grade wall, roof) air leakage and heat loss reduction. All were asked to provide information regarding project goals, process, and pre and post-blower door test results. Additional air leakage reduction data was provided by several NorthernSTAR Building America industry partners for interior-applied, roof-only modifications on 1-1/2 story homes. The data represents homes in the general market as well as homes that were part of the state of Minnesota weatherization program. A goal was to compare exterior air sealing methods with interior approaches. This pool of data enabled us to compare air tightness data from over 220 homes using similar air seal methods.

  16. Campbell Creek Research Homes: FY2013 Annual Performance Report OCT.1, 2012 SEP. 30, 2013

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jackson, Roderick K [ORNL; Boudreaux, Philip R [ORNL; Munk, Jeffrey D [ORNL; Gehl, Anthony C [ORNL; Lyne, Christopher T [ORNL; Odukomaiya, Wale O [ORNL

    2014-05-01

    1.INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT OVERVIEW The Campbell Creek project is funded and managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Technology Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Power Delivery and Utilization Office. Technical support is provided under contract by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The project was designed to determine the relative energy efficiency of typical new home construction, of retrofitting of existing homes, and of high-performance new homes built from the ground up for energy efficiency. This project was designed to compare three houses that represent current construction practices: a base case (Builder House CC1); a modified house that could represent a major energy-efficient retrofit (Retrofit House CC2); and a house constructed from the ground up to be a high-performance home (High Performance House CC3). To enable a valid comparison, it was necessary to simulate occupancy in all three houses and extensively monitor the structural components and the energy usage by component. In October 2013, the base case was also modified by replacing the builder-grade heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system with a high-efficiency variable-speed unit. All three houses are two-story, slab-on-grade, framed construction. CC1 and CC2 are approximately 2,400 ft2. CC3 has a pantry option, used primarily as a mechanical equipment room, that adds approximately 100 ft2. All three houses are all-electric (with the exception of a gas log fireplace that is not used during the testing) and use air-source heat pumps for heating and cooling. The three homes are located in Knoxville in the Campbell Creek Subdivision. CC1 and CC2 are next door to each other with a south-facing orientation; CC3 has a north-facing orientation and is located across the street and a couple of houses down. The energy data collected will be used to determine the benefits of retrofit packages and high-performance new home

  17. Keys to the House: Unlocking Residential Savings With Program Models for Home Energy Upgrades

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grevatt, Jim [Energy Futures Group (United States); Hoffman, Ian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hoffmeyer, Dale [US Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)

    2017-07-05

    After more than 40 years of effort, energy efficiency program administrators and associated contractors still find it challenging to penetrate the home retrofit market, especially at levels commensurate with state and federal goals for energy savings and emissions reductions. Residential retrofit programs further have not coalesced around a reliably successful model. They still vary in design, implementation and performance, and they remain among the more difficult and costly options for acquiring savings in the residential sector. If programs are to contribute fully to meeting resource and policy objectives, administrators need to understand what program elements are key to acquiring residential savings as cost effectively as possible. To that end, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored a comprehensive review and analysis of home energy upgrade programs with proven track records, focusing on those with robustly verified savings and constituting good examples for replication. The study team reviewed evaluations for the period 2010 to 2014 for 134 programs that are funded by customers of investor-owned utilities. All are programs that promote multi-measure retrofits or major system upgrades. We paid particular attention to useful design and implementation features, costs, and savings for nearly 30 programs with rigorous evaluations of performance. This meta-analysis describes program models and implementation strategies for (1) direct install retrofits; (2) heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) replacement and early retirement; and (3) comprehensive, whole-home retrofits. We analyze costs and impacts of these program models, in terms of both energy savings and emissions avoided. These program models can be useful guides as states consider expanding their strategies for acquiring energy savings as a resource and for emissions reductions. We also discuss the challenges of using evaluations to create program models that can be confidently applied in

  18. Finite detector based projection model for super resolution CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Hengyong; Wang, Ge [Wake Forest Univ. Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC (United States). Dept. of Radiology; Virgina Tech, Blacksburg, VA (United States). Biomedical Imaging Div.

    2011-07-01

    For finite detector and focal spot sizes, here we propose a projection model for super resolution CT. First, for a given X-ray source point, a projection datum is modeled as an area integral over a narrow fan-beam connecting the detector elemental borders and the X-ray source point. Then, the final projection value is expressed as the integral obtained in the first step over the whole focal spot support. An ordered-subset simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (OS-SART) is developed using the proposed projection model. In the numerical simulation, our method produces super spatial resolution and suppresses high-frequency artifacts. (orig.)

  19. U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home Implementation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rothgeb, Stacey K [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schirber, T. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership; Mosiman, G. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership; VonThoma, E. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership

    2017-07-25

    The intention of this project is to assist home builders in the upper Midwest in achieving DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program certification, and to document the process and outcomes involved in meeting this rigorous standard. NorthernSTAR, in conjunction with our program partner Building Knowledge, Inc., provided technical support to the builders during the design and construction process. At the time of this publication, four qualifying homes have been completed and an additional three are currently under construction to be completed later this year. Three additional homes were excluded from certification due to the HVAC contractor not completing their required credentialing until after completion of the homes, though the energy performance would have otherwise qualified the homes for program certification. Both Amaris Homes and Cobblestone Homes note that participation in the ZERH program provides them with competitive advantage in the market place at reasonable construction costs that also result in extremely satisfied clients who are willing to recommend the builders to friends and family.

  20. Can model weighting improve probabilistic projections of climate change?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raeisaenen, Jouni; Ylhaeisi, Jussi S. [Department of Physics, P.O. Box 48, University of Helsinki (Finland)

    2012-10-15

    Recently, Raeisaenen and co-authors proposed a weighting scheme in which the relationship between observable climate and climate change within a multi-model ensemble determines to what extent agreement with observations affects model weights in climate change projection. Within the Third Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) dataset, this scheme slightly improved the cross-validated accuracy of deterministic projections of temperature change. Here the same scheme is applied to probabilistic temperature change projection, under the strong limiting assumption that the CMIP3 ensemble spans the actual modeling uncertainty. Cross-validation suggests that probabilistic temperature change projections may also be improved by this weighting scheme. However, the improvement relative to uniform weighting is smaller in the tail-sensitive logarithmic score than in the continuous ranked probability score. The impact of the weighting on projection of real-world twenty-first century temperature change is modest in most parts of the world. However, in some areas mainly over the high-latitude oceans, the mean of the distribution is substantially changed and/or the distribution is considerably narrowed. The weights of individual models vary strongly with location, so that a model that receives nearly zero weight in some area may still get a large weight elsewhere. Although the details of this variation are method-specific, it suggests that the relative strengths of different models may be difficult to harness by weighting schemes that use spatially uniform model weights. (orig.)

  1. A qualitative study of in-home robotic telepresence for home care of community-living elderly subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boissy, Patrick; Corriveau, Hélène; Michaud, François; Labonté, Daniel; Royer, Marie-Pier

    2007-01-01

    We examined the requirements for robots in home telecare using two focus groups. The first comprised six healthcare professionals involved in geriatric care and the second comprised six elderly people with disabilities living in the community. The concept of an in-home telepresence robot was illustrated using a photograph of a mobile robot, and participants were then asked to suggest potential health care applications. Interview data derived from the transcript of each group discussion were analyzed using qualitative induction based on content analysis. The analyses yielded statements that were categorized under three themes: potential applications, usability issues and user requirements. Teleoperated mobile robotic systems in the home were thought to be useful in assisting multidisciplinary patient care through improved communication between patients and healthcare professionals, and offering respite and support to caregivers under certain conditions. The shift from a traditional hospital-centred model of care in geriatrics to a home-based model creates opportunities for using telepresence with mobile robotic systems in home telecare.

  2. Smart homes - current features and future perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Marie; Campo, Eric; Estève, Daniel; Fourniols, Jean-Yves

    2009-10-20

    In an ageing world, maintaining good health and independence for as long as possible is essential. Instead of hospitalization or institutionalization, the elderly and disabled can be assisted in their own environment 24h a day with numerous 'smart' devices. The concept of the smart home is a promising and cost-effective way of improving home care for the elderly and the disabled in a non-obtrusive way, allowing greater independence, maintaining good health and preventing social isolation. Smart homes are equipped with sensors, actuators, and/or biomedical monitors. The devices operate in a network connected to a remote centre for data collection and processing. The remote centre diagnoses the ongoing situation and initiates assistance procedures as required. The technology can be extended to wearable and in vivo implantable devices to monitor people 24h a day both inside and outside the house. This review describes a selection of projects in developed countries on smart homes examining the various technologies available. Advantages and disadvantages, as well as the impact on modern society, are discussed. Finally, future perspectives on smart homes as part of a home-based health care network are presented.

  3. Improving prediction of fall risk among nursing home residents using electronic medical records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marier, Allison; Olsho, Lauren E W; Rhodes, William; Spector, William D

    2016-03-01

    Falls are physically and financially costly, but may be preventable with targeted intervention. The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is one potential source of information on fall risk factors among nursing home residents, but its limited breadth and relatively infrequent updates may limit its practical utility. Richer, more frequently updated data from electronic medical records (EMRs) may improve ability to identify individuals at highest risk for falls. The authors applied a repeated events survival model to analyze MDS 3.0 and EMR data for 5129 residents in 13 nursing homes within a single large California chain that uses a centralized EMR system from a leading vendor. Estimated regression parameters were used to project resident fall probability. The authors examined the proportion of observed falls within each projected fall risk decile to assess improvements in predictive power from including EMR data. In a model incorporating fall risk factors from the MDS only, 28.6% of observed falls occurred among residents in the highest projected risk decile. In an alternative specification incorporating more frequently updated measures for the same risk factors from the EMR data, 32.3% of observed falls occurred among residents in the highest projected risk decile, a 13% increase over the base MDS-only specification. Incorporating EMR data improves ability to identify those at highest risk for falls relative to prediction using MDS data alone. These improvements stem chiefly from the greater frequency with which EMR data are updated, with minimal additional gains from availability of additional risk factor variables. © 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.

  4. DEVELOPMENT MODEL OF PATISSERIE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

    OpenAIRE

    Ana Ana; Lutfhiyah Nurlaela

    2013-01-01

    The study aims to find a model of patisserie project-based learning with production approach that can improve effectiveness of patisserie learning. Delphi Technique, Cohen's Kappa and percentages of agreements were used to assess model of patisserie project based learning. Data collection techniques employed in the study were questionnaire, check list worksheet, observation, and interview sheets. Subjects were 13 lectures of expertise food and nutrition and 91 students of Food and Nutrition ...

  5. Modeling the determinants of Medicaid home care payments for children with special health care needs: A structural equation model approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adepoju, Omolola E; Zhang, Yichen; Phillips, Charles D

    2014-10-01

    The management of children with special needs can be very challenging and expensive. To examine direct and indirect cost drivers of home care expenditures for this vulnerable and expensive population. We retrospectively assessed secondary data on children, ages 4-20, receiving Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) (n = 2760). A structural equation model assessed direct and indirect effects of several child characteristics, clinical conditions and functional measures on Medicaid home care payments. The mean age of children was 12.1 years and approximately 60% were female. Almost half of all subjects reported mild, moderate or severe ID diagnosis. The mean ADL score was 5.27 and about 60% of subjects received some type of rehabilitation services. Caseworkers authorized an average of 25.5 h of PCS support per week. The SEM revealed three groups of costs drivers: indirect, direct and direct + indirect. Cognitive problems, health impairments, and age affect expenditures, but they operate completely through other variables. Other elements accumulate effects (externalizing behaviors, PCS hours, and rehabilitation) and send them on a single path to the dependent variable. A few elements exhibit a relatively complex position in the model by having both significant direct and indirect effects on home care expenditures - medical conditions, intellectual disability, region, and ADL function. The most important drivers of home care expenditures are variables that have both meaningful direct and indirect effects. The only one of these factors that may be within the sphere of policy change is the difference among costs in different regions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Greenbelt Homes Pilot Program: Summary of Building Envelope Retrofits, Planned HVAC Equipment Upgrades, and Energy Savings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiehagen, J. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Del Bianco, M. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Mallay, D. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

    2015-05-01

    In the fall of 2010, a multiyear pilot energy efficiency retrofit project was undertaken by Greenbelt Homes, Inc, (GHI) a 1,566 home cooperative of circa 1930 and 1940 homes in Greenbelt, Maryland. GHI established this pilot project to serve as a basis for decision making for the rollout of a decade-long community-wide upgrade program that will incorporate energy efficiency improvements to the building envelope and mechanical equipment. It presents a unique opportunity to evaluate and prioritize the wide-range of benefits of high-performance retrofits based on member experience with and acceptance of the retrofit measures implemented during the pilot project. Addressing the complex interactions between benefits, trade-offs, construction methods, project management implications, realistic upfront costs, financing, and other considerations, serves as a case study for energy retrofit projects to include high-performance technologies based on the long-term value to the homeowner. The pilot project focused on identifying the added costs and energy savings benefits of improvements.

  7. Energy Efficiency Measures to Incorporate into Remodeling Projects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liaukus, C.

    2014-12-01

    Energy improvements in a home are often approached as one concerted effort, beginning with a simple walk-through assessment or more in-depth energy audit and followed by the installation of recommended energy measures. While this approach allows for systems thinking to guide the efforts, comprehensive energy improvements of this nature are undertaken by a relatively small number of the households in our nation compared to more piecemeal remodeling efforts. Even when programs like the Weatherization Assistance Program and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR are considered, homes that have had a comprehensive energy makeover still represent a small fraction of the 111.1 million households. In this report, the U.S Department of Energy Building America Retrofit Alliance research team looks at the improvement of a home's energy performance in an opportunistic way: it examines what can be done to incorporate energy efficiency measures into general remodeling work and home repair projects. This allows for the possibility for people who would not normally pursue energy efficiency but will remodel their kitchen or re-side their home to improve their home's performance at the same time. There are challenges to this approach, not the least of which being that the work will take place over time in potentially many separate projects. The opportunity to improve a home's energy efficiency at one time expands or contracts with the scope of the remodel. As such, guidance on how to do each piece thoughtfully and with consideration for potential future projects, is critical.

  8. Second-home electricity consumption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andersen, Frits M.; Morthorst, Poul Erik [Risoe, Systems Analysis Department, Technical University of Denmark, P.O. Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Christensen, Morten S.; Kofoed, Niels-Ulrik [Esbensen Consulting Engineers, Carl Jacobsens Vej 25D, DK-2500 Valby (Denmark); Jensen, Ole Michael [Danish Building Research Institute, Department of Energy and Environment, University of Aalborg, P.O. Box 119, DK-2970 Horsholm (Denmark)

    2008-01-15

    In Denmark, electricity consumption in first and second homes has developed quite differently. Since 1990, electricity consumption in ordinary residences has grown moderately, while consumption in weekend and second homes has increased considerably. In turn, this development has been blamed on a growing number of luxury cottages, new legislation permitting senior citizens to have their permanent address in their second home and a growing number of electric appliances. In order to examine the growing electricity consumption in second homes and to estimate future demand, a multidisciplinary study combining top-down and bottom-up analyses was conducted, i.e., combining models using aggregated economic parameters and feasibility studies using technical parameters, respectively. The top-down estimation showed that changes in electricity consumption in second homes correlate to changes in income. The bottom-up estimation showed that consumption was mainly affected by the frequency with which second homes were used in the winter time. This indicates that additional second homes, increased full-time use and intensified use of electric appliances are the main reasons for the observed increases in electricity consumption. Luxury tourism use and senior citizens' that use a few per cent of the second homes as their home contribute to a minor degree to the overall increase of electricity consumption. Scenarios show that this development may accelerate with increased leisure time, increased use and more permanent settlement in second homes. (author)

  9. Who are good home-based care volunteers? | Marincowitz | South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the characteristics of volunteers who remained active in the home-based care project located in Tzaneen (Limpopo Province) and thereby assist the project leaders to improve the recruitment and quality of the service in the future. Methodology: Structured questionnaires were ...

  10. Home care, hospitalizations and doctor visits

    OpenAIRE

    Gonçalves Judite; Weaver France

    2014-01-01

    This study estimates the effects of formal home care on hospitalizations and doctor visits. We compare the effects of medically- and non-medically-related home care and investigate heterogeneous effects by age group and informal care availability. Two-part models are estimated, using data from Switzerland. In this federal country, home care policy is decentralized into cantons (i.e. states). The endogeneity of home care is addressed by using instrumental variables, canton and time fixed effec...

  11. Spirit Beside 'Home Plate,' Sol 1809

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images assembled into this 120-degree view southward after a short drive during the 1,809th Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on the surface of Mars (February 3, 2009). Spirit had driven about 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) that sol, continuing a clockwise route around a low plateau called 'Home Plate.' In this image, the rocks visible above the rovers' solar panels are on the slope at the northern edge of Home Plate. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.

  12. Building America Case Study: Accelerating the Delivery of Home-Performance Upgrades Using a Synergistic Business Model, Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2016-04-01

    Achieving Building America energy savings goals (40 percent by 2030) will require many existing homes to install energy upgrades. Engaging large numbers of homeowners in building science-guided upgrades during a single remodeling event has been difficult for a number of reasons. Performance upgrades in existing homes tend to occur over multiple years and usually result from component failures (furnace failure) and weather damage (ice dams, roofing, siding). This research attempted to: A) Understand the homeowner's motivations regarding investing in building science based performance upgrades. B) Determining a rapidly scalable approach to engage large numbers of homeowners directly through existing customer networks. C) Access a business model that will manage all aspects of the contractor-homeowner-performance professional interface to ensure good upgrade decisions over time. The solution results from a synergistic approach utilizing networks of suppliers merging with networks of homeowner customers. Companies in the $400 to $800 billion home services industry have proven direct marketing and sales proficiencies that have led to the development of vast customer networks. Companies such as pest control, lawn care, and security have nurtured these networks by successfully addressing the ongoing needs of homes. This long-term access to customers and trust established with consistent delivery has also provided opportunities for home service providers to grow by successfully introducing new products and services like attic insulation and air sealing. The most important component for success is a business model that will facilitate and manage the process. The team analyzes a group that developed a working model.

  13. The Fermilab ISDN Pilot Project: Experiences and future plans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, D.E.; Lego, A.J.; Clifford, A.E.

    1995-12-31

    Fully operational in June of 1994, the Fermilab ISDN Pilot Project was started to gain insight into the costs and benefits of providing ISDN service to the homes of Fermilab researchers. Fourteen users were chosen from throughout Fermilab, but the number of Fermilab-employed spouses pushed the total user count to 20. Each home was equipped with a basic rate ISDN (BRI) line, a BRI Ethernet half-bridge, and an NT-1. An inter-departmental team coordinated the project. Usage at each home was tracked and frequent surveys were attempted. Lessons learned include: working with Ameritech can be difficult; careful monitoring is essential; and configuration of home computing equipment is very time consuming. Plans include moving entirely to primary rate ISDN hubs, support for different home ISDN equipment and better usage and performance tracking.

  14. The Fermilab ISDN Pilot Project: Experiences and future plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, D.E.; Lego, A.J.; Clifford, A.E.

