Murine hematopoietic stem cell dormancy controlled by induction of a novel short form of PSF1 by histone deacetylase inhibitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Yinglu; Gong, Zhi-Yuan; Takakura, Nobuyuki

2015-01-01

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can survive long-term in a state of dormancy. Little is known about how histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) affect HSC kinetics. Here, we use trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, to enforce histone acetylation and show that this suppresses cell cycle entry by dormant HSCs. Previously, we found that haploinsufficiency of PSF1, a DNA replication factor, led to attenuation of the bone marrow (BM) HSC pool size and lack of acute proliferation after 5-FU ablation. Because PSF1 protein is present in CD34 + transiently amplifying HSCs but not in CD34 − long-term reconstituting-HSCs which are resting in a dormant state, we analyzed the relationship between dormancy and PSF1 expression, and how a histone deacetylase inhibitor affects this. We found that CD34 + HSCs produce long functional PSF1 (PSF1a) but CD34 − HSCs produce a shorter possibly non-functional PSF1 (PSF1b, c, dominantly PSF1c). Using PSF1a-overexpressing NIH-3T3 cells in which the endogenous PSF1 promoter is suppressed, we found that TSA treatment promotes production of the shorter form of PSF1 possibly by inducing recruitment of E2F family factors upstream of the PSF1 transcription start site. Our data document one mechanism by which histone deacetylase inhibitors affect the dormancy of HSCs by regulating the DNA replication factor PSF1. - Highlights: • Hematopoetic stem cell dormancy is controlled by histone deacetylation inhibitors. • Dormancy of HSCs is associated with a shorter form of non-functional PSF1. • Histone deacetylase inhibitors suppress PSF1 promoter activity

Murine hematopoietic stem cell dormancy controlled by induction of a novel short form of PSF1 by histone deacetylase inhibitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Yinglu; Gong, Zhi-Yuan [Department of Signal Transduction, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Takakura, Nobuyuki, E-mail: ntakaku@biken.osaka-u.ac.jp [Department of Signal Transduction, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Japan Science Technology Agency, CREST, K' s Gobancho, 7, Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0076 (Japan)

2015-06-10

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can survive long-term in a state of dormancy. Little is known about how histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) affect HSC kinetics. Here, we use trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, to enforce histone acetylation and show that this suppresses cell cycle entry by dormant HSCs. Previously, we found that haploinsufficiency of PSF1, a DNA replication factor, led to attenuation of the bone marrow (BM) HSC pool size and lack of acute proliferation after 5-FU ablation. Because PSF1 protein is present in CD34{sup +} transiently amplifying HSCs but not in CD34{sup −} long-term reconstituting-HSCs which are resting in a dormant state, we analyzed the relationship between dormancy and PSF1 expression, and how a histone deacetylase inhibitor affects this. We found that CD34{sup +} HSCs produce long functional PSF1 (PSF1a) but CD34{sup −} HSCs produce a shorter possibly non-functional PSF1 (PSF1b, c, dominantly PSF1c). Using PSF1a-overexpressing NIH-3T3 cells in which the endogenous PSF1 promoter is suppressed, we found that TSA treatment promotes production of the shorter form of PSF1 possibly by inducing recruitment of E2F family factors upstream of the PSF1 transcription start site. Our data document one mechanism by which histone deacetylase inhibitors affect the dormancy of HSCs by regulating the DNA replication factor PSF1. - Highlights: • Hematopoetic stem cell dormancy is controlled by histone deacetylation inhibitors. • Dormancy of HSCs is associated with a shorter form of non-functional PSF1. • Histone deacetylase inhibitors suppress PSF1 promoter activity.

PSF Estimation of Space-Variant Ultra-Wide Field of View Imaging Systems

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Petr Janout

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Ultra-wide-field of view (UWFOV imaging systems are affected by various aberrations, most of which are highly angle-dependent. A description of UWFOV imaging systems, such as microscopy optics, security camera systems and other special space-variant imaging systems, is a difficult task that can be achieved by estimating the Point Spread Function (PSF of the system. This paper proposes a novel method for modeling the space-variant PSF of an imaging system using the Zernike polynomials wavefront description. The PSF estimation algorithm is based on obtaining field-dependent expansion coefficients of the Zernike polynomials by fitting real image data of the analyzed imaging system using an iterative approach in an initial estimate of the fitting parameters to ensure convergence robustness. The method is promising as an alternative to the standard approach based on Shack–Hartmann interferometry, since the estimate of the aberration coefficients is processed directly in the image plane. This approach is tested on simulated and laboratory-acquired image data that generally show good agreement. The resulting data are compared with the results of other modeling methods. The proposed PSF estimation method provides around 5% accuracy of the optical system model.

Validation of PSF-based 3D reconstruction for myocardial blood flow measurements with Rb-82 PET

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tolbod, Lars Poulsen; Christensen, Nana Louise; Møller, Lone W.

images, filtered backprojection (FBP). Furthermore, since myocardial segmentation might be affected by image quality, two different approaches to segmentation implemented in standard software (Carimas (Turku PET Centre) and QPET (Cedar Sinai)) are utilized. Method:14 dynamic rest-stress Rb-82 patient......-scans performed on a GE Discovery 690 PET/CT were included. Images were reconstructed in an isotropic matrix (3.27x3.27x3.27 mm) using PSF (SharpIR: 3 iterations and 21 subsets) and FBP (FORE FBP) with the same edge-preserving filter (3D Butterworth: cut-off 10 mm, power 10). Analysis: The dynamic PET......Aim:The use of PSF-based 3D reconstruction algorithms (PSF) is desirable in most clinical PET-exams due to their superior image quality. Rb-82 cardiac PET is inherently noisy due to short half-life and prompt gammas and would presumably benefit from PSF. However, the quantitative behavior of PSF...

Preparation, characterisation and critical flux determination of graphene oxide blended polysulfone (PSf) membranes in an MBR system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravishankar, Harish; Roddick, Felicity; Navaratna, Dimuth; Jegatheesan, Veeriah

2018-05-01

Microfiltration membranes having different blends of graphene-oxide (GO) (0-1 wt%) and Polysulfone (PSf) (15-20 wt%) were prepared using the classical non-solvent induced phase inversion process. The prepared membranes were characterised for their structural morphology, surface properties, mechanical strength, porosity and pure water flux. Based on the initial characterisation results, four membranes (15 wt% PSf, 15 wt% PSf + 0.25 wt% GO, 15 wt% PSf + 1 wt% GO and 20 wt% PSf + 1 wt% GO) were chosen for critical flux study, that was conducted using flux-step method in a lab scale MBR system. In order to study the application potential of GO blended membranes, the critical flux of each membrane was evaluated in two operational modes i.e., continuous and intermittent modes with backwash. The membranes with maximal GO concentration (15 wt% PSf + 1 wt% GO and 20 wt% PSf + 1 wt% GO) showed higher critical flux (16.5, 12.8 L/m 2 h and 19, 15 L/m 2 h for continuous and intermittent mode, respectively). It was observed that the operational modes did not have a significant effect on the critical flux of the membranes with low GO concentration (15 wt% PSf and 15 wt% PSf + 0.25 wt% GO), indicating a minimal of 1 wt% GO was required for an observable effect that favoured intermittent mode of operation. Through these results, ideal operating condition was arrived (i.e., flux maintained at 6.4 L/m 2 h operated under intermittent mode) and the membranes 15 wt% PSf and 15 wt% PSf + 1 wt% GO were studied for their long-term operation. The positive effect of GO on filtration time, cleaning frequency and against fouling was demonstrated through long term TMP profile of the membranes, indicating the suitability of GO blended membrane for real time wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PSF interlaboratory comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kellogg, L.S.; Lippincott, E.P.

1982-01-01

Two experiments for interlaboratory verification of radiometric analysis methods have been conducted with dosimeters irradiated in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORR) Poolside Facility (PSF) Surveillance Dosimeter Measurement Facility (SDMF). In a preliminary analysis of data supplied by the six participants, biases as large as 60% were observed which could lead to errors of this general magnitude in reported surveillance capsule fluence values. As a result of these comparisons, problems were identified and the spread in final values was greatly reduced. Relative agreement among the final results reported by four of the laboratories now appears to be satisfactory (the non-fission dosimeter results generally falling within +-5% and the fission dosimeter results within +-10%), but improvement is required in order to routinely meet Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program goals

Model-based PSF and MTF estimation and validation from skeletal clinical CT images.

Science.gov (United States)

Pakdel, Amirreza; Mainprize, James G; Robert, Normand; Fialkov, Jeffery; Whyne, Cari M

2014-01-01

A method was developed to correct for systematic errors in estimating the thickness of thin bones due to image blurring in CT images using bone interfaces to estimate the point-spread-function (PSF). This study validates the accuracy of the PSFs estimated using said method from various clinical CT images featuring cortical bones. Gaussian PSFs, characterized by a different extent in the z (scan) direction than in the x and y directions were obtained using our method from 11 clinical CT scans of a cadaveric craniofacial skeleton. These PSFs were estimated for multiple combinations of scanning parameters and reconstruction methods. The actual PSF for each scan setting was measured using the slanted-slit technique within the image slice plane and the longitudinal axis. The Gaussian PSF and the corresponding modulation transfer function (MTF) are compared against the actual PSF and MTF for validation. The differences (errors) between the actual and estimated full-width half-max (FWHM) of the PSFs were 0.09 ± 0.05 and 0.14 ± 0.11 mm for the xy and z axes, respectively. The overall errors in the predicted frequencies measured at 75%, 50%, 25%, 10%, and 5% MTF levels were 0.06 ± 0.07 and 0.06 ± 0.04 cycles/mm for the xy and z axes, respectively. The accuracy of the estimates was dependent on whether they were reconstructed with a standard kernel (Toshiba's FC68, mean error of 0.06 ± 0.05 mm, MTF mean error 0.02 ± 0.02 cycles/mm) or a high resolution bone kernel (Toshiba's FC81, PSF FWHM error 0.12 ± 0.03 mm, MTF mean error 0.09 ± 0.08 cycles/mm). The method is accurate in 3D for an image reconstructed using a standard reconstruction kernel, which conforms to the Gaussian PSF assumption but less accurate when using a high resolution bone kernel. The method is a practical and self-contained means of estimating the PSF in clinical CT images featuring cortical bones, without the need phantoms or any prior knowledge about the scanner-specific parameters.

Model-based PSF and MTF estimation and validation from skeletal clinical CT images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pakdel, Amirreza; Mainprize, James G.; Robert, Normand; Fialkov, Jeffery; Whyne, Cari M.

2014-01-01

Purpose: A method was developed to correct for systematic errors in estimating the thickness of thin bones due to image blurring in CT images using bone interfaces to estimate the point-spread-function (PSF). This study validates the accuracy of the PSFs estimated using said method from various clinical CT images featuring cortical bones. Methods: Gaussian PSFs, characterized by a different extent in the z (scan) direction than in the x and y directions were obtained using our method from 11 clinical CT scans of a cadaveric craniofacial skeleton. These PSFs were estimated for multiple combinations of scanning parameters and reconstruction methods. The actual PSF for each scan setting was measured using the slanted-slit technique within the image slice plane and the longitudinal axis. The Gaussian PSF and the corresponding modulation transfer function (MTF) are compared against the actual PSF and MTF for validation. Results: The differences (errors) between the actual and estimated full-width half-max (FWHM) of the PSFs were 0.09 ± 0.05 and 0.14 ± 0.11 mm for the xy and z axes, respectively. The overall errors in the predicted frequencies measured at 75%, 50%, 25%, 10%, and 5% MTF levels were 0.06 ± 0.07 and 0.06 ± 0.04 cycles/mm for the xy and z axes, respectively. The accuracy of the estimates was dependent on whether they were reconstructed with a standard kernel (Toshiba's FC68, mean error of 0.06 ± 0.05 mm, MTF mean error 0.02 ± 0.02 cycles/mm) or a high resolution bone kernel (Toshiba's FC81, PSF FWHM error 0.12 ± 0.03 mm, MTF mean error 0.09 ± 0.08 cycles/mm). Conclusions: The method is accurate in 3D for an image reconstructed using a standard reconstruction kernel, which conforms to the Gaussian PSF assumption but less accurate when using a high resolution bone kernel. The method is a practical and self-contained means of estimating the PSF in clinical CT images featuring cortical bones, without the need phantoms or any prior knowledge about the

Model-based PSF and MTF estimation and validation from skeletal clinical CT images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pakdel, Amirreza [Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2 (Canada); Mainprize, James G.; Robert, Normand [Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 (Canada); Fialkov, Jeffery [Division of Plastic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada and Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2 (Canada); Whyne, Cari M., E-mail: cari.whyne@sunnybrook.ca [Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada and Department of Surgery, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2 (Canada)

2014-01-15

Purpose: A method was developed to correct for systematic errors in estimating the thickness of thin bones due to image blurring in CT images using bone interfaces to estimate the point-spread-function (PSF). This study validates the accuracy of the PSFs estimated using said method from various clinical CT images featuring cortical bones. Methods: Gaussian PSFs, characterized by a different extent in the z (scan) direction than in the x and y directions were obtained using our method from 11 clinical CT scans of a cadaveric craniofacial skeleton. These PSFs were estimated for multiple combinations of scanning parameters and reconstruction methods. The actual PSF for each scan setting was measured using the slanted-slit technique within the image slice plane and the longitudinal axis. The Gaussian PSF and the corresponding modulation transfer function (MTF) are compared against the actual PSF and MTF for validation. Results: The differences (errors) between the actual and estimated full-width half-max (FWHM) of the PSFs were 0.09 ± 0.05 and 0.14 ± 0.11 mm for the xy and z axes, respectively. The overall errors in the predicted frequencies measured at 75%, 50%, 25%, 10%, and 5% MTF levels were 0.06 ± 0.07 and 0.06 ± 0.04 cycles/mm for the xy and z axes, respectively. The accuracy of the estimates was dependent on whether they were reconstructed with a standard kernel (Toshiba's FC68, mean error of 0.06 ± 0.05 mm, MTF mean error 0.02 ± 0.02 cycles/mm) or a high resolution bone kernel (Toshiba's FC81, PSF FWHM error 0.12 ± 0.03 mm, MTF mean error 0.09 ± 0.08 cycles/mm). Conclusions: The method is accurate in 3D for an image reconstructed using a standard reconstruction kernel, which conforms to the Gaussian PSF assumption but less accurate when using a high resolution bone kernel. The method is a practical and self-contained means of estimating the PSF in clinical CT images featuring cortical bones, without the need phantoms or any prior knowledge

HIV-1 pre-mRNA commitment to Rev mediated export through PSF and Matrin 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kula, Anna; Gharu, Lavina; Marcello, Alessandro

2013-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus gene expression and replication are regulated at several levels. Incompletely spliced viral RNAs and full-length genomic RNA contain the RRE element and are bound by the viral trans-acting protein Rev to be transported out of the nucleus. Previously we found that the nuclear matrix protein MATR3 was a cofactor of Rev-mediated RNA export. Here we show that the pleiotropic protein PSF binds viral RNA and is associated with MATR3. PSF is involved in the maintenance of a pool of RNA available for Rev activity. However, while Rev and PSF bind the viral pre-mRNA at the site of viral transcription, MATR3 interacts at a subsequent step. We propose that PSF and MATR3 define a novel pathway for RRE-containing HIV-1 RNAs that is hijacked by the viral Rev protein.

Effect of Evaporation Time on Separation Performance of Polysulfone/Cellulose Acetate (PSF/CA) Membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Syahbanu, Intan; Piluharto, Bambang; Khairi, Syahrul; Sudarko

2018-01-01

Polysulfone and cellulose acetate are common material in separation. In this research, polysulfone/cellulose actetate (PSF/CA) blend membrane was prepared. The aim of this research was to study effect of evaporation time in casting of PSF/CA membrane and its performance in filtration. CA was obtained by acetylation process of bacterial cellulose (BC) from fermentation of coconut water. Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) Spectroscopy was used to examine functional groups of BC, CA and commercial cellulose acetate. Subtitution of acetyl groups determined by titration method. Blend membranes were prepared through phase inversion technique in which composition of PSF/PEG/CA/NMP(%w) was 15/5/5/75. Polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) were act as pore forming agent and solvent, respectively. Variation of evaporation times were used as parameter to examine water uptake, flux, and morphology of PSF/CA blend membranes. FTIR spectra of CA show characteristic peak of acetyl group at 1220 cm-1 indicated that BC was acetylated succesfully. Degree of subtitution of BCA was found at 2.62. Highest water flux was performed at 2 bar obtained at 106.31 L.m-2.h-1 at 0 minute variation, and decrease as increasing evaporation time. Morphology of PSF/BCA blend membranes were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that porous asymetric membrane were formed.

Preparation, characterization and gas permeation study of PSf/MgO nanocomposite membrane

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S. M. Momeni

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Nanocomposite membranes composed of polymer and inorganic nanoparticles are a novel method to enhance gas separation performance. In this study, membranes were fabricated from polysulfone (PSf containing magnesium oxide (MgO nanoparticles and gas permeation properties of the resulting membranes were investigated. Membranes were prepared by solution blending and phase inversion methods. Morphology of the membranes, void formations, MgO distribution and aggregates were observed by SEM analysis. Furthermore, thermal stability, residual solvent in the membrane film and structural ruination of membranes were analyzed by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA. The effects of MgO nanoparticles on the glass transition temperature (Tg of the prepared nanocomposites were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. The Tg of nanocomposite membranes increased with MgO loading. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectra of nanocomposite membranes were analyzed to identify the variations of the bonds. The results obtained from gas permeation experiments with a constant pressure setup showed that adding MgO nanoparticles to the polymeric membrane structure increased the permeability of the membranes. At 30 wt% MgO loading, the CO2 permeability was enhanced from 25.75×10-16 to 47.12×10-16 mol.m/(m².s.Pa and the CO2/CH4 selectivity decreased from 30.84 to 25.65 when compared with pure PSf. For H2, the permeability was enhanced from 44.05×10-16 to 67.3×10-16 mol.m/(m².s.Pa, whereas the H2/N2 selectivity decreased from 47.11 to 33.58.

Relationship between line spread function (LSF), or slice sensitivity profile (SSP), and point spread function (PSF) in CT image system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohkubo, Masaki; Wada, Shinichi; Kobayashi, Teiji; Lee, Yongbum; Tsai, Du-Yih

2004-01-01

In the CT image system, we revealed the relationship between line spread function (LSF), or slice sensitivity profile (SSP), and point spread function (PSF). In the system, the following equation has been reported; I(x,y)=O(x,y) ** PSF(x,y), in which I(x,y) and O(x,y) are CT image and object function, respectively, and ** is 2-dimensional convolution. In the same way, the following 3-dimensional expression applies; I'(x,y,z)=O'(x,y,z) *** PSF'(x,y,z), in which z-axis is the direction perpendicular to the x/y-scan plane. We defined that the CT image system was separable, when the above two equations could be transformed into following equations; I(x,y)=[O(x,y) * LSF x (x)] * LSF y (y) and I'(x,y,z) =[O'(x,y,z) * SSP(z)] ** PSF(x,y), respectively, in which LSF x (x) and LSF y (y) are LSFs in x- and y-direction, respectively. Previous reports for the LSF and SSP are considered to assume the separable-system. Under the condition of separable-system, we derived following equations; PSF(x,y)=LSF x (x) ·LSF y (y) and PSF'(x,y,z)=PSF(x,y)·SSP(z). They were validated by the computer-simulations. When the study based on 1-dimensional functions of LSF and SSP are expanded to that based on 2- or 3-dimensional functions of PSF, derived equations must be required. (author)

Use of the probability of stone formation (PSF) score to assess stone forming risk and treatment response in a cohort of Brazilian stone formers.

Science.gov (United States)

Turney, Benjamin; Robertson, William; Wiseman, Oliver; Amaro, Carmen Regina P R; Leitão, Victor A; Silva, Isabela Leme da; Amaro, João Luiz

2014-01-01

The aim was to confirm that PSF (probability of stone formation) changed appropriately following medical therapy on recurrent stone formers. Data were collected on 26 Brazilian stone-formers. A baseline 24-hour urine collection was performed prior to treatment. Details of the medical treatment initiated for stone-disease were recorded. A PSF calculation was performed on the 24 hour urine sample using the 7 urinary parameters required: voided volume, oxalate, calcium, urate, pH, citrate and magnesium. A repeat 24-hour urine sample was performed for PSF calculation after treatment. Comparison was made between the PSF scores before and during treatment. At baseline, 20 of the 26 patients (77%) had a high PSF score (> 0.5). Of the 26 patients, 17 (65%) showed an overall reduction in their PSF profiles with a medical treatment regimen. Eleven patients (42%) changed from a high risk (PSF > 0.5) to a low risk (PSF 0.5) during both assessments. The PSF score reduced following medical treatment in the majority of patients in this cohort.

Use of the probability of stone formation (PSF score to assess stone forming risk and treatment response in a cohort of Brazilian stone formers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Turney

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction The aim was to confirm that PSF (probability of stone formation changed appropriately following medical therapy on recurrent stone formers. Materials and Methods Data were collected on 26 Brazilian stone-formers. A baseline 24-hour urine collection was performed prior to treatment. Details of the medical treatment initiated for stone-disease were recorded. A PSF calculation was performed on the 24 hour urine sample using the 7 urinary parameters required: voided volume, oxalate, calcium, urate, pH, citrate and magnesium. A repeat 24-hour urine sample was performed for PSF calculation after treatment. Comparison was made between the PSF scores before and during treatment. Results At baseline, 20 of the 26 patients (77% had a high PSF score (> 0.5. Of the 26 patients, 17 (65% showed an overall reduction in their PSF profiles with a medical treatment regimen. Eleven patients (42% changed from a high risk (PSF > 0.5 to a low risk (PSF 0.5 during both assessments. Conclusions The PSF score reduced following medical treatment in the majority of patients in this cohort.

Preparation of Cu{sub 2}O nanowire-blended polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane with improved stability and antimicrobial activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Zehai; Ye, Shuaiju; Fan, Zheng; Ren, Fanghua; Gao, Congjie [Zhejiang University of Technology, Institute of Oceanic and Environmental Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering and Material Science and College of Ocean, and State Key Lab Breeding Base of Green Chemical Synthesis Technology and Zhejiang Collaborative Innovation Center of Membrane Separation and Water Treatment (China); Li, Qingbiao; Li, Guoqing [Quanzhou Normal University, College of Chemistry and Life Science (China); Zhang, Guoliang, E-mail: membrane86571@163.com, E-mail: guoliangz@zjut.edu.cn [Zhejiang University of Technology, Institute of Oceanic and Environmental Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering and Material Science and College of Ocean, and State Key Lab Breeding Base of Green Chemical Synthesis Technology and Zhejiang Collaborative Innovation Center of Membrane Separation and Water Treatment (China)

2015-10-15

Polysulfone (PSF) membranes have been widely applied in water and wastewater treatment, food-processing and biomedical fields. In this study, we report the preparation of modified PSF membranes by blending PSF with Cu{sub 2}O nanowires (NWs) to improve their stability and antifouling activity. Synthesis of novel Cu{sub 2}O NWs/PSF-blended ultrafiltration membrane was achieved via phase inversion method by dispersing one-dimensional Cu{sub 2}O nanowires in PSF casting solutions. Various techniques such as XRD, SEM, TEM, and EDS were applied to characterize and investigate the properties of nanowires and membranes. The introduced Cu{sub 2}O nanowires can firmly be restricted into micropores of PSF membranes, and therefore, they can effectively prevent the serious leaking problem of inorganic substances in separation process. The blended PSF membranes also provided enhanced antimicrobial activity and superior permeation property compared to pure PSF membrane. The overall work can not only provide a new way for preparation of novel blended membranes with multidimensional nanomaterials, but can also be beneficial to solve the annoying problem of biofouling.

LWR surveillance dosimetry improvement program: PSF metallurgical blind test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kam, F.B.K.; Maerker, R.E.; Stallmann, F.W.

1984-01-01

The metallurgical irradiation experiment at the Oak Ridge Research Reactor Poolside Facility (ORR-PSF) was designed as a benchmark to test the accuracy of radiation embrittlement predictions in the pressure vessel wall of light water reactors on the basis of results from surveillance capsules. The PSF metallurgical Blind Test is concerned with the simulated surveillance capsule (SSC) and the simulated pressure vessel capsule (SPVC). The data from the ORR-PSF benchmark experiment are the basis for comparison with the predictions made by participants of the metallurgical ''Blind Test''. The Blind Test required the participants to predict the embrittlement of the irradiated specimen based only on dosimetry and metallurgical data from the SSC1 capsule. This exercise included both the prediction of damage fluence and the prediction of embrittlement based on the predicted fluence. A variety of prediction methodologies was used by the participants. No glaring biases or other deficiencies were found, but neither were any of the methods clearly superior to the others. Closer analysis shows a rather complex and poorly understood relation between fluence and material damage. Many prediction formulas can give an adequate approximation, but further improvement of the prediction methodology is unlikely at this time given the many unknown factors. Instead, attention should be focused on determining realistic uncertainties for the predicted material changes. The Blind Test comparisons provide some clues for the size of these uncertainties. In particular, higher uncertainties must be assigned to materials whose chemical composition lies outside the data set for which the prediction formula was obtained. 16 references, 14 figures, 5 tables

ORNL evaluation of the ORR-PSF metallurgical experiment and blind test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stallmann, F.W.

1984-01-01

A methodology is described to evaluate the dosimetry and metallurgical data from the two-year ORR-PSF metallurgical irradiation experiment. The first step is to obtain a three-dimensional map of damage exposure parameter values based on neutron transport calculations and dosimetry measurements which are obtained by means of the LSL-M2 adjustment procedure. Metallurgical test data are then combined with damage parameter, temperature, and chemistry information to determine the correlation between radiation and steel embrittlement in reactor pressure vessels including estimates for the uncertainties. Statistical procedures for the evaluation of Charpy data, developed earlier, are used for this investigation. The data obtained in this investigation provide a benchmark against which the predictions of the PSF Blind Test can be compared. The results of this investigation and the Blind Test comparison are discussed

Enhancement of antibacterial activity in nanofillers incorporated PSF/PVP membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Pramila, P.; Gopalakrishnan, N.

2018-04-01

An attempt has been made to investigate the nanofillers incorporated polysulfone (PSF) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer membranes prepared by phase inversion method. Initially, the nanofillers, viz, Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle, Graphene Oxide-Zinc Oxide (GO-ZnO) nanocomposite were synthesized and then directly incorporated into PSF/PVP blend during the preparation of membranes. The prepared membranes have been subjected to FE-SEM, AFM, BET, contact angle, tensile test and anti-bacterial studies. Significant membrane morphologies and nanoporous properties have been observed by FE-SEM and BET, respectively. It has been observed that hydrophilicity, mechanical strength and water permeability of the ZnO and GO-ZnO incorporated membranes were enhanced than bare membrane. Antibacterial activity was assessed by measuring the inhibition zones formed around the membrane by disc-diffusion method using Escherichia coli (gram-negative) as a model bacterium. Again, it has been observed that nanofillers incorporated membrane exhibits high antibacterial performance compared to bare membrane.

A single-photon ecat reconstruction procedure based on a PSF model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ying-Lie, O.

1984-01-01

Emission Computed Axial Tomography (ECAT) has been applied in nuclear medicine for the past few years. Owing to attenuation and scatter along the ray path, adequate correction methods are required. In this thesis, a correction method for attenuation, detector response and Compton scatter has been proposed. The method developed is based on a PSF model. The parameters of the models were derived by fitting experimental and simulation data. Because of its flexibility, a Monte Carlo simulation method has been employed. Using the PSF models, it was found that the ECAT problem can be described by the added modified equation. Application of the reconstruction procedure on simulation data yield satisfactory results. The algorithm tends to amplify noise and distortion in the data, however. Therefore, the applicability of the method on patient studies remain to be seen. (Auth.)

Modification of PSf/SPSf Blended Porous Support for Improving the Reverse Osmosis Performance of Aromatic Polyamide Thin Film Composite Membranes

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Li-Fen Liu

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, modification of polysulfone (PSf/sulfonated polysulfone (SPSf blended porous ultrafiltration (UF support membranes was proposed to improve the reverse osmosis (RO performance of aromatic polyamide thin film composite (TFC membranes. The synergistic effects of solvent, polymer concentration, and SPSf doping content in the casting solution were investigated systematically on the properties of both porous supports and RO membranes. SEM and AFM were combined to characterize the physical properties of the membranes, including surface pore natures (porosity, mean pore radius, surface morphology, and section structure. A contact angle meter was used to analyze the membrane surface hydrophilicity. Permeate experiments were carried out to evaluate the separation performances of the membranes. The results showed that the PSf/SPSf blended porous support modified with 6 wt % SPSf in the presence of DMF and 14 wt % PSf had higher porosity, bigger pore diameter, and a rougher and more hydrophilic surface, which was more beneficial for fabrication of a polyamide TFC membrane with favorable reverse osmosis performance. This modified PSf/SPSf support endowed the RO membrane with a more hydrophilic surface, higher water flux (about 1.2 times, as well as a slight increase in salt rejection than the nascent PSf support. In a word, this work provides a new facile method to improve the separation performance of polyamide TFC RO membranes via the modification of conventional PSf porous support with SPSf.

Performance measurement of PSF modeling reconstruction (True X) on Siemens Biograph TruePoint TrueV PET/CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Young Sub; Kim, Jin Su; Kim, Kyeong Min; Kang, Joo Hyun; Lim, Sang Moo; Kim, Hee-Joung

2014-05-01

The Siemens Biograph TruePoint TrueV (B-TPTV) positron emission tomography (PET) scanner performs 3D PET reconstruction using a system matrix with point spread function (PSF) modeling (called the True X reconstruction). PET resolution was dramatically improved with the True X method. In this study, we assessed the spatial resolution and image quality on a B-TPTV PET scanner. In addition, we assessed the feasibility of animal imaging with a B-TPTV PET and compared it with a microPET R4 scanner. Spatial resolution was measured at center and at 8 cm offset from the center in transverse plane with warm background activity. True X, ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) without PSF modeling, and filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction methods were used. Percent contrast (% contrast) and percent background variability (% BV) were assessed according to NEMA NU2-2007. The recovery coefficient (RC), non-uniformity, spill-over ratio (SOR), and PET imaging of the Micro Deluxe Phantom were assessed to compare image quality of B-TPTV PET with that of the microPET R4. When True X reconstruction was used, spatial resolution was RC with True X reconstruction was higher than that with the FBP method and the OSEM without PSF modeling method on the microPET R4. The non-uniformity with True X reconstruction was higher than that with FBP and OSEM without PSF modeling on microPET R4. SOR with True X reconstruction was better than that with FBP or OSEM without PSF modeling on the microPET R4. This study assessed the performance of the True X reconstruction. Spatial resolution with True X reconstruction was improved by 45 % and its % contrast was significantly improved compared to those with the conventional OSEM without PSF modeling reconstruction algorithm. The noise level was higher than that with the other reconstruction algorithm. Therefore, True X reconstruction should be used with caution when quantifying PET data.

Correlating PSf Support Physicochemical Properties with the Formation of Piperazine-Based Polyamide and Evaluating the Resultant Nanofiltration Membrane Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Micah Belle Marie Yap Ang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Membrane support properties influence the performance of thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes. We fabricated several polysulfone (PSf supports. The physicochemical properties of PSf were altered by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG of varying molecular weights (200–35,000 g/mol. This alteration facilitated the formation of a thin polyamide layer on the PSf surface during the interfacial polymerization reaction involving an aqueous solution of piperazine containing 4-aminobenzoic acid and an organic solution of trimesoyl chloride. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared validated the presence of PEG in the membrane support. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy illustrated that the thin-film polyamide layer morphology transformed from a rough to a smooth surface. A cross-flow filtration test indicated that a thin-film composite polyamide membrane comprising a PSf support (TFC-PEG20k with a low surface porosity, small pore size, and suitable hydrophilicity delivered the highest water flux and separation efficiency (J = 81.1 ± 6.4 L·m−2·h−1, RNa2SO4 = 91.1% ± 1.8%, and RNaCl = 35.7% ± 3.1% at 0.60 MPa. This membrane had a molecular weight cutoff of 292 g/mol and also a high rejection for negatively charged dyes. Therefore, a PSf support exhibiting suitable physicochemical properties endowed a thin-film composite polyamide membrane with high performance.

Accuracy of lung nodule density on HRCT: analysis by PSF-based image simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohno, Ken; Ohkubo, Masaki; Marasinghe, Janaka C; Murao, Kohei; Matsumoto, Toru; Wada, Shinichi

2012-11-08

A computed tomography (CT) image simulation technique based on the point spread function (PSF) was applied to analyze the accuracy of CT-based clinical evaluations of lung nodule density. The PSF of the CT system was measured and used to perform the lung nodule image simulation. Then, the simulated image was resampled at intervals equal to the pixel size and the slice interval found in clinical high-resolution CT (HRCT) images. On those images, the nodule density was measured by placing a region of interest (ROI) commonly used for routine clinical practice, and comparing the measured value with the true value (a known density of object function used in the image simulation). It was quantitatively determined that the measured nodule density depended on the nodule diameter and the image reconstruction parameters (kernel and slice thickness). In addition, the measured density fluctuated, depending on the offset between the nodule center and the image voxel center. This fluctuation was reduced by decreasing the slice interval (i.e., with the use of overlapping reconstruction), leading to a stable density evaluation. Our proposed method of PSF-based image simulation accompanied with resampling enables a quantitative analysis of the accuracy of CT-based evaluations of lung nodule density. These results could potentially reveal clinical misreadings in diagnosis, and lead to more accurate and precise density evaluations. They would also be of value for determining the optimum scan and reconstruction parameters, such as image reconstruction kernels and slice thicknesses/intervals.

Experimental evaluation and basis function optimization of the spatially variant image-space PSF on the Ingenuity PET/MR scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotasidis, Fotis A.; Zaidi, Habib

2014-01-01

Purpose: The Ingenuity time-of-flight (TF) PET/MR is a recently developed hybrid scanner combining the molecular imaging capabilities of PET with the excellent soft tissue contrast of MRI. It is becoming common practice to characterize the system's point spread function (PSF) and understand its variation under spatial transformations to guide clinical studies and potentially use it within resolution recovery image reconstruction algorithms. Furthermore, due to the system's utilization of overlapping and spherical symmetric Kaiser-Bessel basis functions during image reconstruction, its image space PSF and reconstructed spatial resolution could be affected by the selection of the basis function parameters. Hence, a detailed investigation into the multidimensional basis function parameter space is needed to evaluate the impact of these parameters on spatial resolution. Methods: Using an array of 12 × 7 printed point sources, along with a custom made phantom, and with the MR magnet on, the system's spatially variant image-based PSF was characterized in detail. Moreover, basis function parameters were systematically varied during reconstruction (list-mode TF OSEM) to evaluate their impact on the reconstructed resolution and the image space PSF. Following the spatial resolution optimization, phantom, and clinical studies were subsequently reconstructed using representative basis function parameters. Results: Based on the analysis and under standard basis function parameters, the axial and tangential components of the PSF were found to be almost invariant under spatial transformations (∼4 mm) while the radial component varied modestly from 4 to 6.7 mm. Using a systematic investigation into the basis function parameter space, the spatial resolution was found to degrade for basis functions with a large radius and small shape parameter. However, it was found that optimizing the spatial resolution in the reconstructed PET images, while having a good basis function

Experimental evaluation and basis function optimization of the spatially variant image-space PSF on the Ingenuity PET/MR scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kotasidis, Fotis A., E-mail: Fotis.Kotasidis@unige.ch [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland and Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, MAHSC, University of Manchester, Manchester M20 3LJ (United Kingdom); Zaidi, Habib [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, CH-1211 Geneva (Switzerland); Geneva Neuroscience Centre, Geneva University, CH-1205 Geneva (Switzerland); Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, 9700 RB (Netherlands)

2014-06-15

Purpose: The Ingenuity time-of-flight (TF) PET/MR is a recently developed hybrid scanner combining the molecular imaging capabilities of PET with the excellent soft tissue contrast of MRI. It is becoming common practice to characterize the system's point spread function (PSF) and understand its variation under spatial transformations to guide clinical studies and potentially use it within resolution recovery image reconstruction algorithms. Furthermore, due to the system's utilization of overlapping and spherical symmetric Kaiser-Bessel basis functions during image reconstruction, its image space PSF and reconstructed spatial resolution could be affected by the selection of the basis function parameters. Hence, a detailed investigation into the multidimensional basis function parameter space is needed to evaluate the impact of these parameters on spatial resolution. Methods: Using an array of 12 × 7 printed point sources, along with a custom made phantom, and with the MR magnet on, the system's spatially variant image-based PSF was characterized in detail. Moreover, basis function parameters were systematically varied during reconstruction (list-mode TF OSEM) to evaluate their impact on the reconstructed resolution and the image space PSF. Following the spatial resolution optimization, phantom, and clinical studies were subsequently reconstructed using representative basis function parameters. Results: Based on the analysis and under standard basis function parameters, the axial and tangential components of the PSF were found to be almost invariant under spatial transformations (∼4 mm) while the radial component varied modestly from 4 to 6.7 mm. Using a systematic investigation into the basis function parameter space, the spatial resolution was found to degrade for basis functions with a large radius and small shape parameter. However, it was found that optimizing the spatial resolution in the reconstructed PET images, while having a good basis

The affordances of broken affordances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grünbaum, Martin Gielsgaard; Simonsen, Jakob Grue

2015-01-01

We consider the use of physical and virtual objects having one or more affordances associated to simple interactions with them. Based on Kaptelinin and Nardi’s notion of instrumental affordance, we investigate what it means to break an affordance, and the two ensuing questions we deem most import...

Spatial resolution of the HRRT PET scanner using 3D-OSEM PSF reconstruction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Oline Vinter; Sibomana, Merence; Keller, Sune Høgild

2009-01-01

The spatial resolution of the Siemens High Resolution Research Tomograph (HRRT) dedicated brain PET scanner installed at Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet) was measured using a point-source phantom with high statistics. Further, it was demonstrated how the newly developed 3D-OSEM PSF...

Noise and signal properties in PSF-based fully 3D PET image reconstruction: an experimental evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong, S; Alessio, A M; Kinahan, P E

2010-01-01

The addition of accurate system modeling in PET image reconstruction results in images with distinct noise texture and characteristics. In particular, the incorporation of point spread functions (PSF) into the system model has been shown to visually reduce image noise, but the noise properties have not been thoroughly studied. This work offers a systematic evaluation of noise and signal properties in different combinations of reconstruction methods and parameters. We evaluate two fully 3D PET reconstruction algorithms: (1) OSEM with exact scanner line of response modeled (OSEM+LOR), (2) OSEM with line of response and a measured point spread function incorporated (OSEM+LOR+PSF), in combination with the effects of four post-reconstruction filtering parameters and 1-10 iterations, representing a range of clinically acceptable settings. We used a modified NEMA image quality (IQ) phantom, which was filled with 68 Ge and consisted of six hot spheres of different sizes with a target/background ratio of 4:1. The phantom was scanned 50 times in 3D mode on a clinical system to provide independent noise realizations. Data were reconstructed with OSEM+LOR and OSEM+LOR+PSF using different reconstruction parameters, and our implementations of the algorithms match the vendor's product algorithms. With access to multiple realizations, background noise characteristics were quantified with four metrics. Image roughness and the standard deviation image measured the pixel-to-pixel variation; background variability and ensemble noise quantified the region-to-region variation. Image roughness is the image noise perceived when viewing an individual image. At matched iterations, the addition of PSF leads to images with less noise defined as image roughness (reduced by 35% for unfiltered data) and as the standard deviation image, while it has no effect on background variability or ensemble noise. In terms of signal to noise performance, PSF-based reconstruction has a 7% improvement in

Desempenho do PSF no Sul e no Nordeste do Brasil: avaliação institucional e epidemiológica da Atenção Básica à Saúde Performance of the PSF in the Brazilian South and Northeast: institutional and epidemiological Assessment of Primary Health Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Augusto Facchini

2006-09-01

Full Text Available A pesquisa, desenvolvida dentro dos Estudos de Linha de Base do Proesf analisou o desempenho do Programa Saúde da Família (PSF em 41 municípios dos Estados de Alagoas, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina. Utilizou delineamento transversal, com grupo de comparação externo (atenção básica tradicional. Entrevistou 41 presidentes de Conselhos Municipais de Saúde, 29 secretários municipais de Saúde e 32 coordenadores de Atenção Básica. Foram caracterizados a estrutura e o processo de trabalho em 234 Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS, incluindo 4.749 trabalhadores de saúde; 4.079 crianças; 3.945 mulheres; 4.060 adultos e 4.006 idosos. O controle de qualidade alcançou 6% dos domicílios amostrados. A cobertura do PSF de 1999 a 2004 cresceu mais no Nordeste do que no Sul. Menos da metade dos trabalhadores ingressaram por concurso público e o trabalho precário foi maior no PSF do que em UBS tradicionais. Os achados sugerem um desempenho da Atenção Básica à Saúde (ABS ainda distante das prescrições do SUS. Menos da metade da demanda potencial utilizou a UBS de sua área de abrangência. A oferta de ações de saúde, a sua utilização e o contato por ações programáticas foram mais adequados no PSF.The research developed in the context of the baseline studies of the PROESF analyzed the performance of the PSF in 41 municipalities of the States Alagoas, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. This article describes a transversal study using an external group for comparison (traditional primary care. Forty-one Presidents of Municipal Health Councils, 20 Municipal Health Secretaries and 32 Primary Care Coordinators were interviewed. The study characterized the structure and work process of 234 Basic Care Units, involving 4.794 workers, 4.079 children, 3.945 women, 4.060 adults and 4.006 aged people. Quality control reached 6% of the

Karlsruhe Research Center, Nuclear Safety Research Project (PSF). Annual report 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hueper, R.

1995-08-01

The reactor safety R and D work of the Karlsruhe Research Centre (FZKA) has been part of the Nuclear Safety Research Projet (PSF) since 1990. The present annual report 1994 summarizes the R and D results. The research tasks are coordinated in agreement with internal and external working groups. The contributions to this report correspond to the status of early 1995. An abstract in English precedes each of them, whenever the respective article is written in German. (orig.) [de

A PSF-shape-based beamforming strategy for robust 2D motion estimation in ultrafast data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saris, Anne E.C.M.; Fekkes, Stein; Nillesen, Maartje; Hansen, Hendrik H.G.; de Korte, Chris L.

2018-01-01

This paper presents a framework for motion estimation in ultrafast ultrasound data. It describes a novel approach for determining the sampling grid for ultrafast data based on the system's point-spread-function (PSF). As a consequence, the cross-correlation functions (CCF) used in the speckle

A method of PSF generation for 3D brightfield deconvolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Tadrous, P J

2010-02-01

This paper addresses the problem of 3D deconvolution of through focus widefield microscope datasets (Z-stacks). One of the most difficult stages in brightfield deconvolution is finding the point spread function. A theoretically calculated point spread function (called a 'synthetic PSF' in this paper) requires foreknowledge of many system parameters and still gives only approximate results. A point spread function measured from a sub-resolution bead suffers from low signal-to-noise ratio, compounded in the brightfield setting (by contrast to fluorescence) by absorptive, refractive and dispersal effects. This paper describes a method of point spread function estimation based on measurements of a Z-stack through a thin sample. This Z-stack is deconvolved by an idealized point spread function derived from the same Z-stack to yield a point spread function of high signal-to-noise ratio that is also inherently tailored to the imaging system. The theory is validated by a practical experiment comparing the non-blind 3D deconvolution of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the point spread function generated using the method presented in this paper (called the 'extracted PSF') to a synthetic point spread function. Restoration of both high- and low-contrast brightfield structures is achieved with fewer artefacts using the extracted point spread function obtained with this method. Furthermore the deconvolution progresses further (more iterations are allowed before the error function reaches its nadir) with the extracted point spread function compared to the synthetic point spread function indicating that the extracted point spread function is a better fit to the brightfield deconvolution model than the synthetic point spread function.

Use of the probability of stone formation (PSF) score to assess stone forming risk and treatment response in a cohort of Brazilian stone formers

OpenAIRE

Turney, Benjamin; Robertson, William; Wiseman, Oliver; Amaro, Carmen Regina P. R.; Leitão, Victor A.; Silva, Isabela Leme da; Amaro, João Luiz

2014-01-01

Introduction: The aim was to confirm that PSF (probability of stone formation) changed appropriately following medical therapy on recurrent stone formers.Materials and Methods: Data were collected on 26 Brazilian stone-formers. A baseline 24-hour urine collection was performed prior to treatment. Details of the medical treatment initiated for stone-disease were recorded. A PSF calculation was performed on the 24 hour urine sample using the 7 urinary parameters required: voided volume, oxalate...

Polarization behaviour of polyvinylidenefluoride-polysulfone (PVDF: PSF) blends under high field and high temperature condition

Science.gov (United States)

Shrivas, Sandhya; Patel, Swarnim; Dubey, R. K.; Keller, J. M.

2018-05-01

Thermally stimulated discharge currents of PVDF: PSF blend samples in ratio 80:20 and 95:05 prepared by the solution cast technique have been studied as a function of polarizing field and polarizing temperature, the temperature corresponding to a peak in TSDC is found to be independent of polarizing field but dependent on the polarizing temperature.

Transport Properties, Mechanical Behavior, Thermal and Chemical Resistance of Asymmetric Flat Sheet Membrane Prepared from PSf/PVDF Blended Membrane on Gauze Supporting Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nita Kusumawati

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Asymmetric polysulfone (PSf membrane is prepared using phase inversion method and blending with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF on the gauze solid support. Casting solution composition optimization has been done to get PSf/PVDF membrane with best characteristics and permeability. The result shows that blending on PSf with PVDF polymer using phase inversion method has been very helpful in creating an asymmetric porous membrane. Increased level of PVDF in casting solution has increased the formation of asymmetry structure and corresponding flux membrane. The result from thermal test using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC-Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA shows the resistance of the membrane to temperature 460 °C. Membrane resistance against acid looks from undetectable changes on infrared spectra after immersion process in H2SO4 6–98 v/v%. While membrane color changes from white to brownish and black is detected after the immersion process in sodium hydroxide (NaOH 0.15–80 w/v%.

Historicizing affordance theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Sofie; Bang, Jytte Susanne

2017-01-01

The aim of this article is to discuss how mutually enriching points from both affordance theory and cultural-historical activity theory can promote theoretical ideas which may prove useful as analytical tools for the study of human life and human development. There are two issues that need...... to be overcome in order to explore the potentials of James Gibson’s affordance theory: it does not sufficiently theorize (a) development and (b) society. We claim that Gibson’s affordance theory still needs to be brought beyond “the axiom of immediacy.” Ambivalences in Gibson’s affordance theory...... societal character of affordance theory....

Network Affordances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, Audrey; Soon, Winnie

2015-01-01

This paper examines the notion of network affordance within the context of network art. Building on Gibson's theory (Gibson, 1979) we understand affordance as the perceived and actual parameters of a thing. We expand on Gaver's affordance of predictability (Gaver, 1996) to include ecological...... and computational parameters of unpredictability. We illustrate the notion of unpredictability by considering four specific works that were included in a network art exhibiton, SPEED SHOW [2.0] Hong Kong. The paper discusses how the artworks are contingent upon the parameteric relations (Parisi, 2013......), of the network. We introduce network affordance as a dynamic framework that could articulate the experienced tension arising from the (visible) symbolic representation of computational processes and its hidden occurrences. We base our proposal on the experience of both organising the SPEED SHOW and participating...

Control of the ORR-PSF pressure-vessel surveillance irradiation experiment temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, L.F.

1982-01-01

Control of the Oak Ridge Research Reactor Pool Side Facility (ORR-PSF) pressure vessel surveillance irradiation experiment temperature is implemented by digital computer control of electrical heaters under fixed cooling conditions. Cooling is accomplished with continuous flows of water in pipes between specimen sets and of helium-neon gas in the specimen set housings. Control laws are obtained from solutions of the discrete-time Riccati equation and are implemented with direct digital control of solid state relays in the electrical heater circuit. Power dissipated by the heaters is determined by variac settings and the percent of time that the solid state relays allow power to be supplied to the heaters. Control demands are updated every forty seconds

A PSF-Shape-Based Beamforming Strategy for Robust 2D Motion Estimation in Ultrafast Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne E. C. M. Saris

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a framework for motion estimation in ultrafast ultrasound data. It describes a novel approach for determining the sampling grid for ultrafast data based on the system’s point-spread-function (PSF. As a consequence, the cross-correlation functions (CCF used in the speckle tracking (ST algorithm will have circular-shaped peaks, which can be interpolated using a 2D interpolation method to estimate subsample displacements. Carotid artery wall motion and parabolic blood flow simulations together with rotating disk experiments using a Verasonics Vantage 256 are used for performance evaluation. Zero-degree plane wave data were acquired using an ATL L5-12 (fc = 9 MHz transducer for a range of pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs, resulting in 0–600 µm inter-frame displacements. The proposed methodology was compared to data beamformed on a conventionally spaced grid, combined with the commonly used 1D parabolic interpolation. The PSF-shape-based beamforming grid combined with 2D cubic interpolation showed the most accurate and stable performance with respect to the full range of inter-frame displacements, both for the assessment of blood flow and vessel wall dynamics. The proposed methodology can be used as a protocolled way to beamform ultrafast data and obtain accurate estimates of tissue motion.

Dificuldades do trabalho médico no PSF Difficulties of medical working at the family health program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Gaspar Antonini Vasconcelos

2011-01-01

Full Text Available O presente estudo tem como objetivos identificar o perfil dos médicos que atuam ou atuaram no PSF, suas principais dificuldades e levantar a porcentagem de equipes de saúde da família sem médico no município de São Paulo. Para isso, foi utilizado um questionário baseado nas principais falas do estudo de Capozzolo, coletadas de janeiro até maio de 2008, e dados da atenção básica de outubro até dezembro de 2007. Os principais resultados incluem um tempo menor que cinco anos de formação para a maioria dos entrevistados e afinidade pelo PSF como motivação para o trabalho. As principais dificuldades referem-se à alta demanda, alta incidência de casos complexos, dificuldade de referenciamento, perfil de divisão do tempo não condizente com as necessidades de saúde e falta de incentivo à especialização. Os dados da atenção básica demonstraram que a Coordenadoria Leste foi a que mais sofreu falta de médicos no período analisado, mantendo índices em torno de 20% e 40%; existência de um aumento no déficit com a aproximação do final do ano e a manutenção dos déficits em algumas unidades.This study aims to identify the profile of doctors who act or acted in PSF, its main difficulties and raise the percentage of teams of family health without doctor in the city of São Paulo. For this was used a questionnaire based on keywords of the study of Capozzolo collected from January to May 2008, and data of the Primary Care from October until December 2007. The main results include a time less than 5 years of training for most of the interviewees and affinity by the PSF as motivation for work. Some of the main difficulties are the high demand, high incidence of complex cases, difficulty of listings, profile division of time is not consistent with health needs and lack of incentive to specialization. The figures for Primary Care demonstrated that the coordination East had the highest absence of experienced doctors in the period

A PSF-Shape-Based Beamforming Strategy for Robust 2D Motion Estimation in Ultrafast Data

OpenAIRE

Anne E. C. M. Saris; Stein Fekkes; Maartje M. Nillesen; Hendrik H. G. Hansen; Chris L. de Korte

2018-01-01

This paper presents a framework for motion estimation in ultrafast ultrasound data. It describes a novel approach for determining the sampling grid for ultrafast data based on the system’s point-spread-function (PSF). As a consequence, the cross-correlation functions (CCF) used in the speckle tracking (ST) algorithm will have circular-shaped peaks, which can be interpolated using a 2D interpolation method to estimate subsample displacements. Carotid artery wall motion and parabolic blood flow...

Actant affordances: a brief history of affordance theory and a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Affordance theory provides a useful lens to explore the action opportunities that arise between users and technology, especially in education. However developments in the theory have resulted both in confusion and misapplication, due partly to issues related to affordance theory's ontology. This paper outlines two ...

55 Actant affordances: a brief history of affordance theory and a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

He combined affordances and perceptual information in a simple matrix, as shown in figure ... Secondly it shows up cases of False Affordances that appear to be useful ..... Distributed Cognitions: Psychological and Educational Considerations.

Deconvolving the Nucleus of Centaurus A Using Chandra PSF Library

Science.gov (United States)

Karovska, Margarita

2000-01-01

Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is a giant early-type galaxy containing the nearest (at 3.5 Mpc) radio-bright Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). Cen A was observed with the High Resolution Camera (HRC) on the Chandra X-ray Observatory on several occasions since the launch in July 1999. The high-angular resolution (less than 0.5 arcsecond) Chandra/HRC images reveal X ray multi-scale structures in this object with unprecedented detail and clarity, including the bright nucleus believed to be associated with a supermassive black hole. We explored the spatial extent of the Cen A nucleus using deconvolution techniques on the full resolution Chandra images. Model point spread functions (PSFs) were derived from the standard Chandra raytrace PSF library as well as unresolved point sources observed with Chandra. The deconvolved images show that the Cen A nucleus is resolved and asymmetric. We discuss several possible causes of this extended emission and of the asymmetries.

Assuring Access to Affordable Coverage

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Under the Affordable Care Act, millions of uninsured Americans will gain access to affordable coverage through Affordable Insurance Exchanges and improvements in...

PTB-associated splicing factor (PSF) functions as a repressor of STAT6-mediated IG{epsilon} gene transcription by recruitment of HDAC1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dong, Lijie; Zhang, Xinyu; Fu, Xiao

2010-01-01

understood. Here we identified by proteomic approach that PTB-associated splicing factor (PSF) interacts with STAT6. In cells the interaction required IL-4 stimulation and was observed both with endogenous and ectopically expressed proteins. The ligand dependency of the interaction suggested involvement...

Is quality affordable?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Lindfield

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The question “Is quality affordable?” is loaded with dynamite!Can a person who lives on less than US $1 per day afford a high-quality cataract operation? If the answer is ‘No’, then do we offer that person poor or low-quality services? Do people living in poverty have a ‘right’ to high-quality eye or health care? If the answer is ‘Yes’, then at what price and who should pay? Should we ignore quality and focus on affordability? Or should we provide high-quality services in the hope that someone else will pay?These are difficult questions, which policy makers, managers, and clinicians must face and try to answer.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Data.gov (United States)

Social Security Administration — The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a federal statute enacted with a goal of increasing the quality and affordability of health insurance. Through a web service, CMS...

