Effectiveness of a grant program's efforts to promote synergy within its funded initiatives: perceptions of participants of the Southern Rural Access Program

Science.gov (United States)

Pathman, Donald E; Chuang, Emmeline; Weiner, Bryan J

2008-01-01

Background Foundations and public agencies commonly fund focused initiatives for individual grantees. These discrete, stand-alone initiatives can risk failure by being carried out in isolation. Fostering synergy among grantees' initiatives is one strategy proposed for promoting the success and impact of grant programs. We evaluate an explicit strategy to build synergy within the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Southern Rural Access Program (SRAP), which awarded grants to collaboratives within eight southeastern U.S. states to strengthen basic health care services in targeted rural counties. Methods We interviewed 39 key participants of the SRAP, including the program director within each state and the principal subcontractors heading the program's funded initiatives that supported heath professionals' recruitment, retention and training, made loans to health care providers, and built networks among providers. Interews were recorded and transcribed. Two investigators independently coded the transcripts and a third investigator distilled the main points. Results Participants generally perceived that the SRAP yielded more synergies than other grant programs in which they had participated and that these synergies added to the program's impact. The synergies most often noted were achieved through relationship building among grantees and with outside agencies, sharing information and know-how, sharing resources, combining efforts to yield greater capacity, joining voices to advocate for common goals, and spotting gaps in services offered and then filling these gaps. The SRAP's strategies that participants felt fostered synergy included targeting funding to culturally and geographically similar states, supporting complementary types of initiatives, promoting opportunities to network through semi-annual meetings and regular conference calls, and the advocacy efforts of the program's leadership. Participants noted that synergies were sometimes hindered by turf issues and

Effectiveness of a grant program's efforts to promote synergy within its funded initiatives: perceptions of participants of the Southern Rural Access Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiner Bryan J

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Foundations and public agencies commonly fund focused initiatives for individual grantees. These discrete, stand-alone initiatives can risk failure by being carried out in isolation. Fostering synergy among grantees' initiatives is one strategy proposed for promoting the success and impact of grant programs. We evaluate an explicit strategy to build synergy within the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Southern Rural Access Program (SRAP, which awarded grants to collaboratives within eight southeastern U.S. states to strengthen basic health care services in targeted rural counties. Methods We interviewed 39 key participants of the SRAP, including the program director within each state and the principal subcontractors heading the program's funded initiatives that supported heath professionals' recruitment, retention and training, made loans to health care providers, and built networks among providers. Interews were recorded and transcribed. Two investigators independently coded the transcripts and a third investigator distilled the main points. Results Participants generally perceived that the SRAP yielded more synergies than other grant programs in which they had participated and that these synergies added to the program's impact. The synergies most often noted were achieved through relationship building among grantees and with outside agencies, sharing information and know-how, sharing resources, combining efforts to yield greater capacity, joining voices to advocate for common goals, and spotting gaps in services offered and then filling these gaps. The SRAP's strategies that participants felt fostered synergy included targeting funding to culturally and geographically similar states, supporting complementary types of initiatives, promoting opportunities to network through semi-annual meetings and regular conference calls, and the advocacy efforts of the program's leadership. Participants noted that synergies were sometimes

76 FR 59113 - Extension of the Due Date for Submitting Information on How to Structure Proposed New Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-23

... manufacturing research needs, and issue sub-awards to fund research by universities, government laboratories, and U.S. businesses. This initiative would support research and development (R&D) in advanced...-02] Extension of the Due Date for Submitting Information on How to Structure Proposed New Program...

76 FR 61103 - Medicare Program; Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-03

...] Medicare Program; Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services... organizations to participate in the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative (CPC), a multipayer model designed to... the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative or the application process. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I...

Physics issues of a proposed program, SPIRIT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Hantao; Yamada, Masaaki

2000-01-01

Physics issues of the proposed program, SPIRIT (Self-organized Plasma with Induction, Reconnection, and Induction Techniques) are discussed. The main purpose of this program is to explore the physics of global stability and sustainment of compact toroids, including FRC (field reversed configuration) as well as low-aspect-ratio RFP (reversed field pinch), spheromak and spherical torus. (author)

The advanced thermionics initiative...program update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamp, T.R.; Donovan, B.D.

1993-01-01

The United States Air Force has had a long standing interest in thermionic space power dating back to the early 1960s when a heat pipe cooled thermionic converter was demonstrated through work at the predecessor to Wright Laboratory (WL). With the exception of the short hiatus in the mid-70s, Air Force thermionics work at Wright Laboratory has continued to the present time with thermionic technology programs including the burst power thermionic phase change concepts, heat pipe cooled planar diodes, and advanced in-core concept developments such as composite materials, insulators and oxygenation. The Advanced Thermionics Initiative (ATI) program was organized to integrate thermionic technology advances into a converter suitable for in-core reactor applications in the 10 to 40 kWe power range. As an advanced thermionics technology program, the charter and philosophy of the ATI program is to provide the needed advanced converter concepts in support of national thermionic space power programs

Online support and education for dementia caregivers: overview, utilization, and initial program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Glueckauf, Robert L; Ketterson, Timothy U; Loomis, Jeffrey S; Dages, Pat

2004-01-01

Family caregivers of older adults with progressive dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) are confronted with a variety of challenges in providing assistance to their loved ones, such as dealing with persistent, repetitive questions, managing episodes of agitation and aggressive responding, as well as monitoring hygiene and self-care activities. Although professional and governmental organizations have called for the creation of community-based education and support programs, a significant proportion of dementia caregivers in the United States continue to receive little or no formal instruction in responding effectively to these anxiety-provoking situations. This paper describes the development and implementation of Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Online (also known as AlzOnline), an Internet- and telephone-based education and support network for caregivers of individuals with progressive dementia. An outcome analysis of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded strategic marketing initiative to promote the use of AlzOnline is reviewed, followed by a presentation of the findings of an initial program evaluation. Finally, future directions for online caregiver evaluation research are proposed.

A Performance Management Initiative for Local Health Department Vector Control Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerding, Justin; Kirshy, Micaela; Moran, John W; Bialek, Ron; Lamers, Vanessa; Sarisky, John

2016-01-01

Local health department (LHD) vector control programs have experienced reductions in funding and capacity. Acknowledging this situation and its potential effect on the ability to respond to vector-borne diseases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Foundation partnered on a performance management initiative for LHD vector control programs. The initiative involved 14 programs that conducted a performance assessment using the Environmental Public Health Performance Standards. The programs, assisted by quality improvement (QI) experts, used the assessment results to prioritize improvement areas that were addressed with QI projects intended to increase effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of services such as responding to mosquito complaints and educating the public about vector-borne disease prevention. This article describes the initiative as a process LHD vector control programs may adapt to meet their performance management needs. This study also reviews aggregate performance assessment results and QI projects, which may reveal common aspects of LHD vector control program performance and priority improvement areas. LHD vector control programs interested in performance assessment and improvement may benefit from engaging in an approach similar to this performance management initiative.

Nuclear regulations: current status and proposed initiatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domondon, D.B.; Valdezco, E.M.; Mateo, A.J.; Parami, V.K.

1996-01-01

The science Act of 1958 created the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission, presently known as the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The PNRI is tasked with the dual role of promotion and control of the peaceful applications of atomic energy. To carry its mandate of regulation and control on the use of raioisotopes in various fields, the PNRI had promulgated and issued specific regulations known as the Code of PNRI regulations. This paper summarizes the activities undertaken by PNRI in the continuing process of review and subsequent revisions of the Code of PNRI regulations and related guidance documents. It highlights proposed modifications in the present regulations in an attempt to adopt the new international basic safety standards, the practical problems and related issues attendant to the implementation of these new standards, among others. In line with the overall objective of PNRI to ensure the safe application of nuclear energy and radiation technology in various fields, the institute conducted a series of regulatory information conferences to provide an opportunity for members of the regulatory staff of the PNRI and licenses to discuss safety initiatives and regulatory issues. This paper will also provide an in-depth assessment of the lessons learned from these conferences which were conducted by sector or by specific applications for a more focused approach, e.g. radiopharmaceuticals, industrial radiography, research, among others. Licensees' feedback on the PNRI regulatory process are presented as part of the overall objective of enhancing the operational experiences of the licensing, review and evaluation group as well as that of inspection, enforcement and compliance. Several proposed initiatives for consideration of the PNRI to further strengthen its regulatory functions are also briefly outlined. (author)

76 FR 39115 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Transformation Initiative Family Self-Sufficiency...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-05

... Information Collection: Transformation Initiative Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Small Grants AGENCY... information: Title of Proposal: Notice of Funding Availability for the Transformation Initiative Family Self..., think tanks, consortia, Institutions of higher education accredited by a national or regional...

76 FR 2405 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Brownfield Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-13

... Information Collection: Brownfield Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) AGENCY: Office of the Assistant... proposed use: The Brownfield Economic Development Initiative is authorized pursuant to Section 108(q... applicable: HUD 40123, Brownfields Economic Development Application; SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying...

75 FR 28622 - FDA Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment Regarding Disclosure Policies of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-21

...] FDA Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment Regarding Disclosure Policies of the U...: Notice of availability; request for comments. SUMMARY: As part of the second phase of the Transparency... Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment Regarding Disclosure Policies of the U.S. Food and...

Likely social impacts of proposed national-level policy initiatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piernot, C.A.; Rothweiler, M.A.; Levine, A.; Crews, R.

1981-03-01

The results are described of an investigation of likely social effects of enacting nine proposed national-level policy initiatives to accelerate development and use of solar energy. This study is part of the Technology Assessment of Solar Energy Systems (TASE) project supported by the US Department of Energy. The report presents general social impact information about the variety of ways in which the American people could be affected by enactment of these initiatives. It identifies the effects of each initiative on individuals, groups, organizations, communities, and society as a whole. In addition, it provides a framework for organizing a myriad of impact information into a set of conceptually exclusive impact categories. It illustrates that social impacts means effects on people as individuals, groups, organizations, and communities as well as on the infrastructure of society. Finally, it demonstrates the importance of specifying an audience of impact with a case example from the residential rental market.

Combat Wound Initiative program.

Science.gov (United States)

Stojadinovic, Alexander; Elster, Eric; Potter, Benjamin K; Davis, Thomas A; Tadaki, Doug K; Brown, Trevor S; Ahlers, Stephen; Attinger, Christopher E; Andersen, Romney C; Burris, David; Centeno, Jose; Champion, Hunter; Crumbley, David R; Denobile, John; Duga, Michael; Dunne, James R; Eberhardt, John; Ennis, William J; Forsberg, Jonathan A; Hawksworth, Jason; Helling, Thomas S; Lazarus, Gerald S; Milner, Stephen M; Mullick, Florabel G; Owner, Christopher R; Pasquina, Paul F; Patel, Chirag R; Peoples, George E; Nissan, Aviram; Ring, Michael; Sandberg, Glenn D; Schaden, Wolfgang; Schultz, Gregory S; Scofield, Tom; Shawen, Scott B; Sheppard, Forest R; Stannard, James P; Weina, Peter J; Zenilman, Jonathan M

2010-07-01

The Combat Wound Initiative (CWI) program is a collaborative, multidisciplinary, and interservice public-private partnership that provides personalized, state-of-the-art, and complex wound care via targeted clinical and translational research. The CWI uses a bench-to-bedside approach to translational research, including the rapid development of a human extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) study in complex wounds after establishing the potential efficacy, biologic mechanisms, and safety of this treatment modality in a murine model. Additional clinical trials include the prospective use of clinical data, serum and wound biomarkers, and wound gene expression profiles to predict wound healing/failure and additional clinical patient outcomes following combat-related trauma. These clinical research data are analyzed using machine-based learning algorithms to develop predictive treatment models to guide clinical decision-making. Future CWI directions include additional clinical trials and study centers and the refinement and deployment of our genetically driven, personalized medicine initiative to provide patient-specific care across multiple medical disciplines, with an emphasis on combat casualty care.

Heavy-Section Steel Technology Program: Recent developments in crack initiation and arrest research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pennell, W.E.

1991-01-01

Technology for the analysis of crack initiation and arrest is central to the reactor pressure vessel fracture-margin-assessment process. Regulatory procedures for nuclear plants utilize this technology to assure the retention of adequate fracture-prevention margins throughout the plant operating license period. As nuclear plants age and regulatory procedures dictate that fracture-margin assessments be performed, interest in the fracture-mechanics technology incorporated into those procedures has heightened. This has led to proposals from a number of sources for development and refinement of the underlying crack-initiation and arrest-analysis technology. This paper presents an overview of ongoing Heavy-Section Steel Technology (HSST) Program research aimed at refining the fracture toughness data used in the analysis of fracture margins under pressurized-thermal-shock loading conditions. 33 refs., 13 figs

76 FR 39117 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Transformation Initiative Rent Reform Demonstration...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-05

... Information Collection: Transformation Initiative Rent Reform Demonstration Small Grants AGENCY: Office of... information: Title of Proposal: Notice of Funding Availability for the Transformation Initiative Rent Reform...-96011. Members of the affected public: Institutions of higher education accredited by a national or...

Programmed initiation of hemodialysis for systemic amyloidosis patients associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroda, Takeshi; Tanabe, Naohito; Kobayashi, Daisuke; Sato, Hiroe; Wada, Yoko; Murakami, Shuichi; Sakatsume, Minoru; Nakano, Masaaki; Narita, Ichiei

2011-09-01

Reactive amyloidosis is a serious systemic disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Amyloid protein can be deposited in kidneys, heart or gastrointestinal tract leading to organ failure. Renal involvement is a well-known complication in amyloidosis as this may culminate in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Hemodialysis (HD) is always considered the treatment of choice for such patients; however, the prognosis is usually poor due to a large number of sudden deaths immediately following HD therapy. To circumvent the problem of HD initiation while instituting HD safety, we devised a plan to start HD and compare patient's survival with our previous data. Sixty-three patients were treated with HD. They were categorized according to the initiation of first dialysis. All patients were divided into planned, unplanned and programmed initiation groups. First dialysis that had been initiated as not urgent was considered 'planned' (20 patients). First dialysis that had been performed urgently for life-threatening renal insufficiency was considered 'unplanned' (31 patients). First dialysis that had been initiated as not urgent and according to our dialysis program was considered 'programmed' (12 patients). Survival of these 63 patients from the initiation of HD at 38 days was 75%, at 321 days was 50% and at 1,784 days was 25%. Patients with unplanned initiation of HD showed a significant poor survival compared with those of both planned and programmed initiation. Additionally, patients with planned and programmed initiation of HD showed no significant difference for the patients' survival. Our study demonstrates that patients with amyloidosis have a higher mortality rate. Nevertheless, programmed initiation of HD will improve the prognosis of patients with ESRD. Such possibility needs to be considered in more detail in the future.

New initiatives in the U.S. Reactor Inspection Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volgenau, Ernst.

1977-01-01

Recently, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has initiated a revised inspection approach that will involve placing inspectors full time onsite at all reactor sites. These resident inspectors will be supplemented by a performance appraisal inspection program that will incorporate thorough critical reviews of licensee facilities and an increased program of specific technical measurements to independently verify the accuracy and completeness of licensee work. To complement the inspection initiatives, the NRC is examining ways to expand its enforcement sanctions and to motivate safe licensee performance. (Auth.) [fr

Special initiatives FY 1996 multi-year program plan (MYPP) WBS 5.0. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howald, S.C.

1995-09-01

The Special Initiatives mission supports programmatic requests for service to DOE offices, other organizations and agencies. These requests can include the following: Supporting priority DOE initiatives, researching special programs, studying locating new activities ar the Hanford Site, producing specialty materials, providing consulting support to other sites, and managing a broad spectrum of US and international test programs. The Special Initiatives Program discussed in this plan consists of the following elements: space power programs, advanced programs, special programs, and program strategy

Initial developments in the Stanford SQUIRT program

Science.gov (United States)

Kitts, Christopher A.; Twiggs, Robert J.

1995-01-01

Stanford University's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics has commenced full scale development of a new microsatellite initiative. Known as the satellite quick research testbed (SQUIRT) program, the project's goal is to produce student engineered satellites capable of servicing state-of-the-art research payloads on a yearly basis. This program is specifically designed to meet the education and research goals of the department's Satellite Systems Development Laboratory. SQUIRT vehicles are envisioned to consist of a 25 pound, 9 inch tall, 16 inch diameter hexagonal structure with complete processor, communications, power, thermal, and attitude subsystems. These spacecraft cater to low power, volume, and mass research experiments and student developed educational packages. Mission lifetimes of up to one year are considered. Through student participation, voluntary mentoring from the academic and industrial communities, and the extensive use of off-the-shelf components, the cash outlay target for SQUIRT class vehicles is $50,000. This paper discusses the educational and research issues surrounding the development of Stanford's spacecraft design curriculum and the formulation of the SQUIRT program. A technical review of the first SQUIRT satellite, named SAPPHIRE, and an outline of the conceptual plans for other missions is also presented. Additionally, initiatives concerning partner academic institutions and public domain design information are featured.

Proposed tokamak poloidal field system development program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogers, J.D.; Vogel, H.F.; Warren, R.W.; Weldon, D.M.

1977-05-01

A program is proposed to develop poloidal field components for TNS and EPR size tokamak devices and to test these components in realistic circuits. Emphasis is placed upon the development of the most difficult component, the superconducting ohmic-heating coil. Switches must also be developed for testing the coils, and this switching technology is to be extended to meet the requirements for the large scale tokamaks. Test facilities are discussed; power supplies, including a homopolar to drive the coils, are considered; and poloidal field systems studies are proposed.

77 FR 63537 - Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program: Proposed Amendments and Confidentiality Determinations for...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-16

... Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program: Proposed Amendments and Confidentiality Determinations for Subpart I...-AR61 Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program: Proposed Amendments and Confidentiality Determinations for... Manufacturing, of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule. Proposed changes include revising certain calculation...

Exploring Proposals for Resolving the Initial Conditions and Multiverse Problems in Inflation

Science.gov (United States)

Panithanpaisal, Nondh; Steinhardt, Paul

2018-01-01

The theory of cosmic inflation with the plateau-like potentials for the scalar field is very successful in predicting standard cosmological parameters. However, if the quantum effects are included, the theory inherently contains serious problems, namely, the multiverse problem and the initial conditions problem. It has been suggested in Mukhanov 2015 and Deen et al. 2016 to add a potential wall to the potential, so that the field never reaches the self-reproduction point. We examine these two proposals by varying the positions of the potential wall as well as varying the initial ratios of kinetic energy, potential energy and curvature. We demonstrate that both proposals are fine-tuned, at best, as they suffer from the drift in the predictions of the spectral tilt (ns) and the tensor-to-scalar ratio (r).

Proposal on application of Russian technical facilities for International Mars Research Program for 2009 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Polishchuk, Georgy; Pichkhadze, Konstantin; Vorontsov, Victor; Pavel, Kazmerchuk

2006-07-01

Recently International Mars Research Program is widely discussed. Well-known initiative of President of the USA, recent progress of American and European scientists and engineers in implementation of “Mars Odyssey” and “Mars-Express” projects and Russian proposals on cooperation and participation in “Phobos Sample Return” mission declare every intention to join efforts in the ambitious Martian Program realization. The final goal of the program for nearly 15 20 years is landing of a man on the Martian surface. Before this event happens another critical stage will be Martian soil sample return. Within the next 10 years, apparently, a major task will be scale research by means of various types of technical facilities. A crucial issue for this research will be creation of research station network which would allow collecting information about planetary conditions at far-remote points. By this time within the frame of “Phobos Sample Return Program” to be launched in 2009 it is planned to deliver some meteorological mini-landers developed by the Russian and Finnish specialists on the Martian surface. From this point view it is also interesting to use balloons capable to cover considerable distance. Such proposals have been made by Russian side for “Scout” mission. European “Aurora” program also anticipates application of wide range of technical means to explore the Martian atmosphere and surface including inflatable devices. Thus, for the International Mars Exploration Program, it seems to be very prospective to use apart from launch vehicles, upper stages etc. such technical means as mini-stations, Mars rovers, penetrators, balloons, etc.

77 FR 36014 - Initial Test Program of Emergency Core Cooling Systems for Boiling-Water Reactors

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-15

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0134] Initial Test Program of Emergency Core Cooling... for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1277, ``Initial Test Program of Emergency Core..., entitled, ``Initial Test Program of Emergency Core Cooling Systems for Boiling-Water Reactors,'' is...

75 FR 71513 - Senior Community Service Employment Program; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Additional Indicator...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-23

... additional performance indicator for volunteer work. The Proposed Rule adds a new additional indicator to... Program; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Additional Indicator on Volunteer Work; Proposed Rule #0;#0... work in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). Specifically, this rule proposes to...

Independence: proposing an initial framework for occupational therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Bethan

2017-11-01

The concept of independence is common in occupational therapy theory and practice but has rarely been clearly defined or conceptualized within in occupational therapy literature and there seems to be no standard definition. This can result in ambiguity, which potentially jeopardizes client-centred practice. This paper proposes an occupational therapy independence framework (OTIF) that synthesizes the range of characterizations of independence in a practically useful and occupation-centred manner. A review of literature, clinical experience, doctoral research and conversations with occupational therapists and disabled people, in particular those involved in a disability activism group and people with physical disabilities, has led to the development of the OTIF. Independence and interdependence, as characterized in the OTIF, occur when an individual exerts choice over occupational performance and can engage in occupations in a manner acceptable to the individual. Interdependence results when occupations are performed with another person whereas independence involves solitary occupational performance. Dependence typically results from inability to choose occupations or a mismatch between performance capacity and environmental factors. The OTIF has the potential to clarify the conceptualization of independence within occupational therapy theory and practice. This initial proposal is presented to stimulate debate and discussion.

R&D Proposal for the National Muon Acccelerator Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2010-02-01

This document contains a description of a multi-year national R&D program aimed at completing a Design Feasibility Study (DFS) for a Muon Collider and, with international participation, a Reference Design Report (RDR) for a muon-based Neutrino Factory. It also includes the supporting component development and experimental efforts that will inform the design studies and permit an initial down-selection of candidate technologies for the ionization cooling and acceleration systems. We intend to carry out this plan with participants from the host national laboratory (Fermilab), those from collaborating U.S. national laboratories (ANL, BNL, Jlab, LBNL, and SNAL), and those from a number of other U.S. laboratories, universities, and SBIR companies. The R&D program that we propose will provide the HEP community with detailed information on future facilities based on intense beams of muons - the Muon Collider and the Neutrino Factory. We believe that these facilities offer the promise of extraordinary physics capabilities. The Muon Collider presents a powerful option to explore the energy frontier and the Neutrino Factory gives the opportunity to perform the most sensitive neutrino oscillation experiments possible, while also opening expanded avenues for the study of new physics in the neutrino sector. The synergy between the two facilities presents the opportunity for an extremely broad physics program and a unique pathway in accelerator facilities. Our work will give clear answers to the questions of expected capabilities and performance of these muon-based facilities, and will provide defensible ranges for their cost. This information, together with the physics insights gained from the next-generation neutrino and LHC experiments, will allow the HEP community to make well-informed decisions regarding the optimal choice of new facilities. We believe that this work is a critical part of any broad strategic program in accelerator R&D and, as the P5 panel has recently

R&D PROPOSAL FOR THE NATIONAL MUON ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muon Accelerator Program; Zisman, Michael S.; Geer, Stephen

2010-02-24

This document contains a description of a multi-year national R&D program aimed at completing a Design Feasibility Study (DFS) for a Muon Collider and, with international participation, a Reference Design Report (RDR) for a muon-based Neutrino Factory. It also includes the supporting component development and experimental efforts that will inform the design studies and permit an initial down-selection of candidate technologies for the ionization cooling and acceleration systems. We intend to carry out this plan with participants from the host national laboratory (Fermilab), those from collaborating U.S. national laboratories (ANL, BNL, Jlab, LBNL, and SNAL), and those from a number of other U.S. laboratories, universities, and SBIR companies. The R&D program that we propose will provide the HEP community with detailed information on future facilities based on intense beams of muons--the Muon Collider and the Neutrino Factory. We believe that these facilities offer the promise of extraordinary physics capabilities. The Muon Collider presents a powerful option to explore the energy frontier and the Neutrino Factory gives the opportunity to perform the most sensitive neutrino oscillation experiments possible, while also opening expanded avenues for the study of new physics in the neutrino sector. The synergy between the two facilities presents the opportunity for an extremely broad physics program and a unique pathway in accelerator facilities. Our work will give clear answers to the questions of expected capabilities and performance of these muon-based facilities, and will provide defensible ranges for their cost. This information, together with the physics insights gained from the next-generation neutrino and LHC experiments, will allow the HEP community to make well-informed decisions regarding the optimal choice of new facilities. We believe that this work is a critical part of any broad strategic program in accelerator R&D and, as the P5 panel has recently

The 3D Elevation Program initiative: a call for action

Science.gov (United States)

Sugarbaker, Larry J.; Constance, Eric W.; Heidemann, Hans Karl; Jason, Allyson L.; Lukas, Vicki; Saghy, David L.; Stoker, Jason M.

2014-01-01

The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative is accelerating the rate of three-dimensional (3D) elevation data collection in response to a call for action to address a wide range of urgent needs nationwide. It began in 2012 with the recommendation to collect (1) high-quality light detection and ranging (lidar) data for the conterminous United States (CONUS), Hawaii, and the U.S. territories and (2) interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska. Specifications were created for collecting 3D elevation data, and the data management and delivery systems are being modernized. The National Elevation Dataset (NED) will be completely refreshed with new elevation data products and services. The call for action requires broad support from a large partnership community committed to the achievement of national 3D elevation data coverage. The initiative is being led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and includes many partners—Federal agencies and State, Tribal, and local governments—who will work together to build on existing programs to complete the national collection of 3D elevation data in 8 years. Private sector firms, under contract to the Government, will continue to collect the data and provide essential technology solutions for the Government to manage and deliver these data and services. The 3DEP governance structure includes (1) an executive forum established in May 2013 to have oversight functions and (2) a multiagency coordinating committee based upon the committee structure already in place under the National Digital Elevation Program (NDEP). The 3DEP initiative is based on the results of the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA) that was funded by NDEP agencies and completed in 2011. The study, led by the USGS, identified more than 600 requirements for enhanced (3D) elevation data to address mission-critical information requirements of 34 Federal agencies, all 50 States, and a sample of private sector companies and Tribal and local

Proposed plan for a JAEA internationalization initiative (JII) (Contract research)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolton, Paul R; Kawanishi, Shunichi [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Photo-Medical Research Center, Kizugawa, Kyoto (Japan); Mizuki, Jun' ichiro [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Sayo, Hyogo (Japan)

2011-01-15

Concepts for a JAEA Internationalization Initiative, JII are presented. Following a general discussion of issues and recommendations for JII, a 'fast startup JII' is proposed in the form of fast start action items (FSAI). The FSAI represent a clear set of action items that can be implemented at the KPSI/PMRC site which would serve as a seed site for test and evaluation. A JAEA Internationalization Initiative that is guided by evaluation and tailored for JAEA as a whole can be established with appropriate oversight and tracking at each JAEA site by local JII teams. In addition to recommendations for the KPSI/PMRC seed site, the roles of the Quantum Beam Science Directorate (QuBS) leadership and the International Affairs Department (IAD) of JAEA are also discussed. Current KPSI/PMRC activities that are consistent with a JII are briefly presented. (author)

Proposed plan for a JAEA internationalization initiative (JII) (Contract research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolton, Paul R.; Kawanishi, Shunichi; Mizuki, Jun'ichiro

2011-01-01

Concepts for a JAEA Internationalization Initiative, JII are presented. Following a general discussion of issues and recommendations for JII, a 'fast startup JII' is proposed in the form of fast start action items (FSAI). The FSAI represent a clear set of action items that can be implemented at the KPSI/PMRC site which would serve as a seed site for test and evaluation. A JAEA Internationalization Initiative that is guided by evaluation and tailored for JAEA as a whole can be established with appropriate oversight and tracking at each JAEA site by local JII teams. In addition to recommendations for the KPSI/PMRC seed site, the roles of the Quantum Beam Science Directorate (QuBS) leadership and the International Affairs Department (IAD) of JAEA are also discussed. Current KPSI/PMRC activities that are consistent with a JII are briefly presented. (author)

77 FR 30305 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request Housing Counseling Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-22

... Information Collection; Comment Request Housing Counseling Program AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary... information: Title of Proposal: Housing Counseling Program. OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2502-0261. Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Nonprofit Housing Counseling organizations...

77 FR 5027 - Food and Drug Administration Transparency Initiative: Exploratory Program To Increase Access to...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-01

...] Food and Drug Administration Transparency Initiative: Exploratory Program To Increase Access to the... entitled ``Food and Drug Administration Transparency Initiative: Exploratory Program to [[Page 5028

"Initiate-build-operate-transfer"--a strategy for establishing sustainable telemedicine programs in developing countries: initial lessons from the balkans.

Science.gov (United States)

Latifi, Rifat; Merrell, Ronald C; Doarn, Charles R; Hadeed, George J; Bekteshi, Flamur; Lecaj, Ismet; Boucha, Kathe; Hajdari, Fatmir; Hoxha, Astrit; Koshi, Dashurije; de Leonni Stanonik, Mateja; Berisha, Blerim; Novoberdaliu, Kadri; Imeri, Arben; Weinstein, Ronald S

2009-12-01

Establishing sustainable telemedicine has become a goal of many developing countries around the world. Yet, despite initiatives from a select few individuals and on occasion from various governments, often these initiatives never mature to become sustainable programs. The introduction of telemedicine and e-learning in Kosova has been a pivotal step in advancing the quality and availability of medical services in a region whose infrastructure and resources have been decimated by wars, neglect, lack of funding, and poor management. The concept and establishment of the International Virtual e-Hospital (IVeH) has significantly impacted telemedicine and e-health services in the Balkans. The success of the IVeH in Kosova has led to the development of similar programs in other Balkan countries and other developing countries in the hope of modernizing and improving their healthcare infrastructure. A comprehensive, four-pronged strategy, "Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer" (IBOT), may be a useful approach in establishing telemedicine and e-health educational services in developing countries. The development strategy, IBOT, used by the IVeH to establish and develop telemedicine programs, was discussed. IBOT includes assessment of healthcare needs of each country, the development of a curriculum and education program, the establishment of a nationwide telemedicine network, and the integration of the telemedicine program into the healthcare infrastructure. The endpoint is the transfer of a sustainable telehealth program to the nation involved. By applying IBOT, a sustainable telemedicine program of Kosova has been established as an effective prototype for telemedicine in the Balkans. Once fully matured, the program will be transitioned to the national Ministry of Health, which ensures the sustainability and ownership of the program. Similar programs are being established in Albania, Macedonia, and other countries around the world. The IBOT model has been effective in creating

Cabo Verde telemedicine program: initial results of nationwide implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Latifi, Rifat; Dasho, Erion; Merrell, Ronald C; Lopes, Miguel; Azevedo, Vanda; Bekteshi, Flamur; Osmani, Kalterina L; Qesteri, Orland; Kucani, Julian; Lecaj, Ismet

2014-11-01

Telemedicine and e-health have been suggested as one solution for closing the health disparity gap between the developed world and the developing world. Yet evidence is lacking from current successful programs in the developing world and, in particular, from sub-Saharan Africa. The primary objective of our study was to present the preliminary results of our efforts in building the Integrated Telemedicine and e-Health Program for Cabo Verde (ITeHP-CV), with an emphasis on initial utilization and results. This is a prospective study of data collected while we worked to establish a fully functional, integrated national telemedicine network and virtual education network in Cabo Verde. We used the International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation strategic approach known as "initiate-build-operate-transfer" over a 26-month period (November 2011-December 2013). We describe herein the five main pillars of this process that have been implemented: (1) capacity building; (2) network development and deployment of equipment; (3) implementation of clinical telemedicine; (4) implementation of activities related to continuing medical education, delivered from within the country and from abroad; and (5) establishment and use of the electronic virtual library. Based on comprehensive technical and medical assessment of the country's needs, 10 fully functional telemedicine centers in all nine inhabited islands of the Republic of Cabo Verde have been established. RESULTS are presented under the five main pillars of capacity building, network deployment, implementation of clinical telemedicine, implementation of continuing medical education activities, and establishment of the electronic virtual library. The ITeHP-CV has been successfully launched, and the initial results are encouraging. The continuity of the program and sustainability are primary goals once the program is transferred fully to the Ministry of Health of Cabo Verde. A long-term follow-up study is required in order to ensure

Integrated initial training program for a CEGB operations engineer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tompsett, P.A.

1987-01-01

This paper considers the overall training programs undertaken by a newly appointed Operations Engineer at one of the Central Electricity Generating Board's (CEGB) Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) nuclear power stations. The training program is designed to equip him with the skills and knowledge necessary for him to discharge his duties safely and effectively. In order to assist the learning process and achieve and integrated program, aspects of reactor technology and operation, initially the subject of theoretical presentations at the CEGB's Nuclear Power Training Center (NPTC) are reinforced by either simulation and/or practical experience on site. In the later stages plant-specific simulators, operated by trained tutors, are incorporated into the training program to provide the trainee with practical experience of plant operation. The trainee's performance is assessed throughout the program to provide feedback to the trainee, the trainers and station management

R and D PROPOSAL FOR THE NATIONAL MUON ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zisman, Michael S.; Geer, Stephen

2010-01-01

This document contains a description of a multi-year national R and amp;D program aimed at completing a Design Feasibility Study (DFS) for a Muon Collider and, with international participation, a Reference Design Report (RDR) for a muon-based Neutrino Factory. It also includes the supporting component development and experimental efforts that will inform the design studies and permit an initial down-selection of candidate technologies for the ionization cooling and acceleration systems. We intend to carry out this plan with participants from the host national laboratory (Fermilab), those from collaborating U.S. national laboratories (ANL, BNL, Jlab, LBNL, and SNAL), and those from a number of other U.S. laboratories, universities, and SBIR companies. The R and D program that we propose will provide the HEP community with detailed information on future facilities based on intense beams of muons--the Muon Collider and the Neutrino Factory. We believe that these facilities offer the promise of extraordinary physics capabilities. The Muon Collider presents a powerful option to explore the energy frontier and the Neutrino Factory gives the opportunity to perform the most sensitive neutrino oscillation experiments possible, while also opening expanded avenues for the study of new physics in the neutrino sector. The synergy between the two facilities presents the opportunity for an extremely broad physics program and a unique pathway in accelerator facilities. Our work will give clear answers to the questions of expected capabilities and performance of these muon-based facilities, and will provide defensible ranges for their cost. This information, together with the physics insights gained from the next-generation neutrino and LHC experiments, will allow the HEP community to make well-informed decisions regarding the optimal choice of new facilities. We believe that this work is a critical part of any broad strategic program in accelerator R and D and, as the P5 panel has

R and D Proposal for the National Muon Acccelerator Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

This document contains a description of a multi-year national R and D program aimed at completing a Design Feasibility Study (DFS) for a Muon Collider and, with international participation, a Reference Design Report (RDR) for a muon-based Neutrino Factory. It also includes the supporting component development and experimental efforts that will inform the design studies and permit an initial down-selection of candidate technologies for the ionization cooling and acceleration systems. We intend to carry out this plan with participants from the host national laboratory (Fermilab), those from collaborating U.S. national laboratories (ANL, BNL, Jlab, LBNL, and SNAL), and those from a number of other U.S. laboratories, universities, and SBIR companies. The R and D program that we propose will provide the HEP community with detailed information on future facilities based on intense beams of muons - the Muon Collider and the Neutrino Factory. We believe that these facilities offer the promise of extraordinary physics capabilities. The Muon Collider presents a powerful option to explore the energy frontier and the Neutrino Factory gives the opportunity to perform the most sensitive neutrino oscillation experiments possible, while also opening expanded avenues for the study of new physics in the neutrino sector. The synergy between the two facilities presents the opportunity for an extremely broad physics program and a unique pathway in accelerator facilities. Our work will give clear answers to the questions of expected capabilities and performance of these muon-based facilities, and will provide defensible ranges for their cost. This information, together with the physics insights gained from the next-generation neutrino and LHC experiments, will allow the HEP community to make well-informed decisions regarding the optimal choice of new facilities. We believe that this work is a critical part of any broad strategic program in accelerator R and D and, as the P5 panel has

EDF program on SCC initiation of cold-worked stainless steels in primary water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huguenin, P.; Vaillant, F.; Couvant, T. [Electricite de France (EDF/RD), Site des Renardieres, 77 - Moret sur loing (France); Buisse, L. [EDF UTO, 93 - Noisy-Le-Grand (France); Huguenin, P.; Crepin, J.; Duhamel, C.; Proudhon, H. [MINES ParisTech, Centre des Materiaux, 91 - Evry (France); Ilevbare, G. [EPRI California (United States)

2009-07-01

A few cases of Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking (IGSCC) on cold-worked austenitic stainless steels in primary water have been detected in French Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). A previous program launched in the early 2000's identified the required conditions for SCC of cold-worked stainless steels. It was found that a high strain hardening coupled with cyclic loading favoured SCC, whereas cracking under static conditions appeared to be difficult. A propagation model was also proposed. The first available results of the present study demonstrate the strong influence of a trapezoidal cyclic loading on the creep of 304L austenitic stainless steel. While no creep was detected under a pure static loading, the creep rate was increased by a factor 102 under a trapezoidal cyclic loading. The first results of SCC initiation performed on notched specimens under a trapezoidal cyclic loading at low frequency are presented. The present study aims at developing an engineering model for IGSCC initiation of 304L, 316L and weld 308L stainless steels. The effect of the pre-straining on the SCC mechanisms is more specifically studied. Such a model will be based on (i) SCC initiation tests on notched and smooth specimens under 'trapezoidal' cyclic loading and, (ii) constant strain rate SCC initiation tests. The influence of stress level, cold-work level, strain path, surface roughness and temperature is particularly investigated. (authors)

76 FR 66318 - Announcement of Funding Awards; Limited English Proficiency Initiative Program (LEPI), Fiscal...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-26

... limited English proficiency (LEP), and develop and implement a system to provide those services so LEP... Awards; Limited English Proficiency Initiative Program (LEPI), Fiscal Year 2010/2011 AGENCY: Office of... (NOFA) for the Limited English Proficiency Initiative (LEPI) Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010/2011...

Alberta industrial synergy CO2 programs initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yildirim, E.

1998-01-01

The various industrial sectors within Alberta produce about 350,000 tonnes of CO 2 per day. This presentation was concerned with how this large volume and high concentration of CO 2 can be used in industrial and agricultural applications, because every tonne of CO 2 used for such purposes is a tonne that does not end up in the atmosphere. There is a good potential for an industrial synergy between the producers and users of CO 2 . The Alberta Industrial Synergy CO 2 Programs Initiative was established to ultimately achieve a balance between the producers of CO 2 and the users of CO 2 by creating ways to use the massive quantities of CO 2 produced by Alberta's hydrocarbon-based economy. The Alberta CO 2 Research Steering Committee was created to initiate and support CO 2 programs such as: (1) CO 2 use in enhanced oil recovery, (2) creation of a CO 2 production inventory, (3) survey of CO 2 users and potential users, (4) investigation of process issues such as power generation, oil sands and cement manufacturing, and (5) biofixation by plants, (6) other disposal options (e.g. in depleted oil and gas reservoirs, in aquifers, in tailings ponds, in coal beds). The single most important challenge was identified as 'rationalizing the formation of the necessary infrastructure'. Failing to do that will greatly impede efforts directed towards CO 2 utilization

78 FR 23775 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request: Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-22

... Information Collection; Comment Request: Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) AGENCY: Office of the Chief... information: Title of Proposed: Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP). OMB Approval Number: 2506-0181. Form Numbers: None. Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Tax Credit Assistance Program...

Integrated Initiating Event Performance Indicators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

S. A. Eide; Dale M. Rasmuson; Corwin L. Atwood

2005-01-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Industry Trends Program (ITP) collects and analyses industry-wide data, assesses the safety significance of results, and communicates results to Congress and other stakeholders. This paper outlines potential enhancements in the ITP to comprehensively cover the Initiating Events Cornerstone of Safety. Future work will address other cornerstones of safety. The proposed Tier 1 activity involves collecting data on ten categories of risk-significant initiating events, trending the results, and comparing early performance with prediction limits (allowable numbers of events, above which NRC action may occur). Tier 1 results would be used to monitor industry performance at the level of individual categories of initiating events. The proposed Tier 2 activity involves integrating the information for individual categories of initiating events into a single risk-based indicator, termed the Baseline Risk Index for Initiating Events or BRIIE. The BRIIE would be evaluated yearly and compared against a threshold. BRIIE results would be reported to Congress on a yearly basis

Proposed Accreditation Standards for Degree-Granting Correspondence Programs Offered by Accredited Institutions.

Science.gov (United States)

McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center, Washington, DC.

A study on proposed accreditation standards grew out of a need to (1) stimulate the growth of quality correspondence degree programs; and (2) provide a policy for accreditation of correspondence degree programs so that graduates would be encouraged to pursue advanced degree programs offered elsewhere by educational institutions. The study focused…

Literacy Course Priorities and Signature Aspects of Nine Elementary Initial Licensure Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Lenski, Susan; Ganske, Kathy; Chambers, Sandy; Wold, Linda; Dobler, Elizabeth; Grisham, Dana L.; Scales, Roya; Smetana, Linda; Wolsey, Thomas Devere; Yoder, Karen K.; Young, Janet

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the first part of a three-phase study to learn what makes an effective elementary literacy initial licensure program. The first step was to identify how nine programs prioritized research-based literacy practices and to identify each program's unique features, which we called "signature aspects." Findings…

76 FR 23583 - Application of the Energy Planning and Management Program Power Marketing Initiative to the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-27

... Management Program Power Marketing Initiative to the Boulder Canyon Project AGENCY: Western Area Power... Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), will apply the Energy Planning and Management Program (Program) Power Marketing Initiative (PMI), as...

75 FR 60398 - California: Proposed Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-30

...: Proposed Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision AGENCY: Environmental... its hazardous waste management program by November 1, 2010. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments... waste management program. EPA continues to have independent enforcement authority under RCRA sections...

75 FR 77821 - Agricultural Water Enhancement Program and Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-14

... Corporation Agricultural Water Enhancement Program and Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative AGENCY... Conservation Service (NRCS) through either the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) or the Cooperative... concerns to be addressed, and specifically what water conservation resource issues and water quality...

76 FR 81958 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Limited English Proficiency...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-29

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Limited English Proficiency Initiative (LEPI) Program AGENCY... that support the assistance of persons with limited English proficiency in utilizing the services...: Limited English Proficiency Initiative (LEPI) Program. OMB Approval Number: 2529-0051. Form Numbers...

National Nanotechnology Initiative Investments by Agency and Program Component Area

Data.gov (United States)

Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President — Data represents National Nanotechnology Initiative investments by agency and program component area (PCA) from FY 2001 through FY 2010 (requested). While this data...

Educational Philosophies Adhered by Filipino Preservice Teachers: Basis for Proposing Initiatives for 21st Century Teacher Education Preparation Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilbert C. Magulod Jr.

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The study endeavoured to ascertain the educational philosophies adhered by Filipino preservice teachers. Descriptive survey research method was employed. The participants of the study were the 76 fourth year Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEED and Bachelor in Secondary Education (BSED of the College of Teacher Education in one state university in the Philippines. Data were gathered with the use of standardized research tool. Research findings showed that the Filipino preservice teachers espoused a very high adherence to progressivism educational philosophy and high orientation to existentialism and reconstructionism. They also showed a moderate adherence to perennialism and existentialism philosophies. These imply that they espoused a high student-centred teaching belief with partial acceptance to teacher-centred teaching belief. Test of difference and Post hoc analysis revealed that course, residence and scholastic standing in high school spelled differences on the educational philosophies of the Filipino preservice teachers. Findings of the study present initiatives for 21st century teacher education preparation program.