    1995-01-01

    Fully operational in June of 1994, the Fermilab ISDN Pilot Project was started to gain insight into the costs and benefits of providing ISDN service to the homes of Fermilab researchers. Fourteen users were chosen from throughout Fermilab, but the number of Fermilab-employed spouses pushed the total user count to 20. Each home was equipped with a basic rate ISDN (BRI) line, a BRI Ethernet half-bridge, and an NT-1. An inter-departmental team coordinated the project. Usage at each home was tracked and frequent surveys were attempted. Lessons learned include: working with Ameritech can be difficult; careful monitoring is essential; and configuration of home computing equipment is very time consuming. Plans include moving entirely to primary rate ISDN hubs, support for different home ISDN equipment and better usage and performance tracking

  15. The Fermilab ISDN pilot project: experiences and future plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, D.E.; Lego, A.J.; Clifford, A.E.

    1996-01-01

    Fully operational in June of 1994, the Fermilab ISDN Pilot Project was started to gain insight into the costs and benefits of providing ISDN service to the homes of Fermilab researchers. Fourteen were chosen from throughout Fermilab, but the number of Fermilab-employed spouses pushed the total user count to 20. each home was equipped with a basic rate ISDN (BRI) Ethernet half-bridge, and an NT-1. An inter-departmental team coordinated the project. Usage at each home was tracked and frequent surveys were attempted. Lessons learned include: working with Ameritech can be difficult; careful monitoring is essential; and configuration of home computing equipment is very time consuming. Plans include moving entirely to primary rate ISDN hubs, support for different home ISDN equipment and better usage and performance tracking. (author)

  16. The waterfront windmill project and TREC's windshare model for community-based renewables development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Young, B.

    2002-01-01

    Plans have been developed for building two wind turbines on Toronto's waterfront, on the grounds of the exhibition for the project called Waterfront Windmill Project. The electricity generated by each individual turbine, 1,400,000 kilowatt hours per year, could meet the needs of 250 four-person homes. This project represents an emissions-free power generation, and the energy will be distributed to the hydropower grid of the City of Toronto. The requirement for nuclear and coal-generated energy will therefore be reduced while reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The creation of an urban-based community-owned turbine fits well with the policy of the Toronto Renewable Energy Coop, which is committed to working with the marketplace. The lower cost to the consumer of the market deregulation coal generated energy is a concern. figs

  17. Piloting a Statewide Home Visiting Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Neera K; Rome, Martha G; Massie, Julie A; Mangeot, Colleen; Ammerman, Robert T; Breckenridge, Jye; Lannon, Carole M

    2017-02-01

    Objective To pilot test a statewide quality improvement (QI) collaborative learning network of home visiting agencies. Methods Project timeline was June 2014-May 2015. Overall objectives of this 8-month initiative were to assess the use of collaborative QI to engage local home visiting agencies and to test the use of statewide home visiting data for QI. Outcome measures were mean time from referral to first home visit, percentage of families with at least three home visits per month, mean duration of participation, and exit rate among infants learning. A statewide data system was used to generate monthly run charts. Results Mean time from referral to first home visit was 16.7 days, and 9.4% of families received ≥3 visits per month. Mean participation was 11.7 months, and the exit rate among infants learning network, agencies tested and measured changes using statewide and internal data. Potential next steps are to develop and test new metrics with current pilot sites and a larger collaborative.

  18. Modelling the Reduction of Project Making Duration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oleinik Pavel

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The article points out why earlier patterns of investment process were ineffective in developing the construction projects and shows sources for reducing of its total duration. It describes the procedure of statistical modeling and obtaining medium-term time parameters required for modern pattern of project-making; offers design formulas for assessment of total time required for project-making as well as for its main stages; reveals advantage of modern system of project-making against traditional one by comparing indicators of their duration.

  19. Cash flow forecasting model for nuclear power projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Wei; Guo Jilin

    2002-01-01

    Cash flow forecasting is very important for owners and contractors of nuclear power projects to arrange the capital and to decrease the capital cost. The factors related to contractor cash flow forecasting are analyzed and a cash flow forecasting model is presented which is suitable for both contractors and owners. The model is efficiently solved using a cost-schedule data integration scheme described. A program is developed based on the model and verified with real project data. The result indicates that the model is efficient and effective

  20. Exploring workplace violence among home care workers in a consumer-driven home health care program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakaishi, Lindsay; Moss, Helen; Weinstein, Marc; Perrin, Nancy; Rose, Linda; Anger, W Kent; Hanson, Ginger C; Christian, Mervyn; Glass, Nancy

    2013-10-01

    Nominal research has examined sexual harassment and workplace violence against home care workers within consumer-driven home care models such as those offered in Oregon. This study examined home care workers' experiences of violence while providing care to consumer employers, the patients who hire and manage home care workers. Focus groups and interviews were conducted in Oregon with 83 home care workers, 99 Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) employees, and 11 consumer employers. Home care workers reported incidents of workplace physical violence (44%), psychological abuse (65%), sexual harassment (41%), and sexual violence (14%). Further, three themes were identified that may increase the risk of workplace violence: (1) real and perceived barriers to reporting violence; (2) tolerance of violence; and (3) limited training to prevent violence. To ensure worker safety while maintaining quality care, safety policies and training for consumer employers, state DHS employees, and home care workers must be developed. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  1. New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program High-Performance Test Homes - Pacific Northwest

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2015-05-01

    This project represents the third phase of a multi-year effort to develop and bring to market a High Performance Manufactured Home (HPMH). In this project, the Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program worked with Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction and Bonneville Power Administration to help four factory homebuilders build prototype zero energy ready manufactured homes, resulting in what is expected to be a 30% savings relative to the Building America Benchmark. (The actual % savings varies depending on choice of heating equipment and climate zone). Previous phases of this project created a HPMH specification and prototyped individual measures from the package to obtain engineering approvals and develop preliminary factory construction processes. This case study describes the project team's work during 2014 to build prototype homes to the HPMH specifications and to monitor the homes for energy performance and durability. Monitoring is expected to continue into 2016.

  2. International collaborative fire modeling project (ICFMP). Summary of benchmark

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roewekamp, Marina; Klein-Hessling, Walter; Dreisbach, Jason; McGrattan, Kevin; Miles, Stewart; Plys, Martin; Riese, Olaf

    2008-09-01

    This document was developed in the frame of the 'International Collaborative Project to Evaluate Fire Models for Nuclear Power Plant Applications' (ICFMP). The objective of this collaborative project is to share the knowledge and resources of various organizations to evaluate and improve the state of the art of fire models for use in nuclear power plant fire safety, fire hazard analysis and fire risk assessment. The project is divided into two phases. The objective of the first phase is to evaluate the capabilities of current fire models for fire safety analysis in nuclear power plants. The second phase will extend the validation database of those models and implement beneficial improvements to the models that are identified in the first phase of ICFMP. In the first phase, more than 20 expert institutions from six countries were represented in the collaborative project. This Summary Report gives an overview on the results of the first phase of the international collaborative project. The main objective of the project was to evaluate the capability of fire models to analyze a variety of fire scenarios typical for nuclear power plants (NPP). The evaluation of the capability of fire models to analyze these scenarios was conducted through a series of in total five international Benchmark Exercises. Different types of models were used by the participating expert institutions from five countries. The technical information that will be useful for fire model users, developers and further experts is summarized in this document. More detailed information is provided in the corresponding technical reference documents for the ICFMP Benchmark Exercises No. 1 to 5. The objective of these exercises was not to compare the capabilities and strengths of specific models, address issues specific to a model, nor to recommend specific models over others. This document is not intended to provide guidance to users of fire models. Guidance on the use of fire models is currently being

  3. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2016 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update; Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model; and Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-11-05

    This final rule will update Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) rates, including the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates, and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factor under the Medicare prospective payment system for home health agencies (HHAs), effective for episodes ending on or after January 1, 2016. As required by the Affordable Care Act, this rule implements the 3rd year of the 4-year phase-in of the rebasing adjustments to the HH PPS payment rates. This rule updates the HH PPS case-mix weights using the most current, complete data available at the time of rulemaking and provides a clarification regarding the use of the "initial encounter'' seventh character applicable to certain ICD-10-CM code categories. This final rule will also finalize reductions to the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rate in CY 2016, CY 2017, and CY 2018 of 0.97 percent in each year to account for estimated case-mix growth unrelated to increases in patient acuity (nominal case-mix growth) between CY 2012 and CY 2014. In addition, this rule implements a HH value-based purchasing (HHVBP) model, beginning January 1, 2016, in which all Medicare-certified HHAs in selected states will be required to participate. Finally, this rule finalizes minor changes to the home health quality reporting program and minor technical regulations text changes.

  4. Finding Home: Landmark Ambiguity in Human Navigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Jetzschke

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Memories of places often include landmark cues, i.e., information provided by the spatial arrangement of distinct objects with respect to the target location. To study how humans combine landmark information for navigation, we conducted two experiments: To this end, participants were either provided with auditory landmarks while walking in a large sports hall or with visual landmarks while walking on a virtual-reality treadmill setup. We found that participants cannot reliably locate their home position due to ambiguities in the spatial arrangement when only one or two uniform landmarks provide cues with respect to the target. With three visual landmarks that look alike, the task is solved without ambiguity, while audio landmarks need to play three unique sounds for a similar performance. This reduction in ambiguity through integration of landmark information from 1, 2, and 3 landmarks is well modeled using a probabilistic approach based on maximum likelihood estimation. Unlike any deterministic model of human navigation (based e.g., on distance or angle information, this probabilistic model predicted both the precision and accuracy of the human homing performance. To further examine how landmark cues are integrated we introduced systematic conflicts in the visual landmark configuration between training of the home position and tests of the homing performance. The participants integrated the spatial information from each landmark near-optimally to reduce spatial variability. When the conflict becomes big, this integration breaks down and precision is sacrificed for accuracy. That is, participants return again closer to the home position, because they start ignoring the deviant third landmark. Relying on two instead of three landmarks, however, goes along with responses that are scattered over a larger area, thus leading to higher variability. To model the breakdown of integration with increasing conflict, the probabilistic model based on a

  5. Bringing solar home systems to rural El Salvador: lessons for small NGOs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balint, Peter J.

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents the results of case studies examining two independent projects that worked to bring solar home systems (SHSs) to isolated communities in El Salvador. Both projects were implemented by small nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that did not have prior experience with SHSs. One project was market-based: families were given the opportunity to purchase the systems at going prices. The other was donor-based: residents were provided the equipment in return for their agreement to cooperate in local environmental protection efforts. Results of a comparative analysis support several conclusions. (1) For small NGOs, the promotion of markets is appealing because of the potential for financial sustainability; yet a reliance on markets may also heighten complexity and increase opportunities for failure. (2) In implementation of market-based projects, all stakeholders, including potential consumers, private-sector service providers, and the staff of NGOs acting as project managers, will face pressures to modify and adapt their attitudes and behaviors. (3) Alternative models for small-scale projects that integrate market-based and donor-based design features deserve consideration

  6. Evaluation of Raising Adolescent Families Together Program: A Medical Home for Adolescent Mothers and Their Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buman, Matthew P.; Woods, Elizabeth R.; Famakinwa, Olatokunbo; Harris, Sion Kim

    2012-01-01

    Objectives. This study described a medical home model for adolescent mothers and their children, and their 1- and 2-year preventive care, repeat pregnancy, and psychosocial outcomes. Methods. In this prospective, single cohort demonstration project, adolescent mothers (14–18 years old) and their children received care in a medical home. Demographic, medical and social processes, and outcomes data were collected at enrollment through 24 months. Change over time and predictors of repeat pregnancy were analyzed. Results. A total of 181 adolescents enrolled, with 79.6% participating for 2 years. At 2 years, 90.2% of children were completely immunized. Children and adolescent mothers met standards for health care visits, and adolescent condom use improved. Rates of cumulative repeat pregnancy were 14.7% and 24.6%, school attendance 77.6% and 68.7%, and employment 21.2% and 32.3% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Conclusions. A medical home model with comprehensive and integrated medical care and social services can effectively address the complex needs of adolescent parents and their children. PMID:22897537

  7. Semantic and Virtual Reality-Enhanced Configuration of Domestic Environments: The Smart Home Simulator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniele Spoladore

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper introduces the Smart Home Simulator, one of the main outcomes of the D4All project. This application takes into account the variety of issues involved in the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL solutions, such as the peculiarity of each end-users, appliances, and technologies with their deployment and data-sharing issues. The Smart Home Simulator—a mixed reality application able to support the configuration and customization of domestic environments in AAL systems—leverages on integration capabilities of Semantic Web technologies and the possibility to model relevant knowledge (about both the dwellers and the domestic environment into formal models. It also exploits Virtual Reality technologies as an efficient means to simplify the configuration of customized AAL environments. The application and the underlying framework will be validated through two different use cases, each one foreseeing the customized configuration of a domestic environment for specific segments of users.

  8. Home safe home: Evaluation of a childhood home safety program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Tanya Charyk; Clark, Andrew; Gilliland, Jason; Miller, Michael R; Edwards, Jane; Haidar, Tania; Batey, Brandon; Vogt, Kelly N; Parry, Neil G; Fraser, Douglas D; Merritt, Neil

    2016-09-01

    The London Health Sciences Centre Home Safety Program (HSP) provides safety devices, education, a safety video, and home safety checklist to all first-time parents for the reduction of childhood home injuries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the HSP for the prevention of home injuries in children up to 2 years of age. A program evaluation was performed with follow-up survey, along with an interrupted time series analysis of emergency department (ED) visits for home injuries 5 years before (2007-2013) and 2 years after (2013-2015) implementation. Spatial analysis of ED visits was undertaken to assess differences in home injury rates by dissemination areas controlling differences in socioeconomic status (i.e., income, education, and lone-parent status) at the neighborhood level. A total of 3,458 first-time parents participated in the HSP (a 74% compliance rate). Of these, 20% (n = 696) of parents responded to our questionnaire, with 94% reporting the program to be useful (median, 6; interquartile range, 2 on a 7-point Likert scale) and 81% learning new strategies for preventing home injuries. The median age of the respondent's babies were 12 months (interquartile range, 1). The home safety check list was used by 87% of respondents to identify hazards in their home, with 95% taking action to minimize the risk. The time series analysis demonstrated a significant decline in ED visits for home injuries in toddlers younger than2 years of age after HSP implementation. The declines in ED visits for home injuries remained significant over and above each socioeconomic status covariate. Removing hazards, supervision, and installing safety devices are key facilitators in the reduction of home injuries. Parents found the HSP useful to identify hazards, learn new strategies, build confidence, and provide safety products. Initial finding suggests that the program is effective in reducing home injuries in children up to 2 years of age. Therapeutic/care management study

  9. Introduction to Financial Projection Models. Business Management Instructional Software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pomeroy, Robert W., III

    This guidebook and teacher's guide accompany a personal computer software program and introduce the key elements of financial projection modeling to project the financial statements of an industrial enterprise. The student will then build a model on an electronic spreadsheet. The guidebook teaches the purpose of a financial model and the steps…

  10. Parametric modelling of temporal variations in radon concentrations in homes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Revzan, K.L.; Turk, B.H.; Harrison, J.; Nero, A.V.; Sextro, R.G.

    1988-01-01

    The 222 Rn concentrations in the living area, the basement, and the undelying soil of a New Jersey home have been measured at half-hour intervals over the course of a year, as have indoor and outdoor temperatures, wind speed and direction, and indoor-outdoor and basement-subslab pressures; in addition, periods of furnace opration have been logged. We generalize and extend an existing radon entry model in order to demonstrate the dependence of the radon concentration on the environmental variales and the extent of furnace use. The model contains parameters which are dependent on geological and structural factors which have not been measured or otherwise determined; statistical methods are used to find the best values of the parameters. The non-linear regression of the model predictions (over time) on the measured living area radon concentrations yields an R/aup 2/ of 0.88. 9 refs., 2 figs

  11. Overview of Robotic Devices for Nursing Care Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirukawa, Hirohisa

    2017-01-01

    METI/AMED are conducting a project on the development and deployment of robotic devices for nursing care to enhance the autonomy of elderly persons and assist care givers. An evaluation protocol is presented and the devices developed in the project are introduced. The devices consist of transfer assist devices (wearable/non-wearable), walking assist devices (outdoor/indoor), safety surveillance sensors (nursing home/private home), bath lift and toilet assist.

  12. ICT and Substitution between Out-of-home and At-home Work; the Importance of Timing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Graaff, de Thomas; Rietveld, Piet

    2003-01-01

    This paper investigates the determinants of at home and out-of-home labor supply in the Netherlands in the 199s, focusing on the presence of ICT technologies in households -in particular modempossession.To investigate these determinants, a sequential hurdle model is estimated where people first

  13. The Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP)

    KAUST Repository

    Kravitz, Ben

    2011-01-31

    To evaluate the effects of stratospheric geoengineering with sulphate aerosols, we propose standard forcing scenarios to be applied to multiple climate models to compare their results and determine the robustness of their responses. Thus far, different modeling groups have used different forcing scenarios for both global warming and geoengineering, complicating the comparison of results. We recommend four experiments to explore the extent to which geoengineering might offset climate change projected in some of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project 5 experiments. These experiments focus on stratospheric aerosols, but future experiments under this framework may focus on different means of geoengineering. © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society.

  14. Technology Investments in the NASA Entry Systems Modeling Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnhardt, Michael; Wright, Michael; Hughes, Monica

    2017-01-01

    The Entry Systems Modeling (ESM) technology development project, initiated in 2012 under NASAs Game Changing Development (GCD) Program, is engaged in maturation of fundamental research developing aerosciences, materials, and integrated systems products for entry, descent, and landing(EDL)technologies [1]. To date, the ESM project has published over 200 papers in these areas, comprising the bulk of NASAs research program for EDL modeling. This presentation will provide an overview of the projects successes and challenges, and an assessment of future investments in EDL modeling and simulation relevant to NASAs mission

  15. Streamline Your Project: A Lifecycle Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viren, John

    2000-01-01

    Discusses one approach to project organization providing a baseline lifecycle model for multimedia/CBT development. This variation of the standard four-phase model of Analysis, Design, Development, and Implementation includes a Pre-Analysis phase, called Definition, and a Post-Implementation phase, known as Maintenance. Each phase is described.…

  16. Knowledge and adoption of solar home systems in rural Nicaragua

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rebane, Kaja L.; Barham, Bradford L.

    2011-01-01

    Solar home systems (SHSs) are a promising electrification option for many households in the developing world. In most countries SHSs are at an early stage of dissemination, and thus face a hurdle common to many emerging alternative energy technologies: many people do not know enough about them to decide whether to adopt one or not. This study uses survey data collected in Nicaragua to investigate characteristics that predict the knowledge and adoption of SHSs among the rural population. First, a series of probit models is used to model the determinants of four measures of SHS knowledge. Next, a biprobit model with sample selection is employed to investigate the factors that predict SHS adoption, conditional on having sufficient knowledge to make an adoption decision. Comparison of the biprobit formulation to a standard probit model of adoption affirms its value. This study identifies multiple determinants of SHS knowledge and adoption, offers several practical recommendations to project planners, and provides an analytical framework for future work in this policy-relevant area. - Research highlights: → Solar home systems (SHSs) are a promising rural electrification option in the developing world. → As with many emerging renewable energy technologies, lack of knowledge may limit SHS adoption. → We use probit models to investigate the determinants of SHS knowledge in rural Nicaragua. → We also employ a biprobit model linking the determinants of knowledge and adoption. → We find that in analyzing SHS adoption, accounting for sample selection based on knowledge is key.