Desempenho do PSF no Sul e no Nordeste do Brasil: avaliação institucional e epidemiológica da Atenção Básica à Saúde

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Augusto Facchini

Full Text Available A pesquisa, desenvolvida dentro dos Estudos de Linha de Base do Proesf analisou o desempenho do Programa Saúde da Família (PSF em 41 municípios dos Estados de Alagoas, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina. Utilizou delineamento transversal, com grupo de comparação externo (atenção básica tradicional. Entrevistou 41 presidentes de Conselhos Municipais de Saúde, 29 secretários municipais de Saúde e 32 coordenadores de Atenção Básica. Foram caracterizados a estrutura e o processo de trabalho em 234 Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS, incluindo 4.749 trabalhadores de saúde; 4.079 crianças; 3.945 mulheres; 4.060 adultos e 4.006 idosos. O controle de qualidade alcançou 6% dos domicílios amostrados. A cobertura do PSF de 1999 a 2004 cresceu mais no Nordeste do que no Sul. Menos da metade dos trabalhadores ingressaram por concurso público e o trabalho precário foi maior no PSF do que em UBS tradicionais. Os achados sugerem um desempenho da Atenção Básica à Saúde (ABS ainda distante das prescrições do SUS. Menos da metade da demanda potencial utilizou a UBS de sua área de abrangência. A oferta de ações de saúde, a sua utilização e o contato por ações programáticas foram mais adequados no PSF.

Affordances theory in multilingualism studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larissa Aronin

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The concept of affordances originating in Gibson’s work (Gibson, 1977 is gaining ground in multilingualism studies (cf. Aronin and Singleton, 2010; Singleton and Aronin, 2007; Dewaele, 2010. Nevertheless, studies investigating affordances in respect of teaching, learning or using languages are still somewhat rare and tend to treat isolated aspects of multilingualism. This is despite the fact that the theory of affordances can actually provide a valuable, supplementary, up-to-date framework within which a clearer, sharper description and explication of the intriguing range of attributes of multilingual communities, educational institutions and individuals, as well as teaching practices, become feasible. It is important that not only researchers and practitioners (teachers, educators, parents, community and political actors but also language users and learners themselves should be aware of how to identify or, if necessary, design new affordances for language acquisition and learning. The aim of this article is to adapt the concept of affordances to multilingualism studies and additional language teaching, and in so doing advance theoretical understanding in this context. To this end the article contains a brief summary of the findings so far available. The article also goes further into defining the ways of how affordances work in relation to multilingualism and second language teaching and puts forward an integrated model of affordances.

Dynamic properties of energy affordability measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heindl, Peter; Schuessler, Rudolf

2015-01-01

Measures of affordability and of fuel poverty are applied in practice to assess the affordability of energy services, for example, or of water or housing. The extensive body of literature on affordability measures has little overlap with the existing literature on poverty measurement. A comprehensive assessment of the response of affordability measures as a result of changes in the distribution of income or expenditure (the dynamic properties) is missing. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing a conceptual discussion on the ‘dynamics’ of both energy affordability measures and fuel poverty measures. Several types of measures are examined in a microsimulation framework. Our results indicate that some measures exhibit odd dynamic behavior. This includes measures used in practice, such as the low income/high cost measure and the double median of expenditure share indicator. Odd dynamic behavior causes the risk of drawing false policy recommendations from the measures. Thus, an appropriate response of affordability measures to changes in relevant variables is a prerequisite for defining meaningful measures that inform about affordability or deprivation in certain domains of consumption. - Highlights: • We investigate changes in fuel poverty measures as result from changes in income and expenditure. • More generally, we investigate dynamic behavior of affordability measures using microsimulation. • We propose axioms regarding dynamic behavior of affordability measures. • Some measures which are used in practice show unintuitive dynamic behavior. • Inappropriate dynamic behavior causes a risk of false policy implications.

Karlsruhe Research Center, Nuclear Safety Research Project (PSF). Annual report 1994; Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Projekt Nukleare Sicherheitsforschung. Jahrsbericht 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hueper, R. [ed.

1995-08-01

The reactor safety R and D work of the Karlsruhe Research Centre (FZKA) has been part of the Nuclear Safety Research Projet (PSF) since 1990. The present annual report 1994 summarizes the R and D results. The research tasks are coordinated in agreement with internal and external working groups. The contributions to this report correspond to the status of early 1995. An abstract in English precedes each of them, whenever the respective article is written in German. (orig.) [Deutsch] Seit Beginn 1990 sind die F+E-Arbeiten des Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZKA) zur Reaktorsicherheit im Projekt Nukleare Sicherheitsforschung (PSF) zusammengefasst. Der vorliegende Jahresbericht 1994 enthaelt Beitraege zu aktuellen Fragen der Sicherheit von Leichtwasserreaktoren und innovativen Systemen sowie der Umwandlung von minoren Aktiniden. Die konkreten Forschungsthemen und -vorhaben werden mit internen und externen Fachgremien laufend abgestimmt. An den beschriebenen Arbeiten sind die folgenden Institute und Abteilungen des FZKA beteiligt: Institut fuer Materialforschung IMF I, II, III; Institut fuer Neutronenphysik und Reaktortechnik INR; Institut fuer Angewandte Thermo- und Fluiddynamik IATF; Institut fuer Reaktorsicherheit IRS; Hauptabteilung Ingenieurtechnik HIT; Hauptabteilung Versuchstechnik HVT sowie vom KfK beauftragte externe Institutionen. Die einzelnen Beitraege stellen den Stand der Arbeiten zum Fruehjahr 1995 dar und sind entsprechend dem F+E-Programm 1994 numeriert. Den in deutscher Sprache verfassten Beitraege sind Kurzfassungen in englischer Sprache vorangestellt. (orig.)

Affordance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Mogens

2016-01-01

This entry presents the concept of affordances as part of an ecological approach to understanding how agents interact with objects in their environment. It examines some of the central developments of the concept, from J. J. Gibson’s original definition within psychology and Donald Norman’s design...

Editorial Commentary: All-Inside Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Can Afford Satisfactory Clinical Outcome and Functional Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshiya, Shinichi

2016-02-01

Anatomic all-inside anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the autogenous semitendinosus tendon graft can afford satisfactory outcomes, achieving significant postoperative improvement in all clinical parameters. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Collaborative Affordances of Medical Records

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bardram, Jakob Eyvind; Houben, Steven

2017-01-01

by Sellen and Harper (2003) on the affordances of physical paper. Sellen and Harper describe how the physical properties of paper affords easy reading, navigation, mark-up, and writing, but focuses, we argue, mainly on individual use of paper and digital technology. As an extension to this, Collaborative...... Affordances; being portable across patient wards and the entire hospital, by providing collocated access, by providing a shared overview of medical data, and by giving clinicians ways to maintain mutual awareness. We then discuss how the concept of Collaborative Affordances can be used in the design of new...... technology by providing a design study of a ‘Hybrid Patient Record’ (HyPR), which is designed to seamlessly blend and integrate paper-based with electronic patient records....

Annealing optimization in the process of making membrane PSF19%DMFEVA2 for wastewater treatment of palm oil mill effluent

Science.gov (United States)

Said, A. A.; Mustafa

2018-02-01

A small proportion of the Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) treatment has used its wastewater to converted to methane gas which will then be converted again into electrical energy. However, for Palm Oil Mill whose has a value of Chemical Oxygen Demand in its wastewater is less than 60.000 mg / L this can’t so that the purpose wastewater treatment only to reach the standard that can be safe to dispose into the environment. Wastewater treatment systems that are general applied by Palm Oil Mill especially in North Sumatera are aerobic and anaerobic, this method takes a relatively long time due to very dependent on microbial activity. An alternative method for wastewater treatment offered is membrane technology because the process is much more effective, the time is relatively short, and expected to give more optimal result. The optimum membrane obtained is PSF19%DMFEVA2T75 membrane,while the parameter condition of the permeate analysis produced in the treatment of POME wastewater with membrane PSF19%DMFEVA2T75 obtained at pH = 7.0; TSS = 148 mg / L; BOD = 149 mg / L; And COD = 252 mg / L. The results obtained is accordance with the standard of the quality of POME.

Implementation of PSF engineering in high-resolution 3D microscopy imaging with a LCoS (reflective) SLM

Science.gov (United States)

King, Sharon V.; Doblas, Ana; Patwary, Nurmohammed; Saavedra, Genaro; Martínez-Corral, Manuel; Preza, Chrysanthe

2014-03-01

Wavefront coding techniques are currently used to engineer unique point spread functions (PSFs) that enhance existing microscope modalities or create new ones. Previous work in this field demonstrated that simulated intensity PSFs encoded with a generalized cubic phase mask (GCPM) are invariant to spherical aberration or misfocus; dependent on parameter selection. Additional work demonstrated that simulated PSFs encoded with a squared cubic phase mask (SQUBIC) produce a depth invariant focal spot for application in confocal scanning microscopy. Implementation of PSF engineering theory with a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator (SLM) enables validation of WFC phase mask designs and parameters by manipulating optical wavefront properties with a programmable diffractive element. To validate and investigate parameters of the GCPM and SQUBIC WFC masks, we implemented PSF engineering in an upright microscope modified with a dual camera port and a LCoS SLM. We present measured WFC PSFs and compare them to simulated PSFs through analysis of their effect on the microscope imaging system properties. Experimentally acquired PSFs show the same intensity distribution as simulation for the GCPM phase mask, the SQUBIC-mask and the well-known and characterized cubic-phase mask (CPM), first applied to high NA microscopy by Arnison et al.10, for extending depth of field. These measurements provide experimental validation of new WFC masks and demonstrate the use of the LCoS SLM as a WFC design tool. Although efficiency improvements are needed, this application of LCoS technology renders the microscope capable of switching among multiple WFC modes.

Social affordances and the possibility of ecological linguistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kono, Tetsuya

2009-12-01

This paper includes an effort to extend the notion of affordance from a philosophical point of view the importance of ecological approach for social psychology, ethics, and linguistics. Affordances are not always merely physical but also interpersonal and social. I will conceptualize affordance in general and social affordance in particular, and will elucidate the relation between intentional action and affordances, and that between affordances and free will. I will also focus on the relation between social institution and affordance. An extended theory of affordances can provide a way to analyze in concrete ways how social institution works as an implicit background of interpersonal interactions. Ecological approach considers social institution as the producer and maintainer of affordances. Social institutions construct the niches for human beings. Finally, I will argue the possibility of the ecological linguistics. Language is a social institution. The system of signs is the way to articulate and differentiate interpersonal affordances. Language acquires its meaning, i.e. communicative power in the interpersonal interactions, and interpersonal interactions, in turn, develop and are elaborated through the usage of signs. Communication is seen as never aimed to transmit inner ideas to others, but to guide and adjust the behaviors of others thorough articulating the affordance of responsible-ness.

Patterns in Health Care Access and Affordability Among Cancer Survivors During Implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Nipp, Ryan D; Shui, Amy M; Perez, Giselle K; Kirchhoff, Anne C; Peppercorn, Jeffrey M; Moy, Beverly; Kuhlthau, Karen; Park, Elyse R

2018-03-29

Cancer survivors face ongoing health issues and need access to affordable health care, yet studies examining health care access and affordability in this population are lacking. To evaluate health care access and affordability in a national sample of cancer survivors compared with adults without cancer and to evaluate temporal trends during implementation of the Affordable Care Act. We used data from the National Health Interview Survey from 2010 through 2016 to conduct a population-based study of 30 364 participants aged 18 years or older. We grouped participants as cancer survivors (n = 15 182) and those with no reported history of cancer, whom we refer to as control respondents (n = 15 182), matched on age. We excluded individuals reporting a cancer diagnosis prior to age 18 years and those with nonmelanoma skin cancers. We compared issues with health care access (eg, delayed or forgone care) and affordability (eg, unable to afford medications or health care services) between cancer survivors and control respondents. We also explored trends over time in the proportion of cancer survivors reporting these difficulties. Of the 30 364 participants, 18 356 (57.4%) were women. The mean (SD) age was 63.5 (23.5) years. Cancer survivors were more likely to be insured (14 412 [94.8%] vs 13 978 [92.2%], P care (odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% CI, 1.16-1.63), forgone medical care (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.45-2.12), and/or inability to afford medications (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.46-2.14) and health care services (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.27-1.68) (P care decreased each year (B = 0.47; P = .047), and the proportion of those needing and not getting medical care also decreased each year (B = 0.35; P = .04). In addition, the proportion of cancer survivors who reported being unable to afford prescription medication decreased each year (B=0.66; P = .004) and the proportion of those unable to afford at least 1 of 6 services decreased each year (B = 0

Vital affordances, occupying niches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dokumaci, Arseli

2017-01-01

This article proposes a new conceptual approach to disability and performance through a contribution that comes entirely from outside the disciplines; a re-theorisation of Gibson’s [1979. The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates] theory of affordances....... Drawing on three visual ethnographies with differently disabled individuals, and building upon my previous consideration of performance as ‘affordance creation’ in itself [Dokumaci, A. 2013. “On Falling Ill.” Performance Research 18 (4): 107–115], the article conceptualises affordances as a form of micro......-activism–one that can allow us to unpack the entanglements of disability, performance, and matter. Putting Gibson’s theory in conversation with Canguilhem’s philosophy of life, it proposes the concept ‘vital affordances’ as a new way to think through this micro-activism, and the way disabled individuals might transform...

The Transformation of Ergonomic Affordances into Cultural Affordances: The Case of the Alnuset System

Science.gov (United States)

Chiappini, Giampaolo

2012-01-01

Is it possible to study the ergonomic affordances offered by a system designed for educational aims and their transformation into cultural affordances? To this purpose, what references can we adopt? This work describes the theoretical framework used to realise this study referring to AlNuSet, a system realised within the EC ReMath project to…

Affordances Theory in Multilingualism Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Aronin, Larissa; Singleton, David

2012-01-01

The concept of affordances originating in Gibson's work (Gibson, 1977) is gaining ground in multilingualism studies (cf. Aronin and Singleton, 2010; Singleton and Aronin, 2007; Dewaele, 2010). Nevertheless, studies investigating affordances in respect of teaching, learning or using languages are still somewhat rare and tend to treat isolated…

Three key affordances for serendipity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Björneborn, Lennart

2017-01-01

Purpose Serendipity is an interesting phenomenon to study in information science as it plays a fundamental – but perhaps underestimated – role in how we discover, explore, and learn in all fields of life. The purpose of this paper is to operationalize the concept of serendipity by providing termi...... terminological “building blocks” for understanding connections between environmental and personal factors in serendipitous encounters. Understanding these connections is essential when designing affordances in physical and digital environments that can facilitate serendipity. Design....../methodology/approach In this paper, serendipity is defined as what happens when we, in unplanned ways, encounter resources (information, things, people, etc.) that we find interesting. In the outlined framework, serendipity is understood as an affordance, i.e., a usage potential when environmental and personal factors correspond...... the three key affordances and three key personal serendipity factors: curiosity, mobility, and sensitivity. Ten sub-affordances for serendipity and ten coupled personal sub-factors are also briefly outlined. Related research is compared with and mapped into the framework aiming at a theoretical validation...

Imagined Affordance: Reconstructing a Keyword for Communication Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Nagy

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this essay, we reconstruct a keyword for communication—affordance. Affordance, adopted from ecological psychology, is now widely used in technology studies, yet the term lacks a clear definition. This is especially problematic for scholars grappling with how to theorize the relationship between technology and sociality for complex socio-technical systems such as machine-learning algorithms, pervasive computing, the Internet of Things, and other such “smart” innovations. Within technology studies, emerging theories of materiality, affect, and mediation all necessitate a richer and more nuanced definition for affordance than the field currently uses. To solve this, we develop the concept of imagined affordance. Imagined affordances emerge between users’ perceptions, attitudes, and expectations; between the materiality and functionality of technologies; and between the intentions and perceptions of designers. We use imagined affordance to evoke the importance of imagination in affordances—expectations for technology that are not fully realized in conscious, rational knowledge. We also use imagined affordance to distinguish our process-oriented, socio-technical definition of affordance from the “imagined” consensus of the field around a flimsier use of the term. We also use it in order to better capture the importance of mediation, materiality, and affect. We suggest that imagined affordance helps to theorize the duality of materiality and communication technology: namely, that people shape their media environments, perceive them, and have agency within them because of imagined affordances.

Affording Sustainability: Adopting a Theory of Affordances as a Guiding Heuristic for Environmental Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roope O. Kaaronen

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Human behavior is an underlying cause for many of the ecological crises faced in the 21st century, and there is no escaping from the fact that widespread behavior change is necessary for socio-ecological systems to take a sustainable turn. Whilst making people and communities behave sustainably is a fundamental objective for environmental policy, behavior change interventions and policies are often implemented from a very limited non-systemic perspective. Environmental policy-makers and psychologists alike often reduce cognition ‘to the brain,’ focusing only to a minor extent on how everyday environments systemically afford pro-environmental behavior. Symptomatic of this are the widely prevalent attitude–action, value–action or knowledge–action gaps, understood in this paper as the gulfs lying between sustainable thinking and behavior due to lack of affordances. I suggest that by adopting a theory of affordances as a guiding heuristic, environmental policy-makers are better equipped to promote policies that translate sustainable thinking into sustainable behavior, often self-reinforcingly, and have better conceptual tools to nudge our socio–ecological system toward a sustainable turn. Affordance theory, which studies the relations between abilities to perceive and act and environmental features, is shown to provide a systemic framework for analyzing environmental policies and the ecology of human behavior. This facilitates the location and activation of leverage points for systemic policy interventions, which can help socio–ecological systems to learn to adapt to more sustainable habits. Affordance theory is presented to be applicable and pertinent to technically all nested levels of socio–ecological systems from the studies of sustainable objects and households to sustainable urban environments, making it an immensely versatile conceptual policy tool. Finally, affordance theory is also discussed from a participatory perspective

Affording Sustainability: Adopting a Theory of Affordances as a Guiding Heuristic for Environmental Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaaronen, Roope O

2017-01-01

Human behavior is an underlying cause for many of the ecological crises faced in the 21st century, and there is no escaping from the fact that widespread behavior change is necessary for socio-ecological systems to take a sustainable turn. Whilst making people and communities behave sustainably is a fundamental objective for environmental policy, behavior change interventions and policies are often implemented from a very limited non-systemic perspective. Environmental policy-makers and psychologists alike often reduce cognition 'to the brain,' focusing only to a minor extent on how everyday environments systemically afford pro-environmental behavior. Symptomatic of this are the widely prevalent attitude-action, value-action or knowledge-action gaps, understood in this paper as the gulfs lying between sustainable thinking and behavior due to lack of affordances. I suggest that by adopting a theory of affordances as a guiding heuristic, environmental policy-makers are better equipped to promote policies that translate sustainable thinking into sustainable behavior, often self-reinforcingly, and have better conceptual tools to nudge our socio-ecological system toward a sustainable turn. Affordance theory, which studies the relations between abilities to perceive and act and environmental features, is shown to provide a systemic framework for analyzing environmental policies and the ecology of human behavior. This facilitates the location and activation of leverage points for systemic policy interventions, which can help socio-ecological systems to learn to adapt to more sustainable habits. Affordance theory is presented to be applicable and pertinent to technically all nested levels of socio-ecological systems from the studies of sustainable objects and households to sustainable urban environments, making it an immensely versatile conceptual policy tool. Finally, affordance theory is also discussed from a participatory perspective. Increasing the fit between local

Affording Sustainability: Adopting a Theory of Affordances as a Guiding Heuristic for Environmental Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Kaaronen, Roope O.

2017-01-01

Human behavior is an underlying cause for many of the ecological crises faced in the 21st century, and there is no escaping from the fact that widespread behavior change is necessary for socio-ecological systems to take a sustainable turn. Whilst making people and communities behave sustainably is a fundamental objective for environmental policy, behavior change interventions and policies are often implemented from a very limited non-systemic perspective. Environmental policy-makers and psychologists alike often reduce cognition ‘to the brain,’ focusing only to a minor extent on how everyday environments systemically afford pro-environmental behavior. Symptomatic of this are the widely prevalent attitude–action, value–action or knowledge–action gaps, understood in this paper as the gulfs lying between sustainable thinking and behavior due to lack of affordances. I suggest that by adopting a theory of affordances as a guiding heuristic, environmental policy-makers are better equipped to promote policies that translate sustainable thinking into sustainable behavior, often self-reinforcingly, and have better conceptual tools to nudge our socio–ecological system toward a sustainable turn. Affordance theory, which studies the relations between abilities to perceive and act and environmental features, is shown to provide a systemic framework for analyzing environmental policies and the ecology of human behavior. This facilitates the location and activation of leverage points for systemic policy interventions, which can help socio–ecological systems to learn to adapt to more sustainable habits. Affordance theory is presented to be applicable and pertinent to technically all nested levels of socio–ecological systems from the studies of sustainable objects and households to sustainable urban environments, making it an immensely versatile conceptual policy tool. Finally, affordance theory is also discussed from a participatory perspective. Increasing the fit

Experiments on affordance in the journal "ecological psychology"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trettvik, Johan

2009-01-01

There are two general aims: 1) to review how the concept of affordance is construed, in theory as well as in practice/experiments, and 2) to review the experiments on affordances.......There are two general aims: 1) to review how the concept of affordance is construed, in theory as well as in practice/experiments, and 2) to review the experiments on affordances....

Correlates of housing affordability stress among older Australians.

Science.gov (United States)

Temple, Jeromey B

2008-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of housing affordability stress among community-dwelling older Australians. The 2002 ABS General Social Survey was used to measure the prevalence of housing affordability stress. Rare event logistic regression was used to measure the potential correlates of housing affordability stress. Almost 5% of Australians aged 55 years and older, and 20% of those younger than 55 years, are estimated to experience housing affordability stress. Men and women living alone are more likely to experience affordability stress when compared to couples. Low-income earners, those with a consumer debt or who do not hold assets, are at a heightened risk of such stress. Home ownership, regardless of income, is the strongest buffer against housing affordability problems in old age. Although the prevalence of housing affordability stress is low among older Australians when compared to the younger population, a definite social gradient exists in those at risk.

Energy efficiency and economic value in affordable housing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chegut, Andrea; Eichholtz, Piet; Holtermans, Rogier

2016-01-01

Strong rental protection in the affordable housing market often prohibits landlords from charging rental premiums for energy-efficient dwellings. This may impede (re)development of energy efficient affordable housing. In the Netherlands, affordable housing institutions regularly sell dwellings from their housing stock to individual households. If they can sell energy efficient dwellings at a premium, this may stimulate investments in the environmental performance of homes. We analyze the value effects of energy efficiency in the affordable housing market, by using a sample of 17,835 homes sold by Dutch affordable housing institutions in the period between 2008 and 2013. We use Energy Performance Certificates to determine the value of energy efficiency in these transactions. We document that dwellings with high energy efficiency sell for 2.0–6.3% more compared to otherwise similar dwellings with low energy efficiency. This implies a premium of some EUR 3,000 to EUR 9,700 for highly energy efficient affordable housing. - Highlights: • Dutch affordable housing suppliers recoup sustainability investment by selling dwellings. • Energy-efficient affordable dwellings sell at a premium. • A-labeled dwellings are 6.3% – 9,300 euros – more valuable than C-labeled ones. • The combined value effect of refurbishing an affordable housing dwelling, including improving the energy efficiency, of 20% would more than pay for the retrofit.

Bootstrapping Relational Affordances of Object Pairs using Transfer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fichtl, Severin; Kraft, Dirk; Krüger, Norbert

2018-01-01

leverage past knowledge to accelerate current learning (which we call bootstrapping). We learn Random Forest based affordance predictors from visual inputs and demonstrate two approaches to knowledge transfer for bootstrapping. In the first approach (direct bootstrapping), the state-space for a new...... affordance predictor is augmented with the output of previously learnt affordances. In the second approach (category based bootstrapping), we form categories that capture underlying commonalities of a pair of existing affordances and augment the state-space with this category classifier’s output. In addition......, we introduce a novel heuristic, which suggests how a large set of potential affordance categories can be pruned to leave only those categories which are most promising for bootstrapping future affordances. Our results show that both bootstrapping approaches outperform learning without bootstrapping...

SU-E-T-499: Comparison of Measured Tissue Phantom Ratios (TPR) Against Calculated From Percent Depth Doses (PDD) with and Without Peak Scatter Factor (PSF) in 6MV Open Beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayanasamy, G; Cruz, W; Gutierrez, Alonso; Mavroidis, Panayiotis; Papanikolaou, N; Stathakis, S; Breton, C

2014-01-01

Purpose: To examine the accuracy of measured tissue phantom ratios (TPR) values with TPR calculated from percentage depth dose (PDD) with and without peak scatter fraction (PSF) correction. Methods: For 6MV open beam, TPR and PDD values were measured using PTW Semiflex (31010) ionization field and reference chambers (0.125cc volume) in a PTW MP3-M water tank. PDD curves were measured at SSD of 100cm for 7 square fields from 3cm to 30cm. The TPR values were measured up to 22cm depth for the same fields by continuous water draining method with ionization chamber static at 100cm from source. A comparison study was performed between the (a) measured TPR, (b) TPR calculated from PDD without PSF, (c) TPR calculated from PDD with PSF and (d) clinical TPR from RadCalc (ver 6.2, Sun Nuclear Corp). Results: There is a field size, depth dependence on TPR values. For 10cmx10cm, the differences in surface dose (DDs), dose at 10cm depth (DD10) <0.5%; differences in dmax (Ddmax) <2mm for the 4 methods. The corresponding values for 30cmx30cm are DDs, DD10 <0.2% and Ddmax<3mm. Even though for 3cmx3cm field, DDs and DD10 <1% and Ddmax<1mm, the calculated TPR values with and without PSF correction differed by 2% at >20cm depth. In all field sizes at depths>28cm, (d) clinical TPR values are larger than that from (b) and (c) by >3%. Conclusion: Measured TPR in method (a) differ from calculated TPR in methods (b) and (c) to within 1% for depths < 28cm in all 7 fields in open 6MV beam. The dmax values are within 3mm of each other. The largest deviation of >3% was observed in clinical TPR values in method (d) for all fields at depths < 28cm

Affordances of agricultural systems analysis tools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ditzler, Lenora; Klerkx, Laurens; Chan-Dentoni, Jacqueline; Posthumus, Helena; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Ridaura, Santiago López; Andersson, Jens A.; Baudron, Frédéric; Groot, Jeroen C.J.

2018-01-01

The increasingly complex challenges facing agricultural systems require problem-solving processes and systems analysis (SA) tools that engage multiple actors across disciplines. In this article, we employ the theory of affordances to unravel what tools may furnish users, and how those affordances

24 CFR 572.120 - Affordability standards.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... by homeowners in the eligible property. Financing that would impair the continued affordability of... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Affordability standards. 572.120 Section 572.120 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development...

A PSF photometry tool for NASA's Kepler, K2, and TESS missions

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Jose Vinicius De Miranda; Barentsen, Geert; Hedges, Christina L.; Gully-Santiago, Michael A.; Cody, Ann Marie; Montet, Ben

2018-01-01

NASA's Kepler and K2 missions have impacted all areas of astrophysics in unique and important ways by delivering high-precision time series data on asteroids, stars, and galaxies. For example, both the official Kepler pipeline and the various community-owned pipelines have been successful at discovering a myriad of transiting exoplanets around a wide range of stellar types. However, the existing pipelines tend to focus on studying isolated stars using simple aperture photometry, and often perform sub-optimally in crowded fields where objects are blended. To address this issue, we present a Point Spread Function (PSF) photometry toolkit for Kepler and K2 which is able to extract light curves from crowded regions, such as the Beehive Cluster, the Lagoon Nebula, and the M67 globular cluster, which were all recently observed by Kepler. We present a detailed discussion on the theory, the practical use, and demonstrate our tool on various levels of crowding. Finally, we discuss the future use of the tool on data from the TESS mission. The code is open source and available on GitHub as part of the PyKE toolkit for Kepler/K2 data analysis.

Critical Care Implications of the Affordable Care Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Dogra, Anjali P; Dorman, Todd

2016-03-01

To provide an overview of key elements of the Affordable Care Act. To evaluate ways in which the Affordable Care Act will likely impact the practice of critical care medicine. To describe strategies that may help health systems and providers effectively adapt to changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act. Data sources for this concise review include search results from the PubMed and Embase databases, as well as sources relevant to public policy such as the text of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and reports of the Congressional Budget Office. As all of the Affordable Care Act's provisions will not be fully implemented until 2019, we also drew upon cost, population, and utilization projections, as well as the experience of existing state-based healthcare reforms. The Affordable Care Act represents the furthest reaching regulatory changes in the U.S. healthcare system since the 1965 Medicare and Medicaid provisions of the Social Security Act. The Affordable Care Act aims to expand health insurance coverage to millions of Americans and place an emphasis on quality and cost-effectiveness of care. From models which link pay and performance to those which center on episodic care, the Affordable Care Act outlines sweeping changes to health systems, reimbursement structures, and the delivery of critical care. Staffing models that include daily rounding by an intensivist, palliative care integration, and expansion of the role of telemedicine in areas where intensivists are inaccessible are potential strategies that may improve quality and profitability of ICU care in the post-Affordable Care Act era.

Comparison of PSF maxima and minima of multiple annuli coded aperture (MACA) and complementary multiple annuli coded aperture (CMACA) systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ratnam, Challa; Lakshmana Rao, Vadlamudi; Lachaa Goud, Sivagouni

2006-10-01

In the present paper, and a series of papers to follow, the Fourier analytical properties of multiple annuli coded aperture (MACA) and complementary multiple annuli coded aperture (CMACA) systems are investigated. First, the transmission function for MACA and CMACA is derived using Fourier methods and, based on the Fresnel-Kirchoff diffraction theory, the formulae for the point spread function are formulated. The PSF maxima and minima are calculated for both the MACA and CMACA systems. The dependence of these properties on the number of zones is studied and reported in this paper.

Comparison of PSF maxima and minima of multiple annuli coded aperture (MACA) and complementary multiple annuli coded aperture (CMACA) systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratnam, Challa; Rao, Vadlamudi Lakshmana; Goud, Sivagouni Lachaa

2006-01-01

In the present paper, and a series of papers to follow, the Fourier analytical properties of multiple annuli coded aperture (MACA) and complementary multiple annuli coded aperture (CMACA) systems are investigated. First, the transmission function for MACA and CMACA is derived using Fourier methods and, based on the Fresnel-Kirchoff diffraction theory, the formulae for the point spread function are formulated. The PSF maxima and minima are calculated for both the MACA and CMACA systems. The dependence of these properties on the number of zones is studied and reported in this paper

Growing community : rooftop gardens for affordable housing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weeks, K.N. [California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States)

2007-07-01

This paper reviewed the processes used in recently designed affordable housing roof garden projects in California, Montana and Georgia. Gardens create a sense of community through shared space and social interactions. As such, roof gardens can give residents of affordable housing the opportunity to experience the community-fostering benefits of gardening, with the added advantages of potentially lower energy bills and wastewater fees. The factors that should be considered in planning, design, construction and maintenance of roof gardens for affordable housing were also outlined. As places of refuge, gardens help people relax and promote healing, which is particularly important for physical, emotional, social and economic well-being. For the many residents of affordable housing who earn less than 50 per cent of the area median income, gardens offer a venue for establishing relationships with neighbours, many of whom they might otherwise never meet. They also offer a means to improved nutrition and food security, education and positive recreation for youth, and better aesthetic surroundings. While motivations for choosing green roofs varied widely across the projects, affordability was linked to 3 main areas, namely saving costs in design, construction and operations; getting the roof to generate funding; and, improving the quality of life in affordable housing. 17 refs., 12 figs.

No Role for Motor Affordances in Visual Working Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Pecher, Diane

2013-01-01

Motor affordances have been shown to play a role in visual object identification and categorization. The present study explored whether working memory is likewise supported by motor affordances. Use of motor affordances should be disrupted by motor interference, and this effect should be larger for objects that have motor affordances than for…

Rethinking Affordable Housing Delivery: An Analytical Insight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olanrewaju Abdullateef

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Malaysia currently has a housing shortage of 12 million units. Towards the year 2020, this would require an annual supply of a minimum of 2 million homes. With the current production rate, the deficits will remain over the next 100 years. The crisis will lead to poor standards of living, un-affordable rental price, high mortgage payment, abandonment, and dilapidation of the existing housing stock. Lack of affordable housing is already a source of concern among many Malaysians. The middle and lower income earners spend more than 30% of their income on rent or for mortgage payment. Housing rent or mortgage is a basic need like foods, education, clothing and health. The government has introduced various measures to address the housing deficit. Despite these measures, the housing supply and distribution gaps continue to grow. To better understand the issues, there is a need to examine how the procurement planning in the affordable housing delivery supply chain and market is formulated, explore how cost of affordable housing would be reduced, identify the user value systems in affordable housing, and identify the criteria in the current regulatory framework? For these purposes, this paper reviews the relevant literature to reach preliminary findings on the stated issues. Among the factors found accounting for housing shortages, the overwhelming factors were that of poor policies, strategies, practice, management, and finance. The findings are meaningful in framing an affordable housing delivery model. It could also be useful to stakeholders involved in affordable housing delivery in Malaysia and elsewhere.

What is an affordance? 40 years later.

Science.gov (United States)

Osiurak, François; Rossetti, Yves; Badets, Arnaud

2017-06-01

About 40 years ago, James J. Gibson coined the term "affordance" to describe the action possibilities offered to an animal by the environment with reference to the animal's action capabilities. Since then, this notion has acquired a multitude of meanings, generating confusion in the literature. Here, we offer a clear operationalization of the concept of affordances and related concepts in the field of tool use. Our operationalization is organized around the distinction between the physical (what is objectively observable) and neurocognitive (what is subjectively experienced) levels. This leads us to propose that motor control (dorso-dorsal system), mechanical knowledge (ventro-dorsal system) and function knowledge (ventral system) could be neurocognitive systems respectively involved in the perception of affordances, the understanding of mechanical actions and the storage of contextual relationships (three action-system model; 3AS). We end by turning to two key issues that can be addressed within 3AS. These issues concern the link between affordances and tool incorporation, and the constraints posed by affordances for tool use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

To be an affordable healthy house, case study Medan

Science.gov (United States)

Silitonga, Shanty

2018-03-01

House has a paramount meaning in human life. Provision of adequate housing will be able to improve the quality of life. Provision of an affordable house is a major step to fulfilling the needs of houses in the big city. Medan has built a lot of affordable houses, and mostly it takes place in the suburbs. Although the affordable house is for low-income people, it must be worthy of its physical condition, affordable in the budget and healthy for its users. House often saw only as physical alone, the provision of a house only to achieve solely in quantity regardless its quality. This study aims to examine the condition of affordable houses in the suburbs of Medan. The research method used qualitative descriptive, using indicator according to affordable healthy house standard according to the regulation in Indonesia and other related theories. This study took place in Medan by taking three areas in the suburbs of Medan. The results show that most affordable houses in the suburbs of Medan are unhealthy. There are several design recommendations for the houses to meet the affordable healthy house category; the most important is the addition of ventilation and window holes.

Creating Affordable Housing through self-management:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jesper Ole; Stensgaard, Anne Gro

The paper presents a case on self-management in the Danish social housing sector as a way of providing affordable housing. It is based on an evaluation of a Danish concept for affordable housing, Social Housing Plus (“AlmenBolig+”). The concept was introduced in 2007, and so far app 1.400 housing...

Organizational Media Affordances : Operationalization and Associations with Media Use

OpenAIRE

Rice, Ronald E.; Evans, Sandra K.; Pearce, Katy E.; Sivunen, Anu; Vitak, Jessica; Treem, Jeffrey W.

2017-01-01

The concept of affordances has been increasingly applied to the study of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in organizational contexts. However, almost no research operationalizes affordances, limiting comparisons and programmatic research. This article briefly reviews conceptualizations and possibilities of affordances in general and for media, then introduces the concept of organizational media affordances as organizational resources. Analysis of survey data from a large Nord...

Affordances and the musically extended mind.

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Joel

2014-01-06

I defend a model of the musically extended mind. I consider how acts of "musicking" grant access to novel emotional experiences otherwise inaccessible. First, I discuss the idea of "musical affordances" and specify both what musical affordances are and how they invite different forms of entrainment. Next, I argue that musical affordances - via soliciting different forms of entrainment - enhance the functionality of various endogenous, emotion-granting regulative processes, drawing novel experiences out of us with an expanded complexity and phenomenal character. I argue that music therefore ought to be thought of as part of the vehicle needed to realize these emotional experiences. I appeal to different sources of empirical work to develop this idea.

Malaysian Affordability Housing Policies Revisited

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samad Diwa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Housing has always been a significant aspiration of family expression and distinctly priciest investment by household. It plays a momentous role in the country’s economy and so central to the societal well-being that is emplaced in the United Nation Universal declaration of Human rights. Yet in developed and developing world alike, cities struggle to provide decent housing for lower and middle income population. The provision of affordable housing is a major policy concern around the world with Malaysia being no exception; rising income hardly keep pace with price hike of housing unit and housing interventions has majorly concentrated on demand side leading to a non-responsive supply sector. Therefore, this paper highlights affordable housing issues pertaining Malaysia. It formulates Malaysian Map of affordability and conducts an evaluation of global housing schemes to better identify policy priorities for Malaysia. It’s significant to harmonize supply and demand side factors in the housing market to ensure that housing supply fits the needs of citizens based on the location, price and target group. In case of Malaysia supply oriented initiative are of urgency in short and medium run. This must be supported by long term demand side schemes in parallel. Convergence of these two factors is essential for a balanced equilibrium and obtaining affordability.

The concept of a structural affordance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Alsmith

2012-12-01

Full Text Available I provide an analysis of the concept of an “affordance” that enables one to conceive of “structural affordance” as a kind of affordance relation that might hold between an agent and its body. I then review research in the science of humanoid bodily movement to indicate the empirical reality of structural affordance.

Utility payments in Ukraine: Affordability, subsidies and arrears

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fankhauser, Samuel; Rodionova, Yulia; Falcetti, Elisabetta

2008-01-01

The transition from a planned economy to a market economy has caused considerable hardship for the people of Eastern Europe. One important aspect of the social costs of transition is access to, and the affordability of, basic services like electricity, heat and water, which under communism had been supplied fairly cheaply and abundantly. This paper provides evidence on this issue from the Ukraine Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (ULMS). The paper identifies considerable differences in both access and affordability between different localities in Ukraine. Social protection measures can help to alleviate affordability constraints, but the analysis finds that social support is not well targeted. The currently low tariffs prevent an escalation of affordability problems but constraints nevertheless exist. Many households have accumulated substantial arrears as a consequence, although non-payment is a complex issue and not solely a function of affordability

Utility payments in Ukraine: Affordability, subsidies and arrears

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fankhauser, Samuel [London School of Economics, London (United Kingdom); Rodionova, Yulia [School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, 16 Taviton street, London WC1H 0BW (United Kingdom)], E-mail: y.rodionova@ssees.ucl.ac.uk; Falcetti, Elisabetta [European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), London (United Kingdom)

2008-11-15

The transition from a planned economy to a market economy has caused considerable hardship for the people of Eastern Europe. One important aspect of the social costs of transition is access to, and the affordability of, basic services like electricity, heat and water, which under communism had been supplied fairly cheaply and abundantly. This paper provides evidence on this issue from the Ukraine Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (ULMS). The paper identifies considerable differences in both access and affordability between different localities in Ukraine. Social protection measures can help to alleviate affordability constraints, but the analysis finds that social support is not well targeted. The currently low tariffs prevent an escalation of affordability problems but constraints nevertheless exist. Many households have accumulated substantial arrears as a consequence, although non-payment is a complex issue and not solely a function of affordability.

Utility payments in Ukraine. Affordability, subsidies and arrears

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fankhauser, Samuel [London School of Economics, London (United Kingdom); Rodionova, Yulia [School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, 16 Taviton street, London WC1H 0BW (United Kingdom); Falcetti, Elisabetta [European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), London (United Kingdom)

2008-11-15

The transition from a planned economy to a market economy has caused considerable hardship for the people of Eastern Europe. One important aspect of the social costs of transition is access to, and the affordability of, basic services like electricity, heat and water, which under communism had been supplied fairly cheaply and abundantly. This paper provides evidence on this issue from the Ukraine Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (ULMS). The paper identifies considerable differences in both access and affordability between different localities in Ukraine. Social protection measures can help to alleviate affordability constraints, but the analysis finds that social support is not well targeted. The currently low tariffs prevent an escalation of affordability problems but constraints nevertheless exist. Many households have accumulated substantial arrears as a consequence, although non-payment is a complex issue and not solely a function of affordability. (author)

Avaliação da saúde bucal das gestantes atendidas no PSF Adirbal Corralo na cidade Passo Fundo-RS

OpenAIRE

Carlos Alberto Rech; Patrícia Manfio

2016-01-01

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar as condições e percepções de saúde bucal das gestantes que freqüentam o grupo de gestantes do PSF Adirbal Corralo na cidade de Passo Fundo-RS. Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo com abordagem descritiva. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados questionários acerca da saúde bucal das gestantes, procurando observar quantas vezes e como é feita a escovação, o atendimento odontológico, as orientações odontológicas pré-natais e também exame clínico ver...

What are the affordances of information and communication technologies?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grainne Conole

2004-12-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the notion that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT have affordances that epitomize the features of our late modern age (Giddens, 1991 and explores whether these affordances (Salomon, 1993, p. 51 can be used to facilitate particular approaches to educational practice. It argues that a clear articulation of these affordances would enable us to understand how these technologies can be most effectively used to support learning and teaching. We believe that any one affordance can be considered to have both positive and negative connotations and the paper draws on social and educational theory to provide an initial taxonomy of these affordances.

An Affordability Comparison Tool (ACT) for Space Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

McCleskey, C. M.; Bollo, T. R.; Garcia, J. L.

2012-01-01

NASA bas recently emphasized the importance of affordability for Commercial Crew Development Program (CCDP), Space Launch Systems (SLS) and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). System architects and designers are challenged to come up with architectures and designs that do not bust the budget. This paper describes the Affordability Comparison Tool (ACT) analyzes different systems or architecture configurations for affordability that allows for a comparison of: total life cycle cost; annual recurring costs, affordability figures-of-merit, such as cost per pound, cost per seat, and cost per flight, as well as productivity measures, such as payload throughput. Although ACT is not a deterministic model, the paper develops algorithms and parametric factors that use characteristics of the architectures or systems being compared to produce important system outcomes (figures-of-merit). Example applications of outcome figures-of-merit are also documented to provide the designer with information on the relative affordability and productivity of different space transportation applications.

Adequação de recursos humanos ao PSF: percepção de formandos de dois modelos de formação acadêmica em odontologia The Family Health Program (FHP and human resources: perceptions of students from two different dentistry schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heriberto Fiúza Sanchez

2008-04-01

Full Text Available O Programa Saúde da Família - PSF foi instituído pelo governo federal objetivando reverter o modelo assistencial. Os recursos humanos envolvidos devem estar preparados para alcançar os objetivos que o PSF propõe. O propósito desse artigo foi avaliar os desejos, percepções e preparo de acadêmicos de Odontologia, em relação aos princípios do PSF, de duas diferentes Faculdades de Odontologia, aqui denominadas Faculdades 1 e 2. Buscou-se ainda analisar se as faculdades tiveram potencial transformador sobre os acadêmicos, graduando-os com compromisso social e sensibilidade humanitária, considerados importantes para aqueles que querem trabalhar no PSF. Questionários individuais foram aplicados por um único pesquisador. As respostas foram analisadas pelo programa Epi-Info. Os resultados mostraram que prevalece entre os acadêmicos o desejo de trabalhar no PSF por razões ligadas às dificuldades do mercado de trabalho e os mesmos citam freqüentemente a técnica como a principal característica necessária a um dentista para que o mesmo atue no PSF. Por outro lado, diferenças estatisticamente significativas foram encontradas entre os acadêmicos, apontando uma provável influência do Estágio Supervisionado, ministrado sob a forma de internato rural, sobre a formação do acadêmico da Faculdade 1, possivelmente habilitando-o melhor para o PSF.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceptions and opinions of dental students from two different Dentistry Schools in Brazil, both known here as Dentistry Schools 1 and 2 about the Family Health Program - FHP. The study analyzed if the Dentistry Schools had any influence on the students, graduating professionals with humanitarian and social sensibility, which are considered very important prerequisites for those who wish to work on this governmental health program, as well as searching for professional expectation of the students. Individual questionnaires were applied by only one

Affordances for robots: a brief survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas E. Horton

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we consider the influence of Gibson's affordance theory on the design of robotic agents. Affordance theory (and the ecological approach to agent design in general has in many cases contributed to the development of successful robotic systems; we provide a brief survey of AI research in this area. However, there remain significant issues that complicate discussions on this topic, particularly in the exchange of ideas between researchers in artificial intelligence and ecological psychology. We identify some of these issues, specifically the lack of a generally accepted definition of "affordance" and fundamental differences in the current approaches taken in AI and ecological psychology. While we consider reconciliation between these fields to be possible and mutually beneficial, it will require some flexibility on the issue of direct perception.

What Does Electronic Conferencing Afford Distance Education?

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Sally

2000-01-01

Discusses the use of technology for distance learning in higher education and examines the similarities and differences between face-to-face seminars and online discussions. Considers the concept of affordance in relation to information and communication technologies and distance education; and examines affordances of electronic conferencing and…

Dissociating Simon and affordance compatibility effects: silhouettes and photographs.

Science.gov (United States)

Pappas, Zissis

2014-12-01

When a graspable object's handle is oriented to the same side as the response hand, responses are quicker and more accurate than when it is oriented to the opposite side. This effect has been attributed to the affordance of the object's handle (Tucker & Ellis, 1998). Recent findings suggest this effect results instead from an abstract spatial response code (i.e., Simon effect; Cho & Proctor, 2010). However, the stimuli used in these previous studies differ in the amount of object and environmental depth information they contain, which may be critical to conveying an affordance. This information could explain these disparate findings as well as dissociate Simon and affordance compatibility effects. Four experiments demonstrate that the Simon effect results from the absence of this information, as in a silhouette, and the affordance effect results from its presence, as in a photograph. A fifth experiment confirmed that modifying information associated with the affordance, rather than the modification itself, produced the effects observed in the previous experiments. These findings support the following: (a) the internal details of an object and environmental depth can dissociate Simon and affordance compatibility effects, (b) this information is necessary to convey the object's graspable affordance, and (c) the outer shape of the object is not sufficient to elicit an affordance effect. These findings are discussed in relation to the theory of embodied cognition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Activity Theory Approach to Affordance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bærentsen, Klaus B.; Trettvik, Johan

2002-01-01

We present an analysis of the concept of affordance as it was originally introduced by J. J. Gibson, and elaborate on this concept, acknowledging, that the general theoretical landscape in psychology is in fundamental ways different from the situation in which Gibson found himself when he crafted...... the notion. Specifically we will suggest the inclusion of the ecological theory of perception in the paradigm of cultural historical psychology and activity theory developed in the former Soviet Union by most notably Lev Vygotsky, S. L. Rubinshtein, A. N. Leontjev and others. It will be suggested, that much...... of the confusion in HCI concerning the concept of affordance is a consequence of the attempt of using it inside a theoretical paradigm that is unable to capture and encompass one of the most essential aspect of Gibsons concept of affordance, that is its foundation in activity...

Learning outcomes afforded by self-assessed, segmented video–print combinations

OpenAIRE

Jack Koumi

2015-01-01

Learning affordances of video and print are examined in order to assess the learning outcomes afforded by hybrid video–print learning packages. The affordances discussed for print are: navigability, surveyability and legibility. Those discussed for video are: design for constructive reflection, provision of realistic experiences, presentational attributes, motivational influences and teacher personalisation. The video affordances are examined through a framework of pedagogic design principles...

Affordances and the musically extended mind

OpenAIRE

Joel eKrueger

2014-01-01

I defend a model of the musically extended mind. I consider how acts of “musicking” grant access to novel emotional experiences otherwise inaccessible. First, I discuss the idea of “musical affordances” and specify both what musical affordances are and how they invite different forms of entrainment. Next, I argue that musical affordances – via soliciting different forms of entrainment – enhance the functionality of various endogenous, emotion-granting regulative processes, drawing novel exper...

Affordances in Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

OpenAIRE

Gjøsæter, Tor

2014-01-01

This paper explores the affordances of augmented reality content in a mobile augmented reality application. A user study was conducted by performing a multi-camera video recording of seven think aloud sessions. The think aloud sessions consisted of individual users performing tasks, exploring and experiencing a mobile augmented reality (MAR) application we developed for the iOS platform named ARad. We discuss the instrumental affordances we observed when users interacted with augmented realit...

Affordability Funding Models for Early Childhood Services

Science.gov (United States)

Purcal, Christiane; Fisher, Karen

2006-01-01

This paper presents a model of the approaches open to government to ensure that early childhood services are affordable to families. We derived the model from a comparative literature review of affordability approaches taken by government, both in Australia and internationally. The model adds significantly to the literature by proposing a means to…

Housing Affordability And Children's Cognitive Achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Sandra; Holupka, C Scott

2016-11-01

Housing cost burden-the fraction of income spent on housing-is the most prevalent housing problem affecting the healthy development of millions of low- and moderate-income children. By affecting disposable income, a high burden affects parents' expenditures on both necessities for and enrichment of their children, as well as investments in their children. Reducing those expenditures and investments, in turn, can affect children's development, including their cognitive skills and physical, social, and emotional health. This article summarizes the first empirical evidence of the effects of housing affordability on children's cognitive achievement and on one factor that appears to contribute to these effects: the larger expenditures on child enrichment by families in affordable housing. We found that housing cost burden has the same relationship to both children's cognitive achievement and enrichment spending on children, exhibiting an inverted U shape in both cases. The maximum benefit occurs when housing cost burden is near 30 percent of income-the long-standing rule-of-thumb definition of affordable housing. The effect of the burden is stronger on children's math ability than on their reading comprehension and is more pronounced with burdens above the 30 percent standard. For enrichment spending, the curve is "shallower" (meaning the effect of optimal affordability is less pronounced) but still significant. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Diabetes and the Affordable Care Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Burge, Mark R; Schade, David S

2014-07-01

The Affordable Care Act--"Obamacare"--is the most important federal medical legislation to be enacted since Medicare. Although the goal of the Affordable Care Act is to improve healthcare coverage, access, and quality for all Americans, people with diabetes are especially poised to benefit from the comprehensive reforms included in the act. Signed into law in 2010, this massive legislation will slowly be enacted over the next 10 years. In the making for at least a decade, it will affect every person in the United States, either directly or indirectly. In this review, we discuss the major changes in healthcare that will take place in the next several years, including (1) who needs to purchase insurance on the Web-based exchange, (2) the cost to individuals and the rebates that they may expect, (3) the rules and regulations for purchasing insurance, (4) the characteristics of the different "metallic" insurance plans that are available, and (5) the states that have agreed to participate. With both tables and figures, we have tried to make the Affordable Care Act both understandable and appreciated. The goal of this comprehensive review is to highlight aspects of the Affordable Care Act that are of importance to practitioners who care for people with diabetes by discussing both the positive and the potentially negative aspects of the program as they relate to diabetes care.

Learning Grasp Affordance Densities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Detry, Renaud; Kraft, Dirk; Kroemer, Oliver

2011-01-01

and relies on kernel density estimation to provide a continuous model. Grasp densities are learned and refined from exploration, by letting a robot “play” with an object in a sequence of graspand-drop actions: The robot uses visual cues to generate a set of grasp hypotheses; it then executes......We address the issue of learning and representing object grasp affordance models. We model grasp affordances with continuous probability density functions (grasp densities) which link object-relative grasp poses to their success probability. The underlying function representation is nonparametric...... these and records their outcomes. When a satisfactory number of grasp data is available, an importance-sampling algorithm turns these into a grasp density. We evaluate our method in a largely autonomous learning experiment run on three objects of distinct shapes. The experiment shows how learning increases success...

Urging Affordable Access to High-Value Cancer Drugs

Science.gov (United States)

This infographic highlights some of the main messages from the President’s Cancer Panel report Promoting Value, Affordability, and Innovation in Cancer Drug Treatment. The graphic includes the panel’s recommendations to maximize the value and affordability of cancer drug treatment.

24 CFR 1000.102 - What are eligible affordable housing activities?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What are eligible affordable housing activities? 1000.102 Section 1000.102 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to... § 1000.102 What are eligible affordable housing activities? Eligible affordable housing activities are...

Affordances in Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tor Gjøsæter

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the affordances of augmented reality content in a mobile augmented reality application. A user study was conducted by performing a multi-camera video recording of seven think aloud sessions. The think aloud sessions consisted of individual users performing tasks, exploring and experiencing a mobile augmented reality (MAR application we developed for the iOS platform named ARad. We discuss the instrumental affordances we observed when users interacted with augmented reality content, as well as more complex affordances rising from conventions from media content, AR and the traditional WIMP paradigm. We find that remediation of traditional newspaper content through the MAR medium can provide engaging, pleasing and exciting user experiences. However, the some of the content still suffers from being shoveled onto the MAR platform without adapting it properly. Finally, we discuss what content was most successfully mediated to the user and how the content impacts the user experience.

Young children's tool innovation across culture: Affordance visibility matters.

