Shared social and emotional activities within adolescent romantic and non-romantic sexual relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Lela Rankin; Russell, Stephen T

2013-05-01

Typically, "non-romantic" sexual relationships are assumed to be casual; however, the emotional and social distinctions between romantic and non-romantic contexts are not well understood, particularly in adolescence. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) was used to compare shared emotional (e.g., telling partner that they love her/him) and social (e.g., going out in a group) activities within romantic and non-romantic sexual relationships. Adolescents who reported exclusively romantic sexual relationships (n = 1,891) shared more emotional, but not social, activities with their partners than adolescents who were in non-romantic sexual relationships (n = 315; small effect size, r = .07-.13), akin to adolescents who experienced both relationship types (n = 519; small-to-medium effect size, r = .18-.38). Girls shared more emotional and social activities with their partners than boys when in romantic relationships (small effect size, r = .06-.10); there were no significant gender differences within non-romantic sexual relationships. Findings suggest that gendered scripts remain for sexual relationships that are romantic but not for those that are non-romantic. Notably, for the majority of adolescents, non-romantic relationships still held many emotional and social dimensions typical of romantic relationships and differences between relationship types were small. Although non-romantic relationships were less intimate than romantic sexual relationships, there was remarkable heterogeneity within this relationship type. Caution is advised when working with adolescents engaged in "casual" sexual relationships. Understanding the complexity of adolescent sexual relationships is critical for the advancement of effective sex education programming.

Shared effects of organic microcontaminants and environmental stressors on biofilms and invertebrates in impaired rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabater, S; Barceló, D; De Castro-Català, N; Ginebreda, A; Kuzmanovic, M; Petrovic, M; Picó, Y; Ponsatí, L; Tornés, E; Muñoz, I

2016-03-01

Land use type, physical and chemical stressors, and organic microcontaminants were investigated for their effects on the biological communities (biofilms and invertebrates) in several Mediterranean rivers. The diversity of invertebrates, and the scores of the first principal component of a PCA performed with the diatom communities were the best descriptors of the distribution patterns of the biological communities against the river stressors. These two metrics decreased according to the progressive site impairment (associated to higher area of agricultural and urban-industrial, high water conductivity, higher dissolved organic carbon and dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations, and higher concentration of organic microcontaminants, particularly pharmaceutical and industrial compounds). The variance partition analyses (RDAs) attributed the major share (10%) of the biological communities' response to the environmental stressors (nutrients, altered discharge, dissolved organic matter), followed by the land use occupation (6%) and of the organic microcontaminants (2%). However, the variance shared by the three groups of descriptors was very high (41%), indicating that their simultaneous occurrence determined most of the variation in the biological communities. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

New share index to track progress of environmental industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edge, Gordon

1999-01-01

This article discusses the work of the environmental finance house Imax Capital in persuading investors to invest in environmental industries. The development of the ET-50 Index by Impax Capital Asset Management to track progress of the environmental industry is reported, and the categories of the ET-50 including alternative energy generators and equipment providers, air and water pollution control, soil and site remediation, recycling and waste management, and environmental engineering and consulting are considered. The performance of the ET-50 Index, and the work of Impax and RER in the development of a dedicated renewable energy share index by are discussed

A non-native prey mediates the effects of a shared predator on an ecosystem service.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James E Byers

Full Text Available Non-native species can alter ecosystem functions performed by native species often by displacing influential native species. However, little is known about how ecosystem functions may be modified by trait-mediated indirect effects of non-native species. Oysters and other reef-associated filter feeders enhance water quality by controlling nutrients and contaminants in many estuarine environments. However, this ecosystem service may be mitigated by predation, competition, or other species interactions, especially when such interactions involve non-native species that share little evolutionary history. We assessed trophic and other interference effects on the critical ecosystem service of water filtration in mesocosm experiments. In single-species trials, typical field densities of oysters (Crassostrea virginica reduced water-column chlorophyll a more strongly than clams (Mercenaria mercenaria. The non-native filter-feeding reef crab Petrolisthes armatus did not draw down chlorophyll a. In multi-species treatments, oysters and clams combined additively to influence chlorophyll a drawdown. Petrolisthes did not affect net filtration when added to the bivalve-only treatments. Addition of the predatory mud crab Panopeus herbstii did not influence oyster feeding rates, but it did stop chlorophyll a drawdown by clams. However, when Petrolisthes was also added in with the clams, the clams filtered at their previously unadulterated rates, possibly because Petrolisthes drew the focus of predators or habituated the clams to crab stimuli. In sum, oysters were the most influential filter feeder, and neither predators nor competitors interfered with their net effect on water-column chlorophyll. In contrast, clams filtered less, but were more sensitive to predators as well as a facilitative buffering effect of Petrolisthes, illustrating that non-native species can indirectly affect an ecosystem service by aiding the performance of a native species.

Construction and Application of a National Data-Sharing Service Network of Material Environmental Corrosion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaogang Li

2007-12-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the key features of a newly developed national data-sharing online network for material environmental corrosion. Written in Java language and based on Oracle database technology, the central database in the network is supported with two unique series of corrosion failure data, both of which were accumulated during a long period of time. The first category of data, provided by national environment corrosion test sites, is corrosion failure data for different materials in typical environments (atmosphere, seawater and soil. The other category is corrosion data in production environments, provided by a variety of firms. This network system enables standardized management of environmental corrosion data, an effective data sharing process, and research and development support for new products and after-sale services. Moreover this network system provides a firm base and data-service platform for the evaluation of project bids, safety, and service life. This article also discusses issues including data quality management and evaluation in the material corrosion data sharing process, access authority of different users, compensation for providers of shared historical data, and finally, the related policy and law legal processes, which are required to protect the intellectual property rights of the database.

High altitude environmental monitoring: the SHARE project and CEOP-HE

Science.gov (United States)

Tartari, G.

2009-04-01

Mountain areas above 2,500 m a.s.l. constitute about 25% of the Earth's surface and play a fundamental role in the global water balance, while influencing global climate and atmospheric circulation systems. Several millions, including lowlanders, are directly affected by the impacts of climate change on glaciers and water resource distribution. Mountains and high altitude plateaus are subject to the highest rate of temperature increase (e.g., Tibetan Plateau) and are recognized as particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In spite of this, the number of permanent monitoring sites in the major environmental networks decreases with altitude. On a sample of two hundred high altitude automatic weather stations located above 2,500 m a.s.l., less than 20% are over 4,000 m, while there are only 24 stations in the world that could be considered "complete" high altitude observatories. Furthermore, entire mountain areas are left uncovered, creating significant data gaps which make reliable modelling and forecasting nearly impossible. In response to these problems, Ev-K2-CNR has developed the project SHARE (Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment) with the support of the Italian government and in collaboration with UNEP. This integrated environmental monitoring and research project aims to improve knowledge on the local, regional and global consequences of climate change in mountain regions and on the influence of high elevations on climate, atmospheric circulation and hydrology. SHARE today boasts a network of 13 permanent monitoring stations between 2,165 m and 8,000 m. Affiliated researchers have produced over 150 scientific publications in atmospheric sciences, meteorology and climate, glaciology, limnology and paleolimnology and geophysics. SHARE network data is also contributed to international programs (UNEP-ABC, WMO-GAW, WCRP-GEWEX-CEOP, NASA-AERONET, ILTER, EU-EUSAAR, EU-ACCENT). Within this context, the CEOP-High Elevations (CEOP

Socioeconomic Status Moderates Genetic and Environmental Effects on the Amount of Alcohol Use

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdi, Nayla R; Krueger, Robert F.; South, Susan C.

2015-01-01

Background Much is unknown about the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol use, including the means by which SES may influence risk for alcohol use. Methods Using a sample of 672 twin pairs (aged 25–74) derived from the MacArthur Foundation Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), the present study examined whether SES, measured by household income and educational attainment, moderates genetic and environmental influences on three indices of alcohol use: amount used, frequency of use, and problem use. Results We found significant moderation for amount of alcohol used. Specifically, genetic effects were greater in low-SES conditions, shared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that enhance the similarity of twins from the same families) tended to increase in high-SES conditions, and non-shared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that distinguish twins) tended to decrease with SES. This pattern of results was found for both income and education, and it largely replicated at a second wave of assessment spaced nine years after the first. There was virtually no evidence of moderation for either frequency of alcohol use or alcohol problems. Conclusions Our findings indicate that genetic and environmental influences on drinking amount vary as a function of the broader SES context, whereas the etiologies of other drinking phenomena are less affected by this context. Efforts to find the causes underlying the amount of alcohol used are likely to be more successful if such contextual information is taken into account. PMID:25778493

Testing knowledge sharing effectiveness: trust, motivation, leadership style, workplace spirituality and social network embedded model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahman Muhammad Sabbir

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this inquiry is to investigate the relationships among the antecedents of knowledge sharing effectiveness under the position of non-academic staff of higher learning institutions through an empirical test of a conceptual model consisting of trust, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, leadership style, workplace spirituality and online social network. This study used the respondents from the non-academic staff of higher learning institutions in Malaysia (n = 200, utilizing a self-administered survey questionnaire. The structural equation modeling approach was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The outcomes indicate that all the antecedents play a substantial function in knowledge sharing effectiveness. In addition, perceived risk plays a mediating role between trust and knowledge sharing effectiveness. On the other hand, this research also proved the communication skill also plays a mediating role between leadership style and knowledge sharing effectiveness. This study contributes to pioneering empirical findings on knowledge sharing literature under the scope of the non-academic staff perspective.

Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Covariation Between DHEA and Testosterone in Adolescent Twins.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hulle, Carol A; Moore, Mollie N; Shirtcliff, Elizabeth A; Lemery-Chalfant, Kathryn; Goldsmith, H Hill

2015-05-01

Although several studies have shown that pubertal tempo and timing are shaped by genetic and environmental factors, few studies consider to what extent endocrine triggers of puberty are shaped by genetic and environmental factors. Doing so moves the field from examining correlated developmentally-sensitive biomarkers toward understanding what drives those associations. Two puberty related hormones, dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone, were assayed from salivary samples in 118 MZ (62 % female), 111 same sex DZ (46 % female) and 103 opposite-sex DZ twin pairs, aged 12-16 years (M = 13.1, SD = 1.3). Pubertal status was assessed with a composite of mother- and self-reports. We used biometric models to estimate the genetic and environmental influences on the variance and covariance in testosterone and DHEA, with and without controlling for their association with puberty, and to test for sex differences. In males, the variance in testosterone and pubertal status was due to shared and non-shared environmental factors; variation in DHEA was due to genetic and non-shared environmental factors. In females, variance in testosterone was due to genetic and non-shared environmental factors; genetic, shared, and non-shared environmental factors contributed equally to variation in DHEA. In males, the testosterone-DHEA covariance was primarily due to shared environmental factors that overlapped with puberty as well as shared and non-shared environmental covariation specific to testosterone and DHEA. In females, the testosterone-DHEA covariance was due to genetic factors overlapping with pubertal status, and shared and non-shared environmental covariation specific to testosterone and DHEA.

Research review: the shared environment as a key source of variability in child and adolescent psychopathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Burt, S Alexandra

2014-04-01

Behavioral genetic research has historically concluded that the more important environmental influences were nonshared or result in differences between siblings, whereas environmental influences that create similarities between siblings (referred to as shared environmental influences) were indistinguishable from zero. Recent theoretical and meta-analytic work {Burt. Psychological Bulletin [135 (2009) 608]} has challenged this conclusion as it relates to child and adolescent psychopathology, however, arguing that the shared environment is a moderate, persistent, and identifiable source of individual differences in such outcomes prior to adulthood. The current review seeks to bolster research on the shared environment by highlighting both the logistic advantages inherent in studies of the shared environment, as well as the use of nontraditional but still genetically informed research designs to study shared environmental influences. Although often moderate in magnitude prior to adulthood and free of unsystematic measurement error, shared environmental influences are nevertheless likely to have been underestimated in prior research. Moreover, the shared environment is likely to include proximal effects of the family, as well as the effects of more distal environmental contexts such as neighborhood and school. These risk and protective factors could influence the child either as main effects or as moderators of genetic influence (i.e. gene-environment interactions). Finally, because the absence of genetic relatedness in an otherwise nonindependent dataset also qualifies as 'genetically informed', studies of the shared environment are amenable to the use of novel and non-traditional designs (with appropriate controls for selection). The shared environment makes important contributions to most forms of child and adolescent psychopathology. Empirical examinations of the shared environment would thus be of real and critical value for understanding the development and

Shared and non-shared antigens from three different extracts of the metacestode of Echinococcus granulosus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Carmena

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Hydatid cyst fluid (HCF, somatic antigens (S-Ag and excretory-secretory products (ES-Ag of Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces are used as the main antigenic sources for immunodiagnosis of human and dog echinococcosis. In order to determine their non-shared as well as their shared antigenic components, these extracts were studied by ELISA-inhibition and immunoblot-inhibition. Assays were carried out using homologous rabbit polyclonal antisera, human sera from individuals with surgically confirmed hydatidosis, and sera from dogs naturally infected with E. granulosus. High levels of cross-reactivity were observed for all antigenic extracts, but especially for ES-Ag and S-Ag. Canine antibodies evidenced lesser avidity for their specific antigens than antibodies from human origin. The major antigenic components shared by HCF, S-Ag, and ES-Ag have apparent molecular masses of 4-6, 20-24, 52, 80, and 100-104 kDa, including doublets of 41/45, 54/57, and 65/68 kDa. Non-shared polypeptides of each antigenic extract of E. granulosus were identified, having apparent masses of 108 and 78 kDa for HCF, of 124, 94, 83, and 75 kDa for S-Ag, and of 89, 66, 42, 39, 37, and 35 kDa for ES-Ag.

Extensive shared polymorphism at non-MHC immune genes in recently diverged North American prairie grouse

Science.gov (United States)

Minias, Piotr; Bateson, Zachary W.; Whittingham, Linda A.; Johnson, Jeff A.; Oyler-McCance, Sara J.; Dunn, Peter O.

2018-01-01

Gene polymorphisms shared between recently diverged species are thought to be widespread and most commonly reflect introgression from hybridization or retention of ancestral polymorphism through incomplete lineage sorting. Shared genetic diversity resulting from incomplete lineage sorting is usually maintained for a relatively short period of time, but under strong balancing selection it may persist for millions of years beyond species divergence (balanced trans-species polymorphism), as in the case of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. However, balancing selection is much less likely to act on non-MHC immune genes. The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of shared polymorphism and selection at non-MHC immune genes in five grouse species from Centrocercus and Tympanuchus genera. For this purpose, we genotyped five non-MHC immune genes that do not interact directly with pathogens, but are involved in signaling and regulate immune cell growth. In contrast to previous studies with MHC, we found no evidence for balancing selection or balanced trans-species polymorphism among the non-MHC immune genes. No haplotypes were shared between genera and in most cases more similar allelic variants sorted by genus. Between species within genera, however, we found extensive shared polymorphism, which was most likely attributable to introgression or incomplete lineage sorting following recent divergence and large ancestral effective population size (i.e., weak genetic drift). Our study suggests that North American prairie grouse may have attained relatively low degree of reciprocal monophyly at nuclear loci and reinforces the rarity of balancing selection in non-MHC immune genes.

Challenges in sharing information effectively

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonnenwald, Diane H.

2006-01-01

collaborating successfully, i.e., a deceptively false shared understanding had emerged. These incidents were analysed to discover what led to these unsuspected breakdowns in information sharing. Results. Unsuspected breakdowns in information sharing emerged when: differences in implementations of shared symbols......Introduction. The goal of information sharing is to change a person's image of the world and to develop a shared working understanding. It is an essential component of collaboration. This paper examines barriers to sharing information effectively in dynamic group work situations. Method. Three...... types of battlefield training simulations were observed and open-ended interviews with military personnel were conducted. Analysis. Observation notes and interview transcripts were analysed to identify incidents when group members erroneously believed they had shared information effectively and were...

Genetic and environmental overlap between borderline personality disorder traits and psychopathy: evidence for promotive effects of factor 2 and protective effects of factor 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, E; Bornovalova, M A; Patrick, C J

2015-05-01

Previous studies have reported strong genetic and environmental overlap between antisocial-externalizing (factor 2; F2) features of psychopathy and borderline personality disorder (BPD) tendencies. However, this line of research has yet to examine etiological associations of affective-interpersonal (factor 1, F1) features of psychopathy with BPD tendencies. The current study investigated differential phenotypic and genetic overlap of psychopathy factors 1 and 2 with BPD tendencies in a sample of over 250 male and female community-recruited adult twin pairs. Consistent with previous research, biometric analyses revealed strong genetic and non-shared environmental correlations of F2 with BPD tendencies, suggesting that common genetic and non-shared environmental factors contribute to both phenotypes. In contrast, negative genetic and non-shared environmental correlations were observed between F1 and BPD tendencies, indicating that the genetic factors underlying F1 serve as protective factors against BPD. No gender differences emerged in the analyses. These findings provide further insight into associations of psychopathic features - F1 as well as F2 - and BPD tendencies. Implications for treatment and intervention are discussed, along with how psychopathic traits may differentially influence the manifestation of BPD tendencies.

Nurture net of nature: Re-evaluating the role of shared environments in academic achievement and verbal intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Daw, Jonathan; Guo, Guang; Harris, Kathie Mullan

2015-07-01

Prominent authors in the behavioral genetics tradition have long argued that shared environments do not meaningfully shape intelligence and academic achievement. However, we argue that these conclusions are erroneous due to large violations of the additivity assumption underlying behavioral genetics methods - that sources of genetic and shared and nonshared environmental variance are independent and non-interactive. This is compounded in some cases by the theoretical equation of the effective and objective environments, where the former is defined by whether siblings are made more or less similar, and the latter by whether siblings are equally subject to the environmental characteristic in question. Using monozygotic twin fixed effects models, which compare outcomes among genetically identical pairs, we show that many characteristics of objectively shared environments significantly moderate the effects of nonshared environments on adolescent academic achievement and verbal intelligence, violating the additivity assumption of behavioral genetic methods. Importantly, these effects would be categorized as nonshared environmental influences in standard twin models despite their roots in shared environments. These findings should encourage caution among those who claim that the frequently trivial variance attributed to shared environments in behavioral genetic models means that families, schools, and neighborhoods do not meaningfully influence these outcomes. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Analyzing the Effects of Car Sharing Services on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG Emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiyeon Jung

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study examines the environmental impacts of roundtrip car sharing services by investigating transportation behavior. Car sharing should contribute to reduced greenhouse gas GHG emissions; however, such schemes include both positive and negative environmental effects, including: (1 reduced CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent from substituting private vehicle use for more fuel-efficient car sharing vehicles, (2 increased CO2e as car-less individuals switch from public transit to car sharing vehicles and (3 reduced CO2e due to fewer vehicles. This study examines the impacts of this modal shift on greenhouse gas (GHG emissions using three types of models: a mixed logit model to analyze car sharing service preferences; a binary logit model to analyze whether individuals are willing to forgo vehicle ownership or planned purchases to use car sharing services; and a linear regression to determine how much private vehicle or public transportation use would be replaced by car sharing and the resulting effects on mobility. Total emissions from the current car sharing market equal 1,025,589.36 t CO2e/year. However, an increase in electric vehicle (EV charging stations to 50% of the number of gasoline-fuel stations would increase the probability of electric car sharing vehicle use, thereby reducing emissions by 655,773 t CO2e. This study shows that forgoing vehicle purchases does not offset the increased GHG emissions caused by the shift from public transportation or private vehicle use to car sharing.

Non-perturbative effects in supersymmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veneziano, G.

1987-01-01

Some non perturbative aspects of globally supersymmetric (SUSY) gauge theories are discussed. These share with their non-supersymmetric analogues interesting non perturbative features, such as the spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetries via condensates. What is peculiar about supersymmetric theories, however, is that one is able to say a lot about non-perturbative effects even without resorting to elaborate numerical calculations: general arguments, supersymmetric and chiral Ward identities and analytic, dynamical calculations will turn out to effectively determine most of the supersymmetric vacuum properties. 28 references, 5 figures

Time-resolved echo-shared parallel MRA of the lung: observer preference study of image quality in comparison with non-echo-shared sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fink, C.; Puderbach, M.; Zaporozhan, J.; Plathow, C.; Kauczor, H.-U.; Ley, S.

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the image quality of time-resolved echo-shared parallel MRA of the lung. The pulmonary vasculature of nine patients (seven females, two males; median age: 44 years) with pulmonary disease was examined using a time-resolved MRA sequence combining echo sharing with parallel imaging (time-resolved echo-shared angiography technique, or TREAT). The sharpness of the vessel borders, conspicuousness of peripheral lung vessels, artifact level, and overall image quality of TREAT was assessed independently by four readers in a side-by-side comparison with non-echo-shared time-resolved parallel MRA data (pMRA) previously acquired in the same patients. Furthermore, the SNR of pulmonary arteries (PA) and veins (PV) achieved with both pulse sequences was compared. The mean voxel size of TREAT MRA was decreased by 24% compared with the non-echo-shared MRA. Regarding the sharpness of the vessel borders, conspicuousness of peripheral lung vessels, and overall image quality the TREAT sequence was rated superior in 75-76% of all cases. If the TREAT images were preferred over the pMRA images, the advantage was rated as major in 61-71% of all cases. The level of artifacts was not increased with the TREAT sequence. The mean interobserver agreement for all categories ranged between fair (artifact level) and good (overall image quality). The maximum SNR of TREAT did not differ from non-echo-shared parallel MRA (PA: TREAT: 273±45; pMRA: 280±71; PV: TREAT: 273±33; pMRA: 258±62). TREAT achieves a higher spatial resolution than non-echo-shared parallel MRA which is also perceived as an improved image quality. (orig.)

Transboundary effects of environmental policy. Markets and emission leakages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruvoll, Annegrete; Faehn, Taran [Research Department, Statistics Norway, Pb. 8131 Dep., 0033 Oslo (Norway)

2006-10-15

One of many explanations for Environmental Kuznets Curves for rich countries can be that dirty production is relocated to economies with laxer abatement regimes. If this is caused by national abatement policies, environmental stresses are transferred to other countries. Further, the economic costs of national abatement policies can be shared with foreigners to some extent, both through a lower demand for imports and losses of market shares for foreign competitors that produce cleaner products. We quantify effects internally and abroad of a growth-induced unilateral carbon tax policy in a rich open economy. We find that the environmental benefits fall, and the economic costs rise, when a global rather than a national perspective is employed. (author)

Settlement-date Accounting for Equity Share Options - Conceptual Validity and Numerical Effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Peder Fredslund

-date accounting are fully conceptually valid. They represent measurements of one partner group's share of total equity with effect for another group's share of total equity and income: the shareholders' part. Partially, this equity and income sharing model is already the basis for existing accounting standards......This paper demonstrates that settlement-date accounting for equity share options can be seen as an accounting method which implements a shareholder focused residually rewarded partners' equity view. This equity view represents a simple, natural extension of the shareholder proprietary view....... It implicates an equity and income sharing model for accounting which is characterized by specification of both shareholders' and non-shareholders' parts of total equity and income. When using this equity and income sharing model, the remeasurements of equity share option obligations made by settlement...

Effectiveness and environmental considerations for non-dispersant chemical countermeasures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, A.H.; Kucklick, J.H.; Michel, J.

1999-01-01

Mechanical countermeasures for oil spill response have various effectiveness and operational limitations under certain spill situations. This has led to an interest in and use of alternative treatment methods. This chapter reviews the potential utility of one such group, nondispersant chemical countermeasures, in controlling the adverse impacts from marine oil spills. The types of nondispersant chemical countermeasures presented here include: herding agents, emulsion treating agents, solidifiers, elasticity modifiers, and shoreline cleaning agents. Each countermeasure group is discussed separately to provide a definition, mechanism of action, and effectiveness and environmental considerations for the group. Where ever possible, examples are given of countermeasure use during an actual spill. In addition to the groups mentioned above, a few other treating agents are briefly described under the section 'Miscellaneous Agents' to illustrate other, less prominent types of chemical countermeasures. Non-dispersant chemical countermeasures appear to have discrete response niches, i.e. situations where the countermeasures are well-suited and offer potential benefits. The key is matching conditions for optimal effectiveness with the appropriate incident-specific characteristics and window of opportunity. The practical aspects of logistics are not addressed because, if their potential utility can be demonstrated, the resolution of these issues would follow. (author)

43 CFR 404.40 - What is the non-Federal share of operation, maintenance, and replacement costs?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Cost-Sharing § 404.40 What is the non-Federal share of operation, maintenance, and replacement costs? You are required to pay 100 percent of the operation, maintenance, and replacement costs of any rural... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What is the non-Federal share of operation...

Peer deviance, alcohol expectancies, and adolescent alcohol use: explaining shared and nonshared environmental effects using an adoptive sibling pair design.

Science.gov (United States)

Samek, Diana R; Keyes, Margaret A; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

2013-07-01

Previous research suggests adolescent alcohol use is largely influenced by environmental factors, yet little is known about the specific nature of this influence. We hypothesized that peer deviance and alcohol expectancies would be sources of environmental influence because both have been consistently and strongly correlated with adolescent alcohol use. The sample included 206 genetically related and 407 genetically unrelated sibling pairs assessed in mid-to-late adolescence. The heritability of adolescent alcohol use (e.g., frequency, quantity last 12 months) was minimal and not significantly different from zero. The associations among peer deviance, alcohol expectancies, and alcohol use were primarily due to shared environmental factors. Of special note, alcohol expectancies also significantly explained nonshared environmental influence on alcohol use. This study is one of few that have identified specific environmental variants of adolescent alcohol use while controlling for genetic influence.

Investigating genetic and environmental contributions to adolescent externalizing behavior in a collectivistic culture: a multi-informant twin study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, J; Yu, J; Zhang, J; Li, X; McGue, M

2015-07-01

Little is known about the etiology of adolescents' externalizing behavior (Ext) in collectivistic cultures. We aimed to fill this gap by investigating the genetic and environmental influences on Ext in Chinese adolescents. The etiological heterogeneity of aggression (AGG) and rule breaking (RB) was also examined. The study sample included 908 pairs of same-sex twins aged from 10 to 18 years (mean = 13.53 years, s.d. = 2.26). Adolescents' Ext were assessed with the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment including Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher Report Form, and Youth Self-Report. Univariate genetic analyses showed that genetic influences on all measures were moderate ranging from 34% to 50%, non-shared environmental effects ranged from 23% to 52%, and shared environmental effects were significant in parent- and teacher-reported measures ranging from 29% to 43%. Bivariate genetic analyses indicated that AGG and RB shared large genetic influences (r g = 0.64-0.79) but moderate non-shared environmental factors (r e = 0.34-0.52). Chinese adolescents' Ext was moderately influenced by genetic factors. AGG and RB had moderate independent genetic and non-shared environmental influences, and thus constitute etiologically distinct dimensions within Ext in Chinese adolescents. The heritability of AGG, in particular, was smaller in Chinese adolescents than suggested by previous data obtained on Western peers. This study suggests that the collectivistic cultural values and Confucianism philosophy may attenuate genetic potential in Ext, especially AGG.

47 CFR 25.260 - Time sharing between DoD meteorological satellite systems and non-voice, non-geostationary...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Time sharing between DoD meteorological satellite systems and non-voice, non-geostationary satellite systems in the 400.15-401 MHz band. 25.260 Section 25.260 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES...

Non-Markovianity in the collision model with environmental block

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Jiasen; Yu, Chang-shui

2018-05-01

We present an extended collision model to simulate the dynamics of an open quantum system. In our model, the unit to represent the environment is, instead of a single particle, a block which consists of a number of environment particles. The introduced blocks enable us to study the effects of different strategies of system–environment interactions and states of the blocks on the non-Markovianities. We demonstrate our idea in the Gaussian channels of an all-optical system and derive a necessary and sufficient condition of non-Markovianity for such channels. Moreover, we show the equivalence of our criterion to the non-Markovian quantum jump in the simulation of the pure damping process of a single-mode field. We also show that the non-Markovianity of the channel working in the strategy that the system collides with environmental particles in each block in a certain order will be affected by the size of the block and the embedded entanglement and the effects of heating and squeezing the vacuum environmental state will quantitatively enhance the non-Markovianity.

Political economies and environmental futures for the sharing economy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frenken, Koen|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/207145253

2017-01-01

The sudden rise of the sharing economy has sparked an intense public debate about its definition, its effects and its future regulation. Here, I attempt to provide analytical guidance by defining the sharing economy as the practice that consumers grant each other temporary access to their

Using the Behaviour Change Wheel to explore potential strategies for minimising harms from non-recreational prescription medicine sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Beyene, Kebede; Aspden, Trudi; Sheridan, Janie

2018-04-05

Non-recreational sharing of prescribed medicines can have positive outcomes under some circumstances, but can also result in negative health outcomes. This paper describes a theoretically underpinned and systematic approach to exploring potential interventions to reduce harm. Individual, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with purposively sampled pharmacists (n = 8), doctors (n = 4), nurses (n = 6) and patients (n = 17) from Auckland, New Zealand. Thematic analysis of suggested interventions was undertaken, and these were linked to relevant intervention functions of the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW). Analysis of previously defined factors influencing sharing were mapped onto the "Capability, Opportunity, Motivation - Behaviour" (COM-B) model of the BCW. COM-B analysis of the factors influencing sharing behaviour revealed: (i) 'Capability'-related factors, such as patient misconceptions about the safety of certain medicines, forgetting to refill or to carry around own medicines, and lack of knowledge about safe disposal of leftover/unused medicines; (ii) 'Opportunity'-related factors included lack of access to health facilities, lack of time to see a doctor, linguistic and cultural barriers, lack of information from healthcare providers about risks of sharing, and having leftover/unused medicines, and (iii) 'Motivation'-related factors included altruism, illness denial, embarrassment about seeing a doctor, not carrying around own medicines, habit, and fear of negative health consequences from missing a few doses of medicines. Five intervention functions of the BCW appear to be the most likely candidates for targeting the factors which relate to medicine sharing. These are education, persuasion, enablement, environmental restructuring and restriction. A variety of personal and external factors which influence sharing behaviours were identified, and the BCW provided a means by which theoretically underpinned interventions to reduce

Distributional Effects of Environmental Taxes in Estonia

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Helen Poltimäe

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the distributional effects of Estonian environmental taxes in 2000-2007 and recent reforms in 2008 using Estonian Household Budget Survey data and a microsimulation model. The results show that the share of environmental taxes in consumption expenditures is about 1-1.5%. Environmental taxes in 2000- 2007 were progressive due to the progressivity of motor fuel excises, which was the largest component of the environmental taxes until 2007. Since 2008, the taxes are less progressive, because of the new electricity excise and increased taxes on gas and other inputs used for distance domestic heating. To minimize the disproportionate effect of future ecological tax reform on low-income households, close monitoring of tax developments is required and necessary compensatory policies need to be implemented

Effects of ambient air pollution and environmental tobacco smoke on respiratory health of non-smoking women in Hong Kong.

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Wong, C M; Hu, Z G; Lam, T H; Hedley, A J; Peters, J

1999-10-01

Two-thirds of complaints received by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department in 1988 were related to poor air quality. In July 1990 legislation was implemented to reduce fuel sulphur levels. The intervention led to a reduction in respiratory symptoms and bronchial hyperresponsiveness of primary school children. The objectives of this study were to investigate the differences in respiratory health between non-smoking women living in the more polluted district (Kwai Tsing) and those living in the less polluted district (Southern); to assess the impact of the government air quality intervention; and to study the effect of environmental tobacco smoke on respiratory health in non-smoking women in both districts. A total of 3405 non-smoking women, aged 36.5 years (standard deviation = 3.0), from two districts with good and poor air quality respectively before the intervention were followed yearly from 1989 to 1991. Binary latent variable modelling was used to summarize the six respiratory symptoms and to estimate the effects of risk factors. In 1989, living in the polluted district was associated with poor respiratory health (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-2.17, P 0.241) in the more polluted compared with the less polluted district for poor respiratory health. In 1989, the effects on poor respiratory health for exposure to two or more categories of smokers relative to none in the home (OR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.15-2.83, P living in polluted relative to less polluted district (95% CI of the two effects overlapping each other). Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and outdoor air pollution had independent adverse effects on respiratory health of non-smoking women and improvement in air quality had produced some but non-significant benefits.

Future of car-sharing in Germany: Customer potential estimation, diffusion and ecological effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilke, Georg; Bongardt, Daniel

2007-01-01

The article summarises selected key results of the project 'Future of Car-Sharing in Germany', funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The target of the research was to improve the informational basis for the traffic and environmental assessment of car-sharing in Germany by means of an empirically based estimation of the medium-term perspective (time horizon 2020). Intermediate results were presented at the ECEEE congress 2005.Basis of the demand analyses, which were aligned to the milieu concept, was provided by two surveys (a non-representative survey of circa 500 customers and former customers and a representative survey of around 1,500 non-customers). In the interviews two service scenarios of a 'new' Car-Sharing in the shape of short-term car rental without ecological requirements were used. The analysis of the surveys was differentiated on two levels: On general level covering the whole sample and on the level of sub-samples covering the different milieus. Findings are provided with regard to prospective customers (social milieu affiliation, social profiles, notional using patterns) and backgrounds of their interest in short-term car rental as well as results of a customer potential estimation and a traffic and eco-balance. The results show that a diffusion of short-term car rentals appears feasible with an eco-balance remaining positive. For various reasons, the market development to be achieved by the year 2020, however, should be relatively limited. Similar is true for the potential contribution of car-sharing to a sustainable mobility altogether

Scaling Non-Regular Shared-Memory Codes by Reusing Custom Loop Schedules

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Dimitrios S. Nikolopoulos

2003-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we explore the idea of customizing and reusing loop schedules to improve the scalability of non-regular numerical codes in shared-memory architectures with non-uniform memory access latency. The main objective is to implicitly setup affinity links between threads and data, by devising loop schedules that achieve balanced work distribution within irregular data spaces and reusing them as much as possible along the execution of the program for better memory access locality. This transformation provides a great deal of flexibility in optimizing locality, without compromising the simplicity of the shared-memory programming paradigm. In particular, the programmer does not need to explicitly distribute data between processors. The paper presents practical examples from real applications and experiments showing the efficiency of the approach.

The role of personal values in children's costly sharing and non-costly giving.

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Abramson, Lior; Daniel, Ella; Knafo-Noam, Ariel

2018-01-01

This study examined whether children's values, global and abstract motivations serving as guiding principles, are organized similarly to those of adults, whether values can predict individual differences in children's sharing behaviors, and whether the normative nature of the situation influences the expression of these individual differences. Children (N=243, ages 5-12years) participated in a values ranking task as part of a visit to a science museum. The majority of children (n=150) also participated in a task examining costly sharing (i.e., sharing that results in giving up part of one's own resources) and non-costly giving (i.e., giving that does not influence one's own share). Starting from 5years of age, children showed a structure of values similar to that of adolescents and adults, specifically contrasting preferences for opposing values (i.e., self-transcendence with self-enhancement and openness to change with conservation). Importance given to self-transcendence values related positively to costly sharing but not to non-costly giving, indicating that in situations where it is more normative to share, individual differences in values are less expressed in children's actual sharing. In addition, children's sex and age moderated the relation between values and behavior. Children's values are an important aspect of their developing personalities. Taking them into consideration can greatly promote the research of prosocial and normative development as well as our understanding of individual differences in children's behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sharing Economy vs Sharing Cultures? Designing for social, economic and environmental good

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Ann Light

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the story behind a crowdfunding service as an example of sharing technology. Research in a small neighborhood of London showed how locally-developed initiatives can differ in tone, scale, ambition and practice to those getting attention in the so-called sharing economy. In local accounts, we see an emphasis on organizing together to create shared spaces for collaborative use of resources and joint ownership of projects and places. Whereas, many global business models feature significant elements of renting, leasing and hiring and focus only on resource management, sometimes at the expense of community growth. The service we discuss is based in the area we studied and has a collective model of sharing, but hopes to be part of the new global movement. We use this hybridity to problematize issues of culture, place and scalability in developing sharing resources and addressing sustainability concerns. We relate this to the motivation, rhetoric and design choices of other local sharing enterprises and other global sharing economy initiatives, arguing, in conclusion, that there is no sharing economy, but a variety of new cultures being fostered.

Perspectives on compliance: non-compliance with environmental licenses in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Snellenberg, A.H.L.M.; van de Peppel, R.A.

2002-01-01

Compliance with environmental law is not self-evident. In many instances enforcement of environmental regulations is a necessary means for achieving compliance. Assuming that an enforcement strategy, in order to be effective, has to fit the type of non-compliance, we integrate six different

Are clean technology and environmental quality conflicting policy goals?

OpenAIRE

Brechet, Thierry; Meunier, Guy; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique UR 1303 Alimentation et Sciences Sociales

2012-01-01

In this paper we analyze the effects of an environmental policy on the diffusion of a clean technology in an economy where firms compete on the output market. We show that the share of adopting firms is non-monotonic with the stringency of the environmental policy, and that the adoption of the clean technology may well increase the pollution level. We also compare the effects of an emission tax and tradable pollution permits on welfare, technology adoption, and pollution level. We show that, ...

Are Clean Technology and Environmental Quality Conflicting Policy Goals?

OpenAIRE

Thierry Brechet; Guy Meunier

2012-01-01

In this paper we analyze the effects of an environmental policy on the diffusion of a clean technology in an economy where firms compete on the output market. We show that the share of adopting firms is non-monotonic with the stringency of the environmental policy, and that the adoption of the clean technology may well increase the pollution level. We also compare the effects of an emission tax and tradable pollution permits on welfare, technology adoption, and pollution level. We show that, ...

Shared genetic effects between hepatic steatosis and fibrosis: A prospective twin study

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Cui, Jeffrey; Chen, Chi-Hua; Lo, Min-Tzu; Schork, Nicholas; Bettencourt, Ricki; Gonzalez, Monica P; Bhatt, Archana; Hooker, Jonathan; Shaffer, Katherine; Nelson, Karen E; Long, Michelle T; Brenner, David A; Sirlin, Claude B; Loomba, Rohit

2016-01-01

Introduction Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with metabolic risk factors including hypertension and dyslipidemia, and may progress to liver fibrosis. Previous studies have shown that hepatic steatosis and fibrosis are heritable but whether they have a significant shared gene effect is unknown. This study aimed to examine the shared gene effects between hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and their associations with metabolic risk factors. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort of well-characterized, community-dwelling twins (45 monozygotic, 20 dizygotic twin pairs, 130 total subjects) from Southern California. Hepatic steatosis was assessed with MRI-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) and hepatic fibrosis was assessed with magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). A standard bivariate twin AE model was used to estimate the proportion of phenotypic variance between two phenotypes accounted for by additive genetic effects (A) and individual-specific environmental effects (E). Genetic correlations (rG) estimated from this model represent the degree to which the genetic determinants of two phenotypes overlap. Results The mean (±SD) age and BMI were 47.1 (±21.9) years and 26.9 (±6.5) kg/m2, respectively. 20% (26/130) of the cohort had hepatic steatosis (MRI-PDFF ≥5%) and 8.2% (10/122) had hepatic fibrosis (MRE ≥3Kpa). Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), triglycerides, glucose, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), insulin, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) had significant shared gene effects with hepatic steatosis. Triglycerides, glucose, HOMA-IR, insulin, HbA1c, and low HDL had significant shared gene effects with hepatic fibrosis. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis had a highly significant shared gene effect of 0.756 (95% CI: 0.716–1, psteatosis pathogenesis may also be involved with fibrosis pathogenesis. PMID:27315352

Environmentally friendly use of non-coal ashes in Sweden.

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Ribbing, C

2007-01-01

The Swedish Thermal Engineering Research Institute (Värmeforsk) initiated an applied research program "Environmentally friendly use of non-coal ashes", in 2002. The program aims at increasing knowledge on the by-products of energy production and their application. The goal of formulating technical and environmental guidelines and assessments is a major point of the program, which is supported by about forty authorities and private organisations. The programme has been divided into four areas: recycling of ashes to forests, geotechnical applications, use in landfilling, and environmental aspects and chemistry. Among all results obtained, the following progress is shown: *Evidence for the positive effects of spreading ashes on forest growth. *A proposal for environmental guidelines on the utilisation of ashes in construction. *A handbook for using non-coal fly ashes in unpaved roads. *Technical and environmental assessments of MSWI bottom ashes in road construction. *Development of the use of ashes with municipal wastewater sludge as a cover for landfills and mine tailings. *Use of ashes from bio-fuels in concrete and replacement of cement in stoop mining. *A method to classify those by-products from combustion that have mirror entries in the EWC as a hazardous or non-hazardous compound. The Ash Programme has also made it possible to increase knowledge on ashes as valuable materials, on quality assurance and on markets for recovered materials.

Beliefs about the effects of social sharing of emotion in alexithymia.

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Martínez Sánchez, Francisco; Blanco Larrieux, María Luisa; Páez Rovira, Darío; Costa Ball, Daniel

2013-01-01

Emotional events are followed by recurrent talking about the event (Social Sharing of Emotion, SSE). Several factors that can account for variations in beliefs about SSE were examined: alexithymia, age and sex among two sample groups, Spanish (n = 388) and Uruguayan (n = 537). Both samples completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Beliefs about Social Sharing of Emotion Questionnaire (BSEQ). Results indicated that alexithymia was negatively related to beliefs about SSE. Low alexithymia was associated with higher agreement with positive intrapersonal effects of SSE and disagreement with benefits of non-expression or inhibition, and beliefs in positive interpersonal effect of social sharing were unrelated to alexithymia. Cultural and gender differences were found regarding beliefs about SSE. Regression analyses suggest that alexithymia significantly predicted beliefs about SSE. The pattern of results suggests that more collectivist and traditional cultures, such as the Uruguayan, attach less value to SSE. Results and implications are discussed.

The Filtering Effect of Sharing Rules

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dari Mattiacci, G.; de Geest, G.G.A.

2004-01-01

Sharing rules have a filtering effect on violations: they prevent the most harmful violations and let the least harmful ones occur. We show under what conditions the filtering effect improves social welfare and argue that this may explain why, in most areas of the law, sharing rules are, in general,

A sibling based design to quantify genetic and shared environmental effects of venous thromboembolism in Sweden.

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Zöller, Bengt; Ohlsson, Henrik; Sundquist, Jan; Sundquist, Kristina

2017-01-01

Few large studies have examined the heritability of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Moreover, twin studies have been suggested to overestimate heritability. The aim of the present study was to determine the heritability nationwide in the general Swedish population using full siblings and half-siblings. VTE was defined using the Swedish patient register. Full sibling (FS) and half-sibling (HS) pairs born 1950-1990 were obtained from the Swedish Multi-generation Register. A maximum of 5years age difference was allowed. We also required that the individuals within the pair should reside in the same household for at least 8years or not at all (0years) before the youngest turned 16. Information about sibling pair residence within the same household, small residential area, and municipality was obtained from Statistics Sweden. We assumed three potential sources of liability to VTE: additive genetic (A), shared (or common/familial) environment (C), and unique environment (E) components. Totally 881,206 FS pairs and 95,198 HS pairs were included. The full model predicted heritability for VTE with 47% for males and 40% for females. Environmental factors shared by siblings contributed to 0% of the variance in liability for both sexes, and unique environment (E) components accounted for 53% in males and 60% in females. The high heritability of VTE risk indicates that genetic susceptibility plays a substantial role for VTE in the Swedish general population. Overestimation of heritability from twin studies is not likely. The proportion of the variance attributable to shared familial environment factors is small. Subject codes: Genetics, epidemiology, thrombosis, cardiovascular disease, embolism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Model Supported Interactive Virtual Environment for Natural Resource Sharing in Environmental Education

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Barbalios, N.; Ioannidou, I.; Tzionas, P.; Paraskeuopoulos, S.

2013-01-01

This paper introduces a realistic 3D model supported virtual environment for environmental education, that highlights the importance of water resource sharing by focusing on the tragedy of the commons dilemma. The proposed virtual environment entails simulations that are controlled by a multi-agent simulation model of a real ecosystem consisting…

Sharing environmental models: An Approach using GitHub repositories and Web Processing Services

Science.gov (United States)

Stasch, Christoph; Nuest, Daniel; Pross, Benjamin

2016-04-01

accordingly. The admin tool of the 52°North WPS was extended to support automated retrieval and deployment of computational models from GitHub repositories. Once the R code is available in the GitHub repo, the contained process can be easily deployed and executed by simply defining the GitHub repository URL in the WPS admin tool. We illustrate the usage of the approach by sharing and running a model for land use system archetypes developed by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ, see Vaclavik et al.). The original R code was extended and published in the 52°North WPS using both, public and non-public datasets (Nüst et al., see also https://github.com/52North/glues-wps). Hosting the analysis in a Git repository now allows WPS administrators, client developers, and modelers to easily work together on new versions or completely new web processes using the powerful GitHub collaboration platform. References: Hinz, M. et. al. (2013): Spatial Statistics on the Geospatial Web. In: The 16th AGILE International Conference on Geographic Information Science, Short Papers. http://www.agile-online.org/Conference_Paper/CDs/agile_2013/Short_Papers/SP_S3.1_Hinz.pdf Nüst, D. et. al.: (2015): Open and reproducible global land use classification. In: EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts . Vol. 17. European Geophysical Union, 2015, p. 9125, http://meetingorganizer.copernicus. org/EGU2015/EGU2015- 9125.pdf Vaclavik, T., et. al. (2013): Mapping global land system archetypes. Global Environmental Change 23(6): 1637-1647. Online available: October 9, 2013, DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.09.004

The market share of non-US uranium producers under different US embargo scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franks, W.A.