  17. Stakeholder Perspectives on the Optimizing Patient Transfers, Impacting Medical Quality, and Improving Symptoms: Transforming Institutional Care (OPTIMISTIC) Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ersek, Mary; Hickman, Susan E; Thomas, Anne C; Bernard, Brittany; Unroe, Kathleen T

    2017-10-17

    The need to reduce burdensome and costly hospitalizations of frail nursing home residents is well documented. The Optimizing Patient Transfers, Impacting Medical Quality, and Improving Symptoms: Transforming Institutional Care (OPTIMISTIC) project achieved this reduction through a multicomponent collaborative care model. We conducted an implementation-focused project evaluation to describe stakeholders' perspectives on (a) the most and least effective components of the intervention; (b) barriers to implementation; and (c) program features that promoted its adoption. Nineteen nursing homes participated in OPTIMISTIC. We conducted semistructured, qualitative interviews with 63 stakeholders: 23 nursing home staff and leaders, 4 primary care providers, 10 family members, and 26 OPTIMISTIC clinical staff. We used directed content analysis to analyze the data. We found universal endorsement of the value of in-depth advance care planning (ACP) discussions in reducing hospitalizations and improving care. Similarly, all stakeholder groups emphasized that nursing home access to specially trained, project registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) with time to focus on ACP, comprehensive resident assessment, and staff education was particularly valuable in identifying residents' goals for care. Challenges to implementation included inadequately trained facility staff and resistance to changing practice. In addition, the program sometimes failed to communicate its goals and activities clearly, leaving facilities uncertain about the OPTIMISTIC clinical staff's roles in the facilities. These findings are important for dissemination efforts related to the OPTIMISTIC care model and may be applicable to other innovations in nursing homes. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

  18. The performance indicators of model projects. A special evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-11-01

    As a result of the acknowledgment of the key role of the Model Project concept in the Agency's Technical Co-operation Programme, the present review of the objectives of the model projects which are now in operation, was undertaken, as recommended by the Board of Governors, to determine at an early stage: the extent to which the present objectives have been defined in a measurable way; whether objectively verifiable performance indicators and success criteria had been identified for each project; whether mechanisms to obtain feedback on the achievements had been foreseen. The overall budget for the 23 model projects, as approved from 1994 to 1998, amounts to $32,557,560, of which 45% is funded by Technical Co-operation Fund. This represents an average investment of about $8 million per year, that is over 15% of the annual TC budget. The conceptual importance of the Model Project initiative, as well as the significant funds allocated to them, led the Secretariat to plan the methods to be used to determine their socio-economic impact. 1 tab

  19. Ethics and gender issues in palliative care in nursing homes: an Austrian participatory research project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reitinger, Elisabeth; Heimerl, Katharina

    2014-06-01

    The development of palliative care in nursing homes in German-speaking countries has gained in importance within the past 15-20 years. Ethical and gender issues are core aspects of a palliative care culture and should therefore be better understood. The aim of this study was to highlight insights regarding ethical and gender issues, based on the experiences of professionals in nursing homes. A 2-year participatory action research study was performed in collaboration with three nursing homes in Austria. The article focusses on 10 group discussions with interdisciplinary professional teams that were conducted to generate ethical narratives. Thematic and narrative analysis was undertaken both individually and within the interdisciplinary research team. Findings and interpretations were validated with practitioners and researchers. A total of 36 narratives were collected and summarised within eight themes concerning the theoretical journey of a nursing home resident with relatives from entry into the house until death. The most burdensome ethical dilemmas are not the ones around death and dying but rather those relating to small-scale everyday work/life issues. Sharing experiences and feelings in ethical discussions provides relief. Emotions are important facilitators of insight into ethical dilemmas. Gender issues can be observed in care situations as well as in the organisational structure of nursing homes. Opportunities to share experiences and perspectives around ethical questions in interdisciplinary group discussions help professionals to better understand difficult issues and find appropriate ways of managing them. There is a need for communication structures such as facilitated ethical discussions that enable nursing home staff to reflect their everyday decisions. Expression of emotions should be encouraged in ethical decision-making processes in nursing homes. Gender-sensitive reflection supports the development of palliative care as organisational culture.

  20. Nutrition and dementia care: developing an evidence-based model for nutritional care in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Jane L; Holmes, Joanne; Brooks, Cindy

    2017-02-14

    There is a growing volume of research to offer improvements in nutritional care for people with dementia living in nursing homes. Whilst a number of interventions have been identified to support food and drink intake, there has been no systematic research to understand the factors for improving nutritional care from the perspectives of all those delivering care in nursing homes. The aim of this study was to develop a research informed model for understanding the complex nutritional problems associated with eating and drinking for people with dementia. We conducted nine focus groups and five semi-structured interviews with those involved or who have a level of responsibility for providing food and drink and nutritional care in nursing homes (nurses, care workers, catering assistants, dietitians, speech and language therapists) and family carers. The resulting conceptual model was developed by eliciting care-related processes, thus supporting credibility from the perspective of the end-users. The seven identified domain areas were person-centred nutritional care (the overarching theme); availability of food and drink; tools, resources and environment; relationship to others when eating and drinking; participation in activities; consistency of care and provision of information. This collaboratively developed, person-centred model can support the design of new education and training tools and be readily translated into existing programmes. Further research is needed to evaluate whether these evidence-informed approaches have been implemented successfully and adopted into practice and policy contexts and can demonstrate effectiveness for people living with dementia.

  1. The Home Independence Program with non-health professionals as care managers: an evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lewin G

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Gill Lewin,1 Karyn Concanen,2 David Youens3 1School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia; 2Silver Chain Group, Osborne Park, WA, Australia; 3Faculty of Health Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia Abstract: The Home Independence Program (HIP, an Australian restorative home care/reablement service for older adults, has been shown to be effective in reducing functional dependency and increasing functional mobility, confidence in everyday activities, and quality of life. These gains were found to translate into a reduced need for ongoing care services and reduced health and aged care costs over time. Despite these positive outcomes, few Australian home care agencies have adopted the service model – a key reason being that few Australian providers employ health professionals, who act as care managers under the HIP service model. A call for proposals from Health Workforce Australia for projects to expand the scope of practice of health/aged care staff then provided the opportunity to develop, implement, and evaluate a service delivery model, in which nonprofessionals replaced the health professionals as Care Managers in the HIP service. Seventy older people who received the HIP Coordinator (HIPC service participated in the outcomes evaluation. On a range of personal outcome measures, the group showed statistically significant improvement at 3 and 12 months compared to baseline. On each outcome, the improvement observed was larger than that observed in a previous trial in which the service was delivered by health professionals. However, differences in the timing of data collection between the two studies mean that a direct comparison cannot be made. Clients in both studies showed a similarly reduced need for ongoing home care services at both follow-up points. The outcomes achieved by HIPC, with non-health professionals as Care Managers, were positive and can be considered to compare favorably

  2. Canadian contribution to the European Union Home Team program for ITER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murdoch, D.K.; Blevins, J.D.; Gierszewski, P.; Matsugu, R.

    1998-01-01

    Canadian participation in R and D and design tasks for the ITER project is predominantly in the fuel cycle, remote handling and safety fields. These tasks are carried out in Canada by Ontario Hydro, research institutes, industry and universities. In addition, Canada provides the services of a number of specialist engineers and scientists in key positions at the three ITER work sites and in the European Home Team. The Canadian contribution, which is coordinated by the Canadian Fusion Fuels Technology Project (CFFTP), forms an integral part of the European Union Home Team program. The key components of the Canadian contribution are described. (author)

  3. Home-Based Risk of Falling Assessment Test Using a Closed-Loop Balance Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayena, Johannes C; Zaibi, Helmi; Otis, Martin J-D; Menelas, Bob-Antoine J

    2016-12-01

    The aim of this study is to improve and facilitate the methods used to assess risk of falling at home among older people through the computation of a risk of falling in real time in daily activities. In order to increase a real time computation of the risk of falling, a closed-loop balance model is proposed and compared with One-Leg Standing Test (OLST). This balance model allows studying the postural response of a person having an unpredictable perturbation. Twenty-nine volunteers participated in this study for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed system which includes seventeen elder participants: ten healthy elderly ( 68.4 ±5.5 years), seven Parkinson's disease (PD) subjects ( 66.28 ±8.9 years), and twelve healthy young adults ( 28.27 ±3.74 years). Our work suggests that there is a relationship between OLST score and the risk of falling based on center of pressure measurement with four low cost force sensors located inside an instrumented insole, which could be predicted using our suggested closed-loop balance model. For long term monitoring at home, this system could be included in a medical electronic record and could be useful as a diagnostic aid tool.

  4. Home visiting programs for HIV-affected families: a comparison of service quality between volunteer-driven and paraprofessional models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kidman, Rachel; Nice, Johanna; Taylor, Tory; Thurman, Tonya R

    2014-10-02

    Home visiting is a popular component of programs for HIV-affected children in sub-Saharan Africa, but its implementation varies widely. While some home visitors are lay volunteers, other programs invest in more highly trained paraprofessional staff. This paper describes a study investigating whether additional investment in paraprofessional staffing translated into higher quality service delivery in one program context. Beneficiary children and caregivers at sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were interviewed after 2 years of program enrollment and asked to report about their experiences with home visiting. Analysis focused on intervention exposure, including visit intensity, duration and the kinds of emotional, informational and tangible support provided. Few beneficiaries reported receiving home visits in program models primarily driven by lay volunteers; when visits did occur, they were shorter and more infrequent. Paraprofessional-driven programs not only provided significantly more home visits, but also provided greater interaction with the child, communication on a larger variety of topics, and more tangible support to caregivers. These results suggest that programs that invest in compensation and extensive training for home visitors are better able to serve and retain beneficiaries, and they support a move toward establishing a professional workforce of home visitors to support vulnerable children and families in South Africa.

  5. Technology Solutions for Existing Homes Case Study: Accelerating the Delivery of Home-Performance Upgrades Using a Synergistic Business Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2016-04-14

    The Building America team NorthernSTAR investigated opportunities to use the massive customer networks of the home service industry as a means to connect homeowners to home-performance solutions. Home service companies could provide a pathway to advance building-science-guided upgrades by being in close proximity to homeowners when a decision-making moment is at hand. Established trust provides an opportunity for the company to deliver sound information and influence during a remodeling decision.

  6. LHC@Home: a BOINC-based volunteer computing infrastructure for physics studies at CERN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barranco, Javier; Cai, Yunhai; Cameron, David; Crouch, Matthew; Maria, Riccardo De; Field, Laurence; Giovannozzi, Massimo; Hermes, Pascal; Høimyr, Nils; Kaltchev, Dobrin; Karastathis, Nikos; Luzzi, Cinzia; Maclean, Ewen; McIntosh, Eric; Mereghetti, Alessio; Molson, James; Nosochkov, Yuri; Pieloni, Tatiana; Reid, Ivan D.; Rivkin, Lenny; Segal, Ben; Sjobak, Kyrre; Skands, Peter; Tambasco, Claudia; Veken, Frederik Van der; Zacharov, Igor

    2017-12-01

    The LHC@Home BOINC project has provided computing capacity for numerical simulations to researchers at CERN since 2004, and has since 2011 been expanded with a wider range of applications. The traditional CERN accelerator physics simulation code SixTrack enjoys continuing volunteers support, and thanks to virtualisation a number of applications from the LHC experiment collaborations and particle theory groups have joined the consolidated LHC@Home BOINC project. This paper addresses the challenges related to traditional and virtualized applications in the BOINC environment, and how volunteer computing has been integrated into the overall computing strategy of the laboratory through the consolidated LHC@Home service. Thanks to the computing power provided by volunteers joining LHC@Home, numerous accelerator beam physics studies have been carried out, yielding an improved understanding of charged particle dynamics in the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and its future upgrades. The main results are highlighted in this paper.

  7. Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes: Do Special Care Units Make a Difference? A Secondary Data Analysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumenfeld Arens, Olivia; Fierz, Katharina; Zúñiga, Franziska

    2017-01-01

    In special care units (SCUs) for residents with advanced dementia, both personnel and organizations are adapted to the needs of residents. However, whether these adaptations have a preventive effect on elder abuse has not yet been explored. To describe the prevalence of observed emotional abuse, neglect, and physical abuse in Swiss nursing homes, to compare SCUs with non-SCUs concerning the frequency of observed emotional abuse, neglect, and physical abuse, and to explore how resident-related characteristics, staff outcomes/characteristics, and organizational/environmental factors relate to observed elder abuse. This is a secondary data analysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project (SHURP), a cross-sectional multicenter study. Data were collected from 2012 to 2013 and are based on observed rather than perpetrated elder abuse. We performed multilevel mixed-effects logistic regressions taking into account the hierarchical structure of the data with personnel nested within units and facilities. Of 4,599 care workers in 400 units and 156 facilities, 50.8% observed emotional abuse, 23.7% neglect, and 1.4% physical abuse. There was no significant difference between SCUs and non-SCUs regarding observed emotional abuse and neglect. Higher scores for 'workload' and sexual aggression towards care workers were associated with higher rates of emotional abuse and neglect. Verbal and physical resident aggression, however, were only associated with higher rates of emotional abuse. Negative associations were found between 'teamwork and resident safety climate' and both forms of abuse. Improving teamwork and the safety climate and reducing work stressors might be promising points of intervention to reduce elder abuse. More specific research about elder abuse in SCUs and the interaction between work climate and elder abuse is required. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  8. Patient-centered medical home initiatives expanded in 2009-13: providers, patients, and payment incentives increased.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Samuel T; Bitton, Asaf; Hong, Johan; Landon, Bruce E

    2014-10-01

    Patient-centered medical home initiatives are central to many efforts to reform the US health care delivery system. To better understand the extent and nature of these initiatives, in 2013 we performed a nationwide cross-sectional survey of initiatives that included payment reform incentives in their models, and we compared the results to those of a similar survey we conducted in 2009. We found that the number of initiatives featuring payment reform incentives had increased from 26 in 2009 to 114 in 2013. The number of patients covered by these initiatives had increased from nearly five million to almost twenty-one million. We also found that the proportion of time-limited initiatives--those with a planned end date--was 20 percent in 2013, a decrease from 77 percent in 2009. Finally, we found that the dominant payment model for patient-centered medical homes remained fee-for-service payments augmented by per member per month payments and pay-for-performance bonuses. However, those payments and bonuses were higher in 2013 than they were in 2009, and the use of shared-savings models was greater. The patient-centered medical home model is likely to continue both to become more common and to play an important role in delivery system reform. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  9. HOMING PLACE: TOWARDS A PARTICIPATORY, AMBULANT AND CONVERSIVE METHODOLOGY

    OpenAIRE

    Myers, Misha

    2009-01-01

    The practice-as-research project Homing Place proposes a transferable percipient-led methodology of performance and research activated by ambulant and conversive mechanisms as the culmination of this research. The thesis is comprised of a range of activity that represents a moment and way of writing practice. Three artworks that comprise part of the practical component of this thesis--- way from home, Take me to a place and Yodel Rodeo-- each involved participation and contribu...

  10. Infant emotional distress, maternal restriction at a home meal, and child BMI gain through age 6years in the Colorado Adoption Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hittner, James B; Johnson, Cassandra; Tripicchio, Gina; Faith, Myles S

    2016-04-01

    Infant temperament and parental feeding practices may be risk factors for childhood obesity, however most studies have relied upon parent-report assessments. We tested whether infant emotional distress and maternal restrictive feeding at 12-months of age, assessed observationally at a home feeding interaction, predicted child BMI through age 6years. We conducted a prospective observational study of 86 children (34 girls and 52 boys, from 55 adoptive and 31 non-adoptive families) enrolled in the Colorado Adoption Project. Mother-infant feeding interactions were video-recorded during a home snack or meal at year 1, and child anthropometrics (length or height, and weight) were assessed at years 1 through 6. The main outcome measures were child weight-for-length at year 1 and body mass index (BMI: kg/m(2)) at years 2-6. Results of generalized linear models indicated that greater infant emotional distress at 12-months predicted greater increases in child weight status through age 6years, B=0.62 and odds ratio (OR)=1.87. In separate analyses, restrictive feeding interacted with child sex in predicting weight status trajectories (p=.012). Male infants whose mothers displayed any compared to no restriction at year 1 showed a downward BMI trajectory from 2 to 6years; for female infants, exposure to any compared to no restriction prompts predicted increasing BMI from 4 to 6years. In sum, early obesity prevention strategies should pay greater attention to infant temperament, especially distress and negative affect, and how parents respond to such cues. Additionally, 'responsive feeding' strategies that provide an alternative to restriction warrant greater research during infancy. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Leaving home and entering the housing market.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Clark, W.A.V.; Mulder, C.H.

    2000-01-01

    We use a multinomial choice model of owning a home, owning a trailer, or renting to examine the housing-market entry of young adults in the USA after they have left the parental home. We also model the choice between renting independently and sharing with roommates. We show that the likelihood of

  12. The Science of Home Automation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Brian Louis

    Smart home technologies and the concept of home automation have become more popular in recent years. This popularity has been accompanied by social acceptance of passive sensors installed throughout the home. The subsequent increase in smart homes facilitates the creation of home automation strategies. We believe that home automation strategies can be generated intelligently by utilizing smart home sensors and activity learning. In this dissertation, we hypothesize that home automation can benefit from activity awareness. To test this, we develop our activity-aware smart automation system, CARL (CASAS Activity-aware Resource Learning). CARL learns the associations between activities and device usage from historical data and utilizes the activity-aware capabilities to control the devices. To help validate CARL we deploy and test three different versions of the automation system in a real-world smart environment. To provide a foundation of activity learning, we integrate existing activity recognition and activity forecasting into CARL home automation. We also explore two alternatives to using human-labeled data to train the activity learning models. The first unsupervised method is Activity Detection, and the second is a modified DBSCAN algorithm that utilizes Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) as a distance metric. We compare the performance of activity learning with human-defined labels and with automatically-discovered activity categories. To provide evidence in support of our hypothesis, we evaluate CARL automation in a smart home testbed. Our results indicate that home automation can be boosted through activity awareness. We also find that the resulting automation has a high degree of usability and comfort for the smart home resident.

