Empirical assessment of energy-price policies: the case for cross-price elasticities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frondel, M.

2004-01-01

Evaluations of energy-price policies are necessarily based on measures of the substitution of energy and non-energy inputs. Facing a variety of substitution elasticities, the central question arises which measure would be appropriate. Apparently, for a long time, this question has not been at issue: Allen's elasticities of substitution (AES) have been the most-used measures in applied production analysis. This paper's main contribution is an instructive survey of the origin of substitution measures and of the trinity of empirical substitution elasticities-AES, cross-price elasticities, and the Morishima elasticities of substitution (MES)-with particular emphasis on their interpretations and the perspectives that will be captured by these measures. This survey clarifies why classical cross-price elasticities are to be preferred for many practical purposes. Berndt and Wood's (Rev. Econom. Stat. 57(1975) 259) frequently applied data set of US manufacturing is used to illustrate why assessments of energy-price policies would be better based on cross-price elasticities like the energy-price elasticity of capital, rather than on AES or MES. (author)

Empirical assessment of energy-price policies: the case for cross-price elasticities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frondel, Manuel

2004-01-01

Evaluations of energy-price policies are necessarily based on measures of the substitution of energy and non-energy inputs. Facing a variety of substitution elasticities, the central question arises which measure would be appropriate. Apparently, for a long time, this question has not been at issue: Allen's elasticities of substitution (AES) have been the most-used measures in applied production analysis. This paper's main contribution is an instructive survey of the origin of substitution measures and of the trinity of empirical substitution elasticities - AES, cross-price elasticities, and the Morishima elasticities of substitution (MES) - with particular emphasis on their interpretations and the perspectives that will be captured by these measures. This survey clarifies why classical cross-price elasticities are to be preferred for many practical purposes. Berndt and Wood's (Rev. Econom. Stat. 57 (1975) 259) frequently applied data set of US manufacturing is used to illustrate why assessments of energy-price policies would be better based on cross-price elasticities like the energy-price elasticity of capital, rather than on AES or MES

Asset disposal: follow company policies or follow the law?

Science.gov (United States)

Summers, J

1991-05-01

Several ethical issues can arise in disposing of assets. The proper management of these issues involves awareness of the applicable laws and development of policies and enforcement that respect those laws. Several examples of appropriate policy, following classical management principles, served to document the points under discussion.

Bridging the gap between evidence and policy for infectious diseases: How models can aid public health decision-making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gwenan M. Knight

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The dominant approach to decision-making in public health policy for infectious diseases relies heavily on expert opinion, which often applies empirical evidence to policy questions in a manner that is neither systematic nor transparent. Although systematic reviews are frequently commissioned to inform specific components of policy (such as efficacy, the same process is rarely applied to the full decision-making process. Mathematical models provide a mechanism through which empirical evidence can be methodically and transparently integrated to address such questions. However, such models are often considered difficult to interpret. In addition, models provide estimates that need to be iteratively re-evaluated as new data or considerations arise. Using the case study of a novel diagnostic for tuberculosis, a framework for improved collaboration between public health decision-makers and mathematical modellers that could lead to more transparent and evidence-driven policy decisions for infectious diseases in the future is proposed. The framework proposes that policymakers should establish long-term collaborations with modellers to address key questions, and that modellers should strive to provide clear explanations of the uncertainty of model structure and outputs. Doing so will improve the applicability of models and clarify their limitations when used to inform real-world public health policy decisions.

Position paper: A generic approach for security policies composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hernandez, Alejandro Mario; Nielson, Flemming

2012-01-01

When modelling access control in distributed systems, the problem of security policies composition arises. Much work has been done on different ways of combining policies, and using different logics to do this. In this paper, we propose a more general approach based on a 4-valued logic, that abst...

Regional Themes and Global Means in Supra-National Higher Education Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Pam

2009-01-01

The supra-national level has become increasingly important in educational policy formulation. This paper describes and compares two settings in which growth in these supra-national policies is evident--in Europe and in Africa. Key themes arising in policy documents in each context are examined. A distinction is drawn in analysis between themes…

Pharmaceutical policy and the pharmacy profession

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Traulsen, Janine Marie; Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna

2005-01-01

In this article, the authors look at the relationship between pharmaceutical policy and the pharmacy profession with focus on pharmacy practice and pharmacists in the health care sector. Pharmaceutical policy encompasses three major policy inputs: public health policy, health care policy and indu......In this article, the authors look at the relationship between pharmaceutical policy and the pharmacy profession with focus on pharmacy practice and pharmacists in the health care sector. Pharmaceutical policy encompasses three major policy inputs: public health policy, health care policy...... and industrial policy. In order to analyse and understand pharmaceutical policy, it is important to know how policymakers view pharmacy and pharmacists. The authors look at the issues that arise when policy regulates pharmacy as a business, and what this means for the profession. The perspective of pharmacy...... in managerialism, and how the division of labour with other health professionals such as physicians and pharmacy assistants is affecting the pharmacy profession's position in the labour market. Next the authors look at ways in which the pharmacy profession has affected policy. Pharmacists have been instrumental...

Multinationals and international environmental policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dam, L.; Scholtens, B.

2009-01-01

Multinationals with relatively poor environmental policy establish themselves in countries with weak environmental regulation. These activities are not undertaken in the poorest or most corrupt countries though. The question arises if multinationals with relatively developed environmental behavior settle less or more often in countries with environmental legislation. [mk] [nl

Managing Conflict: Policy and Research Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, Sandra V.; Boardman, Susan K.

1994-01-01

Highlights the importance of constructive conflict management in resolving disagreements arising from diversity. The authors discuss policy recommendations for implementing conflict-management programs in schools, training individuals in nonschool settings, and designing cross-cultural programs for high-risk inner-city youth. Procedural…

Primary extradural meningioma arising from the calvarium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Ravi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Meningiomas are the most common intracranial tumours. Meningiomas arising at other locations are termed primary extradural meningiomas (EDM and are rare. Here we report a case of EDM arising from the calvarium – a primary calvarial meningioma (PCM.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in an odontogenic cyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Jae Jung; Hwang, Eui Hwan; Lee, Sang Rae; Choi, Jeong Hee

2003-01-01

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in an odontogenic cyst is uncommon. The diagnosis of carcinoma arising in a cyst requires that there must be an area of microscopic transition from the benign epithelial cyst lining to the invasive squamous cell carcinoma. We report a histopathologically proven case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in a residual mandibular cyst in a 54-year-old woman.

Food and beverage policies and public health ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Resnik, David B

2015-06-01

Government food and beverage policies can play an important role in promoting public health. Few people would question this assumption. Difficult questions can arise, however, when policymakers, public health officials, citizens, and businesses deliberate about food and beverage policies, because competing values may be at stake, such as public health, individual autonomy, personal responsibility, economic prosperity, and fairness. An ethically justified policy strikes a reasonable among competing values by meeting the following criteria: (1) the policy serves important social goal(s); (2) the policy is likely to be effective at achieving those goal(s); (3) less burdensome options are not likely to be effective at achieving the goals; (4) the policy is fair.

Solitary Fibrous Tumor Arising from Stomach: CT Findings

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sung Hee; Kwon, Jieun; Park, Jong-pil; Park, Mi-Suk; Lim, Joon Seok; Kim, Joo Hee; Kim, Ki Whang

2007-01-01

Solitary fibrous tumors are spindle-cell neoplasms that usually develop in the pleura and peritoneum, and rarely arise in the stomach. To our knowledge, there is only one case reporting a solitary fibrous tumor arising from stomach in the English literature. Here we report the case of a 26-year-old man with a large solitary fibrous tumor arising from the stomach which involved the submucosa and muscular layer and resembled a gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the stomach, based on what was seen during abdominal computed tomography. A solitary fibrous tumor arising from the stomach, although rare, could be considered as a diagnostic possibility for gastric submucosal tumors. PMID:18159603

Wilms tumor arising in extracoelomic paravertebral soft tissues.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Mulligan, Linda

2012-02-01

Extrarenal Wilms tumor (ERWT) is a well-established entity which most commonly arises within the genitourinary tract, including intracoelomic paranephric soft tissue. Rarely, ERWT arises within teratoma, and it tends to occur predominantly in distinct settings, such as females with spinal defects and males with testicular teratomas. We report a unique ERWT arising within an extracoelomic teratoma of the paraspinal musculature, thereby expanding the range of reported locations for this unusual tumor.

Esophageal leiomyoma arising in an epiphrenic diverticulum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, S.

1988-01-01

A 32-year old woman was found at surgery to have an esophageal leiomyoma arising within an epiphrenic diverticulum. These uncommon conditions may rarely occur together, causing difficulty in diagnosis of the leiomyoma. Other neoplasms may also arise in an epiphrenic diverticulum and should be borne in mind in this situation. (orig.)

Environmental policy analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1978-01-01

The Environmental Policy Analysis Program was established to improve the formation of energy development and environmental policies with due mutual regard for national environmental and energy development needs. As a separate office under the Assistant Secretary for Environment, the program is implemented by the Director and by Offices of Environmental Policy Analysis in the eight DOE multiprogram laboratories. The program provides the Assistant Secretary with information on alternatives for decision making and early warning of environmental problems and considerations that may affect energy policy decisions. The program is intended to be a continuing activity, with its scope determined progressively as issues are defined. During FY-1977 the program focused on information compilation on levels of Pu and other transuranic elements in soils that would render the area unsafe for unlimited use; the impact of water pollution control laws on energy technologies; an analysis of the comparative health risks associated with various energy technologies; and the cost and related impacts on the nuclear industry arising from changes in radiation standards during the past 15 years

The Structural Underpinnings of Policy Learning: A Classroom Policy Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Bird, Stephen

This paper investigates the relationship between the centrality of individual actors in a social network structure and their policy learning performance. In a dynamic comparable to real-world policy networks, results from a classroom simulation demonstrate a strong relationship between centrality in social learning networks and grade performance. Previous research indicates that social network centrality should have a positive effect on learning in other contexts and this link is tested in a policy learning context. Second, the distinction between collaborative learning versus information diffusion processes in policy learning is examined. Third, frequency of interaction is analyzed to determine whether consistent, frequent tics have a greater impact on the learning process. Finally, the data arc analyzed to determine if the benefits of centrality have limitations or thresholds when benefits no longer accrue. These results demonstrate the importance of network structure, and support a collaborative conceptualization of the policy learning process.

Frequent activation of EGFR in advanced chordomas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewaele Barbara

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chordomas are rare neoplasms, arising from notochordal remnants in the midline skeletal axis, for which the current treatment is limited to surgery and radiotherapy. Recent reports suggest that receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK might be essential for the survival or proliferation of chordoma cells, providing a rationale for RTK targeted therapy. Nevertheless, the reported data are conflicting, most likely due to the assorted tumor specimens used for the studies and the heterogeneous methodological approaches. In the present study, we performed a comprehensive characterization of this rare entity using a wide range of assays in search for relevant therapeutic targets. Methods Histopathological features of 42 chordoma specimens, 21 primary and 21 advanced, were assessed by immunohistochemistry and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH using PDGFRB, CSF1R, and EGFR probes. Twenty-two of these cases, for which frozen material was available (nine primary and 13 advanced tumors, were selectively analyzed using the whole-genome 4.3 K TK-CGH-array, phospho-kinase antibody array or Western immunoblotting. The study was supplemented by direct sequencing of KIT, PDGFRB, CSF1R and EGFR. Results We demonstrated that EGFR is frequently and the most significantly activated RTK in chordomas. Furthermore, concurrent to EGFR activation, the tumors commonly reveal co-activation of alternative RTK. The consistent activation of AKT, the frequent loss of the tumor suppressor PTEN allele, the recurrent activation of upstream RTK and of downstream effectors like p70S6K and mTOR, all indicate the PI3K/AKT pathway as an important mediator of transformation in chordomas. Conclusions Given the complexity of the signaling in chordomas, combined treatment regimens targeting multiple RTK and downstream effectors are likely to be the most effective in these tumors. Personalized therapy with careful selection of the patients, based on the molecular profile of

Solitary Fibrous Tumor Arising from Stomach: CT Findings

OpenAIRE

Park, Sung Hee; Kim, Myeong-Jin; Kwon, Jieun; Park, Jong-pil; Park, Mi-Suk; Lim, Joon Seok; Kim, Joo Hee; Kim, Ki Whang

2007-01-01

Solitary fibrous tumors are spindle-cell neoplasms that usually develop in the pleura and peritoneum, and rarely arise in the stomach. To our knowledge, there is only one case reporting a solitary fibrous tumor arising from stomach in the English literature. Here we report the case of a 26-year-old man with a large solitary fibrous tumor arising from the stomach which involved the submucosa and muscular layer and resembled a gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the stomach, based on what was see...

Maternity and Paternity Policies Available to Academic Librarians

Science.gov (United States)

Connell, Ruth Sara

2013-01-01

This study examines how frequently parental leave and other related childcare policies are available to academic librarians across the United States. It also looks at the relationships between policies offered and types of academic libraries that offer those policies. The author surveyed administrators at academic libraries serving baccalaureate,…

TURKISH TRADE POLICY AND THE EFFICIENCY OF TURKISH COTTON MARKETS

OpenAIRE

Schmitz, Troy G.

1999-01-01

Turkish cotton markets are affected by import duties, export taxes, and a range of domestic subsidies. The degree of economic inefficiency arising from these government policies is estimated through the use of two partial equilibrium models, one for the Aegean market and another for the non-Aegean market. The welfare implications of these policies are also explored.

Opportunities for scientists to influence policy: When does radiation metrology matter in development of national policy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coursey, Bert M.

2014-01-01

Accurate measurements of radiation and radioactivity rarely rise to the level of national policy. The things that matter most to ordinary citizens do not normally include questions of science and technology. Citizens are more often concerned with issues close to home relating to commerce, health, safety, security and the environment. When questions of confidence in measurements arise, they are first directed to the ministry that has responsibilities in that area. When the required uncertainty in field measurements challenges the capability of the regulatory authorities, the National Metrology Institute may be asked to develop transfer standards to enhance the capabilities of the ministry with the mission lead. In this paper, we will consider eight instances over the past nine decades in which questions in radiation and radionuclide metrology in the US did rise to the level that they influenced decisions on national policy. These eight examples share some common threads. Radioactivity and ionizing radiation are useful tools in many disciplines, but can often represent potential or perceived threats to health and public safety. When unforeseen applications of radiation arise, or when environmental radioactivity from natural and man-made sources presents a possible health hazard, the radiation metrologists may be called upon to provide the technical underpinning for policy development. - Highlights: • We review instances in which accurate measurements of radiation influence policy. • Heads of state rely on senior science advisors to frame policy decisions. • Metrologists support federal agencies that have mission leads in different fields. • Metrologists are called on when other agencies lack requisite expertise. • Radionuclide metrologists must recognize and accept challenges

Conserving and Restoring Old Growth in Frequent-fire Forests: Cycles of Disruption and Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dave Egan

2007-12-01

Full Text Available I provide a synthesis of the papers in the Special Issue, The Conservation and Restoration of Old Growth in Frequent-fire Forests of the American West. These papers - the product of an Old Growth Writing Workshop, held at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona on 18-19 April 2006 - represent the ideas of 25 workshop participants who argue for a new attitude toward managing old growth in the frequent-fire forests of the American West. Unlike the lush, old-growth rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, the dry, frequent-fire forests of the western United States evolved with surface fires that disturbed the system with such regularity that young trees were almost always killed. When saplings did survive, they grew beyond the harm of frequent surface fires and, ultimately, attained the characteristics that define old growth in these systems. This system worked well, producing old-growth trees in abundance, until the onset of Euro-American settlement in the mid- to late-19th century. The arrival of these settlers put in motion an interplay of unprecedented social, political, economic, and ecological forces (e.g., removal of Native Americans and their fire-based land management systems, overgrazing of the understory, aggressive logging, establishment of federal land management agencies, implementation of a federal fire suppression policy. These activities have culminated in 1 overly dense forested ecosystems that are now on the verge of collapse because of catastrophic fires (i.e., crown fire at the landscape level; the Rodeo-Chediski Fire and insect outbreaks, 2 the emergence of conservation-minded environmental legislation and policy, and 3 greater levels of interaction between citizens, federal agencies, and fire-prone landscapes. Recognizing the tenuous ecological situation of these forests, restoration ecologists, foresters, and others have developed ways to return historic ecological processes and lower tree densities to these forests

The EU and Climate Change Policy: Law, Politics and Prominence at Different Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chad David Damro

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The European Union (EU is a prominent player in the politics of climate change, operating as an authoritative regional actor that influences policy-making at the national and international levels. The EU’s climate change policies are thus subjected to multiple pressures that arise from the domestic politics of its twenty-seven individual member states and the international politics of non-EU states with which it negotiates. Facing these multiple pressures, how and why could such a non-traditional actor develop into a prominent player at different levels of climate change policy-making? This article argues that the EU’s rise to prominence can be understood by tracking a number of historical-legal institutional developments at the domestic and international levels. The article also provides a preliminary investigation of the EU emissions trading scheme, a new institutional mechanism that illustrates the policy pressures arising from different levels.

Primary extradural meningioma arising from the calvarium | Ravi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Meningiomas are the most common intracranial tumours. Meningiomas arising at other locations are termed primary extradural meningiomas (EDMs) and are rare. Here we report a case of EDM arising from the calvarium – a primary calvarial meningioma (PCM).

Fiscal Transparency and Procyclical Fiscal Policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Asger Lau; Nielsen, Lasse Holbøll Westh

This paper examines why fiscal policy is procyclical in developing as well as developed countries. We introduce the concept of fiscal transparency into a model of retrospective voting, in which a political agency problem between voters and politicians generates a procyclical bias in government...... spending. The introduction of fiscal transparency generates two new predictions: 1) the procyclical bias in fiscal policy arises only in good times; and 2) a higher degree of fiscal transparency reduces the bias in good times. We find solid empirical support for both predictions using data on both OECD...

2016 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Active Duty Members: Frequently Asked Questions

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-01

outstanding research that has had a clear impact on improving policy decisions practice or discourse, either in the public or private sectors .” 6. What...2017 2016 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Active Duty Members 433 | OPA Frequently Asked Questions 2016 Workplace and Gender Relations...OPA), has been conducting surveys of gender issues for the active duty military since 1988. RSSC uses scientific state of the art statistical

Pharmaceutical policy analysis – A European perspective on pricing and reimbursement in challenging times

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leopold, C.

2014-01-01

The pharmaceutical policy environment is dynamic as new medicines are being developed and different medical needs arise, while diverse interests by stakeholders influence policy making. Tensions are especially noticeable with respect to pricing and reimbursement of medicines; what health care plans

PRIORITIZING ECONOMIC GROWTH: ENHANCING MACROECONOMIC POLICY CHOICE

OpenAIRE

Colin I. BRADFORD, Jr.

2005-01-01

This paper spells out a logic for increasing macroeconomic policy space in order to prioritize the goals of growth, employment creation and poverty reduction. First, there is the need to create additional policy instruments so that a greater number of policy goals can be addressed. Frequently, real economy goals get partly crowded out by financial objectives because there are too few instruments for too many goals. Second, the calibrated use of policy tools by degrees of commitment, deploymen...

Beyond the Workshop: Educational Policy in Situated Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenson, Jennifer; Lewis, Brian

2001-01-01

Identifies questions arising from implementation of computer-based technologies in Canadian schools--questions of public policy in an increasingly technocentric and commercialized environment, of investment in technological infrastructure, and of teachers' professional development and its effectiveness. Lists necessary factors for the success of…

Cross-border issues that arise in conjunction with the execution of U.S.-Canadian natural gas contracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J. G.

1999-01-01

Development of the U.S.-Canadian natural gas market as it is today and the issues that may arise in cross-border transactions involving natural gas contracts between the two countries are reviewed. In this context, the paper reviews recent history of U.S.-Canadian trade relations culminating in the development of NAFTA, the U.S. regulatory and legislative framework surrounding cross-border natural gas transactions, and general U.S. foreign trade policy that may come into play at the U.S.- Canada border. The paper also examines certain issues arising in the U.S. commercial context that may be of interest to Canadian corporations, specifically the U.S. Uniform Commercial Code, state jurisdiction on the U.S. side of the border, state and federal tax concerns, and the mechanics and potential benefits for a Canadian parent company in forming a U.S.-based subsidiary to handle U.S.-Canada natural gas transactions. 71 refs

Green electricity policy in the Netherlands. An analysis of policy decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rooijen, Sascha van; Wees, Mark van

2003-01-01

Over the last decades, fundamental changes in both market conditions and the national and international policy framework in the Netherlands can be observed. The Dutch Government has intervened in markets regularly, demonstrating fundamental shifts in policy and approach. This study aims to analyse the developments in renewable energy policy making in the Netherlands. It assesses changes in the choice of policy instruments and target groups, the role of stakeholders and offers explanations behind policy successes and failures. The following conclusions can be drawn on the policy choices: First, the objectives and targets of Dutch renewable energy policy were frequently ambiguous. Although the government emphasised the importance of investments in local capacity, imports were always (implicitly) seen as an alternative option in meeting targets. Second, for a long period the government focused on reducing investment costs and dismantling administrative barriers. Only recently has the lack of a stable investment climate been identified as a potential barrier. Third, although many stakeholders have advocated a mandatory approach, Dutch policies stimulating renewable energy have always been voluntary. Finally, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has always played a very dominant role in renewable energy policy formulation and implementation, which may explain the fact that some unfavourable market reactions to policies have not been foreseen. (author)

Drivers of and Barriers to Shifts in Governance: Analysing Noise Policy in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weber, M.; Driessen, P.P.J.; Runhaar, H.A.C.

2011-01-01

Shifts from government to governance in the environmental policy domain have been observed by many authors. However, the question arises as to whether these shifts are apparent in all environmental policy sub-domains. And which explanations are to be given for observed differences in specific

Operational Aspects of Fiscal Policy in Oil-Producing Countries

OpenAIRE

Steven A Barnett; Rolando Ossowski

2002-01-01

Oil-producing countries face challenges arising from the fact that oil revenue is exhaustible, volatile, and uncertain, and largely originates from abroad. Reflecting these challenges, the paper proposes some important general principles for the formulation and assessment of fiscal policy in these countries. The main findings can be summarized in some key guidelines: the non-oil balance should feature prominently in the formulation of fiscal policy; it should generally be adjusted gradually; ...

A problem solving model for regulatory policy making

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, A.; van Engers, T.; Sileno, G.; Wyner, A.; Benn, N.

2011-01-01

In this paper we discuss how the interests and field theory promoted by public administration as a stakeholder in policy argumentation, directly arise from its problem solving activities, using the framework for public administration problem solving we proposed in [1,2]. We propose that calls for

Endogeneously arising network allocation rules

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slikker, M.

2006-01-01

In this paper we study endogenously arising network allocation rules. We focus on three allocation rules: the Myerson value, the position value and the component-wise egalitarian solution. For any of these three rules we provide a characterization based on component efficiency and some balanced

Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning: Some considerations arising from the Greek case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlos Marinos Delladetsima

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to elaborate on the notion of sustainable development in relation to spatial planning and to question its applicability based on the experience arising from the distinct socio-economic situation in Greece. Experience accumulated in the country with the adoption of sustainable development as a spatial policy concept proves to be in contradiction with perceptions that consider it as a basis for improving the plan making process and the planning system as whole. In this respect, it is argued that sustainable development is not a feasible proposition for planning in Greece and offers little to alleviate urban development and sprawl problems. Further, the paper highlights how a globalised approach to sustainable development and planning in Greece has made a negligible contribution to reinvigorating a weak and disjointed system, while also creating significant adverse effects in spatial policymaking.

Old-growth Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diane Vosick

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Most federal legislation and policies (e.g., the Wilderness Act, Endangered Species Act, National Forest Management Act fail to speak directly to the need for old-growth protection, recruitment, and restoration on federal lands. Various policy and attitudinal barriers must be changed to move beyond the current situation. For example, in order to achieve the goal of healthy old growth in frequent-fire forests, the public must be educated regarding the evolutionary nature of these ecosystems and persuaded that collaborative action rather than preservation and litigation is the best course for the future of these forests. Land managers and policy makers must be encouraged to look beyond the single-species management paradigm toward managing natural processes, such as fire, so that ecosystems fall within the natural range of variability. They must also see that, given their recent evidence of catastrophic fires, management must take place outside the wildland-urban interface in order to protect old-growth forest attributes and human infrastructure. This means that, in some wilderness areas, management may be required. Land managers, researchers, and policy makers will also have to agree on a definition of old growth in frequent-fire landscapes; simply adopting a definition from the mesic Pacific Northwest will not work. Moreover, the culture within the federal agencies needs revamping to allow for more innovation, especially in terms of tree thinning and wildland fire use. Funding for comprehensive restoration treatments needs to be increased, and monitoring of the Healthy Forest Initiative and Healthy Forest Restoration Act must be undertaken.

Carcinoma arising in thyroglossal remnants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Vuuren, P. A.; Balm, A. J.; Gregor, R. T.; Hilgers, F. J.; Loftus, B. M.; Delprat, C. C.; Rutgers, E. J.

1994-01-01

Three patients with a papillary carcinoma arising in a thyroglossal duct cyst are presented and the literature is reviewed. This rare malignancy is seen mostly in women between the ages of 20 and 50 years. The distribution of carcinoma subtypes differs from that of thyroid carcinomas and

Adenosarcoma arising in hepatic endometriosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

N'Senda, P.; Dahan, H.; Tubiana, J.M.; Arrive, L.; Wendum, D.; Balladur, P.

2000-01-01

We report a case of adenosarcoma arising in hepatic endometriosis. Both CT and MR scans demontrated a huge heterogeneous mass containing septated, thick-walled cystic lesions. After enlarged right hepatectomy, the patient was asymptomatic with no abnormalities at liver and abdominal CT scan at 2-year follow-up. (orig.)

Adenosarcoma arising in hepatic endometriosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

N' Senda, P.; Dahan, H.; Tubiana, J.M.; Arrive, L. [Service de Radiologie, Hopital Saint-Antoine, 75 - Paris (France); Wendum, D. [Service d' Anatomie Pathologie, Hopital Saint-Antoine, 75 - Paris (France); Balladur, P. [Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Generale, Hopital Saint-Antoine, 75 - Paris (France)

2000-08-01

We report a case of adenosarcoma arising in hepatic endometriosis. Both CT and MR scans demontrated a huge heterogeneous mass containing septated, thick-walled cystic lesions. After enlarged right hepatectomy, the patient was asymptomatic with no abnormalities at liver and abdominal CT scan at 2-year follow-up. (orig.)

Indian foreign policy during the cold war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, Cesar

2010-01-01

This article examines India's foreign policy priorities during the years of the Cold War with a focus on international relations. As in the rest of the world, the India's foreign policy was marked by the dynamics of continuity and change in world policy, associated with the historical period of the Cold War (1947-90) and its impact on the neighbouring and regional context of India. As its hypothesis this article argues that this period was characterized by the challenges of consolidating the autonomy of independence, which means: achieving development; solving disputes arising from conflicts with neighbours; and, presenting India as a country committed to peace, which explains not only its position against war and the use of nuclear weapons, but also, with respect to one of the most original aspects of Indian foreign policy, its status as a non-aligned country

Solving the Policy Implementation Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregg A. Garn

1999-08-01

Full Text Available When Republican legislators in Arizona failed to approve educational vouchers in four consecutive legislative sessions, a charter school program was approved as a compromise. The charter school policy was written during a special summer session and within three years, over 30,000 students were enrolled in 260 charter schools across the state. Republican policy makers, who failed to enact voucher legislation, proclaimed the charter school program to be an overwhelming success and protected it from amendments by Democrats and potential actions of bureaucrats that could have altered the policy intent. Research on the implementation of policy indicates that state and local implementors frequently undermine or alter legislative intentions. However, when Arizona policy makers approved the charter school policy, they overcame this persistent implementation phenomenon and, in fact, succeeded in preserving the legislative intentions in the working program. This policy study analyzes how they were able to achieve this elusive result. Key policy makers attended to four significant features of policy implementation in creating the charter school policy: communication, financial resources, implementor attitudes, and bureaucratic structure. Manipulating these key variables allowed policy makers to reduce implementation slippage.

National policies and their international aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saddington, K.

1979-01-01

Much work has been done on the technical problems associated with the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. However, the topic raises many problems of a political/legal nature. This paper seeks to identify those areas where such problems arise and points to the role of governments in framing national policies within which decommissioning activities can be carried out. The value of international collaboration is emphasized. (author)

Frequent Exertion and Frequent Standing at Work, by Industry and Occupation Group - United States, 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Shockey, Taylor M; Luckhaupt, Sara E; Groenewold, Matthew R; Lu, Ming-Lun

2018-01-12

Repeated exposure to occupational ergonomic hazards, such as frequent exertion (repetitive bending or twisting) and frequent standing, can lead to injuries, most commonly musculoskeletal disorders (1). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been estimated to cost the United States approximately $2.6 billion in annual direct and indirect costs (2). A recent literature review provided evidence that prolonged standing at work also leads to adverse health outcomes, such as back pain, physical fatigue, and muscle pain (3). To determine which industry and occupation groups currently have the highest prevalence rates of frequent exertion at work and frequent standing at work, CDC analyzed data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Occupational Health Supplement (OHS) regarding currently employed adults in the United States. By industry, the highest prevalence of both frequent exertion and frequent standing at work was among those in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry group (70.9%); by occupation, the highest prevalence was among those in the construction and extraction occupation group (76.9%). Large differences among industry and occupation groups were found with regard to these ergonomic hazards, suggesting a need for targeted interventions designed to reduce workplace exposure.

Cutaneous osteosarcoma arising from a burn scar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Min A.; Yi, Jaehyuck [Kyungpook National University, Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kyungpook National University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Chae, Jong Min [Kyungpook National University, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-15

Tumors that develop in old burn scars are usually squamous cell carcinomas. Sarcomas have also been reported, albeit rarely. To our knowledge, there has been only one case report of an extraskeletal osteosarcoma arising in a prior burn scar reported in the English-language literature, mainly discussing the clinicopathological features. Herein, we present a case of cutaneous osteosarcoma visualized as a mineralized soft-tissue mass arising from the scar associated with a previous skin burn over the back. This seems to be the first report describing the imaging features of a cutaneous osteosarcoma from an old burn scar. (orig.)

In-situ burning policy development for California: A consensus approach to policy and decision-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Addassi, Y. N.

1997-01-01

Current efforts by the California State Dept. of Fish and Game to develop an in-situ burning policy for oil spills in the open-water marine environments of the State were described. The differing perspectives and mandates of the various agency representatives on working groups and the frequent necessity of consensus solutions was highlighted. It was stated that the consensus approach requires more time and energy, however, it is off-set by the benefits of developing good working relationships that will ultimately facilitate decision-making. Current projected timelines for the completed in-situ burning policy, pertinent sections of the draft policy, plans for dealing with negative public reactions to the policy and outreach and public education programs were outlined. 12 refs

Policy preferences and the diversity of instrument choice for mitigating climate change impacts in the transport sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stead, D.

2017-01-01

Different policy approaches and responses to common environmental challenges, such as climate change, exist between countries, and sometimes even within countries. This situation arises because public policy-makers are not only driven by concerns of theoretical purity but are also influenced by a

32 CFR 537.19 - Demands arising from maritime claims.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Demands arising from maritime claims. 537.19 Section 537.19 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY CLAIMS AND ACCOUNTS CLAIMS ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES § 537.19 Demands arising from maritime claims. (a) It is...

Human resources for health policies: a critical component in health policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dussault Gilles

2003-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract In the last few years, increasing attention has been paid to the development of health policies. But side by side with the presumed benefits of policy, many analysts share the opinion that a major drawback of health policies is their failure to make room for issues of human resources. Current approaches in human resources suggest a number of weaknesses: a reactive, ad hoc attitude towards problems of human resources; dispersal of accountability within human resources management (HRM; a limited notion of personnel administration that fails to encompass all aspects of HRM; and finally the short-term perspective of HRM. There are three broad arguments for modernizing the ways in which human resources for health are managed: • the central role of the workforce in the health sector; • the various challenges thrown up by health system reforms; • the need to anticipate the effect on the health workforce (and consequently on service provision arising from various macroscopic social trends impinging on health systems. The absence of appropriate human resources policies is responsible, in many countries, for a chronic imbalance with multifaceted effects on the health workforce: quantitative mismatch, qualitative disparity, unequal distribution and a lack of coordination between HRM actions and health policy needs. Four proposals have been put forward to modernize how the policy process is conducted in the development of human resources for health (HRH: • to move beyond the traditional approach of personnel administration to a more global concept of HRM; • to give more weight to the integrated, interdependent and systemic nature of the different components of HRM when preparing and implementing policy; • to foster a more proactive attitude among human resources (HR policy-makers and managers; • to promote the full commitment of all professionals and sectors in all phases of the process. The development of explicit human resources

A Policy Analysis and Quantitative Assessment of Key Issues Arising from Climate Change Negotiations Following COP 7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sager, J M

2003-04-01

This paper aims to assess the consequences of the amendments made to the Kyoto Protocol during COP 7 in Marrakech. Following a comprehensive policy analysis, the major issue of 'hot air' and CDM transaction costs is examined using the CERT model. This was done to show that primary supply regions, typically those with 'hot air' availability, might control the emissions reduction permit supply market and maximise net export revenues of permit supply by withholding 40 to 60% of available 'hot air' credits. The assumption that primary permit suppliers control permit price via a restriction of 'hot air' supply to the market will inadvertently leave a portion of the market share open to Non-Annex B CDM supply, despite potentially extreme variance in CDM transaction costs. A summary table of policy implications on the emissions reduction permit market is also included in the Appendix. (author)

From conflict to cooperation : international policies to protect the Brazilian Amazon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kolk, A.

1998-01-01

When environmental degradation in a particular country has international consequences, a dilemma arises: how to find effective policies which address the causes and take domestic sensitivities into account? This article analyzes the Brazilian Amazon, where international concern over deforestation

Green electricity policies in the Netherlands: an analysis of policy decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rooijen, Sascha N.M. van; Wees, Mark T. van

2006-01-01

Over the last decades, fundamental changes can be observed in both market conditions and the national policy framework for green electricity in the Netherlands. The Dutch Government has regularly intervened in markets, demonstrating fundamental shifts in policy and approach. This study aims to analyse the developments in renewable energy policy making in the Netherlands. It assesses changes in the choice of policy instruments and target groups, the role of stakeholders, and offers explanations behind policy successes and failures. Dutch green electricity policy over the last decade can be characterised roughly by three phases: in the early 1990s, the government negotiated voluntary agreements with the energy distribution sector on targets for green electricity sales, which were never met. In the second half of the 1990s, a regulatory energy tax was introduced, from which customers of green electricity were exempt. This led to a substantial increase in demand, which was largely met by green electricity imports, and did not lead to additional domestic renewable energy capacity. Finally, a change in policy has taken place recently (2003) shifting the focus from promotion of demand to the promotion of supply through a system of regulated feed-in tariffs. Despite the renewable energy policies, growth of the renewable energy market in the Netherlands has been small and targets have not been fully met. The Dutch government has not yet succeeded in substantially reducing market uncertainties and in building confidence among market parties, because the policies have not been stable and policy objectives have frequently been partly ambiguous. In addition, the influence of stakeholders in renewable energy policy making has been small which has the early acceptance and implementation of alternative policies

A Policy Analysis and Quantitative Assessment of Key Issues Arising from Climate Change Negotiations Following COP 7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sager, J. M

2003-04-01

This paper aims to assess the consequences of the amendments made to the Kyoto Protocol during COP 7 in Marrakech. Following a comprehensive policy analysis, the major issue of 'hot air' and CDM transaction costs is examined using the CERT model. This was done to show that primary supply regions, typically those with 'hot air' availability, might control the emissions reduction permit supply market and maximise net export revenues of permit supply by withholding 40 to 60% of available 'hot air' credits. The assumption that primary permit suppliers control permit price via a restriction of 'hot air' supply to the market will inadvertently leave a portion of the market share open to Non-Annex B CDM supply, despite potentially extreme variance in CDM transaction costs. A summary table of policy implications on the emissions reduction permit market is also included in the Appendix. (author)

Four Different Tumors Arising in a Nevus Sebaceous

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takeshi Namiki

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Nevus sebaceous is known by its association with one or more secondary tumors, but more than three multiple tumors arising from a nevus sebaceous is extremely rare. A 67-year-old female presented with a light brown plaque on the back of her head that contained a dome-shaped black node and an erosive lesion. Histopathological examination showed atypical basaloid cells in the black node. At the periphery of that node, structures resembling follicular germs extruded from interlacing cords in the upper portion and tumor nests with sebocytes were in the lower portion. In the erosive lesion, papillated structures with an apocrine epithelium were observed. In the light brown plaque, enlargement of sebaceous lobules was noted. From those histopathological features, a diagnosis of syringocystadenoma papilliferum, sebaceoma, trichoblastoma and basal cell carcinoma arising from a nevus sebaceous was made. We discuss the rarity of multiple tumors arising from a nevus sebaceous.

The Vietnamese lending rate, policy-related rate, and monetary policy post-1997 Asian financial crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chu V. Nguyen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Asymmetries in the Vietnamese lending central bank’s policy-related rate spread were documented. Empirical results revealed that the spread adjusts to the threshold faster when the central bank’s policy-related rates decrease relative to the lending rates than when the central bank’s policy-related rates move in the opposite direction. Additionally, the empirical findings indicate that Vietnamese commercial banks exhibit competitive rate setting behavior which may be attributable to graft maximization by bank’s management. The results also show bidirectional Granger causality between the Vietnamese lending rate and the central bank’s policy-related rate, indicating that the lending rate and the central bank’s policy-related rate affect each other’s movements. These results suggest that monetary authority can use its countercyclical monetary policy instruments to achieve its macroeconomics objectives. However, the estimation results of the GARCH (2, 3-in-Mean model suggest that they should intervene more frequently and by small policy measures to minimize the conditional variance of the spread to minimize the magnitude of the cycle of the lending rate.

Policy issues arising from the judgmental nature of risk-based decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mcquaid, J.

1998-01-01

The regulation of risks is pervaded by the need to exercise judgement. The scientific basis for characterising risk problems and judging the effectiveness of possible controls is often uncertain, lacking information and understanding of the processes involved. However, the risk management measures adopted will not be determined by science alone, but must reflect sociological, economic, ethical and political considerations. These in turn are in themselves judgmental, informed to a greater or lesser extent by empirical evidence and influenced by the prevailing climate of public opinion. The overall process provides a rich source of confusion for the public as to the status of the eventual policy decision, with important implications for the manner in which the process of communication is managed. The important role of judgement, as distinct from formal analysis, at every stage needs to be reflected in risk communication. The engagement of those who bear the risks, and of other interested parties in the exercise of judgement must be tailored to nature of the judgement and to the decision to be made. Appropriate procedures need to be adopted to enable that engagement. Although the issue has come into particular prominence in recent years, it is not a new phenomenon. The presentation will describe the arrangements that have been developed in the UK over the past 25 years, and will be illustrated by some specific examples of risk decision making on issues of high public concern. (author)

Evidence-based policy? The use of mobile phones in hospital

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ettelt, Stefanie; Nolte, Ellen; McKee, Martin; Haugen, Odd Arild; Karlberg, Ingvar; Klazinga, Niek; Ricciardi, Walter; Teperi, Juha

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based policies have become increasingly accepted in clinical practice. However, policies on many of the non-clinical activities that take place in health care facilities may be less frequently evidence based. METHODS: We carried out a review of literature on safety of mobile

Active Aging Policies between Individual Needs and Collective Goods. A Study of Active Aging Policies and Practices in Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tove Midtsundstad

2014-05-01

Full Text Available A main objective of European governments is to reduce the number of early retirees, either by reforming pension systems or promoting active aging in working life. The importance of formulating a coherent personnel policy for all age groups is increasingly recognized by employers. However, there is still a lack of knowledge as how to strategically cope with an aging labor force. The aim of this article is to define and discuss a number of challenges arising from workplace-related active aging policies. We in particular discuss how an emphasis on economic incentives and gains (“senior goods” may give rise to unanticipated side effects for the employers as well as the employees. The article is based on results from two recent studies: one study examining six Norwegian municipalities with seemingly good practices in work-related old age policies, and another examining such policies in eight establishments in four different industries.

Book review of The EU’s Foreign Policy: What Kind of Power and Diplomatic Action?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hikaru Yoshizawa

2014-11-01

Full Text Available With an international team of foreign policy experts, the editors provide a clear and critical account of EU foreign policy with special reference to the Lisbon Treaty, the global financial crisis of 2007-8, as well as those structural constraints arising from the emerging multipolar world order. The book portrays the EU as a ‘civilian power by default’, while explaining the limited efficiency and effectiveness of post-Lisbon EU foreign policy.

Conjunctival lymphoma arising from reactive lymphoid hyperplasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fukuhara Junichi

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Extra nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (EMZL of the conjunctiva typically arises in the marginal zone of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The pathogenesis of conjunctival EMZL remains unknown. We describe an unusual case of EMZL arising from reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH of the conjunctiva. A 35-year-old woman had fleshy salmon-pink conjunctival tumors in both eyes, oculus uterque (OU. Specimens from conjunctival tumors in the right eye, oculus dexter (OD, revealed a collection of small lymphoid cells in the stroma. Immunohistochemically, immunoglobulin (Ig light chain restriction was not detected. In contrast, diffuse atypical lymphoid cell infiltration was noted in the left eye, oculus sinister (OS, and positive for CD20, a marker for B cells OS. The tumors were histologically diagnosed as RLH OD, and EMZL OS. PCR analysis detected IgH gene rearrangement in the joining region (JH region OU. After 11 months, a re-biopsy specimen demonstrated EMZL based on compatible pathological and genetic findings OD, arising from RLH. This case suggests that even if the diagnosis of the conjunctival lymphoproliferative lesions is histologically benign, confirmation of the B-cell clonality by checking IgH gene rearrangement should be useful to predict the incidence of malignancy.

32 CFR 536.111 - Investigation of claims arising under international agreements (for those claims arising in the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... under international agreements (for those claims arising in the United States). Responsibility for... civilian component is attached, including the legal office of another armed force, to carry out the responsibility to investigate. The investigation will comply with the responsible Service's implementing claims...

Communicating Scientific Findings to Lawyers, Policy-Makers, and the Public (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, W.; Velsko, S. P.

2013-12-01

This presentation will summarize the authors' collaborative research on inferential errors, bias and communication difficulties that have arisen in the area of WMD forensics. This research involves analysis of problems that have arisen in past national security investigations, interviews with scientists from various disciplines whose work has been used in WMD investigations, interviews with policy-makers, and psychological studies of lay understanding of forensic evidence. Implications of this research for scientists involved in nuclear explosion monitoring will be discussed. Among the issues covered will be: - Potential incompatibilities between the questions policy makers pose and the answers that experts can provide. - Common misunderstandings of scientific and statistical data. - Advantages and disadvantages of various methods for describing and characterizing the strength of scientific findings. - Problems that can arise from excessive hedging or, alternatively, insufficient qualification of scientific conclusions. - Problems that can arise from melding scientific and non-scientific evidence in forensic assessments.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in mature cystic teratoma of ovary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ranu Patni

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Squamous cell carcinoma of the ovary is a rare condition and usually arises in mature cystic teratoma (MCT or dermoid cyst of the ovary. The reported incidence of malignant transformation in MCT is approximately 2%. A case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in a dermoid cyst of the ovary presenting at an early stage is presented here. A 53-year-old postmenopausal lady, presented with the complaint of pain in right lower abdomen since one month and a large complex abdomino-pelvic mass on examination and investigations. Final histopathology was reported as squamous cell carcinoma of left ovary arising from dermoid cyst and a benign dermoid cyst in the right ovary. The patient was assigned to squamous cell carcinoma of the ovary arising in a mature cystic teratoma, surgical stage Ic2. In view of the poor prognosis, adjuvant chemotherapy was started.

Assessment by human research ethics committees of potential conflicts of interest arising from pharmaceutical sponsorship of clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Newcombe, J P; Kerridge, I H

2007-01-01

Conflicts of interest arising from pharmaceutical industry sponsorship of clinical research have the potential to bias research outcomes and ultimately prejudice patient care. It is unknown how Australian Human Research Ethics Committees (HREC) assess and manage such conflicts of interest. We aimed to gain an understanding of how HREC approach the problem of potential conflicts of interest arising from pharmaceutical sponsorship of clinical research. We conducted a survey of HREC chairpersons in New South Wales. HREC vary widely in their approaches to conflicts of interest, including in their use of National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines, which were often misinterpreted or overlooked. Many committees rely primarily on researchers disclosing potential conflicts of interest, whereas a majority of HREC use disclosure to research participants as the primary tool for preventing and managing conflicts of interest. Almost no HREC place limitations on researcher relationships with pharmaceutical companies. These findings suggest reluctance on the part of HREC to regulate many potential conflicts of interest between researchers and pharmaceutical sponsors, which may arise from uncertainty regarding the meaning or significance of conflicts of interest in research, from ambiguity surrounding the role of HREC in assessing and managing conflicts of interest in research or from misinterpretation or ignorance of current National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines. Further review of policies and practices in this important area may prove beneficial in safeguarding clinical research and patient care while promoting continuing constructive engagement with the pharmaceutical industry.

75 FR 70725 - Spectrum Policy Seminar for the Utility Sector

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-18

... Smart Grid Technologies. '' The complete text of the report, and of a second report addressing data access and privacy issues arising from the deployment of smart grid technologies, can be found at: http... utility sector on spectrum policy issues in light of the role wireless communications will surely play in...

ARISE: American renaissance in science education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-09-14

The national standards and state derivatives must be reinforced by models of curricular reform. In this paper, ARISE presents one model based on a set of principles--coherence, integration of the sciences, movement from concrete ideas to abstract ones, inquiry, connection and application, sequencing that is responsive to how people learn.

Energy policies of IEA Countries. The Netherlands 1996 review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

As part of the IEA's on-going analysis of Member countries' energy policies, this review assess the Netherlands and offers recommendations taking account of major reforms announced by the Dutch Government in December 1995. The prominence of environmental objectives in Dutch energy policy and the widespread use of voluntary long-term agreements with industry provide constructive lessons for other countries. Targets for energy efficiency and renewability are especially ambitious. Moreover, the Dutch Government has made an important contribution to environmental policy by striving for a combination of market liberalization and a sustainable energy economy. The review recommends that market reforms be further developed, if necessary in the context of developments in European energy market policy. Gas pricing and a tendency for over-capacity to develop in the electricity sector are particular areas of discussion in the report. The review also draws attention to potentially high economic costs which may arise form energy-environment policies and affect the competitiveness of Dutch industry. (author). 18 figs., 13 tabs

Issues arising in applying the BSS concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linsley, G.

1997-01-01

The following issues are discussed arising in applying the basic safety standard concepts: terminology, naturally occurring radionuclides, the exemption and clearance levels, management of very low level wastes, transboundary movements, the waste convention

Policy harmonized approach for the EU agricultural sector modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. SALPUTRA

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Policy harmonized (PH approach allows for the quantitative assessment of the impact of various elements of EU CAP direct support schemes, where the production effects of direct payments are accounted through reaction prices formed by producer price and policy price add-ons. Using the AGMEMOD model the impacts of two possible EU agricultural policy scenarios upon beef production have been analysed – full decoupling with a switch from historical to regional Single Payment scheme or alternatively with re-distribution of country direct payment envelopes via introduction of EU-wide flat area payment. The PH approach, by systematizing and harmonizing the management and use of policy data, ensures that projected differential policy impacts arising from changes in common EU policies reflect the likely actual differential impact as opposed to differences in how “common” policies are implemented within analytical models. In the second section of the paper the AGMEMOD model’s structure is explained. The policy harmonized evaluation method is presented in the third section. Results from an application of the PH approach are presented and discussed in the paper’s penultimate section, while section 5 concludes.;

Current Policy Issues in Early Foreign Language Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janet Enever

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The development of policy in relation to language learning at the early primary level of schooling has received only limited attention in the literature on policy studies in general, and within the framework of an emerging education policy space across Europe specifically. This paper offers an introductory discussion of the growth of education policy in Europe, identifying the extent to which the histories of national language policies are being re-shaped by the rise of numerical data and comparison within a newly-formed European education space. A summary review of key measures of particular relevance to early language learning illustrates thescale of “soft” policy mechanisms now available as tools in an on-going process of shaping, adapting and refining policy in response to the continuously shifting language priorities that arise particularly during periods of economic instability. This paper draws on key themes from a transnational, longitudinal study of early language learning in Europe to discuss the extent to which implementation in schools has so far been moulded by a plethora of recommendations, reports and indicators formulated in response to the step change in policy development that has occurred since the publication of the Lisbon Strategy (2000.

Modelling complex systems of heterogeneous agents to better design sustainability transitions policy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mercure, J.F.A.; Pollitt, H.; Bassi, A.M.; Viñuales, J.E.; Edwards, N.R.

2016-01-01

This article proposes a fundamental methodological shift in the modelling of policy interventions for sustainability transitions in order to account for complexity (e.g. self-reinforcing mechanisms, such as technology lock-ins, arising from multi-agent interactions) and agent heterogeneity (e.g.

Development of a frequent heartburn index.

Science.gov (United States)

Stull, Donald E; van Hanswijck de Jonge, Patricia; Houghton, Katherine; Kocun, Christopher; Sandor, David W

2011-09-01

The aim of this study is to develop and validate a brief instrument for the measurement of overall psychosocial impact of frequent heartburn (heartburn experienced 2+ times weekly) in the general U.S. population, yielding a single, composite score. Item reduction and psychometric analyses of an existing Frequent Heartburn (FHB) Survey, a 52-item, 13-domain, patient-reported outcomes (PRO) survey assessing the impact of frequent heartburn on psychosocial quality of life. Item reduction resulted in 9 items from the original FHB Survey measuring all domains. All retained items in this full Frequent Heartburn Index (FHBI-Full) had moderate to strong factor loadings on the underlying factor (range: 0.66-0.85) and acceptable overall model fit (CFI = 0.93, SRMR = 0.04). Coefficient alpha was 0.92. A shorter FHBI (FHBI-Brief) was created that excludes the two employment-related items. The FHBI-Brief had a coefficient alpha of 0.90. Both FHBI versions have good psychometric properties and capture a full range of psychosocial effects of frequent heartburn. Normed national scores for the FHBI are available against which an individual can compare their own FHBI score. The FHBI-Full and FHBI-Brief show promise as PRO instruments that may help individuals and clinicians better understand the effect of frequent heartburn on psychosocial functioning.