1988-01-01

The imposition of US restrictions on the use of foreign uranium has a potentially far reaching impact. This analysis examines various US import restriction scenarios and their impact on the market both inside and outside the USA. Specifically, the market share that the non-US producers would lose is estimated for a 50% embargo, a 62.5% embargo, and a 100% embargo, with and without the grandfathering of US utilities' foreign contracts. These results are then compared to what the market share would have been in a free market. The increase in the US market share is also briefly discussed. (author)

A meta-analysis of shared leadership and team effectiveness.

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Wang, Danni; Waldman, David A; Zhang, Zhen

2014-03-01

A growing number of studies have examined the "sharedness" of leadership processes in teams (i.e., shared leadership, collective leadership, and distributed leadership). We meta-analytically cumulated 42 independent samples of shared leadership and examined its relationship to team effectiveness. Our findings reveal an overall positive relationship (ρ = .34). But perhaps more important, what is actually shared among members appears to matter with regard to team effectiveness. That is, shared traditional forms of leadership (e.g., initiating structure and consideration) show a lower relationship (ρ = .18) than either shared new-genre leadership (e.g., charismatic and transformational leadership; ρ = .34) or cumulative, overall shared leadership (ρ = .35). In addition, shared leadership tends to be more strongly related to team attitudinal outcomes and behavioral processes and emergent team states, compared with team performance. Moreover, the effects of shared leadership are stronger when the work of team members is more complex. Our findings further suggest that the referent used in measuring shared leadership does not influence its relationship with team effectiveness and that compared with vertical leadership, shared leadership shows unique effects in relation to team performance. In total, our study not only cumulates extant research on shared leadership but also provides directions for future research to move forward in the study of plural forms of leadership.

Knowledge sharing behaviour among non-academic staff in higher learning institutes: The role of trust and perceived risk

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Muhammad Sabbir Rahman

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the paper is to analyse knowledge sharing behaviour among non-academic staff of higher learning institutions. This research focuses on the mediation impact of perceived risk on trust and knowledge sharing behaviour. The research also proposes actions that can be taken by higher learning institutions to enhance trust among the staff in order to create a knowledge sharing environment at the workplace. This research applied confirmatory factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM to evaluate the proposed measurement model and proved the research hypotheses. The findings from the research show that perceived risk plays a strong mediating role between trust and knowledge sharing behaviour among the non-academic staff of higher learning institutions. The SEM analysis also confirmed that the research model shows a good fit. This research highlights issues concerning knowledge sharing practices among non-academic staff and provides some recommendations to the managers to address these issues. The researchers agreed that more research needs to be done in this area as there are aspects that are yet to be explored. The findings of this research serve to add to the literature on knowledge sharing focussing on non-academic staff of higher learning institutions.

A comparative analysis of environmental impacts of non-fossil energy production methods

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Kiss Adam

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The widespread proliferation of other then fossil based energy production methods is a development, which inevitable comes in the next future. It is proven that the photovoltaic conversion or the use of heat of Sun radiation, the water energy, the utilization of the wind, the biomass production, the use of geothermal energy can all produce big amounts of energy for human use. In addition, the nuclear energy from fission is a technology, which has already long history and is widely used. However, these all, like the fossil energy sources, have great impacts on the environment. Nevertheless, the comparison of the environmental effects of these alternative energy sources is not easy. The effects are of considerable different natures and their spatial and the time distributions vary on large scales. The present work overviews the principles and the methodological prerequisites of performing a comparative analysis of the environmental effects for the non-fossil energy production methods. After establishing the basic principles for comparison, we shall go through all the non-fossil energy sources and analyze the most important environmental impacts of each energy production method. In conclusion, the comparison of the environmental effects will be discussed.

A comparative analysis of environmental impacts of non-fossil energy production methods

Science.gov (United States)

Kiss, Adam

2014-12-01

The widespread proliferation of other then fossil based energy production methods is a development, which inevitable comes in the next future. It is proven that the photovoltaic conversion or the use of heat of Sun radiation, the water energy, the utilization of the wind, the biomass production, the use of geothermal energy can all produce big amounts of energy for human use. In addition, the nuclear energy from fission is a technology, which has already long history and is widely used. However, these all, like the fossil energy sources, have great impacts on the environment. Nevertheless, the comparison of the environmental effects of these alternative energy sources is not easy. The effects are of considerable different natures and their spatial and the time distributions vary on large scales. The present work overviews the principles and the methodological prerequisites of performing a comparative analysis of the environmental effects for the non-fossil energy production methods. After establishing the basic principles for comparison, we shall go through all the non-fossil energy sources and analyze the most important environmental impacts of each energy production method. In conclusion, the comparison of the environmental effects will be discussed.

Corporate Environmental Responsibility and Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations in China

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Zhaojun Yang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In China, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs play an important supervisory role to address ecological issues together with government regulation and enterprise implementation. This study examines the effect of ENGO presence on corporate environmental responsibility (CER performance, along with internal factors as covariate variables. With a sample of 677 enterprises, it operationalizes the independent variable in terms of the number of ENGOs within certain distances from each enterprise, and the dependent variable based on the corporate social responsibility report using the specific criteria in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI sustainability reporting guidelines. The results of Tobit regression analyses indicate that ENGO presence is conducive to CER performance, and asset size, power concentration, and industry type also make differences. The findings suggest that ENGOs are helpful in solving environment issues by bridging the gap between private and public sectors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Are there shared environmental influences on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Reply to Wood, Buitelaar, Rijsdijk, Asherson, and Kuntsi [corrected] (2010).

Science.gov (United States)

Burt, S Alexandra

2010-05-01

A recent large-scale meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies indicated that shared environmental influences make important contributions to most forms of child and adolescent psychopathology (Burt, 2009b). The sole exception to this robust pattern of results was observed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which appeared to be largely genetic (and particularly nonadditive genetic) in origin, with no observable influence of the shared environment. The central thesis of Wood, Buitelaar, Rijsdijk, Asherson, and Kuntsi [corrected] (2010) is that, contrary to these findings, shared environmental influences are important for ADHD. As evidence for this thesis, Wood et al. presented a summary of prior twin studies, followed by a discussion of 4 methodological issues that may account for my findings in Burt (2009b). I argue that, although the methodological concerns raised by Wood et al. are very important, they do not undermine my earlier results (Burt, 2009b). I close with a discussion of 2 issues that may allow for some shared environmental influences on ADHD. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

The Relationship between Parent-Child Conflict and Adolescent Antisocial Behavior: Confirming Shared Environmental Mediation

Science.gov (United States)

Klahr, Ashlea M.; Rueter, Martha A.; McGue, Matt; Iacono, William G.; Burt, S. Alexandra

2011-01-01

Prior studies have indicated that the relationship between parent-child conflict and adolescent antisocial behavior is at least partially shared environmental in origin. However, all available research on this topic (to our knowledge) relies exclusively on parent and/or adolescent informant-reports, both of which are subject to various forms of…

Steps toward a shared governance response for achieving Good Environmental Status in the Mediterranean Sea

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Sergio Cinnirella

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Mediterranean region is of fundamental importance to Europe given its strategic position. The responsibility for its overall ecosystem integrity is shared by European Union Member States (EU-MS and other Mediterranean countries. A juxtaposition of overlapping governance instruments occurred recently in the region, with the implementation of both the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD for EU-MS and the Ecosystem Approach Strategy (ECAP for all Mediterranean countries, including EU-MS. Both MSFD and ECAP are structured around vision-driven processes to achieve Good Environmental Status and a Healthy Environment, respectively. These processes have clear ecosystem-based, integrated policy objectives to guarantee the preservation and integrity of Mediterranean marine ecosystem goods and services. However, adoption of these instruments, especially those related to the new EU-MS directives on marine policy, could result in a governance gap in addition to the well-known economic gap between the EU and the non-EU political blocs. We identify two complementary requirements for effective implementation of both MSFD and ECAP that could work together to reduce this gap, to ensure a better alignment between MSFD and ECAP and better planning for stakeholder engagement. These are key issues for the future success of these instruments in a Mediterranean region where discrepancies between societal and ecological objectives may pose a challenge to these processes.

An examination of the impact of non-formal and informal learning on adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Digby, Cynthia Louise Barrett

The purpose of this research is to consider the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, of adults in Minnesota, and possible factors that influence environmental literacy. Specifically, this study is designed to: (1) measure the environmental literacy of Minnesota adults, (2) explore possible relationships between Minnesota adults, environmental literacy variables and their demographic, non-formal and informal learning, and (3) determine the relative contribution of demographic and learning variables for predicting environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. This research was accomplished by conducting a secondary data analysis of The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy: A Survey of Adult Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior (Murphy & Olson, 2008). Phone interviews were completed between August and November 2007 with one thousand adults throughout Minnesota. Findings indicated that for age, education, and income, there was a weak positive relationship with environmental knowledge, attitude and behavior scores. There was a significant effect for gender and environmental knowledge scores, with males receiving higher environmental knowledge scores than females. There was a significant effect for gender and environmental attitudes, and behavior scores as well, with females receiving slightly higher environmental attitude and behavior scores than males. After controlling for the effects of demographic variables on environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, non-formal learning participation appears to be a moderate contributor to both environmental knowledge and environmental behaviors. After controlling for the effects of demographic variables on environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, informal learning participation appears to be a slight contributor to environmental attitudes, and a moderate contributor to environmental knowledge and behaviors. Overall, the results of this study suggest that participation

A Module-Based Environmental Science Course for Teaching Ecology to Non-Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Geoffrey R.

2010-01-01

Using module-based courses has been suggested to improve undergraduate science courses. A course based around a series of modules focused on major environmental issues might be an effective way to teach non-science majors about ecology and ecology's role in helping to solve environmental problems. I have used such a module-based environmental…

Environmental effects of additional uranium development required by a non-proliferation policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baca, T.E.; Scudella, G.

1978-01-01

New Mexico can expect to see an accelerated development of its uranium resources. The President's policy on non-proliferation will impact the degree and quantity of uranium ore mined. Environmental impacts are significant and are affected by the mining and milling phase more than any other aspect of the uranium fuel cycle. The state has begun evaluating the resource-associated impacts of uranium mining and milling, although very little reliable data are available. The information gathered, however, shows a need for state and Federal evaluation of both the impacts and the non-proliferation policy. 4 references

A delta-rule model of numerical and non-numerical order processing.

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Verguts, Tom; Van Opstal, Filip

2014-06-01

Numerical and non-numerical order processing share empirical characteristics (distance effect and semantic congruity), but there are also important differences (in size effect and end effect). At the same time, models and theories of numerical and non-numerical order processing developed largely separately. Currently, we combine insights from 2 earlier models to integrate them in a common framework. We argue that the same learning principle underlies numerical and non-numerical orders, but that environmental features determine the empirical differences. Implications for current theories on order processing are pointed out. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

The Impact of Varying Statutory Arrangements on Spatial Data Sharing and Access in Regional NRM Bodies

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Paudyal, D. R.; McDougall, K.; Apan, A.

2014-12-01

Spatial information plays an important role in many social, environmental and economic decisions and increasingly acknowledged as a national resource essential for wider societal and environmental benefits. Natural Resource Management is one area where spatial information can be used for improved planning and decision making processes. In Australia, state government organisations are the custodians of spatial information necessary for natural resource management and regional NRM bodies are responsible to regional delivery of NRM activities. The access and sharing of spatial information between government agencies and regional NRM bodies is therefore as an important issue for improving natural resource management outcomes. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the current status of spatial information access, sharing and use with varying statutory arrangements and its impacts on spatial data infrastructure (SDI) development in catchment management sector in Australia. Further, it critically examined whether any trends and significant variations exist due to different institutional arrangements (statutory versus non-statutory) or not. A survey method was used to collect primary data from 56 regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies responsible for catchment management in Australia. Descriptive statistics method was used to show the similarities and differences between statutory and non-statutory arrangements. The key factors which influence sharing and access to spatial information are also explored. The results show the current statutory and administrative arrangements and regional focus for natural resource management is reasonable from a spatial information management perspective and provides an opportunity for building SDI at the catchment scale. However, effective institutional arrangements should align catchment SDI development activities with sub-national and national SDI development activities to address catchment management issues. We found minor

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em: Cooperative and non-cooperative games in network sharing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Offergelt, F.H.S.; Berkers, F.T.H.M.; Hendrix, G.P.

2011-01-01

No Mobile Network Operator (MNO) will make the decision to share its network lightly. There are many financial and strategic considerations to this question. In this paper we outline a non-cooperative game which can be used to model the strategic decision of an MNO regarding mobile network sharing

An Empirical Study on Android for Saving Non-shared Data on Public Storage

OpenAIRE

Liu, Xiangyu; Zhou, Zhe; Diao, Wenrui; Li, Zhou; Zhang, Kehuan

2014-01-01

With millions of apps that can be downloaded from official or third-party market, Android has become one of the most popular mobile platforms today. These apps help people in all kinds of ways and thus have access to lots of user's data that in general fall into three categories: sensitive data, data to be shared with other apps, and non-sensitive data not to be shared with others. For the first and second type of data, Android has provided very good storage models: an app's private sensitive...

Environmental Public Health Tracking: a cost-effective system for characterizing the sources, distribution and public health impacts of environmental hazards.

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, P J; Middleton, J D; Rudge, G

2017-09-01

The contemporary environment is a complex of interactions between physical, biological, socio-economic systems with major impacts on public health. However, gaps in our understanding of the causes, extent and distribution of these effects remain. The public health community in Sandwell West Midlands has collaborated to successfully develop, pilot and establish the first Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) programme in Europe to address this 'environmental health gap' through systematically linking data on environmental hazards, exposures and diseases. Existing networks of environmental, health and regulatory agencies developed a suite of innovative methods to routinely share, integrate and analyse data on hazards, exposures and health outcomes to inform interventions. Effective data sharing and horizon scanning systems have been established, novel statistical methods piloted, plausible associations framed and tested, and targeted interventions informed by local concerns applied. These have influenced changes in public health practice. EPHT is a powerful tool for identifying and addressing the key environmental public health impacts at a local level. Sandwell's experience demonstrates that it can be established and operated at virtually no cost. The transfer of National Health Service epidemiological skills to local authorities in 2013 provides an opportunity to expand the programme to fully exploit its potential. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Certain non-linear differential polynomials sharing a non zero polynomial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majumder Sujoy

2015-10-01

functions sharing a nonzero polynomial and obtain two results which improves and generalizes the results due to L. Liu [Uniqueness of meromorphic functions and differential polynomials, Comput. Math. Appl., 56 (2008, 3236-3245.] and P. Sahoo [Uniqueness and weighted value sharing of meromorphic functions, Applied. Math. E-Notes., 11 (2011, 23-32.].

Sustainable Passenger Transportation: Dynamic Ride-Sharing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N.A.H. Agatz (Niels); A. Erera (Alan); M.W.P. Savelsbergh (Martin); X. Wang (Xing)

2010-01-01

textabstractRide-share systems, which aim to bring together travelers with similar itineraries and time schedules, may provide significant societal and environmental benefits by reducing the number of cars used for personal travel and improving the utilization of available seat capacity. Effective

Shared antenatal care fails to rate well with women of non-English-speaking backgrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Small, R; Lumley, J; Yelland, J; Rice, P L

1998-01-05

To compare the views of women from non-English-speaking backgrounds who received antenatal care at a public hospital clinic with those whose care was shared between a public hospital clinic and a general practitioner. Structured interviews in the language of the woman's choice. Women were recruited from the postnatal wards of three maternity teaching hospitals in Melbourne between July 1994 and November 1995, and interviewed six to nine months later. Women born in Vietnam, Turkey and the Philippines who gave birth to a live healthy baby (over 1500 g) were eligible. Of 435 women recruited, 318 (Vietnamese [32.7%], Filipino [33.6%] and Turkish [33.6%]) completed the study. Women's ratings of their antenatal care overall and views on specific aspects of their antenatal care. Women in shared care (n = 151) were not more likely than women in public clinic care (n = 143) to rate their care as "very good" (odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.72-2.63). Satisfaction with particular aspects of care (waiting times, opportunity to ask questions, whether caregivers were rushed, whether concerns were taken seriously) did not differ significantly between those in shared care and those in public clinic care. Women in shared care were not happier with their medical care than women in public clinic care (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.35-1.96), but were more likely to see a caregiver who spoke their language (OR, 17.69; 95% CI, 6.15-69.06), although two-thirds still saw a GP who spoke only English. Shared antenatal care is not more satisfying than public clinic care for women from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Further evaluation of shared care is clearly needed.

The effects of R&D investments in international environmental agreements with asymmetric countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biancardi, Marta; Villani, Giovanni

2015-01-01

The paper examines the stability of international environmental agreements (IEAs) in a dynamic context where abatement levels are associated with the stock pollutant evolution. We underline two meaningful aspects of this matter. Firstly, we consider asymmetry among countries, dividing them in two types: developed countries that have a considerable environmental awareness and developing ones that pay a less attention to environmental preservation. Secondly, we introduce a positive externality in the cooperation where countries coordinate their R&D activities sharing the investments in order to avoid duplication of green activities. Otherwise, the non-cooperators support completely their R&D investments for clean technologies. These two aspects encourage the formation of stable coalitions till to determine conditions for which also the grand coalition is stable.

Impact scores of invasive plants are biased by disregard of environmental co-variation and non-linearity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Thiele

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Prioritisation of high-impact species is becoming increasingly important for management of introduced species (‘neobiota’ because of their growing number of which, however, only a small fraction has substantial impacts. Impact scores for prioritising species may be affected by the type of effect model used. Recent studies have shown that environmental co-variation and non-linearity may be significant for effect models of biological invasions. Here, we test for differences in impact scores between simple and complex effect models of three invasive plant species (Heracleum mantegazzianum, Lupinus polyphyllus, Rosa rugosa.We investigated the effects of cover percentages of the invasive plants on species richness of invaded communities using both simple linear effect models (‘basic models’ and more complex linear or non-linear models including environmental co-factors (‘full models’. Then, we calculated impact scores for each invasive species as the average reduction of species richness predicted by basic and full effect models.All three non-native species had negative effects on species richness, but the full effect models also indicated significant influence of habitat types. Heracleum mantegazzianum had uniform linear effects in all habitats, while effects of L. polyphyllus interacted strongly with habitat type, and R. rugosa showed a marked non-linear relationship. Impact scores were overestimated by basic effect models for H. mantegazzianum and R. rugosa due to disregard of habitat effects and non-linearity, respectively. In contrast, impact of L. polyphyllus was underestimated by the basic model that did not account for the strong interaction of invader cover and habitat type.We conclude that simple linear models will often yield inaccurate impact scores of non-native species. Hence, effect models should consider environmental co-variation and, if necessary, non-linearity of the effects of biological invasions on native ecosystems.

Effectiveness of shared leadership in Wikipedia.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Haiyi; Kraut, Robert E; Kittur, Aniket

2013-12-01

The objective of the paper is to understand leadership in an online community, specifically, Wikipedia. Wikipedia successfully aggregates millions of volunteers' efforts to create the largest encyclopedia in human history. Without formal employment contracts and monetary incentives, one significant question for Wikipedia is how it organizes individual members with differing goals, experience, and commitment to achieve a collective outcome. Rather than focusing on the role of the small set of people occupying a core leadership position, we propose a shared leadership model to explain the leadership in Wikipedia. Members mutually influence one another by exercising leadership behaviors, including rewarding, regulating, directing, and socializing one another. We conducted a two-phase study to investigate how distinct types of leadership behaviors (transactional, aversive, directive, and person-focused), the legitimacy of the people who deliver the leadership, and the experience of the people who receive the leadership influence the effectiveness of shared leadership in Wikipedia. Our results highlight the importance of shared leadership in Wikipedia and identify trade-offs in the effectiveness of different types of leadership behaviors. Aversive and directive leadership increased contribution to the focal task, whereas transactional and person-focused leadership increased general motivation. We also found important differences in how newcomers and experienced members responded to leadership behaviors from peers. These findings extend shared leadership theories, contribute new insight into the important underlying mechanisms in Wikipedia, and have implications for practitioners who wish to design more effective and successful online communities.

Shared language:Towards more effective communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Joyce; McDonagh, Deana

2013-01-01

The ability to communicate to others and express ourselves is a basic human need. As we develop our understanding of the world, based on our upbringing, education and so on, our perspective and the way we communicate can differ from those around us. Engaging and interacting with others is a critical part of healthy living. It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that they are understood in the way they intended.Shared language refers to people developing understanding amongst themselves based on language (e.g. spoken, text) to help them communicate more effectively. The key to understanding language is to first notice and be mindful of your language. Developing a shared language is an ongoing process that requires intention and time, which results in better understanding.Shared language is critical to collaboration, and collaboration is critical to business and education. With whom and how many people do you connect? Your 'shared language' makes a difference in the world. So, how do we successfully do this? This paper shares several strategies.Your sphere of influence will carry forward what and how you are communicating. Developing and nurturing a shared language is an essential element to enhance communication and collaboration whether it is simply between partners or across the larger community of business and customers. Constant awareness and education is required to maintain the shared language. We are living in an increasingly smaller global community. Business is built on relationships. If you invest in developing shared language, your relationships and your business will thrive.

Non-state global environmental governance : the emergence and effectiveness of forest and fisheries certification schemes

OpenAIRE

Gulbrandsen, Lars H.

2009-01-01

There is growing scholarly interest in the role and function of non-state actors in global governance. A number of non-state governance schemes have been created in recent years to set environmental and social standards for the certification of private companies and producers. This thesis focuses on certification schemes in the forestry and fisheries sectors, as initiatives in these two sectors arguably represent the most advanced cases of non-state rulemaking and governance in the environmen...

Shared identity is key to effective communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenaway, Katharine H; Wright, Ruth G; Willingham, Joanne; Reynolds, Katherine J; Haslam, S Alexander

2015-02-01

The ability to communicate with others is one of the most important human social functions, yet communication is not always investigated from a social perspective. This research examined the role that shared social identity plays in communication effectiveness using a minimal group paradigm. In two experiments, participants constructed a model using instructions that were said to be created by an ingroup or an outgroup member. Participants made models of objectively better quality when working from communications ostensibly created by an ingroup member (Experiments 1 and 2). However, this effect was attenuated when participants were made aware of a shared superordinate identity that included both the ingroup and the outgroup (Experiment 2). These findings point to the importance of shared social identity for effective communication and provide novel insights into the social psychology of communication. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Environmental impact of non-conventional energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbasi, S.A.; Abbasi, Naseema; Nipaney, P.C.; Ramasamy, E.V.

1995-01-01

Whereas the global attention has always been focused on the adverse environmental impacts of conventional energy sources, only a few studies have been conducted on the clean environment image of the non-conventional energy sources, particularly the renewable ones. The question whether the non-conventional sources are really as benign as they are made out to be is addressed in the present paper in the background of a classical paradigm developed by Lovin which had postulated the hard (malignant) and soft (benign) energy concepts in the first place. It then assesses the likely environmental impacts of several major non-conventional energy sources and comes up with the note of caution that in many cases the adverse impacts may not be insubstantial; indeed in some cases they can be as strongly negative as the impacts of the conventional energy sources. (author). 31 refs

Effect of information sharing on research and teaching activities of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was designed to determine the effect of Information sharing on research and teaching activities of Academic Scientists in Federal Universities in the North- East Nigeria. Investigation was done on the activities of information sharing and the effect of information sharing on teaching and research activities. Survey ...

Social capital and knowledge sharing: effects on patient safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chia-Wen; Huang, Heng-Chiang; Chiang, Chi-Yun; Hsu, Chiu-Ping; Chang, Chia-Chen

2012-08-01

This article is a report on a study that empirically examines the influence of social capital on knowledge sharing and the impact of knowledge sharing on patient safety. Knowledge sharing is linked to many desirable managerial outcomes, including learning and problem-solving, which are essential for patient safety. Rather than studying the tangible effects of rewards, this study examines whether social capital (including social interaction, trust and shared vision) directly supports individual knowledge sharing in an organization. This cross-sectional study analysed data collected through a questionnaire survey of nurses from a major medical centre in northern Taiwan. The data were collected over a 9-month period from 2008 to 2009. The data analysis was conducted using the Partial Least Squares Graph v3.0 program to evaluate the measurement properties and the structural relationships specified in the research model. Based on a large-scale survey, empirical results indicate that Registered Nurses' perceptions of trust and shared vision have statistically significant and direct effects on knowledge sharing. In addition, knowledge sharing is significantly and positively associated with patient safety. The findings suggest that hospital administrators should foster group trust and initiate a common vision among Registered Nurses. In addition, administrators and chief knowledge officers of hospitals should encourage positive intentions towards knowledge sharing. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Changes in genetic and environmental influences on disordered eating between early and late adolescence: a longitudinal twin study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairweather-Schmidt, A K; Wade, T D

2015-11-01

We investigated the genetic and environmental contributions to disordered eating (DE) between early and late adolescence in order to determine whether different sources of heritability and environmental risk contributed to these peak times of emergence of eating disorders. Adolescent female twins from the Australian Twin Registry were interviewed over the telephone with the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE). Data were collected at 12-15 and 16-19 years (wave 1: N = 699, 351 pairs; wave 3: N = 499, 247 pairs). Assessments also involved self-report measures related to negative life events and weight-related peer teasing. Unstandardized estimates from the bivariate Cholesky decomposition model showed both genetic influences and non-shared environmental influences increased over adolescence, but shared environmental influences decreased. While non-shared environmental sources active at ages 12-15 years continued to contribute at 16-19 years, new sources of both additive genetic and non-shared environmental risk were introduced at ages 16-19 years. Weight-related peer teasing in early-mid adolescence predicted increases of DE in later adolescence, while negative life events did not. Two-thirds of the heritable influence contributing to DE in late adolescence was unique to this age group. During late adolescence independent sources of genetic risk, as well as environmental influences are likely to be related in part to peer teasing, appear key antecedents in growth of DE.

Non-targeted effects of ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyakov, O.V.

2008-01-01

The universality of the target theory of radiation-induced effects is challenged by observations on non-targeted effects such as bystander effects and genomic instability. Essential features of non-targeted effects are that they do not require direct nuclear exposure by radiation and they are particularly significant at low doses. This new evidence suggests a need for a new paradigm in radiation biology. The new paradigm would cover both the classical (targeted) and the non-targeted effects. New aspects include the role of cellular communication and tissue-level responses. A better understanding of non-targeted effects may have important consequences for health risk assessment and, consequently, on radiation protection. Non-targeted effects may contribute to the estimation of cancer risk from occupational, medical and environmental exposures. In particular, they may have implications for the applicability of the Linear-No-Threshold (LNT) model in extrapolating radiation risk data into the low-dose region. This also means that the adequacy of the concept of dose to estimate risk is challenged by these findings. Moreover, these effects may provide new mechanistic explanations for the development of non-cancer diseases. Further research is required to determine if these effects, typically measured in cell cultures, are applicable in tissue level, whole animals, and ultimately in humans. (orig.)

Trust and Work Place Spirituality on Knowledge Sharing Behaviour: Perspective from Non-Academic Staff of Higher Learning Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Muhammad Sabbir; Osmangani, Aahad M; Daud, Nuraihan Mat; Chowdhury, Abdul Hannan; Hassan, Hasliza

2015-01-01

Purpose: This empirical research aims to add value in the existing research on knowledge sharing, investigate the antecedents of knowledge-sharing behaviour by embedding trust and workplace spirituality variable on non-academic staff from higher learning institution in Malaysia. The role of trust, perceived risk and workplace spirituality towards…

Company environmental communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andriola, L.; Luciani, R.; Borghini, S.

2001-01-01

Environmental communication is becoming a sine qua non for companies which are more and more pressed by the need to reinforce communication with interested parties: environmental groups, local communities, local and national authorities, employees, share-holders, banks, insurance companies, customers and consumers. Reliable environmental information, just like economical and property data, is now required during both company take-over and financing, and in some cases it can affect insurance premiums. In fact, environmental guarantees are more and more often required because breaching environmental regulations can entail legal sanctions going as far as suspension of business. There now also Green investment funds that engage their resources only against specific environmental guarantees on the part of the companies that, before being selected for the investment, are submitted to rather accurate questionnaires by the investment manager [it

Genetic and environmental sources of individual religiousness: the roles of individual personality traits and perceived environmental religiousness.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandler, Christian; Riemann, Rainer

2013-07-01

In the current study, we examined the genetic and environmental sources of the links between individual religiousness and individual personality traits, perceived parental religiousness, and perceived peer religiousness. Data from 870 individuals (incl. 394 twin pairs) were analyzed. Variance in individual religiousness was significantly influenced by genetic effects, environmental influences shared by twins reared together, and individual-specific environmental influences. Individual religiousness showed significant associations with age, sex, specific personality traits (e.g., agreeableness, openness to values), and perceived religiousness of important social interaction partners, such as parents, best friends, and spouses. The links to personality traits were relatively small and primarily genetically mediated. The associations between individual religiousness and parental religiousness were substantial and mediated by shared environmental effects. These links significantly decreased across age accompanying a significant decrease of shared environmental influences on individual religiousness. The correlations between individual religiousness and perceived religiousness of spouses and best friends were relatively moderate but increased with age. These associations were mediated by genetic as well as nonshared environmental sources accompanying an increase of nonshared environmental influences on individual religiousness with age. The results suggest that inter-individual differences in religiousness are due to multiple sources.

Environmentally assisted cracking of non-sensitized stainless steels - possible affecting phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrnsten, Ulla; Haenninen, Hannu

2006-09-01

Intergranular, environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) has been observed, not only in sensitized austenitic stainless steels, but also in non-sensitized stainless steels. This type of cracking has so far been connected to cold-worked stainless steels and it has been reported to occur in the oxidising environments, but it may also be a potential degradation mode in non-oxidising environments (i.e., both in BWR and PWR conditions). Localisation of plastic deformation and the interactions between oxidation and strain localisation are most probably playing the key role in cracking of cold-worked stainless steels. In this paper, the possible affecting phenomena are reviewed with the main emphasis on dynamic strain ageing. However, also environmentally enhanced creep, dynamic recovery, microstructures of the cold-worked austenitic stainless steels and relaxation are briefly discussed. Mechanistic understanding of the effects of these main factors affecting intergranular stress corrosion cracking of cold-worked, non-sensitized austenitic stainless steels is important, especially as the trend in the NDE inspection strategy is moving towards risk informed inspection. (authors)

Implication of information sharing on Bullwhip effects in a toy supply chain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wong, Chee Yew; El-Beheiry, Mohamed; Johansen, John

2004-01-01

Coordination of toy supply chains is challenged by volatile and seasonal demand with high forecast errors and bullwhip effects. This paper compares Bullwhip effects in a three-level divergent a toy supply chain between retailers who shared downstream demand information (consumer sales...... using early order commitment has decreased the Bullwhip effect for all supply chain members even if it is applied locally.......) and retailers who did not share. Bullwhip effect is reduced when the shared volume of retailers who shared downstream demand information increased; however, fill rate performance is not improved. Key causes of Bullwhip effect are identified - forecast updating, timeliness of demand signal, limited use of shared...

Assessing the Effectiveness of International Environmental Agreements (IEAs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenaz B. Seelarbokus

2014-02-01

Full Text Available It is commonly claimed that assessing the effectiveness of International Environmental Agreements (IEAs from the environmental problem-solving perspective is challenging because environmental data are not available. However, not much research has been done on the characterization of the nature and causes of such data unavailability. This article analyzes the term “data unavailability” and provides three typologies for data unavailability: (a “true unavailability,” where data collection complexities and resource constraints limit data collection and analysis; (b “false unavailability,” which refers to the existence of relevant data, but failure to report due to various causes; and (c “external availability,” which refers to the existence of relevant data in several organizations and research institutions, but with no established networks for data sharing between such institutions and the IEA institutions. This article discusses the causes for the various types of data unavailability and makes recommendations for promoting data availability.

Sex-Specific Effects of Combined Exposure to Chemical and Non-chemical Stressors on Neuroendocrine Development: a Review of Recent Findings and Putative Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowell, Whitney J; Wright, Rosalind J

2017-12-01

Environmental toxicants and psychosocial stressors share many biological substrates and influence overlapping physiological pathways. Increasing evidence indicates stress-induced changes to the maternal milieu may prime rapidly developing physiological systems for disruption by concurrent or subsequent exposure to environmental chemicals. In this review, we highlight putative mechanisms underlying sex-specific susceptibility of the developing neuroendocrine system to the joint effects of stress or stress correlates and environmental toxicants (bisphenol A, alcohol, phthalates, lead, chlorpyrifos, and traffic-related air pollution). We provide evidence indicating that concurrent or tandem exposure to chemical and non-chemical stressors during windows of rapid development is associated with sex-specific synergistic, potentiated and reversed effects on several neuroendocrine endpoints related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, sex steroid levels, neurotransmitter circuits, and innate immune function. We additionally identify gaps, such as the role that the endocrine-active placenta plays, in our understanding of these complex interactions. Finally, we discuss future research needs, including the investigation of non-hormonal biomarkers of stress. We demonstrate multiple physiologic systems are impacted by joint exposure to chemical and non-chemical stressors differentially among males and females. Collectively, the results highlight the importance of evaluating sex-specific endpoints when investigating the neuroendocrine system and underscore the need to examine exposure to chemical toxicants within the context of the social environment.

Environmental periodicity and the coexistence problem for two competing and dispersive species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elion-Mboussa, A.

1994-11-01

The dynamic behaviour of two competing and dispersive species in a heterogeneous space and periodically fluctuating environment is studied. Periodic environmental factors were incorporated into a non-linear reaction-diffusion model, through intrinsic demographic parameters of one of the two species sharing the same favourable space. Furthermore, it was assumed that the physical environmental factors do not have an effect on the growth rate of one of the species. An ecological example of these assumptions is a host- parasite system where parasite reproduction is strongly seasonal, while host populations remain insensitive to physical environmental factors that affect the parasite populations. However, the induced effect of physical environmental factors on the non-affected species was established by means of computer calculations. The periodic oscillations which over the time lead to competitive coexistence of both species with periodic forced oscillations have been shown. It was also shown that, in a periodic environment and under appropriate initial conditions, two competing and dispersive species can coexist when in a constant environment they could not coexist. (author). 25 refs, 12 figs

Study of large shareholders’ behavior after non-tradable shares reform: A perspective of related party transactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongbo Zhang

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This paper explores the behavior choice of large shareholders in the related party transactions which occur between the large shareholders and listed companies by using the data of shares from 2007 to 2010. Design/methodology/appraoch: Based on the classical research paradigm (that is, LLSV, we analysis controlling shareholders’ propping and tunneling behaviors aiming to make sure their impacts to the medium and small shareholders in theory. Findings: We get the following findings: After our capital market entering the era of full circulation, we find that the relationship between the ratio of controlling shareholders and the related party transactions present (RPTs an inverted “U” shape curve, which means that it exits a typical “Grab-synergy” effect. we should take different measures to the transactions occurred between the large shareholders and listed companies according to the property nature of the large shareholders. State-owned shareholders choose to realize their private benefits by means of RPTs, while the non state-owned shareholders conduct RPTs with an expectation of reducing costs.Practical implications: Since Guo Shuqing, the Chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission, took office, he has taken a lot measures to curb the related party transactions harshly. Under this circumstance, it is just the right time to have a research on large shareholders’ behavior. It has important significance both in theory and practice. Originality/value: Considering the Chinese special national conditions, this paper added lots of comprehensive facts to study large shareholders’ behavior including the rate of the share held by indirect controller, the probability of thievish behaviors have been discovered, and the strict punishment regulations. The discussions in this paper help to bring into focus a highly topical issue within the context of the large shareholders’ behavior after Non-tradable Shares Reform.

Does the Environment Have an Enduring Effect on ADHD? A Longitudinal Study of Monozygotic Twin Differences in Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Livingstone, Luisa T; Coventry, William L; Corley, Robin P; Willcutt, Erik G; Samuelsson, Stefan; Olson, Richard K; Byrne, Brian

2016-11-01

Environmental factors play a key role in the development of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but the long-term effects of these factors are still unclear. This study analyses data from 1024 monozygotic (identical) twins in Australia, the United States, and Scandinavia who were assessed for ADHD in Preschool, Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2. Differences within each twin pair were used as a direct measure of non-shared environmental effects. The Trait-State-Occasion (TSO) model developed by Cole et al. (Psychological Methods, 10, 3-20, 2005) was used to separate the non-shared environmental effects into stable factors, and transient factors that excluded measurement error. Stable factors explained, on average, 44 % and 39 % of the environmental variance in hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive symptoms, respectively. Transient effects explained the remaining 56 % and 60 % of variance. The proportion of stable variance was higher than expected based on previous research, suggesting promise for targeted interventions if future research identifies these stable risk factors.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in celiac disease and rheumatoid arthritis identifies fourteen non-HLA shared loci.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Zhernakova

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Epidemiology and candidate gene studies indicate a shared genetic basis for celiac disease (CD and rheumatoid arthritis (RA, but the extent of this sharing has not been systematically explored. Previous studies demonstrate that 6 of the established non-HLA CD and RA risk loci (out of 26 loci for each disease are shared between both diseases. We hypothesized that there are additional shared risk alleles and that combining genome-wide association study (GWAS data from each disease would increase power to identify these shared risk alleles. We performed a meta-analysis of two published GWAS on CD (4,533 cases and 10,750 controls and RA (5,539 cases and 17,231 controls. After genotyping the top associated SNPs in 2,169 CD cases and 2,255 controls, and 2,845 RA cases and 4,944 controls, 8 additional SNPs demonstrated P<5 × 10(-8 in a combined analysis of all 50,266 samples, including four SNPs that have not been previously confirmed in either disease: rs10892279 near the DDX6 gene (P(combined =  1.2 × 10(-12, rs864537 near CD247 (P(combined =  2.2 × 10(-11, rs2298428 near UBE2L3 (P(combined =  2.5 × 10(-10, and rs11203203 near UBASH3A (P(combined =  1.1 × 10(-8. We also confirmed that 4 gene loci previously established in either CD or RA are associated with the other autoimmune disease at combined P<5 × 10(-8 (SH2B3, 8q24, STAT4, and TRAF1-C5. From the 14 shared gene loci, 7 SNPs showed a genome-wide significant effect on expression of one or more transcripts in the linkage disequilibrium (LD block around the SNP. These associations implicate antigen presentation and T-cell activation as a shared mechanism of disease pathogenesis and underscore the utility of cross-disease meta-analysis for identification of genetic risk factors with pleiotropic effects between two clinically distinct diseases.

Perceived Family Cohesion Moderates Environmental Influences on Prosocial Behavior in Nigerian Adolescent Twins.

Science.gov (United States)

Hur, Yoon-Mi; Taylor, Jeanette; Jeong, Hoe-Uk; Park, Min-Seo; Haberstick, Brett C

2017-06-01

Research shows that perceived family cohesion is positively related to prosocial behavior in adolescents. In this study, we investigated heritability of prosocial behavior (PB) and perceived family cohesion (FC) among Nigerian twins attending public schools in Lagos State, Nigeria (mean age = 14.7 years, SD = 1.7 years), and explored the issue of whether children's perception of cohesive family environment moderated genetic and environmental influences on (PB). The PB scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the FC scale of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III were completed by 2,376 twins (241 monozygotic (MZ) male, 354 MZ female, 440 dizygotic (DZ) male, 553 DZ female, and 788 opposite-sex DZ twins). A general sex-limitation and the bivariate genotype by environment interaction (G×E) models were applied to the data. The general sex-limitation model showed no significant sex differences, indicating that additive genetic and non-shared environmental influences were, 38% (95% CI = 31, 46) and 62% (95% CI = 54, 69) for PB and 33% (95% CI = 24, 40) and 67% (95% CI = 60, 76) for FC in both sexes. These estimates were similar to those found in Western and Asian twin studies to date. The correlation between PB and FC was 0.36. The best-fitting bivariate G×E model indicated that FC significantly moderated non-shared environmental influence unique to PB (E×E interaction). Specifically, non-shared environmental contributions to PB were highest when FC was lowest, and decreased as the levels of FC increased. However, genetic variances in PB were stable across all levels of FC. These findings suggest that FC reduces individual differences in PB by changing non-shared environmental experiences rather than genetic factors in PB.

Environmental pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanif, J.; Hanif, M.I.

1997-01-01

The third proceedings of National Symposium on Modern Trends in Contemporary Chemistry was held in Islamabad, Pakistan from February 24-26, 1997. In this symposium more than 220 scientists, engineers and technologist were registered from 11 universities, 17 research organisations and 8 non-governmental organisation including some commercial establishments. The symposium was divided into five technical sessions on hydro spheric pollution, atmospheric pollution, bio spheric pollution, lithospheric pollution and impact assessment and environmental education. Environmental and ecology are so interdependent that any change in the balance due to natural and man made cause may result in a disaster, flood, fire, earthquake, epidemic, population explosion etc. are the natural ways of unbalancing our ecosystem. The scope of this symposium includes: 1) Review the chemistry and the chemical techniques like polarography, coulometry, HPLC, GC-MS, NAA, XRF, AAS, AES etc. involved in the assessment monitoring and control of various pollutions. 2) Propose sampling, transportation, measurement and standardization procedures. 3) Collaboration in scientific data collection. 4) Mutual consultation for management of the pollution problem in a cost effective manner. 5) sharing knowledge and experience with various environmental protection groups both in public and private sector. (A.B.)

Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies in Celiac Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis Identifies Fourteen Non-HLA Shared Loci

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhernakova, Alexandra; Stahl, Eli A.; Trynka, Gosia; Raychaudhuri, Soumya; Festen, Eleanora A.; Franke, Lude; Westra, Harm-Jan; Fehrmann, Rudolf S. N.; Kurreeman, Fina A. S.; Thomson, Brian; Gupta, Namrata; Romanos, Jihane; McManus, Ross; Ryan, Anthony W.; Turner, Graham; Brouwer, Elisabeth; Posthumus, Marcel D.; Remmers, Elaine F.; Tucci, Francesca; Toes, Rene; Grandone, Elvira; Mazzilli, Maria Cristina; Rybak, Anna; Cukrowska, Bozena; Coenen, Marieke J. H.; Radstake, Timothy R. D. J.; van Riel, Piet L. C. M.; Li, Yonghong; de Bakker, Paul I. W.; Gregersen, Peter K.; Worthington, Jane; Siminovitch, Katherine A.; Klareskog, Lars; Huizinga, Tom W. J.; Wijmenga, Cisca; Plenge, Robert M.

2011-01-01

Epidemiology and candidate gene studies indicate a shared genetic basis for celiac disease (CD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the extent of this sharing has not been systematically explored. Previous studies demonstrate that 6 of the established non-HLA CD and RA risk loci (out of 26 loci for

Think Pair Share: A Teaching Learning Strategy to Enhance Students' Critical Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Kaddoura, Mahmoud

2013-01-01

This study investigated the change in critical thinking (CT) skills of baccalaureate nursing students who were educated using a Think-Pair-Share (TPS) or an equivalent Non-Think-Pair-Share (Non-TPS) teaching method. Critical thinking has been an essential outcome of nursing students to prepare them to provide effective and safe quality care for…

Combat exposure severity as a moderator of genetic and environmental liability to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, E J; Mitchell, K S; Koenen, K C; Miller, M W

2014-05-01

Twin studies of veterans and adults suggest that approximately 30-46% of the variance in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is attributable to genetic factors. The remaining variance is attributable to the non-shared environment, which, by definition, includes combat exposure. This study used a gene by measured environment twin design to determine whether the effects of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the etiology of PTSD are dependent on the level of combat exposure. The sample was drawn from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry (VETR) and included 620 male-male twin pairs who served in the US Military in South East Asia during the Vietnam War era. Analyses were based on data from a clinical diagnostic interview of lifetime PTSD symptoms and a self-report measure of combat exposure. Biometric modeling revealed that the effects of genetic and non-shared environment factors on PTSD varied as a function of level of combat exposure such that the association between these factors and PTSD was stronger at higher levels of combat exposure. Combat exposure may act as a catalyst that augments the impact of hereditary and environmental contributions to PTSD. Individuals with the greatest exposure to combat trauma were at increased risk for PTSD as a function of both genetic and environmental factors. Additional work is needed to determine the biological and environmental mechanisms driving these associations.

Modeling Dynamic Effects of the Marketing Mix on Market Shares

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. Fok (Dennis); R. Paap (Richard); Ph.H.B.F. Franses (Philip Hans)

2003-01-01

textabstractTo comprehend the competitive structure of a market, it is important to understand the short-run and long-run effects of the marketing mix on market shares. A useful model to link market shares with marketing-mix variables, like price and promotion, is the market share attraction model.