Science.gov (United States)

Neldner, Karri; Mushin, Ilana; Nielsen, Mark

2017-11-01

Young children typically demonstrate low rates of tool innovation. However, previous studies have limited children's performance by presenting tools with opaque affordances. In an attempt to scaffold children's understanding of what constitutes an appropriate tool within an innovation task we compared tools in which the focal affordance was visible to those in which it was opaque. To evaluate possible cultural specificity, data collection was undertaken in a Western urban population and a remote Indigenous community. As expected affordance visibility altered innovation rates: young children were more likely to innovate on a tool that had visible affordances than one with concealed affordances. Furthermore, innovation rates were higher than those reported in previous innovation studies. Cultural background did not affect children's rates of tool innovation. It is suggested that new methods for testing tool innovation in children must be developed in order to broaden our knowledge of young children's tool innovation capabilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of novel polysulfone capsules containing zirconium phosphate and their properties for Pb{sup 2+} removal from aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma Xiaojie [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Resources and Environment, Institute of Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Li Yanfeng, E-mail: liyf@lzu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Resources and Environment, Institute of Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Li Xiaoli; Yang Liuqing [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Resources and Environment, Institute of Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Wang Xueyan [Yantai Professional School of Automobile Engineering, Yantai 265500 (China)

2011-04-15

Zirconium phosphate (ZrP) was immobilized by microencapsulation process of polysulfone (PSF) to form the polysulfone capsules containing ZrP (PSF-ZrP capsules) successfully by using phase inversion precipitation technique, and the PSF-ZrP was employed as capsules adsorbents to remove Pb{sup 2+} presented in aqueous solution. The result shows that an encapsulation capacity of 50% (mass ratio, PSF: ZrP = 1:1) should be the optimal proportion of ZrP encapsulated with PSF. The characterization of the macroscopical and microcosmic physical properties of the resulting PSF-ZrP capsules was carried out by the DTA-TG, XRD, BET and SEM. Meanwhile, the adsorption properties of the PSF-ZrP capsules for Pb{sup 2+} were investigated by batch methods. It was found that the adsorption of the PSF-ZrP capsules for Pb{sup 2+} would be pH dependent due to the ion-exchange mechanism, and the uptake of Pb{sup 2+} was slightly influenced with the concentration of coexisting cations (Na{sup +}, K{sup +}) in a low range. Furthermore, the calculated thermodynamics parameters exhibit that the nature of the adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic. After six times of adsorption-regeneration cycles, no significant loss of adsorption capacity was observed, indicating the good stability of the PSF-ZrP capsules. Consequently, the PSF-ZrP capsules in this work can provide a potential application for treatment process of Pb{sup 2+}-containing wastewater.

Stable and variable affordances are both automatic and flexible

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna M Borghi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The mere observation of pictures or words referring to manipulable objects is sufficient to evoke their affordances since objects and their nouns elicit components of appropriate motor programs associated with object interaction. While nobody doubts that objects actually evoke motor information, the degree of automaticity of this activation has been recently disputed. Recent evidence has indeed revealed that affordances activation is flexibly modulated by the task and by the physical and social context. It is therefore crucial to understand whether these results challenge previous evidence showing that motor information is activated independently from the task. The context and the task can indeed act as an early or late filter. We will review recent data consistent with the notion that objects automatically elicit multiple affordances and that top-down processes select among them probably inhibiting motor information that is not consistent with behaviour goals. We will therefore argue that automaticity and flexibility of affordances are not in conflict. We will also discuss how language can incorporate affordances showing similarities, but also differences, between the motor information elicited by vision and language. Finally we will show how the distinction between stable and variable affordances can accommodate all these effects.

Affordability for sustainable energy development products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riley, Paul H.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Clean cookstoves that also generate electricity improve affordability. • Excel spreadsheet model to assist stakeholders to choose optimum technology. • Presents views for each stakeholder villager, village and country. • By adding certain capital costs, affordability and sustainability are improved. • Affordability is highly dependent on carbon credits and social understandings. - Abstract: Clean burning products, for example cooking stoves, can reduce household air pollution (HAP), which prematurely kills 3.5 million people each year. By careful selection of components into a product package with micro-finance used for the capital payment, barriers to large-scale uptake of products that remove HAP are reduced. Such products reduce smoke from cooking and the lighting from electricity produced, eliminates smoke from kerosene lamps. A bottom-up financial model, that is cognisant of end user social needs, has been developed to compare different products for use in rural areas of developing countries. The model is freely available for use by researchers and has the ability to assist in the analysis of changing assumptions. Business views of an individual villager, the village itself and a country view are presented. The model shows that affordability (defined as the effect on household expenses as a result of a product purchase) and recognition of end-user social needs are as important as product cost. The effects of large-scale deployment (greater that 10 million per year) are described together with level of subsidy required by the poorest people. With the assumptions given, the model shows that pico-hydro is the most cost effective, but not generally available, one thermo-acoustic technology option does not require subsidy, but it is only at technology readiness level 2 (NASA definition) therefore costs are predicted and very large investment in manufacturing capability is needed to meet the cost target. Thermo-electric is currently the only

The Price of (Perceived Affordance: Commentary for Huron and Berec

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Gjerdingen

2009-11-01

Full Text Available It is argued that the symbolic objects in music and musical scores can permit affordances much as physical objects can. This construction of "affordance" places greater emphasis on cultural forms and human memory than the original idea proposed by James J. Gibson, and it aligns itself more closely with the refinements to "affordance" suggested by Donald Norman. For symbolic objects to permit strongly perceived affordances, it may be necessary for perceivers to have developed schematized perception in the course of over-learning culturally significant forms.

Improving perceptions of healthy food affordability: results from a pilot intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Lauren K; Abbott, Gavin; Thornton, Lukar E; Worsley, Anthony; Ball, Kylie; Crawford, David

2014-03-10

Despite strong empirical support for the association between perceived food affordability and dietary intake amongst families with a lower socioeconomic position (SEP), there is limited evidence of the most effective strategies for promoting more positive perceptions of healthy food affordability among this group. This paper reports findings from a pilot intervention that aimed to improve perceptions of healthy food affordability amongst mothers. Participants were 66 mothers who were the parents of children recruited from primary schools located in socioeconomically disadvantaged suburbs. Intervention group participants viewed a slideshow focussed on healthy snack food affordability that illustrated cheaper healthier alternatives to common snack foods as well as food budgeting tips and price comparison education. A mixed between-within ANCOVA was conducted to examine group differences in perceived affordability of healthy food across three time points. Results revealed no difference in perceived affordability of healthy food between the two groups at baseline whereas at post-intervention and follow-up, mothers in the intervention group perceived healthy food as more affordable than the control group. Focussing on education-based interventions to improve perceptions of healthy food affordability may be a promising approach that complements existing nutrition promotion strategies.

Ground and space-based separate PSF photometry of Pluto and Charon from New Horizons and Magellan

Science.gov (United States)

Zangari, Amanda M.; Stern, S. A.; Young, L. A.; Weaver, H. A.; Olkin, C.; Buratti, B. J.; Spencer, J.; Ennico, K.

2013-10-01

While Pluto and Charon are easily resolvable in some space-based telescopes, ground-based imaging of Pluto and Charon can yield separate PSF photometry in excellent seeing. We present B and Sloan g', r', i', and z' separate photometry of Pluto and Charon taken at the Magellan Clay telescope using LDSS-3. In 2011, observations were made on 7, 8, 9, 19, and 20 March, at 9:00 UT, covering sub-Earth longitudes 130°, 74°, 17°, 175° and 118°. The solar phase angle ranged from 1.66-1.68° to 1.76-1.77°. In 2012, observations were made on February 28, 29 and March 1 at 9:00 UT covering longitudes 342°, 110° and 53° and on May 30 and 31 at 9:30 UT and 7:00 UT, covering longitudes 358° and 272°. Solar phase angles were 1.53-1.56° and 0.89°-0.90° degrees. All longitudes use the convention of zero at the sub-Charon longitude and decrease in time. Seeing ranged from 0.46 to 1.26 arcsecond. We find that the mean rotationally-averaged Charon-to-Pluto light ratio is 0.142±0.003 for Sloan r',i' and z'. Charon is brighter in B and g', with a light ratio of 0.182±0.003 and 0.178±0.002 respectively. Additionally, we present separate PSF photometry of Pluto and Charon from New Horizons images taken by the LORRI instrument on 1 and 3 July 2013 at 17:00 UT and 23:00 UT, sub-Earth longitude 251° and 125°. We find that the rotation-dependent variations in the light ratio are consistent with earlier estimates such as those from Buie et al. 2010, AJ 139, 1117-1127. However, at a solar phase angle of 10.9°, Charon appears 0.25 magnitudes fainter relative to Pluto at the same rotational phase than measurements from the ground with the largest possible solar phase angle. Thus we provide the first estimate of a Pluto phase curve beyond 2°. These results represent some of the first Pluto science from New Horizons. This work has been funded in part by NASA Planetary Astronomy Grant NNX10AB27G and NSF Award 0707609 to MIT and by NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto.

Assessing Alternative Modifications to the Affordable Care Act: Impact on Individual Market Premiums and Insurance Coverage.

Science.gov (United States)

Eibner, Christine; Saltzman, Evan

2015-03-20

The goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are to enable all legal U.S. residents to have access to affordable health insurance and to prevent sicker individuals (such as those with preexisting conditions) from being priced out of the market. The ACA also instituted several policies to stabilize premiums and to encourage enrollment among healthy individuals of all ages. The law's tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies offer a "carrot" that may encourage enrollment among some young and healthy individuals who would otherwise remain uninsured, while the individual mandate acts as a "stick" by imposing penalties on individuals who choose not to enroll. In this article, the authors use the COMPARE microsimulation model, an analytic tool that uses economic theory and data to predict the effects of health policy reforms, to estimate how eliminating the ACA's individual mandate, eliminating the law's tax credits, and combined scenarios that change these and other provisions of the act might affect 2015 individual market premiums and overall insurance coverage. Underlying these estimates is a COMPARE-based analysis of how premiums and insurance coverage outcomes depend on young adults' propensity to enroll in insurance coverage. The authors find that eliminating the ACA's tax credits and eliminating the individual mandate both increase premiums and reduce enrollment on the individual market. They also find that these key features of the ACA help to protect against adverse selection and stabilize the market by encouraging healthy people to enroll and, in the case of the tax credit, shielding subsidized enrollees from premium increases. Further, they find that individual market premiums are only modestly sensitive to young adults' propensity to enroll in insurance coverage, and ensuring market stability does not require that young adults make up a particular share of enrollees.

Affordability Engineering: Bridging the Gap Between Design and Cost

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves, J. D.; DePasquale, Dominic; Lim, Evan

2010-01-01

Affordability is a commonly used term that takes on numerous meanings depending on the context used. Within conceptual design of complex systems, the term generally implies comparisons between expected costs and expected resources. This characterization is largely correct, but does not convey the many nuances and considerations that are frequently misunderstood and underappreciated. In the most fundamental sense, affordability and cost directly relate to engineering and programmatic decisions made throughout development programs. Systems engineering texts point out that there is a temporal aspect to this relationship, for decisions made earlier in a program dictate design implications much more so than those made during latter phases. This paper explores affordability engineering and its many sub-disciplines by discussing how it can be considered an additional engineering discipline to be balanced throughout the systems engineering and systems analysis processes. Example methods of multidisciplinary design analysis with affordability as a key driver will be discussed, as will example methods of data visualization, probabilistic analysis, and other ways of relating design decisions to affordability results.

Planning and User Interface Affordances

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

St. Amant, Robert

1999-01-01

.... We identify a number of similarities between executing plans and interacting with a graphical user interface, and argue that affordances for planning environments apply equally well to user interface environments...

Affordances in activity theory and cognitive systems engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albrechtsen, H.; Andersen, H.H.K.; Bødker, S.

2001-01-01

on design for low level interaction modalities. To incorporate the concept of affordances in the design of human computer interaction it is necessary to systematically unravel affordances that supporthuman action possibilities. Furthermore, it is a necessity that Gibson's theory of affordances...... is supplemented by careful analyses of other human modalities and activities than visual perception. Within HMI two well established perspectives on HMI,Activity Theory (AT) and Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE), have discussed such analyses and design of action possibilities focusing on providing computer...... to cover deeper semantic and pragmatic aspects of the ecology of work, as compared with the previous applications of Gibson's theory in HMI....

Defining and Measuring the Affordability of New Medicines: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Antoñanzas, Fernando; Terkola, Robert; Overton, Paul M; Shalet, Natalie; Postma, Maarten

2017-08-01

In many healthcare systems, affordability concerns can lead to restrictions on the use of expensive efficacious therapies. However, there does not appear to be any consensus as to the terminology used to describe affordability, or the thresholds used to determine whether new drugs are affordable. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate how affordability is defined and measured in healthcare. MEDLINE, EMBASE and EconLit databases (2005-July 2016) were searched using terms covering affordability and budget impact, combined with definitions, thresholds and restrictions, to identify articles describing a definition of affordability with respect to new medicines. Additional definitions were identified through citation searching, and through manual searches of European health technology assessment body websites. In total, 27 definitions were included in the review. Of these, five definitions described affordability in terms of the value of a product; seven considered affordability within the context of healthcare system budgets; and 15 addressed whether products are affordable in a given country based on economic factors. However, there was little in the literature to indicate that the price of medicines is considered alongside both their value to individual patients and their budget impact at a population level. Current methods of assessing affordability in healthcare may be limited by their focus on budget impact. A more effective approach may involve a broader perspective than is currently described in the literature, to consider the long-term benefits of a therapy and cost savings elsewhere in the healthcare system, as well as cooperation between healthcare payers and the pharmaceutical industry to develop financing models that support sustainability as well as innovation.

Affordances are Signs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Pickering

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Peirce and Whitehead share a common project: to restrict the over-extension of reductionism, to show how matter must be sensate and to create an ontology of process and subjectivity. This article claims that biosemiotics can assist this project. Moreover, it shows that the concept of affordance is a means to produce a theory of causation that embraces physical, natural and cultural levels of order.

Bullying and social media affordances

OpenAIRE

Brailas, Alexios

2016-01-01

What constitutes a good and sustainabledigital living?Social media literacyCan we talk about social media intelligence?Can we talk about digital intelligence?How bullying is complicated by special social media affordances?

Energy affordability and the benefits system in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miniaci, Raffaele; Scarpa, Carlo; Valbonesi, Paola

2014-01-01

In this paper, we discuss a number of ways to define and measure the affordability of energy consumption, and we examine the emergence of energy poverty in Italy in the period from 1998 to 2011. The paper examines the eligibility criteria for claiming the benefits available to support energy consumption for vulnerable families and it identifies the potential beneficiaries. The study assesses the appropriateness of the eligibility criteria by comparing the population targeted by the policy with the population actually facing affordability problems. A simulation exercise, using the hypothetical scenario most likely to result in energy benefits being made available, shows that, regardless of the affordability index adopted, the provision of state energy benefits has little impact on fuel poverty. - Highlights: • The paper provides a discussion of alternative measure of energy affordability. • We examine the emergence of fuel poverty in Italy from 1998 to 2011. • We assess the appropriateness of the Italian energy benefits eligibility criteria. • A simulation shows that the energy benefits have little impact on fuel poverty

Encapsulating the delivery of affordable housing: An overview of Malaysian practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamaluddin Nor Baizura

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Urban population increases much faster than other geographical areas and this brings huge challenges to Malaysian government especially those responsible for the provision of housing. Moreover, the rise of living cost and pressure towards the current economic situation had inevitably led to huge demands for affordable housing. Thus, affordability and inaccessibility of people in owning a house has become one of the major issues in Malaysia. These issues are not only faced by the low-income group but mostly experienced by urban dwellers including the middle-income group whom are not eligible to apply for low-cost housing delivered by the government, yet cannot afford to buy a house. Hence, the Malaysian government had therefore established the Perumahan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (PR1MA as the catalyst in providing adequate, quality and affordable houses. Furthermore, the Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB and the state governments also play their big role in providing affordable house at the state level. In trying to ensure smooth delivery of affordable housing, a systematic approach is required. This paper intends to examine the delivery of affordable housing in Malaysia. The objective was to assess the parties involved, and the various stages of the process. The methodology adopted for this study includes in-depth interviews with affordable housing agencies. Investigation showed that the major problem relates to a mismatch in the delivery of affordable housing. Moreover, the political and economic aspects, as well as the organization situation had also influenced the inefficiency of affordable housing delivery system. Additionally, the significant of this paper is expected to formulate an improved strategy and guidance in delivery system, thus ensuring that the method of practice is applicable throughout the country.

The Affordance Template ROS Package for Robot Task Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Stephen; Dinh, Paul; Hambuchen, Kimberly

2015-01-01

This paper introduces the Affordance Template ROS package for quickly programming, adjusting, and executing robot applications in the ROS RViz environment. This package extends the capabilities of RViz interactive markers by allowing an operator to specify multiple end-effector waypoint locations and grasp poses in object-centric coordinate frames and to adjust these waypoints in order to meet the run-time demands of the task (specifically, object scale and location). The Affordance Template package stores task specifications in a robot-agnostic XML description format such that it is trivial to apply a template to a new robot. As such, the Affordance Template package provides a robot-generic ROS tool appropriate for building semi-autonomous, manipulation-based applications. Affordance Templates were developed by the NASA-JSC DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) team and have since successfully been deployed on multiple platforms including the NASA Valkyrie and Robonaut 2 humanoids, the University of Texas Dreamer robot and the Willow Garage PR2. In this paper, the specification and implementation of the affordance template package is introduced and demonstrated through examples for wheel (valve) turning, pick-and-place, and drill grasping, evincing its utility and flexibility for a wide variety of robot applications.

Developing an Assessment Framework for Affordable and Sustainable Housing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Pullen

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Sustainable housing has been subject to research, practice and policy making for some considerable time. More recently attention has been drawn to the separate problem of declining affordability in housing. This paper describes research aimed at developing an assessment framework for both affordability and sustainability as part of the effort to incorporate both of these features into new housing projects. The research has a particular focus on developments aimed at urban densification. Background literature on both affordability and sustainability is reviewed as well as emerging schemes aimed at dealing with both aspects of housing developments. Performance indicators are identified and these are incorporated in an interim assessment framework which is tested using a group of industry experts. The research has highlighted areas where further development is required to attain quantitative assessments of affordable and sustainable housing developments

Housing Affordability Data System (HADS)

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — The Housing Affordability Data System (HADS) is a set of files derived from the 1985 and later national American Housing Survey (AHS) and the 2002 and later Metro...

Active Affordance Learning in Continuous State and Action Spaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, C.; Hindriks, K.V.; Babuska, R.

2014-01-01

Learning object affordances and manipulation skills is essential for developing cognitive service robots. We propose an active affordance learning approach in continuous state and action spaces without manual discretization of states or exploratory motor primitives. During exploration in the action

TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS: FROM TECHNICAL AFFORDANCES TO EDUCATIONAL AFFORDANCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicos Valanides

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The integration of these tools in education and in authentic and effective learning/teaching environments has become an issue of great concern among educators, researchers and other related audiences. All emphasize the need to design and develop technology-enhanced curricula and teaching/learning environments (formal, non-formal and informal that are developmentally appropriate for young and/or older learners. The vision is to integrate the tools and their associated technical affordance in teaching/learning environments in such a way, so that all learners, irrespective of their cognitive differences and abilities, could increase their learning gains, and develop the abilities and skills that are needed for citizens of the 21st century.

Affordances: Ten Years On

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Jill P.; Stillman, Gloria

2014-01-01

Ten years ago the construct, affordance, was rising in prominence in scholarly literature. A proliferation of different uses and meanings was evident. Beginning with its origin in the work of Gibson, we traced its development and use in various scholarly fields. This paper revisits our original question with respect to its utility in mathematics…

Affordability and Paradigms in Agent-Based Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boldur E. Barbat

2007-07-01

Full Text Available The paper aims at substantiating that in universities with scarce resources, applied Information Technologies (IT research is affordable, even in most advanced and dynamic sub-domains. This target is split into four specific objectives: a to set up a framework for IT research affordability in universities representative for current East-European circumstances; b to outline a workable approach based on synergistic leverage and to assess the paradigms prevalent in modern artificial intelligence through this ``affordability filter''; c to describe the evolution and the current stages of two undertakings exploiting paradigms founded on emergence (the sub-domains are stigmergic coordination and agent self-awareness; d to summarise for both sub domains the mechanisms and the architectonics (the focus is on computer science aspects; implementation details will be given in future papers. The results in both directions appear as promising and reveal significant potential for transdisciplinarity. From this perspective, the paper is a call to improved cooperation.

Availability, accessibility, and affordability of neurodiagnostic tests in 37 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

McLane, Hannah C; Berkowitz, Aaron L; Patenaude, Bryan N; McKenzie, Erica D; Wolper, Emma; Wahlster, Sarah; Fink, Günther; Mateen, Farrah J

2015-11-03

To determine the availability, accessibility, and affordability of EEG, EMG, CSF analysis, head CT, and brain MRI for neurologic disorders across countries. An online, 60-question survey was distributed to neurology practitioners in 2014 to assess the presence, wait time, and cost of each test in private and public health sectors. Data were stratified by World Bank country income group. Affordability was calculated with reference to the World Health Organization's definition of catastrophic health expenditure as health-related out-of-pocket expenditure of >40% of disposable household income, and assessment of providers' perceptions of affordability to the patient. Availability of EEG and EMG is correlated with higher World Bank income group (correlation coefficient 0.38, test for trend p = 0.046; 0.376, p = 0.043); CSF, CT, and MRI did not show statistically significant associations with income groups. Patients in public systems wait longer for neurodiagnostic tests, especially MRI, EEG, and urgent CT (p private sector (US $55.25 vs $214.62, p income group is associated with a 29% decrease in the estimated share of the population who can afford a given test (95% confidence interval -33.4, 25.2; p income countries surveyed, only the top 10% or 20% of the population was able to afford tests below catastrophic levels. In surveyed lower-middle-income countries, >40% of the population, on average, could not afford neurodiagnostic tests. Neurodiagnostic tests are least affordable in the lowest income settings. Closing this "diagnostic gap" for countries with the lowest incomes is essential. © 2015 American Academy of Neurology.

Affordances of Ditches for Children in Preschool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lerstrup, Inger Elisabeth; Møller, Maja Steen

2016-01-01

This study aims to expand understanding of the affordances provided by ditches in a Danish preschool context. Affordances are defined as the meaningful action possibilities of the environment. At a forest preschool, a group of 21 children aged approximately 3to 6.5 years accompanied by two to three...... offered varied and changing action possibilities for the preschool children. The paper discusses the possible incorporation of this largely unrecognized design element by planners and managers of green spaces and playgrounds for children in preschool....

Challenges of Integrating Affordable and Sustainable Housing in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Syed Jamaludin, S. Z. H.; Mahayuddin, S. A.; Hamid, S. H. A.

2018-04-01

Developing countries including Malaysia have begun to comprehend the needs for affordable and sustainable housing development. The majority of the population is still aspiring for a comfortable, safe and reasonably priced house. Households in the low-middle income range face difficulties to find housing that can satisfy their needs and budget. Unfortunately, most of the housing development programs are considering affordability rather than sustainable aspects. Furthermore, developers are more interested in profit and neglect sustainability issues. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the challenges in integrating affordable housing and sustainable practices in Malaysia. This paper is produced based on an extensive literature review as a basis to develop strategies of integrated affordable and sustainable housing in Malaysia. The challenges are divided into four sections, namely market challenges, professional challenges, societal challenges and technological challenges. The outcomes of this paper will assist in the decision making involving housing development and in enhancing quality of life for sustainable communities.

Are essential medicines in Malaysia accessible, affordable and available?

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Kamaruzaman; Ibrahim, Mohamed I M

2005-12-01

To assess the pharmaceutical sector to know whether people have access to essential medicines. The study was conducted in 20 public health clinics, five public district drug stores and 20 private retail pharmacies selected randomly in five different areas randomly selected (four states and a federal territory). The methodology used was adopted from the World Health Organization study protocol. The degree of attainment of the strategic pharmaceutical objectives of improved access is measured by a list of tested indicators. Access is measured in terms of the availability and affordability of essential medicines, especially to the poor and in the public sector. The first survey in the public health clinics and public district drug stores gathered information about current availability of essential medicines, prevalence of stock-outs and affordability of treatment (except drug stores). The second survey assessed affordability of treatment in public health clinics and private retail pharmacies. Availability, stock-out duration, percent of medicines dispensed, accessibility and affordability of key medicines. The average availability of key medicines in the public health clinics for the country was 95.4%. The average stock-out duration of key medicines was 6.5 days. However, average availability of key medicines in the public district drug stores was 89.2%; with an average stock-out duration of 32.4 days. Medicines prescribed were 100% dispensed to the patients. Average affordability for public health clinics was 1.5 weeks salary and for the private pharmacies, 3.7 weeks salary. The present pharmaceutical situation in the context of essential medicines list implementation reflected that the majority of the population in Malaysia had access to affordable essential medicines. If medicines need to be obtained from the private sector, they are hardly affordable. Although the average availability of essential medicines in Malaysia was high being more than 95.0%, in certain

Availability and affordability of antiglaucoma drugs in Benin city ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. Affordability and availability are key factors that determine access to effective treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate the availability and affordability of antiglaucoma medicines in Benin City. A cross sectional survey of the major drug distribution sectors was conducted.

Affordances and the musically extended mind

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joel eKrueger

2014-01-01

Full Text Available I defend a model of the musically extended mind. I consider how acts of musicking grant access to novel emotional experiences otherwise inaccessible. First, I discuss the idea of musical affordances and specify both what musical affordances are and how they invite different forms of entrainment. Next, I argue that musical affordances—via soliciting different forms of entrainment—enhance the functionality of various endogenous, emotion-granting regulative processes, drawing novel experiences out of us with an expanded complexity and phenomenal character. I suggest that music therefore ought to be thought of as part of the vehicle needed to realize these emotional experiences. I appeal to different sources of empirical work to develop this idea.

Affordances and distributed cognition in museum exhibitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Achiam, Marianne; May, Michael; Marandino, Martha

2014-01-01

consistent framework. Here, we invoke the notions of affordance and distributed cognition to explain in a coherent way how visitors interact with exhibits and exhibit spaces and make meaning from those interactions, and we exemplify our points using observations of twelve visitors to exhibits at a natural...... history museum. We show how differences in exhibit characteristics give rise to differences in the interpretive strategies used by visitors in their meaning-making process, and conclude by discussing how the notions of affordance and distributed cognition can be used in an exhibit design perspective....

Imagined affordance: reconstructing a keyword for communication theory

OpenAIRE

Neff, G; Nagy, P

2015-01-01

In this essay, we reconstruct a keyword for communication—affordance. Affordance, adopted from ecological psychology, is now widely used in technology studies, yet the term lacks a clear definition. This is especially problematic for scholars grappling with how to theorize the relationship between technology and sociality for complex socio-technical systems such as machine-learning algorithms, pervasive computing, the Internet of Things, and other such “smart” innovations. Within technology s...

The effects of surface-charged submicron polystyrene particles on the structure and performance of PSF forward osmosis membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Hao-Ran; Fu, Jia-Bei; Cao, Gui-Ping; Hu, Nian; Lu, Hui; Liu, Hui-Qing; Chen, Peng-Peng; Yu, Jie

2018-04-01

Monodisperse surface-charged submicron polystyrene particles were designed, synthesized, and blended into polysulfone (PSF) support layer to prepare forward osmosis (FO) membrane with high performance. The membrane incorporated with particles were characterized with respect to morphology, porosity, and internal osmotic pressure (IOP). Results showed that the polymer particles not only increased the hydrophilicity and porosity of support layer, but also generated considerable IOP, which helped markedly decreasing the structure parameter from 1550 to 670 μm. The measured mass transfer parameters further confirmed the beneficial effects of the surface-charged submicron polymer particles on the performance of FO membrane. For instance, the water permeability coefficient (5.37 L m-2 h-1 bar-1) and water flux (49.7 L m-2 h-1) of the FO membrane incorporated with 5 wt% particles were almost twice as much as that of FO membrane without incorporation. This study suggests that monodisperse surface-charged submicron polymer particles are potential modifiers for improving the performance of FO membranes.

Making Sense of Biodiversity: The Affordances of Systems Ecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Erik; McPhearson, Timon

2018-01-01

We see two related, but not well-linked fields that together could help us better understand biodiversity and how it, over time, provides benefits to people. The affordances approach in environmental psychology offers a way to understand our perceptual appraisal of landscapes and biodiversity and, to some extent, intentional choice or behavior, i.e., a way of relating the individual to the system s/he/it lives in. In the field of ecology, organism-specific functional traits are similarly understood as the physiological and behavioral characteristics of an organism that informs the way it interacts with its surroundings. Here, we review the often overlooked role of traits in the provisioning of ecosystem services as a potential bridge between affordance theory and applied systems ecology. We propose that many traits can be understood as the basis for the affordances offered by biodiversity, and that they offer a more fruitful way to discuss human-biodiversity relations than do the taxonomic information most often used. Moreover, as emerging transdisciplinary studies indicate, connecting affordances to functional traits allows us to ask questions about the temporal and two-way nature of affordances and perhaps most importantly, can serve as a starting point for more fully bridging the fields of ecology and environmental psychology with respect to how we understand human-biodiversity relationships.

Affordable Care Act and Women

Science.gov (United States)

... quality care for older women, and ends the gender discrimination that requires women to pay more for the same insurance coverage ... the Affordable Care Act and 13 million more women will gain coverage by 2016. Maternity Coverage Preventive ... Expanded Insurance Coverage Endnotes Download "rb. ...

User Costs and Housing Expenses : Towards a more Comprehensive Approach to Affordability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haffner, M.E.A.; Heylen, K.

2011-01-01

Recently housing affordability has reached the agenda in Flanders and the Netherlands, giving a good reason to present a review of the concept of affordability and different definitions. The concept of short-term affordability, which is concerned with financial access to a dwelling and is based on

Understanding social engagement in autism: Being different in perceiving and sharing affordances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annika eHellendoorn

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In the current paper I will argue that the notion of affordances offers an alternative to theory of mind (ToM approaches in studying social engagement in general and in explaining social engagement in autism spectrum disorder (ASD specifically. Affordances are the possibilities for action offered by the environment. In contrast to ToM approaches, the concept of affordances implies the complementarity of person and environment and rejects the dualism of mind and behaviour. In line with the Gibsonian idea that a child must eventually perceive the affordances of the environment for others as well for herself in order to become socialized, I will hypothesize that individuals with ASD often do not perceive the same affordances in the environment as other people do and have difficulties perceiving others' affordances. This can lead to a disruption of interpersonal behaviours. I will further argue that the methods for studying social engagement should be adapted if we want to take interaction into account.

Embodied perception: A proposal to reconcile affordance and spatial perception

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Canal Bruland, R.; van der Kamp, J.

2015-01-01

Proffitt's embodied approach to perception is deeply indebted to Gibson's ecological approach to visual perception, in particular the idea that the primary objects of perception are affordances or what the environment offers for action. Yet, rather than directly addressing affordance perception,

Affordability Assessment to Implement Light Rail Transit (LRT for Greater Yogyakarta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anjang Nugroho

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The high population density and the increasing visitors in Yogyakarta aggravate the traffic congestion problem. BRT (Bus Rapid Transit services, Trans Jogja has not managed to solve this problem yet. Introducing Light Rail Transit (LRT has been considered as one of the solutions to restrain the congestion in Greater Yogyakarta. As the first indication that the LRT can be built in Greater Yogyakarta, the transportation affordability index was used to understand whether the LRT tariff was affordable. That tariff was calculated based on government policy in determining railway tariff. The forecasted potential passengers and LRT route have been analyzed as the previous steps to get LRT tariff. Potential passenger was forecasted from gravity mode, and the proposed LRT route was chosen using Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA. The existing transportation affordability index was calculated for comparison analysis using the percentage of the expenditures for transportation made by monthly income of each household. The result showed that the LRT for Greater Yogyakarta was the most affordable transport mode compared to the Trans Jogja Bus and motorcycle. The affordability index of Tram Jogja for people having average income was 10.66% while another people with bottom quartile income was 13.56%. Keywords: Greater Yogyakarta, LRT, affordability.

Affordances and Landscapes: Overcoming the Nature-Culture Dichotomy through Niche Construction Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Heras-Escribano, Manuel; De Pinedo-García, Manuel

2017-01-01

In this paper we reject the nature-culture dichotomy by means of the idea of affordance or possibility for action, which has important implications for landscape theory. Our hypothesis is that, just as the idea of affordance can serve to overcome the subjective-objective dichotomy, the ideas of landscape and ecological niche, properly defined, would allow us to also transcend the nature-culture dichotomy. First, we introduce an overview of landscape theory, emphasizing processual landscape theory as the most suitable approach for satisfying both cultural and naturalist approaches. After that, we introduce the idea of affordance and we analyze a tension between sociocultural and transcultural affordances (affordances that depend on cultural conventions and affordances that depend on lawful information and bodily aspects of agents). This tension has various implications for landscape theory and ecological niches. Our proposal is that sociocultural and transcultural aspects of affordances could be systematically accommodated if we apply niche construction theory (the theory that explains the process by which organisms modify their selective environments) as a methodological framework for explaining the emergence of ecological niches. This approach will lead us to an integrative account of landscapes as the products of the interaction between human and environmental elements, making it a clear example of a concept that transcends the nature-culture dichotomy.

Synthesis of sulfated Y-doped zirconia particles and effect on properties of polysulfone membranes for treatment of wastewater containing oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Yuqing, E-mail: zhangyuqing@tju.edu.cn [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, AIBN and School of Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072 (Australia); Shan Xing; Jin Zhenhua; Wang Yueling [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2011-08-30

Highlights: {yields} Novel hybrid membrane material - sulfated Y-doped zirconia particle is prepared. {yields} SZY/PSF membrane is formed by doping SZY particles into PSF membrane. {yields} Hydrophilicity, antifouling and anti-compaction property of PSF membrane is improved. {yields} Treatment efficiency of wastewater containing oil is enhanced. - Abstract: Polysulfone (PSF) membranes are broadly applied in many fields owing to good physicochemical stability, resistance to oxidation and chlorine. But when treated with wastewater containing oil, PSF membranes are easily contaminated due to their hydrophilicity, causing declining flux and lifespan of the membranes thereby limiting their large scale applications. In order to enhance the hydrophilic and anti-fouling capability of PSF membranes for treating wastewater containing oil, sulfated Y-doped zirconia particles (SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}/ZrO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} or SZY particles) were firstly synthesized and then doped into polysulfone to fabricate a novel hybrid membrane (SZY/PSF). The optimum preparation conditions of SZY particles were studied and determined. SZY particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), specific surface area and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Wastewater containing oil (80 mg/L) was used to investigate the separation properties of SZY/PSF membranes. The results show that the oil concentration in the permeation is 0.67 mg/L, which meets the recycle standard of the Chinese oil-field (SY/T 5329-94, oil concentration <10 mg/L). It is concluded that doping SZY particles into polysulfone can reasonably resist membrane fouling and SZY/PSF membranes can be considered feasible in treating wastewater containing oil.

Affordance Realization in Climbing: Learning and Transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Seifert, Ludovic; Orth, Dominic; Mantel, Bruno; Boulanger, Jérémie; Hérault, Romain; Dicks, Matt

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate how the affordances of an indoor climbing wall changed for intermediate climbers following a period of practice during which hold orientation was manipulated within a learning and transfer protocol. The learning protocol consisted of four sessions, in which eight climbers randomly ascended three different routes of fixed absolute difficulty (5c on the French scale), as fluently as possible. All three routes were 10.3 m in height and composed of 20 hand-holds at the same locations on an artificial climbing wall; only hold orientations were altered: (i) a horizontal-edge route (H) was designed to afford horizontal hold grasping, (ii) a vertical-edge route (V) afforded vertical hold grasping, and (iii), a double-edge route (D) was designed to afford both horizontal and vertical hold grasping. Five inertial measurement units (IMU) (3D accelerometer, 3D gyroscope, 3D magnetometer) were attached to the hip, feet and forearms to analyze the vertical acceleration and direction (3D unitary vector) of each limb and hip in ambient space during the entire ascent. Segmentation and classification processes supported detection of movement and stationary phases for each IMU. Depending on whether limbs and/or hip were moving, a decision tree distinguished four states of behavior: stationary (absence of limb and hip motion), hold exploration (absence of hip motion but at least one limb in motion), hip movement (hip in motion but absence of limb motion) and global motion (hip in motion and at least one limb in motion). Results showed that with practice, the learners decreased the relative duration of hold exploration, suggesting that they improved affordance perception of hold grasp-ability. The number of performatory movements also decreased as performance increased during learning sessions, confirming that participants' climbing efficacy improved as a function of practice. Last, the results were more marked for the H route, while the D route

Affordance Realization in Climbing: Learning and Transfer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludovic Seifert

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate how the affordances of an indoor climbing wall changed for intermediate climbers following a period of practice during which hold orientation was manipulated within a learning and transfer protocol. The learning protocol consisted of four sessions, in which eight climbers randomly ascended three different routes of fixed absolute difficulty (5c on the French scale, as fluently as possible. All three routes were 10.3 m in height and composed of 20 hand-holds at the same locations on an artificial climbing wall; only hold orientations were altered: (i a horizontal-edge route (H was designed to afford horizontal hold grasping, (ii a vertical-edge route (V afforded vertical hold grasping, and (iii, a double-edge route (D was designed to afford both horizontal and vertical hold grasping. Five inertial measurement units (IMU (3D accelerometer, 3D gyroscope, 3D magnetometer were attached to the hip, feet and forearms to analyze the vertical acceleration and direction (3D unitary vector of each limb and hip in ambient space during the entire ascent. Segmentation and classification processes supported detection of movement and stationary phases for each IMU. Depending on whether limbs and/or hip were moving, a decision tree distinguished four states of behavior: stationary (absence of limb and hip motion, hold exploration (absence of hip motion but at least one limb in motion, hip movement (hip in motion but absence of limb motion and global motion (hip in motion and at least one limb in motion. Results showed that with practice, the learners decreased the relative duration of hold exploration, suggesting that they improved affordance perception of hold grasp-ability. The number of performatory movements also decreased as performance increased during learning sessions, confirming that participants' climbing efficacy improved as a function of practice. Last, the results were more marked for the H route, while the D

Perturbed cooperative-state feedback strategy for model predictive networked control of interconnected systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Tri; Ha, Q P

2018-01-01

A perturbed cooperative-state feedback (PSF) strategy is presented for the control of interconnected systems in this paper. The subsystems of an interconnected system can exchange data via the communication network that has multiple connection topologies. The PSF strategy can resolve both issues, the sensor data losses and the communication network breaks, thanks to the two components of the control including a cooperative-state feedback and a perturbation variable, e.g., u i =K ij x j +w i . The PSF is implemented in a decentralized model predictive control scheme with a stability constraint and a non-monotonic storage function (ΔV(x(k))≥0), derived from the dissipative systems theory. Numerical simulation for the automatic generation control problem in power systems is studied to illustrate the effectiveness of the presented PSF strategy. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability and instability of axisymmetric droplets in thermocapillary-driven thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolaou, Zachary G.

2018-03-01

The stability of compactly supported, axisymmetric droplet states is considered for driven thin viscous films evolving on two-dimensional surfaces. Stability is assessed using Lyapunov energy methods afforded by the Cahn-Hilliard variational form of the governing equation. For general driving forces, a criterion on the gradient of profiles at the boundary of their support (their contact slope) is shown to be a necessary condition for stability. Additional necessary and sufficient conditions for stability are established for a specific driving force corresponding to a thermocapillary-driven film. It is found that only droplets of sufficiently short height that satisfy the contact slope criterion are stable. This destabilization of droplets with increasing height is characterized as a saddle-node bifurcation between a branch of tall, unstable droplets and a branch of short, stable droplets.

Efficient generalized cross-validation with applications to parametric image restoration and resolution enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, N; Milanfar, P; Golub, G

2001-01-01

In many image restoration/resolution enhancement applications, the blurring process, i.e., point spread function (PSF) of the imaging system, is not known or is known only to within a set of parameters. We estimate these PSF parameters for this ill-posed class of inverse problem from raw data, along with the regularization parameters required to stabilize the solution, using the generalized cross-validation method (GCV). We propose efficient approximation techniques based on the Lanczos algorithm and Gauss quadrature theory, reducing the computational complexity of the GCV. Data-driven PSF and regularization parameter estimation experiments with synthetic and real image sequences are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our method.

Drosophila Sld5 is essential for normal cell cycle progression and maintenance of genomic integrity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gouge, Catherine A. [Department of Biology, East Carolina University East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 (United States); Christensen, Tim W., E-mail: christensent@ecu.edu [Department of Biology, East Carolina University East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 (United States)

2010-09-10

Research highlights: {yields} Drosophila Sld5 interacts with Psf1, PPsf2, and Mcm10. {yields} Haploinsufficiency of Sld5 leads to M-phase delay and genomic instability. {yields} Sld5 is also required for normal S phase progression. -- Abstract: Essential for the normal functioning of a cell is the maintenance of genomic integrity. Failure in this process is often catastrophic for the organism, leading to cell death or mis-proliferation. Central to genomic integrity is the faithful replication of DNA during S phase. The GINS complex has recently come to light as a critical player in DNA replication through stabilization of MCM2-7 and Cdc45 as a member of the CMG complex which is likely responsible for the processivity of helicase activity during S phase. The GINS complex is made up of 4 members in a 1:1:1:1 ratio: Psf1, Psf2, Psf3, And Sld5. Here we present the first analysis of the function of the Sld5 subunit in a multicellular organism. We show that Drosophila Sld5 interacts with Psf1, Psf2, and Mcm10 and that mutations in Sld5 lead to M and S phase delays with chromosomes exhibiting hallmarks of genomic instability.

Affordances and Landscapes: Overcoming the Nature–Culture Dichotomy through Niche Construction Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Heras-Escribano, Manuel; De Pinedo-García, Manuel

2018-01-01

In this paper we reject the nature–culture dichotomy by means of the idea of affordance or possibility for action, which has important implications for landscape theory. Our hypothesis is that, just as the idea of affordance can serve to overcome the subjective–objective dichotomy, the ideas of landscape and ecological niche, properly defined, would allow us to also transcend the nature–culture dichotomy. First, we introduce an overview of landscape theory, emphasizing processual landscape theory as the most suitable approach for satisfying both cultural and naturalist approaches. After that, we introduce the idea of affordance and we analyze a tension between sociocultural and transcultural affordances (affordances that depend on cultural conventions and affordances that depend on lawful information and bodily aspects of agents). This tension has various implications for landscape theory and ecological niches. Our proposal is that sociocultural and transcultural aspects of affordances could be systematically accommodated if we apply niche construction theory (the theory that explains the process by which organisms modify their selective environments) as a methodological framework for explaining the emergence of ecological niches. This approach will lead us to an integrative account of landscapes as the products of the interaction between human and environmental elements, making it a clear example of a concept that transcends the nature–culture dichotomy. PMID:29375426

77 FR 36272 - SunShot Prize: America's Most Affordable Rooftop

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-18

...The Department of Energy (DOE) announces in this notice the release of the SunShot Prize: America's Most Affordable Rooftop Solar for public comment. Interested persons are encouraged to learn about the SunShot Prize: America's Most Affordable Rooftop rules at eere.energy.gov/solar/sunshot/prize.html.

Affordances and Cognitive Walkthrough for Analyzing Human-Virtual Human Interaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruttkay, Z.M.; op den Akker, Hendrikus J.A.; Esposito, A.; Bourbakis, N.; Avouris, N.; Hatzilygeroudis, I.

2008-01-01

This study investigates how the psychological notion of affordance, known from human computer interface design, can be adopted for the analysis and design of communication of a user with a Virtual Human (VH), as a novel interface. We take as starting point the original notion of affordance, used to

Facilitating investment in affordable housing : Towards an Australian model. Draft

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lawson, J.M.; Berry, M.; Milligan, V.; Yates, J.

2009-01-01

This paper argues that sustainable and affordable finance provides a crucial pillar to support the provision of affordable housing in the long term. This finance can take on a variety of forms, comprising grants, public loans, commercial loans as well as shareholder equity. It can be facilitated by

The Role of Motor Affordances in Visual Working Memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diane Pecher

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Motor affordances are important for object knowledge. Semantic tasks on visual objects often show interactions with motor actions. Prior neuro-imaging studies suggested that motor affordances also play a role in visual working memory for objects. When participants remembered manipulable objects (e.g., hammer greater premotor cortex activation was observed than when they remembered non-manipulable objects (e.g., polar bear. In the present study participants held object pictures in working memory while performing concurrent tasks such as articulation of nonsense syllables and performing hand movements. Although concurrent tasks did interfere with working memory performance, in none of the experiments did we find any evidence that concurrent motor tasks affected memory differently for manipulable and non-manipulable objects. I conclude that motor affordances are not used for visual working memory.

Refining Grasp Affordance Models by Experience

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Detry, Renaud; Kraft, Dirk; Buch, Anders Glent

2010-01-01

We present a method for learning object grasp affordance models in 3D from experience, and demonstrate its applicability through extensive testing and evaluation on a realistic and largely autonomous platform. Grasp affordance refers here to relative object-gripper configurations that yield stable...... with a visual model of the object they characterize. We explore a batch-oriented, experience-based learning paradigm where grasps sampled randomly from a density are performed, and an importance-sampling algorithm learns a refined density from the outcomes of these experiences. The first such learning cycle...... is bootstrapped with a grasp density formed from visual cues. We show that the robot effectively applies its experience by downweighting poor grasp solutions, which results in increased success rates at subsequent learning cycles. We also present success rates in a practical scenario where a robot needs...

Active design in affordable housing: A public health nudge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Garland

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This pilot study investigates the impact of active design (AD strategies on physical activity (PA among adults living in two Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED certified affordable housing developments in the South Bronx, New York. One building incorporates LEED Innovation in Design (ID Credit: Design for Health through Increased Physical Activity. Tenants in an affordable housing building (AH incorporating active design strategies completed PA self-assessments at their lease signing and one year later in 2015. Trained research assistants obtained body measurements. Residents of neighboring non-AD affordable housing (MCV served as a comparison. Thirty four adults were recruited from AH and 29 from MCV, retention was 56% (n = 19 and 52% (n = 15 respectively at one year. The two groups' body mass index (BMI and high-risk waist-to-hip ratio (WHR were not statistically significantly different when analyzed as continuous variables, although BMI category had a greater decline at AH than at MCV (p = 0.054. There was a 31.5% increase in AH participants meeting MPA requirements and a statistically significant improvement in females (p = 0.031; while there was no change in the MCV participants overall or when stratified by gender. AH participants were significantly more likely to have reported increased stair use and less likely to have reported no change or decreased stair use than participants from MCV participants (p = 0.033. Housing has a role in individual health outcomes and behavior change, broad adoption of active design strategies in affordable housing is warranted to improve physical activity measures. Keywords: Active design, Physical activity, Built environment, Affordable housing

Understanding and using technological affordances: a response to Boyle and Cook

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gráinne Conole

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Our use of affordance draws on Salomon (Salomon, 1993 who takes the definition back to Gibson and Norman (Gibson, 1977; Norman, 1988. Perhaps a key difference between the use of the term affordance in design is the emphasis on intended use, whereas our approach reflects Salomon's focus on ‘possible' use. Like Gibson the approach taken in our paper is focused on the relationship between the infrastructure of information and communication technologies and people's use of those technologies. We are interested in asking questions about what uses ICT invites and facilitates, what it lends itself to and what it can do well. A potential difficulty with using a term so popular in the field of design is that ‘use' tends to be focused on how something ‘should' be used, what it is designed for. Discussion about affordance can be limited to the intended, prescribed or designed function of technology. We are also interested in exploring the creative and innovative way people respond to technologies and perhaps adapt them for use in unforeseen circumstances. An affordance of the technology does not simply refer to the intended use but also to the unintended consequences. Google's use of hyper text links to drive the indexing of web searches might be an example of an affordance that is a consequence of creative engagement with technology, the adaptation rather than a feature of the original design related to hypertext. Another example of this adaptive use of hypertext might include its use by teachers to provide a digital framework for formative assessment and support for student learning. Class room teachers were quick to adapt presentation software and hyper text to present more interactive activity lessons. Software affording transmission modes of delivery was thereby adapted to users needs and a more interactive affordance created.

The U.S. health insurance marketplace: are premiums truly affordable?

Science.gov (United States)

Graetz, Ilana; Kaplan, Cameron M; Kaplan, Erin K; Bailey, James E; Waters, Teresa M

2014-10-21

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires that individuals have health insurance or pay a penalty. Individuals are exempt from paying this penalty if the after-subsidy cost of the least-expensive plan available to them is greater than 8% of their income. For this study, premium data for all health plans offered on the state and federal health insurance marketplaces were collected; the after-subsidy cost of premiums for the least-expensive bronze plan for every county in the United States was calculated; and variations in premium affordability by age, income, and geographic area were assessed. Results indicated that-although marketplace subsidies ensure affordable health insurance for most persons in the United States-many individuals with incomes just above the subsidy threshold will lack affordable coverage and will be exempt from the mandate. Furthermore, young individuals with low incomes often pay as much as or more than older individuals for bronze plans. If substantial numbers of younger, healthier adults choose to remain uninsured because of cost, health insurance premiums across all ages may increase over time.

Experiências inovadoras de cuidado no Programa Saúde da Família (PSF: potencialidades e limites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice da Costa Uchôa

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Atualmente, o PSF convive com práticas do modelo biomédico e outras marcadoras de mudança. Este artigo aborda experiências inovadoras de cuidado baseada em pesquisa realizada em Natal no período de 2005 a 2007. Teve como objetivo compreender os sentidos da integralidade, discutir o papel da criatividade e sensibilidade dos profissionais e analisar as possibilidades de institucionalização e sustentabilidade. Utilizou análise documental; entrevista semi-estruturada com os protagonistas, observação das unidades e experiências. Dentre as concepções de integralidade encontradas destacam-se: promoção da saúde como mudança do estilo de vida; aproximações dialógicas entre saber científico e popular; fortalecimento da participação popular, auto-cuidado. Houve reconhecimento social expressos em ganho de prêmios, publicações e peças teatrais. Nenhum dos projetos contava com financiamento. Conclui-se que as experiências têm uma vocação para promoção e cuidado, mas ainda não têm sustentabilidade financeira e política.

The Value of Full Correction: Achieving Excellent and Affordable Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Julie Bass

2016-01-01

Patients often come to medical aesthetic offices with hopes to fully correct lost facial volume and achieve a natural appearance. Unfortunately, the cost per syringe of dermal filler can be a barrier to desired outcomes. Many aesthetic practitioners do the best they can with the amount of product the patient can afford, often falling short of the "wow" effect for the patient. This article describes what one office implemented to solve the conundrum of affordability while still allowing offices to cover its own financial realities. This tool can help patients achieve beautiful, natural, and affordable outcomes while helping offices advance in manufacturer's tiers, improve word-of-mouth advertising, and increase job satisfaction.

The Affordances of Social Media Platforms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bucher, T.; Helmond, A.; Burgess, J.; Marwick, A.; Poell, T.

2018-01-01

This chapter reflects on the concept of affordance as a key term for understanding and analysing social media interfaces and the relations between technology and its users. In outlining its specific intellectual trajectory from psychology, to technology and design studies, sociology, and

Automatic activation of motor programs by object affordances in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Oguro, Hiroaki; Ward, Robert; Bracewel, Martyn; Hindle, John; Rafal, Robert

2009-09-29

Clinical observations of kinesia paradoxica and freezing in patients with Parkinson's disease suggest that the automatic activation of motor programmes by visual stimuli may not require intact basal ganglia function, and that an increased sensitivity to such object affordances may contribute to some symptoms of the disease. Employing a paradigm that measures the degree of interference from object affordances on voluntary actions, we confirm that activation of object affordances are preserved in Parkinson's disease, but find no evidence that there is an increased sensitivity to the effects of object affordances on voluntary action.

Automatic activation of motor programs by object affordances in patients with Parkinson's disease

Science.gov (United States)

Oguro, Hiroaki; Ward, Robert; Bracewel, Martyn; Hindle, John; Rafal, Robert

2009-01-01

Clinical observations of kinesia paradoxica and freezing in patients with Parkinson's disease suggest that the automatic activation of motor programmes by visual stimuli may not require intact basal ganglia function, and that an increased sensitivity to such object affordances may contribute to some symptoms of the disease. Employing a paradigm that measures the degree of interference from object affordances on voluntary actions, we confirm that activation of object affordances are preserved in Parkinson's disease, but find no evidence that there is an increased sensitivity to the effects of object affordances on voluntary action. PMID:19616073

Price, availability and affordability of medicines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brenda S. Mhlanga

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Medicines play an important role in healthcare, but prices can be a barrier to patient care. Few studies have looked at the prices of essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries in terms of patient affordability.Aim: To determine the prices, availability and affordability of medicines along the supply chain in Swaziland.Setting: Private- and public-sector facilities in Manzini, Swaziland.Methods: The standardised methodology designed by the World Health Organization and Health Action International was used to survey 16 chronic disease medicines. Data were collected in one administrative area in 10 private retail pharmacies and 10 public health facilities. Originator brand (OB and lowest-priced generic equivalent (LPG medicines were monitored and these prices were then compared with international reference prices (IRPs. Affordability was calculated in terms of the daily wage of the lowest-paid unskilled government worker.Results: Mean availability was 68% in the public sector. Private sector OB medicines were priced 32.4 times higher than IRPs, whilst LPGs were 7.32 times higher. OBs cost473% more than LPGs. The total cumulative mark-ups for individual medicines range from 190.99% – 440.27%. The largest contributor to add-on cost was the retail mark-up (31% – 53%. Standard treatment with originator brands cost more than a day’s wage.Conclusion: Various policy measures such as introducing price capping at all levels of the medicine supply chain, may increase the availability, whilst at the same time reducing the prices of essential medicines for the low income population.

Price, availability and affordability of medicines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brenda S. Mhlanga

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Medicines play an important role in healthcare, but prices can be a barrier to patient care. Few studies have looked at the prices of essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries in terms of patient affordability. Aim: To determine the prices, availability and affordability of medicines along the supply chain in Swaziland. Setting: Private- and public-sector facilities in Manzini, Swaziland. Methods: The standardised methodology designed by the World Health Organization and Health Action International was used to survey 16 chronic disease medicines. Data were collected in one administrative area in 10 private retail pharmacies and 10 public health facilities. Originator brand (OB and lowest-priced generic equivalent (LPG medicines were monitored and these prices were then compared with international reference prices (IRPs. Affordability was calculated in terms of the daily wage of the lowest-paid unskilled government worker. Results: Mean availability was 68% in the public sector. Private sector OB medicines were priced 32.4 times higher than IRPs, whilst LPGs were 7.32 times higher. OBs cost473% more than LPGs. The total cumulative mark-ups for individual medicines range from 190.99% – 440.27%. The largest contributor to add-on cost was the retail mark-up (31% – 53%. Standard treatment with originator brands cost more than a day’s wage. Conclusion: Various policy measures such as introducing price capping at all levels of the medicine supply chain, may increase the availability, whilst at the same time reducing the prices of essential medicines for the low income population.