Climate policies for road transport revisited (II): Closing the policy gap with cap-and-trade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flachsland, Christian; Brunner, Steffen; Edenhofer, Ottmar; Creutzig, Felix

2011-01-01

Current policies in the road transport sector fail to deliver consistent and efficient incentives for greenhouse gas abatement (see companion article by ). Market-based instruments such as cap-and-trade systems close this policy gap and complement traditional policies that are required where specific market failures arise. Even in presence of strong existing non-market policies, cap-and-trade delivers additional abatement and efficiency by incentivizing demand side abatement options. This paper analyzes generic design options and economic impacts of including the European road transport sector into the EU ETS. Suitable points of regulation are up- and midstream in the fuel chain to ensure effectiveness (cover all emissions and avoid double-counting), efficiency (incentivize all abatement options) and low transaction costs. Based on year 2020 marginal abatement cost curves from different models and current EU climate policy objectives we show that in contrast to conventional wisdom, road transport inclusion would not change the EU ETS allowance price. Hence, industrial carbon leakage induced by adding road transport to the EU ETS may be less important than previously estimated. - Research highlights: → We analyze the rationale, design and economic impacts of including road transportation into GHG cap-and-trade systems. → Suitable points of regulation are up- and mid-stream. → Including European road transport into the EU ETS by 2020 would not change the EU allowance price.

Electric reaction arising in bone subjected to mechanical loadings

Science.gov (United States)

Murasawa, Go; Cho, Hideo; Ogawa, Kazuma

2006-03-01

The aim of present study is the investigation of the electric reaction arising in bone subjected to mechanical loadings. Firstly, specimen was fabricated from femur of cow, and ultrasonic propagation in bone was measured by ultrasonic technique. Secondary, 4-point bending test was conducted up to fracture, and electric reaction arising in bone was measured during loading. Thirdly, cyclic 4-point bending test was conducted to investigate the effect of applied displacement speed on electric reaction.

Targets as a tool in health policy. Part I: Lessons learned

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Herten, L. M.; Gunning-Schepers, L. J.

2000-01-01

This article reviews the start of the use of targets as a tool in health policy, summarises the fruitful uses and frequently-heard objections, and proposes some conditions for successful health target setting. Targets as tool in health policy are based on the 'management by objectives' approach

Epidemiology of frequent attenders: a 3-year historic cohort study comparing attendance, morbidity and prescriptions of one-year and persistent frequent attenders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ter Riet Gerben

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background General Practitioners spend a disproportionate amount of time on frequent attenders. So far, trials on the effect of interventions on frequent attenders have shown negative results. However, these trials were conducted in short-term frequent attenders. It would be more reasonable to target intervention at persistent frequent attenders. Typical characteristics of persistent frequent attenders, as opposed to 1-year frequent attenders and non-frequent attenders, may generate hypotheses regarding modifiable factors on which new randomized trials may be designed. Methods We used the data of all 28,860 adult patients from 5 primary healthcare centers. Frequent attenders were patients whose attendance rate ranked in the (age and sex adjusted top 10 percent during 1 year (1-year frequent attenders or 3 years (persistent frequent attenders. All other patients on the register over the 3-year period were referred to as non-frequent attenders. The lists of medical problems coded by the GP using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC were used to assess morbidity. First, we determined which proportion of 1-year frequent attenders was still a frequent attender during the next two consecutive years and calculated the GPs' workload for these patients. Second, we compared morbidity and number of prescriptions for non-frequent attenders, 1-year frequent attenders and persistent frequent attenders. Results Of all 1-year frequent attenders, 15.4% became a persistent frequent attender equal to 1.6% of all patients. The 1-year frequent attenders (3,045; 10.6% were responsible for 39% of the face-to-face consultations; the 470 patients who would become persistent frequent attenders (1.6% were responsible for 8% of all consultations in 2003. Persistent frequent attenders presented more social problems, more psychiatric problems and medically unexplained physical symptoms, but also more chronic somatic diseases (especially diabetes

PERSPECTIVES OF SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF WORKERS ARISING FROM BANGLADESH AND SENEGAL IN RONDONENSE COMMUNITY

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Paulo César da Silva Ilha

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This study presents an analysis of how the institutional, organizational and economic environments can influence the social integration of foreign workers in rondonense community. For this, we applied the Prospective Structural Analysis, a method in the form of matrix analysis of relations between the constituent variables of the system studied and those that belong to their explanatory context. The results suggest that there is a strong influence of the institutional and economic environment regarding immigration policies between countries and social integration of immigrants in the host community. There is also an unstable environment displayed by a large number of variables which arise, while also dependent and highly influential. The variable with the most influence, in view of the research group, is the pace of work adopted by agribusinesses. Thus, the institutional environment must be improved and begin the process of improvement, either in the field of migration policies and the development of actions that provides the best quality of life for immigrants and the local community, thus creating an environment of high convergence integration between the local community and the immigrant community. So that significant changes may occur it is necessary, among other things, that the coordination system is driven by institutional bodies represented by the government, with the support of agribusinesses that these immigrants work, developing levers of mutual cooperation between government, industry and immigrants.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bunion Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... A | Print | Share Frequently Asked Questions About Bunion Surgery Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) and ... best for you. 5. How can I avoid surgery? Sometimes observation of the bunion is all that ...

Policy Autonomy, Coordination or Harmonization in the Persistently Heterogeneous European Union?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kouba Luděk

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Within the context of the continuing integration process in Europe, this paper addresses the question of whether policies in the EU should head towards autonomy, coordination or harmonization. Taking the path dependence effect into account, it is the authors’ opinion that Europe has gone too far in its integration process to be able to continue with policies being fully under the competences of individual member countries. However, the habitual question still arises: does fiscal policy need to be harmonized to a level comparable to monetary policy as these two policies, necessarily, complement each other? This paper argues that it does not. There are three main arguments discussed. Firstly, the authors build on the theory of fiscal federalism. Secondly, there are significantly different regimes of welfare states and extents of social policies among European countries, which strongly determine the character of public finance. And thirdly, the tax systems across Europe are also highly divergent, with many features of continuing tax competition.

Different roles of electromagnetic field experts when giving policy advice : an expert consultation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spruijt, Pita; Knol, Anne B; Petersen, Arthur C; Lebret, Erik

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The overall evidence for adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) at levels of exposure normally experienced by the public is generally considered weak. However, whether long-term health effects arise remains uncertain and scientific policy advice is therefore given against

Different roles of electromagnetic field experts when giving policy advice: an expert consultation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spruijt, P.; Knol, A.B.; Petersen, A.C.; Lebret, E.

2015-01-01

Background: The overall evidence for adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) at levels of exposure normally experienced by the public is generally considered weak. However, whether long-term health effects arise remains uncertain and scientific policy advice is therefore given against

Uncommon Commonalities: Cosmopolitan Ethics as a Framework for Music Education Policy Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Richerme, Lauren Kapalka

2016-01-01

Contemporary American education policy rhetoric is problematic because its authors' assertions, particularly those about the goals of education, frequently conflict with their implied moral and/or ethical commitments. This philosophical policy analysis uses Appiah's cosmopolitan principles to examine the ethical implications of current education…

Positioning women's and children's health in African union policy-making: a policy analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toure Kadidiatou

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background With limited time to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, progress towards improving women's and children's health needs to be accelerated. With Africa accounting for over half of the world's maternal and child deaths, the African Union (AU has a critical role in prioritizing related policies and catalysing required investments and action. In this paper, the authors assess the evolution of African Union policies related to women's and children's health, and analyze how these policies are prioritized and framed. Methods The main method used in this policy analysis was a document review of all African Union policies developed from 1963 to 2010, focusing specifically on policies that explicitly mention health. The findings from this document review were discussed with key actors to identify policy implications. Results With over 220 policies in total, peace and security is the most common AU policy topic. Social affairs and other development issues became more prominent in the 1990s. The number of policies that mentioned health rose steadily over the years (with 1 policy mentioning health in 1963 to 7 in 2010. This change was catalysed by factors such as: a favourable shift in AU priorities and systems towards development issues, spurred by the transition from the Organization of African Unity to the African Union; the mandate of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights; health-related advocacy initiatives, such as the Campaign for the Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA; action and accountability requirements arising from international human rights treaties, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, and new health-funding mechanisms, such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Prioritization of women's and children's health issues in AU policies has been framed primarily by human rights, advocacy and accountability considerations, more by economic and health frames

Positioning women's and children's health in African union policy-making: a policy analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Toure, Kadidiatou; Sankore, Rotimi; Kuruvilla, Shyama; Scolaro, Elisa; Bustreo, Flavia; Osotimehin, Babatunde

2012-02-16

With limited time to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, progress towards improving women's and children's health needs to be accelerated. With Africa accounting for over half of the world's maternal and child deaths, the African Union (AU) has a critical role in prioritizing related policies and catalysing required investments and action. In this paper, the authors assess the evolution of African Union policies related to women's and children's health, and analyze how these policies are prioritized and framed. The main method used in this policy analysis was a document review of all African Union policies developed from 1963 to 2010, focusing specifically on policies that explicitly mention health. The findings from this document review were discussed with key actors to identify policy implications. With over 220 policies in total, peace and security is the most common AU policy topic. Social affairs and other development issues became more prominent in the 1990s. The number of policies that mentioned health rose steadily over the years (with 1 policy mentioning health in 1963 to 7 in 2010).This change was catalysed by factors such as: a favourable shift in AU priorities and systems towards development issues, spurred by the transition from the Organization of African Unity to the African Union; the mandate of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights; health-related advocacy initiatives, such as the Campaign for the Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA); action and accountability requirements arising from international human rights treaties, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and new health-funding mechanisms, such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.Prioritization of women's and children's health issues in AU policies has been framed primarily by human rights, advocacy and accountability considerations, more by economic and health frames looking at investments and impact. AU policies related

Energy, emissions and emergency medical services: Policy matters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Lawrence H.; Blanchard, Ian E.

2012-01-01

Understanding the energy consumption and emissions associated with health services is important for minimizing their environmental impact and guiding their adaptation to a low-carbon economy. In this post-hoc analysis, we characterize the energy burden of North American emergency medical services (EMS) agencies and estimate the potential marginal damage costs arising from their emissions as an example of how and why health services matter in environmental and energy policy, and how and why environmental and energy policy matter to health services. We demonstrate EMS systems are energy intensive, and that vehicle fuels represent 80% of their energy burden while electricity and natural gas represent 20%. We also demonstrate that emissions from EMS operations represent only a small fraction of estimated health sector emissions, but for EMS systems in the United States the associated marginal damage costs are likely between $2.7 million and $9.7 million annually. Significant changes in the supply or price of energy, including changes that arise from environmental and energy policy initiatives designed to constrain fossil fuel consumption, could potentially affect EMS agencies and other health services. We encourage cross disciplinary research to proactively facilitate the health system's adaptation to a low-carbon economy. - Highlights: ► Estimated EMS-related emissions less than 1% of health sector emissions. ► Damage costs of U.S. EMS-related emissions estimated at $2.7 to $9.7 million. ► EMS energy burden is approximately 442 MJ per ambulance response. ► Approximately 80% of EMS energy burden is vehicle fuels. ► Energy supply, price and policy could impact EMS (and other health) services. ► Research needed to facilitate health services’ adaptation to a low carbon economy.

Anomalous Posterior Intercostal Arterial Trunk Arising From the Abdominal Aorta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jie, Bing, E-mail: jbshh@163.com; Yu, Dong, E-mail: yudong-mail@126.com; Jiang, Sen, E-mail: jasfly77@vip.163.com [Tongji University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital (China)

2016-04-15

A common trunk of the ipsilateral posterior intercostal artery (PIA) arising from the thoracic aorta is usually an anatomical variation. However, a common trunk of bilateral posterior intercostal arterial trunk (PIAT) arising from the abdominal aorta is rare. It is important to recognize this anatomical variation of PIA when performing interventional radiological procedures. We present a rare case of an anomalous PIAT that originated from the abdominal aorta in a patient with hemoptysis caused by tuberculosis sequelae. Bilateral 4th to 11th PIAs arose from a common trunk and the trunk arising from the posterior aspect of the abdominal aorta at the level of T12/L1 intervertebral space. The pathological right 4th and 5th PIAs and bronchial arteries were embolized. Hemoptysis has been controlled for 3 months.

A strategy different from France's: German energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linkohr, R.

2013-01-01

Shortly after the Fukushima accident, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, announced a new course for the country's energy policy: nuclear power is to be fully abandoned by 2022, owing to a massive recourse to renewable sources of energy. The proclaimed goal is for renewable energy to make up 35% of the country's energy mix by 2035 and even 80% by 2050. This energy transition, though benefiting from a consensus, has run up against several difficulties: an unadapted electric power grid, the excessively high costs of investment, and exorbitant electricity rates for consumers.... Till now, this energy policy's basis principles have not come under question, but questioning are arising about the pace and cost of this transformation. (author)

The Asymmetric Effects of Monetary Policy and Bank Credits in Taiwan Banking Industry - A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

OpenAIRE

Jui-Chuan Chang; Ching-Chuan Tsong; Chieh-Tsung Wu

2010-01-01

This paper investigates whether distributional effect arising from the impact of monetary policy on bank credits will be different when monetary policy is asymmetric. Methodologically, we use a set of high frequency panel data for Taiwan commercial banks and adopt Arellano and Bond's (1991) generalized method of moments approach to conduct our empirical analysis. First of all, we investigate whether there exist the distributional effects of monetary policy on bank lending behavior which is as...

PUBLIC POLICIES AND STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF A COUNTRY . CASE OF MOLDOVA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenia BUŞMACHIU

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The study of concepts applied in the decision - making process aims to investigate the functioning of mechanisms to develop and implement the central public administration policies. A modern decision - making process includes the whole procedure of decision making: setting the priorities of public policies, choosing options, instruments of public policy implementation, developing and adopting the respective legislative and normative acts, funding to implement these policies, conducting implementation actions and monitoring the impact of public policy decisions. Often the decision - making process in public administration is interpreted as a simple organization of the information and documents circuit. Therefore there arises the need to analyze the concept of decision making and propose solutions to improve it.

Stabilization Policy and the Costs of Dollarization

OpenAIRE

Stephanie Schmitt-Grohe; Martin Uribe

2000-01-01

This paper compares the welfare costs of business cycles in a dollarized economy to those arising in economies with different monetary arrangements. The alternative monetary policy regimes studied belong to three broad families: devaluation rate rules, inflation targeting, and money growth rate rules. The analysis is conducted within an optimizing model of a small open economy with sticky prices. The model is calibrated to the Mexican economy and is driven by three external shocks: terms of t...

Radiological protection issues arising during and after the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González, Abel J; Akashi, Makoto; Sakai, Kazuo; Yonekura, Yoshiharu; Boice Jr, John D; Chino, Masamichi; Homma, Toshimitsu; Ishigure, Nobuhito; Kai, Michiaki; Kusumi, Shizuyo; Lee, Jai-Ki; Menzel, Hans-Georg; Niwa, Ohtsura; Yamashita, Shunichi; Weiss, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

potential health effects are properly interpreted; the limitations of epidemiological studies for attributing radiation effects following low exposures are understood; any confusion on protection quantities and units is resolved; the potential hazard from the intake of radionuclides into the body is elucidated; rescuers and volunteers are protected with an ad hoc system; clear recommendations on crisis management and medical care and on recovery and rehabilitation are available; recommendations on public protection levels (including infant, children and pregnant women and their expected offspring) and associated issues are consistent and understandable; updated recommendations on public monitoring policy are available; acceptable (or tolerable) ‘contamination’ levels are clearly stated and defined; strategies for mitigating the serious psychological consequences arising from radiological accidents are sought; and, last but not least, failures in fostering information sharing on radiological protection policy after an accident need to be addressed with recommendations to minimise such lapses in communication. (memorandum)

Radiological protection issues arising during and after the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident.

Science.gov (United States)

González, Abel J; Akashi, Makoto; Boice, John D; Chino, Masamichi; Homma, Toshimitsu; Ishigure, Nobuhito; Kai, Michiaki; Kusumi, Shizuyo; Lee, Jai-Ki; Menzel, Hans-Georg; Niwa, Ohtsura; Sakai, Kazuo; Weiss, Wolfgang; Yamashita, Shunichi; Yonekura, Yoshiharu

2013-09-01

health effects are properly interpreted; the limitations of epidemiological studies for attributing radiation effects following low exposures are understood; any confusion on protection quantities and units is resolved; the potential hazard from the intake of radionuclides into the body is elucidated; rescuers and volunteers are protected with an ad hoc system; clear recommendations on crisis management and medical care and on recovery and rehabilitation are available; recommendations on public protection levels (including infant, children and pregnant women and their expected offspring) and associated issues are consistent and understandable; updated recommendations on public monitoring policy are available; acceptable (or tolerable) 'contamination' levels are clearly stated and defined; strategies for mitigating the serious psychological consequences arising from radiological accidents are sought; and, last but not least, failures in fostering information sharing on radiological protection policy after an accident need to be addressed with recommendations to minimise such lapses in communication.

Multi-objective convex programming problem arising in multivariate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Multi-objective convex programming problem arising in ... However, although the consideration of multiple objectives may seem a novel concept, virtually any nontrivial ..... Solving multiobjective programming problems by discrete optimization.

MYC Amplification in Angiosarcoma Arising from an Arteriovenous Graft Site

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen M. Paral

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Angiosarcoma arising in association with an arteriovenous graft (AVG or fistula is a unique clinicopathologic scenario that appears to be gaining recognition in the literature. Among reported cases, none has described high-level MYC gene amplification, a genetic aberration that is increasingly unifying the various clinicopathologic subdivisions of angiosarcoma. We therefore report the MYC gene status in a case of angiosarcoma arising at an AVG site.

Spectral-analysis-based extraction of land disturbances arising from oil and gas development in diverse landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Lantz, Nicholas; Guindon, Bert; Jiao, Xianfen

2017-01-01

Accurate and frequent monitoring of land surface changes arising from oil and gas exploration and extraction is a key requirement for the responsible and sustainable development of these resources. Petroleum deposits typically extend over large geographic regions but much of the infrastructure required for oil and gas recovery takes the form of numerous small-scale features (e.g., well sites, access roads, etc.) scattered over the landscape. Increasing exploitation of oil and gas deposits will increase the presence of these disturbances in heavily populated regions. An object-based approach is proposed to utilize RapidEye satellite imagery to delineate well sites and related access roads in diverse complex landscapes, where land surface changes also arise from other human activities, such as forest logging and agriculture. A simplified object-based change vector approach, adaptable to operational use, is introduced to identify the disturbances on land based on red-green spectral response and spatial attributes of candidate object size and proximity to roads. Testing of the techniques has been undertaken with RapidEye multitemporal imagery in two test sites located at Alberta, Canada: one was a predominant natural forest landscape and the other landscape dominated by intensive agricultural activities. Accuracies of 84% and 73%, respectively, have been achieved for the identification of well site and access road infrastructure of the two sites based on fully automated processing. Limited manual relabeling of selected image segments can improve these accuracies to 95%.

One-by-one or all-at-once? Self-reporting policies and dishonesty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rilke, R.M.; Schurr, A.; Barkan, R.; Shalvi, S.

2016-01-01

Organizational monitoring relies frequently on self-reports (e.g., work hours, progress reports, travel expenses). A "one-by-one" policy requires employees to submit a series of reports (e.g., daily or itemized reports). An "all-at-once" policy requires an overall report (e.g., an annual or an

Contested ‘relational policy spaces’ in two European border regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dörry, Sabine; Walther, Olivier

2015-01-01

Cross-border cooperation to promote economic development and political integration has been among the EU’s key themes since the 1990s, and contemporary policy networks are considered useful organisational solutions. Focusing on transport policies in the border regions of Basel and Luxembourg, we...... analyse measures of persistency of national preferences among policy actors, mapping their perceived ‘policy spaces of action’ and conceptualising these policy spaces as relational. We discuss two empirical findings: The networks’ various actors on either side of the border appear to perceive the actual...... ‘policy spaces’ very differently. Therefore, and due to the networks’ terminability, these policy spaces are highly contested and frequently negotiated between the actors. Based on a combination of in-depth interviews, sketch maps, and social network analysis, we show that large spatiocultural differences...

Empiricism Verses Rationalism: Matters Arising in Medical Practice ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Empiricism Verses Rationalism: Matters Arising in Medical Practice. ... AFRREV STECH: An International Journal of Science and Technology ... entirely antagonistic to one another, one favoring the senses and the other favoring the mind.

Consumo frequente de bebidas alcoólicas por adolescentes escolares: estudo de fatores associados Frequent consumption of alcohol by school age adolescents: study of associated factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Analy Marquardt de Matos

2010-06-01

were a self-administered questionnaire designed in compliance with WHO recommendations and other valid questionnaires from similar studies. Anonymous confidential data collecting was assured. Adolescents who reported frequent alcohol drinking (at least every weekend were considered exposed. RESULTS: Frequent alcohol drinking was associated with the male gender; early consumption; little-known sexual partner; problems with other drugs in the family; living with a partner; own income; drug trafficking; consumption with friends, activities at school, motivations (anxiety, excitement/pleasure, and consequences (other drugs, fights, debts in work/school CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of personal, interpersonal, family and environmental factors associated with alcohol use in adolescents should be considered in the implementation of school programs and public policies for alcohol use prevention focusing on behaviors that could minimize exposure to risk.

[Workplace health promotion in public health policies in Poland].

Science.gov (United States)

Puchalski, Krzysztof; Korzeniowska, Elzbieta

2008-01-01

In this paper the author analyses how far in Poland the idea of workplace health promotion (WHP) does exist in the area of public health understood in its broadest sense. The analysis encapsulates the following issues: (a) the national legislative policy, (b) strategies, programs and projects concerning health issues launched or coordinated by the state or local administration, (c) grassroots initiatives for health promotion supported by local and regional administration, (d) civic projects or business strategies for health. In addition, the author emphasizes the marginalization of workplace health promotion and lack of cohesive policy in this field as well as, the fact that health problems of the working population arising from current demographic, technological, economic and social changes that could be dealt with through developing and implementing WHP projects are not yet fully perceived by public health policy makers.

Factors relevant to the recycling or reuse of components arising from the decommissioning and refurbishment of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The decommissioning and decontamination of nuclear facilities is a topic of great interest to many Member States of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) because of the large number of older nuclear facilities which are or soon will be retired from service. To assist in the development of the required decommissioning expertise, the IAEA is developing reports and recommendations which will eventually form an integrated information base covering in a systematic way the wide range of topics associated with decommissioning. This information is required so that Member States can decommission their nuclear facilities in a safe, timely and cost effective manner and the IAEA can effectively respond to requests for assistance. One area which warrants more detailed analyses is an assessment of the factors important to the recycling or reuse of components arising from the refurbishment or decommissioning of nuclear plants, the topic of the present report. The document provides an up to date review of the engineering, social, scientific and administrative factors relevant to the safe recycling or reuse of components arising from decommissioning or refurbishment of nuclear facilities. This report should be of interest to owners, operators, policy makers and regulators involved with nuclear facilities, especially those in developing countries. Refs, figs and tabs

Frequent hemodialysis in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Warady, Bradley A; Fischbach, Michel; Geary, Denis; Goldstein, Stuart L

2007-07-01

Frequent hemodialysis is currently conducted in a limited number of pediatric dialysis centers. However, the preliminary experience with children who have undergone procedures such as "daily" intensive hemodiafiltration and nocturnal hemodialysis has been positive, with the allowance for unrestricted diets and fluid intake, the lack of need for phosphate binders, excellent metabolic and blood pressure control, and, in the case of hemodiafiltration, excellent growth. The provision of frequent daily hemodialysis with the NxStage System has also recently been introduced to pediatrics. An overview about what is currently understood regarding the technical and clinical application of these approaches to therapy for children with end-stage renal disease form the basis for this article and highlight the impact of the procedures to date and the need for additional experience and collaborative data collection.

Cellular schwannoma arising from sigmoid mesocolon presenting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Schwannomas are a type of peripheral nerve sheath tumors with clinically indolent behavior. Though, they can occur anywhere in body, the incidence in retroperitoneum, mediastinum, and pelvis is exceedingly rare. We present a case of a 58‑year‑old female with a massive twisted tumor arising from sigmoid mesocolon.

Cellular Schwannoma Arising from Sigmoid Mesocolon Presenting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Schwannomas are a type of peripheral nerve sheath tumors with clinically indolent behavior. Though, they can occur anywhere in body, the incidence in retroperitoneum, mediastinum, and pelvis is exceedingly rare. We present a case of a 58‑year‑old female with a massive twisted tumor arising from sigmoid mesocolon.

Scalable Frequent Subgraph Mining

KAUST Repository

Abdelhamid, Ehab

2017-01-01

Given an input graph, the Frequent Subgraph Mining (FSM) task finds all subgraphs with frequencies exceeding a given threshold. FSM is crucial for graph analysis, and it is an essential building block in a variety

Authorship policies of scientific journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Resnik, David B; Tyler, Ana M; Black, Jennifer R; Kissling, Grace

2016-03-01

We analysed the authorship policies of a random sample of 600 journals from the Journal Citation Reports database. 62.5% of the journals we sampled had an authorship policy. Having an authorship policy was positively associated with impact factor. Journals from the biomedical sciences and social sciences/humanities were more likely to have an authorship policy than journals from the physical sciences, engineering or mathematical sciences. Among journals with a policy, the most frequent type of policy was guidance on criteria for authorship (99.7%); followed by guidance on acknowledgments (97.3%); requiring that authors make substantial contributions to the research (94.7%); requiring that authors be accountable for the research as a whole (84.8%); guidance on changes in authorship (77.9%); requiring that authors give final approval to the manuscript (77.6%); requiring that authors draft or critically revise the manuscript (71.7%); providing guidance on corporate authorship (58.9%); prohibiting gift, guest or ghost authorship (31.7%); requiring authors to describe their contributions (5.3%); limiting the number of authors for some types of articles (4.0%) and requiring authors to be accountable for their part in the research (1.1%). None of the policies addressed equal contribution statements. Journals that do not have authorship policies should consider adopting or developing ones. 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/

Primary chondroid chordoma arising from the petrous temporal bone: a case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Young Uk; Youn, Eun Kyung [Koryo General Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1991-01-15

Chordomas are uncommon tumors which arise from remnants of the primitive notochord. They are situated chiefly in the anterior spinal axis with a predilection for the sacrococcygeal region and the basiocciput. About 50% of chordomas are sacrococcygeal, 35% are intracranial, and 15% arise from a vertebral body. As a histologic variant of chordoma, /chondroid chordoma' was first described by Heffelfinger et al. We present a rare case of primary chondroid chordoma arising from the petrous temporal bone. To our knowledge, only two other cases of this type have been reported earlier.

Primary chondroid chordoma arising from the petrous temporal bone: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young Uk; Youn, Eun Kyung

1991-01-01

Chordomas are uncommon tumors which arise from remnants of the primitive notochord. They are situated chiefly in the anterior spinal axis with a predilection for the sacrococcygeal region and the basiocciput. About 50% of chordomas are sacrococcygeal, 35% are intracranial, and 15% arise from a vertebral body. As a histologic variant of chordoma, /chondroid chordoma' was first described by Heffelfinger et al. We present a rare case of primary chondroid chordoma arising from the petrous temporal bone. To our knowledge, only two other cases of this type have been reported earlier

Religion and attitudes toward abortion and abortion policy in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogland, Curtis P; Verona, Ana Paula

2011-01-01

This study examines the association between religion and attitudes toward the practice of abortion and abortion policy in Brazil. Drawing upon data from the 2002 Brazilian Social Research Survey (BSRS), we test a number of hypotheses with regard to the role of religion on opposition to the practice of abortion and its legalization. Findings indicate that frequently attending Pentecostals demonstrate the strongest opposition to the practice of abortion and both frequently attending Pentecostals and Catholics demonstrate the strongest opposition to its legalization. Additional religious factors, such as a commitment to biblical literalism, were also found to be significantly associated with opposition to both abortion issues. Ultimately, the findings have implications for the future of public policy on abortion and other contentious social issues in Brazil.

Nuclear energy and foreign policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, T.

1981-01-01

The intention of this book lies in demonstrating why the Swiss industry and the Bund had begun to show interest for nuclear energy and in how far the framework conditions of this enterprise had been changed by the plans and constraints of foreign policy. Thus the topic of the study is located in the overlapping sector of different aspects of Swiss policy: foreign safety, economic, energy, and research policy had played an important role when the Swiss nculear programme had been developed. It is understood that there had frequently been conflicts of interest between the national sectors of politics, on one hand, and, on the other, between Swiss targets and international policy. The following study is trying to explain how these conflicts of interest had originated and had been solved after all. Emphasis is laid on the years 1967-1977. During that period the Swiss Confederation had decided to sign and to ratify the non-proliferation treaty at the end of a long and complicated process. (orig./HP) [de

Why does Centralisation fail to internalise Policy Externalities?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.J. Dur (Robert); H.J. Roelfsema (Hein)

2002-01-01

textabstractCentralisation of political decision making often fails to produce the desired results. For instance, it is frequently argued that decision making within the European Union results in overspending and overregulation in some policy areas, while too low spending and too little regulation

Non-Implementation of road pricing policy in the Netherlands : An application of the "advocacy coalition framework"

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ardic, O.; Annema, J.A.; van Wee, G.P.

2015-01-01

The implementation of road pricing policies is dependent on political support for the policy. It is frequently argued that many pricing proposals fail to be implemented due to the opposition of one or a group of policy actors (e.g. political parties, interest groups). This study considers this issue

The CANDU-PHW generating system waste arisings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, G.R.

1979-03-01

In this report, the volume of material and level of contained radioactive nuclides are tabulated for wastes arising from four fuel cycles which might be operated in CANDU-PHW (CANada Deuterium Uranium - Pressurized Heavy Water) reactors. The data presented, based on Canadian experience and/or studies, cover the range of conditioned waste volumes which could be expected from steady-state (no growth), CANDU-PHW-powered electrical generating systems. The wastes arising from operation and decommissioning of facilities in each phase of each fuel cycle are estimated. Each fuel cycle is considered to operate in isolation with the data given in terms of quantities per gigawatt-year of electricity produced. Three of the fuel cycles for which data are presented, the natural uranium once-through cycle, the plutonium-enriched uranium cycle (plutonium recycle) and the low-burnup uranium-enriched thorium cycle (thorium and uranium recycle), were studied by INFCE WG.7 (the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation, Working Group 7) as fuel cycles 4, 5 and 6. The high-burnup uranium-enriched thorium cycle is included for comparison. INFCE WG.7 selected many common reference parameters which are applied uniformly to all seven INFCE WG.7 reference fuel cycles in determining waste arisings. Where these parameters differ from the data of Canadian origin given in the body of this report, the INFCE WG.7 data are given in an appendix. The waste management costs associated with operation of each INFCE WG.7 reference fuel cycle were calculated and compared by the working group. An arbitrary set of costing parameters and disposal technologies was selected by the working group for application to each of the reference fuel cycles. The waste management and disposal costs for the PHW reactor fuel cycles based on these arbitrary cost parameters are given in an appendix. (author)

Frequent Questions on Recycling

Science.gov (United States)

This is a list of frequent questions on recycling, broken down into five categories. These are answers to common questions that EPA has received from press and web inquiries. This list is located on the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle website.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising within a maxillary odontogenic keratocyst: A rare occurrence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalali, Elnaz; Tadinada, Aditya; Rengasamy, Kandasamy; Ferneini, Elie M.

2017-01-01

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising within the lining of an odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is a rare occurrence. Although potentially locally destructive, OKC is a benign odontogenic process that typically presents with clinical and radiographic features characteristic of a benign intraosseous neoplasm. We present the clinical and radiographic features of a maxillary mass that demonstrated SCC arising from the lining of an OKC. Although the initial clinical and radiographic presentation suggested an infection or malignant neoplasm, biopsies revealed an infiltrative well-differentiated SCC contiguous with and arising from the focus of a pre-existing OKC. The patient subsequently underwent a type II hemi-maxillectomy with neoadjuvant chemoradiation. This report discusses the clinical and radiographic features associated with intraosseous malignancies, especially those arising from an otherwise benign odontogenic lesion. While the majority of OKCs are benign, the current report illustrates the potential for carcinomatous transformation within the lining of an OKC

Squamous cell carcinoma arising within a maxillary odontogenic keratocyst: A rare occurrence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jalali, Elnaz [Eliray Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Consulting Services, Miami (United States); Tadinada, Aditya; Rengasamy, Kandasamy; Ferneini, Elie M. [University of Connecticut, School of Dental Medicine, Farmington (United States)

2017-06-15

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising within the lining of an odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is a rare occurrence. Although potentially locally destructive, OKC is a benign odontogenic process that typically presents with clinical and radiographic features characteristic of a benign intraosseous neoplasm. We present the clinical and radiographic features of a maxillary mass that demonstrated SCC arising from the lining of an OKC. Although the initial clinical and radiographic presentation suggested an infection or malignant neoplasm, biopsies revealed an infiltrative well-differentiated SCC contiguous with and arising from the focus of a pre-existing OKC. The patient subsequently underwent a type II hemi-maxillectomy with neoadjuvant chemoradiation. This report discusses the clinical and radiographic features associated with intraosseous malignancies, especially those arising from an otherwise benign odontogenic lesion. While the majority of OKCs are benign, the current report illustrates the potential for carcinomatous transformation within the lining of an OKC.

Frequent Pattern Mining Algorithms for Data Clustering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zimek, Arthur; Assent, Ira; Vreeken, Jilles

2014-01-01

that frequent pattern mining was at the cradle of subspace clustering—yet, it quickly developed into an independent research field. In this chapter, we discuss how frequent pattern mining algorithms have been extended and generalized towards the discovery of local clusters in high-dimensional data......Discovering clusters in subspaces, or subspace clustering and related clustering paradigms, is a research field where we find many frequent pattern mining related influences. In fact, as the first algorithms for subspace clustering were based on frequent pattern mining algorithms, it is fair to say....... In particular, we discuss several example algorithms for subspace clustering or projected clustering as well as point out recent research questions and open topics in this area relevant to researchers in either clustering or pattern mining...

Occupancy statistics arising from weighted particle rearrangements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huillet, Thierry

2007-01-01

The box-occupancy distributions arising from weighted rearrangements of a particle system are investigated. In the grand-canonical ensemble, they are characterized by determinantal joint probability generating functions. For doubly non-negative weight matrices, fractional occupancy statistics, generalizing Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein statistics, can be defined. A spatially extended version of these balls-in-boxes problems is investigated

Assessment of environmental impacts following alternative agricultural policy scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Bárlund, I; Lehtonen, H; Tattari, S

2005-01-01

Abstract Finnish agriculture is likely to undergo major changes in the near and intermediate future. The ifuture policy context can be examined at a general level by strategic scenario building. Computer-based modelling in combination with agricultural policy scenarios can in turn create a basis for the assessments of changes in environmental quality following possible changes in Finnish agriculture. The analysis of economic consequences is based on the DREMFIA model, which is applied to study effects of various agricultural policies on land use, animal production, and farmers' income. The model is suitable for an impact analysis covering an extended time span--here up to the year 2015. The changes in land use, obtained with the DREMFIA model assuming rational economic behaviour, form the basis when evaluating environmental impacts of different agricultural policies. The environmental impact assessment is performed using the field scale nutrient transport model ICECREAM. The modelled variables are nitrogen and phosphorus losses in surface runoff and percolation. In this paper the modelling strategy will be presented and highlighted using two case study catchments with varying environmental conditions and land use as an example. In addition, the paper identifies issues arising when connecting policy scenarios with impact modelling.

Low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma arising in fibroadenoma of the breast-A case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Myong, Na-Hye; Min, Jun-Won

2016-03-25

Myofibroblastic sarcoma or myofibrosarcoma is a malignant tumor of myofibroblasts and known to develop rarely in the breast, but its underlying lesion and tumor cell origin have never been reported yet. A 61-year-old female presented with a gradually growing breast mass with well-demarcated ovoid nodular shape. The tumor was histologically characterized by fascicular-growing spindle cell proliferation with large areas of hyalinized fibrosis and focally ductal epithelial remnants embedded in myxoid stroma, mimicking a fibroadenomatous lesion. It had frequent mitoses of 5-16/10 high-power fields, hemorrhagic necrosis, and focally pericapsular invasion. The spindle cells were diffusely immunoreactive for fibronectin, smooth muscle actin, and calponin, which suggest a myofibroblastic origin. Multiple irregularly thickened vessels with medial or pericytic cell proliferation were found to be merged with the intrinsic tumor cells. The tumor could be diagnosed low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma arising in an old fibroadenoma. We report a case of a low-grade mammary myofibrosarcoma that showed a background lesion of fibroadenoma first in the worldwide literature and suggest the pericytes or medial muscle cells of the intratumoral vessels as the cell origin of the myofibroblastic sarcoma.

Environmental policy on radwaste management and disposal in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Yamin

1993-01-01

This paper introduces the environmental policy on radwaste management and disposal. In order to prevent different kinds of radwaste from polluting environment, ensure public health, and simultaneously promote the development of nuclear energy and nuclear technology, a set of environmental policies on radwaste management and disposal has been established. The major policy are as follows: (1) Solidifying the temporarily-stored radioactive liquid waste as early as possible. (2) Limiting the temporarily-stored time for intermediate-and low-level solidified radwaste, and solid radwaste. (3) Constructing regional disposal repository for Low and Intermediate level radwaste (L/ILW) (4) The radwaste and spent radiation sources arising from nuclear technology application shall be sent to the provincial waste repositories that are named City Radwaste Repository. (5) The radwaste coming from the development and application of inter-grown radioactive mineral resources should be stored in the dams which have to be provided

The invisibility of children's paid and unpaid work: implications for Ethiopia's national poverty reduction policy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Woldehanna, T.; Jones, N.; Tefera, B.

2008-01-01

The complexities of intergenerational and gendered intra-household resource allocations are frequently overlooked in poverty reduction policies. To address this lacuna, this article focuses on links between macro-development policies and children's paid and unpaid work burden in Ethiopia. Using a

The methodology of risk perception research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sjoberg, L.

1998-01-01

Risk perception is frequently held to be crucial in the understanding and management of risk in policy contexts. The present paper takes as a starting point the notion that risk perception, of the public, of experts and other special groups, is important and hence the question arises how it should be investigated

Using economic policy to tackle chronic disease: options for the Australian Government.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplin, Lauren; Thow, Anne Marie

2013-03-01

Australia suffers from one of the highest prevalences among developed countries of persons being overweight and obese, these conditions arising from the overconsumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods that are generally less expensive than healthier options. One potential avenue for intervention is to influence the price of foods such that healthier options are less expensive and, therefore, are an easier choice to make. This article considers the potential for fiscal policies that would realign food prices with health incentives. Through a review of consumption taxes, consumer subsidies, trade policies, agricultural support policies, and other incentive programs as possible avenues for intervention, this article asks what the Commonwealth Government has already done to help improve Australian diets, and looks at where further improvements could be made.

Electricity pricing policy: A neo-institutional, developmental and cross-national policy design map

Science.gov (United States)

Koundinya, Sridarshan Umesh

This dissertation explores the role of ideas and ideology in the mental policy design maps of regulators in the US and in India. The research approach is to describe the regulatory design process in the history of the US electric industry from a neo-institutional and developmental perspective. And then to use the insights of such a study to suggest policy options to a sample of Indian experts. A regulatory process model explores the interactions among normative values, regulatory instruments and historical phases in policy design. A spectrum of seven regulatory instruments--subsidized rates, average cost pricing, marginal cost pricing, time-of-use pricing, ramsey pricing, incentive regulation and spot pricing is examined. A neo-institutional perspective characterizes the process of institutionalizing these regulatory instruments as a design process that infuses them with values beyond mere technical requirements. The process model includes normative values such as efficiency, fairness, free choice and political feasibility. These values arise from an analytical classification of various market metaphors debated in the history of economic thought. The theory of development and co-evolution applied to the history of electricity regulation yields a typology of evolutionary phases in the US. The typology describes hierarchically emergent relationships between supply and demand and among the normative values. The theory hypothesizes technologically contingent relationships between pricing policies and normative values in the historical phases of dependence (or rural), independence (or urban) and interdependence (or informational). The contents of this model are represented as related elements in a policy design map that simplifies the process of designing regulatory instruments in the US. This neo-institutional, developmental policy design map was used to design a survey instrument. The survey was conducted among electricity experts in India to test the hypothesized

Input-output interactions and optimal monetary policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petrella, Ivan; Santoro, Emiliano

2011-01-01

This paper deals with the implications of factor demand linkages for monetary policy design in a two-sector dynamic general equilibrium model. Part of the output of each sector serves as a production input in both sectors, in accordance with a realistic input–output structure. Strategic...... complementarities induced by factor demand linkages significantly alter the transmission of shocks and amplify the loss of social welfare under optimal monetary policy, compared to what is observed in standard two-sector models. The distinction between value added and gross output that naturally arises...... in this context is of key importance to explore the welfare properties of the model economy. A flexible inflation targeting regime is close to optimal only if the central bank balances inflation and value added variability. Otherwise, targeting gross output variability entails a substantial increase in the loss...

Sustainable energy policy - implementation needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jefferson, M. [Global Energy and Environmental Consultants, Felmersham (United Kingdom)

2000-07-01

Implementation of sustainable energy must address current needs arising from poverty, inequity, unreliability of supplies, social and economic development requirements, and increasing efficiency as well as widening the fuel mix, accelerating the deployment of appropriate new renewable energy schemes, and giving the necessary consideration to protection of the biosphere and the needs of future generations. To achieve these multiple goals markets need to work better, additional investments need to be mobilised in sustainable energy, technological innovation needs to be encouraged, technological diffusion and capacity building in developing countries needs to be supported, and both sounder domestic policies and greater international co-operation are required. (author)

Environment based innovation: policy questions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Rui Silva

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Natural resources and physical cultural resources, referred to in this paper as “Environmental Resources”, can be important assets for regional competitiveness and innovation. In recent years, these types of assets have been increasingly taken into consideration in the design and implementation of regional development strategies, as a consequence of their potential role as a source of differentiation and of new competitive advantages. However, in contrast to environmental policies, which usually focus on the protection of the environment, innovation policies and their instruments are largely shaped by, and geared towards, knowledge-based innovation.In this paper, we discuss the role played by environmental resources in the context of regional innovation policies. We begin by discussing the relationship between environmental resources and regional development, and by emphasizing some contrasting views with regard to the function of environmental resources in regional development. Then, we address the relationship between regional competitive advantages and innovation strategies. The specific issues and problems that arise whenever the aim is to attain competitive advantages through the valorisation of environmental resources constitute the core of section III. In that section, we highlight the specific characteristics of environmental resources and we discuss the applicability of the “natural resource curse” argument to the dynamics based on the valorisation of environmental resources. The reasons that justify public interventionas well as the difficulties concerning the adequate level of intervention (local / regional / national are also examined. The paper ends with some conclusions and policy implications.

Two cases of basal cell carcinoma arising from chronic radiation dermatitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakamori, Takeshi; Takenaka, Hideya; Ueda, Eiichiro; Katoh, Norito; Kishimoto, Saburo

2003-01-01

A 48-year-old female and a 51-year-old male with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) arising from chronic radiation dermatitis are reviewed. They are treated with radiotherapy for hemangioma on their right cheek in their childhood. Review in the literature showed high incidence of the histological diagnosis of malignant skin tumors arising from chronic radiation dermatitis are follows: squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), BCC, sarcoma, and Bowen's disease. (author)

Sialorrhoea: How to Manage a Frequent Complication of Motor Neuron Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Pellegrini

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Sialorrhoea, the unintentional loss of saliva through the mouth, is the frequent complication of neurological disorders affecting strength or coordination of oropharyngeal muscles, such as motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS or Parkinson’s disease. Sialorrhoea might affect up to 42% of ALS patients, with almost half of them having poorly managed symptoms. Sialorrhoea can impair patients’ social life, while dermatological complications, such as skin rashes, may arise due to constant exposure to moisture. Moreover, the excess mouth-retained saliva in ALS patients may lead to serious complications, such as choking, which causes anxiety, and aspiration with the consequent pneumonia. The inclusion of a sialorrhoea-related item in the ALS functional rating scale testifies both the incidence and importance of sialorrhoea during the ALS clinical course. Because of the progressive nature of ALS, presence and severity of sialorrhoea should be assessed at every visit and, when present, active treatment pursued. Available treatments include behavioural therapy, i.e. techniques to enhance periodic swallowing of saliva, systemic or local anticholinergic medications, botulinum toxin injection, electron beam irradiation, and surgical techniques. This review paper briefly describes the available options with related side-effects and current guideline recommendations for managing sialorrhoea in ALS patients.

Emergency Department Frequent Users for Acute Alcohol Intoxication.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Lauren R; Martel, Marc L; Driver, Brian E; Reing, Mackenzie; Cole, Jon B

2018-03-01

A subset of frequent users of emergency services are those who use the emergency department (ED) for acute alcohol intoxication. This population and their ED encounters have not been previously described. This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of patients presenting to the ED for acute alcohol intoxication between 2012 and 2016. We collected all data from the electronic medical record. Frequent users for alcohol intoxication were defined as those with greater than 20 visits for acute intoxication without additional medical chief complaints in the previous 12 months. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate characteristics of frequent users for alcohol intoxication, as well as their ED encounters. We identified 32,121 patient encounters. Of those, 325 patients were defined as frequent users for alcohol intoxication, comprising 11,370 of the encounters during the study period. The median maximum number of encounters per person for alcohol intoxication in a one-year period was 47 encounters (range 20 to 169). Frequent users were older (47 years vs. 39 years), and more commonly male (86% vs. 71%). Frequent users for alcohol intoxication had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities including liver disease, chronic kidney disease, ischemic vascular disease, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In this study, we identified a group of ED frequent users who use the ED for acute alcohol intoxication. This population had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities compared to non-frequent users.

Mining frequent binary expressions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calders, T.; Paredaens, J.; Kambayashi, Y.; Mohania, M.K.; Tjoa, A.M.

2000-01-01

In data mining, searching for frequent patterns is a common basic operation. It forms the basis of many interesting decision support processes. In this paper we present a new type of patterns, binary expressions. Based on the properties of a specified binary test, such as reflexivity, transitivity

Energy policies and the greenhouse effect. V. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grubb, Michael.

1991-01-01

This study represents the culmination of two years of research on the Greenhouse Effect by the Energy and Environmental Programme. It is the fourth study which we have published on the policy aspects of this subject, following Issues for Policymakers, Negotiating Targets, and our report of October 1990 Formulating a Convention. The first volume of the study concentrates on the policy issues arising from attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector. The second volume on 'country studies and technical options' provides the detailed analysis on which the conclusions of this book have been based, and will be published in early 1991. Although it was not our intention to produce such a large work at the outset, the upsurge of interest in the subject has expanded the framework of measures being considered to address environmental issues in general and the greenhouse effect in particular. These developments have had a major impact on the size and content. In this book, as in our previous publications, the Programme's work is aimed at moving the policy debate forward as quickly as possible into areas which seem to offer the best prospects for effective policy action. (Author)

The inherent tensions arising from attempting to carry out strategic environmental assessments on all policies, plans and programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLauchlan, Anna; João, Elsa

2012-01-01

This paper evaluates the tensions that result from routinely applying SEA to all policies, plans and programmes within Scotland. The European Union SEA Directive, effective in many EU member states from 2004, introduced a requirement for environmental assessment of certain plans and programmes. Scotland, a devolved nation within the EU member state of the United Kingdom, aimed to be a ‘world leader in SEA’ by legislating for SEA to be undertaken of all public sector plans, programmes and strategies, with the word ‘strategies’ being equated with ‘policies’. This paper presents detailed data regarding Scottish SEA activity between 2004 and 2007, including responses to consultations on SEA reports. This empirical research found that, reflecting a general difficulty in determining where and when SEA should be applied, engagement with the SEA process was not as widespread as intended (including the pre-screening and screening stages). Eight tensions evident from Scotland's application of SEA are identified, and their broader relevance is examined. - Highlights: ► We examine detailed data regarding Scottish strategic environmental assessment (SEA) activity. ► There is a general difficulty in determining where SEA should be applied. ► Engagement with the SEA process was not as widespread as intended. ► Eight ‘tensions’ that question the efficacy of applying SEA to all plans, programmes and policies were identified.

Decommissioning nuclear power plants. Policies, strategies and costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The decommissioning of nuclear power plants is a topic of increasing interest to governments and the industry as many nuclear units approach retirement. It is important in this context to assess decommissioning costs and to ensure that adequate funds are set aside to meet future financial liabilities arising after nuclear power plants are shut down. Furthermore, understanding how national policies and industrial strategies affect those costs is essential for ensuring the overall economic effectiveness of the nuclear energy sector. This report, based upon data provided by 26 countries and analysed by government and industry experts, covers a variety of reactor types and sizes. The findings on decommissioning cost elements and driving factors in their variance will be of interest to analysts and policy makers in the nuclear energy field. (author)

Territorial Dynamics and Gender Equality Policies in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alba Alonso

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article analyses the impact of the multilevel governance structure in Spain. Particularly, it explores how the main territorial dynamics underpinning the Spanish decentralization model have shaped gender equality policies, namely the cross-regional competitive bargaining, the existence of multiple arenas, the underdevelopment of intergovernmental mechanisms and a highly salient territorial cleavage. The article looks at three key fields of gender equality public intervention and scholarly research: gender mainstreaming, electoral gender quotas and policies against gender-based violence. Our results align with the conditional approach of the gender and federalism scholarship. While competition has stimulated policy diffusion across regions and feminist agency has frequently benefited from the multilevel opportunity structure, the lack of well-established intergovernmental mechanisms has brought about negative side-effects like ‘patchwork’ policies that fail to guarantee equal rights for all Spanish women. The article also shows that territorial interests have not trumped gender equality since the most advanced policies are found in regions with the highest territorial saliency.