Genetic and environmental contributions to anxiety among Chinese children and adolescents--a multi-informant twin study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jie; Yu, Jing; Li, Xinying; Zhang, Jianxin

2015-05-01

Child and adolescent anxiety has become a major public health concern in China, but little was known about the etiology of anxiety in Chinese children and adolescents. The present study aimed to investigate genetic and environmental influences on trait anxiety among Chinese children and adolescents. Rater, sex, and age differences on these estimates were also examined. Self-reported and parent-reported child's trait anxiety was collected from 1,104 pairs of same-sex twins aged 9-18 years. Genetic models were fitted to data from each informant to determine the genetic (A), shared (C), and non-shared environmental (E) influences on trait anxiety. The parameter estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of A, C, E on self-reported trait anxiety were 50% [30%, 60%], 5% [0%, 24%], 45% [40%, 49%]. For parent-reported data, the corresponding parameter estimates were 63% [47%, 78%], 13% [1%, 28%], and 24% [22%, 27%], respectively. The heritability of anxiety was higher in girls for self-reported data, but higher in boys for parent-reported data. There was no significant age difference in genetic and environmental contributions for self-reported data, but a significant increase of heritability with age for parent-reported data. The trait anxiety in Chinese children and adolescents was highly heritable. Non-shared environmental factors also played an important role. The estimates of genetic and environmental effects differed by rater, sex and age. Our findings largely suggest the cross-cultural generalizability of the etiological model of child and adolescent anxiety. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Modeling adaptive and non-adaptive responses to environmental change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coulson, Tim; Kendall, Bruce E; Barthold, Julia A.

2017-01-01

, with plastic responses being either adaptive or non-adaptive. We develop an approach that links quantitative genetic theory with data-driven structured models to allow prediction of population responses to environmental change via plasticity and adaptive evolution. After introducing general new theory, we...... construct a number of example models to demonstrate that evolutionary responses to environmental change over the short-term will be considerably slower than plastic responses, and that the rate of adaptive evolution to a new environment depends upon whether plastic responses are adaptive or non-adaptive....... Parameterization of the models we develop requires information on genetic and phenotypic variation and demography that will not always be available, meaning that simpler models will often be required to predict responses to environmental change. We consequently develop a method to examine whether the full...

Assessing the performance of Taiwan’s environmental protection system with a non-radial network DEA approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Chin-wei; Chiu, Yung-ho; Fang, Wei-ta; Shen, Neng

2014-01-01

Previous studies involving environmental performance purely focus on analyzing environmental or waste treatment efficiencies. This study combines various aspects of environmental protection and establishes a non-radial network DEA approach to evaluate the performance of an environmental protection system. The empirical methodology assumes that the system consists of three stages: administrative, executive processes, and protection effectiveness. The executive process includes waste treatment and pollution auditing divisions. In addition to assessing efficiencies, the empirical evaluation further explores the internal and external influences on performances and contributes implications and suggestions for environmental policy makers. The proposed model is utilized to gauge the performance of an environmental protection system for 20 municipalities in Taiwan. The results indicate the following: (1) for improving environmental quality, the government needs to put forth greater efforts in environmental audits; (2) improving productivity per unit so as to increase achievements in the executive process is more important for raising performance on environmental work, in addition to increasing workers and equipment for environmental protection; (3) a high degree of industrialization negatively influences administrative efficiency and educated residents have a greater comprehension for administrative operations, which can help in efficient budget utilization. - Highlights: • A non-radial network DEA approach to evaluate the Performance of Environmental Protection System. • The performance of waste treatment performs better than the efficiency of auditing. • Governmental expenditure is more efficiently utilized in the administrative process. • The effectiveness of achieved protection is a critical indicator for revealing environmental quality in a region

Effect of Knowledge Sharing on Success of IT Outsourcing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

فرج‌اله رهنورد

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, Outsourcing relationship in the area of information technology for local organizations is not an option, but a necessity strategy. By outsourcing, organizations can focus on core functions, decrease their operational costs and technology risk, and to use external sources to achieve the organizational objectives. In this research, local organizations in Zanjan province which have outsourcing experience in the area of information technology, were selected as statistical population, to study the effect of knowledge sharing based on outsourcing with regards to contingency approach. Findings of this research showed that knowledge sharing with regards to situational variables, leads to influence success of IT outsourcing. To put it in other words, relationship between knowledge sharing as independent variable and success of IT outsourcing as a dependent variable, is influenced by partnership and organizational capabilities. Therefore, IT outsourcing is a successful strategy if partners through partnership to share their organizational knowledge and by enhancing their organizational capabilities to use the transferred knowledge in an effective way.

Owls as biomonitors of environmental contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Steven R. Sheffield

1997-01-01

Much like the caged canary used by miners, a plethora of wildlife species have been promoted as biomonitors of environmental contamination. These species provide an "early warning system" for toxic contaminants in the environment. Species promoted as useful biomonitors share many common life history characters, such as wide distribution, territorial, non-...

Non-ETS emission targets for 2030. Indication of emission targets for the Netherlands and other EU Member States under the European Effort Sharing Decision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verdonk, M.; Hof, A.

2013-10-15

As European Member States are making progress towards their 2020 targets in the Effort Sharing Decision, the attention of policymakers is shifting to a framework beyond 2020. The European Commission launched a discussion with its Green Paper on a possible policy framework for 2030. This PBL Note aims to contribute to that discussion by analysing the effects of various assumptions on Member States' non-ETS emission targets for 2030. The effort sharing of the current European target for 2020 has resulted in an emission target of +20% relative to 2005 levels for the least wealthy Member State and -20% for the three wealthiest Member States. The targets for all other Member States were determined based on per-capita income levels of 2005. For possible non-ETS targets for 2030, we assumed a Europe-wide emission reduction target of 40% for 2030, compared to 1990 levels. This target is considered by the European Commission as the most cost-efficient to achieve a low-carbon economy by 2050. The 2030 target was split into a target for emissions covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and one for emissions that are not covered by the ETS (non-ETS). According to our estimations, European non-ETS emissions need to be reduced by around 30% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels. We distributed the non-ETS reduction target of 30% over the Member States by using similar effort sharing principles that are applied in the EU Effort Sharing Decision for 2020, but with different targets assumed for the least wealthy Member State. We also took recent per-capita income levels into account. However, we did not take into account the costs and effects of emission reductions on GDP. This PBL Note analyses two possible scenarios that differ in the target assumed for the least wealthy Member State, in order to assess the effects of differing assumptions on the 2030 non-ETS targets. These scenarios should be considered as 'what if' scenarios and not as political positions

The potential of shared value creation: a theoretical analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Danciu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The urgent issues economy, environment and society are facing need new approaches which allow a well-balanced sharing of value created by the economy. A step forward is the concept of shared value creation. This paper aims to analyze the main features, the content of strategy of shared value creation and to propose the social innovation as main strategic way of shared value creation. At the beginning, the drivers and challenges of shared value creation are investigated in a systematized manner, in order to better understand why this new way of doing business is needed. Then, the concept and the three levels of shared value creation are investigated as sources of economic, environmental and social benefits that a business creates. These benefits depend on how efficient and diligent the company works. We are advancing the social innovation as main strategy having the greatest potential to create value with economic, environmental and social benefits. Finally, a framework for measurement of shared value creation is included. This framework is aiming at giving a tool for checking up the potential the shared value creation has for solving environmental and social issues.

Trends in the use of flow-through shares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jennings, R. G.

1998-01-01

Flow-through shares financing is considered the most cost effective equity-based financing option for non-tax-paying exploration companies, a form of financing that has helped a very large number of resource-based companies start, stay alive and grow in a very competitive financial marketplace. This paper provides a brief historical review of the flow-though shares concept, outlines developments in recent legislation, changes in the Income Tax Act, and trends in financial structures, and reviews flow-through shares from a tax perspective of the investor and the issuer

The Autonomy-Authority Duality of Shared Decision-Making in Youth Environmental Action

Science.gov (United States)

Schusler, Tania M.; Krasny, Marianne E.; Decker, Daniel J.

2017-01-01

While environmental action is recognized as an effective approach for developing young people's capabilities as citizens and contributing to environmental improvements, little research has addressed how adults facilitate youth action projects. Environmental action involves a partnership among youth and adults characterized by shared…

Creating sustainable campuses: Sharing knowledge between ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-06-02

Jun 2, 2016 ... As part of the Sustainable Campuses: Sharing our Knowledge for Social and ... structure, environmental education, and project design and management. ... Read the project report, Sustainable Campuses: Sharing our ... Innovative grants program teams up Canadian and Latin American researchers.

20180318 - Curating and sharing structures and spectra for the environmental community (ACS Spring)

Science.gov (United States)

The increasing popularity of high mass accuracy non-target mass spectrometry methods has yielded extensive identification efforts based on spectral and chemical compound databases in the environmental community and beyond. Increasingly, new methods are relying on open data resour...

Non-urgent accident and emergency department use as a socially shared custom: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Keizer Beache, Simone; Guell, Cornelia

2016-01-01

We explored attitudes of non-urgent accident and emergency department (AED) patients in the middle-income healthcare setting Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) in the Caribbean to understand how and why they decide to seek emergency care and resist using primary care facilities. In 2013, we conducted 12 semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of non-urgent AED users from a variety of social backgrounds. Verbatim transcripts were analysed with a grounded theory approach. In this study, we found, first, that participants automatically chose to visit the AED and described this as a locally shared custom. Second, the healthcare system in SVG reinforced this habitual use of the AED, for example, by health professionals routinely referring non-urgent cases to the AED. Third, there was also some deliberate use; patients took convenience and the systemic encouragement into account to determine that the AED was the most appropriate choice for healthcare. We conclude that the attitudes and habits of the Vincentian non-urgent patient are major determinants of their AED use and are intricately linked to local, socially shared practices of AED use. Findings show that health services research should reconsider rational choice behaviour models and further explore customs of health-seeking. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Supporting Effective Data Sharing and Re-Use: What Can Funders Really Do?

Science.gov (United States)

Uhle, M. E.

2017-12-01

Most research funding agencies have data policies that grantees must abide to receive financial support for projects and activities. These policies however are typically not uniform, can be inconsistent and in some cases, can be contradictory preventing national and international collaboration. In addition, disciplinary divisions within a single agency may implement agency policy differently. These barriers are particularly profound for multi, inter- and/or transdisciplinary research needed to address many global environmental challenges. Recognizing the crucial role of open and effective data and information exchange to support effective international transdisciplinary research for understanding, mitigating and adapting to global environmental change, the Belmont Forum adopted Open Data Policy and Principles in 2015. This policy signals a commitment by these 25 funders to increase access to scientific data, a step widely recognized as essential to making informed decisions in the face of rapid changes affecting the Earth's environment. Through collaborative research actions and community driven activities, the Belmont Forum seeks to widen access to data, and promote its long-term preservation in global change research; encourage re-use of existing data; help improve data management and exploitation; coordinate and integrate disparate organizational and technical elements; fill critical global e-infrastructure gaps; share best practices; and foster new data literacy.

SharePoint 2010 for Project Management

CERN Document Server

Sy, Dux

2012-01-01

If you were to analyze your team's performance on a typical project, you'd be surprised how much time is wasted on non-productive tasks. This hands-on guide shows you how to work more efficiently by organizing and managing projects with SharePoint 2010. You'll learn how to build a Project Management Information System (PMIS), customized to your project, that can effectively coordinate communication and collaboration among team members. Written by a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Microsoft SharePoint MVP with 15 years of IT project management experience, each chapter incl

Genetic and environmental contributions to body mass index: comparative analysis of monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins and same-age unrelated siblings.

Science.gov (United States)

Segal, N L; Feng, R; McGuire, S A; Allison, D B; Miller, S

2009-01-01

Earlier studies have established that a substantial percentage of variance in obesity-related phenotypes is explained by genetic components. However, only one study has used both virtual twins (VTs) and biological twins and was able to simultaneously estimate additive genetic, non-additive genetic, shared environmental and unshared environmental components in body mass index (BMI). Our current goal was to re-estimate four components of variance in BMI, applying a more rigorous model to biological and virtual multiples with additional data. Virtual multiples share the same family environment, offering unique opportunities to estimate common environmental influence on phenotypes that cannot be separated from the non-additive genetic component using only biological multiples. Data included 929 individuals from 164 monozygotic twin pairs, 156 dizygotic twin pairs, five triplet sets, one quadruplet set, 128 VT pairs, two virtual triplet sets and two virtual quadruplet sets. Virtual multiples consist of one biological child (or twins or triplets) plus one same-aged adoptee who are all raised together since infancy. We estimated the additive genetic, non-additive genetic, shared environmental and unshared random components in BMI using a linear mixed model. The analysis was adjusted for age, age(2), age(3), height, height(2), height(3), gender and race. Both non-additive genetic and common environmental contributions were significant in our model (P-valuesrole in BMI and that common environmental factors such as diet or exercise also affect BMI. This conclusion is consistent with our earlier study using a smaller sample and shows the utility of virtual multiples for separating non-additive genetic variance from common environmental variance.

Non-transboundary pollution and the efficiency of international environmental co-operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kox, H.L.M.; Van der Tak, C.M. [Economics Department, Faculty of Economics and Econometrics, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

1995-10-01

The increased awareness of the transboundary pollution problems resulted in a number of international treaties, such as the Montreal protocol on ozone-depleting substances (1987), and the Basel Convention on hazardous waste (1989). Most authors writing on efficient environmental instruments make a sharp distinction between domestic and transboundary environmental problems. While the former should be abated by domestic environmental instruments, an efficient treatment of the latter requires international instruments. The underlying logic is that in case of non-transboundary pollution both the costs and benefits of environmental policies are strictly domestic, the trade-off between benefits and costs of abatement should also be a strictly domestic issue. In contrast, with transboundary pollution the trade-off between abatement costs and benefits becomes an international issue. In this paper we analyse four cases where international environmental co-ordination is required to achieve an efficient outcome, even though the environmental externality is non-transboundary in nature. Section two sketches the standard view on efficient intervention levels with regard to transborder and non-transborder pollution. In the third section we deal with cases where environmental policy is used in a trade-strategic way. The section pays attention to the motives for using domestic environmental policy as a disguise for trade policies. It will be argued that the resulting allocative efficiency can be improved upon by international co-operation. Sections 4-6 analyse three cases where international co-operation may improve the international outcome on the basis of non-coordinated domestic allocation decisions. These cases refer in particular to the situation of developing countries, when there is a high export dependency on the polluting good in combination with the existence of discrete technologies, set-up costs of environment-friendly technologies, and the existence of increasing

Non-transboundary pollution and the efficiency of international environmental co-operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kox, H.L.M.; Van der Tak, C.M.

1995-10-01

The increased awareness of the transboundary pollution problems resulted in a number of international treaties, such as the Montreal protocol on ozone-depleting substances (1987), and the Basel Convention on hazardous waste (1989). Most authors writing on efficient environmental instruments make a sharp distinction between domestic and transboundary environmental problems. While the former should be abated by domestic environmental instruments, an efficient treatment of the latter requires international instruments. The underlying logic is that in case of non-transboundary pollution both the costs and benefits of environmental policies are strictly domestic, the trade-off between benefits and costs of abatement should also be a strictly domestic issue. In contrast, with transboundary pollution the trade-off between abatement costs and benefits becomes an international issue. In this paper we analyse four cases where international environmental co-ordination is required to achieve an efficient outcome, even though the environmental externality is non-transboundary in nature. Section two sketches the standard view on efficient intervention levels with regard to transborder and non-transborder pollution. In the third section we deal with cases where environmental policy is used in a trade-strategic way. The section pays attention to the motives for using domestic environmental policy as a disguise for trade policies. It will be argued that the resulting allocative efficiency can be improved upon by international co-operation. Sections 4-6 analyse three cases where international co-operation may improve the international outcome on the basis of non-coordinated domestic allocation decisions. These cases refer in particular to the situation of developing countries, when there is a high export dependency on the polluting good in combination with the existence of discrete technologies, set-up costs of environment-friendly technologies, and the existence of increasing

Non-transboundary pollution and the efficiency of international environmental co-operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kox, Henk L.M.; Van der Tak, Casper M.

1996-01-01

The standard view is that situations where no transborder environmental externalities occur are most efficiently dealt with by national environmental policies rather than by international co-operation. Though this may be the general case, non-coordinated national policies do not always produce the most efficient international allocation. This paper presents four cases in which the allocative outcome of non-coordinated domestic policy choices can be improved upon by international environmental co-operation. The first case refers to the use of environmental policy as a strategic trade instrument. The other cases refer to the existence of discrete technologies, set-up costs and increasing returns to scale. The form of international environmental co-operation should be adapted to the situation. Formal international agreements between countries are characterised by high transaction costs and may not always be the most efficient form of co-operation

Non-Federal Participation in AC Intertie : Final Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1: Environmental Analysis.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

United States. Bonneville Power Administration.

1994-01-01

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is considering action in two areas: (1) non-Federal access to the AC Intertie, and, (2) BPA Intertie marketing. BPA`s preferred alternative for non-Federal access is the Capacity Ownership alternative combined with the Increased Assured Delivery -- Access for Non-Scheduling Utilities alternative; the preferred alternative for BPA Intertie marketing is the Federal Marketing and Joint Ventures alternative. BPA considered these two areas previously in its Intertie Development and Use EIS of April 1988. The EIS resulted in BPA decisions to participate in the construction of the Third AC Intertie, to allow non-Federal access to BPA`s share of the Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest (PNW-PSW) Intertie (AC and DC lines) pursuant to a Long-Term Intertie Access Policy (LTIAP), and to pursue BPA`s export marketing alternative. The decision on allowing direct financial non-Federal participation in the Third AC line was deferred to a later, separate process, examined here. Also, BPA`s export marketing objectives must now be examined in view of changed operations of Columbia River hydro facilities for improved fish survival.

The implications of information sharing on bullwhip effects in a toy supply chain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wong, Chee Yew; El-Beheiry, Mohamed Mostafa; Johansen, John

2007-01-01

This paper compares actual bullwhip effects provided by retailers who shared downstream demand information and retailers who did not share in a three-level (divergent) toy supply chain. The toy supply chain faces high forecast errors and bullwhip effects due to unpredictable and seasonal demand...... demand information. To reduce the bullwhip effect, two solutions using the shared information are tested. They are a proposed premature replenishment rule and a simple forecast updating mechanism. Both solutions are proven capable in reducing bullwhip effects of the toy supply chain even without...... patterns. The results indicate a reduction of the bullwhip effect and an improvement of the fill rate due to the increase of retailers who shared downstream demand information. This paper also addresses two main causes of the bullwhip effect, which are the supply variability and limited use of the shared...

Aetiology of teenage childbearing: reasons for familial effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Olausson, P O; Lichtenstein, P; Cnattingius, S

2000-03-01

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the contribution of the genetic and environmental factors to the risk of teenage childbearing, and to study whether life style, socio-economic conditions, and personality traits could explain possible familial effects. We linked two population-based registers: the Swedish Twin Register and the Swedish Medical Birth Register. The study covers female twin pairs born between 1953 and 1958, having their first infant before the age of 30 years (n = 1885). In order to separate familial effects from other environmental influences, and genetic effects from shared environmental effects, only complete twin pairs with known zygosity were included, in all 260 monozygotic and 370 dizygotic twin pairs. We used quantitative genetic analyses to evaluate the importance of genetic and environmental effects for liability to teenage childbearing. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the effects of life style, socio-economic situation, and personality on the probability of teenage childbearing, and to study whether psychosocial factors could explain possible familial effects. Fifty-nine percent (0-76%) of the variance in being a teenage mother was attributable to heritable factors; 0% (0-49%) was due to shared environmental factors; and 41% (23-67%) was explained by non-shared environmental factors. Thus, the data were consistent with the hypothesis that the familial aggregation of teenage childbearing is completely explained by genetic factors, although the alternative hypothesis that familial aggregation is entirely explained by shared environmental factors cannot be ruled out. Significant effects of smoking habits, housing conditions, and educational level were found in relation to liability to teenage childbearing. However, the familial effects on risk of teenage childbearing were not mediated through similarities in life style and socio-economic factors. When studying risk factors for teenage childbearing, it is

Effects of Information Technologies, Department Characteristics and Individual Roles on Improving Knowledge Sharing Visibility: A Qualitative Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xi; Vogel, Douglas R.; Zhou, Zhongyun

2012-01-01

Knowledge sharing visibility (KSV) is a critical environmental factor which can reduce social loafing in knowledge sharing (KS). This is especially true in ICT [information and communication technology]-based KS in learning organisations. As such, it is imperative that we better understand how to design technology enabled knowledge management…

Rethinking the Sharing Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kornberger, Martin; Leixnering, Stephan; Meyer, Renate

2017-01-01

Our paper focuses on a non-standard sharing example that harbors the potential to disrupt received wisdom on the sharing economy. While originally entering the field to analyze, broadly from a governance perspective, how the 2015 refugee crisis was handled in Vienna, Austria, we found that the no...... of sharing: economic and moral. Our paper contributes to this Special Issue of the Academy of Management Discoveries by highlighting and explaining the two-fold economic and moral nature of sharing and the organization of sharing between movement and platform....... sharing of resources (i.e., the economic dimension): the sharing of a distinct concern (i.e., the moral dimension of sharing). Our discovery exemplifies such a moral dimension that is rather different from the status quo materialistic treatments focusing on economic transactions and property rights...

Putting the sharing economy into perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frenken, Koen; Schor, Juliet

2017-01-01

We develop a conceptual framework that allows us to define the sharing economy and its close cousins and we understand its sudden rise from an economic-historic perspective. We then assess the sharing economy platforms in terms of the economic, social and environmental impacts. We end with

Proceedings of the workshop on 'effect of radiation on non-human biota'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Sentaro; Takahashi, Tomoyuki

2011-03-01

Safety assessment and protection for the radiation exposure were so far mainly based on the radiation effects on human health, because it has been generally recognized that, when human beings are protected, other environmental life, at least in the level of species or groups, will be protected from the radiation hazards, even if individuals may be affected. Recently, with increasing concern on environmental protection, a new framework of radiation protection has been proposed, where non-human biota as well as human beings is included. Researches on the environmental radiation protection need a contribution of multi-disciplinary researchers as similar to the other environmental sciences. Especially, a research field on the biological effect of radiation on non-human biota is fundamental and essential. Therefore, we planned the Workshop entitled Effect of Radiation on the Non-human Biota this time. All the 13 papers presented at the entitled meeting are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

The Role of environmental non-governmental organizations in citizens participation for environmental conservation in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahrainy, H.; Amini, F.

2001-01-01

This research focuses on the role of the environmental non-governmental organizations in Iran and also the evaluation of their performance in achieving public participation to protect environment. Findings of this research reveal that so far these organizations have lacked the ability to prepare the context for people involvement in environmental conservation, which is due to several major constraints. Political, legal, and judiciary factors have been the major obstacles against the establishment and smooth activities of these organizations. A few organizations which have overcome the difficulties and began their activities, have not been able to make significant impact on protecting the environment. Lack of experience, both in organization and people, were another factor in limiting the success of these organizations in Iran. To be successful, the environmental non-governmental organization in Iran, require proper political, legal, social and economic settings, as well as the knowledge and skill of running these kind of organizations

Building effective workforce management practices through shared governance and technology systems integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Krive, Jacob

2013-01-01

In integrated delivery networks (IDNs) with complex management structures, shared governance in nursing is a proven model for health care delivery. After Advocate Health Care, the largest IDN in Illinois, implemented shared governance in its nursing, clinical, and non-clinical departments and restructured the organization's technology use, it benefited greatly from a new, shared decision-making process. After listening to business consultants, clinical professionals, and information technology experts, hospitals should take the blended, or comprehensive, approach to new projects. They can succeed by promoting communication supported by an integrated computer platform that helps nursing and business executives reach a consensus. Traditional modes of operation, in which individual administrative, clinical, and technology departments separately introduce innovation, do not deliver an advantage. However, models that incorporate open communication, integration, and knowledge sharing will help large IDNs and other complex health care organizations make the best possible use of their resources and investments.

A novel environmental exposure index and its interaction with familial susceptibility on oral cancer in non-smokers and non-drinkers: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Lingjun; Chen, Fa; He, Baochang; Liu, Fengqiong; Liu, Fangping; Huang, Jiangfeng; Wu, Junfeng; Lin, Lisong; Qiu, Yu; Cai, Lin

2017-04-01

The objective of this study was to explore the collective effect of environmental factors and its interaction with familial susceptibility on oral cancer among non-smokers and non-drinkers (NSND). A hospital-based case-control study, including 319 oral cancer patients and 994 frequency-matched controls, was conducted in Fujian, China. We raised a weighed environmental exposure index according to nine significant environmental factors obtained from multivariable logistic regression model. And then, the index was classified into three categories according to the tertiles of controls (2.43). Multiplicative and additive interactions were evaluated between environmental exposure index and family cancer history. Our results showed that environmental exposure index was associated with an increased risk of oral cancer especially for those with family cancer history. Compared to subjects with low environmental exposure index and without family cancer history, those with high index and family cancer history showed the highest magnitude of OR in oral cancer risk (OR 10.40, 95% CI 5.46-19.80). Moreover, there was a multiplicative interaction between environmental exposure index and family cancer history for the risk of oral cancer (P oral cancer among NSND and may interact with family cancer history. Further studies are warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Impact of Maine's Medicaid drug formulary change on non-Medicaid markets: spillover effects of a restrictive drug formulary.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Y Richard; Pauly, Mark V; Lin, Y Aileen

2003-10-01

Market penetration of HMOs affect physician practice styles for non-HMO patients. To study the impact of a restrictive Medicaid drug formulary on prescribing patterns for other patients, ie, so-called spillover effects. A before-and-after, 3-state comparison study. On January 1, 2001, Maine's Medicaid program implemented a restrictive drug formulary for the proton pump inhibitor class, with pantoprazole as the only preferred drug. The Medicaid and non-Medicaid market shares of pantoprazole in Maine (vs New Hampshire and Vermont and among Maine physicians with different Medicaid share of practice. After 3 months, the market share of pantoprazole in Maine (vs 2 control states) increased 79% among Medicaid prescriptions (vs 1%-2%), 10% among cash prescriptions (vs 3%), and 7% among other third-party payer prescriptions (vs 1%). The market shares increased more among Maine physicians with a higher Medicaid share of practice (high vs middle vs low [market]: 16% vs 8% vs 5% [cash]; 11% vs 5% vs 4% [other third-party payers]). Linear regression results indicate that practicing medicine in Maine leads to a 72% increase in pantoprazole share among Medicaid prescriptions (P markets, with somewhat stronger effects in the cash market.

Environmental impact assessment of european non-ferro mining industries through life-cycle assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Hisan Farjana, Shahjadi; Huda, Nazmul; Parvez Mahmud, M. A.

2018-05-01

European mining industries are the vast industrial sector which contributes largely on their economy which constitutes of ferro and non-ferro metals and minerals industries. The non-ferro metals extraction and processing industries require focus of attention due to sustainability concerns as their manufacturing processes are highly energy intensive and impacts globally on environment. This paper analyses major environmental effects caused by European metal industries based on the life-cycle impact analysis technologies. This research work is the first work in considering the comparative environmental impact analysis of European non-ferro metal industries which will reveal their technological similarities and dissimilarities to assess their environmental loads. The life-cycle inventory datasets are collected from the EcoInvent database while the analysis is done using the CML baseline and ReCipe endpoint method using SimaPro software version 8.4. The CML and ReCipe method are chosen because they are specialized impact assessment methods for European continent. The impact categories outlined for discussion here are human health, global warming and ecotoxicity. The analysis results reveal that the gold industry is vulnerable for the environment due to waste emission and similar result retained by silver mines a little bit. But copper, lead, manganese and zinc mining processes and industries are environment friendly in terms of metal extraction technologies and waste emissions.

Environmental Efficiency Analysis of Listed Cement Enterprises in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fang Zhang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available China’s cement production has been the highest worldwide for decades and contributes significant environmental pollution. Using a non-radical DEA model with slacks-based measure (SBM, this paper analyzes the environmental efficiency of China’s listed cement companies. The results suggest that the average mean of the environmental efficiency for the listed cement enterprises shows a decreasing trend in 2012 and 2013. There is a significant imbalance in environmental efficiency in these firms ranging from very low to very high. Further investigation finds that enterprise size and property structure are key factors. Increasing production concentration and decreasing the share of government investment could improve the environmental efficiency. The findings also suggest that effectively monitoring pollution products can improve environmental efficiency quickly, whereas pursuit for excessive profitability without keeping the same pace in energy saving would cause a sharp drop in environmental efficiency. Based on these findings, we proposed that companies in the Chinese cement sector might consider restructuring to improve environmental efficiency. They also need to make a trade-off between profitability and environmental protection. Finally, the Chinese government should reduce ownership control and management interventions in cement companies.

Problems posed by non-targeted radiation effects for development of environmental regulatory policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mothersill, C.; Seymour, C.

2004-01-01

In order to regulate exposure to any toxic substance it is necessary to decide on a safe or acceptable dose and it is necessary to be able to determine harm. Radiation protection has defined harm for practical purposes as excess cancers in humans. The dose is set at a level well below where such excess cancers can be detected above the background. Chemical (environmental) protection uses a different approach and defines a NOEL (No Observable Effect Level) and a LOEL (Lowest Observable Effect Level) for toxic or suspect chemicals. Since 'harm' may be to an ecosystem or population or individual, it is a loose term usually equating with mutation, breeding problems, numerical decline or sex ratio shift. Recently, ICRP has shifted position from one which assumed that protection of Man protected all biota, to a position which recognizes that in certain circumstances, different parameters may be important for protection of biota. In parallel with this shift, has been a paradigm shift in the science of radiation biology and a recognition that a simple dose response relationship for radiation induced DNA damage (mutation or carcinogenesis) may not in fact exist or may not be the dominant effect at low environmentally relevant doses. Thus both pillars of radiation protection have changed position. Harm cannot be defined solely on the basis of human epidemiological data because the endpoint of cancer in humans does not address the type of harm of concern in the environment because of the different mechanisms operating at low chronic doses (see associated abstract). Further, the human data may not be relevant at the doses of concern This paper considers the implications of moving to a radiation protection system based more on the environmental protection model and applies experimental radiobiological data obtained in the laboratory in an environmental risk assessment framework. (author)

Shared vision promotes family firm performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Neff, John E

2015-01-01

A clear picture of the influential drivers of private family firm performance has proven to be an elusive target. The unique characteristics of private family owned firms necessitate a broader, non-financial approach to reveal firm performance drivers. This research study sought to specify and evaluate the themes that distinguish successful family firms from less successful family firms. In addition, this study explored the possibility that these themes collectively form an effective organizational culture that improves longer-term firm performance. At an organizational level of analysis, research findings identified four significant variables: Shared Vision (PNS), Role Clarity (RCL), Confidence in Management (CON), and Professional Networking (OLN) that positively impacted family firm financial performance. Shared Vision exhibited the strongest positive influence among the significant factors. In addition, Family Functionality (APGAR), the functional integrity of the family itself, exhibited a significant supporting role. Taken together, the variables collectively represent an effective family business culture (EFBC) that positively impacted the long-term financial sustainability of family owned firms. The index of effective family business culture also exhibited potential as a predictive non-financial model of family firm performance.

Shared Vision promotes family firm performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Edward Neff

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A clear picture of the influential drivers of private family firm performance has proven to be an elusive target. The unique characteristics of private family owned firms necessitate a broader, non-financial approach to reveal firm performance drivers. This research study sought to specify and evaluate the themes that distinguish successful family firms from less successful family firms. In addition, this study explored the possibility that these themes collectively form an effective organizational culture that improves longer-term firm performance. At an organizational level of analysis, research findings identified four significant variables: Shared Vision (PNS, Role Clarity (RCL, Confidence in Management (CON, and Professional Networking (OLN that positively impacted family firm financial performance. Shared Vision exhibited the strongest positive influence among the significant factors. In addition, Family Functionality (APGAR, the functional integrity of the family itself exhibited a significant supporting role. Taken together, the variables collectively represent an effective family business culture (EFBC that positively impacted the long-term financial sustainability of family owned firms. The index of effective family business culture also exhibited potential as a predictive non-financial model of family firm performance.

The Economic Dimension Of Environmental Risk Management in Knowledge-Based Society

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Ana-Maria DINU

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Environmental risk for the majority of companies is the deterioration of bottom-line performance from: increased regulation on energy usage, eroded reputation, brand name and market share from an environmental incident, increased operating costs from the effects of global warming, higher fuel costs as natural resources are depleted and loss of market share to more environmentally “savvy” competitors with marketing campaigns which portray social responsibility.

An interactive environmental model for economic growth: evidence from a panel of countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramakrishnan, Suresh; Hishan, Sanil S; Nabi, Agha Amad; Arshad, Zeeshan; Kanjanapathy, Malini; Zaman, Khalid; Khan, Faisal

2016-07-01

This study aims to determine an interactive environmental model for economic growth that would be supported by the "sustainability principles" across the globe. The study examines the relationship between environmental pollutants (i.e., carbon dioxide emission, sulfur dioxide emission, mono-nitrogen oxide, and nitrous oxide emission); population growth; energy use; trade openness; per capita food production; and it's resulting impact on the real per capita GDP and sectoral growth (i.e., share of agriculture, industry, and services in GDP) in a panel of 34 high-income OECD, high-income non-OECD, and Europe and Central Asian countries, for the period of 1995-2014. The results of the panel fixed effect regression show that per capita GDP are influenced by sulfur dioxide emission, population growth, and per capita food production variability, while energy and trade openness significantly increases per capita income of the region. The results of the panel Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) show that carbon dioxide emission significantly decreases the share of agriculture and industry in GDP, while it further supports the share of services sector to GDP. Both the sulfur dioxide and mono-nitrogen oxide emission decreases the share of services in GDP; nitrous oxide decreases the share of industry in GDP; while mono-nitrogen oxide supports the industrial activities. The following key growth-specific results has been obtained from the panel SUR estimation, i.e., (i) Both the food production per capita and trade openness significantly associated with the increasing share of agriculture, (ii) food production and energy use significantly increases the service sectors' productivity; (iii) food production decreases the industrial activities; (iv) trade openness decreases the share of services to GDP while it supports the industrial share to GDP; and finally, (v) energy demand decreases along with the increase agricultural share in the region. The results emphasize the need for

Measurements of Charge Sharing Effects in Pixilated CZT/CdTe Detectors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuvvetli, Irfan; Budtz-Jørgensen, Carl

2007-01-01

In this paper, charge sharing and charge loss effects in pixilated CZT/CdTe detectors are investigated by measurements. We measured charge sharing effects function of the inter-pixel gap (with same pixel pitch), the photon energy and the detector bias voltage for a large numbers of CZT and Cd......Te pixel detector samples. The results are used for the development of the large area X-ray and Gamma ray detector for the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) planned for the ISS ESA Columbus module. Charge sharing measurements on detector samples with identical size and pixel geometry...

DSM-IV defined conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder: an investigation of shared liability in female twins.

Science.gov (United States)

Knopik, V S; Bidwell, L C; Flessner, C; Nugent, N; Swenson, L; Bucholz, K K; Madden, P A F; Heath, A C

2014-04-01

DSM-IV specifies a hierarchal diagnostic structure such that an oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) diagnosis is applied only if criteria are not met for conduct disorder (CD). Genetic studies of ODD and CD support a combination of shared genetic and environmental influences but largely ignore the imposed diagnostic structure. We examined whether ODD and CD share an underlying etiology while accounting for DSM-IV diagnostic specifications. Data from 1446 female twin pairs, aged 11-19 years, were fitted to two-stage models adhering to the DSM-IV diagnostic hierarchy. The models suggested that DSM-IV ODD-CD covariation is attributed largely to shared genetic influences. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to examine genetic and environmental overlap among these disorders while maintaining a DSM-IV hierarchical structure. The findings reflect primarily shared genetic influences and specific (i.e. uncorrelated) shared/familial environmental effects on these DSM-IV-defined behaviors. These results have implications for how best to define CD and ODD for future genetically informed analyses.

Environmental effects on allergen levels in commercially grown non-genetically modified soybeans: assessing variation across North America

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Severin E. Stevenson

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Soybean (Glycine max is a hugely valuable soft commodity that generates tens of billions of dollars annually. This value is due in part to the balanced composition of the seed which is roughly 1:2:2 oil, starch and protein by weight. In turn, the seeds have many uses with various derivatives appearing broadly in processed food products. As is true with many edible seeds, soybeans contain proteins that are anti-nutritional factors and allergens. Soybean, along with milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts and wheat, elicit a majority of food allergy reactions in the United States. Soybean seed composition can be affected by breeding, environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, moisture, insect/pathogen load, and/or soil nutrient levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of genotype and environment on allergen and anti-nutritional proteins in soybean. To address genetic and environmental effects, four varieties of non-GM soybeans were grown in six geographically distinct regions of North America (Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ontario, and Pennsylvania. Absolute quantification of proteins by mass spectrometry can be achieved with a technique called multiple reaction monitoring (MRM, during which signals from an endogenous protein are compared to those from a synthetic heavy-labeled internal standard. Using MRM, eight allergens were absolutely quantified for each variety in each environment. Statistical analyses show that for most allergens, the effects of environment far outweigh the differences between varieties brought about by breeding.

The Effect of Charter School Legislation on Market Share

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Simona Kúscová

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Many proponents of school choice use the claim of the market’s capability to enhance efficiency and improve performance to call for its expansion. But no markets are perfectly competitive, and the local market for public goods is filled with institutional arrangements that make it differ from the neoclassical ideal. In this paper, we look at a particular institution—the provisions of charter school legislation—and assess how it affects the ability of charter schools to gain market share. Using data from the 36 states that had passed charter legislation by 2000, and controlling for a variety of other factors, we estimate a model of the effects of various provisions in the charter laws on charter school market share. We find that two such provisions, one concerning the sponsorship of charters and another their funding sources, appear to have a strong effect on the market share of charter schools.

Non-singular bounce scenarios in loop quantum cosmology and the effective field description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Yi-Fu; Wilson-Ewing, Edward

2014-01-01

A non-singular bouncing cosmology is generically obtained in loop quantum cosmology due to non-perturbative quantum gravity effects. A similar picture can be achieved in standard general relativity in the presence of a scalar field with a non-standard kinetic term such that at high energy densities the field evolves into a ghost condensate and causes a non-singular bounce. During the bouncing phase, the perturbations can be stabilized by introducing a Horndeski operator. Taking the matter content to be a dust field and an ekpyrotic scalar field, we compare the dynamics in loop quantum cosmology and in a non-singular bouncing effective field model with a non-standard kinetic term at both the background and perturbative levels. We find that these two settings share many important properties, including the result that they both generate scale-invariant scalar perturbations. This shows that some quantum gravity effects of the very early universe may be mimicked by effective field models

Sharing family and household:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther, Ida Wentzel

Keynote: Family relationships are normatively assumed to be characterized by ‘sharing’, such as living together in the same home, occupying the same place, sharing stuff, blood and biology, spending special and ordinary time together, and consequently creating shared biographical experiences....... In that way, families are thrown into togetherness. At the same time, we see families in varying forms where 'sharing' is lived and contested differently. In Denmark, many children live in nuclear families, and many live in different variations of more than one household. For those who share household...... and family, 'sharing' will be a basic condition. No matter what, they should share life circumstances, more stories, more places and spaces, more households families with both kin and non-kin. This keynote addresses the particular of children’s experiences of living apart and/or living together in sharing...

How physician electronic health record screen sharing affects patient and doctor non-verbal communication in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Asan, Onur; Young, Henry N; Chewning, Betty; Montague, Enid

2015-03-01

Use of electronic health records (EHRs) in primary-care exam rooms changes the dynamics of patient-physician interaction. This study examines and compares doctor-patient non-verbal communication (eye-gaze patterns) during primary care encounters for three different screen/information sharing groups: (1) active information sharing, (2) passive information sharing, and (3) technology withdrawal. Researchers video recorded 100 primary-care visits and coded the direction and duration of doctor and patient gaze. Descriptive statistics compared the length of gaze patterns as a percentage of visit length. Lag sequential analysis determined whether physician eye-gaze influenced patient eye gaze, and vice versa, and examined variations across groups. Significant differences were found in duration of gaze across groups. Lag sequential analysis found significant associations between several gaze patterns. Some, such as DGP-PGD ("doctor gaze patient" followed by "patient gaze doctor") were significant for all groups. Others, such DGT-PGU ("doctor gaze technology" followed by "patient gaze unknown") were unique to one group. Some technology use styles (active information sharing) seem to create more patient engagement, while others (passive information sharing) lead to patient disengagement. Doctors can engage patients in communication by using EHRs in the visits. EHR training and design should facilitate this. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Valuation of environmental effects long into the future; Verdsetting av miljoeeffekter langt fram i tid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vennemo, Haakon

1997-12-31

This report documents a study of how long-time environmental effects can be valued within an economic calculation and why these effects often obtain low values. The first part of the report describes how to value long-time effects in the analysis. The second part discusses the results of an enquiry called ``Your attitude to discounting``, in which economists, natural scientists, engineers and other people were asked how, on behalf of society, they would assess various investment projects with and without environmental effects. They were also asked about their opinion on discounting and discount rate. Economists are found to give priority to environmental investments differently from other people and for two reasons. They know little about long-term environmental effects, and they differ in opinion from other people about how serious the long-term environmental effects really are. This may explain why many economic analyses value long-time environmental effects lower than non-economists think would be right. Non-economists, on the other hand, have a strong opinion on the basic environmental issues, but they are not familiar with valuation considerations and external conditions, shadow prices etc. Of the natural scientists, 75% suggested the optimum discount rate should be set to zero; although zero is hardly manifest in their selection among the suggested investment projects. The report concludes that the economists have work to do in communicating the finely differentiated possibilities of the pricing system in handling long-time environmental effects. 27 refs., 1 fig.

Regional Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations: Between Resistance and Utopia, Some Reflections.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jussara da Silva Tavares

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper has as its main objective the comprehension and analysis of the environmental action effectiveness of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs which are inserted in the region of the Hydrographic Basins of rivers "Turvo" and "Grande", and their relation with the others who act in this interactive field in order to understand what is being built in these regions considering the environmental issue. Material and Methodology: direct research in the selected NGOs and bibliographic review: NGOs, environmental legislation and participative democracy. Results: Participation in the survey data for the diagnosis of the current situation of hydric resource and the establishment of guidelines for the Plan of Hydrographic Basins of "Turvo" and "Grande" – Report Zero and in the Basins of "Turvo" and "Grande" Committee, actions in Environmental Education and reforestation/revegetation of part of the riparian forest and the protection of water sources. Conclusion: The environmental NGOs have played the protagonist role in the process of social transformation, with representativeness and competence to add people, institutions and resources to defend environment. Their acts show evidences that it's possible to overcome the environmental damages and they contribute to a reflection about the environment, means of organization and popular participation. The NGOs actions are often blocked by the game of interests that feeds the backstage of environmental matter. Business people pressure, lack of political will from the politicians to break the favor culture that was taken forward in relation to big interests; all these factors take part in the inhibition circuit that hinders the NGOs acts many times.

THE ROLE OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IN CREATING STANDARDS IN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

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Oana Maria HANCIU

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The participation and influence of non-governmental actors in areas of international environmental governance has increased tremendously over the last decades. Some of these non-governmental organization (NGOs, like International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wide Fund for Nature or Greenpeace, have a global character and an intense activity in promoting environmental protection. Of great importance is the fact that some NGOs have gained a consultative status in international and regional organizations influencing the process of drafting and adopting norms of international environmental law. The study analyses the contribution of NGOs in international environmental field and their essential role as ,,guardians of the environment” in promoting and respecting the provisions of international environmental agreements, in particular of Aarhus Convention.