  13. Time Out-of-Home and Cognitive, Physical, and Emotional Wellbeing of Older Adults: A Longitudinal Mixed Effects Model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna Petersen

    Full Text Available Time out-of-home has been linked with numerous health outcomes, including cognitive decline, poor physical ability and low emotional state. Comprehensive characterization of this important health metric would potentially enable objective monitoring of key health outcomes. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between time out-of-home and cognitive status, physical ability and emotional state.Participants included 85 independent older adults, age 65-96 years (M = 86.36; SD = 6.79 who lived alone, from the Intelligent Systems for Assessing Aging Changes (ISAAC and the ORCATECH Life Laboratory cohorts. Factors hypothesized to affect time out-of-home were assessed on three different temporal levels: yearly (cognitive status, loneliness, clinical walking speed, weekly (pain and mood or daily (time out-of-home, in-home walking speed, weather, and season. Subject characteristics including age, race, and gender were assessed at baseline. Total daily time out-of-home in hours was assessed objectively and unobtrusively for up to one year using an in-home activity sensor platform. A longitudinal tobit mixed effects regression model was used to relate daily time out-of-home to cognitive status, physical ability and emotional state. More hours spend outside the home was associated with better cognitive function as assessed using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR Scale, where higher scores indicate lower cognitive function (βCDR = -1.69, p<0.001. More hours outside the home was also associated with superior physical ability (βPain = -0.123, p<0.001 and improved emotional state (βLonely = -0.046, p<0.001; βLow mood = -0.520, p<0.001. Weather, season, and weekday also affected the daily time out-of-home.These results suggest that objective longitudinal monitoring of time out-of-home may enable unobtrusive assessment of cognitive, physical and emotional state. In addition, these results indicate that the factors affecting out-of-home

  14. Retrofitting a 1960s Split-Level, Cold-Climate Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puttagunta, Srikanth [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-07-13

    National programs such as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® and numerous other utility air-sealing programs have made homeowners aware of the benefits of energy-efficiency retrofits. Yet these programs tend to focus only on the low-hanging fruit: they recommend air sealing the thermal envelope and ductwork where accessible, switching to efficient lighting and low-flow fixtures, and improving the efficiency of mechanical systems (though insufficient funds or lack of knowledge to implement these improvements commonly prevent the implementation of these higher cost upgrades). At the other end of the spectrum, various utilities across the country are encouraging deep energy retrofit programs. Although deep energy retrofits typically seek 50% energy savings, they are often quite costly and are most applicable to gut-rehab projects. A significant potential for lowering energy use in existing homes lies between the lowhanging fruit and deep energy retrofit approaches—retrofits that save approximately 30% in energy compared to the pre-retrofit conditions. The energy-efficiency measures need to be nonintrusive so the retrofit projects can be accomplished in occupied homes.

  15. Transforming home health nursing with telehealth technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrar, Francisca Cisneros

    2015-06-01

    Telehealth technology is an evidence-based delivery model tool that can be integrated into the plan of care for mental health patients. Telehealth technology empowers access to health care, can help decrease or prevent hospital readmissions, assist home health nurses provide shared decision making, and focuses on collaborative care. Telehealth and the recovery model have transformed the role of the home health nurse. Nurses need to be proactive and respond to rapidly emerging technologies that are transforming their role in home care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Key sectors of the home automation industry, topical report, January 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This is one of a series of topical reports dealing with the strategic, technical, and market development of home automation. Particular emphasis is placed upon identifying those aspects of home automation that will impact the gas industry and gas products. Communication standards, market drivers, key organizations, technical implementation, product opportunities, and market growth projections will all be addressed in this or subsequent reports. These reports will also discuss how the gas industry and gas-fired equipment can use home automation technology to benefit the consumer

  17. Providing High-Quality Support Services to Home-Based Child Care: A Conceptual Model and Literature Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bromer, Juliet; Korfmacher, Jon

    2017-01-01

    Research Findings: Home-based child care accounts for a significant proportion of nonparental child care arrangements for young children in the United States. Yet the early care and education field lacks clear models or pathways for how to improve quality in these settings. The conceptual model presented here articulates the components of…

  18. The effect of effort expenditure, job control and work-home arrangements on negative work-home interference in the hospitality industry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tromp, D.M.; Blomme, R.J.

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates the role of job expenditure and job control on negative work-home interference according the Effort-Recovery model. In addition, the role of work-home arrangements, as a measure of home control, is investigated. This study concerns higher educated employees who have been

  19. A model of the environmental impacts of hydropower projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kemppainen, T.; Haemaelaeinen, I.

    1992-01-01

    The aim was to create a model of the effects of hydropower modernization and extension projects in Finland. To illustrate the effects of hydropower projects a checklist in the form of matrice was constructed. In this matrice all issues that could be significant in future hydropower projects were collected. Stable physical environmental changes are the starting-point for this matrice. The temporary change of hydropower constructions have also been under consideration. These are mainly environmental changes during construction. In chapter two the effects of hydropower modernization and extension projects physical environmental changes were examined. In chapter three the matrice was applied to some example cases. The cases were chosen to represent future hydropower projects. In addition these example cases represent urban areas, rural areas and uninhabited areas. The example cases were the extension of Tainionkoski hydropower plant at Vuoksi river, the modernization of Aeetsae power plant at Kokemaeenjoki river, the modernization of Stadsfors power plant at Lapuanjoki river in the centre of Uusikaarlepyy town and the construction of Kaitfors power plant at Perhonjoki river. Conclusions from usability of the model can be drawn on the ground of the example cases. The purpose of the model is to produce a checklist of estimated environmental effects in hydropower project of various kinds. Examination of issues within the model depends on local circumstances. Endangered animal and plant species, for example, can be studied and estimated only if endangered animal and plant species exist in the area of hydropower plant. Furthermore, the direction and extent of environmental effects depend on the local circumstances. The model is mainly a checklist of environmental effects caused by hydropower plant projects

  20. The association of birth model with resilience variables and birth experience: Home versus hospital birth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handelzalts, Jonathan E; Zacks, Arni; Levy, Sigal

    2016-05-01

    to study home, natural hospital, and medical hospital births, and the association of these birth models to resilience and birth experience. cross-section retrospective design. participants were recruited via an online survey system. Invitations to participate were posted in five different Internet forums for women on maternity leave, from September 2014 to August 2015. the sample comprised 381 post partum healthy women above the age of 20, during their maternity leave. Of the participants: 22% gave birth at home, 32% gave birth naturally in a hospital, and 46% of the participants had a medical birth at the hospital. life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R), General Self-Efficacy Scale, Sense of Mastery Scale, Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). women having had natural births, whether at home or at the hospital, significantly differed from women having had medical births in all aspects of the birth experience, even when controlling for age and optimism. Birth types contributed to between 14% and 24% of the explained variance of the various birth experience aspects. home and natural hospital births were associated with a better childbirth experience. Optimism was identified as a resilience factor, associated both with preference as well as with childbirth experience. physically healthy and resilient women could be encouraged to explore the prospect of home or natural hospital births as a means to have a more positive birth experience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Validity of at home model predictions as a proxy for personal exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phone base stations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martens, Astrid L; Bolte, John F B; Beekhuizen, Johan; Kromhout, Hans; Smid, Tjabe; Vermeulen, Roel C H

    2015-10-01

    Epidemiological studies on the potential health effects of RF-EMF from mobile phone base stations require efficient and accurate exposure assessment methods. Previous studies have demonstrated that the 3D geospatial model NISMap is able to rank locations by indoor and outdoor RF-EMF exposure levels. This study extends on previous work by evaluating the suitability of using NISMap to estimate indoor RF-EMF exposure levels at home as a proxy for personal exposure to RF-EMF from mobile phone base stations. For 93 individuals in the Netherlands we measured personal exposure to RF-EMF from mobile phone base stations during a 24h period using an EME-SPY 121 exposimeter. Each individual kept a diary from which we extracted the time spent at home and in the bedroom. We used NISMap to model exposure at the home address of the participant (at bedroom height). We then compared model predictions with measurements for the 24h period, when at home, and in the bedroom by the Spearman correlation coefficient (rsp) and by calculating specificity and sensitivity using the 90th percentile of the exposure distribution as a cutpoint for high exposure. We found a low to moderate rsp of 0.36 for the 24h period, 0.51 for measurements at home, and 0.41 for measurements in the bedroom. The specificity was high (0.9) but with a low sensitivity (0.3). These results indicate that a meaningful ranking of personal RF-EMF can be achieved, even though the correlation between model predictions and 24h personal RF-EMF measurements is lower than with at home measurements. However, the use of at home RF-EMF field predictions from mobile phone base stations in epidemiological studies leads to significant exposure misclassification that will result in a loss of statistical power to detect health effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. The birth of a multicultural funeral home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Pijl, Yvon

    2017-01-01

    In 2014, the Dutch Funeral Organization Yarden started with the participatory preparations for a multicultural funeral home. The project aims at a 24/7 service for the super-diverse population of Amsterdam and beyond. This article gives an ethnographic account of Yarden's efforts to capture cultural diversity. It explores how a multicultural gaze creates a power/knowledge dynamic producing new discourses and shaping new layers of significance. The study then turns into arguing that the birth of the multicultural home is, above all, a cultural, collaborative search leaving (counter-discursive) space for creativity, change, and cultural renewal of all actors involved.

  3. Integrating Parenting Support Within and Beyond the Pediatric Medical Home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linton, Julie M; Stockton, Maria Paz; Andrade, Berta; Daniel, Stephanie

    2018-01-01

    Positive parenting programs, developmental support services, and evidence-based home visiting programs can effectively provide parenting support and improve health and developmental outcomes for at-risk children. Few models, however, have integrated referrals for on-site support and home visiting programs into the provision of routine pediatric care within a medical home. This article describes an innovative approach, through partnership with a community-based organization, to deliver on-site and home visiting support services for children and families within and beyond the medical home. Our model offers a system of on-site services, including parenting, behavior, and/or development support, with optional intensive home visiting services. Assessment included description of the population served, delineation of services provided, and qualitative identification of key themes of the impact of services, illustrated by case examples. This replicable model describes untapped potential of the pediatric medical home as a springboard to mitigate risk and optimize children's health and development.

  4. The homes of tomorrow: service composition and advanced user interfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudio Di Ciccio

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Home automation represents a growing market in the industrialized world. Today’s systems are mainly based on ad hoc and proprietary solutions, with little to no interoperability and smart integration. However, in a not so distant future, our homes will be equipped with many sensors, actuators and devices, which will collectively expose services, able to smartly interact and integrate, in order to offer complex services providing even richer functionalities. In this paper we present the approach and results of SM4ALL- Smart hoMes for All, a project investigating automatic service composition and advanced user interfaces applied to domotics.

  5. EFL Learners' Home Culture Attachment and their Attitudes towards English Language Learning: A structural equation modeling approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Sharifi Feriz

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the present study is to examine home culture attachment construct and its underlying variables among Iranian English as Foreign Language learners as well as their attitudes towards English language learning. Pearson correlation is used with a sample of 411 English major university students from different provinces in Iran, mainly Khorasan Razavi, Khoran Jonoubi and Sistan Baluchestan participated in this study. As for the quantitative phase of data collection, the study employed home culture attachment and attitude towards English language learning questionnaires. The reliability and validity of these questionnaires are reported. A home culture attachment model and an attitude model are also developed and tested using structural equation modeling. The results suggest that all three subscales of attitudes (emotional, behavioral, and cognitive are positive and significant predictors of students' western attachment. From three subscales of attitude, only behavioral attitude is negative and significant predictors of students' religious attachment. In addition, Iranian attachment is influenced by cognitive attitudes and emotional attitudes. Besides, cognitive attitude is a positive and significant predictor of students' cultural attachment. It is also found that, artistic attachment is influenced by behavioral attitudes and emotional attitudes. Finally, the pedagogical implications are discussed in light of foreign language achievement.

  6. Myanmar Model Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Heron, John

    1998-01-01

    The National Radiation Laboratory was approached by the IAEA in 1997 to provide assistance to the government of Myanmar, as part of the Model Project, in setting up an appropriate regulatory framework for radiation protection. To this end John Le Heron spent 3 weeks in late 1997 based at the Atomic Energy Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Yangon, assessing the existing legal framework, assisting with the review and design of the legal framework for consistency with the Basic Safety Standards, and assisting in the preparation of a system of notification, authorisation and inspection of radiation practices. (author)

  7. Explaining Home Bias in Trade: The Role of Time Costs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inkoo Lee

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available We study how time costs, combined with elasticity of substitution across home and foreign goods, can explain the home bias puzzle in a framework of flexible prices. Using a simple two-country model, we show that introducing time costs to an otherwise standard competitive model improves its ability to rationalize home bias in trade. Our analysis suggests that home bias and corresponding incomplete risk-sharing naturally arise in the presence of time costs, even under the assumption of complete financial markets and low elasticity of substitution between home and foreign goods.

  8. The PASS project architectural model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Day, C.T.; Loken, S.; Macfarlane, J.F.

    1994-01-01

    The PASS project has as its goal the implementation of solutions to the foreseen data access problems of the next generation of scientific experiments. The architectural model results from an evaluation of the operational and technical requirements and is described in terms of an abstract reference model, an implementation model and a discussion of some design aspects. The abstract reference model describes a system that matches the requirements in terms of its components and the mechanisms by which they communicate, but does not discuss policy or design issues that would be necessary to match the model to an actual implementation. Some of these issues are discussed, but more detailed design and simulation work will be necessary before choices can be made

  9. The construction project manager in South Africa: Analysis of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Journal Home > Vol 22, No 1 (2015) > ... Construction project managers in the built environment come from various backgrounds and knowledge bases; therefore, the project managers' project ... Industry-specific guidelines for construction project management (PMBOK and SACPCMP) were obtained and analysed.

  10. Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cunningham, Kerrie [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership; Hannigan, Eileen [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership

    2013-03-01

    To explore ways to reduce customer barriers and increase home retrofit completions, several different existing home retrofit models have been implemented in the state of Wisconsin. This study compared these programs' performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of each program design. However, given the many variations in these different programs, it is difficult to establish a fair comparison based on only a small number of metrics. Therefore, the overall purpose of the study is to document these programs' performance in a case study approach to look at general patterns of these metrics and other variables within the context of each program. This information can be used by energy efficiency program administrators and implementers to inform home retrofit program design. Six different program designs offered in Wisconsin for single-family energy efficiency improvements were included in the study. For each program, the research team provided information about the programs' approach and goals, characteristics, achievements and performance. The program models were then compared with performance results-program cost and energy savings-to help understand the overall strengths and weaknesses or challenges of each model.

  11. Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cunningham, K.; Hannigan, E.

    2013-03-01

    To explore ways to reduce customer barriers and increase home retrofit completions, several different existing home retrofit models have been implemented in the state of Wisconsin. This study compared these programs' performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of each program design. However, given the many variations in these different programs, it is difficult to establish a fair comparison based on only a small number of metrics. Therefore, the overall purpose of the study is to document these programs' performance in a case study approach to look at general patterns of these metrics and other variables within the context of each program. This information can be used by energy efficiency program administrators and implementers to inform home retrofit program design. Six different program designs offered in Wisconsin for single-family energy efficiency improvements were included in the study. For each program, the research team provided information about the programs' approach and goals, characteristics, achievements and performance. The program models were then compared with performance results -- program cost and energy savings -- to help understand the overall strengths and weaknesses or challenges of each model.

  12. Home care in Europe: a systematic literature review

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Health and social services provided at home are becoming increasingly important. Hence, there is a need for information on home care in Europe. The objective of this literature review was to respond to this need by systematically describing what has been reported on home care in Europe in the scientific literature over the past decade. Methods A systematic literature search was performed for papers on home care published in English, using the following data bases: Cinahl, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, and Social Care Online. Studies were only included if they complied with the definition of home care, were published between January 1998 and October 2009, and dealt with at least one of the 31 specified countries. Clinical interventions, instrument developments, local projects and reviews were excluded. The data extracted included: the characteristics of the study and aspects of home care 'policy & regulation', 'financing', 'organisation & service delivery', and 'clients & informal carers'. Results Seventy-four out of 5,133 potentially relevant studies met the inclusion criteria, providing information on 18 countries. Many focused on the characteristics of home care recipients and on the organisation of home care. Geographical inequalities, market forces, quality and integration of services were also among the issues frequently discussed. Conclusions Home care systems appeared to differ both between and within countries. The papers included, however, provided only a limited picture of home care. Many studies only focused on one aspect of the home care system and international comparative studies were rare. Furthermore, little information emerged on home care financing and on home care in general in Eastern Europe. This review clearly shows the need for more scientific publications on home care, especially studies comparing countries. A comprehensive and more complete insight into the

  13. HOME CARE NURSES’ ROLES IN ENHANCING QUALITY OF NURSING CARE FOR PATIENTS AT HOME: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Titan Ligita

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Provision of health care service at home is one of the advanced forms of care for patients being discharged from hospitalization. Little is known about the experience of nurses providing home care services through a nursing home-care model especially in Indonesian context. Objective: This study aims to explore the experience in order to increase understanding on the form of home care provision, and consequently the nurses may understand the form of home care globally. Methods: This study employed a phenomenological design and performed interview in the process of data collection. Data were analysed by using content analysis. Results: The main contexts of home care nurse experiences were generated. There were definition and role of home care nurses, the involvement of family members in the provision of care, the facilitating and hindering factors contributed to home care provision as well as manual on providing home care nursing. Conclusion: The implication from this study is that nursing care should be given to the patients continuously and consequently the need for family involvement is important. Additionally, in providing the home care, a proper manual is needed by home care nurses as the guidance to give best quality of care to patients.

  14. Implementing the patient-centered medical home in residency education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, Benjamin R; Tobin, Daniel; Genao, Inginia; Ellman, Matthew; Ruser, Christopher; Brienza, Rebecca

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, physician groups, government agencies and third party payers in the United States of America have promoted a Patient-centered Medical Home (PCMH) model that fosters a team-based approach to primary care. Advocates highlight the model's collaborative approach where physicians, mid-level providers, nurses and other health care personnel coordinate their efforts with an aim for high-quality, efficient care. Early studies show improvement in quality measures, reduction in emergency room visits and cost savings. However, implementing the PCMH presents particular challenges to physician training programs, including institutional commitment, infrastructure expenditures and faculty training. Teaching programs must consider how the objectives of the PCMH model align with recent innovations in resident evaluation now required by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in the US. This article addresses these challenges, assesses the preliminary success of a pilot project, and proposes a viable, realistic model for implementation at other institutions.

  15. Local Medicaid home- and community-based services spending and nursing home admissions of younger adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Kali S; Keohane, Laura; Mor, Vincent

    2014-11-01

    We used fixed-effect models to examine the relationship between local spending on home- and community-based services (HCBSs) for cash-assisted Medicaid-only disabled (CAMOD) adults and younger adult admissions to nursing homes in the United States during 2001 through 2008, with control for facility and market characteristics and secular trends. We found that increased CAMOD Medicaid HCBS spending at the local level is associated with decreased admissions of younger adults to nursing homes. Our findings suggest that states' efforts to expand HCBS for this population should continue.

  16. Development of a funding, cost, and spending model for satellite projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Jesse P.