A Proposal to Build an Education Research and Development Program: The Kamehameha Early Education Project Proposal. Technical Report #3.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallimore, Ronald; And Others

This report summarizes the programmatic features of a proposal for the Kamehameha Early Education Project (KEEP), a program aimed at the development, demonstration, and dissemination of methods for improving the education of Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian children. A brief description of the proposed project goals, structure, organization, and…

77 FR 5044 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-01

... Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program for Fiscal Year 2010 AGENCY...) for the Brownfield Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) program. This announcement contains the... CONTACT: David Kaminsky, Office of Economic Development Grants Management Division, Office of Community...

77 FR 5043 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-01

... Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program for Fiscal Year 2009 AGENCY...) for the Brownfield Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) program. This announcement contains the... CONTACT: David Kaminsky, Office of Economic Development Grants Management Division, Office of Community...

Proposal of programming standards for a computerized protection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrenberger, W.; Voges, U.

1975-05-01

In process computer systems with high safety and reliability requirements, correctness of the software has to be proved. During the development of a program specific guidelines should be met in order to facilitate the verification of its correctness. This paper is a collection of relevant proposals. (orig.) [de

GRI proposes to hold the line on research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that the Gas Research Institute has proposed a 1993 US research and development program totaling $201.8 million, the same level as the 1991 but down from $212.9 million this year. GRI filed the 1993 proposal and its 1993-97 R and D plan with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. If FERC approves the plan, interstate gas pipeline companies would support the GRI research by collecting a surcharge of 1.51 cents/Mcf on nondiscounted gas transactions and 8 cents/Mcf/month on uniform demand or reservations. The proposed budget is based on a revised funding mechanism FERC is considering for GRI. The research agency's general expanses and capital budget would remain at the 1992 level of $9.8 million

78 FR 48342 - Consultation Agreements: Proposed Changes to Consultation Procedures

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-08

... clarify the high priority enforcement cases when OSHA may initiate a non-programmed inspection at those.... OSHA-2010-0010] RIN 1218-AC32 Consultation Agreements: Proposed Changes to Consultation Procedures AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor. ACTION: Withdrawal of proposed rule...

Cost-Benefit Comparison of Two Proposed Overseas Programs for Reducing Chronic Hepatitis B Infection among Refugees: Is Screening Essential?

Science.gov (United States)

Jazwa, Amelia; Coleman, Margaret S.; Gazmararian, Julie; Wingate, La’Marcus T.; Maskery, Brian; Mitchell, Tarissa; Weinberg, Michelle

2015-01-01

Background Refugees are at an increased risk of chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection because many of their countries of origin, as well as host countries, have intermediate-to-high prevalence rates. Refugees arriving to the US are also at risk of serious sequelae from chronic HBV infection because they are not routinely screened for the virus overseas or in domestic post-arrival exams, and may live in the US for years without awareness of their infection status. Methods A cohort of 26,548 refugees who arrived in Minnesota and Georgia during 2005–2010 was evaluated to determine the prevalence of chronic HBV infection. This prevalence information was then used in a cost-benefit analysis comparing two variations of a proposed overseas program to prevent or ameliorate the effects of HBV infection, titled ‘Screen, then vaccinate or initiate management’ (SVIM) and ‘Vaccinate only’ (VO). The analyses were performed in 2013. All values were converted to US 2012 dollars. Results The estimated six year period-prevalence of chronic HBV infection was 6.8% in the overall refugee population arriving to Minnesota and Georgia and 7.1% in those ≥ 6 years of age. The SVIM program variation was more cost beneficial than VO. While the up-front costs of SVIM were higher than VO ($154,084 vs. $73,758; n=58,538 refugees), the SVIM proposal displayed a positive net benefit, ranging from $24 million to $130 million after only 5 years since program initiation, depending on domestic post-arrival screening rates in the VO proposal. Conclusions Chronic HBV infection remains an important health problem in refugees resettling to the United States. An overseas screening policy for chronic HBV infection is more cost-beneficial than a ‘Vaccination only’ policy. The major benefit drivers for the screening policy are earlier medical management of chronic HBV infection and averted lost societal contributions from premature death. PMID:25595868

Cost-benefit comparison of two proposed overseas programs for reducing chronic Hepatitis B infection among refugees: is screening essential?

Science.gov (United States)

Jazwa, Amelia; Coleman, Margaret S; Gazmararian, Julie; Wingate, La'Marcus T; Maskery, Brian; Mitchell, Tarissa; Weinberg, Michelle

2015-03-10

Refugees are at an increased risk of chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection because many of their countries of origin, as well as host countries, have intermediate-to-high prevalence rates. Refugees arriving to the US are also at risk of serious sequelae from chronic HBV infection because they are not routinely screened for the virus overseas or in domestic post-arrival exams, and may live in the US for years without awareness of their infection status. A cohort of 26,548 refugees who arrived in Minnesota and Georgia during 2005-2010 was evaluated to determine the prevalence of chronic HBV infection. This prevalence information was then used in a cost-benefit analysis comparing two variations of a proposed overseas program to prevent or ameliorate the effects of HBV infection, titled 'Screen, then vaccinate or initiate management' (SVIM) and 'Vaccinate only' (VO). The analyses were performed in 2013. All values were converted to US 2012 dollars. The estimated six year period-prevalence of chronic HBV infection was 6.8% in the overall refugee population arriving to Minnesota and Georgia and 7.1% in those ≥6 years of age. The SVIM program variation was more cost beneficial than VO. While the up-front costs of SVIM were higher than VO ($154,084 vs. $73,758; n=58,538 refugees), the SVIM proposal displayed a positive net benefit, ranging from $24 million to $130 million after only 5 years since program initiation, depending on domestic post-arrival screening rates in the VO proposal. Chronic HBV infection remains an important health problem in refugees resettling to the United States. An overseas screening policy for chronic HBV infection is more cost-beneficial than a 'Vaccination only' policy. The major benefit drivers for the screening policy are earlier medical management of chronic HBV infection and averted lost societal contributions from premature death. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Lean and leadership practices: development of an initial realist program theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodridge, Donna; Westhorp, Gill; Rotter, Thomas; Dobson, Roy; Bath, Brenna

2015-09-07

Lean as a management system has been increasingly adopted in health care settings in an effort to enhance quality, capacity and safety, while simultaneously containing or reducing costs. The Ministry of Health in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada has made a multi-million dollar investment in Lean initiatives to create "better health, better value, better care, and better teams", affording a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of the way in which Lean philosophy, principles and tools work in health care. In order to address the questions, "What changes in leadership practices are associated with the implementation of Lean?" and "When leadership practices change, how do the changed practices contribute to subsequent outcomes?", we used a qualitative, multi-stage approach to work towards developing an initial realist program theory. We describe the implications of realist assumptions for evaluation of this Lean initiative. Formal theories including Normalization Process Theory, Theories of Double Loop and Organization Leaning and the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance help understand this initial rough program theory. Data collection included: key informant consultation; a stakeholder workshop; documentary review; 26 audiotaped and transcribed interviews with health region personnel; and team discussions. A set of seven initial hypotheses regarding the manner in which Lean changes leadership practices were developed from our data. We hypothesized that Lean, as implemented in this particular setting, changes leadership practices in the following ways. Lean: a) aligns the aims and objectives of health regions; b) authorizes attention and resources to quality improvement and change management c) provides an integrated set of tools for particular tasks; d) changes leaders' attitudes or beliefs about appropriate leadership and management styles and behaviors; e) demands increased levels of expertise, accountability and commitment from leaders; f) measures and

77 FR 9216 - Native American Career and Technical Education Program; Proposed Waivers and Extension of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-16

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Native American Career and Technical Education Program; Proposed Waivers...) 2007 under the Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP), the Secretary proposes... secondary school career and technical education programs. \\1\\ Section 116(a)(2) of the Carl D. Perkins...

Real-time object-oriented programming: studies and proposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fouquier, Gilles

1996-01-01

This thesis contributes to the introduction of real-time features in object-oriented programming. Object-oriented programming favours modularity and reusability. Therefore, its application to real-time introduces many theoretical and conceptual problems. To deal with these problems, a new real-time object-oriented programming model is presented. This model is based on the active object model which allows concurrence and maintains the encapsulation property. The real-time aspect is treated by replacing the concept of task by the concept of method processing and by associating a real-time constraint to each message (priority or deadline). The set of all the running methods is scheduled. This model, called ATOME, contains several sub-models to deal with the usual concurrence control integrating their priority and deadline processing. The classical HPF and EDF scheduling avoid priority or deadline inversion. This model and its variants are new proposals to program real-time applications in the object-oriented way, therefore easing reusability and code writing. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by extending and existing active object-based language to real-time, in using the rules defined in the ATOME model. (author) [fr

78 FR 70090 - 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: PEPFAR Program Expenditures

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-22

.... Summaries of these data provide key information about program costs under PEPFAR on a global level. Applying... Program Expenditures. OMB Control Number: 1405-0208. Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved... program monitoring, the Finance and Economics Work Group under PEPFAR proposes to add reporting of...

Oncogenic KRAS activates an embryonic stem cell-like program in human colon cancer initiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Rolle, Anne-France; Chiu, Thang K; Zeng, Zhaoshi; Shia, Jinru; Weiser, Martin R; Paty, Philip B; Chiu, Vi K

2016-01-19

Colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide. Prevention of colorectal cancer initiation represents the most effective overall strategy to reduce its associated morbidity and mortality. Activating KRAS mutation (KRASmut) is the most prevalent oncogenic driver in colorectal cancer development, and KRASmut inhibition represents an unmet clinical need. We apply a systems-level approach to study the impact of KRASmut on stem cell signaling during human colon cancer initiation by performing gene set enrichment analysis on gene expression from human colon tissues. We find that KRASmut imposes the embryonic stem cell-like program during human colon cancer initiation from colon adenoma to stage I carcinoma. Expression of miR145, an embryonic SC program inhibitor, promotes cell lineage differentiation marker expression in KRASmut colon cancer cells and significantly suppresses their tumorigenicity. Our data support an in vivo plasticity model of human colon cancer initiation that merges the intrinsic stem cell properties of aberrant colon stem cells with the embryonic stem cell-like program induced by KRASmut to optimize malignant transformation. Inhibition of the embryonic SC-like program in KRASmut colon cancer cells reveals a novel therapeutic strategy to programmatically inhibit KRASmut tumors and prevent colon cancer.

Program grants for black lung clinics--PHS. Notice of proposed rulemaking.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-11-01

The Public Health Service proposed to revise the regulations governing the grants program for black lung clinics established under section 427(a) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. The revision is in keeping with the Department of Health and Human Services' desire to remove as many programmatic burdens and restrictions from grantees as possible, while maintaining program integrity.

76 FR 61366 - Food and Drug Administration Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment to...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0247] Food and Drug Administration Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment to Increase...: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. [[Page 61367

LWR aerosol containment experiments (LACE) program and initial test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhlestein, L.D.; Hilliard, R.K.; Bloom, G.R.; McCormack, J.D.; Rahn, F.J.

1985-01-01

The LWR aerosol containment experiments (LACE) program is described. The LACE program is being performed at the Hanford Engineer Development Laboratory (operated by Westinghouse Hanford Company) and the initial tests are sponsored by EPRI. The objectives of the LACE program are: to demonstrate, at large-scale, inherent radioactive aerosol retention behavior for postulated high consequence LWR accident situations; and to provide a data base to be used for aerosol behavior . Test results from the first phase of the LACE program are presented and discussed. Three large-scale scoping tests, simulating a containment bypass accident sequence, demonstrated the extent of agglomeration and deposition of aerosols occurring in the pipe pathway and vented auxiliary building under realistic accident conditions. Parameters varied during the scoping tests were aerosol type and steam condensation

Evaluation of a cross-sector community initiative partnership: delivering a local sport program.

Science.gov (United States)

Kihl, Lisa A; Tainsky, Scott; Babiak, Kathy; Bang, Hyejin

2014-06-01

Corporate community initiatives (CCI) are often established via cross-sector partnerships with nonprofit agencies to address critical social problems. While there is a growing body of literature exploring the effectiveness and social impact of these partnerships, there is a limited evaluative research on the implementation and execution processes of CCIs. In this paper, we examined the implementation and operational processes in the delivery of a professional sport organization's CCI initiative using program theory evaluation. The findings showed discrepancies between the associate organization and the implementers regarding understanding and fulfilling responsibilities with performing certain aspects (maintaining accurate records and program marketing) of the service delivery protocol. Despite program stakeholders being satisfied overall with the program delivery, contradictions between program stakeholders' satisfaction in the quality of program delivery was found in critical components (marketing and communications) of the service delivery. We conclude that ongoing evaluations are necessary to pinpoint the catalyst of the discrepancies along with all partners valuing process evaluation in addition to outcome evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advancing Geographic Information Science—Proposal to NSF, with Addendum

OpenAIRE

National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis

1995-01-01

This document from 1995 and the addendum from 1996 represent NCGIA's proposal for Varenius—a program of research initiatives to advance geographic information science in the context of digitial worlds and the information society.

Effect of a prenatal nutritional intervention program on initiation and duration of breastfeeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Léger-Leblanc, Gisèle; Rioux, France M

2008-01-01

To evaluate initiation and duration of breastfeeding of infants born to mothers who participated in the Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) program. Factors affecting the initiation and the early cessation of breastfeeding were also explored. Twenty-five pregnant women participating in the ECI program completed this prospective study. At 36 weeks' gestation, a questionnaire was administered to assess socioeconomic status, intention to breastfeed and breastfeeding experience. When the infants were three and six months of age, feeding practices were assessed with a questionnaire. The breastfeeding initiation rate was 62.5%. At one and three months postpartum, exclusive breastfeeding rates were 39% and 4%, respectively. At six months, none of the women was exclusively breastfeeding. Primiparity, prenatal classes, having been breastfed and intention to breastfeed at 36 weeks' gestation were positively associated with breastfeeding initiation. Father's education, intention to breastfeed at 36 weeks' gestation, no water or formula given to the infant during hospitalization and higher maternal hemoglobin level at 36 weeks' gestation were positively associated with the duration of breastfeeding. The rate of initiation and duration of breastfeeding for ECI participants were low. To achieve successful interventions, it is important to target modifiable factors known to influence the initiation and duration of breastfeeding within this population.

78 FR 63516 - Initial Test Program of Emergency Core Cooling Systems for New Boiling-Water Reactors

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-24

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0134] Initial Test Program of Emergency Core Cooling....79.1, ``Initial Test Program of Emergency Core Cooling Systems for New Boiling-Water Reactors.'' This... emergency core cooling systems (ECCSs) for boiling- water reactors (BWRs) whose licenses are issued after...

R&D PROPOSAL FOR THE NATIONAL MUON ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

OpenAIRE

Zisman, Michael S.

2011-01-01

This document contains a description of a multi-year national R&D program aimed at completing a Design Feasibility Study (DFS) for a Muon Collider and, with international participation, a Reference Design Report (RDR) for a muon-based Neutrino Factory. It also includes the supporting component development and experimental efforts that will inform the design studies and permit an initial down-selection of candidate technologies for the ionization cooling and acceleration systems. We intend to ...

Expedited Remedial Action Program (SB 923): A California Brownfields initiative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cambridge, M.; Wolfenden, A.K.

1996-12-31

California`s Expedited Remedial Action Program (ERAP) created a comprehensive program that promotes an equitable and expedited approach for redevelopment of properties contaminated with hazardous substances. This bill embodies an emerging trend in environmental policy that permits flexibility, cooperation and creativity without compromising protection to public health or the environment. Within the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is promoting a number of programs to facilitate the restoration of contaminated properties as part of its Brownfields initiative. ERAP represents a potentially more efficient process to remediate sites by minimizing economic risks through a clearly identified liability scheme, indemnifying future owners through a covenant not to sue, and providing risk based cleanups that are based on the permanent use of the site.

The initial criticality and nuclear commissioning test program at HANARO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Choong-Sung; Seo, Chul-Gyo; Jun, Byung-Jin [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Dukjin-Dong 150, Yusung-Ku, Taejon, 305-353 (Korea, Republic of)

1995-07-01

The construction of the Korea Multipurpose Research Reactor - HANARO of 3MW, developed by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, was completed at the beginning of this year. The first fuel loading began on February 2 1995, and initial criticality was achieved on February 8, when the core had four 18-element assemblies and thirteen 36-element assemblies. The critical control rod position was 600.8 mm which represents excess reactivity of 0.71 $. Currently the nuclear commissioning test is on going under the zero power range. This paper describes the initial criticality approach of the HANARO, and its nuclear commissioning test program. (author)

76 FR 22411 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; Housing Counseling Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-21

... Information Collection: Comment Request; Housing Counseling Program--Application for Approval as a Housing Counseling Agency AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing, HUD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The...: Title of Proposal: Housing Counseling Program--Application for Approval as a Housing Counseling Agency...

Trump proposes initial healthcare agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robbins RA

2016-11-01

Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. On Friday, November 11, President-elect Trump proposed a healthcare agenda on his website greatagain.gov (1. Yesterday, November 12, he gave an interview on 60 Minutes clarifying his positions (2. Trump said that he wanted to focus on healthcare and has proposed to: •Repeal all of the Affordable Care Act; •Allow the sale of health insurance across state lines; •Make the purchase of health insurance fully tax deductible; •Expand access to the health savings accounts;•Increase price transparency; •Block grant Medicaid; •Lower entrance barriers to new producers of drugs. In his 60 Minutes interview Trump reiterated that two provisions of the ACA – prohibition of pre-existing conditions exclusion and ability for adult children to stay on parents insurance plans until age 26 – have his support (2. Other aspects of the ACA that might receive his support were not discussed. On the Department of Veterans’ Affairs ...

The United States foreign research reactor spent nuclear fuel acceptance program: Proposal to modify the program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messick, C.E.

2005-01-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE), in consultation with the Department of State (DOS), adopted the Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel in May 1996. The policy was slated to expire in May 2009. However, in October 2003, a petition requesting a program extension was delivered to the United States Secretary of Energy from a group of research reactor operators from foreign countries. In April 2004, the Secretary directed DOE undertake an analysis, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to consider potential extension of the Program. On December 1, 2004, a Federal Register Notice was issued approving the program extension. This paper discusses the findings from the NEPA analysis and the potential changes in the program that may result from implementation of the proposed changes. (author)

Proposal for Supply Chain Concentration in the Traditional MBA Program

Science.gov (United States)

Ramaswamy, K. V.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this proposal is to develop and implement a concentration in Supply Chain Management in the existing traditional MBA program effective fall 2012. Houston is the hub for many multinational oil and energy companies, large healthcare systems, wholesale/retail businesses, engineering and construction companies, and is a major city along…

77 FR 27253 - Proposed Collection, Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant Program Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-09

... Century Librarian Grant Program Evaluation AGENCY: Institute of Museum and Library Services, National... evaluate and make improvements to the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) Grant Program. The... proposes clearance of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant Program Evaluation. The 60-day Notice for...

77 FR 6573 - Announcement of Funding Awards; Fair Housing Initiatives Program Fiscal Year 2011

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-08

... alleging discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin... discretionary grants included: the Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI) ($26,000,000), the Education and... Initiatives Program Awards Applicant name Contact Region Award amt. Education and Outreach/Affirmatively...

A Student-Led Global Health Education Initiative: Reflections on the Kenyan Village Medical Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

John, Christopher; Asquith, Heidi; Wren, Tom; Mercuri, Stephanie; Brownlow, Sian

2016-01-01

The Kenyan Village Medical Education Program is a student-led global health initiative that seeks to improve health outcomes in rural Kenya through culturally appropriate health education. The month-long program, which is organised by the Melbourne University Health Initiative (Australia), is conducted each January in southern rural Kenya. Significance for public health The Kenyan Village Medical Education (KVME) Program is a student-led global health initiative that involves exploring well-established strategies for the prevention of disease through workshops that are conducted in southern rural Kenya. These workshops are tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of rural Kenyan communities, and are delivered to community leaders, as well as to adults and children within the wider community. Aside from the KVME Program’s emphasis on reducing the burden of preventable disease through health education, the positive impact of the KVME Program on the Program’s student volunteers also deserves consideration. Throughout the month-long KVME Program, student volunteers are presented with opportunities to develop their understanding of cultural competency, the social and economic determinants of health, as well as the unique challenges associated with working in resource-poor communities. Importantly, the KVME Program also represents an avenue through which global health leadership can be fostered amongst student volunteers. PMID:27190974

Striking a Balance between Program Requirements and GT Principles: Writing a compromised GT proposal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherry L. Xie, Ph.D. Candidate

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Glaser’s term “compromised GT proposal” (2001, p.114 refers to the type of Grounded Theory (GT proposal that is written in order to conform to the requirements of a standardized qualitative research proposal. A GT proposal needs only to supply information on the area of interest, the data source and a statement of method to the effect that the researcher begin to collect, code and analyse the data and let the theory emerge. Thus, the proposal may only occupy “a page or two” (Glaser, 2001, p. 111. Whilst being consistent with the methodology, a GT proposal sometimes has to give way to the format specified by a PhD program or committee even though the format was not defined for a GT proposal and in some areas, conflicts with GT principles; for example, the format may require a literature review. This short paper reports on my experience of writing a compromised GT proposal as a first-time GT researcher. It describes how both Glaser’s advice on writing compromised GT research proposals and the characteristics of the substantive area of the proposed research were used to satisfy program requirements while still maintaining GT fundamentals.

76 FR 62756 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-People's Garden...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-11

...: Proposed Collection; Comment Request--People's Garden Initiative Evaluation of Healthy Gardens Healthy... on proposed information collections. This is a new information for the ``Healthy Gardens, Healthy Youth Study,'' part of the USDA's People's Garden program. This study will use the network of...

77 FR 17458 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Observer Programs' Information that Can Be...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-26

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Observer Programs' Information that Can Be Gathered Only Through Questions... options; and (5) ensure that the observer programs can safely and efficiently collect the information...

77 FR 12089 - Proposed Generic Communication; Regulatory Issue Summary 2012-XX: Developing Inservice Testing...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-28

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0048] Proposed Generic Communication; Regulatory Issue... CFR) Part 52, ``Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants,'' to satisfy the... inservice testing programs during the initial 120-month program interval following nuclear power plant...

A new DoD initiative: the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE) program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arevalo, S; Atwood, C; Bell, P; Blacker, T D; Dey, S; Fisher, D; Fisher, D A; Genalis, P; Gorski, J; Harris, A; Hill, K; Hurwitz, M; Kendall, R P; Meakin, R L; Morton, S; Moyer, E T; Post, D E; Strawn, R; Veldhuizen, D v; Votta, L G

2008-01-01

In FY2008, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) initiated the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE) program, a $360M program with a two-year planning phase and a ten-year execution phase. CREATE will develop and deploy three computational engineering tool sets for DoD acquisition programs to use to design aircraft, ships and radio-frequency antennas. The planning and execution of CREATE are based on the 'lessons learned' from case studies of large-scale computational science and engineering projects. The case studies stress the importance of a stable, close-knit development team; a focus on customer needs and requirements; verification and validation; flexible and agile planning, management, and development processes; risk management; realistic schedules and resource levels; balanced short- and long-term goals and deliverables; and stable, long-term support by the program sponsor. Since it began in FY2008, the CREATE program has built a team and project structure, developed requirements and begun validating them, identified candidate products, established initial connections with the acquisition programs, begun detailed project planning and development, and generated the initial collaboration infrastructure necessary for success by its multi-institutional, multidisciplinary teams

Student perception of initial transition into a nursing program: A mixed methods research study.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Meghan; Brown, Janine; Knihnitski, Crystal

2018-05-01

Transition into undergraduate education programs is stressful and impacts students' well-being and academic achievement. Previous research indicates nursing students experience stress, depression, anxiety, and poor lifestyle habits which interfere with learning. However, nursing students' experience of transition into nursing programs has not been well studied. Incongruence exists between this lack of research and the desire to foster student success. This study analyzed students' experiences of initial transition into a nursing program. An embedded mixed method design. A single site of a direct-entry, four year baccalaureate Canadian nursing program. All first year nursing students enrolled in the fall term of 2016. This study combined the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) with a subset of participants participating in qualitative focus groups. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify statistically significant differences in full-scale and subscale scores. Qualitative data was analyzed utilizing thematic analysis. Significant differences were seen between those who moved to attend university and those who did not, with those who moved scoring lower on the Academic Adjustment subscale. Focus group thematic analysis highlighted how students experienced initial transition into a baccalaureate nursing program. Identified themes included reframing supports, splitting focus/finding focus, negotiating own expectations, negotiating others' expectations, and forming identity. These findings form the Undergraduate Nursing Initial Transition (UNIT) Framework. Significance of this research includes applications in faculty development and program supports to increase student success in the first year of nursing and to provide foundational success for ongoing nursing practice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 78939 - Senior Community Service Employment Program; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Additional Indicator...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-17

... Community Service Employment Program; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Additional Indicator on Volunteer Work... Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), Additional Indicator on Volunteer Work that was... number of exiting participants who enter volunteer work. The relevant Office of Management and Budget...

Father participation with mothers in the Signposts program: an initial investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

May, Fiona S; McLean, Louise A; Anderson, Angelika; Hudson, Alan; Cameron, Christine; Matthews, Jan

2013-03-01

The Signposts program is an evidence-based intervention system for parents of children with intellectual disability and problem behaviours. This study provided an initial investigation of the outcomes for mothers associated with father participation in Signposts, using data collected from the Signposts Statewide project, conducted in Victoria, Australia. Data from Signposts Statewide were analysed, with the effect size Cohen's d and 95% confidence interval around d calculated for pre- to post-program changes for 134 mothers who participated in Signposts with fathers and 483 mothers who participated without fathers. Although mothers in both groups benefitted from the program, as evidenced by pre- to post-program improvements across all measures, the mean effect size was notably larger for mothers who participated in Signposts with fathers. These results highlight possible further program benefits for mothers who participate in Signposts with fathers, and are of particular significance in light of research describing the increased stress experienced by mothers of children with a disability.

Understanding the unbundled utility conservation bidding proposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joskow, P.L.

1990-01-01

For several years regulatory advisers have been engaged in controversy about the propriety of integrating energy conservation measures into the total resource planning processes of electric utilities, and of proposed methods of doing so in the competitive supply procurement programs which have been initiated by some utilities. Two prominent economists conceived a method for doing this in competitive bidding programs and at the same time overcoming objections to previous proposals which were based on perceived violations of basic economic principles. They explained their concept and its operation in an article published here in June of last year. In this article another economist subjects the concept to further analysis, identifying its essential elements, and point to inevitable results of their application

77 FR 29647 - Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-18

...] Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration... participate in the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education (GNE) Demonstration. DATES: Proposals will be considered...--(A) 1 or more applicable schools of nursing; and (B) 2 or more applicable non- hospital community...

Research Programs & Initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

CGH develops international initiatives and collaborates with other NCI divisions, NCI-designated Cancer Centers, and other countries to support cancer control planning, encourage capacity building, and support cancer research and research networks.

76 FR 44306 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Fisheries Finance Program Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-25

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Fisheries Finance Program Requirements AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing...

76 FR 30147 - Application of the Energy Planning and Management Program Power Marketing Initiative to the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-24

... Management Program Power Marketing Initiative to the Boulder Canyon Project AGENCY: Western Area Power.... SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the..., the Energy Management and Planning Program (Program), and the Conformed General Consolidated Power...

75 FR 36659 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Brain Power! The NIDA Junior Scientist Program and the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-28

... of the Brain Power! Program's ability to: Increase students' knowledge about the biology of the brain... Request; Brain Power! The NIDA Junior Scientist Program and the Companion Program, Brain Power! Challenge.... Proposed Collection: Title: Brain Power! The NIDA Junior Scientist Program, for grades K-5, and the...

76 FR 18570 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; HOPE VI Public Housing Programs...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-04

... Information Collection for Public Comment; HOPE VI Public Housing Programs: Funding and Program Data... responses. This Notice also lists the following information: Title of Proposal: HOPE VI program. OMB Control... (Pub. L. 105- 276, 112 Stat. 2461, approved October 21, 1998) and revised by the HOPE VI Program...

Special initiatives FY 1995 Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP)/Fiscal Year Work Plan (FYWP) WBS 5.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jekel, R.A.

1994-09-01

The Special Initiatives mission supports programmatic requests for service to DOE offices, other organizations and agencies. These requests can include the following: Supporting priority DOE initiatives; Researching special programs; Studying locating new activities at the Hanford Site; Producing specialty materials; Providing consulting support to other sites; Managing a broad spectrum of US and international test programs

77 FR 73056 - Initial Test Programs for Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-07

... Plants AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Draft regulatory guide; request for comment... (DG), DG-1259, ``Initial Test Programs for Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants.'' This guide describes... (ITPs) for light water cooled nuclear power plants. DATES: Submit comments by January 31, 2013. Comments...

Developing and initiating a public engagement process for a nuclear decommissioning and waste management program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badke, C.; Johnson, C.; Brooks, S.; MacCafferty, M.

2011-01-01

Public consultation is key to any major nuclear initiative, but how do you engage the public in a complex multi-site nuclear decommissioning and environmental restoration program that will last 70 years? A clear message of sound environmental stewardship throughout the process is critical to building the trust required to attract public interest and support. The Nuclear Legacy Liabilities Program (NLLP) manages Canada's nuclear legacy liabilities at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) sites and is funded by the Government of Canada through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). The objective of the NLLP is to safely and cost-effectively reduce the federal legacy liabilities and associated risks, based on sound waste management and environmental principles, in the best interest of Canadians. An important area of focus for the NLLP in both the short- and long-term is to inform the public, stakeholders and Aboriginal people about the Program, and to gather input on the long-term strategy for site restoration and waste management. This paper describes progress made to date on developing and initiating a public engagement process for the NLLP in the initial phase of the Program. Furthermore, it examines general best practices for public participation, specific challenges and opportunities which have been identified, as well as the next steps for communications activities related to the Program. (author)

78 FR 12349 - Proposed Information Collection; Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-22

...] Proposed Information Collection; Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program AGENCY: National.... Abstract The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (LWCF Act) (16 U.S.C. 460l-4 et seq.) was enacted... discussed in detail in the Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program Federal Financial...

Predicting temperature drop rate of mass concrete during an initial cooling period using genetic programming

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattarai, Santosh; Zhou, Yihong; Zhao, Chunju; Zhou, Huawei

2018-02-01

Thermal cracking on concrete dams depends upon the rate at which the concrete is cooled (temperature drop rate per day) within an initial cooling period during the construction phase. Thus, in order to control the thermal cracking of such structure, temperature development due to heat of hydration of cement should be dropped at suitable rate. In this study, an attempt have been made to formulate the relation between cooling rate of mass concrete with passage of time (age of concrete) and water cooling parameters: flow rate and inlet temperature of cooling water. Data measured at summer season (April-August from 2009 to 2012) from recently constructed high concrete dam were used to derive a prediction model with the help of Genetic Programming (GP) software “Eureqa”. Coefficient of Determination (R) and Mean Square Error (MSE) were used to evaluate the performance of the model. The value of R and MSE is 0.8855 and 0.002961 respectively. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the relative impact on the target parameter due to input parameters. Further, testing the proposed model with an independent dataset those not included during analysis, results obtained from the proposed GP model are close enough to the real field data.

Implementation of the U.S. utility industry's TEAM-UP commercialization initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergman, M.; Bigger, J.; Hester, S.; Serfass, J.; Hoffner, J.

1994-01-01

TEAM-UP is a partnership program of the US electric utility industry and the US Department of Energy to help develop utility PV markets. TEAM-UP is a utility-directed program to significantly increase utility PV experience by promoting installations of utility PV systems. Two primary program areas are proposed for TEAM-UP; (1) Grid-Independent Applications (GIA) -- an initiative to aggregate utility purchases of small-scale, grid-independent applications, and (2) Grid-Connected Applications -- an initiative to identify and competitively award cost-sharing contracts for grid-connected PV systems with high market growth potential, or collective purchase programs involving multiple buyers. This paper describes these programs and outlines the schedule, the procurement status, and the results of surveys, public review workshops, and notices that are part of the TEAM-UP process

76 FR 71037 - Proposed National Toxicology Program (NTP) Review Process for the Report on Carcinogens: Request...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-16

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Proposed National Toxicology Program (NTP) Review Process...: Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.... Bucher, Associate Director, National Toxicology Program. [FR Doc. 2011-29615 Filed 11-15-11; 8:45 am...

75 FR 11327 - Proposed Establishment of Certification Programs for Health Information Technology

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-10

... Certification Programs for Health Information Technology; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 46... for Health Information Technology AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information... granted to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (the National Coordinator) by...

78 FR 72600 - Proposed Priorities, Requirements, and Definitions-Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants for...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-03

... financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools; (2.... Charter schools are explicitly designed to have the autonomy to employ innovative, promising [[Page 72601

76 FR 38198 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Counseling Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-29

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Counseling Program- Application for Approval as a Housing... private nonprofit agencies that provide housing counseling services directly or through their affiliates or branches regarding home buying, homeownership and rental housing programs submit an application...

77 FR 61776 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Counseling Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-11

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Counseling Program AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary... Housing Counseling Program and reference to the NOFA charts were excluded. Nonprofit Housing Counseling... provide housing counseling assistance to eligible homebuyers to find and purchase affordable housing...

Using Appreciative Inquiry to Frame the Appraisal of an Australian Initial Teacher Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Jeanne M.; Innes, Maureen

2013-01-01

This paper reports on a study that investigated the process and outcomes of using "Appreciative Inquiry" (AI) in an Australian initial teacher education (ITE) program review. The aim of the study, which drew on a sample of teaching staff involved in this Master of Teaching program, was to gain an understanding of the extent to which the…

76 FR 31338 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-31

... Medicare program and Medicare plans design and monitor patient-centered quality improvement initiatives... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [Document Identifier CMS-10147, CMS-10396 and CMS-R-246] Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection...

Review of current Southern California edison load management programs and proposal for a new market-driven, mass-market, demand-response program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weller, G.H.

2002-01-01

Utility load management programs, including direct load control and interruptible load programs, constitute a large installed base of controllable loads that are employed by utilities as system reliability resources. In response to energy supply shortfalls expected during the summer of 2001, the California Public Utilities Commission in spring 2001 authorized new utility load management programs as well as revisions to existing programs. This report provides an independent review of the designs of these new programs for a large utility (Southern California Edison) and suggests possible improvements to enhance the price responsiveness of the customer actions influenced by these programs. The report also proposes a new program to elicit a mass-market demand response to utility price signals.

78 FR 31999 - 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Iran Democracy Program Grants Vetting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-28

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8337] 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Iran Democracy Program Grants Vetting ACTION: Notice of request for public comment and submission to OMB of proposed collection of information. SUMMARY: The Department of State has submitted the information...

77 FR 69550 - Proposed Information Collection (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-19

... (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY.... DeBakey Home Care Program. DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection of...: Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program, VA Form 10-0476. OMB Control Number...

43 CFR 404.51 - Are proposed projects under the Rural Water Supply Program reviewed by the Administration?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Water Supply Program reviewed by the Administration? 404.51 Section 404.51 Public Lands: Interior... SUPPLY PROGRAM Feasibility Studies § 404.51 Are proposed projects under the Rural Water Supply Program... the Reclamation's Rural Water Supply Program. This includes review under Executive Order 12322 to...

Proposal of Modification Strategy of NC Program in the Virtual Manufacturing Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Narita, Hirohisa; Chen, Lian-Yi; Fujimoto, Hideo; Shirase, Keiichi; Arai, Eiji

Virtual manufacturing will be a key technology in process planning, because there are no evaluation tools for cutting conditions. Therefore, virtual machining simulator (VMSim), which can predict end milling processes, has been developed. The modification strategy of NC program using VMSim is proposed in this paper.

The NEA Nuclear Innovation 2050 Initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rayment, Fiona; ); Deffrennes, Marc; )

2017-01-01

The NEA launched its Nuclear Innovation 2050 (NI2050) Initiative with the aim of identifying research and development (R and D) strategies and associated priorities to achieve commercial readiness of innovative, sustainable nuclear fission technologies in a fast and cost-effective way. As defined at the beginning of the process, these R and D strategies would be elaborated with NEA stakeholders at large, in particular involving nearly all NEA committees, nuclear research organisations, industry, regulators and technical safety organisations. The NI2050 Initiative has evolved over the last year to become an NEA incubator for the selection and development of a number of large nuclear fission R and D programs (and infrastructures) that can support the role of nuclear energy in a low carbon future, mainly by accelerating innovation and the market deployment of technologies. This article provides a brief overview and the next steps of the initiative, which has reached the stage where more concrete outcomes might now be expected, in particular in terms of programs of action to be proposed for co-operative implementation

76 FR 21372 - Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Community-Based Care Transitions...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-15

...] Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Community-Based Care Transitions Program... interested parties of an opportunity to apply to participate in the Medicare Community-based Care Transitions.... 111-148, enacted on March 23, 2010) (Affordable Care Act) authorized the Medicare Community-based Care...

A proposal of neutron science research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Y.; Yasuda, H.; Tone, T.; Mizumoto, M.

1996-01-01

A conception of Neutron Science Research Program (NSRP) has been proposed in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) since 1994 as a future big project. The NSRP aims at exploring new basic science and nuclear energy science by a high-intensity proton accelerator. It is a complex composed of a proton linac and seven research facilities with each different target system. The proton linac is required to supply the high-intensity proton beam with energy up to 1.5 GeV and current 10 mA on average. The scientific research facilities proposed, are as follows: Thermal/Cold Neutron Facility for the neutron scattering experiments, Neutron Irradiation Facility for materials science, Neutron Physics Facility for nuclear data measurement, OMEGA/Nuclear Energy Facility for nuclear waste transmutation and fuel breeding, Spallation RI Beam Facility for nuclear physics, Meson/Muon Facility for meson and muon physics and their applications and Medium Energy Beam Facility for accelerator technology development, medical use, etc. Research and development have been carried out for the components of the injector system of the proton linac; an ion source, an RFQ linac and a part of DTL linac. The conceptual design work and research and development activities for NSRP have been started in the fiscal year, 1996. Construction term will be divided into two phases; the completion of the first phase is expected in 2003, when the proton linac will produce 1.5 GeV, 1 mA beam by reflecting the successful technology developments. (author)

77 FR 3787 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Office of Hospital Facilities...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-25

... administration and initial/final endorsement of projects undertaken by Office of Hospital Facilities. DATES... Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Office of Hospital Facilities Transactional Forms for FHA Programs... Lists the Following Information Title of Proposal: Office of Hospital Facilities Transactional Forms for...

Strategic Defense Initiative Organization adaptive structures program overview

Science.gov (United States)

Obal, Michael; Sater, Janet M.

In the currently envisioned architecture none of the Strategic Defense System (SDS) elements to be deployed will receive scheduled maintenance. Assessments of performance capability due to changes caused by the uncertain effects of environments will be difficult, at best. In addition, the system will have limited ability to adjust in order to maintain its required performance levels. The Materials and Structures Office of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) has begun to address solutions to these potential difficulties via an adaptive structures technology program that combines health and environment monitoring with static and dynamic structural control. Conceivable system benefits include improved target tracking and hit-to-kill performance, on-orbit system health monitoring and reporting, and threat attack warning and assessment.

"Doing Geography": Evaluating an Independent Geographic Inquiry Assessment Task in an Initial Teacher Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

Harte, Wendy; Reitano, Paul

2016-01-01

The assessment task of the final course in a bachelor of secondary education program is examined for opportunities for preservice geography teachers to achieve the course aims of integrating, consolidating, applying, and reflecting on the knowledge and skills they have learned during their initial teacher education program. The results show that…

Principal-subordinate hierarchical multi-objective programming model of initial water rights allocation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Wu

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The principal-subordinate hierarchical multi-objective programming model of initial water rights allocation was developed based on the principle of coordinated and sustainable development of different regions and water sectors within a basin. With the precondition of strictly controlling maximum emissions rights, initial water rights were allocated between the first and the second levels of the hierarchy in order to promote fair and coordinated development across different regions of the basin and coordinated and efficient water use across different water sectors, realize the maximum comprehensive benefits to the basin, promote the unity of quantity and quality of initial water rights allocation, and eliminate water conflict across different regions and water sectors. According to interactive decision-making theory, a principal-subordinate hierarchical interactive iterative algorithm based on the satisfaction degree was developed and used to solve the initial water rights allocation model. A case study verified the validity of the model.

75 FR 77607 - Privacy Act of 1974; Proposed New System of Records; Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-13

...; Proposed New System of Records; Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program AGENCY: National Institute of..., ``Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Records System, USDA/NIFA-1.'' This newly established system will... Sherman; National Program Leader, Veterinary Science; National Institute of Food and Agriculture...

Recovery Act: Tennessee Energy Efficient Schools Initiative Ground Source Heat Pump Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Townsend, Terry [Townsend Engineering, Inc., Davenport, IA (United States); Slusher, Scott [Townsend Engineering, Inc., Davenport, IA (United States)

2017-04-24

The Tennessee Energy Efficient Schools Initiative (EESI) Hybrid-Water Source Heat Pump (HY-GSHP) Program sought to provide installation costs and operation costs for different Hybrid water source heat pump systems’ configurations so that other State of Tennessee School Districts will have a resource for comparison purposes if considering a geothermal system.

The Proposed Model of Collaborative Virtual Learning Environment for Introductory Programming Course

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, Mahfudzah; Othman, Muhaini

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the proposed model of the collaborative virtual learning system for the introductory computer programming course which uses one of the collaborative learning techniques known as the "Think-Pair-Share". The main objective of this study is to design a model for an online learning system that facilitates the…

78 FR 45231 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Initial Approval of Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-26

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-3280-FN] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Initial Approval of Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality's (CIHQ's) Hospital Accreditation Program AGENCY: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS. ACTION: Final...

Phosphorylation state of a Tob/BTG protein, FOG-3, regulates initiation and maintenance of the Caenorhabditis elegans sperm fate program.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Myon-Hee; Kim, Kyung Won; Morgan, Clinton T; Morgan, Dyan E; Kimble, Judith

2011-05-31

FOG-3, the single Caenorhabditis elegans Tob/BTG protein, directs germ cells to adopt the sperm fate at the expense of oogenesis. Importantly, FOG-3 activity must be maintained for the continued production of sperm that is typical of the male sex. Vertebrate Tob proteins have antiproliferative activity and ERK phosphorylation of Tob proteins has been proposed to abrogate "antiproliferative" activity. Here we investigate FOG-3 phosphorylation and its effect on sperm fate specification. We found both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of FOG-3 in nematodes. We then interrogated the role of FOG-3 phosphorylation in sperm fate specification. Specifically, we assayed FOG-3 transgenes for rescue of a fog-3 null mutant. Wild-type FOG-3 rescued both initiation and maintenance of sperm fate specification. A FOG-3 mutant with its four consensus ERK phosphorylation sites substituted to alanines, called FOG-3(4A), rescued partially: sperm were made transiently but not continuously in both sexes. A different FOG-3 mutant with its sites substituted to glutamates, called FOG-3(4E), had no rescuing activity on its own, but together with FOG-3(4A) rescue was complete. Thus, when FOG-3(4A) and FOG-3(4E) were both introduced into the same animals, sperm fate specification was not only initiated but also maintained, resulting in continuous spermatogenesis in males. Our findings suggest that unphosphorylated FOG-3 initiates the sperm fate program and that phosphorylated FOG-3 maintains that program for continued sperm production typical of males. We discuss implications of our results for Tob/BTG proteins in vertebrates.