Policy, politics and public health.

Science.gov (United States)

Greer, Scott L; Bekker, Marleen; de Leeuw, Evelyne; Wismar, Matthias; Helderman, Jan-Kees; Ribeiro, Sofia; Stuckler, David

2017-10-01

If public health is the field that diagnoses and strives to cure social ills, then understanding political causes and cures for health problems should be an intrinsic part of the field. In this article, we argue that there is no support for the simple and common, implicit model of politics in which scientific evidence plus political will produces healthy policies. Efforts to improve the translation of evidence into policy such as knowledge transfer work only under certain circumstances. These circumstances are frequently political, and to be understood through systematic inquiry into basic features of the political economy such as institutions, partisanship and the organization of labour markets. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

[Utilization of antibiotics according to most frequent indications at Hungarian hospitals and results of surveys].

Science.gov (United States)

Ternák, G; Almási, I

1997-05-25

Antibiotic utilisation of 8 Hungarian hospitals was analyzed examining the case histories of patients who were discharged between January 1 and 31, 1995. Usage of antibiotics in the most frequent indications is reported in this paper. Majority of the prescriptions for the treatment of upper and lower respiratory tract infections were broad spectrum beta lactams. Higher rate of penicillin usage was found only in tonsillitis cases. Besides II. generation cephalosporins (22.7% of 730 prescriptions), beta-lactamase inhibitor + aminopenicillin combinations (13.4%) and III. generation cephalosporins (9.5%) considerable quantity of aminoglycosides (14.9%) and quinolones (9.5%) were found in pneumonia. Relatively high rate of aminoglycosides in the treatment of lower respiratory infections is inconsistent with therapeutic guidelines in force. Co-trimoxazol and quinolones were most frequently prescribed for the treatment of lower urinary tract infections. Traditional urodesinficients were on the first place only at one hospital. Treatment of frequently occurring nosocomial infections was compared with those of community acquired at the same site. There was not significant difference in the utilisation rates of the most of antibiotic groups regarding place of disease acquisition. 44% of the 1373 prescriptions for perioperative profilaxis was indicated for clean operations where benefit of antibiotic administration is questionable. Duration of antibiotic profilaxis was more than 48 hours in 59% of prescriptions. Drugs most frequently used for perioperative profilaxis were II. generation cephalosporins (23.7%), metronidazol (16.7%), aminoglycosides (9.6%) and III. generation cephalosporines (9.6%). The authors compare their results to the literature. They suggest the setting up of "infection control committees" to organise the antibiotic policies in hospitals.

Emergency Department Frequent Users for Acute Alcohol Intoxication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc L. Martel

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: A subset of frequent users of emergency services are those who use the emergency department (ED for acute alcohol intoxication. This population and their ED encounters have not been previously described. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of patients presenting to the ED for acute alcohol intoxication between 2012 and 2016. We collected all data from the electronic medical record. Frequent users for alcohol intoxication were defined as those with greater than 20 visits for acute intoxication without additional medical chief complaints in the previous 12 months. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate characteristics of frequent users for alcohol intoxication, as well as their ED encounters. Results: We identified 32,121 patient encounters. Of those, 325 patients were defined as frequent users for alcohol intoxication, comprising 11,370 of the encounters during the study period. The median maximum number of encounters per person for alcohol intoxication in a one-year period was 47 encounters (range 20 to 169. Frequent users were older (47 years vs. 39 years, and more commonly male (86% vs. 71%. Frequent users for alcohol intoxication had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities including liver disease, chronic kidney disease, ischemic vascular disease, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Conclusion: In this study, we identified a group of ED frequent users who use the ED for acute alcohol intoxication. This population had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities compared to non-frequent users.

Characterizing the vulnerability of frequent emergency department users by applying a conceptual framework: a controlled, cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodenmann, Patrick; Baggio, Stéphanie; Iglesias, Katia; Althaus, Fabrice; Velonaki, Venetia-Sofia; Stucki, Stephanie; Ansermet, Corine; Paroz, Sophie; Trueb, Lionel; Hugli, Olivier; Griffin, Judith L; Daeppen, Jean-Bernard

2015-12-09

vulnerable population, when taking into account all five dimensions of a conceptual framework of vulnerability. The predictive factors identified could be useful in the early detection of future frequent users, in order to address their specific needs and decrease vulnerability, a key priority for health care policy makers. Application of the conceptual framework in future research is warranted.

Family policy instruments oriented towards single parent families in the Czech Republic and in selected European countries

OpenAIRE

Kohlová, Hana

2014-01-01

This bachelor thesis deals with family policy oriented towards single parent families. This thesis tries to define reasons why single parent families are arising. It addresses the divorce rate, birth rate, and extramarital fertility. Differences between families with both parents and single parent families are defined and the subjective views of single parents in the Czech Republic are described in this thesis. Provisions from family policy, which take into account single parent families in t...

National policies for the promotion of physical activity and healthy nutrition in the workplace context: a behaviour change wheel guided content analysis of policy papers in Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Seppälä, Tuija; Hankonen, Nelli; Korkiakangas, Eveliina; Ruusuvuori, Johanna; Laitinen, Jaana

2017-08-02

Health policy papers disseminate recommendations and guidelines for the development and implementation of health promotion interventions. Such documents have rarely been investigated with regard to their assumed mechanisms of action for changing behaviour. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and Behaviour Change Techniques (BCT) Taxonomy have been used to code behaviour change intervention descriptions, but to our knowledge such "retrofitting" of policy papers has not previously been reported. This study aims first to identify targets, mediators, and change strategies for physical activity (PA) and nutrition behaviour change in Finnish policy papers on workplace health promotion, and second to assess the suitability of the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) approach for this purpose. We searched all national-level health policy papers effectual in Finland in August 2016 focusing on the promotion of PA and/or healthy nutrition in the workplace context (n = 6). Policy recommendations targeting employees' nutrition and PA including sedentary behaviour (SB) were coded using BCW, TDF, and BCT Taxonomy. A total of 125 recommendations were coded in the six policy papers, and in two additional documents referenced by them. Psychological capability, physical opportunity, and social opportunity were frequently identified (22%, 31%, and 24%, respectively), whereas physical capability was almost completely absent (1%). Three TDF domains (knowledge, skills, and social influence) were observed in all papers. Multiple intervention functions and BCTs were identified in all papers but several recommendations were too vague to be coded reliably. Influencing individuals (46%) and changing the physical environment (44%) were recommended more frequently than influencing the social environment (10%). The BCW approach appeared to be useful for analysing the content of health policy papers. Paying more attention to underlying assumptions regarding behavioural change processes may help to

Preparing the Way for New Policy Regarding Adaptation of US Electricity Infrastructure to Climate Change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, Melissa R [ORNL

2013-10-01

The following pages represent the status of policy regarding adaptation of the electric grid to climate change and proposed directions for new policy development. While strides are being made to understand the current climate and to predict hazards it may present to human systems, both the science and the policy remain at present in an analytical state. The policy proposed in this document involves first continued computational modeling of outcomes which will produce a portfolio of options to be considered in light of specific region-related risks. It is proposed that the modeling continue not only until reasonable policy at various levels of jurisdiction can be derived from its outcome but also on a continuing basis so that as improvements in the understanding of the state and trajectory of climate science along with advancements in technology arise, they can be incorporated into an appropriate and evolving policy.

Performance Evaluation of Frequent Subgraph Discovery Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saif Ur Rehman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Due to rapid development of the Internet technology and new scientific advances, the number of applications that model the data as graphs increases, because graphs have highly expressive power to model a complicated structure. Graph mining is a well-explored area of research which is gaining popularity in the data mining community. A graph is a general model to represent data and has been used in many domains such as cheminformatics, web information management system, computer network, and bioinformatics, to name a few. In graph mining the frequent subgraph discovery is a challenging task. Frequent subgraph mining is concerned with discovery of those subgraphs from graph dataset which have frequent or multiple instances within the given graph dataset. In the literature a large number of frequent subgraph mining algorithms have been proposed; these included FSG, AGM, gSpan, CloseGraph, SPIN, Gaston, and Mofa. The objective of this research work is to perform quantitative comparison of the above listed techniques. The performances of these techniques have been evaluated through a number of experiments based on three different state-of-the-art graph datasets. This novel work will provide base for anyone who is working to design a new frequent subgraph discovery technique.

Clinical outcomes of patients with clear cell and endometrioid ovarian cancer arising from endometriosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Paik, E Sun; Kim, Tae Joong; Choi, Chel Hun; Kim, Byoung Gie; Bae, Duk Soo; Lee, Jeong Won

2018-03-01

The aim of this investigation is to compare outcomes of patients according to the presence of cancer arising from endometriosis in ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) and endometrioid carcinoma (EC). This study retrospectively investigated 224 CCC and EC patients treated in Samsung Medical Center from 2001 to 2015 to identify cancer arising from endometriosis according to Sampson and Scott criteria. Propensity score matching was performed to compare patients arising from endometriosis to patients without endometriosis (ratio 1:1) according to stage, age, lymph node metastasis (LNM), cancer antigen (CA)-125 level, and residual status after debulking surgery. Forty-five cases arising from endometriosis were compared with 179 cases without endometriosis. CCC and EC arising from endometriosis tended to present with early age (mean, 45.2 vs. 49.2 years; p=0.003), early-stage (stages I and II, 92.7% vs. 62.3%; p<0.001), lower CA-125 level (mean, 307.1 vs. 556.7; p=0.041), higher percentages of no gross residual disease after surgery (87.8% vs.56.8%; p=0.001), and higher percentages of negative LNM (82.9% vs. 59.0%; p=0.008) compared to cases without endometriosis. Kaplan-Meier curves for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) showed better outcomes for groups with cancer arising from endometriosis (p=0.014 for PFS; and p=0.010 for OS). However, the association with endometriosis was not significant in multivariate analysis. Also, after propensity score matching, survival differences between the 2 groups were not significant. CCC and EC arising from endometriosis are diagnosed at an earlier age and stage. However, cancer arising from endometriosis was not a significant prognostic factor. Copyright © 2018. Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology

The Australasian Resuscitation in Sepsis Evaluation (ARISE) trial statistical analysis plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Delaney, Anthony P; Peake, Sandra L; Bellomo, Rinaldo; Cameron, Peter; Holdgate, Anna; Howe, Belinda; Higgins, Alisa; Presneill, Jeffrey; Webb, Steve

2013-09-01

The Australasian Resuscitation in Sepsis Evaluation (ARISE) study is an international, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of early goal-directed therapy compared with standard care for patients presenting to the emergency department with severe sepsis. In keeping with current practice, and considering aspects of trial design and reporting specific to non-pharmacological interventions, our plan outlines the principles and methods for analysing and reporting the trial results. The document is prepared before completion of recruitment into the ARISE study, without knowledge of the results of the interim analysis conducted by the data safety and monitoring committee and before completion of the two related international studies. Our statistical analysis plan was designed by the ARISE chief investigators, and reviewed and approved by the ARISE steering committee. We reviewed the data collected by the research team as specified in the study protocol and detailed in the study case report form. We describe information related to baseline characteristics, characteristics of delivery of the trial interventions, details of resuscitation, other related therapies and other relevant data with appropriate comparisons between groups. We define the primary, secondary and tertiary outcomes for the study, with description of the planned statistical analyses. We have developed a statistical analysis plan with a trial profile, mock-up tables and figures. We describe a plan for presenting baseline characteristics, microbiological and antibiotic therapy, details of the interventions, processes of care and concomitant therapies and adverse events. We describe the primary, secondary and tertiary outcomes with identification of subgroups to be analysed. We have developed a statistical analysis plan for the ARISE study, available in the public domain, before the completion of recruitment into the study. This will minimise analytical bias and

XML documents cluster research based on frequent subpatterns

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Tienan; Li, Wei; Li, Xiongfei

2015-12-01

XML data is widely used in the information exchange field of Internet, and XML document data clustering is the hot research topic. In the XML document clustering process, measure differences between two XML documents is time costly, and impact the efficiency of XML document clustering. This paper proposed an XML documents clustering method based on frequent patterns of XML document dataset, first proposed a coding tree structure for encoding the XML document, and translate frequent pattern mining from XML documents into frequent pattern mining from string. Further, using the cosine similarity calculation method and cohesive hierarchical clustering method for XML document dataset by frequent patterns. Because of frequent patterns are subsets of the original XML document data, so the time consumption of XML document similarity measure is reduced. The experiment runs on synthetic dataset and the real datasets, the experimental result shows that our method is efficient.

Philosophy, policies, and procedures - The three P's of flight-deck operations

Science.gov (United States)

Degani, Asaf; Wiener, Earl L.

1991-01-01

Standard operating procedures are drafted and provided to flightcrews to dictate the manner in which tasks are carried out. Failure to conform to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) is frequently listed as the cause of violations, incidents, and accidents. However, procedures are often designed piecemeal, rather than being based on a sound philosophy of operations and policies that follow from such a philosophy. A framework of philosophy, policies, and procedures is proposed.

Integration of Monetary and Fiscal Policy of the Countries of the Visegrad Group

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kappel Stanislav

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to evaluate mutual interaction of monetary and fiscal policies in the countries of the Visegrad group, i.e. in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. The relationship of monetary and fiscal policy - their coordination, cooperation or mutual antagonism - are basic determinants of successful implementation for economic policy of the state. Fiscal and monetary policies usually have different aims, and some conflict situations may arise in practical economic and political decision- making. Each policy has to make its decision with regard to the other one. Methodical approaches of this contribution are based on the game theory, which deals with the analysis of a wide range of decision situations with more participants (players and it is primarily focused on the conflict situations. This game-theoretical approach is responsible for creating the theoretical model which is then dealt with in the empirical analysis. We find a distinctly stabilizing role of monetary policy and relatively problematic stabilizing role of fiscal policy in the analyzed countries. The dominant role of monetary policy is statistically confirmed in the case of the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Co-evolution of industry strategies and government policies: The case of the brazilian automotive industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duarte, R.G. (Roberto Gonzalez); S.B. Rodrigues (Suzana)

2017-01-01

textabstractThis study examines the evolution of the automotive industry in Brazil and its key drivers. We argue that the rules of the game – industry policies – are an outcome of exchanges between the host government and industry. These arise from changes in economic and political environments and

Influences of tourism public policies on transactions amongsts agents: an ect based analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Martins Augusto Gomes

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Brazilian national tourism policies have relied on local agency, which had been formerly used in Minas Gerais state through the Tourist Circuits Policy. Being that new policies cause changes in relations among agents, this paper aims to identify the influence of the Tourist Circuits Policy in agents´ behavior as well as in financial transactions. Research assessed that Tourist Circuits Policy created a government structure that favored easier and more frequent relations among agents, reduced uncertainty, opportunism and the possibility of investments to be lost. As a result, researchers believe that Tourist Circuits Policy has been a contributor for the lowering of transactions costs, even though some adjustments are still needed.

Gold Medal for Finnish Health in All Policies Book

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Ray Lewis

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This article is a review of the book “Health in All Policies: Seizing opportunities, implementing policies” edited by Kimmo Leppo, Eeva Ollila, Sebastián Peña, Matthias Wismar, and Sarah Cook. This book (printed and online publication was published by the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland in 2013 (1. The book is freely available at http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/188809/Health-in-All-Policies-final.pdf. The main features, structure, and highlighted contents of the book are briefly sketched out in this review. The book promotes understanding of a Health in All Policies (HiAP approach, the history, and the scientific evidence of effectiveness available to apply the HiAP concept in order to overcome challenges faced by policy-makers. HiAP is a relatively novel approach which arises from the traditional idea that health is not only medicine (2. The book offers lessons to policy-makers and managers on how to apply the HiAP approach. It further highlights the health sector’s role in developing healthy public policies. In addition, the book provides examples of structures to foster collaboration, coherence, and participation among stakeholders from different government portfolios and responsibilities. The book further provides invaluable insights for politicians, researchers, and civil society advocates.

Generating news media interest in tobacco control; challenges in an advanced policy environment.

Science.gov (United States)

MacKenzie, Ross; Chapman, Simon

2012-08-01

To determine the efficacy of using media releases for tobacco control advocacy in Australia's advanced policy environment. Between February and August 2010, news releases that summarised either newly published but unpublicized research findings, or local developments in tobacco control, were sent to NSW media outlets. Reports arising from the releases were tracked using commercial services Media Monitors and Factiva, as well as Google and Google News. Other tobacco control related news items during the same period were also tracked and recorded. Twenty-one news releases generated 93 news items across all news media, with a quarter of these related to a story of porcine haemoglobin in cigarette filters. By comparison, 'live' policy issues (especially plain packaging and a significant tobacco tax increase) covered in this period attracted 1,033 news stories in the Australian media. Press releases describing recently published, but underpublicized research were issued in weeks where no major competing tobacco control news occurred. Results of this project indicate that in environments with advanced tobacco policy, media opportunities related to tobacco control advocacy are limited, as many objectives have been achieved. The media can still play a key advocacy role in such environments, and advocates need to be particularly vigilant for opportunities that do arise. The paper also highlights the increasingly important role of internet-based media, including opportunities presented by social media for tobacco control.

The Baltic policy of Germany and current international relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salikov Aleksey

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This article analyses the Baltic policy of united Germany from the 1990s until today. The authors set out to identify the significance of German-Baltic relations and the role of the Eastern policy in Russian-German relations. The method of dynamic comparison between the political and economic narrative in intergovernmental relations makes it possible to identify distinctive features of Germany’s Baltic policy in the context of current international relations. In particular, it is noted that Germany was most active in the Baltic region in the 1990s, when the country was establishing political, economic, and cultural ties with the new independent states. In the second half of the 1990s, Germany’s foreign policy became less intense. After the accession of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to the EU and NATO in 2004, certain disagreements started to arise between Germany and the Baltics. It explains the lukewarm relations between them. The Ukraine events brought about a change in Germany’s regional policy. Despite Russia remaining one of the key economic and political counteractors, Germany, being a partner of the Baltics in the EU and NATO, cannot adopt a neutral position in the conflict of interests between the Baltics and Russia.

Lower Limb Injuries Arising From Motorcycle Crashes | Kortor ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Motorcycle accidents are the second most common cause of road traffic accidents in both developing and developed countries. In this study we aim to look at the pattern and characteristics of lower limb injuries arising from motorcycle accidents and evaluate early outcome of treatment. Methods: All the patients ...

On time-dependent diffusion coefficients arising from stochastic processes with memory

Science.gov (United States)

Carpio-Bernido, M. Victoria; Barredo, Wilson I.; Bernido, Christopher C.

2017-08-01

Time-dependent diffusion coefficients arise from anomalous diffusion encountered in many physical systems such as protein transport in cells. We compare these coefficients with those arising from analysis of stochastic processes with memory that go beyond fractional Brownian motion. Facilitated by the Hida white noise functional integral approach, diffusion propagators or probability density functions (pdf) are obtained and shown to be solutions of modified diffusion equations with time-dependent diffusion coefficients. This should be useful in the study of complex transport processes.

Consumer Food Security and Labeling Intervention on Food Products through Public Policies in Romania

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Dacinia Crina Petrescu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The correct understanding of consumers’ food labeling knowledge and perceptions is a prerequisite to develop and implement coherent and appropriate food safety policies. One objective of the paper was to discover how often consumers access and use specific food label information. Another objective was to explore stakeholders’ preferences for several public policy options relevant for food safety. In this respect, a survey on a sample of 312 Romanian consumers and the evaluation of several public policy options by four stakeholder groups (food producers and sellers, doctors, fitness trainers, and consumers were carried out. The results revealed that the most frequently read types of information on the label were “expiration date” and “price”, closely followed by “quantity” and “brand”. Among tested public policies, those related to the traffic light labels and to the social interest messages with health claims were rewarded with high scores by investigated stakeholders. Although nutrition has a decisive impact on health state, nutrition information was not frequently read by people, thus justifying the implementation of a public policy meant to enhance consumers’ interest in and reading frequency of nutrition information on food label.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in previously burned or irradiated skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, M.J.; Hirsch, R.M.; Broadwater, J.R.; Netscher, D.T.; Ames, F.C.

1989-01-01

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising in previously burned or irradiated skin was reviewed in 66 patients treated between 1944 and 1986. Healing of the initial injury was complicated in 70% of patients. Mean interval from initial injury to diagnosis of SCC was 37 years. The overwhelming majority of patients presented with a chronic intractable ulcer in previously injured skin. The regional relapse rate after surgical excision was very high, 58% of all patients. Predominant patterns of recurrence were in local skin and regional lymph nodes (93% of recurrences). Survival rates at 5, 10, and 20 years were 52%, 34%, and 23%, respectively. Five-year survival rates in previously burned and irradiated patients were not significantly different (53% and 50%, respectively). This review, one of the largest reported series, better defines SCC arising in previously burned or irradiated skin as a locally aggressive disease that is distinct from SCC arising in sunlight-damaged skin. An increased awareness of the significance of chronic ulceration in scar tissue may allow earlier diagnosis. Regional disease control and survival depend on surgical resection of all known disease and may require radical lymph node dissection or amputation

On the calculation of lattice sums arising in Bose-Einstein statistics of quasiparticle excitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millev, Y.; Faehnle, M.

1994-05-01

A new method for the calculations of the average occupation number of bosonic quasi-particle excitations valid for any type of lattice is proposed. The method is based on the recognition of the connection with lattice Green's functions and generalized Watson integrals, on one hand, and on a very simple differentiation technique which renders unnecessary and artificial to this problem more sophisticated Laplace transform summation procedures. The mean-field approximation to Green's function theories of ferromagnetism arises naturally as the zeroth term in the obtained summation formulae. The results have been specified completely for the three cubic lattices. They are new for the simple cubic and face-centred cases, whereas certain redundancy is removed form the known body-centred cubic results. Applications of the method to more complex sums as, for instance, the thermodynamic sum for the total energy of the quasiparticles, are straightforward. There has also been found a new three-position recursion relation for the calculation of frequently occurring triple geometric integrals in the face-centred cubic case. It originates form a corresponding relation for a relevant Heun function. (author). 29 refs, 1 tab

Translation of tobacco policy into practice in disadvantaged and marginalized subpopulations: a study of challenges and opportunities in remote Australian Indigenous communities

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Robertson Jan A

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Australia generally, smoking prevalence more than halved after 1980 and recently commenced to decline among Australia's disadvantaged Indigenous peoples. However, in some remote Indigenous Australian communities in the Northern Territory (NT, extremely high rates of up to 83% have not changed over the past 25 years. The World Health Organisation has called for public health and political leadership to address a global tobacco epidemic. For Indigenous Australians, unprecedented policies aim to overcome disadvantage and close the 'health gap' with reducing tobacco use the top priority. This study identifies challenges and opportunities to implementing these important new tobacco initiatives in remote Indigenous communities. Methods: With little empirical evidence available, we interviewed 82 key stakeholders across the NT representing operational- and management-level service providers, local Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants to identify challenges and opportunities for translating new policies into successful tobacco interventions. Data were analysed using qualitative approaches to identify emergent themes. Results The 20 emergent themes were classified using counts of occasions each theme occurred in the transcribed data as challenge or opportunity. The 'smoke-free policies' theme occurred most frequently as opportunity but infrequently as challenge while 'health workforce capacity' occurred most frequently as challenge but less frequently as opportunity, suggesting that policy implementation is constrained by lack of a skilled workforce. 'Smoking cessation support' occurred frequently as opportunity but also frequently as challenge suggesting that support for individuals requires additional input and attention. Conclusions These results from interviews with local and operational-level participants indicate that current tobacco policies in Australia targeting Indigenous smoking are sound and comprehensive

Solitary osteochondroma arising in lumbar spinous process: Case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khaled Hadhri

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Solitary osteochondromas rarely occur in the axial skeleton. Those tumors mostly arise on the posterior elements of the cervical column causing various symptoms especially when developing within the spinal canal. Exophytic lumbar variety is uncommon presenting with palpable mass or spinal deformity. We report a 20-year-old man presenting with a solid painless mass at the lower lumbar region. Radiological examinations revealed an exophytic lesion arising in the third lumbar spinous process appearing to be a solitary osteochondroma. The lesion was treated by en-bloc resection; histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of osteochondroma with no evidence of recurrence at the end of 2-year follow up.

Frequently cited journals in forensic psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Steve

2012-02-01

Works cited in six forensic psychology journals published 2008-2010 were counted to identify the most frequently cited journals. The sample of works cited (N = 21,776) was not a definitive ranked list of important journals in forensic psychology, but was large enough to indicate high-impact journals. The list of frequently cited publications included more general psychiatry and psychology journals than titles specific to forensic psychology. The implications of the proportion of general versus specific titles for collections supporting research in forensic psychology were discussed.

A pilot study of radiation exposures arising from interventional radiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellet, S.; Giczi, F.; Gaspardy, G.; Temesi, A.; Ballay, L.

2006-01-01

Full text of publication follows: In the past 25 years, considerable number of new therapeutic procedures have been worked out and adopted in radiology. These interventional procedures are mainly based on angiographic methods. During these procedures the exposure of patients and staff are usually greater than of conventional radiography and fluoroscopy as a consequence of longer fluoroscopy times and great number of cine-radiography. In the latest years radiation-induced skin injuries occurred in some patients. Injuries to physicians and staff performing interventional procedures have also been observed. In our days interventional procedures are widely used and more sophisticated procedures are worked out and adopted. Consequently, there is a need for the protection of the patient and the staff on a higher level. Radiation protection of intervention radiology deserves a distinguish attention. In Hungary interventional radiology were performed in 36 laboratories in 2003. According to statistical data the gross number of interventional radiological procedures were 19442. The most frequently performed procedures were the P.T.C.A., the coronary and ilio-femoral stent implantation and chemo-embolization. In 2004, the National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radio-hygiene and the National Patient Dose Evaluation Program started a pilot study of radiation exposures arising from interventional radiology procedures. During the study the patient exposure were measured by D.A.P.-meters. The patient skin dose and the staff dose were performed by thermoluminescent chips. In their presentation the authors present the most important results of the study. (authors)

Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Arising from Renal Allograft Parenchyma: A Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Byung Kwan; Kim, Chan Kyo; Kwon, Ghee Young [Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2010-06-15

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a rare but serious complication that occurs in patients undergoing kidney transplantation. PTLD usually manifests as a renal hilar mass comprised of histologically B-lymphocytes. We report our experience of managing a patient with PTLD arising from renal parenchyma. Ultrasonographic and MR imaging features of this unusual PTLD suggested differentiated renal cell carcinoma arising from the renal allograft

The Limits and Possibilities of International Large-Scale Assessments. Education Policy Brief. Volume 9, Number 2, Spring 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Rutkowski, David J.; Prusinski, Ellen L.

2011-01-01

The staff of the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP) at Indiana University is often asked about how international large-scale assessments influence U.S. educational policy. This policy brief is designed to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions encountered by CEEP researchers concerning the three most popular…

Climate Leadership Awards Frequent Questions

Science.gov (United States)

Provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Climate Leadership Awards, sponsored by EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership with co-sponsorship from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Climate Registry.

Security risks arising from portable storage devices

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Molotsi, K

2012-10-01

Full Text Available of the security risks arising from the use of PSDs, and further provides possible security countermeasures to help organisations and users to protect their digital assets. APPROACH Literature review: ? To investigate security risks posed by PSDs... technology in the workplace. International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics. 3(1): 73?81 [3] Kim, K., Kim, E. & Hong S. (2009). Privacy information protection in portable device. Proceedings of International Conference on Convergence...

Convex solutions of systems arising from Monge-Ampere equations

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Haiyan Wang

2009-10-01

Full Text Available We establish two criteria for the existence of convex solutions to a boundary value problem for weakly coupled systems arising from the Monge-Ampère equations. We shall use fixed point theorems in a cone.

Policies and attitudes toward the pregnant radiology resident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheth, S.; Freedman, M.T.; Arak, G.

1985-01-01

To evaluate attitudes and policies toward pregnant radiology residents, a questionnaire was sent to the chiefs of radiology residency programs across the country. A return rate of 76.4% and a response rate of 75.4% were achieved. A large majority of the respondents indicated that schedule changes would be made to avoid excessive exposure of a pregnant resident to radiation. The accommodations they suggest are reviewed, and suggestions are made that would help alleviate some of the stress and conflicts that invariably arise when a resident becomes pregnant

Fiscal policy lags and income adjustment processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Cesare, Luigi; Sportelli, Mario

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► There are delays either in the government expenditure or in the tax system. ► Both delays affect fiscal policy outcomes. ► The system of differential equations with two delays may be chaotic. ► Fiscal policy outcomes might be inconsistent with their stabilization purposes. - Abstract: The interest in the impact of fiscal policy lags on economic stability increased in the last decade. Several studies have been made on delays either in the government expenditure or in the tax system, where lags exist between the accrual and the payment of taxes. Nevertheless there is in the literature no model where time delays in government expenditures and in tax revenues are considered together as it happens in the real world. In this paper we remedied this defect and proposed a macro-dynamic model where two delays appear: the first pertains to the public expenditure, the second, to the tax revenue. The resulting system of delayed differential equations is studied qualitatively and numerically. The analysis suggests that only particular combinations of the two delays make the system stable. Prevalently the system is unstable and chaotic motions may arise. This implies that the economy may need appropriate structural changes in the public sector to improve fiscal policy outcomes in such a way they may really be consistent with their stabilization purposes.

Effects arising from charged particles overcoming of the light velocity barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afanas'ev, G.N.; Eliseev, S.M.; Stepanovskij, Yu.P.

1997-01-01

The effects arising from accelerated and decelerated motion of the charged point particle inside the medium are studied. It is shown explicitly that in addition to the Bremsstrahlung and Cherenkov shock wave, the electromagnetic shock wave arising from the charge overcoming the light velocity in the medium should be observed. This shock wave has the same singularity as the Cherenkov one and, therefore, it is more singular than the Bremsstrahlung shock wave. The space-time regions where these shock waves exist and conditions under which they appear are determined

Adenocarcinomas arising from primary retroperitoneal mature teratomas: CT and MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Li-Jen; Wong, Yon-Cheong; Chu, Sheng-Hsien; Ng, Kwai-Fong

2002-01-01

An adenocarcinoma arising from mature teratoma is one form of teratoma with malignant transformation. It is extremely rare but highly malignant. The authors report two patients with adenocarcinomas arising from primary retroperitoneal teratomas. The CT and MRI findings of the tumors are presented with emphasis on imaging features implying the presence of malignant transformation and differing from those of pure benign mature teratoma. Correct diagnosis of the presence of malignant transformation from a benign mature teratoma can be made as early as possible by awareness of the imaging features. (orig.)

Ecknomic benefits arising from the Canadian nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-03-01

This document is a collection of surveys of the Canadian nuclear industry, with forecasts covering a number of possible scenarios. Topics covered include uranium mining and processing; economic benefits arising from the design, manufacture and construction of CANDU generating stations; employment and economic activity in the Canadian nqclear industry; and an overview of the remainder of the industry

A review of public policies to procure and distribute kidneys for transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, P A

1990-03-01

The purpose of this article is to provide an up-to-date review of the current status of frequently changing public policies for the procurement and distribution of donor kidneys for transplantation. Issues in procurement involve the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, criteria for brain death, routine inquiry/required request policies, and the use of living kidney donors. Issues in distribution involve access to the transplant waiting list and use of the new national point system to select recipients from the list. These public policies are relevant for internists, who often care for potential organ donors and patients with end-stage renal disease. The issues are also relevant for policy-minded physicians because renal transplantation is the paradigm for organ transplant policy.

Transoral videolaryngoscopic surgery for papillary carcinoma arising in lingual thyroid.

Science.gov (United States)

Mogi, Chisato; Shinomiya, Hirotaka; Fujii, Natsumi; Tsuruta, Tomoyuki; Morita, Naruhiko; Furukawa, Tatsuya; Teshima, Masanori; Kanzawa, Maki; Hirokawa, Mitsuyoshi; Otsuki, Naoki; Nibu, Ken-Ichi

2018-05-15

Carcinoma arising in lingual thyroid is an extremely rare entity accounting for only 1% of all reported ectopic thyroids. Here, we report a case of carcinoma arising in lingual thyroid, which has been successfully managed by transoral resection and bilateral neck dissections. A lingual mass 4-cm in diameter with calcification was incidentally detected by computed tomography at medical check-up. No thyroid tissue was observed in normal position. Ultrasound examination showed bilateral multiple lymphadenopathies. Fine needle aspiration biopsy from lymph node in his right neck was diagnosed as Class III and thyroglobulin level of the specimen was 459ng/ml. Due to the difficulty in performing FNA of the lingual masses, right neck dissection was performed in advance for diagnostic purpose. Pathological examination showed existence of large and small follicular thyroid tissues in several lymph nodes, suggesting lymph node metastasis from thyroid carcinoma. Two months after the initial surgery, video-assisted transoral resection of lingual thyroid with simultaneous left neck dissection was performed. Postoperative course was uneventful. Papillary carcinoma was found in the lingual thyroid and thyroid tissues were also found in left cervical lymph nodes. Video-assisted transoral resection was useful for the treatment of thyroid cancer arising in lingual thyroid. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mucinous adenocarcinoma arising at the anastomotic site after operation for hirschsprung's disease: case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyung Soo; Yoon, Kwon Ha

2004-01-01

To our knowledge, rectal cancer arising at the anastomotic site after surgery for Hirschsprung's disease has not been reported. We report a case of mucinous adenocarcinoma arising at the anastomotic site after Soave operation 26 years ago

Frequent price changes under menu costs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Per Svejstrup

1999-01-01

, the price may be changed more frequent in the short run, and in the long run it definitely will. Hence, observing frequent price changes is not necessarily inconsistent with a firm operating under menu costs. This paper relies on an article by Dixit (1991), (Review of Economic studies, 58, 141......This paper investigates the effect of uncertainty on a single firm's pricing behaviour in a dynamic menu cost model that results in (S,s)-rules where the price is fixed inside a band. It will be demonstrated that even though the band of inaction widens in response to increased uncertainty...

A novel method for feasibility testing urban sustainable development policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O’Doherty Travis

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Policy making to promote more sustainable development is a complex task due in part to the large number of both stakeholders and potential policies. Policy feasibility testing provides a guide to the viability and practicality of policy implementation and forms an important part of an evidence based policy making process. An extensive literature review has identified no standardized approach to feasibility testing. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by describing a novel method using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA for feasibility testing of policies aimed at increasing the sustainability of towns and villages in Ireland. Feasibility results are provided for 40 frequently cited policy interventions tested for 18 settlements in Ireland. Policies were selected in the arenas of transport, food, housing and urban form, energy, waste and water. Policies are feasibility tested through analysis of operational evidence from both quantitative and qualitative data sources. Following testing, policies are ranked in terms of feasibility. This research examines the effectiveness of local and national level policies and the importance of both local community involvement and central government regulation in policy success. The inter-settlement variation in feasibility testing scores prioritises policy selection and aims to reduce cherry-picking of policies to support the viewpoints of the decision maker. Although developed for an Irish urban context the methods described here may have applicability elsewhere.

Radiologic findings of malignant tumors arising from ovarian endometriosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eun Ju; Joo, Hee Jae; Kim, Bo Hyun

1999-01-01

To determine the radiologic characteristics of malignant tumors arising from ovarian endometriosis. The radiologic findings of eleven patients with pelvic masses histologically confirmed as malignant ovarian tumors arising from endometriosis were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent MR, and six underwent ultrasonography. The findings were evaluated with regard to tumor size and shape, locularity, thickness and enhancement of the wall and septa, the presence of papillary nodule or solid portion, signal intensity of the locule, the presence of mass in contralateral ovary, ascites, local invasion, distant metastases, and the Pathologic diagnosis included clear cell carcinoma in six cases, endometrioid carcinoma in three, and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of borderline malignancy and endometrial stromal sarcoma in one case each. Tumor size ranged from 8 to 20 (mean, 12.7)cm. The tumors were mixed in four cases, entirely cystic in three, predominantly cystic in three, and predominantly solid in one. Six cases were unilocular and five were multilocular. The wall and septa varied in thickness and regularity and were well enhanced in all but one case. In all cases papillary nodules or solid portions with similar enhancement to uterine myometrium were seen. On T1WI, the signal intensity of fluid was seen to be high in eight cases, low or intermediate in two, and of differing intensity in one. Ten cases showed high signal intensity on T2WI, whereas in one case in which high signal intensity was seen on T1WI, there was low signal intensity(shading). In three cases the contralateral ovary contained an endometrioma. Other features included ascites in seven cases and peritoneal seeding in one. Malignant ovarian tumors arising from endometriosis showed radiologic features of malignancy:they were larger than 10cm, there was enhancement of the wall and septa, and a papillary nodule or solid portion was present. However, the presence of hyperintense fluid, as seen on T1WI

Radiologic findings of malignant tumors arising from ovarian endometriosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eun Ju; Joo, Hee Jae [Ajou Univ. College of Medicine, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Bo Hyun [SungkyunKwan Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1999-11-01

To determine the radiologic characteristics of malignant tumors arising from ovarian endometriosis. The radiologic findings of eleven patients with pelvic masses histologically confirmed as malignant ovarian tumors arising from endometriosis were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent MR, and six underwent ultrasonography. The findings were evaluated with regard to tumor size and shape, locularity, thickness and enhancement of the wall and septa, the presence of papillary nodule or solid portion, signal intensity of the locule, the presence of mass in contralateral ovary, ascites, local invasion, distant metastases, and the Pathologic diagnosis included clear cell carcinoma in six cases, endometrioid carcinoma in three, and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of borderline malignancy and endometrial stromal sarcoma in one case each. Tumor size ranged from 8 to 20 (mean, 12.7)cm. The tumors were mixed in four cases, entirely cystic in three, predominantly cystic in three, and predominantly solid in one. Six cases were unilocular and five were multilocular. The wall and septa varied in thickness and regularity and were well enhanced in all but one case. In all cases papillary nodules or solid portions with similar enhancement to uterine myometrium were seen. On T1WI, the signal intensity of fluid was seen to be high in eight cases, low or intermediate in two, and of differing intensity in one. Ten cases showed high signal intensity on T2WI, whereas in one case in which high signal intensity was seen on T1WI, there was low signal intensity(shading). In three cases the contralateral ovary contained an endometrioma. Other features included ascites in seven cases and peritoneal seeding in one. Malignant ovarian tumors arising from endometriosis showed radiologic features of malignancy:they were larger than 10cm, there was enhancement of the wall and septa, and a papillary nodule or solid portion was present. However, the presence of hyperintense fluid, as seen on T1WI

Chief nursing officers’ perspectives on Medicare’s hospital-acquired conditions non-payment policy: implications for policy design and implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wald Heidi

2012-08-01

��hospital-acquired.’ One opportunity arising from the policy has been the focus on nursing leadership in patient safety efforts. Conclusions While the CMS’s HAC policy was just one of many factors influencing QI efforts, it may have served the important role of drawing attention and resources to the targeted conditions—particularly those not previously in the spotlight. The translational research paradigm is helpful in the interpretation of the findings, illustrating how the policy can advance prevention efforts for HACs at earlier phases of research translation as well as pitfalls associated with earlier phase implementation. To maximize their impact, such policies should consider condition-specific contextual factors influencing policy uptake and provide condition-specific implementation support.

Development of Taiwanese government’s climate policy after the Kyoto protocol: Applying policy network theory as an analytical framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shyu, Chian-Woei

2014-01-01

Given its limited involvement in and recognition by international organizations, Taiwan is not presently a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or the Kyoto Protocol. The objective of this study is to analyze how and the extent to which changes in an exogenous factor, namely the Kyoto Protocol and Post-Kyoto climate negotiations, affect and ultimately lead to the formulation of and changes in the Taiwanese government's climate policy. This study applies policy network theory to examine the development of and changes in the Taiwanese government's climate policy. The results demonstrate that international climate agreements and negotiations play a key role in the development of, changes to, and transformation of Taiwan's climate policy. Scarce evidence was found in this study to demonstrate that domestic or internal factors affect climate change policy. Despite its lack of participation in the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, Taiwan has adopted national climate change strategies, action plans, and programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, these climate policies and measures are fairly passive and aim to only conform to the minimal requirements for developing countries under international climate agreements and negotiations. This process results in inconsistent and variable climate policies, targets, and regulations. - Highlights: • Taiwan is not a signatory to the UNFCCC or its Kyoto Protocol. • International climate agreements strongly affected Taiwan's climate policy. • Little evidence was found that domestic factors affect Taiwan's climate policy. • New climate policies, regulations, and laws are formulated and implemented. • Climate policies, targets, and regulations change frequently and are inconsistent

Spinal cord injury arising in anaesthesia practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewson, D W; Bedforth, N M; Hardman, J G

2018-01-01

Spinal cord injury arising during anaesthetic practice is a rare event, but one that carries a significant burden in terms of morbidity and mortality. In this article, we will review the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury. We will then discuss injuries relating to patient position, spinal cord hypoperfusion and neuraxial techniques. The most serious causes of spinal cord injury - vertebral canal haematoma, spinal epidural abscess, meningitis and adhesive arachnoiditis - will be discussed in turn. For each condition, we draw attention to practical, evidence-based measures clinicians can undertake to reduce their incidence, or mitigate their severity. Finally, we will discuss transient neurological symptoms. Some cases of spinal cord injury during anaesthesia can be ascribed to anaesthesia itself, arising as a direct consequence of its conduct. The injury to a spinal nerve root by inaccurate and/or incautious needling during spinal anaesthesia is an obvious example. But in many cases, spinal cord injury during anaesthesia is not caused by, related to, or even associated with, the conduct of the anaesthetic. Surgical factors, whether direct (e.g. spinal nerve root damage due to incorrect pedicle screw placement) or indirect (e.g. cord ischaemia following aortic surgery) are responsible for a significant proportion of spinal cord injuries that occur concurrently with the delivery of regional or general anaesthesia. © 2018 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

Contested environmental policy infrastructure: Socio-political acceptance of renewable energy, water, and waste facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolsink, Maarten

2010-01-01

The construction of new infrastructure is hotly contested. This paper presents a comparative study on three environmental policy domains in the Netherlands that all deal with legitimising building and locating infrastructure facilities. Such infrastructure is usually declared essential to environmental policy and claimed to serve sustainability goals. They are considered to serve (proclaimed) public interests, while the adverse impact or risk that mainly concerns environmental values as well is concentrated at a smaller scale, for example in local communities. The social acceptance of environmental policy infrastructure is institutionally determined. The institutional capacity for learning in infrastructure decision-making processes in the following three domains is compared: 1.The implementation of wind power as a renewable energy innovation; 2.The policy on space-water adaptation, with its claim to implement a new style of management replacing the current practice of focusing on control and 'hard' infrastructure; 3.Waste policy with a focus on sound waste management and disposal, claiming a preference for waste minimization (the 'waste management hierarchy'). All three cases show a large variety of social acceptance issues, where the appraisal of the impact of siting the facilities is confronted with the desirability of the policies. In dealing with environmental conflict, the environmental capacity of the Netherlands appears to be low. The policies are frequently hotly contested within the process of infrastructure decision-making. Decision-making on infrastructure is often framed as if consensus about the objectives of environmental policies exists. These claims are not justified, and therefore stimulating the emergence of environmental conflicts that discourage social acceptance of the policies. Authorities are frequently involved in planning infrastructure that conflicts with their officially proclaimed policy objectives. In these circumstances, they are

Opportunity from Crisis: A Common Agenda for Higher Education and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Research

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Merle; Hellström, Tomas

2014-01-01

This paper makes a plea for the construction of a common agenda for higher education and science, technology and innovation (STI) policy research. The public higher education and research sector in all countries is currently in the grip of several challenges arising from increased accountability, internationalization and in some cases dwindling…

Balancing health and industrial policy objectives in the pharmaceutical sector: lessons from Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Steve; McMahon, Meghan; Greyson, Devon

2008-08-01

Policy-makers worldwide struggle to balance health with industrial policy objectives in the pharmaceutical sector. Tensions arise over pricing and reimbursement in particular. What health plans view as necessary to maintain equitable access to medicines, industry views as inimical to R&D and innovation. Australia has grappled with this issue for years, even incorporating the goal of "maintaining a responsible and viable medicines industry" into its National Medicines Policy. This case study was conducted via a narrative review that examined Australia's experiences balancing health and industrial policy objectives in the pharmaceutical sector. The review included electronic databases, grey literature and government publications for reports on relevant Australian policy published over the period 1985-2007. While pharmaceutical companies claim that Australia's pricing and reimbursement policies suppress drug prices and reduce profits, national policy audits indicate these claims are misguided. Australia appears to have secured relatively low prices for generics and "me-too drugs" while paying internationally competitive prices for "breakthrough" medicines. Simultaneously, Australia has focused efforts on local pharmaceutical investment through a variety of industry-targeted R&D incentive policies. Despite the fact that policy reviews suggest that Australia has achieved balance between health and industrial policy objectives, the country continues to face criticism from industry that its health goals harm innovation and R&D. Recent reforms raise the question whether Australia can sustain the apparent balance.

Changing Policy Framing as a Deliberate Strategy for Public Health Advocacy: A Qualitative Policy Case Study of Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol

Science.gov (United States)

Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Bond, Lyndal; Hilton, Shona

2014-01-01

Context Scotland is the first country in the world to pass legislation introducing a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in an attempt to reduce consumption and associated harms by increasing the price of the cheapest alcohol. We investigated the competing ways in which policy stakeholders presented the debate. We then established whether a change in framing helped explain the policy's emergence. Methods We conducted a detailed policy case study through analysis of evidence submitted to the Scottish parliament, and in-depth, one-to-one interviews (n = 36) with politicians, civil servants, advocates, researchers, and industry representatives. Findings Public- and voluntary-sector stakeholders tended to support MUP, while industry representatives were more divided. Two markedly different ways of presenting alcohol as a policy problem were evident. Critics of MUP (all of whom were related to industry) emphasized social disorder issues, particularly among young people, and hence argued for targeted approaches. In contrast, advocates for MUP (with the exception of those in industry) focused on alcohol as a health issue arising from overconsumption at a population level, thus suggesting that population-based interventions were necessary. Industry stakeholders favoring MUP adopted a hybrid framing, maintaining several aspects of the critical framing. Our interview data showed that public health advocates worked hard to redefine the policy issue by deliberately presenting a consistent alternative framing. Conclusions Framing alcohol policy as a broad, multisectoral, public health issue that requires a whole-population approach has been crucial to enabling policymakers to seriously consider MUP, and public health advocates intentionally presented alcohol policy in this way. This reframing helped prioritize public health considerations in the policy debate and represents a deliberate strategy for consideration by those advocating for policy change around the world and in

Changing policy framing as a deliberate strategy for public health advocacy: a qualitative policy case study of minimum unit pricing of alcohol.

Science.gov (United States)

Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Bond, Lyndal; Hilton, Shona

2014-06-01

Scotland is the first country in the world to pass legislation introducing a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in an attempt to reduce consumption and associated harms by increasing the price of the cheapest alcohol. We investigated the competing ways in which policy stakeholders presented the debate. We then established whether a change in framing helped explain the policy's emergence. We conducted a detailed policy case study through analysis of evidence submitted to the Scottish parliament, and in-depth, one-to-one interviews (n = 36) with politicians, civil servants, advocates, researchers, and industry representatives. Public- and voluntary-sector stakeholders tended to support MUP, while industry representatives were more divided. Two markedly different ways of presenting alcohol as a policy problem were evident. Critics of MUP (all of whom were related to industry) emphasized social disorder issues, particularly among young people, and hence argued for targeted approaches. In contrast, advocates for MUP (with the exception of those in industry) focused on alcohol as a health issue arising from overconsumption at a population level, thus suggesting that population-based interventions were necessary. Industry stakeholders favoring MUP adopted a hybrid framing, maintaining several aspects of the critical framing. Our interview data showed that public health advocates worked hard to redefine the policy issue by deliberately presenting a consistent alternative framing. Framing alcohol policy as a broad, multisectoral, public health issue that requires a whole-population approach has been crucial to enabling policymakers to seriously consider MUP, and public health advocates intentionally presented alcohol policy in this way. This reframing helped prioritize public health considerations in the policy debate and represents a deliberate strategy for consideration by those advocating for policy change around the world and in other public health areas. © 2014

National policies for the promotion of physical activity and healthy nutrition in the workplace context: a behaviour change wheel guided content analysis of policy papers in Finland

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Tuija Seppälä

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Health policy papers disseminate recommendations and guidelines for the development and implementation of health promotion interventions. Such documents have rarely been investigated with regard to their assumed mechanisms of action for changing behaviour. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF and Behaviour Change Techniques (BCT Taxonomy have been used to code behaviour change intervention descriptions, but to our knowledge such “retrofitting” of policy papers has not previously been reported. This study aims first to identify targets, mediators, and change strategies for physical activity (PA and nutrition behaviour change in Finnish policy papers on workplace health promotion, and second to assess the suitability of the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW approach for this purpose. Method We searched all national-level health policy papers effectual in Finland in August 2016 focusing on the promotion of PA and/or healthy nutrition in the workplace context (n = 6. Policy recommendations targeting employees’ nutrition and PA including sedentary behaviour (SB were coded using BCW, TDF, and BCT Taxonomy. Results A total of 125 recommendations were coded in the six policy papers, and in two additional documents referenced by them. Psychological capability, physical opportunity, and social opportunity were frequently identified (22%, 31%, and 24%, respectively, whereas physical capability was almost completely absent (1%. Three TDF domains (knowledge, skills, and social influence were observed in all papers. Multiple intervention functions and BCTs were identified in all papers but several recommendations were too vague to be coded reliably. Influencing individuals (46% and changing the physical environment (44% were recommended more frequently than influencing the social environment (10%. Conclusions The BCW approach appeared to be useful for analysing the content of health policy papers. Paying more attention to underlying

The Invisible Hand or What Makes the Bureaucracy Indispensable? A Short Theoretical Inquiry Into the Bureaucracy's Role in the Policy Making Process

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Cristina HARUŢA

2010-02-01

Full Text Available In the study of public bureaucracy, an intrinsic preoccupation arises concerning the balance of policy making authority between politicians and bureaucrats. In this paper we attempt to show from a theoretical point of view that bureaucracies enjoy some degree of discretion over policy making via implementation, rulemaking and enforcement activities. According to many authors it appears that the bureaucrats are entitled as well to play the role of both partners and contributors in the public policy formulation process, even if sometimes their policy preferences do not overlap all the times with the preferences of their elected overseers.