    1989-01-01

    The need for a predictive budget/funging model is obvious. The current models used by the Resource Analysis Office (RAO) are used to predict the total costs of satellite projects. An effort to extend the modeling capabilities from total budget analysis to total budget and budget outlays over time analysis was conducted. A statistical based and data driven methodology was used to derive and develop the model. Th budget data for the last 18 GSFC-sponsored satellite projects were analyzed and used to build a funding model which would describe the historical spending patterns. This raw data consisted of dollars spent in that specific year and their 1989 dollar equivalent. This data was converted to the standard format used by the RAO group and placed in a database. A simple statistical analysis was performed to calculate the gross statistics associated with project length and project cost ant the conditional statistics on project length and project cost. The modeling approach used is derived form the theory of embedded statistics which states that properly analyzed data will produce the underlying generating function. The process of funding large scale projects over extended periods of time is described by Life Cycle Cost Models (LCCM). The data was analyzed to find a model in the generic form of a LCCM. The model developed is based on a Weibull function whose parameters are found by both nonlinear optimization and nonlinear regression. In order to use this model it is necessary to transform the problem from a dollar/time space to a percentage of total budget/time space. This transformation is equivalent to moving to a probability space. By using the basic rules of probability, the validity of both the optimization and the regression steps are insured. This statistically significant model is then integrated and inverted. The resulting output represents a project schedule which relates the amount of money spent to the percentage of project completion.

  17. Project Management in Public Administration. TPM – Total Project Management Maturity Model. The Case of Slovenian Public Administration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gordana ŽURGA

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the article is to present the importance of project management for the functioning of public administration, and its contribution to the realization of the developmental goals of the government. For this, integration of strategic management and project management is of vital importance. The methodology used is a combination of literature review, a case study of project management in public administration of the Republic of Slovenia, and development of a maturity model of project management in public administration, with its verifi cation on the case of Slovenia. The main contribution of the study is development of TPM – Total Project Management maturity model for public administration. Upon the TPM maturity model, project management in Slovene public administration is assessed and discussed. Out of fi ve maturity levels, the results for project management in Slovene public administration are: management of projects – level 2 (initiated, management of programs of projects – level 2 (initiated, management of portfolios of projects – level 3 (implemented, organizational support for project management – level 3 (implemented, HRM for project management – level 2 (initiated, and integration of project management and strategic management – level 3 (implemented. General fi ndings and recommendations in this respect are drawn, together with indicated areas for possible further research and investigation.

  18. Brookfield Homes Passive House Performance Evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herk, A. [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Poerschke, A. [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Beach, R. [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2016-02-04

    In 2012-2013, IBACOS worked with a builder, Brookfield Homes in Denver, Colorado, to design and construct a Passive House certified model home. IBACOS used several modeling programs and calculation methods to complete the final design package along with Brookfield's architect KGA Studio. This design package included upgrades to the thermal enclosure, basement insulation, windows, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Short-term performance testing in the Passive House was done during construction and after construction. Testing with a blower door indicated that whole-building air leakage to the outside was 324 CFM and 0.60 ACH50. The other two test homes had little short-term testing done post-construction by the local energy rater. IBACOS then monitored the energy consumption and whole-house comfort conditions of that occupied Passive House after one year of operation and compared the monitoring results to those for two other occupied test houses in the same area with similar square footage but slightly different floor plans. IBACOS also assisted the builder, Brookfield Homes, in researching design scenarios for Zero Energy Ready Home and ENERGY STAR acceptance levels. IBACOS also assisted Brookfield in conceptualizing product for Denver's Brighton Heights area. Brookfield was considering building to Zero Energy Ready Home standards in that location. IBACOS provided strategies that Brookfield may draw from in the event the builder chooses to pursue a Zero Energy Ready Home plan for that market.

  19. Wyandotte Neighborhood Stabilization Program: Retrofit of Two Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lukachko, A.; Grin, A.; Bergey, D.

    2013-04-01

    The Wyandotte NSP2 project aims to build 20 new houses and retrofit 20 existing houses in Wyandotte, MI. This report will detail the retrofit of 2 existing houses in the program. Wyandotte is part of a Michigan State Housing Development Authority-led consortium that is funded by HUD under the NSP2 program. The City of Wyandotte has also been awarded DOE EE&CBG funds that are being used to develop a district GSHP system to service the project. This draft report examines the energy efficiency recommendations for retrofit construction at these homes. The report will be of interest to anyone planning an affordable, high performance retrofit of an existing home in a Cold Climate zone. Information from this report will also be useful to retrofit or weatherization program staff as some of the proposed retrofit solutions will apply to a wide range of projects. Preliminary results from the first complete house suggest that the technology package employed (which includes spray foam insulation and insulating sheathing) does meet the specific whole house water, air, and thermal control requirements, as well as, the project's affordability goals. Monitoring of the GSHP system has been recommended and analysis of this information is not yet available.

  20. Home care patients in four Nordic capitals – predictors of nursing home admission during one-year followup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liv W Sørbye

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Liv W Sørbye1, Torunn Hamran2, Nils Henriksen2, Astrid Norberg2,31Diakonhjemmet University College, Oslo, Norway; 2Department of Health and Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Norway; 3Umeå University, Umeå, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, SwedenAbstract: The aim was to predict nursing home admission (NHA for home care patients after a 12-month follow-up study. This Nordic study is derived from the aged in home care (AdHOC project conducted in 2001–2003 with patients at 11 sites in Europe. The participants in the cohort study were randomly selected individuals, aged 65 years or older, receiving homecare in Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Reykjavik. The Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (version 2.0 was used. Epidemiological and medical characteristics of patients and service utilization were recorded for 1508 home care patients (participation rate 74%. In this sample 75% were female. The mean age was 82.1 (6.9 years for men and 84.0 (6.6 for women. The most consistent predictor of NHA was receiving skilled nursing procedures at baseline (help with medication and injections, administration or help with oxygen, intravenous, catheter and stoma care, wounds and skin care (adjusted odds ratio = 3.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.7–7.8; P < 0.001. In this Nordic material, stronger emphasizing on higher qualified nurses in a home care setting could prevent or delay NHA.Keywords: aged, home care, cross-sectional study, self-rated health, level of care, care burden, comprehensive assessment, RAI, Nordic

  1. [Aromatherapy in nursing homes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barré, Lucile

    2015-01-01

    Pierre Delaroche de Clisson hospital uses essential oils as part of its daily organisation for the treatment of pain and the development of palliative care. The setting up of this project, in nursing homes and long-term care units, is the fruit of a complex mission carried out by a multidisciplinary team, which had to take into account the risks involved and overcome a certain amount of reluctance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  2. submitter LHC@Home: a BOINC-based volunteer computing infrastructure for physics studies at CERN

    CERN Document Server

    Barranco, Javier; Cameron, David; Crouch, Matthew; De Maria, Riccardo; Field, Laurence; Giovannozzi, Massimo; Hermes, Pascal; Høimyr, Nils; Kaltchev, Dobrin; Karastathis, Nikos; Luzzi, Cinzia; Maclean, Ewen; McIntosh, Eric; Mereghetti, Alessio; Molson, James; Nosochkov, Yuri; Pieloni, Tatiana; Reid, Ivan D; Rivkin, Lenny; Segal, Ben; Sjobak, Kyrre; Skands, Peter; Tambasco, Claudia; Van der Veken, Frederik; Zacharov, Igor

    2017-01-01

    The LHC@Home BOINC project has provided computing capacity for numerical simulations to researchers at CERN since 2004, and has since 2011 been expanded with a wider range of applications. The traditional CERN accelerator physics simulation code SixTrack enjoys continuing volunteers support, and thanks to virtualisation a number of applications from the LHC experiment collaborations and particle theory groups have joined the consolidated LHC@Home BOINC project. This paper addresses the challenges related to traditional and virtualized applications in the BOINC environment, and how volunteer computing has been integrated into the overall computing strategy of the laboratory through the consolidated LHC@Home service. Thanks to the computing power provided by volunteers joining LHC@Home, numerous accelerator beam physics studies have been carried out, yielding an improved understanding of charged particle dynamics in the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and its future upgrades. The main results are highlighted i...

  3. Risk Assessment of Engineering Project Financing Based on PPP Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma Qiuli

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available At present, the project financing channel is single, and the urban facilities are in short supply, and the risk assessment and prevention mechanism of financing should be further improved to reduce the risk of project financing. In view of this, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model of project financing risk which combined the method of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and analytic hierarchy process is established. The scientificalness and effectiveness of the model are verified by the example of the world port project in Luohe city, and it provides basis and reference for engineering project financing based on PPP mode.

  4. Fixing the broken image of care homes, could a 'care home innovation centre' be the answer?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hockley, Jo; Harrison, Jennifer Kirsty; Watson, Julie; Randall, Marion; Murray, Scott

    2017-03-01

    The UK has many excellent care homes that provide high-quality care for their residents; however, across the care home sector, there is a significant need for improvement. Even though the majority of care homes receive a rating of 'good' from regulators, still significant numbers are identified as requiring 'improvement' or are 'inadequate'. Such findings resonate with the public perceptions of long-term care as a negative choice, to be avoided wherever possible-as well as impacting on the career choices of health and social care students. Projections of current demographics highlight that, within 10 years, the part of our population that will be growing the fastest will be those people older than 80 years old with the suggestion that spending on long-term care provision needs to rise from 0.6% of our Gross Domestic Product in 2002 to 0.96% by 2031. Teaching/research-based care homes have been developed in the USA, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Australia in response to scandals about care, and the shortage of trained geriatric healthcare staff. There is increasing evidence that such facilities help to reduce inappropriate hospital admissions, increase staff competency and bring increased enthusiasm about working in care homes and improve the quality of care. Is this something that the UK should think of developing? This commentary details the core goals of a Care Home Innovation Centre for training and research as a radical vision to change the culture and image of care homes, and help address this huge public health issue we face. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. COGNITIVE MODELING AS A METHOD OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF IT PROJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Інна Ігорівна ОНИЩЕНКО

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The example project implementing automated CRM-system demonstrated the possibility and features of cognitive modeling in the qualitative analysis of project risks to determine their additional features. Proposed construction of cognitive models of project risks in information technology within the qualitative risk analysis, additional assessments as a method of ranking risk to characterize the relationship between them. The proposed cognitive model reflecting the relationship between the risk of IT project to assess the negative and the positive impact of certain risks for the remaining risks of project implementation of the automated CRM-system. The ability to influence the risk of a fact of other project risks can increase the priority of risk with low impact on results due to its relationship with other project risks.

  6. A DISTRIBUTED SMART HOME ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lynggaard, Per

    2013-01-01

    A majority of the research performed today explore artificial intelligence in smart homes by using a centralized approach where a smart home server performs the necessary calculations. This approach has some disadvantages that can be overcome by shifting focus to a distributed approach where...... the artificial intelligence system is implemented as distributed as agents running parts of the artificial intelligence system. This paper presents a distributed smart home architecture that distributes artificial intelligence in smart homes and discusses the pros and cons of such a concept. The presented...... distributed model is a layered model. Each layer offers a different complexity level of the embedded distributed artificial intelligence. At the lowest layer smart objects exists, they are small cheap embedded microcontroller based smart devices that are powered by batteries. The next layer contains a more...

  7. DOE ZERH Case Study: Carl Franklin Homes, L.C./Green Extreme Homes, CDC, McKinley Project, Garland TX

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    none,

    2015-09-01

    Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning affordable home in the hot-humid climate that got a HERS 56 without PV or HERS 26 with PV, with 4.5” SIP walls and 8.5” SIP roof; uninsulated slab; ductless minisplit heat pump 15.5 SEER, and tankless hot water.

  8. The Home as Workplace: Investigating Home Based Enterprises in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The research revealed the importance of home based enterprises as a major source of income generation and socialization in urban areas. Recommendations include the adoption of case-specific planning models, consideration of cultural contexts in planning and the adoption of local economic development strategies in ...

  9. Interpretable Predictive Models for Knowledge Discovery from Home-Care Electronic Health Records

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bonnie L. Westra

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this methodological study was to compare methods of developing predictive rules that are parsimonious and clinically interpretable from electronic health record (EHR home visit data, contrasting logistic regression with three data mining classification models. We address three problems commonly encountered in EHRs: the value of including clinically important variables with little variance, handling imbalanced datasets, and ease of interpretation of the resulting predictive models. Logistic regression and three classification models using Ripper, decision trees, and Support Vector Machines were applied to a case study for one outcome of improvement in oral medication management. Predictive rules for logistic regression, Ripper, and decision trees are reported and results compared using F-measures for data mining models and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for all models. The rules generated by the three classification models provide potentially novel insights into mining EHRs beyond those provided by standard logistic regression, and suggest steps for further study.

  10. Re-Imagining the Care Home: A Spatially Responsive Approach to Arts Practice with Older People in Residential Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatton, Nicola

    2014-01-01

    This paper considers some of the spatial challenges of doing arts projects with older people in care homes, including those living with dementia. It reflects on the author's own experience of running a performance project with residents with at a care home in North London. Drawing on Lefebvre's concept of socially produced space, it argues that…

  11. 38 CFR 59.40 - Maximum number of nursing home care and domiciliary care beds for veterans by State.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... home care and domiciliary care beds for veterans by State. 59.40 Section 59.40 Pensions, Bonuses, and... ACQUISITION OF STATE HOMES § 59.40 Maximum number of nursing home care and domiciliary care beds for veterans... projection of demand for nursing home and domiciliary care by veterans who at such time are 65 years of age...

  12. Energy Saver: Tips on Saving Energy and Money in Your Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Casey, Allison L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-10-04

    This guide shows you how easy it is to reduce your energy use at home and on the road. You'll find quick tips you can use to start saving today, as well as information on larger projects that will help save you money over the long term. Find even more information about saving money and energy at home by visiting our website, EnergySaver.gov.

  13. An Efficient Recommendation Filter Model on Smart Home Big Data Analytics for Enhanced Living Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hao; Xie, Xiaoyun; Shu, Wanneng; Xiong, Naixue

    2016-01-01

    With the rapid growth of wireless sensor applications, the user interfaces and configurations of smart homes have become so complicated and inflexible that users usually have to spend a great amount of time studying them and adapting to their expected operation. In order to improve user experience, a weighted hybrid recommender system based on a Kalman Filter model is proposed to predict what users might want to do next, especially when users are located in a smart home with an enhanced living environment. Specifically, a weight hybridization method was introduced, which combines contextual collaborative filter and the contextual content-based recommendations. This method inherits the advantages of the optimum regression and the stability features of the proposed adaptive Kalman Filter model, and it can predict and revise the weight of each system component dynamically. Experimental results show that the hybrid recommender system can optimize the distribution of weights of each component, and achieve more reasonable recall and precision rates. PMID:27754456

  14. An Efficient Recommendation Filter Model on Smart Home Big Data Analytics for Enhanced Living Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Chen

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available With the rapid growth of wireless sensor applications, the user interfaces and configurations of smart homes have become so complicated and inflexible that users usually have to spend a great amount of time studying them and adapting to their expected operation. In order to improve user experience, a weighted hybrid recommender system based on a Kalman Filter model is proposed to predict what users might want to do next, especially when users are located in a smart home with an enhanced living environment. Specifically, a weight hybridization method was introduced, which combines contextual collaborative filter and the contextual content-based recommendations. This method inherits the advantages of the optimum regression and the stability features of the proposed adaptive Kalman Filter model, and it can predict and revise the weight of each system component dynamically. Experimental results show that the hybrid recommender system can optimize the distribution of weights of each component, and achieve more reasonable recall and precision rates.

  15. An Efficient Recommendation Filter Model on Smart Home Big Data Analytics for Enhanced Living Environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hao; Xie, Xiaoyun; Shu, Wanneng; Xiong, Naixue

    2016-10-15

    With the rapid growth of wireless sensor applications, the user interfaces and configurations of smart homes have become so complicated and inflexible that users usually have to spend a great amount of time studying them and adapting to their expected operation. In order to improve user experience, a weighted hybrid recommender system based on a Kalman Filter model is proposed to predict what users might want to do next, especially when users are located in a smart home with an enhanced living environment. Specifically, a weight hybridization method was introduced, which combines contextual collaborative filter and the contextual content-based recommendations. This method inherits the advantages of the optimum regression and the stability features of the proposed adaptive Kalman Filter model, and it can predict and revise the weight of each system component dynamically. Experimental results show that the hybrid recommender system can optimize the distribution of weights of each component, and achieve more reasonable recall and precision rates.

  16. Generalized Linear Models of Home Activity for Automatic Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akl, Ahmad; Snoek, Jasper; Mihailidis, Alex

    2015-01-01

    With a globally aging population, the burden of care of cognitively impaired older adults is becoming increasingly concerning. Instances of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are becoming ever more frequent. Earlier detection of cognitive impairment offers significant benefits, but remains difficult to do in practice. In this paper, we develop statistical models of the behavior of older adults within their homes using sensor data in order to detect the early onset of cognitive decline. Specifically, we use inhomogenous Poisson processes to model the presence of subjects within different rooms throughout the day in the home using unobtrusive sensing technologies. We compare the distributions learned from cognitively intact and impaired subjects using information theoretic tools and observe statistical differences between the two populations which we believe can be used to help detect the onset of cognitive decline. PMID:25570050

  17. Generalized Linear Models of home activity for automatic detection of mild cognitive impairment in older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akl, Ahmad; Snoek, Jasper; Mihailidis, Alex

    2014-01-01

    With a globally aging population, the burden of care of cognitively impaired older adults is becoming increasingly concerning. Instances of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are becoming ever more frequent. Earlier detection of cognitive impairment offers significant benefits, but remains difficult to do in practice. In this paper, we develop statistical models of the behavior of older adults within their homes using sensor data in order to detect the early onset of cognitive decline. Specifically, we use inhomogenous Poisson processes to model the presence of subjects within different rooms throughout the day in the home using unobtrusive sensing technologies. We compare the distributions learned from cognitively intact and impaired subjects using information theoretic tools and observe statistical differences between the two populations which we believe can be used to help detect the onset of cognitive decline.

  18. Process simulation and parametric modeling for strategic project management

    CERN Document Server

    Morales, Peter J

    2013-01-01

    Process Simulation and Parametric Modeling for Strategic Project Management will offer CIOs, CTOs and Software Development Managers, IT Graduate Students an introduction to a set of technologies that will help them understand how to better plan software development projects, manage risk and have better insight into the complexities of the software development process.A novel methodology will be introduced that allows a software development manager to better plan and access risks in the early planning of a project.  By providing a better model for early software development estimation and softw

  19. MODEL OF INTEGRATED VALUE OF PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Наталія Ігорівна БОРИСОВА

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Development of alternative energy sources requires the implementation of complex problems, the solution of which is necessary to apply the project approach. The uniqueness of alternative energy projects (AEP necessitates individual approach to evaluating the effectiveness of each. The paper contains the results of the project management features's analysis in the field of alternative energy, determining the values and developing of the value management integrated conceptual model of AEP. In assessing the effectiveness of AEP considered the socio-economic and commercial aspects. Value management integrated conceptual model of AEP was obtained by combining the classical model of the project management goals with the project values model "Five "E" and two "A". The classical model of the project management goals have been complemented with risk parameters.

  20. Brookfield Homes Passive House Performance Evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herk, A. [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Poerschke, A. [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Beach, R. [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2016-02-01

    In 2012-2013, IBACOS worked with a builder, Brookfield Homes in Denver, Colorado, to design and construct a Passive House certified model home. IBACOS used several modeling programs and calculation methods to complete the final design package along with Brookfield's architect KGA Studio. This design package included upgrades to the thermal enclosure, basement insulation, windows, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Short-term performance testing in the Passive House was done during construction and after construction.