'teen Mental Health First Aid': a description of the program and an initial evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Laura M; Mason, Robert J; Kelly, Claire M; Cvetkovski, Stefan; Jorm, Anthony F

2016-01-01

Many adolescents have poor mental health literacy, stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental illness, and lack skills in providing optimal Mental Health First Aid to peers. These could be improved with training to facilitate better social support and increase appropriate help-seeking among adolescents with emerging mental health problems. teen Mental Health First Aid (teen MHFA), a new initiative of Mental Health First Aid International, is a 3 × 75 min classroom based training program for students aged 15-18 years. An uncontrolled pilot of the teen MHFA course was undertaken to examine the feasibility of providing the program in Australian secondary schools, to test relevant measures of student knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, and to provide initial evidence of program effects. Across four schools, 988 students received the teen MHFA program. 520 students with a mean age of 16 years completed the baseline questionnaire, 345 completed the post-test and 241 completed the three-month follow-up. Statistically significant improvements were found in mental health literacy, confidence in providing Mental Health First Aid to a peer, help-seeking intentions and student mental health, while stigmatising attitudes significantly reduced. teen MHFA appears to be an effective and feasible program for training high school students in Mental Health First Aid techniques. Further research is required with a randomized controlled design to elucidate the causal role of the program in the changes observed.

Programming in a proposed 9X distributed Ada

Science.gov (United States)

Waldrop, Raymond S.; Volz, Richard A.; Goldsack, Stephen J.; Holzbach-Valero, A. A.

1991-01-01

The studies of the proposed Ada 9X constructs for distribution, now referred to as AdaPT are reported. The goals for this time period were to revise the chosen example scenario and to begin studying about how the proposed constructs might be implemented. The example scenario chosen is the Submarine Combat Information Center (CIC) developed by IBM for the Navy. The specification provided by IBM was preliminary and had several deficiencies. To address these problems, some changes to the scenario specification were made. Some of the more important changes include: (1) addition of a system database management function; (2) addition of a fourth processing unit to the standard resources; (3) addition of an operator console interface function; and (4) removal of the time synchronization function. To implement the CIC scenario in AdaPT, the decided strategy were publics, partitions, and nodes. The principle purpose for implementing the CIC scenario was to demonstrate how the AdaPT constructs interact with the program structure. While considering ways that the AdaPt constructs might be translated to Ada 83, it was observed that the partition construct could reasonably be modeled as an abstract data type. Although this gives a useful method of modeling partitions, it does not at all address the configuration aspects on the node construct.

How To Prepare Program Proposals for the American Psychological Association Annual Convention.

Science.gov (United States)

Tentoni, Stuart C.

The purpose of this paper is to dispel myths about preparing program proposals for the American Psychological Association's annual convention. The report's goal is to increase the number of student presenters at future annual conventions. It has been determined that, for a variety of reasons, psychology graduate students participate more in poster…

Guidelines For Implementation of Industrial Programs For Proposed Community Colleges in Venezuela.

Science.gov (United States)

Sada, Pablo Maria

The purpose of this study was to examine selected industrial education departments and programs of the community colleges in the United States, and to draw some beneficial implications for the establishment of the proposed community colleges in Venezuela. The procedure involved a review of the literature, the construction of a questionnaire, and…

DOE-HUD Initiative on Energy Efficiency in Housing: A federal partnership. Program summary report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brinch, J. [Energetics, Inc., Columbia, MD (United States)

1996-06-01

One of the primary goals of the US Department of Housing and urban Development (HUD) is the expansion of home ownership and affordable housing opportunities. Recognizing that energy efficiency is a key component in an affordable housing strategy, HUD and the US Department of Energy (DOE) created the DOE-HUD Initiative on Energy Efficiency in Housing. The DOE-HUD Initiative was designed to share the results of DOE research with housing providers throughout the nation, to reduce energy costs in federally-subsidized dwelling units and improve their affordability and comfort. This Program Summary Report provides an overview of the DOE-HUD Initiative and detailed project descriptions of the twenty-seven projects carried out with Initiative funding.

75 FR 1408 - Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Eastern and Western Division Proposed Project Use Power Rate

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-11

... of Proposed Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Eastern and Western Divisions, Project Use Power Rate...) for Project Use Power for the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program (P-SMBP), Eastern and Western... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Eastern and...

77 FR 24766 - Call for Proposals for a Micro Support Program on International Conflict Resolution and...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-25

... UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE Call for Proposals for a Micro Support Program on International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding For Immediate Release AGENCY: United States Institute of Peace. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Micro Support Program on International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding...

The Precision Medicine Initiative's All of Us Research Program: an agenda for research on its ethical, legal, and social issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Sankar, Pamela L; Parker, Lisa S

2017-07-01

The Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) is an innovative approach to developing a new model of health care that takes into account individual differences in people's genes, environments, and lifestyles. A cornerstone of the initiative is the PMI All of Us Research Program (formerly known as PMI-Cohort Program) which will create a cohort of 1 million volunteers who will contribute their health data and biospecimens to a centralized national database to support precision medicine research. The PMI All of US Research Program is the largest longitudinal study in the history of the United States. The designers of the Program anticipated and addressed some of the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) associated with the initiative. To date, however, there is no plan to call for research regarding ELSI associated with the Program-PMI All of Us program. Based on analysis of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcements for the PMI All of Us program, we have identified three ELSI themes: cohort diversity and health disparities, participant engagement, and privacy and security. We review All of Us Research Program plans to address these issues and then identify additional ELSI within each domain that warrant ongoing investigation as the All of Us Research Program develops. We conclude that PMI's All of Us Research Program represents a significant opportunity and obligation to identify, analyze, and respond to ELSI, and we call on the PMI to initiate a research program capable of taking on these challenges.Genet Med advance online publication 01 December 2016.

77 FR 47489 - 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Form DS-4213, PEPFAR Program Expenditures; OMB...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-08

... provide key information about program costs under PEPFAR on a global level. Applying expenditure results... monitoring, the PEPFAR Finance and Economics Work Group proposes to add reporting of expenditures by program... from implementing partners in countries with PEPFAR programs using a standard tool (DS-4213) via an...

76 FR 67200 - Proposed National Toxicology Program (NTP) Review Process for the Report on Carcinogens: Request...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-31

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Proposed National Toxicology... Session AGENCY: Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental.... Bucher, Associate Director, National Toxicology Program. [FR Doc. 2011-28132 Filed 10-28-11; 8:45 am...

Natural Programming: Project Overview and Proposal

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Myers, Brad

1998-01-01

.... The Natural Programming Project is developing general principles, methods, and programming language designs that will significantly reduce the amount of learning and effort needed to write programs...

Motivational factors for initiating, implementing, and maintaining physical activity behavior following a rehabilitation program for patients with type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walker, Karen Christina; Valentiner, Laura Staun; Langberg, Henning

2018-01-01

conducted at three separate occasions; at initiation of the rehabilitation program, at completion of the 12-week program, and 52 weeks after enrolment. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to Systematic Text Condensation. The framework of Self-Determination Theory was applied......Aim: To explore motivational factors for initiating, implementing, and maintaining physical activity following a rehabilitation program for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: Semi-structured, individual, qualitative interviews with five informants from the InterWalk trial were...... to guide analysis after identification of preliminary themes. Results: Commitment and obligation were emphasized as being motivational in initiating physical activity. Toward the termination of the program, this was challenged by an expressed need for autonomy. Successful behavioral change...

The Career Education Center: A Program with Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Ilivicky, Martin

1976-01-01

The Project Redesign grant proposal, developed by the faculty of William Cullen Bryant High School, was responsible for the initiation of a comprehensive career education program. That program and the Careers Center and Career Guidance Service were the focus of this article. (Author/RK)

Proposal for a Venture Capital Grant: A Programmatic Approach to Excellence in Illinois Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Hickrod, G. Alan; And Others

A new formula proposed for categorically funding local education programs in Illinois can channel more money into programs for excellence than can general purpose grants. The formula, which would provide venture capital to stimulate local initiatives, would depend on district plans for using the money to improve instruction and on distribution of…

A proposed vestigial translation initiation motif in VP1 of hepatitis A virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Jeong-Ah; Funkhouser, Ann W

2002-07-01

The internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of picornaviruses has a 3' polypyrimidine tract (PPT) 16-24 bases upstream of an AUG triplet (PPT/AUG motif). This motif is critical in determining the efficiency of cap-independent translation. HAV has a conserved PPT/AUG motif consisting of a nine base sequence (AGGUUUUUC) 23 bases upstream of the preferred AUG start codon. This HAV-specific PPT/AUG motif is repeated and conserved in VP1 of HAV, but not of other picornaviruses. We proposed that the PPT/AUG motif in the open reading frame initiated translation and/or had an impact on the life cycle of the virus. In vitro translation of mutant bicistronic mRNAs and growth in cell culture of mutant viruses provided no evidence that the VP1 PPT/AUG motif had any impact on either translation or growth. HAV differs from other picornaviruses in its inefficient growth in cell culture. Since the HAV-specific PPT/AUG motif is found in only 1 in 300,000 reported viral sequences outside the hepatovirus genus, this motif may be a vestigial translation initiation element and may have played a role in determining the unusual phenotype of HAV.

"Initiate-build-operate-transfer" - a strategy for establishing sustainable telemedicine programs not only in the developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Latifi, Rifat

2011-01-01

Establishing sustainable telemedicine has become a goal of many developing countries around the world. Yet, despite initiatives from a select few individuals and on occasion from various governments, often these initiatives never mature to become sustainable programs. The introduction of telemedicine and e-learning in the Balkans has been a pivotal step in advancing the quality and availability of medical services in a region whose infrastructure and resources have been decimated by wars, neglect, lack of funding, and poor management. The concept and establishment of the International Virtual e-Hospital (IVeH) has significantly impacted telemedicine and e-health services in Kosova. The success of the IVeH in Kosova has led to the development of similar programs in other Balkan countries and other developing countries in the hope of modernizing and improving their healthcare infrastructure. A comprehensive, four-pronged strategy developed by IVeH "Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer" (IBOT), may be a useful approach in establishing telemedicine and e-health educational services not only in developing countries, but in developed countries. The development strategy, IBOT, used by the IVeH to establish and develop telemedicine programs is described. IBOT includes assessment of healthcare needs of each country, the development of a curriculum and education program, the establishment of a nationwide telemedicine network, and the integration of the telemedicine program into the very core of healthcare infrastructure. The end point is the transfer of a sustainable telehealth program to the nation involved. By applying IBOT, a sustainable telemedicine program of Kosova and Albania has been established as an effective prototype for telemedicine in the Balkans. Once fully matured, the program is transitioned to the Ministry of Health, which ensures the sustainability and ownership of the program. Similar programs are being established in Macedonia, Montenegro and other countries

Epistemic logic and explicit knowledge in distributed programming

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Witzel, A.; Zvesper, J.A.; Padgham, L.; Parkes, D.; Müller, J.; Parsons, S.

2008-01-01

In this paper we propose an explicit form of knowledge-based programming. Our initial motivation is the distributed implementation of game-theoretical algorithms, but we abstract away from the game-theoretical details and describe a general scenario, where a group of agents each have some initially

An assessment of the water management program proposed in the Ranger EIS and its environmental implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davy, D.R.

1976-01-01

An assessment of the water management program proposed in the Ranger EIS has three components: a) a statement of water quality criteria and standards that the program must meet, b) a set of calculations based on the best available estimates, that compares the expected levels of waste with the standards set for the release, c) the plan of the surveillance program aimed at demonstrating compliance with these standards and at revealing deficiencies in the choice of criteria, the derivation of standards from them and unforseen departures from expectation. Standards are suggested for the operation of the Ranger mines based on the most restrictive criterion out of: (i) acute toxicity tests carried out on organisms and water from the Magela Creek combined with application factors recommended by AWRC, (ii) the results on indicator species and biological diversity indices for the Finniss river, (iii) requirements for agricultural and pastoral use, (iv) the requirements for portable water. It is expected that the program proposed by Ranger will meet these standards and it is concluded that planning for a comprehensive environmental program is adequate. (author)

Systematic evaluation program. Status report and initial evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-06-01

The MHB Ongoing Systematic Evaluation Program (SEP) Assessment Study was initiated by the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) in 1980. This MHB report is a status report and initial evaluation of SEP. The methodology and results of SEP are disscused with particular emphasis on the first two SEP plant reviews - the Palisades and R.E. Ginna nuclear power plants. The comments of cognizant persons in the NRC and the ACRS, as well as private consultants, are included herein. MHBs major findings are as follows: The SEP plant review methodology was acceptable to the NRC Commissioners, the ACRS, and the NRC Staffs consultants who evaluated the first two SEP plant reviews. A concern raised by all who commented on SEP was the absence of Three Mile Island Action Plan Items and Unresolved Safety Issues from current SEP reviews. The SEP reviews of the Palisades and R.E. Ginna plants concluded that the two plant designs were adequate with respect to a majority of safety topics. Several topics remain unresolved in both the Palisades and R.E. Ginna SEP reviews. In the case of the Ginna plant, several related topics have been grouped together in a major structural reevaluation study. In general, due to the number of unresolved and excluded topics, SEP has not at this time produced a plant safety evaluation which can be considered complete and integrated. (author)

Communicative Competence of the Fourth Year Students: Basis for Proposed English Language Program

Science.gov (United States)

Tuan, Vu Van

2017-01-01

This study on level of communicative competence covering linguistic/grammatical and discourse has aimed at constructing a proposed English language program for 5 key universities in Vietnam. The descriptive method utilized was scientifically employed with comparative techniques and correlational analysis. The researcher treated the surveyed data…

75 FR 72830 - Medicare Program; Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Contracts: Solicitation of Proposals...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-26

...] Medicare Program; Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Contracts: Solicitation of Proposals From In-State... the Social Security Act (the Act) to provide at least 6 months' advance notice of the expiration dates of contracts with out- of-State Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) before renewing any of those...

Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Online: lessons learned, initial findings and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Glueckauf, Robert L; Loomis, Jeffrey S

2003-01-01

Family caregivers of older adults with progressive dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) are faced with a variety of emotional and behavioral difficulties, such as dealing with persistent, repetitive questions, managing agitation and depression, and monitoring hygiene and self-care activities. Although professional and governmental organizations have called for the creation of community-based education and support programs, most dementia caregivers continue to receive little or no formal instruction in responding effectively to these challenges. The current paper describes the development and implementation of Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Online, a Web- and telephone-based education and support network for caregivers of individuals with progressive dementia. Lessons learned from the first two years of this state-supported initiative are discussed, followed by the findings of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded strategic marketing initiative and an initial program evaluation of AlzOnline's Positive Caregiving classes. Finally, clinical implications and future directions for program development and evaluation research are proposed.

77 FR 13619 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Housing Choice Voucher Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-07

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Housing Choice Voucher Program AGENCY: Office of the Chief... assistance payments, and budget and payment documentation. In some cases, PHAs voluntarily divest their voucher programs to a receiving PHA. PHAs may also project-base a portion of their vouchers or use their...

75 FR 55596 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Choice Voucher Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-13

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Choice Voucher Program AGENCY: Office of the Chief... assistance payments, and budget and payment documentation. In some cases PHAs voluntarily divest their voucher programs to a receiving PHA. PHAs may also project-base a portion of their vouchers or use their...

Cost estimate for a proposed GDF Suez LNG testing program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blanchat, Thomas K.; Brady, Patrick Dennis; Jernigan, Dann A.; Luketa, Anay Josephine; Nissen, Mark R.; Lopez, Carlos; Vermillion, Nancy; Hightower, Marion Michael

2014-02-01

At the request of GDF Suez, a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate was prepared for the design, construction, testing, and data analysis for an experimental series of large-scale (Liquefied Natural Gas) LNG spills on land and water that would result in the largest pool fires and vapor dispersion events ever conducted. Due to the expected cost of this large, multi-year program, the authors utilized Sandia's structured cost estimating methodology. This methodology insures that the efforts identified can be performed for the cost proposed at a plus or minus 30 percent confidence. The scale of the LNG spill, fire, and vapor dispersion tests proposed by GDF could produce hazard distances and testing safety issues that need to be fully explored. Based on our evaluations, Sandia can utilize much of our existing fire testing infrastructure for the large fire tests and some small dispersion tests (with some modifications) in Albuquerque, but we propose to develop a new dispersion testing site at our remote test area in Nevada because of the large hazard distances. While this might impact some testing logistics, the safety aspects warrant this approach. In addition, we have included a proposal to study cryogenic liquid spills on water and subsequent vaporization in the presence of waves. Sandia is working with DOE on applications that provide infrastructure pertinent to wave production. We present an approach to conduct repeatable wave/spill interaction testing that could utilize such infrastructure.

Sun Grant Initiative Regional Biomass Feedstock Partnership Competitive Grants Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Owens, Vance [South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD (United States). North Central Regional Sun Grant Center

2016-12-30

The Sun Grant Initiative partnered with the US Department of Energy (DOE) in 2008 to create the Regional Biomass Feedstock Partnership Competitive Grants Program. The overall goal of this project was to utilize congressionally directed funds to leverage the North Central Regional Sun Grant’s Competitive Grant program at South Dakota State University (SDSU) to address key issues and research gaps related to development of the bioeconomy. Specific objectives of this program were to: 1. Identify research projects through a Regional Competitive Grants program that were relevant to the sustainable production, harvest, transport, delivery, and processing/conversion of cost-competitive, domestically grown biomass. 2. Build local expertise and capacity at the North Central Regional Sun Grant Center at SDSU through an internal selection of key bioenergy research projects. To achieve these, three nationwide Request for Applications (RFA) were developed: one each in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Internal, capacity building projects at SDSU were also selected during each one of these RFAs. In 2013 and 2015, two additional Proof of Concept RFAs were developed for internal SDSU projects. Priority areas for each RFA were 1) Biomass feedstock logistics including biomass harvesting, handling, transportation, storage, and densification; 2) Sustainable biomass feedstock production systems including biomass crop development, production, and life-cycle analysis; 3) Biomass production systems that optimize biomass feedstock yield and economic return across a diverse landscape while minimizing negative effects on the environment and food/feed production; and 4) Promotion of knowledge-based economic development in science and technology and to advance commercialization of inventions that meet the mission of the Sun Grant Initiative. A total of 33 projects were selected for funding through this program. Final reports for each of these diverse projects are included in this summary report

78 FR 79654 - Vermont: Proposed Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-31

...] Vermont: Proposed Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY... Docket ID No. EPA-R01- RCRA-2013-0554, by mail to Sharon Leitch, RCRA Waste Management and UST Section..., RCRA Waste Management and UST Section, Office of Site Remediation and Restoration (OSRR07-1), US EPA...

The Father Friendly Initiative within Families: Using a logic model to develop program theory for a father support program.

Science.gov (United States)

Gervais, Christine; de Montigny, Francine; Lacharité, Carl; Dubeau, Diane

2015-10-01

The transition to fatherhood, with its numerous challenges, has been well documented. Likewise, fathers' relationships with health and social services have also begun to be explored. Yet despite the problems fathers experience in interactions with healthcare services, few programs have been developed for them. To explain this, some authors point to the difficulty practitioners encounter in developing and structuring the theory of programs they are trying to create to promote and support father involvement (Savaya, R., & Waysman, M. (2005). Administration in Social Work, 29(2), 85), even when such theory is key to a program's effectiveness (Chen, H.-T. (2005). Practical program evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications). The objective of the present paper is to present a tool, the logic model, to bridge this gap and to equip practitioners for structuring program theory. This paper addresses two questions: (1) What would be a useful instrument for structuring the development of program theory in interventions for fathers? (2) How would the concepts of a father involvement program best be organized? The case of the Father Friendly Initiative within Families (FFIF) program is used to present and illustrate six simple steps for developing a logic model that are based on program theory and demonstrate its relevance. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 57857 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application from the Compliance Team for Initial CMS-Approval of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-3287-PN] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application from the Compliance Team for Initial CMS-Approval of its Rural Health Clinic Accreditation Program AGENCY: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS. ACTION...

Logic Programming with Requests

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Schreye, Danny; Etalle, Sandro; van Raamsdonk, Femke

1999-01-01

We propose an extension of logic programming where the user can specify, together with the initial query, the information he is interested in by means of a request. This allows one to extract a result from an incomplete computation, such as the prefix of an infinite derivation. The classical

Proposed Social Spending Innovation Research (SSIR) Program: Harnessing American Entrepreneurial Talent to Solve Major U.S. Social Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, 2015

2015-01-01

The Social Spending Innovation Research (SSIR) proposal seeks to replicate, in social spending, the great success of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program in technology development. The SBIR program funds technology development by entrepreneurial small companies. The program has spawned breakthrough technologies in diverse areas…

Development and Evaluation of a Student-Initiated Test Preparation Program for the USMLE Step 1 Examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Lindsay F; Lineberry, Matthew; Park, Yoon Soo; Kamin, Carol S; Hyderi, Abbas A

2018-01-01

Studies have documented performance on the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE) Step 1 exam as an important factor that residency program directors consider when deciding which applicants to interview and rank. Therefore, success on this exam, though only one aspect of applicant evaluation, is important in determining future career prospects for medical students. Unfortunately, mean test scores at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago (UIC) have historically been below the national average. This retrospective and quasi-experimental mixed-methods study describes the development, evaluation, and effects of a student-initiated USMLE Step 1 preparatory program at UIC. The program provided second year students with First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 at the beginning of the academic year, as well as a six month subscription to the USMLE World question bank midyear. In addition, optional peer review sessions covering basic sciences and organ systems were taught by high-performing upperclassmen. The goals of the program were to raise mean USMLE Step 1 exam scores and increase the percentage of students passing the exam on their first time. The program premiered during the 2012-13 academic year. Data from this cohort as well as four others (N = 830; 2010-2014 examinees) were gathered. Performances between preintervention (2010-12 examinees) and postintervention (2013-14 examinees) cohorts of students were compared. Focus groups and interviews with staff and students were conducted, recorded, and analyzed to investigate the impact that the program had on student interactions and perceptions of the learning environment. There was a significant difference in exam performance pre- versus postintervention, with average USMLE Step 1 scores improving by 8.82 points following the implementation of the student-initiated program, t(5.61) = 828, p Step 1 (odds ratio = 3.08, SE = 1.07, p < .01). Students and staff commented on the sense of community and

Commissioning and initial experimental program of the BGO-OD experiment at ELSA

Science.gov (United States)

Alef, S.; Bauer, P.; Bayadilov, D.; Beck, R.; Becker, M.; Bella, A.; Bielefeldt, P.; Böse, S.; Braghieri, A.; Brinkmann, K.; Cole, P.; Di Salvo, R.; Dutz, H.; Elsner, D.; Fantini, A.; Freyermuth, O.; Friedrich, S.; Frommberger, F.; Ganenko, V.; Geffers, D.; Gervino, G.; Ghio, F.; Görtz, S.; Gridnev, A.; Gutz, E.; Hammann, D.; Hannappel, J.; Hillert, W.; Ignatov, A.; Jahn, R.; Joosten, R.; Jude, T. C.; Klein, F.; Knaust, J.; Kohl, K.; Koop, K.; Krusche, B.; Lapik, A.; Levi Sandri, P.; Lopatin, I. V.; Mandaglio, G.; Messi, F.; Messi, R.; Metag, V.; Moricciani, D.; Mushkarenkov, A.; Nanova, M.; Nedorezov, V.; Novinskiy, D.; Pedroni, P.; Reitz, B.; Romaniuk, M.; Rostomyan, T.; Rudnev, N.; Schaerf, C.; Scheluchin, G.; Schmieden, H.; Stugelev, A.; Sumachev, V.; Tarakanov, V.; Vegna, V.; Walther, D.; Watts, D.; Zaunick, H.; Zimmermann, T.

2016-11-01

BGO-OD is a new meson photoproduction experiment at the ELSA facility of Bonn University. It aims at the investigation of non strange and strange baryon excitations, and is especially designed to be able to detect weekly bound meson-baryon type structures. The setup for the BGO-OD experiment is presented, the characteristics of the photon beam and the detector performances are shown and the initial experimental program is discussed.

The climate adaptation programs and activities of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Wendy L. Francis

2011-01-01

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is an innovative transboundary effort to protect biodiversity and facilitate climate adaptation by linking large protected core areas through compatible land uses on matrix lands. The Y2Y organization acts as the keeper of the Y2Y vision and implements two interconnected programs - Science and Action, and Vision...

THE PROPOSED MODEL OF COLLABORATIVE VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR INTRODUCTORY PROGRAMMING COURSE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahfudzah OTHMAN

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the proposed model of the collaborative virtual learning system for the introductory computer programming course which uses one of the collaborative learning techniques known as the “Think-Pair-Share”. The main objective of this study is to design a model for an online learning system that facilitates the collaborative learning activities in a virtual environment such as online communications and pair or small group discussions. In order to model the virtual learning environment, the RUP methodology has been used where it involves the data collection phase and the analysis and design phase. Fifty respondents have been randomly selected to participate in the data collection phase to investigate the students’ interest and learning styles as well as their learning preferences. The results have shown the needs for the development of online small group discussions that can be used as an alternative learning style for programming courses. The proposed design of the virtual learning system named as the Online Collaborative Learning System or OCLS is being depicted using the object-oriented models which are the use-case model and class diagram in order to show the concise processes of virtual “Think-Pair-Share” collaborative activities. The “Think-Pair-Share” collaborative learning technique that is being used in this model has been chosen because of its simplicity and relatively low-risk. This paper also presents the proposed model of the system’s architecture that will become the guidelines for the physical development of OCLS using the web-based applications.

Berkeley SuperNova Ia Program (BSNIP): Initial Spectral Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Silverman, Jeffrey; Kong, J.; Ganeshalingam, M.; Li, W.; Filippenko, A. V.

2011-01-01

The Berkeley SuperNova Ia Program (BSNIP) has been observing nearby (z analysis of this dataset consists of accurately and robustly measuring the strength and position of various spectral features near maximum brightness. We determine the endpoints, pseudo-continuum, expansion velocity, equivalent width, and depth of each major feature observed in our wavelength range. For objects with multiple spectra near maximum brightness we investigate how these values change with time. From these measurements we also calculate velocity gradients and various flux ratios within a given spectrum which will allow us to explore correlations between spectral and photometric observables. Some possible correlations have been studied previously, but our dataset is unique in how self-consistent the data reduction and spectral feature measurements have been, and it is a factor of a few larger than most earlier studies. We will briefly summarize the contents of the full dataset as an introduction to our initial analysis. Some of our measurements of SN Ia spectral features, along with a few initial results from those measurements, will be presented. Finally, we will comment on our current progress and planned future work. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of NSF grant AST-0908886, the TABASGO Foundation, and the Marc J. Staley Graduate Fellowship in Astronomy.

Bundle Payment Program Initiative: Roles of a Nurse Navigator and Home Health Professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Peiritsch, Heather

2017-06-01

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) introduced a new value-based payment model, the Bundle Payment Care Initiative. The CMS Innovation (Innovation Center) authorized hospitals to participate in a pilot to test innovative payment and service delivery models that have a potential to reduce Medicare expenditures while maintaining or improving the quality of care for beneficiaries. A hospital-based home care agency, Abington Jefferson Health Home Care Department, led the initiative for the development and implementation of the Bundled Payment Program. This was a creative and innovative method to improve care along the continuum while testing a value-based care model.

Initial Analyses of Change Detection Capabilities and Data Redundancies in the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lubinski, Kenneth

2001-01-01

Evaluations of Long Term Resource Monitoring Program sampling designs for water quality, fish, aquatic vegetation, and macroinvertebrates were initiated in 1999 by analyzing data collected since 1992...

77 FR 16841 - Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-22

...] Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration... Education (GNE) Demonstration. The primary goal of the GNE Demonstration is to increase the number of... schools of nursing; and (B) 2 or more applicable non-hospital community-based care settings. The written...

Stopping coal-fired electricity imports on smog days : a review of the OPA's proposed 250 MW demand response program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibbons, J.

2006-01-01

This paper proposed an alternative to importing coal-fired electricity from the Ohio Valley on smog alert days in Ontario. It was suggested that the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) should pay large electricity consumers to shift some of their consumption from peak to off-peak hours. It was observed that demand response programs which pay consumers to shift demands to off-peak hours can provide multiple benefits to Ontario, including reduced air pollution on smog-alert days, a reduction in the spot price of electricity and reduced price volatility. In addition, demand response programs reduce the risk of blackouts and brownouts, as well as the need for new electricity generation and transmission infrastructure. It was noted that the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and the OPA are planning to introduce demand response programs for the summer of 2006. However, the IESO's emergency load reduction program will be operated only during emergency situations to avoid the need for voltage reductions, while the OPA proposes to introduce a non-emergency demand response program which will be activated during most smog-alert days. Various amendments to the proposed program were suggested in this paper, including the establishment of price parity with coal-fired electricity imports; the provision of notification by 3 PM of the need for demand reductions the following day; no capping on the quantity of demand reductions that the OPA will purchase at a lower cost than electricity imports; and that the OPA's proposed Capacity Building Demand Response Program should proceed as quickly as possible without a pre-determined MW cap. 4 refs., 6 figs

Natural Programming: Project Overview and Proposal

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Myers, Brad

1998-01-01

End-users must write programs to control many different kinds of applications. Examples include multimedia authoring, controlling robots, defining manufacturing processes, setting up simulations, programming agents, scripting, etc...

Initial results from the Auto/Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCabe, L.J.

1993-01-01

The Auto/Air Quality Improvement Research Program (AQIRP), a cooperative effort by the three major US auto companies and fourteen oil companies, is the most comprehensive research effort ever undertaken to develop data on the air quality effects of the use of various motor fuels in various automotive systems and the relative cost-effectiveness of various fuel/vehicle combinations. Phase 1 of the Program, at a cost of about $15 million, is examining emissions and air quality impacts from current and older vehicles using reformulated gasolines with widely different values of aromatics content, olefin content, oxygenate content and type, sulfur content, vapor pressure (RVP) and 90% distillation temperature. Emissions from Flexible and Variable Fuel vehicles using methanol/gasoline mixtures are also being examined. A second phase with a $25 million budget over three years has also been approved. Initial findings for the Phase 1 study and Phase 2 plans are presented

Initiation of a Nuclear Research Program at Fisk University in Cooperation with the Nuclear Physics Group at Vanderbilt University, August 15, 1997 - January 14, 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, W.E.; Hamilton, J.H.

2002-10-01

Carrying a spirit of a long history of cooperation in physics education and research between Fisk University and Vanderbilt University, the Nuclear Research Program in the Department of Physics at Fisk University was proposed in 1996 in cooperation with the Nuclear Physics Group at Vanderbilt University. An initial NRP program was commissioned in 1997 with the financial support from DOE. The program offers a great opportunity for students and faculty at Fisk University to directly access experimental nuclear data and analyzing facilities within the Nuclear Physics Group at Vanderbilt University for a quick start. During the program Fisk Faculty and students (along with the colleagues at Vanderbilt University) have achieved progress in a few areas. We have (a) established an in-house nuclear data processing and analysis program at Fisk University, (b) conducted hands-on nuclear physics experiments for a Fisk undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University, (c) participated in the UNIRIB research with radioactive ion beam and Recoil Mass Spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and (d) studied {sup 252}Cf spontaneous fission and in-beam nuclear reactions for exotic nuclei. Additionally, this work has produced publication in conference proceedings as well as referred journals. [2-7].

PERSPECTIVES OF TEACHER TRAINING AND INITIAL LITERACY IMPLIED IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS OF THE NORMAL SCHOOLS OF MEXICO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Efrén Viramontes Anaya

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The stage or phase of this research project is intended to perform an analysis of approaches for teacher ́s training and early literacy of current language programs in Mexico ́s teacher education. The central con-tent of the document contains the analysis of approaches of teachers ́ trai-ning and initial literacy that lie behind educational programs. The theoretical approach is supported by Pérez Gómez (1996 and in the field of literacy in Ferreiro and Teberobsky (2007 and Lerner (2001. The research methodology is projected into the reconstructive critical pa-radigm as a diagnostic part of a future participative action research that will be conducted in two remaining stages. The perspective of analysis is established by the methodological contributions of Habermas (2008, in the hermeneutic reconstruction of implicit in the analyzed documents approaches. The results and discussion of them that provide lines of analysis of educa-tional programs, the relationship between theory and practice in curriculum approaches and a proposal of teachers profile requirements of language courses for teaching training as well as suggestions for future restructuring of curricula for teacher ́s colleges. In the conclusion, it is established that the perspective and the teacher training approach identified in the curriculum of Primary Education Degree (1997 and 2012 Preschool Education Degree (1999 and 2012 is mainly a model technical decision-making. This explains that the formative processes in teaching students of Tea-chers colleges , there is a tendency to engage in activities that are based on the theory, performing analytical processes that lead to understand the di-dactical principles of approaches for teaching reading instruction and writing, which will be applied in decision-making processes in situ of teaching practi-ce. Initial literacy approaches identified in the curriculum of Elementary and Preschool Degrees 1997 and 1999 plans

Impacts of the proposed program approach on waste stream characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, J.F.; Fleming, M.E.

1995-01-01

The evolution of the U.S. Department of Energy's Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System (CRWMS) over the past few years has led to significant changes in key system scenario assumption. This paper describes the effects of two recent changes on waste stream characteristics focusing primarily on repository impacts. First, the multi-purpose canister (MPC) concept has been included in the Program baseline. The change from a bare fuel system to one including an MPC-based system forces the fuel assemblies initially loaded together in MPCs to remain together throughout the system. Second, current system analyses also assume a system without a monitored retrievable storage (MRS), with the understanding that an MRS would be reincorporated if a site becomes available. Together these two changes have significant impacts on waste stream characteristics. Those two changes create a class of scenarios referred to generally as Program Approach (PA) scenarios. Scenarios based on the previously assumed system, bare fuel with an MRS, are referred to here as the Previous Reference (PR) system scenarios. The analysis compares scenarios with otherwise consistent assumptions and presents summary comparisons. The number of disposal containers and the waste heat output are determined for eight PA and PR scenarios

77 FR 43560 - American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program; Proposed Waivers and Extensions of...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-25

... Program; Proposed Waivers and Extensions of the Project Periods AGENCY: Office of Special Education and... rehabilitation services to American Indians with disabilities who reside on or near Federal or State reservations... documents published by the Department. Dated: July 19, 2012. Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary for Special...

76 FR 29747 - State Program Requirements; Proposal To Approve Maine's Base National Pollutant Discharge...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-23

... of cooling water intake structures under CWA section 316(b). Authority: This action is proposed to be... the First Circuit vacated EPA's October 31, 2003 decision to withhold the permitting of two tribally..., 1999). Maine's application included an assertion of authority to implement the program in the...

Veterans in substance abuse treatment program self-initiate box gardening as a stress reducing therapeutic modality.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Lauren P; Detweiler, Jonna G; Detweiler, Mark B

2018-02-01

To assess the experiences of a veteran initiated horticultural therapy garden during their 28-day inpatient Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP). Retrospective study. Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Salem, Virginia, USA INTERVENTIONS: Group interviews with veterans from the last SARRTP classes and individual interviews with VAMC greenhouse staff in summer of 2016. Time spent in garden, frequency of garden visits, types of passive and active garden activities, words describing the veterans' emotional reactions to utilizing the garden. In 3 summer months of 2016, 50 percent of the 56 veterans interviewed visited and interacted with the gardens during their free time. Frequency of visits generally varied from 3 times weekly to 1-2 times a day. Amount of time in the garden varied from 10min to 2h. The veterans engaged in active and/or passive gardening activities during their garden visits. The veterans reported feeling "calm", "serene", and "refreshed" during garden visitation and after leaving the garden. Although data was secured only at the end of the 2016 growing season, interviews of the inpatient veterans revealed that they used their own initiative and resources to continue the horticulture therapy program for 2 successive growing years after the original pilot project ended in 2014. These non-interventionist, therapeutic garden projects suggest the role of autonomy and patient initiative in recovery programs for veterans attending VAMC treatment programs and they also suggest the value of horticulture therapy as a meaningful evidence- based therapeutic modality for veterans. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Proposal for a United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Balogh, Werner

Putting space technology and its applications to work for sustainable economic and social development is the primary objective of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications, launched in 1971. A specific goal for achieving this objective is to establish a sustainable national space capacity. The traditional line of thinking has supported a logical progression from building capacity in basic space science, to using space applications and finally - possibly - to establishing indigenous space technology capabilities. The experience in some countries suggests that such a strict line of progression does not necessarily hold true and that priority given to the establishment of early indigenous space technology capabilities may contribute to promoting the operational use of space applications in support of sustainable economic and social development. Based on these findings and on the experiences with the United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI) as well as on a series of United Nations/International Academy of Astronautics Workshops on Small Satellites in the Service of Developing Countries, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is considering the launch of a dedicated United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative (UNBSTI). The initiative would aim to contribute to capacity building in basic space technology and could include, among other relevant fields, activities related to the space and ground segments of small satellites and their applications. It would also provide an international framework for enhancing cooperation between all interested actors, facilitate the exchange of information on best practices, and contribute to standardization efforts. It is expected that these activities would advance the operational use of space technology and its applications in an increasing number of space-using countries and emerging space nations. The paper reports on these initial considerations and on the potential value-adding role

78 FR 58546 - State System Development Initiative (SSDI) Grant Program; Single-Case Deviation From Competition...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-24

... Development Initiative (SSDI) Grant Program; Single- Case Deviation From Competition Requirements AGENCY...). ACTION: Notice of Single-Case Deviation from Competition Requirements for the Maternal and Child Health... and quality data that is timely. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Intended Recipient of the Award...

EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] SITE [Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation] program seeks technology proposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

EPA will issue an RFP to initiate the SITE-005 solicitation for demonstration of technologies under the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program. This portion of the SITE program offers a mechanism for conducting a joint technology demonstration between EPA and the private sector. The goal of the demonstration program is to provide an opportunity for developers to demonstrate the performance of their technologies on actual hazardous wastes at Superfund sites, and to provide accurate and reliable data on that performance. Technologies selected must be of commercial scale and provide solutions to problems encountered at Superfund Sites. Primary emphasis in the RFP is on technologies that address: treatment of mixed, low level radioactive wastes in soils and groundwater; treatment of soils and sludges contaminated with organics and/or inorganics, materials handling as a preliminary step to treatment or further processing, treatment trains designed to handle specific wastes, are in situ technologies, especially those processes providing alternatives to conventional groundwater pump and treat techniques

Off-line programming and simulation in handling nuclear components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, C.P.

1993-10-01

IGRIP was used to create a simulation of the robotic workcell design for handling components at the PANTEX nuclear arms facility. This initial simulation identified problems with the customer's proposed worker layout, and allowed a correction to be proposed. Refinement of the IGRIP simulation allowed the design and construction of a workcell mock-up and accurate off-line programming of the system. IGRIP's off-line programming capabilities are being used to develop the motion control code for the workcell. PNLs success in this area suggests that simulation and off-line programming may be valuable tools for developing robotics in some automation resistant industries

75 FR 52393 - Proposed Data Collection; Comment Request: New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program-Allocation...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-25

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Proposed Data... Institutions (CDFI) Fund, Department of the Treasury, is soliciting comments concerning the New Markets Tax... comments to Rosa Martinez, Acting NMTC Program Manager, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund...

Programming Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease: The Toronto Western Hospital Algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Picillo, Marina; Lozano, Andres M; Kou, Nancy; Puppi Munhoz, Renato; Fasano, Alfonso

2016-01-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established and effective treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). After surgery, a number of extensive programming sessions are performed to define the most optimal stimulation parameters. Programming sessions mainly rely only on neurologist's experience. As a result, patients often undergo inconsistent and inefficient stimulation changes, as well as unnecessary visits. We reviewed the literature on initial and follow-up DBS programming procedures and integrated our current practice at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH) to develop standardized DBS programming protocols. We propose four algorithms including the initial programming and specific algorithms tailored to symptoms experienced by patients following DBS: speech disturbances, stimulation-induced dyskinesia and gait impairment. We conducted a literature search of PubMed from inception to July 2014 with the keywords "deep brain stimulation", "festination", "freezing", "initial programming", "Parkinson's disease", "postural instability", "speech disturbances", and "stimulation induced dyskinesia". Seventy papers were considered for this review. Based on the literature review and our experience at TWH, we refined four algorithms for: (1) the initial programming stage, and management of symptoms following DBS, particularly addressing (2) speech disturbances, (3) stimulation-induced dyskinesia, and (4) gait impairment. We propose four algorithms tailored to an individualized approach to managing symptoms associated with DBS and disease progression in patients with PD. We encourage established as well as new DBS centers to test the clinical usefulness of these algorithms in supplementing the current standards of care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Healthy bread initiative: methods, findings, and theories--Isfahan Healthy Heart Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Talaei, Mohammad; Mohammadifard, Noushin; Khaje, Mohammad-Reza; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal; Sajjadi, Firoozeh; Alikhasi, Hasan; Maghroun, Maryam; Iraji, Farhad; Ehteshami, Shahram

2013-03-01

The scientific evidences show that the content, baking methods, and types of bread can make health impacts. Bread, as a major part of Iranian diet, demonstrates a significant potential to be targeted as health promotion subject. Healthy Food for Healthy Communities (HFHC) was a project of Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP), consisting of a wide variety of strategies, like Healthy Bread (HB) Initiative. The HB Initiative was designed to improve the behaviour of both producers and consumers, mainly aiming at making high-fibre, low-salt bread, eliminating the use of baking soda, providing enough rest time for dough before baking (at least one hour), and enough baking time (at least one minute in oven). A workshop was held for volunteer bakers, and a baker-to-baker training protocol under direct supervision was designed for future volunteers. Cereal Organization was persuaded to provide less refined flour that contained more bran. Health messages in support of new breads were disseminated by media and at bakeries by health professionals. Evaluation of the HB Initiative was done using before-after assessments and population surveys. While HB was baked in 1 (0.01%) bakery at baseline, 402 (41%) bakeries in the intervention area joined the HB Initiative in 2009. Soda was completely eliminated and fibre significantly increased from 4 +/- 0.4 g% before study to 12 +/- 0.6 g% after the intervention (p bread decreased from 13 +/- 1.8 g% to 2 +/- 0.5 g% and was expressed as the most important advantage of this initiative by consumers. People who lived in Isfahan city consumed whole bread 6 times more than those who lived in reference area Arak (p breads as a healthy choice that were compatible with local dishes and made a model to solve the longstanding problems of bread. It used various health promotion approaches but was best consistent with Beattie's model.

Symbolic computation of analytic approximate solutions for nonlinear differential equations with initial conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yezhi; Liu, Yinping; Li, Zhibin

2012-01-01

The Adomian decomposition method (ADM) is one of the most effective methods for constructing analytic approximate solutions of nonlinear differential equations. In this paper, based on the new definition of the Adomian polynomials, and the two-step Adomian decomposition method (TSADM) combined with the Padé technique, a new algorithm is proposed to construct accurate analytic approximations of nonlinear differential equations with initial conditions. Furthermore, a MAPLE package is developed, which is user-friendly and efficient. One only needs to input a system, initial conditions and several necessary parameters, then our package will automatically deliver analytic approximate solutions within a few seconds. Several different types of examples are given to illustrate the validity of the package. Our program provides a helpful and easy-to-use tool in science and engineering to deal with initial value problems. Program summaryProgram title: NAPA Catalogue identifier: AEJZ_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEJZ_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 4060 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 113 498 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: MAPLE R13 Computer: PC Operating system: Windows XP/7 RAM: 2 Gbytes Classification: 4.3 Nature of problem: Solve nonlinear differential equations with initial conditions. Solution method: Adomian decomposition method and Padé technique. Running time: Seconds at most in routine uses of the program. Special tasks may take up to some minutes.