Kapteyn series arising in radiation problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerche, I; Tautz, R C

2008-01-01

In discussing radiation from multiple point charges or magnetic dipoles, moving in circles or ellipses, a variety of Kapteyn series of the second kind arises. Some of the series have been known in closed form for a hundred years or more, others appear not to be available to analytic persuasion. This paper shows how 12 such generic series can be developed to produce either closed analytic expressions or integrals that are not analytically tractable. In addition, the method presented here may be of benefit when one has other Kapteyn series of the second kind to consider, thereby providing an additional reason to consider such series anew

An Evaluation of Urban Renewal Policies of Shenzhen, China

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Guiwen Liu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Urban renewal is a pragmatic approach in the sustainable urban development of urban areas, and has now become an essential strategy for most metropolises in China. The question of how urban renewal can best be realized has gained the attention of urban planning researchers looking to formulate practical evidence-based urban renewal policies through policy instruments. This paper analyzes the urban renewal policies of Shenzhen, a pioneer city in China in the promulgation of urban renewal legislation. In doing so, an analytical framework is established by focusing on three main policy instruments, along with several sub-instruments within them. Shenzhen’s five main urban renewal policies, issued between 2009 and 2016, are analyzed through this framework. Content analysis and pattern-matching is used in the review and analysis of the data. The results show that “Environment” side policies tend to be the most widely applied by the Shenzhen municipal government. Additionally, “Regulation Control” and “Goal-planning” policies are the two instruments most frequently adopted as sub-instruments. Moreover, it is found that the application of “Supply” side polices and “Demand” side polices needs be strengthened. These findings identify the types of urban renewal policies currently employed in China and provide a clear understanding of the current policy priorities, with suggestions and insight into further urban renewal policy initiatives for Shenzhen and beyond.

Focus Group Study Exploring Factors Related to Frequent Sickness Absence.

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Annette Notenbomer

Full Text Available Research investigating frequent sickness absence (3 or more episodes per year is scarce and qualitative research from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves is lacking. The aim of the current study is to explore awareness, determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves.We performed a qualitative study of 3 focus group discussions involving a total of 15 frequent absentees. Focus group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Results were analyzed with the Graneheim method using the Job Demands Resources (JD-R model as theoretical framework.Many participants were not aware of their frequent sickness absence and the risk of future long-term sickness absence. As determinants, participants mentioned job demands, job resources, home demands, poor health, chronic illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and diminished feeling of responsibility to attend work in cases of low job resources. Managing these factors and improving communication (skills were regarded as solutions to reduce frequent sickness absence.The JD-R model provided a framework for determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence. Additional determinants were poor health, chronic illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and diminished feeling of responsibility to attend work in cases of low job resources. Frequent sickness absence should be regarded as a signal that something is wrong. Managers, supervisors, and occupational health care providers should advise and support frequent absentees to accommodate job demands, increase both job and personal resources, and improve health rather than express disapproval of frequent sickness absence and apply pressure regarding work attendance.

Focus Group Study Exploring Factors Related to Frequent Sickness Absence.

Science.gov (United States)

Notenbomer, Annette; Roelen, Corné A M; van Rhenen, Willem; Groothoff, Johan W

2016-01-01

Research investigating frequent sickness absence (3 or more episodes per year) is scarce and qualitative research from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves is lacking. The aim of the current study is to explore awareness, determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves. We performed a qualitative study of 3 focus group discussions involving a total of 15 frequent absentees. Focus group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Results were analyzed with the Graneheim method using the Job Demands Resources (JD-R) model as theoretical framework. Many participants were not aware of their frequent sickness absence and the risk of future long-term sickness absence. As determinants, participants mentioned job demands, job resources, home demands, poor health, chronic illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and diminished feeling of responsibility to attend work in cases of low job resources. Managing these factors and improving communication (skills) were regarded as solutions to reduce frequent sickness absence. The JD-R model provided a framework for determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence. Additional determinants were poor health, chronic illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and diminished feeling of responsibility to attend work in cases of low job resources. Frequent sickness absence should be regarded as a signal that something is wrong. Managers, supervisors, and occupational health care providers should advise and support frequent absentees to accommodate job demands, increase both job and personal resources, and improve health rather than express disapproval of frequent sickness absence and apply pressure regarding work attendance.

Solitary osteochondroma arising in lumbar spinous process: Case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadhri, Khaled; Tebourbi, Anis; Saidi, Mehdi; Kooli, Mondher

2016-12-01

Solitary osteochondromas rarely occur in the axial skeleton. Those tumors mostly arise on the posterior elements of the cervical column causing various symptoms especially when developing within the spinal canal. Exophytic lumbar variety is uncommon presenting with palpable mass or spinal deformity. We report a 20-year-old man presenting with a solid painless mass at the lower lumbar region. Radiological examinations revealed an exophytic lesion arising in the third lumbar spinous process appearing to be a solitary osteochondroma. The lesion was treated by en-bloc resection; histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of osteochondroma with no evidence of recurrence at the end of 2-year follow up. Copyright © 2016 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Housing policy and the granting of mortgage loans in the city of Cúcuta

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Jhon Antuny Pabón-León

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This reflection article focuses on housing policy and the granting of mortgage loans in the city of Cúcuta from promulgation of housing policy. It is a descriptive study of quantitative approach, non-experimental, transectional supported in document review addressing three thematic areas: housing policies of the Government, the housing market and housing finance. The House today on day one of the problems that most affect society due among other factors to the growth of cities and next to it is tenure and housing needs. The crisis of housing in Colombia has been one of the most crippling economic problems in recent years and as a result new instruments are designed to provide effective access to housing and care for the potential beneficiaries. Thus arises the concern about what was the impact on the allocation of mortgage loans in the city of Cúcuta from promulgation of housing policy? It is concluded that although opinions differ on the effectiveness of housing policy clearly program presented a positive balance in the city of Cúcuta.

Australian television news coverage of alcohol, health and related policies, 2005 to 2010: implications for alcohol policy advocates.

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Fogarty, Andrea S; Chapman, Simon

2012-12-01

To describe television news coverage between 2005 and 2010 of alcohol, health and relevant alcohol-control policies, with a view to informing policy advocacy. A content analysis of all alcohol stories archived by the Australian Health News Research Collaboration. We recorded what triggered a news item, the main topics covered, whether risks to health were communicated, whether alcohol-control policies were featured and which news-actors appeared. We identified 612 stories, where 69.2% were triggered by a particular newsworthy incident or the release of new findings. The most frequently reported alcohol stories were focused on associated harms (30.2%) and 'binge drinking' (19.0%). A majority (75.3%) reported a variety of positive and negative health effects, yet mainly focused on short-term consequences. Combined, 63% mentioned an alcohol-control policy, yet no one particular policy was featured in more than 10% of all stories. The most commonly featured news-actors included public-health professionals (50.0%), members of affected communities (28.4%) and government representatives (24.3%) Problems related to alcohol were well-established foci of news attention and reportage and covered a broad spectrum of issues related to public health goals, yet less coverage centred on long-term health consequences or effective policy solutions. Future policy advocacy could focus on moving the debate away from simple problem definition to better communication of long-term health risks, existing policies, and evidence of their effectiveness and arguments for their adoption. Future research might consider audience understanding of the information. © 2012 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2012 Public Health Association of Australia.

Myoepithelial carcinoma arising within an adenomyoepithelioma of the breast: A case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, You Yeon; Cho, Kyu Ran; Song, Sung Eun [Dept. of Radiology, Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Bo Kyoung [Dept. of Radiology, Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Woo, Ok Hee [Dept. of Radiology, Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jeong Hyun [Dept. of Radiology, Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-07-15

Adenomyoepithelioma of the breast is a rare tumor. A myoepithelial carcinoma arising within an adenomyoepithelioma is even more unusual. There are a limited number of reports discussing myoepithelial carcinoma; most of them describe pathological findings, but not imaging findings. We present a case of a 55-year-old woman who had a screen-detected myoepithelial carcinoma arising within an adenomyoepithelioma in her right breast. Upon the completion of a mammography and sonography an oval shaped mass with an indistinct margin in the upper portion of the right breast had been seen. It as appeared to be a spiculated, irregular-shaped, peripheral-enhancing mass on an MRI. On sonography-guided biopsy, an epithelial-myothelial tumor was confirmed, and the possibility of myoepithelial carcinoma was suggested. Breast-conserving surgery with a sentinel lymph node dissection was performed, and a pathological examination revealed a myoepithelial carcinoma arising within an adenomyoepithelioma.

A historical overview of traditional medicine practices and policy in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Although traditional medicine plays an important role in Ethiopian society, knowledge about the extent and characteristics of traditional healing practices and practitioners is limited and has frequently been ignored in the national health system. Objective: To review history of practices and policies on traditional ...

The Ideology of Interculturality in Japanese Language-in-Education Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Liddicoat, Anthony J.

2007-01-01

Language learning is frequently justified as a vehicle for promoting intercultural communication and understanding, and language-in-education policies have increasingly come to reflect this preoccupation in their rhetoric. This paper will examine the ways in which concepts relating to interculturality are constructed in Japanese language policy…

THE FREQUENT SKIN DISEASES DIAGNOSED AT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

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Yesim KAYMAK

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The incidence of some skin diseases are increasing at adolescent and early adulthood period. The most frequent disease at this period is acne vulgaris whereas fungal diseases, dermatitis, dermatosis which are due to stress and other reasons, oral mucosal lesions and herpetic lesions of perioral region are also frequent. In this research we aim to determine the frequent dermatologic diseases of university students and 147 female, 74 male, a total of 221 students are included. We questioned the dermatologic complaints of students, then examined dermatologically in detail and registered ages, sexes, findings of the dermatological examination and dermatological diagnostic informations. As a result it is found out that the most frequent diseases are acne vulgaris (34.1%, allergic and pruritic dermatosis (16.6%, fungal diseases ( 13.0%, and eritamatous-squamous disease (8.3%. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2005; 4(6.000: 313-320

Vietnam's energy sector: A review of current energy policies and strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tien Minh Do; Sharma, Deepak

2011-01-01

Since the introduction of market-oriented economy in 1986, Vietnam has made noticeable socio-economic progress. In this progress, the energy sector has played a vital role. This role is likely to deepen in the years to come as Vietnam strives to achieve even higher levels in economic progress. Such deepening in the role of energy, this paper argues, will heighten concerns about the security of energy supply, and economic, environmental, social and political consequences. In order to address these issues, Vietnam has over the last decade, developed a suite of energy policies. A deeper review of these policies suggests that they are typified by economic-growth orientation, exclusive focus on a single-sector or single issue, and largely neglect the significance of cross-sectoral and cross-thematic issues arising from the interdependencies between energy, economy, and the polity at large. The existing energy policy settings are, therefore, unlikely to be able to provide a satisfactory redress to the challenges noted above. This paper provides an overview of the current energy policies with a view to identify areas where further policy effort is needed in order to facilitate a sustainable development of the Vietnamese energy sector. - Highlights: → Identifying challenges faced by the Vietnamese energy sector. → Analyzing limitations of the existing energy policy settings (policies, strategies and institutions) in addressing these challenges. → Developing recommendations on improving the existing energy policy settings to provide a satisfactory redress for the challenges noted above.

News media coverage of U.S. Ebola policies: Implications for communication during future infectious disease threats.

Science.gov (United States)

Sell, Tara Kirk; Boddie, Crystal; McGinty, Emma E; Pollack, Keshia; Smith, Katherine Clegg; Burke, Thomas A; Rutkow, Lainie

2016-12-01

The Ebola outbreak of 2014-2015 raised concerns about the disease's potential spread in the U.S. and received significant news media coverage. Prior research has shown that news media coverage of policy options can influence public opinion regarding those policies, as well as public attitudes toward the broader social issues and target populations addressed by such policies. To assess news media coverage of Ebola policies, the content of U.S.-focused news stories (n=1262) published between July 1 and November 30, 2014 from 12 news sources was analyzed for 13 policy-related messages. Eight-two percent of news stories mentioned one or more policy-related messages. The most frequently appearing policy-related messages overall were those about isolation (47%) and quarantine (40%). The least frequently mentioned policy-related message described dividing potentially exposed persons into distinct groups based on their level of Ebola risk in order to set different levels of restrictions (5%). Message frequency differed depending on whether news sources were located in an area that experienced an Ebola case or controversy, by news sources' political ideological perspective, and by type of news source (print and television). All policy-related messages showed significant increases in frequency after the first case of Ebola was diagnosed in the U.S. on September 30, 2014, with the exception of messages related to isolation, which showed a significant decrease. Results offer insight into how the news media covers policies to manage emerging disease threats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Virtual Currencies – monetary policy dilemmas and regulatory challenges

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Daj Alexis

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Although the topic of virtual currencies is not completely new, the current technological developments and the extent of the globalisation process appear to have changed the scope of the research efforts needed to cover not only the advantages and opportunities, but also the disadvantages and threats that the expansion of virtual currencies can pose for monetary policy and the safety of the financial system. This paper comprises a brief presentation of the different types of virtual currencies and identifies some of the most significant implications of large-scale virtual currency adoption for monetary authorities and regulators, while providing an overview of the main trends in the evolution of virtual currencies. In the end, one conclusion is evident: whatever monetary policy or regulatory issues arise from the use of virtual currencies, their consequences are far from virtual.

International Education Policy: Its Influence on the Conception of VET and the VET System in Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Deissinger, Thomas

2015-01-01

Inquiries into vocational education and training (VET) systems are normally characterised by looking at institutions and steering mechanisms. That aside, however, it is culture which underlies both the practice and the theory as well as the policy of VET in various countries. Specific problems arise when it comes to harmonising VET systems through…

Frequent flyer business travelers: major exposure hazards.

Science.gov (United States)

Tompkins, Olga S; Randolph, Susan A; Ostendorf, Judith S

2005-02-01

Bagshaw (2004) notes "the modern commercial aircraft cabin is maintained with adequate environmental control for the comfort of most healthy individuals" (p. 417). Occupational health nurses frequently deal with a population that may include unhealthy individuals or those with pre-existing conditions. It is critical for occupational health nurses to stay current with major hazards faced by frequent flyer business travelers to assist in identifying and preventing adverse health effects associated with these exposures.

Public Policies for Corporate Social Responsibility in Four Nordic Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Midttun, Atle; Gjølberg, Maria; Kourula, Arno

2015-01-01

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) was historically a business-oriented idea that companies should voluntarily improve their social and environmental practices. More recently, CSR has increasingly attracted governments’ attention, and is now promoted in public policy, especially in the European......’ traditions favoring negotiated agreements and strong regulation to control corporate conduct. This article analyzes the conflicts and compatibilities arising when advanced welfare states introduce CSR, focusing on how the two traditions diverge and on how conflicts are reconciled. Empirically the study...

RNF43 is mutated less frequently in Lynch Syndrome compared with sporadic microsatellite unstable colorectal cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fennell, Lochlan J; Clendenning, Mark; McKeone, Diane M; Jamieson, Saara H; Balachandran, Samanthy; Borowsky, Jennifer; Liu, John; Kawamata, Futoshi; Bond, Catherine E; Rosty, Christophe; Burge, Matthew E; Buchanan, Daniel D; Leggett, Barbara A; Whitehall, Vicki L J

2018-01-01

The WNT signaling pathway is commonly altered during colorectal cancer development. The E3 ubiquitin ligase, RNF43, negatively regulates the WNT signal through increased ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of the Frizzled receptor. RNF43 has recently been reported to harbor frequent truncating frameshift mutations in sporadic microsatellite unstable (MSI) colorectal cancers. This study assesses the relative frequency of RNF43 mutations in hereditary colorectal cancers arising in the setting of Lynch syndrome. The entire coding region of RNF43 was Sanger sequenced in 24 colorectal cancers from 23 patients who either (i) carried a germline mutation in one of the DNA mismatch repair genes (MLH1, MSH6, MSH2, PMS2), or (ii) showed immunohistochemical loss of expression of one or more of the DNA mismatch repair proteins, was BRAF wild type at V600E, were under 60 years of age at diagnosis, and demonstrated no promoter region methylation for MLH1 in tumor DNA. A validation cohort of 44 colorectal cancers from mismatch repair germline mutation carriers from the Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Registry (ACCFR) were sequenced for the most common truncating mutation hotspots (X117 and X659). RNF43 mutations were found in 9 of 24 (37.5%) Lynch syndrome colorectal cancers. The majority of mutations were frameshift deletions in the G659 G7 repeat tract (29%); 2 cancers (2/24, 8%) from the one patient harbored frameshift mutations at codon R117 (C6 repeat tract) within exon 3. In the ACCFR validation cohort, RNF43 hotspot mutations were identified in 19/44 (43.2%) of samples, which was not significantly different to the initial series. The proportion of mutant RNF43 in Lynch syndrome related colorectal cancers is significantly lower than the previously reported mutation rate found in sporadic MSI colorectal cancers. These findings identify further genetic differences between sporadic and hereditary colorectal cancers. This may be because Lynch Syndrome cancers

Poorly Differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Tattooed Skin

Science.gov (United States)

Sarma, Deba P.; Dentlinger, Renee B.; Forystek, Amanda M.; Stevens, Todd; Huerter, Christopher

2010-01-01

Introduction. Tattoos have increasingly become accepted by mainstream Western society. As a result, the incidence of tattoo-associated dermatoses is on the rise. The presence of a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in an old tattooed skin is of interest as it has not been previously documented. Case Presentation. A 79-year-old white homeless man of European descent presented to the dermatology clinic with a painless raised nodule on his left forearm arising in a tattooed area. A biopsy of the lesion revealed a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma infiltrating into a tattoo. The lesion was completely excised and the patient remains disease-free one year later. Conclusion. All previous reports of squamous cell carcinomas arising in tattoos have been well-differentiated low-grade type or keratoacanthoma-type and are considered to be coincidental rather than related to any carcinogenic effect of the tattoo pigments. Tattoo-associated poorly differentiated invasive carcinoma appears to be extremely rare. PMID:21274289

Poorly Differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Tattooed Skin

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Deba P. Sarma

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Tattoos have increasingly become accepted by mainstream Western society. As a result, the incidence of tattoo-associated dermatoses is on the rise. The presence of a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in an old tattooed skin is of interest as it has not been previously documented. Case Presentation. A 79-year-old white homeless man of European descent presented to the dermatology clinic with a painless raised nodule on his left forearm arising in a tattooed area. A biopsy of the lesion revealed a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma infiltrating into a tattoo. The lesion was completely excised and the patient remains disease-free one year later. Conclusion. All previous reports of squamous cell carcinomas arising in tattoos have been well-differentiated low-grade type or keratoacanthoma-type and are considered to be coincidental rather than related to any carcinogenic effect of the tattoo pigments. Tattoo-associated poorly differentiated invasive carcinoma appears to be extremely rare.

Basal Cell Carcinoma Arising in a Breast Augmentation Scar.

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Edwards, Lisa R; Cresce, Nicole D; Russell, Mark A

2017-04-01

We report a case of a 46-year-old female who presented with a persistent lesion on the inferior right breast. The lesion was located within the scar from a breast augmentation procedure 12 years ago. The lesion had been treated as several conditions with no improvement. Biopsy revealed a superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma, and the lesion was successfully removed with Mohs micrographic surgery. Basal cell carcinoma arising in a surgical scar is exceedingly rare with only 13 reported cases to date. This is the first reported case of basal cell carcinoma arising in a breast augmentation scar. We emphasize the importance of biopsy for suspicious lesions or those refractory to treatment, particularly those lesions that form within a scar. Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Dangerousness and mental health policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewitt, J L

2008-04-01

Mental health policy development in the UK has become increasingly dominated by the assumed need to prevent violence and alleviate public concerns about the dangers of the mentally ill living in the community. Risk management has become the expected focus of contemporary mental health services, and responsibility has increasingly been devolved to individual service professionals when systems fail to prevent violence. This paper analyses the development of mental health legislation and its impact on services users and mental health professionals at the micro level of service delivery. Historical precedence, media influence and public opinion are explored, and the reification of risk is questioned in practical and ethical terms. The government's newest proposals for compulsory treatment in the community are discussed in terms of practical efficacy and therapeutic impact. Dangerousness is far from being an objectively observable phenomenon arising from clinical pathology, but is a formulation of what is partially knowable through social analysis and unknowable by virtue of its situation in individual psychic motivation. Risk assessment can therefore never be completely accurate, and the solution of a 'better safe than sorry' approach to mental health policy is ethically and pragmatically flawed.

Frequently Used Coping Scales: A Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Tsukasa

2015-10-01

This article reports the frequency of the use of coping scales in academic journals published from 1998 to 2010. Two thousand empirical journal articles were selected from the EBSCO database. The COPE, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, Religious-COPE and Coping Response Inventory were frequently mentioned. In particular, the COPE (20.2%) and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (13.6%) were used the most frequently. In this literature reviewed, coping scales were most often used to assess coping with health issues (e.g. illness, pain and medical diagnoses) over other types of stressors, and patients were the most frequent participants. Further, alpha coefficients were estimated for the COPE subscales, and correlations between the COPE subscales and coping outcomes were calculated, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, negative affect, psychological distress, physical symptoms and well-being. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High grade angiosarcoma arising in fibroadenoma

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Primary angiosarcoma of the breast is a rare tumour that account for fewer than 0.05% of all malignant mammary tumours. Angiosarcoma may have an perfidious clinical onset. Radiologic findings are often nonspecific and may appear completely normal in one-third of cases with primary angiosarcoma. The prognosis is usually poor because of the high rates of local recurrence and early development of metastases. Aggressive surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment. The role of adjuvant therapy has not yet been well established. Here we present a case of a 53 year old, postmenopausal women with primary angiosarcoma arising in fibroadenoma. To our knowledge, this is the first case described in the literature to date. PMID:22185665

Periorbital nodular fasciitis arising during pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brandon N Phillips

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nodular fasciitis (NF is a benign proliferation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts that rarely occurs in the periorbital region. We report what we believe to be the first case of periorbital NF associated with pregnancy. A case of intravascular fasciitis, a NF variant, has been reported during pregnancy, but it was not located in the periorbital region. A weak presence of estrogen receptors has been reported in NF. This may make it more susceptible to the hormone-related changes during pregnancy and contribute to the development of the lesion by stimulating fibroblasts and smooth muscle cell types. Although rare, NF should be considered in the differential diagnosis of periorbital soft-tissue masses arising during pregnancy.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pharmacogenomics

Science.gov (United States)

... Care Genomic Medicine Working Group New Horizons and Research Patient Management Policy and Ethics Issues Quick Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for ...

Sound radiation quantities arising from a resilient circular radiator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aarts, R.M.; Janssen, A.J.E.M.

2009-01-01

Power series expansions in ka are derived for the pressure at the edge of a radiator, the reaction force on the radiator, and the total radiated power arising from a harmonically excited, resilient, flat, circular radiator of radius a in an infinite baffle. The velocity profiles on the radiator are

Defining frequent use of an urban emergency department

Science.gov (United States)

Locker, Thomas E; Baston, Simon; Mason, Suzanne M; Nicholl, Jon

2007-01-01

Objective This study aimed to develop a definition of frequent use of an emergency department (ED) by comparing differences in the observed frequency distribution with that of a theoretical frequency distribution. Methods A retrospective analysis of attendance of ED and minor injury unit attendances in one city over 1 year was conducted. From these data, the expected frequency distribution was determined based upon a Poisson distribution. Results During the period studied, 75 141 people attended on 98 908 occasions. The theoretical frequency distribution showed that there were 2764 (3.7%) “frequent users” presenting repeatedly due to non‐random events. These patients made 12 316 (12.4%) attendances. Frequent users were older than chance users (mean age 49.7 vs 44.5 years). A greater proportion arrived by ambulance (55.3% vs 27.5%), presented with psychiatric problems (5.8% vs 1.1%) or alcohol intoxication (1.3% vs 0.5%), and were admitted to hospital (37.4% vs 19.6%). Conclusion We have identified that there is a group of patients who present repeatedly due to non‐random events, confirming the existence of “frequent users”. Their characteristics are clearly different to other patients in the ED. We propose that “frequent users” be defined as any patient who makes more than four attendances per year. PMID:17513534

Basal Cell Carcinoma Arising in a Tattooed Eyebrow

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jong-Sun; Park, Jin; Kim, Seong-Min; Kim, Han-Uk

2009-01-01

Malignant skin tumors, including squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, have occurred in tattoos. Seven documented cases of basal cell carcinoma associated with tattoos have also been reported in the medical literature. We encountered a patient with basal cell carcinoma in a tattooed eyebrow. We report on this case as the eighth reported case of a patient with basal cell carcinoma arising in a tattooed area. PMID:20523804

Integrating Faith-Based Organizations into State-Funded Pre-K Programs: Resolving Constitutional Conflict. Pre-K Policy Brief Series

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Dan; Boylan, Ellen

2010-01-01

This policy brief addresses federal and state constitutional issues that arise when faith-based organizations participate in state prekindergarten (pre-k) programs and recommends safeguards to ensure that public funding of those programs complies with constitutional principles respecting the separation of church and state and freedom of religion.…

Conceptualising the policy practice and behavioural research relationship

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Yeatman Heather

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Policy is frequently identified in the behavioural nutrition and physical activity research literature as a necessary component of effective research and practice. The purpose of this commentary is to promote a dialogue to contribute towards the further development of conceptual understandings and theories of the relationship between policy practice and behavioural research and how these two activities might work synergistically to improve public health outcomes. Methods Drawing on policy and public health literature, this commentary presents a a conceptual model of the interaction and mediation between nutrition and physical activity-relevant policy and behavioural nutrition and physical activity research, environments, behaviours and public health implications. The selling of food in school canteens in several Australian states is discussed to illustrate components of the relationship and the interactions among its components. Results The model depicts a relationship that is interdependent and cyclic. Policy contributes to the relationship through its role in shaping environmental and personal-cognitive determinants of behaviours and through these determinants it can induce behaviour change. Behavioural research describes behaviours, identifies determinants of behaviour change and therefore helps inform policy development and monitor and evaluate its impact. Conclusion The model has implications for guiding behavioural research and policy practice priorities to promote public health outcomes. In particular, we propose that policy practice and behavioural research activities can be strengthened by applying to each other the theories from the scientific disciplines informing these respective activities. Behavioural science theories can be applied to help understand policy-making and assist with disseminating research into policy and practice. In turn, policy science theories can be applied to support the 'institutionalisation

What Ethical Issues Really Arise in Practice at an Academic Medical Center? A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Ethics Consultations from 2008 to 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Wasson, Katherine; Anderson, Emily; Hagstrom, Erika; McCarthy, Michael; Parsi, Kayhan; Kuczewski, Mark

2016-09-01

As the field of clinical ethics consultation sets standards and moves forward with the Quality Attestation process, questions should be raised about what ethical issues really do arise in practice. There is limited data on the type and number of ethics consultations conducted across different settings. At Loyola University Medical Center, we conducted a retrospective review of our ethics consultations from 2008 through 2013. One hundred fifty-six cases met the eligibility criteria. We analyzed demographic data on these patients and conducted a content analysis of the ethics consultation write-ups coding both the frequency of ethical issues and most significant, or key, ethical issue per case. Patients for whom ethics consultation was requested were typically male (55.8 %), white (57.1 %), between 50 and 69 years old (38.5 %), of non-Hispanic origin (85.9 %), and of Roman Catholic faith (43.6 %). Nearly half (47.4 %) were in the intensive care unit and 44.2 % died in the hospital. The most frequent broad ethical categories were decision-making (93.6 %), goals of care/treatment (80.8 %), and end-of-life (73.1 %). More specifically, capacity (57.1 %), patient's wishes/autonomy (54.5 %), and surrogate decision maker (51.3 %) were the most frequent particular ethical issues. The most common key ethical issues were withdrawing/withholding treatment (12.8 %), patient wishes/autonomy (12.2 %), and capacity (11.5 %). Our findings provide additional data to inform the training of clinical ethics consultants regarding the ethical issues that arise in practice. A wider research agenda should be formed to collect and compare data across institutions to improve education and training in our field.

Frequent binge drinking five to six years after exposure to 9/11: Findings from the World Trade Center Health Registry

Science.gov (United States)

Welch, Alice E.; Caramanica, Kimberly; Maslow, Carey B.; Cone, James E.; Farfel, Mark R.; Keyes, Katherine M.; Stellman, Steven D.; Hasin, Deborah S.

2014-01-01

Background Exposure to 9/11 may have considerable long-term impact on health behaviors, including increased alcohol consumption. We examined the association between frequent binge drinking, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and number of 9/11-specific experiences among World Trade Center Health Registry (Registry) enrollees five-to-six years after 9/11. Methods Participants included 41,284 lower Manhattan residents, workers, passers-by, and rescue/recovery workers aged 18 or older without a pre-9/11 PTSD diagnosis who completed Wave 1 (2003–2004) and Wave 2 (2006–2007) interviews. Frequent binge drinking was defined as consuming five or more drinks on five or more occasions in the prior 30 days at Wave 2. Probable PTSD was defined as scoring 44 or greater on the PTSD Checklist. 9/11 exposure was measured as the sum of 12 experiences and grouped as none/low (0–1), medium (2–3), high (4–5) and very high (6+). Results Frequent binge drinking was significantly associated with increasing 9/11 exposure and PTSD. Those with very high and high exposures had a higher prevalence of frequent binge drinking (13.7% and 9.8%, respectively) than those with medium and low exposures (7.5% and 4.4%, respectively). Upon stratification, very high and high exposures were associated with frequent binge drinking in both the PTSD and no PTSD subgroups. Conclusions Our findings suggest that 9/11 exposure had an impact on frequent binge drinking five-to-six years later among Registry enrollees. Understanding the effects of traumatic exposure on alcohol use is important to identify risk factors for post-disaster alcohol misuse, inform policy, and improve post-disaster psychological and alcohol screening and counseling. PMID:24831753

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in a mature cystic teratoma

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Gupta Vishwanath

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Two cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC arising in a mature cystic teratoma (MCT are being discussed for their rarity and pattern of infiltration of tumor cells in the stroma (alpha mode, beta mode and gamma mode, which is a key factor in deciding the prognosis and patient survival.

An Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Purchase of Comprehensive Car Insurance Policies of Vehicle Owners

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Hakan EYGÜ

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Comprehensive insurance is the coverage purchased by the individuals in exchange for the premiums paid for insuring their movable properties against the damages caused by either their or others’ faults. Comprehensive insurance is generally rooted in the automotive sector and its applications are generally designed for this sector. Vehicle owners buy their vehicles according to their tastes using a considerable part of their savings. Purchasing of a comprehensive car insurance policy means that the purchaser is transferring the costs borne by the risks to be occurred related to his or her vehicle to the insurance company. Thus, the vehicle is insured against any costs arise in case of any damage. This study were examined to investigate the comprehensive car insurance policy ownership ratio of vehicle owners, factors that may be affecting the ownership of such policies, opinions of policy owners on the insurance company providing the coverage and the factors affecting the decision of not purchasing comprehensive car insurance policies.

THE POLICY AND THE TRADE REGIME IN ROMANIA AFTER 1990

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Dobrotă Gabriela

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The growth of connections between national economies has generated a consolidation of foreign currency activities, requiring a continuous adjusting regime, both for the foreign currency policy and for the exchange rate to the market mechanisms. In Romania, there have been frequent alterations of the foreign currency policy, requiring the need to create a juridical framework adequate for the market economy and the evolution of financial instruments. This paper presents the main characteristics of the trade regime and the exchange rate policy in Romania after 1990. Practically, the paper reflects a radiography of the main events on the Romanian foreign exchange rate within the context of specific conditions of the Romanian economy and in correlation with the measures adopted by countries from the Central Europe

THE POLICY AND THE TRADE REGIME IN ROMANIA AFTER 1990

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dobrotă Gabriela

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The growth of connections between national economies has generated a consolidation of foreign currency activities, requiring a continuous adjusting regime, both for the foreign currency policy and for the exchange rate to the market mechanisms. In Romania, there have been frequent alterations of the foreign currency policy, requiring the need to create a juridical framework adequate for the market economy and the evolution of financial instruments. This paper presents the main characteristics of the trade regime and the exchange rate policy in Romania after 1990. Practically, the paper reflects a radiography of the main events on the Romanian foreign exchange rate within the context of specific conditions of the Romanian economy and in correlation with the measures adopted by countries from the Central Europe.

Corporate Governance Frequently Asked Questions

OpenAIRE

International Finance Corporation

2016-01-01

This guidebook is designed to address common questionson corporate governance that are frequently asked byowners and managers of companies in the Middle Eastand North Africa (MENA) region. It familiarizes readerswith the basic concepts of corporate governance,providing a comprehensive overview of the subject matter,using case studies as practical examples of corporategovernance application...

Dynamics of the middle atmosphere as observed by the ARISE project

Science.gov (United States)

Blanc, E.

2015-12-01

It has been strongly demonstrated that variations in the circulation of the middle atmosphere influence weather and climate all the way to the Earth's surface. A key part of this coupling occurs through the propagation and breaking of planetary and gravity waves. However, limited observations prevent to faithfully reproduce the dynamics of the middle atmosphere in numerical weather prediction and climate models. The main challenge of the ARISE (Atmospheric dynamics InfraStructure in Europe) project is to combine existing national and international observation networks including: the International infrasound monitoring system developed for the CTBT (Comprehensive nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty) verification, the NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Changes) lidar network, European observation infrastructures at mid latitudes (OHP observatory), tropics (Maïdo observatory), high latitudes (ALOMAR and EISCAT), infrasound stations which form a dense European network and satellites. The ARISE network is unique by its coverage (polar to equatorial regions in the European longitude sector), its altitude range (from troposphere to mesosphere and ionosphere) and the involved scales both in time (from seconds to tens of years) and space (from tens of meters to thousands of kilometers). Advanced data products are produced with the scope to assimilate data in the Weather Prediction models to improve future forecasts over weeks and seasonal time scales. ARISE observations are especially relevant for the monitoring of extreme events such as thunderstorms, volcanoes, meteors and at larger scales, deep convection and stratospheric warming events for physical processes description and study of long term evolution with climate change. Among the applications, ARISE fosters integration of innovative methods for remote detection of non-instrumented volcanoes including distant eruption characterization to provide notifications with reliable confidence indices to the

Good Policy, Good Practice II. Improving Outcomes and Productivity in Higher Education: A Guide for Policymakers

Science.gov (United States)

Brenneman, Meghan Wilson; Callan, Patrick M.; Ewell, Peter T.; Finney, Joni E.; Jones, Dennis P.; Zis, Stacey

2010-01-01

This new edition of "Good Policy, Good Practice II" revises and updates the authors' 2007 publication. Like the earlier edition, it responds to one of the questions that is raised most frequently in the authors' work with public policy and education leaders as they begin to address the national and state imperatives to increase the proportion of…

Predictors of Frequent Emergency Room Visits among a Homeless Population.

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Kinna Thakarar

Full Text Available Homelessness, HIV, and substance use are interwoven problems. Furthermore, homeless individuals are frequent users of emergency services. The main purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for frequent emergency room (ER visits and to examine the effects of housing status and HIV serostatus on ER utilization. The second purpose was to identify risk factors for frequent ER visits in patients with a history of illicit drug use.A retrospective analysis was performed on 412 patients enrolled in a Boston-based health care for the homeless program (HCH. This study population was selected as a 2:1 HIV seronegative versus HIV seropositive match based on age, sex, and housing status. A subgroup analysis was performed on 287 patients with history of illicit drug use. Chart data were analyzed to compare demographics, health characteristics, and health service utilization. Results were stratified by housing status. Logistic models using generalized estimating equations were used to predict frequent ER visits.In homeless patients, hepatitis C was the only predictor of frequent ER visits (OR 4.49, p<0.01. HIV seropositivity was not predictive of frequent ER visits. In patients with history of illicit drug use, mental health (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.07-5.95 and hepatitis C (OR 2.85, 95% CI 1.37-5.93 were predictors of frequent ER use. HIV seropositivity did not predict ER use (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21 - 0.97.In a HCH population, hepatitis C predicted frequent ER visits in homeless patients. HIV seropositivity did not predict frequent ER visits, likely because HIV seropositive HCH patients are engaged in care. In patients with history of illicit drug use, hepatitis C and mental health disorders predicted frequent ER visits. Supportive housing for patients with mental health disorders and hepatitis C may help prevent unnecessary ER visits in this population.

What Is Plan B? Using Foucault's Archaeology to Enhance Policy Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Bourke, Terri; Lidstone, John

2015-01-01

Many governments in Western democracies conduct the work of leading their societies forward through policy generation and implementation. Despite government attempts at extensive negotiation, collaboration and debate, the general populace in these same countries frequently express feelings of disempowerment and undue pressure to be compliant,…

Policies and strategies for radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

(organizational, technical and legislative), and on future needs and waste arisings. The technical procedures proposed for the waste types in the country should be politically, technically and economically feasible. When selecting a set of technological procedures, an appropriate end point must be identified, usually a suitable disposal option. The steps in formulating and implementing the strategy include selecting the technological procedures, allocating the responsibility for implementing the identified procedures, establishing supervisory mechanisms and developing implementation plans. Policies and strategies may need to be updated because of new national circumstances (legislative changes, plans for new nuclear facilities), new international agreements and/or experience obtained with the original policy and strategy. The lead in making changes should be taken by the body responsible for the initial formulation of the policy (government) and strategy (waste management organization); but all relevant parties in the country should be involved and consulted in this process. (author)

Intraosseous verrucous carcinoma arising from an orthokeratinized odontogenic keratocyst: A report of a rarest entity

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Nagaraju Kamarthi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Intraosseous verrucous carcinomas (VCs arising from odontogenic cysts are a rare entity. An unusual case of a VC arising from the orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst is described for the first time. The microscopic features of the lesion are presented.

The Most Frequent English Homonyms

Science.gov (United States)

Parent, Kevin

2012-01-01

This article distinguishes homonymy, homophony, homography and polysemy, and provides a list of the most frequent homonyms using corpus-derived data. For most of the homonyms, the most common meaning accounts for 90% or more of the total uses of the form. The pedagogical and research implications of these findings are discussed. (Contains 5…

Entanglement witnesses arising from exposed positive linear maps

OpenAIRE

Ha, Kil-Chan; Kye, Seung-Hyeok

2011-01-01

We consider entanglement witnesses arising from positive linear maps which generate exposed extremal rays. We show that every entanglement can be detected by one of these witnesses, and this witness detects a unique set of entanglement among those. Therefore, they provide a minimal set of witnesses to detect all entanglement in a sense. Furthermore, if those maps are indecomposable then they detect large classes of entanglement with positive partial transposes which have nonempty relative int...

High-Grade Leiomyosarcoma Arising in a Previously Replanted Limb

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Tiffany J. Pan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sarcoma development has been associated with genetics, irradiation, viral infections, and immunodeficiency. Reports of sarcomas arising in the setting of prior trauma, as in burn scars or fracture sites, are rare. We report a case of a leiomyosarcoma arising in an arm that had previously been replanted at the level of the elbow joint following traumatic amputation when the patient was eight years old. He presented twenty-four years later with a 10.8 cm mass in the replanted arm located on the volar forearm. The tumor was completely resected and pathology examination showed a high-grade, subfascial spindle cell sarcoma diagnosed as a grade 3 leiomyosarcoma with stage pT2bNxMx. The patient underwent treatment with brachytherapy, reconstruction with a free flap, and subsequently chemotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of leiomyosarcoma developing in a replanted extremity. Development of leiomyosarcoma in this case could be related to revascularization, scar formation, or chronic injury after replantation. The patient remains healthy without signs of recurrence at three-year follow-up.

Multiple Ectopic Hepatocellular Carcinomas Arising in the Abdominal Cavity

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Toru Miyake

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC is a very rare clinical entity that is defined as HCC arising from extrahepatic liver tissue. This report presents a case of ectopic multiple HCC arising in the abdominal cavity. A 42-year-old otherwise healthy male presented with liver dysfunction at a general health checkup. Both HCV antibody and hepatitis B surface antigen were negative. Laboratory examination showed elevations in serum alpha-fetoprotein and PIVKA-II. Ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed multiple nodular lesions in the abdominal cavity with ascites without a possible primary tumor. Exploratory laparoscopy was performed, which revealed bloody ascites and multiple brown nodular tumors measuring approximately 10 mm in size that were disseminated on the perineum and mesentery. A postoperative PET-CT scan was performed but it did not reveal any evidence of a tumor in the liver. The tumors resected from the peritoneum were diagnosed as HCC. The present case of HCC was thought to have possibly developed from ectopic liver on the peritoneum or mesentery.

Survival of mutations arising during invasions.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Judith R

2010-03-01

When a neutral mutation arises in an invading population, it quickly either dies out or 'surfs', i.e. it comes to occupy almost all the habitat available at its time of origin. Beneficial mutations can also surf, as can deleterious mutations over finite time spans. We develop descriptive statistical models that quantify the relationship between the probability that a mutation will surf and demographic parameters for a cellular automaton model of surfing. We also provide a simple analytic model that performs well at predicting the probability of surfing for neutral and beneficial mutations in one dimension. The results suggest that factors - possibly including even abiotic factors - that promote invasion success may also increase the probability of surfing and associated adaptive genetic change, conditioned on such success.

[A case of carcinoma arising in a diverticulum of the transverse colon].

Science.gov (United States)

Nomi, Masako; Umemoto, Satoshi; Kikutake, Takashi; Hosaka, Seiji; Mase, Takahiro; Kawamoto, Shunji; Yoshida, Takahisa

2014-11-01

A 64 year-old woman presented with advanced, transverse colon cancer arising in the diverticulum. Tumor invasion extended beyond the serosa to the anal side of the colon. Anemia and fatigue progressed after 6 months of iron administration. The hemoglobin value was 5.3 g/dL and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level was elevated to 44.2 ng/mL. A palpable and tender fist-sized mass was found in the right upper abdomen. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a low-density mass in the transverse colon invading beyond the serosa to the anal side of the colon. Right hemi-colectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. The resected specimen contained multiple diverticula including the one from which the tumor arose. Histological examination revealed a well-differentiated, tubular adenocarcinoma (UICC TNM T4bN0M0) arising in a transverse colon diverticulum. There has been no recurrence for 2 years. Colon cancer arising in a diverticulum may expand to the extra-serosa and easily invade to the adjacent organ. In such cases, malignancy should be considered.

Roles of scientists as policy advisers on complex issues: A literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spruijt, Pita; Knol, Anne B.; Vasileiadou, Eleftheria; Devilee, Jeroen; Lebret, Erik; Petersen, Arthur C.

Background and Aims: Policymakers frequently encounter complex issues, and the role of scientists as policy advisers on these issues is not always clearly defined. We present an overview of the interdisciplinary literature on the roles of scientific experts when advising policymakers on complex

Roles of scientists as policy advisers on complex issues : a literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spruijt, P.; Knol, A.B.; Vasileiadou, E.; Devilee, J.; Lebret, E.; Petersen, A.C.

2014-01-01

Background and Aims Policymakers frequently encounter complex issues, and the role of scientists as policy advisers on these issues is not always clearly defined. We present an overview of the interdisciplinary literature on the roles of scientific experts when advising policymakers on complex

'Penetrated system' or 'normal' state? An exploration of INF arms control policy, East-West economic relations, and inter-German policy in the Federal Republic of Germany, 1979-1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, C.S.

1991-01-01

The thesis explores policy-making processes in the Federal Republic from 1979-1987 in three areas: INF arms control policy, East-West economic relations, and inter-German policy. Each case study assesses the degree of complexity and domestic accountability in policy-making processes and evaluates the relative influence of domestic and external factors on policy choices. It argues that the trends in West German foreign policy toward greater assertiveness reflected the evolution of the FRG as a state, society, and polity. The 'maturation' of the Federal Republic has introduced greater complexity into foreign policy-making processes, and more frequent societal intervention into what heretofore were elite deliberations. Domestic actors have begun to demand greater accountability, while West German leaders, in turn, have become more assertive and confident in defending German national interests. As the FRG has gained respect and self-respect, it has begun to assume the international role that might be expected of a state of its size, population, geo-political importance, and level of political and economic development. The FRG has become a 'normal' state

The European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics Policy Statement No. 6.1: Recommended Guidelines on National Registration Schemes for Medical Physicists

OpenAIRE

Christofides, S; Isidoro, J; Pesznyak, C; Bumbure, L; Cremers, Fn; Schmidt, WF

2016-01-01

This EFOMP Policy Statement is an update of Policy Statement No. 6 first published in 1994. The present version takes into account the European Union Parliament and Council Directive 2013/55/EU that amends Directive 2005/36/EU on the recognition of professional qualifications and the European Union Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM laying down the basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation. The European Commission Radiation Protection...

Personalized privacy-preserving frequent itemset mining using randomized response.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Chongjing; Fu, Yan; Zhou, Junlin; Gao, Hui

2014-01-01

Frequent itemset mining is the important first step of association rule mining, which discovers interesting patterns from the massive data. There are increasing concerns about the privacy problem in the frequent itemset mining. Some works have been proposed to handle this kind of problem. In this paper, we introduce a personalized privacy problem, in which different attributes may need different privacy levels protection. To solve this problem, we give a personalized privacy-preserving method by using the randomized response technique. By providing different privacy levels for different attributes, this method can get a higher accuracy on frequent itemset mining than the traditional method providing the same privacy level. Finally, our experimental results show that our method can have better results on the frequent itemset mining while preserving personalized privacy.

Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions

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... Trials? Finding Help Reprints For More Information Share Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions Download PDF Download ... a week. Text “HOME” to 741741. What Is Suicide? Suicide is when people direct violence at themselves ...

Evidence-based policy learning: the case of the research excellence indicat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardeman, S.; Vertesy, D.

2016-07-01

Excellence is arguably the single most important concept in academia today, especially when it comes to science policy making. At the same time, however, excellence leads to a great amount of discomfort, leading some to plea for an overall rejection of the concept. The discomfort with excellence reaches its heights whenever proposals are made for measuring it. Yet, especially given the period of professionalization science policy making finds itself in, these same metrics are frequently called upon to legitimate policy interventions. Excellence and its measurement, it seems therefore, is something we can neither life with nor without. This paper offers some middle ground in the debate on excellence and its measurement for science policy purposes. Using the case of the European Commission’s Research Excellence Indicator as an example, we show how the development and use of indicators offers an opportunity for learning in science policy making. Ultimately, therefore, we show how and in what ways measuring excellence can contribute to evidence-based science policy learning in practice. (Author)

Human rights and correctional health policy: a view from Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogan, Mary

2017-03-13

Purpose Correctional healthcare should promote the protection of human rights. The purpose of this paper is to bring a discussion of human rights into debates on how such policy should be best organized. Design/methodology/approach The paper achieves its aim by providing an analysis of European prison law and policy in the area of prison health, through assessing decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as policies created by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. Findings The paper describes the position of the European Court of Human Rights on the topics of access to healthcare, ill health and release from prison, mental illness in prison, and the duty to provide rehabilitative programming for those seeking to reduce their level of "risk." It also argues that human rights law can be a source of practical reform, and that legal frameworks have much to offer healthcare leaders seeking to uphold the dignity of those in their care. Originality/value This paper will provide a rare example of the engagement of human rights law with correctional health policy. It provides practical recommendations arising out of an analysis of European human rights law in the area of prisons.

Impacts on the Common Agricultural Policy and on rural development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grassi, G.; Palz, W.

1992-01-01

In the 1980s the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) resulted in large surpluses of main agricultural products; dealing with these surpluses consumed large parts of the Commission's and Member States' budgets. To alleviate this problem, a proposal for alternative land use is presented here: large-scale exploitation of biomass for industrial and energy uses, at the level of 600 to 800 million tonnes of oil equivalent a year. The important benefits to arise from this activity will include: job creation in rural districts, solutions to environmental problems, and technologies applicable in developing countries. (author)

A Global Online Handwriting Recognition Approach Based on Frequent Patterns

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C. Gmati

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In this article, the handwriting signals are represented based on geometric and spatio-temporal characteristics to increase the feature vectors relevance of each object. The main goal was to extract features in the form of a numeric vector based on the extraction of frequent patterns. We used two types of frequent motifs (closed frequent patterns and maximal frequent patterns that can represent handwritten characters pertinently. These common features patterns are generated from a raw data transformation method to achieve high relevance. A database of words consisting of two different letters was created. The proposed application gives promising results and highlights the advantages that frequent pattern extraction algorithms can achieve, as well as the central role played by the “minimum threshold” parameter in the overall description of the characters.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Mature Teratoma of the Ovary Masquerading as Abdominal Tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shreeya Taresh Indulkar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Pure squamous cell carcinoma (SCC of the ovary is rare. SCC can arise in a mature teratoma (MT, ovarian endometriosis or in a Brenner tumor. SCC is the most common malignant transformation arising in MT and comprises 80% of all cases. Such neoplastic transformations are extremely difficult either to predict or detect early. The mechanism of malignant transformation has not been completely understood. Due to the rarity and the aggressive course, diagnosis and treatment constitute a big challenge. We report a case of SCC arising in MT presenting with a huge abdominopelvic mass and abundant peritoneal collections clinically masquerading as abdominal tuberculosis. A review of literature with special emphasis on prognosis and treatment modalities is also presented.

Potential Challenges Faced by the U.S. Chemicals Industry under a Carbon Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Bassi

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Chemicals have become the backbone of manufacturing within industrialized economies. Being energy-intensive materials to produce, this sector is threatened by policies aimed at combating and adapting to climate change. This study examines the worst-case scenario for the U.S. chemicals industry when a medium CO2 price policy is employed. After examining possible industry responses, the study goes on to identify and provide a preliminary evaluation of potential opportunities to mitigate these impacts. If climate regulations are applied only in the United States, and no action is taken to invest in advanced low- and no-carbon technologies to mitigate the impacts of rising energy costs, the examination shows that climate policies that put a price on carbon could have substantial impacts on the competiveness of the U.S. chemicals industry over the next two decades. In the long run, there exist technologies that are available to enable the chemicals sector to achieve sufficient efficiency gains to offset and manage the additional energy costs arising from a climate policy.