  1. Partitioning uncertainty in streamflow projections under nonstationary model conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chawla, Ila; Mujumdar, P. P.

    2018-02-01

    Assessing the impacts of Land Use (LU) and climate change on future streamflow projections is necessary for efficient management of water resources. However, model projections are burdened with significant uncertainty arising from various sources. Most of the previous studies have considered climate models and scenarios as major sources of uncertainty, but uncertainties introduced by land use change and hydrologic model assumptions are rarely investigated. In this paper an attempt is made to segregate the contribution from (i) general circulation models (GCMs), (ii) emission scenarios, (iii) land use scenarios, (iv) stationarity assumption of the hydrologic model, and (v) internal variability of the processes, to overall uncertainty in streamflow projections using analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach. Generally, most of the impact assessment studies are carried out with unchanging hydrologic model parameters in future. It is, however, necessary to address the nonstationarity in model parameters with changing land use and climate. In this paper, a regression based methodology is presented to obtain the hydrologic model parameters with changing land use and climate scenarios in future. The Upper Ganga Basin (UGB) in India is used as a case study to demonstrate the methodology. The semi-distributed Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model is set-up over the basin, under nonstationary conditions. Results indicate that model parameters vary with time, thereby invalidating the often-used assumption of model stationarity. The streamflow in UGB under the nonstationary model condition is found to reduce in future. The flows are also found to be sensitive to changes in land use. Segregation results suggest that model stationarity assumption and GCMs along with their interactions with emission scenarios, act as dominant sources of uncertainty. This paper provides a generalized framework for hydrologists to examine stationarity assumption of models before considering them

  2. Pilot Residential Deep Energy Retrofits and the PNNL Lab Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Widder, Sarah H.; Chandra, Subrato; Parker, Graham B.; Sande, Susan; Blanchard, Jeremy; Stroer, Dennis; McIlvaine, Janet; Chasar, David; Beal, David; Sutherland, Karen

    2012-01-01

    This report summarizes research investigating the technical and economic feasibility of several pilot deep energy retrofits, or retrofits that save 30% to 50% or more on a whole-house basis while increasing comfort, durability, combustion safety, and indoor air quality. The work is being conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Program as part of the Building America Program. As part of the overall program, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) researchers are collecting and analyzing a comprehensive dataset that describes pre- and post-retrofit energy consumption, retrofit measure cost, health and comfort impacts, and other pertinent information for each home participating in the study. The research and data collection protocol includes recruitment of candidate residences, a thorough test-in audit, home energy modeling, and generation of retrofit measure recommendations, implementation of the measures, test-out, and continued evaluation. On some homes, more detailed data will be collected to disaggregate energy-consumption information. This multi-year effort began in October 2010. To date, the PNNL team has performed test-in audits on 51 homes in the marine, cold, and hot-humid climate zones, and completed 3 retrofits in Texas, 10 in Florida, and 2 in the Pacific Northwest. Two of the retrofits are anticipated to save 50% or more in energy bills and the others - savings are in the 30% to 40% range. Fourteen other retrofits are under way in the three climate zones. Metering equipment has been installed in seven of these retrofits - three in Texas, three in Florida, and one in the Pacific Northwest. This report is an interim update, providing information on the research protocol and status of the PNNL deep energy retrofit project as of December, 2011. The report also presents key findings and lessons learned, based on the body of work to date. In addition, the report summarizes the status of the PNNL Lab Homes that are new

  3. 24 CFR 92.612 - Project requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Project requirements. 92.612 Section 92.612 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM American Dream Downpayment Initiative § 92.612 Project...

  4. Quark shell model using projection operators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ullah, N.

    1988-01-01

    Using the projection operators in the quark shell model, the wave functions for proton are calculated and expressions for calculating the wave function of neutron and also magnetic moment of proton and neutron are derived. (M.G.B.)

  5. Care planning at home: a way to increase the influence of older people?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helene Berglund

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Care-planning meetings represent a common method of needs assessment and decision-making practices in elderly care. Older people's influence is an important and required aspect of these practices. This study's objective was to describe and analyse older people's influence on care-planning meetings at home and in hospital. Methods: Ten care-planning meetings were audio-recorded in the older people's homes and nine were recorded in hospital. The study is part of a project including a comprehensive continuum-of-care model. A qualitative content analysis was performed.  Results: Care-planning meetings at home appeared to enable older people's involvement in the discussions. Fewer people participated in the meetings at home and there was less parallel talking. Unrelated to the place of the care-planning meeting, the older people were able to influence concerns relating to the amount of care/service and the choice of provider. However, they were not able to influence the way the help should be provided or organised.  Conclusion: Planning care at home indicated an increase in involvement on the part of the older people, but this does not appear to be enough to obtain any real influence. Our findings call for attention to be paid to older people's opportunities to receive care and services according to their individual needs and their potential for influencing their day-to-day provision of care and service.

  6. Home Energy Displays: Consumer Adoption and Response

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    LaMarche, J.; Cheney, K.; Akers, C.; Roth, K.; Sachs, O.

    2012-12-01

    The focus of this project was to investigate the factors influencing consumer adoption of Home Energy Displays (HEDs) and to evaluate electricity consumption in households with basic HEDs versus enhanced feedback methods - web portals or alerts. We hypothesized that providing flexible and relatable information to users, in addition to a basic HED, would make feedback more effective and achieve persistent energy savings. In Phase I, we conducted three user research studies and found preferences for aesthetically pleasing, easy to understand feedback that is accessible through multiple media and offered free of charge. The deployment of HEDs in 150 households planned for Phase II encountered major recruitment and HED field deployment problems. First, after extensive outreach campaigns to apartment complexes with 760 units, only 8% of building's tenants elected to receive a free HED in their homes as part of the field study. Second, the HED used, a leading market model, had a spectrum of problems, including gateway miscommunications, failure to post to a data-hosting third party, and display malfunctions. In light of these challenges, we are pursuing a modified study investigating the energy savings of a web portal versus alert-based energy feedback instead of a physical HED.

  7. Security And Privacy Issues in Health Monitoring Systems: eCare@Home Case Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wearing, Thomas; Dragoni, Nicola

    2016-01-01

    Automated systems for monitoring elderly people in their home are becoming more and more common. Indeed, an increasing number of home sensor networks for healthcare can be found in the recent literature, indicating a clear research direction in smart homes for health-care. Although the huge amount...... of sensitive data these systems deal with and expose to the external world, security and privacy issues are surpris-ingly not taken into consideration. The aim of this paper is to raise some key security and privacy issues that home health monitor systems should face with. The analysis is based on a real world...... monitoring sensor network for healthcare built in the context of the eCare@Home project....

  8. Radon reduction in homes constructed on saprolite in the Central Appalachians

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mose, D.G.; Mushsrush, G.W.; Slone, J.E.

    1997-01-01

    A 3-year study of indoor radon in more than 1000 homes in northern Virginia and southern Maryland was conducted using 3-month exposure alpha-track monitors. In a study set of 200 homes, first-floor indoor radon concentrations, which most closely approximates home exposure levels, averaged slightly more than 3 pCi/l. In a study set of 100 homes, sub-slab ventilation was used to reduce indoor radon concentrations. Interest in remediation was related to public perception of the hazardous nature of radon; people living in homes with indoor radon measurements of more than 4 pCi/l were more likely to participate in the remediation phase of the project. Sub-slab ventilation was successful in more than 90% of the homes in reducing indoor radon from concentrations as high as 30 pCi/ to less than 4 pCi/l, at least for the entire year of post-remediation radon measurements. (orig.)

  9. The Lunar Phases Project: A Mental Model-Based Observational Project for Undergraduate Nonscience Majors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Angela Osterman; Mon, Manuel J.; Hibbard, Susan T.

    2011-01-01

    We present our Lunar Phases Project, an ongoing effort utilizing students' actual observations within a mental model building framework to improve student understanding of the causes and process of the lunar phases. We implement this project with a sample of undergraduate, nonscience major students enrolled in a midsized public university located…

  10. Nursing home quality: a comparative analysis using CMS Nursing Home Compare data to examine differences between rural and nonrural facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutfiyya, May Nawal; Gessert, Charles E; Lipsky, Martin S

    2013-08-01

    Advances in medicine and an aging US population suggest that there will be an increasing demand for nursing home services. Although nursing homes are highly regulated and scrutinized, their quality remains a concern and may be a greater issue to those living in rural communities. Despite this, few studies have investigated differences in the quality of nursing home care across the rural-urban continuum. The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of rural and nonrural nursing homes by using aggregated rankings on multiple quality measures calculated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and reported on their Nursing Home Compare Web site. Independent-sample t tests were performed to compare the mean ratings on the reported quality measures of rural and nonrural nursing homes. A linear mixed binary logistic regression model controlling for state was performed to determine if the covariates of ownership, number of beds, and geographic locale were associated with a higher overall quality rating. Of the 15,177 nursing homes included in the study sample, 69.2% were located in nonrural areas and 30.8% in rural areas. The t test analysis comparing the overall, health inspection, staffing, and quality measure ratings of rural and nonrural nursing homes yielded statistically significant results for 3 measures, 2 of which (overall ratings and health inspections) favored rural nursing homes. Although a higher percentage of nursing homes (44.8%-42.2%) received a 4-star or higher rating, regression analysis using an overall rating of 4 stars or higher as the dependent variable revealed that when controlling for state and adjusting for size and ownership, rural nursing homes were less likely to have a 4-star or higher rating when compared with nonrural nursing homes (OR = .901, 95% CI 0.824-0.986). Mixed model logistic regression analysis suggested that rural nursing home quality was not comparable to that of nonrural nursing homes. When controlling for

  11. Project M: Scale Model of Lunar Landing Site of Apollo 17

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Hollie; Crain, Timothy P.

    2010-01-01

    The basis of the project was creating a scale model representation of the Apollo 17 lunar landing site. Vital components included surface slope characteristics, crater sizes and locations, prominent rocks, and lighting conditions. The model was made for Project M support when evaluating approach and terminal descent as well as when planning surface operations with respect to the terrain. The project had five main mi lestones during the length of the project. The first was examining the best method to use to re-create the Apollo 17 landing site and then reviewing research fmdings with Dr. Tim Crain and EO staff which occurred on June 25, 2010 at a meeting. The second step was formulating a construction plan, budget, and schedule and then presenting the plan for authority to proceed which occurred on July 6,2010. The third part was building a prototype to test materials and building processes which were completed by July 13, 2010. Next was assembling the landing site model and presenting a mid-term construction status report on July 29, 2010. The fifth and final milestone was demonstrating the model and presenting an exit pitch which happened on August 4, 2010. The project was very technical: it needed a lot of research about moon topography, lighting conditions and angles of the sun on the moon, Apollo 17, and Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT), before starting the actual building process. This required using Spreadsheets, searching internet sources and conducting personal meetings with project representatives. This information assisted the interns in deciding the scale of the model with respect to cracks, craters and rocks and their relative sizes as the objects mentioned could interfere with any of the Lunar Landers: Apollo, Project M and future Landers. The project concluded with the completion of a three dimensional scale model of the Apollo 17 Lunar landing site. This model assists Project M members because they can now visualize

  12. Musculoskeletal Modelling and the Physiome Project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fernandez, Justin; Zhang, Ju; Shim, Vickie; Munro, Jacob T.; Sartori, Massimo; Besier, Thor; Lloyd, David G.; Nickerson, David P.; Hunter, Peter; Pivonka, Peter

    2018-01-01

    This chapter presents developments as part of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) Physiome Project. Models are multiscale, multispatial and multiphysics, hence, suitable numerical tools and platforms have been developed to address these challenges for the musculoskeletal system.

  13. Therapeutic landscapes of home: Exploring Indigenous peoples' experiences of a Housing First intervention in Winnipeg.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alaazi, Dominic A; Masuda, Jeffrey R; Evans, Joshua; Distasio, Jino

    2015-12-01

    In this paper, we explore Indigenous perspectives of culture, place, and health among participants in a landmark Canadian Housing First initiative: At Home/Chez Soi (AHCS) project. Implemented from 2009 to 2013 in Winnipeg and four other Canadian cities, AHCS was a multi-city randomized control trial that sought to test the effectiveness of Housing First as a model for addressing chronic homelessness among people living with mental illnesses. As Winnipeg's homeless population is over 70% Indigenous, significant efforts were made to accommodate the culturally specific health, spiritual, and lifestyle preferences of the project's Indigenous participants. While a daunting challenge from an intervention perspective, Winnipeg's experience also provides a unique opportunity to examine how Indigenous participants' experiences can inform improved housing and mental health policy in Canada. In our study, conducted independently from, but with endorsement of the AHCS project, we utilized a case study approach to explore the experiences of the project's Indigenous participants. Data were collected by means of in-depth qualitative interviews with Indigenous participants (N = 14) and key informant project staff and investigators (N = 6). Our exploratory work demonstrates that despite relative satisfaction with the AHCS intervention, Indigenous peoples' sense of place in the city remains largely disconnected from their housing experiences. We found that structural factors, particularly the shortage of affordable housing and systemic erasure of Indigeneity from the urban sociocultural and political landscape, have adversely impacted Indigenous peoples' sense of place and home. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Solid Waste Projection Model: Database (Version 1.4)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blackburn, C.; Cillan, T.

    1993-09-01

    The Solid Waste Projection Model (SWPM) system is an analytical tool developed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC). The SWPM system provides a modeling and analysis environment that supports decisions in the process of evaluating various solid waste management alternatives. This document, one of a series describing the SWPM system, contains detailed information regarding the software and data structures utilized in developing the SWPM Version 1.4 Database. This document is intended for use by experienced database specialists and supports database maintenance, utility development, and database enhancement. Those interested in using the SWPM database should refer to the SWPM Database User's Guide. This document is available from the PNL Task M Project Manager (D. L. Stiles, 509-372-4358), the PNL Task L Project Manager (L. L. Armacost, 509-372-4304), the WHC Restoration Projects Section Manager (509-372-1443), or the WHC Waste Characterization Manager (509-372-1193)

  15. Anomaly detection using temporal data mining in a smart home environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakkula, V; Cook, D J

    2008-01-01

    To many people, home is a sanctuary. With the maturing of smart home technologies, many people with cognitive and physical disabilities can lead independent lives in their own homes for extended periods of time. In this paper, we investigate the design of machine learning algorithms that support this goal. We hypothesize that machine learning algorithms can be designed to automatically learn models of resident behavior in a smart home, and that the results can be used to perform automated health monitoring and to detect anomalies. Specifically, our algorithms draw upon the temporal nature of sensor data collected in a smart home to build a model of expected activities and to detect unexpected, and possibly health-critical, events in the home. We validate our algorithms using synthetic data and real activity data collected from volunteers in an automated smart environment. The results from our experiments support our hypothesis that a model can be learned from observed smart home data and used to report anomalies, as they occur, in a smart home.

  16. Integrating semantic data models with project management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wachter, R

    1982-01-01

    Summary form only given, as follows. The development of a data model for a project on the test and certification of computer-based information systems required a more expressive data model than that supplied by either the network, hierarchical or relational models. A data model was developed to describe the work environment and the work itself. This model is based on the entity-relationship data model of Chen and on heuristic principles of knowledge organisation used in artificial intelligence. The ER data model is reviewed and the extensions to the model are discussed.

  17. A Resource Perspective on the Work-Home Interface: The Work-Home Resources Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    ten Brummelhuis, Lieke L.; Bakker, Arnold B.

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this article is to provide a theoretical framework explaining positive and negative work-home processes integrally. Using insights from conservation of resources theory, we explain how personal resources (e.g., time, energy, and mood) link demanding and resourceful aspects of one domain to outcomes in the other domain. The…

  18. Job stress and job satisfaction: home care workers in a consumer-directed model of care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delp, Linda; Wallace, Steven P; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne; Muntaner, Carles

    2010-08-01

    To investigate determinants of job satisfaction among home care workers in a consumer-directed model. Analysis of data collected from telephone interviews with 1,614 Los Angeles home care workers on the state payroll in 2003. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the odds of job satisfaction using job stress model domains of demands, control, and support. Abuse from consumers, unpaid overtime hours, and caring for more than one consumer as well as work-health demands predict less satisfaction. Some physical and emotional demands of the dyadic care relationship are unexpectedly associated with greater job satisfaction. Social support and control, indicated by job security and union involvement, have a direct positive effect on job satisfaction. Policies that enhance the relational component of care may improve workers' ability to transform the demands of their job into dignified and satisfying labor. Adequate benefits and sufficient authorized hours of care can minimize the stress of unpaid overtime work, caring for multiple consumers, job insecurity, and the financial constraints to seeking health care. Results have implications for the structure of consumer-directed models of care and efforts to retain long-term care workers.

  19. A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR IMPROVED PROJECT SELECTION AND PRIORITISATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. J. Viljoen

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available

    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Project portfolio management processes are often designed and operated as a series of stages (or project phases and gates. However, the flow of such a process is often slow, characterised by queues waiting for a gate decision and by repeated work from previous stages waiting for additional information or for re-processing. In this paper the authors propose a conceptual model that applies supply chain and constraint management principles to the project portfolio management process. An advantage of the proposed model is that it provides the ability to select and prioritise projects without undue changes to project schedules. This should result in faster flow through the system.

    AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Prosesse om portefeuljes van projekte te bestuur word normaalweg ontwerp en bedryf as ’n reeks fases en hekke. Die vloei deur so ’n proses is dikwels stadig en word gekenmerk deur toue wat wag vir besluite by die hekke en ook deur herwerk van vorige fases wat wag vir verdere inligting of vir herprosessering. In hierdie artikel word ‘n konseptuele model voorgestel. Die model berus op die beginsels van voorsieningskettings sowel as van beperkingsbestuur, en bied die voordeel dat projekte geselekteer en geprioritiseer kan word sonder onnodige veranderinge aan projekskedules. Dit behoort te lei tot versnelde vloei deur die stelsel.

  20. Home outdoor models for traffic-related air pollutants do not represent personal exposure measurements in Southern California

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ducret-Stich, R; Gemperli, A; Ineichen, A; Phuleria, H C; Delfino, R J; Tjoa, T; Wu, J; Liu, L-J S

    2009-01-01

    Recent studies have used measurements or estimates of traffic-related air pollutants at home or school locations to link associations between exposure and health. However, little is known about the validity of these outdoor concentrations as an estimate for personal exposure to traffic. This paper compares modelled outdoor concentrations at home with personal exposure to traffic air pollution of 63 children in two areas in Los Angeles in 2003/2004. Exposure monitoring consisted of sixteen 10-day monitoring runs, with each run monitoring 4 subjects concurrently with the active personal DataRAM for particulate matter 25 ), elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC). One child per run had concurrent indoor/outdoor home monitoring. Measurements at central sites (24-hr PM 25 , EC, OC) were taken daily and concentrations of PM 25 , EC, and OC from traffic sources were calculated using the CALINE4 model for individual residences. We modelled outdoor concentrations of PM 2 5 , EC and OC with multilinear regression including GIS and meteorological parameters and adjusted for auto-correlation between repeated measurements. The model fit (R 2 ) for home outdoor estimates was 0.94, 0.74 and 0.80 for PM 25 , EC and OC, respectively. Comparisons between these outdoor estimates and the personal measurements showed a good agreement for PM 25 (R 2 =0.65-0.70) with a mean bias of -0.7±11.8|ag for the smog receptor area, and 18.9±16.2|ag for the traffic impacted area. However the outdoor estimates were not related to personal exposure for EC (R 2 =0.01-0.29) and OC (R 2 =0.03- 0.14). Conclusions: Predictions of outdoor concentrations can be used as approximations of personal exposure to PM 25 . However, they are not appropriate for estimating personal exposure to traffic-related air pollutants including EC and OC in studies of acute exposure-response relationships.