The School Meals Initiative Implementation Study. Second Year Report. Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Sameer; Chattopadhyay, Manas; Montgomery, Margrethe; Steiger, Darby Miller; Daft, Lynn; Wilbraham, Brooke

This report, authorized by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, contains information on the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI), a reform of school-meals programs aimed at upgrading the nutritional content of school meals. The purpose of the study was to describe and evaluate: (1) overall…

The School Meals Initiative Implementation Study. Third Year Report. Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Sameer; Chattopadhyay, Manas; Montgomery, Margrethe; Steiger, Darby Miller; Daft, Lynn; Wilbraham, Brooke

This report, authorized by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, contains information on the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI), a reform of school-meals programs aimed at upgrading the nutritional content of school meals. The purpose of the study was to describe and evaluate: (1) overall…

Healthy Bread Initiative: Methods, Findings, and Theories—Isfahan Healthy Heart Program

Science.gov (United States)

Talaei, Mohammad; Khaje, Mohammad-Reza; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal; Sajjadi, Firoozeh; Alikhasi, Hasan; Maghroun, Maryam; Iraji, Farhad; Ehteshami, Shahram

2013-01-01

The scientific evidences show that the content, baking methods, and types of bread can make health impacts. Bread, as a major part of Iranian diet, demonstrates a significant potential to be targeted as health promotion subject. Healthy Food for Healthy Communities (HFHC) was a project of Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP), consisting of a wide variety of strategies, like Healthy Bread (HB) Initiative. The HB Initiative was designed to improve the behaviour of both producers and consumers, mainly aiming at making high-fibre, low-salt bread, eliminating the use of baking soda, providing enough rest time for dough before baking (at least one hour), and enough baking time (at least one minute in oven). A workshop was held for volunteer bakers, and a baker-to-baker training protocol under direct supervision was designed for future volunteers. Cereal Organization was persuaded to provide less refined flour that contained more bran. Health messages in support of new breads were disseminated by media and at bakeries by health professionals. Evaluation of the HB Initiative was done using before-after assessments and population surveys. While HB was baked in 1 (0.01%) bakery at baseline, 402 (41%) bakeries in the intervention area joined the HB Initiative in 2009. Soda was completely eliminated and fibre significantly increased from 4±0.4 g% before study to 12±0.6 g% after the intervention (p<0.001). The preparation and baking times remarkably increased. Wastage of bread decreased from 13±1.8 g% to 2±0.5 g% and was expressed as the most important advantage of this initiative by consumers. People who lived in Isfahan city consumed whole bread 6 times more than those who lived in reference area Arak (p<0.001). The HB Initiative managed to add new breads as a healthy choice that were compatible with local dishes and made a model to solve the long-standing problems of bread. It used various health promotion approaches but was best consistent with Beattie's model. PMID

77 FR 57103 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Counseling Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-17

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Counseling Program AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information... Counseling organizations submit information to HUD through Grants.gov when applying for grant funds to provide housing counseling assistance to eligible homebuyers to find and purchase affordable housing...

The global polio eradication initiative Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) program - 1999-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-21

In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was established through a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, CDC, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). By 2012, the annual incidence of polio had decreased by >99%, compared with 1988, and the number of countries in which wild poliovirus (WPV) circulation has never been interrupted was reduced to three: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. However, because of the persistence of endemic WPV transmission and recurring outbreaks in polio-free countries after the original polio eradication target date of 2000, the World Health Assembly in 2012 declared the completion of polio eradication a programmatic emergency. A key component of GPEI is the Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) program, which was developed and initiated by CDC with WHO in 1999 to mobilize additional human resources and technical assistance for countries affected by WPV transmission. During 1999-2013, 1,563 volunteers were identified, trained, and deployed for 2,221 assignments in 69 countries. The number of volunteers increased from 90-120 per year during 1999-2011 to 287 in 2012 and 378 in 2013, and the number of volunteer person-months in the field per year increased from 273 in 1999 to 1,456 in 2012. The STOP program has aided GPEI by strengthening the capacity of country-level immunization programs and by allowing a large cohort of volunteers to gain valuable field experience that prepares them well for subsequent work as staff members of WHO, UNICEF, and other public health agencies.

Corporate sponsored education initiatives on board the ISS

Science.gov (United States)

Durham, Ian T.; Durham, Alyson S.; Pawelczyk, James A.; Brod, Lawrence B.; Durham, Thomas F.

1999-01-01

This paper proposes the creation of a corporate sponsored ``Lecture from Space'' program on board the International Space Station (ISS) with funding coming from a host of new technology and marketing spin-offs. This program would meld existing education initiatives in NASA with new corporate marketing techniques. Astronauts in residence on board the ISS would conduct short ten to fifteen minute live presentations and/or conduct interactive discussions carried out by a teacher in the classroom. This concept is similar to a program already carried out during the Neurolab mission on Shuttle flight STS-90. Building on that concept, the interactive simulcasts would be broadcast over the Internet and linked directly to computers and televisions in classrooms worldwide. In addition to the live broadcasts, educational programs and demonstrations can be recorded in space, and marketed and sold for inclusion in television programs, computer software, and other forms of media. Programs can be distributed directly into classrooms as an additional presentation supplement, as well as over the Internet or through cable and broadcast television, similar to the Canadian Discovery Channel's broadcasts of the Neurolab mission. Successful marketing and advertisement can eventually lead to the creation of an entirely new, privately run cottage industry involving the distribution and sale of educationally related material associated with the ISS that would have the potential to become truly global in scope. By targeting areas of expertise and research interest in microgravity, a large curriculum could be developed using space exploration as a unifying theme. Expansion of this concept could enhance objectives already initiated through the International Space University to include elementary and secondary school students. The ultimate goal would be to stimulate interest in space and space related sciences in today's youth through creative educational marketing initiatives while at the

NASA's explorer school and spaceward bound programs: Insights into two education programs designed to heighten public support for space science initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Allner, Matthew; McKay, Christopher P; Coe, Liza; Rask, Jon; Paradise, Jim; Wynne, J. Judson

2010-01-01

IntroductionNASA has played an influential role in bringing the enthusiasm of space science to schools across the United States since the 1980s. The evolution of this public outreach has led to a variety of NASA funded education programs designed to promote student interest in science, technology, engineering, math, and geography (STEM-G) careers.PurposeThis paper investigates the educational outreach initiatives, structure, and impact of two of NASA's largest educational programs: the NASA Explorer School (NES) and NASA Spaceward Bound programs.ResultsSince its induction in 2003 the NES program has networked and provided resources to over 300 schools across the United States. Future directions include further development of mentor schools for each new NES school selected, while also developing a longitudinal student tracking system for NES students to monitor their future involvement in STEM-G careers. The Spaceward Bound program, now in its third year of teacher outreach, is looking to further expand its teacher network and scientific collaboration efforts, while building on its teacher mentorship framework.

Clinical trials recruitment planning: A proposed framework from the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Grant D; Bull, Jonca; Johnston McKee, Kelly; Mahon, Elizabeth; Harper, Beth; Roberts, Jamie N

2018-03-01

Patient recruitment is widely recognized as a key determinant of success for clinical trials. Yet a substantial number of trials fail to reach recruitment goals-a situation that has important scientific, financial, ethical, and policy implications. Further, there are important effects on stakeholders who directly contribute to the trial including investigators, sponsors, and study participants. Despite efforts over multiple decades to identify and address barriers, recruitment challenges persist. To advance a more comprehensive approach to trial recruitment, the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI) convened a project team to examine the challenges and to issue actionable, evidence-based recommendations for improving recruitment planning that extend beyond common study-specific strategies. We describe our multi-stakeholder effort to develop a framework that delineates three areas essential to strategic recruitment planning efforts: (1) trial design and protocol development, (2) trial feasibility and site selection, and (3) communication. Our recommendations propose an upstream approach to recruitment planning that has the potential to produce greater impact and reduce downstream barriers. Additionally, we offer tools to help facilitate adoption of the recommendations. We hope that our framework and recommendations will serve as a guide for initial efforts in clinical trial recruitment planning irrespective of disease or intervention focus, provide a common basis for discussions in this area and generate targets for further analysis and continual improvement. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting Schedule Duration for Defense Acquisition Programs: Program Initiation to Initial Operational Capability

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-24

statistically significant. Variance inflation is a consequence of multicollinearity and the VIF scores are a common way for detecting 43 such a...produced an initial model and we have ascertained there are no issues (and tested that) with respect to multicollinearity (VIF scores), influential...The analysis of this tells us that there is no consequence of multicollinearity present in the preliminary model. By this, there is no linear

78 FR 15798 - 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Iran Democracy Program Grants Vetting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-12

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8218] 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Iran Democracy Program Grants Vetting ACTION: Notice of request for public comment. SUMMARY: The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection described...

Technical Proposal Salton Sea Geothermal Power Pilot Plant Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1975-03-28

The proposed Salton Sea Geothermal Power Pilot Plant Program comprises two phases. The objective of Phase 1 is to develop the technology for power generation from high-temperature, high-salinity geothermal brines existing in the Salton Sea known geothermal resources area. Phase 1 work will result in the following: (a) Completion of a preliminary design and cost estimate for a pilot geothermal brine utilization facility. (b) Design and construction of an Area Resource Test Facility (ARTF) in which developmental geothermal utilization concepts can be tested and evaluated. Program efforts will be divided into four sub-programs; Power Generation, Mineral Extraction, Reservoir Production, and the Area Resources Test Facility. The Power Generation Subprogram will include testing of scale and corrosion control methods, and critical power cycle components; power cycle selection based on an optimization of technical, environmental and economic analyses of candidate cycles; preliminary design of a pilot geothermal-electric generating station to be constructed in Phase 2 of this program. The Mineral Extraction Subprogram will involve the following: selection of an optimum mineral recovery process; recommendation of a brine clean-up process for well injection enhancement; engineering, construction and operation of mineral recovery and brine clean-up facilities; analysis of facility operating results from environmental, economical and technical point-of-view; preliminary design of mineral recovery and brine clean-up facilities of sufficient size to match the planned pilot power plant. The Reservoir Production Subprogram will include monitoring the operation and maintenance of brine production, handling and injection systems which were built with private funding in phase 0, and monitoring of the brine characteristics and potential subsidence effects during well production and injection. Based on the above, recommendations and specifications will be prepared for production and

Testing a top-down strategy for establishing a sustainable telemedicine program in a developing country: the Arizona telemedicine program-US Army-Republic of Panama Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Vega, Silvio; Marciscano, Ivette; Holcomb, Michael; Erps, Kristine A; Major, Janet; Lopez, Ana Maria; Barker, Gail P; Weinstein, Ronald S

2013-10-01

Many developing countries have shown interest in embracing telemedicine and incorporating it into their healthcare systems. In 2000, the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) initiated a program to assist the Republic of Panama in establishing a demonstration Panamanian rural telemedicine program. YPG engaged the Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) to participate in the development and implementation of the program. The ATP recommended adoption of a "top-down" strategy for creating the program. Early buy-in of the Panamanian Ministry of Health and academic leaders was regarded as critical to the achievement of long-term success. High-level meetings with the Minister of Health and the Rectors (i.e., Presidents) of the national universities gained early program support. A telemedicine demonstration project was established on a mountainous Indian reservation 230 miles west of Panama City. Today, three rural telemedicine clinics are linked to a regional Ministry of Health hospital for teleconsultations. Real-time bidirectional videoconferencing utilizes videophones connected over Internet protocol networks at a data rate of 768 kilobits per second to the San Felix Hospital. Telepediatrics, tele-obstetrics, telepulmonology, teledermatology, and tele-emergency medicine services became available. Telemedicine services were provided to the three sites for a total of 1,013 cases, with numbers of cases increasing each year. These three demonstration sites remained in operation after discontinuation of the U.S. involvement in September 2009 and serve as a model program for other telemedicine initiatives in Panama. Access to the assets of a partner-nation was invaluable in the establishment of the first model telemedicine demonstration program in Panama. After 3 years, the Panamanian Telemedicine and Telehealth Program (PTTP) became self-sufficient. The successful achievement of sustainability of the PTTP after disengagement by the United States fits the Latifi-Weinstein model

Validation of a method for assessing resident physicians' quality improvement proposals.

Science.gov (United States)

Leenstra, James L; Beckman, Thomas J; Reed, Darcy A; Mundell, William C; Thomas, Kris G; Krajicek, Bryan J; Cha, Stephen S; Kolars, Joseph C; McDonald, Furman S

2007-09-01

Residency programs involve trainees in quality improvement (QI) projects to evaluate competency in systems-based practice and practice-based learning and improvement. Valid approaches to assess QI proposals are lacking. We developed an instrument for assessing resident QI proposals--the Quality Improvement Proposal Assessment Tool (QIPAT-7)-and determined its validity and reliability. QIPAT-7 content was initially obtained from a national panel of QI experts. Through an iterative process, the instrument was refined, pilot-tested, and revised. Seven raters used the instrument to assess 45 resident QI proposals. Principal factor analysis was used to explore the dimensionality of instrument scores. Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlations were calculated to determine internal consistency and interrater reliability, respectively. QIPAT-7 items comprised a single factor (eigenvalue = 3.4) suggesting a single assessment dimension. Interrater reliability for each item (range 0.79 to 0.93) and internal consistency reliability among the items (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87) were high. This method for assessing resident physician QI proposals is supported by content and internal structure validity evidence. QIPAT-7 is a useful tool for assessing resident QI proposals. Future research should determine the reliability of QIPAT-7 scores in other residency and fellowship training programs. Correlations should also be made between assessment scores and criteria for QI proposal success such as implementation of QI proposals, resident scholarly productivity, and improved patient outcomes.

Comments on proposed legislation to restructure DOE's uranium enrichment program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

This book focuses on H.R.145, H.R.788, and S.210. Each of the proposed bills would restructure DOE's enrichment program as a government corporation with private financing and would encourage the eventual sale of the corporation to the private sector. In doing so, the bills would, among other things, allow the corporation to set prices to maximize long-term returns; establish a fund to meet the costs of decontamination, decommissioning, and other environmental cleanup costs associated with uranium enrichment activities; transfer interest in DOE's new atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS) process to the new corporation; and, except for H.R. 145, require the government to pay its share of the costs to clean up mill tailings (mining wastes) generated under government contracts

Development of an Actuarial Science Program at Salisbury University

Science.gov (United States)

Wainwright, Barbara A.

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on the development of an actuarial science track for the mathematics major at Salisbury University (SU). A timeline from the initial investigation into such a program through the proposal and approval processes is shared for those who might be interested in developing a new actuarial program. It is wise to start small and take…

76 FR 70156 - Proposed 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-10

... Analysis for the OCS 5-Year Program 2012-2017: Theory and Methodology (BOEM 050-2011), a paper containing a..., which remain the two areas of highest resource potential and interest, the Proposed Program schedules..., and setting the fiscal terms and conditions by individual lease sale, based on a current assessment of...

A new program in earth system science education

Science.gov (United States)

Huntress, Wesley; Kalb, Michael W.; Johnson, Donald R.

1990-01-01

A program aimed at accelerating the development of earth system science curricula at the undergraduate level and at seeding the establishment of university-based mechanisms for cooperative research and education among universities and NASA has been initiated by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) in conjunction with NASA. Proposals were submitted by 100 U.S. research universities which were selected as candidates to participate in a three-year pilot program to develop undergraduate curricula in earth system science. Universities were then selected based upon peer review and considerations of overall scientific balance among proposed programs. The program will also aim to integrate a number of universities with evolving earth system programs, linking them with a cooperative curriculum, shared faculty, and NASA scientists in order to establish a stronger base for earth systems related education and interdisciplinary research collaboration.

Towards 'green' Vinca - Vinca institute nuclear program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subotic, K.; Pesic, M.P.; Ljubenov, V.Lj.; Sotic, O.; Plecas, I.; Milosevic, M.J.; Peric, A.; Pavlovic, R.

2002-01-01

In order to solve the main nuclear and radiation safety problems in the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences related to the inadequate storage conditions for the RA research reactor spent fuel, further decommissioning of the RA reactor and construction of central national radioactive waste long term storage, the 'Vinca Nuclear Decommissioning Program' is initiated during first months of 2002. A systematic and interrelated approach to the solving of the problems is proposed. Program will consist of set of Projects and Activities, planned to be done in the next 10 years. Realization of Program should improve nuclear and radiation safety and should solve problems arose in the previous period. The paper describes existing conditions related to the RA reactor and spent fuel pools, the main actions done in previous period, program goals and proposed organization structure. (author)

Green power programs in Canada : 2002 : Overview of Government green power policies, utility green power development programs, green power and certificate marketing initiatives, and their benefits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bramley, M.; Boustie, S.; Vadgama, J.; Wieler, C.; Pape-Salmon, A.; Holmes, R.

2003-11-01

Green power is generally defined as electricity produced from renewable sources, and whose production has low adverse impacts on the environment, human health and communities. Green power has near-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and includes sources such as wind, hydro, and solar power. Green power offers several environmental benefits, as well as the enhancement of energy security, regional development, economic diversification and the creation of skilled jobs. There are four categories of programs related to green power development in Canada: government green power policies, utility green power development programs, green power marketing initiatives, and green power certificate marketing initiatives. Most of the activities associated with these four categories in 2002 were discussed in this report. However, difficulties with quantification prevented the inclusion of some green power activities in the report, such as (1) the generation of green power not certified or identified by the generator as green power, (2) industry or residential self-generation, (3) net metering, and (4) small government programs. Each category was presented in detail. The information included in the report was based on surveys sent to each program proponent. Follow-up communications and other publicly available information was also included. New programs operating in 2003 or currently under development were listed. refs., 8 tabs

Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Common Sense Initiative (The National Shipbuilding Research Program)

Science.gov (United States)

1996-03-01

desired end product of this Work would be a “customer-oriented” research and development strategy for the industy Description of Project: The workgroup is...EPA as they implement EPA programs that have been delegated to them. EPA is taking a decentralized or “ franchising ” approach to the implementation of XL...PROJECT XL FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE PUBLISHED MAY 22,1995 proposal; reviewing the proposal through respondent management; and consulting in some fashion

U.S. Radioecology Research Programs Initiated in the 1950s

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auerbach, S.I.; Reichle, D.E.

1999-01-01

In the early postwar years, beginning in 1949 and extending to the mid-1960s, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) research on the fate and effects of radionuclides in the environment was driven by distinct environmental concerns-- the releases of radioactive materials around production sites, fallout from nuclear weapons tests, and radiation effects from both external and internal exposures. These problem areas spawned development of the scientific field of radioecology. To understand the perspectives in the 1950s of the United States on the issues of nuclear energy and the environment, we have reviewed the early research programs. Keeping to the theme of the papers in this environmental session, we will focus on the first area of concern -- the scientific studies to understand the environmental consequences of nuclear production and fuel reprocessing at the three primary production sites: the Hanford Works in the state of Washington, Clinton Laboratories in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the Savannah River Plant in South Carolina. The driving environmental issue was the fate and effects of waste products from nuclear fuel production and reprocessing -- concern about entry into environmental pathways. Early operational monitoring and evaluation by health physicists led to realization that additional emphasis needed to be placed on understanding environmental fate of radionuclides. What followed was forward-thinking R and D planning and development of interdisciplinary research teams for experimentation on complex environmental systems. What follows is a review of the major U.S. AEC radioecology research programs initiated during the 1950s, the issues leading to the establishment of these programs, early results, and their legacies for environmental protection and ecological research in the following decades

U.S. Radioecology Research Programs Initiated in the 1950s

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Auerbach, S.I.; Reichle, D.E.

1999-10-01

In the early postwar years, beginning in 1949 and extending to the mid-1960s, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) research on the fate and effects of radionuclides in the environment was driven by distinct environmental concerns-- the releases of radioactive materials around production sites, fallout from nuclear weapons tests, and radiation effects from both external and internal exposures. These problem areas spawned development of the scientific field of radioecology. To understand the perspectives in the 1950s of the United States on the issues of nuclear energy and the environment, we have reviewed the early research programs. Keeping to the theme of the papers in this environmental session, we will focus on the first area of concern -- the scientific studies to understand the environmental consequences of nuclear production and fuel reprocessing at the three primary production sites: the Hanford Works in the state of Washington, Clinton Laboratories in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the Savannah River Plant in South Carolina. The driving environmental issue was the fate and effects of waste products from nuclear fuel production and reprocessing -- concern about entry into environmental pathways. Early operational monitoring and evaluation by health physicists led to realization that additional emphasis needed to be placed on understanding environmental fate of radionuclides. What followed was forward-thinking R and D planning and development of interdisciplinary research teams for experimentation on complex environmental systems. What follows is a review of the major U.S. AEC radioecology research programs initiated during the 1950s, the issues leading to the establishment of these programs, early results, and their legacies for environmental protection and ecological research in the following decades.

Draft report: a selection methodology for LWR safety R and D programs and proposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husseiny, A.A.; Ritzman, R.L.

1980-03-01

The results of work done to develop a methodology for selecting LWR safety R and D programs and proposals is described. A critical survey of relevant decision analysis methods is provided including the specifics of multiattribute utility theory. This latter method forms the basis of the developed selection methodology. Details of the methodology and its use are provided along with a sample illustration of its application

Draft report: a selection methodology for LWR safety R and D programs and proposals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Husseiny, A. A.; Ritzman, R. L.

1980-03-01

The results of work done to develop a methodology for selecting LWR safety R and D programs and proposals is described. A critical survey of relevant decision analysis methods is provided including the specifics of multiattribute utility theory. This latter method forms the basis of the developed selection methodology. Details of the methodology and its use are provided along with a sample illustration of its application.

NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System's (JPSS) Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) Program - Bringing JPSS Science into Support of Key NOAA Missions!

Science.gov (United States)

Sjoberg, W.; McWilliams, G.

2017-12-01

This presentation will focus on the continuity of the NOAA Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program's Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) and key activities of the PGRR Initiatives. The PGRR Program was established in 2012, following the launch of the Suomi National Polar Partnership (SNPP) satellite. The JPSS Program Office has used two PGRR Project Proposals to establish an effective approach to managing its science and algorithm teams in order to focus on key NOAA missions. The presenter will provide details of the Initiatives and the processes used by the initiatives that have proven so successful. Details of the new 2017 PGRR Call-for-Proposals and the status of project selections will be discussed.

75 FR 82397 - Medicaid Program: Initial Core Set of Health Quality Measures for Medicaid-Eligible Adults

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-30

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary [CMS-2420-NC] Medicaid Program: Initial Core Set of Health Quality Measures for Medicaid-Eligible Adults AGENCY: Office of the Secretary... quality measures recommended for Medicaid-eligible adults, as required by section 2701 of the Affordable...

Los Alamos National Laboratory Training Capabilities (Possible Applications in the Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention Program)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Olga [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2012-06-04

The briefing provides an overview of the training capabilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory that can be applied to nonproliferation/responsible science education at nuclear institutes in the Former Soviet Union, as part of the programmatic effort under the Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention program (GIPP).

Proposal of a Methodology of Stakeholder Analysis for the Brazilian Satellite Space Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mônica Elizabeth Rocha de Oliveira

2012-03-01

Full Text Available To ensure the continuity and growth of space activities in Brazil, it is fundamental to persuade the Brazilian society and its representatives in Government about the importance of investments in space activities. Also, it is important to convince talented professionals to place space activities as an object of their interest; the best schools should also be convinced to offer courses related to the space sector; finally, innovative companies should be convinced to take part in space sector activities, looking to returns, mainly in terms of market differentiation and qualification, as a path to take part in high-technology and high-complexity projects. On the one hand, this process of convincing or, more importantly, committing these actors to space activities, implies a thorough understanding of their expectations and needs, in order to plan how the system/organization can meet them. On the other hand, if stakeholders understand how much they can benefit from this relationship, their consequent commitment will very much strengthen the action of the system/organization. With this framework in perspective, this paper proposes a methodology of stakeholder analysis for the Brazilian satellite space program. In the exercise developed in the article, stakeholders have been identified from a study of the legal framework of the Brazilian space program. Subsequently, the proposed methodology has been applied to the planning of actions by a public organization.

Calculation of Complexity Costs – An Approach for Rationalizing a Product Program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Christian Lindschou; Mortensen, Niels Henrik; Hvam, Lars

2012-01-01

This paper proposes an operational method for rationalizing a product program based on the calculation of complexity costs. The method takes its starting point in the calculation of complexity costs on a product program level. This is done throughout the value chain ranging from component invento...... of a product program. These findings represent an improved decision basis for the planning of reactive and proactive initiatives of rationalizing a product program.......This paper proposes an operational method for rationalizing a product program based on the calculation of complexity costs. The method takes its starting point in the calculation of complexity costs on a product program level. This is done throughout the value chain ranging from component...... inventories at the factory sites, all the way to the distribution of finished goods from distribution centers to the customers. The method proposes a step-wise approach including the analysis, quantification and allocation of product program complexity costs by the means of identifying of a number...

76 FR 34633 - Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-14

..., 413, and 476 [CMS-1518-CN] RIN 0938-AQ24 Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient...-9644 of May 5, 2011 (76 FR 25788), there were a number of technical and typographical errors that are...) endorsement number for the CMS quality measure, Percent of Residents With Pressure Ulcers That Are New or...

Regulatory acceptance of the proposed well abandonment program for the present landfill, Operable Unit 7, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Golden, Colorado

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, M.R.

1995-01-01

The regulatory agencies approved a well abandonment program for the Present Landfill, Operable Unit (OU) 7 at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, only three months after preparation. The proposed well abandonment program consists of abandoning 26 of the 54 existing monitoring wells in OU 7 that are currently sampled quarterly as Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) compliance wells or sitewide groundwater protection wells. Well abandonment was proposed on the basis that the purpose of each well has been fulfilled, the wells fall under the footprint of the landfill cap, the presence of the wells would compromise the integrity of the cap because holes would have to be cut in the synthetic liner, and unequal compaction of the fill material around the wells would potentially cause differential settlement of the cap. The proposal provided the technical justification to abandon the wells in place. The timely approval of the proposal by the regulatory agencies will allow the abandonment of the wells during fiscal year 1995 under the sitewide Well Abandonment and Replacement Program (WARP). Cost savings resulting from a decrease in the number of wells to be sampled under the groundwater monitoring program are estimated at $416,000 per year. This paper presents a summary of the well abandonment program, discusses the timely approvals required for implementation, and present the potential cost savings that can be achieved through implementation of the program

Hybrid collaborative optimization based on selection strategy of initial point and adaptive relaxation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, Aimin; Yin, Xu; Yuan, Minghai [Hohai University, Changzhou (China)

2015-09-15

There are two problems in Collaborative optimization (CO): (1) the local optima arising from the selection of an inappropriate initial point; (2) the low efficiency and accuracy root in inappropriate relaxation factors. To solve these problems, we first develop the Latin hypercube design (LHD) to determine an initial point of optimization, and then use the non-linear programming by quadratic Lagrangian (NLPQL) to search for the global solution. The effectiveness of the initial point selection strategy is verified by three benchmark functions with some dimensions and different complexities. Then we propose the Adaptive relaxation collaborative optimization (ARCO) algorithm to solve the inconsistency between the system level and the disciplines level, and in this method, the relaxation factors are determined according to the three separated stages of CO respectively. The performance of the ARCO algorithm is compared with the standard collaborative algorithm and the constant relaxation collaborative algorithm with a typical numerical example, which indicates that the ARCO algorithm is more efficient and accurate. Finally, we propose a Hybrid collaborative optimization (HCO) approach, which integrates the selection strategy of initial point with the ARCO algorithm. The results show that HCO can achieve the global optimal solution without the initial value and it also has advantages in convergence, accuracy and robustness. Therefore, the proposed HCO approach can solve the CO problems with applications in the spindle and the speed reducer.

Hybrid collaborative optimization based on selection strategy of initial point and adaptive relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Aimin; Yin, Xu; Yuan, Minghai

2015-01-01

There are two problems in Collaborative optimization (CO): (1) the local optima arising from the selection of an inappropriate initial point; (2) the low efficiency and accuracy root in inappropriate relaxation factors. To solve these problems, we first develop the Latin hypercube design (LHD) to determine an initial point of optimization, and then use the non-linear programming by quadratic Lagrangian (NLPQL) to search for the global solution. The effectiveness of the initial point selection strategy is verified by three benchmark functions with some dimensions and different complexities. Then we propose the Adaptive relaxation collaborative optimization (ARCO) algorithm to solve the inconsistency between the system level and the disciplines level, and in this method, the relaxation factors are determined according to the three separated stages of CO respectively. The performance of the ARCO algorithm is compared with the standard collaborative algorithm and the constant relaxation collaborative algorithm with a typical numerical example, which indicates that the ARCO algorithm is more efficient and accurate. Finally, we propose a Hybrid collaborative optimization (HCO) approach, which integrates the selection strategy of initial point with the ARCO algorithm. The results show that HCO can achieve the global optimal solution without the initial value and it also has advantages in convergence, accuracy and robustness. Therefore, the proposed HCO approach can solve the CO problems with applications in the spindle and the speed reducer

77 FR 13619 - Notice of Proposed Information for Public Comment for: Public Housing Capital Fund Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-07

... that are not subject to Independent Public Accountant (IPA) audit requirements. Agency form numbers, if... Information for Public Comment for: Public Housing Capital Fund Program AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, HUD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The proposed information collection...

78 FR 79638 - Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Proposed Determination of Hearth Products as a...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-31

... Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Proposed Determination of Hearth Products as a Covered Consumer... determined that hearth products qualify as a covered product under Part A of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended. More specifically, DOE has tentatively determined that hearth...

76 FR 70828 - Proposed Information Collection (Mentor-Protégé Program Application and Reports) Activity...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-15

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0723] Proposed Information Collection (Mentor... in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on information needed to establish a mentor... will be used to institute a mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] program whereby large businesses agree to...

Hierarchical data structures for graphics program languages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonauser, M.; Schinner, P.; Weiss, J.

1978-01-01

Graphic data processing with a computer makes exacting demands on the interactive capability of the program language and the management of the graphic data. A description of the structure of a graphics program language which has been shown by initial practical experiments to possess a particularly favorable interactive capability is followed by the evaluation of various data structures (list, tree, ring) with respect to their interactive capability in processing graphics. A practical structure is proposed. (orig.) [de

Improved self-exclusion program: preliminary results.

Science.gov (United States)

Tremblay, Nicole; Boutin, Claude; Ladouceur, Robert

2008-12-01

The gambling industry has offered self-exclusion programs for quite a long time. Such measures are designed to limit access to gaming opportunities and provide problem gamblers with the help they need to cease or limit their gambling behaviour. However, few studies have empirically evaluated these programs. This study has three objectives: (1) to observe the participation in an improved self-exclusion program that includes an initial voluntary evaluation, phone support, and a mandatory meeting, (2) to evaluate satisfaction and usefulness of this service as perceived by self-excluders, (3) to measure the preliminary impact of this improved program. One hundred sixteen self-excluders completed a questionnaire about their satisfaction and their perception of the usefulness during the mandatory meeting. Among those participants, 39 attended an initial meeting. Comparisons between data collected at the initial meeting and data taken at the final meeting were made for those 39 participants. Data showed that gamblers chose the improved self-exclusion program 75% of the time; 25% preferred to sign a regular self-exclusion contract. Among those who chose the improved service, 40% wanted an initial voluntary evaluation and 37% of these individuals actually attended that meeting. Seventy percent of gamblers came to the mandatory meeting, which was a required condition to end their self-exclusion. The majority of participants were satisfied with the improved self-exclusion service and perceived it as useful. Major improvements were observed between the final and the initial evaluation on time and money spent, consequences of gambling, DSM-IV score, and psychological distress. The applicability of an improved self-exclusion program is discussed and, as shown in our study, the inclusion of a final mandatory meeting might not be so repulsive for self-excluders. Future research directives are also proposed.

Aerospace Workforce Development: The Nebraska Proposal; and Native View Connections: A Multi-Consortium Workforce Development Proposal. UNO Aviation Monograph Series

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, Brent D.; Russell, Valerie; Vlasek, Karisa; Avery, Shelly; Calamaio, Larry; Carstenson, Larry; Farritor, Shane; deSilva, Shan; Dugan, James; Farr, Lynne

2003-01-01

. This Native American Initiative of the NSGC addresses Nebraska workforce development and serves as a model to others. Following a structured evaluation process, NSGC proposes to sustain delivery of the training funded by NASA in 2002 to tribal entities through partnerships linking academic programs and industry leaders.

Medical education resources initiative for teens program in baltimore: A model pipeline program built on four pillars.

Science.gov (United States)

Mains, Tyler E; Wilcox, Mark V; Wright, Scott M

2016-01-01

Less than 6% of U.S. medical school applicants are African-American. The lack of diversity among physicians, by race as well as other measures, confers a negative impact on the American healthcare system because underrepresented minority (URM) physicians are more likely to practice in underserved communities and deliver more equitable, culturally competent care. MERIT (Medical Education Resources Initiative for Teens) is a nonprofit organization based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. MERIT prepares URM high school students for health careers by providing a holistic support system for seven consecutive years. The program model, which utilizes weekly Saturday sessions, summer internships, and longitudinal mentoring, is built on four foundational pillars: (1) Ignite the Fire, (2) Illuminate the Path, (3) Create the Toolkit, and (4) Sustain the Desire. Since 2011, MERIT has supported 51 students in the Baltimore City Public School System. For the past two years, 100% (n = 14) of MERIT seniors enrolled in universities, compared to only 20.2% of Baltimore City students overall. While it is too early to know whether MERIT alumni will realize their goals of becoming healthcare professionals, they are currently excelling in universities and over 75% (n = 17) are still planning to pursue graduate degrees in health-related fields. After piloting an effective program model, MERIT now has three key priorities moving forward: (1) Creating a sustainable and thriving organization, (2) increasing the number of scholars the program supports in Baltimore, and (3) expanding MERIT to other cities.

Initial evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program.

Science.gov (United States)

Hickey, Kathleen T; Hodges, Eric A; Thomas, Tami L; Coffman, Maren J; Taylor-Piliae, Ruth E; Johnson-Mallard, Versie M; Goodman, Janice H; Jones, Randy A; Kuntz, Sandra; Galik, Elizabeth; Gates, Michael G; Casida, Jesus M

2014-01-01

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars (RWJF NFS) program was developed to enhance the career trajectory of young nursing faculty and to train the next generation of nurse scholars. Although there are publications that describe the RWJF NFS, no evaluative reports have been published. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the first three cohorts (n = 42 scholars) of the RWJF NFS program. A descriptive research design was used. Data were derived from quarterly and annual reports, and a questionnaire (seven open-ended questions) was administered via Survey Monkey Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA). During their tenure, scholars had on average six to seven articles published, were teaching/mentoring at the graduate level (93%), and holding leadership positions at their academic institutions (100%). Eleven scholars (26%) achieved fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing, one of the highest nursing honors. The average ratings on a Likert scale of 1 (not at all supportive) to 10 (extremely supportive) of whether or not RWJF had helped scholars achieve their goals in teaching, service, research, and leadership were 7.7, 8.0, 9.4, and 9.5, respectively. The majority of scholars reported a positive, supportive relationship with their primary nursing and research mentors; although, several scholars noted challenges in connecting for meetings or telephone calls with their national nursing mentors. These initial results of the RWJF NFS program highlight the success of the program in meeting its overall goal-preparing the next generation of nursing academic scholars for leadership in the profession. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Abbott School Construction Program: NJ Department of Education Proposed Facilities Regulations. Analysis of Preschool Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Ponessa, Joan; Boylan, Ellen

2004-01-01

This report on preschool facilities analyzes regulations proposed by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to implement the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act. (EFCFA). EFCFA, which authorizes and governs New Jersey's public school construction program, was enacted in July 2000 to implement the State Supreme Court's…

MSR - SPHINX concept program Eros (Experimental zero power Salt reactor SR-0) - The proposed experimental program as a basis for validation of reactor physics methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hron, M.; Juricek, V.; Kyncl, J.; Mikisek, M.; Rypar, V. [Nuclear Research Institute Rez plc, Rez (Czech Republic)

2007-07-01

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) - SPHINX (SPent Hot fuel Incinerator by Neutron fluX) concept solves this principal problem of spent fuel treatment by means of so-called nuclear incineration. It means the burning of fissionable part of its inventory and transmutation of other problematic radionuclides by use of nuclear reactions with neutrons in a MSR-SPHINX system. This reactor system is an actinide burner (most in resonance neutron spectrum) and a radionuclide transmuter in a well-thermalized neutron spectrum. In the frame of the physical part, there are computational analyses and experimental activities. The experimental program has been focused, in its first stage, on a short-term irradiation of small size samples of molten-salt systems as well as structural materials proposed for the MSR blanket in the field of high neutron flux of research reactors. The proposed next stage of the program will focus on a large-scale experimental verification of design inputs by use of MSR-type inserting zones into the existing light water moderated experimental reactor LR-0, which may allow us to modify it into the experimental zero power salt reactor SR-0. There will be a detail description of the proposed program given in the paper together with the so far performed experiments and their first results. These realized experiments help us also to verify computational codes used, and to recognize some anomalies related to molten fluorides utilization. (authors)

PERSPECTIVES OF TEACHER TRAINING AND INITIAL LITERACY IMPLIED IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS OF THE NORMAL SCHOOLS OF MEXICO

OpenAIRE

Efrén Viramontes Anaya; Marivel Gutiérrez Fierro; y Luz Divina Núñez Si-fuentes

2013-01-01

Introduction. The stage or phase of this research project is intended to perform an analysis of approaches for teacher ́s training and early literacy of current language programs in Mexico ́s teacher education. The central con-tent of the document contains the analysis of approaches of teachers ́ trai-ning and initial literacy that lie behind educational programs. The theoretical approach is supported by Pérez Gómez (1996) and in the field of literacy in Ferreiro and Teberobsky (2007) and...

The NASA research and technology program on space power: A key element of the Space Exploration Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Gary L.; Brandhorst, Henry W., Jr.; Atkins, Kenneth L.

1991-01-01

In July 1989, President Bush announced his space exploration initiative of going back to the Moon to stay and then going to Mars. Building upon its ongoing research and technology base, NASA has established an exploration technology program to develop the technologies needed for piloted missions to the Moon and Mars. A key element for the flights and for the planned bases is power. The NASA research and technology program on space power encompasses power sources, energy storage, and power management.

A Typology Framework of Loyalty Reward Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yuheng; Nsakanda, Aaron Luntala; Mann, Inder Jit Singh

Loyalty reward programs (LRPs), initially developed as marketing programs to enhance customer retention, have now become an important part of customer-focused business strategy. With the proliferation and increasing economy impact of the programs, the management complexity in the programs has also increased. However, despite widespread adoption of LRPs in business, academic research in the field seems to lag behind its practical application. Even the fundamental questions such as what LRPs are and how to classify them have not yet been fully addressed. In this paper, a comprehensive framework for LRP classification is proposed, which provides a foundation for further study of LRP design and planning issues.

Industry and forest wetlands: Cooperative research initiatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shepard, J.P.; Lucier, A.A.; Haines, L.W.

1993-01-01

In 1989 the forest products industry responded to a challenge of the National Wetlands Policy Forum to initiate a cooperative research program on forest wetlands management organized through the National Council of the Paper Industry for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI). The objective is to determine how forest landowners can manage wetlands for timber production while protecting other wetland functions such as flood storage, water purification, and food chain/wildlife habitat support. Studies supported by the NCASI in 9 states are summarized. Technical support on wetland regulatory issues to member companies is part of the research program. Since guidelines for recognizing wetlands for regulatory proposed have changed frequently, the NCASI has recommend an explicit link between wetland delineation and a classification system that considers difference among wetland types in vegetation, soils, hydrology, appearance, landscape position, and other factors. 16 refs

Program-level and contextual-level determinants of low-median CD4+ cell count in cohorts of persons initiating ART in eight sub-Saharan African countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Nash, Denis; Wu, Yingfeng; Elul, Batya; Hoos, David; El Sadr, Wafaa

2011-07-31

In sub-Saharan Africa, many patients initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) at CD4 cell counts much lower than those recommended in national guidelines. We examined program-level and contextual-level factors associated with low median CD4 cell count at ART initiation in populations initiating ART. Multilevel analysis of aggregate and program-level service delivery data. We examined data on 1690 cohorts of patients initiating ART during 2004-2008 in eight sub-Saharan African countries. Cohorts with median CD4 less than 111 cells/μl (the lowest quartile) were classified as having low median CD4 cell count at ART initiation. Cohort information was combined with time-updated program-level data and subnational contextual-level data, and analyzed using multilevel models. The 1690 cohorts had median CD4 cell count of 136 cells/μl and included 121,504 patients initiating ART at 267 clinics. Program-level factors associated with low cohort median CD4 cell count included urban setting [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-3.3], lower provider-to-patient ratio (AOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.3-4.0), no PMTCT program (AOR 3.6; 95% CI 1.0-12.8), outreach services for ART patients only vs. both pre-ART and ART patients (AOR 2.4; 95% CI 1.5-3.9), fewer vs. more adherence support services (AOR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.5), and smaller cohort size (AOR 2.5; 95% CI 1.4-4.5). Contextual-level factors associated with low cohort median CD4 cell count included initiating ART in areas where a lower proportion of the population heard of AIDS, tested for HIV recently, and a higher proportion believed 'limiting themselves to one HIV-uninfected sexual partner reduces HIV risk'. Determinants of CD4 cell count at ART initiation in populations initiating ART operate at multiple levels. Structural interventions targeting points upstream from ART initiation along the continuum from infection to diagnosis to care engagement are needed.

78 FR 70958 - 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Recordkeeping for HUD's Continuum of Care Program

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-27

... individuals, families, and communities by homelessness; promote access to and effective utilization of... Information Collection: Recordkeeping for HUD's Continuum of Care Program AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: HUD has submitted the proposed information collection...

System Critical Design Audit (CDA). Books 1, 2 and 3; [Small Satellite Technology Initiative (SSTI Lewis Spacecraft Program)

Science.gov (United States)

1995-01-01

Small Satellite Technology Initiative (SSTI) Lewis Spacecraft Program is evaluated. Spacecraft integration, test, launch, and spacecraft bus are discussed. Payloads and technology demonstrations are presented. Mission data management system and ground segment are also addressed.