Relative Affordability of Health Insurance Premiums under CHIP Expansion Programs and the ACA.

Science.gov (United States)

Gresenz, Carole Roan; Laugesen, Miriam J; Yesus, Ambeshie; Escarce, José J

2011-10-01

Affordability is integral to the success of health care reforms aimed at ensuring universal access to health insurance coverage, and affordability determinations have major policy and practical consequences. This article describes factors that influenced the determination of affordability benchmarks and premium-contribution requirements for Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expansions in three states that sought to universalize access to coverage for youth. It also compares subsidy levels developed in these states to the premium subsidy schedule under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for health insurance plans purchased through an exchange. We find sizeable variability in premium-contribution requirements for children's coverage as a percentage of family income across the three states and in the progressivity and regressivity of the premium-contribution schedules developed. These findings underscore the ambiguity and subjectivity of affordability standards. Further, our analyses suggest that while the ACA increases the affordability of family coverage for families with incomes below 400 percent of the federal poverty level, the evolution of CHIP over the next five to ten years will continue to have significant implications for low-income families.

Social Media, Privacy, and Self-Disclosure: The Turbulence Caused by Social Media’s Affordances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabine Trepte

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The struggle we currently perceive in terms of social media privacy may be the result of the incompatible natures of “warm” and “cold” affordances. Whereas social media’s warm affordances reflect long-standing privacy routines and expectations, cold affordances seem to challenge and sometimes violate them. Sharing under the realm of warm affordances means sharing according to the routines and habits we know. Sharing under the realm of cold affordances means understanding social media’s terms and conditions and how they reflect on our relationships and experiences - similar to assimilating to a new culture that seems opaque and constantly in flux.

Affordance estimation for vision-based object replacement on a humanoid robot

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mustafa, Wail; Wächter, Mirko; Szedmak, Sandor

2016-01-01

In this paper, we address the problem of finding replacements of missing objects, involved in the execution of manipulation tasks. Our approach is based on estimating functional affordances for the unknown objects in order to propose replacements. We use a vision-based affordance estimation syste...

Defining and Measuring the Affordability of New Medicines : A Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Antonanzas, Fernando; Terkola, Robert; Overton, Paul M.; Shalet, Natalie; Postma, Maarten

Background In many healthcare systems, affordability concerns can lead to restrictions on the use of expensive efficacious therapies. However, there does not appear to be any consensus as to the terminology used to describe affordability, or the thresholds used to determine whether new drugs are

System engineering of complex optical systems for mission assurance and affordability

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Anees

2017-08-01

Affordability and reliability are equally important as the performance and development time for many optical systems for military, space and commercial applications. These characteristics are even more important for the systems meant for space and military applications where total lifecycle costs must be affordable. Most customers are looking for high performance optical systems that are not only affordable but are designed with "no doubt" mission assurance, reliability and maintainability in mind. Both US military and commercial customers are now demanding an optimum balance between performance, reliability and affordability. Therefore, it is important to employ a disciplined systems design approach for meeting the performance, cost and schedule targets while keeping affordability and reliability in mind. The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) now requires all of their systems to be engineered, tested and produced according to the Mission Assurance Provisions (MAP). These provisions or requirements are meant to ensure complex and expensive military systems are designed, integrated, tested and produced with the reliability and total lifecycle costs in mind. This paper describes a system design approach based on the MAP document for developing sophisticated optical systems that are not only cost-effective but also deliver superior and reliable performance during their intended missions.

Pedagogical Affordances of Multiple External Representations in Scientific Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hsin-Kai; Puntambekar, Sadhana

2012-12-01

Multiple external representations (MERs) have been widely used in science teaching and learning. Theories such as dual coding theory and cognitive flexibility theory have been developed to explain why the use of MERs is beneficial to learning, but they do not provide much information on pedagogical issues such as how and in what conditions MERs could be introduced and used to support students' engagement in scientific processes and develop competent scientific practices (e.g., asking questions, planning investigations, and analyzing data). Additionally, little is understood about complex interactions among scientific processes and affordances of MERs. Therefore, this article focuses on pedagogical affordances of MERs in learning environments that engage students in various scientific processes. By reviewing literature in science education and cognitive psychology and integrating multiple perspectives, this article aims at exploring (1) how MERs can be integrated with science processes due to their different affordances, and (2) how student learning with MERs can be scaffolded, especially in a classroom situation. We argue that pairing representations and scientific processes in a principled way based on the affordances of the representations and the goals of the activities is a powerful way to use MERs in science education. Finally, we outline types of scaffolding that could help effective use of MERs including dynamic linking, model progression, support in instructional materials, teacher support, and active engagement.

Engineering an Affordable Self-Driving Car

KAUST Repository

Budisteanu, Alexandru Ionut

2018-01-01

for affordable self-driving cars and he designed a low-cost self-driving car. The car's roof has cameras and low-resolution 3D LiDAR equipment to detect traffic lanes, other cars, curbs and obstacles, such as people crossing by. To process this dizzying amount

DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE - IMIDAZOLIUM FUNCTIONALIZED POLYSULFONE BLEND ANION EXCHANGE MEMBRANE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. VELU

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Anion exchange membrane (AEM is one of the core components of an alkaline fuel cell influencing the fuel cell’s performance, durability and stability. Out of the many anion exchange membranes reported so far, imidazolium functionalized polysulfone (PSf-ImOH membrane has been identified to have high hydroxide ionic conductivity, reaching up to 50 mS cm-1 at 20oC. However, at high levels of ion exchange capacity, the membrane’s water uptake and swelling ratio increases significantly with temperature thus destabilizing it and making it unfit for potential use in high temperature alkaline fuel cells. This limitation of PSf-ImOH membranes has been overcome by blending it with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF polymer, which is a thermally stable and highly hydrophobic polymer. PSf-ImOH membrane with a high degree of chloromethylation (180% was synthesized and blended with PVDF at different weight ratios (PVDF / PSf-ImOH: 30/70, 50/50 and 70/30 to create a series of novel anion exchange membranes. The prepared membranes were characterized to study their structure, water uptake, swelling ratio, solubility in low boiling water soluble solvents, thermal stability, ion exchange capacity (IEC and ionic conductivity (IC at different temperatures. The 70% PVDF blend membrane demonstrated the better performance in terms of IEC, IC and water uptake properties compared to other membranes. Comparative studies on the water uptake and IC variation between the 70% PVDF blend membrane and pure PSfImOH membrane (having the same IEC as that of the blend membrane, clearly indicated the superiority and the promising use of the blend membrane in alkaline fuel cell especially for high temperature working condition.

Insights into the use and affordances of social and collaborative applications for student projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omolola Ola Bankole

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The use of social and collaborative computing has the potential of assisting learning and improving the ability to work together as part of a team. Team work is a graduate attribute that students need to acquire before transitioning from university into the workplace. The aim of this exploratory research was to provide insights into the use of social and collaborative applications by Computer Science students, and the emergent affordances student project teams have created with the use of these applications. It answers the questions: What elearning platforms or applications do students use to collaborate for team projects? What technology affordance draws students to use these applications? This study adopts affordance theory as the theoretical framework. Two types of content analysis: conventional content analysis and summative content analysis were used to analyse the data. Data was gathered using a pre-designed questionnaire with the teams during the first semester of 2016. Findings show that the university’s elearning platform is utilised for some of their courses; however students seem to prefer free and open source platforms. Student project teams used applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Docs, as well as email messages, to work jointly, and were successfully able to complete their team projects. Four types of technology affordances: communicative-affordance, document share-affordance, course resource-affordance, and integrity-affordance, were identified as being relevant.

Affordability of medicines in the European Union.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz Zaprutko

Full Text Available Medications and their prices are key issues for healthcare. Although access to medicines at affordable prices had been specified as a key objective of the European Health Policy, it seems that these goals have not been achieved. Therefore, we attempted an evaluation of affordability of selected medicines at full prices.The analysis concerned 2012 and was conducted between 2013 and 2015 in all the European Union (EU countries divided into 3 groups depending on the date of their accession to the EU. Finally, we considered 9 originators used in the treatment of schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis. Information on drug prices were collected from pharmacies. Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous in order to avoid accusations of advertising. To evaluate affordability, several factors were used (e.g. minimum earnings and Gini coefficient. Due to unavailability in some countries, the exact number of analyzed medicines varies.Drug prices vary significantly between EU Member States. Almost eleven fold difference was observed between Germany (EUR 1451.17 and Croatia (EUR 132.77 in relation to Interferone beta-1a 22 μg. Generally, prices were the highest in Germany. The cheapest drugs were found in various countries but never in the poorest ones like Bulgaria or Romania. Discrepancies in wages were observed too (the smallest minimum wage was EUR 138.00 in Bulgaria and the highest EUR 1801.00 in Luxembourg. Full price of olanzapine 5mg, however, was higher in Bulgaria (EUR 64.53 than, for instance, in Belgium (EUR 37.26.Analyzed medications are still unaffordable for many citizens of the EU. Besides, access to medicines is also impaired e.g. due to parallel trade. Unaffordability of medications may lead to the patients' non-compliance and therefore to increased direct and indirect costs of treatment. Common European solutions are needed to achieve a real affordability and accessibility of medications.

Affordance-based individuation of junctions in Open Street Map

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Scheider

2012-06-01

Full Text Available We propose an algorithm that can be used to identify automatically the subset of street segments of a road network map that corresponds to a junction. The main idea is to use turn-compliant locomotion affordances, i.e., restricted patterns of supported movement, in order to specify junctions independently of their data representation, and in order to motivate tractable individuation and classification strategies. We argue that common approaches based solely on geometry or topology of the street segment graph are useful but insufficient proxies. They miss certain turn restrictions essential to junctions. From a computational viewpoint, the main challenge of affordance-based individuation of junctions lies in its complex recursive definition. In this paper, we show how Open Street Map data can be interpreted into locomotion affordances, and how the recursive junction definition can be translated into a deterministic algorithm. We evaluate this algorithm by applying it to small map excerpts in order to delineate the contained junctions.

OPERA, an automatic PSF reconstruction software for Shack-Hartmann AO systems: application to Altair

Science.gov (United States)

Jolissaint, Laurent; Veran, Jean-Pierre; Marino, Jose

2004-10-01

When doing high angular resolution imaging with adaptive optics (AO), it is of crucial importance to have an accurate knowledge of the point spread function associated with each observation. Applications are numerous: image contrast enhancement by deconvolution, improved photometry and astrometry, as well as real time AO performance evaluation. In this paper, we present our work on automatic PSF reconstruction based on control loop data, acquired simultaneously with the observation. This problem has already been solved for curvature AO systems. To adapt this method to another type of WFS, a specific analytical noise propagation model must be established. For the Shack-Hartmann WFS, we are able to derive a very accurate estimate of the noise on each slope measurement, based on the covariances of the WFS CCD pixel values in the corresponding sub-aperture. These covariances can be either derived off-line from telemetry data, or calculated by the AO computer during the acquisition. We present improved methods to determine 1) r0 from the DM drive commands, which includes an estimation of the outer scale L0 2) the contribution of the high spatial frequency component of the turbulent phase, which is not corrected by the AO system and is scaled by r0. This new method has been implemented in an IDL-based software called OPERA (Performance of Adaptive Optics). We have tested OPERA on Altair, the recently commissioned Gemini-North AO system, and present our preliminary results. We also summarize the AO data required to run OPERA on any other AO system.

Effects of Affordance Perception on the Initiation and Actualization of Action

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smith, Joanne; Pepping, Gert-Jan

2010-01-01

Studies have shown information specifying some affordances may be faster or easier to perceive than others. This article investigates the effect of affordance perception on the time taken to initiate and perform an action. In particular it focuses on how action timing varies as a function of a

Making care affordable.

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, S

1999-01-01

The YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education (CARE) in Chennai, India runs an integrated care program ensuring appropriate and affordable care to everyone who needs it. The program includes both voluntary counseling/testing and hospital/home-based care. YRG CARE developed several strategies for the care program, which include 1) different fees for an HIV test, 2) free counseling service, 3) different charges for other care services, 4) a subsidized pharmacy (involving purchasing drugs directly from manufacturers and wholesalers, ordering free samples from manufacturers, and acquiring drugs through the drug component of its clinical research projects, from overseas hospitals, and from YRG CARE hospital and community-based patients who have not used them), and 5) subsidized meals.

Affordable Exploration of Mars: Recommendations from a Community Workshop on Sustainable Initial Human Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Thronson, Harley; Carberry, Chris; Cassady, R. J.; Cooke, Doug; Hopkins, Joshua; Perino, Maria A.; Kirkpatrick, Jim; Raftery, Michael; Westenberg, Artemis; Zucker, Richard

2013-01-01

There is a growing consensus that within two decades initial human missions to Mars are affordable under plausible budget assumptions and with sustained international participation. In response to this idea, a distinguished group of experts from the Mars exploration stakeholder communities attended the "Affording Mars" workshop at George Washington University in December, 2013. Participants reviewed and discussed scenarios for affordable and sustainable human and robotic exploration of Mars, the role of the International Space Station over the coming decade as the essential early step toward humans to Mars, possible "bridge" missions in the 2020s, key capabilities required for affordable initial missions, international partnerships, and a usable definition of affordability and sustainability. We report here the findings, observations, and recommendations that were agreed to at that workshop.

Alcohol affordability and alcohol demand: cross-country trends and panel data estimates, 1975 to 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Jon P

2014-04-01

Relatively little is known about cross-country differences in alcohol affordability or factors that determine differences in affordability over time. This information is potentially important for alcohol policy, especially policies that focus on higher taxes or prices to reduce total alcohol consumption. This study estimates cross-country alcohol consumption relationships using economic models incorporating income and prices and alternative models based on alcohol affordability. The data and analysis are restricted to higher income countries. Data for alcohol consumption per capita (ages 15+) are analyzed for 2 samples: first, 17 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for the period 1975 to 2000; second, 22 countries in the European Union for the period from 2000 to 2008. Panel data models are utilized, with country and time fixed-effects to control for confounding influences. In economic demand models, covariates are real per capita income and real alcohol price indices. In affordability models, income is divided by prices to yield an index of alcohol affordability. Analysis of data trends reveals that much of the increase in affordability is due to rising real incomes, and not falling real prices. Economic models of demand perform slightly better statistically, but differences are not substantial as income and affordability are highly correlated. For both samples, exogenous rates of growth of alcohol consumption are negative. Price and income elasticities, on average, are within the range of prior estimates. Affordability elasticities are between 0.21 and 0.25. Although alcohol affordability is a valid concept statistically, its use in policy discussions tends to hide underlying causes of changes in affordability. A better approach is a comparison and analysis of trends and cross-country differences in real incomes and real alcohol prices together with the affordability index. Country-level analysis of income and price

Triamidoamine-uranium(IV)-stabilized terminal parent phosphide and phosphinidene complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gardner, Benedict M.; McMaster, Jonathan; Lewis, William; Blake, Alexander J.; Liddle, Stephen T. [School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham (United Kingdom); Balazs, Gabor; Scheer, Manfred [Institut of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Regensburg (Germany); Tuna, Floriana; McInnes, Eric J.L. [School of Chemistry and Photon Science Institute, University of Manchester (United Kingdom)

2014-04-22

Reaction of [U(Tren{sup TIPS})(THF)][BPh{sub 4}] (1; Tren{sup TIPS}=N{CH_2CH_2NSi(iPr)_3}{sub 3}) with NaPH{sub 2} afforded the novel f-block terminal parent phosphide complex [U(Tren {sup TIPS})(PH{sub 2})] (2; U-P=2.883(2) Aa). Treatment of 2 with one equivalent of KCH{sub 2}C{sub 6}H{sub 5} and two equivalents of benzo-15-crown-5 ether (B15C5) afforded the unprecedented metal-stabilized terminal parent phosphinidene complex [U(Tren{sup TIPS})(PH)][K(B15C5){sub 2}] (4; U=P=2.613(2) Aa). DFT calculations reveal a polarized-covalent U=P bond with a Mayer bond order of 1.92. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Embodied Perception: A Proposal to Reconcile Affordance and Spatial Perception

OpenAIRE

Ca?al-Bruland, Rouwen; van der Kamp, John

2015-01-01

Proffitt's embodied approach to perception is deeply indebted to Gibson's ecological approach to visual perception, in particular the idea that the primary objects of perception are affordances or what the environment offers for action. Yet, rather than directly addressing affordance perception, most of the empirical work evaluating Proffitt's approach focuses on the perception of spatial properties of the environment. We propose that theoretical and empirical efforts should be directed towar...

User-inspired design methodology using Affordance Structure Matrix (ASM for construction projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maheswari J. Uma

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Traditionally, design phase of construction projects is often performed with incomplete and inaccurate user preferences. This is due to inefficiencies in the methodologies used for capturing the user requirements that can subsequently lead to inconsistencies and result in non-optimised end-result. Iterations and subsequent reworks due to such design inefficiencies is one of the major reasons for unsuccessful project delivery as they impact project performance measures such as time and cost among others. The existing design theories and practice are primarily based on functional requirements. Function-based design deals with design of artifact alone, which may yield favourable or unfavourable consequences with the design artifact. However, incorporating other interactions such as interactions between user & designer is necessary for optimised end-result. Hence, the objective of this research work is to devise a systematic design methodology considering all the three interactions among users, designers and artefacts for improved design efficiency. In this study, it has been attempted to apply the theory of affordances in a case project that involves the design of an offshore facility. A step-by-step methodology for developing Affordance Structure Matrix (ASM, which integrates House of Quality (HOQ and Design Structure Matrix (DSM, is proposed that can effectively capture the user requirements. HOQ is a popular quality management tool for capturing client requirements and DSM is a matrix-based tool that can capture the interdependency among the design entities. The proposed methodology utilises the strengths of both the tools, as DSM compliments HOQ in the process. In this methodology, different affordances such as AUA (Artifact-User-Affordance, AAA (Artifact-Artifact-Affordance and DDA (Designer-Designer-Affordance are captured systematically. Affordance is considered to be user-driven in this context that is in contrast to prevailing design

Affordance of Braille Music as a Mediational Means: Significance and Limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyu-Yong; Kim, Mi-Jung

2014-01-01

Affordance refers to the properties or designs of a thing that offer the function of the thing. This paper discusses the affordance of Braille music in terms of three notions: mediational means, mastery and appropriation, and focuses on answering the following three questions: (i) How do musicians with visual impairments (MVI) perceive Braille…

Automatic activation of motor programs by object affordances in patients with Parkinson's disease

OpenAIRE

Oguro, Hiroaki; Ward, Robert; Bracewel, Martyn; Hindle, John; Rafal, Robert

2009-01-01

Clinical observations of kinesia paradoxica and freezing in patients with Parkinson's disease suggest that the automatic activation of motor programmes by visual stimuli may not require intact basal ganglia function, and that an increased sensitivity to such object affordances may contribute to some symptoms of the disease. Employing a paradigm that measures the degree of interference from object affordances on voluntary actions, we confirm that activation of object affordances are preserved ...

African Universities Need Affordable and Reliable Broadband ...

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

2010-10-12

Oct 12, 2010 ... But it's a different story in most parts of Africa, where limited library ... on effective and affordable information and communication technology (ICT) ... who are using open-source software that complies with international open ...

Surgeon Reimbursements in Maxillofacial Trauma Surgery: Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Ohio.

Science.gov (United States)

Khansa, Ibrahim; Khansa, Lara; Pearson, Gregory D

2016-02-01

Surgical treatment of maxillofacial injuries has historically been associated with low reimbursements, mainly because of the high proportion of uninsured patients. The Affordable Care Act, implemented in January of 2014, aimed to reduce the number of uninsured. If the Affordable Care Act achieves this goal, surgeons may benefit from improved reimbursement rates. The authors' purpose was to evaluate the effects of the Affordable Care Act on payor distribution and surgeon reimbursements for maxillofacial trauma surgery at their institution. A review of all patients undergoing surgery for maxillofacial trauma between January of 2012 and December of 2014 was conducted. Insurance status, and amounts billed and collected by the surgeon, were recorded. Patients treated before implementation of the Affordable Care Act were compared to those treated after. Five hundred twenty-three patients were analyzed. Three hundred thirty-four underwent surgery before implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and 189 patients underwent surgery after. After implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the proportion of uninsured decreased (27.2 percent to 11.1 percent; p reimbursement rate increased from 14.3 percent to 19.8 percent (p reimbursement rate increased. These trends should be followed over a longer term to determine the full effect of the Affordable Care Act.

Affordability Constraints in Major Defense Acquisitions

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-01

memo, does not provide a detailed recipe for those who must produce quantitative affordability constraints. Enclosure 8 of the January 7, 2015 version...3.0’s full title includes “Achieving Dominant Capabilities 2015 Lot 2028 Lot 2038 Lot $0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $ 500 $600 $700 $800 $900 0 10000 20000

Direct lateral approach to lumbar fusion is a biomechanically equivalent alternative to the anterior approach: an in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Laws, Cory J; Coughlin, Dezba G; Lotz, Jeffrey C; Serhan, Hassan A; Hu, Serena S

2012-05-01

A human cadaveric biomechanical study of lumbar mobility before and after fusion and with or without supplemental instrumentation for 5 instrumentation configurations. To determine the biomechanical differences between anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) and direct lateral interbody fusion (DLIF) with and without supplementary instrumentation. Some prior studies have compared various surgical approaches using the same interbody device whereas others have investigated the stabilizing effect of supplemental instrumentation. No published studies have performed a side-by-side comparison of standard and minimally invasive techniques with and without supplemental instrumentation. Eight human lumbosacral specimens (16 motion segments) were tested in each of the 5 following configurations: (1) intact, (2) with ALIF or DLIF cage, (3) with cage plus stabilizing plate, (4) with cage plus unilateral pedicle screw fixation (PSF), and (5) with cage plus bilateral PSF. Pure moments were applied to induce specimen flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Three-dimensional kinematic responses were measured and used to calculate range of motion, stiffness, and neutral zone. Compared to the intact state, DLIF significantly reduced range of motion in flexion, extension, and lateral bending (P = 0.0117, P = 0.0015, P = 0.0031). Supplemental instrumentation significantly increased fused-specimen stiffness for both DLIF and ALIF groups. For the ALIF group, bilateral PSF increased stiffness relative to stand-alone cage by 455% in flexion and 317% in lateral bending (P = 0.0009 and P < 0.0001). The plate increased ALIF group stiffness by 211% in extension and 256% in axial rotation (P = 0.0467 and P = 0.0303). For the DLIF group, bilateral PSF increased stiffness by 350% in flexion and 222% in extension (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0008). No differences were observed between ALIF and DLIF groups supplemented with bilateral PSF. Our data support that the direct lateral approach

Implementation of an ex situ stabilization technique at the Sand Springs superfund site to solidify and stabilize acid tar sludges involving a quick-lime based stabilization process and innovative equipment design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McManus, R.W.; Grajczak, P.; Wilcoxson, J.C.; Webster, S.D.

1997-01-01

An old refinery site was safely remediated a year before schedule and for 25% less than final engineering estimates for the stabilization remedy thanks to energetic project management and innovative design involving ex situ stabilization/solidification of acid tar sludges. A quicklime based process, Dispersion by Chemical Reaction (DCR trademark), was employed to solidify and stabilize (SS) over 103,000 cubic meters (135,000 cubic yards) of petroleum waste, mostly acidic tarry sludge. The SS process was selected over competing methods because it afforded minimal volume increase, could readily achieve Record of Decision (ROD) specified physical and chemical treatment goals, could be implemented with treatment equipment that minimized emissions, and could be performed with low reagent usage and at low cost. To ensure treatment goals were achieved and an accelerated schedule met, a custom designed and fabricated transportable treatment unit (TTU) was employed to implement the process. The treated material was visually soil-like in character, it was left in stockpiles for periods of time, and it was placed and compacted in the on site landfill using standard earth-moving equipment

Understanding and using technological affordances: a commentary on Conole and Dyke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tom Boyle

2004-12-01

Full Text Available The paper by Conole and Dyke sets the context by pointing to a number of problems that inhibit the widespread, effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT to support learning. They argue that this situation highlights the need to explore a theoretical basis for the use of ICT to support learning. The central argument of the paper is that the notion of affordances can make a significant contribution to this endeavour. The paper aims to articulate the potential impact of these affordances primarily through the development of a taxonomy. It draws on social constructivist theory to help understand and articulate the impact of these affordances. The concept of affordances is potentially both rich and provocative. Conole and Dyke provide a refreshing and diverse look at the theoretical basis for the use of ICT to support learning. We have structured our commentary around six questions that are provided by Conole and Dyke in their Discussion section. Whilst examining these questions we highlight various issues raised by the paper, which we believe, need further consideration and clarification.

Conflict between object structural and functional affordances in peripersonal space.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalénine, Solène; Wamain, Yannick; Decroix, Jérémy; Coello, Yann

2016-10-01

Recent studies indicate that competition between conflicting action representations slows down planning of object-directed actions. The present study aims to assess whether similar conflict effects exist during manipulable object perception. Twenty-six young adults performed reach-to-grasp and semantic judgements on conflictual objects (with competing structural and functional gestures) and non-conflictual objects (with similar structural and functional gestures) presented at difference distances in a 3D virtual environment. Results highlight a space-dependent conflict between structural and functional affordances. Perceptual judgments on conflictual objects were slower that perceptual judgments on non-conflictual objects, but only when objects were presented within reach. Findings demonstrate that competition between structural and functional affordances during object perception induces a processing cost, and further show that object position in space can bias affordance competition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of affordances in Libras acquisition as second language

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jéssica Puhl

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Libras is a visual-spatial language used by the Brazilian deaf community. Following the principles of spatiality and vision, the user of the sign language resorts more easily to stimuli from the environment than the user of the oral language. Thus, the hypothesis of this research is that the affordances (environmental properties that enable psychologically possible actions would be a facilitator element in the process of Libras acquisition. In this paper we use the narrative and interpretive-qualitative research to discuss the role of affordances in the listener perception, interpretation and action cycle in Libras acquisition as second language. Results show that the Libras’ iconic signs can be considered important affordances in the early stages of the acquisition. It is also observed the importance of the permanence in the niche where Libras is used for the sign language development.

Engineering an Affordable Self-Driving Car

KAUST Repository

Budisteanu, Alexandru Ionut

2018-01-17

"More than a million people die in car accidents each year, and most of those accidents are the result of human errorﾔ Alexandru Budisteanu is 23 years old and owns a group of startups including Autonomix, an Artificial Intelligence software for affordable self-driving cars and he designed a low-cost self-driving car. The car\\'s roof has cameras and low-resolution 3D LiDAR equipment to detect traffic lanes, other cars, curbs and obstacles, such as people crossing by. To process this dizzying amount of data, Alexandru employed Artificial Intelligence algorithms to extract information from the visual data and plot a safe route for the car. Then, he built a manufacturing facility in his garage from Romania to assembly affordable VisionBot Pick and Place robots that are used to produce electronics. During this lecture, Alexandru will talk about this autonomous self-driving car prototype, for which he received the grand prize of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and was nominated by TIME magazine as one of the worldﾒs most influential teens of 2013.

Normative Interfaces: Affordances, Gender, and Race in Facebook

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela M. Cirucci

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigates social network site affordances and their implications for perceptions of marginalized communities. I employ Facebook as a case study and speak with young adult users to comprehend how socially marginalized groups are perceived through Facebook’s affordances. In particular, I consider: How familiar are users with Facebook’s tools and functionalities? How are issues of gender and race represented through the site’s interface? How do users conceive of gender and race? The findings suggest that gender is perceived as a more important identifier than race and that Facebook is post-racial, because of the user interface choices made. In addition, my participants view Facebook as an official social space that should include “authentic” identities; although Facebook has shaped authentic to mean accurate. I conclude that while the construction of affordances is a negotiation between user, interface, and designer, the designers have the most power because they have created the spaces in ways that will most benefit Facebook. In addition, users who are more situated in the socio-cultural majority have no desire to enact agency within Facebook’s structure because they are accustomed to forms and official documents that are well suited to fit their identification needs.

Do Affordable Housing Projects Harm Suburban Communities? Crime, Property Values, and Taxes in Mount Laurel, NJ.

Science.gov (United States)

Albright, Len; Derickson, Elizabeth S; Massey, Douglas S

2013-06-01

This paper offers a mixed-method analysis of the municipal-level consequences of an affordable housing development built in suburban New Jersey. Opponents of affordable housing development often suggest that creating affordable housing will harm surrounding communities. Feared consequences include increases in crime, declining property values, and rising taxes. To evaluate these claims, the paper uses the case of Mt. Laurel, NJ - the site of a landmark affordable housing legal case and subsequent affordable housing development. Employing a multiple time series group control design, we compare crime rates, property values, and property taxes in Mt. Laurel to outcomes in similar nearby municipalities that do not contain comparable affordable housing developments. We find that the opening of the affordable housing development was not associated with trends in crime, property values, or taxes, and discuss management practices and design features that may have mitigated potential negative externalities.

Active design in affordable housing: A public health nudge.

Science.gov (United States)

Garland, Elizabeth; Garland, Victoria; Peters, Dominique; Doucette, John; Thanik, Erin; Rajupet, Sritha; Sanchez, Sadie H

2018-06-01

This pilot study investigates the impact of active design (AD) strategies on physical activity (PA) among adults living in two Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified affordable housing developments in the South Bronx, New York. One building incorporates LEED Innovation in Design (ID) Credit: Design for Health through Increased Physical Activity. Tenants in an affordable housing building (AH) incorporating active design strategies completed PA self-assessments at their lease signing and one year later in 2015. Trained research assistants obtained body measurements. Residents of neighboring non-AD affordable housing (MCV) served as a comparison. Thirty four adults were recruited from AH and 29 from MCV, retention was 56% (n = 19) and 52% (n = 15) respectively at one year. The two groups' body mass index (BMI) and high-risk waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were not statistically significantly different when analyzed as continuous variables, although BMI category had a greater decline at AH than at MCV (p = 0.054). There was a 31.5% increase in AH participants meeting MPA requirements and a statistically significant improvement in females (p = 0.031); while there was no change in the MCV participants overall or when stratified by gender. AH participants were significantly more likely to have reported increased stair use and less likely to have reported no change or decreased stair use than participants from MCV participants (p = 0.033). Housing has a role in individual health outcomes and behavior change, broad adoption of active design strategies in affordable housing is warranted to improve physical activity measures.

Negatively charged polysulfone membranes with hydrophilicity and antifouling properties based on in situ cross-linked polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Lijing; Song, Haiming; Zhang, Dawei; Wang, Gang; Zeng, Zhixiang; Xue, Qunji

2017-07-15

Polysulfone (PSf) membrane has been widely used in water separation and purification, although, membrane fouling is still a serious problem limiting its potential. We aim to improve the antifouling of PSf membranes via a very simple and efficient method. In this work, antifouling PSf membranes were fabricated via in situ cross-linked polymerization coupled with non-solvent induced phase separation. In brief, acrylic acid (AA) and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTEOS) were copolymerized in PSf solution, then directly casted into membranes without purification. With the increase of monomers concentration, the morphology of the as-cast membranes changed from a finger-like morphology to a fully sponge-like structure due to the increased viscosity and decreased precipitation rate of the polymer solutions. Meanwhile, the hydrophilicity and electronegativity of modified membranes were highly improved leading to inhibited protein adsorption and improved antifouling property. Furthermore, in order to further find out the different roles player by AA and VTESO, the modified membrane without VTEOS was prepared and characterized. The results indicated that AA is more effective in the membrane hydrophilicity improvement, VTEOS is more crucial to improve membrane stability. This work provides valuable guidance for fabricating PSf membranes with hydrophilicity and antifouling property via in situ cross-linked polymerization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tablets for Learning in Higher Education:The Top 10 Affordances

OpenAIRE

Godsk, Mikkel

2013-01-01

Based on a small-scale literature review this paper identifies the top 10 affordances of post PC tablets (sometimes referred to as ‘tablet computers’) for higher education in settings where the technology is used for learning. The review shows that the predominant affordances of the technology are related to its ability to support engaging, inclusive, and/or collaborative learning, to provide flexibility in place, and to include multimedia and interactive content in teaching practice. However...

Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing in Urban India - Mumbai

OpenAIRE

Viswanathan, Upasna

2014-01-01

The need for housing in today's world is irrefutable. The growing population, accompanied with the fast pace of urbanization, are producing great housing demand, in urban areas in particular. This study focused on one segment of housing - affordable housing, in Mumbai, India, the demand for which has been on a steady rise over the past decade. Though traditionally the State was the provider of affordable housing, private sector has been increasingly involved in the segment, beginning the econ...

flexZhouse: New business model for affordable housing in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Mohd Zairul bin Mohd Noor

2017-01-01

Central to this PhD research was the problem of the lack of affordable housing for young starters in Malaysia. The solutions for affordable housing that are available in the market do not truly solve the problem from the customer’s point of view. Hence, it was important to analyse the contributing factors associated with the term ‘affordability’. The term touches upon interconnected elements that cover many issues ranging from demand (housing needs, demographics, household income, quality hou...

Approach to an Affordable and Sustainable Space Transportation System

Science.gov (United States)

McCleskey, Caey M.; Rhodes, R. E.; Robinson, J. W.; Henderson, E. M.

2012-01-01

This paper describes an approach and a general procedure for creating space transportation architectural concepts that are at once affordable and sustainable. Previous papers by the authors and other members of the Space Propulsion Synergy Team (SPST) focused on a functional system breakdown structure for an architecture and definition of high-payoff design techniques with a technology integration strategy. This paper follows up by using a structured process that derives architectural solutions focused on achieving life cycle affordability and sustainability. Further, the paper includes an example concept that integrates key design techniques discussed in previous papers. !

24 CFR 1000.104 - What families are eligible for affordable housing activities?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... affordable housing activities? 1000.104 Section 1000.104 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating... Activities § 1000.104 What families are eligible for affordable housing activities? The following families... Indian area. (b) A non-low income Indian family may receive housing assistance in accordance with § 1000...

16 CFR 1061.8 - Information on the heightened degree of protection afforded.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... protection afforded. 1061.8 Section 1061.8 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION FROM PREEMPTION § 1061.8 Information on the heightened degree of protection afforded... State or local requirement provides a significantly higher degree of protection from the risk of injury...

Self-organization, free energy minimization, and optimal grip on a field of affordances.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruineberg, Jelle; Rietveld, Erik

2014-01-01

In this paper, we set out to develop a theoretical and conceptual framework for the new field of Radical Embodied Cognitive Neuroscience. This framework should be able to integrate insights from several relevant disciplines: theory on embodied cognition, ecological psychology, phenomenology, dynamical systems theory, and neurodynamics. We suggest that the main task of Radical Embodied Cognitive Neuroscience is to investigate the phenomenon of skilled intentionality from the perspective of the self-organization of the brain-body-environment system, while doing justice to the phenomenology of skilled action. In previous work, we have characterized skilled intentionality as the organism's tendency toward an optimal grip on multiple relevant affordances simultaneously. Affordances are possibilities for action provided by the environment. In the first part of this paper, we introduce the notion of skilled intentionality and the phenomenon of responsiveness to a field of relevant affordances. Second, we use Friston's work on neurodynamics, but embed a very minimal version of his Free Energy Principle in the ecological niche of the animal. Thus amended, this principle is helpful for understanding the embeddedness of neurodynamics within the dynamics of the system "brain-body-landscape of affordances." Next, we show how we can use this adjusted principle to understand the neurodynamics of selective openness to the environment: interacting action-readiness patterns at multiple timescales contribute to the organism's selective openness to relevant affordances. In the final part of the paper, we emphasize the important role of metastable dynamics in both the brain and the brain-body-environment system for adequate affordance-responsiveness. We exemplify our integrative approach by presenting research on the impact of Deep Brain Stimulation on affordance responsiveness of OCD patients.

Global Trends in the Affordability of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, 1990-2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Blecher, Evan; Liber, Alex C; Drope, Jeffrey M; Nguyen, Binh; Stoklosa, Michal

2017-05-04

The objective of this study was to quantify changes in the affordability of sugar-sweetened beverages, a product implicated as a contributor to rising rates of obesity worldwide, as a function of product price and personal income. We used international survey data in a retrospective analysis of 40 high-income and 42 low-income and middle-income countries from 1990 to 2016. Prices of sugar-sweetened beverages were from the Economist Intelligence Unit's World Cost of Living Survey. Income and inflation data were from the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook Database. The measure of affordability was the average annual percentage change in the relative-income price of sugar-sweetened beverages, which is the annual rate of change in the proportion of per capita gross domestic product needed to purchase 100 L of Coca-Cola in each country in each year of the study. In 79 of 82 countries, the proportion of income needed to purchase sugar-sweetened beverages declined on average (using annual measures) during the study period. This pattern, described as an increase in the affordability of sugar-sweetened beverages, indicated that sugar-sweetened beverages became more affordable more rapidly in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries, a fact largely attributable to the higher rate of income growth in those countries than to a decline in the real price of sugar-sweetened beverages. Without deliberate policy action to raise prices, sugar-sweetened beverages are likely to become more affordable and more widely consumed around the world.

77 FR 70583 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Health Insurance Market Rules; Rate Review

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-26

... Parts 144, 147, 150, et al. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Health Insurance Market Rules... and 156 [CMS-9972-P] RIN 0938-AR40 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Health Insurance Market... Affordable Care Act with respect to health insurance issuers and group health plans that are non-federal...

High Working Memory Load Increases Intracortical Inhibition in Primary Motor Cortex and Diminishes the Motor Affordance Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Scott M; Itthipuripat, Sirawaj; Aron, Adam R

2016-05-18

Motor affordances occur when the visual properties of an object elicit behaviorally relevant motor representations. Typically, motor affordances only produce subtle effects on response time or on motor activity indexed by neuroimaging/neuroelectrophysiology, but sometimes they can trigger action itself. This is apparent in "utilization behavior," where individuals with frontal cortex damage inappropriately grasp affording objects. This raises the possibility that, in healthy-functioning individuals, frontal cortex helps ensure that irrelevant affordance provocations remain below the threshold for actual movement. In Experiment 1, we tested this "frontal control" hypothesis by "loading" the frontal cortex with an effortful working memory (WM) task (which ostensibly consumes frontal resources) and examined whether this increased EEG measures of motor affordances to irrelevant affording objects. Under low WM load, there were typical motor affordance signatures: an event-related desynchronization in the mu frequency and an increased P300 amplitude for affording (vs nonaffording) objects over centroparietal electrodes. Contrary to our prediction, however, these affordance measures were diminished under high WM load. In Experiment 2, we tested competing mechanisms responsible for the diminished affordance in Experiment 1. We used paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation over primary motor cortex to measure long-interval cortical inhibition. We found greater long-interval cortical inhibition for high versus low load both before and after the affording object, suggesting that a tonic inhibition state in primary motor cortex could prevent the affordance from provoking the motor system. Overall, our results suggest that a high WM load "sets" the motor system into a suppressed state that mitigates motor affordances. Is an irrelevant motor affordance more likely to be triggered when you are under low or high cognitive load? We examined this using physiological measures

Implementing the Affordable Care Act: Promoting Competition in the Individual Marketplaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Cusano, David; Lucia, Kevin

2016-02-01

A main goal of the Affordable Care Act is to provide Americans with access to affordable coverage in the individual market, achieved in part by pro­moting competition among insurers on premium price and value. One primary mechanism for meeting that goal is the establishment of new individual health insurance marketplaces where consumers can shop for, compare, and purchase plans, with subsidies if they are eligible. In this issue brief, we explore how the Affordable Care Act is influencing competition in the individual marketplaces in four states--Kansas, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Washington. Strategies include: educating consumers and providing coverage information in one place to ease decision-making; promoting competition among insurers; and ensuring a level playing field for premium rate development through the rate review process.

Towards Affordable Disclosure of Spoken Word Archives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ordelman, Roeland J.F.; Heeren, W.F.L.; Huijbregts, M.A.H.; Hiemstra, Djoerd; de Jong, Franciska M.G.; Larson, M; Fernie, K; Oomen, J; Cigarran, J.

2008-01-01

This paper presents and discusses ongoing work aiming at affordable disclosure of real-world spoken word archives in general, and in particular of a collection of recorded interviews with Dutch survivors of World War II concentration camp Buchenwald. Given such collections, the least we want to be

Towards Affordable Disclosure of Spoken Heritage Archives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Larson, M; Ordelman, Roeland J.F.; Heeren, W.F.L.; Fernie, K; de Jong, Franciska M.G.; Huijbregts, M.A.H.; Oomen, J; Hiemstra, Djoerd

2009-01-01

This paper presents and discusses ongoing work aiming at affordable disclosure of real-world spoken heritage archives in general, and in particular of a collection of recorded interviews with Dutch survivors of World War II concentration camp Buchenwald. Given such collections, we at least want to

Situational Affordance - Appreciating human Interpretations in New Product Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiasen, John Bang; Koch, Christian

2009-01-01

New Product Development (NPD) takes place within a web of connected actors who do not master fully the objects of the process, but rather they interpret the affordance - the en-abling and constraining framing by objects such as sketches, drawings, specifications, mock-ups and prototypes. The arti......New Product Development (NPD) takes place within a web of connected actors who do not master fully the objects of the process, but rather they interpret the affordance - the en-abling and constraining framing by objects such as sketches, drawings, specifications, mock-ups and prototypes....... The article draws on critical comments and extends Hutchby’s concept of affordance. Even if Hutchby does not study an artefact as a micro-level phe-nomenon from an engineering perspective and only considers the consumption of an arte-fact, we use him to study the development of artefacts in NPD. Hutchby...... to negotiate technical and non-technical aspects alike, while Sierra uses a CAD-system to support joint-development crossing organisational boundaries. The cases share features such as triadic relations; customer’s problem, product designers and artefact. For example, a wheelchair is presented to Sierra...

Affordances of Spreadsheets In Mathematical Investigation: Potentialities For Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nigel Calder

2009-10-01

Full Text Available This article, is concerned with the ways learning is shaped when mathematics problems are investigated in spreadsheet environments. It considers how the opportunities and constraints the digital media affords influenced the decisions the students made, and the direction of their enquiry pathway. How might the learning trajectory unfold, and the learning process and mathematical understanding emerge? Will the spreadsheet, as the pedagogical medium, evoke learning in a distinctive manner? The article reports on an aspect of an ongoing study involving students as they engage mathematical investigative tasks through digital media, the spreadsheet in particular. It considers the affordances of this learning environment for primary-aged students.

How to Evaluate Smart Cities’ Construction? A Comparison of Chinese Smart City Evaluation Methods Based on PSF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongbo Shi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of smart cities in the world, research relating to smart city evaluation has become a new research hotspot in academia. However, there are general problems of cognitive deprivation, lack of planning experience, and low level of coordination in smart cities construction. It is necessary for us to develop a set of scientific, reasonable, and effective evaluation index systems and evaluation models to analyze the development degree of urban wisdom. Based on the theory of the urban system, we established a comprehensive evaluation index system for urban intelligent development based on the people-oriented, city-system, and resources-flow (PSF evaluation model. According to the characteristics of the comprehensive evaluation index system of urban intelligent development, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP combined with the experts’ opinions determine the index weight of this system. We adopted the neural network model to construct the corresponding comprehensive evaluation model to characterize the non-linear characteristics of the comprehensive evaluation indexes system, thus to quantitatively quantify the comprehensive evaluation indexes of urban intelligent development. Finally, we used the AHP, AHP-BP (Back Propagation, and AHP-ELM (Extreme Learning Machine models to evaluate the intelligent development level of 151 cities in China, and compared them from the perspective of model accuracy and time cost. The final simulation results show that the AHP-ELM model is the best evaluation model.

Understanding the adoption dynamics of medical innovations: affordances of the da Vinci robot in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrishami, Payam; Boer, Albert; Horstman, Klasien

2014-09-01

This study explored the rather rapid adoption of a new surgical device - the da Vinci robot - in the Netherlands despite the high costs and its controversial clinical benefits. We used the concept 'affordances' as a conceptual-analytic tool to refer to the perceived promises, symbolic meanings, and utility values of an innovation constructed in the wider social context of use. This concept helps us empirically understand robot adoption. Data from 28 in-depth interviews with diverse purposively-sampled stakeholders, and from medical literature, policy documents, Health Technology Assessment reports, congress websites and patients' weblogs/forums between April 2009 and February 2014 were systematically analysed from the perspective of affordances. We distinguished five interrelated affordances of the robot that accounted for shaping and fulfilling its rapid adoption: 'characteristics-related' affordances such as smart nomenclature and novelty, symbolising high-tech clinical excellence; 'research-related' affordances offering medical-technical scientific excellence; 'entrepreneurship-related' affordances for performing better-than-the-competition; 'policy-related' affordances indicating the robot's liberalised provision and its reduced financial risks; and 'communication-related' affordances of the robot in shaping patients' choices and the public's expectations by resonating promising discourses while pushing uncertainties into the background. These affordances make the take-up and use of the da Vinci robot sound perfectly rational and inevitable. This Dutch case study demonstrates the fruitfulness of the affordances approach to empirically capturing the contextual dynamics of technology adoption in health care: exploring in-depth actors' interaction with the technology while considering the interpretative spaces created in situations of use. This approach can best elicit real-life value of innovations, values as defined through the eyes of (potential) users

Refusal to enrol in Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme: is affordability the problem?

Science.gov (United States)

Kusi, Anthony; Enemark, Ulrika; Hansen, Kristian S; Asante, Felix A

2015-01-17

Access to health insurance is expected to have positive effect in improving access to healthcare and offer financial risk protection to households. Ghana began the implementation of a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2004 as a way to ensure equitable access to basic healthcare for all residents. After a decade of its implementation, national coverage is just about 34% of the national population. Affordability of the NHIS contribution is often cited by households as a major barrier to enrolment in the NHIS without any rigorous analysis of this claim. In light of the global interest in achieving universal health insurance coverage, this study seeks to examine the extent to which affordability of the NHIS contribution is a barrier to full insurance for households and a burden on their resources. The study uses data from a cross-sectional household survey involving 2,430 households from three districts in Ghana conducted between January-April, 2011. Affordability of the NHIS contribution is analysed using the household budget-based approach based on the normative definition of affordability. The burden of the NHIS contributions to households is assessed by relating the expected annual NHIS contribution to household non-food expenditure and total consumption expenditure. Households which cannot afford full insurance were identified. Results show that 66% of uninsured households and 70% of partially insured households could afford full insurance for their members. Enroling all household members in the NHIS would account for 5.9% of household non-food expenditure or 2.0% of total expenditure but higher for households in the first (11.4%) and second (7.0%) socio-economic quintiles. All the households (29%) identified as unable to afford full insurance were in the two lower socio-economic quintiles and had large household sizes. Non-financial factors relating to attributes of the insurer and health system problems also affect enrolment in the NHIS. Affordability

The Role of Affordances in the Evolutionary Process Reconsidered A Niche Construction Perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Withagen, Rob; van Wermeskerken, Margot

Gibson asserted that affordances are the primary objects of perception. Although this assertion is especially attractive when considered in the context of evolutionary theory, the role that affordances play in the evolution of animals' perceptual and action systems is still unclear. Trying to

Practical measurement of affordability: An application to medicines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.M. Niëns (Laurens); E. Van de Poel (Ellen); A. Cameron (ALexandra); M. Ewen (Margaret); R. Laing (Richard); W.B.F. Brouwer (Werner)

2012-01-01

markdownabstract__Objective:__ To develop two practical methods for measuring the affordability of medicines in developing countries. __Methods:__ The proposed methods - catastrophic and impoverishment methods - rely on easily accessible aggregated expenditure data and take into account a

Students' Affordance of Teleologic Explanations and Anthropomorphic Language in Eliciting Concepts in Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Bautista, Romiro G.

2015-01-01

This study ascertains that the students' affordance of teleologic explanations and anthropomorphic language in eliciting concepts in Physics is influenced by their age and learning exposure and experience. Using Explicative-Reductive Method of Descriptive Research, this study focused on the determinants of students' affordance of…

Assessing the engineering performance of affordable net-zero energy housing

Science.gov (United States)

Wallpe, Jordan P.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate affordable technologies that are capable of providing attractive, cost-effective energy savings to the housing industry. The research did so by investigating the 2011 Solar Decathlon competition, with additional insight from the Purdue INhome. Insight from the Purdue INhome verified the importance of using a three step design process to design a net-zero energy building. In addition, energy consumption values of the INhome were used to compare and contrast different systems used in other houses. Evaluation of unbiased competition contests gave a better understanding of how a house can realistically reach net-zero. Upon comparison, off-the-shelf engineering systems such as super-efficient HVAC units, heat pump hot water heaters, and properly designed photovoltaic arrays can affordably enable a house to become net-zero. These important and applicable technologies realized from the Solar Decathlon will reduce the 22 percent of all energy consumed through the residential sector in the United States. In conclusion, affordable net-zero energy buildings can be built today with commitment from design professionals, manufacturers, and home owners.

Fisiognomica emozionale. Affordances, estasi, atmosfere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tonino Griffero

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Through an atmospherological approach, primarily inspired by the so-called Aisthetik or New Aesthetics (Gernot Böhme and the New Phenomenology (Hermann Schmitz, the paper defines the atmospheric perception as a first pathemic impression and investigates the relationship between this kind of perception and the expressive qualities of the surrounding spaces. The aim is to understand atmospheres as (amodal, transmodal, sinaesthetic affordances that permeate the lived space, namely as ‘ecological’ and affective invites or meanings which are ontologically rooted in things and quasi-things.

Closing the Communal Gap: The Importance of Communal Affordances in Science Career Motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Elizabeth R; Thoman, Dustin B; Smith, Jessi L; Diekman, Amanda B

2015-12-01

To remain competitive in the global economy, the United States (and other countries) is trying to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by graduating an additional 1 million people in STEM fields by 2018. Although communion (working with, helping, and caring for others) is a basic human need, STEM careers are often (mis)perceived as being uncommunal. Across three naturalistic studies we found greater support for the communal affordance hypothesis, that perceiving STEM careers as affording greater communion is associated with greater STEM career interest, than two alternative hypotheses derived from goal congruity theory. Importantly, these findings held regardless of major (Study 1), college enrollment (Study 2), and gender (Studies 1-3). For undergraduate research assistants, mid-semester beliefs that STEM affords communion predicted end of the semester STEM motivation (Study 3). Our data highlight the importance of educational and workplace motivational interventions targeting communal affordances beliefs about STEM.

Affordable mobile robotic platforms for teaching computer science at African universities

OpenAIRE

Gyebi, Ernest; Hanheide, Marc; Cielniak, Grzegorz

2015-01-01

Educational robotics can play a key role in addressing some of the challenges faced by higher education in Africa. One of the major obstacles preventing a wider adoption of initiatives involving educational robotics in this part of the world is lack of robots that would be affordable by African institutions. In this paper, we present a survey and analysis of currently available affordable mobile robots and their suitability for teaching computer science at African universities. To this end, w...

Affordability as a discursive accomplishment in a changing National Health Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Jill; Greenhalgh, Trisha

2012-12-01

Health systems worldwide face the challenges of rationing. The English National Health Service (NHS) was founded on three core principles: universality, comprehensiveness, and free at the point of delivery. Yet patients are increasingly hearing that some treatments are unaffordable on the NHS. We considered affordability as a social accomplishment and sought to explore how those charged with allocating NHS resources achieved this in practice. We undertook a linguistic ethnography to examine the work practices of resource allocation committees in three Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England between 2005 and 2012, specifically deliberations over 'individual funding requests' (IFRs)--requests by patients and their doctors for the PCT to support a treatment not routinely funded. We collected and analysed a diverse dataset comprising policy documents, legal judgements, audio recordings, ethnographic field notes and emails from PCT committee meetings, interviews and a focus group with committee members. We found that the fundamental values of universality and comprehensiveness strongly influenced the culture of these NHS organisations, and that in this context, accomplishing affordability was not easy. Four discursive practices served to confer legitimacy on affordability as a guiding value of NHS health care: (1) categorising certain treatments as only eligible for NHS funding if patients could prove 'exceptional' circumstances; (2) representing resource allocation decisions as being not (primarily) about money; (3) indexical labelling of affordability as an ethical principle, and (4) recontextualising legal judgements supporting refusal of NHS treatment on affordability grounds as 'rational'. The overall effect of these discursive practices was that denying treatment to patients became reasonable and rational for an organisation even while it continued to espouse traditional NHS values. We conclude that deliberations about the funding of treatments at the margins of NHS

Paying for Cures: Perspectives on Solutions to the "Affordability Issue".

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffer, Sarah Karlsberg; Messner, Donna; Mestre-Ferrandiz, Jorge; Tambor, Ellen; Towse, Adrian

2018-03-01

Curative therapies and other medicines considered "game-changing" in terms of health gain can be accompanied by high demand and high list prices that pose budget challenges to public and private payers and health systems-the so-called affordability issue. These challenges are exacerbated when longer term effectiveness, and thus value for money, is uncertain, but they can arise even when treatments are proven to be highly cost-effective at the time of launch. This commentary reviews innovative payment solutions proposed in the literature to address the affordability issue, including the use of credit markets and of staged payments linked to patient outcomes, and draws on discussions with payers in the United States and Europe on the feasibility or desirability of operationalizing any of the alternative financing and payment strategies that appear in the literature. This included a small number of semistructured interviews. We conclude that there is a mismatch between the enthusiasm in the academic literature for developing new approaches and the scepticism of payers that they can work or are necessary. For the foreseeable future, affordability pressures will continue to be handled by aggressive price bargaining, high co-pays (in systems in which this is possible), and restricting access to subgroups of patients. Of the mechanisms we explored, outcomes-based payments were of most interest to payers, but the costs associated with operating such schemes, together with implementation challenges, did not make them an attractive option for managing affordability. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Essential Medicines in Nigeria: Foregrounding Access to Affordable ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Within every functional healthcare system, access to quality and affordable essential medicine stands out as one of the building blocks. However ... Keywords: Access to medicines, Essential medicines, Healthcare, Public health facilities, Counterfeit medicines, Traditional medicines, Health systems, Systems theory ...