Socioeconomic status moderates genetic and environmental effects on the amount of alcohol use.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdi, Nayla R; Krueger, Robert F; South, Susan C

2015-04-01

Much is unknown about the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol use, including the means by which SES may influence risk for alcohol use. Using a sample of 672 twin pairs (aged 25 to 74) derived from the MacArthur Foundation Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, this study examined whether SES, measured by household income and educational attainment, moderates genetic and environmental influences on 3 indices of alcohol use: amount used, frequency of use, and problem use. We found significant moderation for amount of alcohol used. Specifically, genetic effects were greater in low-SES conditions, shared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that enhance the similarity of twins from the same families) tended to increase in high-SES conditions, and nonshared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that distinguish twins) tended to decrease with SES. This pattern of results was found for both income and education, and it largely replicated at a second wave of assessment spaced 9 years after the first. There was virtually no evidence of moderation for either frequency of alcohol use or alcohol problems. Our findings indicate that genetic and environmental influences on drinking amount vary as a function of the broader SES context, whereas the etiologies of other drinking phenomena are less affected by this context. Efforts to find the causes underlying the amount of alcohol used are likely to be more successful if such contextual information is taken into account. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Effect of Environmental Factors on Low Weight in Non-Premature Births: A Time Series Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz, Julio; Arroyo, Virginia; Ortiz, Cristina; Carmona, Rocío; Linares, Cristina

2016-01-01

Exposure to pollutants during pregnancy has been related to adverse birth outcomes. LBW can give rise to lifelong impairments. Prematurity is the leading cause of LBW, yet few studies have attempted to analyse how environmental factors can influence LBW in infants who are not premature. This study therefore sought to analyse the influence of air pollution, noise levels and temperature on LBW in non-premature births in Madrid during the period 2001-2009. Ecological time-series study to assess the impact of PM2.5, NO2 and O3 concentrations, noise levels, and temperatures on LBW among non-premature infants across the period 2001-2009. Our analysis extended to infants having birth weights of 1,500 g to 2,500 g (VLBW) and less than 1,500 g (ELBW). Environmental variables were lagged until 37 weeks with respect to the date of birth, and cross-correlation functions were used to identify explaining lags. Results were quantified using Poisson regression models. Across the study period 298,705 births were registered in Madrid, 3,290 of which had LBW; of this latter total, 1,492 were non-premature. PM2.5 was the only pollutant to show an association with the three variables of LBW in non-premature births. This association occurred at around the third month of gestation for LBW and VLBW (LBW: lag 23 and VLBW: lag 25), and at around the eighth month of gestation for ELBW (lag 6). Leqd was linked to LBW at lag zero. The RR of PM2.5 on LBW was 1.01 (1.00 1.03). The RR of Leqd on LBW was 1.09 (0.99 1.19)(p<0.1). The results obtained indicate that PM2.5 had influence on LBW. The adoption of measures aimed at reducing the number of vehicles would serve to lower pregnant women's exposure. In the case of noise should be limited the exposure to high levels during the final weeks of pregnancy.

Uber drivers in Cape Town: Working conditions and worker agency in the sharing economy

OpenAIRE

Geitung, Ine

2017-01-01

The effects of the sharing economy on labour have been intensely discussed in recent years. Some are praising the effective, and sustainability implications of the sharing economy. Others are critiquing the deregulation of labour and growth of non-standard labour relations that shift risk from employer to employee. While the discussions have largely taken place in a US or European context, the sharing economy is not limited to the global North. This study examines the working conditions of Ub...

Measuring the effectiveness of international environmental regimes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helm, C.; Sprinz, D.F.

1999-05-01

While past research has emphasized the importance of international regimes for international governance, systematic assessments of regime effects are missing. This article derives a standardized measurement concept for the effectiveness of international environmental regimes by developing an operational rational choice calculus to evaluate actual policy simultaneously against a non-regime counterfactual and a collective optimum. Subsequently, the empirical feasibility of the measurement instrument is demonstrated by way of two international treaties regulating transboundary air pollution in Europe. The results demonstrate that the regimes indeed show positive effects - but fall substantially short of the collective optima. (orig.)

Analysis of the environmental behavior of farmers for non-point source pollution control and management in a water source protection area in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yandong; Yang, Jun; Liang, Jiping; Qiang, Yanfang; Fang, Shanqi; Gao, Minxue; Fan, Xiaoyu; Yang, Gaihe; Zhang, Baowen; Feng, Yongzhong

2018-08-15

The environmental behavior of farmers plays an important role in exploring the causes of non-point source pollution and taking scientific control and management measures. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the present study investigated the environmental behavior of farmers in the Water Source Area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China. Results showed that TPB could explain farmers' environmental behavior (SMC=0.26) and intention (SMC=0.36) well. Furthermore, the farmers' attitude towards behavior (AB), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) positively and significantly influenced their environmental intention; their environmental intention further impacted their behavior. SN was proved to be the main key factor indirectly influencing the farmers' environmental behavior, while PBC had no significant and direct effect. Moreover, environmental knowledge following as a moderator, gender and age was used as control variables to conduct the environmental knowledge on TPB construct moderated mediation analysis. It demonstrated that gender had a significant controlling effect on environmental behavior; that is, males engage in more environmentally friendly behaviors. However, age showed a significant negative controlling effect on pro-environmental intention and an opposite effect on pro-environmental behavior. In addition, environmental knowledge could negatively moderate the relationship between PBC and environmental intention. PBC had a greater impact on the environmental intention of farmers with poor environmental knowledge, compared to those with plenty environmental knowledge. Altogether, the present study could provide a theoretical basis for non-point source pollution control and management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental pollution-effects on national development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahyuddin bin Ramli; Mohd Fadzil bin Mohd Idris

1994-01-01

Environmental pollution is among the major issues highlighted in many discussion between the Government and Non-Government officials whether in the developed or developing countries. The problems becoming worsen when not many people are concerned on its detrimental effects on the future generations. The increasing number of forest activities without proper replanting will also expose to flood problems, soil erosion, landslides and many more as results of environmental impacts. The urbanization process, couple with the rapid industrial development, without having proper planning and inadequate pollutions control, may also create a long term disasters. Penang island territory has been experiencing the most highly physical development growth in this country. Hence, environmental problems are becoming the major issues. This paper will discuss on the various environmental problem, particularly in Penang and possible remedials to be taken by the state and federal authority to overcome the problems. The type of pollutions such as air and water pollutions, acid rain and of course the reduction of ozone layer. Besides that the increase of heat in our climate will also be of our concern in the process of urbanization

Genetic and environmental effects on same-sex sexual behavior: a population study of twins in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Långström, Niklas; Rahman, Qazi; Carlström, Eva; Lichtenstein, Paul

2010-02-01

There is still uncertainty about the relative importance of genes and environments on human sexual orientation. One reason is that previous studies employed self-selected, opportunistic, or small population-based samples. We used data from a truly population-based 2005-2006 survey of all adult twins (20-47 years) in Sweden to conduct the largest twin study of same-sex sexual behavior attempted so far. We performed biometric modeling with data on any and total number of lifetime same-sex sexual partners, respectively. The analyses were conducted separately by sex. Twin resemblance was moderate for the 3,826 studied monozygotic and dizygotic same-sex twin pairs. Biometric modeling revealed that, in men, genetic effects explained .34-.39 of the variance, the shared environment .00, and the individual-specific environment .61-.66 of the variance. Corresponding estimates among women were .18-.19 for genetic factors, .16-.17 for shared environmental, and 64-.66 for unique environmental factors. Although wide confidence intervals suggest cautious interpretation, the results are consistent with moderate, primarily genetic, familial effects, and moderate to large effects of the nonshared environment (social and biological) on same-sex sexual behavior.

Radical uncertainty, non-predictability, antifragility and risk-sharing Islamic finance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umar Rafi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Under conditions of radical uncertainty, risk sharing renders financial systems anti-fragile. Our goal in this paper is to show that risk-sharing Islamic finance (RSIF shares the characteristics defined by Taleb for an anti-fragile system, by mapping some characteristics of anti-fragility onto those of risk-sharing Islamic finance. A key insight around which such a connection can be established is by relating the principle of “no risk-no gain”from Islamic finance to the concept of skin-in-the-game from anti-fragility theory. The relationship is then extended to other characteristics of the two frameworks, to show that RSIF overlaps with anti-fragility over many dimensions. The broader case for an antifragile system includes another important characteristic, namely “soul in the game” and concern for social justice. It is the authors’ hope that emerging research on anti-fragility, combined with the emerging research on RSIF, can have a lasting impact on the field of finance by laying the foundations for a compelling case that it is time for humanity to replace the dominant debt-based risk transfer/risk shifting financial system with a system in which everyone shares the risks faced by society. JEL: D81, D89, E44, F34, G32

Non-Federal participation in AC Intertie: Final environmental impact statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is considering action in two areas: (1) non-Federal access to the AC Intertie, and, (2) BPA Intertie marketing. BPA's preferred alternative for non-Federal access is the Capacity Ownership alternative combined with the Increased Assured Delivery -- Access for Non-Scheduling Utilities alternative; the preferred alternative for BPA Intertie marketing is the Federal Marketing and Joint Ventures alternative. BPA considered these two areas previously in its Intertie Development and Use EIS of April 1988. The EIS resulted in BPA decisions to participate in the construction of the Third AC Intertie, to allow non-Federal access to BPA's share of the Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest (PNW-PSW) Intertie (AC and DC lines) pursuant to a Long-Term Intertie Access Policy (LTIAP), and to pursue BPA's export marketing alternative. The decision on allowing direct financial non-Federal participation in the Third AC line was deferred to a later, separate process, examined here. Also, BPA's export marketing objectives must now be examined in view of changed operations of Columbia River hydro facilities for improved fish survival

Job sharing at a children's hospital: evaluation by medical staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Valentine, J P; Martin, C J

1996-01-13

To evaluate job sharing for registrars at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, by seeking responses from members of the relevant medical teams. A questionnaire was sent to all 126 medical staff within the hospital (and three managers in medical administration) asking their views on job sharing for registrars. Whether job sharing should continue, who should do it, at what stage of training, and the effects on patient care. Among the 77 respondents (60%) there was broad support for the continuation of job sharing at the hospital: only 5 of 37 consultants and 2 of 19 non-job sharing registrars rejected the idea (with a further 4 consultants uncertain). 43% Of the consultants who had worked with job sharing registrars thought continuity of care was adversely affected. The committee for physician training of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians emphasises that advanced training should be flexible, with a wide range of opportunities for individuals to plan an appropriate training programme in line with their personal goals. This study has shown that job sharing for registrars at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children allows this choice. Action on concerns over any adverse effects on patient care should resolve any persisting disquiet.

50 CFR 80.12 - Cost sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... of cash or in-kind contributions. (c) The non-Federal share of project costs may not be derived from... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cost sharing. 80.12 Section 80.12 Wildlife... WILDLIFE RESTORATION AND DINGELL-JOHNSON SPORT FISH RESTORATION ACTS § 80.12 Cost sharing. Federal...

Reactor Sharing Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tehan, Terry

2002-01-01

Support utilization of the RINSC reactor for student and faculty instructions and research. The Department of Energy award has provided financial assistance during the period 9/29/1995 to 5/31/2001 to support the utilization of the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center (RINSC) reactor for student and faculty instruction and research by non-reactor owning educational institutions within approximately 300 miles of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Through the reactor sharing program, the RINSC (including the reactor and analytical laboratories) provided reactor services and laboratory space that were not available to the other universities and colleges in the region. As an example of services provided to the users: Counting equipment, laboratory space, pneumatic and in-pool irradiations, demonstrations of sample counting and analysis, reactor tours and lectures. Funding from the Reactor Sharing Program has provided the RINSC to expand student tours and demonstration programs that emphasized our long history of providing these types of services to the universities and colleges in the area. The funding have also helped defray the cost of the technical assistance that the staff has routinely provided to schools, individuals and researchers who have called on the RINSC for resolution of problems relating to nuclear science. The reactor has been featured in a Public Broadcasting System documentary on Pollution in the Arctic and how a University of Rhode Island Professor used Neutron Activation Analysis conducted at the RINSC to discover the sources of the ''Arctic Haze''. The RINSC was also featured by local television on Earth Day for its role in environmental monitoring

SECTORAL SHARES AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmad, Nisar; Naveed, Amjad; Naz, Amber

2013-01-01

believe that structural change is an unimportant side effect of the economic development. On the contrary, economists associated with the World Bank and some others posit that growth is brought about by the changes in sectoral composition. The objective of this study is to empirically test...... the relationship between sectoral shares and economic growth by using the panel data for 20 developed countries. The results of the granger causality suggest that both services and agriculture sectors do granger cause economic growth, whereas industrial sector does not granger cause growth. Reverse causality does...... not hold for any of the three sectors. The results of Barro and Non-Barro regressions along with the set of control variables have suggested that services sector is negatively affecting growth, whereas both industrial and agriculture shares are positively affect economic growth....

Current Sharing Analysis of Arm Prototype for ITER PF Converter Bridge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jinchao; Song Zhiquan; Xu Liuwei; Fu Peng; Guo Bin; Li Sen; Dong Lin; Wang Min

2014-01-01

A bridge arm prototype of ITER poloidal field (PF) converter modules has been designed and fabricated. Non-cophase counter parallel connection is chosen as the arm structure of the prototype. Among all factors affecting current sharing, arm structure is the main one. During the design of the arm prototype, a novel method based on inductance matrixes is employed to improve the current sharing of the bridge arm. The test results on the prototype show that the current sharing performance of the arm prototype is much better than relevant design requirement, and that the matrix method is very effective to analyze and solve the current sharing problems of thyristor converters

Genetic and environmental factors affecting birth size variation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yokoyama, Yoshie; Jelenkovic, Aline; Hur, Yoon-Mi

2018-01-01

Background: The genetic architecture of birth size may differ geographically and over time. We examined differences in the genetic and environmental contributions to birthweight, length and ponderal index (PI) across geographical-cultural regions (Europe, North America and Australia, and East Asia......) and across birth cohorts, and how gestational age modifies these effects. Methods: Data from 26 twin cohorts in 16 countries including 57 613 monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs were pooled. Genetic and environmental variations of birth size were estimated using genetic structural equation modelling....... Results: The variance of birthweight and length was predominantly explained by shared environmental factors, whereas the variance of PI was explained both by shared and unique environmental factors. Genetic variance contributing to birth size was small. Adjusting for gestational age decreased...

Non-targeted effects of ionising radiation - Implications for radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisko Salomaa

2006-01-01

The universality of the target theory of radiation-induced effects is challenged by observations on non-targeted effects such as bystander effects, genomic instability and adaptive response. Essential features of non-targeted effects are that they do not require direct nuclear exposure by radiation and they are particularly significant at low doses. This new evidence suggests a need for a new paradigm in radiation biology. The new paradigm should cover both the classical (targeted) and the non-targeted effects. New aspects include the role of cellular communication and tissue-level responses. A better understanding of non-targeted effects may have important consequences for health risk assessment and, consequently, on radiation protection. Non-targeted effects may contribute to the estimation of cancer risk from occupational, medical and environmental exposures. In particular, they may have implications for the applicability of the Linear-No-Threshold (LNT) model in extrapolating radiation risk data into the low-dose region. This also means that the adequacy of the concept of dose to estimate risk is challenged by these findings. Moreover, these effects may provide new mechanistic explanations for the development of non-cancer diseases. Further research is required to determine if these effects, typically measured in cell cultures, are applicable in tissue level, whole animals, and ultimately in humans. (author)

Non-targeted effects of ionising radiation - Implications for radiation protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sisko Salomaa [STUK - Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Helsinki (Finland)

2006-07-01

The universality of the target theory of radiation-induced effects is challenged by observations on non-targeted effects such as bystander effects, genomic instability and adaptive response. Essential features of non-targeted effects are that they do not require direct nuclear exposure by radiation and they are particularly significant at low doses. This new evidence suggests a need for a new paradigm in radiation biology. The new paradigm should cover both the classical (targeted) and the non-targeted effects. New aspects include the role of cellular communication and tissue-level responses. A better understanding of non-targeted effects may have important consequences for health risk assessment and, consequently, on radiation protection. Non-targeted effects may contribute to the estimation of cancer risk from occupational, medical and environmental exposures. In particular, they may have implications for the applicability of the Linear-No-Threshold (LNT) model in extrapolating radiation risk data into the low-dose region. This also means that the adequacy of the concept of dose to estimate risk is challenged by these findings. Moreover, these effects may provide new mechanistic explanations for the development of non-cancer diseases. Further research is required to determine if these effects, typically measured in cell cultures, are applicable in tissue level, whole animals, and ultimately in humans. (author)

Storybooks aren't just for fun: narrative and non-narrative picture books foster equal amounts of generic language during mother-toddler book sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyhout, Angela; O'Neill, Daniela K

2014-01-01

Parents and children encounter a variety of animals and objects in the early picture books they share, but little is known about how the context in which these entities are presented influences talk about them. The present study investigated how the presence or absence of a visual narrative context influences mothers' tendency to refer to animals as individual characters or as members of a kind when sharing picture books with their toddlers (mean age 21.3 months). Mother-child dyads shared both a narrative and a non-narrative book, each featuring six animals and matched in terms of length and quantity of text. Mothers made more specific (individual-referring) statements about animals in the narrative books, whereas they provided more labels for animals in the non-narrative books. But, of most interest, the frequency and proportion of mothers' use of generic (kind-referring) utterances did not differ across the two different types of books. Further coding of the content of the utterances revealed that mothers provided more story-specific descriptions of states and actions of the animals when sharing narrative books and more physical descriptions of animals when sharing non-narrative books. However, the two books did not differ in terms of their elicitation of natural facts about the animals. Overall, although the two types of books encouraged different types of talk from mothers, they stimulated generic language and talk about natural facts to an equal degree. Implications for learning from picture storybooks and book genre selection in classrooms and home reading are discussed.

Ways of Knowing, Sharing, and Translating Agricultural Knowledge and Perspectives: Alternative Epistemologies across Non-Formal and Informal Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Mars, Matthew M.; Ball, Anna L.

2016-01-01

The mainstream agricultural literacy movement has been mostly focused on school-based learning through formal curricula and standardized non-formal models (e.g., FFA, 4-H). The purpose of the current study is to qualitatively explore through a grounded theory approach, the development, sharing, and translation of diverse forms of agricultural…

Analysis of Information Sharing Mechanism in the Food Industry Green Supply Chain Management and Operation Process

OpenAIRE

Liu, Ye-ming; Yin, Fang-fang; Fu, Xian-zhi

2011-01-01

In order to effectively address the issues of environmental pollution and food safety in food industry, the green supply chain management should be used in the food industry. However, information sharing is the basis of supply chain management. For this purpose, on the basis of describing the connotation of food industry green supply chain management, the paper introduces the contents and the effects of information sharing mode in detail. It focuses on the barriers of the implementation of in...

Chimpanzees share forbidden fruit.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberley J Hockings

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The sharing of wild plant foods is infrequent in chimpanzees, but in chimpanzee communities that engage in hunting, meat is frequently used as a 'social tool' for nurturing alliances and social bonds. Here we report the only recorded example of regular sharing of plant foods by unrelated, non-provisioned wild chimpanzees, and the contexts in which these sharing behaviours occur. From direct observations, adult chimpanzees at Bossou (Republic of Guinea, West Africa very rarely transferred wild plant foods. In contrast, they shared cultivated plant foods much more frequently (58 out of 59 food sharing events. Sharing primarily consists of adult males allowing reproductively cycling females to take food that they possess. We propose that hypotheses focussing on 'food-for-sex and -grooming' and 'showing-off' strategies plausibly account for observed sharing behaviours. A changing human-dominated landscape presents chimpanzees with fresh challenges, and our observations suggest that crop-raiding provides adult male chimpanzees at Bossou with highly desirable food commodities that may be traded for other currencies.

Resolving Environmental Effects of Wind Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinclair, Karin C [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); DeGeorge, Elise M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Copping, Andrea E. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; May, Roel [Norwegian Institute for Nature Research; Bennet, Finlay [Marine Scotland Science; Warnas, Marijke [Rijkswaterstaat; Perron, Muriel [nateco AG; Elmqvist, Asa [Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

2018-04-25

Concerns for potential wildlife impacts resulting from land-based and offshore wind energy have created challenges for wind project development. Research is not always adequately supported, results are neither always readily accessible nor are they satisfactorily disseminated, and so decisions are often made based on the best available information, which may be missing key findings. The potential for high impacts to avian and bat species and marine mammals have been used by wind project opponents to stop, downsize, or severely delay project development. The global nature of the wind industry - combined with the understanding that many affected species cross-national boundaries, and in many cases migrate between continents - also points to the need to collaborate on an international level. The International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Technology Collaborative Programs facilitates coordination on key research issues. IEA Wind Task 34 - WREN: Working Together to Resolve Environmental Effects of Wind Energy-is a collaborative forum to share lessons gained from field research and modeling, including management methods, wildlife monitoring methods, best practices, study results, and successful approaches to mitigating impacts and addressing the cumulative effects of wind energy on wildlife.

Shared care or nurse consultations as an alternative to rheumatologist follow-up for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outpatients with stable low disease-activity RA: cost-effectiveness based on a 2-year randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Sørensen, J; Primdahl, J; Horn, H C; Hørslev-Petersen, K

2015-01-01

To compare the cost-effectiveness of three types of follow-up for outpatients with stable low-activity rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In total, 287 patients were randomized to either planned rheumatologist consultations, shared care without planned consultations, or planned nurse consultations. Effectiveness measures included disease activity (Disease Activity Score based on 28 joint counts and C-reactive protein, DAS28-CRP), functional status (Health Assessment Questionnaire, HAQ), and health-related quality of life (EuroQol EQ-5D). Cost measures included activities in outpatient clinics and general practice, prescription and non-prescription medicine, dietary supplements, other health-care resources, and complementary and alternative care. Measures of effectiveness and costs were collected by self-reported questionnaires at inclusion and after 12 and 24 months. Incremental cost-effectiveness rates (ICERs) were estimated in comparison with rheumatologist consultations. Changes in disease activity, functional status, and health-related quality of life were not statistically significantly different for the three groups, although the mean scores were better for the shared care and nurse care groups compared with the rheumatologist group. Shared care and nurse care were non-significantly less costly than rheumatologist care. As both shared care and nurse care were associated with slightly better EQ-5D improvements and lower costs, they dominated rheumatologist care. At EUR 10,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) threshold, shared care and nurse care were cost-effective with more than 90% probability. Nurse care was cost-effective in comparison with shared care with 75% probability. Shared care and nurse care seem to cost less but provide broadly similar health outcomes compared with rheumatologist outpatient care. However, it is still uncertain whether nurse care and shared care are cost-effective in comparison with rheumatologist outpatient care.

The Shared Pathoetiological Effects of Particulate Air Pollution and the Social Environment on Fetal-Placental Development

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Exposure to particulate air pollution and socioeconomic risk factors are shown to be independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, their confounding relationship is an epidemiological challenge that requires understanding of their shared etiologic pathways affecting fetal-placental development. The purpose of this paper is to explore the etiological mechanisms associated with exposure to particulate air pollution in contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes and how these mechanisms intersect with those related to socioeconomic status. Here we review the role of oxidative stress, inflammation and endocrine modification in the pathoetiology of deficient deep placentation and detail how the physical and social environments can act alone and collectively to mediate the established pathology linked to a spectrum of adverse pregnancy outcomes. We review the experimental and epidemiological literature showing that diet/nutrition, smoking, and psychosocial stress share similar pathways with that of particulate air pollution exposure to potentially exasperate the negative effects of either insult alone. Therefore, socially patterned risk factors often treated as nuisance parameters should be explored as potential effect modifiers that may operate at multiple levels of social geography. The degree to which deleterious exposures can be ameliorated or exacerbated via community-level social and environmental characteristics needs further exploration. PMID:25574176

Environmental Effects on Non-oxide Ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Nathan S.; Opila, Elizabeth J.

1997-01-01

Non-oxide ceramics such as silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) are promising materials for a wide range of high temperature applications. These include such diverse applications as components for heat engines, high temperature electronics, and re-entry shields for space vehicles. Table I lists a number of selected applications. Most of the emphasis here will be on SiC and Si3N4. Where appropriate, other non-oxide materials such as aluminum nitride (AlN) and boron nitride (BN) will be discussed. Proposed materials include both monolithic ceramics and composites. Composites are treated in more detail elsewhere in this volume, however, many of the oxidation/corrosion reactions discussed here can be extended to composites. In application these materials will be exposed to a wide variety of environments. Table I also lists reactive components of these environments.It is well-known that SiC and Si3N4 retain their strength to high temperatures. Thus these materials have been proposed for a variety of hot-gas-path components in combustion applications. These include heat exchanger tubes, combustor liners, and porous filters for coal combustion products. All combustion gases contain CO2, CO, H2, H2O, O2, and N2. The exact gas composition is dependent on the fuel to air ratio or equivalence ratio. (Equivalence ratio (EQ) is a fuel-to-air ratio, with total hydrocarbon content normalized to the amount of O2 and defined by EQ=1 for complete combustion to CO2 and H2O). Figure 1 is a plot of equilibrium gas composition vs. equivalence ratio. Note that as a general rule, all combustion atmospheres are about 10% water vapor and 10% CO2. The amounts of CO, H2, and O2 are highly dependent on equivalence ratio.

Data sharing for public health research: A qualitative study of industry and academia.

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, Pamela A; Wilhelm, Erin E; Lee, Sinae; Merkhofer, Elizabeth; Shoulson, Ira

2014-01-01

Data sharing is a key biomedical research theme for the 21st century. Biomedical data sharing is the exchange of data among (non)affiliated parties under mutually agreeable terms to promote scientific advancement and the development of safe and effective medical products. Wide sharing of research data is important for scientific discovery, medical product development, and public health. Data sharing enables improvements in development of medical products, more attention to rare diseases, and cost-efficiencies in biomedical research. We interviewed 11 participants about their attitudes and beliefs about data sharing. Using a qualitative, thematic analysis approach, our analysis revealed a number of themes including: experiences, approaches, perceived challenges, and opportunities for sharing data.

Genetic and environmental influences on female sexual orientation, childhood gender typicality and adult gender identity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Burri

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Human sexual orientation is influenced by genetic and non-shared environmental factors as are two important psychological correlates--childhood gender typicality (CGT and adult gender identity (AGI. However, researchers have been unable to resolve the genetic and non-genetic components that contribute to the covariation between these traits, particularly in women. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we performed a multivariate genetic analysis in a large sample of British female twins (N = 4,426 who completed a questionnaire assessing sexual attraction, CGT and AGI. Univariate genetic models indicated modest genetic influences on sexual attraction (25%, AGI (11% and CGT (31%. For the multivariate analyses, a common pathway model best fitted the data. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This indicated that a single latent variable influenced by a genetic component and common non-shared environmental component explained the association between the three traits but there was substantial measurement error. These findings highlight common developmental factors affecting differences in sexual orientation.

Environmental efficiency analysis of transportation system in China: A non-radial DEA approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Young-Tae; Zhang, Ning; Danao, Denise; Zhang, Nan

2013-01-01

Many countries are worried about reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution while increasing the productivity and efficiency of their industries. This study intends to contribute to the literature by proposing a non-radial DEA model with the slacks-based measure (SBM) to analyze the environmental efficiency of China's transportation sector. The results show that most of the provinces in China do not have an eco-efficient transportation industry. The environmental efficiency levels in most of the provinces are lower than 50% of the ideal or target level. Therefore, China's transportation industry is environmentally very inefficient. China can reduce a great deal of carbon emissions in each province ranging from at least 1.6 million TOEs in Qinghai and at most 33 million TOEs in Guangdong and Shanghai. - Highlights: • Propose a non-radial DEA model with the slacks-based measure. • Analyze the environmental efficiency of China's transportation sector. • China's transportation industry is environmentally very inefficient. • Millions of TOE carbon emissions can be reduced in most of the provinces

Lessons learned implementing environmental regulations at non-Department of Energy sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, R.B.; Dippo, G.L.

1991-01-01

The Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program (HAZWRAP) has been involved in the implementation of environmental regulations at non-Department of Energy (DOE) facilities for > 5 years. If any common thread has been identified in working at these sites, it is that no two sites can be treated the same. Each site and its associated wastes, governing regulations, and environmental conditions are different. The list of technical lessons learned is long, and their applicability to other sites must be looked at for each specific case. That is far too large a task to undertake here. The most important lesson HAZWRAP learned is not technical. Implementing environmental regulations at non-DOE sites is not any different from implementing regulations or anything else done at DOE facilities. The key to success lies in quality, planning, and communication. Taking the time to implement a good quality program based on sound planning and open communication will ensure program success

47 CFR 25.259 - Time sharing between NOAA meteorological satellite systems and non-voice, non-geostationary...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Time sharing between NOAA meteorological... SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Standards § 25.259 Time sharing between NOAA meteorological satellite... Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) satellite systems. When calculating the protection areas for a NOAA...

Non-Federal participation in AC Intertie: Final environmental impact statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This document contains the appendices for the Non-Federal Participation in AC Intertie Final Environmental Impact Statement. It contains all the supporting materials, documents and data for the EIS in nine appendices: A. Life-of-facilities capacity ownership proposal; B. Long-term Intertie access policy; C. Glossary; D. Biological assessment and supporting materials; E. Environmental impacts of generic resource types; F. Technical information on analysis methods and results; G. Affected environment supporting documentation; H. Public involvement activities; and I. Bibliography

The effect of HLA mismatches, shared cross-reactive antigen groups, and shared HLA-DR antigens on the outcome after pediatric liver transplantation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sieders, E; Hepkema, BG; Peeters, PMJG; Ten Vergert, EM; De Jong, KP; Porte, RJ; Bijleveld, CMA; van den Berg, AP; Lems, SPM; Gouw, ASH; Slooff, MJH

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and HLA-DR mismatching, sharing cross-reactive antigen groups (CREGs), and sharing HLA-DR antigens on the outcome after pediatric liver transplantation. Outcome parameters were graft survival, acute rejection,

Evaluation of the non-radiological environmental problems relating to the WIPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baca, T.E.

1983-02-01

The major non-radiological environmental problems addressed are: air pollution, water pollution and sanitary waste, solid waste, domestic drinking water, occupational health and safety and toxic chemicals

An ethical framework for sharing patient data without consent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Navarro

2008-12-01

Discussion The hard problem of non-consented data sharing should be divided into the easier (though non-trivial ones of data and recipient breach risk measurement. Directed research in these two areas will help move the data sharing problem into the 'solved' pile.

Shared Enterprise Geodata and Services (SEGS)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The core mission of Shared Enterprise Geodata and Services (SEGS) is to provide a single point of ownership for geospatial datasets that are national in extent and...

Causes of individual differences in adolescent optimism: a study in Dutch twins and their siblings.

Science.gov (United States)

Mavioğlu, Rezan Nehir; Boomsma, Dorret I; Bartels, Meike

2015-11-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the degree to which genetic and environmental influences affect variation in adolescent optimism. Optimism (3 items and 6 items approach) and pessimism were assessed by the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) in 5,187 adolescent twins and 999 of their non-twin siblings from the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). Males reported significantly higher optimism scores than females, while females score higher on pessimism. Genetic structural equation modeling revealed that about one-third of the variance in optimism and pessimism was due to additive genetic effects, with the remaining variance being explained by non-shared environmental effects. A bivariate correlated factor model revealed two dimensions with a genetic correlation of -.57 (CI -.67, -.47), while the non-shared environmental correlation was estimated to be -.21 (CI -.25, -.16). Neither an effect of shared environment, non-additive genetic influences, nor quantitative sex differences was found for both dimensions. This result indicates that individual differences in adolescent optimism are mainly accounted for by non-shared environmental factors. These environmental factors do not contribute to the similarity of family members, but to differences between them. Familial resemblance in optimism and pessimism assessed in adolescents is fully accounted for by genetic overlap between family members.

Generating Sustainable Value from Open Data in a Sharing Society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jetzek, Thorhildur; Avital, Michel; Bjørn-Andersen, Niels

2014-01-01

Our societies are in the midst of a paradigm shift that transforms hierarchical markets into an open and networked economy based on digital technology and information. In that context, open data is widely presumed to have a positive effect on social, environmental and economic value; however...... the evidence to that effect has remained scarce. Subsequently, we address the question how the use of open data can stimulate the generation of sustainable value. We argue that open data sharing and reuse can empower new ways of generating value in the sharing society. Moreover, we propose a model...... that describes how different mechanisms that take part within an open system generate sustainable value. These mechanisms are enabled by a number of contextual factors that provide individuals with the motivation, opportunity and ability to generate sustainable value...

Comparative environmental effects and cost analysis between conventional and non-conventional energy sources - A case for objective analysis and decision making in Nigeria's Energy Policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akinbami, J. F. K.

1997-01-01

Energy, which is simply 'ability to do work' is the central cross-sectoral issue which affects all human activities either directly or indirectly. It is a vital input to economic growth and development of any economy, developing or developed. However, as there are two sides to a coin, so is the issue of energy use. While it contributes to the economic growth and development of a nation, its usage has with it attendant environmental consequences. At every stage along the chain, from resource delineation and extraction, through conversion, transportation, and end-use, the energy industry faces environmental challenges. Each of these stages and even the associated environmental burdens is not without a cost. This paper therefore sets out to review and compare the environmental effects as well as the cost analysis of both the conventional and non-conventional energy resources generally and with particular emphasis on Nigeria. This hopefully should then inform the citizenry in their drive for energy consumption as well as the nation's planners and decision makers in their efforts at adequate energy planning and management for both economic and environmental sustainability in the country

MACROECONMIC TENDENCIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL TAXES IN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristea Anca

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Reforms of environmental taxes in EU member states began to consolidate a strategic conceptual basis since the early '90s, when it was launched the idea of changing the tax burden from the tax factor of production, work to the environmental factors and use of environmental unfriendly activities and goods. The theoretical support of this view is represented by the corrective taxes Pigou situation justifying the optimal level of activity of producing goods and services from a social perspective, the collection of taxes imposed by the state of polluters, depending on the amount of damage and damage to third parties, the principle of 'polluter pays'. Despite the green fees start reforms of the EU member countries and their levels are not increased in recent years as a share of GDP. In the EU-27, 2008, revenues from environmental taxes represented a rate of about 2.8% of GDP and 6.1% of total revenues compared to 2.9% and 7.0% record share of GDP in 1999. Effects of environmental taxes on eco-efficiency must be seen not only in terms of their size or budget as income tax to GDP ratio, but also as a positive economic and social impact generated by larger beneficial effects of reducing pollution and preserving the quality natural resources and environmental factors.

Analysis of Information Sharing Mechanism in the Food Industry Green Supply Chain Management and Operation Process

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2011-01-01

In order to effectively address the issues of environmental pollution and food safety in food industry,the green supply chain management should be used in the food industry.However,information sharing is the basis of supply chain management.For this purpose,on the basis of describing the connotation of food industry green supply chain management,the paper introduces the contents and the effects of information sharing mode in detail.It focuses on the barriers of the implementation of information-sharing mechanisms in the food industry green supply chain management and operation process and analyzes the necessity of using information sharing mechanism among the members of the food industry green supply chain management mode by game theory,so as to strengthen the competitiveness of enterprises through supply chain management.

Modifiable risk factors for prescription medicine sharing behaviours.

Science.gov (United States)

Beyene, Kebede; Aspden, Trudi; McNeill, Rob; Sheridan, Janie

2018-04-06

Prescription medicine sharing has been defined as giving one's own medicine to someone else (lending) or taking someone else's medicine (borrowing). Medicines can be shared for non-medical purposes (recreational sharing or drug abuse) or for their intended therapeutic benefits (non-recreational sharing, e.g. sharing antibiotics to self-treat); the latter is the focus of this research. Limited research evidence is available about modifiable risk factors for non-recreational medicine sharing and addressing this issue was the main aim of this research. An online, cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population comprised a convenience sample of 233 adults, who were primarily recruited through patient support groups across New Zealand. Principal component analysis was used to develop scales assessing attitudes toward medicine lending and borrowing. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between explanatory (demographics, medical conditions, and attitudes towards medicine sharing) and outcome (medicine sharing behaviours) variables. Half of the study participants reported ever borrowing/lending medicines, and approximately a third of participants reported borrowing/lending in the past year. Modifiable risk factors associated with an increased risk of medicine borrowing behaviour were having more difficulty with accessing medicine ('access-related issue'), stronger 'emotional beliefs about borrowing', and greater 'concern about missing doses.' Greater 'concern for the wellbeing of others' and stronger 'beliefs about the benefits and safety of lending' were associated with an increased risk of medicine lending behaviour. Those with a higher 'perceived risk of harm' were less likely to borrow or lend medicines. This research expands the current knowledge of medicine sharing by examining underlying behavioural factors which predict sharing behaviours and that can be modified by interventions. This research suggests using multifaceted

Determinants of palm species distributions across Africa: the relative roles of climate, non-climatic environmental factors, and spatial constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Overgaard, Anne Blach; Svenning, J.-C.; Dransfield, John

2010-01-01

-climatic environmental predictors, the latter having no discernible effect beyond the climatic control. Hence, at the continental scale, climate constitutes the only strong environmental control of palm species distributions in Africa. With regard to the most important climatic predictors of African palm distributions......, water-related factors were most important for 25 of the 29 species analysed. The strong response of palm distributions to climate in combination with the importance of non-environmental spatial constraints suggests that African palms will be sensitive to future climate changes, but that their ability...

Sharing Earth Observation Data When Health Management

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, E. L., Jr.

2015-12-01

While the global community is struck by pandemics and epidemics from time to time the ability to fully utilize earth observations and integrate environmental information has been limited - until recently. Mature science understanding is allowing new levels of situational awareness be possible when and if the relevant data is available and shared in a timely and useable manner. Satellite and other remote sensing tools have been used to observe, monitor, assess and predict weather and water impacts for decades. In the last few years much of this has included a focus on the ability to monitor changes on climate scales that suggest changes in quantity and quality of ecosystem resources or the "one-health" approach where trans-disciplinary links between environment, animal and vegetative health may provide indications of best ways to manage susceptibility to infectious disease or outbreaks. But the scale of impacts and availability of information from earth observing satellites, airborne platforms, health tracking systems and surveillance networks offer new integrated tools. This presentation will describe several recent events, such as Superstorm Sandy in the United States and the Ebola outbreak in Africa, where public health and health infrastructure have been exposed to environmental hazards and lessons learned from disaster response in the ability to share data have been effective in risk reduction.

Application of environmental Decision Support Systems (Ed's) for the assessment of health effects due to environmental pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voigt, G.

2004-01-01

Environmental Decision Support System containing a Geographical Information System (GIS) combined with (radio)ecological data and models were developed within different research activities in radioecology and geography for environmental management, especially after accidental release of pollutants into the environment. It may be possible to achieve the full potentials of EDSS, through its application in a variety of ways. These include: 1. Identification of radio-ecological sensitive areas, 2. extending its use in the identification of non-radioactive pollution (e.g., heavy metals) by using the necessary transfer models and parameters and 3. its effective use in defining the role of environmental pollution on health effects. In order to achieve the latter (e.g., defining the role of environmental pollution on health effects), a database containing spatial and temporal information on radioactive and conventional pollution can be combined with ethnic composition, living habits, education, income, age/sex structure, general sanitary situation, production, import and export overlaid with health data (e.g., congenital malformations, cancer, mental retardation, immunological situation, birth and death certificates etc.). Since a spatial as well as temporal resolution of data can be achieved, time trends and spatial trends of a potential impact to human health can be demonstrated. (author)

Sharing information: Mixed-methods investigation of brief experiential interprofessional

Science.gov (United States)

Cocksedge, Simon; Barr, Nicky; Deakin, Corinne

In UK health policy ‘sharing good information is pivotal to improving care quality, safety, and effectiveness. Nevertheless, educators often neglect this vital communication skill. The consequences of brief communication education interventions for healthcare workers are not yet established. This study investigated a three-hour interprofessional experiential workshop (group work, theoretical input, rehearsal) training healthcare staff in sharing information using a clear structure (PARSLEY). Staff in one UK hospital participated. Questionnaires were completed before, immediately after, and eight weeks after training, with semistructured interviews seven weeks after training. Participants (n=76) were from assorted healthcare occupations (26% non-clinical). Knowledge significantly increased immediately after training. Self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and motivation to use the structure taught were significantly increased immediately following training and at eight weeks. Respondents at eight weeks (n=35) reported their practice in sharing information had changed within seven days of training. Seven weeks after training, most interviewees (n=13) reported confidently using the PARSLEY structure regularly in varied settings. All had re-evaluated their communication practice. Brief training altered self-reported communication behaviour of healthcare staff, with sustained changes in everyday work. As sharing information is central to communication curricula, health policy, and shared decision-making, the effectiveness of brief teaching interventions has economic and educational implications.

Genetic and environmental factors in alexithymia: A population-based study of 8.785 Danish twin pairs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Martini; Zachariae, Robert; Skytthe, Axel

2007-01-01

by shared (12-20%) and nonshared environmental effects (50-56%). CONCLUSION: The results from this large population-based sample suggest that genetic factors have a noticeable and similar impact on all facets of alexithymia. While the results suggested a moderate influence of shared environmental factors......BACKGROUND: The role of genetic and environmental factors for developing alexithymia is still unclear, and the aim of this study was to examine these factors in a large population-based sample of twins. METHODS: The Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) was included in a mail survey of 46...... modeling of the noncategorical data, an ACE model including additive genetic, shared environmental and nonshared environmental effects, provided the best fit for all three facets of alexithymia as well as total alexithymia scores, with heritabilities of 30-33% and the remaining variance being explained...

Perspective on energy security and other non environmental externalities in electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohi, D.R.

1994-01-01

Applications of the term externality to non environmental matters are often controversial and ambiguous. This paper argues that these externalities are also rarer or less important than sometimes alleged. The paper examines various potential energy security externalities and concludes that none of them are relevant to decisions regarding electric generation. Externalities may exist with regard to effects on local employment and the local infrastructure, although their importance is location specific and their measurement is highly subjective. In short, the consideration of this subset of externalities may confuse policy makers more than it helps them. (author). 15 refs

The effect of knowledge sharing behavior on organizational performance (Case Study: Iranian Space Agency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Philsoophian

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: One of the main activities in the field of knowledge management, is knowledge sharing, because employees can play an important role in organizational competitive advantages. Effective knowledge sharing  can improve the quality of R&D activities. On the other hand it seems that, knowledge sharing behavior improvs organizational performances and competitive advantages for the organization. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of knowledge sharing (with regards to attitude, intention and behavior on organizational performances. Methodology: The research method is based on descriptive - survey and questionnaire methods that uses partial least squares by “SMARTPLS” software. Result and findings: Studying of 85 collected  questionnaire  showed that " attitude "  has positive and significant effect on " intention " and  " intention "has  a significant positive impact on "behavior". Also the knowledge sharing affects strongly on the performance of the Iranian Space Agency. Remarkably, the results indicate that all financial performance, processes performance and internal performance have positive impact on Iranian Space Agency performance.

Influence of a Non-formal Environmental Education Programme on Junior High-School Students' Environmental Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Daphne; Ben Zvi Assaraf, Orit; Shaharabani, Dina

2013-02-01

One of the solutions implemented by schools for conducting value-based environmental education (EE) is outsourcing: allocating external environmental organizations that develop and conduct EE programmes. This study addressed such a programme-the Green Council Programme (GCP)-developed and implemented in schools by the Israeli Society for Protection of Nature. A pre-test/post-test design was used to investigate the influence of participation in the GCP on components of junior high-school students' environmental literacy. Conceptualizations of 'environment', environmental attitudes and sense of ability to act on environmental issues were studied employing quantitative and qualitative tools. Contribution of the programme to the cognitive domain, in developing a systemic understanding of the environment, was limited. On the other hand, participating in this programme heightened students' sensitivity to human-environment interrelationships and developed a more ecological worldview. After the programme, students demonstrated greater perception of humans as part of the environment, an increased sensitivity to human impact on the environment and their value for non-human nature moved from an anthropocentric to a more ecocentric orientation. While students' internal locus-of-control increased, when environmental protection entailed personal economic trade-offs, their support was limited and remained unchanged. The article concludes with recommendations, based on the findings, regarding supplementing the school (science) curriculum with external EE enrichment programmes.

Determining the Environmental Effects of Indirect Subsidies. A Methodological Approach with an Application to the Netherlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Beers, C. [Department of Economics, Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands); Van den Bergh, J.C.J.M. [Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (Netherlands); De Moor, A. [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Oosterhuis, F. [Institute for Environmental Studies IVM, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2004-04-01

Up to now a clear theoretical and methodological framework for economic-environmental analysis of environmentally damaging subsidies is lacking. Environmentally damaging subsidies are all kinds of direct and indirect subsidies aimed at achieving a certain (often non-environmental) goal that produce negative external effects to the natural environment. This article develops a transparent method to determine the environmental impact of indirect government subsidies and derive policy lessons. This method has been applied to several major subsidies in the Netherlands, namely in agriculture, energy, and transport. The results reveal large environmental effects, which need to be taken seriously by policy makers. The method enables policy makers to evaluate the environmental impacts of indirect government subsidies.

The genetic and environmental structure of the character sub-scales of the temperament and character inventory in adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, Nigel; Garcia, Danilo; Lundström, Sebastian; Brändström, Sven; Råstam, Maria; Kerekes, Nóra; Nilsson, Thomas; Cloninger, C Robert; Anckarsäter, Henrik

2016-01-01

The character higher order scales (self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence) in the temperament and character inventory are important general measures of health and well-being [Mens Sana Monograph 11:16-24 (2013)]. Recent research has found suggestive evidence of common environmental influence on the development of these character traits during adolescence. The present article expands earlier research by focusing on the internal consistency and the etiology of traits measured by the lower order sub-scales of the character traits in adolescence. The twin modeling analysis of 423 monozygotic pairs and 408 same sex dizygotic pairs estimated additive genetics (A), common environmental (C), and non-shared environmental (E) influences on twin resemblance. All twins were part of the on-going longitudinal Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS). The twin modeling analysis suggested a common environmental contribution for two out of five self-directedness sub-scales (0.14 and 0.23), for three out of five cooperativeness sub-scales (0.07-0.17), and for all three self-transcendence sub-scales (0.10-0.12). The genetic structure at the level of the character lower order sub-scales in adolescents shows that the proportion of the shared environmental component varies in the trait of self-directedness and in the trait of cooperativeness, while it is relatively stable across the components of self-transcendence. The presence of this unique shared environmental effect in adolescence has implications for understanding the relative importance of interventions and treatment strategies aimed at promoting overall maturation of character, mental health, and well-being during this period of the life span.