1996 environmental initiatives report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

Progress by Consumers Gas in addressing environmental challenges were reviewed. Proposed environmental initiatives for the next fiscal year and beyond were introduced. Proposed initiatives were placed into three priority categories, high, medium or low, which together with the environmental management framework form the the utility's overall environmental agenda. High on the list of environmental priorities for the company are atmospheric air emissions, planning and construction practices, energy conservation and efficiency, environmental compliance, and methane emissions. The present state of the initiatives by the various company divisions and regions, compiled from the respective business plans, were reported. 21 figs

Reduction of initial shock in decadal predictions using a new initialization strategy

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yujun; Wang, Bin; Liu, Mimi; Liu, Li; Yu, Yongqiang; Liu, Juanjuan; Li, Ruizhe; Zhang, Cheng; Xu, Shiming; Huang, Wenyu; Liu, Qun; Wang, Yong; Li, Feifei

2017-08-01

A novel full-field initialization strategy based on the dimension-reduced projection four-dimensional variational data assimilation (DRP-4DVar) is proposed to alleviate the well-known initial shock occurring in the early years of decadal predictions. It generates consistent initial conditions, which best fit the monthly mean oceanic analysis data along the coupled model trajectory in 1 month windows. Three indices to measure the initial shock intensity are also proposed. Results indicate that this method does reduce the initial shock in decadal predictions by Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model, Grid-point version 2 (FGOALS-g2) compared with the three-dimensional variational data assimilation-based nudging full-field initialization for the same model and is comparable to or even better than the different initialization strategies for other fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) models. Better hindcasts of global mean surface air temperature anomalies can be obtained than in other FGOALS-g2 experiments. Due to the good model response to external forcing and the reduction of initial shock, higher decadal prediction skill is achieved than in other CMIP5 models.

Analysis of the temporal program of replication initiation in yeast chromosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, K L; Raghuraman, M K; Fangman, W L; Brewer, B J

1995-01-01

The multiple origins of eukaryotic chromosomes vary in the time of their initiation during S phase. In the chromosomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae the presence of a functional telomere causes nearby origins to delay initiation until the second half of S phase. The key feature of telomeres that causes the replication delay is the telomeric sequence (C(1-3)A/G(1-3)T) itself and not the proximity of the origin to a DNA end. A second group of late replicating origins has been found at an internal position on chromosome XIV. Four origins, spanning approximately 140 kb, initiate replication in the second half of S phase. At least two of these internal origins maintain their late replication time on circular plasmids. Each of these origins can be separated into two functional elements: those sequences that provide origin function and those that impose late activation. Because the assay for determining replication time is costly and laborious, it has not been possible to analyze in detail these 'late' elements. We report here the development of two new assays for determining replication time. The first exploits the expression of the Escherichia coli dam methylase in yeast and the characteristic period of hemimethylation that transiently follows the passage of a replication fork. The second uses quantitative hybridization to detect two-fold differences in the amount of specific restriction fragments as a function of progress through S phase. The novel aspect of this assay is the creation in vivo of a non-replicating DNA sequence by site-specific pop-out recombination. This non-replicating fragment acts as an internal control for copy number within and between samples. Both of these techniques are rapid and much less costly than the more conventional density transfer experiments that require CsCl gradients to detect replicated DNA. With these techniques it should be possible to identify the sequences responsible for late initiation, to search for other late replicating

Views of surgery program directors on the current ACGME and proposed IOM duty-hour standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Ross E; Coverdill, James E; Mellinger, John D; Collins, J Craig; Potts, John R; Dent, Daniel L

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to survey the experiences of surgery program directors with the current Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty-hour standards and views of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) proposed duty-hour recommendations. A total of 118 program directors (47.6% of all surgery programs in the US) responded to the survey. Results showed that the current duty-hour standards have hindered clinical education opportunities by reducing or eliminating rotations on many services, didactic teaching conferences, and clinical bedside teaching opportunities. Additionally, patient safety has been compromised by frequent hand offs of care. Most IOM recommendations were perceived as extremely difficult or impossible to implement, with the exception of the moonlighting recommendation. The results indicated that adopting the IOM recommendations is not feasible given current workforce limitations, and most program directors supported maintaining the current duty-hour standards until such time as there is evidence-based outcomes research to direct change. The conclusion was that the current ACGME duty-hour standards have reduced teaching opportunities and narrowed the scope of training.

Burnup credit effect on proposed cask payloads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, I.K.

1989-01-01

The purpose of the Cask Systems Development Program (CSDP) is to develop a variety of cask systems which will allow safe and economical movement of commercial spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste from the generator to the Federal repository or Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility. Program schedule objectives for the initial phase of the CSDP include the development of certified spent fuel cask systems by 1995 to support Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management shipments from the utilities beginning in the late 1990s. Forty-nine proposals for developing a family of spent fuel casks were received and comparisons made. General conclusions that can be drawn from the comparisons are that (1) the new generation of casks will have substantially increased payloads in comparison to current casks, and (2) an even greater payload increase may be achievable with burnup credit. The ranges in the payload estimates do not allow a precise separation of the payload increase attributable to the proposed allowance of fuel burnup credit, as compared wilt the no-burnup-credit case. The beneficial effects of cask payload increases on overall costs and risks of transporting spent fuel are significant; therefore further work aimed toward taking advantage of burnup credit is warranted

Program Leader, Think Tank Initiative | IDRC - International ...

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

... (i.e. senior management) on issues of program and project development and ... Ensures that a regional perspective is brought to bear on program planning at ... projects between Canadian and developing country researchers; and; When ...

Medicaid program; Medicaid Management Information Systems; conditions of approval and reapproval and procedures for reduction of federal financial participation--Health Care Financing Administration. Proposed rule.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-03-03

This proposal adds to regulations new conditions and procedures for initial approval and for reapproval of Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS) to update the regulations to reflect additional requirements added by section 901 of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-398). The proposal specifies procedures for reducing the level of Federal financial participation in a State's administrative expenditures when a State fails to meet the conditions for initial operation, initial approval or reapproval of an MMIS. It also proposes procedures with respect to waivers of the conditions of approval and reapproval and to appeals of adverse decisions. These provisions are intended to improve States' MMIS, and to ensure efficient system operations, and to detect cases of fraud, waste, and abuse effectively.

Intertechnology Corporation proposed test and evaluation plan, commercial buildings. National Solar Demonstration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1976-09-01

This report has three major parts. The first of these derives the requirements for the Test and Evaluation plan from the System Level Plan which is summarized in Section II. The second part contains the proposed plan to fill these requirements and includes hardware and software recommendations as well as procedures and management considerations. Primary emphasis has been given to the remote site because this is the area in which the commercial part of the demonstration is most unique. Finally, some pre-demonstration activities are described. The pilot program is intended to resolve a number of issues which arose in the course of the T and E plan. These relate to choice of scan frequencies, compression algorithms, etc. It is also intended to confirm performance and cost effectiveness of the site data collection package. The base line measurements of attitudes, etc. provide a reference mark against which one can measure the non-technical effectiveness of the demonstration program. (WDM)

77 FR 33760 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Public Housing Capital Fund Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-07

... that are not subject to Independent Public Accountant (IPA) audit requirements. DATES: Comments Due... numerous PHAs that are not subject to Independent Public Accountant (IPA) audit requirements. Number of... Proposed Information Collection to OMB Public Housing Capital Fund Program AGENCY: Office of the Chief...

Developing community-driven quality improvement initiatives to enhance chronic disease care in Indigenous communities in Canada: the FORGE AHEAD program protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Naqshbandi Hayward, Mariam; Paquette-Warren, Jann; Harris, Stewart B

2016-07-26

Given the dramatic rise and impact of chronic diseases and gaps in care in Indigenous peoples in Canada, a shift from the dominant episodic and responsive healthcare model most common in First Nations communities to one that places emphasis on proactive prevention and chronic disease management is urgently needed. The Transformation of Indigenous Primary Healthcare Delivery (FORGE AHEAD) Program partners with 11 First Nations communities across six provinces in Canada to develop and evaluate community-driven quality improvement (QI) initiatives to enhance chronic disease care. FORGE AHEAD is a 5-year research program (2013-2017) that utilizes a pre-post mixed-methods observational design rooted in participatory research principles to work with communities in developing culturally relevant innovations and improved access to available services. This intensive program incorporates a series of 10 inter-related and progressive program activities designed to foster community-driven initiatives with type 2 diabetes mellitus as the action disease. Preparatory activities include a national community profile survey, best practice and policy literature review, and readiness tool development. Community-level intervention activities include community and clinical readiness consultations, development of a diabetes registry and surveillance system, and QI activities. With a focus on capacity building, all community-level activities are driven by trained community members who champion QI initiatives in their community. Program wrap-up activities include readiness tool validation, cost-analysis and process evaluation. In collaboration with Health Canada and the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, scale-up toolkits will be developed in order to build on lessons-learned, tools and methods, and to fuel sustainability and spread of successful innovations. The outcomes of this research program, its related cost and the subsequent policy recommendations, will have the potential to

The French initiative for scientific cores virtual curating : a user-oriented integrated approach

Science.gov (United States)

Pignol, Cécile; Godinho, Elodie; Galabertier, Bruno; Caillo, Arnaud; Bernardet, Karim; Augustin, Laurent; Crouzet, Christian; Billy, Isabelle; Teste, Gregory; Moreno, Eva; Tosello, Vanessa; Crosta, Xavier; Chappellaz, Jérome; Calzas, Michel; Rousseau, Denis-Didier; Arnaud, Fabien

2016-04-01

Managing scientific data is probably one the most challenging issue in modern science. The question is made even more sensitive with the need of preserving and managing high value fragile geological sam-ples: cores. Large international scientific programs, such as IODP or ICDP are leading an intense effort to solve this problem and propose detailed high standard work- and dataflows thorough core handling and curating. However most results derived from rather small-scale research programs in which data and sample management is generally managed only locally - when it is … The national excellence equipment program (Equipex) CLIMCOR aims at developing French facilities for coring and drilling investigations. It concerns indiscriminately ice, marine and continental samples. As part of this initiative, we initiated a reflexion about core curating and associated coring-data management. The aim of the project is to conserve all metadata from fieldwork in an integrated cyber-environment which will evolve toward laboratory-acquired data storage in a near future. In that aim, our demarche was conducted through an close relationship with field operators as well laboratory core curators in order to propose user-oriented solutions. The national core curating initiative currently proposes a single web portal in which all scientifics teams can store their field data. For legacy samples, this will requires the establishment of a dedicated core lists with associated metadata. For forthcoming samples, we propose a mobile application, under Android environment to capture technical and scientific metadata on the field. This application is linked with a unique coring tools library and is adapted to most coring devices (gravity, drilling, percussion, etc...) including multiple sections and holes coring operations. Those field data can be uploaded automatically to the national portal, but also referenced through international standards or persistent identifiers (IGSN, ORCID and INSPIRE

A NEW MUTATION OPERATOR IN GENETIC PROGRAMMING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anuradha Purohit

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a new type of mutation operator, FEDS (Fitness, Elitism, Depth, and Size mutation in genetic programming. The concept behind the new mutation operator is inspired from already introduced FEDS crossover operator to handle the problem of code bloating. FEDS mutation operates by using local elitism replacement in combination with depth limit and size of the trees to reduce bloat with a subsequent improvement in the performance of trees (program structures. We have designed a multiclass classifier for some benchmark datasets to test the performance of proposed mutation. The results show that when the initial run uses FEDS crossover and the concluding run uses FEDS mutation, then not only is the final result significantly improved but there is reduction in bloat also.

The Effects of a Statewide Evaluation Initiative in Gifted Education on Practitioner Knowledge, Concerns, and Program Documentation

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Ann; Cotabish, Alicia; Wood, Betty K.; O'Tuel, Fran S.

2014-01-01

When well-considered and grounded in current knowledge, program evaluations of services to gifted learners can be a powerful tool for increasing practitioners' knowledge and self-efficacy, and for effecting positive programmatic changes. The Arkansas Evaluation Initiative (AEI) in Gifted Education, a Jacob K. Javits-funded project, was implemented…

Center Planning and Development: Multi-User Spaceport Initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Christopher John

2015-01-01

The Vehicle Assembly building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center has been used since 1966 to vertically assemble every launch vehicle, since the Apollo Program, launched from Launch Complex 39 (LC-39). After the cancellation of the Constellation Program in 2010 and the retirement of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, the VAB faced an uncertain future. As the Space Launch System (SLS) gained a foothold as the future of American spaceflight to deep space, NASA was only using a portion of the VABs initial potential. With three high bays connected to the Crawler Way transportation system, the potential exists for up to three rockets to be simultaneously processed for launch. The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Master plan, supported by the Center Planning and Development (CPD) Directorate, is guiding Kennedy toward a 21st century multi-user spaceport. This concept will maintain Kennedy as the United States premier gateway to space and provide multi-user operations through partnerships with the commercial aerospace industry. Commercial aerospace companies, now tasked with transporting cargo and, in the future, astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) via the Commercial Resupply Service (CRS) and Commercial Crew Program (CCP), are a rapidly growing industry with increasing capabilities to make launch operations more economical for both private companies and the government. Commercial operations to Low Earth Orbit allow the government to focus on travel to farther destinations through the SLS Program. With LC-39B designated as a multi-use launch pad, companies seeking to use it will require an integration facility to assemble, integrate, and test their launch vehicle. An Announcement for Proposals (AFP) was released in June, beginning the process of finding a non-NASA user for High Bay 2 (HB2) and the Mobile Launcher Platforms (MLPs). An Industry Day, a business meeting and tour for interested companies and organizations, was also arranged to identify and answer any

Practical recommendations for the evaluation of improvement initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Parry, Gareth; Coly, Astou; Goldmann, Don; Rowe, Alexander K; Chattu, Vijay; Logiudice, Deneil; Rabrenovic, Mihajlo; Nambiar, Bejoy

2018-01-01

Abstract A lack of clear guidance for funders, evaluators and improvers on what to include in evaluation proposals can lead to evaluation designs that do not answer the questions stakeholders want to know. These evaluation designs may not match the iterative nature of improvement and may be imposed onto an initiative in a way that is impractical from the perspective of improvers and the communities with whom they work. Consequently, the results of evaluations are often controversial, and attribution remains poorly understood. Improvement initiatives are iterative, adaptive and context-specific. Evaluation approaches and designs must align with these features, specifically in their ability to consider complexity, to evolve as the initiative adapts over time and to understand the interaction with local context. Improvement initiatives often identify broadly defined change concepts and provide tools for care teams to tailor these in more detail to local conditions. Correspondingly, recommendations for evaluation are best provided as broad guidance, to be tailored to the specifics of the initiative. In this paper, we provide practical guidance and recommendations that funders and evaluators can use when developing an evaluation plan for improvement initiatives that seeks to: identify the questions stakeholders want to address; develop the initial program theory of the initiative; identify high-priority areas to measure progress over time; describe the context the initiative will be applied within; and identify experimental or observational designs that will address attribution. PMID:29447410

Initial Results from the STEM Student Experiences Aboard Ships (STEMSEAS) Program

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, J. C.; Cooper, S. K.; Thomson, K.; Rabin, B.; Alberts, J.

2016-12-01

The Science Technology Engineering and Math Student Experiences Aboard Ships (STEMSEAS) program was created as a response to NSF's call (through GEOPATHS) for improving undergraduate STEM education and enhancing diversity in the geosciences. It takes advantage of unused berths on UNOLS ships during transits between expeditions. During its 2016 pilot year - which consisted of three transits on three different research vessels in different parts of the country, each with a slightly different focus - the program has gained significant insights into how best to create and structure these opportunities and create impact on individual students. A call for applications resulted in nearly 900 applicants for 30 available spots. Of these applicants, 32% are from minority groups underrepresented in the geosciences (Black, Hispanic, or American Indian) and 20% attend community colleges. The program was able to sail socioeconomically diverse cohorts and include women, veterans, and students with disabilities and from two- and four-year colleges. Twenty-three are underrepresented minorities, 6 attend community colleges, 5 attend an HBCU or tribal college, and many are at HSIs or other MSIs. While longer term impact assessment will have to wait, initial results and 6-month tracking for the first cohort indicate that these kinds of relatively short but intense experiences can indeed achieve significant impacts on students' perception of the geosciences, in their understanding of STEM career opportunities, their desire to work in a geoscience lab setting, and to incorporate geosciences into non-STEM careers. Insights were also gained into the successful makeup of mentor/leader groups, factors to consider in student selection, necessary pre- and post-cruise logistics management, follow-up activities, structure of activities during daily life at sea, increasing student networks and access to mentorships, and leveraging of pre-existing resources and ship-based opportunities

Making didactics proposals aimed at improving socioeducational programs for youngters at risk of social exclusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Violeta Álvarez Fernández

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Educators at Sograndio Juvenile Detention Center in Asturias were sure that they were able to offer new alternatives to improve their socio-educational intervention. That is the reason why they got involved in an action research training process aimed at making didactic proposals which tried to optimize the development of social competence programs for youngsters with criminal behavior. In order to do this, the Short Version of the Prosocial Thinking Program for Young People (Alba et al., 2005 was applied to nine inmates, eight males between 14 and 20 years old and a female of 16 years old. Theywere the basis and reflection of ourmethodological intervention. The teamtaking part in this intervention is formed by nine inmates and three external members (two coordinators and a woman psychologist. The investigation, mainly qualitative, includes different instruments (both qualitative and quantitative, such as: observation registries, discussion groups, questionnaires and notebooks. After the implementation of the program, positive changes must be highlighted in the emotional dimension, the resolution of problems, self-control and frustration tolerance. Besides, very high levels of satisfaction have been observed among youngsters, educators and external informants. It is important to have created a climate of professional compromise towards change and this way to have abandoned a passive attitude towards training, so that we were able to start an active search for practical answers, adjusted to our necessities and professional interests. Finally, we make several observations and intervention proposals that contribute to generate didactic knowledge thought and adapted for social education.

A Training Program to Enhance Postgraduate Students' Research Skills in Preparing a Research Proposal in the Field of Curriculum and Instruction Methods of Arabic Language

Science.gov (United States)

Alfakih, Ahmed Hassan

2017-01-01

The study examined the impact of a training program on enhancing postgraduate students' research skills in preparing a research proposal. The nature of the skills required to prepare a research proposal were first determined using a questionnaire. A training program for improving such skills was then constructed and seven postgraduate students in…

Healthy hospital food initiatives in the United States: time to ban sugar sweetened beverages to reduce childhood obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojcicki, Janet M

2013-06-01

While childhood obesity is a global problem, the extent and severity of the problem in United States, has resulted in a number of new initiatives, including recent hospital initiatives to limit the sale of sweetened beverages and other high calorie drinks in hospital vending machines and cafeterias. These proposed policy changes are not unique to United States, but are more comprehensive in the number of proposed hospitals that they will impact. Meanwhile, however, it is advised, that these initiatives should focus on banning sugar sweetened beverages, including sodas, 100% fruit juice and sports drinks, from hospital cafeterias and vending machines instead of limiting their presence, so as to ensure the success of these programs in reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity. If US hospitals comprehensively remove sugar sweetened beverages from their cafeterias and vending machines, these programs could subsequently become a model for efforts to address childhood obesity in other areas of the world. Hospitals should be a model for health care reform in their communities and removing sugar sweetened beverages is a necessary first step. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Nuclear energy research initiative, an overview of the cooperative program for the risk-informed assessment of regulatory and design requirements for future nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritterbusch, Stanley E.

2000-01-01

EPRI sstudies have shown that nuclear plant capital costs will have to decrease by about 35% to 40% to be competitive with fossil-generated electricity in the Unite States. Also, the ''first concrete'' to fuel load construction schedule will have to be decreased to less than 40 months. Therefore, the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiate the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) and ABB CENP proposed a cooperative program with Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) and Duke Engineering and Services (DE and S) to begin an innovative research effort to drastically cut the cost of new nuclear power plant construction for the U. S. de-regulated market place. This program was approved by the DOE through three separate but coordinated ''cooperative agreements.'' They are the ''Risk-Informed Assessment of Regulatory and Design Requirements for Future Nuclear Power Plants'' (Risk-Informed NPP), the ''Smart Nuclear Power Plant Program'' (Smart-NPP), and ''Design, Procure, Construct, Install and Test'' (DPCIT) Program. DOE funded the three cooperative agreements at a level of $2.6 million for the first year of the program. Funding for the complete program is durrently at a level $6.9 million, however, ABB CENP and all partners anticipate that the scope of the NERI program will be increased as a result of the overall importance of NERI to the U. S. Government. The Risk-Informed NPP program, which is aimed at revising costly regularory and design requirements without reducing overall plant safety, has two basic tasks: ''development of Risk-Informed Methods'' and ''strengthening the Reliability Database.'' The overall objective of the first task is to develop a scientific, risk-informed approach for identifying and simplifying deterministic industry standards, regulatory requirements, and safety systems that do not significantly contribute to nuclear power plant reliability and safety. The second basic task is to develop a means for strengthening the reliability database

Aerospace engineering educational program

Science.gov (United States)

Craft, William; Klett, David; Lai, Steven

1992-01-01

The principle goal of the educational component of NASA CORE is the creation of aerospace engineering options in the mechanical engineering program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. To accomplish this goal, a concerted effort during the past year has resulted in detailed plans for the initiation of aerospace options in both the BSME and MSME programs in the fall of 1993. All proposed new courses and the BSME aerospace option curriculum must undergo a lengthy approval process involving two cirriculum oversight committees (School of Engineering and University level) and three levels of general faculty approval. Assuming approval is obtained from all levels, the options will officially take effect in Fall '93. In anticipation of this, certain courses in the proposed curriculum are being offered during the current academic year under special topics headings so that current junior level students may graduate in May '94 under the BSME aerospace option. The proposed undergraduate aerospace option curriculum (along with the regular mechanical engineering curriculum for reference) is attached at the end of this report, and course outlines for the new courses are included in the appendix.

The Yekaterinburg headache initiative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lebedeva, Elena R; Olesen, Jes; Osipova, Vera V

2013-01-01

for a demonstrational interventional project in Russia, undertaken within the Global Campaign against Headache. The initiative proposes three actions: 1) raise awareness of need for improvement; 2) design and implement a three-tier model (from primary care to a single highly specialized centre with academic affiliation......) for efficient and equitable delivery of headache-related health care; 3) develop a range of educational initiatives aimed at primary-care physicians, non-specialist neurologists, pharmacists and the general public to support the second action. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We set these proposals in a context...... of a health-care needs assessment, and as a model for all Russia. We present and discuss early progress of the initiative, justify the investment of resources required for implementation and call for the political support that full implementation requires. The more that the Yekaterinburg headache initiative...

Nuclear materials facility safety initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peddicord, K.L.; Nelson, P.; Roundhill, M.; Jardine, L.J.; Lazarev, L.; Moshkov, M.; Khromov, V.V.; Kruchkov, E.; Bolyatko, V.; Kazanskij, Yu.; Vorobeva, I.; Lash, T.R.; Newton, D.; Harris, B.

2000-01-01

Safety in any facility in the nuclear fuel cycle is a fundamental goal. However, it is recognized that, for example, should an accident occur in either the U.S. or Russia, the results could seriously delay joint activities to store and disposition weapons fissile materials in both countries. To address this, plans are underway jointly to develop a nuclear materials facility safety initiative. The focus of the initiative would be to share expertise which would lead in improvements in safety and safe practices in the nuclear fuel cycle.The program has two components. The first is a lab-to-lab initiative. The second involves university-to-university collaboration.The lab-to-lab and university-to-university programs will contribute to increased safety in facilities dealing with nuclear materials and related processes. These programs will support important bilateral initiatives, develop the next generation of scientists and engineers which will deal with these challenges, and foster the development of a safety culture

Environmental program planning for the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-08-01

This report was prepared to illustrate the policy and actions that the State of Nevada believe are required to assure that the quality of the environment is adequately considered during the course of the DOE work at the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. The report describes the DOE environmental program and the studies planned by NWPO to reflect the State's position toward environmental protection. 41 refs., 2 figs., 11 tabs

An overview of the Douglas Aircraft Company Aeroelastic Design Optimization Program (ADOP)

Science.gov (United States)

Dodd, Alan J.

1989-01-01

From a program manager's viewpoint, the history, scope and architecture of a major structural design program at Douglas Aircraft Company called Aeroelastic Design Optimization Program (ADOP) are described. ADOP was originally intended for the rapid, accurate, cost-effective evaluation of relatively small structural models at the advanced design level, resulting in improved proposal competitiveness and avoiding many costly changes later in the design cycle. Before release of the initial version in November 1987, however, the program was expanded to handle very large production-type analyses.

[The Articulator of Primary Health Care Program: an innovative proposal for qualification of Primary Health Care].

Science.gov (United States)

Doricci, Giovanna Cabral; Guanaes-Lorenzi, Carla; Pereira, Maria José Bistafa

2017-06-01

In 2009, the Secretary of State for Health of Sao Paulo created a Program with a view to qualify the primary care in the state. This proposal includes a new job function, namely the articulator of primary care. Due to the scarcity of information about the practice of these new professionals in the scientific literature, this article seeks to analyze how articulators interpret their function and how they describe their daily routines. Thirteen articulators were interviewed. The interviews were duly analyzed by qualitative delineation. The results describe three themes: 1)Roles of the articulator: technical communicator and political advisor; 2) Activities performed to comply with the expected roles, examples being diagnosis of the municipalities, negotiation of proposals, participation in meetings, visits to municipalities; and 3) Challenges of the role, which are configured as challenges to the health reform process, examples being the lack of physical and human resources, activities of professionals in the medical-centered model, among others. The conclusion drawn is that the Program has great potential to provide input for the development and enhancement of Primary Care. Nevertheless, there are a series of challenges to be overcome, namely challenges to the context per se.

Research waste management program - An action proposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa Ramos, A.; Esposito, I.

1997-01-01

The Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission planned prepared and established a Research Waste Management Program, started in 1996, in order to map, to analyze and to solve the common problems in the research field. The specific study done included a large number of academic institutions. The procedures, results and operational methodology used by the Team linked to the Program, in one of the research institutions studied where corrective actions were implemented to avoid unnecessary dose to the public, will be discussed in this article. (author)

[Advanced accelerator R and D program]. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This proposal requests funding for a 3-year renewal of the DOE advanced accelerator R and D (AARD) program at Texas A and M University. The program to date has focused on the development of the gigatron, a compact high-efficiency microwave driver for future linear colliders. The author reports results and progress in that project, and plans to bring it to a milestone and conclusion by mid-1995. He proposes to initiate a second project, the development of a new technology for ultra-high field superconducting magnets for future hadron colliders. This project builds upon two magnet designs which he has introduced during the past year, which have the potential for a dramatic extension of the achievable field strength for both dipoles and quadrupoles

Prioritization of proposed waste management construction projects for the Waste Management program within the Department of Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.V.

1995-01-01

A prioritization process is used to evaluate and rank proposed construction projects within the Department of Energy's Waste Management program. The process is used to determine which projects should proceed with conceptual design activities. The proposed construction projects are evaluated against a set of criteria which reflect Waste Management priorities. A management review team ranks and scores the projects thereby generating a prioritized list of projects. Despite decreasing budgets and changing political climates, the process has been a successful decision-aiding tool for selecting construction projects to carry out the Waste Management mission within the Department of Energy

General Electric Company proposed test and evaluation plan, commercial buildings. National Solar Demonstration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1976-04-01

The general requirements and methods for instrumenting, testing, and evaluating solar HVAC systems forming a part of ERDA's ''Commercial Demonstration Program'' commensurate with ERDA 23A and the Proposed Management Plan 75SDS4270 are defined. Design requirements are specified for the performance of components and subsystems comprising the instrumentation and data gathering system, as well as the support functions required to perform the diagnostic measurements, collection and processing of data, and documentation of reports on solar HVAC system performance, including economic and societal evaluations.

Initial performance of the PIGMI prototype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stovall, J.E.

1979-01-01

The PIGMI (Pion Generator for Medical Irradiations) program at LASL is an accelerator development program aimed at completing the design of an accelerator suitable for use as a pion generator in a hospital-based radiotherapy program. The major thrust of the program has been the design of a 7 MeV prototype accelerator which emphasizes compactness, economy of construction, and operation and reliability. To achieve these goals the design of the prototype has exploited a number of innovations in proton linac technology. An overview of the program discussing the major innovative features of the prototype is presented. The initial operating experience is discussed and initial performance measurements are presented

Proposal to introduce Disaster Risk Management topics in Master programs in ESAN Graduate School of Business

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CECILIA DEJO ESTEVES

Full Text Available This paper aims to explain and present a proposal to introduce Disaster Risk Management (DRM topics into ESAN Graduate School of Business Master's programs. Although disasters have cost Peru more than USD 7,600 million in the past 2 decades the business sector, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises, have not developed preventive or continuity plans mainly because they are not familiar with DRM topics. Taking this into consideration, the paper presents a detailed academic/curricular proposal for DRM topics such as business continuity, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable management. Additionally, it introduces the idea of promoting Disaster Risk Management (DRM topics to the Peruvian business community as a strategy to enhance the graduate education.

Greenhouse gas emission management in the US - current regional initiatives compared with international carbon trading programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rink, A.G.; Law, S.

2009-01-01

In the United States (US) there are currently voluntary reporting programs (EPA Climate Leaders, Carbon Disclosure Project and The Climate Registry), organized market-based trading platforms (Chicago Climate Exchange and The Green Exchange) and proposed regional mandatory cap and trade programs in California, the Northeast, the West and the Midwest. The past success of the US Acid Rain 'cap-and-trade' system market-based format together with the availability of the European Union Emission Trading Scheme to serve as a template for future greenhouse gas regulations is promising as the US can participate in the world wide carbon markets already established. (author)

Associations Between Peer Counseling and Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration: An Analysis of Minnesota Participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Science.gov (United States)

McCoy, Marcia Burton; Geppert, Joni; Dech, Linda; Richardson, Michaela

2018-01-01

Background Peer counseling (PC) has been associated with increased breastfeeding initiation and duration, but few analyses have examined the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) model for peer counseling or the continuation of breastfeeding from birth through 12 months postpartum. Objectives Identify associations between Minnesota WIC Peer Breastfeeding Support Program services and breastfeeding initiation and continuation. Methods Retrospective analysis of observational data from the Minnesota WIC program's administrative database of women who gave birth in 2012 and accepted a PC program referral prenatally (n = 2219). Multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression models examined associations between peer services and breastfeeding initiation and continuation of any breastfeeding. Results Among women who accepted referral into a PC program, odds of initiation were significantly higher among those who received peer services (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.66; 95% CI 1.19-2.32), after adjusting for confounders. Women who received peer services had a significantly lower hazard of breastfeeding discontinuation from birth through 12 months postpartum than women who did not receive services. (Hazard Ratio (HR) month one: 0.45; 95% CI 0.33-0.61; months two through twelve: 0.33; 95% CI 0.18-0.60). The effect of peer counseling did not differ significantly by race and ethnicity, taking into account mother's country of origin. Conclusion for practice Receipt of peer services was positively associated with breastfeeding initiation and continued breastfeeding from birth through 12 months postpartum. Making peer services available to more women, especially in communities with low initiation and duration, could improve maternal and child health in Minnesota.

A situational analysis of pharmacovigilance plans in the Global Fund Malaria and U.S. President's Malaria Initiative proposals.

Science.gov (United States)

Stergachis, Andy; Bartlein, Rebecca J K; Dodoo, Alexander; Nwokike, Jude; Kachur, S Patrick

2010-05-30

Pharmacovigilance programmes can monitor and help ensure the safe use of medicines that are critical to the success of global public health programmes. The widespread deployment of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) by national malaria control programmes as part of the overall Global Malaria Action Plan for malaria control to elimination and eradication makes ACT an excellent candidate for pharmacovigilance activities. In 2008, The Roll Back Malaria partnership issued guidelines for inclusion of pharmacovigilance in Global Fund and other related proposals. In light of this recommendation and the rapid scale-up of ACT worldwide, an analysis of Global Fund Round 8 proposals and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) 2009 Malaria Operational Plans was conducted to assess if and how pharmacovigilance has been incorporated into countries' national malaria plans and donor budget requests. The Global Fund-Malaria Round 8 proposals for the 26 countries and the PMI Malaria Operational Plans (MOPs) for fiscal year 2009 for the 15 countries that were approved and received funding from either the Global Fund-Malaria Round 8 or PMI were accessed through the programme websites. The analysis consisted of conducting word counts and key word in context analyses of each proposal and plan. Twelve out of 26 (46%) of the Global Fund proposals mentioned that established pharmacovigilance systems were present in their countries. Four of the fifteen PMI MOPs (27%) mentioned that established pharmacovigilance systems were present in their countries. Only seven of the 26 (27%) Global Fund proposals included a request for funding for new or current pharmacovigilance activities. Seven of 15 (47%) MOPs included a request for funding for pharmacovigilance activities. There were relatively few requests for funding for pharmacovigilance activities, demonstrating a lack of emphasis placed on pharmacovigilance systems in recipient countries. The findings stress the need for more active

European initiatives in postgraduate education in gerontology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Rijsselt, R.J.T.; Parkatti, T.; Troisi, J.

2007-01-01

This paper describes three innovative European initiatives in postgraduate education in gerontology. The first is the European Masters Program in Gerontology (EuMaG), developed as an interdisciplinary joint program, supported and delivered by 22 European universities. Second, the Nordplus initiative

Identification of Barriers Towards Change and Proposal to Institutionalize Continuous Improvement Programs in Manufacturing Operations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvair Silveira Torres Jr.

2011-06-01

Full Text Available A multi case research unfolded into a study in a sample of Brazilian manufacturing companies concerning their Continuous Improvement (CI program in manufacturing operations. Stakeholders interviews and performance analyses were conducted. The study aims to analyze the existence or absence of the institutionalization of a CI culture in manufacturing operations, identify barriers and difficulties within the process and propose a model for change. As a result of the research, it was observed that despite the considerable motivation of staff, rapid gains of the company and superior results during the early phases of the CI program, time and again such results were either not upheld or faded out over time, delivering no significant mid-term or long term results, due to poor management of changes. This happened mainly as a result of lack of strategic alignment at all levels of the organization, translated in measureable activities and projects, coached and mentored by the middle and upper management throughout the implementation and maintenance of the program. The selected cases showed a declining in performance after two years of CI program start up. Learning, union and process ownership among participants by means of interactions, are necessary to absorb and incorporate changes, instead of merely "smart words" .

General remarks concerning some laser-initiated fusion proposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, L.; Nuckolls, J.; Zimmerman, G.

1971-11-01

The advent of very high power, high energy pulsed laser systems has stimulated considerable thinking regarding how such systems might be used to engender thermonuclear microexplosions, and, in particular, explosions which may produce more energy than the inputted laser energy or even more energy than that used to pump the laser. Some of the basic physical principles and processes constraining laser-CTR proposals will be discussed, and application of them made to establish basic levels of feasibility of these published types of CTR schemes. It is demonstrated that this class of thermonuclear microexplosions has no potential CTR utility with lasers likely to be available in the next few years

Can faith-based correctional programs work? An outcome evaluation of the innerchange freedom initiative in Minnesota.

Science.gov (United States)

Duwe, Grant; King, Michelle

2013-07-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the InnerChange Freedom Initiative (InnerChange), a faith-based prisoner reentry program, by examining recidivism outcomes among 732 offenders released from Minnesota prisons between 2003 and 2009. Results from the Cox regression analyses revealed that participating in InnerChange significantly reduced reoffending (rearrest, reconviction, and new offense reincarceration), although it did not have a significant impact on reincarceration for a technical violation revocation. The findings further suggest that the beneficial recidivism outcomes for InnerChange participants may have been due, in part, to the continuum of mentoring support some offenders received in the institution and the community. The results imply that faith-based correctional programs can reduce recidivism, but only if they apply evidence-based practices that focus on providing a behavioral intervention within a therapeutic community, addressing the criminogenic needs of participants and delivering a continuum of care from the institution to the community. Given that InnerChange relies heavily on volunteers and program costs are privately funded, the program exacts no additional costs to the State of Minnesota. Yet, because InnerChange lowers recidivism, which includes reduced reincarceration and victimization costs, the program may be especially advantageous from a cost-benefit perspective.

Student Experiences: the 2013 Cascadia Initiative Expedition Team's Apply to Sail Program

Science.gov (United States)

Mejia, H.; Hooft, E. E.; Fattaruso, L.

2013-12-01

During the summer of 2013, the Cascadia Initiative Expedition Team led six oceanographic expeditions to recover and redeploy ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) across the Cascadia subduction zone and Juan de Fuca plate. The Cascadia Initiative (CI) is an onshore/offshore seismic and geodetic experiment to study questions ranging from megathrust earthquakes to volcanic arc structure to the formation, deformation and hydration of the Juan de Fuca and Gorda plates with the overarching goal of understanding the entire subduction zone system. The Cascadia Initiative Expedition Team is a team of scientists charged with leading the oceanographic expeditions to deploy and recover CI OBSs and developing the associated Education and Outreach effort. Students and early career scientists were encouraged to apply to join the cruises via the Cascadia Initiative Expedition Team's Apply to Sail Program. The goal of this call for open participation was to help expand the user base of OBS data by providing opportunities for students and scientists to directly experience at-sea acquisition of OBS data. Participants were required to have a strong interest in learning field techniques, be willing to work long hours at sea assisting in OBS deployment, recovery and preliminary data processing and have an interest in working with the data collected. In total, there were 51 applicants to the Apply to Sail Program from the US and 4 other countries; 21 graduate students as well as a few undergraduate students, postdocs and young scientists from the US and Canada were chosen to join the crew. The cruises lasted from 6 to 14 days in length. OBS retrievals comprised the three first legs, of which the first two were aboard the Research Vessel Oceanus. During each of the retrievals, multiple acoustic signals were sent while the vessel completed a semi-circle around the OBS to accurately determine its position, a final signal was sent to drop the seismometer's anchor, and finally the ship and crew

Leaching Mechanisms Program. Annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougherty, D.; Colombo, P.; Doty, R.; Fuhrmann, M.

1984-09-01

The primary goal of this work is to determine the leaching mechanisms of a variety of matrix materials either in use or being considered for the solidification of low-level radioactive wastes by defense and commercial waste generators. Since this program is new and did not formally begin until May of FY 84, the results reported here are few and preliminary. Efforts were concentrated in the following activities: (1) The literature search for leaching data and proposed leaching models and mechanisms for low-level waste. (2) Data base development for leaching data being compiled from the literature and from the leaching experiments in this program. (3) The selection of solidification agents for the experimental part of the program. (4) Fabrication of leach samples and initiation of leach testing. 28 references, 9 figures, 4 tables

A proposal for an international program to develop dry recycle of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feinroth, H.

1999-01-01

The dry oxidation-reduction process (called OREOX for Oxidation Reduction of Oxide Fuel) being developed by Korea and Canada, in cooperation with IAEA and the US State Department, is limited to recycle of spent LWR fuel into CANDU reactors (DUPIC). When first conceived and demonstrated via irradiation of test elements by Atomics International in 1965, (the process was called AIROX at that time) a wider range of applications was intended, including recycle of spent LWR fuel into LWRs. Studies sponsored by DOE's Idaho Office in 1992 confirmed the applicability of this technology to regions containing LWR's only, and described the potential advantages of such recycle from an environmental, waste management and economic point of view, as compared to the direct disposal option. Recent analyses conducted by the author indicates that such dry recycle may be one of the few acceptable paths remaining for resolution of the US spent fuel storage dilemma that remains consistent with US non-proliferation policy. It is proposed that a new US program be established to develop AIROX dry recycle for use in the US, and this become part of an international cooperative program, including the current Canadian - Korean program, and possibly including participation of other countries wishing to pursue alternatives to the once through cycle, and wet reprocessing. With shared funding of major project elements, such international cooperation would accelerate the demonstration and commercial deployment of dry recycle technology, as compared to separate and independent programs in each country. (author)

Successful integration of ergonomics into continuous improvement initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Monroe, Kimberly; Fick, Faye; Joshi, Madina

2012-01-01

Process improvement initiatives are receiving renewed attention by large corporations as they attempt to reduce manufacturing costs and stay competitive in the global marketplace. These initiatives include 5S, Six Sigma, and Lean. These programs often take up a large amount of available time and budget resources. More often than not, existing ergonomics processes are considered separate initiatives by upper management and struggle to gain a seat at the table. To effectively maintain their programs, ergonomics program managers need to overcome those obstacles and demonstrate how ergonomics initiatives are a natural fit with continuous improvement philosophies.

[The Purpose of Medical Education: Proposal to Standardize a System of Credits for Medical Specializations Programs].

Science.gov (United States)

Cañar, Carlos Andrés Pineda

2012-01-01

This article analyzes the concept of an academic credit system and proposes a way to systematize medical specialization programs. The credit system is a way to recognize and standardize the total time that a student must devote to their training. Thus, a credit equal to a certain number of hours of classroom training and independent activities is proposed. An educational program is expressed in the number of credits needed for the whole training process to achieve the competencies expected. A review of the concept of competition in education is also performed. The introduction of the term and its relation to the need to measure performance in future professionals according to labor market needs is identified. A critical discussion about skills defining the different types of skills in the educational field is later discussed. Subsequently, the Colombian regulatory framework is presented concerning the powers, in particular, Decree 1295 of 2010, which defines one academic credit equal to 48 hours in a semester, of which 16 hours are classroom and 32 hours are independent study. A tor of the major milestones in the history of medical education is later made. The structure of credits and contact hours, independent of postgraduate psychiatry in the country is reviewed showing the heterogeneity in their approach. The proposal is presented, defining the types of classroom activities and how to calculate the hours of independent study by type of classroom activity. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Policy initiatives to promote healthy aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Infeld, Donna Lind; Whitelaw, Nancy

2002-08-01

An overwhelming array of policies and programs can be used to help older people (and future older people) maintain healthy lifestyles. How can clinicians help ensure that their patients take advantage of these opportunities? How can these broad-scope policies, educational and information initiatives, and direct service programs be turned into tools to help older people maximize health and independence? First, physicians do not need to do it all themselves. They need to know where to send their patients. For example, case managers in local aging service organizations and social workers, nurses, and discharge planners in hospitals can help connect elderly patients to appropriate benefits and services. Physicians play a critical role in creating a bridge between patients and the array of programs and information that can help them change their individual patterns of behavior. A serious lack of integration exists between what is known about healthy behaviors and lifestyles and what is really happening and available to older people today. From the earlier articles in this issue we know that much can be done to prevent many types of age-related disease and disability. This article provides examples of mechanisms that can be used to broadly disseminate knowledge about effective behavior and treatment changes and create mechanisms to turn this knowledge into real and widespread client-level, practice-level, health system, and community-wide interventions. Second, physicians need to understand that they are not merely subject to these policies and initiatives. They can help formulate and shape them. This political involvement includes active participation in policy initiatives of professional associations, involvement in research and demonstration activities, keeping informed about policy proposals at the federal and state levels, and helping advance ideas for improving health behaviors by speaking up and working toward change. These changes go beyond health initiatives to

EXTRA: a digital computer program for the solution of stiff sets of ordinary initial value, first order differential equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidell, J.

1976-08-01

EXTRA is a program written for the Winfrith KDF9 enabling the user to solve first order initial value differential equations. In this report general numerical integration methods are discussed with emphasis on their application to the solution of stiff sets of equations. A method of particular applicability to stiff sets of equations is described. This method is incorporated in the program EXTRA and full instructions for its use are given. A comparison with other methods of computation is included. (author)

OAK RIDGE Y-12 PLANT BIOLOGICAL MONITORING AND ABATEMENT PROGRAM (BMAP) PLAN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ADAMS, S.M.; BRANDT, C.C.; CHRISTENSEN, S.W.; CICERONE, D.S.; GREELEY, M.S.JR; HILL, W.R.; HUSTON, M.S.; KSZOS, L.A.; MCCARTHY, J.F.; PETERSON, M.J.; RYON, M.G.; SMITH, J.G.; SOUTHWORTH, G.R.; STEWART, A.J.