Global Trends in the Affordability of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, 1990–2016

Science.gov (United States)

Blecher, Evan; Liber, Alex C.; Nguyen, Binh; Stoklosa, Michal

2017-01-01

Introduction The objective of this study was to quantify changes in the affordability of sugar-sweetened beverages, a product implicated as a contributor to rising rates of obesity worldwide, as a function of product price and personal income. Methods We used international survey data in a retrospective analysis of 40 high-income and 42 low-income and middle-income countries from 1990 to 2016. Prices of sugar-sweetened beverages were from the Economist Intelligence Unit’s World Cost of Living Survey. Income and inflation data were from the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook Database. The measure of affordability was the average annual percentage change in the relative-income price of sugar-sweetened beverages, which is the annual rate of change in the proportion of per capita gross domestic product needed to purchase 100 L of Coca-Cola in each country in each year of the study. Results In 79 of 82 countries, the proportion of income needed to purchase sugar-sweetened beverages declined on average (using annual measures) during the study period. This pattern, described as an increase in the affordability of sugar-sweetened beverages, indicated that sugar-sweetened beverages became more affordable more rapidly in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries, a fact largely attributable to the higher rate of income growth in those countries than to a decline in the real price of sugar-sweetened beverages. Conclusion Without deliberate policy action to raise prices, sugar-sweetened beverages are likely to become more affordable and more widely consumed around the world. PMID:28472607

Balancing activity, stability and conductivity of nanoporous core-shell iridium/iridium oxide oxygen evolution catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yong-Tae; Lopes, Pietro Papa; Park, Shin-Ae; Lee, A-Yeong; Lim, Jinkyu; Lee, Hyunjoo; Back, Seoin; Jung, Yousung; Danilovic, Nemanja; Stamenkovic, Vojislav; Erlebacher, Jonah; Snyder, Joshua; Markovic, Nenad M.

2017-11-13

The selection of oxide materials for catalyzing the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in acid-based electrolyzers must be guided by the proper balance between activity, stability and conductivity – a challenging mission of great importance for delivering affordable and environmentally friendly hydrogen. Here we report that the highly conductive nanoporous architecture of an iridium oxide shell on a metallic iridium core, formed through the fast dealloying of osmium from an Ir25Os75 alloy, exhibits an exceptional balance between oxygen evolution activity and stability as quantified by the Activity-Stability FactorASF. Based on this metric, the nanoporous Ir/IrO2 morphology of dealloyed Ir25Os75 shows a factor of ~30 improvement ASFrelative to conventional Ir-based oxide materials and a ~8 times improvement over dealloyed Ir25Os75 nanoparticles due to optimized stability and conductivity, respectively. We propose that the Activity-Stability FactorASF is the key “metric” for determining the technological relevance of oxide-based anodic water electrolyzer catalysts.

Concepts in Biotechnology An Affordable Overview of Biotechnology ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 2; Issue 9. Concepts in Biotechnology An Affordable Overview of Biotechnology Through Self Study ... Author Affiliations. Narayan S Punekar1. Molecular Enzymology Group, Biotechnology Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai 400 076, India.

Affordances of Instrumentation in General Chemistry Laboratories

Science.gov (United States)

Sherman, Kristin Mary Daniels

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to find out what students in the first chemistry course at the undergraduate level (general chemistry for science majors) know about the affordances of instrumentation used in the general chemistry laboratory and how their knowledge develops over time. Overall, students see the PASCO(TM) system as a useful and accurate…

Leveraging the Affordances of the Emerging 3d Internet for Entrepreneurial ”Next Practices”

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frølunde, Lisbeth; Flåten, Bjørn-Tore

” for entrepreneurial practices? Our second research question focuses on understanding how entrepreneurs utilize their social networks. Our approach to entrepreneurship is social-- concerned with the dynamics of social interactions and networked information ecology. Methods We are currently conducting 10 case studies...... for entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, the literature offers sparse knowledge at the industry level. There is a lack of overview regarding 3D Internet entrepreneurship practices and the real challenges faced by entrepreneurs. In this study, we explore the potential as well as the hindrances to new venture creation...... related to the 3D Internet. Our theoretical basis is affordances, or the material and social properties of any technology in relation to affording actions by humans. Our first research question focuses on the perception of affordances by entrepreneurs: what does the 3D Internet offer or afford as a “space...

Remote stabilization of copper paddlewheel based molecular building blocks in metal-organic frameworks

KAUST Repository

Gao, Wenyang

2015-03-24

Copper paddlewheel based molecular building blocks (MBBs) are ubiquitous and have been widely employed for the construction of highly porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). However, most copper paddlewheel based MOFs fail to retain their structural integrity in the presence of water. This instability is directly correlated to the plausible displacement of coordinating carboxylates in the copper paddlewheel MBB, [Cu2(O2C-)4], by the strongly coordinating water molecules. In this comprehensive study, we illustrate the chemical stability control in the rht-MOF platform via strengthening the coordinating bonds within the triangular inorganic MBB, [Cu3O(N4-x(CH)xC-)3] (x = 0, 1, or 2). Remotely, the chemical stabilization propagated into the paddlewheel MBB to afford isoreticular rht-MOFs with remarkably enhanced water/chemical stabilities compared to the prototypal rht-MOF-1. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

Remote stabilization of copper paddlewheel based molecular building blocks in metal-organic frameworks

KAUST Repository

Gao, Wenyang; Cai, Rong; Pham, Tony T.; Forrest, Katherine A.; Hogan, Adam; Nugent, Patrick S.; Williams, Kia R.; Wojtas, Łukasz; Luebke, Ryan; Weselinski, Lukasz Jan; Zaworotko, Michael J.; Space, Brian; Chen, Yusheng; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Shi, Xiaodong; Ma, Shengqian

2015-01-01

Copper paddlewheel based molecular building blocks (MBBs) are ubiquitous and have been widely employed for the construction of highly porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). However, most copper paddlewheel based MOFs fail to retain their structural integrity in the presence of water. This instability is directly correlated to the plausible displacement of coordinating carboxylates in the copper paddlewheel MBB, [Cu2(O2C-)4], by the strongly coordinating water molecules. In this comprehensive study, we illustrate the chemical stability control in the rht-MOF platform via strengthening the coordinating bonds within the triangular inorganic MBB, [Cu3O(N4-x(CH)xC-)3] (x = 0, 1, or 2). Remotely, the chemical stabilization propagated into the paddlewheel MBB to afford isoreticular rht-MOFs with remarkably enhanced water/chemical stabilities compared to the prototypal rht-MOF-1. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

Getting a grip on affordances, attention and visual fields

OpenAIRE

Linden, Lotje van der; Theeuwes, Jan; Ellis, Rob

2013-01-01

van der Linden, L., Theeuwes, J., & Ellis, R. (2012). Getting a grip on affordances, attention, and visual fields. Poster presented at the 2012 William James Graduate School Symposium, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Tobacco affordability, sales and excise revenues in the 28 European Union countries in 2011-2014

OpenAIRE

Konstantin Krasovsky

2017-01-01

Introduction The Guidelines for the FCTC Article 6 state: When establishing their levels of taxation, Parties should make tobacco products less affordable over time in order to reduce consumption. The objective is to estimate the impact of changes in tobacco affordability on tobacco consumption and tobacco excise revenues in 2011-2014 in 28 European Union countries. Material and Methods Tobacco affordability index was calculated using the Eurostat data on harmonized consumer price i...

Tempting foods and the affordability axiom: Food cues change beliefs about the costs of healthy eating.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Sarah E; Baskett, Kaily; Bradshaw, Hannah K; Prokosch, Marjorie L; DelPriore, Danielle J; Rodeheffer, Christopher D

2016-12-01

Many consumers report that healthy eating is more expensive than unhealthy eating (the affordability axiom). We hypothesize that endorsement of this belief may be driven by the motivation to eat unhealthy foods. We tested this hypothesis in three studies. Study 1 revealed that the affordability axiom is associated with poorer eating habits and higher Body Mass Index (BMI). Study 2 found that the presence of a tasty food cue in the environment increased endorsement of affordability axiom. Study 3 found that these effects were moderated by one's food intake goals. Food cues led non-dieters to increase endorsement of the affordability axiom, but had the opposite effect among those seeking to restrict their calorie intake. The affordability axiom might persist as a means of validating unhealthy food choices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Affordable comfort 95 - investing in our energy future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

This report describes the topics from the conference on Affordable Comfort, held March 26-31, 1995. Topics are concerned with energy efficiency in homes, retrofitting, weatherization, and monitoring of appliances, heating, and air conditioning systems for performance, as well as topics on electric utilities.

Self-organization, free energy minimization, and optimal grip on a field of affordances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelle eBruineberg

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we set out to develop a theoretical and conceptual framework for the new field of Radical Embodied Cognitive Neuroscience. This framework should be able to integrate insights from several relevant disciplines: theory on embodied cognition, ecological psychology, phenomenology, dynamical systems theory, and neurodynamics. We suggest that the main task of Radical Embodied Cognitive Neuroscience is to investigate the phenomenon of skilled intentionality from the perspective of the self-organization of the brain-body-environment system, while doing justice to the phenomenology of skilled action. In previous work, we have characterized skilled intentionality as the organism’s tendency towards an optimal grip on multiple relevant affordances simultaneously. Affordances are possibilities for action provided by the environment. In the first part of this paper, we introduce the notion of skilled intentionality and the phenomenon of responsiveness to a field of relevant affordances. Second, we use Friston’s work on neurodynamics, but embed a very minimal version of his Free Energy Principle in the ecological niche of the animal. Thus amended, this principle is helpful for understanding the embeddedness of neurodynamics within the dynamics of the brain-body-environment system. Next, we show how we can use this adjusted principle to understand the neurodynamics of selective openness to the environment: interacting action-readiness patterns at multiple timescales contribute to the organism’s selective openness to relevant affordances. In the final part of the paper, we emphasize the important role of metastable dynamics in both the brain and the brain-body-environment system for adequate affordance-responsiveness. We exemplify our integrative approach by presenting research on the impact of Deep Brain Stimulation on affordance responsiveness of OCD patients.

Motorcycle helmets in Vietnam: ownership, quality, purchase price, and affordability.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Dang Viet; Stevenson, Mark R; Ivers, Rebecca Q

2008-06-01

This study investigated motorcycle helmet ownership, quality, purchase price, and affordability in Vietnam. A random sample of motorcyclists was interviewed to investigate aspects of helmet ownership, the purchase price, and affordability of a motorcycle helmet. Multivariate modeling conducted to determine factors associated with the purchase price and affordability of motorcycle helmets. Helmet quality was assessed based on current legal requirements in Vietnam. The prevalence of helmet use in Vietnam remains low (23.3%) despite a high level of helmet ownership (94%), indicating that this is an important area for public health intervention. Overall the quality of helmets appeared to be good; however, few helmets displayed legally required information. Motorcyclists with a high income purchase more helmets for their household rather than more expensive helmets. To ensure that helmets are accessible to the community, policy-makers need to consider pricing motorcycle helmets at a price indicated by the results of this study. Prior to universal motorcycle helmet legislation, the government will also need to ensure that standard helmets are available and that enforcement is at a level to ensure that motorcycle helmets are actually used.

Extending Marketplace Tax Credits Would Make Coverage More Affordable for Middle-Income Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jodi; Eiber, Christine

2017-07-01

ISSUE: Affordability of health coverage is a growing challenge for Americans facing rising premiums, deductibles, and copayments. The Affordable Care Act's tax credits make marketplace insurance more affordable for eligible lower-income individuals. However, individuals lose tax credits when their income exceeds 400 percent of the federal poverty level, creating a steep cliff. GOALS: To analyze the effects of extending eligibility for tax credits to individuals with incomes above 400 percent of the federal poverty level. METHODS: We used RAND's COMPARE microsimulation model to examine changes in insurance coverage and health care spending. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Extending tax-credit eligibility increases insurance enrollment by 1.2 million, at a total federal cost of $6.0 billion. Those who would benefit from the tax-credit extension are mostly middle-income adults ages 50 to 64. These new enrollees would be healthier than current enrollees their age, which would improve the risk pool and lower premiums. Eliminating the cliff at 400 percent of the federal poverty level is one policy option that may be considered to increase affordability of insurance.

A study of social information control affordances and gender difference in Facebook self-presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Feng-Yang; Tseng, Chih-Yi; Tseng, Fan-Chuan; Lin, Cathy S

2013-09-01

Affordances refer to how interface features of an IT artifact, perceived by its users in terms of their potentials for action, may predict the intensity of usage. This study investigates three social information affordances for expressive information control, privacy information control, and image information control in Facebook. The results show that the three affordances can significantly explain how Facebook's interface designs facilitate users' self-presentation activities. In addition, the findings reveal that males are more engaged in expressing information than females, while females are more involved in privacy control than males. A practical application of our study is to compare and contrast the level of affordances offered by various social network sites (SNS) like Facebook and Twitter, as well as differences in online self-presentations across cultures. Our approach can therefore be useful to investigate how SNS design features can be tailored to specific gender and culture needs.

Reliability and Maintainability Engineering - A Major Driver for Safety and Affordability

Science.gov (United States)

Safie, Fayssal M.

2011-01-01

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is in the midst of an effort to design and build a safe and affordable heavy lift vehicle to go to the moon and beyond. To achieve that, NASA is seeking more innovative and efficient approaches to reduce cost while maintaining an acceptable level of safety and mission success. One area that has the potential to contribute significantly to achieving NASA safety and affordability goals is Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) engineering. Inadequate reliability or failure of critical safety items may directly jeopardize the safety of the user(s) and result in a loss of life. Inadequate reliability of equipment may directly jeopardize mission success. Systems designed to be more reliable (fewer failures) and maintainable (fewer resources needed) can lower the total life cycle cost. The Department of Defense (DOD) and industry experience has shown that optimized and adequate levels of R&M are critical for achieving a high level of safety and mission success, and low sustainment cost. Also, lessons learned from the Space Shuttle program clearly demonstrated the importance of R&M engineering in designing and operating safe and affordable launch systems. The Challenger and Columbia accidents are examples of the severe impact of design unreliability and process induced failures on system safety and mission success. These accidents demonstrated the criticality of reliability engineering in understanding component failure mechanisms and integrated system failures across the system elements interfaces. Experience from the shuttle program also shows that insufficient Reliability, Maintainability, and Supportability (RMS) engineering analyses upfront in the design phase can significantly increase the sustainment cost and, thereby, the total life cycle cost. Emphasis on RMS during the design phase is critical for identifying the design features and characteristics needed for time efficient processing

TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC SUBSTANTIATION OF PROJECTS OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSTRUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KRAVCHUNOVSKA T. S.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Summary. Problem statement. The development of inhabitant locality of Ukraine is characterized by significant differences in levels of socio and economic development. An excessive concentration of population and industry in large cities, inefficient, slow development of most medium and small cities, towns and villages, considerable territorial disproportions of economic development of the country, considerable shortcomings in the territorial organization of society are observed. At the same time the tendency of the total area of increasing of inhabitant locality. The lands are used inefficiently. Among the most common problems of inhabitant locality is the housing problem. When making a decision on the design of affordable housing construction is one of the most important stages in the development of the technique and economic substantiation of the project is determination of the advisability and effectiveness of construction. The substantiation of advisability and effectiveness of affordable housing based on the definition of technical and economic indicators of projects, one of the most important among them is the cost, in its calculation is necessary to take into account the influence of organizational and technological factors, reflecting the features of construction in condition of compacted construction. Purpose. Development of methodical recommendations on substantiation of cost construction of affordable housing in the conditions of compacted construction. Conclusion. To provide a processing and the analysis of data is necessary development of the applied software on the basis of the developed block scheme of justification of cost construction of affordable housing.

Options for Affordable Fission Surface Power Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houts, Mike; Gaddis, Steve; Porter, Ron; Van Dyke, Melissa; Martin, Jim; Godfroy, Tom; Bragg-Sitton, Shannon; Garber, Anne; Pearson, Boise

2006-01-01

Fission surface power systems could provide abundant power anywhere on the surface of the moon or Mars. Locations could include permanently shaded regions on the moon and high latitudes on Mars. To be fully utilized, however, fission surface power systems must be safe, have adequate performance, and be affordable. This paper discusses options for the design and development of such systems. (authors)

An Investigation Into Design Criteria for Affordable Housing Supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olanrewaju Abdul Lateef

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Affordable housing provision constitutes a very large scheme in any countries due to income distribution and national development. The supply of housing depends on many activities and processes. The purpose of the houses is to meet the requirement of the householders therefore design criteria must address the users’ requirements. The establishment of the design criteria constitutes an important activity at the initial phase of the housing development. The design criteria are prepared by the design team in collaboration with many stakeholders especially the householders. Housinsg design criteria are the requirements that must be considered prior to construction of the housing. Lack of adequate information on the design criteria would lead to poor householders’ satisfactions, increase in maintenance cost, abandonments and completed but not occupy housing. In Malaysia, many of these consequences are prevalent. However, while information on the house owners’ requirements is inconclusive, this current research set out to investigate the design criteria of affordable housing. The increase in the affordable housing gap in Malaysia can be reduced if the designers have a comprehensive understanding of users’ requirements and the design criteria. Through a cross sectional survey questionnaire, comprising 25 criteria, 7 criteria were found to be extremely critical. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy indicated that the strength of the relationships among variables was strong (KMO =0.716. Bartlett’s test of sphericity, which tests the overall significance of all the correlations within the correlation matrix, was significant χ2 (325 = 1825.075, p<0.001, indicating the data were drawn from the same population and that the criteria were related.Sustainability considerations are now being considered by the providers of affordable housing. Deductively, the results lead to the conclusion that a major factor responsible for the poor

24 CFR 1000.101 - What is affordable housing?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is affordable housing? 1000.101 Section 1000.101 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND...

Preparation of affordable and multifunctional clay-based ceramic filter matrix for treatment of drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Shivaraju, H Puttaiah; Egumbo, Henok; Madhusudan, P; Anil Kumar, K M; Midhun, G

2018-02-01

Affordable clay-based ceramic filters with multifunctional properties were prepared using low-cost and active ingredients. The characterization results clearly revealed well crystallinity, structural elucidation, extensive porosity, higher surface area, higher stability, and durability which apparently enhance the treatment efficiency. The filtration rates of ceramic filter were evaluated under gravity and the results obtained were compared with a typical gravity slow sand filter (GSSF). All ceramic filters showed significant filtration rates of about 50-180 m/h, which is comparatively higher than the typical GSSF. Further, purification efficiency of clay-based ceramic filters was evaluated by considering important drinking water parameters and contaminants. A significant removal potential was achieved by the clay-based ceramic filter with 25% and 30% activated carbon along with active agents. Desired drinking water quality parameters were achieved by potential removal of nitrite (98.5%), nitrate (80.5%), total dissolved solids (62%), total hardness (55%), total organic pollutants (89%), and pathogenic microorganisms (100%) using ceramic filters within a short duration. The remarkable purification and disinfection efficiencies were attributed to the extensive porosity (0.202 cm 3  g -1 ), surface area (124.61 m 2  g -1 ), stability, and presence of active nanoparticles such as Cu, TiO 2 , and Ag within the porous matrix of the ceramic filter.

75 FR 32480 - Funding Opportunity: Affordable Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-08

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity: Affordable Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program Funding for Title VI Native American Programs Purpose of Notice: Availability of funding opportunity announcement. Funding Opportunity Title/Program Name: Affordable Care Act Medicare...

Understanding Structures and Affordances of Extended Teams in Global Software Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ali Babar, Muhammad; Zahedi, Mansooreh

2013-01-01

Growing popularity of Global Software Development (GSD) has resulted in an increasing number of cross-organizational teams that are formed according to Extended Team Model (ETM). There is little known about the structures (work, social, and communication) that may exist in ETM and what affordances...... in the studied team help deal with different GSD challenges, these structures appear to have certain challenges inherent in them and the affordances they provide. We make a few recommendations for improving the current structures to deal with the observed challenges. Our findings are expected to provide insights...

Can poor consumers pay for energy and water? An affordability analysis for transition countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frankhauser, S.; Sladjana Tepic

2007-01-01

Low-income households spend a substantial share of their income on utility services such as electricity, heating and water. The difficulty of these socially vulnerable consumers to absorb further price increases is often used as an argument against tariff reform. However, detailed quantitative information on the affordability of tariff adjustments for low-income consumers is actually quite scarce. Much of the available information is based on households. This paper takes a more detailed look at the affordability of electricity, district heating and water for low-income consumers in transition countries. While the available data are incomplete, the paper finds that affordability is a problem for low-income consumers in most countries, in particular in the water sector and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The affordability consequences of tariff reform ultimately depend on the speed of tariff adjustments relative to the growth in household income, the level of tariffs needed for cost recovery, the level of effective tariffs at the outset (tariffs adjusted for non-payment) and the demand response to the tariff increase. The paper finds that delaying tariff reform by a few years makes little difference to affordability constraints, and may therefore not be an effective way to mitigate the social impact of utility reform. (author)

Can poor consumers pay for energy and water? An affordability analysis for transition countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fankhauser, Samuel; Tepic, Sladjana

2007-01-01

Low-income households spend a substantial share of their income on utility services such as electricity, heating and water. The difficulty of these socially vulnerable consumers to absorb further price increases is often used as an argument against tariff reform. However, detailed quantitative information on the affordability of tariff adjustments for low-income consumers is actually quite scarce. Much of the available information is based on households. This paper takes a more detailed look at the affordability of electricity, district heating and water for low-income consumers in transition countries. While the available data are incomplete, the paper finds that affordability is a problem for low-income consumers in most countries, in particular in the water sector and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The affordability consequences of tariff reform ultimately depend on the speed of tariff adjustments relative to the growth in household income, the level of tariffs needed for cost recovery, the level of effective tariffs at the outset (tariffs adjusted for non-payment) and the demand response to the tariff increase. The paper finds that delaying tariff reform by a few years makes little difference to affordability constraints, and may therefore not be an effective way to mitigate the social impact of utility reform

Effects of the Affordable Care Act on part-time employment: Early evidence

OpenAIRE

Dillender, Marcus; Heinrich, Carolyn J.; Houseman, Susan N.

2016-01-01

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers with at least 50 full-time-equivalent employees to offer "affordable" health insurance to employees working 30 or more hours per week. If employers do not comply with the mandate, they may face substantial financial penalties. Employers can potentially circumvent the mandate by reducing weekly hours below the 30-hour threshold or by using other nonstandard employment arrangements (direct-hire temporaries, agency temporaries, small contractors, ...

The Influence of Affordable Daycare on Women's Empowerment in ...

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

The Influence of Affordable Daycare on Women's Empowerment in India ... services for the poor likely contribute to gender inequality by restricting women's educational ... a state that performs poorly in terms of women's empowerment in India.

Affordances shape pass kick behavior in association football : effects of distance and social context

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pepping, Gert-Jan; Heijmerikx, Johan; de Poel, Harjo J.

2011-01-01

A prerequisite for accurate passing in association football is that a player perceives the affordances, that is, the opportunities for action, of a given situation. The present study examined how affordances shape passing in association football by comparing the performance of pass-kicks in two task

77 FR 9882 - Arsenic Small Systems Compliance and Alternative Affordability Criteria Working Group; public...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-21

... affordability criteria that give extra weight to small, rural, and lower income communities. This meeting will... held via the Internet using a Webcast and teleconference. Registrants will receive an Internet access... affordability criteria that give extra weight to small, rural, and lower income communities. Based upon input...

Cost considerations in determining the affordability of adjuvant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Affordability and value differ in patient groups with different baseline prognoses. This is illustrated below using the hazard ratio (HR) of survival rates obtained from a. Cochrane review[2] and personal communication ...

Are Housing Markets Decoupled? A Case Study of Residential Real Estate Affordability in Austria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian PHILIPP

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Real estate arguably forms the most important asset to most households and the basis for their wealth. Around this context a model has been set up testing the relative affordability of real estate for the median household in Austria and the consequences of lower borrowing costs between 2004 and 2013 by vintage year. In this paper the hypothesis that the significant decline in base interest rates is not sufficient to offset the relative affordability loss caused by declining net household incomes and the simultaneous increase of real estate prices. To test this hypothesis a model has been set up comparing two different Housing Affordability Indices – one including and one excluding financing effects, having been compared via a multi factor model. Based on this calculation the author finds decreased base interest rates to offset relative affordability losses by only approximately 50%, verifying the hypothesis. The paper therefore argues for a potential decoupling of the residential housing market in Austria.

The Role of Probabilistic Design Analysis Methods in Safety and Affordability

Science.gov (United States)

Safie, Fayssal M.

2016-01-01

For the last several years, NASA and its contractors have been working together to build space launch systems to commercialize space. Developing commercial affordable and safe launch systems becomes very important and requires a paradigm shift. This paradigm shift enforces the need for an integrated systems engineering environment where cost, safety, reliability, and performance need to be considered to optimize the launch system design. In such an environment, rule based and deterministic engineering design practices alone may not be sufficient to optimize margins and fault tolerance to reduce cost. As a result, introduction of Probabilistic Design Analysis (PDA) methods to support the current deterministic engineering design practices becomes a necessity to reduce cost without compromising reliability and safety. This paper discusses the importance of PDA methods in NASA's new commercial environment, their applications, and the key role they can play in designing reliable, safe, and affordable launch systems. More specifically, this paper discusses: 1) The involvement of NASA in PDA 2) Why PDA is needed 3) A PDA model structure 4) A PDA example application 5) PDA link to safety and affordability.

Learning at Work: Organisational Affordances and Individual Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Bryson, Jane; Pajo, Karl; Ward, Robyn; Mallon, Mary

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the interaction between organisational affordances for the development of individuals' capability, and the engagement of workers at various levels with those opportunities. Design/methodology/approach: A case study of a large New Zealand wine company, using in-depth interviews. Interviews were…

Trend in the affordability of tobacco products in Bangladesh: findings from the ITC Bangladesh Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Nargis, Nigar; Stoklosa, Michal; Drope, Jeffrey; Fong, Geoffrey T; Quah, Anne C K; Driezen, Pete; Shang, Ce; Chaloupka, Frank J; Hussain, A K M Ghulam

2018-04-19

The price of tobacco products in relation to the income of tobacco users-affordability-is recognised as a key determinant of tobacco use behaviour. The effectiveness of a price increase as a deterrent to tobacco use depends on how much price increases in relation to the income of the potential users. The aim of this paper is to examine the distribution of and trends in the affordability of tobacco products in Bangladesh. Using four waves of International Tobacco Control Survey data on Bangladesh, this study measures affordability of tobacco products at the individual level as the ratio of self-reported price and self-reported income. The trends in affordability by brand categories of cigarettes and of bidi and smokeless tobacco are estimated using multivariate linear regression analysis. Despite significant increase in price, the affordability of cigarettes increased between 2009 and 2014-2015 due to income growth outpacing price increase. The increase was disproportionately larger for more expensive brands. The affordability of bidis increased over this period as well. The affordability of smokeless tobacco products remained unchanged between 2011-2012 and 2014-2015. The tax increases that were implemented during 2009-2015 were not enough to increase tobacco product prices sufficiently to outweigh the effect of income growth, and to reduce tobacco consumption. The findings from this research inform policymakers that in countries experiencing rapid economic growth, significant tax increases are needed to counteract the effect of income growth, in order for the tax increases to be effective in reducing tobacco use. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Thermal Stabilization of Biologics with Photoresponsive Hydrogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Sridhar, Balaji V; Janczy, John R; Hatlevik, Øyvind; Wolfson, Gabriel; Anseth, Kristi S; Tibbitt, Mark W

2018-03-12

Modern medicine, biological research, and clinical diagnostics depend on the reliable supply and storage of complex biomolecules. However, biomolecules are inherently susceptible to thermal stress and the global distribution of value-added biologics, including vaccines, biotherapeutics, and Research Use Only (RUO) proteins, requires an integrated cold chain from point of manufacture to point of use. To mitigate reliance on the cold chain, formulations have been engineered to protect biologics from thermal stress, including materials-based strategies that impart thermal stability via direct encapsulation of the molecule. While direct encapsulation has demonstrated pronounced stabilization of proteins and complex biological fluids, no solution offers thermal stability while enabling facile and on-demand release from the encapsulating material, a critical feature for broad use. Here we show that direct encapsulation within synthetic, photoresponsive hydrogels protected biologics from thermal stress and afforded user-defined release at the point of use. The poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogel was formed via a bioorthogonal, click reaction in the presence of biologics without impact on biologic activity. Cleavage of the installed photolabile moiety enabled subsequent dissolution of the network with light and release of the encapsulated biologic. Hydrogel encapsulation improved stability for encapsulated enzymes commonly used in molecular biology (β-galactosidase, alkaline phosphatase, and T4 DNA ligase) following thermal stress. β-galactosidase and alkaline phosphatase were stabilized for 4 weeks at temperatures up to 60 °C, and for 60 min at 85 °C for alkaline phosphatase. T4 DNA ligase, which loses activity rapidly at moderately elevated temperatures, was protected during thermal stress of 40 °C for 24 h and 60 °C for 30 min. These data demonstrate a general method to employ reversible polymer networks as robust excipients for thermal stability of complex

Situação do aleitamento materno em população assistida pelo programa de saúde da família-PSF Situación de la lactancia materna en populación asistida por el programa de salud de la familia - PSF Breast feeding in a population attended by the family health program - FHP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Maria Garcia de Lima Parada

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Este estudo objetivou identificar a prevalência dos diferentes tipos de aleitamento e sua relação com variáveis maternas no município de Conchas-SP, totalmente coberto pelo PSF. Foram obtidas informações sobre a alimentação atual das crianças menores de um ano que compareceram à primeira etapa da Campanha de Multivacinação de 2003. As associações foram submetidas ao teste do qui-quadrado, adotando-se 5% como nível de significância estatística. As prevalências do Aleitamento Materno Exclusivo (AME e do Aleitamento Materno Predominante (AMP, em menores de 4 meses de vida, foram 25,4 e 44,4%, respectivamente, e 66,7% do total de crianças menores de um ano ainda eram amamentadas. A prevalência do AME em menores de 6 meses foi heterogênea, variando de 7,4 a 41,2%, conforme a equipe do PSF de procedência das crianças. Ter passado por dificuldades no início do aleitamento associou-se a menores prevalências de AME e Aleitamento Materno (AM. Esses resultados evidenciam situação distante da recomendada pela Organização Mundial de Saúde e aquela para a qual há evidências de máximo efeito protetor à saúde infantil, reafirmam a necessidade de apoio às mães no período puerperal precoce e demonstram a importância de diagnósticos desagregados por regiões para o planejamento de ações de promoção ao AM.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar la prevalencia de los diferentes tipos de lactancia y su relación con variables maternas en el municipio de Conchas-SP, Brasil, totalmente cubierto por el PSF. Recopilamos informaciones sobre la alimentación actual de los niños de hasta un año de edad que participaron de la primera etapa de la Campaña de Multivacunación de 2003. Las asociaciones fueron sometidas al test del qui-cuadrado, adoptándose pThis study aimed to identify the prevalence of different types of breastfeeding and how they relate to maternal variables in the municipality of Conchas, São Paulo, Brazil

Perceiving the affordance of string tension for power strokes in badminton: expertise allows effective use of all string tensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Qin

2013-01-01

Affordances mean opportunities for action. These affordances are important for sports performance and relevant to the abilities developed by skilled athletes. In racquet sports such as badminton, different players prefer widely different string tension because it is believed to provide opportunities for effective strokes. The current study examined whether badminton players can perceive the affordance of string tension for power strokes and whether the perception of affordance itself changed as a function of skill level. The results showed that string tension constrained the striking performance of both novice and recreational players, but not of expert players. When perceptual capability was assessed, perceptual mode did not affect perception of the optimal string tension. Skilled players successfully perceived the affordance of string tension, but only experts were concerned about saving energy. Our findings demonstrated that perception of the affordance of string tension in badminton was determined by action abilities. Furthermore, experts could adjust the action to maintain a superior level of performance based on the perception of affordance.

Close interpersonal proximity modulates visuomotor processing of object affordances in shared, social space.

Science.gov (United States)

Saccone, Elizabeth J; Szpak, Ancret; Churches, Owen; Nicholls, Michael E R

2018-01-01

Research suggests that the human brain codes manipulable objects as possibilities for action, or affordances, particularly objects close to the body. Near-body space is not only a zone for body-environment interaction but also is socially relevant, as we are driven to preserve our near-body, personal space from others. The current, novel study investigated how close proximity of a stranger modulates visuomotor processing of object affordances in shared, social space. Participants performed a behavioural object recognition task both alone and with a human confederate. All object images were in participants' reachable space but appeared relatively closer to the participant or the confederate. Results revealed when participants were alone, objects in both locations produced an affordance congruency effect but when the confederate was present, only objects nearer the participant elicited the effect. Findings suggest space is divided between strangers to preserve independent near-body space boundaries, and in turn this process influences motor coding for stimuli within that social space. To demonstrate that this visuomotor modulation represents a social phenomenon, rather than a general, attentional effect, two subsequent experiments employed nonhuman joint conditions. Neither a small, Japanese, waving cat statue (Experiment 2) nor a metronome (Experiment 3) modulated the affordance effect as in Experiment 1. These findings suggest a truly social explanation of the key interaction from Experiment 1. This study represents an important step toward understanding object affordance processing in real-world, social contexts and has implications broadly across fields of social action and cognition, and body space representation.

A cross-country study of cigarette prices and affordability: evidence from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kostova, Deliana; Chaloupka, Frank J; Yurekli, Ayda; Ross, Hana; Cherukupalli, Rajeev; Andes, Linda; Asma, Samira

2014-01-01

To describe the characteristics of two primary determinants of cigarette consumption: cigarette affordability and the range of prices paid for cigarettes (and bidis, where applicable) in a set of 15 countries. From this cross-country comparison, identify places where opportunities may exist for reducing consumption through tax adjustments. Self-response data from 45,838 smokers from 15 countries, obtained from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2008-2011. Using self-response data on individual cigarette expenditure and consumption, we construct a measure of the average cigarette price smokers pay for manufactured cigarettes (and bidis, where applicable) in 15 countries. We use these prices to evaluate cigarette affordability and the range of prices available in each country. These survey-derived measures of cigarette price and affordability are uniquely suited for cross-country comparison because they represent each country's distinctive mix of individual consumption characteristics such as brand choice, intensity of consumption, and purchasing behavior. In this sample of countries, cigarettes are most affordable in Russia, which has the most room for tobacco tax increase. Affordability is also relatively high in Brazil and China for cigarettes, and in India and Bangladesh for bidis. Although the affordability of cigarettes in India is relatively low, the range of cigarette prices paid is relatively high, providing additional evidence to support the call for simplifying the existing tax structure and reducing the width of price options. China has both high affordability and wide price ranges, suggesting multiple opportunities for reducing consumption through tax adjustments.

Affordance Theory and Multiple Language Learning and Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Kordt, Birgit

2018-01-01

This article argues that the concept of affordances as put forward by James J. Gibson can make a major contribution to our understanding of multilingualism. It can throw some light on multilingualism in general as well as on specific aspects like successful and unsuccessful transfer, the challenges involved in teaching for multilingualism,…

On the relevance of Gibson's affordance concept for geographical information science (GISc).

Science.gov (United States)

Jonietz, David; Timpf, Sabine

2015-09-01

J. J. Gibson's concept of affordances has provided a theoretical basis for various studies in geographical information science (GISc). This paper sets out to explain its popularity from a GISc perspective. Based on a short review of previous work, it will be argued that its main contributions to GISc are twofold, including an action-centered view of spatial entities and the notion of agent-environment mutuality. Using the practical example of pedestrian behavior simulation, new potentials for using and extending affordances are discussed.

The Affordances Of Repackaged Popular Music From The Past

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.M.R. Driessen (Simone)

2017-01-01

markdownabstractThis thesis explores the affordances of repackaged popular music from the past. Particularly, how they feature in audiences’ reflections on different stages and transitions in their life course. Three case studies highlight different modes of repackaging and illustrate how

THЕ ANALYSIS OF NORMATIVE AND LEGAL SUPPORT OF CONSTRUCTION OF OBJECTS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MYKHAILOVA I. O.

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Raising of problem. The considering the acute socio-economic problem of forming an affordable housing fund, it is necessary to analyze of the methods of formation, selection and substantiation of project and organizational and technological decisions for the construction of affordable housing. Purpose of the article. The analysis of the methods of forming the choice and justification of project and organizational and technological decisions for the construction of affordable housing, taking into account scientific works, are based on the aspects of technology and the comparison of the factors of influence on the indicators of duration and cost under the conditions of working state mechanisms (programs to implement in order to overcome the problems of construction of affordable housing. Conclusion. The analysis of government mechanisms and statistics has shown that the programs are working, but unfortunately, at a rather low level of power. State mechanisms should be more appropriately implemented, funded, and effectively functioning, which is projected to reduce of the acute situation in improving of the living conditions of Ukrainian citizens who need it.

Affordable housing as a niche product: The case of the Danish “SocialHousing Plus”

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jesper Ole; Stensgaard, Anne Gro

Establishing affordable housing is a growing demand in many larger cities there is however a number of challenges related to establishing affordable housing, as well as many different approaches. This paper presents a case-study of an affordable housing concept in the Danish social housing sector......, the “SocialHousing Plus” (“AlmenBolig+”) which is based on lowering production costs as well as operation costs including residential self-management, large-scale production of pre-fab housing units, low-energy solutions and other innovative approaches. The concept was developed in 2007, and has so far...... resulted in the production of more than 1.500 dwellings. The paper will discuss the results of the concept, and the various challenges related to it. Based on the theory of Technological Transition (Geels, 2002) it will discuss the options and limitations of providing affordable housing through developing...

NAVIGATING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY BETWEEN TRANS-DISCIPLINARITY AND LIFE STYLE THEORIES THE CASE OF THE GULF STATES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashraf M. Salama

2007-07-01

on a new paradigm of research: trans-disciplinarity; a form of inquiry that crosses the boundaries of different disciplines. Brief notes to highlight affordable housing issues in the Gulf States are outlined. An argument on the impact of trans-disciplinary thinking on understanding affordable housing is developed, then is placed within the perspective of how lifestyle theories and their underlying concepts including place attachment, appropriation, visual preferences, and people satisfaction, can be integrated into a comprehensive investigatory process. In turn, a framework of inquiry is developed while reflected on affordable housing knowledge types. A translation of the framework into a survey tool is conceptualized. The tool is introduced in the form of a questionnaire to be implemented in the context of the Gulf States. The testing of the questionnaire --in the context of the city of Jeddah- - as a tool of inquiry reveals its validity, corroborates the value of integrating different knowledge types into affordable housing practices, and accentuates the value of incorporating lifestyle theories as a new form of transdisciplinary knowledge necessary for affordable housing research and practice.

Drug affordability-potential tool for comparing illicit drug markets.

Science.gov (United States)

Groshkova, Teodora; Cunningham, Andrew; Royuela, Luis; Singleton, Nicola; Saggers, Tony; Sedefov, Roumen

2018-06-01

The importance of illicit drug price data and making appropriate adjustments for purity has been repeatedly highlighted for understanding illicit drug markets. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has been collecting retail price data for a number of drug types alongside drug-specific purity information for over 15 years. While these data are useful for a number of monitoring and analytical purposes, they are not without their limitations and there are circumstances where additional adjustment needs to be considered. This paper reviews some conceptual issues and measurement challenges relevant to the interpretation of price data. It also highlights the issues with between-country comparisons of drug prices and introduces the concept of affordability of drugs, going beyond purity-adjustment to account for varying national economies. Based on a 2015 European data set of price and purity data across the heroin and cocaine retail markets, the paper demonstrates a new model for drug market comparative analysis; calculation of drug affordability is achieved by applying to purity-adjusted prices 2015 Price Level Indices (PLI, Eurostat). Available data allowed retail heroin and cocaine market comparison for 27 European countries. The lowest and highest unadjusted prices per gram were observed for heroin: in Estonia, Belgium, Greece and Bulgaria (lowest) and Finland, Ireland, Sweden and Latvia (highest); for cocaine: the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom (lowest) and Turkey, Finland, Estonia and Romania (highest). The affordability per gram of heroin and cocaine when taking into account adjustment for both purity and economy demonstrates different patterns. It is argued that purity-adjusted price alone provides an incomplete comparison of retail price across countries. The proposed new method takes account of the differing economic conditions within European countries, thus providing a more sophisticated tool for cross

The influence of carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) on shale stability; Influencia do carboximetilcelulose (CMC) na estabilidade de folhelhos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salles Filho, Antonio Alves de; Quezada, Augusto Eduardo Donoso [Grupo Ultra, XX (Brazil). Setor de Vendas Petroleo; Oliveira, Telma de [Grupo Ultra, XX (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas e Desenvolvimento

1988-12-31

The methodology used in developing high and low viscosity purified CMC`s specific to salty and saturated drilling fluids is discussed. It is shown how CMC carboxy methyl groups, molecular weight, and uniformity of substitution affect the action of these products, decreasing overall drilling costs, substantially increasing penetration rates, and affording greater well wall stability. (author) 5 refs., 19 figs., 3 tabs.

Small businesses and the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Sara R; Davis, Karen; Nicholson, Jennifer L; Stremikis, Kristof

2010-09-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes several short- and long-term provisions designed to help small businesses pay for and maintain health insurance for their workers, and to allow workers without employer coverage to gain access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance. Provisions include a small business tax credit to offset premium costs for firms that offer coverage starting this taxable year, establishment of state-based insurance exchanges that promise to lower administrative costs and pool risk more broadly, and creation of new market rules and an essential benefit standard to protect small firms and their workers. Analysis shows that up to 16.6 million workers are in firms that would be eligible for the tax credit in 2010 to 2013. Over the next 10 years, small businesses and organizations could receive an estimated $40 billion in federal support through the premium credit program.

Biosignal PI, an Affordable Open-Source ECG and Respiration Measurement System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhad Abtahi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Bioimedical pilot projects e.g., telemedicine, homecare, animal and human trials usually involve several physiological measurements. Technical development of these projects is time consuming and in particular costly. A versatile but affordable biosignal measurement platform can help to reduce time and risk while keeping the focus on the important goal and making an efficient use of resources. In this work, an affordable and open source platform for development of physiological signals is proposed. As a first step an 8–12 leads electrocardiogram (ECG and respiration monitoring system is developed. Chips based on iCoupler technology have been used to achieve electrical isolation as required by IEC 60601 for patient safety. The result shows the potential of this platform as a base for prototyping compact, affordable, and medically safe measurement systems. Further work involves both hardware and software development to develop modules. These modules may require development of front-ends for other biosignals or just collect data wirelessly from different devices e.g., blood pressure, weight, bioimpedance spectrum, blood glucose, e.g., through Bluetooth. All design and development documents, files and source codes will be available for non-commercial use through project website, BiosignalPI.org.

flexZhouse: New business model for affordable housing in Malaysia

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Mohd Zairul bin Mohd Noor

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Central to this PhD research was the problem of the lack of affordable housing for young starters in Malaysia. The solutions for affordable housing that are available in the market do not truly solve the problem from the customer’s point of view. Hence, it was important to analyse the contributing factors associated with the term ‘affordability’. The term touches upon interconnected elements that cover many issues ranging from demand (housing needs, demographics, household income, quality housing to supply (the authorities’ requirements, design, cost, sustainability and procurement. In this thesis, we discuss some of the problems related to the supply and demand issues and examine a possible intervention to solve the problem. This research contributed to the body of knowledge by employing a prescriptive strategy and designing an innovative flexZhouse business model (BM, and by applying an in-depth strategy that revealed why the problem exists and why there is still no appropriate solution. The result provides a description of the situation that young starters find themselves in, the reactions of the industry’s key players and the policies that hamper innovation in the housing market. Methodology We applied the model of ‘design sciences’ as described by Van Aken (2004. The strategy first helped us to understand the problem (the issues related to the term ‘affordable housing’; the next step was to prescribe solutions for the practice by formulating the draft flexZhouse business model (BM. The mission of this research was to further develop knowledge for the design and understanding the problems that is, to provide alternative solutions to the affordable housing demands in the housing industry in Malaysia. We used the term ‘design research’ from Van Aken (2004 because the ultimate objective of studies in this category is to acquire a knowledge of how to develop solutions to problems in the real world (i.e. the new business

The availability and affordability of orphan drugs for rare diseases in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Shiwei; Wang, Yingxiao; Pan, Xiaoyun; Zhang, Liang; Huang, Rui; Chen, Xin; Hu, Juanjuan; Xu, Yi; Jin, Si

2016-02-27

Orphan drugs are intended to treat, prevent or diagnose rare diseases. In recent years, China healthcare policy makers and patients have become increasingly concerned about orphan drug issues. However, very few studies have assessed the availability and affordability of orphan drugs for rare diseases in China. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the availability and affordability of orphan drugs in China and to make suggestions to improve patient access to orphan drugs. Two components of the availability of orphan drugs were examined. Market availability was assessed by the extent to which orphan drugs were marketed in China with a comparison to orphan drugs in international markets, such as the U.S., EU and Japan. We conducted surveys and collected data from 24 tertiary public hospitals in China to measure hospital-level availability of orphan drugs. The affordability of orphan drugs was calculated using hospital dispensary prices and was expressed as days of average daily income required for the cost of a course of treatment. Affordability was also analyzed under the Chinese basic medical insurance system. Orphan drugs approved in the U.S., EU and Japan had 37.8%, 24.6% and 52.4% market availability in China, respectively. Median availability of 31 orphan drugs surveyed at the 24 tertiary public hospitals was 20.8% (very low). Within a periodic treatment course, the average treatment cost of 23 orphan drugs is approximately 4, 843. 5 USD, which equates to 505.6 days of per capita net income for an urban resident with a middle income (187.4 days for a high-income urban resident) or 1,582.8 days's income for a rural resident with a middle income (657.2 days for a high-income rural resident). Except for homoharringtonine, 22 orphan drugs for 14 rare diseases were unaffordable for the most of residents in China. With 5% out-of-pocket expenses, only three generics could be afforded by middle-income residents, whereas seven drugs for high-income urban

Gift Planning: You Can't Afford Not to

Science.gov (United States)

Morley, Richard H.; Gaudette, Mike

2009-01-01

The process of reaching out to donors and securing gifts from alumni and other community members presents its share of challenges for community colleges. But, as funding experts Richard H. Morley and Mike Gaudette of the Council for Resource Development write in "Gift Planning: You Can't Afford Not To," there exists a huge financial incentive for…

Dean C. Bennett d/b/a Affordable Tuckpointing Information Sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Dean C. Bennett d/b/a Affordable Tuckpointing (the Company) is located in Arnold, Missouri. The Complaint involves renovation activities conducted at property constructed prior to 1978, located in St. Louis, Missouri.

We all want it, but we don't know what it is: toward a standard of affordability for health insurance premiums.

Science.gov (United States)

Muennig, Peter; Sampat, Bhaven; Tilipman, Nicholas; Brown, Lawrence D; Glied, Sherry A

2011-10-01

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148), or ACA, requires that U.S. citizens either purchase health insurance or pay a fine. To offset the financial burden for lower-income households, it also provides subsidies to ensure that health insurance premiums are affordable. However, relatively little work has been done on how such affordability standards should be set. The existing literature on affordability is not grounded in social norms and has methodological and theoretical flaws. To address these issues, we developed a series of hypothetical vignettes in which individual and household sociodemographic characteristics were varied. We then convened a panel of eighteen experts with extensive experience in affordability standards to evaluate the extent to which each vignette character could afford to pay for one of two health insurance plans. The panel varied with respect to political ideology and discipline. We find that there was considerable disagreement about how affordability is defined. There was also disagreement about what might be included in an affordability standard, with substantive debate surrounding whether savings, debt, education, or single parenthood is relevant. There was also substantial variation in experts' assessed affordability scores. Nevertheless, median expert affordability assessments were not far from those of ACA.

Affordability of cataract surgery using the Big Mac prices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van C. Lansingh

2015-01-01

Conclusion: The price of cataract surgery does not consider the patient's capacity to pay, based on a simple tool such as the BMcI. This suggests affordability issues, particularly when patients work for minimum wages and/or do not have access to free health care.

An affordable and easy-to-use diagnostic method for keratoconus detection using a smartphone

Science.gov (United States)

Askarian, Behnam; Tabei, Fatemehsadat; Askarian, Amin; Chong, Jo Woon

2018-02-01

Recently, smartphones are used for disease diagnosis and healthcare. In this paper, we propose a novel affordable diagnostic method of detecting keratoconus using a smartphone. Keratoconus is usually detected in clinics with ophthalmic devices, which are large, expensive and not portable, and need to be operated by trained technicians. However, our proposed smartphone-based eye disease detection method is small, affordable, portable, and it can be operated by patients in a convenient way. The results show that the proposed keratoconus detection method detects severe, advanced, and moderate keratoconus with accuracies of 93%, 86%, 67%, respectively. Due to its convenience with these accuracies, the proposed keratoconus detection method is expected to be applied in detecting keratoconus at an earlier stage in an affordable way.

78 FR 73204 - Announcement of Requirements and Registration for “Innovation in Affordable Housing Student...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-05

... response to a real life affordable housing design issue. The goals of this new competition are: To... competition will officially open on January 6, 2014, when the real life affordable housing design issue is... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [FR-5745-N-01] Announcement of Requirements and...

Affordability of alcohol as a key driver of alcohol demand in New Zealand: a co-integration analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wall, Martin; Casswell, Sally

2013-01-01

To investigate whether affordability of alcohol is an important determinant of alcohol consumption along with price. This will inform effective tax policy to influence consumption. Co-integration analysis was used to analyse relationship between real price, affordability and consumption. Changes in retail availability of wine in 1990 and beer in 1999 were also included in the models. The econometric approach taken allows identification of short- and long-term responses. Separate analyses were performed for wine, beer, spirits and ready-to-drinks (spirits based pre-mixed drinks). New Zealand 1988-2011. Quarterly data on price and alcohol available for consumption for wine, beer, spirits and ready-to-drinks. Price data were analysed as: real price (own price of alcohol relative to the price of other goods) and affordability (average earnings relative to own price). There was strong evidence for co-integration between wine and beer consumption and affordability. There was weaker evidence for co-integration between consumption and real price. The affordability of alcohol is more important than real price in determining consumption of alcohol. This suggests that affordability needs to be considered by policy makers when determining tax and pricing policies to reduce alcohol-related harm. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Proposed regulations could limit access to affordable health coverage for workers' children and family members.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Ken; Graham-Squire, Dave; Roby, Dylan H; Kominski, Gerald F; Kinane, Christina M; Needleman, Jack; Watson, Greg; Gans, Daphna

2011-12-01

Key Findings. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is designed to offer premium subsidies to help eligible individuals and their families purchase insurance coverage when affordable job-based coverage is not available. However, the law is unclear on how this affordability protection is applied in those instances where self-only coverage offered by an employer is affordable but family coverage is not. Regulations recently proposed by the Department of the Treasury would make family members ineligible for subsidized coverage in the exchange if an employee is offered affordable self-only coverage by an employer, even if family coverage is unaffordable. This could have significant financial consequences for low- and moderate-income families that fall in this gap. Using an alternative interpretation of the law could allow the entire family to enter the exchange when family coverage is unaffordable, which would broaden access to coverage. However, this option has been cited as cost prohibitive. In this brief we consider a middle ground alternative that would base eligibility for the individual worker on the cost of self-only coverage, but would use the additional cost to the employee for family coverage as the basis for determining affordability and eligibility for subsidies for the remaining family members. We find that: Under the middle ground alternative scenario an additional 144,000 Californians would qualify for and use premium subsidies in the California Health Benefit Exchange, half of whom are children. Less than 1 percent of those with employer-based coverage would move to subsidized coverage in the California Health Benefit Exchange as a result of having unaffordable coverage on the job.

Perception of Affordances and Experience of Presence in Virtual Reality

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Paweł Grabarczyk

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Recent developments in virtual reality technology raise a question about the experience of presence and immersion in virtual environments. What is immersion and what are the conditions for inducing the experience of virtual presence? In this paper, we argue that crucial determinants of presence are perception of affordances and sense of embodiment. In the first section of this paper, we define key concepts and introduce important distinctions such as immersion and presence. In the second and third sections, we respectively discuss presence, immersion and their determinants in detail. In the fourth and fifth sections, we argue for the importance of perception of affordances and sense of embodiment in increasing the degree of presence. Finally, we show the consequences of our view and discuss possible future implications.

Situational Affordance - Appreciating human Interpretations in New Product Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiasen, John Bang; Koch, Christian

2009-01-01

New Product Development (NPD) takes place within a web of connected actors who do not master fully the objects of the process, but rather they interpret the affordance - the enabling and constraining framing by objects such as sketches, drawings, specifications, mock-ups and prototypes. The artic...

The ICCE Framework: Framing Learning Experiences Afforded by Games

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Aroutis; Shah, Mamta

2015-01-01

There is a need for game-based learning frameworks that provide a lens for understanding learning experiences afforded in digital games. These frameworks should aim to facilitate game analyses, identification of learning opportunities, and support for learner experiences. This article uses the inquiry, communication, construction, and expression…

the role of financial institutions towards affordable housing to urban

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mugumbate

weak positive effect (=.345) of housing finance on affordable housing and contributed to ..... Officers and 81 selected beneficiaries (middle income earners) of the several ..... transaction has to be independently valued by the Chief. Government ...

Radiation Stability of Nanoclusters in Nano-structured Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) Steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Certain, Alicia G.; Kuchibhatla, Satyanarayana; Shutthanandan, V.; Allen, T. R.

2013-01-01

Nanostructured oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels are considered candidates for nuclear fission and fusion applications at high temperature and dose. The complex oxide nanoclusters in these alloys provide high-temperature strength and are expected to afford better radiation resistance. Proton, heavy ion, and neutron irradiations have been performed to evaluate cluster stability in 14YWT and 9CrODS steel under a range of irradiation conditions. Energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography were used in this work to analyze the evolution of the oxide population.