Availability Cascades & the Sharing Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Netter, Sarah

2014-01-01

attention. This conceptual paper attempts to explain the emergent focus on the sharing economy and associated business and consumption models by applying cascade theory. Risks associated with this behavior will be especially examined with regard to the sustainability claim of collaborative consumption......In search of a new concept that will provide answers to as to how modern societies should not only make sense but also resolve the social and environmental problems linked with our modes of production and consumption, collaborative consumption and the sharing economy are increasingly attracting....... With academics, practitioners, and civil society alike having a shared history in being rather fast in accepting new concepts that will not only provide business opportunities but also a good conscience, this study proposes a critical study of the implications of collaborative consumption, before engaging...

Why do identical twins differ in personality: shared environment reconsidered.

Science.gov (United States)

Torgersen, Anne Mari; Janson, Harald

2002-02-01

While heritability studies show that most of the variance in adult personality can be attributed to genetic or so-called nonshared environmental influence, this does not mean that shared events lack importance for the development of later personality differences. We studied the relationship between Big Five personality differences in monozygotic (MZ) twins at age 29, and life stressors at age 6 to 15, using prospective data from 26 MZ pairs studied from birth onwards. A positive significant correlation was found between stressors in childhood and early adolescence, and intrapair personality differences in Agreeableness, Openness, Conscientiousness, and five-factor profiles. We note that the effects of shared events are labeled "nonshared" environment when the effect is to make siblings more different. Case examples illustrate the relationship between stress and personality differences, and provide hypotheses for further studies in larger samples.

Surface and virulence properties of environmental Vibrio cholerae non-O1 from Albufera Lake (Valencia, Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Amaro, C; Toranzo, A E; González, E A; Blanco, J; Pujalte, M J; Aznar, R; Garay, E

1990-04-01

A total of 140 environmental Vibrio cholerae non-O1 isolates, together with several culture collection strains from both environmental and clinical sources, were studied in relation to hemagglutination, surface hydrophobicity, and the enzymatic, hemolytic, cytotoxic, and enterotoxic activities of their extracellular products. A total of 78 and 62% of the strains produced hemagglutinins and exohemagglutinins, respectively. Four different hemagglutinating and two exohemagglutinating activities were found by using eight sugars in the inhibition assays. Cell-bound mannose-sensitive hemagglutination was detected mainly in chicken blood, whereas fucose-sensitive hemagglutination was recorded only in human blood. Cell-bound hemagglutinin resistant to all sugars tested was the only one related to surface hydrophobicity. The surface properties varied along the growth curves. The non-O1 strains displayed strong enzymatic and hemolytic activities, except for esculin hydrolysis. Of 26 non-O1 isolates selected for cytotoxin and enterotoxin production, 23 showed a wide spectrum of cytotoxic effects on cell lines of poikilothermic and homoiothermic species, but they were weakly enterotoxigenic in the infant mouse test. All extracellular products of cytotoxic strains were proteolytic, lipolytic, and hemolytic, and a high percentage produced hemagglutination of chicken blood. The cytotoxic factors in the non-O1 strains analyzed were not R plasmid mediated.

Nevada Test Site annual site environmental report, 1989

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wruble, D T; McDowell, E M [eds.

1990-11-01

Prior to 1989 annual reports of environmental monitoring and assessment results for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were prepared in two separate parts. Onsite effluent monitoring and environmental monitoring results were reported in an onsite report prepared by the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). Results of the offsite radiological surveillance program conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas, Nevada, were reported separately by that Agency. Beginning with this 1989 annual Site environmental report for the NTS, these two documents are being combined into a single report to provide a more comprehensive annual documentation of the environmental protection program conducted for the nuclear testing program and other nuclear and non-nuclear activities at the Site. The two agencies have coordinated preparation of this combined onsite and offsite report through sharing of information on environmental releases and meteorological, hydrological, and other supporting data used in dose-estimate calculations. 57 refs., 52 figs., 65 tabs.

Team effectiveness in Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Latif, Khawaja Fawad; Williams, Nigel

2017-10-01

The incorporation of team context into research and practice regarding team effectiveness in NGOs projects is a constant challenge. The research seeks to address the gap and identify the critical determinants of team effectiveness in projects undertaken by non-governmental organizations. Using a systematic process, the study involved both literature and focus group discussions to generate the required items. A total of 157 respondents (Team Members and Team Leaders) were part of the study that filled the questionnaires. Using exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis, both convergent and discriminant validity was established. The present study found that team effectiveness in NGO social projects has a total of seven dimensions namely: Inter team coordination, community social linkage, team performance, knowledge, skills, and attitudes, leadership communication and engagement, decision making and information sharing, and team formation. There is a significant lack of research on team effectiveness in NGO projects. Where considerably large proportion of research on team effectiveness has focused on the corporate sector, the non-governmental teams have been neglected. This study clearly highlights the determinants that make up team effectiveness in NGOs. The determinants identified will help to specifically look at the effectiveness of teams in NGO projects. The study would help NGOs identify the dimensions in which they may be performing in a weaker manner and direct their energies in improving the factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental regulations and plant exit: A logit analysis based on established panel data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bioern, E; Golombek, R; Raknerud, A

1995-12-01

This publication uses a model to study the relationship between environmental regulations and plant exit. It has the main characteristics of a multinomial qualitative response model of the logit type, but also has elements of a Markov chain model. The model uses Norwegian panel data for establishments in three manufacturing sectors with high shares of units which have been under strict environmental regulations. In two of the sectors, the exit probability of non-regulated establishments is about three times higher than for regulated ones. It is also found that the probability of changing regulation status from non-regulated to regulated depends significantly on economic factors. In particular, establishments with weak profitability are the most likely to become subject to environmental regulation. 12 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs.

The effects of hospice-shared care for gastric cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Kun-Siang; Wang, Shih-Ho; Chuah, Seng-Kee; Rau, Kun-Ming; Lin, Yu-Hung; Hsieh, Meng-Che; Shih, Li-Hsueh; Chen, Yen-Hao

2017-01-01

Hospice care has been proved to result in changes to the medical behaviors of terminally ill patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and medical behavior changes of hospice-shared care intervention among terminally ill gastric cancer patients. A total of 174 patients who died of gastric cancer between 2012 and 2014 were identified. These patients were divided into two groups: a hospice-shared care group (n = 93) and a control group (n = 81). Among the 174 patients, 84% had advanced stage (stage III or stage IV) cancer. The females and the patients cared by medical oncologists had a higher percentage of hospice-shared care than the males (71% vs 44%, p = 0.001) and those cared by other physicians (63% vs 41%, p = 0.004). Compared to the control group, the hospice-shared care group underwent lower incidence of life sustaining or aggressive medical treatments, including intensive care unit admission (2% vs 26%, pgastric cancer patients could increase the rate of signed DNR orders, decrease the use of life sustaining and aggressive/palliative treatments, and improve quality of life.

Combination of Sharing Matrix and Image Encryption for Lossless $(k,n)$ -Secret Image Sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Long; Yi, Shuang; Zhou, Yicong

2017-12-01

This paper first introduces a (k,n) -sharing matrix S (k, n) and its generation algorithm. Mathematical analysis is provided to show its potential for secret image sharing. Combining sharing matrix with image encryption, we further propose a lossless (k,n) -secret image sharing scheme (SMIE-SIS). Only with no less than k shares, all the ciphertext information and security key can be reconstructed, which results in a lossless recovery of original information. This can be proved by the correctness and security analysis. Performance evaluation and security analysis demonstrate that the proposed SMIE-SIS with arbitrary settings of k and n has at least five advantages: 1) it is able to fully recover the original image without any distortion; 2) it has much lower pixel expansion than many existing methods; 3) its computation cost is much lower than the polynomial-based secret image sharing methods; 4) it is able to verify and detect a fake share; and 5) even using the same original image with the same initial settings of parameters, every execution of SMIE-SIS is able to generate completely different secret shares that are unpredictable and non-repetitive. This property offers SMIE-SIS a high level of security to withstand many different attacks.

Environmental niche separation between native and non-native benthic invertebrate species: Case study of the northern Baltic Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Jänes, Holger; Herkül, Kristjan; Kotta, Jonne

2017-10-01

Knowledge and understanding of geographic distributions of species is crucial for many aspects in ecology, conservation, policy making and management. In order to reach such an understanding, it is important to know abiotic variables that impact and drive distributions of native and non-native species. We used an existing long-term macrobenthos database for species presence-absence information and biomass estimates at different environmental gradients in the northern Baltic Sea. Region specific abiotic variables (e.g. salinity, depth) were derived from previously constructed bathymetric and hydrodynamic models. Multidimensional ordination techniques were then applied to investigate potential niche space separation between all native and non-native invertebrates in the northern Baltic Sea. Such an approach allowed to obtain data rich and robust estimates of the current native and non-native species distributions and outline important abiotic parameters influencing the observed pattern. The results showed clear niche space separation between native and non-native species. Non-native species were situated in an environmental space characterized by reduced salinity, high temperatures, high proportion of soft seabed and decreased depth and wave exposure whereas native species displayed an opposite pattern. Different placement of native and non-native species along the studied environmental niche space is likely to be explained by the differences in their evolutionary history, human mediated activities and geological youth of the Baltic Sea. The results of this study can provide early warnings and effectively outline coastal areas in the northern Baltic Sea that are prone to further range expansion of non-native species as climate change is expected to significantly reduce salinity and increase temperature in wide coastal areas, both supporting the disappearance of native and appearance of non-native species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of target and non-target similarity on neural classification performance: A boost from confidence

OpenAIRE

Amar R Marathe; Anthony J Ries; Vernon J Lawhern; Vernon J Lawhern; Brent J Lance; Jonathan eTouryan; Kaleb eMcDowell; Hubert eCecotti

2015-01-01

Brain computer interaction (BCI) technologies have proven effective in utilizing single-trial classification algorithms to detect target images in rapid serial visualization presentation tasks. While many factors contribute to the accuracy of these algorithms, a critical aspect that is often overlooked concerns the feature similarity between target and non-target images. In most real-world environments there are likely to be many shared features between targets and non-targets resulting in si...

The effect of target and non-target similarity on neural classification performance: a boost from confidence

OpenAIRE

Marathe, Amar R.; Ries, Anthony J.; Lawhern, Vernon J.; Lance, Brent J.; Touryan, Jonathan; McDowell, Kaleb; Cecotti, Hubert

2015-01-01

Brain computer interaction (BCI) technologies have proven effective in utilizing single-trial classification algorithms to detect target images in rapid serial visualization presentation tasks. While many factors contribute to the accuracy of these algorithms, a critical aspect that is often overlooked concerns the feature similarity between target and non-target images. In most real-world environments there are likely to be many shared features between targets and non-targets resulting in si...

Shared use agreements between municipalities and public schools in the United States, 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Omura, John D; Carlson, Susan A; Paul, Prabasaj; Sliwa, Sarah; Onufrak, Stephen J; Fulton, Janet E

2017-02-01

Shared use agreements allow public use of school facilities during non-school hours. Such agreements can cover outdoor facilities alone or may be more comprehensive by also including indoor facilities. Our aim was to: 1) estimate the prevalence of shared use agreements and facility types covered among U.S. municipalities and 2) identify differences in prevalence by municipality characteristics. The 2014 National Survey of Community-based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living is a representative survey of US municipalities (n=2029). Data were analyzed using survey weights to create national estimates. Logistic and multinomial regression models determined odds ratios adjusting for municipality characteristics. Among 1930 municipalities with a school, 41.6% had a shared use agreement as reported by a local official, 45.6% did not, and 12.8% did not know. Significant differences in prevalence existed by population size, rural/urban status, poverty prevalence, median education level, and census region; however, after adjustment for other municipality characteristics significant differences remained only by population size, median education level, and census region. Among municipalities with a shared use agreement, 59.6% covered both outdoor and indoor facilities, 5.5% covered indoor facilities only, and 34.9% covered outdoor facilities only. Opportunities exist to expand the use of shared use agreements particularly in municipalities with small populations, lower education levels, and in the South, and to promote more comprehensive shared use agreements that include both indoor and outdoor facilities. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sharing and reuse of individual participant data from clinical trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ohmann, Christian; Banzi, Rita; Canham, Steve

2017-01-01

: The adoption of the recommendations in this document would help to promote and support data sharing and reuse among researchers, adequately inform trial participants and protect their rights, and provide effective and efficient systems for preparing, storing and accessing data. The recommendations now need......OBJECTIVES: We examined major issues associated with sharing of individual clinical trial data and developed a consensus document on providing access to individual participant data from clinical trials, using a broad interdisciplinary approach. DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a consensus...... Research Infrastructures Building Enduring Life-science Services) and coordinated by the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network. Thus, the focus was on non-commercial trials and the perspective mainly European. OUTCOME: We developed principles and practical recommendations on how to share data...

The effect of bright lines in environmental risk communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, K.N.; Desvousges, W.H.; Smith, K.V.; Payne, J.

1993-01-01

Bright lines in environmental risk communication refer to the specific levels at which an environmental risk becomes a serious health threat and action should be taken to mitigate its effects. This study examined the effect of ''bright lines'' in risk communication by emphasizing the radon exposure threshold level of 4 picocuries per liter. Specifically, the authors developed a computer-assisted interview containing bright-line versions of risk information. The bright-line version contained a range of possible radon levels, the corresponding number of estimated lung cancer cases, the relative health risk from radon compared to other health risks, and the EPA guidelines for mitigating levels above 4 picocuries in the home. The non-bright line version was identical to the bright-line version, except it did not include the EPA's mitigation recommendations. Effect measures included respondents' change in perceived risk after reading their materials, intended testing behavior, and advice to their neighbor for a specified radon level either above or below the 4 picocury threshold level. This paper discusses broader policy implications for designing effective risk communication programs

Shared cultural knowledge: Effects of music on young children's social preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Soley, Gaye; Spelke, Elizabeth S

2016-03-01

Adults use cultural markers to discern the structure of the social landscape. Such markers may also influence the social preferences of young children, who tend to conform to their own group and prefer others who do so. However, the forces that propel these preferences are unknown. Here, we use social preferences based on music to investigate these forces in four- and five-year-old children. First, we establish that children prefer other children whose favorite songs are familiar to them. Then we show that this effect depends on shared knowledge: children both prefer others who know songs they themselves know, and avoid others who know songs they do not know, irrespective of the target children's liking of the songs. These results suggest that young children have a remarkably selective sensitivity to shared cultural knowledge. Shared knowledge may be a powerful determinant of children's social preferences, both because it underpins effective communication and because it is conveyed by others through social interactions and therefore can serve as a marker of social group identity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic and environmental transmission of body mass index fluctuation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergin, Jocilyn E; Neale, Michael C; Eaves, Lindon J; Martin, Nicholas G; Heath, Andrew C; Maes, Hermine H

2012-11-01

This study sought to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) fluctuation and cardiovascular disease phenotypes, diabetes, and depression and the role of genetic and environmental factors in individual differences in BMI fluctuation using the extended twin-family model (ETFM). This study included 14,763 twins and their relatives. Health and Lifestyle Questionnaires were obtained from 28,492 individuals from the Virginia 30,000 dataset including twins, parents, siblings, spouses, and children of twins. Self-report cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression data were available. From self-reported height and weight, BMI fluctuation was calculated as the difference between highest and lowest BMI after age 18, for individuals 18-80 years. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between BMI fluctuation and disease status. The ETFM was used to estimate the significance and contribution of genetic and environmental factors, cultural transmission, and assortative mating components to BMI fluctuation, while controlling for age. We tested sex differences in additive and dominant genetic effects, parental, non-parental, twin, and unique environmental effects. BMI fluctuation was highly associated with disease status, independent of BMI. Genetic effects accounted for ~34 % of variance in BMI fluctuation in males and ~43 % of variance in females. The majority of the variance was accounted for by environmental factors, about a third of which were shared among twins. Assortative mating, and cultural transmission accounted for only a small proportion of variance in this phenotype. Since there are substantial health risks associated with BMI fluctuation and environmental components of BMI fluctuation account for over 60 % of variance in males and over 50 % of variance in females, environmental risk factors may be appropriate targets to reduce BMI fluctuation.

Appropriation of social media for fostering effective tacit knowledge sharing: developing conceptual model

Science.gov (United States)

Amidi, A.; Jabar, M.; Jusoh, Y. Y.; Abdullah, R.

2017-09-01

With the rising popularity of social media in the past few years, several researches ratiocinate that this type of interactive and collaborative technology could be a beneficial tool for the sharing of tacit knowledge. Nevertheless, very few literatures have tackled the subject of how social media could facilitate tacit knowledge sharing among medical practitioners, and what are its contributions in the area. Thus, the factors that drive individuals to share tacit knowledge need to be investigated further and included in literature. Through a systematic literature review, this study proposes seven enabling conditions which could potentially facilitate the sharing of tacit knowledge. TAM was applied as a novelty in this study in investigating the factors influencing knowledge sharing via social media, whilst taking into account the mediation effects of Attitude in social media usage. This study uncovered an important correlation between virtual settings and the conversion of tacit knowledge, which affects organizational members who are not co-located physically but have a crucial need for sharing information.

Studying the Effects of Peer-to-Peer Sharing Economy Platforms on Society

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westerbeek, J.; Ubacht, J.; van der Voort, H.G.; ten Heuvelhof, E.F.; Scholl, Hans Jochem; Glassey, Olivier; Janssen, Marijn; Klievink, Bram; Lindgren, Ida; Parycek, Peter; Tambouris, Efthimios; Wimmer, Maria; Janowski, Tomasz; Sa Soares, Delfina

2016-01-01

Peer-to-peer sharing economy platforms potentially have big effects on values in society. Policymakers need to develop governance arrangements to benefit from the positive effects, while simultaneously mitigate the negative effects. This requires having a structured overview of the effects of these

Environmental science and vulnerable ecosystems. Programme and abstract book

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-11-01

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is a non-profit, professional society established to provide a multi-disciplinary forum for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of environmental problems. SETAC provides a vehicle for scientists to exchange information and share opinions across borders and across disciplines. It does so by organizing international and national meetings, workshops and symposia, by publishing a scientific journal, newsletter and books. There were 228 papers and 291 posters presented by more than 1000 contributors on aqueous and terrestrial ecosystems and their vulnerability to anthropogenic pollution and contamination. (EG)

Environmental science and vulnerable ecosystems. Programme and abstract book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is a non-profit, professional society established to provide a multi-disciplinary forum for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of environmental problems. SETAC provides a vehicle for scientists to exchange information and share opinions across border and across disciplines. It does so by organizing international and national meetings, workshops and symposia, by publishing a scientific journal, newsletter and books. There were 228 papers and 291 posters presented by more than 1000 contributors on aqueous and terrestrial ecosystems and their vulnerability to anthropogenic pollution and contamination. (EG)

Humans, Sharks and the Shared Environment in the Contemporary Eco-Doc

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Helen

2011-01-01

Focussing on the film "Sharkwater" directed by Rob Stewart (2006), this article discusses formal interpretive aspects of recent environmental documentaries which are intended to raise awareness about environmental issues. It is argued that contemporary environmental documentaries seek to persuade audiences to protect the shared physical…

The effects of hospice-shared care for gastric cancer patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun-Siang Huang

Full Text Available Hospice care has been proved to result in changes to the medical behaviors of terminally ill patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and medical behavior changes of hospice-shared care intervention among terminally ill gastric cancer patients.A total of 174 patients who died of gastric cancer between 2012 and 2014 were identified. These patients were divided into two groups: a hospice-shared care group (n = 93 and a control group (n = 81.Among the 174 patients, 84% had advanced stage (stage III or stage IV cancer. The females and the patients cared by medical oncologists had a higher percentage of hospice-shared care than the males (71% vs 44%, p = 0.001 and those cared by other physicians (63% vs 41%, p = 0.004. Compared to the control group, the hospice-shared care group underwent lower incidence of life sustaining or aggressive medical treatments, including intensive care unit admission (2% vs 26%, p<0.001, intubation (1% vs 27%, p<0.001, cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation (0% vs 11%, p = 0.001, ventilator use (1% vs 27%, p<0.001, inotropic agent use (8% vs 46%, p<0.001, total or partial parenteral nutrition use (38% vs. 58%, p = 0.029, and blood transfusion (45% vs 74%, p<0.001. Besides, the hospice-shared care group had a higher percentage of palliative treatments than the control group, including signed Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR orders (95% vs 37%, p<0.001, receiving home hospice care (16% vs 1%, p<0.001, and indicating home as the realistically preferred place of death (41% vs 19%, p = 0.001. The hospice ward admission rate in the hospice-shared care group increased from 30% to 53% from 2012 to 2014.The use of hospice-shared care for gastric cancer patients could increase the rate of signed DNR orders, decrease the use of life sustaining and aggressive/palliative treatments, and improve quality of life.

Bringing bike share to a low-income community: lessons learned through community engagement, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Kretman Stewart, Sarah; Johnson, David C; Smith, William P

2013-08-15

High prevalence of physical inactivity contributes to adverse health outcomes. Active transportation (cycling or walking) is associated with better health outcomes, and bike-sharing programs can help communities increase use of active transportation. The Minneapolis Health Department funded the Nice Ride Minnesota bike share system to expand to the Near North community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Near North is a diverse, low-income area of the city where residents experience health disparities, including disparities in physical activity levels. The installation of new bike share kiosks in Near North resulted in an environmental change to support physical activity. Community engagement was conducted pre-intervention only and consisted of focus groups, community meetings, and interviews. Postintervention data on bike share trips and subscribers were collected to assess intervention effectiveness. Focus group participants offered insights on facilitators and barriers to bike share and suggested system improvements. Community engagement efforts showed that Near North residents were positive about Nice Ride and wanted to use the system; however, the numbers of trips and subscriptions in Near North were low. Results show that the first season of the expansion was moderately successful in improving outreach efforts and adapting bike share to meet the needs of low-income populations. However, environmental change without adequate, ongoing community engagement may not be sufficient to result in behavior change.

15 CFR 971.406 - Environmental effects.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Environmental effects. 971.406 Section... ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL RECOVERY PERMITS Issuance/Transfer....406 Environmental effects. Before issuing or transferring a commercial recovery permit, the...

Comparing non-specific physical symptoms in environmentally sensitive patients: prevalence, duration, functional status and illness behavior.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baliatsas, C.; Kamp, I. van; Hooiveld, M.; Yzermans, J.; Lebret, E.

2014-01-01

Objective: Little is known about the potential clinical relevance of non-specific physical symptoms (NSPS) reported by patients with self-reported environmental sensitivities. This study aimed to assess NSPS in people with general environmental sensitivity (GES) and idiopathic environmental

Team innovation climate and knowledge sharing among healthcare managers: mediating effects of altruistic intentions.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Feng-Chuan; Cheng, Kai-Lin; Chao, Minston; Tseng, Hsu-Min

2012-01-01

This paper aims to provide empirical evidence concerning the impact of team climate on knowledge sharing behavior and the mediating effects of individuals' altruistic intentions in the context of healthcare settings. Questionnaire data were collected from 212 administrators employed at a medical center in Taiwan. Team climate was assessed by the Team Climate Inventory composed of four factors, participative safety, support for innovation, vision, and task orientation. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The influence of the team innovation climate on knowledge sharing behavior was evident. Furthermore, individuals' altruistic intentions played a full mediating role in the relationship between team innovation climate and knowledge sharing behavior. These results contribute to the field of the people-orientated perspective in knowledge management. The full mediating effect of employees' altruistic intentions provides healthcare team managers the direction to accelerate knowledge sharing behavior.

Linked environmental data. The next step for environmental information systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menger, Matthias; Ackermann, Patrick; Linse, Andreas; Bandholtz, Thomas

2013-01-01

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) in Germany as one Competent Authority of the European Member States involved with the assessment and authorisation of chemicals, pesticides, biozides and medicals, has a wide expertise of complex information systems. Having timely, comprehensive and reliable information on the environmental relevant properties (e.g. of chemical substances and preparations) is of immense importance for all sections dealing with environmental protection issues. Regarding the reality of available information systems in each environmental section, and moreover in each section itself, there has been developed several specific approaches to gather, store and search its relevant data. This makes sense due to each section has its own requirements, different user groups (industry and authorities or just authorities or scientific partners etc.), different budgets to bring technology 'on the road', and different (legally obligatory) procedures to handle the data and information of such systems. Nevertheless, there several strong reasons to look for a Linked Environmental Data infrastructure - at least internally in one authority itself: - Overcome the mostly separated systems; - Explore the potential of data silos in several environmental sections; - Efficiency/effectiveness in data gathering, assessment, results, budgets..; - sharing of knowledge, i.e. use of specific prepared information of specially intended information systems; - timelyness of data/information; - best data/information from most competent partner/section; - gain from already available systems and their data/information; - speed up developments and availability of data/information. Of course there are also several points which might be a huge obstacle to Linked Environmental Data (LED), e.g. confidential business data. This leads already to the distinction between 'Open LED' and 'Non-Open LED'. Nevertheless, the potential benefits and the possibilities offered via the modern information

Identification of risk loci with shared effects on five major psychiatric disorders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph E.; Strauss, John; Strohmaier, Jana

2013-01-01

Findings from family and twin studies suggest that genetic contributions to psychiatric disorders do not in all cases map to present diagnostic categories. We aimed to identify specific variants underlying genetic effects shared between the five disorders in the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium: a......: autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia.......Findings from family and twin studies suggest that genetic contributions to psychiatric disorders do not in all cases map to present diagnostic categories. We aimed to identify specific variants underlying genetic effects shared between the five disorders in the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium...

Environmental non-government organizations' perceptions of geologic sequestration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong-Parodi, Gabrielle; Ray, Isha; Farrell, Alexander E

2008-01-01

Environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been influential in shaping public perceptions of environmental problems, their causes and potential solutions. Over the last decade, carbon capture and storage (CCS) has emerged as a potentially important technological response to climate change. In this paper we investigate how leading US NGOs perceive geologic sequestration, a potentially controversial part of CCS. We examine how and why their perceptions and strategies might differ, and if and how they plan to shape public perceptions of geologic sequestration. We approach these questions through semi-structured interviews with representatives from a range of NGOs, supplemented by content analysis of their documents. We find that while all the NGOs are committed to combating climate change, their views on CCS as a mitigation strategy vary considerably. We find that these views are correlated with NGOs' histories of activism and advocacy, as well as with their sources of funding. Overall, most of these NGOs accept the necessity of geologic sequestration, while only a small fraction do not

Physical activity level of three generation families. Genetic and environmental factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Nichele de Chaves

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This study aims (1 to investigate the presence of familial aggregation in physical activity (PA levels and sedentary behavior (SB among members of three generations families and (2 to estimate the magnitude of additive genetic influences on PA and SB phenotypes. The sample consisted of 100 extended families covering three generations (n=1034, from the Lisbon area, Portugal. Phenotypes were assessed via the short version of the self-administered International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF. Measured phenotypes: total physical activity (TPA; vigorous (VPA; moderate (MPA; walking; time spent in sitting time (ST, watching television (WT and PA levels classification. Body mass index (BMI was calculated. Exploratory family analysis in all phenotypes was conducted in PEDSTATS software. The genetic component (h2 and shared environmental effect were estimated using maximum likelihood implemented in the SOLAR software package. All graphs were done in HLM software. Sex, age, sex*age, age2, sex*age2 and BMI were used as covariates. Significant level was set at 0,05. Genetic component estimates (h2 were as follows: TPA h2=0,28±0,06 (p<0.0001; VPA h2=0,35±0,06 (p<0.0001; MPA h2=0,29±0,06 (p<0.0001; walking h2=0,40±0,06 (p<0.0001; ST h2=0,29±0,06 (p<0.0001; WT h2=0,15±0,06 (p<0.003 and determination of the level physical activity h2=0,35±0,14 (p<0.007. Shared environmental effect was not significant. These results showed a low-to-moderate genetic contribution, between 15% to 40% of the total variability, in the PA and SB phenotypes. The genetic factors have low to moderate influence in this sample. Non-shared environmental factors appear to have the major contribution in these phenotypes.

Non-Canonical Roles of Dengue Virus Non-Structural Proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julianna D. Zeidler

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The Flaviviridae family comprises a number of human pathogens, which, although sharing structural and functional features, cause diseases with very different outcomes. This can be explained by the plurality of functions exerted by the few proteins coded by viral genomes, with some of these functions shared among members of a same family, but others being unique for each virus species. These non-canonical functions probably have evolved independently and may serve as the base to the development of specific therapies for each of those diseases. Here it is discussed what is currently known about the non-canonical roles of dengue virus (DENV non-structural proteins (NSPs, which may account for some of the effects specifically observed in DENV infection, but not in other members of the Flaviviridae family. This review explores how DENV NSPs contributes to the physiopathology of dengue, evasion from host immunity, metabolic changes, and redistribution of cellular components during infection.

Randomized controlled trial of a book-sharing intervention in a deprived South African community: effects on carer-infant interactions, and their relation to infant cognitive and socio-emotional outcome

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Lynne; De Pascalis, Leonardo; Tomlinson, Mark; Vally, Zahir; Dadomo, Harold; MacLachlan, Brenda; Woodward, Charlotte; Cooper, Peter J.

2017-01-01

Background Consistent with evidence from high income countries, we previously showed that, in an informal peri-urban settlement in a low-middle income country, training parents in book-sharing with their infants benefitted infant language and attention (Vally et al., 2015). Here, we investigated whether these benefits were explained by improvements in carer-infant interactions in both book-sharing and non-book-sharing contexts. We also explored whether infant socio-emotional development benefitted from book-sharing. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Carers of 14–16 month-old infants were randomized to 8 weeks’ training in book-sharing (n = 49) or a wait list control group (n = 42). In addition to the cognitive measures reported previously, independent assessments were made at base line and follow-up of carer-infant interactions during book-sharing and toy play. Assessments were also made, at follow-up only, of infant pro-social behaviour in a ‘help task’, and of infant imitation of doll characters’ non-social actions and an interpersonal interaction. Eighty-two carer-infant pairs (90%) were assessed at follow-up. (Trial registration ISRCTN39953901). Results Carers who received the training showed significant improvements in book-sharing interactions (sensitivity, elaborations, reciprocity), and, to a smaller extent, in toy-play interactions (sensitivity). Infants in the intervention group showed a significantly higher rate of pro-social behaviour, and tended to show more frequent imitation of the interpersonal interaction. Improvements in carer behaviour during book-sharing, but not during toy play, mediated intervention effects on all infant cognitive outcomes, and tended to mediate intervention effects on infant interpersonal imitation. Conclusions Training in book sharing, a simple, inexpensive intervention that has been shown to benefit infant cognitive development in a low-middle income country, also

Childrens' Sharing Behavior: Success and Failure, the "Norm of Deserving" and Reciprocity in Sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Staub, Ervin

Three studies of children's sharing behavior were designed to discover the effects of success or failure on children's willingness to share material rewards with others. In two studies, age differences in willingness to share were noted. Extensive discussion of the results indicates how a child's self concept might influence a child's sharing. The…

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronaldo Laranjeira

2000-07-01

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

Transgenerational effects of environmental enrichment on repetitive motor behavior development.

Science.gov (United States)

Bechard, Allison R; Lewis, Mark H

2016-07-01

The favorable consequences of environmental enrichment (EE) on brain and behavior development are well documented. Much less is known, however, about transgenerational benefits of EE on non-enriched offspring. We explored whether transgenerational effects of EE might extend to the development of repetitive motor behaviors in deer mice. Repetitive motor behaviors are invariant patterns of movement that, across species, can be reduced by EE. We found that EE not only attenuated the development of repetitive behavior in dams, but also in their non-enriched offspring. Moreover, maternal behavior did not seem to mediate the transgenerational effect we found, although repetitive behavior was affected by reproductive experience. These data support a beneficial transgenerational effect of EE on repetitive behavior development and suggest a novel benefit of reproductive experience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The organization of words and environmental sounds in memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrickson, Kristi; Walenski, Matthew; Friend, Margaret; Love, Tracy

2015-03-01

In the present study we used event-related potentials to compare the organization of linguistic and meaningful nonlinguistic sounds in memory. We examined N400 amplitudes as adults viewed pictures presented with words or environmental sounds that matched the picture (Match), that shared semantic features with the expected match (Near Violation), and that shared relatively few semantic features with the expected match (Far Violation). Words demonstrated incremental N400 amplitudes based on featural similarity from 300-700ms, such that both Near and Far Violations exhibited significant N400 effects, however Far Violations exhibited greater N400 effects than Near Violations. For environmental sounds, Far Violations but not Near Violations elicited significant N400 effects, in both early (300-400ms) and late (500-700ms) time windows, though a graded pattern similar to that of words was seen in the mid-latency time window (400-500ms). These results indicate that the organization of words and environmental sounds in memory is differentially influenced by featural similarity, with a consistently fine-grained graded structure for words but not sounds. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

UCLA's Molecular Screening Shared Resource: enhancing small molecule discovery with functional genomics and new technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Damoiseaux, Robert

2014-05-01

The Molecular Screening Shared Resource (MSSR) offers a comprehensive range of leading-edge high throughput screening (HTS) services including drug discovery, chemical and functional genomics, and novel methods for nano and environmental toxicology. The MSSR is an open access environment with investigators from UCLA as well as from the entire globe. Industrial clients are equally welcome as are non-profit entities. The MSSR is a fee-for-service entity and does not retain intellectual property. In conjunction with the Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, the MSSR is unique in its dedicated and ongoing efforts towards high throughput toxicity testing of nanomaterials. In addition, the MSSR engages in technology development eliminating bottlenecks from the HTS workflow and enabling novel assays and readouts currently not available.

The Sharing Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Avital, Michel; Carroll, John M.; Hjalmarsson, Anders

2015-01-01

The sharing economy is spreading rapidly worldwide in a number of industries and markets. The disruptive nature of this phenomenon has drawn mixed responses ranging from active conflict to adoption and assimilation. Yet, in spite of the growing attention to the sharing economy, we still do not know...... much about it. With the abundant enthusiasm about the benefits that the sharing economy can unleash and the weekly reminders about its dark side, further examination is required to determine the potential of the sharing economy while mitigating its undesirable side effects. The panel will join...... the ongoing debate about the sharing economy and contribute to the discourse with insights about how digital technologies are critical in shaping this turbulent ecosystem. Furthermore, we will define an agenda for future research on the sharing economy as it becomes part of the mainstream society as well...

The importance of genetic and shared environmental factors for the associations between job demands, control, support and burnout.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria Blom

Full Text Available Within occupational health research, one of the most influential models is the Job Demands-Control-Support model. Numerous studies have applied the model to different domains, with both physical and psychological health outcomes, such as burnout. The twin design provides a unique and powerful research methodology for examining the effects of environmental risk factors on burnout while taking familial factors (genetic and shared environment into account. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of familial factors on the associations of burnout with job demands, control and support. A total of 14,516 individuals from the Swedish Twin Registry, who were born between 1959 and 1986, and who participated in the Study of Twin Adults: Genes and Environment (STAGE by responding to a web-based questionnaire in 2005, were included in the analyses. Of these, there were 5108 individuals in complete same-sex twin pairs. Co-twin control analyses were performed using linear mixed modeling, comparing between-pairs effects and within-pair effects, stratified also by zygosity and sex. The results indicate that familial factors are of importance in the association between support and burnout in both women and men, but not between job demands and burnout. There are also tendencies towards familial factors being involved in the association between control and burnout in men. These results offer increased understanding of the mechanisms involved in the associations between work stress and burnout.

The Effects of Abandonment Options on Investment Timing and Profit Sharing of FDI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiwei Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper incorporates cooperative game theory into a real option method in a foreign direct investment setting and examines the operational decisions of a multinational corporation in a cooperative framework, where the corporation is endowed with an abandonment option and shares its profit with the host country. In particular, we investigate how the abandonment options affect the optimal investment timing and the optimal profit share of a foreign direct investment using a real option game method. We show that the flexibility of the abandonment option induces the corporation to investment earlier, which indicates the negative effects on investment trigger. The result is consistent with intuition since the abandonment option provides insurance and thus reduces the overall risk of the project. We also find that the introduction of the abandonment option reduces the optimal profit share in a cooperative framework and in turn the lower profit share increases the investment trigger, thereby having a positive effect on the investment threshold to hinder the investment. By numerical analysis, we find that the overall effect of the abandonment options is inversely related to the investment trigger. These findings provide quantitative analysis about the decisions regarding cooperation in international investment extraction projects.

44 CFR 206.45 - Loans of non-Federal share.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... advance. Simple interest will be computed from the date of the disbursement of each drawdown of the loan... Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Assistance Directorate together with the Chief Financial Officer... to assume their financial responsibility under such cost sharing provisions: (i) As a result of...

[Biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation].

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorowski, A; Steciwko, A

1998-01-01

Since the mid 1970's, when Adey discovered that extremely-low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF) may affect the calcium ions efflux from various cells, bioeffects of non-ionizing radiation (NIR) have become the subject of growing interest and numerous research projects. At present, the fact that NIR exerts both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on different physiological cellular parameters is rather unquestionable. At the same time, some epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to EMF is potentially harmful even if its intensity is very low. It has been proved that thermal factors are not responsible for these effects, therefore nowadays, they are called 'non-thermal effects'. Our paper deals with three different aspects of biological effects of non-ionizing radiation, bioelectromagnetism, electromagnetobiology and electromagnetic bioinformation. Firstly, we describe how EMF and photons can be produced within a living cell, how biological cycles are controlled, and what are the features of endogenous electromagnetic radiation. Secondly, we discuss various facets of external EMF interactions with living matter, focusing on extremely-low-frequencies, radio- and microwaves. Possible mechanisms of these interactions are also mentioned. Finally, we present a short overview of current theories which explain how electromagnetic couplings may control an open and dissipative structure, namely the living organism. The theory of electromagnetic bioinformation seems to explain how different physiological processes are triggered and controlled, as well as how long-range interactions may possibly occur within the complex biological system. The review points out that the presented research data must be assessed very carefully since its evaluation is crucial to set the proper limits of EMF exposure, both occupational and environmental. The study of biological effects of non-ioinizing radiation may also contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic

http://www.revistadestatistica.ro/index.php/effective-management-of-resources-for-environmental-protection-using-taxes-in-the-environmental-policy/

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia CĂPĂŢÎNĂ

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Establishment of environmental taxes, called green taxes or eco-taxes, are ways to internalize the environmental costs in the prices of goods or services, causing producers and consumers to use resources more efficiently and sustainably. Green taxes or Pigovian taxes, named after their inventor, Arthur Pigou are known as sin taxes and when are applied to the “sin” of pollution they may be called environmental taxes or eco-taxes. Sustainable development can not be sustained without the existence of adequate measures and effective for protection of the environment. The polluter pays principle is a principle embraced by all countries from the desire do not deplete environmental resources, some of which being non-renewable resources, to be used by future generations. Polluters are both individuals and legal entities who must to respond in one way or another for their irresponsible actions, compensating damages, protecting the environment and paying damages for any casualties. Green taxes can generate a tax reform. Any responsible person will try to manage in another way the resources when has to bear consequences. In this regard, the environment can be protected more effectively and more cost effective for citizens. The effects of irresponsible actions of some of us not only affect the environment but also all animals and vegetable bodies inclusive people.

Availability Cascades and the Sharing Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Netter, Sarah

2016-01-01

As scholars search for a new concept that will provide answers on how modern societies should make sense of and resolve the social and environmental problems linked to our modes of production and consumption, the sharing economy is attracting increased attention. To better understand this emergent...

Resource allocation in shared spectrum access communications for operators with diverse service requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Kibria, Mirza Golam; Villardi, Gabriel Porto; Ishizu, Kentaro; Kojima, Fumihide; Yano, Hiroyuki

2016-12-01

In this paper, we study inter-operator spectrum sharing and intra-operator resource allocation in shared spectrum access communication systems and propose efficient dynamic solutions to address both inter-operator and intra-operator resource allocation optimization problems. For inter-operator spectrum sharing, we present two competent approaches, namely the subcarrier gain-based sharing and fragmentation-based sharing, which carry out fair and flexible allocation of the available shareable spectrum among the operators subject to certain well-defined sharing rules, traffic demands, and channel propagation characteristics. The subcarrier gain-based spectrum sharing scheme has been found to be more efficient in terms of achieved throughput. However, the fragmentation-based sharing is more attractive in terms of computational complexity. For intra-operator resource allocation, we consider resource allocation problem with users' dissimilar service requirements, where the operator supports users with delay constraint and non-delay constraint service requirements, simultaneously. This optimization problem is a mixed-integer non-linear programming problem and non-convex, which is computationally very expensive, and the complexity grows exponentially with the number of integer variables. We propose less-complex and efficient suboptimal solution based on formulating exact linearization, linear approximation, and convexification techniques for the non-linear and/or non-convex objective functions and constraints. Extensive simulation performance analysis has been carried out that validates the efficiency of the proposed solution.

77 FR 59180 - Withdrawal of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-26

...The Los Angeles District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Ballona Creek Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study in the Federal Register on September 20, 2005 (70 FR 55116). The study's purpose is to evaluate structural and non-structural means of restoring diminished ecosystem functions and services within the lower reach of Ballona Creek including coastal wetlands. Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission (SMBRC) is the local sponsor for the cost-shared study. On September 29, 2005, a public scoping meeting was held pursuant to requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and Engineer Regulations 1105-2-100. Baseline conditions portions of the EIS/EIR have been completed as of January, 2012. On July 17, 2012, the SMBRC requested the Corps terminate the study. Therefore, the Corps is withdrawing the Notice of Intent to Prepare a draft EIS/EIR.

Teamwork skills, shared mental models, and performance in simulated trauma teams: an independent group design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Westli Heidi

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-technical skills are seen as an important contributor to reducing adverse events and improving medical management in healthcare teams. Previous research on the effectiveness of teams has suggested that shared mental models facilitate coordination and team performance. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether demonstrated teamwork skills and behaviour indicating shared mental models would be associated with observed improved medical management in trauma team simulations. Methods Revised versions of the 'Anesthetists' Non-Technical Skills Behavioural marker system' and 'Anti-Air Teamwork Observation Measure' were field tested in moment-to-moment observation of 27 trauma team simulations in Norwegian hospitals. Independent subject matter experts rated medical management in the teams. An independent group design was used to explore differences in teamwork skills between higher-performing and lower-performing teams. Results Specific teamwork skills and behavioural markers were associated with indicators of good team performance. Higher and lower-performing teams differed in information exchange, supporting behaviour and communication, with higher performing teams showing more effective information exchange and communication, and less supporting behaviours. Behavioural markers of shared mental models predicted effective medical management better than teamwork skills. Conclusions The present study replicates and extends previous research by providing new empirical evidence of the significance of specific teamwork skills and a shared mental model for the effective medical management of trauma teams. In addition, the study underlines the generic nature of teamwork skills by demonstrating their transferability from different clinical simulations like the anaesthesia environment to trauma care, as well as the potential usefulness of behavioural frequency analysis in future research on non-technical skills.

Atlantic Environmental Resource Directory, 1989: A directory of non-profit environmental and development organizations in Atlantic Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cuthbertson, L.L.

1989-01-01

This directory lists 161 non-profit groups in the Atlantic region, along with contacts for the environmental networks across the country and in New England and appropriate federal and provincial offices in Atlantic Canada. The directory was compiled from questionnaires sent out to a list of contacts that were on an original mailing list of groups known to have taken stands on environmental issues in the past. Follow-up mailouts and phone calls were also made. As well, some contacts were discovered through word-of-mouth. Groups are listed alphabetically by province and are classified by subjects. Information includes address and phone number, contact, date formed, number of members, scope, language and objectives. Groups and resources are indexed by subject area and groups are listed by resources available, environmental networks, Eastern states-United States citizen groups, labour unions, federal and provincial government.

General theory for environmental effects on (vertical) electronic excitation energies.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwabe, Tobias

2016-10-21

Almost 70 years ago, the first theoretical model for environmental effects on electronic excitation energies has been derived. Since then, several different interpretations and refined models have been proposed for the perichromic shift of a chromophore due to its surrounding medium. Some of these models are contradictory. Here, the contributing terms are derived within the framework of long-range perturbation theory with the least approximations so far. The derivation is based on a state-specific interpretation of the interaction energies and all terms can be identified with individual properties of either the chromophore or the surroundings, respectively. Further, the much debated contribution due to transition moments coupled to the environment can be verified in the form of a non-resonant excitonic coupling to the dynamic polarizabilities in the environment. These general insights should clarify discussions and interpretations of environmental effects on electronic excitations and should foster the development of new models for the computation of these effects.