1998-10-01

The proposed Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) for East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, as described, will be conducted for the duration of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued for the Y-12 Plant on April 28, 1995, and which became effective July 1, 1995. The basic approach to biological monitoring used in this program was developed by the staff in the Environmental Sciences Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the request of Y- 12 Plant personnel. The proposed BMAP plan is based on results of biological monitoring conducted since 1985. Details of the specific procedures used in the current routine monitoring program are provided but experimental designs for future studies are described in less detail. The overall strategy used in developing this plan was, and continues to be, to use the results obtained from each task to define the scope of future monitoring efforts. Such efforts may require more intensive sampling than initially proposed in some areas (e.g., additional toxicity testing if initial results indicate low survival or reproduction) or a reduction in sampling intensity in others (e.g., reduction in the number of sampling sites when no impact is observed). By using the results of previous monitoring efforts to define the current program and to guide us in the development of future studies, an effective integrated monitoring program has been developed to assess the impacts of the Y-12 Plant operation on the biota of EFPC and to document the ecological effects of remedial actions.

Proposal for computer investigation of LMFBR core meltdown accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudreau, J.E.; Harlow, F.H.; Reed, W.H.; Barnes, J.F.

1974-01-01

The environmental consequences of an LMFBR accident involving breach of containment are so severe that such accidents must not be allowed to happen. Present methods for analyzing hypothetical core disruptive accidents like a loss of flow with failure to scram cannot show conclusively that such accidents do not lead to a rupture of the pressure vessel. A major deficiency of present methods is their inability to follow large motions of a molten LMFBR core. Such motions may lead to a secondary supercritical configuration with a subsequent energy release that is sufficient to rupture the pressure vessel. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory proposes to develop a computer program for describing the dynamics of hypothetical accidents. This computer program will utilize implicit Eulerian fluid dynamics methods coupled with a time-dependent transport theory description of the neutronic behavior. This program will be capable of following core motions until a stable coolable configuration is reached. Survey calculations of reactor accidents with a variety of initiating events will be performed for reactors under current design to assess the safety of such reactors

Planned and proposed pipeline regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Leon, C.

1992-01-01

The Research and Special Programs Administration administers the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (NGPSA) and the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979 (HLPSA). The RSPA issues and enforces design, construction, operation and maintenance regulations for natural gas pipelines and hazardous liquid pipelines. This paper discusses a number of proposed and pending safety regulations and legislative initiatives currently being considered by the RSPA and the US Congress. Some new regulations have been enacted. The next few years will see a great deal of regulatory activity regarding natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, much of it resulting from legislative requirements. The office of Pipeline Safety is currently conducting a study to streamline its operations. This study is analyzing the office's business, social and technical operations with the goal of improving overall efficiency, effectiveness, productivity and job satisfaction to meet the challenges of the future

Proposal for a Wellness Clinician/Research Specialization for the Existing Degree Program, Master of Education in Physical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardinal, Bradley J.; And Others

Consistent with the Year 2000 National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives, this paper presents a proposal for a Wellness Clinician/Research specialization within the existing Master of Education in Physical Education degree program offered by the Division of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation at Wayne State University…

Green power programs in Canada : 2003 : overview of Government green power policies, utility green power implementation initiatives, green power and certificate marketing programs, and their benefits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitmore, J.; Bramley, M.; Holmes, R.

2004-09-01

Green power is defined as electricity produced from renewable sources, and whose production has low adverse impacts on the environment, human health and communities. Green power has near-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and includes sources such as wind, hydro, and solar power. It offers several environmental benefits, as well as the enhancement of energy security, regional development, economic diversification and the creation of skilled jobs. There are four categories of programs related to green power development in Canada: government green power policies, utility green power development programs, green power marketing initiatives, and green power certificate marketing initiatives. Most of the activities in Canada associated with these four categories in 2003 were discussed in this report. However, difficulties with quantification prevented the inclusion of some green power activities such as (1) the generation of green power not certified or identified by the generator as green power, (2) industry or residential self-generation, (3) net metering, and (4) small government programs. Green power generation facilities in 2003 totaled 775 MW of capacity compared to 539 MW in 2002. Hydro capacity represented 41 per cent, followed by wind capacity at 40 per cent and wood waste at 17 per cent. Most of the green power generation facilities in 2003 were located in Alberta, followed by British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. 230 refs., 8 tabs., 1 fig

Collaborative training program in coastal management in the Philippines: a local initiative with a global perspective

OpenAIRE

Balgos, M.C.

1995-01-01

A collaborative project in developing a broad-based coastal management training program in the Philippines is being undertaken by a group of government and nongovernment agencies. It addresses the lack of expertise in planning an implementation for coastal management in the country. The process will be documented to serve as a guide in starting and maintaining the process of collaborative training in coastal management in the region. Other training initiatives are outlined including regional ...

Industrial initiatives in the wind industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edworthy, J.

1992-01-01

Industrial initiatives are methods of lobbying and marketing to increase the activity, revenues, profits, and commercial viability of an industry. They may be undertaken by industry individuals or firms, industry groups, government agencies, or combinations of all these. In Canada, one example of an industrial initiative is the Canadian Wind Energy Association. Other initiatives relevant to the wind power industry include Technology Inflow Programs sponsored by External Affairs Canada, used for visiting foreign firms with the view to licensing foreign technology, and Industrial Research Assistance Programs to develop or adapt new technologies in partnership with government. The Conservation/Renewable Energy Council, Small Power Producers of Alberta, and Independent Power Producers Society of Ontario are also active in supporting wind energy initiatives. In other countries, notable initiatives for wind energy include the Danish wind turbine warranty guarantee program. The Western Wind Industry Network of Canada conducts regional lobbying. It is suggested that in Canada, more such networks are needed, as well as joint ventures with utilities and governments, and more work with the regulatory agencies, to promote wind energy

A Program Transformation for Backwards Analysis of Logic Programs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gallagher, John Patrick

2003-01-01

The input to backwards analysis is a program together with properties that are required to hold at given program points. The purpose of the analysis is to derive initial goals or pre-conditions that guarantee that, when the program is executed, the given properties hold. The solution for logic...... programs presented here is based on a transformation of the input program, which makes explicit the dependencies of the given program points on the initial goals. The transformation is derived from the resultants semantics of logic programs. The transformed program is then analysed using a standard...

Education and training initiatives for crisis management in the European Union: a web-based analysis of available programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingrassia, Pier Luigi; Foletti, Marco; Djalali, Ahmadreza; Scarone, Piercarlo; Ragazzoni, Luca; Corte, Francesco Della; Kaptan, Kubilay; Lupescu, Olivera; Arculeo, Chris; von Arnim, Gotz; Friedl, Tom; Ashkenazi, Michael; Heselmann, Deike; Hreckovski, Boris; Khorram-Manesh, Amir; Khorrram-Manesh, Amir; Komadina, Radko; Lechner, Kostanze; Patru, Cristina; Burkle, Frederick M; Fisher, Philipp

2014-04-01

Education and training are key elements of disaster management. Despite national and international educational programs in disaster management, there is no standardized curriculum available to guide the European Union (EU) member states. European- based Disaster Training Curriculum (DITAC), a multiple university-based project financially supported by the EU, is charged with developing a holistic and highly-structured curriculum and courses for responders and crisis managers at a strategic and tactical level. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively assess the prevailing preferences and characteristics of disaster management educational and training initiatives (ETIs) at a postgraduate level that currently exist in the EU countries. An Internet-based qualitative search was conducted in 2012 to identify and analyze the current training programs in disaster management. The course characteristics were evaluated for curriculum, teaching methods, modality of delivery, target groups, and funding. The literature search identified 140 ETIs, the majority (78%) located in United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Master level degrees were the primary certificates granted to graduates. Face-to-face education was the most common teaching method (84%). Approximately 80% of the training initiatives offered multi- and cross-disciplinary disaster management content. A competency-based approach to curriculum content was present in 61% of the programs. Emergency responders at the tactical level were the main target group. Almost all programs were self-funded. Although ETIs currently exist, they are not broadly available in all 27 EU countries. Also, the curricula do not cover all key elements of disaster management in a standardized and competency-based structure. This study has identified the need to develop a standardized competency-based educational and training program for all European countries that will ensure the practice and policies that meet both the standards of care and

A two-factor, stochastic programming model of Danish mortgage-backed securities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Søren S.; Poulsen, Rolf

2004-01-01

-trivial, both in terms of deciding on an initial mortgage, and in terms of managing (rebalancing) it optimally.We propose a two-factor, arbitrage-free interest-rate model, calibrated to observable security prices, and implement on top of it a multi-stage, stochastic optimization program with the purpose...

38 CFR 20.1500 - Rule 1500. Expedited Claims Adjudication Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Claims Adjudication Initiative. 20.1500 Section 20.1500 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief... Adjudication Initiative-Pilot Program § 20.1500 Rule 1500. Expedited Claims Adjudication Initiative. (a) Purpose. The Expedited Claims Adjudication Initiative is a pilot program designed to streamline the claims...

European Initiatives in Postgraduate Education in Gerontology

Science.gov (United States)

van Rijsselt, Rene J. T.; Parkatti, Terttu; Troisi, Joseph

2007-01-01

This paper describes three innovative European initiatives in postgraduate education in gerontology. The first is the European Masters Program in Gerontology (EuMaG), developed as an interdisciplinary joint program, supported and delivered by 22 European universities. Second, the Nordplus initiative to increase mobility of students and staff in…

Initial Efficacy of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Transition Program: Cardiac TRUST

Science.gov (United States)

Zullo, Melissa; Boxer, Rebecca; Moore, Shirley M.

2012-01-01

Patients recovering from cardiac events are increasingly using postacute care, such as home health care and skilled nursing facility services. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the initial efficacy, feasibility, and safety of a specially designed postacute care transitional rehabilitation intervention for cardiac patients. Cardiac Transitional Rehabilitation Using Self- Management Techniques (Cardiac TRUST) is a family-focused intervention that includes progressive low-intensity walking and education in self-management skills to facilitate recovery following a cardiac event. Using a randomized two-group design, exercise self-efficacy, steps walked, and participation in an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program were compared in a sample of 38 older adults; 17 who received the Cardiac TRUST program and 21 who received usual care only. At discharge from postacute care, the intervention group had a trend for higher levels of self-efficacy for exercise outcomes (X=39.1, SD=7.4) than the usual care group (X=34.5; SD=7.0) (t-test 1.9, p=.06). During the 6 weeks following discharge, compared with the usual care group, the intervention group had more attendance in out-patient cardiac rehabilitation (33% compared to 11.8%, F=7.1, p=.03) and a trend toward more steps walked during the first week (X=1,307, SD=652 compared to X=782, SD=544, t-test 1.8, p=.07). The feasibility of the intervention was better for the home health participants than for those in the skilled nursing facility and there were no safety concerns. The provision of cardiac-focused rehabilitation during postacute care has the potential to bridge the gap in transitional services from hospitalization to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation for these patients at high risk for future cardiac events. Further evidence of the efficacy of Cardiac TRUST is warranted. PMID:22084960

Society Influencing Science: The role of the Transdisciplinary Advisory Board (TAB) of the European Joint Programming Initiative on Climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Noone, K. J.; Manderscheid, P.; Monfray, P.

2017-12-01

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the separation between science and the rest of society is not helping us find solutions to "wicked" problems like climate change or achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It is clear that a broader approach to research is necessary - one that includes stakeholders in the research process itself. What is unclear is how best to do this. The Transdisciplinary Advisory Board (TAB) of the European Joint Programming Initiative on Climate (JPI Climate) is an example of scientists and stakeholders working together to frame climate research and move the results of scientific research into decision support. JPI Climate is a consortium of 12 European countries (with partners from nine more countries) and is a major funding channel and forum for climate research in Europe. The TAB has an equal number of stakeholders and researchers from 10 different European countries, has an even gender balance, and its members have widely differing backgrounds. The TAB provides input and advice to the governing board of JPI Climate, and influences both the strategic planning for this funding initiative as well as specific calls for proposals issued through the consortium. In addition to its advisory role, the TAB explores the transdisciplinary process itself, expanding the boundaries of how stakeholders and science can interact positively. The TAB is a two-way mechanism through which stakeholders can help improve research and science can help improve society. We will give examples of the spectrum of how the TAB provides mutual influence between stakeholders and science - from helping to draft 10-year research strategies to helping advance the uptake of climate research into the private and policy sectors.

Initial Findings from a Novel School-Based Program, EMPATHY, Which May Help Reduce Depression and Suicidality in Youth.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter H Silverstone

Full Text Available We describe initial pilot findings from a novel school-based approach to reduce youth depression and suicidality, the Empowering a Multimodal Pathway Towards Healthy Youth (EMPATHY program. Here we present the findings from the pilot cohort of 3,244 youth aged 11-18 (Grades 6-12. They were screened for depression, suicidality, anxiety, use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco (DAT, quality-of-life, and self-esteem. Additionally, all students in Grades 7 and 8 (mean ages 12.3 and 13.3 respectively also received an 8-session cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT based program designed to increase resiliency to depression. Following screening there were rapid interventions for the 125 students (3.9% who were identified as being actively suicidal, as well as for another 378 students (11.7% who were felt to be at higher-risk of self-harm based on a combination of scores from all the scales. The intervention consisted of an interview with the student and their family followed by offering a guided internet-based CBT program. Results from the 2,790 students who completed scales at both baseline and 12-week follow-up showed significant decreases in depression and suicidality. Importantly, there was a marked decrease in the number of students who were actively suicidal (from n=125 at baseline to n=30 at 12-weeks. Of the 503 students offered the CBT program 163 (32% took part, and this group had significantly lower depression scores compared to those who didn't take part. There were no improvements in self-esteem, quality-of-life, or the number of students using DAT. Only 60 students (2% of total screened required external referral during the 24-weeks following study initiation. These results suggest that a multimodal school-based program may provide an effective and pragmatic approach to help reduce youth depression and suicidality. Further research is required to determine longer-term efficacy, reproducibility, and key program elements.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT

Initial Findings from a Novel School-Based Program, EMPATHY, Which May Help Reduce Depression and Suicidality in Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverstone, Peter H; Bercov, Marni; Suen, Victoria Y M; Allen, Andrea; Cribben, Ivor; Goodrick, Jodi; Henry, Stu; Pryce, Catherine; Langstraat, Pieter; Rittenbach, Katherine; Chakraborty, Samprita; Engels, Rutger C; McCabe, Christopher

2015-01-01

We describe initial pilot findings from a novel school-based approach to reduce youth depression and suicidality, the Empowering a Multimodal Pathway Towards Healthy Youth (EMPATHY) program. Here we present the findings from the pilot cohort of 3,244 youth aged 11-18 (Grades 6-12). They were screened for depression, suicidality, anxiety, use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco (DAT), quality-of-life, and self-esteem. Additionally, all students in Grades 7 and 8 (mean ages 12.3 and 13.3 respectively) also received an 8-session cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) based program designed to increase resiliency to depression. Following screening there were rapid interventions for the 125 students (3.9%) who were identified as being actively suicidal, as well as for another 378 students (11.7%) who were felt to be at higher-risk of self-harm based on a combination of scores from all the scales. The intervention consisted of an interview with the student and their family followed by offering a guided internet-based CBT program. Results from the 2,790 students who completed scales at both baseline and 12-week follow-up showed significant decreases in depression and suicidality. Importantly, there was a marked decrease in the number of students who were actively suicidal (from n=125 at baseline to n=30 at 12-weeks). Of the 503 students offered the CBT program 163 (32%) took part, and this group had significantly lower depression scores compared to those who didn't take part. There were no improvements in self-esteem, quality-of-life, or the number of students using DAT. Only 60 students (2% of total screened) required external referral during the 24-weeks following study initiation. These results suggest that a multimodal school-based program may provide an effective and pragmatic approach to help reduce youth depression and suicidality. Further research is required to determine longer-term efficacy, reproducibility, and key program elements. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02169960.

Initial Findings from a Novel School-Based Program, EMPATHY, Which May Help Reduce Depression and Suicidality in Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Silverstone, Peter H.; Bercov, Marni; Suen, Victoria Y. M.; Allen, Andrea; Cribben, Ivor; Goodrick, Jodi; Henry, Stu; Pryce, Catherine; Langstraat, Pieter; Rittenbach, Katherine; Chakraborty, Samprita; Engels, Rutger C.; McCabe, Christopher

2015-01-01

We describe initial pilot findings from a novel school-based approach to reduce youth depression and suicidality, the Empowering a Multimodal Pathway Towards Healthy Youth (EMPATHY) program. Here we present the findings from the pilot cohort of 3,244 youth aged 11–18 (Grades 6-12). They were screened for depression, suicidality, anxiety, use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco (DAT), quality-of-life, and self-esteem. Additionally, all students in Grades 7 and 8 (mean ages 12.3 and 13.3 respectively) also received an 8-session cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) based program designed to increase resiliency to depression. Following screening there were rapid interventions for the 125 students (3.9%) who were identified as being actively suicidal, as well as for another 378 students (11.7%) who were felt to be at higher-risk of self-harm based on a combination of scores from all the scales. The intervention consisted of an interview with the student and their family followed by offering a guided internet-based CBT program. Results from the 2,790 students who completed scales at both baseline and 12-week follow-up showed significant decreases in depression and suicidality. Importantly, there was a marked decrease in the number of students who were actively suicidal (from n=125 at baseline to n=30 at 12-weeks). Of the 503 students offered the CBT program 163 (32%) took part, and this group had significantly lower depression scores compared to those who didn’t take part. There were no improvements in self-esteem, quality-of-life, or the number of students using DAT. Only 60 students (2% of total screened) required external referral during the 24-weeks following study initiation. These results suggest that a multimodal school-based program may provide an effective and pragmatic approach to help reduce youth depression and suicidality. Further research is required to determine longer-term efficacy, reproducibility, and key program elements. Trial Registration Clinical

A Proposal for a Three Detector Short-Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Program in the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam

CERN Document Server

Antonello, M.; Bellini, V.; Benetti, P.; Bertolucci, S.; Bilokon, H.; Boffelli, F.; Bonesini, M.; Bremer, J.; Calligarich, E.; Centro, S.; Cocco, A.G.; Dermenev, A.; Falcone, A.; Farnese, C.; Fava, A.; Ferrari, A.; Gibin, D.; Gninenko, S.; Golubev, N.; Guglielmi, A.; Ivashkin, A.; Kirsanov, M.; Kisiel, J.; Kose, U.; Mammoliti, F.; Mannocchi, G.; Menegolli, A.; Meng, G.; Mladenov, D.; Montanari, C.; Nessi, M.; Nicoletto, M.; Noto, F.; Picchi, P.; Pietropaolo, F.; Plonski, P.; Potenza, R.; Rappoldi, A.; Raselli, G.L.; Rossella, M.; Rubbia, C.; Sala, P.; Scaramelli, A.; Sobczyk, J.; Spanu, M.; Stefan, D.; Sulej, R.; Sutera, C.M.; Torti, M.; Tortorici, F.; Varanini, F.; Ventura, S.; Vignoli, C.; Wachala, T.; Zani, A.; Adams, C.; Andreopoulos, C.; Ankowski, A.M.; Asaadi, J.; Bagby, L.; Baller, B.; Barros, N.; Bass, M.; Bishai, M.; Bitadze, A.; Bugel, L.; Camilleri, L.; Cavanna, F.; Chen, H.; Chi, C.; Church, E.; Cianci, D.; Collin, G.H.; Conrad, J.M.; De Geronimo, G.; Dharmapalan, R.; Djurcic, Z.; Ereditato, A.; Esquivel, J.; Evans, J.; Fleming, B.T.; Foreman, W.M.; Freestone, J.; Gamble, T.; Garvey, G.; Genty, V.; Goldi, D.; Gramellini, E.; Greenlee, H.; Guenette, R.; Hackenburg, A.; Hanni, R.; Ho, J.; Howell, J.; James, C.; Jen, C.M.; Jones, B.J.P.; Kalousis, L.N.; Karagiorgi, G.; Ketchum, W.; Klein, J.; Klinger, J.; Kreslo, I.; Kudryavtsev, V.A.; Lissauer, D.; Livesly, P.; Louis, W.C.; Luthi, M.; Mariani, C.; Mavrokoridis, K.; McCauley, N.; McConkey, N.; Mercer, I.; Miao, T.; Mills, G.B.; Montanari, D.; Moon, J.; Moss, Z.; Mufson, S.; Norris, B.; Nowak, J.; Pal, S.; Palamara, O.; Pater, J.; Pavlovic, Z.; Perkin, J.; Pulliam, G.; Qian, X.; Qiuguang, L.; Radeka, V.; Rameika, R.; Ratoff, P.N.; Richardson, M.; von Rohr, C.Rudolf; Russell, B.; Schmitz, D.W.; Shaevitz, M.H.; Sippach, B.; Soderberg, M.; Soldner-Rembold, S.; Spitz, J.; Spooner, N.; Strauss, T.; Szelc, A.M.; Taylor, C.E.; Terao, K.; Thiesse, M.; Thompson, L.; Thomson, M.; Thorn, C.; Toups, M.; Touramanis, C.; Van de Water, R.G.; Weber, M.; Whittington, D.; Wongjirad, T.; Yu, B.; Zeller, G.P.; Zennamo, J.; Acciarri, R.; An, R.; Barr, G.; Blake, A.; Bolton, T.; Bromberg, C.; Caratelli, D.; Carls, B.; Convery, M.; Dytmam, S.; Eberly, B.; Gollapinni, S.; Graham, M.; Grosso, R.; Hen, O.; Hewes, J.; Horton-Smith, G.; Johnson, R.A.; Joshi, J.; Jostlein, H.; Kaleko, D.; Kirby, B.; Kirby, M.; Kobilarcik, T.; Li, Y.; Littlejohn, B.; Lockwitz, S.; Lundberg, B.; Marchionni, A.; Marshall, J.; McDonald, K.; Meddage, V.; Miceli, T.; Mooney, M.; Moulai, M.H.; Murrells, R.; Naples, D.; Nienaber, P.; Paolone, V.; Papavassiliou, V.; Pate, S.; Pordes, S.; Raaf, J.L.; Rebel, B.; Rochester, L.; Schukraft, A.; Seligman, W.; St. John, J.; Tagg, N.; Tsai, Y.; Usher, T.; Wolbers, S.; Woodruff, K.; Xu, M.; Yang, T.; Zhang, C.; Badgett, W.; Biery, K.; Brice, S.J.; Dixon, S.; Geynisman, M.; Moore, C.; Snider, E.; Wilson, P.

2015-01-01

A Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) physics program of three LAr-TPC detectors located along the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab is presented. This new SBN Program will deliver a rich and compelling physics opportunity, including the ability to resolve a class of experimental anomalies in neutrino physics and to perform the most sensitive search to date for sterile neutrinos at the eV mass-scale through both appearance and disappearance oscillation channels. Using data sets of 6.6e20 protons on target (P.O.T.) in the LAr1-ND and ICARUS T600 detectors plus 13.2e20 P.O.T. in the MicroBooNE detector, we estimate that a search for muon neutrino to electron neutrino appearance can be performed with ~5 sigma sensitivity for the LSND allowed (99% C.L.) parameter region. In this proposal for the SBN Program, we describe the physics analysis, the conceptual design of the LAr1-ND detector, the design and refurbishment of the T600 detector, the necessary infrastructure required to execute the program, and a possible...

Proposed performance standards for the Agricultural Hazardous Occupations Order certification training program.

Science.gov (United States)

French, B F; Field, W E; Tormoehlen, R

2007-07-01

The performance standards that accompany Gearing Up for Safety, the agricultural production safety training curriculum for youth, were designed to meet the certification testing requirements of the Agricultural Hazardous Occupations Order (AgHOs) certification training program. The AgHOs requires that certain youth who are older than 13 and younger than 16 years of age complete a prescribed training program before being eligible for employment on farms to perform certain tasks considered hazardous. These training resources will be available for implementation and can be accessed by contacting the second author. To our knowledge, up until this time, few, if any, standardized testing procedures or instruments have had the necessary psychometric evidence to support use of the resulting scores to assess the readiness of youth to meet the basic certification requirements contained in the AgHOs. This article describes the rationale, methods, and key findings from a standard-setting session held to establish minimum passing scores for a proposed testing process. The test will be used as a component of the Gearing Up for Safety certification process for youth workers seeking employment to perform job functions as specified under the AgHOs. Readers may be able to apply this standardized testing process, or similarly accepted processes, to other or future testing and certification projects involving agricultural safety and health.

Invited perspectives: Hydrological perspectives on precipitation intensity-duration thresholds for landslide initiation: proposing hydro-meteorological thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Bogaard, Thom; Greco, Roberto

2018-01-01

Many shallow landslides and debris flows are precipitation initiated. Therefore, regional landslide hazard assessment is often based on empirically derived precipitation intensity-duration (ID) thresholds and landslide inventories. Generally, two features of precipitation events are plotted and labeled with (shallow) landslide occurrence or non-occurrence. Hereafter, a separation line or zone is drawn, mostly in logarithmic space. The practical background of ID is that often only meteorological information is available when analyzing (non-)occurrence of shallow landslides and, at the same time, it could be that precipitation information is a good proxy for both meteorological trigger and hydrological cause. Although applied in many case studies, this approach suffers from many false positives as well as limited physical process understanding. Some first steps towards a more hydrologically based approach have been proposed in the past, but these efforts received limited follow-up.Therefore, the objective of our paper is to (a) critically analyze the concept of precipitation ID thresholds for shallow landslides and debris flows from a hydro-meteorological point of view and (b) propose a trigger-cause conceptual framework for lumped regional hydro-meteorological hazard assessment based on published examples and associated discussion. We discuss the ID thresholds in relation to return periods of precipitation, soil physics, and slope and catchment water balance. With this paper, we aim to contribute to the development of a stronger conceptual model for regional landslide hazard assessment based on physical process understanding and empirical data.

Effects of a Multimedia Social Skills Program in Increasing Social Responses and Initiations of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Block, Heidi M.; Radley, Keith C.; Jenson, William R.; Clark, Elaine; O'Neill, Robert E.

2015-01-01

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of Superheroes Social Skills, a multimedia social skills package, in improving social responsiveness and social initiation behaviors of four elementary school children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The program was implemented in a public school setting in the southwestern United States for…

32 CFR 206.5 - Final proposal process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... the basis of “educational value for the dollar.” NSEP is interested in funding proposals in areas... institution to integrate the efforts of the proposed program into the educational process? What plans are...) MISCELLANEOUS NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION PROGRAM (NSEP) GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION § 206.5...

Safety Evaluations Under the Proposed US Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013 : Animal Use and Cost Estimates

OpenAIRE

Knight, Jean; Rovida, Costanza

2014-01-01

The proposed Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013 calls for a new evaluation program for cosmetic ingredients in the US, with the new assessments initially dependent on expanded animal testing. This paper considers possible testing scenarios under the proposed Act and estimates the number of test animals and cost under each scenario. It focuses on the impact for the first 10 years of testing, the period of greatest impact on animals and costs. The analysis suggests the first ...

Openness initiative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duncan, S.S. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

1995-12-31

Although antinuclear campaigns seem to be effective, public communication and education efforts on low-level radioactive waste have mixed results. Attempts at public information programs on low-level radioactive waste still focus on influencing public opinion. A question then is: {open_quotes}Is it preferable to have a program focus on public education that will empower individuals to make informed decisions rather than trying to influence them in their decisions?{close_quotes} To address this question, a case study with both quantitative and qualitative data will be used. The Ohio Low-Level Radioactive Waste Education Program has a goal to provide people with information they want/need to make their own decisions. The program initiated its efforts by conducting a statewide survey to determine information needed by people and where they turned for that information. This presentation reports data from the survey and then explores the program development process in which programs were designed and presented using the information. Pre and post data from the programs reveal attitude and knowledge shifts.

Openness initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncan, S.S.

1995-01-01

Although antinuclear campaigns seem to be effective, public communication and education efforts on low-level radioactive waste have mixed results. Attempts at public information programs on low-level radioactive waste still focus on influencing public opinion. A question then is: open-quotes Is it preferable to have a program focus on public education that will empower individuals to make informed decisions rather than trying to influence them in their decisions?close quotes To address this question, a case study with both quantitative and qualitative data will be used. The Ohio Low-Level Radioactive Waste Education Program has a goal to provide people with information they want/need to make their own decisions. The program initiated its efforts by conducting a statewide survey to determine information needed by people and where they turned for that information. This presentation reports data from the survey and then explores the program development process in which programs were designed and presented using the information. Pre and post data from the programs reveal attitude and knowledge shifts

77 FR 35408 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Process Evaluation of the Early Independence Award (EIA...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-13

...In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC), Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Proposed Collection: Title: Process Evaluation of the Early Independence Award (EIA) Program. Type of Information Collection Request: NEW. Need and Use of Information Collection: This study will assess the EIA program operations. The primary objectives of the study are to (1) assess if the requests for applications (RFAs) are meeting the needs of applicants, (2) document the selection process, (3) document EIA program operations, (4) assess the progress being made by the Early Independence Principal Investigators, and (5) assess the support provided by the Host Institutions to the Early Independence Principal Investigators. The findings will provide valuable information concerning (1) aspects of the program that could be revised or improved, (2) progress made by the Early Independence Principal Investigators, and (3) implementation of the program at Host Institutions. Frequency of Response: On occasion. Affected Public: None. Type of Respondents: Applicants, reviewers, and awardees. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Estimated Number of Respondents: 390; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1; Average Burden Hours per Response: 4; and Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 158. The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at: $9,774. There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs to report.

2016 Fermilab Laboratory Directed Research & Development Program Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wester, W. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)

2016-05-25

Fermilab is executing Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) as outlined by order DOE O 413.2B in order to enhance and realize the mission of the laboratory in a manner that also supports the laboratory’s strategic objectives and the mission of the Department of Energy. LDRD funds enable scientific creativity, allow for exploration of “high risk, high payoff” research, and allow for the demonstration of new ideas, technical concepts, and devices. LDRD also has an objective of maintaining and enhancing the scientific and technical vitality of Fermilab. LDRD is able to fund employee-initiated proposals that address the current strategic objectives and better position Fermilab for future mission needs. The request for such funds is made in consideration of the investment needs, affordability, and directives from DOE and Congress. Review procedures of the proposals will insure that those proposals which most address the strategic goals of the DOE and the Laboratory or which best position Fermilab for the future will be recommended to the Laboratory Director who has responsibility for approval. The execution of each approved project will be the responsibility of the Principal Investigator, PI, who will follow existing Laboratory guidelines to ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and quality assurance practices. A Laboratory Director-appointed LDRD Coordinator will work with Committees, Laboratory Management, other Fermilab Staff, and the PI’s to oversee the implementation of policies and procedures of LDRD and provide the management and execution of this Annual Program Plan. FY16 represents third fiscal year in which LDRD has existed at Fermilab. The number of preliminary proposals (117) submitted in response to the LDRD Call for Proposals indicates very strong interest of the program within the Fermilab community. The first two Calls have resulted in thirteen active LDRD projects – and it is expected that between five and seven new

Analysis of initial prestress force of spatial tendon prestressed concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiau, H.-S.

1975-01-01

A theoretical investigation is presented of the initial stage of prestressed tendon and prestressed concrete before and after jacking force of tendon anchorage released. A method is developed that is applicable to any kind of spatial tendon considering frictional loss due to length and curvature effects. A triple integral equation of one independent variable and jacking force is derived to represent an exact solution of tendon force along the whole tendon which may have reverse curvatures. In order to analyze the stress response of concrete due to this prestress force by using existing finite element computer program or any other kind of computer program, a systematic method is suggested to obtain tendon force components, which are represented by a series of equations of one independent variable, in any coordinate system as external force applied on the concrete. The resulting systems of the equations are then solved by numerical mathematic and computer techniques. Two numerical examples are represented. The first example is, dome prestress analysis of containment building by the proposed method and Kalnins' computer program for shell of revolution. Results are discussed. The second example is picked from prestress analysis for personnel air lock of containment building by using proposed method and FELAP finite element Computer program. It includes two different tendon arrangements around the opening. The results of these two different arrangements are compared and discussed

24 CFR 125.201 - Administrative Enforcement Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Initiative. 125.201 Section 125.201 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.201 Administrative Enforcement Initiative. The Administrative Enforcement Initiative provides funding to State and local fair housing agencies administering...

7 CFR 3405.14 - Proposal review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Proposal Review and Evaluation § 3405.14 Proposal review. The proposal evaluation process includes both internal staff review and...

Initiation of a Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision Program at an Academic Training Program: Evaluating Patient Safety and Quality Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Maykel, Justin A; Phatak, Uma R; Suwanabol, Pasithorn A; Schlussel, Andrew T; Davids, Jennifer S; Sturrock, Paul R; Alavi, Karim

2017-12-01

Short-term results have shown that transanal total mesorectal excision is safe and effective for patients with mid to low rectal cancers. Transanal total mesorectal excision is considered technically challenging; thus, adoption has been limited to a few academic centers in the United States. The aim of this study is to describe outcomes after the initiation of a transanal total mesorectal excision program in the setting of an academic colorectal training program. This is a single-center retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent transanal total mesorectal excision from December 2014 to August 2016. This study was conducted at an academic center with a colorectal residency program. Patients with benign and malignant diseases were selected. All transanal total mesorectal excisions were performed with abdominal and perineal teams working simultaneously. The primary outcomes measured were pathologic quality, length of hospital stay, 30-day morbidity, and 30-day mortality. There were 40 patients (24 male). The median age was 55 years (interquartile range, 46.7-63.4) with a median BMI of 29 kg/m (interquartile range, 24.6-32.4). The primary indication was cancer (n = 30), and tumor height from the anal verge ranged from 0.5 to 15 cm. Eighty percent (n = 24) of the patients who had rectal cancer received preoperative chemoradiation. The most common procedures were low anterior resection (67.5%), total proctocolectomy (15%), and abdominoperineal resection (12.5%). Median operative time was 380 minutes (interquartile range, 306-454.4), with no change over time. For patients with malignancy, the mesorectum was complete or nearly complete in 100% of the specimens. A median of 14 lymph nodes (interquartile range, 12-17) were harvested, and 100% of the rectal cancer specimens achieved R0 status. Median length of stay was 4.5 days (interquartile range, 4-7), and there were 6 readmissions (15%). There were no deaths or intraoperative complications. This study

Clean Coal Technology Programs: Program Update 2003 (Volume 1)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy

2003-12-01

Annual report on the Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCTDP), Power Plant Improvement Initiative (PPII), and Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI). The report addresses the roles of the programs, implementation, funding and costs, project descriptions, legislative history, program history, environmental aspects, and project contacts. The project descriptions describe the technology and provides a brief summary of the demonstration results.

Major accomplishments of America's nuclear rocket program (ROVER)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finseth, J.L.

1991-01-01

The United States embarked on a program to develop nuclear rocket engines in 1955. This program was known as project Rover. Initially nuclear rockets were considered as a potential backup for intercontinental ballistic missile propulsion but later proposed applications included both a lunar second stage as well as use in manned-Mars flights. Under the Rover program, 19 different reactors were built and tested during the period of 1959-1969. Additionally, several cold flow (non-fuelled) reactors were tested as well as a nuclear fuels test cell. The Rover program was terminated in 1973, due to budget constraints and an evolving political climate. The Rover program would have led to the development of a flight engine had the program continued through a logical continuation. The Rover program was responsible for a number of technological achievements. The successful operation of nuclear rocket engines on a system level represents the pinnacle of accomplishment. This paper will discuss the engine test program as well as several subsystems

Deep-sea coral research and technology program: Alaska deep-sea coral and sponge initiative final report

Science.gov (United States)

Rooper, Chris; Stone, Robert P.; Etnoyer, Peter; Conrath, Christina; Reynolds, Jennifer; Greene, H. Gary; Williams, Branwen; Salgado, Enrique; Morrison, Cheryl L.; Waller, Rhian G.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.

2017-01-01

Deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems are widespread throughout most of Alaska’s marine waters. In some places, such as the central and western Aleutian Islands, deep-sea coral and sponge resources can be extremely diverse and may rank among the most abundant deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the world. Many different species of fishes and invertebrates are associated with deep-sea coral and sponge communities in Alaska. Because of their biology, these benthic invertebrates are potentially impacted by climate change and ocean acidification. Deepsea coral and sponge ecosystems are also vulnerable to the effects of commercial fishing activities. Because of the size and scope of Alaska’s continental shelf and slope, the vast majority of the area has not been visually surveyed for deep-sea corals and sponges. NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) sponsored a field research program in the Alaska region between 2012–2015, referred to hereafter as the Alaska Initiative. The priorities for Alaska were derived from ongoing data needs and objectives identified by the DSCRTP, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC), and Essential Fish Habitat-Environmental Impact Statement (EFH-EIS) process.This report presents the results of 15 projects conducted using DSCRTP funds from 2012-2015. Three of the projects conducted as part of the Alaska deep-sea coral and sponge initiative included dedicated at-sea cruises and fieldwork spread across multiple years. These projects were the eastern Gulf of Alaska Primnoa pacifica study, the Aleutian Islands mapping study, and the Gulf of Alaska fish productivity study. In all, there were nine separate research cruises carried out with a total of 109 at-sea days conducting research. The remaining projects either used data and samples collected by the three major fieldwork projects or were piggy-backed onto existing research programs at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC).

The Abbott School Construction Program: Report on the NJ Department of Education Proposed Regulations on Long-Range Facilities Plans

Science.gov (United States)

Ponessa, Joan

2004-01-01

This report on Long Range Facilities Plans (LRFPs) analyzes regulations proposed by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to implement the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act. (EFCFA). EFCFA, which authorizes and governs New Jersey's public school construction program, was enacted in July 2000 to implement the State…

Program Baseline Change Control Procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-02-01

This procedure establishes the responsibilities and process for approving initial issues of and changes to the technical, cost, and schedule baselines, and selected management documents developed by the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) for the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System. This procedure implements the OCRWM Baseline Management Plan and DOE Order 4700.1, Chg 1. It streamlines the change control process to enhance integration, accountability, and traceability of Level 0 and Level I decisions through standardized Baseline Change Proposal (BCP) forms to be used by the Level 0, 1, 2, and 3 Baseline Change Control Boards (BCCBs) and to be tracked in the OCRWM-wide Configuration Information System (CIS) Database.This procedure applies to all technical, cost, and schedule baselines controlled by the Energy System Acquisition Advisory Board (ESAAB) BCCB (Level 0) and, OCRWM Program Baseline Control Board (PBCCB) (Level 1). All baseline BCPs initiated by Level 2 or lower BCCBs, which require approval from ESAAB or PBCCB, shall be processed in accordance with this procedure. This procedure also applies to all Program-level management documents controlled by the OCRWM PBCCB

Intelligent vehicle initiative : business plan

Science.gov (United States)

1997-11-01

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is embarking on a new program called the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI). The USDOT intends to jointly define the program plan and conduct the IVI in cooperation with the motor vehicle, trucking, and...

Multifamily Hubs' Initial Endorsements FY12

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — Describes the program, geographic & lender distribution of multifamily loans initially endorsed for FHA insurance or risk sharing in FY 12. A loan is initially...

7 CFR 3415.14 - Proposal review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BIOTECHNOLOGY RISK ASSESSMENT RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM Scientific Peer... program solicitation (e.g., relationship of application to announced program area). Proposals that do not... and will be returned to the applicant. (b) All applications will be carefully reviewed by the...

Homotopy Method for a General Multiobjective Programming Problem under Generalized Quasinormal Cone Condition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Zhao

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A combined interior point homotopy continuation method is proposed for solving general multiobjective programming problem. We prove the existence and convergence of a smooth homotopy path from almost any interior initial interior point to a solution of the KKT system under some basic assumptions.

40 CFR 96.24 - Effective date of initial NOX Budget permit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Effective date of initial NOX Budget... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NOX BUDGET TRADING PROGRAM AND CAIR NOX AND SO2 TRADING PROGRAMS FOR STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Permits § 96.24 Effective date of initial NOX Budget permit. The initial NOX Budget permit...

National Strategic Computing Initiative Strategic Plan

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-01

23 A.6 National Nanotechnology Initiative...program, lack the memory capacity to perform current and anticipated new classes of scientific and engineering applications, and be potentially...Initiative: https://www.nitrd.gov/nitrdgroups/index.php?title=Big_Data_(BD_SSG)  National Nanotechnology Initiative: http://www.nano.gov  Precision

7 CFR 3403.9 - Submission of proposals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Submission and Evaluation of Proposals § 3403.9 Submission of proposals. The SBIR program solicitation for Phase I proposals and the correspondence requesting Phase II proposals will provide the deadline date... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Submission of proposals. 3403.9 Section 3403.9...

Can community change be measured for an outcomes-based initiative? A comparative case study of the success by 6 initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Minich, Lisa; Howe, Steven; Langmeyer, Daniel; Corcoran, Kevin

2006-12-01

One of the challenges facing nonprofit organizations today is the demand for measurable results. Increasingly, these organizations are focusing less on program outputs and program outcomes in favor of community outcomes or changes demonstrated in the larger community. Success by 6(R) is a popular United Way initiative that emphasizes defining and measuring community outcomes. In this paper, we describe our work with 24 Success by 6(R) initiatives around the country. It is clear that not all of these initiatives are measuring community outcomes. Of those initiatives that are experiencing some success measuring community outcomes, similar measurement strategies are reported. Additionally, our experience suggests several United Way employees express dissatisfaction with the logic model as a framework for defining and measuring community outcomes although no preferred alternative model is identified. Evaluators working with community-wide initiatives must find ways to communicate the differences between program and community outcomes to key stakeholders and funders.

7 CFR 3406.16 - Scope of a research proposal.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... initiative(s) for which they have prepared their proposals. (a) Studies and experimentation in food and... constituents from or adding desirable ones to food products. (iii) Propose and evaluate ways to enhance... development (e.g., exploitation of new technologies by small rural businesses). (iv) Identify control factors...

Alcator C-MOD proposal addendum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonoli, P.; Greenwald, M.; Gwinn, D.

1986-04-01

Since the design concept and overall purpose of the Alcator C-MOD device are similar to that proposed in October 1985, we have chosen in this document only to highlight areas where changes or additions have been made. Chapters in the Addendum correspond to those in the Proposal, except Chapter 9 which describes a number of toroidal improvement concepts which are being considered for inclusion in the Alcator C-MOD experimental program. A description of the redesign and a discussion of the objectives of the experimental program are given

24 CFR 125.401 - Private Enforcement Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Private Enforcement Initiative. 125... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.401 Private Enforcement Initiative. (a) The Private Enforcement Initiative provides funding on a single-year or multi-year basis, to investigate violations and...

[Environmental Hazards Assessment Program annual report, June 1992--June 1993]. Needs assessment for the proposed masters degree program in environmental science at the Medical University of South Carolina: EHAP Volume 1, No. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoomani, J.

1993-05-01

There will be a critical shortage of professionals who are educated to deal with environmental problems by 1997. This was the major finding of a 1992 study conducted by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (Publication Number PAL-8171, CU-700). The study was done to determine the manpower needs of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management in the US Department of Energy (DOE). Although the focus of the study was the 19 sites of the DOE complex, including the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the study documented that such shortages will affect other major agencies and organizations including the US Department of Interior, the US Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governmental agencies, private agencies, and manufacturing enterprises throughout the State of South Carolina and the National. The Oak Ridge Study also documented that a variety of professional positions requiring environmental expertise are difficult to fill because traditional educational programs in physical science, engineering, health science, public policy, and administration have not adequately responded to the unique nature of these emerging specialities. This lack of educational preparation has necessitated extensive on-site training of new employees before they can become productive members of the environmental work force. Unique educational initiatives such as the Environmental Studies program proposed here are vital to address the long-term demand for environmental professionals.

Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative University Fellowship Program. Final Progress Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, Cathy

2012-01-01

2004-2011 Final Report for AFCI University Fellowship Program. The goal of this effort was to be supportive of university students and university programs - particularly those students and programs that will help to strengthen the development of nuclear-related fields. The program also supported the stability of the nuclear infrastructure and developed research partnerships that are helping to enlarge the national nuclear science technology base. In this fellowship program, the U.S. Department of Energy sought master's degree students in nuclear, mechanical, or chemical engineering, engineering/applied physics, physics, chemistry, radiochemistry, or fields of science and engineering applicable to the AFCI/Gen IV/GNEP missions in order to meet future U.S. nuclear program needs. The fellowship program identified candidates and selected full time students of high-caliber who were taking nuclear courses as part of their degree programs. The DOE Academic Program Managers encouraged fellows to pursue summer internships at national laboratories and supported the students with appropriate information so that both the fellows and the nation's nuclear energy objectives were successful.

75 FR 11837 - Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-12

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Commodity Credit Corporation Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative AGENCY...: Notice of availability of program funds for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative. SUMMARY: The... through the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative for agricultural producers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed...

6 CFR 13.37 - Initial Decision.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Initial Decision. 13.37 Section 13.37 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.37 Initial Decision. (a) The ALJ will issue an Initial Decision based only on the record, which will contain...

76 FR 64083 - Loveland Area Projects-2025 Power Marketing Initiative Proposal

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-17

..., with amendments to key marketing plan principles. This Federal Register notice initiates Western's... published in the Federal Register (51 FR 4012, January 31, 1986) and provided the marketing plan principles... provided customers the opportunity to review current marketing plan principles and provide informal input...

Flight demonstration of flight termination system and solid rocket motor ignition using semiconductor laser initiated ordnance

Science.gov (United States)

Schulze, Norman R.; Maxfield, B.; Boucher, C.

1995-01-01

Solid State Laser Initiated Ordnance (LIO) offers new technology having potential for enhanced safety, reduced costs, and improved operational efficiency. Concerns over the absence of programmatic applications of the technology, which has prevented acceptance by flight programs, should be abated since LIO has now been operationally implemented by the Laser Initiated Ordnance Sounding Rocket Demonstration (LOSRD) Program. The first launch of solid state laser diode LIO at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) occurred on March 15, 1995 with all mission objectives accomplished. This project, Phase 3 of a series of three NASA Headquarters LIO demonstration initiatives, accomplished its objective by the flight of a dedicated, all-LIO sounding rocket mission using a two-stage Nike-Orion launch vehicle. LIO flight hardware, made by The Ensign-Bickford Company under NASA's first Cooperative Agreement with Profit Making Organizations, safely initiated three demanding pyrotechnic sequence events, namely, solid rocket motor ignition from the ground and in flight, and flight termination, i.e., as a Flight Termination System (FTS). A flight LIO system was designed, built, tested, and flown to support the objectives of quickly and inexpensively putting LIO through ground and flight operational paces. The hardware was fully qualified for this mission, including component testing as well as a full-scale system test. The launch accomplished all mission objectives in less than 11 months from proposal receipt. This paper concentrates on accomplishments of the ordnance aspects of the program and on the program's implementation and results. While this program does not generically qualify LIO for all applications, it demonstrated the safety, technical, and operational feasibility of those two most demanding applications, using an all solid state safe and arm system in critical flight applications.

Beyond "Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer" strategy for creating sustainable telemedicine programs: lesson from the first decade.

Science.gov (United States)

Latifi, Rifat; Dasho, Erion; Lecaj, Ismet; Latifi, Kalterina; Bekteshi, Flamur; Hadeed, Molly; Doarn, Charles R; Merrell, Ronald C

2012-06-01

December 10, 2012 will mark the 10th anniversary of the implementation of telemedicine in the Balkans. This first decade of development and function is due to the passion, creativity, experience, and implementation know-how of the award-winning concept of the International Virtual e-Hospital (IVeH) Foundation. The objective of this article is to analyze the results of the IVeH's core strategy, "Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer" (IBOT), which has been instrumental in establishing telemedicine in the Balkans and has been adopted by many other countries worldwide, and to describe the lessons learned that go beyond IBOT. A retrospective review of the results of IVeH engagement in establishing telemedicine in developing countries was conducted. Using IBOT, the IVeH has successfully established two national programs: one in Kosova and one in Albania. Together, they have connected 16 hospitals. Currently IVeH is in the process of creating such programs in many countries around the world. During the analysis of the first decade, we have identified eight factors that should be considered when establishing telemedicine programs. IBOT has been successful, but further studies are needed to demonstrate its effectiveness in countries beyond the Balkans.

The Soil Program of the Restoration Seedbank Initiative: addressing knowledge gaps in degraded soils for use in dryland restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam; Bateman, Amber; Erickson, Todd E.; Turner, Shane; Merritt, David J.

2017-04-01

Global environmental changes and other anthropogenic impacts are rapidly transforming the structure and functioning of ecosystems worldwide. These changes are leading to land degradation with an estimated 25 % of the global land surface being affected. Landscape-scale restoration of these degraded ecosystems has therefore been recognised globally as an international priority. In the resource-rich biodiverse semi-arid Pilbara region of north-west Western Australia hundreds of thousands of hectares are disturbed due to established and emerging iron-ore mine operations. At this scale, the need to develop cost-effective large-scale solutions to restore these landscapes becomes imperative to preserve biodiversity and achieve functionality and sustainability of these ecosystems. The Restoration Seedbank Initiative (RSB) (http://www.plants.uwa.edu.au/ research/restoration-seedbank-initiative) is a five-year multidisciplinary research project that aims to build knowledge and design strategies to restore mine-impacted landscapes in the Pilbara and other arid and semi-arid landscapes worldwide (Kildiseheva et al., 2016). The RSB comprises four research programs that focus on seedbank management and curation, seed storage, seed enhancement, and the use of alternative soil substrates (soil or growing medium program) respectively. These multi-disciplinary programs address the significant challenges of landscape scale restoration in arid systems. In the soil program we follow an integrated approach that includes the characterization of undisturbed ecosystems, assessment of restored soils with the use of soil quality indicators, and design of alternative soil substrates to support the establishment of native plant communities. A series of glasshouse studies and field trials have been conducted in the last three years to advance our knowledge on soil limitations and to provide solutions to effectively overcome these challenges in arid ecosystem restoration. These studies include

Federal Aviation Administration retained savings program proposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hostick, D.J.; Larson, L.L.; Hostick, C.J.

1998-03-01

Federal legislation allows federal agencies to retain up to 50% of the savings associated with implementing energy efficiency and water conservation measures and practices. Given budget pressures to reduce expenditures, the use of retained savings to fund additional projects represents a source of funds outside of the traditional budget cycle. The Southwest Region Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has tasked Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop a model retained savings program for Southwest Region FAA use and as a prototype for consideration by the FAA. PNNL recommends the following steps be taken in developing a Southwest Region FAA retained savings program: Establish a retained savings mechanism. Determine the level at which the retained savings should be consolidated into a fund. The preliminary recommendation is to establish a revolving efficiency loan fund at the regional level. Such a mechanism allows some consolidation of savings to fund larger projects, while maintaining a sense of facility ownership in that the funds will remain within the region

Innovative Technology Development Program. Final summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beller, J.

1995-08-01

Through the Office of Technology Development (OTD), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a national applied research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation program, whose goal has been to resolve the major technical issues and rapidly advance technologies for environmental restoration and waste management. The Innovative Technology Development (ITD) Program was established as a part of the DOE, Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation (RDDT ampersand E) Program. The plan is part of the DOE's program to restore sites impacted by weapons production and to upgrade future waste management operations. On July 10, 1990, DOE issued a Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA) through the Idaho Operations Office to solicit private sector help in developing innovative technologies to support DOE's clean-up goals. This report presents summaries of each of the seven projects, which developed and tested the technologies proposed by the seven private contractors selected through the PRDA process

Centrifuge enrichment program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astley, E.R.

1976-01-01

Exxon Nuclear has been active in privately funded research and development of centrifuge enrichment technology since 1972. In October of 1975, Exxon Nuclear submitted a proposal to design, construct, and operate a 3000-MT SWU/yr centrifuge enrichment plant, under the provisions of the proposed Nuclear Fuel Assurance Act of 1975. The U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) accepted the proposal as a basis for negotiation. It was proposed to build a 1000-MT SWU/yr demonstration increment to be operational in 1982; and after successful operation for about one year, expand the facilities into a 3000-MT SWU/yr plant. As part of the overall centrifuge enrichment plant, a dedicated centrifuge manufacturing plant would be constructed; sized to support the full 3000-MT SWU/yr plant. The selection of the centrifuge process by Exxon Nuclear was based on an extremely thorough evaluation of current and projected enrichment technology; results show that the technology is mature and the process will be cost effective. The substantial savings in energy (about 93%) from utilization of the centrifuge option rather than gaseous diffusion is a compelling argument. As part of this program, Exxon Nuclear has a large hardware R and D program, plus a prototype centrifuge manufacturing capability in Malta, New York. To provide a full-scale machine and limited cascade test capability, Exxon Nuclear is constructing a $4,000,000 Centrifuge Test Facility in Richland, Washington. This facility was to initiate operations in the Fall of 1976. Exxon Nuclear is convinced that the centrifuge enrichment process is the rational selection for emergence of a commercial enrichment industry

Self-initialization module for the RELAP4/MOD7 program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behling, S.R.; Burgess, C.H.; Johnsen, G.W.

1979-01-01

An automated self-initialization option has been developed and implemented into the RELAP4/MOD7 computer code. With this new feature, pressurized water reactors or similar models may be initialized to steady state conditions with minimal user-supplied input data. Previously, the analyst (user) had to hand compute all pressures and temperatures in conjunction with several iterative computer runs. Two semi-independent functions, pressure balancing and thermal balancing, comprise the self-initialization module. The user supplies input data specifying a reference pressure and temperature and associated locations. Control volume pressures and temperatures are computed consistent with the nodalization, geometry, total power, and mass flow rates specified. Verification has been accomplished by performing transient calculations on system models and observing the persistence of stable operating conditions. Preparation of input data for the self-initialization module seldom requires more than several man-hours. Computing time required on a CDC 7600 computer to complete the self-initialization process is typically less than 30 seconds

Program Management Officer -Think Tank Initiative | IDRC ...

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

English · Français ... minutes and meeting reports of a technical nature to ensure discussions and decisions are well documented ... the Centre; Reviews project and program material and prepares synthesis documents of results, decisions, ...

FY 2008 Next Generation Safeguards Initiative International Safeguards Education and Training Pilot Programs Summary Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreicer, M.; Anzelon, G.; Essner, J.; Dougan, A.; Doyle, J.; Boyer, B.; Hypes, P.; Sokova, E.; Wehling, F.

2008-01-01

Key component of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) launched by the National Nuclear Security Administration is the development of human capital to meet present and future challenges to the safeguards regime. An effective university-level education in safeguards and related disciplines is an essential element in a layered strategy to rebuild the safeguards human resource capacity. Two pilot programs at university level, involving 44 students, were initiated and implemented in spring-summer 2008 and linked to hands-on internships at LANL or LLNL. During the internships, students worked on specific safeguards-related projects with a designated Laboratory Mentor to provide broader exposure to nuclear materials management and information analytical techniques. The Safeguards and Nuclear Material Management pilot program was a collaboration between the Texas A and M University (TAMU), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). It included a 16-lecture course held during a summer internship program. The instructors for the course were from LANL together with TAMU faculty and LLNL experts. The LANL-based course was shared with the students spending their internship at LLNL via video conference. A week-long table-top (or hands-on) exercise on was also conducted at LANL. The student population was a mix of 28 students from a 12 universities participating in a variety of summer internship programs held at LANL and LLNL. A large portion of the students were TAMU students participating in the NGSI pilot. The International Nuclear Safeguards Policy and Information Analysis pilot program was implemented at the Monterey Institute for International Studies (MIIS) in cooperation with LLNL. It included a two-week intensive course consisting of 20 lectures and two exercises. MIIS, LLNL, and speakers from other U.S. national laboratories (LANL, BNL) delivered lectures for the audience of 16 students. The majority of students

Medical Errors Reduction Initiative

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mutter, Michael L

2005-01-01

The Valley Hospital of Ridgewood, New Jersey, is proposing to extend a limited but highly successful specimen management and medication administration medical errors reduction initiative on a hospital-wide basis...

48 CFR 315.606-1 - Receipt and initial review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION Unsolicited Proposals 315.606-1 Receipt and initial review. (d) OPDIVs shall not refuse consideration of an unsolicited proposal because an organization initially submitted it as a grant application. However, OPDIVs shall not award contracts based on...

An Evaluation Instrument for Object-Oriented Example Programs for Novices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Henrik Bærbak; Börstler, Jürgen; Nordström,, Marie

objectively and consistently requires some kind of measurement instrument. In this paper, we describe the development and initial validation of an evaluation instrument for example programs, based on three aspects of quality; technical quality, object-oriented quality, and didactical quality. Validation......Examples are important tools for programming education. In this paper, we investigate desirable properties of programming examples from a cognitive and a measurement point of view. We argue that some cognitive aspects of example programs are "caught" by common software measures......, but they are not sufficient to capture all important aspects of understandability. We propose a framework for measuring the understandability of example programs that also considers factors related to the usage context of examples. Research shows that examples play an important role for cognitive skill acquisition. Students...

Selection methodology for LWR safety R and D programs and proposals. Volume III. User's manual for the multi-attribute utility package (MAUP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hale, M.; Turnage, J.J.; Husseiny, A.A.; Ritzman, R.L.

1981-02-01

The computer program which was developed to apply the multi-attribute utility (MAU) methodology to the selection of LWR safety R and D programs and proposals is described. An overview of the MAU method is presented, followed by a description of the steps incorporated in developing individual modules for use in the multi-attribute utility package (MAUP). Each module is described complete with usage information and an example of computer output

Continuous Risk Management: A NASA Program Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Theodore F.; Rosenberg, Linda

1999-01-01

NPG 7120.5A, "NASA Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements" enacted in April, 1998, requires that "The program or project manager shall apply risk management principles..." The Software Assurance Technology Center (SATC) at NASA GSFC has been tasked with the responsibility for developing and teaching a systems level course for risk management that provides information on how to comply with this edict. The course was developed in conjunction with the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, then tailored to the NASA systems community. This presentation will briefly discuss the six functions for risk management: (1) Identify the risks in a specific format; (2) Analyze the risk probability, impact/severity, and timeframe; (3) Plan the approach; (4) Track the risk through data compilation and analysis; (5) Control and monitor the risk; (6) Communicate and document the process and decisions.

A program in medium energy nuclear physics. Progress report and continuation proposal October 1, 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berman, B.L.; Dhuga, K.S.

1995-01-01

This progress report and continuation proposal summarizes our achievements for the period from July 1, 1994 to September 30, 1995 and requests continued funding for our program in experimental medium-energy nuclear physics. The focus of our program remains the understanding of the short-range part of the strong interaction in the nuclear medium. In the past year we have focused our attention ever more sharply on experiments with real tagged photons, and we have successfully defended two new experimental proposals: Photofission of Actinide and Preactinide Nuclei at SAL and Photoproduction of the ρ Meson from the Proton with Linearly Polarized Photons at CEBAF. (We are co-spokespersons on two previously approved Hall-B experiments at CEBAF, Photoreactions on 3 He and Photoabsorption and Photofission of Nuclei.) As part of the team that is instrumenting the Photon Tagger for Hall B; we report excellent progress on the focal-plane detector array that is being built at our Nuclear Detector Laboratory, as well as progress on our plans for instrumentation of a tagged polarized-photon beam using coherent bremsstrahlung. Also, we shall soon receive a large computer system (from the SSC) which will form the basis for our new Data Analysis Center, which, like the Nuclear Detector Laboratory, will be operated under the auspices of The George Washington University Center for Nuclear Studies. Finally, during the past year we have published six more papers on the results of our measurements of pion scattering at LAMPF and of electron scattering at NIKHEF and Bates, and we can report that nearly all of the remaining papers documenting this long series of measurements are in the pipeline

Results of the initial test program for the Sandia Pulsed Reactor III (SPR III)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estes, B.F.; Reuscher, J.A.

1976-08-01

This document presents a detailed discussion of the reactor including the mechanical and nuclear design characteristics. Also presented are the complete results of the Initial Approach to Critical and the Zero-and-Low Power testing programs. Reactivity worth measurements are given for such parameters as control element integral worth, Safety Block integral worth, and various materials (polyethylene, copper, lead, etc) as a function of position relative to the core. Subcritical reactivity measurements made during the approach to critical generally proved to be in reasonably good agreement with design values due to the good source-fuel-detector geometry possible with a reactor of this type. Subsequent dynamic measurements for reactivity worths are shown to be in good agreement with calculated results

[Environmental Hazards Assessment Program annual report, June 1992--June 1993]. Proposal for a new program leading to the Master of Science degree in environmental studies to be offered jointly by the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of Charleston, South Carolina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-12-01

The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and the University of Charleston, South Carolina (UCSC) propose to offer the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Studies. The proposed starting date is August 1994. The purpose of this interdisciplinary program is to offer nationally and internationally recognized graduate level training in the areas of environmental policy, science, and health risk assessment. Special emphasis will be placed on human health. Included in this proposal are a needs assessment for environmental science professionals along with employment projections and salary expectations. The Environmental Science program is described and its relationship to other programs within MUSC and UCSC, as well as its relation to similar programs at other institutions are examined. Enrollment is discussed, admission requirements and standards outlined, and the curriculum is described. Academic and physical resources are examined and estimated costs are given.

Surgical Critical Care Initiative

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Surgical Critical Care Initiative (SC2i) is a USU research program established in October 2013 to develop, translate, and validate biology-driven critical care....

Development and evaluation of addiction treatment programs in Latin America.

Science.gov (United States)

Marín-Navarrete, Rodrigo; Medina-Mora, María Elena; Pérez-López, Alejandro; Horigian, Viviana E

2018-07-01

The aim of this article is to present a state-of-the-art review of the scientific studies that have evaluated healthcare systems, services and programs for addiction treatment in Latin America. As a secondary aim, this article presents a brief description and analysis of the addiction prevention and treatment resources and programs available in Latin America, based on information from the ATLAS on Substance Use (ATLAS-SU) project led by the WHO. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are among the main causes associated with global burden of disease. Around the world, many initiatives have been proposed to promote policies to reduce substance use and reduce the impact of SUD, including integrating treatments into healthcare systems, increasing access to treatment programs and impacting outcome measures. In Latin America, multiple efforts have been implemented to improve addiction services and programs, although little is known about the impact they have generated. International studies report the availability of strategies and public inicitatives on prevention and treatment of addiction in Latin America. These studies also report established networks of public and private services that include prevention and detoxification programs, outpatient and residential treatment, and also social reintegration initiatives. However, despite these advances, information on the evaluation of the progress, results and impact of these programs is limited.

Strategies And Initiatives That Revitalize Wesley College STEM Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Souza, Malcolm J; Kroen, William K; Stephens, Charlene B; Kashmar, Richard J

Church-related small private liberal arts baccalaureate minority-serving institutions like Wesley College have modest endowments, are heavily tuition-dependent, and have large numbers of financially-challenged students. In order to sustain the level of academic excellence and to continue to build student demographic diversity in its accessible robust Science and Mathematics (STEM) programs, the faculty sought federal and state funds to implement a coordinated program of curriculum enhancements and student support programs that will increase the number of students choosing STEM majors, increase their academic success, and improve retention.

Fluctuations of quasars and other astronomical sources: final report on New Research Initiatives Program W-210

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terrell, J.

1978-01-01

New Research Initiatives Program W-210 produced a number of scientific results, publications, colloquia, and talks. Investigations under this program dealt with power spectra of fluctuating light sources, the apparent expansion rates of astronomical sources exploding at relativistic speed, the limits on fluctuation rates of such expanding (and nonexpanding) light sources, and related matters. Probably the most important result was a study of the time history of such an exploding light source, which showed that a widely held belief that unusually rapid fluctuations of light output would be produced in this case is not correct. This result has an important bearing on the interpretation of the redshifts of quasars and BL Lac objects, indicating that cosmological distance is very difficult to reconcile with the observations of rapid variations of luminosity. These results, and the power-spectrum results, are also of considerable interest in the study of astronomical x-ray sources. A list of publications is included

Sustainable Agricultural Marketing Initiatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hakan Adanacıoğlu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Sustainable marketing is a holistic approach that puts equal emphasis on environmental, social equity, and economic concerns in the development of marketing strategies. The purpose of the study is to examine and discuss the sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives practiced throughout the World and Turkey, and to put forth suggestions to further improve the performance of agricultural marketing initiatives in Turkey. Some of the sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives practiced around the world are carried out through civil organizations. Furthermore; some of these initiatives have also launched by farmers, consumers, food processors and retailers. The long-term strategies to increase these initiatives should be determined due to the fact that examples of successful sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives are inadequate and cannot be spread in Turkey. In this context, first of all, the supports provided by the government to improve agricultural marketing systems, such as EU funds for rural development should be compatible with the goals of sustainable marketing. For this purpose, it should be examined whether all proposed projects related to agricultural marketing meet the social, economic, and environmental principles of sustainable marketing. It is important that supporting organizations, especially civil society organisations, should take an active role for faster dissemination and adoption of sustainable agricultural marketing practices in Turkey. These organizations may provide technical assistance in preparing successful project proposals and training to farm groups. In addition, the other organizations, such as local administrations, producers' associations, cooperatives, can contribute to the success of sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives. The use of direct marketing strategies and vertical integration attempts in sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives that will likely be implemented in Turkey is

Methodological proposal to tackle the Visual Basic program in senior high schools of Pinar del Rio. (First part

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Pereira Rosa

2003-06-01

Full Text Available A proposed dosage for the contents to be addressed in the teaching of traditional programming languages in the pre-university level, methodological for treatment suggestions as well as a system of exercises in correspondence with the changes that take is offered in this article out at school, which may constitute material support for the planning, execution and control of the teaching process in this subject.

Powering the Space Exploration Initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, G.L.

1991-01-01

The Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) establishes the long-term goal of returning to the Moon and then exploring Mars. One of the prerequisites of SEI is the Exploration Technology Program which includes program elements on space nuclear power and surface solar power. These program elements in turn build upon the ongoing NASA research and technology base program in space energy conversion. There is a wide range of missions in NASA's strategic planning and most would benefit from power sources with improved efficiency, lighter weight and reduced cost

Curricular renovation in the phonoaudiology program of the University of Cauca: a proposal for educational quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liliana María Pérez-Tenorio

2010-09-01

Full Text Available In Colombia, the Superior Education is going through a transformation process. These changes must be in coherence with the formulation of flexible policies among the diverse components of the curriculum and with the need for new forms of working and producing knowledge. The curricular renovation must ref lect an educational quality compromise and contribute to generate human development with high social impact. This article presents a proposal for Curricular Renovation, elaborated by faculty and students of the Phonoaudiology Program of the University of Cauca. This document contains aspects related to the pedagogic model, didactics, faculty-student relation, systems of evaluation and plan of studies. Furthermore, in this document the bases for the Route of Curricular Renovation are presented, consisting of the following phases: background, diagnosis and operational plan. These should facilitate the academic integration for adjusting the curricular processes to the needs of the academic program in a local, national and international context.

36 CFR 254.4 - Agreement to initiate an exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... exchange. 254.4 Section 254.4 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LANDOWNERSHIP ADJUSTMENTS Land Exchanges § 254.4 Agreement to initiate an exchange. (a) Exchanges may be proposed by the Forest Service or by any person, State, or local government. Initial exchange proposals...

24 CFR 125.501 - Fair Housing Organizations Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Initiative. 125.501 Section 125.501 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.501 Fair Housing Organizations Initiative. (a) The Fair Housing Organizations Initiative of the FHIP provides funding to develop or expand the ability of...

24 CFR 125.301 - Education and Outreach Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Education and Outreach Initiative... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.301 Education and Outreach Initiative. (a) The Education and Outreach Initiative provides funding for the purpose of developing, implementing, carrying out...

Evolving rule-based systems in two medical domains using genetic programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsakonas, Athanasios; Dounias, Georgios; Jantzen, Jan; Axer, Hubertus; Bjerregaard, Beth; von Keyserlingk, Diedrich Graf

2004-11-01

To demonstrate and compare the application of different genetic programming (GP) based intelligent methodologies for the construction of rule-based systems in two medical domains: the diagnosis of aphasia's subtypes and the classification of pap-smear examinations. Past data representing (a) successful diagnosis of aphasia's subtypes from collaborating medical experts through a free interview per patient, and (b) correctly classified smears (images of cells) by cyto-technologists, previously stained using the Papanicolaou method. Initially a hybrid approach is proposed, which combines standard genetic programming and heuristic hierarchical crisp rule-base construction. Then, genetic programming for the production of crisp rule based systems is attempted. Finally, another hybrid intelligent model is composed by a grammar driven genetic programming system for the generation of fuzzy rule-based systems. Results denote the effectiveness of the proposed systems, while they are also compared for their efficiency, accuracy and comprehensibility, to those of an inductive machine learning approach as well as to those of a standard genetic programming symbolic expression approach. The proposed GP-based intelligent methodologies are able to produce accurate and comprehensible results for medical experts performing competitive to other intelligent approaches. The aim of the authors was the production of accurate but also sensible decision rules that could potentially help medical doctors to extract conclusions, even at the expense of a higher classification score achievement.

A proposed programme for energy risk research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

The report consists of two parts. Part I presents an overview of technological risk management, noting major contributions and current research needs. Part II details a proposed program of energy research, including discussions of some seven recommended projects. The proposed energy risk research program addresses two basic problem areas: improving the management of energy risks and energy risk communication and public response. Specific recommended projects are given for each. (Auth.)

Gavi HPV Programs: Application to Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Celina M. Hanson

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Developing countries disproportionately suffer from the burden of cervical cancer yet lack the resources to establish systematic screening programs that have resulted in significant reductions in morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Human Papillomavirus (HPV vaccination provides an opportunity for primary prevention of cervical cancer in low-resource settings through vaccine provision by Gavi The Vaccine Alliance. In addition to the traditional national introduction, countries can apply for a demonstration program to help them make informed decisions for subsequent national introduction. This article summarizes information from approved Gavi HPV demonstration program proposals and preliminary implementation findings. After two rounds of applications, 23 countries have been approved targeting approximately 400,000 girls for vaccination. All countries are proposing primarily school-based strategies with mixed strategies to locate and vaccinate girls not enrolled in school. Experiences to date include: Reaching marginalized girls has been challenging; Strong coordination with the education sector is key and overall acceptance has been high. Initial coverage reports are encouraging but will have to be confirmed in population based coverage surveys that will take place later this year. Experiences from these countries are consistent with existing literature describing other HPV vaccine pilots in low-income settings.

A mental health first aid training program for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: description and initial evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Kanowski, Len G; Jorm, Anthony F; Hart, Laura M

2009-01-01

Background Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training was developed in Australia to teach members of the public how to give initial help to someone developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis situation. However, this type of training requires adaptation for specific cultural groups in the community. This paper describes the adaptation of the program to create an Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) course and presents an initial evaluation of its uptake and acceptability. Methods To evaluate the program, two types of data were collected: (1) quantitative data on uptake of the course (number of Instructors trained and courses subsequently run by these Instructors); (2) qualitative data on strengths, weaknesses and recommendations for the future derived from interviews with program staff and focus groups with Instructors and community participants. Results 199 Aboriginal people were trained as Instructors in a five day Instructor Training Course. With sufficient time following training, the majority of these Instructors subsequently ran 14-hour AMHFA courses for Aboriginal people in their community. Instructors were more likely to run courses if they had prior teaching experience and if there was post-course contact with one of the Trainers of Instructors. Analysis of qualitative data indicated that the Instructor Training Course and the AMHFA course are culturally appropriate, empowering for Aboriginal people, and provided information that was seen as highly relevant and important in assisting Aboriginal people with a mental illness. There were a number of recommendations for improvements. Conclusion The AMHFA program is culturally appropriate and acceptable to Aboriginal people. Further work is needed to refine the course and to evaluate its impact on help provided to Aboriginal people with mental health problems. PMID:19490648

U.S. Department of Energy's 'initiatives for proliferation prevention' program: solidification technologies for radioactive waste treatment in Russia - 16037

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pokhitonov, Yuri; Kelley, Dennis

2009-01-01

Large amounts of liquid radioactive waste have existed in the U.S. and Russia since the 1950's as a result of the Cold War. Comprehensive action to treat and dispose of waste products has been lacking due to insufficient funding, ineffective technologies or no proven technologies, low priority by governments among others. Today the U.S. and Russian governments seek new, more reliable methods to treat liquid waste, in particular the legacy waste streams. A primary objective of waste generators and regulators is to find economical and proven technologies that can provide long-term stability for repository storage. In 2001, the V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute (Khlopin), St. Petersburg, Russia, and Pacific Nuclear Solutions (PNS), Indianapolis, Indiana, began extensive research and test programs to determine the validity of polymer technology for the absorption and immobilization of standard and complex waste streams. Over 60 liquid compositions have been tested including extensive irradiation tests to verify polymer stability and possible degradation. With conclusive scientific evidence of the polymer's effectiveness in treating liquid waste, both parties have decided to enter the Russian market and offer the solidification technology to nuclear sites for waste treatment and disposal. In conjunction with these efforts, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will join Khlopin and PNS to explore opportunities for direct application of the polymers at predetermined sites and to conduct research for new product development. Under DOE's 'Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention' (IPP) program, funding will be provided to the Russian participants over a three year period to implement the program plan. This paper will present updated details of U.S. DOE's IPP program, the project structure and its objectives both short and long-term, polymer tests and applications for LLW, ILW and HLW, and new product development initiatives. (authors)

An initial evaluation of a mindful parenting program.

Science.gov (United States)

Maloney, Raelynn; Altmaier, Elizabeth

2007-12-01

A growing number of children are experiencing marital transition. The effects of divorce on children have typically been considered deleterious, although factors can buffer the difficulty of postdivorce adjustment. One of these factors is a positive relationship with a parental figure. Unfortunately, divorce often overwhelms parents with a series of changes that compromise their parenting skills. One new approach to improving parenting after divorce is mindful parenting, which aims to enhance interpersonal and emotional connection in the parent-child relationship. This program is intended to facilitate parents' self-awareness, their mindfulness, and their intentionality in responding to their child's needs. The present study reports on the implementation of the Mindful Parenting Program, delivered in two groups to 12 recently divorced parents with preschool-aged children. Program effectiveness was conducted on two levels. First, mindfulness measured by the Toronto Mindfulness Scale revealed significant increases over the intervention and posttest period. Second, in-home behavioral observations conducted pre- and postintervention revealed no changes in parent-child relationships. These findings are discussed within the larger context of facilitating effective parenting postdivorce.

Improved decomposition–coordination and discrete differential dynamic programming for optimization of large-scale hydropower system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Chunlong; Zhou, Jianzhong; Ouyang, Shuo; Ding, Xiaoling; Chen, Lu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Optimization of large-scale hydropower system in the Yangtze River basin. • Improved decomposition–coordination and discrete differential dynamic programming. • Generating initial solution randomly to reduce generation time. • Proposing relative coefficient for more power generation. • Proposing adaptive bias corridor technology to enhance convergence speed. - Abstract: With the construction of major hydro plants, more and more large-scale hydropower systems are taking shape gradually, which brings up a challenge to optimize these systems. Optimization of large-scale hydropower system (OLHS), which is to determine water discharges or water levels of overall hydro plants for maximizing total power generation when subjecting to lots of constrains, is a high dimensional, nonlinear and coupling complex problem. In order to solve the OLHS problem effectively, an improved decomposition–coordination and discrete differential dynamic programming (IDC–DDDP) method is proposed in this paper. A strategy that initial solution is generated randomly is adopted to reduce generation time. Meanwhile, a relative coefficient based on maximum output capacity is proposed for more power generation. Moreover, an adaptive bias corridor technology is proposed to enhance convergence speed. The proposed method is applied to long-term optimal dispatches of large-scale hydropower system (LHS) in the Yangtze River basin. Compared to other methods, IDC–DDDP has competitive performances in not only total power generation but also convergence speed, which provides a new method to solve the OLHS problem

The Strengthening Families Initiative and Child Care Quality Improvement: How Strengthening Families Influenced Change in Child Care Programs in One State

Science.gov (United States)

Douglass, Anne; Klerman, Lorraine

2012-01-01

Research Findings: This study investigated how the Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education initiative in Illinois (SFI) influenced change in 4 child care programs. Findings indicate that SFI influenced quality improvements through 4 primary pathways: (a) Learning Networks, (b) the quality of training, (c) the engagement of program…

Initiation precursors and initiators in laser-induced copolymerization of styrene and maleic anhydride in acetone

Science.gov (United States)

Miner, Gilda A.; Meador, Willard E.; Chang, C. Ken

1990-01-01

The initiation step of photopolymerized styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer was investigated at 365 nm. UV absorption measurements provide decisive evidence that the styrene/maleic anhydride charge transfer complex is the sole absorbing species; however, key laser experiments suggest intermediate reactions lead to a monoradical initiating species. A mechanism for the photoinitiation step of the copolymer is proposed.

Extending the foreign spent fuel acceptance program: Policy and implementation issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyman, Edwin S.

2005-01-01

The May 2006 expiration date of the Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel (FRR SNF) Acceptance Program is fast approaching. In April 2004, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham instructed the Energy Department to 'initiate actions necessary to extend .... the fuel acceptance deadline'. However, extending the deadline may not be a simple task. The limits on the original program resulted from a delicate negotiation among many stakeholders. Any proposal to increase the duration and scope of the program will have to be considered in the context of DOE's failure since 1996 to develop viable treatment, packaging and long-term disposal options for FRR SNF. It is also unclear whether accepting additional low-enriched uranium FRR SNF can be justified on security grounds. This paper will propose criteria for acceptance of spent fuel under an extension that are intended to minimize controversy and ensure consistency with a threat-based prioritization of homeland security expenditures. (author)

The Advanced Test Reactor Strategic Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buescher, B.J.

1990-01-01

A systematic evaluation of safety, environmental, and operational issues has been initiated at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This program, the Strategic Evaluation Program (STEP), provides an integrated review of safety and operational issues against the standards applied to licensed commercial facilities. In the review of safety issues, 18 deviations were identified which required prompt attention. Resolution of these items has been accelerated in the program. An integrated living schedule is being developed to address the remaining findings. A risk evaluation is being performed on the proposed corrective actions and these actions will then be formally ranked in order of priority based on considerations of safety and operational significance. Once the final ranking is completed, an integrated schedule will be developed, which will include considerations of availability of funding and operating schedule. 3 refs., 2 figs

Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capella, Arthur [County of Fayette, Uniontown, PA (United States)

2015-03-04

The Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative represented a comprehensive and collaborative approach to promoting and implementing energy efficiency improvements. The initiative was designed to focus on implementing energy efficiency improvements in residential units, while simultaneously supporting general marketing of the benefits of implementing energy efficiency measures. The ultimate goal of Fayette County’s Better Buildings Initiative was to implement a total of 1,067 residential energy efficiency retrofits with a minimum 15% estimated energy efficiency savings per unit. Program partners included: United States Department of Energy, Allegheny Power, and Private Industry Council of Westmoreland-Fayette, Fayette County Redevelopment Authority, and various local partners. The program was open to any Fayette County residents who own their home and meet the prequalifying conditions. The level of assistance offered depended upon household income and commitment to undergo a BPI – Certified Audit and implement energy efficiency measures, which aimed to result in at least a 15% reduction in energy usage. The initiative was designed to focus on implementing energy efficiency improvements in residential units, while simultaneously supporting general marketing of the benefits of implementing energy efficiency measures. Additionally, the program had components that involved recruitment and training for employment of persons in the energy sector (green jobs), as well as marketing and implementation of a commercial or community facilities component. The residential component of Fayette County’s Better Buildings Initiative involved a comprehensive approach, providing assistance to low- moderate- and market-rate homeowners. The initiative will also coordinate activities with local utility providers to further incentivize energy efficiency improvements among qualifying homeowners. The commercial component of Fayette County’s Better Building Initiative involved grants

AECL programs for new applications for nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, J.A.L.

1982-05-01

This document reports the activities of the New Applications Steering Committee (NASC) of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. The NASC is intended to develop future RβD programs, and more specifically to promote certain existing ideas that have not yet become part of established programs, stimulate new idaas, identify needs and opportunities for RβD, evaluate proposals for RβD programs, initiate action on new ideas, and provide feedback to a staff who may be expected to generate ideas. Major areas and technologies that have been studied by the NASC and are covered in this report include oil substitution by nuclear heat and by electricity, energy storage and the role of hydrogen, nuclear energy in liquid fuel production, assessment of Canadian energy resources, and computer modelling of energy systems

A fusion engineering program for Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billington, I.J.

In 1980 the National Research Council asked DSMA ATCON Ltd., in collaboration with Ontario Hydro, the University of Toronto, and McMaster University, to evaluate concepts for a national fusion engineering program, to define a facility that could be constructed in Canada to meet the program goals, and to suggest a strategy for encouraging industrial participation. The central element of the proposed fusion engineering and development program is tritium technology, with additional emphasis on the broader field of all hydrogen isotopes and their interactions with materials. The Canadian program in the initial phase would concentrate on fusion fuel systems, materials development, equipment development, and safety and the environment. A preliminary concept for the facility required has been developed, and key organizational activities identified. The total program costs should be $1 million in the first year, rising to a steady state of $5 million from the fourth year onward. The capital cost of the research facility is estimated to be $20 million spread over three years, and its operating budget around $7 million. The program as envisioned would make use of Canada's existing tritium resources and handling experience to contribute to worldwide fusion research

University Research Initiative Program for Combat Readiness

Science.gov (United States)

1999-05-01

microscope image of one of the lenses. This array was selected for testing because it is fabricated in a relatively inexpensive polyacrylic material, the...potent analogues of the potassium -sparing diuretic, amiloride. However, our results 179 University Reasearch Initiative for Combat Readiness Annual Report...for Combat Readiness Annual Report for the period June 1, 1998 - June 30, 1999 Roger H. Sawyer University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 May

Librarian-initiated HIV/AIDS prevention intervention program outcome in rural communities in Oyo State, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajuwon, G A; Komolafe-Opadeji, H O; Ikhizama, B

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to meet the HIV/AIDS information and service needs of citizens living in selected rural, underserved communities in Oyo State, Nigeria. This was a librarian-initiated intervention program (pre-post) study of heads of rural households in Oyo State. A questionnaire was used for pre- and post-intervention assessment. The education covered knowledge about HIV/AIDS, routes of transmission, prevention strategies, and attitude toward persons living with HIV. It increased participants' knowledge about AIDS and improved attitude toward those living with HIV. Provision and dissemination of information on HIV/AIDS through librarians to rural settlers is an important prevention strategy and librarians can make major contributions.

Supply Chain Initiatives Database

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2012-11-01

The Supply Chain Initiatives Database (SCID) presents innovative approaches to engaging industrial suppliers in efforts to save energy, increase productivity and improve environmental performance. This comprehensive and freely-accessible database was developed by the Institute for Industrial Productivity (IIP). IIP acknowledges Ecofys for their valuable contributions. The database contains case studies searchable according to the types of activities buyers are undertaking to motivate suppliers, target sector, organization leading the initiative, and program or partnership linkages.

G4Beamline Program for Radiation Simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beard, Kevin; Roberts, Thomas J.; Degtiarenko, Pavel

2008-01-01

G4beamline, a program that is an interface to the Geant4 toolkit that we have developed to simulate accelerator beamlines, is being extended with a graphical user interface to quickly and efficiently model experimental equipment and its shielding in experimental halls. The program is flexible, user friendly, and requires no programming by users, so that even complex systems can be simulated quickly. This improved user interface is of much wider application than just the shielding simulations that are the focus of this project. As an initial application, G4beamline is being extended to provide the simulations that are needed to determine the radiation sources for the proposed experiments at Jefferson Laboratory so that shielding issues can be evaluated. Since the program already has the capabilities needed to simulate the transport of all known particles, including scattering, attenuation, interactions, and decays, the extension involves implementing a user-friendly graphical user inter

Hazardous material reduction initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, D.H.

1995-02-01

The Hazardous Material Reduction Initiative (HMRI) explores using the review of purchase requisitions to reduce both the use of hazardous materials and the generation of regulated and nonregulated wastes. Based on an 11-month program implemented at the Hanford Site, hazardous material use and waste generation was effectively reduced by using a centralized procurement control program known as HMRI. As expected, several changes to the original proposal were needed during the development/testing phase of the program to accommodate changing and actual conditions found at the Hanford Site. The current method requires a central receiving point within the Procurement Organization to review all purchase requisitions for potentially Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hazardous products. Those requisitions (approximately 4% to 6% of the total) are then forwarded to Pollution Prevention personnel for evaluation under HMRI. The first step is to determine if the requested item can be filled by existing or surplus material. The requisitions that cannot filled by existing or surplus material are then sorted into two groups based on applicability to the HMRI project. For example, laboratory requests for analytical reagents or standards are excluded and the purchase requisitions are returned to Procurement for normal processing because, although regulated, there is little opportunity for source reduction due to the strict protocols followed. Each item is then checked to determine if it is regulated or not. Regulated items are prioritized based on hazardous contents, quantity requested, and end use. Copies of these requisitions are made and the originals are returned to Procurement within 1-hr. Since changes to the requisition can be made at later stages during procurement, the HMRI fulfills one of its original premises in that it does not slow the procurement process

Initiatives for proliferation prevention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-04-01

Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a central part of US national security policy. A principal instrument of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) program for securing weapons of mass destruction technology and expertise and removing incentives for scientists, engineers and technicians in the newly independent states (NIS) of the former Soviet Union to go to rogue countries or assist terrorist groups is the Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP). IPP was initiated pursuant to the 1994 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. IPP is a nonproliferation program with a commercialization strategy. IPP seeks to enhance US national security and to achieve nonproliferation objectives by engaging scientists, engineers and technicians from former NIS weapons institutes; redirecting their activities in cooperatively-developed, commercially viable non-weapons related projects. These projects lead to commercial and economic benefits for both the NIS and the US IPP projects are funded in Russian, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus. This booklet offers an overview of the IPP program as well as a sampling of some of the projects which are currently underway

Initial state with shear in peripheral heavy ion collisions

Science.gov (United States)

Magas, V. K.; Gordillo, J.; Strottman, D.; Xie, Y. L.; Csernai, L. P.

2018-06-01

In the present work we propose a new way of constructing the initial state for further hydrodynamic simulation of relativistic heavy ion collisions based on Bjorken-like solution applied streak by streak in the transverse plane. Previous fluid dynamical calculations in Cartesian coordinates with an initial state based on a streak by streak Yang-Mills field led for peripheral higher energy collisions to large angular momentum, initial shear flow and significant local vorticity. Recent experiments verified the existence of this vorticity via the resulting polarization of emitted Λ and Λ ¯ particles. At the same time parton cascade models indicated the existence of more compact initial state configurations, which we are going to simulate in our approach. The proposed model satisfies all the conservation laws, including conservation of a strong initial angular momentum, which is present in noncentral collisions. As a consequence of this large initial angular momentum we observe the rotation of the whole system as well as the fluid shear in the initial state, which leads to large flow vorticity. Another advantage of the proposed model is that the initial state can be given in both [t,x,y,z] and [τ ,x ,y ,η ] coordinates and thus can be tested by all 3+1D hydrodynamical codes which exist in the field.