The role of affordances in children's learning performance and efficiency when using virtual manipulative mathematics touch-screen apps

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.; Bullock, Emma K.; Shumway, Jessica F.; Tucker, Stephen I.; Watts, Christina M.; Westenskow, Arla; Anderson-Pence, Katie L.; Maahs-Fladung, Cathy; Boyer-Thurgood, Jennifer; Gulkilik, Hilal; Jordan, Kerry

2016-03-01

This paper focuses on understanding the role that affordances played in children's learning performance and efficiency during clinical interviews of their interactions with mathematics apps on touch-screen devices. One hundred children, ages 3 to 8, each used six different virtual manipulative mathematics apps during 30-40-min interviews. The study used a convergent mixed methods design, in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently to answer the research questions (Creswell and Plano Clark 2011). Videos were used to capture each child's interactions with the virtual manipulative mathematics apps, document learning performance and efficiency, and record children's interactions with the affordances within the apps. Quantitized video data answered the research question on differences in children's learning performance and efficiency between pre- and post-assessments. A Wilcoxon matched pairs signed-rank test was used to explore these data. Qualitative video data was used to identify affordance access by children when using each app, identifying 95 potential helping and hindering affordances among the 18 apps. The results showed that there were changes in children's learning performance and efficiency when children accessed a helping or a hindering affordance. Helping affordances were more likely to be accessed by children who progressed between the pre- and post-assessments, and the same affordances had helping and hindering effects for different children. These results have important implications for the design of virtual manipulative mathematics learning apps.

Cultural affordances: Scaffolding local worlds through shared intentionality and regimes of attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maxwell James D. Ramstead

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper we outline a framework for the study of the mechanisms involved in the engagement of human agents with cultural affordances. Our aim is to better understand how culture and context interact with human biology to shape human behavior, cognition, and experience. We attempt to integrate several related approaches in the study of the embodied, cognitive, and affective substrates of sociality and culture and the sociocultural scaffolding of experience. The integrative framework we propose bridges cognitive and social sciences to provide (i an expanded concept of ‘affordance’ that extends to sociocultural forms of life, and (ii a multilevel account of the socioculturally scaffolded forms of affordance learning and the transmission of affordances in patterned sociocultural practices and regimes of shared attention. This framework provides an account of how cultural content and normative practices are built on a foundation of contentless basic mental processes that acquire content through immersive participation of the agent in social practices that regulate joint attention and shared intentionality.

Affordable Remote Health Monitoring System for the Elderly Using Smart Mobile Device

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Matthew CLARK

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aging population has been growing as life expectancy increases. In the years to come a much larger percentage of the population will be dependent on others for their daily care. According to a recent report more than 11 million seniors live alone in the USA. These seniors may face serious consequences when they have an emergency situation. However health-monitoring systems are often not affordable for many seniors. The remote health monitoring system presented in this paper addresses the challenge to provide caregivers an emergency alert system for the elderly based on monitoring of their heart rates, breathing activities, and room temperature measurements. The device also allows the dependents to make on demand request for assistance. The remote communication is enabled through the cellular telephone services; so there is no special or additional subscription services needed. This is essential to make the device more affordable for the elderly. We expect that this affordable remote health-monitoring system can be used to help seniors who live alone be safer and healthier.

Accessibility, affordability and use of health services in an urban area in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Stellenberg, Ethelwynn L

2015-03-10

Inequalities in healthcare between population groups of South Africa existed during the apartheid era and continue to exist both between and within many population groups. Accessibility and affordability of healthcare is a human right. The aim of the study was to explore and describe accessibility, affordability and the use of health services by the mixed race (coloured) population in the Western Cape, South Africa. A cross-sectional descriptive, non-experimental study with a quantitative approach was applied. A purposive convenient sample of 353 participants (0.6%) was drawn from a population of 63 004 economically-active people who lived in the residential areas as defined for the purpose of the study. All social classes were represented. The hypothesis set was that there is a positive relationship between accessibility, affordability and the use of health services. A pilot study was conducted which also supported the reliability and validity of the study. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Stellenbosch and informed consent from respondents. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. The hypothesis was accepted. The statistical association between affordability (p = < 0.01), accessibility (p = < 0.01) and the use of health services was found to be significant using the Chi-square (χ²) test. The study has shown how affordability and accessibility may influence the use of healthcare services. Accessibility is not only the distance an individual must travel to reach the health service point but more so the utilisation of these services. Continuous Quality Management should be a priority in healthcare services, which should be user-friendly.

Housing Affordability in Ghana: A focus on Kumasi and Tamale ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

`123456789jkl''''#

Department of Real ... affordable housing delivery system in Ghana. It found that ... markets; and hence has a significant impact on .... housing projects during this era were the ...... Table 4: Construction Materials in Kumasi and Tamale, 2010.

Affordances for Second Language Learning in "World of Warcraft"

Science.gov (United States)

Rama, Paul S.; Black, Rebecca W.; van Es, Elizabeth; Warschauer, Mark

2012-01-01

What are the affordances of online gaming environments for second language learning and socialization? To answer this question, this qualitative study examines two college-age Spanish learners' experiences participating in the Spanish language version of the massively multi-player online game "World of Warcraft." Using data culled from participant…

Educational Affordances and Learning Design in Music Software Development

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Lee; Leong, Samuel

2017-01-01

Although music software has become increasingly affordable and widely adopted in today's classrooms, concerns have been raised about a lack of consideration for users' needs during the software development process. This paper examines intra- and inter-sectoral communication pertaining to software development and music education to shed light on…

Exploring the Multi-Layered Affordances of Composing and Performing Interactive Music with Responsive Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Einarsson, Anna; Ziemke, Tom

2017-01-01

The question motivating the work presented here, starting from a view of music as embodied and situated activity, is how can we account for the complexity of interactive music performance situations. These are situations in which human performers interact with responsive technologies, such as sensor-driven technology or sound synthesis affected by analysis of the performed sound signal. This requires investigating in detail the underlying mechanisms, but also providing a more holistic approach that does not lose track of the complex whole constituted by the interactions and relationships of composers, performers, audience, technologies, etc. The concept of affordances has frequently been invoked in musical research, which has seen a " bodily turn " in recent years, similar to the development of the embodied cognition approach in the cognitive sciences. We therefore begin by broadly delineating its usage in the cognitive sciences in general, and in music research in particular. We argue that what is still missing in the discourse on musical affordances is an encompassing theoretical framework incorporating the sociocultural dimensions that are fundamental to the situatedness and embodiment of interactive music performance and composition. We further argue that the cultural affordances framework, proposed by Rietveld and Kiverstein (2014) and recently articulated further by Ramstead et al. (2016) in this journal, although not previously applied to music, constitutes a promising starting point. It captures and elucidates this complex web of relationships in terms of shared landscapes and individual fields of affordances. We illustrate this with examples foremost from the first author's artistic work as composer and performer of interactive music. This sheds new light on musical composition as a process of construction-and embodied mental simulation-of situations, guiding the performers' and audience's attention in shifting fields of affordances. More generally, we

Family socioeconomic status and the provision of motor affordances in the home

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa C. B. Freitas

2013-08-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status (SES and stimulation provided in the home environment are influential factors in aspects of child well-being including motor development. Little is known regarding the influence of SES on specific aspects of the home environment. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the availability of affordances in the home to promote infant motor development and family SES. METHOD : The sample consisted of 300 families with infants aged 3 to 18 months. SES was assessed according to family socioeconomic class, income and parental level of education. To evaluate motor affordances found at home, the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS was used. The AHEMD-IS was designed to assess dimensions of the home environment including Physical Space (outside and inside space, Daily Activities and Play Materials (fine-motor and gross-motor toys. RESULTS: SES indicators significantly influenced the availability of Physical Space and Play Materials. The Physical Space dimension was influenced by family economic class and income. The Play Materials dimension was influenced by all SES indicators. Daily Activities were not influenced by any of the SES indicators. Daily activities and play material were influenced by the infant's age. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that SES indicators are influential with regard to the provision of motor affordances in the home environment for infants. However, daily activities, which represent an aspect of the environment that is highly dependent on parental generation of situations that are conducive to motor skill development, are independent of family SES.

A Prototype using Territories and an Affordance Tree for Social Simulation Gameplay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geishauser, Tilman; Cheong, Yun-Gyung; Nelson, Mark

2014-01-01

Smart objects are a representation strategy for games and virtual worlds, in which information about object interac- tions is distributed into the ob jects themselves: an ob ject knows how it can be used, what kinds of effects it has, etc. In this work, we describe a prototype that aims to explore...... so- cial simulation using smart objects. We extend the concept of smart objects to include a model of human behavior with regard to territoriality. To manage complexity in worlds with many such objects we employ a tree structure, which we call an Affordance Tree. The Affordance Tree allows...

Cost and affordability of healthy food in rural South Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, P R; Coveney, J; Verity, F; Carter, P; Schilling, M

2012-01-01

As in many other countries, Australian consumers have recently had to accommodate increases in costs of basic food, and during the financial year 2007-2008 overall food prices rose by nearly 4%. Food costs are mediating factors in food choice, especially for low-income groups, where food security is often tenuous. There are reports that rural populations may have higher levels of food insecurity, although the evidence is often contradictory. To assess cost and affordability of food in rural areas this study used the Healthy Food Basket (HFB) methodology, which has been applied in a number of settings. The HFBs were costed at supermarkets and stores in different locations with different degrees of rurality. Compared with metropolitan areas, healthy food is more expensive in rural areas; costs are even higher in more remote areas. The overall affordability of HFB in rural areas was not significantly different from metro areas. The main difference concerned low socio-economic status (SES) groups, where the proportion of household income spent on the HFB was three times that of higher SES groups. The unaffordability of healthy food, or 'food stress' in low SES groups is a concern, especially when this group carries the greatest burden of diet-related disease. Findings suggest that there is a need to consider both rurality and SES when developing policy responses to decrease the cost and increase the affordability of healthy foods in rural and remote areas.

Increasing the Stability of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathieu Bosch

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs are a new category of advanced porous materials undergoing study by many researchers for their vast variety of both novel structures and potentially useful properties arising from them. Their high porosities, tunable structures, and convenient process of introducing both customizable functional groups and unsaturated metal centers have afforded excellent gas sorption and separation ability, catalytic activity, luminescent properties, and more. However, the robustness and reactivity of a given framework are largely dependent on its metal-ligand interactions, where the metal-containing clusters are often vulnerable to ligand substitution by water or other nucleophiles, meaning that the frameworks may collapse upon exposure even to moist air. Other frameworks may collapse upon thermal or vacuum treatment or simply over time. This instability limits the practical uses of many MOFs. In order to further enhance the stability of the framework, many different approaches, such as the utilization of high-valence metal ions or nitrogen-donor ligands, were recently investigated. This review details the efforts of both our research group and others to synthesize MOFs possessing drastically increased chemical and thermal stability, in addition to exemplary performance for catalysis, gas sorption, and separation.

Affordances of Learning Technologies in Higher Education Multicultural Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Arenas, Edilson

2015-01-01

A cluster of research has been conducted in higher education to investigate the affordances (action possibilities) and the influence information and communication technologies (ICT) may have on students' learning experiences and outcomes. Such studies have given rise to the implementation of a wide range of educational frameworks with a great deal…

A new signal restoration method based on deconvolution of the Point Spread Function (PSF) for the Flat-Field Holographic Concave Grating UV spectrometer system

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Honglin; Luo, Yongdao

2013-12-01

In recent years, with the development of the Flat-Field Holographic Concave Grating, they are adopted by all kinds of UV spectrometers. By means of single optical surface, the Flat-Field Holographic Concave Grating can implement dispersion and imaging that make the UV spectrometer system design quite compact. However, the calibration of the Flat-Field Holographic Concave Grating is very difficult. Various factors make its imaging quality difficult to be guaranteed. So we have to process the spectrum signal with signal restoration before using it. Guiding by the theory of signals and systems, and after a series of experiments, we found that our UV spectrometer system is a Linear Space- Variant System. It means that we have to measure PSF of every pixel of the system which contains thousands of pixels. Obviously, that's a large amount of calculation .For dealing with this problem, we proposes a novel signal restoration method. This method divides the system into several Linear Space-Invariant subsystems and then makes signal restoration with PSFs. Our experiments turn out that this method is effective and inexpensive.

78 FR 41074 - 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Innovation in Affordable Housing Design Student...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-09

... real life problem faced by public housing authorities using innovations in affordable housing design... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5689-N-05] 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Innovation in Affordable Housing Design Student Competition AGENCY: Office of Policy...

Incentivising flood risk adaptation through risk based insurance premiums : Trade-offs between affordability and risk reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hudson, Paul F.; Botzen, W.J.W.; Feyen, L.; Aerts, Jeroen C.J.H.

2016-01-01

The financial incentives offered by the risk-based pricing of insurance can stimulate policyholder adaptation to flood risk while potentially conflicting with affordability. We examine the trade-off between risk reduction and affordability in a model of public-private flood insurance in France and

Incentivising flood risk adaptation through ris based insurance premiums: trade-offs between affordability and risk reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hudson, P.G.M.B.; Botzen, W.J.W.; Feyen, L.; Aerts, J.C.J.H.

2016-01-01

The financial incentives offered by the risk-based pricing of insurance can stimulate policyholder adaptation to flood risk while potentially conflicting with affordability. We examine the trade-off between risk reduction and affordability in a model of public-private flood insurance in France and

Delivering affordable cancer care in high-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Richard; Peppercorn, Jeffrey; Sikora, Karol; Zalcberg, John; Meropol, Neal J; Amir, Eitan; Khayat, David; Boyle, Peter; Autier, Philippe; Tannock, Ian F; Fojo, Tito; Siderov, Jim; Williamson, Steve; Camporesi, Silvia; McVie, J Gordon; Purushotham, Arnie D; Naredi, Peter; Eggermont, Alexander; Brennan, Murray F; Steinberg, Michael L; De Ridder, Mark; McCloskey, Susan A; Verellen, Dirk; Roberts, Terence; Storme, Guy; Hicks, Rodney J; Ell, Peter J; Hirsch, Bradford R; Carbone, David P; Schulman, Kevin A; Catchpole, Paul; Taylor, David; Geissler, Jan; Brinker, Nancy G; Meltzer, David; Kerr, David; Aapro, Matti

2011-09-01

The burden of cancer is growing, and the disease is becoming a major economic expenditure for all developed countries. In 2008, the worldwide cost of cancer due to premature death and disability (not including direct medical costs) was estimated to be US$895 billion. This is not simply due to an increase in absolute numbers, but also the rate of increase of expenditure on cancer. What are the drivers and solutions to the so-called cancer-cost curve in developed countries? How are we going to afford to deliver high quality and equitable care? Here, expert opinion from health-care professionals, policy makers, and cancer survivors has been gathered to address the barriers and solutions to delivering affordable cancer care. Although many of the drivers and themes are specific to a particular field-eg, the huge development costs for cancer medicines-there is strong concordance running through each contribution. Several drivers of cost, such as over-use, rapid expansion, and shortening life cycles of cancer technologies (such as medicines and imaging modalities), and the lack of suitable clinical research and integrated health economic studies, have converged with more defensive medical practice, a less informed regulatory system, a lack of evidence-based sociopolitical debate, and a declining degree of fairness for all patients with cancer. Urgent solutions range from re-engineering of the macroeconomic basis of cancer costs (eg, value-based approaches to bend the cost curve and allow cost-saving technologies), greater education of policy makers, and an informed and transparent regulatory system. A radical shift in cancer policy is also required. Political toleration of unfairness in access to affordable cancer treatment is unacceptable. The cancer profession and industry should take responsibility and not accept a substandard evidence base and an ethos of very small benefit at whatever cost; rather, we need delivery of fair prices and real value from new technologies

Autonomous informational stability in connective tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, R A

1992-02-01

No coherent theories currently explain connective tissue stability (i.e. 'memory') as well as spatial and temporal adaptability in the face of continual flux of its constituents. Furthermore, explanations of stability based exclusively upon DNA raise certain inherent problems, particularly with the spatial concordance of somatic tissues. As an alternative explanation, it is hypothesized that while connective tissue cells produce extracellular protein precursors through DNA-dependent processes, the assembly, location, orientation and configuration of the extracellular macromolecules as well as their degree of cell attachment depend primarily upon local micro-environmental conditions and/or self-organization rather than strictly cellular processes. The resulting extracellular matrix (ECM) serves as a time- and spatially-variable filter about each cell to afford a relatively consistent micro-environment for all similar cells, regardless of the more variable macro-environment. By insuring a consistent set of signals to the cell, the filter provides a non-genetic memory complementary to genetic memory. The half-lives of constituent molecules define the duration of the filter, allowing the filter to adapt to new environmental demands, yet to maintain a consistent milieu for the cell. The cell/matrix construct permits local, self-optimizing, non-deterministic tissue autonomy obviating the need to postulate certain intricate mechanisms coordinating spatial morphology and temporal behavior.

Seven Affordances of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: How to Support Collaborative Learning? How Can Technologies Help?

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Heisawn; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.

2016-01-01

This article proposes 7 core affordances of technology for collaborative learning based on theories of collaborative learning and CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning) practices. Technology affords learner opportunities to (1) engage in a joint task, (2) communicate, (3) share resources, (4) engage in productive collaborative learning…

76 FR 41501 - Notice of Intent To Award Affordable Care Act (ACA) Funding, EH09-907

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-14

... network expansion and enhancement. Funding is appropriated under the Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. 111-148... Intent To Award Affordable Care Act (ACA) Funding, EH09-907 AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and... in their FY 2011 applications submitted under funding opportunity EH09-907, ``National Environmental...

Organic photovoltaics: Crosslinking for optimal morphology and stability

KAUST Repository

Rumer, Joseph W.; McCulloch, Iain

2015-01-01

Organic solar cells now exceed 10% efficiency igniting interest not only in the fundamental molecular design of the photoactive semiconducting materials, but also in overlapping fields such as green chemistry, large-scale processing and thin film stability. For these devices to be commercially useful, they must have lifetimes in excess of 10 years. One source of potential instability, is that the two bicontinuous phases of electron donor and acceptor materials in the photoactive thin film bulk heterojunction, change in dimensions over time. Photocrosslinking of the π-conjugated semiconducting donor polymers allows the thin film morphology to be ‘locked’ affording patterned and stable blends with suppressed fullerene acceptor crystallization. This article reviews the performance of crosslinkable polymers, fullerenes and additives used to-date, identifying the most promising.

Organic photovoltaics: Crosslinking for optimal morphology and stability

KAUST Repository

Rumer, Joseph W.

2015-04-25

Organic solar cells now exceed 10% efficiency igniting interest not only in the fundamental molecular design of the photoactive semiconducting materials, but also in overlapping fields such as green chemistry, large-scale processing and thin film stability. For these devices to be commercially useful, they must have lifetimes in excess of 10 years. One source of potential instability, is that the two bicontinuous phases of electron donor and acceptor materials in the photoactive thin film bulk heterojunction, change in dimensions over time. Photocrosslinking of the π-conjugated semiconducting donor polymers allows the thin film morphology to be ‘locked’ affording patterned and stable blends with suppressed fullerene acceptor crystallization. This article reviews the performance of crosslinkable polymers, fullerenes and additives used to-date, identifying the most promising.

A Challenge Facing the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Sector: Quality and Affordability of the National Medications

OpenAIRE

Abubaker Abdellah; Noordin MI; Shade AM Khalifa; Rafdzah Zaki; Ahmad S Sulaiman; Ali Abdellah; Hesham R El-Seedi

2016-01-01

Background: Enhancing public satisfaction of the quality and affordability of medicines is an important task in health services. Objective: This study was intended to assess the trust and acceptance of public concerning quality and affordability of locally manufactured medicines in Malaysia. Methodology: A cross sectional study was performed, and a validated Likert scale questionnaire was used in this study. The results were analyzed using the statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) so...

76 FR 41263 - Notice of Intent To Award Affordable Care Act (ACA) Funding, EH10-1004

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-13

... $125,000.00 in ACA funding will be awarded to the grantee for network expansion and enhancement... Intent To Award Affordable Care Act (ACA) Funding, EH10-1004 Notice of Intent to award Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding to National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems...

Plastic modes of listening: affordance in constructed sound environments

Science.gov (United States)

Sjolin, Anders

This thesis is concerned with how the ecological approach to perception with the inclusion of listening modes, informs the creation of sound art installation, or more specifically as referred to in this thesis as constructed sound environments. The basis for the thesis has been a practiced based research where the aim and purpose of the written part of this PhD project has been to critically investigate the area of sound art, in order to map various approaches towards participating in and listening to a constructed sound environment. The main areas has been the notion of affordance as coined by James J. Gibson (1986), listening modes as coined by Pierre Schaeffer (1966) and further developed by Michel Chion (1994), aural architects as coined by Blesser and Salter (2007) and the holistic approach towards understanding sound art developed by Brandon LaBelle (2006). The findings within the written part of the thesis, based on a qualitative analysis, have informed the practice that has resulted in artefacts in the form of seven constructed sound environments that also functions as case studies for further analysis. The aim of the practice has been to exemplify the methodology, strategy and progress behind the organisation and construction of sound environments The research concerns point towards the acknowledgment of affordance as the crucial factor in understanding a constructed sound environment. The affordance approach govern the idea that perceiving a sound environment is a top-down process where the autonomic quality of a constructed sound environment is based upon the perception of structures of the sound material and its relationship with speaker placement and surrounding space. This enables a researcher to side step the conflicting poles of musical/abstract and non-musical/realistic classification of sound elements and regard these poles as included, not separated elements in the analysis of a constructed sound environment.

Subjective perception versus objective indicators of overcrowding and housing affordability

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sunega, Petr; Lux, Martin

2016-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 4 (2016), s. 695-717 ISSN 1566-4910 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36154G Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : Housing * Indicators * Overcrowding * Housing affordability Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography Impact factor: 1.178, year: 2016

Self-assessment in an open online environment: affordances and practices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Firssova, Olga; Brouns, Francis; Joosten-ten Brinke, Desirée

2018-01-01

In MOOCs both designed and emerging self-assessments depend on available technologies and their affordances. Learners determine, however, whether these technologies are used as intended, to what extent and to what effect. Stud-ying MOOC self-assessment practice can help understand the mechanisms

A typology of affordances: untangling sociomaterial interactions through video analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Osch, W.; Mendelson, O.

2011-01-01

In this study we untangle the sociomaterial interactions between developers, users, and artifacts by analyzing what types of affordances occur in the interactions between actors and artifacts in the context of group generativity. Hereto, we conducted an in-depth ethnographic and interaction analysis

The role of business agreements in defining textbook affordability and digital materials: A document analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Raible

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Adopting digital materials such as eTextbooks and e-coursepacks is a potential strategy to address textbook affordability in the United States. However, university business relationships with bookstore vendors implicitly structure which instructional resources are available and in what manner. In this study, a document analysis was conducted on the bookstore contracts for the universities included in the State University System of Florida. Namely, issues of textbook affordability, digital material terminology and seller exclusivity were investigated. It was found that textbook affordability was generally conceived in terms of print rental textbooks and buyback programs, and that eTextbooks were priced higher than print textbooks (25% to 30% markup. Implications and recommendations for change are shared. DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v5i4.284

Unpacking physics representations: Towards an appreciation of disciplinary affordance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tobias Fredlund

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This theoretical article problematizes the access to disciplinary knowledge that different physics representations have the possibility to provide; that is, their disciplinary affordances. It is argued that historically such access has become increasingly constrained for students as physics representations have been rationalized over time. Thus, the case is made that such rationalized representations, while powerful for communication from a disciplinary point of view, manifest as learning challenges for students. The proposal is illustrated using a vignette from a student discussion in the physics laboratory about circuit connections for an experimental investigation of the charging and discharging of a capacitor. It is concluded that in order for students to come to appreciate the disciplinary affordances of representations, more attention needs to be paid to their “unpacking.” Building on this conclusion, two questions are proposed that teachers can ask themselves in order to begin to unpack the representations that they use in their teaching. The paper ends by proposing directions for future research in this area.

Awareness on Sustainable Affordable Housing Among Homebuyers in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ang Salem

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper concerns about the delivery of Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH in Malaysia. The built environment, operation and demolishment of housing have the profound impact on our nature environment. SAH can be a solution toward sustainability development because it considered from an environmental friendly, socially enhancing, and economically benefits perfectives towards housing development. This paper aims to explore the awareness of homebuyers in Malaysia towards sustainable affordable housing. This research used the method of unstructured interview among homebuyers toward SAH in Malaysia. Based on the finding of the study, the awareness of homebuyers in SAH are relatively inadequate. Respondents are required the brief explanation on concept and elements of SAH for continue the interview. Based on Porter Five Forces Model, homebuyers’ requirements hold the bargaining power of customers to determine the features of housing provided by property provider. The knowledge of homebuyers on SAH is crucial for the sustainable development, because homebuyers are one of the key drivers for implementing the sustainable requirements in housing development.

Sonic mediatization of the book: affordances of the audiobook

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iben Have

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article addresses cultural changes resulting from the growing number of audiobook users and changes in audiobook use emerging from digital technological developments of the past decade. The sonification of the written text is inscribed in the general transformation and mediatization of the printed book but offers radically different affordances than do visually perceived e-books. New portable digital audio media change the act of reading, moving it towards fields of practice in which reading has not been common before: the gym, the bicycle ride, gardening, resting in the dark, etc. From being a medium typically associated with children, the visually handicapped, or the dyslexic, the audiobook has developed into a popular phenomenon, which, we argue, has as much in common with other kinds of mediated mobile listening practices, like music and radio listening, as it has with the reading of printed books. Taking an inductive approach from the micro-level of the individual’s use, the term affordances will be used as a methodological tool within the concept of mediatization.

76 FR 41262 - Notice of Intent To Award Affordable Care Act (ACA) Funding, EH11-1103

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-13

...,000 in ACA funding will be awarded to the grantees for network expansion and enhancement. Funding is... Intent To Award Affordable Care Act (ACA) Funding, EH11-1103 Notice of Intent to award Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding to seventeen states and local health departments to develop and implement tracking...

76 FR 41261 - Notice of Intent To Award Affordable Care Act (ACA) Funding, EH10-1003

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-13

...): 93.070. Approximately $124,995.00 in ACA funding will be awarded to the grantee for network expansion... Intent To Award Affordable Care Act (ACA) Funding, EH10-1003 Notice of Intent to award Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding to National Association for Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) to continue with the...

A Framework for Aligning Needs, Abilities and Affordances to Inform Design and Practice of Educational Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Antonenko, Pavlo D.; Dawson, Kara; Sahay, Shilpa

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the need for enhancing our awareness of user-centered design in educational technology through a more explicit and systematic alignment between the needs of educational technology users (learners and educators) and the affordances provided by the technology. First, we define the term "affordance" and discuss it from…

Impact of higher energy efficiency standards on housing affordability in Alberta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-07-01

As a result of changes to provincial and national building and energy costs, the impact of increasing energy efficiency standards on housing affordability has been questioned. Determining housing affordability is a complicated process. This report presented the results of a costing analysis completed for upgrades of EnerGuide 80 levels of energy efficiency in homes in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta. The elements of residential construction were identified. In order to better understand the cost impact of energy efficiency upgrades on a home, pricing data was obtained. Costing elements that were examined included housing price indexes; construction material price indexes; unionized trade wages; and land value. Specifically, the report presented the new housing price index analysis using material and labour costs. An analysis of energy efficiency improvement was then presented in terms of lifecycle costs (capital costs and life cycle costing results). It was concluded that although the price of labour and materials is increasing, the value of land is the primary driver for rising house prices. The price of housing is strongly correlated to the price of land and not the price of labour or materials. In addition, moving to EnerGuide 80 levels of energy efficiency for housing in Alberta made homes more affordable for homebuyers by lowering their total monthly housing costs. 4 tabs., 3 figs., 3 appendices.

Affordable orphan drugs: a role for not-for-profit organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Elin H; Fulton, Emma; Brook, Daniel; Hughes, Dyfrig A

2017-07-01

The success of the Regulation on Orphan Medicinal Products in the European Union is evidenced by the 127 orphan drugs that have had market authorization since 2000. However, the incentives aimed at stimulating research and development have had the unintended consequence of increasing drug cost, resulting in many orphan drugs not being cost-effective. Orphan drugs command an increasing share of the pharmaceutical market and account for a disproportionate amount of healthcare expenditure. Orphan drug ownership by socially motivated, not-for-profit organizations may facilitate access to more affordable orphan drugs, for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems alike. This study aims to describe opportunities for such organizations to become orphan drug Market Authorization Holders. We reviewed data on the ownership of EMA designated and approved orphan drugs, identified funding opportunities and business models for not-for-profit organizations, and summarised relevant legal and policy documents concerning intellectual property rights and drug regulation. Using repurposed drugs as a paradigm, this narrative review navigates the regulatory hurdles, describes the legal context and identifies funding opportunities, in a bid to facilitate and encourage not-for-profit organizations to lead on the development of affordable orphan drugs. Although the regulatory steps required to obtain an MA for an orphan drug are numerous and challenging, they are not insurmountable and can be achieved by not-for-profit organizations that are socially motivated to reduce the costs of orphan drugs to the payers of healthcare. Opportunities for orphan drug development resulting in affordable products lie mainly with repurposed drugs. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

Rethinking Space Design Standards Toward Quality Affordable Housing In Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ishak Nor Haniza

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Provision of affordable housing is important to low- and middle-income population. A fit form of house will not only fulfil a basic human need for shelter, but it also contributes to physical and psychological well-being of the occupants. Excellent quality and affordable housing is an indication of a high quality of life. While writings exist on various aspects of the quality of affordable housing in Malaysia, discussion regarding space and design standards has scarcely been given any serious academic attention. Standards concerning residential development usually cover different aspects or stages of the development process. They can include planning standards, design standards, space standards and technical construction standards. The main concern of this paper is on space and design standards specifically. Space standard can be defined as a set of framework which dictates fixed internal space minimums. Meanwhile, design standard indicates design guidelines to ensure the functionality, comfortability and habitability of the house. This paper is concerned exclusively with indoor spaces of a house excluding external circulation spaces and service facilities (in case of strata housing. Its interest is in internal space as an aspect of housing quality. It can be concluded that one of the way forward will be to find the balance between providing adequate minimum spaces for resident satisfactions and having economic values for housing developers. This paper may be used as a valuable reference for authorities and policy makers to better address the best housing space design standards that would benefit not only the occupants, but also the local government and developers alike.

Enabling Mobile Communications for the Needy: Affordability Methodology, and Approaches to Requalify Universal Service Measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louis-Francois PAU

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper links communications and media usage to social and household economics boundaries. It highlights that in present day society, communications and media are a necessity, but not always affordable, and that they furthermore open up for addictive behaviors which raise additional financial and social risks. A simple and efficient methodology compatible with state-of-the-art social and communications business statistics is developed, which produces the residual communications and media affordability budget and ultimately the value-at-risk in terms of usage and tariffs. Sensitivity analysis provides precious information on bottom-up communications and media adoption on the basis of affordability. This approach differs from the regulated but often ineffective Universal service obligation, which instead of catering for individual needs mostly addresses macro-measures helping geographical access coverage (e.g. in rural areas. It is proposed to requalify the Universal service obligations on operators into concrete measures, allowing, with unchanged funding, the needy to adopt mobile services based on their affordability constraints by bridging the gap to a standard tariff. Case data are surveyed from various countries. ICT policy recommendations are made to support widespread and socially responsible communications access.

The Messiness of Meaning Making: Examining the Affordances of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Having incorporated a digital aspect to our academic literacy course, and having monitored this over the last three years, we have come to believe that online mentoring can serve as an essential form of tutoring and mentoring. Our study is located in the field of New Literacy Studies and examines the affordances of a digital ...

Accessibility, affordability and use of health services in an urban area in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ethelwynn L. Stellenberg

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Inequalities in healthcare between population groups of South Africa existed during the apartheid era and continue to exist both between and within many population groups. Accessibility and affordability of healthcare is a human right. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore and describe accessibility, affordability and the use of health services by the mixed race (coloured population in the Western Cape, South Africa. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive, non-experimental study with a quantitative approach was applied. A purposive convenient sample of 353 participants (0.6% was drawn from a population of 63 004 economically-active people who lived in the residential areas as defined for the purpose of the study. All social classes were represented. The hypothesis set was that there is a positive relationship between accessibility, affordability and the use of health services. A pilot study was conducted which also supported the reliability and validity of the study. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Stellenbosch and informed consent from respondents. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. Results: The hypothesis was accepted. The statistical association between affordability (p = < 0.01, accessibility (p = < 0.01 and the use of health services was found to be significant using the Chi-square (χ² test. Conclusion: The study has shown how affordability and accessibility may influence the use of healthcare services. Accessibility is not only the distance an individual must travel to reach the health service point but more so the utilisation of these services. Continuous Quality Management should be a priority in healthcare services, which should be user-friendly.

As várias abordagens da família no cenário do programa/estratégia de saúde da família (PSF Las diversas abordajes de la familia en el escenario del programa/estrategia de salud de la familia (PSF Different approaches to the family in the context of the family health program/strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edilza Maria Ribeiro

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Apresenta-se o cenário que favoreceu a inclusão da família como foco de atenção nas políticas públicas. As estratégias para interromper o empobrecimento e a vulnerabilidade das famílias, no século XX, ocorrem de forma diferenciada, segundo diferentes 'Estados de Bem-Estar', nas sociedades capitalistas. Porém, ante a crise do Estado de Bem-Estar e crescente custo dos serviços públicos e privados requer-se solução familiar, ao menos parcial, em termos de reduzir a sua dependência. O Programa de Saúde da Família (PSF coloca a família nas agendas das políticas sociais brasileiras em 1994, refletindo tanto interesses do modelo neoliberal como de forças sociais solidárias.Vê-se que tal inclusão gerou multiplicidade de abordagens tais como: família/indivíduo; família/domicílio; família/indivíduo/domicílio; família/comunidade; família/risco social; família/família. Essas abordagens, por não dialogarem entre si, acabam por compor um quadro insuficientemente identificado, dificultando a assistência. Sugere-se exame das condições apontadas como forma de dar, efetivamente, vez à família.Este estudio presenta el escenario que favoreció la inclusión de la familia como foco de atención en las políticas públicas. En el siglo XX, las estrategias para interrumpir el empobrecimiento y la vulnerabilidad de las familias ocurren de manera diferenciada, según los diferentes "Estados de Bienestar", en las sociedades capitalistas. Por consiguiente, ante la crisis del Estado de Bienestar y el creciente costo de los servicios públicos y privados se requiere al menos una solución familiar parcial, en términos de reducir su dependencia. El Programa de Salud de la Familia (PSF colocó la familia en las agendas de las Políticas Sociales Brasileñas en 1994, reflexionando tanto los intereses del modelo neoliberal como de las fuerzas sociales solidarias. Se vio que tal inclusión generó una multiplicidad de abordajes tales

Onchocerciasis control in Nigeria: will households be able to afford community-directed treatment with ivermectin?

Science.gov (United States)

Onwujekwe, O; Shu, E; Onwuameze, O; Ndum, C; Okonkwo, P

2001-12-21

To determine the level of affordability of community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) to households living in two onchocerciasis endemic Nigerian communities namely Toro in the north and Nike in the south. The proportion of the cost of treating people with ivermectin will deplete in average monthly/projected annual household expenditure on food and health care, and on average monthly and projected annual household income were respectively calculated and used to determine the level of affordability of CDTI. Questionnaires administered to heads of households or their representatives were used to collect information on the household expenditures and income. The suggested unit CDTI cost of $0.20 was used. However, as a test of sensitivity, we also used the unit cost of $0.056 which some community based distributors are charging per treatment. Using $0.20 as the unit treatment cost, this will consume less than 0.05% of average annual household income in both communities. It will equally deplete 0.05% of combined annual household expenditures on food and health care in both communities. However, using $0.056 as the unit treatment cost, then 0.02% of average annual household expenditure on health care, 0.01% average annual expenditure on combined health care and food, and 0.01% of average annual household income will be depleted. The households living in both communities may be able to afford CDTI schemes. However, the final decision on levels of affordability lies with the households. They will decide whether they can afford to trade-off some household income for ivermectin distribution.

Obstacles and Affordances for Integer Reasoning: An Analysis of Children's Thinking and the History of Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Jessica Pierson; Lamb, Lisa L.; Philipp, Randolph A.; Whitacre, Ian; Schappelle, Bonnie P.; Lewis, Melinda L.

2014-01-01

We identify and document 3 cognitive obstacles, 3 cognitive affordances, and 1 type of integer understanding that can function as either an obstacle or affordance for learners while they extend their numeric domains from whole numbers to include negative integers. In particular, we highlight 2 key subsets of integer reasoning: understanding or…

Crossing 138: two approaches to churn under the Affordable Care Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravel, Gabriel; DeSantis, J Angelo

2014-01-01

A predicted side effect of the Medicaid expansion and state-based Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act is churn. Churn is the shifting into and out of eligibility for insurance affordability programs due to income changes. Because the line between Medicaid and Exchange eligibility is fine -138% of the federal poverty level -millions of Americans are expected to gain and lose eligibility. Frequently, this churning undermines continuity of care, raises costs, and frustrates those affected. This article explores two proposed programs to mitigate the effects of churn: the Basic Health Program and the Bridge Program. This article evaluates both programs' ability to mitigate the effects of churn, the likely side effects to states' implementing them, and legal and practical obstacles to their implementation. It concludes that the Bridge Program is the better approach.

Use of Welcome to Medicare Visits Among Older Adults Following the Affordable Care Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Arpit; Lloyd, Jennifer T; Strawbridge, Larisa M; Wensky, Suzanne G

2018-01-01

To encourage greater utilization of preventive services among Medicare beneficiaries, the 2010 Affordable Care Act waived coinsurance for the Welcome to Medicare visit, making this benefit free starting in 2011. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of the Affordable Care Act on Welcome to Medicare visit utilization. A 5% sample of newly enrolled fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries for 2005-2016 was used to estimate changes in Welcome to Medicare visit use over time. An interrupted time series model examined whether Welcome to Medicare visits increased significantly after 2011, controlling for pre-intervention trends and other autocorrelation. Annual Welcome to Medicare visit rates began at 1.4% in 2005 and increased to 12.3% by 2016. The quarterly Welcome to Medicare visit rate, which was almost 1% at baseline, was increasing by 0.06% before the 2011 Affordable Care Act provision (pAct provision, the rate increased by about 1% in the first quarter of 2011 (intercept, pAct trends of lower utilization persisted over time for non-whites and improved less quickly for men, regions other than Northeast, and beneficiaries without any supplemental insurance. The Affordable Care Act, and perhaps the removal of cost sharing, was associated with increased use of the Welcome to Medicare visit; however, even with the increased use, there is room for improvement. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Demographics and Properties of Wide-Orbit, Planetary-Mass Companions from PSF Fitting of Spitzer/IRAC Images

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Raquel; Kraus, Adam L.

2017-06-01

Over the past decade, a growing population of planetary-mass companions ( 100 AU) from their host stars, challenging existing models of both star and planet formation. It is unclear whether these systems represent the low-mass extreme of stellar binary formation or the high-mass and wide-orbit extreme of planet formation theories, as various proposed formation pathways inadequately explain the physical and orbital aspects of these systems. Even so, determining which scenario best reproduces the observed characteristics of the PMCs will come once a statistically robust sample of directly-imaged PMCs are found and studied.We are developing an automated pipeline to search for wide-orbit PMCs to young stars in Spitzer/IRAC images. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm is the backbone of our novel point spread function (PSF) subtraction routine that efficiently creates and subtracts χ2-minimizing instrumental PSFs, simultaneously measuring astrometry and infrared photometry of these systems across the four IRAC channels (3.6 μm, 4.5 μm, 5.8 μm, and 8 μm). In this work, we present the results of a Spitzer/IRAC archival imaging study of 11 young, low-mass (0.044-0.88 M⊙ K3.5-M7.5) stars known to have faint, low-mass companions in 3 nearby star-forming regions (Chameleon, Taurus, and Upper Scorpius). We characterize the systems found to have low-mass companions with non-zero [I1] - [I4] colors, potentially signifying the presence of a circum(sub?)stellar disk. Plans for future pipeline improvements and paths forward will also be discussed. Once this computational foundation is optimized, the stage is set to quickly scour the nearby star-forming regions already imaged by Spitzer, identify potential candidates for further characterization with ground- or space-based telescopes, and increase the number of widely-separated PMCs known.

Low frequency azimuthal stability of the ionization region of the Hall thruster discharge. II. Global analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escobar, D.; Ahedo, E.

2015-01-01

The linear stability of the Hall thruster discharge is analysed against axial-azimuthal perturbations in the low frequency range using a time-dependent 2D code of the discharge. This azimuthal stability analysis is spatially global, as opposed to the more common local stability analyses, already afforded previously (D. Escobar and E. Ahedo, Phys. Plasmas 21(4), 043505 (2014)). The study covers both axial and axial-azimuthal oscillations, known as breathing mode and spoke, respectively. The influence on the spoke instability of different operation parameters such as discharge voltage, mass flow, and thruster size is assessed by means of different parametric variations and compared against experimental results. Additionally, simplified models are used to unveil and characterize the mechanisms driving the spoke. The results indicate that the spoke is linked to azimuthal oscillations of the ionization process and to the Bohm condition in the transition to the anode sheath. Finally, results obtained from local and global stability analyses are compared in order to explain the discrepancies between both methods

Redshift or adduct stabilization -- a computational study of hydrogen bonding in adducts of protonated carboxylic acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Solveig Gaarn; Hammerum, Steen

2009-01-01

It is generally expected that the hydrogen bond strength in a D-H-A adduct is predicted by the difference between the proton affinities of D and A, measured by the adduct stabilization, and demonstrated by the IR redshift of the D-H bond stretching vibrational frequency. These criteria do...... not always yield consistent predictions, as illustrated by the hydrogen bonds formed by the E and Z OH groups of protonated carboxylic acids. The delta-PA and the stabilization of a series of hydrogen bonded adducts indicate that the E OH group forms the stronger hydrogen bonds, whereas the bond length...... carboxylic acids are different. The OH bond length and IR redshift afford the better measure of hydrogen bond strength....

24 CFR 92.252 - Qualification as affordable housing: Rental housing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Qualification as affordable housing: Rental housing. 92.252 Section 92.252 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM Project Requirements § 92.252...

High School Girls’ Everyday Aesthetics on Instagram: The Affordance Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jou-Chun Su

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This study explores high school girls’ Instagram aesthetic practices based on the affordance theory. We conduct in-depth interviews and photo analyses of 10 subjects to reveal how these girls interact with the app’s interface, and what strategic practices they have developed to interact with the affordances preset by Instagram. The findings demonstrate that Instagram has become a realm for everyday aesthetics due to its design priority on photos. These high school girls navigate in plural art worlds as they share their reframed photos with a variety of social groups, of which each has its own discrete aesthetic convention. This indicates that Instagram’s interface design has successfully associated itself with taste and beauty, eliciting these girls to collect more reframing apps in order to achieve their own distinction. As a result, aesthetics takes shape in everyday life, but they take their own aestheticized life as the real one.

The Affordable Care Act: the ethical call to transform the organizational culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Piper, Llewellyn E

2014-01-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will require health care leaders and managers to develop strategies and implement organizational tactics for their organization to survive and thrive under the federal mandates of this new health care law. Successful health care organizations and health care systems will be defined by their adaptability in the new value-based marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. The most critical underlining challenge for this success will be the effective transformation of the organizational culture. Transformational value-based leadership is now needed to answer the ethical call for transforming the organizational culture. This article provides a model and recommendations to influence change in the most difficult leadership duty-transforming the organizational culture.

Social Policy Trends- Housing Affordability for Families with Low Incomes Across Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margarita (Gres Wilkins

2017-06-01

Full Text Available HOUSING AFFORDABILITY FOR FAMILIES WITH LOW INCOMES ACROSS CANADA Percentage of income devoted to paying lowest-priced rent in a city, by low-income family type, select years, 1990-2015 Much public attention has been directed towards the issue of a Canada-wide housing crisis. The focus has typically been on the cost of housing for an average income Canadian family. Less attention has been paid to families with incomes much lower than those of the average Canadian household, for which the housing crisis is far more severe. Households and individuals with particularly low incomes are at the highest risk of experiencing the worst effects of a lack of housing affordability, including homelessness.

Availability and Affordability of Insurance Under Climate Change. A Growing Challenge for the U.S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, E.; Roth, R.J. Jr; Lecomte, E.

2005-01-01

The paper explores the insurability of risks from climate change, and ways in which insurance affordability and availability could be adversely impacted in the U.S. i n the coming years. It includes examples where affordability and availability of insurance are already at risk from rising weather-related losses and how future financial exposure for insurers, governments, businesses and consumers could worsen if current climate and business trends continue

Vaccination via Chloroplast Genetics: Affordable Protein Drugs for the Prevention and Treatment of Inherited or Infectious Human Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniell, Henry; Chan, Hui-Ting; Pasoreck, Elise K

2016-11-23

Plastid-made biopharmaceuticals treat major metabolic or genetic disorders, including Alzheimer's, diabetes, hypertension, hemophilia, and retinopathy. Booster vaccines made in chloroplasts prevent global infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, and polio, and biological threats, such as anthrax and plague. Recent advances in this field include commercial-scale production of human therapeutic proteins in FDA-approved cGMP facilities, development of tags to deliver protein drugs to targeted human cells or tissues, methods to deliver precise doses, and long-term stability of protein drugs at ambient temperature, maintaining their efficacy. Codon optimization utilizing valuable information from sequenced chloroplast genomes enhanced expression of eukaryotic human or viral genes in chloroplasts and offered unique insights into translation in chloroplasts. Support from major biopharmaceutical companies, development of hydroponic production systems, and evaluation by regulatory agencies, including the CDC, FDA, and USDA, augur well for advancing this novel concept to the clinic and revolutionizing affordable healthcare.

Paying for Cures: How Can We Afford It? Managed Care Pharmacy Stakeholder Perceptions of Policy Options to Address Affordability of Prescription Drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Kai; Suh, Kangho; Basu, Anirban; Garrison, Louis P; Bansal, Aasthaa; Carlson, Josh J

2017-10-01

High-priced medications with curative potential, such as the newer hepatitis C therapies, have contributed to the recent growth in pharmaceutical expenditure. Despite the obvious benefits, health care decision makers are just beginning to grapple with questions of how to value and pay for curative therapies that may feature large upfront cost, followed by health benefits that are reaped over a patient's lifespan. Alternative policy options have been proposed to promote high value and financially sustainable use of these therapies. It is unclear which policy options would be most acceptable to health care payer and biomedical manufacturer stakeholders. To (a) briefly review pharmaceutical policy options to address health system affordability and (b) assess the acceptability of alternative policy options to health care payers and biomedical manufacturers before and after an Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) continuing pharmacy education (CPE) session. We searched MEDLINE and Cochran databases for pharmaceutical policy options addressing affordability. With input from a focus group of managed care professionals, we developed CPE session content and an 8-question survey focusing on the most promising policy options. We fielded the survey before and after the CPE session, which occurred as part of the 2016 AMCP Annual Meeting. We first conducted a chi-squared goodness-of-fit test to assess response distributions. Next, we tested how responses differed before and after by using an ordered logit and a multinomial logit to model Likert scale and unordered responses, respectively. Although risk-sharing payments over time remained the most favorable choice before (37%) and after (35%) the CPE session, this choice was closely followed by HealthCoin after the session, which increased in favorability from 4% to 33% of responses (P = 0.001). About half of the respondents (54%) indicated that legislative change is the most significant barrier to the implementation of any

24 CFR 1000.242 - When does the requirement for exemption from taxation apply to affordable housing activities?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... exemption from taxation apply to affordable housing activities? 1000.242 Section 1000.242 Housing and Urban... ACTIVITIES Indian Housing Plan (IHP) § 1000.242 When does the requirement for exemption from taxation apply to affordable housing activities? The requirement for exemption from taxation applies only to rental...

Social Media and Organizing – An Empirical Analysis of the Role of Wiki Affordances in Organizing Practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mansour, Osama; Askenäs, Linda; Ghazawneh, Ahmad

2013-01-01

The evolution of social media has introduced novel possibilities for work and interaction in organizations. The wiki technology is one important kind of social media technologies that is increasingly used to facilitate the creation and sharing of organizational knowledge within communities. Given...... in that they extend the notion of affordance by theorizing new concepts that describe relational dynamics, situated and contextual conditions, and social factors involved in enacting, perceiving, and exploiting affordances.......The evolution of social media has introduced novel possibilities for work and interaction in organizations. The wiki technology is one important kind of social media technologies that is increasingly used to facilitate the creation and sharing of organizational knowledge within communities. Given...... the increasing use of social media in organizations and the lack of knowledge on their consequences for organizing, we use an affordance lens to explore the enactment of organizational wiki affordances. Using qualitative data obtained through interviews, field visits, and documents from two multinational...

Graduates' Perceptions of Learning Affordances in Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships: A Dual-Institution, Mixed-Methods Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Latessa, Robyn A; Swendiman, Robert A; Parlier, Anna Beth; Galvin, Shelley L; Hirsh, David A

2017-09-01

The authors explored affordances that contribute to participants' successful learning in longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs). This dual-institutional, mixed-methods study included electronic surveys and semistructured interviews of LIC graduates who completed their core clinical (third) year of medical school. These LIC graduates took part in LICs at Harvard Medical School from 2004 to 2013 and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine-Asheville campus from 2009 to 2013. The survey questions asked LIC graduates to rate components of LICs that they perceived as contributing to successful learning. A research assistant interviewed a subset of study participants about their learning experiences. The authors analyzed aggregate data quantitatively and performed a qualitative content analysis on interview data. The graduates reported multiple affordances that they perceive contributed to successful learning in their LIC. The most reported components included continuity and relationships with preceptors, patients, place, and peers, along with integration of and flexibility within the curriculum. As LIC models grow in size and number, and their structures and processes evolve, learners' perceptions of affordances may guide curriculum planning. Further research is needed to investigate to what degree and by what means these affordances support learning in LICs and other models of clinical education.

Virtual team learning: The role of collaboration process and technology affordance in team decision making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean Cordes

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The study examines two dimensions that impact virtual team decision making. One is the influence of collaboration process structure: the sequences, patterns, and routines participants use to interact and solve problems. The other is technology affordance: the strengths and weaknesses of technologies in terms of the usefulness they offer to teams when performing tasks. Some teams used a structured collaboration process with monitoring, coordination, and backup functions during a decision-making discussion. Other teams had no discussion process instructions. In addition, some teams possessed stronger technology affordance including both chat and an editable document. Other teams used chat technology alone, which offered fewer collaboration possibilities. The collaboration process and technology affordance factors were tested in an experiment in which four-person online teams worked as a personnel hiring committee. Information about four job candidates was distributed to create a hidden profile in which some information was shared across all team members, while other information was visible only to specific members. Two hundred and eight students, comprising fifty-two teams completed the study. Teams using the structured collaboration process made more accurate and higher-quality decisions. In addition, scores were higher when technology affordance included both chat and editable document tools, but this influence was not significant.

Implementing the Affordable Care Act: State Action to Establish SHOP Marketplaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, Sarah J; Lucia, Kevin W; Thomas, Amy

2014-03-01

The Affordable Care Act seeks to help small employers offer coverage by reforming the small-group market and establishing Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) marketplaces. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia chose to operate their own SHOP marketplaces in 2014, with the federal government operating the SHOP marketplace in 33 states. This brief examines state decisions to enhance the value of SHOP marketplaces for small employers and finds that most have set predictable participation and eligibility requirements and will offer a competitive choice of insurers and plans. States also are seeking to facilitate small employers' shopping experience through online tools and access to personalized assistance. While not all SHOP marketplaces are yet functioning as intended, their establishment offers an opportunity to identify successful strategies for improving the affordability and accessibility of coverage for small employers.

Do already grasped objects activate motor affordances?

Science.gov (United States)

Iani, Cristina; Ferraro, Luca; Maiorana, Natale Vincenzo; Gallese, Vittorio; Rubichi, Sandro

2018-04-07

This study investigated whether in a stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) task affordance effects in response to picture of graspable objects emerge when these objects appear as already grasped. It also assessed whether the observed effects could be explained as due to spatial compatibility between the most salient part in the object/display and the hand of response rather than to action potentiation. To this aim, we conducted three behavioural experiments in which participants were required to discriminate the vertical orientation (upright vs. inverted) of an object presented in the centre of the screen, while ignoring the right-left orientation of its handle. The object could be presented alone, as already grasped, as partially masked (Experiment 1) or with a human hand close to its graspable side (Experiment 2). In addition, to assess the role of perceptual salience, the object could be presented with a human hand or a non-biological (a geometrical shape) distractor located opposite to the object's graspable side. Results showed faster responses when the object's handle was located on the same side of the responding hand with a larger effect when upright objects were shown as already grasped (Experiment 1) or when a hand was displayed close to its handle (Experiment 2), and a smaller reversed effect when the hand or the geometrical shape was located opposite to the handled side (Experiment 3). We interpreted these findings as indicating that handle orientation effects emerging in SRC tasks may result from the interplay between motor affordance and spatial compatibility mechanisms.

Achieving affordable housing through energy efficiency strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Copiello, Sergio

2015-01-01

Cooperation between public and private sector has achieved a remarkable widespread, in the Italian context, over the last two decades. Nevertheless, the increasing difficulty in accessing the capital market and the rising cost of funding sources, both noticeable over the past few years, led to a slowdown of Public–Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives. Meanwhile, the community is expressing new needs to be satisfied, such as the conversion of brownfields, the recovery of housing stock dating back to former times, as well as the refurbishment of public offices or schools. Emerging priorities include the supply of affordable dwellings for low to medium income households. This essay aims to examine a case study in which PPP and buildings energy efficiency have been successfully combined, in order to jointly contribute to the achievement of a social housing settlement. Thanks to energy efficiency measures—concerning building envelope insulation, heating system and other installations—the agreed rent results far higher than social rent of protected tenancies, and furthermore above the range of fair rents characterising other regulated tenancies, but mildly lower than market rents. All this allows to achieve an equity yield rate satisfying from the perspective of a venture philanthropy investment. -- Highlights: •Provision of affordable dwellings is an emerging priority within Italian context. •Lack of public funds leads to promote Public–Private Partnership schemes. •Without public grants the adoption of a venture philanthropy approach is needed. •The examined case study allows to explain the role of buildings energy efficiency. •Buildings energy efficiency may boost feasibility of social housing transactions

Policy approaches to improve availability and affordability of medicines in Mexico - an example of a middle income country.