Shared Book Reading Promotes Not Only Language Development, But Also Grapheme Awareness in German Kindergarten Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesseling, Patricia B C; Christmann, Corinna A; Lachmann, Thomas

2017-01-01

Effects of shared book reading on expressive vocabulary and grapheme awareness without letter instruction in German kindergarteners (longitudinal; N = 69, 3;0-4;8 years) were investigated. Expressive vocabulary was measured by using a standardized test; grapheme awareness was measured by asking children to identify one grapheme per trial presented amongst non-letter distractors. Two methods of shared book reading were investigated, literacy enrichment (additional books) and teacher training in shared book reading strategies, both without explicit letter instruction. Whereas positive effects of shared book reading on expressive vocabulary were evident in numerous previous studies, the impact of shared book reading on grapheme awareness has not yet been investigated. Both methods resulted in positive effects on children's expressive vocabulary and grapheme awareness over a period of 6 months. Thus, early shared book reading may not only be considered to be a tool for promoting the development of expressive vocabulary, but also for implicit acquisition of grapheme awareness. The latter is considered an important precondition required for the explicit learning of grapheme-phoneme conversion rules (letter knowledge).

Genetic and environmental influences on affiliation with deviant peers during adolescence and early adulthood.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarantino, Nicholas; Tully, Erin C; Garcia, Sarah E; South, Susan; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

2014-03-01

Adolescence and early adulthood is a time when peer groups become increasingly influential in the lives of young people. Youths exposed to deviant peers risk susceptibility to externalizing behaviors and related psychopathology. In addition to environmental correlates of deviant peer affiliation, a growing body of evidence has suggested that affiliation with deviant peers is heritable. This study examined the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on affiliation with deviant peers, changes in the relative importance of these factors, and which of these factors contribute to the stability of affiliation across this critical developmental period using a longitudinal twin study design that assessed same-sex twins (485 monozygotic pairs, 271 dizygotic pairs) at 3 discrete ages: 15, 18, and 21 years of age. Biometric models revealed that genetic influences increased with age. New genetic influences appeared during late adolescence, and no new genetic influences emerged by age 21. Environmental influences shared by sibling pairs decreased with age, while the proportion of nonshared environmental effects unique to each individual remained relatively stable over the course of development. Shared environmental influences were largely age-overlapping, whereas nonshared environmental influences were largely age-specific. In summary, this study found variance in affiliation with deviant peers is explained by shared and nonshared environment effects as well as by genetic influences (46% by age 21), supporting the role of genetically influenced selection factors. The shared environment was almost exclusively responsible for the stability in late adolescence, while genetic influences were primarily responsible for stability in early adulthood. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Global games with noisy sharing of information

KAUST Repository

Touri, Behrouz; Shamma, Jeff S.

2014-01-01

We provide a framework for the study of global games with noisy sharing of information. In contrast to the previous works where it is shown that an intuitive threshold policy is an equilibrium for such games, we show that noisy sharing of information leads to non-existence of such an equilibrium. We also investigate the group best-response dynamics of two groups of agents sharing the same information to threshold policies based on each group's observation and show the convergence of such dynamics.

Knowledge Sharing and R&D Investment

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Abhirup

We consider an R&D race between two symmetric firms. The game consists of two stages. In the first stage, firms non-cooperatively decide upon their levels of investment in R&D which, in turn, determine the Poisson probabilities of their subsequent sucesses. In the second stage, they engage in a Nash bargaining game to share their knowledge. We show that the firms over-invest and earn lower profits if knowledge sharing is possible compared to the situation where it is not. Hence, before the first stage, if the firms are given the option of precommitting to no knowledge sharing, they will do so and be better off. The society, of course, would be better off with full knowledge sharing.

Effects of environmental support on overt and covert visuospatial rehearsal.

Science.gov (United States)

Lilienthal, Lindsey; Myerson, Joel; Abrams, Richard A; Hale, Sandra

2018-09-01

People can rehearse to-be-remembered locations either overtly, using eye movements, or covertly, using only shifts of spatial attention. The present study examined whether the effectiveness of these two strategies depends on environmental support for rehearsal. In Experiment 1, when environmental support (i.e., the array of possible locations) was present and participants could engage in overt rehearsal during retention intervals, longer intervals resulted in larger spans, whereas in Experiment 2, when support was present but participants could only engage in covert rehearsal, longer intervals resulted in smaller spans. When environmental support was absent, however, longer retention intervals resulted in smaller memory spans regardless of which rehearsal strategies were available. In Experiment 3, analyses of participants' eye movements revealed that the presence of support increased participants' fixations of to-be-remembered target locations more than fixations of non-targets, and that this was associated with better memory performance. Further, although the total time fixating targets increased, individual target fixations were actually briefer. Taken together, the present findings suggest that in the presence of environmental support, overt rehearsal is more effective than covert rehearsal at maintaining to-be-remembered locations in working memory, and that having more time for overt rehearsal can actually increase visuospatial memory spans.

Environmental assessment of Swedish agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engstroem, Rebecka; Finnveden, Goeran; Wadeskog, Anders

2007-01-01

This article describes an environmental assessment of Swedish agriculture, including upstream and downstream effects. The analysis is based on environmentally extended input-output analysis, but it is also supplemented with data from other sources. The analysis shows that direct effects by the Swedish agriculture are the most important, while indirect effects from other sources including mobile and impacts abroad are also considerable. The most important impacts from Swedish agriculture according to the analysis are eutrophication, global warming and resource use. The agricultural sector produces a large share of the Swedish emissions causing both global warming and eutrophication. In addition, current agricultural practice causes problems with loss of biodiversity. The most important actors in the sector are agriculture itself, but also all actors using fossil fuels: primarily the transport sector and the energy sector. In addition, consumers are important since they can influence the composition of agricultural production. The analysis shows the importance of including upstream and downstream effects when analysing the environmental impacts from a sector. (author)

15 CFR 971.602 - Significant adverse environmental effects.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Environmental Effects § 971.602 Significant adverse environmental effects. (a) Determination of significant adverse environmental effects. The Administrator will determine the potential for or the occurrence of any significant adverse environmental effect or impact (for the purposes of sections 103(a)(2)(D), 105(a)(4), 106...

Moderation of genetic and environmental influences on diurnal preference by age in adult twins.

Science.gov (United States)

Barclay, Nicola L; Watson, Nathaniel F; Buchwald, Dedra; Goldberg, Jack

2014-03-01

Diurnal preference changes across the lifespan. However, the mechanisms underlying this age-related shift are poorly understood. The aim of this twin study was to determine the extent to which genetic and environmental influences on diurnal preference are moderated by age. Seven hundred and sixty-eight monozygotic and 674 dizygotic adult twin pairs participating in the University of Washington Twin Registry completed the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire as a measure of diurnal preference. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 93 years (mean = 36.23, SD = 15.54) and were categorized on the basis of age into three groups: younger adulthood (19-35 years, n = 1715 individuals), middle adulthood (36-64 years, n = 1003 individuals) and older adulthood (65+ years, n = 168 individuals). Increasing age was associated with an increasing tendency towards morningness (r = 0.42, p influences for the total sample as well as for each age group separately. Additive genetic influences accounted for 52%[46-57%], and non-shared environmental influences 48%[43-54%], of the total variance in diurnal preference. In comparing univariate genetic models between age groups, the best-fitting model was one in which the parameter estimates for younger adults and older adults were equated, in comparison with middle adulthood. For younger and older adulthood, additive genetic influences accounted for 44%[31-49%] and non-shared environmental influences 56%[49-64%] of variance in diurnal preference, whereas for middle adulthood these estimates were 34%[21-45%] and 66%[55-79%], respectively. Therefore, genetic influences on diurnal preference are attenuated in middle adulthood. Attenuation is likely driven by the increased importance of work and family responsibilities during this life stage, in comparison with younger and older adulthood when these factors may be less influential in determining sleep-wake timing. These findings have implications for studies

Global games with noisy sharing of information

KAUST Repository

Touri, Behrouz

2014-12-15

We provide a framework for the study of global games with noisy sharing of information. In contrast to the previous works where it is shown that an intuitive threshold policy is an equilibrium for such games, we show that noisy sharing of information leads to non-existence of such an equilibrium. We also investigate the group best-response dynamics of two groups of agents sharing the same information to threshold policies based on each group\\'s observation and show the convergence of such dynamics.

Describing functional requirements for knowledge sharing communities

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, Sandra; Caldwell, Barrett

2002-01-01

Human collaboration in distributed knowledge sharing groups depends on the functionality of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support performance. Since many of these dynamic environments are constrained by time limits, knowledge must be shared efficiently by adapting the level of information detail to the specific situation. This paper focuses on the process of knowledge and context sharing with and without mediation by ICT, as well as issues to be resolved when determining appropriate ICT channels. Both technology-rich and non-technology examples are discussed.

DOE/university reactor sharing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, H.H.

1985-01-01

The objective of the US Department of Energy's program of reactor sharing is to strengthen nuclear science and engineering instruction and nuclear research opportunities in non-reactor-owning colleges and universities. The benefits of the program and need for the continuation of the program in the future are discussed

Shared probe design and existing microarray reanalysis using PICKY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chou Hui-Hsien

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Large genomes contain families of highly similar genes that cannot be individually identified by microarray probes. This limitation is due to thermodynamic restrictions and cannot be resolved by any computational method. Since gene annotations are updated more frequently than microarrays, another common issue facing microarray users is that existing microarrays must be routinely reanalyzed to determine probes that are still useful with respect to the updated annotations. Results PICKY 2.0 can design shared probes for sets of genes that cannot be individually identified using unique probes. PICKY 2.0 uses novel algorithms to track sharable regions among genes and to strictly distinguish them from other highly similar but nontarget regions during thermodynamic comparisons. Therefore, PICKY does not sacrifice the quality of shared probes when choosing them. The latest PICKY 2.1 includes the new capability to reanalyze existing microarray probes against updated gene sets to determine probes that are still valid to use. In addition, more precise nonlinear salt effect estimates and other improvements are added, making PICKY 2.1 more versatile to microarray users. Conclusions Shared probes allow expressed gene family members to be detected; this capability is generally more desirable than not knowing anything about these genes. Shared probes also enable the design of cross-genome microarrays, which facilitate multiple species identification in environmental samples. The new nonlinear salt effect calculation significantly increases the precision of probes at a lower buffer salt concentration, and the probe reanalysis function improves existing microarray result interpretations.

Prevalence, comorbidity and heritability of hoarding symptoms in adolescence: a population based twin study in 15-year olds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volen Z Ivanov

Full Text Available Hoarding Disorder (HD is often assumed to be an 'old age' problem, but many individuals diagnosed with HD retrospectively report first experiencing symptoms in childhood or adolescence. We examined the prevalence, comorbidity and etiology of hoarding symptoms in adolescence.To determine the presence of clinically significant hoarding symptoms, a population-based sample of 15-year old twins (N = 3,974 completed the Hoarding Rating Scale-Self Report. Co-occurring Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD were estimated from parental report. Model-fitting analyses divided hoarding symptom scores into additive genetic, shared, and non-shared environmental effects.The prevalence of clinically significant hoarding symptoms was 2% (95% CI 1.6-2.5%, with a significantly higher prevalence in girls than boys. Exclusion of the clutter criterion (as adolescents do not have control over their environment increased the prevalence rate to 3.7% (95% CI 3.1-4.3%. Excessive acquisition was reported by 30-40% among those with clinically significant hoarding symptoms. The prevalence of co-occurring OCD (2.9%, ASD (2.9% and ADHD (10.0% was comparable in hoarding and non-hoarding teenagers. Model-fitting analyses suggested that, in boys, additive genetic (32%; 95% CI 13-44% and non-shared environmental effects accounted for most of the variance. In contrast, among girls, shared and non-shared environmental effects explained most of the variance, while additive genetic factors played a negligible role.Hoarding symptoms are relatively prevalent in adolescents, particularly in girls, and cause distress and/or impairment. Hoarding was rarely associated with other common neurodevelopmental disorders, supporting its DSM-5 status as an independent diagnosis. The relative importance of genetic and shared environmental factors for hoarding differed across sexes. The findings are suggestive of

Job sharing. Part 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, K; Forbes, R

1989-01-01

This article is the first of a three part series discussing the impact of nurses job sharing at University Hospital, London, Ontario. This first article explores the advantages and disadvantages of job sharing for staff nurses and their supervising nurse manager, as discussed in the literature. The results of a survey conducted on a unit with a large number of job sharing positions, concur with literature findings. The second article will present the evaluation of a pilot project in which two nurses job share a first line managerial position in the Operating Room. The third article will relate the effects of job sharing on women's perceived general well being. Job sharing in all areas, is regarded as a positive experience by both nurse and administrators.

Consumer and producer environmental responsibility. Comparing two approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, Joao; Domingos, Tiago

2008-01-01

Two different indicators of 'environmental responsibility' were independently proposed by Rodrigues et al. [Rodrigues, J., Domingos, T., Giljum, S., Schneider, F., 2006. Designing an indicator of environmental responsibility. Ecological Economics, 59 (3): 256-266.] and Lenzen et al. [Lenzen, M., Murray, J., Sack, F., Wiedmann, T., 2007. Shared producer and consumer responsibility - theory and practice. Ecological Economics, 61: 27-42.]. These indicators are both supposed to reflect the indirect effects of consumer and producer behavior in the generation of environmental pressure. In this paper we compare their mathematical properties and interpretation. We conclude that they have different implications for environmental policy. (author)

Sharing medicine: the candidacy of medicines and other household items for sharing, Dominican Republic.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael N Dohn

Full Text Available People share medicines and problems can result from this behavior. Successful interventions to change sharing behavior will require understanding people's motives and purposes for sharing medicines. Better information about how medicines fit into the gifting and reciprocity system could be useful in designing interventions to modify medicine sharing behavior. However, it is uncertain how people situate medicines among other items that might be shared. This investigation is a descriptive study of how people sort medicines and other shareable items.This study in the Dominican Republic examined how a convenience sample (31 people sorted medicines and rated their shareability in relation to other common household items. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling to produce association maps in which the distances between items offer a visual representation of the collective opinion of the participants regarding the relationships among the items. In addition, from a pile sort constrained by four categories of whether sharing or loaning the item was acceptable (on a scale from not shareable to very shareable, we assessed the degree to which the participants rated the medicines as shareable compared to other items. Participants consistently grouped medicines together in all pile sort activities; yet, medicines were mixed with other items when rated by their candidacy to be shared. Compared to the other items, participants had more variability of opinion as to whether medicines should be shared.People think of medicines as a distinct group, suggesting that interventions might be designed to apply to medicines as a group. People's differing opinions as to whether it was appropriate to share medicines imply a degree of uncertainty or ambiguity that health promotion interventions might exploit to alter attitudes and behaviors. These findings have implications for the design of health promotion interventions to impact medicine sharing behavior.

Rent sharing as a driver of the glass ceiling effect

OpenAIRE

Matano, Alessia; Naticchioni, Paolo

2012-01-01

In this paper we show that rent sharing plays a role in accounting for the glass ceiling effect. We make use of a unique employer-employee panel database for Italy from 1996 to 2003, which allows controlling for observed individual and firm heterogeneity and for collective bargaining. Moreover, by means of IV quantile fixed effects estimates we can cope with unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity. We then go on to discuss the possible related explanations.

Space Environmental Effects Knowledgebase

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, B. E.

2007-01-01

This report describes the results of an NRA funded program entitled Space Environmental Effects Knowledgebase that received funding through a NASA NRA (NRA8-31) and was monitored by personnel in the NASA Space Environmental Effects (SEE) Program. The NASA Project number was 02029. The Satellite Contamination and Materials Outgassing Knowledgebase (SCMOK) was created as a part of the earlier NRA8-20. One of the previous tasks and part of the previously developed Knowledgebase was to accumulate data from facilities using QCMs to measure the outgassing data for satellite materials. The main object of this current program was to increase the number of material outgassing datasets from 250 up to approximately 500. As a part of this effort, a round-robin series of materials outgassing measurements program was also executed that allowed comparison of the results for the same materials tested in 10 different test facilities. Other programs tasks included obtaining datasets or information packages for 1) optical effects of contaminants on optical surfaces, thermal radiators, and sensor systems and 2) space environmental effects data and incorporating these data into the already existing NASA/SEE Knowledgebase.

15 CFR 970.506 - Environmental effects.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Environmental effects. 970.506 Section... Environmental effects. Before issuing or transferring an exploration license, the Administrator must find that... adverse effect on the quality of the environment, taking into account the analyses and information in any...

Boundary Spanners and Intra-MNC Knowledge Sharing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minbaeva, Dana; Santangelo, Grazia D.

2018-01-01

intermediaries between many individuals from within and outside their organizations. They are well connected internally and externally and share knowledge across MNC units to a greater extent than non-boundary spanners. However, their contribution to knowledge sharing should not be taken for granted......Research summary: We examine the conditions under which boundary spanners positively contribute to intra-MNC knowledge sharing. Specifically, we argue that the knowledge-sharing behavior of boundary spanners should not be taken for granted, as it is affected by the individual's motivation to share...... knowledge and is contingent upon the immediate organizational context in which the individual is located. An analysis of data covering 482 individuals located in different business units of a Danish MNC confirms our arguments. Managerial summary: Boundary spanners are employees who act as knowledge...

The Effects of Job Sharing on Student Performance Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Garman, Dorothy

The River Forest (Illinois) District 90 wished to examine the educational literature on the effects of job sharing by teachers on student performance. This document presents a review of the literature and summarizes and synthesizes this information. Only limited information was found on this subject. However, anecdotal reports of the impact of job…

THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING ON INNOVATION CAPABILITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhyah Harjanti

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This research examines social capital and knowledge sharing effect on innovation capability among lectures in universities. Social capital was analyzed using three constructs, namely trust, norm and network, while knowledge sharing was broken down into two variables, namely knowledge collecting and knowledge donating. Innovation capability was explained on an individual level based on personality, behavioral and output perspectives. The research model and hypotheses were developed from the literature. Data collection is conducted through a survey on lecturers of private universities in Surabaya. The obtained data from the questionnaires were analyzed with the Partial Least Square (PLS to investigate the research model. The results suggest that social capital significantly influences innovation capability, while high level of knowledge collecting and knowledge donating can lead to high level of innovation capability. This study offers a foundation to analyze the relationships between social capital, knowledge-sharing process, consisting of knowledge collecting and knowledge donating, and innovation capability

Dynamic modeling and analysis of load sharing characteristics of wind turbine gearbox

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pengxing Yi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A coupled dynamic model, which contains helical gears-shafts-bearings for a wind turbine gearbox transmission system, was built considering nonlinear factors of the time-varying mesh stiffness, the external varying load, and the dynamic transmission error at first. The model is confirmed to be right after comparing the theoretical data with the experimental load sharing values, and also it is found that the static load sharing is conservative to evaluate the non-equilibrium effect of a planetary gear system. Besides, the analyzing results of the influence of average error and amplitude error on the load sharing show that the load sharing could be decreased if the error goes up a little. Then, by means of treating the static tracing point as the dynamic initial values, we analyzed the initial position’s influence on the load sharing of transmission system to provide a theoretical basis of load sharing control. Furthermore, we explored the influence of high-speed shaft position angle on the load sharing and the dynamic load factor of gears fixed on the parallel shafts. The results provide useful theoretical guidelines for the design of parallel shaft gear system in the wind turbines.

Investigation of LWR environmental effect on fatigue lifetime of austenitic stainless steel component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J. S.; Youm, H. K.; Jin, T. E.

1999-01-01

The fatigue lifetime of principal components in nuclear power plant is evaluated by using the design fatigue curves in ASME B and PV code during design process. However, it is inadequate to evaluate fatigue lifetime considering the LWR environmental effect by these design fatigue curves because these are presented only under atmosphere environment. Therefore, many studies are recently performed for the design fatigue curves considering LWR environmental effect and are presented that the design fatigue curves in ASME B and PV code can be non-conservative. In present paper, the limits and differences of the design fatigue curves considering environmental effect are presented. To investigate the change of fatigue lifetime according to each design fatigue curve, the CUFs for the pressurizer spray nozzle partly composed of austenitic stainless steel are calculated according to each one. Finally, if the evaluation result can not be satisfied with fatigue design requirement, the alternatives to reduce design cumulative usage factor are discussed. (author)

The Effect of Financial and Non-Financial Variables to Firm Performance: Comparison Between Indonesia and Thailand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasni Yusrianti

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to test the effect of financial and non-financial variables to firm performances between Indonesia and Thailand. The observation data used in this study is manufacturing companies from several sectors.  Secondary data was used, collected from Indonesia Stock Exchange and Stock Exchange of Thailand during 2011 - 2013. By combining 3 years research, there are 55 Indonesian companies and 50 Thailand companies that meet predetermined criteria.  Multiple Regression was used to analyze. This study uses Return on Equity, Earnings per Share, Market Value Added as financial variables and Earnings Quality, Institutional Ownership, Independent Commissioner, Audit Committee, Corporate Social Responsibility as non-financial variables. Test results show that both financial and non-financial variables can effect to firm performance.

Effects of turning and through lane sharing on traffic performance at intersections

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiang; Sun, Jian-Qiao

2016-02-01

Turning vehicles strongly influence traffic flows at intersections. Effective regulation of turning vehicles is important to achieve better traffic performance. This paper studies the impact of lane sharing and turning signals on traffic performance at intersections by using cellular automata. Both right-turn and left-turn lane sharing are studied. Interactions between vehicles and pedestrians are considered. The transportation efficiency, road safety and energy economy are the traffic performance metrics. Extensive simulations are carried out to study the traffic performance indices. It is observed that shared turning lanes and permissive left-turn signal improve the transportation efficiency and reduce the fuel consumption in most cases, but the safety is usually sacrificed. It is not always beneficial for the through vehicles when they are allowed to be in the turning lanes.

The organization of words and environmental sounds in memory☆

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrickson, Kristi; Walenski, Matthew; Friend, Margaret; Love, Tracy

2015-01-01

In the present study we used event-related potentials to compare the organization of linguistic and meaningful nonlinguistic sounds in memory. We examined N400 amplitudes as adults viewed pictures presented with words or environmental sounds that matched the picture (Match), that shared semantic features with the expected match (Near Violation), and that shared relatively few semantic features with the expected match (Far Violation). Words demonstrated incremental N400 amplitudes based on featural similarity from 300–700 ms, such that both Near and Far Violations exhibited significant N400 effects, however Far Violations exhibited greater N400 effects than Near Violations. For environmental sounds, Far Violations but not Near Violations elicited significant N400 effects, in both early (300–400 ms) and late (500–700 ms) time windows, though a graded pattern similar to that of words was seen in the midlatency time window (400–500 ms). These results indicate that the organization of words and environmental sounds in memory is differentially influenced by featural similarity, with a consistently fine-grained graded structure for words but not sounds. PMID:25624059

Who benefits from environmental policy? An environmental justice analysis of air quality change in Britain, 2001-2011

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Gordon; Norman, Paul; Mullin, Karen

2015-10-01

Air quality in Great Britain has improved in recent years, but not enough to prevent the European Commission (EC) taking legal action for non-compliance with limit values. Air quality is a national public health concern, with disease burden associated with current air quality estimated at 29 000 premature deaths per year due to fine particulates, with a further burden due to NO2. National small-area analyses showed that in 2001 poor air quality was much more prevalent in socio-economically deprived areas. We extend this social distribution of air quality analysis to consider how the distribution changed over the following decade (2001-2011), a period when significant efforts to meet EC air quality directive limits have been made, and air quality has improved. We find air quality improvement is greatest in the least deprived areas, whilst the most deprived areas bear a disproportionate and rising share of declining air quality including non-compliance with air quality standards. We discuss the implications for health inequalities, progress towards environmental justice, and compatibility of social justice and environmental sustainability objectives.

Effects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on non-target invertebrates : Environmental Science and Pollution Research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pisa, L.W.; Amaral-Rogers, V.; Belzunces, L.P.; Bonmatin, J.M.; Downs, C.A.; Goulson, D.; Kreutzweiser, D.P.; Krupke, C.; Liess, M.; McField, M.; Morrissey, C.A.; Noome, D.A.; Settele, J.; Simon-Delso, N.; Stark, J.D.; Van der Sluijs, J.P.; Van Dyck, H.; Wiemers, M.

2015-01-01

We assessed the state of knowledge regarding the effects of large-scale pollution with neonicotinoid insecticides and fipronil on non-target invertebrate species of terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. A large section of the assessment is dedicated to the state of knowledge on sublethal

Meaningful Share Generation for Increased Number of Secrets in Visual Secret-Sharing Scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Ulutas

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new scheme for hiding two halftone secret images into two meaningful shares created from halftone cover images. Meaningful shares are more desirable than noise-like (meaningless shares in Visual Secret Sharing because they look natural and do not attract eavesdroppers' attention. Previous works in the field focus on either increasing number of secrets or creating meaningful shares for one secret image. The method outlined in this paper both increases the number of secrets and creates meaningful shares at the same time. While the contrast ratio of shares is equal to that of Extended Visual Cryptography, two secrets are encoded into two shares as opposed to one secret in the Extended Visual Cryptography. Any two natural-looking images can be used as cover unlike the Halftone Visual Cryptography method where one cover should be the negative of the other cover image and can only encode one secret. Effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by an experiment.

Distortionary effects of a production-sharing fiscal system in a sequential modular offshore petroleum project

Science.gov (United States)

Neves de Campos, Thiago

This research examines the distortionary effects of a discovered and undeveloped sequential modular offshore project under five different designs for a production-sharing agreement (PSA). The model differs from previous research by looking at the effect of taxation from the perspective of a host government, where the objective is to maximize government utility over government revenue generated by the project and the non-pecuniary benefits to society. This research uses Modern Asset Pricing (MAP) theory, which is able to provide a good measure of the asset value accruing to various stakeholders in the project combined with the optimal decision rule for the development of the investment opportunity. Monte Carlo simulation was also applied to incorporate into the model the most important sources of risk associated with the project and to account for non-linearity in the cash flows. For a complete evaluation of how the fiscal system affects the project development, an investor's behavioral model was constructed, incorporating three operational decisions: investment timing, capacity size and early abandonment. The model considers four sources of uncertainty that affect the project value and the firm's optimal decision: the long run oil price and short-run deviations from that price, cost escalation and the reservoir recovery rate. The optimizations outcomes show that all fiscal systems evaluated produce distortion over the companies' optimal decisions, and companies adjust their choices to avoid taxation in different ways according to the fiscal system characteristics. Moreover, it is revealed that fiscal systems with tax provisions that try to capture additional project profits based on production profitability measures leads to stronger distortions in the project investment and output profile. It is also shown that a model based on a fixed percentage rate is the system that creates the least distortion. This is because companies will be subjected to the same

Enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and decisionmaking with J-Earth: an open source data sharing, visualization and GIS analysis platform

Science.gov (United States)

Prashad, L. C.; Christensen, P. R.; Fink, J. H.; Anwar, S.; Dickenshied, S.; Engle, E.; Noss, D.

2010-12-01

Our society currently is facing a number of major environmental challenges, most notably the threat of climate change. A multifaceted, interdisciplinary approach involving physical and social scientists, engineers and decisionmakers is critical to adequately address these complex issues. To best facilitate this interdisciplinary approach, data and models at various scales - from local to global - must be quickly and easily shared between disciplines to effectively understand environmental phenomena and human-environmental interactions. When data are acquired and studied on different scales and within different disciplines, researchers and practitioners may not be able to easily learn from each others results. For example, climate change models are often developed at a global scale, while strategies that address human vulnerability to climate change and mitigation/adaptation strategies are often assessed on a local level. Linkages between urban heat island phenomena and global climate change may be better understood with increased data flow amongst researchers and those making policy decisions. In these cases it would be useful have a single platform to share, visualize, and analyze numerical model and satellite/airborne remote sensing data with social, environmental, and economic data between researchers and practitioners. The Arizona State University 100 Cities Project and Mars Space Flight Facility are developing the open source application J-Earth, with the goal of providing this single platform, that facilitates data sharing, visualization, and analysis between researchers and applied practitioners around environmental and other sustainability challenges. This application is being designed for user communities including physical and social scientists, NASA researchers, non-governmental organizations, and decisionmakers to share and analyze data at multiple scales. We are initially focusing on urban heat island and urban ecology studies, with data and users from

Renewable energy burden sharing. REBUS. Effects of burden sharing and certificate trade on the renewable electricity market in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voogt, M.H.; Uyterlinde, M.A.; De Noord, M.; Skytte, K.; Nielsen, L.H.; Leonardi, M.; Whiteley, M.H.; Chapman, M.

2001-05-01

Creation of an internal market for renewable electricity will involve a political negotiation process, similar to previous European Union (EU) greenhouse gas negotiations. The Energy Ministers in the EU have agreed upon an overall target of 22% of electricity supply from Renewable Energy Sources (RES-E) and a distribution of targets over the individual Member States. The REBUS project provides insights in the effects of implementing targets for renewable electricity generation at EU Member State level and the impact of introducing burden sharing systems within the EU, such as a Tradable Green Certificate (TGC) system. Member States can participate in such burden sharing systems to reduce the costs of achieving RES-E targets. The project concentrated on the development of the REBUS model, which quantifies the impact of trade (in green certificates, quotas or targets), the specification of cost potential curves for renewable electricity options in each of the 15 EU Member States and the implementation of different rules to setting targets at individual Member State level. In addition, utilities and consumer organisations were interviewed on their requirements and expectations for an international burden sharing scheme. 49 refs

Compulsory acquisition of shares buyer, other shareholders, abuse of right of compulsory acquisition of shares

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arsić Zoran V.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Company Act of Republic of Serbia includes mechanism for the compulsory acquisition of the shareholdings of minority shareholders. Technically this procedure is effected on the basis of the shareholders assembly resolution. Buyer is shareholder who has at least 90% of share capital and at least 90% of votes. Shares owned by entity under his dominant influence will be treated as shares of that shareholder provided that dominant influence exists at least one year. Company's own shares, and shares subject o a pledge do not represent shares of other shareholders. There are several actions which may be treated as abuse of right of compulsory acquisition of shares.

An interdisciplinary model for mapping the Normative diffusion of fair and equitable benefit-sharing

OpenAIRE

Parks, Louisa; Morgera, Elisa

2015-01-01

Fair and equitable benefit-sharing is emerging in various areas of international environmental law (biodiversity, oceans, climate change, water, food and agriculture), as well as in international processes on human rights and corporate accountability. Benefit-sharing seeks to fairly and equitably allocate economic as well as socio-cultural and environmental advantages arising from the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, or from their regulation, among different stakeholders...

Environmental Protection Agency, Protecting Children's Environmental Health

Science.gov (United States)

... and Research Centers Contact Us Share Protecting Children's Environmental Health Children are often more vulnerable to pollutants ... during development. Learn more about children's health, the environment, and what you can do. Basic Information Children ...

Sharing Neuron Data: Carrots, Sticks, and Digital Records.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgio A Ascoli

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Routine data sharing is greatly benefiting several scientific disciplines, such as molecular biology, particle physics, and astronomy. Neuroscience data, in contrast, are still rarely shared, greatly limiting the potential for secondary discovery and the acceleration of research progress. Although the attitude toward data sharing is non-uniform across neuroscience subdomains, widespread adoption of data sharing practice will require a cultural shift in the community. Digital reconstructions of axonal and dendritic morphology constitute a particularly "sharable" kind of data. The popularity of the public repository NeuroMorpho.Org demonstrates that data sharing can benefit both users and contributors. Increased data availability is also catalyzing the grassroots development and spontaneous integration of complementary resources, research tools, and community initiatives. Even in this rare successful subfield, however, more data are still unshared than shared. Our experience as developers and curators of NeuroMorpho.Org suggests that greater transparency regarding the expectations and consequences of sharing (or not sharing data, combined with public disclosure of which datasets are shared and which are not, may expedite the transition to community-wide data sharing.

Effects of office space and colour on knowledge sharing and work stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luke Hsiao

2013-12-01

Full Text Available With the aid of empirical research, this study aims to verify the effects of the variables Office Space and Colour on Knowledge Sharing and Work Stress. Taking the domestic technology industry as the research sample, purposive sampling was applied in a questionnaire survey. Three hundred and sixty-eight questionnaires were distributed to a total of 14 technology companies in the Hsinchu and Southern Taiwan Science Parks. After 21 invalid responses had been removed, 347 valid copies were retrieved. Reliability analysis, factor analysis and hierarchical regression were used to analyse the data. The research outcomes show the significant effects of Office Space and Colour on Knowledge Sharing and Work Stress among employees. Based on the outcomes, certain conclusions and suggestions are proposed.

Optimal task partition and state-dependent loading in heterogeneous two-element work sharing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levitin, Gregory; Xing, Liudong; Ben-Haim, Hanoch; Dai, Yuanshun

2016-01-01

Many real-world systems such as multi-channel data communication, multi-path flow transmission and multi-processor computing systems have work sharing attributes where system elements perform different portions of the same task simultaneously. Motivated by these applications, this paper models a heterogeneous work-sharing system with two non-repairable elements. When one element fails, the other element takes over the uncompleted task of the failed element upon finishing its own part; the load level of the remaining operating element can change at the time of the failure, which further affects its performance, failure behavior and operation cost. Considering these dynamics, mission success probability (MSP), expected mission completion time (EMCT) and expected cost of successful mission (ECSM) are first derived. Further, optimization problems are formulated and solved, which find optimal task partition and element load levels maximizing MSP, minimizing EMCT or minimizing ECSM. Effects of element reliability, performance, operation cost on the optimal solutions are also investigated through examples. Results of this work can facilitate a tradeoff analysis of different mission performance indices for heterogeneous work-sharing systems. - Highlights: • A heterogeneous work-sharing system with two non-repairable elements is considered. • The optimal work distribution and element loading problem is formulated and solved. • Effects of element reliability, performance, operation cost on the optimal solutions are investigated.

Linked environmental data. The next step for environmental information systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menger, Matthias; Ackermann, Patrick; Linse, Andreas [Federal Environemnt Agency, Dessau (Germany); Bandholtz, Thomas [innoQ GmbH, Monheim (Germany)

2013-07-01

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) in Germany as one Competent Authority of the European Member States involved with the assessment and authorisation of chemicals, pesticides, biozides and medicals, has a wide expertise of complex information systems. Having timely, comprehensive and reliable information on the environmental relevant properties (e.g. of chemical substances and preparations) is of immense importance for all sections dealing with environmental protection issues. Regarding the reality of available information systems in each environmental section, and moreover in each section itself, there has been developed several specific approaches to gather, store and search its relevant data. This makes sense due to each section has its own requirements, different user groups (industry and authorities or just authorities or scientific partners etc.), different budgets to bring technology 'on the road', and different (legally obligatory) procedures to handle the data and information of such systems. Nevertheless, there several strong reasons to look for a Linked Environmental Data infrastructure - at least internally in one authority itself: - Overcome the mostly separated systems; - Explore the potential of data silos in several environmental sections; - Efficiency/effectiveness in data gathering, assessment, results, budgets..; - sharing of knowledge, i.e. use of specific prepared information of specially intended information systems; - timelyness of data/information; - best data/information from most competent partner/section; - gain from already available systems and their data/information; - speed up developments and availability of data/information. Of course there are also several points which might be a huge obstacle to Linked Environmental Data (LED), e.g. confidential business data. This leads already to the distinction between 'Open LED' and 'Non-Open LED'. Nevertheless, the potential benefits and the possibilities

Environmental Monitoring of Agro-Ecosystem Using Environmental Isotope Tracer Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Byung Yeoup; Kim, Jae Sung; Cho, Jae Young

2004-10-01

This report has provided the counterparts the knowledge and skills on the use of environmental isotope tracer technology for obtaining valuable information on agricultural non-point pollution source in agro-ecosystem. The contamination from agricultural watersheds has been brought into attention as a potential contaminant of streams and tributaries, since majority of them caused water quality degradation, eutrophication of reservoir and negative effect on agro-environment. To prevent the contamination from these watersheds, it is necessary to find out the source of the contamination. However, accurate contaminants outflows from various types of non-point sources have not yet been elucidated due to the fact that the extent of non-point source contaminants related to uncontrollable climatic events and irrigation conditions may differ greatly from place to place and year to year. The dominant use of isotopes in environmental ecosystem research in the last few decades has been to trace sources of waters and solutes. The environmental isotope tracer technology using stable isotopes such as oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur has extensively been used for tracing the fate of environmental pollutants and for identification of environmental pollutants sources in agro-ecosystems

Familial Aggregation of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL. A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loves Sandra SCM

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract A family is reported in which three male siblings of Asian descent developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL. Case 1 was diagnosed with indolent follicular lymphoma stage IIIA at age 45. Case 2 presented with large B-cell lymphoma stage IIB at age 56. Chromosomal investigation of the peripheral blood did not show abnormalities. Chemotherapy induced a complete remission. However, after a period of nearly ten years he developed acute myeloid leukaemia. Case 3 developed large B-cell lymphoma stage IVA at age 52. Cytogenetic analysis in peripheral blood was normal. Shared genetic and environmental risk factors remain to be identified in this family. Familial aggregation of NHL is uncommon. In some families, various forms of immunodeficiency have been found. In addition to coincidental clustering of cases, and rare cases explained by known tumour syndromes such as Li-Fraumeni (like syndrome, other familial cases may share as yet unknown genetic and/or environmental risk factors.

48 CFR 1516.303-76 - Fee on cost-sharing contracts by subcontractors.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Fee on cost-sharing... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES TYPES OF CONTRACTS Cost-Reimbursement Contracts 1516.303-76 Fee on cost-sharing contracts by subcontractors. (a) Subcontractors under prime cost...

Social determinants and lifestyles: integrating environmental and public health perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, H; White, P C L

2016-12-01

Industrialization and urbanization have been associated with an epidemiological transition, from communicable to non-communicable disease, and a geological transition that is moving the planet beyond the stable Holocene epoch in which human societies have prospered. The lifestyles of high-income countries are major drivers of these twin processes. Our objective is to highlight the common causes of chronic disease and environmental change and, thereby, contribute to shared perspectives across public health and the environment. Integrative reviews focused on social determinants and lifestyles as two 'bridging' concepts between the fields of public health and environmental sustainability. We drew on established frameworks to consider the position of the natural environment within social determinants of health (SDH) frameworks and the position of social determinants within environmental frameworks. We drew on evidence on lifestyle factors central to both public health and environmental change (mobility- and diet-related factors). We investigated how public health's focus on individual behaviour can be enriched by environmental perspectives that give attention to household consumption practices. While SDH frameworks can incorporate the biophysical environment, their causal structure positions it as a determinant and one largely separate from the social factors that shape it. Environmental frameworks are more likely to represent the environment and its ecosystems as socially determined. A few frameworks also include human health as an outcome, providing the basis for a combined public health/environmental sustainability framework. Environmental analyses of household impacts broaden public health's concern with individual risk behaviours, pointing to the more damaging lifestyles of high-income households. The conditions for health are being undermined by rapid environmental change. There is scope for frameworks reaching across public health and environmental

Individuality, phenotypic differentiation, dormancy and ‘persistence’ in culturable bacterial systems: commonalities shared by environmental, laboratory, and clinical microbiology [version 2; referees: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas Kell

2015-09-01

Full Text Available For bacteria, replication mainly involves growth by binary fission. However, in a very great many natural environments there are examples of phenotypically dormant, non-growing cells that do not replicate immediately and that are phenotypically ‘nonculturable’ on media that normally admit their growth. They thereby evade detection by conventional culture-based methods. Such dormant cells may also be observed in laboratory cultures and in clinical microbiology. They are usually more tolerant to stresses such as antibiotics, and in clinical microbiology they are typically referred to as ‘persisters’. Bacterial cultures necessarily share a great deal of relatedness, and inclusive fitness theory implies that there are conceptual evolutionary advantages in trading a variation in growth rate against its mean, equivalent to hedging one’s bets. There is much evidence that bacteria exploit this strategy widely. We here bring together data that show the commonality of these phenomena across environmental, laboratory and clinical microbiology. Considerable evidence, using methods similar to those common in environmental microbiology, now suggests that many supposedly non-communicable, chronic and inflammatory diseases are exacerbated (if not indeed largely caused by the presence of dormant or persistent bacteria (the ability of whose components to cause inflammation is well known. This dormancy (and resuscitation therefrom often reflects the extent of the availability of free iron. Together, these phenomena can provide a ready explanation for the continuing inflammation common to such chronic diseases and its correlation with iron dysregulation. This implies that measures designed to assess and to inhibit or remove such organisms (or their access to iron might be of much therapeutic benefit.

The Nordic EIA-effectiveness workshop. A contribution to the international study of effectiveness of environmental assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hilden, M.; Laitinen, R. [eds.

1995-09-01

The Nordic EIA-effectiveness (Environmental Impact Assessment) workshop met in Tuusula, Finland 10-12 april 1994. EIA-experts from all Nordic countries and Canada discussed cases in which environmental impact assessment procedures had been applied with varying success. Nordic cases are included in the proceedings as separate chapters. The problems and successes of diverse cases allowed experts to identify key issues and avenues for future development. The reports of the working groups cover all stages of the EIA-process and provide reference material for future studies. `How can we ensure that EIA, which now has legal backing in all Nordic countries, becomes an efficient way to improve public participation and to avoid deleterious changes in the environment?` is the basic theme. Several recommendations were put forward for building on the results of the workshop, i.e. to: 1) elaborate and consolidate the criteria developed by the working groups and cross reference with the results of other international workshops; 2) review their application of EIA capacity building in countries with transitional economies; 3) test the proposed guidelines of good practice in EIAs in Nordic countries and disseminate the results; establish ecosystem specific approaches for sensitive and distinctive bioregions; and 5) focus on the Arctic as a priority area shared by eight northern countries and covered by a regional environmental strategy. (AB)

Shared cross-modal associations and the emergence of the lexicon

OpenAIRE

Cuskley, Christine F.

2013-01-01

This thesis centres around a sensory theory of protolanguage emergence, or STP. The STP proposes that shared biases to make associations between sensory modalities provided the basis for the emergence of a shared protolinguistic lexicon. Crucially, this lexicon would have been grounded in our perceptual systems, and thus fundamentally non-arbitrary. The foundation of such a lexicon lies in shared cross-modal associations: biases shared among language users to map properties in ...

Low doses and non-targeted effects in environmental radiation protection; where are we now and where should we go?

Science.gov (United States)

Mothersill, Carmel; Rusin, Andrej; Seymour, Colin

2017-11-01

The field of low dose radiobiology has advanced considerably in the last 30 years from small indications in the 1980's that all was not simple, to a paradigm shift which occurred during the 1990's, which severely dented the dose-driven models and DNA centric theories which had dominated until then. However while the science has evolved, the application of that science in environmental health protection has not. A reason for this appears to be the uncertainties regarding the shape of the low dose response curve, which lead regulators to adopt a precautionary approach to radiation protection. Radiation protection models assume a linear relationship between dose (i.e. energy deposition) and effect (in this case probability of an adverse DNA interaction leading to a mutation). This model does not consider non-targeted effects (NTE) such as bystander effects or delayed effects, which occur in progeny cells or offspring not directly receiving energy deposition from the dose. There is huge controversy concerning the role of NTE with some saying they reflect "biology" and that repair and homeostatic mechanisms sort out the apparent damage while others consider them to be a class of damage which increases the size of the target. One thing which has recently become apparent is that NTE may be very critical for modelling long-term effects at the level of the population rather than the individual. The issue is that NTE resulting from an acute high dose such as occurred after the A-bomb or Chernobyl occur in parallel with chronic effects induced by the continuing residual effects due to radiation dose decay. This means that if ambient radiation doses are measured for example 25 years after the Chernobyl accident, they only represent a portion of the dose effect because the contribution of NTE is not included. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A Data Sharing Story

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mercè Crosas

2012-01-01

Full Text Available From the early days of modern science through this century of Big Data, data sharing has enabled some of the greatest advances in science. In the digital age, technology can facilitate more effective and efficient data sharing and preservation practices, and provide incentives for making data easily accessible among researchers. At the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University, we have developed an open-source software to share, cite, preserve, discover and analyze data, named the Dataverse Network. We share here the project’s motivation, its growth and successes, and likely evolution.

Sharing health information online in South Korea: motives, topics, and antecedents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kye, S Y; Shim, M; Kim, Y C; Park, K

2017-10-11

This study aimed to examine the motives, topics and antecedents for sharing health information online among Korean Internet users. Eight hundred adults completed a web-based survey exploring the motives; topics; physical, cognitive, affective and environmental factors; and experiences relating to sharing health information online. The motives for not sharing information included information absence and inappropriateness. The most preferred topic was disease. Good subjective health was significantly associated with frequent information sharing while individuals with a history of disease involving themselves or family members were more likely to share health information than were those without such a history. Further, a higher level of depressed mood was related to a higher level of sharing. Internet-related self-efficacy and trust in information delivery channels were positively related to sharing. Future research could extend the factors related to information sharing to include the evaluation of shared information. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Self-interest and pro-environmental behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Laurel; Maio, Gregory R.; Corner, Adam; Hodgetts, Carl J.; Ahmed, Sameera; Hahn, Ulrike

2013-02-01

Inspired by the principles used to market physical products, campaigns to promote pro-environmental behaviour have increasingly emphasized self-interested (for example, economic) reasons for engaging with a self-transcendent cause (that is, protecting the environment). Yet, psychological evidence about values and behaviour suggests that giving self-interested reasons, rather than self-transcending reasons, to carry out a self-transcending action should be ineffective at increasing self-transcending behaviour more generally. In other words, such a campaign may fail to cause spillover, or an increase in other, different environmental behaviours. Here we show that recycling rates are dependent on the information participants receive about a separate environmental behaviour, car-sharing (carpooling in the USA). In two experiments, we found that recycling was significantly higher than control when participants received environmental information about car-sharing, but was no different from control when they received financial information or (in experiment 2) received both financial and environmental information. Our results suggest that, congruent with value theory, positive spillover from one environmental message to another behaviour (car-sharing to recycling) may occur primarily when self-transcending reasons alone are made salient.