The diverging paths of German and United States policies for renewable energy: Sources of difference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laird, Frank N.; Stefes, Christoph

2009-01-01

The United States and Germany started out with very similar policies for renewable energy after the energy crisis of the 1970s. By the year 2000 they were on very different policy paths and, as a result, the German renewable energy industry has moved well ahead of that in the United States, both in terms of installed capacity in the country and in terms of creating a highly successful export market. In this paper, we reject some of the conventional explanations for this difference. Instead, these differences arise from the intersection of contingent historical events with the distinctive institutional and social structures that affect policy making in each country. Our analysis of the historical path-dependent dynamics of each country suggests that those who wish to further renewable energy policy in the United States need to take into account these institutional and social factors so that they will better be able to exploit the next set of favorable historical circumstances.

Temporary oil production, current account deterioration and the role of monetary and fiscal policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvie, C.

1992-01-01

This paper extends earlier work on the macroeconomic adjustment processes arising for an economy experiencing a temporary period of oil production. Emphasis is placed on developments in the current account, as reflected in foreign asset stock movements, after oil production ceases, as well as on the role that monetary, fiscal or fiscal/monetary policy can play in influencing current-account developments during this same period. The results presented suggest that, to improve the performance of the current account, irrespective of the wage adjustment mechanism operative, after oil production ceases, the major thrust of macroeconomic policy should operate through fiscal rather than monetary policy. However developments in non-oil output would be influenced by the wage adjustment mechanism. With wage indexation, a tight fiscal policy after oil production ceases leads to a higher level of non-oil output than in the no policy response case, or one where monetary policy alone is used. With no wage indexation, the use of monetary and/or fiscal policy leads to lower levels of non-oil output. The use of fiscal policy also has the added benefit of contributing to a lower consumer price level, again irrespective of the operative wage adjustment mechanism. If the emphasis of policy operates through monetary policy, irrespective of the wage adjustment mechanism, the current-account problem will be exacerbated since foreign assets stocks will be lower. In addition, non-oil output and consumer prices will be lower. (Author)

Characterization of Rayleigh backscattering arising in various two-mode fibers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yu, Dawei; Fu, Songnian; Cao, Zizheng; Tang, Ming; Deng, Lei; Liu, Deming; Giles, I.; Koonen, T.; Okonkwo, C.

2016-01-01

We experimentally characterize the mode dependent characteristics of Rayleigh backscattering (RB) arising in various two-mode fibers (TMFs). With the help of an all-fiber photonic lantern, we are able to measure the RB power at individual modes. Consequently, mode dependent power distribution of RB

Influence of Frequent Nocturnal Home Hemodialysis on Food Preference

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ipema, Karin; Franssen, Casper; van der Schans, Cees; Smit, Lianne; Noordman, Sabine; Haisma, Hinke

Objective: Dialysis patients frequently report a change of taste that is reversible after renal transplantation, suggesting that uremic toxins may negatively influence taste. Currently, frequent nocturnal home hemodialysis (NHHD) is the most effective method of hemodialysis, and is associated with

Frequently Asked Questions about Radiation Emergencies

Science.gov (United States)

... Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Radiation Emergencies Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir For more information on radiation, go to the Radiation Dictionary . Get Inside: Why should I get inside during ...

Energy Poverty and Policy Coherence in India

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jaeger, Mark Daniel; Michaelowa, Katharina

2016-01-01

Energy poverty is frequently mobilized as a normative argument in international negotiations. Typically, the concrete linkages between political propositions at international level and domestic policies remain ill-defined, and thus invite different stakeholders to make use of terms like “energy...... poverty” for their own purposes. In other words, “energy poverty” remains a contested concept that lends itself to social norm construction. Whether, under these conditions, national policies and their implementation then truly serve the interest of the poor is an open question. Indeed, critics at both...... the international and the national level suggest that political actors in India might hijack salient normative positions on energy poverty in order to advance their own agenda. To assess whether domestic politics are consistent with the pro-poor normative discourse at the international level, we examine (i...

Ecuador's energy policy mix: Development versus conservation and nationalism with Chinese loans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escribano, Gonzalo

2013-01-01

Ecuador's energy policy faces a complex variety of political and economic objectives that are difficult to reconcile in a consistent manner. Ecuador is a small oil producer and exporter with significant renewable (mainly hydropower) resources, hosting some of the richest biodiversity areas in the world, part of which are inhabited by so far indigenous un-contacted people. Being a developing country, tensions arise between conservation aims and development imperatives, as well as between resource nationalism and much-needed foreign financing. However, the really limiting factor for the country's energy development seems to be its constraints in financing the government's development and redistributive policies. Resorting to Chinese loans-for-oil may be part of the solution in the short term, but it does not substitute for a more consistent energy policy. Ecuador's case illustrates the dilemmas of energy policy in natural resource-rich developing countries when confronted with diverging political economy, social, environmental and macro-financial goals. - Highlights: ► Ecuador's energy policy lacks coherence and is plagued with inconsistencies. ► Its three main drivers are development, conservation and resource nationalism. ► Fulfilling President Correa's social agenda requires increasing oil production. ► Conservation demands have been subjected to developmental imperatives. ► Chinese loans and investments limit resource nationalism and favour pragmatism

Predictors of Frequent Emergency Room Visits among a Homeless Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Thakarar, Kinna; Morgan, Jake R; Gaeta, Jessie M; Hohl, Carole; Drainoni, Mari-Lynn

2015-01-01

Homelessness, HIV, and substance use are interwoven problems. Furthermore, homeless individuals are frequent users of emergency services. The main purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for frequent emergency room (ER) visits and to examine the effects of housing status and HIV serostatus on ER utilization. The second purpose was to identify risk factors for frequent ER visits in patients with a history of illicit drug use. A retrospective analysis was performed on 412 patients enrolled in a Boston-based health care for the homeless program (HCH). This study population was selected as a 2:1 HIV seronegative versus HIV seropositive match based on age, sex, and housing status. A subgroup analysis was performed on 287 patients with history of illicit drug use. Chart data were analyzed to compare demographics, health characteristics, and health service utilization. Results were stratified by housing status. Logistic models using generalized estimating equations were used to predict frequent ER visits. In homeless patients, hepatitis C was the only predictor of frequent ER visits (OR 4.49, phomeless patients. HIV seropositivity did not predict frequent ER visits, likely because HIV seropositive HCH patients are engaged in care. In patients with history of illicit drug use, hepatitis C and mental health disorders predicted frequent ER visits. Supportive housing for patients with mental health disorders and hepatitis C may help prevent unnecessary ER visits in this population.

Communicating Geosciences with Policy-makers: a Grand Challenge for Academia

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, W. J.; Walls, M. R.; Boland, M. A.

2015-12-01

Geoscientists interested in the broader societal impacts of their research can make a meaningful contribution to policy making in our changing world. Nevertheless, policy and public decision making are the least frequently cited Broader Impacts in proposals and funded projects within NSF's Geosciences Directorate. Academic institutions can play a lead role by introducing this societal dimension of our profession to beginning students, and by enabling interdisciplinary research and promoting communication pathways for experienced career geoscientists. Within the academic environment, the public interface of the geosciences can be presented through curriculum content and creative programs. These include undergraduate minors in economics or public policy designed for scientists and engineers, and internships with policy makers. Federal research institutions and other organizations provide valuable policy-relevant experiences for students. Academic institutions have the key freedom of mission to tackle interdisciplinary research challenges at the interface of geoscience and policy. They develop long-standing relationships with research partners, including national laboratories and state geological surveys, whose work may support policy development and analysis at local, state, regional, and national levels. CSM's Payne Institute for Earth Resources awards mini-grants for teams of researchers to develop collaborative research efforts between engineering/science and policy researchers. Current work in the areas of nuclear generation and the costs of climate policy and on policy alternatives for capturing fugitive methane emissions are examples of work at the interface between the geosciences and public policy. With academic engagement, geoscientists can steward their intellectual output when non-scientists translate geoscience information and concepts into action through public policies.

Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma Arising in Colorectal Endometriosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiao Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Extrauterine endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS arising in endometriosis is extremely rare, particularly in the colorectum. It should always be included in the differential diagnosis of primary tumors originating from gastrointestinal tract in females, given that preoperative endoscopical biopsy may reveal no specific changes. We reported a case of ESS arising in colorectal endometriosis and reviewed the previous 7 cases reported in the English literature. Our patient, who was unavailable for tumor resection and refused further adjuvant therapy, played a role in representing the natural history of low-grade extragenital ESS. This case was the only death from ESS arising in colorectal endometriosis.

Brazilian new patterns of an industrial, technological and foreign trade policy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Matias Pereira

2006-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to deepen the discussion about the unavoidable way Brazil has to go through in order to construct a modern industrial and technological policy, based on knowledge and technological innovation, which will work as a stimulator of economic development. The different theories about this subject (SCHUMPETER, 1985; PAVITT, 1998; FREEMAN, 1995; KRUGMAN, 1995; COUTINHO & FERRAZ, 1994; MATIAS-PEREIRA & KRUGLIANSKAS, 2005, so as the principles set by the Brazilian Development Ministry (“Diretrizes de Política Industrial, Tecnológica e de Comércio Exterior”, give support in the search for defining a new model of industrial, technological policy and foreign trade for the country. The strategic role of industrial policy seems to be very evident, if it takes on its co-ordination work involving the productive agents, which are responsible for crucial decisions, such as those related to investments and/or innovation, in a context of great incertitude about the consequences of their decisions in the future. Finally, the conclusion arising from this discussion demonstrates that it is crucial for the country to define a modern industrial policy, which could be able to integrate the incentive to innovation as well as to exports, in order to serve as a tool to foster development. The paper also argues that the feasibility to this policy depends on Government’s ability in supplying agents with a favorable context towards adequate regulation, purchasing policy, availability on financing facilities and fiscal incentives.

Models for policy-making in sustainable development. The state of the art and perspectives for research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulanger, Paul-Marie; Brechet, Thierry

2005-01-01

More and more frequently policy-makers are urged to assess the impact of their strategies and policies in terms of sustainable development. This necessitates the use of applied scientific models as tools for identifying and evaluating the likely environmental, economic and social impacts of alternative policies. The objective of this paper is to provide a framework to help decision-makers choose the most appropriate-or the most appropriate mix-of models, by assessing their relative strengths and weaknesses. The paper also allows potential improvements in modeling techniques to be identified. Six modeling paradigms are assessed, both on a general basis and with respect to two specific policy contexts (energy policy, and land use and transport planning)

Chondrosarcoma arising within a radiation-induced osteochondroma several years following childhood total body irradiation: Case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagata, Shuji [Kurume University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Fukuoka (Japan); Shen, Robert K. [Mayo Clinic, Department of Surgery, Rochester, MN (United States); Laack, Nadia N. [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rochester, MN (United States); Inwards, Carrie Y. [Mayo Clinic, Department of Pathology, Rochester, MN (United States); Wenger, Doris E.; Amrami, Kimberly K. [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiology, Rochester, MN (United States)

2013-08-15

Malignant degeneration arising in radiation-induced osteochondromas is extremely rare. We report a case of a 34-year-old man with a chondrosarcoma arising from an osteochondroma of the left posterior eighth rib that developed following total body irradiation received as part of the conditioning regimen prior to bone marrow transplantation at age 8. To our knowledge, this is only the fourth reported case of a chondrosarcoma arising within a radiation-induced osteochondroma and the first case occurring following childhood total body irradiation. (orig.)

Chondrosarcoma arising within a radiation-induced osteochondroma several years following childhood total body irradiation: Case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagata, Shuji; Shen, Robert K.; Laack, Nadia N.; Inwards, Carrie Y.; Wenger, Doris E.; Amrami, Kimberly K.

2013-01-01

Malignant degeneration arising in radiation-induced osteochondromas is extremely rare. We report a case of a 34-year-old man with a chondrosarcoma arising from an osteochondroma of the left posterior eighth rib that developed following total body irradiation received as part of the conditioning regimen prior to bone marrow transplantation at age 8. To our knowledge, this is only the fourth reported case of a chondrosarcoma arising within a radiation-induced osteochondroma and the first case occurring following childhood total body irradiation. (orig.)

Vietnam's energy sector: A review of current energy policies and strategies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tien Minh Do, E-mail: tmdo@eng.uts.edu.au [Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), 1 Dai Co Viet Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Sharma, Deepak [University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007 (Australia)

2011-10-15

Since the introduction of market-oriented economy in 1986, Vietnam has made noticeable socio-economic progress. In this progress, the energy sector has played a vital role. This role is likely to deepen in the years to come as Vietnam strives to achieve even higher levels in economic progress. Such deepening in the role of energy, this paper argues, will heighten concerns about the security of energy supply, and economic, environmental, social and political consequences. In order to address these issues, Vietnam has over the last decade, developed a suite of energy policies. A deeper review of these policies suggests that they are typified by economic-growth orientation, exclusive focus on a single-sector or single issue, and largely neglect the significance of cross-sectoral and cross-thematic issues arising from the interdependencies between energy, economy, and the polity at large. The existing energy policy settings are, therefore, unlikely to be able to provide a satisfactory redress to the challenges noted above. This paper provides an overview of the current energy policies with a view to identify areas where further policy effort is needed in order to facilitate a sustainable development of the Vietnamese energy sector. - Highlights: > Identifying challenges faced by the Vietnamese energy sector. > Analyzing limitations of the existing energy policy settings (policies, strategies and institutions) in addressing these challenges. > Developing recommendations on improving the existing energy policy settings to provide a satisfactory redress for the challenges noted above.

Fat-tailed risk about climate change and climate policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, In Chang; Tol, Richard S.J.; Hofkes, Marjan W.

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the role of emissions control in welfare maximization under fat-tailed risk about climate change. We provide a classification of fat tails and discuss the effect of fat-tailed risk on climate policy. One of the main findings is that emissions control may prevent the “strong” tail-effect from arising, at least under some conditions such as bounded temperature increases, low risk aversion, low damage costs, and bounded utility function. More specifically, the fat-tailed risk with respect to a climate parameter does not necessarily lead to an unbounded carbon tax. In this case, the basic principle of cost-benefit analysis maintains its applicability. - Highlights: • A fat tail is classified and the tail effect on climate policy is discussed. • The optimal carbon tax is not necessarily unbounded. • The basic principle of cost-benefit analysis maintains its applicability. • This is a numerical confirmation of the recent theoretical research.

Social environment and frequent attendance in Danish general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedsted, Peter; Olesen, Frede

2005-01-01

of 1423 (73.7%) frequent attenders and 1103 (74.9%) infrequent attenders responded. Male frequent attendance was associated, with statistical significance, with living alone and being without work or on a disability pension. Among women, lack of professional education or being without work tended...

Ethics Instruction for Future Geoscientists: Essential for Contributions to Good Public Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Leinen, M.; Mogk, D. W.

2016-12-01

Geoscientists work in a world of uncertainty in the complex, dynamic, and chaotic Earth system that is fraught with opportunities to become involved in ethical dilemmas. To be effective contributors to the public discourse on Earth science policy, geoscientists must conduct their work according to the highest personal and professional ethical standards. The geosciences as a discipline relies on the fidelity of geoscience data and their interpretations, geoscience concepts and methodologies must be conveyed to policy makers in ways that allow them to make informed decisions, corporations require a workforce that conducts their affairs according to the highest standards, and the general public expects the highest standards of conduct of geoscientists as they underwrite much of the research supported through tax dollars and the applications of this research impacts personal and societal lives. Geoscientists must have the foundations to identify ethical dilemmas in the first instance, and to have the ethical decision-making skills to either prevent, mitigate or otherwise address ethical issues that arise in professional practice. Awareness of ethical issues arises in many dimensions: Ethics and self (engaging self-monitoring and self-regulating behaviors); Ethics and profession (working according to professional standards); Ethics and society (communicating effectively to policy makers and the general public about the underlying science that informs public policy); and, Ethics and Earth (recognizing the unique responsibilities of geoscientists in the stewardship of Earth). To meet these ethical challenges, training of future geoscientists must be done a) at the introductory level as all students should be aware of ethical implications of geoscience concepts as they impact societal issues; undergraduate geoscience majors need to be explicitly trained in the standards and norms of the geoscience community of practice; graduate students need to be fully prepared to deal

Vaginal microbiota of women with frequent vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xia; Westman, Rachel; Hickey, Roxana; Hansmann, Melanie A; Kennedy, Colleen; Osborn, Thomas W; Forney, Larry J

2009-09-01

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an insidious infection that afflicts a large proportion of women of all ages, and 5 to 8% of affected women experience recurrent VVC (RVVC). The aim of this study was to explore the possible importance of vaginal bacterial communities in reducing the risk of RVVC. The species composition and diversity of microbial communities were evaluated for 42 women with and without frequent VVC based on profiles of terminal restriction fragment polymorphisms of 16S rRNA genes and phylogenetic analysis of cloned 16S rRNA gene sequences from the numerically dominant microbial populations. The data showed that there were no significant differences between the vaginal microbial communities of women in the two groups (likelihood score, 5.948; bootstrap P value, 0.26). Moreover, no novel bacteria were found in the communities of women with frequent VVC. The vaginal communities of most women in both groups (38/42; 90%) were dominated by species of Lactobacillus. The results of this study failed to provide evidence for the existence of altered or unusual vaginal bacterial communities in women who have frequent VVC compared to women who do not have frequent VVC. The findings suggest that commensal vaginal bacterial species may not be able to prevent VVC.

Distinguishing the relevant features of frequent suicide attempters.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez-Castroman, Jorge; Perez-Rodriguez, Maria de las Mercedes; Jaussent, Isabelle; Alegria, Analucia A; Artes-Rodriguez, Antonio; Freed, Peter; Guillaume, Sébastien; Jollant, Fabrice; Leiva-Murillo, Jose Miguel; Malafosse, Alain; Oquendo, Maria A; de Prado-Cumplido, Mario; Saiz-Ruiz, Jeronimo; Baca-Garcia, Enrique; Courtet, Philippe

2011-05-01

In spite of the high prevalence of suicide behaviours and the magnitude of the resultant burden, little is known about why individuals reattempt. We aim to investigate the relationships between clinical risk factors and the repetition of suicidal attempts. 1349 suicide attempters were consecutively recruited in the Emergency Room (ER) of two academic hospitals in France and Spain. Patients were extensively assessed and demographic and clinical data obtained. Data mining was used to determine the minimal number of variables that blinded the rest in relation to the number of suicide attempts. Using this set, a probabilistic graph ranking relationships with the target variable was constructed. The most common diagnoses among suicide attempters were affective disorders, followed by anxiety disorders. Risk of frequent suicide attempt was highest among middle-aged subjects, and diminished progressively with advancing age of onset at first attempt. Anxiety disorders significantly increased the risk of presenting frequent suicide attempts. Pathway analysis also indicated that frequent suicide attempts were linked to greater odds for alcohol and substance abuse disorders and more intensive treatment. Novel statistical methods found several clinical features that were associated with a history of frequent suicide attempts. The identified pathways may promote new hypothesis-driven studies of suicide attempts and preventive strategies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frequent Pairs in Data Streams: Exploiting Parallelism and Skew

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Campagna, Andrea; Kutzkow, Konstantin; Pagh, Rasmus

2011-01-01

We introduce the Pair Streaming Engine (PairSE) that detects frequent pairs in a data stream of transactions. Our algorithm finds the most frequent pairs with high probability, and gives tight bounds on their frequency. It is particularly space efficient for skewed distribution of pair supports...... items mining in data streams. We show how to efficiently scale these approaches to handle large transactions. We report experimental results showcasing precision and recall of our method. In particular, we find that often our method achieves excellent precision, returning identical upper and lower...... bounds on the supports of the most frequent pairs....

Perceived Quality of Social Relations and Frequent Drunkenness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærulff, Thora M; Rivera, Francisco; Jiménez-Iglesias, Antonia

2014-01-01

in School-aged Children Study (HBSC) 2010 survey were used including 1177 female and 1126 male students aged between 15 and 16 years. RESULTS: For both genders, students reporting low school satisfaction had increased odds of frequent drunkenness. Among females, low and medium levels of classmate support...... predictors of frequent drunkenness among female than male students and that other factors than social relations may contribute to explain excessive alcohol use among Spanish adolescents....

Classification and Target Group Selection Based Upon Frequent Patterns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W.H.L.M. Pijls (Wim); R. Potharst (Rob)

2000-01-01

textabstractIn this technical report , two new algorithms based upon frequent patterns are proposed. One algorithm is a classification method. The other one is an algorithm for target group selection. In both algorithms, first of all, the collection of frequent patterns in the training set is

Multi-focal lobular carcinoma in situ arising in benign phylodes tumor: A case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Taeg Ki; Choi, Chang Hwan; Kim, Youn Jeong; Kim, Mi Young; Lee, Kyung Hee; Cho, Soon Gu

2015-01-01

Coexistent breast malignancy arising in phyllodes tumor is extremely rare, and most of them are incidental reports after surgical excision. Coexistent malignancy in phyllodes tumor can vary from in-situ to invasive carcinoma. Lobular neoplasia is separated into atypical lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). LCIS is known to have a higher risk of developing invasive cancer. We reported imaging findings of multifocal LCIS arising in benign phyllodes tumor

Multi-focal lobular carcinoma in situ arising in benign phylodes tumor: A case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Taeg Ki; Choi, Chang Hwan; Kim, Youn Jeong; Kim, Mi Young; Lee, Kyung Hee; Cho, Soon Gu [Inha University Hospital, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-15

Coexistent breast malignancy arising in phyllodes tumor is extremely rare, and most of them are incidental reports after surgical excision. Coexistent malignancy in phyllodes tumor can vary from in-situ to invasive carcinoma. Lobular neoplasia is separated into atypical lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). LCIS is known to have a higher risk of developing invasive cancer. We reported imaging findings of multifocal LCIS arising in benign phyllodes tumor.

Penetrated system' or normal' state An exploration of INF arms control policy, East-West economic relations, and inter-German policy in the Federal Republic of Germany, 1979-1987

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisher, C.S.

1991-01-01

The thesis explores policy-making processes in the Federal Republic from 1979-1987 in three areas: INF arms control policy, East-West economic relations, and inter-German policy. Each case study assesses the degree of complexity and domestic accountability in policy-making processes and evaluates the relative influence of domestic and external factors on policy choices. It argues that the trends in West German foreign policy toward greater assertiveness reflected the evolution of the FRG as a state, society, and polity. The maturation' of the Federal Republic has introduced greater complexity into foreign policy-making processes, and more frequent societal intervention into what heretofore were elite deliberations. Domestic actors have begun to demand greater accountability, while West German leaders, in turn, have become more assertive and confident in defending German national interests. As the FRG has gained respect and self-respect, it has begun to assume the international role that might be expected of a state of its size, population, geo-political importance, and level of political and economic development. The FRG has become a normal' state.

Radiation-induced squamous carcinoma arising within a seborrhoeic keratosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suvarna, S.K.; Bagary, M.; Glazer, G. (Saint Mary' s Hospital, London (United Kingdom))

1993-04-01

Seborrhoeic keratoses (SK) are common skin tumours. They are benign, and present little difficulty in management. However, rare malignant transformation is recognized. The authors report a case of a squamous cell carcinoma arising from dysplastic changes within a long-standing SK on the chest wall of a 75-year-old retired radiologist, and consider the role of radiation in inducing malignant change within SKs. (author).

Radiation-induced squamous carcinoma arising within a seborrhoeic keratosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suvarna, S.K.; Bagary, M.; Glazer, G.

1993-01-01

Seborrhoeic keratoses (SK) are common skin tumours. They are benign, and present little difficulty in management. However, rare malignant transformation is recognized. The authors report a case of a squamous cell carcinoma arising from dysplastic changes within a long-standing SK on the chest wall of a 75-year-old retired radiologist, and consider the role of radiation in inducing malignant change within SKs. (author)

Mucinous adenocarcinoma arising at the anastomotic site after operation for hirschsprung's disease: case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyung Soo; Yoon, Kwon Ha [College of Medicine, Wonkwang Univ., Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2004-02-01

To our knowledge, rectal cancer arising at the anastomotic site after surgery for Hirschsprung's disease has not been reported. We report a case of mucinous adenocarcinoma arising at the anastomotic site after Soave operation 26 years ago.

The policy regarding cooperative sector in Cuba since 1959 until now

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia María Caballero Reyes

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The policy regarding cooperative sector developed by the country since the triumph of Cuban revolution up to now has been focused on integral development. According to this point of view the goals are linked, combining the solutions of social, economic, environmental and cultural problems. This paper proposes a systematization of that policy focused on the different periods that it has gone through since 1959 until now. In each one has been arise a cooperative form, maintaining the previous forms: the Credit and Service Cooperatives (CCS, the Agricultural Production Cooperatives (CPA, the Basic Units of Agricultural Production (UBPC and the Non-Agricultural Cooperatives. This progresses has been accompanied whit other distinct features that tinge each period y and up t which attention is granted, like contextual factors and social consequences of the actions set up in each period.

Financing investments in renewable energy: the impacts of policy design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiser, Ryan H.; Pickle, Steven J.

1998-01-01

The costs of electric power projects utilising renewable energy technologies (RETs) are highly sensitive to financing terms. Consequently, as the electricity industry is restructured and new renewables policies are created, it is important for policymakers to consider the impacts of renewables policy design on RET financing. This paper reviews the power plant financing process for renewable energy projects, estimates the impact of financing terms on levelised energy costs, and provides insights to policymakers on the important nexus between renewables policy design and financing. We review five case studies of renewable energy policies, and find that one of the key reasons that RET policies are not more effective is that project development and financing processes are frequently ignored or misunderstood when designing and implementing renewable energy policies. The case studies specifically show that policies that do no provide long-term stability or that have negative secondary impacts on investment decisions will increase financing costs, sometimes dramatically reducing the effectiveness of the program. Within U.S. electricity restructuring proceedings, new renewable energy policies are being created, and restructuring itself is changing the way RETs are financed. As these new policies are created and implemented, it is essential that policymakers acknowledge the financing difficulties faced by renewables developer and pay special attention to the impacts of renewables policy design on financing. As shown in this paper, a renewables policy that is carefully designed can reduce renewable energy costs dramatically by providing revenue certainty that will, in turn, reduce financing risk premiums. (Author)

Guide and manual of frequent special radiological procedures pertaining frequent pediatric patient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quesada Rodriguez, Marco V.

2012-01-01

A set of instructions and / or recommendations are afforded, developed in a systematic way, whose purpose is to help treating doctors to make decisions about the mode of study appropriate for a specialized clinical circumstance. The instructions are aimed at radiologists, in order to facilitate the selection and realization of special studies in the pediatric patient images, so that in this way, guide of the best and most efficient way to the resolution of the cases before diagnostic doubts that seek to clarify the treating clinician. The studies most frequently requested are exposed, as well as those with their prompt realization will lead to a quick and timely medical care and / or surgical of a specific problem [es

Toward an Improved Representation of Middle Atmospheric Dynamics Thanks to the ARISE Project

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Blanc, E.; Ceranna, L.; Hauchecorne, A.; Charlton-Perez, A.; Marchetti, E.; Evers, L.G.; Kvaerna, T.; Laštovička, Jan; Eliasson, L.; Crosby, N. B.; Blanc-Benon, P.; Le Pichon, A.; Brachet, N.; Pilger, C.; Keckhut, P.; Assink, J.D.; Smets, P. S. M.; Lee, C. F.; Kero, J.; Šindelářová, Tereza; Kämpfer, N.; Rüfenacht, R.; Farges, T.; Millet, C.; Näsholm, S. P.; Gibbons, S. J.; Espy, P. J.; Hibbins, R. E.; Heinrich, P.; Ripepe, M.; Khaykin, S.; Mze, N.; Chum, Jaroslav

2018-01-01

Roč. 39, č. 2 (2018), s. 171-225 ISSN 0169-3298 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 284387 - ARISE; European Commission(XE) 653980 - ARISE2 Institutional support: RVO:68378289 Keywords : Atmospheric dynamics * Middle atmosphere * Infrasound * Gravity waves * Volcanoes * Atmospheric disturbances * Extreme events * stratospheric temperature trends * total solar eclipse * wave momentum flux * natural infrasound * acoustic-waves * polar-low * model simulations * sudden warmings * Doppler lidar Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology OBOR OECD: Meteorology and atmospheric sciences Impact factor: 4.413, year: 2016 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10712-017-9444-0

Adenocarcinoma arising in female urethral diverticulum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patanaphan, V.; Prempree, T.; Sewchand, W.; Hafiz, M.A.; Jaiwatana, J.

1983-01-01

Cancer arising from a female urethral diverticulum is rare, and because of its rarity, a review of the medical literature reveals significant nonuniformity in its management. We report an additional 2 cases of this disease, one of which has an even rarer feature of being mucin-producing. The management of our 2 cases is presented in detail and in line with the management of female urethral cancer. From our extensive literature search, diverticulectomy alone showed poor results with the highest rate of recurrence (67%). Extensive surgery, either in the form of cystourethrectomy or anterior exenteration, offered results comparable with those of combined therapy (diverticulectomy and full course of irradiation for early cases; preoperative irradiation followed by cystourethrectomy for late cases). Individualization of radiation treatment and cooperative effort between urologist and radiation oncologist are essential if best results are to be achieved

Primary diffuse large B cell lymphoma arising from a leiomyoma of the uterine corpus.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lianhua; Ma, Qiang; Wang, Qiushi; Zeng, Ying; Luo, Qingya; Xiao, Hualiang

2016-01-20

Primary diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the uterus is rare, and primary DLBCL arising from a uterine leiomyoma (collision tumor) has not been reported in the literature. We describe the clinical, histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features of primary DLBCL arising from a leiomyoma in the uterine corpus. A 73-year-old female patient had a uterine mass for 23 years. An ultrasound scan revealed marked enlargement of the uterus, measuring 18.2 × 13 × 16.3 cm, with a 17.6 × 10.9 × 11.6 cm hypoechoic mass in the uterine corpus. The tumors consisted of medium- to large-sized cells exhibiting a diffuse pattern of growth with a well-circumscribed leiomyoma. The neoplastic cells strongly expressed CD79α, CD20 and PAX5. Molecular analyses indicated clonal B-cell receptor gene rearrangement. To the best of our knowledge, no previous cases of primary DLBCL arising from a leiomyoma have been reported. It is necessary to differentiate a diagnosis of primary DLBCL arising from a leiomyoma from that of leiomyoma with florid reactive lymphocytic infiltration (lymphoma-like lesion). Careful analysis of clinical, histological, immunophenotypic, and genetic features is required to establish the correct diagnosis.

Social capital and frequent attenders in general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pasgaard, Alexander A.; Mæhlisen, Maiken H.; Overgaard, Charlotte

2018-01-01

weeks. RESULTS: Using multiple logistic regression, we found that frequent attendance was associated with a lower score in interpersonal trust [OR 0.86 (0.79-0.94)] and social network [OR 0.88 (0.79-0.98)] for women, when adjusted for age, education, income and SF12 health scores. Norms of reciprocity...... at the individual level, and includes cognitive (interpersonal trust and norms of reciprocity) as well as structural (social network and civic engagement) dimensions. Frequent attendance is defined as the upper-quartile of the total number of measured consultations with a general practitioner over a period of 148...... and civic engagement were not significantly associated with frequent attendance for women [OR 1.05 (0.99-1.11) and OR 1.01 (0.92-1.11) respectively]. None of the associations were statistically significant for men. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that for women, some aspects of social capital are associated...

Obesity prevention advocacy in Australia: an analysis of policy impact on autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes, Emily; Hughes, Roger; Reidlinger, Dianne P

2017-06-01

To explore obesity policy options recommended by stakeholders and identify their impact on individual autotomy. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used. A content analysis of submissions to the Australian Government's Inquiry into Obesity was conducted. Each recommendation was categorised by its impact on autonomy, according to existing frameworks. Chi-square test for independence was used to explore the association between autonomy and stakeholder support defined as frequency of recommendation. The extent of support for a policy option was significantly associated with impact on autonomy (pautonomy were least frequently recommended in every setting; but more likely in schools (27%) than other settings (autonomy were most widely recommended (46%). Stakeholders advocated policy options that enhance individual autonomy to a greater extent than those that diminish autonomy. Implications for public health: Targeting obesity policy options that enhance rather than diminish autonomy may be more politically acceptable across most settings, with the exception of schools where more restrictive policy options are appropriate. Re-framing options accordingly may improve leadership by government in obesity policy. © 2017 The Authors.

Breast cancer arising within fibroadenoma: collective analysis of case reports in the literature and hints on treatment policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yu-Ting; Chen, Shou-Tung; Chen, Chih-Jung; Kuo, Yao-Lung; Tseng, Ling-Ming; Chen, Dar-Ren; Kuo, Shou-Jen; Lai, Hung-Wen

2014-11-10

Breast cancer arising within a fibroadenoma (BcaFad) is rare; the rate varies from 0.002% to 0.125% in fibroadenoma specimens. Owing to its rarity, the clinicopathologic feature and treatment principle of BcaFad is still not clear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a collective analysis of case reports in the literature to identify the characteristics and optimal treatment for BcaFad. We analyzed an aggregated sample of 30 patients with BcaFad from case reports in the literature (n=24 cases) and our present study (n=6 cases). We collected and analyzed the clinicopathologic features and prognoses of patients with BcaFad, as well as treatments they received. The patients' mean age at diagnosis was 46.9 years. Twenty BcaFad patients (66.7%) received breast-conserving surgery (BCS), and nine other patients (30.0%) were treated with mastectomy. The rate of lymph node metastasis in BcaFad patients was 23.8%. The breakdown of the histological types of BcaFad was invasive ductal carcinoma (53.3%), followed by ductal carcinoma in situ (23.3%), lobular carcinoma in situ (16.7%) and invasive lobular carcinoma (13.3%). More than half of patients with positive hormone receptor status received hormone therapy. Most BcaFad patients with lymph node metastases received chemotherapy, and 20.0% of BcaFad patients treated with BCS received further radiotherapy. Only one patient had recurrence after surgery, and another had lung metastasis when diagnosed with BcaFad. Most BcaFad patients could be managed by BCS. Adjuvant radiotherapy could be performed, but was not mandatory. Chemotherapy should be considered as a treatment option in the presence of lymph node metastasis.

GRAMI: Generalized Frequent Subgraph Mining in Large Graphs

KAUST Repository

El Saeedy, Mohammed El Sayed

2011-07-24

Mining frequent subgraphs is an important operation on graphs. Most existing work assumes a database of many small graphs, but modern applications, such as social networks, citation graphs or protein-protein interaction in bioinformatics, are modeled as a single large graph. Interesting interactions in such applications may be transitive (e.g., friend of a friend). Existing methods, however, search for frequent isomorphic (i.e., exact match) subgraphs and cannot discover many useful patterns. In this paper we propose GRAMI, a framework that generalizes frequent subgraph mining in a large single graph. GRAMI discovers frequent patterns. A pattern is a graph where edges are generalized to distance-constrained paths. Depending on the definition of the distance function, many instantiations of the framework are possible. Both directed and undirected graphs, as well as multiple labels per vertex, are supported. We developed an efficient implementation of the framework that models the frequency resolution phase as a constraint satisfaction problem, in order to avoid the costly enumeration of all instances of each pattern in the graph. We also implemented CGRAMI, a version that supports structural and semantic constraints; and AGRAMI, an approximate version that supports very large graphs. Our experiments on real data demonstrate that our framework is up to 3 orders of magnitude faster and discovers more interesting patterns than existing approaches.

Chaotic dynamics in optimal monetary policy

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, O.; Mendes, V. M.; Mendes, D. A.; Sousa Ramos, J.

2007-05-01

There is by now a large consensus in modern monetary policy. This consensus has been built upon a dynamic general equilibrium model of optimal monetary policy as developed by, e.g., Goodfriend and King [ NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1997 edited by B. Bernanke and J. Rotemberg (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1997), pp. 231 282], Clarida et al. [J. Econ. Lit. 37, 1661 (1999)], Svensson [J. Mon. Econ. 43, 607 (1999)] and Woodford [ Interest and Prices: Foundations of a Theory of Monetary Policy (Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 2003)]. In this paper we extend the standard optimal monetary policy model by introducing nonlinearity into the Phillips curve. Under the specific form of nonlinearity proposed in our paper (which allows for convexity and concavity and secures closed form solutions), we show that the introduction of a nonlinear Phillips curve into the structure of the standard model in a discrete time and deterministic framework produces radical changes to the major conclusions regarding stability and the efficiency of monetary policy. We emphasize the following main results: (i) instead of a unique fixed point we end up with multiple equilibria; (ii) instead of saddle-path stability, for different sets of parameter values we may have saddle stability, totally unstable equilibria and chaotic attractors; (iii) for certain degrees of convexity and/or concavity of the Phillips curve, where endogenous fluctuations arise, one is able to encounter various results that seem intuitively correct. Firstly, when the Central Bank pays attention essentially to inflation targeting, the inflation rate has a lower mean and is less volatile; secondly, when the degree of price stickiness is high, the inflation rate displays a larger mean and higher volatility (but this is sensitive to the values given to the parameters of the model); and thirdly, the higher the target value of the output gap chosen by the Central Bank, the higher is the inflation rate and its

Regional Welfare Effects of the Common Agricultural Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rüdiger ELSHOLZ

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework to analyseregional welfare effects of EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. Given the mix ofagricultural policy measures on the one hand and the differences in the agriculturalproduction structure on the other hand the question how regions are affected iscrucial for analysing the overall welfare effects arising from the CAP. For thisreason the composition of transfers, the program design and the financing of themeasures are on the focus of this paper for regions in the federal state of Hesse,Germany. The analysis wants to contribute to the relevant literature in a twofoldway. Firstly, the federal structure of Germany is taken into account explicitly. Thishas important aspects in regard to the different co-financing rules as well as to thefinancing of the measures or funds. Secondly, much smaller regions – the Hessiancommunities – are considered in this study to obtain exact welfare effects at theregional level. The theoretical framework of this study shows that for rural regionsthe overall CAP generates positive welfare effects while it generates negativeeffects for urban regions.

Testicular artery arising from an aberrant right renal artery | Suluba ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This case report we discovered the rare variation of the origin of the right testicular artery arising from the right aberrant renal artery with double renal artery irrigating both left and right kidneys. These variations in the testicular arteries and renal arteries have implication to surgical procedures such as orchidopexy repair for ...

Frequent rhabdomyolysis in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Jung-Ah; Lee, Soon-Tae; Kim, Tae-Joon; Moon, Jangsup; Sunwoo, Jun-Sang; Byun, Jung-Ick; Jung, Keun-Hwa; Jung, Ki-Young; Chu, Kon; Lee, Sang Kun

2016-09-15

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical presentation and provocation factors of rhabdomyolysis in anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Among the 16 patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis in our institutional cohort, nine patients had elevated CK enzyme levels and clinical evidence of rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis was more frequent after immunotherapy. The use of dopamine receptor blocker (DRB) increased the risk of rhabdomyolysis. None of the patients without rhabdomyolysis received DRBs. Rhabdomyolysis is a frequent complication in anti-NMDAR encephalitis and more common after immunotherapy and the use of DRBs increases the risk. Therefore, DRBs should be administered carefully in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stimulating energy-efficient innovations in the Dutch building sector: Empirical evidence from patent counts and policy lessons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noailly, Joelle; Batrakova, Svetlana

2010-01-01

In the Netherlands where the building sector accounts for 33% of carbon emissions, the government aims to halve the total energy use from buildings by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. To this end, the Dutch government has set specific goals in order to foster technological innovation related to energy efficiency in buildings. The objective of this paper is to explore the links between technological innovation and public policies in this sector over the last 30 years. The paper aims (1) to measure the evolution of innovations related to energy efficiency in buildings in the Netherlands using patent counts and (2) to provide a historical overview of the policy framework. Descriptive data on patenting activities show that the Netherlands have a clear comparative advantage in the field of energy-saving lighting technologies, mainly due to intensive patenting activities by Philips. High-efficiency boilers also represent a substantial share of Dutch innovation activities in this domain over the last decades. In many other fields (such as insulation, heat-pumps and cogeneration, solar boilers, etc.), however, Germany, Austria and Scandinavian countries rank much higher than the Netherlands. The descriptive analysis of Dutch energy policy shows an intensification of energy policy in the mid-1990s, followed by a slight decline after 2001. Overall, the simultaneous introduction of policy instruments makes it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of policies. Also, the policy framework is characterized by the introduction of a large number of short-lived policy instruments and frequent policy changes. The lack of stability and continuity of energy policy may be damaging for innovation. - Research Highlights: →The Netherlands are a top innovative country in the field of energy-efficient innovations for buildings, mainly due to high patenting activities by Philips in energy-saving lighting technologies. →In many other fields (insulation, heat-pumps, etc) Germany, Austria and

Frameworks for pricing greenhouse gas emissions and the policy objectives they promote

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, Paul A.T.

2013-01-01

Four cost-effective frameworks for pricing greenhouse gas emissions currently receive widespread attention: cap-and-trade, emission fees, and hybrid cap-and-trade approaches that include upper or lower limits on permit prices (price ceilings or floors). This paper develops a fifth framework that uses an emission fee with an upper limit on the quantity of emissions—a quantity ceiling—and compares the impact of each framework on emission prices and quantities. Cap-and-trade with a price ceiling minimizes price increases for emitting activities in all cases whereas an emission fee with a quantity ceiling maximizes emissions reductions. Thus, the choice of framework influences policy outcomes because each framework is more or less suited to particular policy goals. Whether pursuing one potential policy goal serves society's interests best depends on the eventual consequences of climate damage and emissions pricing, which are uncertain when policy choices are made. Policy updating over time may reduce but likely cannot entirely eliminate the differences in outcome that arise due to framework choice. Therefore, the “best” framework for emissions pricing depends on subjective preferences regarding the relative importance of different policy objectives, most notably whether one is more risk averse to climate damages or emissions price increases. - Highlights: • This article develops and examines a carbon tax that includes a quantity constraint on emissions. • This approach maximizes climate protection in all cases, unlike existing policy alternatives. • This promotes rapid reductions in emissions if mitigation is easy without risk to long term targets. • This analysis reveals that different policy frameworks promote different policy goals. • The analysis helps round out ongoing policy discussions over how to deal with climate change

IMS Learning Design Frequently Asked Questions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tattersall, Colin; Manderveld, Jocelyn; Hummel, Hans; Sloep, Peter; Koper, Rob; De Vries, Fred

2004-01-01

This list of frequently asked questions was composed on the basis of questions asked of the Educational Technology Expertise Centrum. The questions addessed are: Where can I find the IMS Learning Design Specification? What is meant by the phrase “Learning Design”? What is the IMS LD Specification

Daily users compared to less frequent users find vape as or more satisfying and less dangerous than cigarettes, and are likelier to use non-cig-alike vaping products.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozlowski, Lynn T; Homish, D Lynn; Homish, Gregory G

2017-06-01

We assessed the roles of perceived satisfaction and perceived danger and vaping-product-type as correlates of more frequent use of vaping products. In a baseline assessment of a longitudinal study of US Army Reserve/National Guard Soldiers and their partners (New York State, USA, 2014-2016), participants were asked about current use of vaping products (e-cigarettes) and perceived satisfaction and danger in comparison to cigarettes as well as type of product used. Fisher-exact tests and multiple ordinal logistic regressions were used. In multivariable and univariate models, more perceived satisfaction, less perceived danger, and use of non-cig-alike products were associated with more frequent use of vaping products ( p s < 0.05, two-tailed). For self-selected, more frequent adult users, e-cigs can be at least as satisfying as cigarettes and often more satisfying and are perceived as less dangerous than cigarettes. Non-cig-alike products were more likely in daily users. Some concern that e-cigs are a gateway to cigarettes arises from assuming that e-cigs may not be as reinforcing and pleasurable as cigarettes. These results indicate that accurate perception of comparative risk and use of more effective-nicotine delivery product can produce for some users a highly-satisfying alternative to cigarettes.

Daily users compared to less frequent users find vape as or more satisfying and less dangerous than cigarettes, and are likelier to use non-cig-alike vaping products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lynn T. Kozlowski

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We assessed the roles of perceived satisfaction and perceived danger and vaping-product-type as correlates of more frequent use of vaping products. In a baseline assessment of a longitudinal study of US Army Reserve/National Guard Soldiers and their partners (New York State, USA, 2014–2016, participants were asked about current use of vaping products (e-cigarettes and perceived satisfaction and danger in comparison to cigarettes as well as type of product used. Fisher-exact tests and multiple ordinal logistic regressions were used. In multivariable and univariate models, more perceived satisfaction, less perceived danger, and use of non-cig-alike products were associated with more frequent use of vaping products (ps < 0.05, two-tailed. For self-selected, more frequent adult users, e-cigs can be at least as satisfying as cigarettes and often more satisfying and are perceived as less dangerous than cigarettes. Non-cig-alike products were more likely in daily users. Some concern that e-cigs are a gateway to cigarettes arises from assuming that e-cigs may not be as reinforcing and pleasurable as cigarettes. These results indicate that accurate perception of comparative risk and use of more effective-nicotine delivery product can produce for some users a highly-satisfying alternative to cigarettes.

Workplace diversity and public policy: challenges and opportunities for psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Fassinger, Ruth E

2008-01-01

This article outlines both challenges and opportunities for psychology of issues related to diversity in education and work. For the purposes of this discussion, "diverse" populations include four groups currently marginalized and disadvantaged in the U.S. workplace: women, people of color, sexual minorities, and people with disabilities. An overview of employment participation patterns for these groups is presented, workplace barriers arising from marginalized status are highlighted, and the article concludes with a discussion of work-related legislative and public policy fronts that can be informed and influenced by the contributions of psychologists. Copyright (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Pakistan's maternal and child health policy: analysis, lessons and the way forward.

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiqi, S; Haq, I U; Ghaffar, A; Akhtar, T; Mahaini, R

2004-07-01

An estimated 400,000 infant and 16,500 maternal deaths occur annually in Pakistan. These translate into an infant mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio that should be unacceptable to any state. Disease states including communicable diseases and reproductive health (RH) problems, which are largely preventable account for over 50% of the disease burden. The analysis of Pakistan's maternal and child health (MCH) and family planning (FP) policy covers the period 1990-2002, and focuses on macroeconomic influences, priority programs and gaps, adequacy of resources, equity and organizational aspects, and the process of policy formulation. The overall MCH/FP policy is well directed. MCH/FP has been a priority in all policies; resource allocation, although unacceptably low, has substantially increased during the last decade; and there is a progressive shift from MCH to the reproductive health (RH) agenda. Areas in need of improvement include greater use of evidence as a basis for policy; increased priority to nutrition programs, measures to reduce neonatal and perinatal mortality, provision of emergency obstetric care, availability of skilled birth attendants, and a clear policy on integrated management of childhood illnesses. Enhanced planning capacity, development of a balanced human resource, improved governance to reduce staff absenteeism and frequent transfers, and a greater role of the private sector in the provision of services are some organizational aspects that need the governments' consideration. There are several lessons to be learnt: (i) Ministries of Health need sustained stewardship and well-documented evidence to protect cuts in resource allocation; (ii) frequent policy announcement sends inappropriate signals to managers and weakens on-going implementation; (iii) MCH/FP policies unless informed by evidence and participation of interest groups are unlikely to address gaps in programs; (iv) distributional and equity objectives of MCH/FP be addressed

Frequently Asked Questions about Rare Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

... Care Genomic Medicine Working Group New Horizons and Research Patient Management Policy and Ethics Issues Quick Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for ...

Frequently Asked Questions about Clinical Research

Science.gov (United States)

... Care Genomic Medicine Working Group New Horizons and Research Patient Management Policy and Ethics Issues Quick Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for ...

Frequently Asked Questions about Genetic Testing

Science.gov (United States)

... Care Genomic Medicine Working Group New Horizons and Research Patient Management Policy and Ethics Issues Quick Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for ...

Primary intraosseous carcinoma arising from odontogenic keratocyst with parotid lymph node metastasis. A case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siddesh Shenoy

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC arising from odontogenic cyst lining is rare. The exact incidence of carcinoma arising in odontogenic cyst is unknown, but it is estimated to vary between 1 and 2/1000. The pathogenesis is unknown, but a long-standing inflammation and continuous intracystic pressure have been suggested as possible causative factors. Metastasis from these lesions is not common (< 20%, and most of the carcinomas are moderately to well differentiated. To qualify as a primary intraosseous carcinoma, there must be no initial connection with the oral mucosa, overlying skin, or antral or nasal mucosa. This paper presents a case of primary intraosseous carcinoma arising from odontogenic keratocyst in the anterior mandible with metastasis to left parotid lymph nodes.

Policy Development for Grey Literature Resources. An Assessment of the Pisa Declaration

OpenAIRE

Savić, Dobrica (IAEA-NIS); Farace, Dominic J. (GreyNet); Frantzen, Jerry (GreyNet); Biagioni, Stefania (ISTI-CNR); Carlesi, Carlo (ISTI-CNR); Gruttemeier, Herbert (Inist-CNRS); Stock, Christiane (Inist-CNRS); Puccinelli, Roberto (CNR); GreyNet, Grey Literature Network Service

2017-01-01

In the spring of 2014, a workshop took place at the Italian National Council of Research in Pisa. The topic of this event dealt with policy development for grey literature resources. Some seventy participants from nine countries took an active part in the workshop – the outcome of which produced what is today known as the Pisa Declaration. This fifteen point document arising from the input of those who attended the workshop sought to provide a roadmap that would help to serve diverse communit...

Policy Development for Grey Literature Resources: An Assessment of the Pisa Declaration

OpenAIRE

Savic, Dobrica; Farace, Dominic; Frantzen, Jerry; Biagioni, Stefania; Carlesi, Carlo; Gruttemeier, Herbert; Stock, Christiane

2017-01-01

In the spring of 2014, a workshop took place at the Italian National Council of Research in Pisa1. The topic of this event dealt with policy development for grey literature resources. Some seventy participants from nine countries took an active part in the workshop - the outcome of which produced what is today known as the Pisa Declaration2. This fifteen point document arising from the input of those who attended the workshop sought to provide a roadmap that would help to serve diverse commun...