Science.gov (United States)

Moye-Holz, Daniela; van Dijk, Jitse P; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; Hogerzeil, Hans V

2017-08-01

The World Health Organization recommends establishing and implementing a national pharmaceutical policy (NPP) to guarantee effective and equitable access to medicines. Mexico has implemented several policy approaches to regulate the pharmaceutical sector, but it has no formal NPP. This article describes the approach that the Mexican government has taken to improve availability and affordability of essential medicines. Descriptive policy analysis of public pharmaceutical policy proposals and health action plans on the basis of publicly available data and health progress reports, with a focus on availability and affordability of medicines. The government has implemented pooled procurement, price negotiations, and an information platform in the public sector to improve affordability and availability. The government mainly reports on the savings that these strategies have generated in the public expenditure but their full impact on availability and affordability has not been assessed. To increase availability and affordability of medicines in the public sector, the Mexican government has resorted on isolated strategies. In addition to efficient procurement, price negotiations and price information, other policy components and pricing interventions are needed. All these strategies should be included in a comprehensive NPP.

Teaching Text Structure: Examining the Affordances of Children's Informational Texts

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Cindy D.; Clark, Sarah K.; Reutzel, D. Ray

2016-01-01

This study investigated the affordances of informational texts to serve as model texts for teaching text structure to elementary school children. Content analysis of a random sampling of children's informational texts from top publishers was conducted on text structure organization and on the inclusion of text features as signals of text…

Affordances and Alignments: Continuing Challenges in Advising Undergraduate Psychology Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Landrum, R. Eric

2018-01-01

Challenges abound in providing accurate and useful information to prospective and declared psychology majors about their career options and how to make decisions that will lead to satisfying and rewarding postgraduate lives. One component of this challenge is that by majoring in psychology, career affordances (i.e., the opportunities and…

Chitosan-graphene oxide films and CO2-dried porous aerogel microspheres: Interfacial interplay and stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Frindy, Sana; Primo, Ana; Ennajih, Hamid; El Kacem Qaiss, Abou; Bouhfid, Rachid; Lahcini, Mohamed; Essassi, El Mokhtar; Garcia, Hermenegildo; El Kadib, Abdelkrim

2017-07-01

The intimate interplay of chitosan (CS) and graphene oxide (GO) in aqueous acidic solution has been explored to design upon casting, nanostructured "brick-and-mortar" films (CS-GO-f) and by acidic-to-basic pH inversion, porous CO 2 -dried aerogel microspheres (CS-GO-m). Owing to the presence of oxygenated functional groups in GO, good-quality crack-free hybrid films were obtained. Mechanical properties were improved independently of the GO content and it was found that a 20wt% loading affords hybrid film characterized with a Young modulus three times superior to that reached with the same loading of layered clay. The presence of graphene oxide was found to be detrimental for the thermal stability of the polysaccharide at T <350°C, a fact attributed to the well-established decomposition of the oxygenated functional groups of the graphene sheets. Irrespective to the graphene oxide loading, chitosan-graphene oxide mixture preserves the gelation memory of the polysaccharide. Supercritical drying of the resulting soft hydrogels provides macroporous network with surface areas ranging from 226m 2 g -1 to 554m 2 g -1 . XPS and RAMAN analyses evidenced the selective reduction of GO sheets inside of these microspheres, affording the hitherto unknown macroporous chitosan-entangled-reduced graphene oxide (CS-rGO-m) aerogels. Improvement in both hydrothermal stability (under water reflux) and chemical stability (under acidic conditions) have been noticed for chitosan-graphene oxide microspheres with respect to non-modified chitosan and chitosan-clay bio-hybrids, a result rooted in the substantial hydrophobic character imparted by the addition of graphenic material to the polysaccharide skeleton. In essence, this contribution demonstrates that graphene oxide loading do not disturb neither the filmogenicity of chitosan nor its gelation ability and constitutes a promising route for novel chitosan-based functional hybrid materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Virtual learning environments in the light of the Complexity Paradigm: interface, affordances and equifinality Ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem à luz do Paradigma da Complexidade: interface, affordances e equifinalidade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeska Virginia Soares Souza

2013-01-01

Full Text Available I have investigated, through the lens of the Complexity Paradigm, aligned with the premises of the Theory of General Systems and the concept of affordances, two virtual learning environments (VLEs, defining them as systems composed of digital genres, regarding a VLE as a complex adaptive system. These VLEs were reconfigured from the platforms TelEduc and Moodle and used to teach the discipline "Digital Literacy", in the course of Languages and Literature Teaching degree at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, during the second semester of 2007 and the second semester of 2008, respectively. The analyses have indicated that the textual production of the emerging online discourse communities was influenced by the coupling of different layers of the interface, the textual genres and the communicative and pedagogical purposes and, also, by the affordances which were perceived and acted upon by teachers and learners. The analyzed VLEs have portrayed the characteristic of equifinality, regardless of the possibilities and constraints offered by the platforms TelEduc and Moodle.Investigo, através da lente do Paradigma da Complexidade, juntamente com os pressupostos da Teoria Geral dos Sistemas e do conceito de affordances, dois ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem (AVAs, definindo-os como sistemas compostos por gêneros digitais, partindo do pressuposto de que um AVA é um sistema adaptativo complexo. Esses AVAs foram reconfigurados a partir das plataformas TelEduc e Moodle e utilizados para ministrar a disciplina "Letramento Digital", no curso de Letras da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG, nos semestres 2007-2 e 2008-2, respectivamente. As análises indicam que a produção textual das comunidades discursivas on-line emergentes nos AVAs foi influenciada pelo acoplamento aninhado de camadas distintas da interface, dos gêneros textuais e dos propósitos comunicativos e pedagógicos, e, ainda, pelas affordances percebidas e efetivadas

NASA's Space Launch System: Affordability for Sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

May, Todd A.; Creech, Stephen D.

2012-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center, is charged with delivering a new capability for human exploration beyond Earth orbit in an austere economic climate. But the SLS value is clear and codified in United States (U.S.) budget law. The SLS Program knows that affordability is the key to sustainability and will provide an overview of initiatives designed to fit within the funding guidelines by using existing engine assets and hardware now in testing to meet a first launch by 2017 within the projected budget. It also has a long-range plan to keep the budget flat, yet evolve the 70-tonne (t) initial lift capability to 130-t lift capability after the first two flights. To achieve the evolved configuration, advanced technologies must offer appropriate return on investment to be selected through the competitive process. For context, the SLS will be larger than the Saturn V that took 12 men on 6 trips for a total of 11 days on the lunar surface some 40 years ago. Astronauts train for long-duration voyages on platforms such as the International Space Station, but have not had transportation to go beyond Earth orbit in modern times, until now. To arrive at the launch vehicle concept, the SLS Program conducted internal engineering and business studies that have been externally validated by industry and reviewed by independent assessment panels. In parallel with SLS concept studies, NASA is now refining its mission manifest, guided by U.S. space policy and the Global Exploration Roadmap, which reflects the mutual goals of a dozen member nations. This mission planning will converge with a flexible heavy-lift rocket that can carry international crews and the air, water, food, and equipment they need for extended trips to asteroids and Mars. In addition, the SLS capability will accommodate very large science instruments and other payloads, using a series of modular fairings and

Kite-powered design-to-robotic-production for affordable building on demand

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bier, H.H.; Schmehl, R.; Mostafavi, S.S.; Anton, A.M.; Bodea, I.S.B.

2017-01-01

Building technologies employed today in 2nd and 3rd world countries are imported, expensive, outdated and unsustainable. Highly developed countries, on the other hand, rapidly advance in developing affordable, numerically controlled and robotically supported material- and energy-efficient methods

Price Determinants of Affordable Apartments in Vietnam: Toward the Public–Private Partnerships for Sustainable Housing Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ducksu Seo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Since the Doi Moi policy of economic reform in 1986, Vietnam has experienced economic development and housing market growth with increasing foreign direct investment. While high-end apartment development has dominated since the emergence of the privatized housing market, more recent focus is on the affordable apartment segment with the remarkable surge of middle-income households in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC. While most previous studies have analyzed housing price determinants based on locational classification, this study is based on the affordability framework of the housing market in HCMC. It aims to investigate the price determinants of affordable and unaffordable apartment units using the hedonic regression model. The study identified common factors between the two types of apartments, such as vertical shared access and proximity to downtown, as well as unique factors for each, such as more high-rise towers, foreign development, proximity to main roads, and shopping malls only for the affordable segments. The findings have valuable implications, not only for future investors and developers in setting up successful housing development strategies, but also for the public sector in strongly encouraging public–private partnerships for sustainable housing development in Vietnam.

Students' affordance of teleologic explanations and antrhropomorphic language in eliciting concepts in physics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romiro Gordo Bautista

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This study ascertains the students’ affordance of teleologic explanations and anthropomorphic language in eliciting concepts in Physics as influenced by their age and learning exposure and experience. Using Explicative-Reductive Method of Descriptive Research, this study focused on the determinants of students’ affordance of teleologic-anthropomorphic reasoning to select concepts in Physics: Kinematics, Dynamics, Statics and Introduction to Thermodynamics.  It was found out that the respondents had intermittently committed teleologic-anthropomorphic languages across age and nature of their secondary education. Furthermore, teleologic-anthropomorphic languages were found correctible by classroom interventions as indicated by the test results on age and curricular exposure.

Material Affordances: The Potential of Scrapbooks in the Composition Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Kara Poe

2013-01-01

A multiliteracies pedagogy has renewed our interest in materiality, or how the physical text interacts with the author's choices and the context to contribute to the message, yet little attention has been paid to materiality in analog texts, such as the scrapbook, even though this medium contains affordances (capabilities and limitations) that…

Learning Objects and Grasp Affordances through Autonomous Exploration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Dirk; Detry, Renaud; Pugeault, Nicolas

2009-01-01

We describe a system for autonomous learning of visual object representations and their grasp affordances on a robot-vision system. It segments objects by grasping and moving 3D scene features, and creates probabilistic visual representations for object detection, recognition and pose estimation...... image sequences as well as (3) a number of built-in behavioral modules on the one hand, and autonomous exploration on the other hand, the system is able to generate object and grasping knowledge through interaction with its environment....

Exploring the Multi-Layered Affordances of Composing and Performing Interactive Music with Responsive Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Einarsson

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The question motivating the work presented here, starting from a view of music as embodied and situated activity, is how can we account for the complexity of interactive music performance situations. These are situations in which human performers interact with responsive technologies, such as sensor-driven technology or sound synthesis affected by analysis of the performed sound signal. This requires investigating in detail the underlying mechanisms, but also providing a more holistic approach that does not lose track of the complex whole constituted by the interactions and relationships of composers, performers, audience, technologies, etc. The concept of affordances has frequently been invoked in musical research, which has seen a “bodily turn” in recent years, similar to the development of the embodied cognition approach in the cognitive sciences. We therefore begin by broadly delineating its usage in the cognitive sciences in general, and in music research in particular. We argue that what is still missing in the discourse on musical affordances is an encompassing theoretical framework incorporating the sociocultural dimensions that are fundamental to the situatedness and embodiment of interactive music performance and composition. We further argue that the cultural affordances framework, proposed by Rietveld and Kiverstein (2014 and recently articulated further by Ramstead et al. (2016 in this journal, although not previously applied to music, constitutes a promising starting point. It captures and elucidates this complex web of relationships in terms of shared landscapes and individual fields of affordances. We illustrate this with examples foremost from the first author's artistic work as composer and performer of interactive music. This sheds new light on musical composition as a process of construction—and embodied mental simulation—of situations, guiding the performers' and audience's attention in shifting fields of affordances

Affordable Hybrid Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

TeGrotenhuis, Ward E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Butterfield, Andrew [Jabil, St. Petersburg, FL (United States); Caldwell, Dustin D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Crook, Alexander [Jabil, St. Petersburg, FL (United States)

2016-06-30

This project was successful in demonstrating the feasibility of a step change in residential clothes dryer energy efficiency by demonstrating heat pump technology capable of 50% energy savings over conventional standard-size electric dryers with comparable drying times. A prototype system was designed from off-the-shelf components that can meet the project’s efficiency goals and are affordable. An experimental prototype system was built based on the design that reached 50% energy savings. Improvements have been identified that will reduce drying times of over 60 minutes to reach the goal of 40 minutes. Nevertheless, the prototype represents a step change in efficiency over heat pump dryers recently introduced to the U.S. market, with 30% improvement in energy efficiency at comparable drying times.

Mobile Service Affordability for the Needy, Addiction, and ICT Policy Implications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L-F. Pau (Louis-François)

2008-01-01

textabstractThis paper links communications and media usage to social and household economics boundaries. It highlights that in present day society, communications and media are a necessity, but not always affordable, and that they furthermore open up for addictive behaviours which raise additional

Examining Graphing Calculator Affordances in Learning Pre-Calculus among Undergraduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Nzuki, Francis

2016-01-01

This study examines graphing calculator affordances in learning mathematics among college precalculus students. The study draws from the Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and the "Intelligent Technology" theoretical framework proposed by Salomon, Perkins, and Globerson (1991). From these perspectives the effects "with" the graphing…

Bridging Binding Modes of Phosphine-Stabilized Nitrous Oxide to Zn(C6F5)2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neu, Rebecca C.; Otten, Edwin; Stephan, Douglas W.

2009-01-01

Reaction of [tBu3PN2O(B(C6H4F)3)] with 1, 1.5, or 2 equivalents of Zn(C6F5)2 affords the species [{tBu3PN2OZn(C6F5)2}2], [{tBu3PN2OZn(C6F5)2}2Zn(C6F5)2], and [tBu3PN2O{Zn(C6F5)2}2] displaying unique binding modes of Zn to the phosphine-stabilized N2O fragment.

Does employment security modify the effect of housing affordability on mental health?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Bentley

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper uses longitudinal data to examine the interrelationship between two central social determinants of mental health – employment security and housing affordability.Data from ten annual waves of the longitudinal Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA survey (which commenced in 2000/1 and is ongoing were analysed using fixed-effects longitudinal linear regression. Change in the SF-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS score of working age individuals (25–64 years (51,885 observations of 10,776 people, associated with changes in housing affordability was examined. Models were adjusted for income, age, survey year, experience of serious injury/illness and separation/divorce. We tested for an additive interaction between the security of a household's employment arrangements and housing affordability.People in insecurely employed households appear more vulnerable than people in securely employed households to negative mental health effects of housing becoming unaffordable. In adjusted models, people in insecurely employed households whose housing became unaffordable experienced a decline in mental health (B=−1.06, 95% CI −1.75 to −0.38 while people in securely employed households experienced no difference on average.To progress our understanding of the Social Determinants of Health this analysis provides evidence of the need to bridge the (largely artificial separation of social determinants, and understand how they are related.

Pricing and affordability of renewable energy in China - A case study of Shandong Province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Xue-liang; Zuo, Jian

2011-01-01

The global warming and climate change have put enormous pressure on both governments and industries to re-think their attitudes and behaviours towards sustainability issues. The past decades have witnessed a number of renewable energy developments across the world. Even though these developments are not issue-free, it is generally recognized that the benefits outweigh disadvantages. However, there is an increasing level of concern on the high initial cost associated with the renewable energies, which was claimed as one of critical barriers to the promotion of its further developments. A case study approach is adopted in this study to investigate the pricing and affordability issues associated with the renewable energy in China. The policy framework and related statistics are critically reviewed in order to discuss these issues from different stakeholders' perspective in Shandong province, China. It is concluded that the affordability remains a critical issue despite numerous efforts have been made by the Chinese Government and Shandong Provincial Government on renewable power pricing. This study offers a useful reference to pricing and affordability of renewable energy. (author)

Medicine prices, availability, and affordability in the Shaanxi Province in China: implications for the future.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Minghuan; Zhou, Zhongliang; Wu, Lina; Shen, Qian; Lv, Bing; Wang, Xiao; Yang, Shimin; Fang, Yu

2015-02-01

In 2009, China implemented the National Essential Medicines System (NEMS) to improve access to high-quality low-cost essential medicines. To measure the prices, availability and affordability of medicines in China following the implementation of the NEMS. 120 public hospitals and 120 private pharmacies in ten cities in Shaanxi Province, Western China. The standardized methodology developed by the World Health Organization and Health Action International was used to collect data on prices and availability of 49 medicines. Median price ratio; availability as a percentage; cost of course of treatment in days' wages of the lowest-paid government workers. In the public hospitals, originator brands (OBs) were procured at 8.89 times the international reference price, more than seven times higher than the lowest-priced generics (LPGs). Patients paid 11.83 and 1.69 times the international reference prices for OBs and generics respectively. A similar result was observed in the private pharmacies. The mean availabilities of OBs and LPGs were 7.1 and 20.0 % in the public hospitals, and 12.6 and 29.2 % in the private pharmacies. Treatment with OBs is therefore largely unaffordable, but the affordability of the LPGs is generally good. High prices and low availability of survey medicines were observed. The affordability of generics, but not OBs, is reasonable. Effective measures should be taken to reduce medicine prices and improve availability and affordability in Shaanxi Province.

Health-care reform or labor market reform? A quantitative analysis of the affordable care act

OpenAIRE

Nakajima, Makoto; Tuzemen, Didem

2015-01-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires all individuals to have health insurance, and introduces penalties to large firms that do not offer affordable coverage to their employees. While the possible effects of the ACA on the insurance decision of individuals have been studied, what is less studied is how the ACA can affect labor demand. In particular, since the ACA does not require small firms to offer health insurance, and does not require firms to offer health insuranc...

Contraceptive Coverage and the Affordable Care Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Tschann, Mary; Soon, Reni

2015-12-01

A major goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is reducing healthcare spending by shifting the focus of healthcare toward preventive care. Preventive services, including all FDA-approved contraception, must be provided to patients without cost-sharing under the ACA. No-cost contraception has been shown to increase uptake of highly effective birth control methods and reduce unintended pregnancy and abortion; however, some institutions and corporations argue that providing contraceptive coverage infringes on their religious beliefs. The contraceptive coverage mandate is evolving due to legal challenges, but it has already demonstrated success in reducing costs and improving access to contraception. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facile Synthesis of Monodispersed Polysulfide Spheres for Building Structural Colors with High Color Visibility and Broad Viewing Angle.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Feihu; Tang, Bingtao; Wu, Suli; Zhang, Shufen

2017-01-01

The synthesis and assembly of monodispersed colloidal spheres are currently the subject of extensive investigation to fabricate artificial structural color materials. However, artificial structural colors from general colloidal crystals still suffer from the low color visibility and strong viewing angle dependence which seriously hinder their practical application in paints, colorimetric sensors, and color displays. Herein, monodispersed polysulfide (PSF) spheres with intrinsic high refractive index (as high as 1.858) and light-absorbing characteristics are designed, synthesized through a facile polycondensation and crosslinking process between sodium disulfide and 1,2,3-trichloropropane. Owing to their high monodispersity, sufficient surface charge, and good dispersion stability, the PSF spheres can be assembled into large-scale and high-quality 3D photonic crystals. More importantly, high structural color visibility and broad viewing angle are easily achieved because the unique features of PSF can remarkably enhance the relative reflectivity and eliminate the disturbance of scattering and background light. The results of this study provide a simple and efficient strategy to create structural colors with high color visibility, which is very important for their practical application. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Potential implementation of light steel housing system for affordable housing project in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Saikah, M.; Kasim, N.; Zainal, R.; Sarpin, N.; Rahim, M. H. I. A.

2017-11-01

An unparalleled number between housing demand and housing supply in Malaysia has increased the housing prices, which gives consequences to the homeownership issue. One way to reduce the housing price is by faster increase the number of affordable housing, but the construction sector faces difficulties in delivering as expected number by using conventional and current industrialised building system (IBS) due to the issue related high project cost, time and labour. Therefore, light steel housing (LSH) system as one of another type of IBS method can be utilised in housing construction project. This method can replace the conventional method that was currently used in the construction of affordable housing project. The objectives of this study are to identify the potential of LSH and influencing factors of system implementation. This is an initial stage to review the previous study related to LSH implementation in developed and developing countries. The previous study will be analysed regarding advantages and disadvantages of LSH and factors that influence the implementation of the system. Based on the literature review it is expected to define the potential and influencing factors of the LSH system. The findings are meaningful in framing and enhance construction housing method of an affordable housing project in Malaysia.

The Optimum Blend: Affordances and Challenges of Blended Learning For Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuray Gedik

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to elicit students’ perceptions regarding the most facilitative and most challenging features (affordances and barriers in a blended course design. Following the phenomenological approach of qualitative inquiry, data were collected from ten undergraduate students who had experiences in a blended learning environment. Data were collected from the students’ weekly reşection papers, interviews with students, and documents, and analyzed by structurally and texturally describing the resulting experiences and perceptions. The findings of the study indicate that used together, online and face-to-face course structures offer several opportunities and challenges for students. The participating students mentioned interaction and communication opportunities, increased motivation, increased opportunities to voice their opinions, and reinforcement of learning as the affordances in the blended learning environment. The barriers included increased workload, cultural and technical barriers, and the inter-dependence of the two environments. Implications and suggestions are offered for instructors in higher education settings

The Optimum Blend: Affordances and Challenges of Blended Learning For Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuray Gedik

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to elicit students’ perceptions regarding the most facilitative and most challenging features (affordances and barriers in a blended course design. Following the phenomenological approach of qualitative inquiry, data were collected from ten undergraduate students who had experiences in a blended learning environment. Data were collected from the students’ weekly reflection papers, interviews with students, and documents, and analyzed by structurally and texturally describing the resulting experiences and perceptions. The findings of the study indicate that used together, online and face-to-face course structures offer several opportunities and challenges for students. The participating students mentioned interaction and communication opportunities, increased motivation, increased opportunities to voice their opinions, and reinforcement of learning as the affordances in the blended learning environment. The barriers included increased workload, cultural and technical barriers, and the inter-dependence of the two environments. Implications and suggestions are offered for instructors in higher education settings.

An Affordable Virtual Reality System for Treatment of Phantom Limb Pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Bartal; Nielsen, Ronni Nedergaard; Szabo, Laszlo

2016-01-01

This paper describes the implementation of an affordable phantom limb pain (PLP) home treatment system using virtual reality (VR) and a motion sensor to immerse the users in a virtual environment (VE). The work is inspired by mirror therapy (MT) which is used to treat patients with PLP. This proj......This paper describes the implementation of an affordable phantom limb pain (PLP) home treatment system using virtual reality (VR) and a motion sensor to immerse the users in a virtual environment (VE). The work is inspired by mirror therapy (MT) which is used to treat patients with PLP...... are conveyed in the VR as three games: (1) A bending game, where the patients have to bend a rod, (2) a box game where the patients pick up and place boxes with their hands, (3) and a button memory game where the patients have to push buttons in a given sequence. These games were tested on twelve healthy...

Aligning Capabilities and Social Media Affordances for Open Innovation in Governments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Malsbender

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In recent years the proliferation of a new technological evolution has aroused great interest from science and prac¬tice: social media. Subsuming different types of online applications where users can create, edit and share con¬tent, social media enables new forms of interaction with others. Organisations already recognise its relevance and start leveraging on it. Furthermore, organisations identify the role of service innovation as one major driver for economic growth and competitive advantage. Nevertheless, although social media affords organisations to interact with their customers, the potential for utilising it for improving their service innovation activities is al¬most unexploited yet. Therefore, this paper aims at providing a framework for supporting the use of social media affordances for service innovation. Its applicability is tested in the domain “government”. Based on theoretical constructs a conceptual analysis is presented, tested in a specific domain and supplemented by potential future research and implications for theory and practice.

Incorporation of bitumen and calcium silicate in cement and lime stabilized soil blocks

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, W. H.; Cheah, C. B.; Ramli, M.; Al-Sakkaf, Y. K.

2017-04-01

Providing affordable housing is the most critical problem in many of the developing countries. Using earth materials in building construction is one of the feasible methods to address this issue and it can be a way towards sustainable construction as well. However, the published information on the stabilized soil blocks is limited. Therefore, the present study is conducted to examine the characterization of the soils and engineering properties of the stabilized soil blocks. Four types of stabilizer were used in the study, namely; cement, slaked lime, bitumen emulsion and calcium silicate. Cement and slaked lime were added at different percentages in the range of 5% to 15%, with interval of 2.5%. The percentage was determined based on weight of soil. Meanwhile, bitumen emulsion and calcium silicate were incorporated at various percentages together with 10% of cement. Dosage of bitumen emulsion is in the range of 2% to 10% at interval of 2% while calcium silicate was incorporated at 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%, 1.25%, 1.50% and 2.00%. Results show that cement is the most viable stabilizer for the soil block among all stabilizers in this study. The bulk density, optimum moisture content and compressive strengths were increased with the increasing cement content. The most suitable cement content was 10% added at moisture content of 12%. Lime, bitumen and calcium contents were recommended at 5.0%, 6.0% and 1.25%, respectively.

Monolithic QCL design approaches for improved reliability and affordability

Science.gov (United States)

Law, K. K.

2013-12-01

Many advances have been made recently in mid-wave infrared and long-wave infrared quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) technologies, and there is an increasing demand for these laser sources for ever expanding Naval, DoD and homeland security applications. We will discuss in this paper a portfolio of various Naval Air Warfare Weapons Division's current and future small business innovative research programs and efforts on significantly improving QCLs' performance, affordability, and reliability.

Evaluation of stability for monolayer injection molding tools coating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cech, Jiri; Taboryski, Rafael J.

2012-01-01

We tested and characterized molecular coating of Aluminium and Nickel prototype molds and mold inserts for polymer replication via injection molding (IM). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data, sessile drop contact angles with multiple fluids, surface energy and roughness data have been...... collected and used to predict coating lifetimes. Samples have been characterized immediately after coating, after 500+ IM cycles to test durability and after 7 months to test temporal stability. Sessile drop contact angle was measured for multiple fluids, namely water, di-iodomethane and benzylacohol....... Detectable coating presence was indicated by an increased angle on all post IM samples. To conclude, we present mold coating evaluation method, which is well suited for ultrathin, controlable, covalently bonded coating, that is reasonably durable, affordable, scalable to production, detectable on surface...

SunShot Initiative: Making Solar Energy Affordable for All Americans (Fact Sheet)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2013-10-01

Through SunShot, DOE supports efforts by private companies, universities, and national laboratories to drive down the cost of solar electricity to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour, making solar energy affordable for more American families and businesses.

[Identification of C(2)M interacting proteins by yeast two-hybrid screening].

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Shan-shan; Xia, Lai-xin

2015-11-01

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a huge structure which assembles between the homologous chromosomes during meiotic prophase I. Drosophila germ cell-specific nucleoprotein C(2)M clustering at chromosomes can induce SC formation. To further study the molecular function and mechanism of C(2)M in meiosis, we constructed a bait vector for C(2)M and used the yeast two-hybrid system to identify C(2)M interacting proteins. Forty interacting proteins were obtained, including many DNA and histone binding proteins, ATP synthases and transcription factors. Gene silencing assays in Drosophila showed that two genes, wech and Psf1, may delay the disappearance of SC. These results indicate that Wech and Psf1 may form a complex with C(2)M to participate in the formation or stabilization of the SC complex.

Learners with Dyslexia: Exploring Their Experiences with Different Online Reading Affordances

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chwen Jen; Keong, Melissa Wei Yin; Teh, Chee Siong; Chuah, Kee Man

2015-01-01

To date, empirically derived guidelines for designing accessible online learning environments for learners with dyslexia are still scarce. This study aims to explore the learning experience of learners with dyslexia when reading passages using different online reading affordances to derive some guidelines for dyslexia-friendly online text. The…

Incorporating the soil environment and microbial community into plant competition theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Po-Ju; Miki, Takeshi

2015-01-01

Plants affect microbial communities and abiotic properties of nearby soils, which in turn influence plant growth and interspecific interaction, forming a plant-soil feedback (PSF). PSF is a key determinant influencing plant population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem functions. Despite accumulating evidence for the importance of PSF and development of specific PSF models, different models are not yet fully integrated. Here, we review the theoretical progress in understanding PSF. When first proposed, PSF was integrated with various mathematical frameworks to discuss its influence on plant competition. Recent theoretical models have advanced PSF research at different levels of ecological organizations by considering multiple species, applying spatially explicit simulations to examine how local-scale predictions apply to larger scales, and assessing the effect of PSF on plant temporal dynamics over the course of succession. We then review two foundational models for microbial- and litter-mediated PSF. We present a theoretical framework to illustrate that although the two models are typically presented separately, their behavior can be understood together by invasibility analysis. We conclude with suggestions for future directions in PSF theoretical studies, which include specifically addressing microbial diversity to integrate litter- and microbial-mediated PSF, and apply PSF to general coexistence theory through a trait-based approach.

Incorporating the soil environment and microbial community into plant competition theory

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Po-Ju; Miki, Takeshi

2015-01-01

Plants affect microbial communities and abiotic properties of nearby soils, which in turn influence plant growth and interspecific interaction, forming a plant-soil feedback (PSF). PSF is a key determinant influencing plant population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem functions. Despite accumulating evidence for the importance of PSF and development of specific PSF models, different models are not yet fully integrated. Here, we review the theoretical progress in understanding PSF. When first proposed, PSF was integrated with various mathematical frameworks to discuss its influence on plant competition. Recent theoretical models have advanced PSF research at different levels of ecological organizations by considering multiple species, applying spatially explicit simulations to examine how local-scale predictions apply to larger scales, and assessing the effect of PSF on plant temporal dynamics over the course of succession. We then review two foundational models for microbial- and litter-mediated PSF. We present a theoretical framework to illustrate that although the two models are typically presented separately, their behavior can be understood together by invasibility analysis. We conclude with suggestions for future directions in PSF theoretical studies, which include specifically addressing microbial diversity to integrate litter- and microbial-mediated PSF, and apply PSF to general coexistence theory through a trait-based approach. PMID:26500621

Incorporating the soil environment and microbial community into plant competition theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Po-Ju eKe

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Plants affect microbial communities and abiotic properties of nearby soils, which in turn influence plant growth and interspecific interaction, forming a plant-soil feedback (PSF. PSF is a key determinant influencing plant population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem functions. Despite accumulating evidence for the importance of PSF and development of specific PSF models, different models are not yet fully integrated. Here, we review the theoretical progress in understanding PSF. When first proposed, PSF was integrated with various mathematical frameworks to discuss its influence on plant competition. Recent theoretical models have advanced PSF research at different levels of ecological organizations by considering multiple species, applying spatially explicit simulations to examine how local-scale predictions apply to larger scales, and assessing the effect of PSF on plant temporal dynamics over the course of succession. We then review two foundational models for microbial- and litter-mediated PSF. We present a theoretical framework to illustrate that although the two models are typically presented separately, their behavior can be understood together by invasibility analysis. We conclude with suggestions for future directions in PSF theoretical studies, which include specifically addressing microbial diversity to integrate litter- and microbial-mediated PSF, and apply PSF to general coexistence theory through a trait-based approach.

Exploring Affordances of Facebook as a Social Media Platform in Political Campaigning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Tina Blegind; Dyrby, Signe

2013-01-01

In recent years we have witnessed political parties adopting social media as part of their election campaign strategy to encourage citizen participation and involvement. The purpose of this paper is to investigate what Facebook as a social media platform is perceived to afford political parties...... in their campaign strategy and how these intentions are reflected in the actual actions during the campaign. Based on a case study of political parties’ use of Facebook in the Danish general election in 2011, our findings reveal that the medium is perceived to afford: 1) facilitation of direct communication...... to promote political interests and enable dialogue, 2) projection of an image of authenticity through informal media and 3) creating interaction and involvement through dynamic relationships with supporters. A closer look at the parties’ actual use of Facebook shows that the majority of the intended...

Resiliency and affordability of housing design, Kampong Cieunteung-Bale Endah in Bandung Regency as a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Nurdini, Allis; Yovita, Wanda; Negri, Patriot

2017-12-01

Recently the discussion about resiliency and housing design has been fast developed, including design for housing on riverfront as marginal area that usually occupied by low income people. The low income people generally will be the worst affected community in flood disaster situation, because of their un-affordability to achieve quality housing design. In other side, the funding support capacity especially from the local government is limited, so that the resilient environment also need to be supported by the community itself. In this context, the study about low income people's affordability to achieve resilient housing design is essential. This study was conducted to identify two important points: the design choice and the affordability level of resilient housing from the community viewpoints. Kampong Cieunteung, in Bale Endah Area, Bandung Regency is chosen as a case study, because this area annually experience severe flood from overflow of the Citarum River branch. In preliminary research phase, approximately 60% of the Kampong Cieunteung's resident need to stay and become indication that the community need resilient housing design to accommodate their live hood. The next phase, the contingent valuation method was implemented to gain resilient design choice and affordability perspective from the community. It is concluded that the community have ability to choose the resilient housing design based on their aspiration and based on their ability to pay. The result indicates that resilient housing design should have character of optional, module co-operational, and incremental to be afforded by the low income people.

Navigating beyond ‘here & now’ affordances - on sensorimotor maturation and ‘false belief’ performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria eBrincker

2014-12-01

Full Text Available How and when do we learn to understand other people’s perspectives and possibly divergent beliefs? This question has elicited much theoretical and empirical research. A puzzling finding has been that toddlers perform well on so-called implicit false belief (FB tasks but do not show such capacities on traditional explicit FB tasks. I propose a navigational approach, which offers a hitherto ignored way of making sense of the seemingly contradictory results. The proposal involves a distinction between how we navigate FBs as they relate to 1 our current affordances (here & now navigation as opposed to 2 presently non-actual relations, where we need to leave our concrete embodied/situated viewpoint (counterfactual navigation. It is proposed that whereas toddlers seem able to understand FBs in their current affordance space, they do not yet possess the resources to navigate in abstraction from such concrete affordances, which explicit FB tests seem to require. It is hypothesized that counterfactual navigation depends on the development of ‘sensorimotor priors’, i.e. statistical expectations of own kinestetic re-afference, which evidence now suggests matures around age four, consistent with core findings of explicit FB performance.

STIMULATION OF CONSTRUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY REFORMATION OF A CONSTRUCTION COMPLEX MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BRONEVYTSKYI S. P.

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Development of offers on stimulation of construction of affordable housing by reformation of a construction complex management system. Methodology. The revelation of the problems of planning of construction in large cities. The analysis of forming of structure of a build complex management in soviet times and in a transitional period. The revelation of the modern, actual, socio-economic problems of the construction activity management. Proposition on the improvement of methods of construction management in cities of Ukraine. Results. The methods of a construction complex management in countries with a market economy as for building of affordable housing are shown. Originality. In composition of a town-planning documentations, except for the norms of the common use of territories of city (density of population of micro region, the maximum parameters of a construction examining of land areas are proposed to determine: building percent and coefficient of maximum superficial area. Practical value. The principle of management and organization of construction is norms of a build use of territories for building of mass affordable housing for funds of population and investors while providing of the comfort of housing in accordance with state construction norms.

Trends and affordability of cigarette prices: ample room for tax increases and related health gains.

Science.gov (United States)

Guindon, G E; Tobin, S; Yach, D

2002-03-01

Increasing the price of tobacco products is arguably the most effective method of curbing the prevalence and consumption of tobacco products. Price increases would reduce the global burden of disease brought about by tobacco consumption. To compare cigarette price data from more than 80 countries using varying methods, examine trends in prices and affordability during the 1990s, and explore various policy implications pertaining to tobacco prices. March 2001 cigarette price data from the Economist Intelligence Unit are used to compare cigarette prices across countries. To facilitate comparison and to assess affordability, prices are presented in US dollars, purchasing power parity (PPP) units using the Big Mac index as an indicator of PPP and in terms of minutes of labour required to purchase a pack of cigarettes. Annual real percentage changes in cigarette prices between 1990 and 2000 and annual changes in the minutes of labour required to buy cigarettes between 1991 and 2000 are also calculated to examine trends. Cigarette prices tend to be higher in wealthier countries and in countries that have strong tobacco control programmes. On the other hand, minutes of labour required to purchase cigarettes vary vastly between countries. Trends between 1990 and 2000 in real prices and minutes of labour indicate, with some exceptions, that cigarettes have become more expensive in most developed countries but more affordable in many developing countries. However, in the UK, despite recent increases in price, cigarettes are still more affordable than they were in the 1960s. The results suggest that there is ample room to increase tobacco prices through taxation. In too many countries, cigarette prices have failed to keep up with increases in the general price level of goods and services, rendering them more affordable in 2000 than they were at the beginning of the decade. Opportunities to increase government revenue and improve health through reduced consumption brought

Associations of biological factors and affordances in the home with infant motor development.

Science.gov (United States)

Saccani, Raquel; Valentini, Nadia C; Pereira, Keila Rg; Müller, Alessandra B; Gabbard, Carl

2013-04-01

Whereas considerable work has been published regarding biological factors associated with infant health, much less is known about the associations of environmental context with infant development - the focus of the present cross-sectional study. Data were collected on 561 infants, aged newborn to 18 months. Measures included the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale, Alberta Infant Motor Scale, and selected bio/medical factors. Correlation and regression were used to analyze the data. Home environmental factors were associated with children's motor development as much as some typically high-risk biologic factors. The home environment partially explained infant development outcomes and infants at risk could possibly be helped with a home assessment for affordances. © 2012 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2012 Japan Pediatric Society.

The Affordances of Mobile-App Supported Teacher Observations for Peer Feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Çelik, Sercan; Baran, Evrim; Sert, Olcay

2018-01-01

Mobile technologies offer new affordances for teacher observation in teacher education programs, albeit under-examined in contrast to video technologies. The purpose of this article is to investigate the integration of mobile technologies into teacher observation. Using a case study method, the authors compare the traditional narrative paper-pen,…

Diagnostics and training of affordance perception in healthy young adults – implications for post-stroke neurorehabilitation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer eRanderath

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Affordance perception is critical to adaptive behavior. It comprises the ability to evaluate whether the environment and the actor’s capabilities enable particular actions. It remains unclear how brain damage and its behavioral sequela impact this ability. Two affordance based judgment tasks were applied in healthy young adults that were adapted for prospective diagnostic purposes in patients. In addition to the commonly analyzed error-rate we included response times and accuracy measures based on a detection theory approach. Moreover, a manipulation was added intended to determine the effectiveness of feedback-based learning. We further applied control tasks that consider whether errors in affordance perception can be explained by errors in perception. Participants responded yes or no to decide prospectively if a given setting would afford a particular action. In study1, 27 participants judged whether their hand would fit through a given aperture [adapted from Ishak, Adolph, & Lin (2008]. In study2, 19 participants judged whether objects are reachable [adapted from Gabbard, Ammar, & Rodrigues (2005]. For both studies two sessions were administered. In the first session all participants solved the judgment-task without executing the action. In the second session (feedback manipulation, half of the participants were allowed to first judge and then perform the task for each trial (reach forward and touch the object, or fitting the hand into the aperture.Judgments were slowest and errors most frequent for openings or distances close to the individual’s actual physical limits. With more extreme settings accuracy increased and responses became faster. Importantly, we found an advantageous effect of feedback on performance in both tasks suggesting that affordance perception is rapidly trainable. Further, the aperture task demonstrated that feedback experienced with one hand can transfer to the other. This may have important implications for

Generalising human demonstration data by identifying affordance symmetries in object interaction trajectories

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Claassens, J

2011-09-01

Full Text Available presents a formal description of a set of these symmetries, which are termed affordance symmetries, and a method to identify them in multiple demonstration recordings. The approach is robust to arbitrary motion before and after the symmetry artifact...

Kinetic Modeling of Accelerated Stability Testing Enabled by Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zhengtian; Sarkar, Sreya; Vogt, Andrew D; Danzer, Gerald D; Smith, Casey J; Gualtieri, Ellen J; Simpson, Garth J

2018-04-03

The low limits of detection afforded by second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy coupled with image analysis algorithms enabled quantitative modeling of the temperature-dependent crystallization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) within amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). ASDs, in which an API is maintained in an amorphous state within a polymer matrix, are finding increasing use to address solubility limitations of small-molecule APIs. Extensive stability testing is typically performed for ASD characterization, the time frame for which is often dictated by the earliest detectable onset of crystal formation. Here a study of accelerated stability testing on ritonavir, a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitor, has been conducted. Under the condition for accelerated stability testing at 50 °C/75%RH and 40 °C/75%RH, ritonavir crystallization kinetics from amorphous solid dispersions were monitored by SHG microscopy. SHG microscopy coupled by image analysis yielded limits of detection for ritonavir crystals as low as 10 ppm, which is about 2 orders of magnitude lower than other methods currently available for crystallinity detection in ASDs. The four decade dynamic range of SHG microscopy enabled quantitative modeling with an established (JMAK) kinetic model. From the SHG images, nucleation and crystal growth rates were independently determined.

Therapeutic affordances of social media: emergent themes from a global online survey of people with chronic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Merolli, Mark; Gray, Kathleen; Martin-Sanchez, Fernando

2014-12-22

Research continues to present tenuous suggestions that social media is well suited to enhance management of chronic disease and improve health outcomes. Various studies have presented qualitative reports of health outcomes from social media use and have examined discourse and communication themes occurring through different social media. However, there is an absence of published studies examining and unpacking the underlying therapeutic mechanisms driving social media's effects. This paper presents a qualitative analysis thoroughly describing what social media therapeutically affords people living with chronic pain who are self-managing their condition. From this therapeutic affordance perspective, we aim to formulate a preliminary conceptual model aimed at better understanding "how" social media can influence patient outcomes. In total, 218 people with chronic pain (PWCP) completed an online survey, investigating patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from social media use. Supplementary to quantitative data collected, participants were also given the opportunity to provide further open commentary regarding their use of social media as part of chronic pain management; 68/218 unique users (31.2%) chose to provide these free-text responses. Through thematic content analysis, 117 free-text responses regarding 10 types of social media were coded. Quotes were extracted and tabulated based on therapeutic affordances that we had previously identified. Inductive analysis was then performed to code defining language and emergent themes central to describing each affordance. Three investigators examined the responses, developed the coding scheme, and applied the coding to the data. We extracted 155 quotes from 117 free-text responses. The largest source of quotes came from social network site users (78/155, 50.3%). Analysis of component language used to describe the aforementioned affordances and emergent themes resulted in a final revision and renaming of therapeutic affordances

Affordable Laser Communication in the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Constance E.; Sparks, R.; Pompea, S.

2006-12-01

Several companies sell systems that illustrate laser communication such as Arbor Scientific1. These systems can be too expensive for classroom use. We will demonstrate a technique to modulate a standard diode laser using a microphone or other sound source that is capable of transmitting voice and music. This affordable system can transmit over 350 feet using simple, inexpensive parts readily available at your local electronics store. We will provide a list of parts necessary for assembly, detailed assembly instructions, as well as some suggested investigations using the laser communication system. This system can be used in the classroom either as a demonstration or hands-on activity to explore the physics and technology involved, citing more sophisticated laser communication systems on board spacecraft such as the Mercury Messenger Mission and the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter. 1http://www.arborsci.com

Aldo van Eyck’s Playgrounds: Aesthetics, Affordances, and Creativity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rob Withagen

2017-07-01

Full Text Available After World War II, the Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck developed hundreds of playgrounds in the city of Amsterdam. These public playgrounds were located in parks, squares, and derelict sites, and consisted of minimalistic aesthetic play equipment that was supposed to stimulate the creativity of children. Over the last decades, these playgrounds have been studied by sociologists, theorists of art and architecture, and psychologists. Adopting an ecological approach to the human environment, it is argued that the abstract forms of van Eyck’s play sculptures indeed stimulate the creativity of the child. Whereas a slide or a swing almost dictates what a child is supposed to do, van Eyck’s play equipment invites the child to actively explore the numerous affordances (action possibilities it provided. However, it is argued that the standardization (e.g., equal distances between blocks or bars that tends to characterize van Eyck’ play equipment has negative effects on the playability. This standardization, which was arguably the result of the aesthetic motives of the designer, might be appealing to children when simply looking at the equipment, but it is not of overriding importance to them when playing in it. Indeed, a recent study indicates that the affordances provided by messy structures appear to have a greater appeal to playing children.

Stability and electronic properties of oxygen-doped ZnS polytypes: DFTB study

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, Ilya S.; Vorokh, Andrey S.; Enyashin, Andrey N.

2018-06-01

Synthesis from aqueous solutions is an affordable method for fabrication of II-VI semiconductors. However, application of this method often imposes a disorder of crystal lattice, manifesting as a rich variety of polytypes arising from wurtzite and zinc blende phases. The origin of this disordering still remains debatable. Here, the influence of the most likely impurity at water environment - substitutional oxygen - on the polytypic equilibrium of zinc sulphide is studied by means of density-functional tight-binding method. According to calculations, the inclusion of such oxygen does not affect the polytypic equilibrium. Apart of thermodynamic stability, the electronic and elastic properties of ZnS polytypes are studied as the function of oxygen distribution.

Harmonizing FDG PET quantification while maintaining optimal lesion detection: prospective multicentre validation in 517 oncology patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quak, Elske; Le Roux, Pierre-Yves; Robin, Philippe; Bourhis, David; Salaun, Pierre-Yves; Hofman, Michael S.; Callahan, Jason; Binns, David; Hicks, Rodney J.; Desmonts, Cedric; Aide, Nicolas

2015-01-01

Point-spread function (PSF) or PSF + time-of-flight (TOF) reconstruction may improve lesion detection in oncologic PET, but can alter quantitation resulting in variable standardized uptake values (SUVs) between different PET systems. This study aims to validate a proprietary software tool (EQ.PET) to harmonize SUVs across different PET systems independent of the reconstruction algorithm used. NEMA NU2 phantom data were used to calculate the appropriate filter for each PSF or PSF+TOF reconstruction from three different PET systems, in order to obtain EANM compliant recovery coefficients. PET data from 517 oncology patients were reconstructed with a PSF or PSF+TOF reconstruction for optimal tumour detection and an ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM3D) reconstruction known to fulfil EANM guidelines. Post-reconstruction, the proprietary filter was applied to the PSF or PSF+TOF data (PSF EQ or PSF+TOF EQ ). SUVs for PSF or PSF+TOF and PSF EQ or PSF+TOF EQ were compared to SUVs for the OSEM3D reconstruction. The impact of potential confounders on the EQ.PET methodology including lesion and patient characteristics was studied, as was the adherence to imaging guidelines. For the 1380 tumour lesions studied, Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean ratio between PSF or PSF+TOF and OSEM3D of 1.46 (95 %CI: 0.86-2.06) and 1.23 (95 %CI: 0.95-1.51) for SUV max and SUV peak , respectively. Application of the proprietary filter improved these ratios to 1.02 (95 %CI: 0.88-1.16) and 1.04 (95 %CI: 0.92-1.17) for SUV max and SUV peak , respectively. The influence of the different confounding factors studied (lesion size, location, radial offset and patient's BMI) was less than 5 %. Adherence to the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) guidelines for tumour imaging was good. These data indicate that it is not necessary to sacrifice the superior lesion detection and image quality achieved by newer reconstruction techniques in the quest for harmonizing quantitative

Real price and affordability as challenges for effective tobacco control policies: an analysis for Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Iglesias, Germán; González-Rozada, Martín; Champagne, Beatriz Marcet; Schoj, Verónica

2015-02-01

To describe the evolution of cigarettes' real price and affordability during the last decade in Argentina. To analyze the real price of cigarettes, the weighted average monthly price of a pack of 20 cigarettes was divided by the consumer price index (CPI) from 2004 to 2014. The relative income price (RIP) was evaluated for the same period, defining RIP as the percentage of the income required to buy 100 packs of 20-per-pack cigarettes. The RIP was calculated for first-quartile, median, and third-quartile income groups. The lower the RIP, the higher the affordability. The nominal price of a pack of 20 cigarettes sold in Argentina increased from AR$ 2.24 in March 2004 to AR$ 14.36 in June 2014 (nominal price increase of about 19.7% per year). The real price fell from AR$ 2.24 in March 2004 to AR$ 2.11 in June 2014 (real price drop of about 0.6% per year). Between June 2004 and June 2014, the RIP decreased about 39% for the 3rd quartile income group (from 31.3% to 19.2%), about 42% for the median (from 55.7% to 32.0%), and about 50% for the 1st quartile (from 104.4% to 51.8%). In Argentina, inflation and rising income were greater than growth in cigarette prices. Cigarette affordability increased for each income group, with the highest shifts occurring among the poorest and most vulnerable income earners. The increased affordability of cigarettes might reduce the impact of implemented tobacco control policies.

Real price and affordability as challenges for effective tobacco control policies: an analysis for Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Germán Rodríguez-Iglesias

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Objective. To describe the evolution of cigarettes' real price and affordability during the last decade in Argentina. Methods. To analyze the real price of cigarettes, the weighted average monthly price of a pack of 20 cigarettes was divided by the consumer price index (CPI from 2004 to 2014. The relative income price (RIP was evaluated for the same period, defining RIP as the percentage of the income required to buy 100 packs of 20-per-pack cigarettes. The RIP was calculated for first-quartile, median, and third-quartile income groups. The lower the RIP, the higher the affordability. Results. The nominal price of a pack of 20 cigarettes sold in Argentina increased from AR$ 2.24 in March 2004 to AR$ 14.36 in June 2014 (nominal price increase of about 19.7% per year. The real price fell from AR$ 2.24 in March 2004 to AR$ 2.11 in June 2014 (real price drop of about 0.6% per year. Between June 2004 and June 2014, the RIP decreased about 39% for the 3rd quartile income group (from 31.3% to 19.2%, about 42% for the median (from 55.7% to 32.0%, and about 50% for the 1st quartile (from 104.4% to 51.8%. Conclusions. In Argentina, inflation and rising income were greater than growth in cigarette prices. Cigarette affordability increased for each income group, with the highest shifts occurring among the poorest and most vulnerable income earners. The increased affordability of cigarettes might reduce the impact of implemented tobacco control policies.

Devising Enabling Spaces and Affordances for Personal Knowledge Management System Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulrich Schmitt

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: Personal Knowledge Management (PKM has been envisaged as a crucial tool for the growing creative class of knowledge workers, but adequate technological solutions have not been forthcoming. Background: Based on former affordance-related publications (primarily concerned with communication, community-building, collaboration, and social knowledge sharing, the common and differing narratives in relation to PKM are investigated in order to suggest further PKM capabilities and affordances in need to be conferred. Methodology: The paper follows up on a series of the author’s PKM-related publications, firmly rooted in design science research (DSR methods and aimed at creating an innovative PKM concept and prototype system. Contribution: The affordances presented offer PKM system users the means to retain and build upon knowledge acquired in order to sustain personal growth and facilitate productive collaborations between fellow learners and/or professional acquaintances. Findings: The results call for an extension of Nonaka’s SECI model and ‘ba’ concept and provide arguments for and evidence supporting the claims that the PKM concept and system is able to facilitate better knowledge traceability and KM practices. Recommendations and Impact on Society: Together with the prior publications, the paper points to current KM shortcomings and presents a novel trans-disciplinary approach offering appealing opportunities for stakeholders engaged in the context of curation, education, research, development, business, and entrepreneurship. Its potential to tackle opportunity divides has been addressed via a PKM for Development (PKM4D Framework. Future DSR Activities: After completing the test phase of the prototype, its transformation into a viable PKM system and cloud-based server based on a rapid development platform and a noSQL-database is estimated to take 12 months.

Affordability of electric vehicles for a sustainable transport system: An economic and environmental analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tseng, Hui-Kuan; Wu, Jy S.; Liu, Xiaoshuai

2013-01-01

This paper compares the economic and environmental benefits of electric and hybrid electric vehicles with that of conventional vehicles. Without tax credits, only the hybrids without plug-in incur lifetime total costs equivalent to a conventional vehicle whereas the consumer affordability for all other vehicles is less encouraging and depends on changes in gasoline prices. With the provision of federal tax incentives, the lifetime total cost for all electric vehicle types that are driven for 120,000 miles over 12 years was found to be generally affordable with no more than 5% higher in lifetime total cost than a conventional vehicle, except the hybrid electric plug-in equipped with a 35-mile electric driving range. Results of sensitivity analysis reveal that a greater lifetime driven mileage would promote further overall cost savings even at a greenhouse gas abatement cost as low as $42 per ton. Our study has demonstrated the importance of an energy policy that includes tax credits to address the inadequacy of cost differentials and consumer affordability. The environmental benefits provided by the electric and hybrid electric vehicles should satisfy consumers' interest in protecting the environment, reducing the dependence on imported fossil fuels, and switching from traditional to alternative fuel vehicles. - Highlights: • Electric/hybrid vehicles exhibit at least 27% lower in lifetime energy cost. • Electric/hybrid cars with tax credits are <5% higher in lifetime ownership cost, except PHEV35. • Hybrid electric vehicles provide more than 28% reduction in GHG tailpipe emission, as compared with a CV. • Upstream energy production elevates the lifetime emission cost at high gas prices. • The lifetime total cost with tax credits are affordably <5% higher than CVs, except PHEV35

Digital Affordances on WeChat: Learning Chinese as a Second Language

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Li

2018-01-01

Different from the traditional term language input, affordance, an ecological term, has been deployed to analyze the perceived opportunities for second language (L2) learning an environment provides to L2 learners. L2 learning occurs only when the semiotic resources in the environment resonate with the learner's capacities such as their abilities,…

Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development: A Cross-Cultural Study between American and Lebanese Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diala Ammar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Considerable efforts have been devoted to map the relations between the home environment and selected aspects of child’s development. A recent instrument was developed that aimed at assessing the affordances in the home environment, the AHEMD-SR. Although the AHEMD-SR gave insight into affordances in the home, it was focused on two specific populations from the United States and Portugal. Currently, there is limited research regarding the validity of this instrument when used in different cultures. The purpose of this study was to compare a sample of Middle Eastern children to the normative sample that was used to validate the AHEMD. Results showed a significance difference between the socioeconomic statuses between the groups. Concerning factor analysis, results showed that the Lebanese group had five factors loading as did the American/Portuguese sample but with variables loading differently. Interestingly, the Lebanese group showed higher scores for affordances inside the home such replica toys and games. Our findings show that the state of the environment may play a role in the affordances and development. Future work is needed to look at the specific loading and possible variables that may be included in the AHMED-SR to look at other cultures that may have other limitations.