Cardiovascular effects of environmental noise: Research in Austria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Lercher

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiovascular effects of noise rank second in terms of disability-adjusted life year (DALYs after annoyance. Although research during the past decade has consolidated the available data base, the most recent meta-analysis still shows wide confidence intervals - indicating imprecise information for public health risk assessment. The alpine area of Tyrol in the Austrian part of the Alps has experienced a massive increase in car and heavy goods traffic (road and rail during the last 35 years. Over the past 25 years small-, middle-, and large-sized epidemiological health surveys have been conducted - mostly within the framework of environmental health impact assessments. By design, these studies have emphasized a contextually driven environmental stress perspective, where the adverse health effects on account of noise are studied in a broader framework of environmental health, susceptibility, and coping. Furthermore, innovative exposure assessment strategies have been implemented. This article reviews the existing knowledge from these studies over time, and presents the exposure-response curves, with and without interaction assessment, based on standardized re-analyses and discusses it in the light of past and current cardiovascular noise effects research. The findings support relevant moderation by age, gender, and family history in nearly all studies and suggest a strong need for consideration of non-linearity in the exposure-response analyses. On the other hand, air pollution has not played a relevant role as a moderator in the noise-hypertension or the noise-angina pectoris relationship. Finally, different noise modeling procedures can introduce variations in the exposure response curves, with substantive consequences for public health risk assessment of noise exposure.

The comparison of environmental effects on michelson and fabry-perot interferometers utilized for the displacement measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yung-Cheng; Shyu, Lih-Horng; Chang, Chung-Ping

2010-01-01

The optical structure of general commercial interferometers, e.g., the Michelson interferometers, is based on a non-common optical path. Such interferometers suffer from environmental effects because of the different phase changes induced in different optical paths and consequently the measurement precision will be significantly influenced by tiny variations of the environmental conditions. Fabry-Perot interferometers, which feature common optical paths, are insensitive to environmental disturbances. That would be advantageous for precision displacement measurements under ordinary environmental conditions. To verify and analyze this influence, displacement measurements with the two types of interferometers, i.e., a self-fabricated Fabry-Perot interferometer and a commercial Michelson interferometer, have been performed and compared under various environmental disturbance scenarios. Under several test conditions, the self-fabricated Fabry-Perot interferometer was obviously less sensitive to environmental disturbances than a commercial Michelson interferometer. Experimental results have shown that induced errors from environmental disturbances in a Fabry-Perot interferometer are one fifth of those in a Michelson interferometer. This has proved that an interferometer with the common optical path structure will be much more independent of environmental disturbances than those with a non-common optical path structure. It would be beneficial for the solution of interferometers utilized for precision displacement measurements in ordinary measurement environments.

Shared or Integrated: Which Type of Integration is More Effective Improves Students’ Creativity?

Science.gov (United States)

Mariyam, M.; Kaniawati, I.; Sriyati, S.

2017-09-01

Integrated science learning has various types of integration. This study aims to apply shared and integrated type of integration with project based learning (PjBL) model to improve students’ creativity on waste recycling theme. The research method used is a quasi experiment with the matching-only pre test-post test design. The samples of this study are 108 students consisting of 36 students (experiment class 1st), 35 students (experiment class 2nd) and 37 students (control class 3rd) at one of Junior High School in Tanggamus, Lampung. The results show that there is difference of creativity improvement in the class applied by PjBL model with shared type of integration, integrated type of integration and without any integration in waste recycling theme. Class applied by PjBL model with shared type of integration has the higher creativity improvement than the PjBL model with integrated type of integration and without any integration. Integrated science learning using shared type only combines 2 lessons, hence an intact concept is resulted. So, PjBL model with shared type of integration more effective improves students’ creativity than integrated type.

Effects of Caps on Cost Sharing for Skilled Nursing Facility Services in Medicare Advantage Plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Keohane, Laura M; Rahman, Momotazur; Thomas, Kali S; Trivedi, Amal N

2018-03-12

To evaluate a federal regulation effective in 2011 that limited how much that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans could charge for the first 20 days of care in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Difference-in-differences retrospective analysis comparing SNF utilization trends from 2008-2012. Select MA plans. Members of 27 plans with mandatory cost sharing reductions (n=132,000) and members of 21 plans without such reductions (n=138,846). Mean monthly number of SNF admissions and days per 1,000 members; annual proportion of MA enrollees exiting the plan. In plans with mandated cost sharing reductions, cost sharing for the first 20 days of SNF care decreased from an average of $2,039 in 2010 to $992 in 2011. In adjusted analyses, plans with mandated cost-sharing reductions averaged 158.1 SNF days (95% confidence interval (CI)=153.2-163.1 days) per 1,000 members per month before the cost sharing cap. This measure increased by 14.3 days (95% CI=3.8-24.8 days, p=0.009) in the 2 years after cap implementation. However, increases in SNF utilization did not significantly differ between plans with and without mandated cost-sharing reductions (adjusted between-group difference: 7.1 days per 1,000 members, 95% CI=-6.5-20.8, p=.30). Disenrollment patterns did not change after the cap took effect. When a federal regulation designed to protect MA members from high out-of-pocket costs for postacute care took effect, the use of SNF services did not change. © 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.

Environmental Implementation Plan - EIP introduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, G.L.

1993-01-01

Due to the commitment and participation of more than 100 professionals from site environmental coordinators, customer improvements and total quality are being incorporated into the Environmental Implementation Plan (EIP). The EIP is now a living document that communicates an overview of site environmental programs and the facility plans that are designed to protect the environment and meet changing regulatory requirements. Continuous improvement of environmental programs is enhanced through planned quarterly self-assessments during the open-quotes Reflectionsclose quotes process. Through the sharing of noteworthy practices, lessons learned, and ideas for improvement, the EIP provides a framework for environmental professionals to promote cost effective solutions and program improvements through teamwork and communication. These efforts were initiated by the Central Environmental Committee Executive Committee (CECEC) and developed and coordinated by the EIP subcommittee. The EIP revision process is the baseline for a continuous improvement cycle. Although the EIP is a Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) document, the environmental-planning process involves and will benefit all site contractors. Together, we are committed to a open-quotes Partnership in Environmental Excellence.close quotes

Creation and Sharing of Environmental Knowledge across Communities and Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergård, Bent; Hansen, Ole Erik; Holm, Jesper

2004-01-01

Environmental communication is analysed with reference an understanding of knowledge as situated enacted practice. Exchange of environmental knowledge is conceptualised as processes of creating and transfer/translation of knowledge in and between communities of practices and as conditioned...

Non-volant mammals recorded in environmental evaluation studies in southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge J. Cherem

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Studies to evaluate environmental impacts have become both a need and a requirement of environmental agencies due to great alteration of the native environments provoked by man. Many of these studies are short-termed, but reporting the acquired data is very important in order to increase knowledge about specific biotic groups. Thus, this paper presents the results of the non-volant mammal surveys arising from seven environmental studies in southern Brazil. The following methodologies were employed: (1 interviews with local residents; (2 visual observations and recording; (3 identification of vestiges; and (4 capture with live traps. A total of 46 mammal species were recorded (5 marsupials, 4 xenarthrans, 2 primates, 13 carnivores, 2 artiodactylans, 2 lagomorphs and 18 rodents. Some species, such as the jaguar (Panthera onca, giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis, Brazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris and white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari, are possibly extinct or seriously threatened. The records obtained and the possibilities of the occurrence of other species are discussed.

Nevada Test Site annual site environmental report for calendar year 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, S.C.; Townsend, Y.E.

1999-01-01

Prior to 1989, annual reports of environmental monitoring and assessment results for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were prepared in two separate parts. Onsite effluent monitoring and environmental monitoring results were reported in an onsite report prepared by the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). Results of the Offsite Radiological Surveillance and Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring Programs conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Laboratory (various names) in Las Vegas, Nevada, were reported separately by that Agency. Beginning with the 1989 Annual Site Environmental Report for the NTS, these two documents were combined into a single report to provide a more comprehensive annual documentation of the environmental protection activities conducted for the nuclear testing program and other nuclear and non-nuclear operations at the NTS. The two agencies have coordinated preparation of this tenth combined onsite and offsite report through sharing of information on environmental surveillance and releases as well as meteorological, hydrological, and other supporting data used in dose-estimation calculations

BBSRC Data Sharing Policy

OpenAIRE

Amanda Collis; David McAllister; Michael Ball

2011-01-01

BBSRC recognizes the importance of contributing to the growing international efforts in data sharing. BBSRC is committed to getting the best value for the funds we invest and believes that making research data more readily available will reinforce open scientific inquiry and stimulate new investigations and analyses. BBSRC supports the view that data sharing should be led by the scientific community and driven by scientific need. It should also be cost effective and the data shared should be ...

Science: the shared language of development

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2011-01-01

This year’s conference on “Sharing Knowledge across the Mediterranean” is being held in Malta from 5 to 8 May. It is the sixth in a series of conferences whose aim is to promote dialogue among countries in the Mediterranean region through the language of science, organised by the “Sharing Knowledge Foundation”. CERN is one of the Foundation’s partners, and today John Ellis, one of CERN’s non-Member State advisors, announced CERN's readiness to donate several hundred computers to various Moroccan universities to encourage their participation in high-energy physics and Grid computing   CERN scientists, including John Ellis and Patrick Fassnacht, participate in the 6th Sharing Knowledge across the Mediterranean conference in Malta, on Friday 6 May. This gesture of support to the North African region was announced during the sixth "Sharing Knowledge across the Mediterranean" conference. Embracing many of CERN's gu...

Environmental policy in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsuru, Shigeto; Weidner, H. (eds.)

1989-01-01

This book deals in English with the most important features of Japanese environmental policy in a number of individual articles by different authors. The various sections report on: 1. History and organization of environmental policy; 2. The role of non-governmental actors in environmental policy (large industries); 3. Special features of environmental policies and problems; 4. Classical pollution control areas: Regulations and effects; 5. Environmental problems in a broader perspective (nature conservation); 6. Policy areas with influence on environmental quality; 7. Environmental monitoring and reporting; 8. Japanese environmental policy in an international perspective (preventive policies, developing countries). (HSCH).

Environmental Monitoring Techniques and Equipment related to the installation and operation of Marine Energy Conversion Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scanu, Sergio; Carli, Filippo Maria; Piermattei, Viviana; Bonamano, Simone; Paladini de Mendoza, Francesco; Marcelli, Marco; Peviani, Maximo Aurelio; Dampney, Keith; Norris, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Results of activities under project Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network for Emerging Energy Technologies (MaRINET) are reported, which led to DEMTE, a database, created on the basis of standardized monitoring of the marine environment during installation, operation and decommissioning of Marine Energy Conversion Systems. Obtained with the consortium partners’ available techniques and equipment, the database shows that such instruments cover all identified marine environmental compartments, despite the lack of underwater vehicles and the reduced skills in using satellite technologies. These weaknesses could be overcome by an accurate planning of equipment, techniques and knowledge sharing. The approach here presented also leads to an effective analysis even in non-marine contexts

Distributed Shared Memory for the Cell Broadband Engine (DSMCBE)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Morten Nørgaard; Skovhede, Kenneth; Vinter, Brian

2009-01-01

in and out of non-coherent local storage blocks for each special processor element. In this paper we present a software library, namely the Distributed Shared Memory for the Cell Broadband Engine (DSMCBE). By using techniques known from distributed shared memory DSMCBE allows programmers to program the CELL...

View of environmental radiation effects from the study of radiation biology in C. elegans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakashita, Tetsuya

2011-01-01

Caenorhabditis (C.) elegans is a non-parasitic soil nematode and is well-known as a unique model organism, because of its complete cell-lineage, nervous network and genome sequences. Also, C. elegans can be easily manipulated in the laboratory. These advantages make C. elegans as a good in vivo model system in the field of radiation biology. Radiation effects in C. elegans have been studied for three decades. Here, I briefly review the current knowledge of the biological effects of ionizing irradiation in C. elegans with a scope of environmental radiation effects. Firstly, basic information of C. elegans as a model organism is described. Secondly, historical view is reported on the study of radiation biology in C. elegans. Thirdly, our research on learning behavior is presented. Finally, an opinion of the use of C. elegans for environmental radiation protection is referred. I believe that C. elegans may be a good promising in vivo model system in the field of environmental radiation biology. (author)

Human and animal sentinels for shared health risks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Rabinowitz, MD, MPH

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The tracking of sentinel health events in humans in order to detect and manage disease risks facing a larger population is a well accepted technique applied to influenza, occupational conditions and emerging infectious diseases. Similarly, animal health professionals routinely track disease events in sentinel animal colonies and sentinel herds. The use of animals as sentinels for human health threats, or of humans as sentinels for animal disease risk, dates back at least to the era when coal miners brought caged canaries into mines to provide early warning of toxic gases. Yet the full potential of linking animal and human health information to provide warning of such ‘shared risks’ from environmental hazards has not been realised. Reasons appear to include the professional segregation of human and animal health communities, the separation of human and animal surveillance data and evidence gaps in the linkages between human and animal responses to environmental health hazards. The ‘One Health initiative’ and growing international collaboration in response to pandemic threats, coupled with development in the fields of informatics and genomics, hold promise for improved sentinel event coordination in order to detect and reduce environmental health threats shared between species.

To share and be shared

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther, Ida Wentzel

2018-01-01

to another. To a certain degree, they share their everyday lives, things, places, memories, and past/future, but as the ones who move back and forth, they belong a little less in each place. This article is about children who are shared between their parent, households and siblings. They are shared...

Environmental Effects Of Ecotourism In Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina Butarbutar

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The ecotourism is global issues who most talked lately in Indonesia, it is one of the activities special tourist interest which low impacts on natural tourism.The presence of ecotourism in the era of sustainable and tourism development mission should be minimum negative impacts, both on the environment resources and on socio-cultural local values.  Ecotourism activities were more oriented on the utilization of natural resources, the natural ecosystems and have not been polluted yet.  However, when all of tourism development can not be separated from the negative impacts, such as ecosystem distress in ecotourism object when visited by large number of tourists, there are many conflicts of interest between the ecotourism management with local communities, especially regarding the benefits sharing and its accessibilities.  The purpose of this paper is to identify the environmental impacts arising as a result of ecotourism activities and to find out alternative efforts in mitigating the environmental impact of ecotourism activities. Carrying capacity of ecotourism is not just limited to the number of visits, but also covers other aspects, such as: (1 ecological capacity that is ability of natural environment in providing the needs of tourists, (2 physical capacity, that is ability of facilities and infrastructure in providing the needs of tourists,  (3 social capacity, that is ability to absorb tourism activities without the negative impacts on the local communities, (4 the economic capacity, that is ability to absorb destination commercial efforts and accommodateany interests of the local economy. Keywords: Ecotourism, environmental impacts, carrying capacity.

The multipurpose water use of hydropower reservoir: the SHARE concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Branche, E.

2017-01-01

Multipurpose hydropower reservoirs are designed and/or operated to provide services beyond electricity generation, such as water supply, flood and drought management, irrigation, navigation, fisheries, environmental services and recreational activities, etc. While these objectives (renewable and power services, water quantity management, ecosystem services, economic growth and local livelihoods) can conflict at times, they are also often complementary. Although there are no universal solutions, there are principles that can be shared and adapted to local contexts. Indeed the development and/or operation of such multipurpose hydropower reservoirs to reach sustainable water management should rely on the following principles: shared vision, shared resource, shared responsibilities, shared rights and risks, shared costs and benefits. These principles and acknowledgement of joint sharing among all the stakeholders are essential to successful development and management of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs, and should frame all phases from early stage to operation. The SHARE concept also gives guidance. Based on 12 worldwide case studies of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs, the SHARE concept was developed and proposed as a solution to address this issue. A special focus will be presented on the Durance-Verdon Rivers in France. (author)

Environmental implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, G.L.

1994-01-01

In this document, the Savannah River site environmental programs and plans from DOE contractors and Westinghouse Savannah River Company divisions/departments are presented along with the environmental coordinator for each program. The objectives are to enhase communication of existing or planned programs to do the following: identify activities required for meeting environmental needs; identify needing resources and a schedule to accomplish those activities; promote share-savings and consistency in those activities

Share Contract Choices and Economic Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salazar Espinoza, César Antonio

2015-01-01

framework, we estimate a dose-response function to study the formation of contracts and identify the marginal effects of changes in crew profit shares on fishing returns in Chilean artisanal fisheries. The results support share contract choices based on bargaining power, monitoring costs, technology, state...... of fishing resources, and outside options. We find significant effects of increasing crew profit shares on vessel owner returns in the interval (0.25, 0.65). The results vary across fisheries, however. While the effects are not significant in the fish group, they are larger and robust for molluscs...

Learning by doing and sharing: Participatory environmental appraisal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

During research process several participatory techniques such as resource mapping, semi-structured interview, brain storming, action identification diagram and potential matrix were used to gather and analyse the data. Results showed that most important problems could be classified into two categories of environmental ...

Environmental assessment in The Netherlands: Effectively governing environmental protection? A discourse analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Runhaar, Hens, E-mail: h.a.c.runhaar@uu.nl [Utrecht University, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, P.O. Box 80,115, 3508 TC Utrecht (Netherlands); Laerhoven, Frank van, E-mail: vanLaerhoven@uu.nl [Utrecht University, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, P.O. Box 80,115, 3508 TC Utrecht (Netherlands); Driessen, Peter, E-mail: p.driessen@uu.nl [Utrecht University, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, P.O. Box 80,115, 3508 TC Utrecht (Netherlands); Arts, Jos, E-mail: e.j.m.m.arts@rug.nl [University of Groningen, Faculty of Planning, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands)

2013-02-15

Environmental assessment (EA) aims to enhance environmental awareness and to ensure that environmental values are fully considered in decision-making. In the EA arena, different discourses exist on what EA should aim for and how it functions. We hypothesise that these discourses influence its application in practice as well as its effectiveness in terms of achieving the above goals. For instance, actors who consider EA as a hindrance to fast implementation of their projects will probably apply it as a mandatory checklist, whereas actors who believe that EA can help to develop more environmentally sound decisions will use EIA as a tool to design their initiatives. In this paper we explore discourses on EA in The Netherlands and elaborate on their implications for EA effectiveness. Based on an innovative research design comprising an online survey with 443 respondents and 20 supplementary semi-structured interviews we conclude that the dominant discourse is that EA is mainly a legal requirement; EAs are conducted because they have to be conducted, not because actors choose to do so. EA effectiveness however seems reasonably high, as a majority of respondents perceive that it enhances environmental awareness and contributes to environmental protection. However, the 'legal requirement' discourse also results in decision-makers seldom going beyond what is prescribed by EA and environmental law. Despite its mandatory character, the predominant attitude towards EA is quite positive. For most respondents, EA is instrumental in providing transparency of decision-making and in minimising the legal risks of not complying with environmental laws. Differences in discourses seldom reflect extreme opposites. The 'common ground' regarding EA provides a good basis for working with EA in terms of meeting legal requirements but at the same time does not stimulate creativity in decision-making or optimisation of environmental values. In countries characterised by

Environmental assessment in The Netherlands: Effectively governing environmental protection? A discourse analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Runhaar, Hens; Laerhoven, Frank van; Driessen, Peter; Arts, Jos

2013-01-01

Environmental assessment (EA) aims to enhance environmental awareness and to ensure that environmental values are fully considered in decision-making. In the EA arena, different discourses exist on what EA should aim for and how it functions. We hypothesise that these discourses influence its application in practice as well as its effectiveness in terms of achieving the above goals. For instance, actors who consider EA as a hindrance to fast implementation of their projects will probably apply it as a mandatory checklist, whereas actors who believe that EA can help to develop more environmentally sound decisions will use EIA as a tool to design their initiatives. In this paper we explore discourses on EA in The Netherlands and elaborate on their implications for EA effectiveness. Based on an innovative research design comprising an online survey with 443 respondents and 20 supplementary semi-structured interviews we conclude that the dominant discourse is that EA is mainly a legal requirement; EAs are conducted because they have to be conducted, not because actors choose to do so. EA effectiveness however seems reasonably high, as a majority of respondents perceive that it enhances environmental awareness and contributes to environmental protection. However, the ‘legal requirement’ discourse also results in decision-makers seldom going beyond what is prescribed by EA and environmental law. Despite its mandatory character, the predominant attitude towards EA is quite positive. For most respondents, EA is instrumental in providing transparency of decision-making and in minimising the legal risks of not complying with environmental laws. Differences in discourses seldom reflect extreme opposites. The ‘common ground’ regarding EA provides a good basis for working with EA in terms of meeting legal requirements but at the same time does not stimulate creativity in decision-making or optimisation of environmental values. In countries characterised by less

BUILDING TRIBAL CAPABILITIES IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unknown

2000-03-01

The following activities were completed by the end of the quarter: (1) The CERT Executive Director invited a cross section of CERT member Tribes to participate in the project. By the end of the quarter, three Tribes had the invitation under active consideration, four Tribes expressed interest but wanted to see the detailed workplan prior to making a final decision and one Tribe, the Navajo Nation has accepted the invitation. (2) The CERT Board of Directors Executive Committee has endorsed two significant environmental policy priorities for consideration in the project. First, how does the federal Indian trust responsibility to land and natural resources as well as for the health, safety and political integrity of Indian Tribes affect the federal responsibility for facility cleanup and other statutory mandates under federal environmental statutes? And second, What are the protocols of government-to-government relations within a federal system of shared sovereignty and shared governmental responsibilities? And the corollaries to that question, What is the federal obligation for consultation with Tribes and how is that different and similar to consultation with states? And, What is the federal obligation to work cooperatively with Tribes and states in recognition of the three sovereigns of the American federal system? (3) The CERT consulted with political leaders and environmental staff of member and non-member Tribes. This consultation centered on three environmental policy priorities: issues concerning the intergovernmental interface between states, Tribes and federal government agencies and programs; Issues with the cleanup of federal facilities and activities that have damaged Tribal environmental resources; and issues concerning the DOE cleanup of federal facilities used in the production of nuclear weapons.

Environmental and economic evaluation of selective non-catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Parchevskii, V. M.; Shchederkina, T. E.; Proshina, A. O.

2017-11-01

There are two groups of atmosphere protecting measures: technology (primary) and treatment (secondary). When burning high-calorie low-volatile brands of coals in the furnaces with liquid slag removal to achieve emission standards required joint use of these two methods, for example, staged combustion and selective non-catalytic reduction recovery (SNCR). For the economically intelligent combination of these two methods it is necessary to have information not only about the environmental performance of each method, but also the operating costs per unit of reduced emission. The authors of this report are made an environmental-economic analysis of SNCR on boiler Π-50P Kashirskaya power station. The obtained results about the dependence of costs from the load of the boiler and the mass emissions of nitrogen oxides then approximates into empirical formulas, is named as environmental and economic characteristics, which is suitable for downloading into controllers and other control devices for subsequent implementation of optimal control of emissions to ensure compliance with environmental regulations at the lowest cost at any load of the boiler.

Takeover Deterrent Effect of On-market Share Buyback in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Hai Trieu Doan

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This study examines whether Australian firms use on-market share buybacks to deter unwanted takeover risk. We found a statistically significant and positive relationship between a firm’s ex-ante takeover probability and its on-market share buyback activities. Our result is robust to alternative modelling techniques, namelyTOBIT and Censored Quantile Regressions. This paper found evidence that in a dividend imputation credit taxation system the yield of share buyback is positively related to dividend payments. However, on-market share buyback activity is closely related to temporary cash flows rather than to permanent operating cash flows. This might indicate that, besides dividend payments, Australian firms take advantage of the financial flexibility that comes with share buybacks to redistribute nonpermanent cash flows to their shareholders.

A Twin Study of Heritable and Shared Environmental Contributions to Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Frazier, Thomas W.; Thompson, Lee; Youngstrom, Eric A.; Law, Paul; Hardan, Antonio Y.; Eng, Charis; Morris, Nathan

2014-01-01

The present study examined genetic and shared environment contributions to quantitatively-measured autism symptoms and categorically-defined autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Participants included 568 twins from the Interactive Autism Network. Autism symptoms were obtained using the Social Communication Questionnaire and Social Responsiveness…

Rearing Environmental Influences on Religiousness: An Investigation of Adolescent Adoptees.

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, Laura B; McGue, Matt; Iacono, William G

2009-10-01

Religiousness is widely considered to be a culturally transmitted trait. However, twin studies suggest that religiousness is genetically influenced in adulthood, although largely environmentally influenced in childhood/adolescence. We examined genetic and environmental influences on a self-report measure of religiousness in a sample consisting of 284 adoptive families (two adopted adolescent siblings and their rearing parents); 208 biological families (two full biological adolescent siblings and their parents); and 124 mixed families (one adopted and one biological adolescent sibling and their parents). A sibling-family model was fit to the data to estimate genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental effects on religiousness, as well as cultural transmission and assortative mating effects. Religiousness showed little evidence of heritability and large environmental effects, which did not vary significantly by gender. This finding is consistent with the results of twin studies of religiousness in adolescent and preadolescent samples.

Sensitivity to Peer Evaluation and Its Genetic and Environmental Determinants: Findings from a Population-Based Twin Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Klippel, Annelie; Reininghaus, Ulrich; Viechtbauer, Wolfgang; Decoster, Jeroen; Delespaul, Philippe; Derom, Cathérine; de Hert, Marc; Jacobs, Nele; Menne-Lothmann, Claudia; Rutten, Bart; Thiery, Evert; van Os, Jim; van Winkel, Ruud; Myin-Germeys, Inez; Wichers, Marieke

2018-02-23

Adolescents and young adults are highly focused on peer evaluation, but little is known about sources of their differential sensitivity. We examined to what extent sensitivity to peer evaluation is influenced by interacting environmental and genetic factors. A sample of 354 healthy adolescent twin pairs (n = 708) took part in a structured, laboratory task in which they were exposed to peer evaluation. The proportion of the variance in sensitivity to peer evaluation due to genetic and environmental factors was estimated, as was the association with specific a priori environmental risk factors. Differences in sensitivity to peer evaluation between adolescents were explained mainly by non-shared environmental influences. The results on shared environmental influences were not conclusive. No impact of latent genetic factors or gene-environment interactions was found. Adolescents with lower self-rated positions on the social ladder or who reported to have been bullied more severely showed significantly stronger responses to peer evaluation. Not genes, but subjective social status and past experience of being bullied seem to impact sensitivity to peer evaluation. This suggests that altered response to peer evaluation is the outcome of cumulative sensitization to social interactions.

Multichannel Singular Spectrum Analysis in the Estimates of Common Environmental Effects Affecting GPS Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Gruszczynska, Marta; Rosat, Severine; Klos, Anna; Gruszczynski, Maciej; Bogusz, Janusz

2018-03-01

We described a spatio-temporal analysis of environmental loading models: atmospheric, continental hydrology, and non-tidal ocean changes, based on multichannel singular spectrum analysis (MSSA). We extracted the common annual signal for 16 different sections related to climate zones: equatorial, arid, warm, snow, polar and continents. We used the loading models estimated for a set of 229 ITRF2014 (International Terrestrial Reference Frame) International GNSS Service (IGS) stations and discussed the amount of variance explained by individual modes, proving that the common annual signal accounts for 16, 24 and 68% of the total variance of non-tidal ocean, atmospheric and hydrological loading models, respectively. Having removed the common environmental MSSA seasonal curve from the corresponding GPS position time series, we found that the residual station-specific annual curve modelled with the least-squares estimation has the amplitude of maximum 2 mm. This means that the environmental loading models underestimate the seasonalities observed by the GPS system. The remaining signal present in the seasonal frequency band arises from the systematic errors which are not of common environmental or geophysical origin. Using common mode error (CME) estimates, we showed that the direct removal of environmental loading models from the GPS series causes an artificial loss in the CME power spectra between 10 and 80 cycles per year. When environmental effect is removed from GPS series with MSSA curves, no influence on the character of spectra of CME estimates was noticed.

Governing Individual Knowledge Sharing Behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minbaeva, Dana; Pedersen, Torben

2010-01-01

The emerging Knowledge Governance Approach asserts the need to build microfoundations grounded in individual action. Toward this goal, using the Theory of Planned Behavior, we aim to explain individual knowledge sharing behavior as being determined by the intention to share knowledge and its...... antecedents: attitude toward knowledge sharing, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. In addition, we consider managerial interventions (governance mechanisms) that managers can employ to influence the identified antecedents and thereby govern individual knowledge sharing behavior. We test...... a positive effect on subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, respectively....

Multi-generational effects of propranolol on Daphnia magna at different environmental concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Tae-Yong; Kim, Hyun Young; Kim, Sang Don

2015-01-01

To evaluate the effects of propranolol on Daphnia magna (D. magna), we employed a multi-generational exposure period for eight generations and an environmentally relevant low concentration with 1.5 ng/L, 0.2 μg/L and 26 μg/L to reflect a realistic exposure scenario. Physiological endpoints were checked, including growth, number of neonates, heart rate, frequency of abdominal appendage movement and malformation rate of neonates. In the results, growth and abdominal appendage movement were affected by environmental concentration during several generations, and the responses showed consistent tendencies of response increase with concentration increase. Heart rate was the only endpoint affected throughout all exposure generations. Inhibitory and acceleratory effects on heart rate, growth and abdominal appendage movement suggest that it is necessary to cover sub-lethal endpoints of non-targeted organisms in eco-toxicity study because the physiological responses were detected at much lower concentrations than the results of traditional toxicity tests, including environmental concentration. - Highlights: • Multi-generational exposure was conducted to evaluate the effect of propranolol on Daphnia magna. • Heart rate was the only endpoint affected throughout all exposure generations. • Growth and abdominal appendage movement were affected at environmental concentrations. • Time series fluctuations in responses appeared with no tendencies throughout all generations. • It is necessary to cover sub-organismal endpoints and long-term exposure in ecotoxicity test. - Heart rate, growth and abdominal appendage movement of D. magna were affected by the multigenerational exposure of propranolol at environmental levels.

Techniques for cost-effective electric information sharing; Cost balance wo koryoshita denshi joho kyoyuka gijutsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinohara, Y. [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-04-01

The key technology that can effectively support the sharing of each information such as documents, data, and know-how was rearranged to clarify how to utilize it for constructing an electronic information sharing system. The key technology that supports the sharing of electronic information was rearranged from the viewpoint of information gathering, information rearrangement, and information utilization. The reduction in cost for information gathering and rearrangement is indispensable to the promotion of much information sharing. However, each automation method presently causes the deterioration in quality of the rearranged information and the increase in cost for information utilization. To realize a practical electronic information sharing system, it is important to combine the key technologies properly so that the total cost balance of information gathering and information utilization is improved. Therefore, the combination of character recognition by OCR and unpreciseness retrieval, and the complementary combination of automatic document sorting, based on multiple incomplete rearrangement systems, and multiple sorting menus were proposed. 23 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Space Sharing Between Formal and Informal Sectors In Kemang Area

Science.gov (United States)

Sihombing, Antony; Dewanti, Hafizka Chandra

2018-01-01

Sharing is a form of human activity as a social being, over resources or spaces. Humans generally define their space according to their psychological and biological needs. However, what if space sharing takes place in an urban scope? The phenomenon of space sharing happens in Kemang area done by two distinct sectors, formal and informal which both are engaged in commercial activities independently. In the study of territory and the behavior settings, the quality of environment can affect the formation of human activities in a space, occurs a phenomenon of space sharing. The researcher will discuss and present a form of the space sharing by the formal and informal sectors in a commercial area through different environmental qualities. In some circumstance, a form of space sharing can increase the value of space and obtain to a shared space, where both sectors mutually take benefits. Otherwise, it leads to an adverse impact in some others. It is clear that differences in the physical environment and social environment have an impact on the formation of space sharing and the value of space in an urban region.

Emission taxes versus other environmental policies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoel, Michael

1997-06-01

In most countries, various forms of quotas and direct regulation play a more important role in environmental policy than environmental taxes. This report discusses four arguments often given against emission taxes. Three of the arguments, which are related to information asymmetries and non-convexities, are valid arguments in the sense that they point at complications which make the use of environmental taxes less straightforward than what elementary textbooks would suggest. The fourth argument is related to the employment effects of different types of environmental policies in economies with unemployment. This is perhaps the argument most often used by politicians against environmental taxes. The analysis did not justify this type of argument. On the contrary: In the model used, employment is higher with environmental taxes than with non revenue-raising environmental policies. 18 refs., 6 figs.

Estimation of the Impacts of Non-Oil Traditional and NonTraditional Export Sectors on Non-Oil Export of Azerbaijan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicat Hagverdiyev

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The significant share of oil sector of the Azerbaijan export portfolio necessitates promotion of non-oil exports. This study analyzes weather the commodities which contain the main share (more than 70% in non-oil export are traditional or non-traditional areas, using the so-called Commodity-specific cumulative export experience function, for the 1995-2015 time frame. Then, the impact of traditional and non-traditional exports on non-oil GDP investigated employing econometric model. The results of the study based on 16 non-oil commodities show that cotton, tobacco, and production of mechanic devices are traditional sectors in non-oil export. The estimation results of the model indicate that both, traditional and non-traditional non-oil export sectors have economically and statistically significant impact on non-oil GDP.

Essays on Environmental Policy in Energy Markets

Science.gov (United States)

Boomhower, Judson Paul

related to groundwater contamination, also improved sharply. These results suggest that incomplete internalization of environmental and safety costs due to bankruptcy protection is an important determinant of industry structure and safety effort in hazardous industries, with significant welfare consequences. The second chapter focuses on the importance of a regulator's inability to distinguish between households responding to a subsidy, and households doing what they would also have done in the absence of policy. Economists have long argued that many recipients of energy-efficiency subsidies may be "non-additional,'' getting paid to do what they would have done anyway. Demonstrating this empirically has been difficult, however, because of endogeneity concerns and other challenges. In this paper we use a regression discontinuity analysis to examine participation in a large-scale residential energy-efficiency program. Comparing behavior just on either side of several eligibility thresholds, we find that program participation increases with larger subsidy amounts, but that most households would have participated even with much lower subsidy amounts. The large fraction of inframarginal participants means that the larger subsidy amounts are almost certainly not cost-effective. Moreover, the results imply that about half of all participants would have adopted the energy-efficient technology even with no subsidy whatsoever. Finally, the third chapter addresses consequences of renewable energy subsidies in other markets. Electricity generated from logging residues provides a large and growing share of US renewable electricity generation. Much of the low-value wood used by biomass power plants might otherwise be left in the field. This increased harvest can negatively affect forest health. I investigate the supply of woody biomass fuel in Maine using a 15-year panel of prices and quantities for whole tree wood chips. I find that doubling the price of woody biomass increases

Achieving visibility? Use of non-verbal communication in interactions between patients and pharmacists who do not share a common language.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevenson, Fiona

2014-06-01

Despite the seemingly insatiable interest in healthcare professional-patient communication, less attention has been paid to the use of non-verbal communication in medical consultations. This article considers pharmacists' and patients' use of non-verbal communication to interact directly in consultations in which they do not share a common language. In total, 12 video-recorded, interpreted pharmacy consultations concerned with a newly prescribed medication or a change in medication were analysed in detail. The analysis focused on instances of direct communication initiated by either the patient or the pharmacist, despite the presence of a multilingual pharmacy assistant acting as an interpreter. Direct communication was shown to occur through (i) the demonstration of a medical device, (ii) the indication of relevant body parts and (iii) the use of limited English. These connections worked to make patients and pharmacists visible to each other and thus to maintain a sense of mutual involvement in consultations within which patients and pharmacists could enact professionally and socially appropriate roles. In a multicultural society this work is important in understanding the dynamics involved in consultations in situations in which language is not shared and thus in considering the development of future research and policy. © 2014 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for SHIL (SHIL).

Functional connectivity change as shared signal dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Michael W.; Yang, Genevieve J.; Murray, John D.; Repovš, Grega; Anticevic, Alan

2015-01-01

Background An increasing number of neuroscientific studies gain insights by focusing on differences in functional connectivity – between groups, individuals, temporal windows, or task conditions. We found using simulations that additional insights into such differences can be gained by forgoing variance normalization, a procedure used by most functional connectivity measures. Simulations indicated that these functional connectivity measures are sensitive to increases in independent fluctuations (unshared signal) in time series, consistently reducing functional connectivity estimates (e.g., correlations) even though such changes are unrelated to corresponding fluctuations (shared signal) between those time series. This is inconsistent with the common notion of functional connectivity as the amount of inter-region interaction. New Method Simulations revealed that a version of correlation without variance normalization – covariance – was able to isolate differences in shared signal, increasing interpretability of observed functional connectivity change. Simulations also revealed cases problematic for non-normalized methods, leading to a “covariance conjunction” method combining the benefits of both normalized and non-normalized approaches. Results We found that covariance and covariance conjunction methods can detect functional connectivity changes across a variety of tasks and rest in both clinical and non-clinical functional MRI datasets. Comparison with Existing Method(s) We verified using a variety of tasks and rest in both clinical and non-clinical functional MRI datasets that it matters in practice whether correlation, covariance, or covariance conjunction methods are used. Conclusions These results demonstrate the practical and theoretical utility of isolating changes in shared signal, improving the ability to interpret observed functional connectivity change. PMID:26642966

Pervasive sharing of genetic effects in autoimmune disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Cotsapas

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Genome-wide association (GWA studies have identified numerous, replicable, genetic associations between common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and risk of common autoimmune and inflammatory (immune-mediated diseases, some of which are shared between two diseases. Along with epidemiological and clinical evidence, this suggests that some genetic risk factors may be shared across diseases-as is the case with alleles in the Major Histocompatibility Locus. In this work we evaluate the extent of this sharing for 107 immune disease-risk SNPs in seven diseases: celiac disease, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and type 1 diabetes. We have developed a novel statistic for Cross Phenotype Meta-Analysis (CPMA which detects association of a SNP to multiple, but not necessarily all, phenotypes. With it, we find evidence that 47/107 (44% immune-mediated disease risk SNPs are associated to multiple-but not all-immune-mediated diseases (SNP-wise P(CPMA<0.01. We also show that distinct groups of interacting proteins are encoded near SNPs which predispose to the same subsets of diseases; we propose these as the mechanistic basis of shared disease risk. We are thus able to leverage genetic data across diseases to construct biological hypotheses about the underlying mechanism of pathogenesis.

Measurement of use value and non-use value of environmental quality consistent with general equilibrium approach

OpenAIRE

Naoki Sakamoto; Kazunori Nakajima

2014-01-01

This paper proposes the consistent method with general equilibrium models to measure use value and non-use value of large-scale change in environmental quality. First, we develop a general equilibrium model that parameters of the utility function with environmental quality as a dependent variable can be estimated on the basis of the travel cost method and the contingent variation method. Second, we examine to identify the general equilibrium impact of environmental quality by a comparative st...

Environmental data 1995; Umweltdaten Deutschland 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

The brochure contains concise data on pollution sources and pollutant effects on the environment (land use, airborne pollutants, liquid effluents, waste, noise, etc.), data on environment quality (air pollution levels, water quality, diversity of species, etc.), and data on the social effects of environmental pollution (environmental protection expenditures, market shares of low-polluting passenger cars and unleaded fuel, biological sewage treatment systems, etc.). All these data are suitable indicators for describing the current environmental situation. (orig./KW) [Deutsch] Die Broschuero umfasst in komprimierter Weise - Daten zu den Verursachern von Umweltbelastungen und zu den Einwirkungen auf die Umwelt (Bodennutzung, Luftemissionen, Abwasser, Abfaelle, Laerm etc.), - Daten zur Qualitaet der Umwelt (Immissionen, Gewaesserguete, Artenvielfalt etc.) sowie - Daten zur gesellschaftlichen Reaktion auf die Umweltbelastung (Ausgaben fuer den Umweltschutz, Anteil schadstoffarmer Pkw und bleifreien Benzins, Anschluss der Bevoelkerung an biologische Klaeranlagen etc.), die als Indikatoren zur Beschreibung der Umweltsituation geeignet erscheinen. (orig./KW)

POWER-GEN '90 conference papers: Volume 3 (Environmental trends and issues) and Volume 4 (Case histories - Non-utility power generation)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

This is book 2 of a collection of papers presented at the Third International Power Generation Industries Conference on December 4-6, 1990. The book contains Volume 3, Environmental Trends and Issues, and Volume 4, Case Histories - Non-utility Power Generation. The topics of the papers include environmental legislative and regulatory trends, acid rain compliance strategies and technologies, other global environmental concerns, gas fired systems, solid and waste fuels, despatching and wheeling, and strategies for purchasing non-utility power

Parental alcohol dependence and the transmission of adolescent behavioral disinhibition: a study of adoptive and non-adoptive families.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Serena M; Keyes, Margaret; Malone, Stephen M; Elkins, Irene; Legrand, Lisa N; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

2009-04-01

To examine the genetic and environmental influences of parental alcoholism on offspring disinhibited behavior. We compared the effect of parental alcoholism history on offspring in adoptive and non-adoptive families. In families with a history of parental alcohol dependence, we examined the effect of exposure to parental alcoholism symptoms during the life-time of the adolescent. Setting Assessments occurred at the University of Minnesota from 1998 to 2004. Adolescents adopted in infancy were ascertained systematically from records of three private Minnesota adoption agencies; non-adopted adolescents were ascertained from Minnesota birth records. Adolescents and their rearing parents participated in in-person assessments. For adolescents, measures included self- reports of delinquency, deviant peers, substance use, antisocial attitudes and personality. For parents, we conducted DSM-IV clinical assessments of alcohol abuse and dependence. A history of parental alcohol dependence was associated with higher levels of disinhibition only when adolescents were related biologically to their rearing parents. Within families with a history of parental alcoholism, exposure to parental alcohol misuse during the life-time of the adolescent was associated with increased odds of using alcohol in adopted adolescents only. These findings suggest that the association between a history of parental alcohol dependence and adolescent offspring behavioral disinhibition is attributable largely to genetic rather than environmental transmission. We also obtained some evidence for parental alcohol misuse as a shared environmental risk factor in adoptive families.

Current sharing effect on the current instability and allowable temperature rise of composite high-TC superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romanovskii, V.R.; Watanabe, K.; Awaji, S.; Nishijima, G.; Takahashi, Ken-ichiro

2004-01-01

To understand the basic mechanisms of the thermal runaway phenomenon, the limiting margin of the current instability, which may spontaneously occur in composite high-T C superconductors like multifilament Bi-based wire or tape, is derived under DC magnetic field. The current sharing and allowable temperature rise effects were considered. A static zero-dimensional model was utilized to describe the basic formulae dealing with the peculiarities of the non-isothermal change of superconducting composite voltage-current characteristic. The boundary of allowable stable values of the temperature, electric field and current are derived analytically. It was shown that permissible values of the current and electric field might be higher than those determined by use of the standard critical current criterion. In consequence of this feature, the noticeable allowable temperature rise of the composite superconductor before its transition to the normal state may be seen. The criterion for complete thermal stability condition is written describing the state when temperature of the composite equals critical temperature of a superconductor and the transport current flows stably only in matrix. The performed analysis also proves the existence of value of the volume fraction of a superconductor in composite at which its current-carrying capacity has minimum. These peculiarities are due to the stable current redistribution between superconductor and stabilizing matrix. Therefore, the current sharing not only leads to the matrix/superconductor ratio effect on the stable operating characteristics of the composite high-T C superconductors but also becomes important in the adequate description of quench process in the high-T C superconducting magnets

Comparativism and the Grounds for Person-Centered Care and Shared Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Herlitz, Anders

2017-01-01

This article provides a new argument and a new value-theoretical ground for person-centered care and shared decision making that ascribes to it the role of enabling rational choice in situations involving clinical choice. Rather than referring to good health outcomes and/or ethical grounds such as patient autonomy, it argues that a plausible justification and ground for person-centered care and shared decision making is preservation of rationality in the face of comparative non-determinacy in clinical settings. Often, no alternative treatment will be better than or equal to every other alternative. In the face of such comparative non-determinacy, Ruth Chang has argued that we can make rational decisions by invoking reasons that are created through acts of willing. This article transfers this view to clinical decision making and argues that shared decision making provides a solution to non-determinacy problems in clinical settings. This view of the role of shared decision making provides a new understanding of its nature, and it also allows us to better understand when caregivers should engage in shared decision making and when they should not. Copyright 2017 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.