Enumerating all maximal frequent subtrees in collections of phylogenetic trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Deepak, Akshay; Fernández-Baca, David

2014-01-01

A common problem in phylogenetic analysis is to identify frequent patterns in a collection of phylogenetic trees. The goal is, roughly, to find a subset of the species (taxa) on which all or some significant subset of the trees agree. One popular method to do so is through maximum agreement subtrees (MASTs). MASTs are also used, among other things, as a metric for comparing phylogenetic trees, computing congruence indices and to identify horizontal gene transfer events. We give algorithms and experimental results for two approaches to identify common patterns in a collection of phylogenetic trees, one based on agreement subtrees, called maximal agreement subtrees, the other on frequent subtrees, called maximal frequent subtrees. These approaches can return subtrees on larger sets of taxa than MASTs, and can reveal new common phylogenetic relationships not present in either MASTs or the majority rule tree (a popular consensus method). Our current implementation is available on the web at https://code.google.com/p/mfst-miner/. Our computational results confirm that maximal agreement subtrees and all maximal frequent subtrees can reveal a more complete phylogenetic picture of the common patterns in collections of phylogenetic trees than maximum agreement subtrees; they are also often more resolved than the majority rule tree. Further, our experiments show that enumerating maximal frequent subtrees is considerably more practical than enumerating ordinary (not necessarily maximal) frequent subtrees.

Poland: A Dark Side of Church Cultural Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szocik Konrad

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The cultural policy of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland is incorporated into state-run cultural policies. The organs of public authority enforce the objectives of Church regardless of Church’s actual ability to influence the society. It should be pointed out that the secularization of religion in Poland is frequently misinterpreted and usually equated with its deprivatization. It is worth mentioning that Catholicism is the dominant religion of the country and the Roman Catholic Church has hold a special position in Poland and play a major role in the country’s social and political life. In practice, however, Polish society appears to be religiously indifferent. This paper proves that the official, state-run cultural policy in Poland is based on favoritism of the Roman Catholic Church, regardless of Church’s actual ability to wield influence on society. Thus, there is a variety of implicit and explicit cultural policies implemented by the authorities to support Church. This work also aims at addressing the question of social attitudes to women, especially the one concerning the UN and EU law embracing women’s rights, until recently still not implemented in Poland. This paper further explores some peculiarities of this topic as an example of a specific outcome of Church cultural policy and its impact on both the past and present-day society.

Risk factors associated with incidence and persistence of frequent headaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Marklund, Susanna; Häggman-Henrikson, Birgitta; Wänman, Anders

2014-11-01

Headaches represent a significant public health problem, but the knowledge of factors specifically related to incidence and persistence of headaches is still limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether gender, self-reported bruxism and variations in the dental occlusion contribute to onset and persistence of frequent headaches. The study population comprised 280 dental students, examined annually in a 2-year prospective study with a questionnaire and a clinical examination of the jaw function. In the analysis subjects were dichotomized into cases with frequent (once a week or more) or without frequent headaches (controls). The 2-year cumulative incidence was based on subjects without frequent headaches at baseline. Cases with 2-year persistent headaches reported such symptoms at all three examinations. Self-reported bruxism and factors in the dental occlusion at baseline were used as independent variables in logistic regression analyses. The 2-year cumulative incidence of frequent headaches was 21%. Female gender (OR = 2.6; CI = 1.3-5.4), self-reported bruxism (OR = 2.3; CI = 1.2-4.4) and mandibular instability in intercuspal position (OR = 3.2; CI = 1.4-7.5) were associated with incidence of frequent headaches. Persistent headaches during the observation period were present in 12 individuals (4%) and significantly related to mandibular instability in intercuspal position (OR = 6.1; CI = 1.6-22.6). The results indicate that female gender, self-reported bruxism and mandibular instability in intercuspal position are of importance in the development of frequent headaches. In management of these patients a multidisciplinary approach including dentists may be important and, thus, advocated.

The bedding environment, sleep position, and frequent wheeze in childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponsonby, Anne-Louise; Dwyer, Terence; Trevillian, Leigh; Kemp, Andrew; Cochrane, Jennifer; Couper, David; Carmichael, Allan

2004-05-01

Synthetic quilt use has been associated with increased childhood wheeze in previous studies. Our aim was to examine whether the adverse effect of synthetic quilt use on frequent wheeze differed by usual sleep position. A population-based cross-sectional study of 6378 (92% of those eligible) 7-year-olds in Tasmania, Australia, was conducted in 1995. Exercise-challenge lung function was obtained on a subset of 414 children from randomly selected schools. Child bedding including pillow and overbedding composition and usual sleep position by parental questionnaire. Frequent wheeze (>12 wheeze episodes over the past year), using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood parental questionnaire, and baseline and postexercise forced expiratory volume in 1 second lung-function measures. Frequent wheeze (n = 117) was positively associated with synthetic quilts, synthetic pillows, electric blankets, and sleeping in a bottom bunk bed but did not vary by sleep position. In a nested case-control analysis, the association between synthetic quilt use and frequent wheeze differed by sleep position. Among children who slept supine, synthetic (versus feather) quilt use was associated with frequent wheeze (adjusted odds ratio: 2.37 [1.08, 5.23]). However, among nonsupine sleepers, overlying synthetic quilt use was not associated with frequent wheeze (adjusted odds ratio: 1.06 [0.60, 1.88]). This difference in quilt effect by sleep position was highly significant. Similarly, synthetic quilt use was associated with lower postexercise forced expiratory volume in 1 second measures among supine but not nonsupine sleeping children. An increasing focus on the bedding environment immediately adjacent to the nose and mouth is required for respiratory disorders provoked by bedding, such as child asthma characterized by frequent wheeze.

Microbial diversity arising from thermodynamic constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Großkopf, Tobias; Soyer, Orkun S

2016-01-01

The microbial world displays an immense taxonomic diversity. This diversity is manifested also in a multitude of metabolic pathways that can utilise different substrates and produce different products. Here, we propose that these observations directly link to thermodynamic constraints that inherently arise from the metabolic basis of microbial growth. We show that thermodynamic constraints can enable coexistence of microbes that utilise the same substrate but produce different end products. We find that this thermodynamics-driven emergence of diversity is most relevant for metabolic conversions with low free energy as seen for example under anaerobic conditions, where population dynamics is governed by thermodynamic effects rather than kinetic factors such as substrate uptake rates. These findings provide a general understanding of the microbial diversity based on the first principles of thermodynamics. As such they provide a thermodynamics-based framework for explaining the observed microbial diversity in different natural and synthetic environments. PMID:27035705

Microbial diversity arising from thermodynamic constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Großkopf, Tobias; Soyer, Orkun S

2016-11-01

The microbial world displays an immense taxonomic diversity. This diversity is manifested also in a multitude of metabolic pathways that can utilise different substrates and produce different products. Here, we propose that these observations directly link to thermodynamic constraints that inherently arise from the metabolic basis of microbial growth. We show that thermodynamic constraints can enable coexistence of microbes that utilise the same substrate but produce different end products. We find that this thermodynamics-driven emergence of diversity is most relevant for metabolic conversions with low free energy as seen for example under anaerobic conditions, where population dynamics is governed by thermodynamic effects rather than kinetic factors such as substrate uptake rates. These findings provide a general understanding of the microbial diversity based on the first principles of thermodynamics. As such they provide a thermodynamics-based framework for explaining the observed microbial diversity in different natural and synthetic environments.

THE EVOLUTION OR INVOLUTION OF POLICIES TO COMBAT YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ştefania Cristina GHIOCANU

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A current problem that Romania is facing is high unemployment among young people. Despite the implementation of policies to fight it and improve some of them, this problem is still present on the agenda of the public institutions at the national level and those of the European Union. In Romania, companies that hire inexperienced youngs in force receive from the Romanian state, through European funds between 200-300 euros / month per employee.A boost for companies to increase employability among youth. A first question that arises here is: this policy does not discriminate, directly employability among adults, creating consciously or not, unemployment among them? By the present research I wanted to provide an overview of public policies implemented in this area, showing both the negative aspects which could lead to a deeper issues that are behind it: discrimination of adults in employment and those positive could lead to a clear evolution in this area. The aim is to demonstrate whether the policies implemented in Romania to fight youth unemployment represented an evolution or involution more in this regard? Reported for purpose, targets are those that require to define the concept of young and category directly concerned by these policies, according to Union legislation, to present a concrete statistical data on youth unemployment since 2002 until now,because in 2002 was taken the first private assumption of companies, as simulation of modules for youth employment and analysis of public policies implemented in this field. A final proposed target It is to follow the results of the policies implemented in these years and demonstrate that led to an evolution or involution, including the negative aspects that stood in the way of fulfilling expectations and the proposed actions. To achieve these objectives, the method proposed for research is the analysis of legislation and documents.

Adenocarcinoma arising in rectal duplication cyst: case report and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Shivnani, Anand T; Small, William; Benson, Al; Rao, Sambasiva; Talamonti, Mark S

2004-11-01

Duplication cyst of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a rare congenital anomaly, and rectal duplication cysts comprise a small fraction these cases. Most patients present for the first time in adulthood, and the origin of rectal duplication cysts is unclear. Prior series document malignant transformation in approximately 20 per cent of cases. The following case report describes a carcinoma arising in a rectal duplication cyst. Given the lack of data demonstrating adequate control for patients with adenocarcinoma arising in a rectal duplication cyst and our experience with this patient, we recommend all patients undergo multidisciplinary evaluation prior to any therapy.

Energy policy perspectives from the angle of industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stihl, H.P.

1998-01-01

Leave open the possibility to opt for nuclear power, monitor and eventually reduce the subsidies for coal, open up the electricity and natural gas markets to the competitive regime, and solve the conflicts of interest arising from utilization of energy and environmental protection on the national and international level by developing appropriate free market instruments. These requirements are the signposts along the road to comprehensive energy efficiency in generation and applications, which has to be achieved while keeping an eye on reliability and affordability of energy supplies, in order not to endanger economic growth or innovative impetus. The industry will continue to remind the policy makers of this interdependence of interests. (orig./CB) [de

Energy Efficiency Under Alternative Carbon Policies. Incentives, Measurement, and Interregional Effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinberg, Daniel C. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Boyd, Erin [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-08-28

In this report, we examine and compare how tradable mass-based polices and tradable rate-based policies create different incentives for energy efficiency investments. Through a generalized demonstration and set of examples, we show that as a result of the output subsidy they create, traditional rate-based policies, those that do not credit energy savings from efficiency measures, reduce the incentive for investment in energy efficiency measures relative to an optimally designed mass-based policy or equivalent carbon tax. We then show that this reduced incentive can be partially addressed by modifying the rate-based policy such that electricity savings from energy efficiency measures are treated as a source of zero-carbon generation within the framework of the standard, or equivalently, by assigning avoided emissions credit to the electricity savings at the rate of the intensity target. These approaches result in an extension of the output subsidy to efficiency measures and eliminate the distortion between supply-side and demand-side options for GHG emissions reduction. However, these approaches do not address electricity price distortions resulting from the output subsidy that also impact the value of efficiency measures. Next, we assess alternative approaches for crediting energy efficiency savings within the framework of a rate-based policy. Finally, we identify a number of challenges that arise in implementing a rate-based policy with efficiency crediting, including the requirement to develop robust estimates of electricity savings in order to assess compliance, and the requirement to track the regionality of the generation impacts of efficiency measures to account for their interstate effects.

Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Mammography

Science.gov (United States)

... at www.fda.gov/findmammography . Do private insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid pay for digital mammography exams, ... Map Nondiscrimination Website Policies U.S. Food and Drug Administration 10903 New Hampshire Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20993 ...

Financial incentives and psychiatric services in Australia: an empirical analysis of three policy changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Doessel, D P; Scheurer, Roman W; Chant, David C; Whiteford, Harvey

2007-01-01

Australia has a national, compulsory and universal health insurance scheme, called Medicare. In 1996 the Government changed the Medicare Benefit Schedule Book in such a way as to create different financial incentives for consumers or producers of out-of-hospital private psychiatric services, once an individual consumer had received 50 such services in a 12-month period. The Australian Government introduced a new Item (319) to cover some special cases that were affected by the policy change. At the same time, the Commonwealth introduced a 'fee-freeze' for all medical services. The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it is necessary to describe the three policy interventions (the constraints on utilization, the operation of the new Item and the general 'fee-freeze'.) The new Item policy was essentially a mechanism to 'dampen' the effect of the 'constraint' policy, and these two policy changes will be consequently analysed as a single intervention. The second objective is to evaluate the policy intervention in terms of the (stated) Australian purpose of reducing utilization of psychiatric services, and thus reducing financial outlays. Thus, it is important to separate out the different effects of the three policies that were introduced at much the same time in November 1996 and January 1997. The econometric results indicate that the composite policy change (constraining services and the new 319 Item) had a statistically significant effect. The analysis of the Medicare Benefit (in constant prices) indicates that the 'fee-freeze' policy also had a statistically significant effect. This enables separate determination of the several policy changes. In fact, the empirical results indicate that the Commonwealth Government underestimated the 'savings' that would arise from the 'constraint' policy.

28 CFR 45.2 - Disqualification arising from personal or political relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... political relationship. 45.2 Section 45.2 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES § 45.2 Disqualification arising from personal or political relationship. (a) Unless authorized under paragraph (b) of this section, no employee shall participate in a criminal investigation or...

Strategies to strengthen public health inputs to water policy in response to climate change: an Australian perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Goater, Sarah; Cook, Angus; Hogan, Anthony; Mengersen, Kerrie; Hieatt, Arron; Weinstein, Philip

2011-03-01

Under current climate change projections, the capacity to provide safe drinking water to Australian communities will be challenged. Part of this challenge is the lack of an adaptive governance strategy that transcends jurisdictional boundaries to support integrated policy making, regulation, or infrastructural adaptation. Consequently, some water-related health hazards may not be adequately captured or forecast under existing water resource management policies to ensure safe water supplies. Given the high degree of spatial and temporal variability in climate conditions experienced by Australian communities, new strategies for national health planning and prioritization for safe water supplies are warranted. The challenges facing public health in Australia will be to develop flexible and robust governance strategies that strengthen public health input to existing water policy, regulation, and surveillance infrastructure through proactive risk planning, adopting new technologies, and intersectoral collaborations. The proposed approach could assist policy makers avert or minimize risk to communities arising from changes in climate and water provisions both in Australia and in the wider Asia Pacific region.

Empowerment in healthcare policy making: three domains of substantive controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiapperino, Luca; Tengland, Per-Anders

2015-12-01

This paper distinguishes between the uses of empowerment across different contexts in healthcare policy and health promotion, providing a model for the ethical and political scrutiny of those uses. We argue that the controversies currently engendered by empowerment are better understood by means of a historical distinction between two concepts of empowerment, namely, what we call the radical empowerment approach and the new wave of empowerment. Building on this distinction, we present a research agenda for ethicists and policy makers, highlighting three domains of controversy raised by the new wave of empowerment, namely: (1) the relationship between empowerment and paternalistic interferences on the part of professionals; (2) the evaluative commitment of empowerment strategies to the achievement of health-related goals; and (3) the problems arising from the emphasis on responsibility for health in recent uses of empowerment. Finally, we encourage the explicit theorisation of these moral controversies as a necessary step for the development and implementation of ethically legitimate empowerment processes.

[Prevalence and factors associated with frequent attendence in family medicine clinic].

Science.gov (United States)

Parejo Maestre, N; Lendínez-de la Cruz, J M; Bermúdez-Torres, F M; Gónzalez-Contero, L; Gutierrez-Espinosa de Los Monteros, M P; Espejo-Almazán María, T

2016-01-01

The use of health services has seen a steep rise. The frequent users are responsible for significant economic, human and social impact. The objective is to analyze the characteristics of frequent attenders in our Health Center, in order to evaluate the possibility of taking corrective measures to improve the quality of care and efficiency in the use of resources. Descriptive observational study of a sample of 379 patients over 18 years old. The dependent variables were attendance (number of visits to their family doctor during the previous year), frequent attendance (10 or more visits to the family doctor in the last year), and persistent frequent attenders (10 or more visits to the family doctor in each of the last two years). Data were collected from medical records and by telephone interview. The mean attendance was 6.83 (95%CI: 6.13-7.53), frequent attendance reached 25.4% (95%CI: 21.4-29.6), and persistent frequent attenders, 1.6% (95%CI: 0.5-2.9). Frequent attendance was associated with sex, age, marital status, educational level, family structure, existence of chronic disease, use of anxiolytic and antidepressants, request for additional tests, and referrals to other specialists, proximity to the health center, and level of satisfaction with their family doctor. The low persistent frequent attenders found suggests that frequent attendance could be largely due to factors related to professional and organization. Studies are required to address the high level of consumption of psychotropic drugs, and improving professional skills in dealing with mental problems. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Policy Making While Paradigms Shift: Understanding the Development of Policy Drought in the U.S. Congress 1981-2013

Science.gov (United States)

McCurdy, K. M.

2013-12-01

adversaries. The junior members of Congress embracing 'Movement Republican goals' to reduce the size of government by any means, are impatient with their senior colleagues who held pragmatic views for achieving limited government. Tensions arise in the conference from this lack of goal alignment, and increasingly become public. The give and take between the parties that was normal in the New Deal and Great Society eras has been replaced by intense partisanship in the 21st century, as the number of members who came to government embracing Reagan's maxim that government was the problem gradually increased in magnitude and seniority. It is important to recognize that there is a paradigm shift underway in Congress, related to the demographic changes in Congress as the new Republicans implement their policy goal of reducing the size of government, and that the structure of the institution produces a lag effect for that shift, and that the binary party labels may further mask the shift.

Sustainability of the Peritoneal Dialysis-First Policy in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Choy, Agnes Shin-Man; Li, Philip Kam-Tao

2015-01-01

In Hong Kong, the average annual cost of haemodialysis (HD) per patient is more than double of that of peritoneal dialysis (PD). As the number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has surged, it has posed a great financial burden to the government and society. A PD-first policy has been implemented in Hong Kong for three decades based on its cost-effectiveness, and has achieved successful outcomes throughout the years. A successful PD-first policy requires medical expertise in PD, the support of dedicated staff and a well-designed patient training programme. Addressing patients' PD problems is the key to sustainability of the PD-first policy. In this article, we highlight three important groups of patients: those with frequent peritonitis, ultrafiltration failure or inadequate dialysis. Potential strategies to improve the outcomes of these groups will be discussed. Moreover, enhancing HD as back-up support and promoting organ transplantation are needed in order to maintain sustainability of the PD-first policy. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Heterogeneous Impacts of Groundwater Management Policies in the Republican River Basin of Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Hrozencik, R. A.; Manning, D. T.; Suter, J. F.; Goemans, C.; Bailey, R. T.

2017-12-01

Groundwater is a critical input to agricultural production across the globe. Current groundwater pumping rates frequently exceed recharge, often by a substantial amount, leading to groundwater depletion and potential declines in agricultural profits over time. As a result, many regions reliant on irrigated agriculture have proposed policies to manage groundwater use. Even when gains from aquifer management exist, there is little information about how policies affect individual producers sharing the resource. In this paper, we investigate the variability of groundwater management policy impacts across heterogeneous agricultural producers. To measure these impacts, we develop a hydroeconomic model that captures the important role of well capacity, productivity of water, and weather uncertainty. We use the model to simulate the impacts of groundwater management policies on producers in the High Plains aquifer of eastern Colorado and compare outcomes to a no-policy baseline. The management policies considered include a pumping fee, a quantity restriction, and an irrigated acreage fee. We find that well capacity and soil type affect policy impacts but in ways that can qualitatively differ across policy type. Model results have important implications for the distributional impacts and political acceptability of groundwater management policies.

Enumerating all maximal frequent subtrees in collections of phylogenetic trees

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background A common problem in phylogenetic analysis is to identify frequent patterns in a collection of phylogenetic trees. The goal is, roughly, to find a subset of the species (taxa) on which all or some significant subset of the trees agree. One popular method to do so is through maximum agreement subtrees (MASTs). MASTs are also used, among other things, as a metric for comparing phylogenetic trees, computing congruence indices and to identify horizontal gene transfer events. Results We give algorithms and experimental results for two approaches to identify common patterns in a collection of phylogenetic trees, one based on agreement subtrees, called maximal agreement subtrees, the other on frequent subtrees, called maximal frequent subtrees. These approaches can return subtrees on larger sets of taxa than MASTs, and can reveal new common phylogenetic relationships not present in either MASTs or the majority rule tree (a popular consensus method). Our current implementation is available on the web at https://code.google.com/p/mfst-miner/. Conclusions Our computational results confirm that maximal agreement subtrees and all maximal frequent subtrees can reveal a more complete phylogenetic picture of the common patterns in collections of phylogenetic trees than maximum agreement subtrees; they are also often more resolved than the majority rule tree. Further, our experiments show that enumerating maximal frequent subtrees is considerably more practical than enumerating ordinary (not necessarily maximal) frequent subtrees. PMID:25061474

Stability of the frequent COPD exacerbator in the general population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reilev, Mette; Lykkegaard, Jesper; Halling, Anders

2017-01-01

Exacerbation frequency is central in treatment strategies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, whether chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients from the general population with frequent exacerbations continue to have frequent exacerbations over an extended period of time is c...... considerably over time. This could hold implications for COPD treatment and challenge assumptions made about disease progression....... is currently unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the stability of the frequent exacerbator in a population-based setting. To this end, we conducted a nationwide register-based descriptive study with a 10-year follow-up period of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with at least one...... obstructive pulmonary disease treatment guidelines and their practical application. CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE: VARIATIONS IN DISEASE PROGRESSION: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who suffer from frequent exacerbations do not necessarily persist with such severity over time...

Multicultural Policies and Interethnic Relations: Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ružica Čičak-Chand

2005-06-01

Full Text Available The Canadian policy of multiculturalism recognised the positive and permanent influence of immigration on Canadian society and accepted “nation”-formation based on a model of cultural pluralism. Thus it assumed a radical “modification” of Canadian cultural definitions, instead of a formal adoption of certain “major” national cultural traditions. Canadian society, at the same time, experienced a growing divergence between the official policy of inclusion, and the increasing social exclusion of new immigrants – primarily “visible” minority groups – from economic spheres and from public life in general. In fact, the existing deep tensions in the society between two value systems – on the one hand, the reality of wide-spread racism, and on the other hand, the commitment to an ideology of liberal democracy, as well as poor results in integration policies, as indicated by marked unemployment, low incomes and poverty, especially in immigrant communities – have led to more and more frequent references to a prevailing “democratic racism” in Canada. With regard to the mentioned context, this paper first of all aims to indicate certain specificities in the development of ethnic relations and of multicultural policy, which are engrained and at the same time limited by their particular historical origin. Next, the paper intends to say something about the power of influence of the government’s multicultural policy, and the role of political correctness, as a concrete form of social action, in interethnic relations and in the opinions of the majority society in regard to ethnic minorities, and especially in regard to “visible” groups.

Using game theory to analyze green stormwater infrastructure implementation policies

Science.gov (United States)

William, R. K.; Garg, J.; Stillwell, A. S.

2017-12-01

While green stormwater infrastructure is a useful approach in addressing multiple challenges facing the urban environment, little consensus exists on how to best incentivize its adoption by private landowners. Game theory, a field of study designed to model conflict and cooperation between two or more agents, is well-suited to address this policy question. We used a cooperative game theory framework to analyze the impacts of three different policy approaches frequently used to incentivize the uptake of green infrastructure by private landowners: municipal regulation, direct grants, and stormwater fees. The results indicate that municipal regulation leads to the greatest environmental benefits; however, the choice of "best" regulatory approach is dependent on a variety of different factors including political and financial considerations. Policy impacts are also highly dependent on agents' spatial positions within the stormwater network. This finding leads to important questions of social equity and environmental justice.

Discourses of State identity and Post-Lisbon National Foreign Policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Henrik

2014-01-01

The political system of the EU and its member states is frequently seen as postWestphalian within constructivist-inspired research. This is based on the view that political authority and legitimacy are to be found both at the EU level and the national level with no clear borders between them....... The question raised in this article is how the member states conceive of themselves as foreign policy actors in this situation where they are both politically embedded in EU foreign policy structures and, in most cases, formally able to act outside the EU structures in the field of foreign policy. The overall...... argument is that a pertinent answer to this question can be provided by looking at how (or whether) state identity is articulated in relation to the EU. The paper first presents theoretical considerations relating to discursive articulations of state identity in an EU context. The relevance...

Surprises and pitfalls arising from (pseudo)symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwart, Peter H.; Grosse-Kunstleve, Ralf W.; Lebedev, Andrey A.; Murshudov, Garib N.; Adams, Paul D.

2008-01-01

The presence of pseudosymmetry can cause problems in structure determination and refinement. The relevant background and representative examples are presented. It is not uncommon for protein crystals to crystallize with more than a single molecule per asymmetric unit. When more than a single molecule is present in the asymmetric unit, various pathological situations such as twinning, modulated crystals and pseudo translational or rotational symmetry can arise. The presence of pseudosymmetry can lead to uncertainties about the correct space group, especially in the presence of twinning. The background to certain common pathologies is presented and a new notation for space groups in unusual settings is introduced. The main concepts are illustrated with several examples from the literature and the Protein Data Bank

28 CFR 68.53 - Review of an interlocutory order of an Administrative Law Judge in cases arising under section...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Administrative Law Judge in cases arising under section 274A or 274C. 68.53 Section 68.53 Judicial Administration... ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES IN CASES INVOLVING ALLEGATIONS OF UNLAWFUL EMPLOYMENT OF ALIENS, UNFAIR IMMIGRATION... Administrative Law Judge in cases arising under section 274A or 274C. (a) Authority. In a case arising under...

[Frequently accidents and injury at school].

Science.gov (United States)

Gautier Vargas, María; Martínez González, Vanesa

2011-01-01

During the time we have been in a private company that provide schools with medical care, we were surprised by the frequent and constant phone calls received to ask for our services. This fact made us take the decision to carry out a survey to find out the accidents and the most frequent injuries. According to the retrospective study we realized throughout two different academic courses in several schools in Cantabria, the 3.23% of the students have any accidents or injuries. We found out children between 11 and 15 have the highest accident rate, being 10.8 % higher when boys (rather than girls) are involved. The most common injuries are contusions 42.85%, followed by sprains 23.45%, being blows the reason in 42% of the cases, and surprisingly acts of aggression in 1%. It was also unexpected to learn that gyms, where children are taught in physical education, have the highest percent on accident rate. All these inquiries lead us to think that age, play and sports are determinant factors in the accidents happened in the school area.

Solitary fibrous tumor arising in an intrathoracic goiter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Stine Rosenkilde; Godballe, Christian; Krogdahl, Annelise

2010-01-01

. CONCLUSION: The histological appearance and immunohistochemical reaction pattern of SFT is characteristic. The entity should be considered when dealing with a spindle cell lesion in the thyroid gland. All cases of this site of origin reported have had a benign clinical course. As only a small number of cases......BACKGROUND: Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare spindle cell tumor most often found in the mediastinal pleura. Nineteen cases of SFT arising in the thyroid gland have been reported. We report a case of SFT of the thyroid gland with immunohistochemical and cytogenetic investigation. SUMMARY: A 58...

Incremental Frequent Subgraph Mining on Large Evolving Graphs

KAUST Repository

Abdelhamid, Ehab

2017-08-22

Frequent subgraph mining is a core graph operation used in many domains, such as graph data management and knowledge exploration, bioinformatics and security. Most existing techniques target static graphs. However, modern applications, such as social networks, utilize large evolving graphs. Mining these graphs using existing techniques is infeasible, due to the high computational cost. In this paper, we propose IncGM+, a fast incremental approach for continuous frequent subgraph mining problem on a single large evolving graph. We adapt the notion of “fringe” to the graph context, that is the set of subgraphs on the border between frequent and infrequent subgraphs. IncGM+ maintains fringe subgraphs and exploits them to prune the search space. To boost the efficiency, we propose an efficient index structure to maintain selected embeddings with minimal memory overhead. These embeddings are utilized to avoid redundant expensive subgraph isomorphism operations. Moreover, the proposed system supports batch updates. Using large real-world graphs, we experimentally verify that IncGM+ outperforms existing methods by up to three orders of magnitude, scales to much larger graphs and consumes less memory.

Handling Dynamic Weights in Weighted Frequent Pattern Mining

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Chowdhury Farhan; Tanbeer, Syed Khairuzzaman; Jeong, Byeong-Soo; Lee, Young-Koo

Even though weighted frequent pattern (WFP) mining is more effective than traditional frequent pattern mining because it can consider different semantic significances (weights) of items, existing WFP algorithms assume that each item has a fixed weight. But in real world scenarios, the weight (price or significance) of an item can vary with time. Reflecting these changes in item weight is necessary in several mining applications, such as retail market data analysis and web click stream analysis. In this paper, we introduce the concept of a dynamic weight for each item, and propose an algorithm, DWFPM (dynamic weighted frequent pattern mining), that makes use of this concept. Our algorithm can address situations where the weight (price or significance) of an item varies dynamically. It exploits a pattern growth mining technique to avoid the level-wise candidate set generation-and-test methodology. Furthermore, it requires only one database scan, so it is eligible for use in stream data mining. An extensive performance analysis shows that our algorithm is efficient and scalable for WFP mining using dynamic weights.

Hepatocellular carcinoma arising from hepatocellular adenoma in a hepatitis B virus-associated cirrhotic liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, J.M.; Lee, S.J.; Kim, S.H.; Park, C.K.; Ha, S.Y.

2012-01-01

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a rare, benign proliferation of hepatocytes that occurs mostly in a normal liver and in extreme rare cases, occurs in a cirrhotic liver. Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) arising within HCA through malignant transformation is rare. The specific incidence and mechanism of malignant transformation has not been established, but the long term use of oral contraceptives is considered a causative agent. We report a case of HCC arising from HCA detected in a hepatitis B-related cirrhotic liver with serial radiologic images.

Hepatocellular carcinoma arising from hepatocellular adenoma in a hepatitis B virus-associated cirrhotic liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, J.M. [Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, S.J., E-mail: lucia@skku.edu [Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, S.H. [Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, C.K.; Ha, S.Y. [Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-04-15

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a rare, benign proliferation of hepatocytes that occurs mostly in a normal liver and in extreme rare cases, occurs in a cirrhotic liver. Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) arising within HCA through malignant transformation is rare. The specific incidence and mechanism of malignant transformation has not been established, but the long term use of oral contraceptives is considered a causative agent. We report a case of HCC arising from HCA detected in a hepatitis B-related cirrhotic liver with serial radiologic images.

The Effectiveness of Policy Interventions for School Bullying: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, William

2017-01-01

Objective Bullying threatens the mental and educational well-being of students. Although anti-bullying policies are prevalent, little is known about their effectiveness. This systematic review evaluates the methodological characteristics and summarizes substantive findings of studies examining the effectiveness of school bullying policies. Method Searches of 11 bibliographic databases yielded 489 studies completed since January 1, 1995. Following duplicate removal and double-independent screening based on a priori inclusion criteria, 21 studies were included for review. Results Substantially more educators perceive anti-bullying policies to be effective rather than ineffective. Whereas several studies show that the presence or quality of policies is associated with lower rates of bullying among students, other studies found no such associations between policy presence or quality and reductions in bullying. Consistent across studies, this review found that schools with anti-bullying policies that enumerated protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity were associated with better protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students. Specifically, LGBTQ students in schools with such policies reported less harassment and more frequent and effective intervention by school personnel. Findings are mixed regarding the relationship between having an anti-bullying policy and educators’ responsiveness to general bullying. Conclusions Anti-bullying policies might be effective at reducing bullying if their content is based on evidence and sound theory and if they are implemented with a high level of fidelity. More research is needed to improve on limitations among extant studies. PMID:28344750

Reinforcement learning solution for HJB equation arising in constrained optimal control problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Biao; Wu, Huai-Ning; Huang, Tingwen; Liu, Derong

2015-11-01

The constrained optimal control problem depends on the solution of the complicated Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation (HJBE). In this paper, a data-based off-policy reinforcement learning (RL) method is proposed, which learns the solution of the HJBE and the optimal control policy from real system data. One important feature of the off-policy RL is that its policy evaluation can be realized with data generated by other behavior policies, not necessarily the target policy, which solves the insufficient exploration problem. The convergence of the off-policy RL is proved by demonstrating its equivalence to the successive approximation approach. Its implementation procedure is based on the actor-critic neural networks structure, where the function approximation is conducted with linearly independent basis functions. Subsequently, the convergence of the implementation procedure with function approximation is also proved. Finally, its effectiveness is verified through computer simulations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Financing investments in renewable energy: The role of policy design and restructuring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiser, R.; Pickle, S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Div.

1997-03-01

The costs of electric power projects utilizing renewable energy technologies are highly sensitive to financing terms. Consequently, as the electricity industry is restructured and new renewables policies are created, it is important for policymakers to consider the impacts of renewables policy design on project financing. This report describes the power plant financing process and provides insights to policymakers on the important nexus between renewables policy design and finance. A cash-flow model is used to estimate the impact of various financing variables on renewable energy costs. Past and current renewable energy policies are then evaluated to demonstrate the influence of policy design on the financing process and on financing costs. The possible impacts of electricity restructuring on power plant financing are discussed and key design issues are identified for three specific renewable energy programs being considered in the restructuring process: (1) surcharge-funded policies; (2) renewables portfolio standards; and (3) green marketing programs. Finally, several policies that are intended to directly reduce financing costs and barriers are analyzed. The authors find that one of the key reasons that renewables policies are not more effective is that project development and financing processes are frequently ignored or misunderstood when designing and implementing renewable energy incentives. A policy that is carefully designed can reduce renewable energy costs dramatically by providing revenue certainty that will, in turn, reduce financing risk premiums.

Network Regulation and Support Schemes - How Policy Interactions Affect the Integration of Distributed Generation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ropenus, Stephanie; Jacobsen, Henrik; Schröder, Sascha Thorsten

2011-01-01

This article seeks to investigate the interactions between the policy dimensions of support schemes and network regulation and how they affect distributed generation. Firstly, the incentives of distributed generators and distribution system operators are examined. Frequently there exists a trade......-off between the incentives for these two market agents to facilitate the integration of distributed generation. Secondly, the interaction of these policy dimensions is analyzed, including case studies based on five EU Member States. Aspects of operational nature and investments in grid and distributed...

Social environment and frequent attendance in Danish general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedsted, Peter; Olesen, Frede

2005-01-01

inequalities in health or whether social factors in themselves determine the use of general practice. AIM: To examine if social factors are associated with frequent attendance in general practice after adjusting for physical and psychological health variables. DESIGN OF STUDY: Population-based cross......BACKGROUND: A lack of social support is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and a decreased effect of prevention. Frequent attenders to primary care are characterised by poorer social conditions than other patients in general practice, but we do not know whether this is due to social...... during the period November 1997-October 1998. A questionnaire about physical, psychological and social factors was sent to the patients. The associations between social factors and frequent attendance were adjusted for physical and psychological health and tendency towards somatisation. RESULTS: A total...

Examination of Operation Quality for High-frequent Railway Operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Landex, Alex; Kaas, Anders H.

2009-01-01

take the first train in their direction. The article examines four different approaches to examine operation quality for high-frequent operation that are based on the experiences of the passengers. These approaches are the service frequency of the operation, travel time extension, a combination......The examination of operation quality for high-frequent operation requires other approaches than the typical evaluation of punctuality (trains on time) and reliability (operated trains). This is because passengers in high-frequent railway systems do not necessarily notice train delays as they just...... of the service frequency and travel time approaches, and passenger delays. The service frequency and travel time approaches are simple measurements with low complexity and complement each other. Therefore, the article recommends combining the service frequency and travel time approaches to get a more accurate...

Melanotic paraganglioma arising in the temporal horn following Langerhans cell histiocytosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Jeong Hyun; Rivera, Andreana; Naeini, Ramin M.; Yedururi, Sireesha; Megahead, Hatem; Bayindir, Petek; Fuller, Gregory N.; Suh, Jeong Soo; Adesina, Adekunle M.; Hunter, Jill V.

2008-01-01

Intracerebral paragangliomas are rare because of the lack of paraganglial cells in the cerebral tissue. We report a rare case of melanotic paraganglioma arising from the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle in a patient with prior Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) treated with chemotherapy and radiation. (orig.)

Unhappiness Intensifies the Avoidance of Frequent Losses While Happiness Overcomes It.

Science.gov (United States)

Yechiam, Eldad; Telpaz, Ariel; Krupenia, Stas; Rafaeli, Anat

2016-01-01

The implication of spontaneous and induced unhappiness to people's decision style is examined. It is postulated that unhappy individuals have a greater tendency to avoid frequent losses because these can have depleting effects, and unhappy individuals are more sensitive to such effects. This is evaluated in Study 1 by using an annoying customer call manipulation to induce negative affect; and by examining the effect of this manipulation on choices in an experiential decision task (the Iowa Gambling task). In Study 2 we examined the association between self-reported (un)happiness and choices on the same decision task. In Study 1 the induction of negative affect led to avoidance of choice alternatives with frequent losses, compared to those yielding rarer but larger losses. Specifically, this pertained to the advantageous alternatives with frequent vs. non-frequent losses. In Study 2 unhappiness was similarly associated with less exposure to frequent losses; while extreme high happiness was associated with no tendency to avoid frequent losses when these were part of an advantageous alternative. The findings clarify the role of happiness in decision making processes by indicating that unhappiness induces sensitivity to the frequency rather than to the total effect of negative events.

Determinants of frequent attendance in Danish general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Jeanette Therming; Andersen, John Sahl; Tjønneland, Anne

2016-01-01

. below recommended level), and hormone therapy in women (1.52; 1.42-1.63) were all significant determinants of frequent attendance. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to pre-existing medical conditions, gender, socio-demographic and gender-specific factors, lifestyle (obesity, smoking, exercise and alcohol use.......57-0.69, >4 years higher education vs. no vocational training) and employment (0.61; 0.57-0.65) were inversely associated with frequent attendance. Finally, obesity (1.54; 1.14-2.08), smoking (1.21; 1.12-1.30, current vs. never), physical activity (0.84; 0.80-89), alcohol consumption (0.83; 0.78-0.87 above vs...

Malignant mixed mullerian tumor arising from the uterine cervix: A case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Jong Joon; Shim, Jae Chan; Lee, Kyoung Eun; Lee, Ghi Jai; Kim, Ho Kyun; Suh, Jung Ho; Lee, Hye Kyung

2012-01-01

Malignant mixed mullerian tumors (MMMTs) are a rare uterine tumor and contribute to approximately 1-3% of all corpus malignant tumors. MMMTs are usually in the uterine corpus, but can also arise from the uterine cervix, vagina, ovaries and fallofian tubes. MMMTs of the uterine cervix are extremely rare. MMMTs are highly malignant and tend to maintain a rapid growth and exhibit a high rate of recurrence. Therefore, the prognosis of patients diagnosed with these types of tumors is extremely poor. We report a rare case of a malignant mixed mullerian tumor arising from the uterine cervix and introduce CT and MRI findings. CT and magnetic resonance findings of the uterine cervical MMMT in our case show highly aggressive features, such as parametrial involvement, pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenopathy, and distant metastasis and high enhancement

On a Linear Equation Arising in Isometric Embedding of Torus-like Surface

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Chunhe LI

2009-01-01

The solvability of a linear equation and the regularity of the solution are discussed.The equation is arising in a geometric problem which is concerned with the realization of Alexandroff's positive annul in R3.

Nipple adenoma arising from axillary accessory breast: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shioi Yoshihiro

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Nipple adenoma is a relatively rare benign breast neoplasm, and cases of the disease arising from the axillary accessory breast have very seldom been reported in the English literature. We report a case of nipple adenoma arising from axillary accessory breast including clinical and pathological findings. An 82-year-old woman presented with the complaint of a small painful mass in the right axilla. Physical examination confirmed a well-defined eczematous crusted mass that was 8 mm in size. The diagnosis of nipple adenoma was made from an excisional specimen on the basis of characteristic histological findings. Microscopic structural features included a compact proliferation of small tubules lined by epithelial and myoepithelial cells, and the merging of glandular epithelial cells of the adenoma into squamous epithelial cells in the superficial epidermal layer. Because clinically nipple adenoma may resemble Paget’s disease and pathologically can be misinterpreted as tubular carcinoma, the correct identification of nipple adenoma is an important factor in the differential diagnosis for axillary tumor neoplasms. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1186821489769063

HSE policy on decommissioning and radioactive waste management at licensed nuclear sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacon, M.

1997-01-01

In the UK, radioactive waste management and decommissioning on a licensed nuclear is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive. The same legislative framework used for operating nuclear power stations is also applied to radioactive waste management and decommissioning activities. This provides a continuous but flexible safety regime until there is no danger from ionizing radiations. The regulatory policy is discussed, taking into account the implications of the 1995 White Paper reviewing radioactive waste management policy. For both radioactive waste management and decommissioning the key element of HSE policy is the need for strategic planning. This should ensure that problems are not allowed to build up and to demonstrate that, taking into account all factors, the proposed actions are the optimum in terms of safety. There is a presumption in HSE's policy towards disposal of radioactive waste as soon as possible where disposal routes exist. Where long-term storage is necessary passively safe forms are preferred over those requiring continuous monitoring or frequent intervention. (author)

Hausdorff dimension of certain sets arising in Engel expansions

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Lulu; Wu, Min

2018-05-01

The present paper is concerned with the Hausdorff dimension of certain sets arising in Engel expansions. In particular, the Hausdorff dimension of the set is completely determined, where A n (x) can stand for the digit, gap and ratio between two consecutive digits in the Engel expansion of x and ϕ is a positive function defined on natural numbers. These results significantly extend the existing results of Galambos’ open problems on the Hausdorff dimension of sets related to the growth rate of digits.

Designing a climate change policy for the international maritime transport sector: Market-based measures and technological options for global and regional policy actions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miola, A.; Marra, M.; Ciuffo, B.

2011-01-01

The international maritime transport sector has a significant abatement potential and some technical improvements that reduce GHG emissions would already be profitable without any policy in place. This paper analyses in-depth the limits and opportunities of policy options currently under consideration at the international level to stimulate the sector to reduce its GHG emissions. In particular, in order for the maritime transport sector to become more environmentally friendly, the flexible nature of international market-based measures and the European Union Emission Trading Scheme provide a definite window of opportunity without placing unnecessary high burden on the sector. However, the development of a regional policy, such as at European level, for the international maritime transport sector faces several obstacles: allocation of emissions, carbon leakage, permit allocation, treatment of the great variety in ship type, size and usage, and transaction cost. Global market-based policies could overcome most of these challenges. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the policy instruments currently under discussion to reduce the sector's burden on the environment, and focuses on economic theory, legal principles, technological options, and the political framework that together make up the basis of decision-making regarding the international maritime transport sector's climate change policies. - Highlights: → Technologies for a more environmental friendly maritime transport sector and their cost-effectiveness. → How to combine ambitious CO 2 reduction goals with a sector-wide market-based policy. → Permits should be auctioned frequently and small emitters have to be excluded. → Inclusion of shipping in the EU ETS causes carbon leakage, so the policy should aim at expansion.

Apocrine carcinoma arising in a complex fibroadenoma: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Mele, Marco; Vahl, Pernille; Funder, Jonas Amstrup; Sorensen, Anne Schmidt; Jensen, Vibeke

2014-01-01

A carcinoma arising in a fibroadenoma is a rare event, which often entails a diagnostic challenge. The most common type is the lobular carcinoma and secondary a ductal carcinoma. We present an extremely rare case of malignant development of an invasive apocrine carcinoma in a complex fibroadenoma and underline the importance for clinicians to recognize the possibility of benign and malignant co-existence especially in older women.

Airborne iodine-125 arising from surface contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, C.S.; Hilditch, T.E.

1982-01-01

Measurements of airborne 125 I were made during the subdivision of 740 MBq stocks of 125 I iodide solution in a hospital dispensary. Within the fume cupboard the mean airborne 125 I concentration was 3.5 +- 2.9 kBqm -3 . No airborne concentration contamination was found outside the fume cupboard during these dispensing sessions. The airborne 125 I concentration arising from deliberate surface contamination (50 μl, 3.7-6.3 MBq) of the top of a lead pot was measured at a height simulating face level at an open work bench. There was a progressive fall in airborne concentration over seven days but even then the level was still significantly above background. Measurements made with the extraction system of the fume cupboard in operation were 2-3 times lower. (U.K.)

Extent and types of small-scale wind policies in the U.S. states: Adoption and effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiener, Joshua G.; Koontz, Tomas M.

2012-01-01

Renewable energy sources, including wind, are increasingly promoted by U.S. state governments. Using state-level data and survey responses from energy officials in 44 states, this study catalogs the extent and types of small wind policies adopted by states. It examines the factors correlated with policy adoption, and perceptions about which policy tools are most effective. Results indicate that 84% of the states participating in the survey have adopted at least one policy to promote small wind technologies, and most have adopted several policies. The most frequent policy is net metering, and this policy tool was also perceived to be one of the most effective at encouraging businesses and consumers to install small wind technologies. However, several other policy tools perceived to be most effective at promoting small wind installations have been adopted by relatively few states. This identified gap suggests opportunities for improving policy effectiveness. In explaining factors associated with adoption of policy tools, we find support for variables comprising both the policy diffusion and internal determinants models of policy adoption, including state commitment to environmental protection and policy innovations, citizen ideology, per capita wealth, energy policy network communications, and desire to be viewed as an environmental leader.

A Multilevel, Statewide Investigation of School District Anti-Bullying Policy Quality and Student Bullying Involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Gower, Amy L; Cousin, Molly; Borowsky, Iris W

2017-03-01

Although nearly all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, little research examines the effect of these policies on student bullying and health. Using a statewide sample, we investigated associations between the quality of school district anti-bullying policies and student bullying involvement and adjustment. School district anti-bullying policies (N = 208) were coded for their quality based on established criteria. District-level data were combined with student reports of bullying involvement, emotional distress, and school connectedness from a state surveillance survey of 6th, 9th, and 12th grade students (N = 93,437). Results indicated that policy quality was positively related to bullying victimization. Furthermore, students reporting frequent perpetration/victimization who also attended districts with high-quality policies reported more emotional distress and less school connectedness compared with students attending districts with low quality policies. Although statistically significant, the magnitude of these associations was small. Having a high-quality school district anti-bullying policy is not sufficient to reduce bullying and protect bullying-involved young people. Future studies examining policy implementation will inform best practices in bullying prevention. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Policy on stable iodine prophylaxis following nuclear reactor accidents (1989)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-09-01

This policy considers the alleviation of possible hazards that may arise from any radioiodines inhaled from a plume of fission products emanating from a nuclear reactor accident. Such a nuclear reactor may be land or ship-based. In any accident that releases radioiodines to the environment, one countermeasure that may need to be considered to reduce the effect of inhalation of radioiodines by persons downwind of the point of release is to provide those persons with tablets containing stable iodine. Both potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO 3 ) are recommended as effective prophylactics tablets for this purpose in Australia. Action levels, doses and contraindicatories are briefly outlined

Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy Inference System as Cache Memory Replacement Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHUNG, Y. M.

2014-02-01

Full Text Available To date, no cache memory replacement policy that can perform efficiently for all types of workloads is yet available. Replacement policies used in level 1 cache memory may not be suitable in level 2. In this study, we focused on developing an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS as a replacement policy for improving level 2 cache performance in terms of miss ratio. The recency and frequency of referenced blocks were used as input data for ANFIS to make decisions on replacement. MATLAB was employed as a training tool to obtain the trained ANFIS model. The trained ANFIS model was implemented on SimpleScalar. Simulations on SimpleScalar showed that the miss ratio improved by as high as 99.95419% and 99.95419% for instruction level 2 cache, and up to 98.04699% and 98.03467% for data level 2 cache compared with least recently used and least frequently used, respectively.

Subordinating careers to market forces? A critical analysis of European career guidance policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingela Bergmo-Prvulovic

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This study explores language regarding career and career development in European policy documents on career guidance in order to disclose underlying view(s of these phenomena conveyed in the texts. Qualitative content analysis was used to approach the subject in the texts, followed by a sender-oriented interpretation. Sources for interpretation include several sociological and pedagogical approaches based upon social constructionism. These provide a framework for understanding how different views of career phenomena arise. The characterization of career phenomena in the documents falls into four categories: contextual change, environment-person correspondence, competence mobility, and empowerment. An economic perspective on career dominates, followed by learning and political science perspectives. Policy formulations convey contradictory messages and a form of career 'contract' that appears to subordinate individuals' careers to global capitalism, while attributing sole responsibility for career to individuals.

Fiscal Policy Problems Under Conditions Of Financial Liberalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina Urazayeva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article under the title deals with the difficulties in pursuing national fiscal policy in conditions of international financial liberalization. The author analyzes the nature of liberalization of international capital flows and its positive and negative consequences for the economies of the countries which participate in global capital movement. The author especially highlights the fact that international financial liberalization often leads to economic crises and what is even more important to their rapid spread between countries due to their growing financial interdependence. The author distinguishes two groups of fiscal policy problems in conditions of international financial liberalization. The first group includes problems arising due to quick spread of the crises due to eliminating restrictions on crossborder capital flows. These are reduction in taxes and at the same time increase in budget spending, which often happens unexpectedly and substantially impedes fiscal policy. To illustrate these points the author refers to the statistics on Spain, the USA and the OECD as a whole. Moreover countries face another range of problems regardless of the business cycle phase. In the short term it is the necessity of large scale structural economic reforms to achieve the required level of financial liberalization, which often is a heavy burden on the state budget. In the long term the attention is paid to the problem of tax competition between countries, which affects the instruments of fiscal policy. The author notes that the negative consequences of global financial liberalization are relevant not only for recipient countries but for donor countries as well and emphasizes such a burning issue as "capital flight".