Mirror Worlds: Examining the Affordances of a Next Generation Immersive Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Gautam, Aakash; Williams, Daron; Terry, Krista; Robinson, Kelly; Newbill, Phyllis

2018-01-01

As technologies continue to develop and evolve, it is imperative that instructional technologists, learning scientists, and educators involved with examining learning affordances of emerging technologies investigate the potential of innovative environments to promote and facilitate learning. This paper, as such, will describe a newly developed…

Innovative Processing Methods for the Affordable Manufacture of Multifunctional High Temperature Coatings, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Research is proposed to investigate the feasibility of using advanced manufacturing techniques to enable the affordable application of multi-functional high...

System Qualities Ontology, Tradespace and Affordability (SQOTA) Project: Phase 5

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-30

effectiveness and practicality 3. Balance Agility, Assurance, and Affordability: Develop SE MPTs that work with high assurance in the face of... work supported, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and...model-driven, set-based, full life cycle approaches. These will enable much more rapid, concurrent, flexible, scalable definition and analysis of the

Therapeutic Affordances of Social Media: Emergent Themes From a Global Online Survey of People With Chronic Pain

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Kathleen; Martin-Sanchez, Fernando

2014-01-01

Background Research continues to present tenuous suggestions that social media is well suited to enhance management of chronic disease and improve health outcomes. Various studies have presented qualitative reports of health outcomes from social media use and have examined discourse and communication themes occurring through different social media. However, there is an absence of published studies examining and unpacking the underlying therapeutic mechanisms driving social media’s effects. Objective This paper presents a qualitative analysis thoroughly describing what social media therapeutically affords people living with chronic pain who are self-managing their condition. From this therapeutic affordance perspective, we aim to formulate a preliminary conceptual model aimed at better understanding "how" social media can influence patient outcomes. Methods In total, 218 people with chronic pain (PWCP) completed an online survey, investigating patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from social media use. Supplementary to quantitative data collected, participants were also given the opportunity to provide further open commentary regarding their use of social media as part of chronic pain management; 68/218 unique users (31.2%) chose to provide these free-text responses. Through thematic content analysis, 117 free-text responses regarding 10 types of social media were coded. Quotes were extracted and tabulated based on therapeutic affordances that we had previously identified. Inductive analysis was then performed to code defining language and emergent themes central to describing each affordance. Three investigators examined the responses, developed the coding scheme, and applied the coding to the data. Results We extracted 155 quotes from 117 free-text responses. The largest source of quotes came from social network site users (78/155, 50.3%). Analysis of component language used to describe the aforementioned affordances and emergent themes resulted in a final revision

Enabling Dedicated, Affordable Space Access Through Aggressive Technology Maturation

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Jonathan E.; Kibbey, Timothy P.; Cobb, C. Brent; Harris, Lawanna L.

2014-01-01

A launch vehicle at the scale and price point which allows developers to take reasonable risks with high payoff propulsion and avionics hardware solutions does not exist today. Establishing this service provides a ride through the proverbial technology "valley of death" that lies between demonstration in laboratory and flight environments. NASA's NanoLaunch effort will provide the framework to mature both earth-to-orbit and on-orbit propulsion and avionics technologies while also providing affordable, dedicated access to low earth orbit for cubesat class payloads.

Cortical processing of object affordances for self and others’ action

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Monica eMaranesi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The perception of objects does not rely only on visual brain areas, but also involves cortical motor regions. In particular, different parietal and premotor areas host neurons discharging during both object observation and grasping. Most of these cells often show similar visual and motor selectivity for a specific object (or set of objects, suggesting that they might play a crucial role in representing the potential motor act afforded by the object. The existence of such a mechanism for the visuomotor transformation of object physical properties in the most appropriate motor plan for interacting with them has been convincingly demonstrated in humans as well. Interestingly, human studies have shown that visually presented objects can automatically trigger the representation of an action provided that they are located within the observer’s reaching space (peripersonal space. The affordance effect also occurs when the presented object is outside the observer’s peripersonal space, but inside the peripersonal space of an observed agent. These findings recently received direct support by single neuron studies in monkey, indicating that space-constrained processing of objects in the ventral premotor cortex might be relevant to represent objects as potential targets for one’s own or others' action.

Making Safe Surgery Affordable: Design of a Surgical Drill Cover System for Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchan, Lawrence L; Black, Marianne S; Cancilla, Michael A; Huisman, Elise S; Kooyman, Jeremy J R; Nelson, Scott C; OʼHara, Nathan N; OʼBrien, Peter J; Blachut, Piotr A

2015-10-01

Many surgeons in low-resource settings do not have access to safe, affordable, or reliable surgical drilling tools. Surgeons often resort to nonsterile hardware drills because they are affordable, robust, and efficient, but they are impossible to sterilize using steam. A promising alternative is to use a Drill Cover system (a sterilizable fabric bag plus surgical chuck adapter) so that a nonsterile hardware drill can be used safely for surgical bone drilling. Our objective was to design a safe, effective, affordable Drill Cover system for scale in low-resource settings. We designed our device based on feedback from users at Mulago Hospital (Kampala, Uganda) and focused on 3 main aspects. First, the design included a sealed barrier between the surgical field and hardware drill that withstands pressurized fluid. Second, the selected hardware drill had a maximum speed of 1050 rpm to match common surgical drills and reduce risk of necrosis. Third, the fabric cover was optimized for ease of assembly while maintaining a sterile technique. Furthermore, with the Drill Cover approach, multiple Drill Covers can be provided with a single battery-powered drill in a "kit," so that the drill can be used in back-to-back surgeries without requiring immediate sterilization. The Drill Cover design presented here provides a proof-of-concept for a product that can be commercialized, produced at scale, and used in low-resource settings globally to improve access to safe surgery.

Soft System Methodology as a Tool to Understand Issues of Governmental Affordable Housing Programme of India: A Case Study Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Sukanya; Roy, Souvanic; Sanyal, Manas Kumar

2016-09-01

With the help of a case study, the article has explored current practices of implementation of governmental affordable housing programme for urban poor in a slum of India. This work shows that the issues associated with the problems of governmental affordable housing programme has to be addressed to with a suitable methodology as complexities are not only dealing with quantitative data but qualitative data also. The Hard System Methodologies (HSM), which is conventionally applied to address the issues, deals with real and known problems which can be directly solved. Since most of the issues of affordable housing programme as found in the case study are subjective and complex in nature, Soft System Methodology (SSM) has been tried for better representation from subjective points of views. The article explored drawing of Rich Picture as an SSM approach for better understanding and analysing complex issues and constraints of affordable housing programme so that further exploration of the issues is possible.

Affordances for Participation: Children's Appropriation of Rules in a Reggio Emilia School

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Cathrin; Evaldsson, Ann-Carita

2012-01-01

This study explores how young children appropriate school rules and what opportunities for active participation are afforded in a Reggio Emilia elementary classroom with particular interest in the interactional and communicative competences children display in situated practice. An ethnographic and microanalytic approach is used to study how the…

Augmented Reality in science education – affordances for student learning

OpenAIRE

Nielsen, Birgitte Lund; Brandt, Harald; Swensen, Håkon

2016-01-01

Most extant studies examining augmented reality (AR) have focused on the technology itself. This paper presents findings addressing the issue of AR for educational purposes based on a sequential survey distributed to 35 expert science teachers, ICT designers and science education researchers from four countries. There was consensus among experts in relation to a focus on ‘learning before technology’, and they in particular supplemented affordances identified in literature with perspectives re...

Thermal stability of octadecylsilane hybrid silicas prepared by grafting and sol-gel methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brambilla, Rodrigo; Santos, Joao H.Z. dos; Miranda, Marcia S.L.; Frost, Ray L.

2008-01-01

Hybrid silicas bearing octadecylsilane groups were prepared by grafting and sol-gel (SG) methods. The effect of the preparative route on the thermal stability was evaluated by means of thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared emission spectroscopy (IRES) and, complementary, by 13 C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance ( 13 C NMR) and matrix assisted laser deionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF-MS). Silicas prepared by the grafting route seem to be slightly more stable than those produced by the sol-gel method. This behavior seems to be associated to the preparative route, since grafting affords a liquid-like conformation, while in the case of sol-gel a highly organized crystalline chain conformation was observed

Costs of novel tuberculosis diagnostics--will countries be able to afford it?

Science.gov (United States)

Pantoja, Andrea; Kik, Sandra V; Denkinger, Claudia M

2015-04-01

Four priority target product profiles for the development of diagnostic tests for tuberculosis were identified: 1) Rapid sputum-based (RSP), 2) non-sputum Biomarker-based (BMT), 3) triage test followed by confirmatory test (TT), and 4) drug-susceptibility testing (DST). We assessed the cost of the new tests in suitable strategies and of the conventional diagnosis of tuberculosis as per World Health Organization guidelines, in 36 high tuberculosis and MDR burden countries. Costs were then compared to the available funding for tuberculosis at country level. Costs of diagnosing tuberculosis using RSP ranged US$93-187 million/year; if RSP unit cost is of US$2-4 it would be lower/similar cost than conventional strategy with sputum smear microscopy (US$ 119 million/year). Using BMT (with unit cost of US$2-4) would cost US$70-121 million/year and be lower/comparable cost than conventional diagnostics. Using TT with TPP characteristics (unit cost of US$1-2) followed by Xpert would reduce diagnostic costs up to US$36 million/year. Costs of using different novel DST strategies for the diagnosis of drug resistance would be higher compared with conventional diagnosis. Introducing a TT or a biomarker test with optimal characteristics would be affordable from a cost and affordability perspective at the current available funding for tuberculosis. Additional domestic or donor funding would be needed in most countries to achieve affordability for other new diagnostic tests. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Retinal expression, regulation, and functional bioactivity of prostacyclin-stimulating factor

OpenAIRE

Hata, Yasuaki; Clermont, Allen Charles; Yamauchi, Teruaki; Pierce, Eric Adam; Suzuma, Izumi; Kagokawa, Hiroyuki; Yoshikawa, Hiroshi; Robinson, Gregory S.; Ishibashi, Tatsuro; Hashimoto, Toshihiko; Umeda, Fumio; Bursell, Sven E.; Aiello, Lloyd Paul

2000-01-01

Prostacyclin-stimulating factor (PSF) acts on vascular endothelial cells to stimulate the synthesis of the vasodilatory molecule prostacyclin (PGI2). We have examined the expression, regulation, and hemodynamic bioactivity of PSF both in whole retina and in cultured cells derived from this tissue. PSF was expressed in all retinal cell types examined in vitro, but immunohistochemical analysis revealed PSF mainly associated with retinal vessels. PSF expression was constitutive in retinal pericy...

Technology Requirements and Development for Affordable High-Temperature Distributed Engine Controls

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-04

long lasting, high temperature modules is to use high temperature electronics on ceramic modules. The electronic components are “ brazed ” onto the...Copyright © 2012 by ISA Technology Requirements and Development for Affordable High - Temperature Distributed Engine Controls Alireza Behbahani 1...with regards to high temperature capability. The Government and Industry Distributed Engine Controls Working Group (DECWG) [5] has been established

Understanding on-line community: the affordances of virtual space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Ruhleder

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Increasing numbers of on-line venues for learning are emerging as virtual communities become more accessible and commonplace. This paper looks at one particular virtual community, an on-line degree programme at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, which offers an M.S. in Library and Information Science (called LEEP. It draws on a framework presented by Mynatt, et al. (1998, which provides a lens for talking about on-line community as a set of affordances. This framework is applied to illustrate the interactions, artefacts, and expectations that shape this community.

Exploring Affordances of Social Media Use in Election Campaigns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dyrby, Signe; Jensen, Tina Blegind

case study of the political parties’ use of Facebook in the Danish general election in 2011. Our preliminary findings reveal three main categories of affordances that the political parties wish to pursue: 1) they want to facilitate direct communication to promote political interests and create room...... for dialogue in a controlled environment, 2) they want to project an image of authenticity through an informal media, and 3) they want to create interaction and involvement through dynamic relationships with voters. A closer look at the parties’ actual use of Facebook reveals that their intention of generating...

Mobile Technology Affordance and Its Social Implications: A Case of "Rain Classroom"

Science.gov (United States)

Xiangming, Li; Song, Shuqiang

2018-01-01

This paper proposed the affordance approach of material, affective and social dimensions so as to explore the learners' engagement and disposition to share of using mobile learning technology. The participants in this study were graduate-level engineering students (N = 387) from a research university in People's Republic of China. "Rain…

Make E-Learning Effortless! Impact of a Redesigned User Interface on Usability through the Application of an Affordance Design Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyungjoo; Song, Hae-Deok

2015-01-01

Given that a user interface interacts with users, a critical factor to be considered in improving the usability of an e-learning user interface is user-friendliness. Affordances enable users to more easily approach and engage in learning tasks because they strengthen positive, activating emotions. However, most studies on affordances limit…

Perceived affordability of health insurance and medical financial burdens five years in to Massachusetts health reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Zallman, Leah; Nardin, Rachel; Sayah, Assaad; McCormick, Danny

2015-10-29

Under the Massachusetts health reform, low income residents (those with incomes below 150 % of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]) were eligible for Medicaid and health insurance exchange-based plans with minimal cost-sharing and no premiums. Those with slightly higher incomes (150 %-300 % FPL) were eligible for exchange-based plans that required cost-sharing and premium payments. We conducted face to face surveys in four languages with a convenience sample of 976 patients seeking care at three hospital emergency departments five years after Massachusetts reform. We compared perceived affordability of insurance, financial burden, and satisfaction among low cost sharing plan recipients (recipients of Medicaid and insurance exchange-based plans with minimal cost-sharing and no premiums), high cost sharing plan recipients (recipients of exchange-based plans that required cost-sharing and premium payments) and the commercially insured. We found that despite having higher incomes, higher cost-sharing plan recipients were less satisfied with their insurance plans and perceived more difficulty affording their insurance than those with low cost-sharing plans. Higher cost-sharing plan recipients also reported more difficulty affording medical and non-medical health care as well as insurance premiums than those with commercial insurance. In contrast, patients with low cost-sharing public plans reported higher plan satisfaction and less financial concern than the commercially insured. Policy makers with responsibility for the benefit design of public insurance available under health care reforms in the U.S. should calibrate cost-sharing to income level so as to minimize difficulty affording care and financial burdens.

S5-4: Formal Modeling of Affordance in Human-Included Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Namhun Kim

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In spite of it being necessary for humans to consider modeling, analysis, and control of human-included systems, it has been considered a challenging problem because of the critical role of humans in complex systems and of humans' capability of executing unanticipated actions–both beneficial and detrimental ones. Thus, to provide systematic approaches to modeling human actions as a part of system behaviors, a formal modeling framework for human-involved systems in which humans play a controlling role based on their perceptual information is presented. The theory of affordance provides definitions of human actions and their associated properties; Finite State Automata (FSA based modeling is capable of mapping nondeterministic humans into computable components in the system representation. In this talk, we investigate the role of perception in human actions in the system operation and examine the representation of perceptual elements in affordance-based modeling formalism. The proposed framework is expected to capture the natural ways in which humans participate in the system as part of its operation. A human-machine cooperative manufacturing system control example and a human agent simulation example will be introduced for the illustrative purposes at the end of the presentation.

77 FR 20615 - DAU Industry Day: “Affordability, Efficiency, and the Industrial Base”

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-05

... the Industrial Base'' AGENCY: Defense Acquisition University (DAU), DoD. ACTION: Event notice. SUMMARY... to discuss affordability, efficiency, and the industrial base. After a variety of presenters, the... this time of fiscal austerity, while maintaining a healthy industrial base. Following the plenary...

Legal and policy foundations for global generic competition: Promoting affordable drug pricing in developing societies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zapatero Miguel, Pablo

2015-01-01

The so-called 'TRIPS flexibilities' restated in 2001 by the World Trade Organization's Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health offer a variety of policy avenues for promoting global price-based competition for essential medicines, and thus for improving access to affordable medicines in the developing world. In recent years, developing countries and international organisations alike have begun to explore the potentialities of global generic markets and competition generally, and also of using compulsory licensing to remedy anti-competitive practices (e.g. excessive pricing) through TRIPS-compatible antitrust enforcement. These and other 'pro-competitive' TRIPS flexibilities currently available provide the critical leverage and policy space necessary to improve access to affordable medicines in the developing world.

Therapeutic Affordances of Online Support Group Use in Women With Endometriosis

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Background The Internet has provided women living with endometriosis new opportunities to seek support online. Online support groups may provide a range of therapeutic affordances that may benefit these women. Objective To examine the presence of therapeutic affordances as perceived by women who use endometriosis online support groups. Methods Sixty-nine women (aged 19-50 years, mean 34.2 years; 65.2% (45/69) United Kingdom, 21.7% (15/69) United States) participated in a Web-based interview exploring online support group use. Participants had been using online support groups for an average of 2 years and 4 months (range = 1 month to 14 years, 9 months). Responses were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results The analysis revealed 4 therapeutic affordances related to online support group use: (1) “connection,” that is, the ability to connect in order to support each other, exchange advice, and to try to overcome feelings of loneliness; (2) “exploration,” that is, the ability to look for information, learn, and bolster their knowledge; (3) “narration,” that is, the ability to share their experiences, as well as read about the experiences of others; and (4) “self-presentation,” that is, the ability to manage how they present themselves online. The associated outcomes of use were predominantly positive, such as reassurance and improved coping. However, a number of negative aspects were revealed including the following: concerns about the accuracy of information, arguments between members, overreliance on the group, becoming upset by negative experiences or good news items, and confidentiality of personal information. Conclusions Our findings support the previously proposed SCENA (Self-presentation, Connection, Exploration, Narration, and Adaptation) model and reveal a range of positive aspects that may benefit members, particularly in relation to reassurance and coping. However, negative aspects need to be addressed to maximize the potential

The Affordable Care Act: the ethical call for value-based leadership to transform quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Piper, Llewellyn E

2013-01-01

Hospitals in America face a daunting and historical challenge starting in 2013 as leadership navigates their organizations toward a new port of call-the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law in March 2010 and held in abeyance waiting on 2 pivotal points-the Supreme Court's June 2012 ruling upholding the constitutionality of the ACA and the 2012 presidential election of Barack Obama bringing to reality to health care organizations that leadership now must implement the mandates of health care delivery under the ACA. This article addresses the need for value-based leadership to transform the culture of health care organizations in order to be successful in navigating uncharted waters under the unprecedented challenges for change in the delivery of quality health care.

Diagnósticos de enfermagem de idosas carentes de um programa de saúde da família (PSF Diagnósticos de enfermería de ancianas carentes de un programa de salud de la familia (PSF Nursing diagnoses of pauper elderly women of a family health program (FHP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria José Sanches Marin

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Considerando que as mulheres idosas e pobres são propensas à maior vulnerabilidade nas condições de saúde, no presente estudo propôs-se a identificar os diagnósticos de enfermagem, segundo a taxonomia II de NANDA, sobre um grupo de idosas consideradas muito pobres. Foram selecionadas 69 idosas, a partir da aplicação do instrumento de Classificação Econômica Brasil (CCEB em 301 idosos residentes na área de abrangência de um PSF. O estado de saúde das idosas foi avaliado utilizando-se a Avaliação Geriátrica Ampla (AGA, que envolve os aspectos funcionais, emocionais, sociais e ambientais. Foram identificadas 23 categorias diagnósticas nas idosas do estudo e uma média de 7,4 diagnósticos/ idosa. Entre os diagnósticos mais freqüentes destacam-se " Mobilidade física prejudicada","Dor crônica","Manutenção do lar prejudicada". Os diagnósticos revelaram-se impor tantes na caracterização das complexas necessidades apresentadas pelas idosas e no grande avanço no direcionamento da assistência.Considerando que las mujeres ancianas pobres son propensas a mayor vulnerabilidad en las condiciones de salud, proponemos en este estudio identificar los diagnósticos de enfermería según la taxonomía II de NANDA de un grupo de ancianas consideradas muy pobres. Fueran seleccionadas 69 ancianas, a partir de la aplicación del instrumento de Clasificación Económica Brasil (CCEB en 301 ancianos residentes en el área de alcance de un PSF. El estado de salud de las ancianas fue evaluado utilizándose de la Evaluación Geriátrica Amplia (AGA que involucra los aspectos funcionales, emocionales, sociales y ambientales. Fueron encontradas 23 categorías diagnósticas en las ancianas del estudio y un promedio de 7,4 diagnósticos/anciana. Entre los diagnósticos más frecuentes se destacan: " Mobilidad física perjudicada"; "Dolor crónica"; "Manutención del hogar perjudicada". Los diagnósticos se han revelado importantes en la

Can households earning minimum wage in Nova Scotia afford a nutritious diet?

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Patricia L; Johnson, Christine P; Kratzmann, Meredith L V; Johnson, C Shanthi Jacob; Anderson, Barbara J; Chenhall, Cathy

2006-01-01

To assess the affordability of a nutritious diet for households earning minimum wage in Nova Scotia. Food costing data were collected in 43 randomly selected grocery stores throughout NS in 2002 using the National Nutritious Food Basket (NNFB). To estimate the affordability of a nutritious diet for households earning minimum wage, average monthly costs for essential expenses were subtracted from overall income to see if enough money remained for the cost of the NNFB. This was calculated for three types of household: 1) two parents and two children; 2) lone parent and two children; and 3) single male. Calculations were also made for the proposed 2006 minimum wage increase with expenses adjusted using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The monthly cost of the NNFB priced in 2002 for the three types of household was 572.90 dollars, 351.68 dollars, and 198.73 dollars, respectively. Put into the context of basic living, these data showed that Nova Scotians relying on minimum wage could not afford to purchase a nutritious diet and meet their basic needs, placing their health at risk. These basic expenses do not include other routine costs, such as personal hygiene products, household and laundry cleaners, and prescriptions and costs associated with physical activity, education or savings for unexpected expenses. People working at minimum wage in Nova Scotia have not had adequate income to meet basic needs, including a nutritious diet. The 2006 increase in minimum wage to 7.15 dollars/hr is inadequate to ensure that Nova Scotians working at minimum wage are able to meet these basic needs. Wage increases and supplements, along with supports for expenses such as childcare and transportation, are indicated to address this public health problem.

Mapping the availability, price, and affordability of antiepileptic drugs in 46 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Alexandra; Bansal, Amit; Dua, Tarun; Hill, Suzanne R; Moshe, Solomon L; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K; Saxena, Shekhar

2012-06-01

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a large proportion of people with epilepsy do not receive treatment. An analysis of the availability, price, and affordability of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was conducted to evaluate whether these factors contribute to the treatment gap. Data for five AEDs (phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproic acid, phenobarbital, and diazepam) were obtained from facility-based surveys conducted in 46 countries using the World Health Organization/Health Action International (WHO/HAI) methodology. Outcome measures were percentage availability, ratios of local prices to international reference prices, and number of days' wages needed by the lowest-paid unskilled government worker to purchase treatment. Prices were adjusted for inflation/deflation and purchasing power parity. The average availability of generic AEDs in the public sector was Private sector availability of generic oral AEDs ranged from 42.2% for phenytoin to 69.6% for phenobarbital. Public sector patient prices for generic carbamazepine and phenytoin were 4.95 and 17.50 times higher than international reference prices, respectively, whereas private sector patient prices were 11.27 and 24.77 times higher, respectively. For both medicines, originator brand prices were about 30 times higher. The highest prices were observed in the lowest income countries. The lowest-paid government worker would need wages from 1-2.6 days' to purchase a month's supply of phenytoin, whereas carbamazepine would cost 2.7-16.2 days' wages. Despite its widespread use in LMICs, WHO/HAI survey data for phenobarbital was only available from a small number of countries. In LMICs, availability and affordability of AEDs are poor and may be acting as a barrier to accessing treatment for epilepsy. Ensuring a consistent supply of AEDs at an affordable price should be a priority. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 International League Against Epilepsy.

AFFORDABILITY OF LOW INCOME HOUSING IN PUMWANI, NAIROBI, KENYA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crispino C. Ochieng

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Since 1987, in Kenya, through the National Housing Corporation (NHC, an arm of the central government that delivers affordable houses, the local government embarked on the redevelopment of Pumwani the oldest surviving affordable low income housing in Nairobi. Pumwani was started in 1923 and it targeted early African immigrants to Nairobi. Currently, the old Pumwani is home to some of the city’s poorest dwellers majorities who depend on the informal sector for an income. Redevelopment was targeted at housing all the genuine dwellers. Instead delivery ended up with house types that were at first rejected by the beneficiaries. Although the new housing was slightly of an improved physical and spatial quality it was unaffordable. Beneficiaries were required to pay an average monthly rent of US$157 for up to eighteen years towards purchase of the new house. In the beginning, some of them had declined to take position of the newly built houses. To raise the basic rent majorities of those who have since moved in have opted to rent out some of the space. To date there is still standoff with some of the houses still unoccupied. Except during the period of social survey when the beneficiaries were brought in to supply the necessary information, the entire construction process was undertaken by NHC under a turnkey project. Among other factors the construction process was at fault for it raised the costs. Also, some of the basic housing needs were not effectively looked into. There was a housing mismatch.

Two putative subunits of a peptide pump encoded in the human major histocompatability complex class 2 region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahram, S.; Arnold, D.; Bresnahan, M.; Strominger, J.L.; Spies, T.

1991-01-01

The class 2 region of the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) may encode several genes controlling the processing of endogenous antigen and the presentation of peptide epitopes by MHC class 1 molecules to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. A previously described peptide supply factor (PSF1) is a member of the multidrug-resistance family of transporters and may pump cytosolic peptides into the membrane-bound compartment where class 1 molecules assemble. A second transporter gene, PSF2, was identified 10 kilobases (kb) from PSF1, near the class 2 DOB gene. The complete sequences of PSF1 and PSF2 were determined from cDNA clones. The translation products are closely related in sequence and predicted secondary structure. Both contain a highly conserved ATP-binding fold and share 25% homology in a hydrophobic domain with a tentative number of eight membrane-spanning segments. Based on the principle dimeric organization of these two domains in other transporters, PSF1 and PSF2 may function as complementary subunits, independently as homodimers, or both. Taken together with previous genetic evidence, the coregulation of PSF1 and PSF2 by γ interferon and the to-some-degree coordinate transcription of these genes suggest a common role in peptide-loading of class 1 molecules, although a distinct function of PSF2 cannot be ruled out

Structuring Payment to Medical Homes After the Affordable Care Act

OpenAIRE

Edwards, Samuel T.; Abrams, Melinda K.; Baron, Richard J.; Berenson, Robert A.; Rich, Eugene C.; Rosenthal, Gary E.; Rosenthal, Meredith B.; Landon, Bruce E.

2014-01-01

The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a leading model of primary care reform, a critical element of which is payment reform for primary care services. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) has emerged as a model of delivery system reform, and while there is theoretical alignment between the PCMH and ACOs, the discussion of physician payment within each model has remained distinct. Here we compare payment for medical homes with that for acco...

Accessibility and Affordability of Tertiary Education in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru within a Global Context. Policy Research Working Paper 4517

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, Yuki; Blom, Andreas

2008-01-01

This paper examines the financing of tertiary education in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, comparing the affordability and accessibility of tertiary education with that in high-income countries. To measure affordability, the authors estimate education costs, living costs, grants, and loans. Further, they compute the participation rate,…

Visual Descriptor Learning for Predicting Grasping Affordances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Mikkel Tang

2016-01-01

by the task of grasping unknown objects given visual sensor information. The contributions from this thesis stem from three works that all relate to the task of grasping unknown objects but with particular focus on the visual representation part of the problem. First an investigation of a visual feature space...... consisting of surface features was performed. Dimensions in the visual space were varied and the effects were evaluated with the task of grasping unknown object. The evaluation was performed using a novel probabilistic grasp prediction approach based on neighbourhood analysis. The resulting success......-rates for predicting grasps were between 75% and 90% depending on the object class. The investigations also provided insights into the importance of selecting a proper visual feature space when utilising it for predicting affordances. As a consequence of the gained insights, a semi-local surface feature, the Sliced...

[Affordability and availability of drugs for treatment of chronic diseases in the public health care system].

Science.gov (United States)

Helfer, Ana Paula; Camargo, Aline Lins; Tavares, Noemia Urruth Leão; Kanavos, Panos; Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso

2012-03-01

To assess the affordability by workers of drugs used for treatment of chronic diseases, as well as the availability of the reference, similar, or generic forms of these drugs in the public health care system. We employed the methodology recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Action International (HAI) for the standardized collection of information on selling prices in the private sector and availability in the public health care system of drugs in six cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected from November 2008 to January 2009. Affordability was estimated as the number of salary days required for a worker receiving the national minimum wage to buy, in a private pharmacy, the amount of medication required for one month of treatment. Availability was assessed by the presence of these drugs in public health care system facilities. Twenty-two public facilities and 30 private pharmacies were studied. Of 21 drugs used for the treatment of seven chronic disorders, only nine were available free of charge in the six cities. Mean availability ranged from 83.3% (São Leopoldo) to 97.6% (Caxias do Sul). Affordability ranged from 0.4 to 10.5 salary days for reference drugs, 0.2 to 8.4 salary days for similar drugs, and 0.3 to 3.8 salary days for generic drugs. The overall availability of the drugs surveyed was higher than the 80% recommended by WHO. However, some treatments were not available, or had limited availability in the public system. Concerning affordability, the number of salary days required to buy these drugs may affect the continuation of drug treatments for chronic diseases.

Improving Defense Acquisition Management and Policy Through a Life-Cycle Affordability Framework

Science.gov (United States)

2014-02-04

14  Are the PBL Prophets Using Science or Alchemy to Create Life Cycle...or role (engineering, SCM, finance ). Two Select managers for baseline study. Select managers whose self-description and supervisor feedback...networks into value . Are the PBL Prophets Using Science or Alchemy to Create Life Cycle Affordability? Using Theory to Predict the Efficacy of

A Policy Analysis of Child Care Subsidies: Increasing Quality, Access, and Affordability

Science.gov (United States)

Moodie-Dyer, Amber

2011-01-01

Changing family dynamics over the past four decades, including rises in the numbers of working mothers and single-parent families, have created an increased need for affordable child care. Government response to this need has involved a number of stop-and-start policy approaches, which have led to a fractured child care system that makes it…

Availability, price and affordability of anti-tuberculosis drugs in Europe: a TBNET survey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Günther, Gunar; Gomez, Gabriela B.; Lange, Christoph; Rupert, Stephan; van Leth, Frank; Andrejak, Claire; Pieridou-Bagatzouni, Despo; Anderson, Aase Bengard; Bojovic, Olivera; Bothamley, Graham; Bruchfeld, Judith; Codecasa, Luigi R.; Danilovits, Manfred; Davidaviciene, Edita; Dalemo, Paulina; Dimopoulos, Giorgos; Duarte, Raquel; Hafizi, Hasan; Horvath, Ildiko; Eyuboglu, Fusun; Ibraim, Elmira; Jankovic, Mateja; Kan, Boris; Kopecka, Emilia; Kruczak, Katarzyna; Kutsyna, Galyna; de lange, Wiel; Leimane, Vaira; Mack, Ulrich; Manzano, Juan Ruiz; Markova, Roumania; McDonald, Colm; McLaughlin, Anne-Marie; Mulliqi, Gjyle; Muylle, Inge; Pesut, Dragica; Polcova, Veronika; Rumetshofer, Rudolf; Rusu, Doina; Skrahina, Alena; Spiric, Nicolina; Solovic, Ivan; Svetina-Sorli, Petra; Vasakova, Martina; Vasankari, Tuula; Viiklepp, Piret; Wirz, Gil; Zakoska, Maja; Zellweger, Jean-Pierre

2015-01-01

Data on availability and cost of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs in relation to affordability at national level are scarce. We performed a cross-sectional study on availability and cost of anti-TB drugs at major TB-reference centres in 37 European countries. Costs of standardised treatment regimens

Affordances indutoras de inovação no jornalismo móvel de revistas para tablets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adalton dos Anjos Fonseca

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Este artigo examina a inovação no jornalismo móvel a partir do conceito de affordance aplicado no estudo de revistas para tablets em três momentos definidos, entre 2010 e 2016. Criou-se uma ferramenta metodológica de análise com o objetivo de explorar os quatro conjuntos de affordances identificados: operação, coleção, compartilhamento e multimidialidade. A partir destes grupos, pontuou-se a emersão de affordances inovadoras possibilitadas pelos recursos e funcionalidades dos tablets e que também permitem interações inéditas ou renovadas na relação entre usuários e revistas. Entre elas estão: ouvir, assistir, jogar, pesquisar, armazenar. A comparação entre as revistas analisadas que mais se destacaram pela inovação também revelou uma tendência de estabilização de um formato para exploração dos recursos e funcionalidades do tablet, apesar de reconhecermos que há possibilidades ainda não exploradas pelos produtos que têm o potencial de induzir mais inovações.

Affordances of Telecollaboration tools for English for Specific Purposes online learning

OpenAIRE

Sevilla Pavón, Ana

2016-01-01

This paper explores students’ perceptions of the affordances of different telecollaboration tools used in an innovation project for English for Specific Purposes online learning carried out between the University of Valencia (Spain) and Wofford College (South Carolina, United States) during the school year 2015-2016. Different tools for synchronous and asynchronous communication were used. The asynchronous tools included a discussion forum, a wiki, social networking websites and Google forms;...

Technology scale and supply chains in a secure, affordable and low carbon energy transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoggett, Richard

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Energy systems need to decarbonise, provide security and remain affordable. • There is uncertainty over which technologies will best enable this to happen. • A strategy to deal with uncertainty is to assess a technologies ability to show resilience, flexibility and adaptability. • Scale is important and smaller scale technologies are like to display the above characteristics. • Smaller scale technologies are therefore more likely to enable a sustainable, secure, and affordable energy transition. - Abstract: This research explores the relationship between technology scale, energy security and decarbonisation within the UK energy system. There is considerable uncertainty about how best to deliver on these goals for energy policy, but a focus on supply chains and their resilience can provide useful insights into the problems uncertainty causes. Technology scale is central to this, and through an analysis of the supply chains of nuclear power and solar photovoltaics, it is suggested that smaller scale technologies are more likely to support and enable a secure, low carbon energy transition. This is because their supply chains are less complex, show more flexibility and adaptability, and can quickly respond to changes within an energy system, and as such they are more resilient than large scale technologies. These characteristics are likely to become increasingly important in a rapidly changing energy system, and prioritising those technologies that demonstrate resilience, flexibility and adaptability will better enable a transition that is rapid, sustainable, secure and affordable

Lignin-based membranes for electrolyte transference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xiao; Garcia-Valls, Ricard [Departament d' Enginyeria Quimica, Escola Tecnica Superior d' Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Paisos Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona (Spain); Benavente, Juana [Department of Applied Fisics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaga, Malaga (Spain)

2005-08-18

Homogeneous PSf-LS membranes are formed by incorporating Lignosulfonate (LS) into the Polysulfone (PSf) network. LS obtained from sulfite pulping process contains sulfonic acid groups that will act as proton transport media. PSf-LS membranes were characterized by reflectance Infrared and scanning electron microscopy. LS showed significant influence on membrane morphology. Higher LS concentration caused a decrease in macrovoid formation and induced larger pores. Precipitation temperature was investigated as influencing parameter. Proton fluxes through PSf-LS membranes were measured by transport experiments. Impedance analysis confirmed that PSf-LS membranes possess ion conductivity. The selected PSf-LS membranes exhibited high selectivity for proton over methanol, which indicates their potential applicability in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). (author)

Reduced affordability of cigarettes and socio-economic inequalities in smoking continuation in Stakhanov, Ukraine, 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Leinsalu, Mall; Stickley, Andrew; Kunst, Anton E

2015-04-01

The recent tobacco excise tax increase and economic crisis reduced cigarette affordability in Ukraine dramatically. Using survey data from Stakhanov (n = 1691), eastern Ukraine, we employed logistic regression analysis to examine whether socio-economic status was associated with the continuation of smoking in this environment in 2009. Low education (in women) and ownership of household assets (in men) were negatively associated with smoking continuation, whereas a positive association was found for personal monthly income. Our findings suggest that in a low-income setting where efficient cessation services are absent, reduced cigarette affordability may have only a limited effect in cutting down smoking. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Designing a Situational Awareness Information Display: Adopting an Affordance-Based Framework to Amplify User Experience in Environmental Interaction Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yingjie Victor Chen

2016-06-01

Full Text Available User experience remains a crucial consideration when assessing the successfulness of information visualization systems. The theory of affordances provides a robust framework for user experience design. In this article, we demonstrate a design case that employs an affordance-based framework and evaluate the information visualization display design. SolarWheels is an interactive information visualization designed for large display walls in computer network control rooms to help cybersecurity analysts become aware of network status and emerging issues. Given the critical nature of this context, the status and performance of a computer network must be precisely monitored and remedied in real time. In this study, we consider various aspects of affordances in order to amplify the user experience via visualization and interaction design. SolarWheels visualizes the multilayer multidimensional computer network issues with a series of integrated circular visualizations inspired by the metaphor of the solar system. To amplify user interaction and experience, the system provides a three-zone physical interaction that allows multiple users to interact with the system. Users can read details at different levels depending on their distance from the display. An expert evaluation study, based on a four-layer affordance framework, was conducted to assess and improve the interactive visualization design.

Affordability of and Access to Information About Health Insurance Among Immigrant and Non-immigrant Residents After Massachusetts Health Reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Ye Jin; McCormick, Danny; Zallman, Leah

2017-08-01

Immigrants' perceptions of affordability of insurance and knowledge of insurance after health reform are unknown. We conducted face-to-face surveys with a convenience sample of 1124 patients in three Massachusetts safety net Emergency Departments after the Massachusetts health reform (August 2013-January 2014), comparing immigrants and non-immigrants. Immigrants, as compared to non-immigrants, reported more concern about paying premiums (30 vs. 11 %, p = 0.0003) and about affording the current ED visit (38 vs. 22 %, p Insured immigrants were less likely to know copayment amounts (57 vs. 71 %, p = 0.0018). Immigrants were more likely to report that signing up for insurance would be easier with fewer plans (53 vs. 34 %, p = 0.0443) and to lack information about insurance in their primary language (31 vs. 1 %, p insurance. Immigrants who sought insurance information via websites or helplines were more likely to find that information useful than non-immigrants (100 vs. 92 %, p = 0.0339). Immigrants seeking care in safety net emergency departments had mixed experiences with affordability of and knowledge about insurance after Massachusetts health reform, raising concern about potential disparities under the Affordable Care Act that is based on the MA reform.

Reduction of a cerium(III) siloxide complex to afford a quadruple-decker arene-bridged cerium(II) sandwich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, Rory P.; Scopelliti, Rosario; Mazzanti, Marinella [Institut des Sciences et Ingenierie Chimiques, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne (Switzerland); Maron, Laurent [Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie des Nano-objets, Institut National des Sciences Appliquees, Toulouse (France)

2017-12-04

Organometallic multi-decker sandwich complexes containing f-elements remain rare, despite their attractive magnetic and electronic properties. The reduction of the Ce{sup III} siloxide complex, [KCeL{sub 4}] (1; L=OSi(OtBu){sub 3}), with excess potassium in a THF/toluene mixture afforded a quadruple-decker arene-bridged complex, [K(2.2.2-crypt)]{sub 2}[{(KL_3Ce)(μ-η"6:η"6-C_7H_8)}{sub 2}Ce] (3). The structure of 3 features a [Ce(C{sub 7}H{sub 8}){sub 2}] sandwich capped by [KL{sub 3}Ce] moieties with a linear arrangement of the Ce ions. Structural parameters, UV/Vis/NIR data, and DFT studies indicate the presence of Ce{sup II} ions involved in δ bonding between the Ce cations and toluene dianions. Complex 3 is a rare lanthanide multi-decker complex and the first containing non-classical divalent lanthanide ions. Moreover, oxidation of 1 by AgOTf (OTf=O{sub 3}SCF{sub 3}) yielded the Ce{sup IV} complex, [CeL{sub 4}] (2), showing that siloxide ligands can stabilize Ce in three oxidation states. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Impact of price deregulation policy on the affordability of essential medicines for women's health: a panel data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Junjie; Wang, Liming; Liu, Chenxi; Zhang, Xinping

2017-12-01

A new policy which required deregulation on prices of off-patent medicines for women's health during procurement was introduced in China in September 2015. The current study examines this policy's impact on the affordability of essential medicines for women's health. Based on product-level panel data, a fixed effect regression model is employed by using procurement records from Hubei Centralist Tender for Drug Purchase platform. In the model, Affordability was measured with prices. The Competition consists of two parts: generic competition and therapeutic class competition which are measured with generic competitors and therapeutic substitutes. Instrument variable is used to deal with endogeneity. The policy helped control prices of essential medicines for women's health. Generic competition helped control prices, however, therapeutic class competition caused higher prices. The new policy helped enhance the affordability of essential medicines for women's health as expected, which provides empirical evidence on price deregulation. Besides, generic competition is important in price control despite strict regulatory system in China.

Did the Affordable Care Act's Dependent Coverage Mandate Increase Premiums?

OpenAIRE

Briggs Depew; James Bailey

2014-01-01

We investigate the impact of the Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage mandate on insurance premiums. The expansion of dependent coverage under the ACA allows young adults to remain on their parent's private health insurance plans until the age of 26. We find that the mandate has led to a 2.5-2.8 percent increase in premiums for health insurance plans that cover children, relative to single-coverage plans. We find no evidence that the mandate caused an increase in the amount of the employe...

Augmented Reality in science education – affordances for student learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Birgitte Lund; Brandt, Harald; Swensen, Hakon

2016-01-01

Most extant studies examining augmented reality (AR) have focused on the technology itself. This paper presents findings addressing the issue of AR for educational purposes based on a sequential survey distributed to 35 expert science teachers, ICT designers and science education researchers from...... four countries. There was consensus among experts in relation to a focus on ‘learning before technology’, and they in particular supplemented affordances identified in literature with perspectives related to interactivity, a creator perspective and inquiry based science. Expert reflections were...

“Use Your Skills to Solve This Challenge!”: The Platform Affordances and Politics of Digital Microvolunteering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Ilten

2015-09-01

Full Text Available How does the rise of managed online platforms for civic engagement change the relationships between activists and organizations? While much has been written about Twitter- and Facebook-enabled mobilization, the emergence of platforms that organize “microaction” in contained ways is a phenomenon understudied by social movement and media scholars. This study draws on both literatures to analyze the hybrid case of Sparked, a microvolunteering platform created by web designers, not activists, that efficiently organizes volunteering through a microaction design. The case exhibits characteristics that social movement scholars understand as resource mobilization through leveraging of affordances by activists, but it also features the structural characteristics of platforms that media scholars identify as both enabling and constraining. To conceptualize the “digitally enabled activism” that takes place within the confines of a managed platform, this study investigates its microaction affordances and their implications. My analysis finds that high leveraging of online affordances can coincide with a shifted logic of engagement in the case of microaction platforms: Sparked’s microaction system affords high performance, but targets only a specialized niche of volunteering. I describe this model as “specialized supersizing” that addresses nonprofits’ needs for increasing organizational overhead services in the context of a professionalizing third sector. Sparked’s microvolunteering design has helped define a platform-centric constitution for microaction that is geared toward rationalization, professionalization, and productivity. Its platform “politics” promote depoliticization, where tactics, not causes, determine exchanges. This emergence of a market for mobilization tactics may have important implications for nonprofits, volunteers, and social movements.

Affordable High-Performance Homes: The 2002 NREL Denver Habitat for Humanity House, A Cold-Climate Case Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norton, P.; Stafford, B.; Carpenter, B.; Hancock, C. E.; Barker, G.; Reeves, P.; Kriescher, P.

2005-04-01

A trend towards ''green'' building with a focus on energy efficiency is sweeping the United States homebuilding industry. An integrated systems-design approach leads to homes that are more efficient, more comfortable, more affordable, and more durable than homes built with standard practices. Habitat for Humanity affiliates throughout the country are taking the lead on this approach to home building for affordable housing. This approach supports Habitat's goals of supplying quality housing and reducing the energy cost burden on families in Habitat homes--goals that are especially important in these days of increasing energy costs.

Implicit self-other discrimination affects the interplay between multisensory affordances of mental representations of faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeugin, David; Arfa, Norhan; Notter, Michael; Murray, Micah M; Ionta, Silvio

2017-08-30

Face recognition is an apparently straightforward but, in fact, complex ability, encompassing the activation of at least visual and somatosensory representations. Understanding how identity shapes the interplay between these face-related affordances could clarify the mechanisms of self-other discrimination. To this aim, we exploited the so-called "face inversion effect" (FIE), a specific bias in the mental rotation of face images (of other people): with respect to inanimate objects, face images require longer time to be mentally rotated from the upside-down. Via the FIE, which suggests the activation of somatosensory mechanisms, we assessed identity-related changes in the interplay between visual and somatosensory affordances between self- and other-face representations. Methodologically, to avoid the potential interference of the somatosensory feedback associated with musculoskeletal movements, we introduced the tracking of gaze direction to record participants' response. Response times from twenty healthy participants showed the larger FIE for self- than other-faces, suggesting that the impact of somatosensory affordances on mental representation of faces varies according to identity. The present study lays the foundations of a quantifiable method to implicitly assess self-other discrimination, with possible translational benefits for early diagnosis of face processing disturbances (e.g. prosopagnosia), and for neurophysiological studies on self-other discrimination in ethological settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pathways in Learning to Teach Elementary Science: Navigating Contexts, Roles, Affordances and Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Deborah C.; Jang, Shinho

2011-01-01

This case study of a fifth-year elementary intern's pathway in learning to teach science focused on her science methods course, placement science teaching, and reflections as a first-year teacher. We studied the sociocultural contexts within which the intern learned, their affordances and constraints, and participants' perspectives on their roles…

Affording and Constraining Local Moral Orders in Teacher-Led Ability-Based Mathematics Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Tait-McCutcheon, Sandi; Shuker, Mary Jane; Higgins, Joanna; Loveridge, Judith

2015-01-01

How teachers position themselves and their students can influence the development of afforded or constrained local moral orders in ability-based teacher-led mathematics lessons. Local moral orders are the negotiated discursive practices and interactions of participants in the group. In this article, the developing local moral orders of 12 teachers…

Developing and Implementing a Simple, Affordable Hydrogen Fuel Cell Laboratory in Introductory Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Klara, Kristina; Hou, Ning; Lawman, Allison; Wu, Liheng; Morrill, Drew; Tente, Alfred; Wang, Li-Qiong

2014-01-01

A simple, affordable hydrogen proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell laboratory was developed through a collaborative effort between faculty and undergraduate students at Brown University. It has been incorporated into the introductory chemistry curriculum and successfully implemented in a class of over 500 students per academic year for over 3…

Social Aspects of Education Integration (Based on Survey Findings on Uniform State Examination and Education Affordability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataliya V. Kolacheva

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: the purpose of this article is to study the opinion of interested and non-professional segment of society regarding the Uniform State Exam on mathematics and affordability of higher education in Russia. The authors checked the hypothesis of interconnection between social opinion and changes in the exam procedure, economic and socio-demographic situation, educational system reformation and integration of educational space in the RF and other countries. Materials and Methods: we studied the survey data of students in Togliatti State University, their parents or legal representatives between 2009–2016. We processed the results by methods of probability assessment with the help of complex features reflecting possibilities of the applicants admitted to higher educational institutions and social affordability of higher education. Results: we theoretically grounded and developed the method of social opinion study about the Uniform State Exam and affordability of higher education in the region. Dynamics of social opinion was studied with the help of adapted probability rates describing either quantitative or qualitative features of social processes. We studied and analyzed scientific papers devoted to the attitude of society to secondary school final exams, admission to higher education institutions, and social mobility of the applicants and determined theoretical background of education space integration with the education sy stems of other countries. Discussion and Conclusions: the research showed that even in the region with visible economic and socio-demographic problems the concerned part of society gradually understands that the Uniform State Exam serves to keep education quality in the country making it more affordable. The results of the study may be useful to specialists in the field of education, as well as int eresting to the general public.

The affordances and use of green citizen engagement web tools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheele, Christian Elling; Hoff, Jens Villiam

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyse if and how three different green web applications create the basis for different levels of environmental citizen participation. This is relevant in both an e-governance context and an environmental policy context, as it is normally assumed that ICT...... that differences in affordance translates into differences in use. Theoretically, the paper departs from Contextual New Medium Theory. This theory focuses on technological practices, and demonstrates how these are created in interplay between technology, policy ideas and actor skills. Empirically, the paper...

A national survey on availability, price and affordability of selected essential medicines for non communicable diseases in Sri Lanka

OpenAIRE

Dabare, Panthihage Ruvini L; Wanigatunge, Chandanie A; Beneragama, BVS Hemantha

2014-01-01

Background Access to medicines is a universal right. Low availability and low affordability of medicines are issues that deny this right to a significant proportion of the world population. The objective of this study was to determine the availability, price and affordability of essential medicines prescribed to treat non communicable diseases in Sri Lanka. Methods Methodology was based on the 2nd edition of the World Health Organization Health Action International Manual. A country survey wa...

Affordances and Constraints of Using the Socio-Political Debate for Authentic Summative Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Anker-Hansen, Jens; Andrée, Maria

2015-01-01

This article reports from an empirical study on the affordances and constraints for using staged socio-political debates for authentic summative assessment of scientific literacy. The article focuses on conditions for student participation and what purposes emerge in student interaction in a socio-political debate. As part of the research project,…

Modified Pattern Sequence-based Forecasting for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majidpour, Mostafa; Qiu, Charlie; Chu, Peter; Gadh, Rajit; Pota, Hemanshu R.

2014-11-03

Three algorithms for the forecasting of energy consumption at individual EV charging outlets have been applied to real world data from the UCLA campus. Out of these three algorithms, namely k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN), ARIMA, and Pattern Sequence Forecasting (PSF), kNN with k=1, was the best and PSF was the worst performing algorithm with respect to the SMAPE measure. The advantage of PSF is its increased robustness to noise by substituting the real valued time series with an integer valued one, and the advantage of NN is having the least SMAPE for our data. We propose a Modified PSF algorithm (MPSF) which is a combination of PSF and NN; it could be interpreted as NN on integer valued data or as PSF with considering only the most recent neighbor to produce the output. Some other shortcomings of PSF are also addressed in the MPSF. Results show that MPSF has improved the forecast performance.

Performance evaluation and mass transfer study of CO2 absorption in flat sheet membrane contactor using novel porous polysulfone membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nabian, Nima; Ghoreyshi, Ali Asghar; Rahimpour, Ahmad; Shakeri, Mohsen

2015-01-01

The performance of gas-liquid membrane contactor for CO 2 capture was investigated using a novel polysulfone (PSF) flat membrane prepared via non-solvent phase inversion method. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) was used as an additive in the dope solution of PSF membranes. Morphological studies by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that PSF membrane with PVP has a finger-like structure, but the PSF membrane without PVP has a sponge-like structure. Also, characterization results through atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurement demonstrated that the porosity, surface roughness and hydrophobicity of the PSF membrane increased with addition of PVP to the dope solution. Mass transfer resistance analysis, based on CO 2 absorption flux, displayed that addition of PVP to the dope solution of PSF membrane decreased membrane mass transfer resistance, and significantly improved CO 2 absorption flux up to 2.7 and 1.8 times of absorption fluxes of PSF membrane without PVP and commercial PVDF, respectively.

Manganese Silylene Hydride Complexes: Synthesis and Reactivity with Ethylene to Afford Silene Hydride Complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Jeffrey S; Emslie, David J H; Britten, James F

2017-05-22

Reaction of the ethylene hydride complex trans-[(dmpe) 2 MnH(C 2 H 4 )] (1) with Et 2 SiH 2 at 20 °C afforded the silylene hydride [(dmpe) 2 MnH(=SiEt 2 )] (2 a) as the trans-isomer. By contrast, reaction of 1 with Ph 2 SiH 2 at 60 °C afforded [(dmpe) 2 MnH(=SiPh 2 )] (2 b) as a mixture of the cis (major) and trans (minor) isomers, featuring a Mn-H-Si interaction in the former. The reaction to form 2 b also yielded [(dmpe) 2 MnH 2 (SiHPh 2 )] (3 b); [(dmpe) 2 MnH 2 (SiHR 2 )] (R=Et (3 a) and Ph (3 b)) were accessed cleanly by reaction of 2 a and 2 b with H 2 , and the analogous reactions with D 2 afforded [(dmpe) 2 MnD 2 (SiHR 2 )] exclusively. Both 2 a and 2 b engaged in unique reactivity with ethylene, generating the silene hydride complexes cis-[(dmpe) 2 MnH(R 2 Si=CHMe)] (R=Et (4 a), Ph (4 b)). Compounds trans-2 a, cis-2 b, 3 b, and 4 b were crystallographically characterized, and bonding in 2 a, 2 b, 4 a, and 4 b was probed computationally. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Economical impact of plasma fractionation project in Iran on affordability of plasma-derived medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheraghali, A M; Aboofazeli, R

2009-12-01

In Iran all transfusion services are concentrated under authority of one public and centralized transfusion organization which has created the opportunity of using plasma produced in its blood centers for fractionation. In 2008 voluntary and non remunerated Iranian donors donated 1.8 million units of blood. This indicates a 25/1000 donation index. After responding to the needs for fresh plasma and cryoprecipitate each year about 150000 L of recovered plasma are reserved for fractionation. In an attempt to improve both blood safety profile and availability and affordability of plasma derived medicines, Iran's national transfusion service has entered into a contract fractionation agreement for surplus of plasma produced from donated blood by voluntary non remunerated donors. In order to ensure safety of product produced, Iran has chosen to collaborate with international fractionators based in highly regulated countries. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of contract plasma fractionation on the affordability of the plasma derived medicines in Iran. During 2006-2008, Iran's contract fractionation project was able to produce 46%, 18% and 6% of IVIG, Albumin and FVIII consumed in Iran's market, respectively. In contrary to IVIG and Albumin, due to fairly high consumption of FVIII in Iran, the role of fractionation project in meeting the needs to FVIII was not substantial. However, Iran's experience has shown that contract plasma fractionation, through direct and indirect effects on price of plasma derived medicines, could substantially improve availability and affordability of such products in national health care system.