Environmental measurements and technology for non-proliferation objectives. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broadway, J.A.

1998-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify multi-disciplinary and single focus laboratories from the environmental and public health communities that can serve as technical center of opportunity for nuclear, inorganic and organic analyses. The objectives of the Office of Research and Development effort are twofold: (1) to identify the technology shortcomings and technologies gaps (thus requirements) within these communities that could benefit from state-of-the-art infield analysis technologies currently under development and (2) to promote scientist-to-scientist dialog and technical exchange under such existing US government internship programs (eg SABIT/USDOC) to improve skills and work relationships. Although the data analysis will focus on environmentally sensitive signatures and materials, the office of Research and Development wishes to further its nuclear non-proliferation objectives by assessing the current technical skill and ingenious analytical tools in less-developed countries so as to broaden the base of capability for multi-species measurement technology development

Gender differences and social ties effects in resource sharing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

d'Exelle, Ben; Riedl, Arno

2016-01-01

In rural areas in developing countries gender inequality tends to be severe which might have substantial welfare implications if it determines how scarce economic resources are shared between men and women. Therefore, it is important to know how gender influences resource sharing and - given the

Non-Equilibrium Plasma Applications for Water Purification Supporting Human Spaceflight and Terrestrial Point-of-Use

Science.gov (United States)

Blankson, Isaiah M.; Foster, John E.; Adamovsky, Grigory

2016-01-01

2016 NASA Glenn Technology Day Panel Presentation on May 24, 2016. The panel description is: Environmental Impact: NASA Glenn Water Capabilities Both global water scarcity and water treatment concerns are two of the most predominant environmental issues of our time. Glenn researchers share insights on a snow sensing technique, hyper spectral imaging of Lake Erie algal blooms, and a discussion on non-equilibrium plasma applications for water purification supporting human spaceflight and terrestrial point-of-use. The panel moderator will be Bryan Stubbs, Executive Director of the Cleveland Water Alliance.

Market Share, R&D Cooperation, and EU Competition Policy

OpenAIRE

Richard Rubble; Bruno Versaevel

2009-01-01

Working Paper GATE 2009-10; Current EU policy exempts horizontal R&D agreements from antitrust con- cerns when the combined market shares of participants are low enough. This paper argues that existing theory does not support limiting the exemption to low market shares. This is done by introducing a set of non-innovating outside firms to the standard framework to assess what link might exist between the market share of innovating firms and the product market benefits of cooperation. With R&D out...

Long-term consequences of non-intentional flows of substances: Modelling non-intentional flows of lead in the Dutch economic system and evaluating their environmental consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elshkaki, Ayman; Voet, Ester van der; Holderbeke, Mirja van; Timmermans, Veerle

2009-01-01

Substances may enter the economy and the environment through both intentional and non-intentional flows. These non-intentional flows, including the occurrence of substances as pollutants in mixed primary resources (metal ores, phosphate ores and fossil fuels) and their presence in re-used waste streams from intentional use may have environmental and economic consequences in terms of pollution and resource availability. On the one hand, these non-intentional flows may cause pollution problems. On the other hand, these flows have the potential to be a secondary source of substances. This article aims to quantify and model the non-intentional flows of lead, to evaluate their long-term environmental consequences, and compare these consequences to those of the intentional flows of lead. To meet this goal, the model combines all the sources of non-intentional flows of lead within one model, which also includes the intentional flows. Application of the model shows that the non-intentional flows of lead related to waste streams associated with intentional use are decreasing over time, due to the increased attention given to waste management. However, as contaminants in mixed primary resources application, lead flows are increasing as demand for these applications is increasing.

How can continuing professional development better promote shared decision-making? Perspectives from an international collaboration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Labrecque Michel

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Shared decision-making is not widely implemented in healthcare. We aimed to set a research agenda about promoting shared decision-making through continuing professional development. Methods Thirty-six participants met for two days. Results Participants suggested ways to improve an environmental scan that had inventoried 53 shared decision-making training programs from 14 countries. Their proposed research agenda included reaching an international consensus on shared decision-making competencies and creating a framework for accrediting continuing professional development initiatives in shared decision-making. Conclusions Variability in shared decision-making training programs showcases the need for quality assurance frameworks.

Current Understanding of Lifestyle and Environmental Factors and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: An Epidemiological Update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassig, B. A.; Zhang, Y.; Zheng, T.; Lan, Q.; Rothman, N.

2012-01-01

The incidence rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have steadily increased over the last several decades in the United States, and the temporal trends in incidence can only be partially explained by the HIV epidemic. In 1992, an international workshop sponsored by the United States National Cancer Institute concluded that there was an “emerging epidemic” of NHL and emphasized the need to investigate the factors responsible for the increasing incidence of this disease. Over the past two decades, numerous epidemiological studies have examined the risk factors for NHL, particularly for putative environmental and lifestyle risk factors, and international consortia have been established in order to investigate rare exposures and NHL subtype-specific associations. While few consistent risk factors for NHL aside from immunosuppression and certain infectious agents have emerged, suggestive associations with several lifestyle and environmental factors have been reported in epidemiologic studies. Further, increasing evidence has suggested that the effects of these and other exposures may be limited to or stronger for particular NHL subtypes. This paper examines the progress that has been made over the last twenty years in elucidating the etiology of NHL, with a primary emphasis on lifestyle factors and environmental exposures.

Fostering the development of effective person-centered healthcare communication skills: an interprofessional shared learning model.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanaugh, James T; Konrad, Shelley Cohen

2012-01-01

To describe the implementation of an interprofessional shared learning model designed to promote the development of person-centered healthcare communication skills. Master of social work (MSW) and doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree students. The model used evidence-based principles of effective healthcare communication and shared learning methods; it was aligned with student learning outcomes contained in MSW and DPT curricula. Students engaged in 3 learning sessions over 2 days. Sessions involved interactive reflective learning, simulated role-modeling with peer assessment, and context-specific practice of communication skills. The perspective of patients/clients was included in each learning activity. Activities were evaluated through narrative feedback. Students valued opportunities to learn directly from each other and from healthcare consumers. Important insights and directions for future interprofessional learning experiences were gleaned from model implementation. The interprofessional shared learning model shows promise as an effective method for developing person-centered communication skills.

The impact of the distance-dependent promotional effect on the promotion cost sharing decision

Science.gov (United States)

Sheen, Gwo-Ji; Wang, Shih-Yen; Yeh, Yingchieh

2016-02-01

This paper considers the promotion cost sharing decision between a supplier and a retailer. The customer demand is affected by both national and local promotional effects while the local promotional effect on a customer is dependent on the distance between the retailer and this customer. We propose a continuous approximation approach to modelling the sum of the customer demand in the whole market area served by the retailer. A model is provided to help managers decide on the retail price, the local advertising expenditure, the national advertising expenditure, and the supplier participation rate, with consideration of the influence of distance on the promotional effect. We also find that the supplier's promotion cost sharing rate increases as the market size increases or the influence of distance on the promotional effect decreases. A numerical example is given to show that the nature of distance-dependent promotional effect has a significant impact on the decisions and profits.

Share capitalism and worker wellbeing.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryson, Alex; Clark, Andrew E; Freeman, Richard B; Green, Colin P

2016-10-01

We show that worker wellbeing is determined not only by the amount of compensation workers receive but also by how compensation is determined. While previous theoretical and empirical work has often been preoccupied with individual performance-related pay, we find that the receipt of a range of group-performance schemes (profit shares, group bonuses and share ownership) is associated with higher job satisfaction. This holds conditional on wage levels, so that pay methods are associated with greater job satisfaction in addition to that coming from higher wages. We use a variety of methods to control for unobserved individual and job-specific characteristics. We suggest that half of the share-capitalism effect is accounted for by employees reciprocating for the "gift"; we also show that share capitalism helps dampen the negative wellbeing effects of what we typically think of as "bad" aspects of job quality.

Understanding shared services (Article 1 of 3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. N. Van der Linde

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Shared services is a viable business model that can be used by organisations to reduce costs and enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the organisation. The purpose of this trilogy of articles is to introduce shared services as a business model, and how to efficiently and effectively manage a shared services business unit. The purpose of the first article in the trilogy, introduces shared services as a business model, defines what shared services is, the transformation required to successfully implement a shared services business model, as well as the benefits that can be derived from implementing a shared services business model. Methodology: A comprehensive literature study was conducted in order to: - Define and describe shared services as a business model, - Compare shared services with centralisation and de-centralisation, - Determine and describe the transformation required to successfully implement shared services. Findings: In the article, a framework is generated to help organisations understand the business concept of shared services. This work has further potential: when applied correctly, there are both tangible and intangible benefits that can be accrued above cost savings. Implications: The findings of this article are important for organisations that are in the process of implementing or have implemented shared services, as it will assist the organisation in determining if shared services is the correct business model for them to implement. Value: This article provides an understanding of shared services and the business environment required to successfully implement a shared services business model. Value created by a shared services business model is further enhanced once the organisation has embarked on the successful implementation of a shared services business model, which is the primary objective of the second article, Implementation and continuous evolution in shared services.

Impact of Cost-Sharing Increases on Continuity of Specialty Drug Use: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Pengxiang; Hu, Tianyan; Yu, Xinyan; Chahin, Salim; Dahodwala, Nabila; Blum, Marissa; Pettit, Amy R; Doshi, Jalpa A

2017-07-24

To examine the impact of cost-sharing increases on continuity of specialty drug use in Medicare beneficiaries with multiple sclerosis (MS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Five percent Medicare claims data (2007-2010). Quasi-experimental study examining changes in specialty drug use among a group of Medicare Part D beneficiaries without low-income subsidies (non-LIS) as they transitioned from a 5 percent cost-sharing preperiod to a ≥25 percent cost-sharing postperiod, as compared to changes among a disease-matched contemporaneous control group of patients eligible for full low-income subsidies (LIS), who faced minor cost sharing (≤$6.30 copayment) in both the pre- and postperiods. Key variables were extracted from Medicare data. Relative to the LIS group, the non-LIS group had a greater increase in incidence of 30-day continuous gaps in any Part D treatment from the lower cost-sharing period to the higher cost-sharing period (MS, absolute increase = 10.1 percent, OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.19-2.17; RA, absolute increase = 21.9 percent, OR = 2.75, 95% CI 2.15-3.51). The increase in Part D treatment gaps was not offset by increased Part B specialty drug use. Cost-sharing increases due to specialty tier-level cost sharing were associated with interruptions in MS and RA specialty drug treatments. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

One Share-One Vote

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Thomas; Eklund, Johan E.

Shares with more voting rights than cash flow rights provide their owners with a disproportional influence that is often found to destroy the value of outside equity. This is taken as evidence of discretionary use of power. However, concentration of power does not necessarily result from control...... enhancing mechanisms; it could also be that some shareholders retain a large block in a one share-one vote structure. In this paper, we develop a methodology to disentangle disproportionality, which allows us to test the effect of deviations from one share-one vote more precisely. Our empirical findings add...

Temperament and character in the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS: comparison to the general population, and genetic structure analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Garcia

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS is an on-going, large population-based longitudinal twin study. We aimed (1 to investigate the reliability of two different versions (125-items and 238-items of Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI used in the CATSS and the validity of extracting the short version from the long version, (2 to compare these personality dimensions between twins and adolescents from the general population, and (3 to investigate the genetic structure of Cloninger's model. METHOD: Reliability and correlation analyses were conducted for both TCI versions, 2,714 CATSS-twins were compared to 631 adolescents from the general population, and the genetic structure was investigated through univariate genetic analyses, using a model-fitting approach with structural equation-modeling techniques based on same-sex twin pairs from the CATSS (423 monozygotic and 408 dizygotic pairs. RESULTS: The TCI scores from the short and long versions showed comparable reliability coefficients and were strongly correlated. Twins scored about half a standard deviation higher in the character scales. Three of the four temperament dimensions (Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, and Persistence had strong genetic and non-shared environmental effects, while Reward Dependence and the three character dimensions had moderate genetic effects, and both shared and non-shared environmental effects. CONCLUSIONS: Twins showed higher scores in character dimensions compared to adolescents from the general population. At least among adolescents there is a shared environmental influence for all of the character dimensions, but only for one of the temperament dimensions (i.e., Reward Dependence. This specific finding regarding the existence of shared environmental factors behind the character dimensions in adolescence, together with earlier findings showing a small shared environmental effects on character among young adults and no

Non-carbon benefits for effective implementation of REDD+

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EJIRO

Environmental System of Accounting has a system to measure ... natural patches (Burel et al., 2013). Biodiversity ... of safeguards prioritization” from pure carbon to non- carbon ...... important intervention of climate-smart agriculture. Leaving ...

Social networks and environmental outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Michele L; Lynham, John; Kalberg, Kolter; Leung, PingSun

2016-06-07

Social networks can profoundly affect human behavior, which is the primary force driving environmental change. However, empirical evidence linking microlevel social interactions to large-scale environmental outcomes has remained scarce. Here, we leverage comprehensive data on information-sharing networks among large-scale commercial tuna fishers to examine how social networks relate to shark bycatch, a global environmental issue. We demonstrate that the tendency for fishers to primarily share information within their ethnic group creates segregated networks that are strongly correlated with shark bycatch. However, some fishers share information across ethnic lines, and examinations of their bycatch rates show that network contacts are more strongly related to fishing behaviors than ethnicity. Our findings indicate that social networks are tied to actions that can directly impact marine ecosystems, and that biases toward within-group ties may impede the diffusion of sustainable behaviors. Importantly, our analysis suggests that enhanced communication channels across segregated fisher groups could have prevented the incidental catch of over 46,000 sharks between 2008 and 2012 in a single commercial fishery.

2014 annual site environmental report, Southwestern Power Administration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2014-12-31

Southwestern Power Administration’s Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) serves as the chief reporting mechanism for site environmental performance information within the Department of Energy and as a valuable resource for shared and collaborative environmental protection and performance information to Agency stakeholders and members of the public living near Southwestern Power Administration’s (Southwestern) facilities and transmission line rights-of-ways. This ASER meets the requirements of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.B. Southwestern’s key environmental involvement includes an emphasis on the protection of ecological resources which is effectively accomplished through environmental program elements such as protecting water resources, generation of clean hydropower energy, oil spill prevention practices, elimination of green-house gas emissions, and comprehensive project reviews to ensure the protection of living organisms, migratory birds, Federally threatened or endangered species, and historic or cultural resources. Southwestern continues to actively minimize effects to natural resources and strive for continual improvement in the area of environmental compliance and sustainability while achieving the agency mission to market and deliver Federal hydroelectric power.

Final Environmental Assessment for Shared Use Paths (SUP), Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

social effects...Use Path (SUP)Environmental AssesmentEglin Air Force Base, Florida "/ "/ "/ "/ "/ "/ "/ "/ "/ "/ "/ Eighth StEglin Blvd Memoria l Dr Griffin Way...StEglin Blvd Memoria l Dr Griffin Way Nomad Way Eglin B lvd FL HW Y 8 5 Chinquapin Dr Perimeter Rd VALPARISO Park Tunn el Taxiw ay PT A rea Com miss

Nevada Test Site Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year - 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Townsend, Y.E.; Grossman, R.F.

2000-01-01

Prior to 1989, annual reports of environmental monitoring and assessment results for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were prepared in two separate parts. Onsite effluent monitoring and environmental monitoring results were reported in an onsite report prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). Results of the Offsite Radiological Surveillance and Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring programs conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Laboratory (various names) in Las Vegas, Nevada, were reported separately by that Agency. Beginning with the 1989 Annual Site Environmental Report for the NTS, these two documents were combined into a single report to provide a more comprehensive annual documentation of the environmental protection activities conducted for the nuclear testing program and other nuclear and non-nuclear operations at the NTS. The two agencies have coordinated preparation of this eleventh combined onsite and offsite report through sharing of information on environmental surveillance and releases as well as meteorological, hydrological, and other supporting data used in dose-estimation calculations

Nevada Test Site Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year - 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Townsend, Y.E.; Grossman, R.F.

2000-10-01

Prior to 1989, annual reports of environmental monitoring and assessment results for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were prepared in two separate parts. Onsite effluent monitoring and environmental monitoring results were reported in an onsite report prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). Results of the Offsite Radiological Surveillance and Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring programs conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Laboratory (various names) in Las Vegas, Nevada, were reported separately by that Agency. Beginning with the 1989 Annual Site Environmental Report for the NTS, these two documents were combined into a single report to provide a more comprehensive annual documentation of the environmental protection activities conducted for the nuclear testing program and other nuclear and non-nuclear operations at the NTS. The two agencies have coordinated preparation of this eleventh combined onsite and offsite report through sharing of information on environmental surveillance and releases as well as meteorological, hydrological, and other supporting data used in dose-estimation calculations.

Nevada Test Site annual site environmental report for calendar year 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Black, S.C.; Townsend, Y.E.

1999-10-01

Prior to 1989, annual reports of environmental monitoring and assessment results for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were prepared in two separate parts. Onsite effluent monitoring and environmental monitoring results were reported in an onsite report prepared by the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). Results of the Offsite Radiological Surveillance and Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring Programs conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Laboratory (various names) in Las Vegas, Nevada, were reported separately by that Agency. Beginning with the 1989 Annual Site Environmental Report for the NTS, these two documents were combined into a single report to provide a more comprehensive annual documentation of the environmental protection activities conducted for the nuclear testing program and other nuclear and non-nuclear operations at the NTS. The two agencies have coordinated preparation of this tenth combined onsite and offsite report through sharing of information on environmental surveillance and releases as well as meteorological, hydrological, and other supporting data used in dose-estimation calculations.

Transcriptional similarity in couples reveals the impact of shared environment and lifestyle on gene regulation through modified cytosines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Tang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Gene expression is a complex and quantitative trait that is influenced by both genetic and non-genetic regulators including environmental factors. Evaluating the contribution of environment to gene expression regulation and identifying which genes are more likely to be influenced by environmental factors are important for understanding human complex traits. We hypothesize that by living together as couples, there can be commonly co-regulated genes that may reflect the shared living environment (e.g., diet, indoor air pollutants, behavioral lifestyle. The lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs derived from unrelated couples of African ancestry (YRI, Yoruba people from Ibadan, Nigeria from the International HapMap Project provided a unique model for us to characterize gene expression pattern in couples by comparing gene expression levels between husbands and wives. Strikingly, 778 genes were found to show much smaller variances in couples than random pairs of individuals at a false discovery rate (FDR of 5%. Since genetic variation between unrelated family members in a general population is expected to be the same assuming a random-mating society, non-genetic factors (e.g., epigenetic systems are more likely to be the mediators for the observed transcriptional similarity in couples. We thus evaluated the contribution of modified cytosines to those genes showing transcriptional similarity in couples as well as the relationships these CpG sites with other gene regulatory elements, such as transcription factor binding sites (TFBS. Our findings suggested that transcriptional similarity in couples likely reflected shared common environment partially mediated through cytosine modifications.

The effectiveness of experiential environmental education: O'Neill Sea Odyssey program case study

Science.gov (United States)

Hanneman, Lauren E.

Environmental education programs aim to develop participant awareness, sensitivity, and understanding of their affective relationship to the natural environment through conceptual knowledge and personal experiences. Previous findings have suggested that participation in environmental education programs leads to short-term positive increases in environmental knowledge, pro-environmental attitudes, and intentions to act in environmentally responsible behaviors; however, few studies have included long-term, follow-up assessment. This research provided an analysis of the effectiveness of the O'Neill Sea Odyssey (OSO) education program in fostering a long-term awareness of personal responsibility about ocean pollution among student participants. A survey administered to 261 students from the greater San Francisco Bay Area in California was used to explore 7th through 10 th grade students' conceptions about the connection between ocean pollution and stewardship behaviors. The study revealed that 75% of 86 former OSO participants retained a high level of awareness of the connection between non-point source pollution and personal behaviors two to five years after the program, regardless of differences in sex, language, grade level, and community setting. These results indicate that OSO participants retained a long-term conceptual awareness about environmental stewardship behaviors taught during the OSO program.

Comparative environmental impacts of glyphosate and conventional herbicides when used with glyphosate-tolerant and non-tolerant crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamy, Laure; Gabrielle, Benoit; Barriuso, Enrique

2010-01-01

The introduction of glyphosate-tolerant (GT) crops is expected to mitigate the environmental contamination by herbicides because glyphosate is less persistent and toxic than the herbicides used on non-GT crops. Here, we compared the environmental balances of herbicide applications for both crop types in three French field trials. The dynamic of herbicides and their metabolites in soil, groundwater and air was simulated with PRZM model and compared to field measurements. The associated impacts were aggregated with toxicity potentials calculated with the fate and exposure model USES for several environmental endpoints. The impacts of GT systems were lower than those of non-GT systems, but the accumulation in soils of one glyphosate metabolite (aminomethylphosphonic acid) questions the sustainability of GT systems. The magnitude of the impacts depends on the rates and frequency of glyphosate application being highest for GT maize monoculture and lowest for combination of GT oilseed rape and non-GT sugarbeet crops. - The impacts of herbicide applications on glyphosate-tolerant crops could be higher than expected due to the accumulation of a metabolite of glyphosate in soils.

Comparative environmental impacts of glyphosate and conventional herbicides when used with glyphosate-tolerant and non-tolerant crops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mamy, Laure, E-mail: laure.mamy@versailles.inra.f [INRA-AgroParisTech, UMR 1091 Environnement et Grandes Cultures, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon (France); Gabrielle, Benoit, E-mail: benoit.gabrielle@agroparistech.f [INRA-AgroParisTech, UMR 1091 Environnement et Grandes Cultures, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon (France); Barriuso, Enrique, E-mail: barriuso@grignon.inra.f [INRA-AgroParisTech, UMR 1091 Environnement et Grandes Cultures, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon (France)

2010-10-15

The introduction of glyphosate-tolerant (GT) crops is expected to mitigate the environmental contamination by herbicides because glyphosate is less persistent and toxic than the herbicides used on non-GT crops. Here, we compared the environmental balances of herbicide applications for both crop types in three French field trials. The dynamic of herbicides and their metabolites in soil, groundwater and air was simulated with PRZM model and compared to field measurements. The associated impacts were aggregated with toxicity potentials calculated with the fate and exposure model USES for several environmental endpoints. The impacts of GT systems were lower than those of non-GT systems, but the accumulation in soils of one glyphosate metabolite (aminomethylphosphonic acid) questions the sustainability of GT systems. The magnitude of the impacts depends on the rates and frequency of glyphosate application being highest for GT maize monoculture and lowest for combination of GT oilseed rape and non-GT sugarbeet crops. - The impacts of herbicide applications on glyphosate-tolerant crops could be higher than expected due to the accumulation of a metabolite of glyphosate in soils.

SharePoint 2010 as a Development Platform

CERN Document Server

Krause, J; Eder, Julius; Kuhne, Simone; Krause, Joerg; Langhirt, Christian; Lerch, Kay; Pehlke, Bernd; Sterff, Alexander

2010-01-01

SharePoint is gaining recognition as a full-fledged application server with many features and enhancements that specifically allow non-developers to create sophisticated intranet sites. However, with the 2010 release, Microsoft's SharePoint increasingly becomes a compelling development platform. The strong application programming interface (API), its highly extensible nature, and its foundation on the underlying .NET Framework all generate "the perfect storm" to make it one of the most powerful web development platforms available. However, with power comes complexity. The wide range of us

Estimating the non-environmental consequences of greenhouse gas reductions is harder than you think

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeCanio, S.J.

1999-01-01

Top-down and bottom-up models of the non-environmental consequences of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions embody different implicit theories of economic organizations. Yet neither approach is explicit in showing the detailed computations that must be traced if the activities of firms are to be described realistically. Specifications of firms' computational processes leads inevitably to a consideration of potential computational limits on the behaviour of organizations. It is known that solutions of some standard economic problems are not effectively computable, and that the solutions to others are computationally intractable. These fundamental computational limits have strong implications for the theory of the firm, and recognizing their existence and importance suggests new policy approaches for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (author)

Randomized controlled trial of a book-sharing intervention in a deprived South African community: effects on carer-infant interactions, and their relation to infant cognitive and socioemotional outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Lynne; De Pascalis, Leonardo; Tomlinson, Mark; Vally, Zahir; Dadomo, Harold; MacLachlan, Brenda; Woodward, Charlotte; Cooper, Peter J

2016-12-01

Consistent with evidence from high-income countries (HICs), we previously showed that, in an informal peri-urban settlement in a low-middle income country, training parents in book sharing with their infants benefitted infant language and attention (Vally, Murray, Tomlinson, & Cooper, ). Here, we investigated whether these benefits were explained by improvements in carer-infant interactions in both book-sharing and non-book-sharing contexts. We also explored whether infant socioemotional development benefitted from book sharing. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Carers of 14-16-month-old infants were randomized to 8 weeks' training in book sharing (n = 49) or a wait-list control group (n = 42). In addition to the cognitive measures reported previously, independent assessments were made at base line and follow-up of carer-infant interactions during book sharing and toy play. Assessments were also made, at follow-up only, of infant prosocial behaviour in a 'help task', and of infant imitation of doll characters' nonsocial actions and an interpersonal interaction. Eighty-two carer-infant pairs (90%) were assessed at follow-up. (Trial registration ISRCTN39953901). Carers who received the training showed significant improvements in book-sharing interactions (sensitivity, elaborations, reciprocity), and, to a smaller extent, in toy-play interactions (sensitivity). Infants in the intervention group showed a significantly higher rate of prosocial behaviour, and tended to show more frequent imitation of the interpersonal interaction. Improvements in carer behaviour during book sharing, but not during toy play, mediated intervention effects on all infant cognitive outcomes, and tended to mediate intervention effects on infant interpersonal imitation. Training in book sharing, a simple, inexpensive intervention that has been shown to benefit infant cognitive development in a low-middle income country, also shows promise for

From shared data to sharing workflow: Merging PACS and teleradiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benjamin, Menashe; Aradi, Yinon; Shreiber, Reuven

2010-01-01

Due to a host of technological, interface, operational and workflow limitations, teleradiology and PACS/RIS were historically developed as separate systems serving different purposes. PACS/RIS handled local radiology storage and workflow management while teleradiology addressed remote access to images. Today advanced PACS/RIS support complete site radiology workflow for attending physicians, whether on-site or remote. In parallel, teleradiology has emerged into a service of providing remote, off-hours, coverage for emergency radiology and to a lesser extent subspecialty reading to subscribing sites and radiology groups. When attending radiologists use teleradiology for remote access to a site, they may share all relevant patient data and participate in the site's workflow like their on-site peers. The operation gets cumbersome and time consuming when these radiologists serve multi-sites, each requiring a different remote access, or when the sites do not employ the same PACS/RIS/Reporting Systems and do not share the same ownership. The least efficient operation is of teleradiology companies engaged in reading for multiple facilities. As these services typically employ non-local radiologists, they are allowed to share some of the available patient data necessary to provide an emergency report but, by enlarge, they do not share the workflow of the sites they serve. Radiology stakeholders usually prefer to have their own radiologists perform all radiology tasks including interpretation of off-hour examinations. It is possible with current technology to create a system that combines the benefits of local radiology services to multiple sites with the advantages offered by adding subspecialty and off-hours emergency services through teleradiology. Such a system increases efficiency for the radiology groups by enabling all users, regardless of location, to work 'local' and fully participate in the workflow of every site. We refer to such a system as SuperPACS.

Differential environmental exposure among non-Indigenous Canadians as a function of sex/gender and race/ethnicity variables: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakravartty, Dolon; Wiseman, Clare L S; Cole, Donald C

2014-11-21

To determine the extent, range and types of studies of differential environmental chemical exposures among non-Indigenous Canadians as a function of sex/gender and race/ethnicity. Computerized database searches were performed from November to December 2013 using Medline, Embase, CAB Abstracts, Proquest and Scopus to identify relevant studies of environmental exposures among non-Indigenous adults aged ≥18 years in Canada published between 1993 and 2013. Articles were identified for full-text review based on a screening of titles and abstracts and were excluded during this initial review if they focused on environmental exposures in the following populations: 1) Indigenous populations, 2) individuals <15 years of age, 3) pregnant women and associated negative birth outcomes, or 4) non-Canadian populations. Articles were also excluded if the primary focus was on exposures to environmental tobacco smoke, non-chemical occupational hazards, infectious diseases, noise and/or radiation. A full-text review of 78 identified articles systematically assessed how sex/gender and race/ethnicity were considered. Although 59% of studies stratified results by sex, less than half of these offered any explanation of differential exposures. Eighteen of the 78 studies (23%) used terms related to race/ethnicity in their participant descriptions. Of the studies that conducted subgroup analyses of exposure results by race/ethnicity (n=15), a total of 8 also included subgroup analysis by sex. Overall, 3 of the 78 (3%) articles reviewed analyzed environmental exposures as a function of sex/gender and race/ethnicity. The role of sex/gender and race/ethnicity in influencing environmental exposure levels among non-Indigenous Canadians has not been adequately addressed to date.

Combined effect of environmental radiation and other agents: Is there a synergism trap?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hornhardt, S.; Jung, T.; Burkart, W.

2002-01-01

Most assessments of possible deleterious outcomes from environmental and occupational exposures concentrate on single agents and neglect the potential for combined effects, i.e. synergisms or antagonisms. Biomechanistic considerations based on multistep processes such as carcinogenesis indicate the potential for highly detrimental interactions, if two or more consecutive rate limiting steps are specifically effected by different agents. However, low specificity towards molecular structure or DNA-sequence - and therefore exchangeability - of many genotoxic agents indicate little functional specificity and therefore little vulnerability towards synergism at most occupational and environmental exposure situations. The low potential for significant combined effects for those common low exposure situations where non-genotoxic agents with highly non-linear dose effect relationships and apparent thresholds are involved, is also evident. Nevertheless, a quantitative assessment of the contribution of synergistic interactions to the total detriment from natural and man-made toxicants based on experimental data is far away. The existing database on combined effects is rudimentary, mainly descriptive and rarely covers exposure ranges large enough to make direct inferences to present day low dose exposure situations. In view of the multitude of possible interactions between the large number of potentially harmful agents in the human environment, descriptive approaches will have to be supplemented by the use of mechanistic models for critical health endpoints such as cancer. Finally an important question considering the shape of dose effect relationships for ionizing radiation arises from the unresolved question whether real or apparent thresholds may be used for any genotoxic agent separately or only one time for an exposed genome. (author)

Urban sharing culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fjalland, Emmy Laura Perez

of the structures of the networked urban mobilities and holds the potentials to change the future mobilities. References Bauman, Zygmunt. 2000. Liquid Modernity. Cambridge: Polity. Beck, Ulrich. 1992. Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity (Published in Association with Theory, Culture & Society). London: SAGE......In urban areas sharing cultures, services and economies are rising. People share, rent and recycle their homes, cars, bikes, rides, tools, cloths, working space, knowhow and so on. The sharing culture can be understood as mobilities (Kesselring and Vogl 2013) of goods, values and ideas reshaping...... problems and side effects from concentration of consumption and contamination; and due to the shift from ownership to access it change our basic social cultural norms (Sayer 2005; Sayer 2011) about the ‘good’ life and social status (Freudendal-Pedersen 2007), commons and individuality, responsibility...

Prediction of the relative toxicity of environmental toxins as a function of behavioral and non-behavioral endpoints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, R.W.

1979-01-01

This study was conducted in order to examine the differential effects of behavioral and non-behavioral endpoints on the prediction of the relative toxicity of an environmental toxin. The effects of ionizing radiation were taken as the model for this evaluation. Forty rhesus monkeys were irradiated in groups of four at five different dose levels of high energy neuton and Bremsstrahlung radiations. Measures of behavioral performance, emesis and mortality were taken for each subject in order to test the hypotheses that behavioral indices would be more sensitive to gamma radiation than would physiological indices and that the physiological indices would be more sensitive to neutron radiations than would behavioral indices. The results supported these hypotheses

IT-Support for Shared Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bansler, Jørgen P.; Havn, Erling C.; Kensing, Finn

2005-01-01

This paper describes work-in-progress to explore how informa-tion and communication technologies (ICT) can be designed and implemented to provide effective support of shared care programs. The purpose of the project is to develop generic models of shared care applications as well as organizational...

The effect of environmental parameters on contaminant uptake by a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There was also no discernable relationship between pH and contaminants uptake by the sampling devices as was expected with non polar, non-ioniseable solutes. The uptake of compounds with lower molar volumes was most susceptible to the presence oh humic materials. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental ...

Is trade openness good for environment in South Korea? The role of non-fossil electricity consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shun

2018-04-01

The paper investigates the linkage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, per capita real output, share of non-fossil electricity consumption, and trade openness in South Korea from 1971 to 2013. The empirical results indicate that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) is supported by autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) test. Both short- and long-run estimates indicate that increasing non-fossil electricity consumption can mitigate environmental degradation, and increasing trade aggravates carbon dioxide emissions. By Granger causality, long-run causalities are found in both equations of CO 2 emissions and trade openness, as well as exports and imports. In the short-run, evidence indicates feedback linkage between output and trade, unidirectional linkages from trade to emissions, from emissions to output, and from output to non-fossil electricity use. Therefore, South Korea should strengthen the sustainable economy, consume clean energy, and develop green trade.

The environmental roots of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the epigenetic impacts of globalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Vineis, Paolo; Stringhini, Silvia; Porta, Miquel

2014-08-01

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing worldwide. We hypothesize that environmental factors (including social adversity, diet, lack of physical activity and pollution) can become "embedded" in the biology of humans. We also hypothesize that the "embedding" partly occurs because of epigenetic changes, i.e., durable changes in gene expression patterns. Our concern is that once such factors have a foundation in human biology, they can affect human health (including NCDs) over a long period of time and across generations. To analyze how worldwide changes in movements of goods, persons and lifestyles (globalization) may affect the "epigenetic landscape" of populations and through this have an impact on NCDs. We provide examples of such changes and effects by discussing the potential epigenetic impact of socio-economic status, migration, and diet, as well as the impact of environmental factors influencing trends in age at puberty. The study of durable changes in epigenetic patterns has the potential to influence policy and practice; for example, by enabling stratification of populations into those who could particularly benefit from early interventions to prevent NCDs, or by demonstrating mechanisms through which environmental factors influence disease risk, thus providing compelling evidence for policy makers, companies and the civil society at large. The current debate on the '25 × 25 strategy', a goal of 25% reduction in relative mortality from NCDs by 2025, makes the proposed approach even more timely. Epigenetic modifications related to globalization may crucially contribute to explain current and future patterns of NCDs, and thus deserve attention from environmental researchers, public health experts, policy makers, and concerned citizens. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Final Report: Multi-State Sharing Initiative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Begoli, Edmon [ORNL; Boehmann, Brant [ORNL; DeNap, Frank A [ORNL

2012-04-01

In 2003 a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice created state and metropolitan intelligence fusion centers. These fusion centers were an effort to share law enforcement, disaster, and terrorism related information and intelligence between state and local jurisdictions and to share terrorism related intelligence between state and local law enforcement agencies and various federal entities. In 2006, DHS commissioned the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to establish and manage a groundbreaking program to assist local, state, and tribal leaders in developing the tools and methods required to anticipate and forestall terrorist events and to enhance disaster response. This program, called the Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI), combines science and technology with validated operational approaches to address regionally unique requirements and suggest regional solutions with the potential for national application. In 2009, SERRI sponsored the Multistate Sharing Initiative (MSSI) to assist state and metropolitan intelligence fusion centers with sharing information related to a wider variety of state interests than just terrorism. While these fusion centers have been effective at sharing data across organizations within their respective jurisdictions, their organizational structure makes bilateral communication with federal entities convenient and also allows information to be further disbursed to other local entities when appropriate. The MSSI-developed Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) sharing system allows state-to-state sharing of non-terrorism-related law enforcement and disaster information. Currently, the MSSI SAR system is deployed in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina. About 1 year after implementation, cognizant fusion center personnel from each state were contacted to ascertain the status of their MSSI SAR systems. The overwhelming response from these individuals was that the MSSI

Effect of periodic environmental fluctuations on the Pearl-Verhulst model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogovchenko, Svitlana P.; Rogovchenko, Yuri V.

2009-01-01

We address the effect of periodic environmental fluctuations on the Pearl-Verhulst model in population dynamics and clarify several important issues very actively discussed in the recent papers by Lakshmi [Lakshmi BS. Oscillating population models. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2003;16:183-6; Lakshmi BS. Population models with time dependent parameters. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2005;26:719-21], Leach and Andriopoulos [Leach PGL, Andriopoulos K. An oscillatory population model. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2004;22:1183-8], Swart and Murrell [Swart JH, Murrell HC. An oscillatory model revisited. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2007;32:1325-7]. Firstly, we review general results regarding existence and properties of periodic solutions and examine existence of a unique positive asymptotically stable periodic solution of a non-autonomous logistic differential equation when r(t)>0. Proceeding to the case where r(t) is allowed to take on negative values, we consider a modified Pearl-Verhulst equation because, as emphasized by Hallam and Clark [Hallam TG, Clark CE. Non-autonomous logistic equations as models of populations in deteriorating environment. J Theor Biol 1981;93:303-11], use of the classic one leads to paradoxical biological conclusions. For a modified logistic equation with ω-periodic coefficients, we establish existence of a unique asymptotically stable positive periodic solution with the same period. Special attention is paid to important cases where time average of the intrinsic growth rate is non-positive. Results of computer simulation demonstrating advantages of a modified equation for modeling periodic environmental fluctuations are presented.

15 CFR 970.702 - Monitoring and mitigation of environmental effects.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... environmental effects. 970.702 Section 970.702 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES Environmental Effects § 970.702 Monitoring and mitigation of environmental effects. (a) Monitoring. If an...

Correlation Model between Economic Development and Environmental Performance on the Basis of Non-Financial Reporting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Dmitrievich Bogdanov

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The most common international standards for the non-financial reporting are reviewed. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI is determined as an optimal standard of sustainability reporting for the use in the Russian conditions. The environmental component of guidance on the compilation of G4 non-financial reporting of GRI standard is analyzed, the contribution of each aspect in terms of the overall picture of sustainability is determined. The progress of economic science has outlined the importance of incorporating natural components. Moreover, the value of biological resources would be increased through time, and therefore, the economic development of the company cannot be in isolation. To determine the degree of harmony between the economic development and ecological condition of the territory where the company carries out the economic activities, the application of new approaches and methods is necessary. Based on the statistical methods, a correlation model between economic development and environmental performance is developed to identify their relationship on the basis of non-financial reporting. The developed model of correlation can be used by a wide range of oil and gas companies and its general principles by the companies of different industries. The results may be of interest to stakeholders, also, it can be used for administrative purposes, to serve as a platform for forecasting and adoption of administrative decisions to achieve harmony between economic development and environmental performance. The model of correlation has been tested for the data of non-financial reporting of the Russian largest oil and gas company JSC “Surgutneftegas”. The testing has shown a positive relationship between the two systems of the company’s sustainable development: economy and ecology. This obtained result demonstrates a high level of social responsibility of the company in terms of environmental protection. A further study in this field can

An Effective Grouping Method for Privacy-Preserving Bike Sharing Data Publishing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A S M Touhidul Hasan

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Bike sharing programs are eco-friendly transportation systems that are widespread in smart city environments. In this paper, we study the problem of privacy-preserving bike sharing microdata publishing. Bike sharing systems collect visiting information along with user identity and make it public by removing the user identity. Even after excluding user identification, the published bike sharing dataset will not be protected against privacy disclosure risks. An adversary may arrange published datasets based on bike’s visiting information to breach a user’s privacy. In this paper, we propose a grouping based anonymization method to protect published bike sharing dataset from linking attacks. The proposed Grouping method ensures that the published bike sharing microdata will be protected from disclosure risks. Experimental results show that our approach can protect user privacy in the released datasets from disclosure risks and can keep more data utility compared with existing methods.

Proposing a Model for Successful Application of Knowledge Sharing II (Social Knowledge Sharing) within Organizations

OpenAIRE

Mehdi Shamizanjani; Seyed Mohammad Ghasemtabar Shahri

2014-01-01

The main purpose of this research is the development of a success model of Knowledge Sharing 2.0 (social knowledge sharing) through organizations. A three-step strategy is used in this research as stated below: In the first step, identification of social software and extraction of factors effective on success of each for knowledge sharing were obtained from literature review. Execution of Delphi method and identification of critical factors were done in the second step. At l...

Environmental licensing of nuclear facilities: compatibility of technical competencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shu, J.; Paiva, R.L.C. de; Mezrahi, A.; Cardoso, E.M.; Aquino, W.P.; Deppe, A.L.; Menezes, R.M.; Prado, V.; Franco, N.M.F.L.; Nouailhetas, Y.; Xavier, A.M.

1996-01-01

The Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) has the technical competency for diagnosing environmental radiological impacts, as well as evaluating the safety and requiring adequate control of the facilities which, due to their activities, represent a potential risk of radiological contamination for the environment. The institution is responsible for emission of radioprotection guidelines, controls and surveys in nuclear safety according to the country's regulations and international recommendations. The methodology to assure the limitation of radiation exposure is consequence from shared control over the nuclear activities, in special the nuclear facilities. According to the Federal Constitution of 1988, the nuclear activities must be under exclusive control of the Union in special related to the nuclear policies, economical, laboral and nuclear safety aspects, while the health and environmental controls of these activities are shared by the Federation, Union, States, Federal District and Counties. The controls related to specific aspects have to be harmonized in such a way to be optimized and effective. In this paper the results of compatibilization of nuclear legislation and environmental legislation are presented aiming to optimize the licensing of nuclear facilities. (author)

Willingness to Share Knowledge Compared with Selected Social Psychology Theories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Krok

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Knowledge is one of the key determinants in the growth and competitiveness of modern enterprises. Hence, it is essential to analyse the factors that induce employees to exchange knowledge. The problem of sharing an intangible asset — in this case, the knowledge of individuals — can be viewed from many perspectives: psychological, economic, organisational, sociological and technological. The aim of this article is to explore selected social psychology theories and to analyse the incentives for people to share knowledge. The article attempts to interpret the willingness to share knowledge through the Social Exchange Theory, the Social Impact Theory, the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. This analysis leads to the following conclusions: •we share our knowledge and expect a return; •we share our knowledge when we believe that the benefits of this action outweigh the costs; •we are pushed to share knowledge by the power of empathy; •workers’ willingness to share knowledge is influenced by three social processes: subordination, identification and internalisation; •the decision to share knowledge is preceded by an intention formed under the influence of an individual attitude towards that behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control; and •the decision to share knowledge is also influenced by additional components, including the knowledge and skills to implement this behaviour, environmental limitations, behavioural emphasis and habits.

Economic impact and policy implications from urban shared transportation: The case of Pittsburgh's shared bike system.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelechrinis, Konstantinos; Zacharias, Christos; Kokkodis, Marios; Lappas, Theodoros

2017-01-01

During the last years the number of cities that have installed and started operating shared bike systems has significantly increased. These systems provide an alternative and sustainable mean of transportation to the city dwellers. Apart from the energy sustainability benefits, shared bike systems can have a positive effect on residents' health, air quality and the overall condition of the currently crumbling road network infrastructure. Anecdotal stories and survey studies have also identified that bike lanes have a positive impact on local businesses. In this study, driven by the rapid adoption of shared bike systems by city governments and their potential positive effects on a number of urban life facets we opt to study and quantify the value of these systems. We focus on a specific aspect of this value and use evidence from the real estate market in the city of Pittsburgh to analyze the effect on dwellers' properties of the shared bike system installed in the city in June 2015. We use quasi-experimental techniques and find that the shared bike system led to an increase in the housing prices (both sales and rental prices) in the zip codes where shared bike stations were installed. We further bring into the light potential negative consequences of this impact (i.e., gentrification) and discuss/propose two public policies that can exploit the impact of the system for the benefit of both the local government as well as the city dwellers.

Economic impact and policy implications from urban shared transportation: The case of Pittsburgh's shared bike system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantinos Pelechrinis

Full Text Available During the last years the number of cities that have installed and started operating shared bike systems has significantly increased. These systems provide an alternative and sustainable mean of transportation to the city dwellers. Apart from the energy sustainability benefits, shared bike systems can have a positive effect on residents' health, air quality and the overall condition of the currently crumbling road network infrastructure. Anecdotal stories and survey studies have also identified that bike lanes have a positive impact on local businesses. In this study, driven by the rapid adoption of shared bike systems by city governments and their potential positive effects on a number of urban life facets we opt to study and quantify the value of these systems. We focus on a specific aspect of this value and use evidence from the real estate market in the city of Pittsburgh to analyze the effect on dwellers' properties of the shared bike system installed in the city in June 2015. We use quasi-experimental techniques and find that the shared bike system led to an increase in the housing prices (both sales and rental prices in the zip codes where shared bike stations were installed. We further bring into the light potential negative consequences of this impact (i.e., gentrification and discuss/propose two public policies that can exploit the impact of the system for the benefit of both the local government as well as the city dwellers.

Jensen's Inequality Predicts Effects of Environmental Variation