  1. Project Management Life Cycle Models to Improve Management in High-rise Construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burmistrov, Andrey; Siniavina, Maria; Iliashenko, Oksana

    2018-03-01

    The paper describes a possibility to improve project management in high-rise buildings construction through the use of various Project Management Life Cycle Models (PMLC models) based on traditional and agile project management approaches. Moreover, the paper describes, how the split the whole large-scale project to the "project chain" will create the factor for better manageability of the large-scale buildings project and increase the efficiency of the activities of all participants in such projects.

  2. Project Management Life Cycle Models to Improve Management in High-rise Construction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burmistrov Andrey

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes a possibility to improve project management in high-rise buildings construction through the use of various Project Management Life Cycle Models (PMLC models based on traditional and agile project management approaches. Moreover, the paper describes, how the split the whole large-scale project to the "project chain" will create the factor for better manageability of the large-scale buildings project and increase the efficiency of the activities of all participants in such projects.

  3. Mapping the literature of home health nursing

    OpenAIRE

    Friedman, Yelena

    2006-01-01

    Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify core journals in home health nursing and to determine how well these journals were covered by indexing and abstracting services. The study was part of the project for mapping the nursing literature of the Medical Library Association's Nursing and Allied Health Resource Section.

  4. EL PROYECTO ARKIT. LA VIVIENDA COMO KIT DE MUEBLES / Project Arkit. The home as a furniture kit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Javier Terrados Cepeda

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available RESUMEN El artículo hace una revisión sintética sobre algunas de las bases conceptuales del llamado “proyecto Arkit” así como sobre sus resultados en forma de proyectos residenciales y construcciones reales. Una primera parte recorre ejemplos de vivienda moderna donde lo que entendemos como mueble, levemente agigantado de escala, ha definido y en algunos casos realmente construido casi con exclusividad el espacio doméstico. Son los “muebles que construyen casas”. En la segunda parte, el artículo reseña los seis proyectos de casas prefabricadas ligeras que se han concebido al amparo del concepto del “kit de muebles” como sistema de prefabricación abierta: las viviendas del CSCAE, el prototipo Campohermoso, el proyecto Arkit, la residencia de Tariquejo, el proyecto Solarkit y el proyecto Arkit 18, de los cuales han sido construidos y analizados el tercero y el quinto: Arkit y su variante con energía solar Solarkit. El proyecto Arkit es una aportación novedosa en el campo de la vivienda prefabricada ligera, adaptada a las condiciones ambientales del sur de Europa, que usa como elementos constitutivos piezas de escala intermedia que están a medio camino entre el tamaño y la versatilidad del mobiliario y la escala de la habitación convencional. El proyecto Arkit permite disposiciones a elección del usuario y, como muestran los ejemplos expuestos, adaptaciones a diferentes programas residenciales. SUMMARY The article makes a summary review of some of the conceptual bases of the “ArtKit project” and their results as housing projects and real buildings. The first part covers examples of modern homes where what we understand as furniture, now rather gigantic in scale, has defined, and in some cases almost exclusively built, the domestic space. This is the “furniture which builds houses”. In the second part, the article reviews the six light prefabricated housing projects that have been designed under the

  5. Modeling Manpower and Equipment Productivity in Tall Building Construction Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudumbai Krishnaswamy, Parthasarathy; Rajiah, Murugasan; Vasan, Ramya

    2017-12-01

    Tall building construction projects involve two critical resources of manpower and equipment. Their usage, however, widely varies due to several factors affecting their productivity. Currently, no systematic study for estimating and increasing their productivity is available. What is prevalent is the use of empirical data, experience of similar projects and assumptions. As tall building projects are here to stay and increase, to meet the emerging demands in ever shrinking urban spaces, it is imperative to explore ways and means of scientific productivity models for basic construction activities: concrete, reinforcement, formwork, block work and plastering for the input of specific resources in a mixed environment of manpower and equipment usage. Data pertaining to 72 tall building projects in India were collected and analyzed. Then, suitable productivity estimation models were developed using multiple linear regression analysis and validated using independent field data. It is hoped that the models developed in the study will be useful for quantity surveyors, cost engineers and project managers to estimate productivity of resources in tall building projects.

  6. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR(R) Exchange

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2003-10-01

    Handout for the Energy and Environmental Building Association's Building Solutions 2003 Conference and Expo: Chicago, Illinois, October 2003 The following summaries, provided by implementers of ''Home Performance with ENERGY STAR{reg_sign}'' around the country, are for use in the October 15 discussion during the Energy & Environmental Building Association (EEBA) Building Solutions, 2003 Conference in Chicago. The summaries and session discussions provide an overview of ''Home Performance with ENERGY STAR'', along with results and lessons learned from existing ''Home Performance'' implementers in New York, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, California, and Kansas City. Five future pilot projects set to begin in Georgia/Alabama, Idaho, Missouri, New Jersey and Texas will also be presented and discussed. Session topics will include the use of different training approaches, methods of quality assurance, and the role contractor certification plays in several of the programs. The session will conclude with a roundtable discussion of Home Performance issues by current and emerging implementers, with time for participant questions. ''Home Performance with ENERGY STAR'' uses the growing awareness and credibility of the ENERGY STAR brand to encourage and facilitate whole-house energy improvements in existing homes through self-sustaining energy efficiency programs. Whether you're a state energy official, utility program manager, contractor training professional or efficiency program implementer, you're sure to benefit from the unique presentations and networking opportunities that this session will offer.

  7. [A MULTIDISCIPLINARY BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL INTEGRATED APPROACH IN ORGANIZATION OF REHABILITATIVE ACTIVITY IN NURSING HOMES (RSA)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panella, Lorenzo; Piccioni, Davide; Borcescu, Lidia; Isella, Celeste; Callegari, Camilla

    2015-01-01

    Objectives, social role and organization of Italian nursing homes (RSA) are characterized by a pronounced regional differentiation that causes situations which are difficult to compare about expected outcomes. The definition of a functional outcome is particularly difficult in institutionalized patients and this is due to the failure of a conclusive moment of the rehabilitative treatment. Furthermore we often take care of patients who have already been admitted to intensive and/or extensive rehabilitation units time after time, without further functional profit margin. The inconstant presence of professional figures of rehabilitation in nursing homes' staff makes difficult the drafting of an adequate rehabilitative project, especially for the multiple needs of frail old people. Starting with these assumptions, authors hypothesize and adopt a model of sanitary organization to consent a correct allocation of available resources, according to the patient's needs. They stratified all nursing home patients, using the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) and "Scheda di osservazione intermedia assistenza" (SOSIA), and measured the residual function. They concluded that a multidimensional evaluation of patients allows to identify wellness (of the sick person and of caregivers) as the main objective; nursing home organization could be think as a "complex supportive prosthesis for old people", made by the interaction among structure, operators and activities.

  8. Optimizing medication safety in the home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeBlanc, Raeanne Genevieve; Choi, Jeungok

    2015-06-01

    Medication safety among community-dwelling older adults in the United States is an ongoing health issue impacting health outcomes, chronic disease management, and aging in place at home. This article describes a medication safety improvement project that aimed to: (1) Increase the ability of participants to manage medications, (2) Identify and make necessary medication changes, (3) Create an accurate up-to-date medication list to be available in the home, and (4) Provide communication between the primary care provider, participant, and case manager. An in-home medication assessment was completed for 25 participants using an evidence-based medication management software system. This process was used to review medications; identify medication-related problems; create a shared medication list; and convey this information to the primary care provider, case manager, and client while addressing needed medication changes. Educational interventions on management and understanding of medications were provided to participants to emphasize the correct use of medications and use of a personal medication record. Outcome improvements included provision of an accurate medication list, early identification of medication-related problems, identification of drug duplication, and identification of medication self-management challenges that can be useful for optimizing medication safety-related home healthcare and inform future interventions.

  9. Use of 222Rn-resistant techniques in new home construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watson, J.E. Jr.; Cote, R.A.

    1999-01-01

    The objective of this project was to assess the status of the use of 222 Rn-resistant construction techniques in new home construction in the eight Zone 1 counties of North Carolina. Zone 1 counties have an average predicted indoor 222 Rn screening potential greater than 148 Bq m -3 (4 pCi L -1 ). To facilitate a response from builders, a brief survey form was designed and printed on the back of a self-addressed, postage-paid postcard. This survey form was mailed to 460 home builders in the Zone 1 counties. The response rate was 17%, which can be compared to the 4.9% response rate obtained in a national survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. In their survey, 62% of the responding builders reported that they had built some or many homes in 1996 using construction techniques to reduce the entry of radon into homes, but only 10% of the builders reported using these techniques for many homes. The National Association of Home Builders survey determined that, nationally, 30% of homes built in Zone 1 counties had 222 Rn venting features. There is the potential for bias in the results of their survey (as well as in the results of the National Association of Home Builders survey) since the response rates were low

  10. Group Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit for 30% Energy Savings: Washington, D.C. (Fact Sheet)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2013-11-01

    Energy efficiency retrofits (EERs) face many challenges on the path to scalability. Limited budgets, cost effectiveness, risk factors, and accessibility impact the type and the extent of measures that can be implemented feasibly to achieve energy savings goals. Group home retrofits can face additional challenges than those in single family homes - such as reduced access (occupant-in-place restrictions) and lack of incentives for occupant behavioral change. This project studies the specification, implementation, and energy savings from an EER in a group home, with an energy savings goal of 30%. This short term test report chronicles the retrofit measures specified, their projected cost-effectiveness using building energy simulations, and the short term test results that were used to characterize pre-retrofit and post-retrofit conditions. Additionally, the final report for the project will include analysis of pre- and post-retrofit performance data on whole building energy use, and an assessment of the energy impact of occupant interface with the building (i.e., window operation). Ultimately, the study's results will be used to identify cost effective EER measures that can be implemented in group homes, given constraints that are characteristic of these buildings. Results will also point towards opportunities for future energy savings.

  11. Impact of organisational characteristics on turnover intention among care workers in nursing homes in Korea: a structural equation model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Jong Goon; Man Kim, Ji; Hwang, Won Ju; Lee, Sang Gyu

    2014-09-01

    The aim of the present study was to analyse the impact of organisational characteristics on the turnover intention of care workers working at nursing homes in Korea. Study participants included 504 care workers working at 14 nursing homes in Korea. The variables measured were: high-performance work practices, consisting of five subfactors (official training, employment stability, autonomy, employee participation and group-based payment); organisational commitment, consisting of three subfactors (affective, normative and continuance commitment); organisational support; and turnover intention. The inter-relationship between high-performance work practices, organisational support, organisational commitment and turnover intention and the fit of the hypothetical model were analysed using structural equation modelling. According to our analysis, high-performance work practices not only had a direct effect on turnover intention, but also an indirect effect by mediating organisational support and commitment. The factor having the largest direct influence on turnover intention was organisational commitment. The results of the present study suggest that to improve health conditions for frail elderly patients at nursing homes, as well as the efficiency of nursing homes through the continuance of nursing service and enhancement of quality of service, long-term care facilities should reduce the turnover intention of care workers by increasing their organisational commitment by actively implementing high-performance work practices.

  12. Indoor Environmental Quality og the first European ModelHome 2020

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Gitte Gylling Hammershøj; Hansen, Ellen Kathrine; Foldbjerg, Peter

    vores fremtidige bæredygtige bygninger. Disse bygninger udgør et laboratorium i en-til-en skala for udforskning af alle mulige aspekter. Rigtige mennesker flytter ind i disse bygninger for at gøre det muligt at udforske ikke blot den tekniske udførelse af bygninger, men især også at skabe mulighed...... for at udforske kvaliteter og erfaring der skabes ved at bo i huset. Dette paper fokuserer på at udforske indeklimakvaliteten i det første ModelHome 2020 boligprojekt - enfamiliehuset Bolig for livet i Danmark. Huset er målt gennem et år, mens en test familie har boet i huset og har udført normale...

  13. Indoor Environmental Quality of the first European ModelHome 2020

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Foldbjerg, Peter; Olesen, Gitte Gylling Hammershøj; Feifer, Lone

    vores fremtidige bæredygtige bygninger. Disse bygninger udgør et laboratorium i en-til-en skala for udforskning af alle mulige aspekter. Rigtige mennesker flytter ind i disse bygninger for at gøre det muligt at udforske ikke blot den tekniske udførelse af bygninger, men især også at skabe mulighed...... for at udforske kvaliteter og erfaring der skabes ved at bo i huset. Dette paper fokuserer på at udforske indeklimakvaliteten i det første ModelHome 2020 boligprojekt - enfamiliehuset Bolig for livet i Danmark. Huset er målt gennem et år, mens en test familie har boet i huset og har udført normale...

  14. Improving Project Management Using Formal Models and Architectures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahn, Theodore; Sturken, Ian

    2011-01-01

    This talk discusses the advantages formal modeling and architecture brings to project management. These emerging technologies have both great potential and challenges for improving information available for decision-making. The presentation covers standards, tools and cultural issues needing consideration, and includes lessons learned from projects the presenters have worked on.

  15. OpenSHS: Open Smart Home Simulator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nasser Alshammari

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper develops a new hybrid, open-source, cross-platform 3D smart home simulator, OpenSHS, for dataset generation. OpenSHS offers an opportunity for researchers in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT and machine learning to test and evaluate their models. Following a hybrid approach, OpenSHS combines advantages from both interactive and model-based approaches. This approach reduces the time and efforts required to generate simulated smart home datasets. We have designed a replication algorithm for extending and expanding a dataset. A small sample dataset produced, by OpenSHS, can be extended without affecting the logical order of the events. The replication provides a solution for generating large representative smart home datasets. We have built an extensible library of smart devices that facilitates the simulation of current and future smart home environments. Our tool divides the dataset generation process into three distinct phases: first design: the researcher designs the initial virtual environment by building the home, importing smart devices and creating contexts; second, simulation: the participant simulates his/her context-specific events; and third, aggregation: the researcher applies the replication algorithm to generate the final dataset. We conducted a study to assess the ease of use of our tool on the System Usability Scale (SUS.

  16. OpenSHS: Open Smart Home Simulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alshammari, Nasser; Alshammari, Talal; Sedky, Mohamed; Champion, Justin; Bauer, Carolin

    2017-05-02

    This paper develops a new hybrid, open-source, cross-platform 3D smart home simulator, OpenSHS, for dataset generation. OpenSHS offers an opportunity for researchers in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning to test and evaluate their models. Following a hybrid approach, OpenSHS combines advantages from both interactive and model-based approaches. This approach reduces the time and efforts required to generate simulated smart home datasets. We have designed a replication algorithm for extending and expanding a dataset. A small sample dataset produced, by OpenSHS, can be extended without affecting the logical order of the events. The replication provides a solution for generating large representative smart home datasets. We have built an extensible library of smart devices that facilitates the simulation of current and future smart home environments. Our tool divides the dataset generation process into three distinct phases: first design: the researcher designs the initial virtual environment by building the home, importing smart devices and creating contexts; second, simulation: the participant simulates his/her context-specific events; and third, aggregation: the researcher applies the replication algorithm to generate the final dataset. We conducted a study to assess the ease of use of our tool on the System Usability Scale (SUS).

  17. Home composting as an alternative treatment option for organic household waste in Denmark: An environmental assessment using life cycle assessment-modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersen, J.K.; Boldrin, A.; Christensen, T.H.; Scheutz, C.

    2012-01-01

    An environmental assessment of the management of organic household waste (OHW) was performed from a life cycle perspective by means of the waste-life cycle assessment (LCA) model EASEWASTE. The focus was on home composting of OHW in Denmark and six different home composting units (with different input and different mixing frequencies) were modelled. In addition, incineration and landfilling was modelled as alternatives to home composting. The most important processes contributing to the environmental impact of home composting were identified as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (load) and the avoided emissions in relation to the substitution of fertiliser and peat when compost was used in hobby gardening (saving). The replacement of fertiliser and peat was also identified as one of the most sensible parameters, which could potentially have a significant environmental benefit. Many of the impact categories (especially human toxicity via water (HTw) and soil (HTs)) were affected by the heavy metal contents of the incoming OHW. The concentrations of heavy metals in the compost were below the threshold values for compost used on land and were thus not considered to constitute a problem. The GHG emissions were, on the other hand, dependent on the management of the composting units. The frequently mixed composting units had the highest GHG emissions. The environmental profiles of the home composting scenarios were in the order of −2 to 16 milli person equivalents (mPE) Mg −1 wet waste (ww) for the non-toxic categories and −0.9 to 28 mPE Mg −1 ww for the toxic categories. Home composting performed better than or as good as incineration and landfilling in several of the potential impact categories. One exception was the global warming (GW) category, in which incineration performed better due to the substitution of heat and electricity based on fossil fuels.

  18. A maturation model for project-based organisations – with uncertainty management as an always remaining multi-project management focus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Jerbrant

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The classical view of multi-project management does not capture its dynamic nature. Present theory falls short in the expositive dimension of how management of project-based companies evolves because of their need to be agile and adaptable to a changing environment. The purpose of this paper is therefore to present a descriptive model that elucidates the maturation processes in a project-based organization as well as to give an enhanced understanding of multi-project management in practice. The maturation model displays how the management of project-based organizations evolves between structuring administration and managing any uncertainty, and emphasizes the importance of active individual actions and situated management actions that haveto be undertaken in order to coordinate, synchronize, and communicate the required knowledge and skills.The outcomes primarily reveal that, although standardized project models are used and considerable resources are spent on effective project portfolio management, how information and communication are executedis essential for the management of project-based organizations. This is particularly true for informal and non-codified communication.

  19. Design and explanation of organizational excellence model in home appliances industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Abbas Kazemi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Home appliances are considered as one of low margin and competitive industry in the world. This industry often needs significant amount of investment and resources and it often faces with some challenges during economic crises. In this paper, we present a framework for organizational excellence to detect any possible problems in home appliances industry. The proposed framework of this paper is used for a real-world case study of Iranian home appliances. The results of our survey indicate that there are four major dimensions involved with this industry including facilities, knowledge and skills, environment and vision. There are three criteria associated with facilities with 30 indexes, 14 criteria associated with knowledge and skills with 144 indexes, three criteria involved with environment with 33 indexes and five criteria linked with vision with 53 indexes. Therefore, home appliances in our case study needs 4 dimensions for achieving the organizational excellence.