The National School Lunch Program: Ideas, proposals, policies, and politics shaping students' experiences with school lunch in the United States, 1946 - present

OpenAIRE

Gosliner, Wendi Anne

2013-01-01

AbstractThe National School Lunch Program:Ideas, proposals, policies, and politics shaping students' experiences with school lunch in the United States, 1946 - presentBy Wendi Anne GoslinerDoctor of Public HealthUniversity of California, BerkeleyProfessor Ann Keller, ChairOn an average school day in 2012, The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) supported the provision of lunch meals to almost 2/3 of school-age youth in the United States. Recent spikes in childhood obesity rates and the emerg...

Preserving the ABM treaty: a critique of the Reagan Strategic Defense Initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drell, S.D.; Farley, P.J.; Holloway, D.

1984-01-01

President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) proposal for long-term research and development on a leak-proof defense capability conflicts with the past 15 years of Soviet-American strategic relations and arms control negotiations. It represents a unilateral change, and will elicit a Soviet response based on how the Soviets think their own security may be affected. Whether the SDI transcends or enhances defense, it raises basic issues involving the US-Soviet strategic relationship. Emphasizing the central bearing of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty of 1972 the author reviews these issues and questions about the technical and strategic grounds of the proposal. Three recommendations are to limit the SDI program to a search for scientific possibilities, to consult with the Soviets on the ABM Treaty, and to recognize that the ABM Treaty will enhance security more than the SDI. 58 references

Performance of the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator Facility and initial experimental results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gai, W.; Conde, M.; Cox, G.; Konecny, R.; Power, J.; Schoessow, P.; Simpson, J.; Barov, N.

1996-01-01

The Argonne Wakefield Accelerator facility has begun its experimental program. It is designed to address advanced acceleration research requiring very short, intense electron bunches. It incorporates two photocathode based electron sources. One produces up to 100 nC, multi-kiloamp 'drive' bunches which are used to excite wakefields in dielectric loaded structures and in plasma. The second source produces much lower intensity 'witness' pulses which are used to probe the fields produced by the drive. The drive and witness pulses can be precisely timed as well as laterally positioned with respect to each other. This paper discusses commissioning, initial experiments, and outline plans for a proposed 1 GeV demonstration accelerator

Programming Deep Brain Stimulation for Tremor and Dystonia: The Toronto Western Hospital Algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Picillo, Marina; Lozano, Andres M; Kou, Nancy; Munhoz, Renato Puppi; Fasano, Alfonso

2016-01-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for essential tremor (ET) and dystonia. After surgery, a number of extensive programming sessions are performed, mainly relying on neurologist's personal experience as no programming guidelines have been provided so far, with the exception of recommendations provided by groups of experts. Finally, fewer information is available for the management of DBS in ET and dystonia compared with Parkinson's disease. Our aim is to review the literature on initial and follow-up DBS programming procedures for ET and dystonia and integrate the results with our current practice at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH) to develop standardized DBS programming protocols. We conducted a literature search of PubMed from inception to July 2014 with the keywords "balance", "bradykinesia", "deep brain stimulation", "dysarthria", "dystonia", "gait disturbances", "initial programming", "loss of benefit", "micrographia", "speech", "speech difficulties" and "tremor". Seventy-six papers were considered for this review. Based on the literature review and our experience at TWH, we refined three algorithms for management of ET, including: (1) initial programming, (2) management of balance and speech issues and (3) loss of stimulation benefit. We also depicted algorithms for the management of dystonia, including: (1) initial programming and (2) management of stimulation-induced hypokinesia (shuffling gait, micrographia and speech impairment). We propose five algorithms tailored to an individualized approach to managing ET and dystonia patients with DBS. We encourage the application of these algorithms to supplement current standards of care in established as well as new DBS centers to test the clinical usefulness of these algorithms in supplementing the current standards of care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 25.405 - Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Initiative. 25.405 Section 25.405 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS FOREIGN ACQUISITION Trade Agreements 25.405 Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative. Under the Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative, the United States Trade Representative has determined that, for...

Continuous quality improvement programs provide new opportunities to drive value innovation initiatives in hospital-based radiology practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Joseph R; Schomer, Don F

2009-07-01

Imaging services constitute a huge portion of the of the total dollar investment within the health care enterprise. Accordingly, this generates competition among medical specialties organized along service lines for their pieces of the pie and increased scrutiny from third-party payers and government regulators. These market and political forces create challenge and opportunity for a hospital-based radiology practice. Clearly, change that creates or builds greater value for patients also creates sustainable competitive advantage for a radiology practice. The somewhat amorphous concept of quality constitutes a significant value driver for innovation in this scenario. Quality initiatives and programs seek to define and manage this amorphous concept and provide tools for a radiology practice to create or build more value. Leadership and the early adoption of these inevitable programs by a radiology practice strengthens relationships with hospital partners and slows the attrition of imaging service lines to competitors.

Benefit-Cost Analysis of Undergraduate Education Programs: An Example Analysis of the Freshman Research Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Walcott, Rebecca L; Corso, Phaedra S; Rodenbusch, Stacia E; Dolan, Erin L

2018-01-01

Institutions and administrators regularly have to make difficult choices about how best to invest resources to serve students. Yet economic evaluation, or the systematic analysis of the relationship between costs and outcomes of a program or policy, is relatively uncommon in higher education. This type of evaluation can be an important tool for decision makers considering questions of resource allocation. Our purpose with this essay is to describe methods for conducting one type of economic evaluation, a benefit-cost analysis (BCA), using an example of an existing undergraduate education program, the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) at the University of Texas Austin. Our aim is twofold: to demonstrate how to apply BCA methodologies to evaluate an education program and to conduct an economic evaluation of FRI in particular. We explain the steps of BCA, including assessment of costs and benefits, estimation of the benefit-cost ratio, and analysis of uncertainty. We conclude that the university's investment in FRI generates a positive return for students in the form of increased future earning potential. © 2018 R. L. Walcott et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2018 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

A classification of components of workplace disability management programs: results from a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gensby, U; Labriola, M; Irvin, E; Amick, B C; Lund, T

2014-06-01

This paper presents results from a Campbell systematic review on the nature and effectiveness of workplace disability management programs (WPDM) promoting return to work (RTW), as implemented and practiced by employers. A classification of WPDM program components, based on the review results, is proposed. Twelve databases were searched between 1948 to July 2010 for peer-reviewed studies of WPDM programs provided by employers to re-entering workers with occupational or non-occupational illnesses or injuries. Screening of articles, risk of bias assessment and data extraction were conducted in pairs of reviewers. Studies were clustered around various dimensions of the design and context of programs. 16,932 records were identified by the initial search. 599 papers were assessed for relevance. Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria. Twelve peer reviewed articles (two non-randomized studies, and ten single group experimental before and after studies), including ten different WPDM programs informed the synthesis of results. Narrative descriptions of the included program characteristics provided insight on program scope, components, procedures and human resources involved. However, there were insufficient data on the characteristics of the sample and the effect sizes were uncertain. A taxonomy classifying policies and practices around WPDM programs is proposed. There is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of employer provided WPDM programs promoting RTW. It was not possible to determine if specific program components or specific sets of components are driving effectiveness. The proposed taxonomy may guide future WPDM program evaluation and clarify the setup of programs offered to identify gaps in existing company strategies.

Proposals to enhance thermal efficiency programs and air pollution control in south-central Chile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schueftan, Alejandra; González, Alejandro D.

2015-01-01

Major cities in South-central Chile suffer high levels of particulate matter PM 10 and PM 2.5 due to combustion of solid fuels for heating. Exposure to these air pollutants is recognized as a major contribution to ill health in the region. Here we discuss new strategies to reduce air pollution. Regulations and subsidies focusing on improved combustion by providing drier wood fuel and better stoves have been in effect since 2007. However, air pollution due to combustion of wood fuel has been steadily rising, along with reports on health consequences. The paper analyzes a survey of 2025 households in the city of Valdivia, which found that wood fuel quality, stove renewal, and awareness of programs are strongly affected by income level, and that higher consumption of wood fuel is found in households already having better stoves and drier wood fuel. The analysis suggests that regulations intended to improve combustion are influenced by user's behavior and have limited potential for lowering pollution. We conclude that thermal refurbishment has a larger potential for improvement, not yet been implemented as an energy policy for the majority. Here we propose improvements and additions to current programs to enhance effectiveness and cover the whole social spectrum. - Highlights: • High levels of PM 2.5 from wood combustion affect cities of south-central Chile. • Current programs on dry wood fuel and stoves renewal have not reduced air pollution. • Real operation of wood stoves strongly depends on user's behavior. • Buildings' energy efficiency has greater potential for reducing emissions. • Retrofit prevents degradation of native forest and improves indoor temperature

Proposed minimum reporting standards for chemical analysis Chemical Analysis Working Group (CAWG) Metabolomics Standards Initiative (MSI)

Science.gov (United States)

Amberg, Alexander; Barrett, Dave; Beale, Michael H.; Beger, Richard; Daykin, Clare A.; Fan, Teresa W.-M.; Fiehn, Oliver; Goodacre, Royston; Griffin, Julian L.; Hankemeier, Thomas; Hardy, Nigel; Harnly, James; Higashi, Richard; Kopka, Joachim; Lane, Andrew N.; Lindon, John C.; Marriott, Philip; Nicholls, Andrew W.; Reily, Michael D.; Thaden, John J.; Viant, Mark R.

2013-01-01

There is a general consensus that supports the need for standardized reporting of metadata or information describing large-scale metabolomics and other functional genomics data sets. Reporting of standard metadata provides a biological and empirical context for the data, facilitates experimental replication, and enables the re-interrogation and comparison of data by others. Accordingly, the Metabolomics Standards Initiative is building a general consensus concerning the minimum reporting standards for metabolomics experiments of which the Chemical Analysis Working Group (CAWG) is a member of this community effort. This article proposes the minimum reporting standards related to the chemical analysis aspects of metabolomics experiments including: sample preparation, experimental analysis, quality control, metabolite identification, and data pre-processing. These minimum standards currently focus mostly upon mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy due to the popularity of these techniques in metabolomics. However, additional input concerning other techniques is welcomed and can be provided via the CAWG on-line discussion forum at http://msi-workgroups.sourceforge.net/ or http://Msi-workgroups-feedback@lists.sourceforge.net. Further, community input related to this document can also be provided via this electronic forum. PMID:24039616

Identifying Gaps and Launching Resident Wellness Initiatives: The 2017 Resident Wellness Consensus Summit.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaver, Fareen; Battaglioli, Nicole; Denq, William; Messman, Anne; Chung, Arlene; Lin, Michelle; Liu, Emberlynn L

2018-03-01

Burnout, depression, and suicidality among residents of all specialties have become a critical focus for the medical education community, especially among learners in graduate medical education. In 2017 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) updated the Common Program Requirements to focus more on resident wellbeing. To address this issue, one working group from the 2017 Resident Wellness Consensus Summit (RWCS) focused on wellness program innovations and initiatives in emergency medicine (EM) residency programs. Over a seven-month period leading up to the RWCS event, the Programmatic Initiatives workgroup convened virtually in the Wellness Think Tank, an online, resident community consisting of 142 residents from 100 EM residencies in North America. A 15-person subgroup (13 residents, two faculty facilitators) met at the RWCS to develop a public, central repository of initiatives for programs, as well as tools to assist programs in identifying gaps in their overarching wellness programs. An online submission form and central database of wellness initiatives were created and accessible to the public. Wellness Think Tank members collected an initial 36 submissions for the database by the time of the RWCS event. Based on general workplace, needs-assessment tools on employee wellbeing and Kern's model for curriculum development, a resident-based needs-assessment survey and an implementation worksheet were created to assist residency programs in wellness program development. The Programmatic Initiatives workgroup from the resident-driven RWCS event created tools to assist EM residency programs in identifying existing initiatives and gaps in their wellness programs to meet the ACGME's expanded focus on resident wellbeing.

Writing a Research Proposal to The Research Council of Oman

OpenAIRE

Al-Shukaili, Ahmed; Al-Maniri, Abdullah

2017-01-01

Writing a research proposal can be a challenging task for young researchers. This article explains how to write a strong research proposal to apply for funding, specifically, a proposal for The Research Council (TRC) of Oman. Three different research proposal application forms are currently used in TRC, including Open Research Grant (ORG), Graduate Research Support Program (GRSP), and Faculty-mentored Undergraduate Research Award Program (FURAP). The application forms are filled and submitted...

Seminar program for postgraduate specialty training in general practice: proposal for a 5-year thematic catalogue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sommer, Susanne

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In different German regions, seminar programs have been conducted for General practice residents. In each region, selection and teaching of learning content is conducted in a different manner. So far, no structured, standardized curriculum has been implemented nationwide. We have investigated, if the development of a common 5-year program of learning topics is conceivable between the different university departments of General practice in Germany.Method: The seminar program working group of the DEGAM (German College of General Practitioners and Family Physicians has conducted an online survey based on information gathered via preliminary telephone conference (n=7; physicians with postgraduate teaching experience among all German university departments of General Practice and two non-university teaching institutions, identified via the internet. 884 topics were extracted from 14 Seminar programs. The topics were entered in a database, discussed and categorized: Practice management/practice work flow/standardized documentation forms/quality management (n=33 topics, common acute and chronic diseases, including disease management programs (n=29 topics, communication, neurological, psychological and psychiatric consultations (n=24 topics, common medical problems, including eye, ear, nose, throat, skin and pediatric problems (n=99 Topics family physicians general approach, including epidemiology, shared decision making, test of time (n=42 Topics. These topics have been rated for priority and desirable number of teaching-units.Results: A catalogue of 111 topics was designed, encompassing 160 teaching units. There is a suggestion of wide topics collections plus an add-on catalogue.Conclusion: A proposal for a 5-year-thematic catalogue for postgraduate training of general practice residents in Germany has been developed. This newly developed curriculum has the potential to improve knowledge and skills that have not been covered during in

Purely Functional Structured Programming

OpenAIRE

Obua, Steven

2010-01-01

The idea of functional programming has played a big role in shaping today's landscape of mainstream programming languages. Another concept that dominates the current programming style is Dijkstra's structured programming. Both concepts have been successfully married, for example in the programming language Scala. This paper proposes how the same can be achieved for structured programming and PURELY functional programming via the notion of LINEAR SCOPE. One advantage of this proposal is that m...

Proposing a Health Humanities Minor: Some Lessons.

Science.gov (United States)

Engholm, Virginia Bucurel; Boria, Damon

2017-12-01

For those interested in developing baccalaureate programs in health humanities, this essay draws on our experience of developing a minor in health humanities to share insights on what to expect, strategies that work well, and how to deal with obstacles. These insights range from how to explain the concept of health humanities to stakeholders (faculty, administrators, and community partners) to how to decide where to house a health humanities program. We share our insights in a way that promises to translate well to different institutional contexts. That said, this paper is more relevant for institutional contexts where budgets are stressed and, consequently, proposals to invest in humanities programs are a difficult sell. This paper is divided into sections addressing how to (a) earn institutional support, (b) gain campus buy-in, (c) identify benefits of the proposed program, (d) decide where to house the program, (e) calculate program cost, and (f) secure external funding. We conclude with some final reflections on the current status of our program and why we are committed to health humanities education.

Phillips Laboratory small satellite initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Lutey, Mark K.; Imler, Thomas A.; Davis, Robert J.

1993-09-01

The Phillips Laboratory Space Experiments Directorate in conjunction with the Air Force Space Test Program (AF STP), Defense Advanced Research and Projects Agency (DARPA) and Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO), are managing five small satellite program initiatives: Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile (LEAP) sponsored by SDIO, Miniature Sensor Technology Integration (MSTI) sponsored by SDIO, Technology for Autonomous Operational Survivability (TAOS) sponsored by Phillips Laboratory, TechSat sponsored by SDIO, and the Advanced Technology Standard Satellite Bus (ATSSB) sponsored by DARPA. Each of these spacecraft fulfills a unique set of program requirements. These program requirements range from a short-lived `one-of-a-kind' mission to the robust multi- mission role. Because of these diverging requirements, each program is driven to use a different design philosophy. But regardless of their design, there is the underlying fact that small satellites do not always equate to small missions. These spacecraft with their use of or ability to insert new technologies provide more capabilities and services for their respective payloads which allows the expansion of their mission role. These varying program efforts culminate in an ATSSB spacecraft bus approach that will support moderate size payloads, up to 500 pounds, in a large set of orbits while satisfying the `cheaper, faster, better' method of doing business. This technical paper provides an overview of each of the five spacecraft, focusing on the objectives, payoffs, technologies demonstrated, and program status.

Proposing a New Approach for Supplier Selection Based on Kraljic’s Model Using FMEA and Integer Linear Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Mohammad Arabzad

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In recent years, numerous methods have been proposed to deal with supplier evaluation and selection problem, but a point which has been usually neglected by researchers is the role of purchasing items. The aim of this paper is to propose an integrated approach to select suppliers and allocate orders on the basis of the nature of the purchasing items which means that this issue plays an important role in supplier selection and order allocation. Therefore, items are first categorized according to the Kraljic’s model by the use of FMEA technique. Then, suppliers are categorized and evaluated in four phases with respect to different types of purchasing items (Strategic, Bottleneck, Leverage and Routine. Finally, an integer linear programming is utilized to allocate purchasing orders to suppliers. Furthermore, an empirical example is conducted to illustrate the stage of proposed approach. Results imply that ranking of suppliers and allocation of purchasing items based on the nature of purchasing items will create more capabilities in managing purchasing items and suppliers .

H Scan/AHP decision process planning for evaluating and ranking of proposals submitted to the DOE hydrogen program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szoka de Valladares, M.R. [National Renwable Energy Lab., Washington, DC (United States); Mack, S. [Energtics, Washington, DC (United States)

1995-09-01

The DOE Hydrogen Program needs to develop criteria as part of a systematic evaluation process for proposal identification, evaluation and selection. The H Scan component of this process provides a framework in which a project proposer can fully describe their candidate technology system and its components. The H Scan complements traditional methods of capturing cost and technical information. It consists of a special set of survey forms designed to elicit information so expert reviewers can assess the proposal relative to DOE specified selection criteria. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) component of the decision process assembles the management defined evaluation and selection criteria into a coherent multi-level decision construct by which projects can be evaluated in pair-wise comparisons. The AHP model will reflect management`s objectives and it will assist in the ranking of individual projects based on the extent to which each contributes to management`s objectives. This paper contains a detailed description of the products and activities associated with the planning and evaluation process: The objectives or criteria; the H Scan; and The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).

Targeted Radiation Therapy for Cancer Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-08-2-0174 TITLE: Targeted Radiation Therapy for Cancer Initiative PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dusten Macdonald, MD...for Cancer Initiative 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Dusten Macdonald, MD 5d. PROJECT NUMBER...Cancer Initiative Final Report INTRODUCTION: The full potential of radiation therapy has not been realized due to the inability to locate and

PWR water chemistry controls: a perspective on industry initiatives and trends relative to operating experience and the EPRI PWR water chemistry guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fruzzetti, K.; Choi, S.; Haas, C.; Pender, M.; Perkins, D.

2010-01-01

An effective PWR water chemistry control program must address the following goals: Minimize materials degradation (e.g., PWSCC, corrosion of fuel, corrosion damage of steam generator (SG) tubes); Maintain fuel integrity and good performance; Minimize corrosion product transport (e.g., transport and deposition on the fuel, transport into the SGs where it can foul tube surfaces and create crevice environments for the concentration of corrosive impurities); Minimize dose rates. Water chemistry control must be optimized to provide overall improvement considering the sometimes variant constraints of the goals listed above. New technologies are developed for continued mitigation of materials degradation, continued fuel integrity and good performance, continued reduction of corrosion product transport, and continued minimization of plant dose rates. The EPRI chemistry program, in coordination with other EPRI programs, strives to improve these areas through application of chemistry initiatives, focusing on these goals. This paper highlights the major initiatives and issues with respect to PWR primary and secondary system chemistry and outlines the recent, on-going, and proposed work to effectively address them. These initiatives are presented in light of recent operating experience, as derived from EPRI's PWR chemistry monitoring and assessment program, and EPRI's water chemistry guidelines. (author)

78 FR 59666 - Transmission Infrastructure Program; Proposed Transmission Infrastructure Program Updates and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-27

... the Program to evaluate its current project development and financing practices and to identify areas... the conditions precedent required for a Project Applicant to apply for financing. Submitted after... involves the underwriting, financing, and loan monitoring and servicing for an Eligible Project. With few...

Meteorological Effects of Thermal Energy Releases (METER) Program. Annual progress report, October 1978-September 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrinos, A.A.N.; Hoffman, H.W.

1980-04-01

The METER (Meteorological Effects of Thermal Energy Releases) Program was organized to develop and verify methods for predicting the maximum amount of energy that can be dissipated to the atmosphere (through cooling towers or cooling ponds) from proposed nuclear energy centers without affecting...the local and regional environment. The initial program scope (mathematical modeling, laboratory and field experimentation, and societal impact assessment) has now narrowed to emphasis on the acquisition of field data of substantial quality and extent

Goddard Space Flight Center: 1994 Maryland/GSFC Earth and Environmental Science Teacher Ambassador Program

Science.gov (United States)

Latham, James

1995-01-01

The Maryland/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Earth and Environmental Science Teacher Ambassador Program was designed to enhance classroom instruction in the Earth and environmental science programs in the secondary schools of the state of Maryland. In October 1992, more than 100 school system administrators from the 24 local Maryland school systems, the Maryland State Department of Education, and the University of Maryland met with NASA GSFC scientists and education officers to propose a cooperative state-wide secondary school science teaching enhancement initiative.

Changes in physical functioning in the Active Living Every Day program of the Active for Life Initiative®.

Science.gov (United States)

Baruth, Meghan; Wilcox, Sara; Wegley, Stacy; Buchner, David M; Ory, Marcia G; Phillips, Alisa; Schwamberger, Karen; Bazzarre, Terry L

2011-09-01

Physical activity can prevent or delay the onset of physical functional limitations in older adults. There are limited data that evidence-based physical activity interventions can be successfully translated into community programs and result in similar benefits for physical functioning. The purpose of this study is to measure the effects of the Active Living Every Day program on physical functioning and physical functional limitations in a diverse sample of older adults. As a part of the Active for Life initiative, the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio implemented Active Living Every Day (ALED), a group-based lifestyle behavior change program designed to increase physical activity. Performance-based physical functioning tests (30-s Chair Stand Test, eight Foot Up-and-Go Test, Chair Sit-and-Reach Test, 30-Foot Walk Test) were administered to participants at baseline and posttest. Baseline to post-program changes in physical functioning and impairment status were examined with repeated measures analysis of covariance. Interactions tested whether change over time differed according to race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), and baseline impairment status. Participants significantly increased their performance in all four physical functioning tests. The percentage of participants classified as "impaired" according to normative data significantly decreased over time. Physical functioning improved regardless of BMI, race/ethnicity, or baseline impairment status. ALED is an example of an evidenced-based physical activity program that can be successfully translated into community programs and result in significant and clinically meaningful improvements in performance-based measures of physical functioning.

A new model for accreditation of residency programs in internal medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Goroll, Allan H; Sirio, Carl; Duffy, F Daniel; LeBlond, Richard F; Alguire, Patrick; Blackwell, Thomas A; Rodak, William E; Nasca, Thomas

2004-06-01

A renewed emphasis on clinical competence and its assessment has grown out of public concerns about the safety, efficacy, and accountability of health care in the United States. Medical schools and residency training programs are paying increased attention to teaching and evaluating basic clinical skills, stimulated in part by these concerns and the responding initiatives of accrediting, certifying, and licensing bodies. This paper, from the Residency Review Committee for Internal Medicine of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, proposes a new outcomes-based accreditation strategy for residency training programs in internal medicine. It shifts residency program accreditation from external audit of educational process to continuous assessment and improvement of trainee clinical competence.

78 FR 8152 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Women's Health Initiative Observational Study

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-05

... Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision OMB 0925... causes of frailty, disability and death for postmenopausal women, namely, coronary heart disease, breast... providers. Type of Respondents: Study participants, next-of-kin, and physician's office staff. The annual...

Clean Coal Technology Programs: Program Update 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2009-10-01

The purpose of the Clean Coal Technology Programs: Program Update 2009 is to provide an updated status of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) commercial-scale demonstrations of clean coal technologies (CCT). These demonstrations have been performed under the Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCTDP), the Power Plant Improvement Initiative (PPII), and the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI). Program Update 2009 provides: (1) a discussion of the role of clean coal technology demonstrations in improving the nation’s energy security and reliability, while protecting the environment using the nation’s most abundant energy resource—coal; (2) a summary of the funding and costs of the demonstrations; and (3) an overview of the technologies being demonstrated, along with fact sheets for projects that are active, recently completed, or recently discontinued.

Planetary protection in the framework of the Aurora exploration program

Science.gov (United States)

Kminek, G.

The Aurora Exploration Program will give ESA new responsibilities in the field of planetary protection. Until now, ESA had only limited exposure to planetary protection from its own missions. With the proposed ExoMars and MSR missions, however, ESA will enter the realm of the highest planetary protection categories. As a consequence, the Aurora Exploration Program has initiated a number of activities in the field of planetary protection. The first and most important step was to establish a Planetary Protection Working Group (PPWG) that is advising the Exploration Program Advisory Committee (EPAC) on all matters concerning planetary protection. The main task of the PPWG is to provide recommendations regarding: Planetary protection for robotic missions to Mars; Planetary protection for a potential human mission to Mars; Review/evaluate standards & procedures for planetary protection; Identify research needs in the field of planetary protection. As a result of the PPWG deliberations, a number of activities have been initiated: Evaluation of the Microbial Diversity in SC Facilities; Working paper on legal issues of planetary protection and astrobiology; Feasibility study on a Mars Sample Return Containment Facility; Research activities on sterilization procedures; Training course on planetary protection (May, 2004); Workshop on sterilization techniques (fall 2004). In parallel to the PPWG, the Aurora Exploration Program has established an Ethical Working Group (EWG). This working group will address ethical issues related to astrobiology, planetary protection, and manned interplanetary missions. The recommendations of the working groups and the results of the R&D activities form the basis for defining planetary protection specification for Aurora mission studies, and for proposing modification and new inputs to the COSPAR planetary protection policy. Close cooperation and free exchange of relevant information with the NASA planetary protection program is strongly

U.S. next generation safeguards initiative: the human capital development program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholz, M.A.

2013-01-01

The Human Capital Development (HCD) subprogram of the U.S. Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) is developing sustainable academic and technical programs that support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of the next generation of international safeguards professionals. This wide-ranging HCD effort endeavors to develop additional human resources to address current shortfalls, encourage U.S. experts to seek employment at the IAEA, and identify and train a new cadre of safeguards experts to meet the needs of both the United States and the IAEA for decades to come. In recent years, a convergence of factors has challenged the IAEA's ability to carry out its safeguards mission effectively. A staffing study shows that less than 20% of the international safeguards specialists in the U.S. workforce are 44 years of age or younger and that over 80% of the international safeguards specialists at the National Laboratories will be retired or otherwise resigned within 15 years. An aging workforce nearing retirement and growing workload, coupled with a safeguards budget that has remained essentially flat in real terms for nearly two decades, have posed particular challenges to the IAEA's Department of Safeguards. Recognizing the trends, the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Office of Nonproliferation and International Security (NIS) launched NGSI in the fall of 2007. Since that time, the HCD subprogram of NGSI has sponsored over 300 safeguards internships at U.S. National Labs, organized eight annual short safeguards policy and technical courses, worked with ten universities to develop new undergraduate and graduate course-work on international safeguards and nonproliferation, established a highly competitive graduate fellowship program, and completed a human capital requirements study that closely examined the safeguards workforce within the U.S. National Lab complex. Of past NGSI students and interns, nearly four in ten pursue multiple NGSI

The importance of community consultation and social support in adhering to an obesity reduction program: results from the Healthy Weights Initiative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lemstra M

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Mark Lemstra,1 Marla R Rogers2 1Alliance Wellness and Rehabilitation, Moose Jaw, 2College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Background: Few community-based obesity reduction programs have been evaluated. After 153 community consultations, the City of Moose Jaw, SK, Canada, decided to initiate a free comprehensive program. The initiative included 71 letters of support from the Mayor, every family physician, cardiologist, and internist in the city, and every relevant community group including the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.Objective: To promote strong adherence while positively influencing a wide range of physical and mental health variables measured through objective assessment or validated surveys.Methods: The only inclusion criterion was that the individuals must be obese adults (body mass index >30 kg/m2. Participants were requested to sign up with a “buddy” who was also obese and identify three family members or friends to sign a social support contract. During the initial 12 weeks, each individual received 60 group exercise sessions, 12 group cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, and 12 group dietary sessions with licensed professionals. During the second 12-week period, maintenance therapy included 12 group exercise sessions (24 weeks in total.Results: To date, 243 people have been referred with 229 starting. Among those who started, 183 completed the program (79.9%, while 15 quit for medical reasons and 31 quit for personal reasons. Mean objective reductions included the following: 31.0 lbs of body fat, 3.9% body fat, 2.9 in from the waist, 2.3 in from the hip, blood cholesterol by 0.5 mmol/L, systolic blood pressure by 5.9 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure by 3.2 mmHg (all P<0.000. There were no changes in blood sugar levels. There was also statistically significant differences in aerobic fitness, self-report health, quality of

Initiatives in training program evaluation outside the nuclear utility industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, C.J.

1987-01-01

Training literature is reviewed, and program evaluative practices outside the nuclear utility industry are reported. The findings indicate some innovations in philosophy and practice and program evaluation, although not necessarily in the context of evaluation as a route to assessing the impact of training. Program evaluation is described in the context of the impact of training, suggesting continued efforts to accept a multivariate concept of individual and organizational performance

Identifying Gaps and Launching Resident Wellness Initiatives: The 2017 Resident Wellness Consensus Summit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole Battaglioli

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Burnout, depression, and suicidality among residents of all specialties have become a critical focus for the medical education community, especially among learners in graduate medical education. In 2017 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME updated the Common Program Requirements to focus more on resident wellbeing. To address this issue, one working group from the 2017 Resident Wellness Consensus Summit (RWCS focused on wellness program innovations and initiatives in emergency medicine (EM residency programs. Methods: Over a seven-month period leading up to the RWCS event, the Programmatic Initiatives workgroup convened virtually in the Wellness Think Tank, an online, resident community consisting of 142 residents from 100 EM residencies in North America. A 15-person subgroup (13 residents, two faculty facilitators met at the RWCS to develop a public, central repository of initiatives for programs, as well as tools to assist programs in identifying gaps in their overarching wellness programs. Results: An online submission form and central database of wellness initiatives were created and accessible to the public. Wellness Think Tank members collected an initial 36 submissions for the database by the time of the RWCS event. Based on general workplace, needs-assessment tools on employee wellbeing and Kern’s model for curriculum development, a resident-based needs-assessment survey and an implementation worksheet were created to assist residency programs in wellness program development. Conclusion: The Programmatic Initiatives workgroup from the resident-driven RWCS event created tools to assist EM residency programs in identifying existing initiatives and gaps in their wellness programs to meet the ACGME’s expanded focus on resident wellbeing.

U-Mo fuel qualification program in HANARO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.H.; Lee, C.S.; Kim, H.R.; Kuk, I.H.; Kim, C.K.

2000-01-01

Atomized U-Mo fuel has shown good performance from the results of previous out-of-pile tests and post-irradiation examinations. A qualification program of rod type U-Mo fuel is in progress and the fuel will be irradiated in HANARO. 6 gU/cm 3 U-7Mo, U-8Mo and U-9Mo are considered in this program. The laboratory test results of porosity, mechanical property, thermal conductivity, and thermal compatibility test are discussed in this paper. In parallel with this qualification program, the feasibility study on the core conversion from the present U 3 Si fuel to U-Mo in HANARO will be initiated to provide technical bases for the policy making. Several options of core conversion for HANARO are proposed and each option will be addressed briefly in terms of the operation policy, fuel management, and licensing of HANARO. (author)

Helping Students Test Programs That Have Graphical User Interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Thornton

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Within computer science education, many educators are incorporating software testing activities into regular programming assignments. Tools like JUnit and its relatives make software testing tasks much easier, bringing them into the realm of even introductory students. At the same time, many introductory programming courses are now including graphical interfaces as part of student assignments to improve student interest and engagement. Unfortunately, writing software tests for programs that have significant graphical user interfaces is beyond the skills of typical students (and many educators. This paper presents initial work at combining educationally oriented and open-source tools to create an infrastructure for writing tests for Java programs that have graphical user interfaces. Critically, these tools are intended to be appropriate for introductory (CS1/CS2 student use, and to dovetail with current teaching approaches that incorporate software testing in programming assignments. We also include in our findings our proposed approach to evaluating our techniques.

Florar Project: a forest proposal to PETROBRAS-TRANSPETRO; Projeto Florar: uma proposta florestal para a PETROBRAS-TRANSPETRO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, Anibal Jose Constantino; Melo Neto, Joao Evangelista de; Martini, Andrea Dietrich; Ozorio, Tarcisio Faria; Lima, Silvia Ferreira de [PETROBRAS Transporte S. A. (TRANSPETRO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

This work presents for discussion a proposal of a forest project idealized to be implemented, in form of a linear forest, in the long of TRANSPETRO pipeway, from north to south of the country. The initial goals, restricted to the State of Sao Paulo, presume the forest fomentation of 1,000 kilometers of path, covering an area of approximately 10,000 hectares, where can be possible to realize native and exotic species plantation, considering the legal restrictions. The proposal presumes also a fund to the special nature reserve creation in the cities crossed by TRANSPETRO pipeways. The pilot proposed in this work could take place at 'Plano Diretor de Dutos de Sao Paulo', which involves 27 cities, incorporating the environmental recuperation programs from native vegetation suppression and intervention in permanent preservation area in terms of forest law. (author)

Plug-in Hybrid Initiative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goodman, Angie; Moore, Ray; Rowden, Tim

2013-09-27

Our main project objective was to implement Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEV) and charging infrastructure into our electric distribution service territory and help reduce barriers in the process. Our research demonstrated the desire for some to be early adopters of electric vehicles and the effects lack of education plays on others. The response of early adopters was tremendous: with the initial launch of our program we had nearly 60 residential customers interested in taking part in our program. However, our program only allowed for 15 residential participants. Our program provided assistance towards purchasing a PEV and installation of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). The residential participants have all come to love their PEVs and are more than enthusiastic about promoting the many benefits of driving electric.

Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program: Program Update 2001

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy

2002-07-30

Annual report on the Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCT Program). The report address the role of the CCT Program, implementation, funding and costs, accomplishments, project descriptions, legislative history, program history, environmental aspects, and project contacts. The project descriptions describe the technology and provides a brief summary of the demonstration results. Also includes Power Plant Improvement Initiative Projects.

DOE'S remedial action assurance program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welty, C.G. Jr.; Needels, T.S.; Denham, D.H.

1984-10-01

The formulation and initial implementation of DOE's Assurance Program for Remedial Action are described. It was initiated in FY 84 and is expected to be further implemented in FY 85 as the activities of DOE's Remedial Action programs continue to expand. Further APRA implementation will include additional document reviews, site inspections, and program office appraisals with emphasis on Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program and Surplus Facilities Management Program

Gompertz: A Scilab Program for Estimating Gompertz Curve Using Gauss-Newton Method of Least Squares

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surajit Ghosh Dastidar

2006-04-01

Full Text Available A computer program for estimating Gompertz curve using Gauss-Newton method of least squares is described in detail. It is based on the estimation technique proposed in Reddy (1985. The program is developed using Scilab (version 3.1.1, a freely available scientific software package that can be downloaded from http://www.scilab.org/. Data is to be fed into the program from an external disk file which should be in Microsoft Excel format. The output will contain sample size, tolerance limit, a list of initial as well as the final estimate of the parameters, standard errors, value of Gauss-Normal equations namely GN1 GN2 and GN3 , No. of iterations, variance(σ2 , Durbin-Watson statistic, goodness of fit measures such as R2 , D value, covariance matrix and residuals. It also displays a graphical output of the estimated curve vis a vis the observed curve. It is an improved version of the program proposed in Dastidar (2005.

Gompertz: A Scilab Program for Estimating Gompertz Curve Using Gauss-Newton Method of Least Squares

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surajit Ghosh Dastidar

2006-04-01

Full Text Available A computer program for estimating Gompertz curve using Gauss-Newton method of least squares is described in detail. It is based on the estimation technique proposed in Reddy (1985. The program is developed using Scilab (version 3.1.1, a freely available scientific software package that can be downloaded from http://www.scilab.org/. Data is to be fed into the program from an external disk file which should be in Microsoft Excel format. The output will contain sample size, tolerance limit, a list of initial as well as the final estimate of the parameters, standard errors, value of Gauss-Normal equations namely GN1 GN2 and GN3, No. of iterations, variance(σ2, Durbin-Watson statistic, goodness of fit measures such as R2, D value, covariance matrix and residuals. It also displays a graphical output of the estimated curve vis a vis the observed curve. It is an improved version of the program proposed in Dastidar (2005.

NEURO-FUZZY MODELING APPLIED IN PROGRAM MANAGEMENT TO INCREASE LOCAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PERFORMANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian-Mihai Zaharia-Radulescu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available One of the challenges in local public administration is dealing with an increasing number of competing requests coming from the communities they serve. The traditional approach would be to handle each request as a standalone project and be prioritized according to benefits and budget available. More and more nowadays program management is becoming a standard approach in managing the initiatives of local public administration. Program management approach is itself an enabler for performance in public sector organizations by allowing an organization to better coordinate its efforts and resources in managing a portfolio of projects. This paper aims to present how neuro-fuzzy modeling applied in program management can help an organization to increase its performance. Neuro-fuzzy modeling would lead organizations one step further by allowing them to simulate different scenarios and manage better the risks accompanying their initiatives. The research done by the authors is theoretical and combines knowledge from different areas and a neuro-fuzzy model is proposed and discussed.

Web-enhanced Curricular Infusion of ESOL Competencies in Initial Teacher Certification Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Wolz Verkler

2003-09-01

Full Text Available As the cultural and linguistic diversity continues to increase in Florida s K-12 public school population, the demand for teachers trained to address their unique needs becomes paramount. Previously a responsibility of Florida s school districts, ESOL(English for Speakers of Other Languages training has been delegated to colleges of education per state mandate. This mandate requires that graduates of initial teacher certification programs in the state s universities demonstrate competency in all of the 25 Florida Performance Standards for Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages. In order to satisfy this charge, colleges of education in Florida are following a variety of training models: stand-alone courses, curricular infusion, or a combination of the two. A large, metropolitan university in Central Florida has developed an integrated model consisting of two stand-alone courses, field experience integration of the standards, and curricular infusion of ESOL standards via on-lone modules in methods courses. The authors, who teach methods courses in which such infusion has been recently effected, surveyed their students to obtain feedback regarding the modules, the results of which are discussed in this paper.

75 FR 9000 - Comment Request: National Science Foundation Proposal/Award Information-Grant Proposal Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-26

... of women and minorities in science and engineering. Another major change occurred in 1986, when... directed NSF to initiate and support: Basic scientific research and research fundamental to the engineering process; Programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research potential; Science and engineering...

Current Editorial Initiatives: A Progress Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Werner Ulrich

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This editorial article reports on the progress that the Journal of Research Practice (JRP has achieved in its ongoing development since November 2011, when a number of editorial initiatives were announced. Several new initiatives are also proposed. In addition, there are some current announcements, including a number of recent awards, distinctions, and nominations.

PROGRESSIVE CHOICE PROGRAMMING FOR DELINQUENOGENIC COMMUNITIES, A PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH.

Science.gov (United States)

Institute of Educational Research, Washington, DC.

THE TWO MAJOR TARGET POPULATIONS FOR THESE PROGRAMS ARE CHILDREN ENTERING SCHOOL IN FIRST OR SECOND GRADE WHO ARE IN DELINQUENOGENIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND ADOLESCENT DROPOUTS WHO ATTEND SPECIAL YOUTH COUNSELING CENTERS WHERE SKILLS CAN BE TAUGHT. THE PROGRAM SHOULD DEVELOP READING SKILLS AND ENRICH VOCABULARY PROVIDING A BASIS FOR ACCELERATED…

OPTICA: Our Path Together Initiating Cultural Access. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Susan, Comp.

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of OPTICA (Our Path Together Initiating Cultural Access) programs. For each program an information sheet indicates the goal, total participation, status of the goal, and activities of the program. Programs included: (1) Hands On: ASL Creative Story Telling, a program that used children's…

White paper: A vision for a computing initiative for MFE. Revised version

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, R.H.; Crotinger, J.A.; Baldwin, D.E.

1996-01-01

The scientific base of magnetic fusion research comprises three capabilities: experimental research, theoretical understanding and computational modeling, with modeling providing the necessary link between the other two. The US now faces a budget climate that will preclude the construction of major new MFE facilities and limit MFE experimental operations. The situation is rather analogous to the one experienced by the DOE Defense Programs (DP), in which continued viability of the nuclear stockpile must be ensured despite the prohibition of underground experimental tests. DP is meeting this challenge, in part, by launching the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) to bring advanced algorithms and new hardware to bear on the problems of science-based stockpile stewardship (SBSS). ASCI has as its goal the establishment of a ''virtual testing'' capability, and it is expected to drive scientific software and hardware development through the next decade. The authors argue that a similar effort is warranted for the MFE program, that is, an initiative aimed at developing a comprehensive simulation capability for MFE, with the goal of enabling ''virtual experiments.'' It would play a role for MFE analogous to that played by present-day and future (ASCI) codes for nuclear weapons design and by LASNEX for ICF, and provide a powerful augmentation to constrained experimental programs. Developing a comprehensive simulation capability could provide an organizing theme for a restructured science-based MFE program. The code would become a central vehicle for integrating the accumulating science base. In the context the authors propose, the relationship would ultimately be reversed: computer simulation would become a primary vehicle for exploration, with experiments providing the necessary confirmatory evidence (or guidance for code improvements)

Master Logic Diagram: An Approach to Identify Initiating Events of HTGRs

Science.gov (United States)

Purba, J. H.

2018-02-01

Initiating events of a nuclear power plant being evaluated need to be firstly identified prior to applying probabilistic safety assessment on that plant. Various types of master logic diagrams (MLDs) have been proposedforsearching initiating events of the next generation of nuclear power plants, which have limited data and operating experiences. Those MLDs are different in the number of steps or levels and different in the basis for developing them. This study proposed another type of MLD approach to find high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) initiating events. It consists of five functional steps starting from the top event representing the final objective of the safety functions to the basic event representing the goal of the MLD development, which is an initiating event. The application of the proposed approach to search for two HTGR initiating events, i.e. power turbine generator trip and loss of offsite power, is provided. The results confirmed that the proposed MLD is feasiblefor finding HTGR initiating events.

Social initiative management: building social leaders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Eduardo Varejão Marinho

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Some programs of Social Initiative Management are designed to prepare managers to take over a new administrative challenge – the social manager. Such programs help companies to change their administrative policies in which managers are more concerned with ethics and social issues. The objective of this article is to present the basic principles for a new model of manager integrated into social programs, environment preservation and decision-making processes in the organization.

Performance of the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator facility and initial experimental results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gai, W.; Conde, M.; Cox, G.; Konecny, R.; Power, J.; Schoessow, P.; Simpson, J.; Barov, N.

1996-01-01