FISCAL POLICY PROBLEMS UNDER CONDITIONS OF FINANCIAL LIBERALIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina Urazayeva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article under the title deals with the difficulties in pursuing national fiscal policy in conditions of international financial liberalization. The author analyzes the nature of liberalization of international capital flows and its positive and negative consequences for the economies of the countries which participate in global capital movement. The author especially highlights the fact that international financial liberalization often leads to economic crises and what is even more important to their rapid spread between countries due to their growing financial interdependence. The author distinguishes two groups of fiscal policy problems in conditions of international financial liberalization. The first group includes problems arising due to quick spread of the crises due to eliminating restrictions on crossborder capital flows. These are reduction in taxes and at the same time increase in budget spending, which often happens unexpectedly and substantially impedes fiscal policy. To illustrate these points the author refers to the statistics on Spain, the USA and the OECD as a whole. Moreover countries face another range of problems regardless of the business cycle phase. In the short term it is the necessity of large scale structural economic reforms to achieve the required level of financial liberalization, which often is a heavy burden on the state budget. In the long term the attention is paid to the problem of tax competition between countries, which affects the instruments of fiscal policy. The author notes that the negative consequences of global financial liberalization are relevant not only for recipient countries but for donor countries as well and emphasizes such a burning issue as "capital flight".

Iron Deficiency In Frequent And First Time Female Blood Donors ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim of the study: This study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of iron deficiency and relevant factors in frequent and first time female blood donors at Casablanca blood transfusion centre, Morocco. Methods: Between November 2005 and April 2006, twenty-one female first time and twenty-one frequent female blood ...

The Impact of Frequent Shopper Programs in Grocery Retailing

OpenAIRE

David Bell; Rajiv Lal

2002-01-01

Frequent Shopper programs are becoming ubiquitous in retailing. Retailers seem unsure however about whether these programs are leading to higher loyalty, or to higher profits. In this paper we analyze data from a US supermarket chain that has used a number of frequent shopper rewards to improve sales and profitability. We find that while these programs are profitable, this is only because substantial incremental sales to casual shoppers (cherry pickers) oset subsidies to already loyal custome...

Mining top-k frequent closed itemsets in data streams using sliding window

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, Z.; Shahbaz, M.

2013-01-01

Frequent itemset mining has become a popular research area in data mining community since the last few years. T here are two main technical hitches while finding frequent itemsets. First, to provide an appropriate minimum support value to start and user need to tune this minimum support value by running the algorithm again and again. Secondly, generated frequent itemsets are mostly numerous and as a result a number of association rules generated are also very large in numbers. Applications dealing with streaming environment need to process the data received at high rate, therefore, finding frequent itemsets in data streams becomes complex. In this paper, we present an algorithm to mine top-k frequent closed itemsets using sliding window approach from streaming data. We developed a single-pass algorithm to find frequent closed itemsets of length between user's defined minimum and maximum- length. To improve the performance of algorithm and to avoid rescanning of data, we have transformed data into bitmap based tree data structure. (author)

Local economic development policy in Poland: Determinants and outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariusz Wiktor Sienkiewicz

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to define nature, basis, and the effects of the economic development policy conducted by local governments in Poland. The analyses carried out are designed to define the role of local authorities in the management of economic development in the area. Furthermore, the purpose of this article is to analyse instruments for supporting economic development, which can be potentially used by local governments in Poland. The realization of this objective is possible by using descriptive methods based on a review of literature and the various types of documents and analysis on the policy of both the economic development and activities of local government, which implement this policy. The method of system analysis is also partially used in the article, and some results of surveys conducted among Polish and foreign investors and entrepreneurs in 2011 are presented. The article assumes that in spite of having a number of instruments, both formal and material, for encouraging economic development and business development, most local governments narrowly assess the current state of entrepreneurship and development trends, and perform an insufficient analysis of the potential of their area. Secondly, the formulated goals of economic development are not very innovative, ambitious or concrete. Furthermore, they do not arise directly from the analysis of the micro and macro-environment that affects the position and development of local government. Key words:

German energy policy in deregulated Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuhnt, D.

2000-01-01

The author argues in favor of a more fact-oriented German energy policy: Firstly, German energy policy must accept the new European framework of a market economy. This means that German utilities must no longer be burdened with the implementation of political objectives. The German power industry needs a level playing field for competition on a European scale. Consequently, also the European partner countries should not limit themselves to the minimum conditions of the Single Market Directive in opening their markets. Secondly, German energy policy must develop new forms of cooperation with the power industry so as to maintain domestic employment and the addition of value despite considerably stronger competitive pressure. Also the conflicting targets of sustainability, continuity of supply, and economic viability must not only be discussed, but must be turned into productive approaches. Thirdly, this means that there must be no inadmissible solution in matters nuclear. If the German power industry is to remain strong, in the interest of domestic jobs and opportunities for the future, it must not lose any more domestic market share to other European companies. Fourthly, we need a new energy policy which takes cognizance of the results of market development in a more rational, less emotional way. In this respect, it should be limited henceforth to supporting renewable energies and technologies so as to enhance energy efficiency in line with market requirements. Fifthly, German energy policy must not commit the mistake of enforcing deregulation and, at the same time, exempting large segments of the market from competition. Thus, the planned expansion of renewable energies, and the increase in cogeneration to more than thirty percent of the German electricty generation, by way of quotas and revenues for electricity from these sources fed into the public grid, are incompatible with competition in Europe. The electricity tax within the framework of the eco tax, the

BDI position on energy policy and energy market deregulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreklau, C.

2003-01-01

Secure energy supplies are indispensable for our modern way of life and our economy. Energy policy is a part of economic policy and must be shaped within the magic triangle of objectives, i.e. security, competitiveness, environmental compatibility. As a result of their outstanding role, electricity and natural gas, with respective shares of 70% in industrial energy use and 85% in energy costs, are in the focus of energy policy interest of the Federation of German Industries (BDI). One important development over the past few years has been the deregulation of the markets for electricity and gas. However, the markedly lower electricity rates to be paid by industry, commercial tariff consumers, and private customers are being offset by new burdens arising from government intervention and taxes. Other dirigistic interventions into the energy market by the red-green federal government since 1998, referred to as 'turning point of energy policy', are invalidating what market opening had been achieved. With a view to a sustainable energy policy for the future, BDI pleads in favor of a broad energy mix. In a mix neutral with respect to competition, this includes the classical energy sources, the renewables, and low-cost, environmentally friendly nuclear power. In principle, it is the forces of the market, coupled with responsible action, which are to steer further developments. On a European level, speedy implementation of the opening of the electricity and gas markets, as decided, should be urged. It is important that the leeway won as a result of deregulation not be constrained again by new regulations. More market, less regulation, and more direct responsibility must provide room for a powerful energy supply system under the premises of the triangle of objectives referred to above. (orig.) [de

Projections of Virtual Water Trade Under Agricultural Policy Scenarios in China

Science.gov (United States)

Dalin, C.; Hanasaki, N.; Qiu, H.; Mauzerall, D. L.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.

2014-12-01

China's economic growth is expected to continue into the next decades, accompanied by a sustained urbanization and industrialization. The associated increase in demand for land, water resources and rich foods will deepen the challenge to sustainably feed the population and balance environmental and agricultural policies. In previous work, Inner Mongolia was identified as a target province for trade or agricultural policies aimed at water-use efficiency improvements, due to its large production relying on particularly significant irrigation water use. In addition, water scarcity issues may arises in the greater Beijing area, which represents the largest urban area of arid Northern China. Increasing residential and industrial water demand in this region may lead to fewer available water for irrigation. For these reasons, it is important to estimate the impacts of specific policies aiming at reducing excessive water use for crop production in Inner Mongolia, as well as exploring ways to mitigate pressure on water resources in dry urban areas. In this study, we use socio-economic projections to assess the future state of China's virtual water trade (VWT) network. We then quantify the effects of agricultural policies on the national VWT system and on the efficiency of food trade in terms of water resources. This study addresses the following questions: (1) How future socio-economic changes will affect China's food trade and associated water transfers? (2) To which extent localized reductions of irrigated area can decrease agricultural water use while maintaining national food security? (3) How would these policies affect China's domestic and international VWT network and induced water resources savings (losses)?

Frequent video game players resist perceptual interference.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aaron V Berard

Full Text Available Playing certain types of video games for a long time can improve a wide range of mental processes, from visual acuity to cognitive control. Frequent gamers have also displayed generalized improvements in perceptual learning. In the Texture Discrimination Task (TDT, a widely used perceptual learning paradigm, participants report the orientation of a target embedded in a field of lines and demonstrate robust over-night improvement. However, changing the orientation of the background lines midway through TDT training interferes with overnight improvements in overall performance on TDT. Interestingly, prior research has suggested that this effect will not occur if a one-hour break is allowed in between the changes. These results have suggested that after training is over, it may take some time for learning to become stabilized and resilient against interference. Here, we tested whether frequent gamers have faster stabilization of perceptual learning compared to non-gamers and examined the effect of daily video game playing on interference of training of TDT with one background orientation on perceptual learning of TDT with a different background orientation. As a result, we found that non-gamers showed overnight performance improvement only on one background orientation, replicating previous results with the interference in TDT. In contrast, frequent gamers demonstrated overnight improvements in performance with both background orientations, suggesting that they are better able to overcome interference in perceptual learning. This resistance to interference suggests that video game playing not only enhances the amplitude and speed of perceptual learning but also leads to faster and/or more robust stabilization of perceptual learning.

Frequent video game players resist perceptual interference.

Science.gov (United States)

Berard, Aaron V; Cain, Matthew S; Watanabe, Takeo; Sasaki, Yuka

2015-01-01

Playing certain types of video games for a long time can improve a wide range of mental processes, from visual acuity to cognitive control. Frequent gamers have also displayed generalized improvements in perceptual learning. In the Texture Discrimination Task (TDT), a widely used perceptual learning paradigm, participants report the orientation of a target embedded in a field of lines and demonstrate robust over-night improvement. However, changing the orientation of the background lines midway through TDT training interferes with overnight improvements in overall performance on TDT. Interestingly, prior research has suggested that this effect will not occur if a one-hour break is allowed in between the changes. These results have suggested that after training is over, it may take some time for learning to become stabilized and resilient against interference. Here, we tested whether frequent gamers have faster stabilization of perceptual learning compared to non-gamers and examined the effect of daily video game playing on interference of training of TDT with one background orientation on perceptual learning of TDT with a different background orientation. As a result, we found that non-gamers showed overnight performance improvement only on one background orientation, replicating previous results with the interference in TDT. In contrast, frequent gamers demonstrated overnight improvements in performance with both background orientations, suggesting that they are better able to overcome interference in perceptual learning. This resistance to interference suggests that video game playing not only enhances the amplitude and speed of perceptual learning but also leads to faster and/or more robust stabilization of perceptual learning.

The management and policy challenges of the globalisation effect of informatics and telemedicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigby, M

1999-01-01

Managers and policy makers face new and as yet unrecognised challenges--particularly loss of control--through the application of new information technologies in healthcare. Whilst informatics and telemedicine are important developments, the potential for adverse organisational and societal effects should be recognised and anticipated. Health organisations are frequently seen as circumscribed networks, and these in turn form local alliances with related organisations. Information technologies are frequently construed as relating to operational systems within organisations, not least electronic patient record systems and diagnostic systems. These can then be linked to new generation health business systems, to provide accurate management information at low additional cost. However, this pair of assumptions is now seriously flawed, due to the effects of the latest developments in health informatics and telemedicine. In particular, telecommunications and Internet technologies render ineffectual previous external barriers of distance and national boundaries, whilst within the organisation the combination of knowledge bases with information technologies creates tendencies towards internal autonomy. Organisational and national policy control of health care face direct and radical challenges through perverse effects of otherwise beneficial developments, and early action is needed.

Migrant integration policies and health inequalities in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannoni, Margherita; Franzini, Luisa; Masiero, Giuliano

2016-06-01

Research on socio-economic determinants of migrant health inequalities has produced a large body of evidence. There is lack of evidence on the influence of structural factors on lives of fragile groups, frequently exposed to health inequalities. The role of poor socio-economic status and country level structural factors, such as migrant integration policies, in explaining migrant health inequalities is unclear. The objective of this paper is to examine the role of migrant socio-economic status and the impact of migrant integration policies on health inequalities during the recent economic crisis in Europe. Using the 2012 wave of Eurostat EU-SILC data for a set of 23 European countries, we estimate multilevel mixed-effects ordered logit models for self-assessed poor health (SAH) and self-reported limiting long-standing illnesses (LLS), and multilevel mixed-effects logit models for self-reported chronic illness (SC). We estimate two-level models with individuals nested within countries, allowing for both individual socio-economic determinants of health and country-level characteristics (healthy life years expectancy, proportion of health care expenditure over the GDP, and problems in migrant integration policies, derived from the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX). Being a non-European citizen or born outside Europe does not increase the odds of reporting poor health conditions, in accordance with the "healthy migrant effect". However, the country context in terms of problems in migrant integration policies influences negatively all of the three measures of health (self-reported health status, limiting long-standing illnesses, and self-reported chronic illness) in foreign people living in European countries, and partially offsets the "healthy migrant effect". Policies for migrant integration can reduce migrant health disparities.

Where Cognitive Conflict Arises from?: The Structure of Creating Cognitive Conflict

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Gyoungho; Yi, Jinseog

2013-01-01

In this study, our basic contention was that it is essential for researchers to answer the question, "Where does cognitive conflict really arise from?" with more precision than has heretofore been attempted. First, we examined how the term "cognitive conflict" has been treated in the existing literature and try to pinpoint some difficulties,…

Policy issues in setting de minimis standards for latent cancer risks of radiation and chemical carcinogens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spangler, M.

1984-01-01

In the fuel cycles for the development and utilization of alternative energy resources, the risk of latent cancer arises from a number of sources. Included are ionizing radiation and the carcinogenic potential of polluting chemicals present in certain fuels or in materials associated with the construction, operation, maintenance or waste treatment processes of nuclear power, fossil fuels, synfuels, biomass, and other sources of energy. One aspect of developing a carcinogen guideline policy for a consistent and effective regulatory regime to use in dealing with these assorted carcinogenic risks is the setting of de minimis quantitative standards. In this report, 11 policy issues related to the setting of such regulatory standards are identified and a brief commentary is provided. 15 references, 1 table

QuantCrit: Education, Policy, "Big Data" and Principles for a Critical Race Theory of Statistics

Science.gov (United States)

Gillborn, David; Warmington, Paul; Demack, Sean

2018-01-01

Quantitative research enjoys heightened esteem among policy-makers, media, and the general public. Whereas qualitative research is frequently dismissed as subjective and impressionistic, statistics are often assumed to be objective and factual. We argue that these distinctions are wholly false; quantitative data is no less socially constructed…

Predicting hospital mortality among frequently readmitted patients: HSMR biased by readmission

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Casemix adjusted in-hospital mortality is one of the measures used to improve quality of care. The adjustment currently used does not take into account the effects of readmission, because reliable data on readmission is not readily available through routinely collected databases. We have studied the impact of readmissions by linking admissions of the same patient, and as a result were able to compare hospital mortality among frequently, as opposed to, non-frequently readmitted patients. We also formulated a method to adjust for readmission for the calculation of hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMRs). Methods We conducted a longitudinal retrospective analysis of routinely collected hospital data of six large non-university teaching hospitals in the Netherlands with casemix adjusted standardised mortality ratios ranging from 65 to 114 and a combined value of 93 over a five-year period. Participants concerned 240662 patients admitted 418566 times in total during the years 2003 - 2007. Predicted deaths by the HSMR model 2008 over a five-year period were compared with observed deaths. Results Numbers of readmissions per patient differ substantially between the six hospitals, up to a factor of 2. A large interaction was found between numbers of admissions per patient and HSMR-predicted risks. Observed deaths for frequently admitted patients were significantly lower than HSMR-predicted deaths, which could be explained by uncorrected factors surrounding readmissions. Conclusions Patients admitted more frequently show lower risks of dying on average per admission. This decline in risk is only partly detected by the current HSMR. Comparing frequently admitted patients to non-frequently admitted patients commits the constant risk fallacy and potentially lowers HSMRs of hospitals treating many frequently admitted patients and increases HSMRs of hospitals treating many non-frequently admitted patients. This misleading effect can only be demonstrated by an

Environmental Policy in a Green Market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moraga-Gonzalez, J. Luis; Padron-Fumero, N.

2002-01-01

This paper studies the impact of some frequently-used environmental policies in a duopolistic market where purchasers are willing to pay more for less polluting goods. When consumers differ in their environmental awareness, a cleaner and a dirtier variant coexist in equilibrium. The higher the average willingness-to-pay for the good, the lower are variants' unit emissions but the higher are industrial aggregate effluents. A maximum unit emission standard reduces unit emissions of both variants, but boosts firms' sales and consequently increases industrial aggregate emissions. As a result, social welfare may be reduced. We also explore the effects of technological subsidies and product charges, including differentiation of charges

Environmental Policy in a Green Market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moraga-Gonzalez, J. Luis [Erasmus University and Tinbergen Institute, Burg. Oudlaan 50, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam (Netherlands); Padron-Fumero, N. [Dept. de Economia de las Instituciones y Estadistica, Universidad de La Laguna, Facultad de CC.EE, Campus de Guajara, 38071 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain)

2002-07-01

This paper studies the impact of some frequently-used environmental policies in a duopolistic market where purchasers are willing to pay more for less polluting goods. When consumers differ in their environmental awareness, a cleaner and a dirtier variant coexist in equilibrium. The higher the average willingness-to-pay for the good, the lower are variants' unit emissions but the higher are industrial aggregate effluents. A maximum unit emission standard reduces unit emissions of both variants, but boosts firms' sales and consequently increases industrial aggregate emissions. As a result, social welfare may be reduced. We also explore the effects of technological subsidies and product charges, including differentiation of charges.

Medicolegal aspects of complex behaviours arising from the sleep period: a review and guide for the practising sleep physician.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Ian; Rumbold, John M M; Riha, Renata L

2014-06-01

This review is aimed at summarizing the current state of knowledge regarding parasomnias, which have been implicated in medicolegal cases as well as providing guidance to those working within common-law jurisdictions regarding the technical aspects of the law. Sleepwalking and sexsomnia as a defence are being raised more frequently in criminal cases and there has been public debate on their validity. Unfortunately, expert evidence on forensic sleep disorders continues to be heavily opinion-based with the potential for miscarriages of justice seen in recent highly publicized cases. There is an apparent inertia in research into violent sleep disorders. We review the current state of forensic sleep science in the United Kingdom (UK) and abroad and discuss the need to formulate guidelines based on available evidence. We also highlight the pressing necessity for more research in this area as well as the need to reform the law, which is the subject of a recent Criminal Law Commission report in the United Kingdom. In time, this will facilitate the efficient, proportionate, and just disposal of violence arising from sleep, thus benefitting both society and the individual sufferer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics Policy Statement No. 6.1: Recommended Guidelines on National Registration Schemes for Medical Physicists.

Science.gov (United States)

Christofides, Stelios; Isidoro, Jorge; Pesznyak, Csilla; Bumbure, Lada; Cremers, Florian; Schmidt, Werner F O

2016-01-01

This EFOMP Policy Statement is an update of Policy Statement No. 6 first published in 1994. The present version takes into account the European Union Parliament and Council Directive 2013/55/EU that amends Directive 2005/36/EU on the recognition of professional qualifications and the European Union Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM laying down the basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation. The European Commission Radiation Protection Report No. 174, Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert and the EFOMP Policy Statement No. 12.1, Recommendations on Medical Physics Education and Training in Europe 2014, are also taken into consideration. The EFOMP National Member Organisations are encouraged to update their Medical Physics registration schemes where these exist or to develop registration schemes taking into account the present version of this EFOMP Policy Statement (Policy Statement No. 6.1"Recommended Guidelines on National Registration Schemes for Medical Physicists"). Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Epithelioid sarcoma and squamous cell carcinoma arising in a burn scar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kusum D Jashnani

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Development of a malignant tumor is a well known complication of a chronic burn scar. Most of these tumors are squamous cell carcinomas and only 28 cases of burn scar sarcomas have been reported in literature. We report the first occurrence of the combination of squamous cell carcinoma and epithelioid sarcoma arising in a burn scar.

Aberrant ovarian artery arising from the common Iliac artery: Case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Won Kyung [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Seung Boo; Lee, Jae Myeong [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Gumi (Korea, Republic of); Goo, Dong Erk; Kim, Yong Jae; Chang, Yun Woo [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-01-15

A 46-year-old Vietnamese woman received embolization therapy in order to control postpartum hemorrhage. Angiography revealed an aberrant ovarian artery arising from the right common iliac artery. Superselective catheterization and subsequent embolization of the aberrant ovarian artery and bilateral uterine arteries were performed. Precise knowledge of the anatomic variations of the ovarian artery is important for successful embolization.

Aberrant ovarian artery arising from the common Iliac artery: Case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Won Kyung; Yang, Seung Boo; Lee, Jae Myeong; Goo, Dong Erk; Kim, Yong Jae; Chang, Yun Woo

2013-01-01

A 46-year-old Vietnamese woman received embolization therapy in order to control postpartum hemorrhage. Angiography revealed an aberrant ovarian artery arising from the right common iliac artery. Superselective catheterization and subsequent embolization of the aberrant ovarian artery and bilateral uterine arteries were performed. Precise knowledge of the anatomic variations of the ovarian artery is important for successful embolization.

Co-evolution of Industry Strategies and Government Policies: The Case of the Brazilian Automotive Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Gonzalez Duarte

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This study examines the evolution of the automotive industry in Brazil and its key drivers. We argue that the rules of the game – industry policies – are an outcome of exchanges between the host government and industry. These arise from changes in economic and political environments and interdependence between industry and the country’s economy. To this end, we draw upon literature on institutions and co-evolution to understand the industry footprint over a 50-year period, as well as its relationship with changes in government policies. This study generates new insights on institutional and co-evolution political perspectives by showing that the rules of the game are not only the making of the government, but are also the result of interdependencies between industry and government.

Nonlinear electric reaction arising in dry bone subjected to 4-point bending

Science.gov (United States)

Murasawa, Go; Cho, Hideo; Ogawa, Kazuma

2007-04-01

Bone is a smart, self-adaptive and also partly self-repairing tissue. In recent years, many researchers seek to find how to give the effective mechanical stimulation to bone, because it is the predominant loading that determines the bone shape and macroscopic structure. However, the trial of regeneration of bone is still under way. On the other hand, it has been known that electrical potential generates from bone by mechanical stimulation (Yasuda, 1977; Williams, 1982; Starkebaum, 1979; Cochran, 1968; Lanyon, 1977; Salzstein, 1987a,b; Friedenberg, 1966). This is called "stress-generated potential (SGP)". The process of information transfer between "strain" and "cells" is not still clear. But, there is some possibility that SGP has something to do with the process of information transfer. If the electrical potential is more clear under some mechanical loadings, we will be able to regenerate bone artificially and freely. Therefore, it is important to investigate SGP in detail. The aim of present study is to investigate the electric reaction arising in dry bone subjected to mechanical loadings at high amplitude and low frequency strain. Firstly, specimen is fabricated from femur of cow. Next, the speeds of wave propagation in bone are tried to measure by laser ultra sonic technique and wavelet transform, because these have relationship with bone density. Secondary, 4-point bending test is conducted up to fracture. Then, electric reaction arising in bone is measured during loading. Finally, cyclic 4-point bending tests are conducted to investigate the electric reaction arising in bone at low frequency strain.

Harvesting Transition? Energy Policy Cooperation or Competition around the North Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meulman, L.; Boot, P.; Van der Linde, C.; De Jong, J.; Werring, L.

2012-01-15

The Northwest European electricity markets are increasingly becoming intertwined with the advance of the internal market. A more integrated market – through investments in cross-border transmission capacity and measures which promote the efficient use of it – implies that national fuel mix policies increasingly have cross-national implications. Not only the electricity price, but also the (physical) security of supply level and potentially the CO2 price, can be influenced by neighbouring countries' policy decisions. Moreover, large energy companies base their generation investment decisions on their European-wide portfolio, in which comparative and absolute advantages play a role. The recent German decision to phase out nuclear energy brought home the message that integration in Northwest Europe has become more than just a paper affair but is part of daily life. The long gestation period of a Belgian nuclear exit possibly has cross-border implications, too, particularly because it is highly debatable as to whether domestic replacement capacities will be ready (on time). Lack of clarity about the continuation of French policy, which has produced lowpriced nuclear generated electricity exports, has an impact on investment decisions in neighbouring countries. These few examples illustrate that the policy space of countries is increasingly overlapping due to the internal energy market. With policy spaces overlapping, the question arises as how to best harvest the benefits of coordination among the Northwest European countries and how best to avoid the cost of policy competition. The transition to a near-zero carbon emitting electricity system forty years hence potentially increases the benefits of policy coordination. Adding more variable renewable (RES) power to the system intensifies the need for back-up capacity and requires new investment in the grid. Coordination between Northwest European countries could lead to significant synergy and cost reductions

Harvesting Transition? Energy Policy Cooperation or Competition around the North Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meulman, L; Boot, P; Van der Linde, C; De Jong, J; Werring, L

2012-01-15

The Northwest European electricity markets are increasingly becoming intertwined with the advance of the internal market. A more integrated market – through investments in cross-border transmission capacity and measures which promote the efficient use of it – implies that national fuel mix policies increasingly have cross-national implications. Not only the electricity price, but also the (physical) security of supply level and potentially the CO2 price, can be influenced by neighbouring countries' policy decisions. Moreover, large energy companies base their generation investment decisions on their European-wide portfolio, in which comparative and absolute advantages play a role. The recent German decision to phase out nuclear energy brought home the message that integration in Northwest Europe has become more than just a paper affair but is part of daily life. The long gestation period of a Belgian nuclear exit possibly has cross-border implications, too, particularly because it is highly debatable as to whether domestic replacement capacities will be ready (on time). Lack of clarity about the continuation of French policy, which has produced lowpriced nuclear generated electricity exports, has an impact on investment decisions in neighbouring countries. These few examples illustrate that the policy space of countries is increasingly overlapping due to the internal energy market. With policy spaces overlapping, the question arises as how to best harvest the benefits of coordination among the Northwest European countries and how best to avoid the cost of policy competition. The transition to a near-zero carbon emitting electricity system forty years hence potentially increases the benefits of policy coordination. Adding more variable renewable (RES) power to the system intensifies the need for back-up capacity and requires new investment in the grid. Coordination between Northwest European countries could lead to significant synergy and cost reductions. It

Energy security and climate change concerns: Triggers for energy policy change in the United States?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bang, Guri, E-mail: guri.bang@cicero.uio.n [CICERO - Center for International Climate and Environmental Research Oslo, P.O. Box 1129, 0318 Oslo (Norway)

2010-04-15

Why is it so difficult to change the energy policy status quo away from dependence on fossil fuels when the need to become less dependent on imported oil seems to be generally accepted by US politicians? In recent energy debates in the House and Senate, references to climate change and energy security were frequently used as a rationale for the need for energy policy change. But policymakers were not in agreement about what policy programs would be the best alternative or what goals the programs were to achieve in terms of addressing energy security or climate change, or both at the same time. The paper explores whether putting energy security and climate change on the decision making agenda simultaneously helped craft a political compromise in the 110th Congress-the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and points out how the political institutions of the US structured interaction and affected policy outcome, and ultimately the chance of changing the energy policy status quo.

Energy security and climate change concerns. Triggers for energy policy change in the United States?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bang, Guri [CICERO - Center for International Climate and Environmental Research Oslo, P.O. Box 1129, 0318 Oslo (Norway)

2010-04-15

Why is it so difficult to change the energy policy status quo away from dependence on fossil fuels when the need to become less dependent on imported oil seems to be generally accepted by US politicians? In recent energy debates in the House and Senate, references to climate change and energy security were frequently used as a rationale for the need for energy policy change. But policymakers were not in agreement about what policy programs would be the best alternative or what goals the programs were to achieve in terms of addressing energy security or climate change, or both at the same time. The paper explores whether putting energy security and climate change on the decision making agenda simultaneously helped craft a political compromise in the 110th Congress - the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and points out how the political institutions of the US structured interaction and affected policy outcome, and ultimately the chance of changing the energy policy status quo. (author)

Energy security and climate change concerns: Triggers for energy policy change in the United States?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bang, Guri

2010-01-01

Why is it so difficult to change the energy policy status quo away from dependence on fossil fuels when the need to become less dependent on imported oil seems to be generally accepted by US politicians? In recent energy debates in the House and Senate, references to climate change and energy security were frequently used as a rationale for the need for energy policy change. But policymakers were not in agreement about what policy programs would be the best alternative or what goals the programs were to achieve in terms of addressing energy security or climate change, or both at the same time. The paper explores whether putting energy security and climate change on the decision making agenda simultaneously helped craft a political compromise in the 110th Congress-the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and points out how the political institutions of the US structured interaction and affected policy outcome, and ultimately the chance of changing the energy policy status quo.

The Mass Media Influence on the Impact of Health Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cătălin BABA

2007-02-01

Full Text Available The theme of this study is a distinct examination of the issues regarding health policy, social representations and mass media. The analysis of the mass media influence on the impact of health policy leads to a portrayal of the related programs and the way they are received by citizens through mass media. Owing to the mass media quality to be an indicator of democracy it is very important to study its role in setting people daily agenda considering how it is able to maintain and create trends merely through recurrent messages. The issues frequently conveyed by media industry influences citizens’ interest with regard to community, producing effects on public policy. We must bear in mind that the more persistent in media they are, the more relevant for community this issues will be. The authors of the study put forward a method through which diverse programmes can be analysed. A comparative analysis of mass media and citizens’ social representations and its findings provide information about the influence between them. According to agenda setting theory and many international studies on health policy the authors conclude that mass media institution highly influence the impact of the health policy in health. Moreover, it is important to mention that the impact refers to all the stages of a policy-making: beginning with the problem identification and ending with the evaluation of the implementation process.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma arising from the intrascrotal extratesicular soft tissue;a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Jong-Uk; Koo, Bong-Sik; Park, Byeong-Ho; Park, Chang-Sook; Nam, Kyung-Jin; Kweon, Heon-Young

2000-01-01

Intrascrotal extratesticular malignancies are rare, and the radiologic findings of extraskeletal chondrosarcoma have not been reported. We describe the radiologic findings of a case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma arising from intrascrotal extratesticular soft tissue and represented by a complex, cystic, solid mass containing calcifications and hematoma

GRAMI: Frequent subgraph and pattern mining in a single large graph

KAUST Repository

Elseidy, M.; Abdelhamid, Ehab; Skiadopoulos, S.; Kalnis, Panos

2014-01-01

Mining frequent subgraphs is an important operation on graphs; it is defined as finding all subgraphs that appear frequently in a database according to a given frequency threshold. Most existing work assumes a database of many small graphs

Tobacco Pricing in Military Stores: Views of Military Policy Leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Elizabeth A; Jahnke, Sara A; Poston, Walker S C; Malone, Ruth E; Haddock, Christopher K

2016-10-01

Higher tobacco taxes reduce tobacco use. On military installations, cigarettes and other tobacco products are sold tax-free, keeping prices artificially low. Pricing regulations in the military specify that tobacco should be within 5% of the local most competitive price, but prices still average almost 13% lower than those at local Walmarts. To gain insight into policy leaders' ideas and positions on military tobacco pricing, we interviewed members of the Department of Defense (DoD) Addictive Substances Misuse Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Tobacco about tobacco pricing policies (n = 12). Participants frequently lacked specific knowledge of details of military pricing policy, and the impact higher prices might have on military tobacco use. Most participants thought tobacco should not be sold at military stores, but many also felt that this policy change was unlikely due to tobacco industry pressure, and DoD reliance on tobacco profits to support Morale, Welfare, and Recreation funds. Achieving a tobacco-free military will require changing pricing policy, but this study suggests that for effective implementation, military leadership must also understand and articulate more clearly the rationale for doing so. Previous work has found that adherence to military tobacco pricing policy is inconsistent at best. This study suggests that lack of knowledge about the policy and conflicting pressures resulting from the funding stream tobacco sales represent extend to high level military policy leaders. Without clearer information and direction, these leaders are unlikely to be able to establish and implement better tobacco pricing policy. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Frequent callers to crisis helplines: who are they and why do they call?

Science.gov (United States)

Spittal, Matthew J; Fedyszyn, Izabela; Middleton, Aves; Bassilios, Bridget; Gunn, Jane; Woodward, Alan; Pirkis, Jane

2015-01-01

Frequent callers present a challenge for crisis helplines, which strive to achieve optimal outcomes for all callers within finite resources. This study aimed to describe frequent callers to Lifeline (the largest crisis helpline in Australia) and compare them with non-frequent callers, with a view to furthering knowledge about models of service delivery that might meet the needs of frequent callers. Lifeline provided an anonymous dataset on calls made between December 2011 and May 2013. We assumed calls from the same (encrypted) phone number were made by the same person, and aggregated call level data up to the person level. Individuals who made 0.667 calls per day in any period from 1 week to the full 549 days for which we had data (i.e. 4.7 calls in 7 days, 20 calls in 30 days, 40 calls in 60 days, etc.) were regarded as frequent callers. Our analysis dataset included 411,725 calls made by 98,174 individuals, 2594 (2.6%) of whom met our definition of frequent callers. We identified a number of predictors of being a frequent caller, including being male or transgender, and never having been married. The odds increased with age until 55-64 years, and then declined. Suicidality, self-harm, mental health issues, crime, child protection and domestic violence issues all predicted being a frequent caller. Collectively, frequent callers have a significant impact on crisis lines, and solutions need to be found for responding to them that are in everybody's best interests (i.e. the frequent callers themselves, other callers, telephone crisis supporters who staff crisis lines, and those who manage crisis lines). In striking this balance, the complex and multiple needs of frequent callers must be taken into account. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

Science, Technology and Natural Resources Policy: Overcoming Congressional Gridlock

Science.gov (United States)

McCurdy, K. M.

2015-12-01

The current status of Science, Technology and Natural Resources (STNR) policy in the United States provides an ideal context to examine the influence of committee seniority within the public policy process. Exemplars of the Policy Entrepreneur have been individuals in leadership positions, whether executive or legislative. The role of junior committee members in shaping policy innovation is less well understood, and is frequently masked either in cross-sectional research designs or in case studies. The House Natural Resources committee seniority patterns are compared to the House of Representatives Chamber data from 1975 to 2015. This expanse of congressional time captures both the policy innovation of the Class of 1974 who helped transform the public lands by pursuing a preservation agenda, along with the contemporaneous gridlock caused by disagreements about reducing the size of the federal government, a policy agenda championed and sustained by the Class of 1994. Several types of political actors have served as policy entrepreneurs, President Kennedy and Secretary of Interior Udall shepherding the Wilderness Act of 1964 from the Executive branch, or in the 111th Congress Committee chairmen Senator Christopher Dodd and Representative Barney Frank, having announced their retirements, spent their final Congress shaping the consensus that produced the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. A less studied policy phenomenon relies on "packing the committee" to outvote the leadership. This tactic can be used by the party leadership to overcome recalcitrant senior committee members, as was the case for Democrats in the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee shift to preservation in the 1970s, or the tactic can be employed from the grassroots, as may be happening in the case of the House Natural Resources Committee in the 114th Congress. A policy making process analog to rivers is more appropriate than a mechanistic model. As there are multiple

The institutional configuration of sport policy in Brazil: organization, evolution and dilemmas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Mendes

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Brazil has become the center of the spotlight of the whole world recently, amongst many other reasons, one of them was because it was chosen to host a series of mega sporting events - Pan American Games in 2007, Confederations Football Cup in 2013, Fifa Football World Cup 2014 Games and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016. However, little is known about the country's administrative governmental structure focused on sport policy. The available studies focus their analysis on the sport policies content, but not on the arrangement of its structural decision-making. The main aim of this article is indeed to describe, based on official documentation, the evolution and the current arrangements of the government responsible for the administrative structure for the planning and implementation of sports policies in Brazil. Thus, we tried to list the main problems arising from the organization of the Brazilian sports' management. These problems are: (1 inappropriate institutional structure in terms of human resources and obstacles to participation by other social actors beyond the officials (parliament and members of the Ministry of Sports in the sports policy; (2 disarticulation between public institutions generating redundancies and conflicts of jurisdiction due to the poor division of labor between bureaucracy agencies; and (3 inadequate planning proved by the lack of organization of some institutions, and by the lack of assessment and continuity of public policies over time. Therefore, we must emphasize those problems from above, and due to these administrative arrangements, Brazilian sports' policy has big challenges in the sport development in this country, which includes the creation of a national "system" for sports and a priority investment in sport education.

The Role of Old-growth Forests in Frequent-fire Landscapes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Binkley

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Classic ecological concepts and forestry language regarding old growth are not well suited to frequent-fire landscapes. In frequent-fire, old-growth landscapes, there is a symbiotic relationship between the trees, the understory graminoids, and fire that results in a healthy ecosystem. Patches of old growth interspersed with younger growth and open, grassy areas provide a wide variety of habitats for animals, and have a higher level of biodiversity. Fire suppression is detrimental to these forests, and eventually destroys all old growth. The reintroduction of fire into degraded frequent-fire, old-growth forests, accompanied by appropriate thinning, can restore a balance to these ecosystems. Several areas require further research and study: 1 the ability of the understory to respond to restoration treatments, 2 the rate of ecosystem recovery following wildfires whose level of severity is beyond the historic or natural range of variation, 3 the effects of climate change, and 4 the role of the microbial community. In addition, it is important to recognize that much of our knowledge about these old-growth systems comes from a few frequent-fire forest types.

Public Procurement as One of the Institutions of New Industrial Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena F. Gutselyuk

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The article shows the role of public procurement in the formation of the new economic policy. It is proved that the public procurement market is a source of in-vestment in the economy. Analyzed the role of certain prohibitions and restrictions on a policy of import substitution. The application of national treatment to limit the turnover of foreign products was used in the 19th century and is widely used in modern industrial policy, especially in the procurement of goods through the state and municipal budgets. In this regard, the article highlights some issues and ques-tions that arise in state and municipal customers in the provider definition, if a ban or restriction on the purchase of foreign products. Namely, denotes the problem of determining the country of origin of goods, especially when a normative act does not contain reference to any document. For example, procurement of certain medi-cal devices expressed concerns that certain restrictions on the purchase of foreign products can lead to the creation of artificial monopoly in the market, which in turn can lead to lower quality of goods. This article uses the normative legal acts adopted within the framework of national treatment as of December 2017.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Science.gov (United States)

... for State Health Departments Evaluating an Infection Control Breach Outbreak Toolkit Containment Strategy What can be done ... RSS ABOUT About CDC Jobs Funding LEGAL Policies Privacy FOIA No Fear Act OIG 1600 Clifton Road ...

On the solution of a rational matrix equation arising in G-networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

B. Meini (Beatrice); T. Nesti (Tommaso)

2017-01-01

textabstractWe consider the problem of solving a rational matrix equation arising in the solution of G-networks. We propose and analyze two numerical methods: a fixed point iteration and the Newton–Raphson method. The fixed point iteration is shown to be globally convergent with linear convergence

Techniques of treatment or conditioning for waste arising from 131I production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dellamono, J.C.

1989-07-01

Distillation, evaporation/crystallization, direct immobilization and some chemical like precipitation and reduction were studied as techniques of treatment or conditioning for waste arising from 131 I production. The description of all techniques studied, as well as evaluation and discussion of the results are presented. (author) [pt

Predicting hospital mortality among frequently readmitted patients: HSMR biased by readmission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelder Johannes C

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Casemix adjusted in-hospital mortality is one of the measures used to improve quality of care. The adjustment currently used does not take into account the effects of readmission, because reliable data on readmission is not readily available through routinely collected databases. We have studied the impact of readmissions by linking admissions of the same patient, and as a result were able to compare hospital mortality among frequently, as opposed to, non-frequently readmitted patients. We also formulated a method to adjust for readmission for the calculation of hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMRs. Methods We conducted a longitudinal retrospective analysis of routinely collected hospital data of six large non-university teaching hospitals in the Netherlands with casemix adjusted standardised mortality ratios ranging from 65 to 114 and a combined value of 93 over a five-year period. Participants concerned 240662 patients admitted 418566 times in total during the years 2003 - 2007. Predicted deaths by the HSMR model 2008 over a five-year period were compared with observed deaths. Results Numbers of readmissions per patient differ substantially between the six hospitals, up to a factor of 2. A large interaction was found between numbers of admissions per patient and HSMR-predicted risks. Observed deaths for frequently admitted patients were significantly lower than HSMR-predicted deaths, which could be explained by uncorrected factors surrounding readmissions. Conclusions Patients admitted more frequently show lower risks of dying on average per admission. This decline in risk is only partly detected by the current HSMR. Comparing frequently admitted patients to non-frequently admitted patients commits the constant risk fallacy and potentially lowers HSMRs of hospitals treating many frequently admitted patients and increases HSMRs of hospitals treating many non-frequently admitted patients. This misleading effect can

Associations of work ability with frequent and long-term sickness absence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Notenbomer, A.; Groothoff, J. W.; van Rhenen, W.; Roelen, C. A. M.

Background Reduced work ability is related to long-term sickness absence. The relationship between work ability and frequent sickness absence has not previously been investigated. It is important to distinguish between frequent and long-term sickness absence as they are outcomes of different

Arthroscopic Resection of Wrist Ganglion Arising from the Lunotriquetral Joint

OpenAIRE

Mak, Michael C. K.; Ho, Pak-cheong; Tse, W. L.; Wong, Clara W. Y.

2013-01-01

The dorsal wrist ganglion is the most common wrist mass, and previous studies have shown that it arises from the scapholunate interval in the vast majority of cases. Treatment has traditionally been open excision, and more recently arthroscopic resection has been established as an effective and less invasive treatment method. However, application of this technique to ganglia in atypical locations has not been reported, where open excision is the usual practice. This report describes two cases...

Squamous neoplasms arising within tattoos: clinical presentation, histopathology and management.

Science.gov (United States)

Junqueira, A L; Wanat, K A; Farah, R S

2017-08-01

Tattooing, which involves the placement of ink into the skin, is an ancient decorative technique that has remained popular in modern society. Tattoos have long been known to cause cutaneous reactions, which include the emergence of neoplasms such as keratoacanthoma (KA) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in tattooed areas of the skin. We review the clinical presentations, histology and treatment options for squamous neoplasms, primarily KA and SCC, arising in tattoos. © 2017 British Association of Dermatologists.

Opportunity-based age replacement policy with minimal repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jhang, J.P.; Sheu, S.H.

1999-01-01

This paper proposes an opportunity-based age replacement policy with minimal repair. The system has two types of failures. Type I failures (minor failures) are removed by minimal repairs, whereas type II failures are removed by replacements. Type I and type II failures are age-dependent. A system is replaced at type II failure (catastrophic failure) or at the opportunity after age T, whichever occurs first. The cost of the minimal repair of the system at age z depends on the random part C(z) and the deterministic part c(z). The opportunity arises according to a Poisson process, independent of failures of the component. The expected cost rate is obtained. The optimal T * which would minimize the cost rate is discussed. Various special cases are considered. Finally, a numerical example is given

Intellectual Disability Policy as Developed, Expressed, and Evaluated in AAIDD/The Arc Joint Statements: The Role of Organization Position Statements.

Science.gov (United States)

Luckasson, Ruth; Ford, Marty E; McMillan, Elise D; Misilo, Frederick M; Nygren, Margaret A

2017-07-01

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and The Arc of the United States (The Arc) have a long history of joined efforts to develop, express, and evaluate disability policies. These efforts have resulted in a series of formal statements on critical issues such as education, healthcare, human rights, and criminal justice. Their joint efforts further important policy goals including providing clear strong communication about important policy values and directions, promulgating key principles of high quality supports and services, affirming best professional practices, and emphasizing personal outcomes. In addition, the joint efforts (a) affirm important aspects of organization identity; (b) enhance the organizations' abilities to assure the input of a wide variety of perspectives; (c) engage members' expanded ranges of experiences and talents; (d) multiply staff and leadership resources; (e) increase communication strength and avenues; and (f) establish processes for timely review and revision of policies as critical disability issues arise or change, and new opportunities for policy integration and advancement occur. This article describes the processes used to develop, express, and evaluate the position statements; summarizes the policy content of several joint statements; and discusses the role of these organization position statements.

A frame-critical policy analysis of Canada's response to the World Food Summit 1998-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Mah, Catherine L; Hamill, Catherine; Rondeau, Krista; McIntyre, Lynn

2014-01-01

The 2012 visit to Canada of Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, led to a public rebuff by Canadian governmental officials. This paper adapts the frame-critical policy analysis of Schön and Rein (1994), to explore the rhetorical basis for this conflict. This examination is offered as an illustrative example of how food insecurity is framed as a public policy problem in a high-income nation and how this framing has changed over time. We analyze Canada's decade of sequential responses to the 1996 World Food Summit, spanning 1998-2008, in the form of Canada's Action Plan on Food Security, and its subsequent Progress Reports. We conducted a qualitative policy analysis, adapting the frame-critical approach first delineated by Schön and Rein (1994). This analysis uses a social constructionist approach to map out the relationships between tacit understanding of policy by particular actors, explicit rhetoric in the public domain, and action in this policy area over time. We identify three key ways in which competing rhetorical frames arise over time: frame shifts (e.g., a shift away from language highlighting the right to food and health); frame blending (e.g., discussion about poverty becomes obscured by complexity discourse); and within-frame incongruence (e.g., monitoring for health indicators that are unrelated to policy solutions). Together, these frames illustrate how the conflict embodied in the UN Special Rapporteur's visit has been deeply woven into the policy discourse on food insecurity in Canada over time. Frame-critical analysis is instructive for exposing and also predicting tensions that impede forward progress on difficult policy issues. Accordingly, such analyses may be helpful in not only dissecting how policy can become 'stuck' in the process of change but in active reframing towards new policy solutions.

A frequent flyer program for nuclear mythology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, J.A.L.

1997-01-01

The anti-nuclear literature contains many erroneous and misleading allegations, collectively constituting a mythology. These are repeated endlessly, however often they are refuted, and are quoted uncritically by the media. Many are collected here, together with my rebuttals. For an explanation of the use here of the term 'frequent flyers', read on... (author)

Fiscal Policy and Welfare under Different Exchange Rate Regimes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østrup, Finn

a representativeindividual's utility, it is demonstrated that there are differences betweenexchange rate regimes with respect to the level of government spending. Thesedifferences arise first because a rise in government spending affects macroeconomicvariables differently under different exchange rate regimes......, and secondbecause the government's inclination to expand government spending is affectedby inflation which depends on the exchange rate regime. At low rates of inflation,the government is inclined to set a higher level of government spending under afixed exchange rate regime than under a floating exchange rate...... regime in whichthe monetary authority optimises preferences which include an employment targetand an inflation target. As government spending affects the representativeindividual's utility, the choice of exchange rate regime has an impact on welfare.Keywords: exchange rate regimes; fiscal policy...

Botulism: A Frequently Forgotten Old Malady

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teguh Thajeb

2007-09-01

Full Text Available A frequently forgotten old malady called botulism has been recognized for more than a century. This ailment occurs worldwide, afflicts human of all age groups from infants to elderly and affects Oriental people more often in several regions of China. Occurrence in Taiwan is uncommon, and therefore, it is often overlooked. The outbreaks of human botulism in various regions of the world, the clinical types, the molecular mechanisms, and the electrophysiologic findings will be highlighted.

Management of radioactive solid waste arisings from PFR reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allardice, R.H.; Hackney, S.; Bailey, G.; Bremner, W.; Lillyman, E.; Pugh, O.; Reekie, J.

1982-01-01

A description is given of the solid radioactive waste management facilities for dealing with the arisings from PFR reprocessing at the Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment. Four major categories of solid waste are identified. The 'La Calhene' posting system for the transfer of active wastes which has been installed is discussed. The three new retrievable stores for high α#betta##betta#, high α low #betta##betta# and low α high #betta##betta# are described. The methods of waste categorisation by non-destructive assay techniques are outlined. Finally a review of operating experience with the facilities is presented. (U.K.)

A Large Cystic Variant of Gastro-intestinal Stromal Tumour arising from the Jejunum: A Case Report

OpenAIRE

Shaikh, Salman Tehran; Upwanshi, Manish Harinarayan; Shetty, Tilakdas S.; Ghetla, Smruti R.; Gheewala, Hussain

2015-01-01

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) represent a mesenchymal neoplasm arising from the interstitial cells of cajal occurring mainly in the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we present a case of a large GIST arising from the jejunum with cystic presentation unlike the usual presentation as a solid mass. A 50-year-old male patient came with complaint of a painless mobile lump in abdomen of approximately 25 cm in size which had gradually increased over two years. Clinically mesenteric cyst was s...

75 FR 80038 - Notice of Meetings of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade and the Agricultural...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-21

...Notice is hereby given that the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC) and the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees for Trade (ATAC) will hold closed meetings on January 13, 2011. The advisory committees are administered by USDA and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The meetings are closed to the public in accordance with the Trade Act of 1974, 19 U.S.C. 2155(f)(2), and the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4) and (6). USTR has determined that public access to this meeting would seriously compromise the development by the U.S. Government of trade policy priorities, negotiating objectives, or bargaining positions with respect to the operation of trade agreements and other matters arising in connection with the development, implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United States. Topics will include Doha Round negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO), WTO accession negotiations, and negotiations in bilateral and regional free trade agreements.

Sustainability Policy and Environmental Policy

OpenAIRE

John C. V. Pezzey

2001-01-01

A theoretical, representative agent economy with a depletable resource stock, polluting emissions and productive capital is used to contrast environmental policy, which internalises externalised environmental values, with sustainability policy, which achieves some form of intergenerational equity. The obvious environmental policy comprises an emissions tax and a resource stock subsidy, each equal to the respective external cost or benefit. Sustainability policy comprises an incentive affectin...

Single string planning problem arising in liner shipping industries: A heuristic approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gelareh, Shahin; Neamatian Monemi, Rahimeh; Mahey, Philippe

2013-01-01

We propose an efficient heuristic approach for solving instances of the Single String Planning Problem (SSPP) arising in the liner shipping industry. In the SSPP a Liner Service Provider (LSP) only revises one of its many operational strings, and it is assumed that the other strings are unchangea...