  20. Considerations for the design of safe and effective consumer health IT applications in the home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zayas-Cabán, Teresa; Dixon, Brian E

    2010-10-01

    Consumer health IT applications have the potential to improve quality, safety and efficiency of consumers' interactions with the healthcare system. Yet little attention has been paid to human factors and ergonomics in the design of consumer health IT, potentially limiting the ability of health IT to achieve these goals. This paper presents the results of an analysis of human factors and ergonomics issues encountered by five projects during the design and implementation of home-based consumer health IT applications. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded consumer health IT research projects, where patients used the IT applications in their homes, were reviewed. Project documents and discussions with project teams were analysed to identify human factors and ergonomic issues considered or addressed by project teams. The analysis focused on system design and design processes used as well as training, implementation and use of the IT intervention. A broad range of consumer health IT applications and diverse set of human factors and ergonomics issues were identified. The design and implementation processes used resulted in poor fit with some patients' healthcare tasks and the home environment and, in some cases, resulted in lack of use. Clinician interaction with patients and the information provided through health IT applications appeared to positively influence adoption and use. Consumer health IT application design would benefit from the use of human factors and ergonomics design and evaluation methods. Considering the context in which home-based consumer health IT applications are used will likely affect the ability of these applications to positively impact the quality, safety and efficiency of patient care.

  1. Florida's model of nursing home Medicaid reimbursement for disaster-related expenses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Kali S; Hyer, Kathryn; Brown, Lisa M; Polivka-West, LuMarie; Branch, Laurence G

    2010-04-01

    This study describes Florida's model of Medicaid nursing home (NH) reimbursement to compensate NHs for disaster-related expenses incurred as a result of 8 hurricanes within a 2-year period. This Florida model can serve as a demonstration for a national model for disaster-related reimbursement. Florida reimburses NHs for approved disaster-related costs through hurricane interim rate requests (IRRs). The state developed its unique Medicaid per diem rate temporary add-on by adapting its standard rate-setting reimbursement methodology. To understand the payment mechanisms and the costs that facilities incurred as a result of natural disasters, we examined the IRRs and cost reports for facilities requesting and receiving reimbursement. Cost reports and IRR applications indicated that Florida Medicaid spent close to $16 million to pay for hurricane-related costs to NHs. Without Florida's Hurricane IRR program, many facilities would have not been reimbursed for their hurricane-related costs. Florida's model is one that Medicare and other states should consider adopting to ensure that NHs receive adequate reimbursement for disaster-related expenses, including tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, blizzards, and other catastrophic events.

  2. The Chancellor's Model School Project (CMSP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Gil

    1999-01-01

    What does it take to create and implement a 7th to 8th grade middle school program where the great majority of students achieve at high academic levels regardless of their previous elementary school backgrounds? This was the major question that guided the research and development of a 7-year long project effort entitled the Chancellor's Model School Project (CMSP) from September 1991 to August 1998. The CMSP effort conducted largely in two New York City public schools was aimed at creating and testing a prototype 7th and 8th grade model program that was organized and test-implemented in two distinct project phases: Phase I of the CMSP effort was conducted from 1991 to 1995 as a 7th to 8th grade extension of an existing K-6 elementary school, and Phase II was conducted from 1995 to 1998 as a 7th to 8th grade middle school program that became an integral part of a newly established 7-12th grade high school. In Phase I, the CMSP demonstrated that with a highly structured curriculum coupled with strong academic support and increased learning time, students participating in the CMSP were able to develop a strong foundation for rigorous high school coursework within the space of 2 years (at the 7th and 8th grades). Mathematics and Reading test score data during Phase I of the project, clearly indicated that significant academic gains were obtained by almost all students -- at both the high and low ends of the spectrum -- regardless of their previous academic performance in the K-6 elementary school experience. The CMSP effort expanded in Phase II to include a fully operating 7-12 high school model. Achievement gains at the 7th and 8th grade levels in Phase II were tempered by the fact that incoming 7th grade students' academic background at the CMSP High School was significantly lower than students participating in Phase 1. Student performance in Phase II was also affected by the broadening of the CMSP effort from a 7-8th grade program to a fully functioning 7-12 high

  3. Laffer Curves and Home Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kotamäki Mauri

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In the earlier related literature, consumption tax rate Laffer curve is found to be strictly increasing (see Trabandt and Uhlig (2011. In this paper, a general equilibrium macro model is augmented by introducing a substitute for private consumption in the form of home production. The introduction of home production brings about an additional margin of adjustment – an increase in consumption tax rate not only decreases labor supply and reduces the consumption tax base but also allows a substitution of market goods with home-produced goods. The main objective of this paper is to show that, after the introduction of home production, the consumption tax Laffer curve exhibits an inverse U-shape. Also the income tax Laffer curves are significantly altered. The result shown in this paper casts doubt on some of the earlier results in the literature.

  4. Lectures on nonlinear sigma-models in projective superspace

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuzenko, Sergei M, E-mail: kuzenko@cyllene.uwa.edu.a [School of Physics M013, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009 (Australia)

    2010-11-05

    N= 2 supersymmetry in four spacetime dimensions is intimately related to hyperkaehler and quaternionic Kaehler geometries. On one hand, the target spaces for rigid supersymmetric sigma-models are necessarily hyperkaehler manifolds. On the other hand, when coupled to N= 2 supergravity, the sigma-model target spaces must be quaternionic Kaehler. It is known that such manifolds of restricted holonomy are difficult to generate explicitly. Projective superspace is a field-theoretic approach to construct general N= 2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma-models, and hence to generate new hyperkaehler and quaternionic Kaehler metrics. Intended for a mixed audience consisting of both physicists and mathematicians, these lectures provide a pedagogical introduction to the projective-superspace approach. (topical review)

  5. Lectures on nonlinear sigma-models in projective superspace

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuzenko, Sergei M

    2010-01-01

    N= 2 supersymmetry in four spacetime dimensions is intimately related to hyperkaehler and quaternionic Kaehler geometries. On one hand, the target spaces for rigid supersymmetric sigma-models are necessarily hyperkaehler manifolds. On the other hand, when coupled to N= 2 supergravity, the sigma-model target spaces must be quaternionic Kaehler. It is known that such manifolds of restricted holonomy are difficult to generate explicitly. Projective superspace is a field-theoretic approach to construct general N= 2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma-models, and hence to generate new hyperkaehler and quaternionic Kaehler metrics. Intended for a mixed audience consisting of both physicists and mathematicians, these lectures provide a pedagogical introduction to the projective-superspace approach. (topical review)

  6. On Helical Projection and Its Application in Screw Modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riliang Liu

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available As helical surfaces, in their many and varied forms, are finding more and more applications in engineering, new approaches to their efficient design and manufacture are desired. To that end, the helical projection method that uses curvilinear projection lines to map a space object to a plane is examined in this paper, focusing on its mathematical model and characteristics in terms of graphical representation of helical objects. A number of interesting projective properties are identified in regard to straight lines, curves, and planes, and then the method is further investigated with respect to screws. The result shows that the helical projection of a cylindrical screw turns out to be a Jordan curve, which is determined by the screw's axial profile and number of flights. Based on the projection theory, a practical approach to the modeling of screws and helical surfaces is proposed and illustrated with examples, and its possible application in screw manufacturing is discussed.

  7. [Regional geriatric team--a model for cooperation between nursing homes and hospitals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellaeg, Wenche Frogn

    2005-04-21

    Few studies describe and evaluate the use of ambulatory geriatric teams in nursing homes. This article gives an account of a model in which a multidisciplinary group from the local hospital has been visiting 17 communities in Norway twice a year for 11 years. The ambulatory geriatric team includes a geriatrician, a geriatric nurse, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. Their aim is to raise the quality of geriatric assessment and care and to enhance the cooperation between the hospital and the nursing homes in the communities. The team members are doing a comprehensive geriatric assessment of some of the patients; they assess cases for further referral, and examine patients with declining functioning with a view to rehabilitation. The team provides instruction in various aspects of geriatrics to community care professionals. Much time is devoted to discussions on problems raised by the staff, such as management of patients with dementia-related behavioural problems, and to provide feedback to staff-members. The team liaise between hospitals, nursing homes and community care services in the communities in order to enhance communication between the professionals involved. An evaluation of the team was done on behalf of the National Institute of Health through a postal questionnaire which was returned by 223 doctors, nurses and allied health care professionals. The results indicate that visits by the ambulatory team improve the knowledge of doctors and allied professionals about diseases in the elderly; 92% reported that they now felt they were doing a better job.

  8. Wireless ZigBee home automation system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craciunescu, Razvan; Halunga, Simona; Fratu, Octavian

    2015-02-01

    The home automation system concept existed for many years but in the last decade, due to the rapid development of sensors and wireless technologies, a large number of various such "intelligent homes" have been developed. The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate the flexibility, reliability and affordability of home automation projects, based on a simple and affordable implementation. A wireless sensing and control system have been developed and tested, having a number of basic functionalities such as switching on/off the light according to ambient lighting and turning on/off the central heating. The system has been built around low power microcontrollers and ZigBee modems for wireless communication, using a set of Vishay 640 thermistor sensors for temperature measurements and Vishay LDR07 photo-resistor for humidity measurements. A trigger is activated when the temperature or light measurements are above/below a given threshold and a command is transmitted to the central unit through the ZigBee radio module. All the data processing is performed by a low power microcontroller both at the sensing device and at the control unit.

  9. Home care for children with multiple complex chronic conditions at the end of life: The choice of hospice versus home health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindley, Lisa C; Mixer, Sandra J; Mack, Jennifer W

    2016-01-01

    Families desire to bring their children home at end of life, and this creates a variety of unique care needs at home. This study analyzed the child and family factors associated with hospice versus home health care use in the last year of life among children with multiple complex chronic conditions. Using the Andersen Behavioral Healthcare Utilization Model, the predisposing, enabling, and need factors of the child and family were shown to be significant predictors of hospice and home health care use. Hospice and home health care have advantages, and families may wish to use the service that best fits their needs.

  10. Spirit's View Beside 'Home Plate' on Sol 1823

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images that have been combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,823rd Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's surface mission (Feb. 17, 2009). The center of the view is toward the south-southwest. The rover had driven 7 meters (23 feet) eastward earlier on Sol 1823, part of maneuvering to get Spirit into a favorable position for climbing onto the low plateau called 'Home Plate.' However, after two driving attempts with negligible progress during the following three sols, the rover team changed its strategy for getting to destinations south of Home Plate. The team decided to drive Spirit at least partway around Home Plate, instead of ascending the northern edge and taking a shorter route across the top of the plateau. Layered rocks forming part of the northern edge of Home Plate can be seen near the center of the image. Rover wheel tracks are visible at the lower edge. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.

  11. Home health agency work environments and hospitalizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarrín, Olga; Flynn, Linda; Lake, Eileen T; Aiken, Linda H

    2014-10-01

    An important goal of home health care is to assist patients to remain in community living arrangements. Yet home care often fails to prevent hospitalizations and to facilitate discharges to community living, thus putting patients at risk of additional health challenges and increasing care costs. To determine the relationship between home health agency work environments and agency-level rates of acute hospitalization and discharges to community living. Analysis of linked Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Home Health Compare data and nurse survey data from 118 home health agencies. Robust regression models were used to estimate the effect of work environment ratings on between-agency variation in rates of acute hospitalization and community discharge. Home health agencies with good work environments had lower rates of acute hospitalizations and higher rates of patient discharges to community living arrangements compared with home health agencies with poor work environments. Improved work environments in home health agencies hold promise for optimizing patient outcomes and reducing use of expensive hospital and institutional care.

  12. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... skills such as emptying and changing a pouch, problem solving, and home management. A DVD with demonstration of each skill Stoma Practice Model Stoma supplies (measurement guide, marking ...

  13. Modeling of Target Tracking System for Homing Missiles and Air Defense Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunes Sh. ALQUDSI

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available One reason of why the guidance and control systems are imperfect is due to the dynamics of both the tracker and the missile, which appears as an error in the alignment with the LOS and delay in the response of the missile to change its orientation. Other reasons are the bias and disturbances as well as the noise about and within the system such as the thermal noise. This paper deals with the tracking system used in the homing guidance and air defense systems. A realistic model for the tracking system model is developed including the receiver servo dynamics and the possible disturbance and noise that may affect the accuracy of the tracking signals measured by the seeker sensor. Modeling the parameters variability and uncertainty is also examined to determine the robustness margin of the tracking system.

  14. Air-To-Water Heat Pumps with Radiant Delivery in Low Load Homes: Tucson, Arizona and Chico, California (Fact Sheet)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2013-11-01

    Space conditioning represents nearly 50% of average residential household energy consumption, highlighting the need to identify alternative cost-effective, energy-efficient cooling and heating strategies. As homes are better built, there is an increasing need for strategies that are particularly well suited for high performance, low load homes. ARBI researchers worked with two test homes in hot-dry climates to evaluate the in-situ performance of air-to-water heat pump (AWHP) systems, an energy efficient space conditioning solution designed to cost-effectively provide comfort in homes with efficient, safe, and durable operation. Two monitoring projects of test houses in hot-dry climates were initiated in 2010 to test this system. Both systems were fully instrumented and have been monitored over one year to capture complete performance data over the cooling and heating seasons. Results are used to quantify energy savings, cost-effectiveness, and system performance using different operating modes and strategies. A calibrated TRNSYS model was developed and used to evaluate performance in various climate regions. This strategy is most effective in tight, insulated homes with high levels of thermal mass (i.e. exposed slab floors).

  15. Navigating the flow: individual and continuum models for homing in flowing environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Painter, Kevin J; Hillen, Thomas

    2015-11-06

    Navigation for aquatic and airborne species often takes place in the face of complicated flows, from persistent currents to highly unpredictable storms. Hydrodynamic models are capable of simulating flow dynamics and provide the impetus for much individual-based modelling, in which particle-sized individuals are immersed into a flowing medium. These models yield insights on the impact of currents on population distributions from fish eggs to large organisms, yet their computational demands and intractability reduce their capacity to generate the broader, less parameter-specific, insights allowed by traditional continuous approaches. In this paper, we formulate an individual-based model for navigation within a flowing field and apply scaling to derive its corresponding macroscopic and continuous model. We apply it to various movement classes, from drifters that simply go with the flow to navigators that respond to environmental orienteering cues. The utility of the model is demonstrated via its application to 'homing' problems and, in particular, the navigation of the marine green turtle Chelonia mydas to Ascension Island. © 2015 The Author(s).

  16. LHC@home online tutorial for Windows users - recording

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2016-01-01

    A step-by-step online tutorial about LHC@home for Windows users by Karolina Bozek. It contains detailed instructions on how-to-join this volunteer computing project.  This 5' video is linked from http://lhcathome.web.cern.ch/join-us Also from the CDS e-learning category.

  17. SCI Hospital in Home Program: Bringing Hospital Care Home for Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madaris, Linda L; Onyebueke, Mirian; Liebman, Janet; Martin, Allyson

    2016-01-01

    The complex nature of spinal cord injury (SCI) and the level of care required for health maintenance frequently result in repeated hospital admissions for recurrent medical complications. Prolonged hospitalizations of persons with SCI have been linked to the increased risk of hospital-acquired infections and development or worsening pressure ulcers. An evidence-based alternative for providing hospital-level care to patients with specific diagnoses who are willing to receive that level of care in the comfort of their home is being implemented in a Department of Veterans Affairs SCI Home Care Program. The SCI Hospital in Home (HiH) model is similar to a patient-centered interdisciplinary care model that was first introduced in Europe and later tested as part of a National Demonstration and Evaluation Study through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and School of Public Health. This was funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The objectives of the program are to support veterans' choice and access to patient-centered care, reduce the reliance on inpatient medical care, allow for early discharge, and decrease medical costs. Veterans with SCI who are admitted to the HiH program receive daily oversight by a physician, daily visits by a registered nurse, access to laboratory services, oxygen, intravenous medications, and nursing care in the home setting. In this model, patients may typically access HiH services either as an "early discharge" from the hospital or as a direct admit to the program from the emergency department or SCI clinic. Similar programs providing acute hospital-equivalent care in the home have been previously implemented and are successfully demonstrating decreased length of stay, improved patient access, and increased patient satisfaction.

  18. Field Evaluation of Advances in Energy-Efficiency Practices for Manufactured Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Levy, E. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Dentz, J. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Ansanelli, E. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Barker, G. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Rath, P. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Dadia, D. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States)

    2016-03-01

    Through field-testing and analysis, this project evaluated whole-building approaches and estimated the relative contributions of select technologies toward reducing energy use related to space conditioning in new manufactured homes. Three lab houses of varying designs were built and tested side-by-side under controlled conditions in Russellville, Alabama. The tests provided a valuable indicator of how changes in the construction of manufactured homes can contribute to significant reductions in energy use.

  19. Needs of home care services for the bedridden patient’s problems living in their home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuran Akdemir

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The study was carry out as an semi-experimental study to identify the difficulties confronted by bedridden patients with stroke to give them necessary counseling services and to improve models of home care service.Method: The research sample is composed of 38 patients discarged from Hacettepe University İbni Sina Hospital and Health Ministry Ankara Numune Hospital Neurology services following cerebro-vascular accident. The data derived from the research is evaluated through percentage usage. Patients included in the study were visited average 5 times during the research.Result: During the home visiting, it is found out that most of the patients were in need of information concerning insufficient hygienic care, other illnesses, use of medication, discharge system problems like constipation and diarhea and dietary/nutritional; it is also observed that they are experiencing psycho-social diffuculties. The study results put forward suggestions in realizing progression and to form model of systematic home care services.

  20. Consistency of climate change projections from multiple global and regional model intercomparison projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, J.; Frías, M. D.; Cabos, W. D.; Cofiño, A. S.; Domínguez, M.; Fita, L.; Gaertner, M. A.; García-Díez, M.; Gutiérrez, J. M.; Jiménez-Guerrero, P.; Liguori, G.; Montávez, J. P.; Romera, R.; Sánchez, E.

    2018-03-01

    We present an unprecedented ensemble of 196 future climate projections arising from different global and regional model intercomparison projects (MIPs): CMIP3, CMIP5, ENSEMBLES, ESCENA, EURO- and Med-CORDEX. This multi-MIP ensemble includes all regional climate model (RCM) projections publicly available to date, along with their driving global climate models (GCMs). We illustrate consistent and conflicting messages using continental Spain and the Balearic Islands as target region. The study considers near future (2021-2050) changes and their dependence on several uncertainty sources sampled in the multi-MIP ensemble: GCM, future scenario, internal variability, RCM, and spatial resolution. This initial work focuses on mean seasonal precipitation and temperature changes. The results show that the potential GCM-RCM combinations have been explored very unevenly, with favoured GCMs and large ensembles of a few RCMs that do not respond to any ensemble design. Therefore, the grand-ensemble is weighted towards a few models. The selection of a balanced, credible sub-ensemble is challenged in this study by illustrating several conflicting responses between the RCM and its driving GCM and among different RCMs. Sub-ensembles from different initiatives are dominated by different uncertainty sources, being the driving GCM the main contributor to uncertainty in the grand-ensemble. For this analysis of the near future changes, the emission scenario does not lead to a strong uncertainty. Despite the extra computational effort, for mean seasonal changes, the increase in resolution does not lead to important changes.