Proceedings of the Symposium on Recycling of Metals arising from Operation and Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-04-01

The Symposium for the Recycling of Metals Arising from Operation and decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities was held in April 2014 at Studsvik's facility in Nykoeping, Sweden. The Symposium, hosted by Studsvik in conjunction with the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), covered a wide range of topics concerning current practice, experiences and innovations within the management of contaminated metallic radioactive material. The primary objective was to understand the differing approaches to clearance and recycling of materials from the nuclear industry across Europe in order to appreciate the issues faced from recovering resources once the material meets a country's clearance requirements. The outcome of the symposium has provided some interesting reflections for national and international bodies to consider when developing waste management guidance and policies. Over the three days of the symposium, presentations split into six topical sessions and posters regarding the recycling of contaminated metals were viewed by more than 150 people from 19 different countries. A series of group discussions were also held following each session to promote learning about current practices, highlight strategic issues related to metals recycling and develop professional networks across the industry. To stimulate discussion, a series of questions were posed at each group and the outcomes captured for inclusion within this report

Agricultural policy, food policy, and communicable disease policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Wyn

2012-12-01

Food and agricultural policy is an essential element of a communicable disease policy. The European Union has developed a more systematic and broadly based interest in questions of food safety and animal health and welfare linked to modernization of the Common Agricultural Policy, reflected in a new treaty obligation on animal welfare. Following the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis, moves were made to create a European competency, but implementation and enforcement resources reside with the member states. The European Animal Health Strategy is meant to lead to an EU animal health law, but this has already been constrained by fiscal austerity. The development of such a law may lead to a lowest common denominator formula that does little to enhance consumer protection or improve animal welfare. This is an inherent risk with top-down forms of Europeanization; more attention should be paid to lessons to be learned from bottom-up initiatives of the type used to counteract the bovine diarrhea virus. There will always be a tension among what is good policy for reducing the incidence of communicable disease, policy that is popular with EU citizens, and policy that is acceptable to member states.

Clinical characteristics of persistent frequent attenders in primary care: case–control study

OpenAIRE

Patel, Shireen; Kai, Joe; Atha, Christopher; Avery, Anthony; Guo, Boliang; James, Marilyn; Malins, Samuel; Sampson, Christopher James; Stubley, Michelle; Morriss, Richard K.

2015-01-01

Background. Most frequent attendance in primary care is temporary, but persistent frequent attendance is expensive and may be suitable for psychological intervention. To plan appropriate intervention and service delivery, there is a need for research involving standardized psychiatric interviews with assessment of physical health and health status.\\ud \\ud Objective. To compare the mental and physical health characteristics and health status of persistent frequent attenders (FAs) in primary ca...

Avian and pandemic human influenza policy in South-East Asia: the interface between economic and public health imperatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Pongcharoensuk, Petcharat; Adisasmito, Wiku; Sat, Le Minh; Silkavute, Pornpit; Muchlisoh, Lilis; Cong Hoat, Pham; Coker, Richard

2012-08-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the contemporary policies regarding avian and human pandemic influenza control in three South-East Asia countries: Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. An analysis of poultry vaccination policy was used to explore the broader policy of influenza A H5N1 control in the region. The policy of antiviral stockpiling with oseltamivir, a scarce regional resource, was used to explore human pandemic influenza preparedness policy. Several policy analysis theories were applied to analyse the debate on the use of vaccination for poultry and stockpiling of antiviral drugs in each country case study. We conducted a comparative analysis across emergent themes. The study found that whilst Indonesia and Vietnam introduced poultry vaccination programmes, Thailand rejected this policy approach. By contrast, all three countries adopted similar strategic policies for antiviral stockpiling in preparation. In relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza, economic imperatives are of critical importance. Whilst Thailand's poultry industry is large and principally an export economy, Vietnam's and Indonesia's are for domestic consumption. The introduction of a poultry vaccination policy in Thailand would have threatened its potential to trade and had a major impact on its economy. Powerful domestic stakeholders in Vietnam and Indonesia, by contrast, were concerned less about international trade and more about maintaining a healthy domestic poultry population. Evidence on vaccination was drawn upon differently depending upon strategic economic positioning either to support or oppose the policy. With influenza A H5N1 endemic in some countries of the region, these policy differences raise questions around regional coherence of policies and the pursuit of an agreed overarching goal, be that eradication or mitigation. Moreover, whilst economic imperatives have been critically important in guiding policy formulation in the agriculture sector, questions arise

The Frequent Unusual Headache Syndromes: A Proposed Classification Based on Lifetime Prevalence.

Science.gov (United States)

Valença, Marcelo M; de Oliveira, Daniella A

2016-01-01

There is no agreement on a single cutoff point or prevalence for regarding a given disease as rare. The concept of what is a rare headache disorder is even less clear and the spectrum from a very frequent, frequent, occasional to rare headache syndrome is yet to be established. An attempt has been made to estimate the lifetime prevalence of each of the headache subtypes classified in the ICHD-II. Using the ICHD-II, 199 different headache subtypes were identified. The following classification was made according to the estimated lifetime prevalence of each headache disorder: very frequent (prevalence >10%); frequent (between 1 and 10%); occasional (between 0.07 and 1%); and unusual or rare (headache disorders, 7/199 (4%) as very frequent, 9/199 (5%) as frequent, and 29/199 (15%) as occasional forms of headache disorder. The unusual headache syndromes do not appear to be as infrequent in clinical practice as has been generally believed. About three-fourths of the classified headache disorders found in the ICHD-II can be considered as rare. This narrative review article may be regarded as an introduction to the concept of unusual headaches and a proposed classification of all headaches (at least those listed in the ICHD-II). © 2015 American Headache Society.

Frequent visitors at the psychiatric emergency room - A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Manuela

2018-03-01

Frequent visitors at the psychiatric emergency room (PER) constitute a small subgroup of patients, yet they are responsible for a disproportionate number of visits and thus claim considerable resources. Their needs are often left unmet and their repetitive visits reflect their dissatisfaction as well as that of PERs' staff. Motivated by these dilemmas, this study systematically reviews the literature about frequent visitors at PER and seeks to answer two questions: What characterizes frequent visitors at PER in the literature? and What characterizes PER in the literature? Based on 29 studies, this paper offers answers to the two questions based on a strength weakness opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. The results of the review and subsequent analysis of the literature revealed the multiplicity and complexity of frequent visitors' characteristics and how they appear to converge. Commonalities were more difficult to identify in PER characteristics. In some cases, this happened because the characteristics were poorly described or were context specific. As a result, it was not easy to compare the studies on PER. Based on SWOT and the findings of the analysis, the paper proposes new venues of research and suggests how the field of mental health might develop by taking into account its opportunities and threats.

USA: energy policy and spent fuel and waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petroll, M.R.

2001-01-01

The new US administration under President Bush has shifted political weights in the country's energy policy. The policy pursued by the Clinton administration, which had been focused strongly on energy efficiency and environmental protection, will be revoked in a number of points, and the focus instead will now be on economics and continuity of supply, also against the backdrop of the current power supply crisis in California. However, it is more likely that fossil-fired generating capacity will be expanded or added than new nuclear generating capacity. As far as the policy of managing radioactive waste is concerned, no fast and fundamental changes are expected. Low-level waste arising in medicine, research, industry, and nuclear power plants will be stored in a number of shallow ground burial facilities also involving more than one federal state. The Yucca Mountain repository project will be advanced with a higher budget, and WIPP (Waste Isolation Plant) in the state of New Mexico has been in operation since 1998. Plans for the management of spent fuel elements include interim stores called ISFSIs (Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations) both near and independent of nuclear power sites. Nineteen sites have been licensed, another eighteen are ready to be licensed. In addition, also international spent fuel and nuclear waste management approaches are being discussed in the United States which, inter alia, are meant to offer comprehensive solutions to countries running only a small number of nuclear power plants. (orig.) [de

Correction of Proofs in "Purely Infinite Simple C*-algebras Arising from Free Product Constructions'' and a Subsequent Paper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ara, Pere; Dykema, Kenneth J.; Rørdam, Mikael

2013-01-01

The proofs of Theorem 2.2 of K. J. Dykema and M. Rørdam, Purely infinite simple C∗-algebras arising from free product constructions}, Canad. J. Math. 50 (1998), 323--341 and of Theorem 3.1 of K. J. Dykema, Purely infinite simple C∗-algebras arising from free product constructions, II, Math. Scand...

Radioisotopes: problems of responsibility arising from medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupon, Michel.

1978-09-01

Radioisotopes have brought about great progress in the battle against illnesses of mainly tumoral origin, whether in diagnosis (nuclear medicine) or in treatment (medical radiotherapy). They are important enough therefore to warrant investigation. Such a study is attempted here, with special emphasis, at a time when medical responsibility proceedings are being taken more and more often on the medicolegal problems arising from their medical use. It is hoped that this study on medical responsibility in the use of radioisotopes will have shown: that the use of radioisotopes for either diagnosis or therapy constitutes a major banch of medicine; that this importance implies an awareness by the practitioner of a vast responsibility, especially in law where legislation to ensure protection as strict as in the field of ionizing radiations is lacking. The civil responsibility of doctors who use radioisotopes remains to be defined, since for want of adequate jurisprudence we are reduced to hypotheses based on general principles [fr

The pressure equation arising in reservoir simulation. Mathematical properties, numerical methods and upscaling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, Bjoern Fredrik

1997-12-31

The main purpose of this thesis has been to analyse self-adjoint second order elliptic partial differential equations arising in reservoir simulation. It studies several mathematical and numerical problems for the pressure equation arising in models of fluid flow in porous media. The theoretical results obtained have been illustrated by a series of numerical experiments. The influence of large variations in the mobility tensor upon the solution of the pressure equation is analysed. The performance of numerical methods applied to such problems have been studied. A new upscaling technique for one-phase flow in heterogeneous reservoirs is developed. The stability of the solution of the pressure equation with respect to small perturbations of the mobility tensor is studied. The results are used to develop a new numerical method for a model of fully nonlinear water waves. 158 refs, 39 figs., 12 tabs.

The pressure equation arising in reservoir simulation. Mathematical properties, numerical methods and upscaling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, Bjoern Fredrik

1998-12-31

The main purpose of this thesis has been to analyse self-adjoint second order elliptic partial differential equations arising in reservoir simulation. It studies several mathematical and numerical problems for the pressure equation arising in models of fluid flow in porous media. The theoretical results obtained have been illustrated by a series of numerical experiments. The influence of large variations in the mobility tensor upon the solution of the pressure equation is analysed. The performance of numerical methods applied to such problems have been studied. A new upscaling technique for one-phase flow in heterogeneous reservoirs is developed. The stability of the solution of the pressure equation with respect to small perturbations of the mobility tensor is studied. The results are used to develop a new numerical method for a model of fully nonlinear water waves. 158 refs, 39 figs., 12 tabs.

Moderators of the relationship between frequent family demands and inflammation among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Cynthia S; Hoffer, Lauren C; Chen, Edith

2017-05-01

Frequent demands from others in relationships are associated with worse physiological and health outcomes. The present research investigated 2 potential moderators of the relationship between frequency of demands from one's family and inflammatory profiles among adolescents: (a) closeness of adolescents' relationships with their families, and (b) the frequency with which adolescents provided help to their families. Two hundred thirty-four adolescents, ages 13-16 (Mage = 14.53; 47.83% male), completed a daily dairy in which they reported on the frequency of demands made by family members. They were also interviewed about the closeness of their family relationships and reported in the daily diary on how frequently they provided help to their families. Adolescents also underwent a blood draw to assess low-grade inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine production in response to bacterial stimulation. More frequent demands from family predicted higher levels of low-grade inflammation and cytokine production in response to bacterial stimulation in adolescents. Family closeness moderated the relationship between frequent demands and stimulated cytokine production such that more frequent demands predicted higher cytokine production among adolescents who were closer to their families. Furthermore, frequency of providing help moderated the relationship between frequent demands and both low-grade inflammation and stimulated cytokine production, such that more frequent demands predicted worse inflammatory profiles among adolescents who provided more help to their families. These findings build on previous work on family demands and health to show under what circumstances family demands might have a physiological cost. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

On the numerical solution of coupled eigenvalue differential equations arising in molecular spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedman, R.S.; Jamieson, M.J.; Preston, S.C.

1990-01-01

A method for solving coupled eigenvalue differential equations is given and its relation to an existing technique is shown. Use of the Gram-Schmidt process to overcome the severe instabilities arising in molecular problems is described in detail. (orig.)

Using GDELT Data to Evaluate the Con dence on the Spanish Government Energy Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Bodas-Sagi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The growing demand for affordable, reliable, domestically sourced, and low-carbon electricity is a matter of concern and it is driven by several causes including public policy priorities. Policy objectives and new technologies are changing wholesale market design. The analysis of different aspects of energy markets is increasingly on the agendas of academics, firms’ managers or policy makers. Some concerns are global and are related to the evolution of climate change phenomena. Others are regional or national and they strongly appear in countries like Spain with a high dependence on foreign energy sources and high potential of domestic renewable energy sources. We can find a relevant case in Spanish solar energy policy. A series of regulatory reforms since 2010 reduce revenues to existing renewable power generators and they end up the previous system of support to new renewable generation. This policy change has altered the composition of the energy market affecting investment decisions. In this paper, we analyze the public opinion about energy policy of the Spanish Government using the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT. The GDELT Project consists of over a quarter-billion event records in over 300 categories covering the entire world from 1979 to present, along with a massive network diagram connecting every person, organization, location, and theme to this event database. Our aim is to build sentiment indicators arising from this source of information and, in a final step, evaluate if positive and negative indexes have any effect on the evolution of key market variables as prices and demand.

Chemical regulation on fire: rapid policy advances on flame retardants.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordner, Alissa; Mulcahy, Margaret; Brown, Phil

2013-07-02

Chemicals that are widely used in consumer products offer challenges to product manufacturers, risk managers, environmental regulators, environmental scientists, and the interested public. However, the factors that cause specific chemicals to rise to the level of regulatory, scientific, and social movement concern and scrutiny are not well documented, and scientists are frequently unclear about exactly how their research impacts policy. Through a case study of advocacy around flame retardant chemicals, this paper traces the pathways through which scientific evidence and concern is marshaled by both advocacy groups and media sources to affect policy change. We focus our analysis around a broad coalition of environmental and public health advocacy organizations and an investigative journalism series published in 2012 in the Chicago Tribune. We demonstrate that the Tribune series both brought the issue to a wider public audience and precipitated government action, including state policy revisions and federal Senate hearings. We also show how a broad and successful flame retardant coalition developed, leveraged a media event, and influenced policy at multiple institutional levels. The analysis draws on over 110 in-depth interviews, literature and Web site reviews, and observations at a flame retardant manufacturing company, government offices, and scientific and advocacy conferences.

Impact of changing conditions in the oil market on energy policies in the ESCWA region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

The present study has been prepared in the implementation of the ESCWA work programme and priorities for 1988/1989. It is aimed at examining energy issues of major concern to the region particularly the changes in the oil market, fluctuations of oil prices and their impact on energy plans and policies. The study is also intended to serve as a background document to the Meeting organized to discuss salient energy issues arising from recent developments in the oil market. It has therefore been designed to deal with downstream and upstream activities, adjustments to contractual terms, and market and national energy policies following the violent fluctuations of oil prices. Some futuristic views on the oil market are also presented and the study includes an examination of national and regional entities involved in energy issues and development of oil resources in the ESCWA region. (Author)

School lunch and snacking patterns among high school students: Associations with school food environment and policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Story Mary

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives This study examined associations between high school students' lunch patterns and vending machine purchases and the school food environment and policies. Methods A randomly selected sample of 1088 high school students from 20 schools completed surveys about their lunch practices and vending machine purchases. School food policies were assessed by principal and food director surveys. The number of vending machines and their hours of operation were assessed by trained research staff. Results Students at schools with open campus policies during lunchtime were significantly more likely to eat lunch at a fast food restaurant than students at schools with closed campus policies (0.7 days/week vs. 0.2 days/week, p Conclusion School food policies that decrease access to foods high in fats and sugars are associated with less frequent purchase of these items in school among high school students. Schools should examine their food-related policies and decrease access to foods that are low in nutrients and high in fats and sugars.

Loss of Dependence on Continued Expression of the Human Papillomavirus 16 E7 Oncogene in Cervical Cancers and Precancerous Lesions Arising in Fanconi Anemia Pathway-Deficient Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Soyeong; Park, Jung Wook; Pitot, Henry C.

2016-01-01

accumulation of DNA damage. We hypothesize, therefore, that DNA damage induced by HPV leads to an accumulation of mutations in patients with FA deficiency and that such mutations allow HPV-driven cancers to become independent of the viral oncogenes. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that cervical cancers arising in HPV16 transgenic mice with FA deficiency frequently escape from dependency on the HPV16 oncogene that drove its development. Our report provides further support for vaccination of FA patients against HPVs and argues for the need to define mutational profiles of SCCs arising in FA patients in order to inform precision medicine-based approaches to treating these patients. PMID:27190216

A Large Cystic Variant of Gastro-intestinal Stromal Tumour arising from the Jejunum: A Case Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaikh, Salman Tehran; Upwanshi, Manish Harinarayan; Shetty, Tilakdas S; Ghetla, Smruti R; Gheewala, Hussain

2015-04-01

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) represent a mesenchymal neoplasm arising from the interstitial cells of cajal occurring mainly in the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we present a case of a large GIST arising from the jejunum with cystic presentation unlike the usual presentation as a solid mass. A 50-year-old male patient came with complaint of a painless mobile lump in abdomen of approximately 25 cm in size which had gradually increased over two years. Clinically mesenteric cyst was suspected. Intra-operatively the mass was a 30x25 cm cyst with approximately 2500 ml serous fluid present inside it arising from the anti-mesenteric border of the jejunum, adherent to the jejunum, appendix and the dome of the bladder. The fluid was aspirated and the mass excised along with resection of the involved jejunal segment and appendectomy was done. Diagnosis was confirmed on immunohistochemistry study. Imatinib Mesylate 400 mg OD was started as adjuvant therapy in view of the high risk of metastasis.

Conservation laws arising in the study of forward-forward Mean-Field Games

KAUST Repository

Gomes, Diogo A.; Nurbekyan, Levon; Sedjro, Marc

2017-01-01

We consider forward-forward Mean Field Game (MFG) models that arise in numerical approximations of stationary MFGs. First, we establish a link between these models and a class of hyperbolic conservation laws as well as certain nonlinear wave equations. Second, we investigate existence and long-time behavior of solutions for such models.

Exploring Ethical Dilemmas for Principals Arising from Role Conflict with School Counsellors

Science.gov (United States)

Kimber, Megan; Campbell, Marilyn

2014-01-01

Acting in the best interests of students is central to the moral and ethical work of schools. Yet tensions can arise between principals and school counsellors as they work from at times opposing professional paradigms. In this article we report on principals' and counsellors' responses to scenarios covering confidentiality and the law,…

Conservation laws arising in the study of forward-forward Mean-Field Games

KAUST Repository

Gomes, Diogo A.

2017-04-24

We consider forward-forward Mean Field Game (MFG) models that arise in numerical approximations of stationary MFGs. First, we establish a link between these models and a class of hyperbolic conservation laws as well as certain nonlinear wave equations. Second, we investigate existence and long-time behavior of solutions for such models.

Impact of climate policy uncertainty on the adoption of electricity generating technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuss, Sabine; Obersteiner, Michael; Johansson, Daniel J.A.; Szolgayova, Jana

2009-01-01

This paper presents a real options model where multiple options are evaluated simultaneously so that the effect of the individual options on each other is accounted for. We apply this model to the electricity sector, where we analyze three typical technologies based on fossil fuel, fossil fuel with carbon capture and renewable energy, respectively. In this way, we can analyze the transition from CO 2 -intensive to CO 2 -neutral electricity production in the face of rising and uncertain CO 2 prices. In addition, such a modelling approach enables us to estimate precisely the expected value of (perfect) information, i.e. the willingness of investors and producers to pay for information about the correct CO 2 price path. As can be expected, the expected value of information rises with increasing CO 2 price uncertainty. In addition, the larger the price uncertainty, the larger are the cumulative CO 2 emissions over the coming century. The reason for this is that the transition to less CO 2 -intensive technologies is increasingly postponed with rising CO 2 price uncertainty. By testing different price processes (geometric Brownian motion versus jump processes with different jump frequencies), we can also make useful recommendations concerning the importance of policy predictability. We find that it is better to have climate change policies that are stable over a certain length of time and change abruptly than less abrupt but more frequently changing policies. Less frequent fluctuations reduce the expected value of information and result in smaller cumulative CO 2 emissions. (author)

Family eating out-of-home: a review of nutrition and health policies.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuffin, L E; Wallace, J M W; McCrorie, T A; Price, R K; Pourshahidi, L K; Livingstone, M B E

2013-02-01

Childhood obesity is a growing problem worldwide. In recent years, out-of-home (OH) eating has been highlighted as one of the many factors contributing to the obesogenic environment. This review seeks to identify a range of existing guidelines for the provision of healthy food options for families who eat OH frequently. Nationally available nutrition policies were identified using targeted and untargeted searches of the internet to identify established strategies for providing food for children in the family eating out sector in America (US), Australia, Canada and the WHO's European Region (EUR). These were categorised on the basis of eleven pre-defined criteria including: family eating out sector included as stakeholder; inclusion of children's food OH; cost strategies for healthier food choices; provision of nutrition information for customers; nutrition training of catering staff; and monitoring and evaluation structures. Fifty-five policies were reviewed, of which 71% addressed children's food served OH, but principally only for food available in schools. Two voluntary programmes, from Colorado and Slovenia, were identified as possible best practice models as they met a majority of the evaluation criteria. The most frequently used strategy by policies to promote healthier eating OH was the provision of nutrition information on menus, while monitoring and evaluation plans were poorly incorporated into any OH strategies, thus raising issues about their effectiveness. This review has identified a range of initiatives that could be employed to make healthier eating OH more accessible for families. However, to establish best practice guidelines for healthier OH food choices further investigations are required.

Modelling Compensation Policy for Quality and Delay Deterioration in Rail Transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatiana Molkova

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The contribution deals with the customers’ claims on provided services during train delay in personal railway transport. There is comparison between the situation in the Czech Republic (Brno main station and Austria (Wien Westbahnhof in the contribution. Development of the compensation policy cannot be based only on customer requirements. If the railway company focuses on providing compensation for delays, it must follow its economic balance. However, as the passengers' opinion survey showed, the negative impact of delays can be reduced by providing adequate information to passengers. Based on the passengers' opinion survey, it is necessary to consider the Regulation 1371/2007/ES as the minimum of the possible and on the basis of this reasoning to compile a compensation policy. The costs associated with compensation for the delay should be divided according to the causes of the delay among the individual culprits, so that railway undertakings bear the responsibility even for delays arising from reasons that are beyond the control of the railway undertaking itself. 

Labour market transitions in policy and in everyday life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Rie; Cort, Pia

the 1990s focus in the employment policy has shifted gradually and introduced the ideas of activation and the duty of the unemployed to pursue employment. Unemployment has been individualized as a problem and focus has moved from upskilling to rapid re-integration into the labour market, hereby......In a time where transitions between jobs and in and out of the labour market are likely to become more frequent the way we conceptualise and experience ‘ transitions’ becomes equally important. In EU policy, Denmark is often referred to as a model country in terms of the flexicurity model and its...... aim of securing unemployed people through financial support and access to training and competence development during redundancies i.e. during transitional phases in a working life. Hereby the flexicurity model ensures both a flexible labour market and a flexible and adaptable workforce. However, since...

Valuing real options: frequently made errors

OpenAIRE

Fernández, Pablo

2002-01-01

In this paper we analyze frequently made errors when valuing real options. The best way of doing it is through examples. We start by analyzing Damodaran's proposal to value the option to expand the business of Home Depot. Some of the errors and problems of this and other approaches are: - Assuming that the option is replicable and using Black and Scholes' formula. - The estimation of the option's volatility is arbitrary and has a decisive effect on the option's value. - As there is no riskles...

Incremental Frequent Subgraph Mining on Large Evolving Graphs

KAUST Repository

Abdelhamid, Ehab; Canim, Mustafa; Sadoghi, Mohammad; Bhatta, Bishwaranjan; Chang, Yuan-Chi; Kalnis, Panos

2017-01-01

, such as social networks, utilize large evolving graphs. Mining these graphs using existing techniques is infeasible, due to the high computational cost. In this paper, we propose IncGM+, a fast incremental approach for continuous frequent subgraph mining problem

Factors Influencing Electronic Government Adoption Perspectives Of Less Frequent Internet Users Of Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farooq Alam Khan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Much literature on electronic government services research could be found on adoptability issues from government and service providers point of view. Many studies have looked into adoptability factors from user perspectives and majority captured adoptability perspectives of frequent Internet users the ones who use Internet applications for more than 10 hours a week. On the contrary the perspectives of majority of Pakistani users which use Internet applications for less than 10 hours per week are never inquired. This paper tries to fill this gap by looking into electronic government adoptability perspectives and expectations of such Internet users of Pakistan which are much greater in numbers than others. An amended UTAUT model with all its moderators is used in this study and the results demonstrate that performance level ease of effort and social influence strongly effect behavioral intention of users in using electronic government services in Pakistan. The individuals behavioral intention along with presence of appropriate facilitating conditions triggers use behavior of users. The results show that only gender moderates majority of UTAUT relationships and accordingly a modified UTAUT model is presented. The paper provides certain insights for people making policies and academicians for performing further research while it stresses for service proliferation with special attention towards female population.

National-Level Wetland Policy Specificity and Goals Vary According to Political and Economic Indicators

Science.gov (United States)

Peimer, Alex W.; Krzywicka, Adrianna E.; Cohen, Dora B.; Van den Bosch, Kyle; Buxton, Valerie L.; Stevenson, Natalie A.; Matthews, Jeffrey W.

2017-01-01

Growing recognition of the importance of wetlands to human and ecosystem well-being has led countries worldwide to implement wetland protection policies. Different countries have taken different approaches to wetland protection by implementing various policies, including territorial exclusion, market-based offsetting, and incentive programs for land users. Our objective was to describe the relationship between components of national-level wetland protection policies and national characteristics, including natural resource, economic, social, and political factors. We compiled data on the wetland policies of all 193 countries recognized by the U.N. and described the relationships among wetland policy goals and wetland protection mechanisms using non-metric multidimensional scaling. The first non-metric multidimensional scaling axis strongly correlated with whether a country had a wetland-specific environmental policy in place. Adoption of a comprehensive, wetland-specific policy was positively associated with degree of democracy and a commitment to establishing protected areas. The second non-metric multidimensional scaling axis defined a continuum of policy goals and mechanisms by which wetlands are protected, with goals to protect wetland ecosystem services on one end of the spectrum and goals to protect biodiversity on the other. Goals for protecting ecosystem services were frequently cited in policy documents of countries with agriculture-based economies, whereas goals associated with wetland biodiversity tended to be associated with tourism-based economies. We argue that the components of a country's wetland policies reflect national-level resource and economic characteristics. Understanding the relationship between the type of wetland policy countries adopt and national-level characteristics is critical for international efforts to protect wetlands.

Nodulocystic basal cell carcinoma arising directly from a seborrheic keratosis: A rare case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kana Shibao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Seborrheic keratoses (SKs are common epidermal tumors composed of benign keratinocytes. Malignant skin tumors including basal cell carcinoma (BCC rarely arise within SKs. We report a rare case of an 82-year-old man with nodulocystic BCC that appeared at the center of a scaly hyperpigmented SK that had been presented for more than 10 years. It was histologically confirmed that CK19-positive BCC arose directly from the wall of the pseudohorn cyst, a part of the SK. Nodular and/or cystic BCC also rarely arise within SKs while the most common histologic type of BCC within SKs is the superficial type. Careful observation of SKs is important even though it is rarely a background condition for malignant transformation.

Treatment of Anthrax Disease Frequently Asked Questions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judd, Kathleen S.; Young, Joan E.; Lesperance, Ann M.; Malone, John D.

2010-05-14

This document provides a summary of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the treatment of anthrax disease caused by a wide-area release of Bacillus anthracis spores as an act bioterrorism. These FAQs are intended to provide the public health and medical community, as well as others, with guidance and communications to support the response and long-term recovery from an anthrax event.

Undifferentiated spondyloarthritis is more frequently seen in women than in men

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukran Erten

2015-01-01

Conclusion SpA are frequent diseases and physicians other than rheumatologists should also be aware of them. uSpA is more frequent in women than men. Early diagnosis of SpA is important because early treatment with new biological therapies may lead to much better Results than applying them in the advanced stages.

Frequent Users of Pornography. A Population Based Epidemiological Study of Swedish Male Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Svedin, Carl Goran; Akerman, Ingrid; Priebe, Gisela

2011-01-01

Frequent use of pornography has not been sufficiently studied before. In a Swedish survey 2015 male students aged 18 years participated. A group of frequent users of pornography (N = 200, 10.5%) were studied with respect to background and psychosocial correlates. The frequent users had a more positive attitude to pornography, were more often…

Drought, tree mortality, and wildfire in forests adapted to frequent fire

Science.gov (United States)

Scott L Stephens; Brandon M Collins; Christopher J Fettig; Mark A Finney; Chad M Hoffman; Eric E Knapp; Malcolm P North; Hugh Safford; Rebecca B Wayman

2018-01-01

Massive tree mortality has occurred rapidly in frequent-fire-adapted forests of the Sierra Nevada, California. This mortality is a product of acute drought compounded by the long-established removal of a key ecosystem process: frequent, low- to moderate-intensity fire. The recent tree mortality has many implications for the future of these forests and the ecological...

Frequent hospital admissions in Singapore: clinical risk factors and impact of socioeconomic status.

Science.gov (United States)

Low, Lian Leng; Tay, Wei Yi; Ng, Matthew Joo Ming; Tan, Shu Yun; Liu, Nan; Lee, Kheng Hock

2018-01-01

Frequent admitters to hospitals are high-cost patients who strain finite healthcare resources. However, the exact risk factors for frequent admissions, which can be used to guide risk stratification and design effective interventions locally, remain unknown. Our study aimed to identify the clinical and sociodemographic risk factors associated with frequent hospital admissions in Singapore. An observational study was conducted using retrospective 2014 data from the administrative database at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Variables were identified a priori and included patient demographics, comorbidities, prior healthcare utilisation, and clinical and laboratory variables during the index admission. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for frequent admissions. A total of 16,306 unique patients were analysed and 1,640 (10.1%) patients were classified as frequent admitters. On multivariate logistic regression, 16 variables were independently associated with frequent hospital admissions, including age, cerebrovascular disease, history of malignancy, haemoglobin, serum creatinine, serum albumin, and number of specialist outpatient clinic visits, emergency department visits, admissions preceding index admission and medications dispensed at discharge. Patients staying in public rental housing had a 30% higher risk of being a frequent admitter after adjusting for demographics and clinical conditions. Our study, the first in our knowledge to examine the clinical risk factors for frequent admissions in Singapore, validated the use of public rental housing as a sensitive indicator of area-level socioeconomic status in Singapore. These risk factors can be used to identify high-risk patients in the hospital so that they can receive interventions that reduce readmission risk. Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association

Toward an Improved Representation of Middle Atmospheric Dynamics Thanks to the ARISE Project

Science.gov (United States)

Blanc, E.; Ceranna, L.; Hauchecorne, A.; Charlton-Perez, A.; Marchetti, E.; Evers, L. G.; Kvaerna, T.; Lastovicka, J.; Eliasson, L.; Crosby, N. B.; Blanc-Benon, P.; Le Pichon, A.; Brachet, N.; Pilger, C.; Keckhut, P.; Assink, J. D.; Smets, P. S. M.; Lee, C. F.; Kero, J.; Sindelarova, T.; Kämpfer, N.; Rüfenacht, R.; Farges, T.; Millet, C.; Näsholm, S. P.; Gibbons, S. J.; Espy, P. J.; Hibbins, R. E.; Heinrich, P.; Ripepe, M.; Khaykin, S.; Mze, N.; Chum, J.

2018-03-01

This paper reviews recent progress toward understanding the dynamics of the middle atmosphere in the framework of the Atmospheric Dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe (ARISE) initiative. The middle atmosphere, integrating the stratosphere and mesosphere, is a crucial region which influences tropospheric weather and climate. Enhancing the understanding of middle atmosphere dynamics requires improved measurement of the propagation and breaking of planetary and gravity waves originating in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. Inter-comparison studies have shown large discrepancies between observations and models, especially during unresolved disturbances such as sudden stratospheric warmings for which model accuracy is poorer due to a lack of observational constraints. Correctly predicting the variability of the middle atmosphere can lead to improvements in tropospheric weather forecasts on timescales of weeks to season. The ARISE project integrates different station networks providing observations from ground to the lower thermosphere, including the infrasound system developed for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification, the Lidar Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change, complementary meteor radars, wind radiometers, ionospheric sounders and satellites. This paper presents several examples which show how multi-instrument observations can provide a better description of the vertical dynamics structure of the middle atmosphere, especially during large disturbances such as gravity waves activity and stratospheric warming events. The paper then demonstrates the interest of ARISE data in data assimilation for weather forecasting and re-analyzes the determination of dynamics evolution with climate change and the monitoring of atmospheric extreme events which have an atmospheric signature, such as thunderstorms or volcanic eruptions.

Australian asylum policies: have they violated the right to health of asylum seekers?

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Vanessa

2009-02-01

Notwithstanding recent migration policy amendments, there is concern that Australian asylum policies have disproportionately burdened the health and wellbeing of onshore asylum seekers. There may be a case to be made that Australian governments have been in violation of the right to health of this population. The objective of this paper is to critically examine these issues and assess the implications for public health practice. The author undertook a review of the recent empirical literature on the health effects of post-migration stressors arising from Australian policies of immigration detention, temporary protection and the restriction of Medicare to some asylum seekers. This evidence was examined within the context of Australia's international law obligations. Findings reveal that Australian asylum policies of detention, temporary protection and the exclusion of some asylum seekers from Medicare rights have been associated with adverse mental health outcomes for this population. This is attributable to the impact of these policies on accessing health care and the underlying determinants of health for asylum seekers. It is arguable that Australian Governments have been discriminating against asylum seekers by withholding access on the grounds of their migration status, to health care and to the core determinants of health in this context. In so doing, Australia may have been in violation of its obligation to respect the right to health of this population. While the 'right to health' framework has much to offer public health, it is an undervalued and poorly understood discipline. The author argues for more education, research and advocacy around the intersection between heath and human rights.

Conjunctival amelanotic malignant melanoma arising in primary acquired melanosis sine pigmento.

Science.gov (United States)

Jay, V; Font, R L

1998-01-01

The authors describe an amelanotic malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva in association with primary acquired melanosis (PAM) sine pigmento, and highlight the clinical and pathologic features of this rare entity. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical studies were performed on a conjunctival tumor in a 54-year-old white woman. Case report. Histopathologic examination revealed an invasive amelanotic melanoma of the conjunctiva, with anterior orbital extension arising from intraepithelial dysplastic melanocytes that lacked melanin pigment (PAM sine pigmento). Both the malignant melanoma cells and the intraepithelial dysplastic melanocytes in the areas of PAM exhibited S-100 and HMB-45 positivity. The patient underwent an orbital exenteration that disclosed tumor within the anterior orbit inferiorly. Amelanotic invasive malignant melanoma can arise in association with PAM sine pigmento, as seen in our patient who had orbital invasion necessitating exenteration. This aggressive form of conjunctival melanoma is often associated with a poor prognosis and risk of metastatic disease. Absence of conjunctival pigmentation in PAM sine pigmento prevents early clinical detection of this variant of PAM. This lack of pigmentation also makes clinical diagnosis virtually impossible, and diagnosis can only be established histopathologically. Awareness of this nonpigmented variety of PAM is crucial for early recognition and appropriate management of the associated melanoma.

Trends for minimization of radioactive waste arising from spent nuclear fuel reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polyakov, A.S.; Koltunov, V.S.; Marchenko, V.I.; Ilozhev, A.P.; Mukhin, I.V.

2000-01-01

Research and development of technologies for radioactive waste (RAW) minimization arising from spent nuclear fuel reprocessing are discussed. Novel reductants of Pu and Np ions, reagents of purification recycled extractant, possibility of the electrochemical methods are studied. The partitioning of high activity level waste are considered. Examples of microbiological methods decomposition of radioactive waste presented. (authors)

Chemodectomas arising in temporal bone structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickens, W.J.; Million, R.R.; Cassisi, N.J.; Singleton, G.T.

1982-01-01

Eighteen patients with chemodectomas arising in temporal bone structures were evaluated and treated at the University of Florida. Seventeen patients have each been followed a minimum of 3 years. Patients were retrospectively staged as having ''local'' or ''advanced'' disease, depending on the presence or absence of bone destruction and/or cranial nerve involvement. Fourteen of the patients received radiation therapy as all or part of their therapy; 6 patients were treated with radiation therapy alone, 3 patients were irradiated immediately postoperatively for residual disease, and 5 patients had radiation therapy for recurrence after operation. They were treated with cobalt-60 radiation with doses ranging from 3760 to 5640 rad. All irradiated patients demonstrated evidence of tumor regression, and none have had tumor recurrence with followup of 3-12 years. Of the 8 patients with cranial nerve paralysis prior to therapy, 5 had return of function of 1 or more cranial nerves. One of 6 patients treated initially with radiation therapy had a complication, while 6 of 8 patients irradiated postoperatively had complications. None of the complications were fatal. Three patients treated by operation for early disease limited to the hypotympanum had the disease controlled for 11-12 years. Guidelines for the selection of initial therapy are discussed

75 FR 23223 - Meetings of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade and the Agricultural Technical...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-03

...Notice is hereby given that the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC) and the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees for Trade (ATACs) will hold closed meetings on May 6, 2010. The advisory committees are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The meetings are closed to the public in accordance with the Trade Act of 1974, 19 U.S.C. 2155(f)(2), and the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4)(6). USTR has determined that public access to the meetings would seriously compromise the development by the U.S. government of trade policy priorities, negotiating objectives, or bargaining positions with respect to the operation of trade agreements and other matters arising in connection with the development, implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United States. Topics will include Doha Round negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO), WTO accession negotiations, and negotiations in bilateral and regional free trade agreements.

La politica monetaria in Italia dal 1947 al 1978 (Monetary policy in Italy from 1947 to 1978

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. FAZIO

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Since the Second World War, monetary policy in Italy has taken on a fundamental role in the control of the production cycle, the balance daily payments and prices. The present study analyzes the reasons for and effects of monetary policy over the last decade, when destabilizing impulses, both internal and external, became more frequent and intense and as a result required numerous interventions. The author also considers  the stabilization policies of 1947-48 as well as those of the sixties, the control of interest rates and the evolution of monetary aggregates during the periods of development of the fifties and sixties, highlighting the similarities and differences in the instruments and performance with respect to the actions taken in the most recent period. The description is implemented in chronological order, situating the analysis of monetary policy actions in the context of economic developments, and in relation to other economic policy measures.JEL: E52, E43 

Digital holographic reconstruction detection of localized corrosion arising from scratches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIANG WANG

2010-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, electrochemical methods and the digital holographic reconstruction technique were combined to detect the localized scratch-induced corrosion process of Alloy 690 in 0.50 mol dm-3 H2SO4 containing 0.10 mol dm-3 NaCl. The numerical reconstruction method has been proved to be an effective technique to detect changes of solution concentration. One can obtain direct information from the reconstructed images and capture subtle more revealing changes. It provides a method to detect localized corrosion arising from scratches.

Lifelong learning for musicians: critical issues arising from a case study of Connect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Renshaw, Peter

2005-01-01

This article intends to focus on those critical issues arising from the Connect case study (Renshaw, 2005) that have wider applicability in contemporary professional practice in terms of lifelong learning. Special attention will be given to the following areas: • formal, non-formal and informal

Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma of the mandible arising de novo.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamim, Thorakkal

2009-07-01

Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma is an odontogenic tumour with aggressive behaviour usually noticed in 6th to 7th decades of life. The tumour is characterized by progressive swelling of the jaw, pain and loosening of teeth. Microscopically, the lesion is showing foci of keratinising cells separated by collagenous connective tissue stroma. A case of primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma of mandible arising de novo in a 40-year-old man is reported.

Making an impact: The influence of policies to reduce emissions from aviation on the business travel patterns of individual corporations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davies, Zoe G., E-mail: z.g.davies@kent.ac.uk; Armsworth, Paul R.

2010-12-15

The contribution of aviation to global carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emissions is projected to triple by 2050. As nations strive to meet CO{sub 2} reduction targets, policy interventions to manage the growth of emissions arising from air travel are likely. Here, we investigate the potential influence of aviation emissions reduction policies on the business travel patterns of individual corporations. Using travel data from six UK-based companies, we find that increased ticket prices can deliver substantial emissions cuts, particularly on premium class flights, and may provide strong financial incentives to seek modal and/or technological alternatives to flying. We also find that corporations from different business sectors vary in their responsiveness to a range of policy options. Finally, we examine questionnaire data to determine whether companies more broadly are going beyond compliance to mitigate their environmental impact by managing travel-related emissions voluntarily. Although many corporations are measuring and reporting emissions, only a limited number are willing to implement in-house reduction policies prior to regulation. - Research highlights: {yields}Ticket price rises can deliver substantial emissions cuts, particularly on premium class flights. {yields} Corporations from different business sectors vary in their responsiveness to policy options. {yields} Many companies measure emissions but few will apply in-house reduction policies before regulation.

Making an impact: The influence of policies to reduce emissions from aviation on the business travel patterns of individual corporations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, Zoe G.; Armsworth, Paul R.

2010-01-01

The contribution of aviation to global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions is projected to triple by 2050. As nations strive to meet CO 2 reduction targets, policy interventions to manage the growth of emissions arising from air travel are likely. Here, we investigate the potential influence of aviation emissions reduction policies on the business travel patterns of individual corporations. Using travel data from six UK-based companies, we find that increased ticket prices can deliver substantial emissions cuts, particularly on premium class flights, and may provide strong financial incentives to seek modal and/or technological alternatives to flying. We also find that corporations from different business sectors vary in their responsiveness to a range of policy options. Finally, we examine questionnaire data to determine whether companies more broadly are going beyond compliance to mitigate their environmental impact by managing travel-related emissions voluntarily. Although many corporations are measuring and reporting emissions, only a limited number are willing to implement in-house reduction policies prior to regulation. - Research highlights: →Ticket price rises can deliver substantial emissions cuts, particularly on premium class flights. → Corporations from different business sectors vary in their responsiveness to policy options. → Many companies measure emissions but few will apply in-house reduction policies before regulation.

Management of science policy, sociology of science policy and economics of science policy

CERN Document Server

Ruivo, Beatriz

2017-01-01

'Management of science policy, sociology of science policy and economics of science policy' is a theoretical essay on the scientific foundation of science policy (formulation, implementation, instruments and procedures). It can be also used as a textbook.

Multiple giant coronary aneurysms arising from coronary istula to the pulmonary artery revealed in aorta CT angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Eun Ju; Lee, Ki Nam [Dept. of Radiology, Dong A University Hospital, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jong Min [Dept. of Radiology, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

Coronary fistula is a rare coronary abnormality through which blood drains into the cardiac chamber, great vessel or other vessels. In addition, giant aneurysm arising from coronary fistula is rare pathologic manifestation. Herein, we presented a rare case of multiple giant coronary artery aneurysms arising from coronary to pulmonary artery fistula in a 79-year-old woman presenting with sudden loss of consciousness. The aneurysms were detected using thoracic computed tomography angiography and consequently confirmed by invasive coronary angiography.

Barriers to clinical adoption of next generation sequencing: Perspectives of a policy Delphi panel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donna A. Messner

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This research aims to inform policymakers by engaging expert stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and deliberate the most important and tractable policy barriers to the clinical adoption of next generation sequencing (NGS. A 4-round Delphi policy study was done with a multi-stakeholder panel of 48 experts. The first 2 rounds of online questionnaires (reported here assessed the importance and tractability of 28 potential barriers to clinical adoption of NGS across 3 major policy domains: intellectual property, coverage and reimbursement, and FDA regulation. We found that: 1 proprietary variant databases are seen as a key challenge, and a potentially intractable one; 2 payer policies were seen as a frequent barrier, especially a perceived inconsistency in standards for coverage; 3 relative to other challenges considered, FDA regulation was not strongly perceived as a barrier to clinical use of NGS. Overall the results indicate a perceived need for policies to promote data-sharing, and a desire for consistent payer coverage policies that maintain reasonably high standards of evidence for clinical utility, limit testing to that needed for clinical care decisions, and yet also flexibly allow for clinician discretion to use genomic testing in uncertain circumstances of high medical need.

What transitional justice in Zimbabwe? Women of Zimbabwe Arise ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Originally from Canada, she married a Zimbabwean nationalist in exile in Zambia and ... been frequently subject to abuse by the police, including being beaten, arrested, incarcerated ... 'peace' and 'reconciliation' in the new Zimbabwe. ... the banking system, agricultural production, industry and mining, and even retailing, in ...

Social capital and frequent attenders in general practice: a register-based cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasgaard, Alexander A; Mæhlisen, Maiken H; Overgaard, Charlotte; Ejlskov, Linda; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Bøggild, Henrik

2018-03-02

Frequent attendance to primary care constitutes a large use of resources for the health care system. The association between frequent attendance and illness-related factors has been examined in several studies, but little is known about the association between frequent attendance and individual social capital. The aim of this study is to explore this association. The analysis is conducted on responders to the North Denmark Region Health Profile 2010 (n = 23,384), individually linked with information from administrative registers. Social capital is operationalized at the individual level, and includes cognitive (interpersonal trust and norms of reciprocity) as well as structural (social network and civic engagement) dimensions. Frequent attendance is defined as the upper-quartile of the total number of measured consultations with a general practitioner over a period of 148 weeks. Using multiple logistic regression, we found that frequent attendance was associated with a lower score in interpersonal trust [OR 0.86 (0.79-0.94)] and social network [OR 0.88 (0.79-0.98)] for women, when adjusted for age, education, income and SF12 health scores. Norms of reciprocity and civic engagement were not significantly associated with frequent attendance for women [OR 1.05 (0.99-1.11) and OR 1.01 (0.92-1.11) respectively]. None of the associations were statistically significant for men. This study suggests that for women, some aspects of social capital are associated with frequent attendance in general practice, and the statistically significant dimensions belonged to both cognitive and structural aspects of social capital. This association was not seen for men. This indicates a multifaceted and heterogeneous relationship between social capital and frequent attendance among genders.

Barriers and facilitators to reducing frequent laboratory testing for patients who are stable on warfarin: a mixed methods study of de-implementation in five anticoagulation clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Geoffrey D; Misirliyan, Sevan; Kaatz, Scott; Jackson, Elizabeth A; Haymart, Brian; Kline-Rogers, Eva; Kozlowski, Jay; Krol, Gregory; Froehlich, James B; Sales, Anne

2017-07-14

frequent INR testing to 56% (46-66%) of eligible patients. Most survey responders (n = 24; 60%) agreed that an eligibility flag in the electronic medical record would be very helpful. Twenty-four (60%) respondents agreed that periodic, personalized feedback on use of less frequent INR testing would also be helpful. Leveraging information system notifications, reducing additional work load burden for participating patients and providers, and providing personalized feedback are strategies that may improve adoption and utilization new policies in anticoagulation clinics that focus on de-implementation.

A methodology for evaluating environmental impacts of railway freight transportation policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, Ignacio; Rodriguez, Javier; Buron, Jose Manuel; Garcia, Alberto

2009-01-01

Railway freight transportation presents a degree of complexity which frequently makes impossible to model it with sufficient precision. Currently, energetic and environmental impacts of freight transportation are usually modelled following average data, which do not reflect the characteristics of specific lines. These models allow qualitative approximations which may be used as criteria for designing high-level transportation policies: road-train modal shift, regional energetic planning or environmental policies. This paper proposes a methodology for estimating railway consumption associated to a specific railway line which yields a new degree of precision. It is based on estimating different contributions to railway consumption by a collection of factors, mobility, operation, or infrastructure-related. This procedure also allows applying the methodology for designing transportation policies in detail: evaluating impact of modal shift, consumption and pollutant emissions on a specific line, as well as the effect of building tunnels, reducing slopes, improving traffic control, etc. A comparison of the estimations given by the conventional approach and the proposed methodology is offered, as well as further comments on the results.

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act frequently asked questions

Science.gov (United States)

One stop shop for Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) questions. This frequently asked document will assist with Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) related questions.

Frequent epigenetic inactivation of Wnt antagonist genes in breast cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, H; Toyota, M; Caraway, H; Gabrielson, E; Ohmura, T; Fujikane, T; Nishikawa, N; Sogabe, Y; Nojima, M; Sonoda, T; Mori, M; Hirata, K; Imai, K; Shinomura, Y; Baylin, S B; Tokino, T

2008-01-01

Although mutation of APC or CTNNB1 (β-catenin) is rare in breast cancer, activation of Wnt signalling is nonetheless thought to play an important role in breast tumorigenesis, and epigenetic silencing of Wnt antagonist genes, including the secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP) and Dickkopf (DKK) families, has been observed in various tumours. In breast cancer, frequent methylation and silencing of SFRP1 was recently documented; however, altered expression of other Wnt antagonist genes is largely unknown. In the present study, we found frequent methylation of SFRP family genes in breast cancer cell lines (SFRP1, 7 out of 11, 64%; SFRP2, 11 out of 11, 100%; SFRP5, 10 out of 11, 91%) and primary breast tumours (SFRP1, 31 out of 78, 40%; SFRP2, 60 out of 78, 77%; SFRP5, 55 out of 78, 71%). We also observed methylation of DKK1, although less frequently, in cell lines (3 out of 11, 27%) and primary tumours (15 out of 78, 19%). Breast cancer cell lines express various Wnt ligands, and overexpression of SFRPs inhibited cancer cell growth. In addition, overexpression of a β-catenin mutant and depletion of SFRP1 using small interfering RNA synergistically upregulated transcriptional activity of T-cell factor/lymphocyte enhancer factor. Our results confirm the frequent methylation and silencing of Wnt antagonist genes in breast cancer, and suggest that their loss of function contributes to activation of Wnt signalling in breast carcinogenesis. PMID:18283316

Making an impact. The influence of policies to reduce emissions from aviation on the business travel patterns of individual corporations