Regulatory reform in the Spanish electricity industry: a missed opportunity for competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arocena, P.; Kuhn, Kai-Uwe; Regibeau, P.

1998-01-01

This paper examines the reform of the Spanish electricity industry, and argues that the reform is a lost opportunity for the rapid introduction of competition. The evolution of the Spanish electrical power industry is traced, and the basic characteristics of the Spanish electricity market, the regulatory regime before liberalisation, and the liberalisation process and its shortcomings are discussed. Some policy suggestions are raised including the facilitating of competitive entry in generation, the liberalisation of supply activities, the regulation of distribution, and increasing the power, independence and transparency of the regulator. The capacity, generation, and distribution shares of Spanish electric companies as of 1996 are tabulated. (UK)

Budget reform in Ukraine and the OECD countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puchko Anna

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the fiscal reforms in Ukraine and the OECD countries. It has been proved that the main areas which should undergo changes are the tax reform, regulatory reform and restructuring policies to encourage entrepreneurship, reform of social protection and social security, reform of social sphere constituents, administrative reform, reform of the army and law enforcement, administrative and territorial reform. According to the analysis results, there has been drawn the conclusion about the need to introduce in Ukraine the successful experience of the OECD countries in implementing budget reforms.

DOE regulatory reform initiative vitrified mixed waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, S.J.; Holtzscheiter, E.W.

1997-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is charged with responsibly managing the largest volume of mixed waste in the United States. This responsibility includes managing waste in compliance with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations, and in a cost-effective, environmentally responsible manner. Managing certain treated mixed wastes in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permitted storage and disposal units (specifically those mixed wastes that pose low risks from the hazardous component) is unlikely to provide additional protection to human health and the environment beyond that afforded by managing these wastes in storage and disposal units subject to requirements for radiological control. In October, 1995, the DOE submitted a regulatory reform proposal to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relating to vitrified mixed waste forms. The technical proposal supports a regulatory strategy that would allow vitrified mixed waste forms treated through a permit or other environmental compliance mechanism to be granted an exemption from RCRA hazardous waste regulation, after treatment, based upon the inherent destruction and immobilization capabilities of vitrification technology. The vitrified waste form will meet, or exceed the performance criteria of the Environmental Assessment (EA) glass that has been accepted as an international standard for immobilizing radioactive waste components and the LDR treatment standards for inorganics and metals for controlling hazardous constituents. The proposal further provides that vitrified mixed waste would be responsibly managed under the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) while reducing overall costs. Full regulatory authority by the EPA or a State would be maintained until an acceptable vitrified mixed waste form, protective of human health and the environment, is produced

Optimising implementation of reforms to better prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in institutions: Insights from public health, regulatory theory, and Australia's Royal Commission.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, Ben

2017-12-01

The Australian Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has identified multiple systemic failures to protect children in government and non-government organizations providing educational, religious, welfare, sporting, cultural, arts and recreational activities. Its recommendations for reform will aim to ensure organizations adopt more effective and ethical measures to prevent, identify and respond to child sexual abuse. However, apart from the question of what measures institutions should adopt, an under-explored question is how to implement and regulate those measures. Major challenges confronting reform include the diversity of organizations providing services to children; organizational resistance; and the need for effective oversight. Failure to adopt theoretically sound strategies to overcome implementation barriers will jeopardize reform and compromise reduction of institutional child sexual abuse. This article first explains the nature of the Royal Commission, and focuses on key findings from case studies and data analysis. It then analyzes public health theory and regulatory theory to present a novel analysis of theoretically justified approaches to the implementation of measures to prevent, identify and respond to CSA, while isolating challenges to implementation. The article reviews literature on challenges to reform and compliance, and on prevention of institutional CSA and situational crime prevention, to identify measures which have attracted emerging consensus as recommended practice. Finally, it applies its novel integration of regulatory theory and public health theory to the context of CSA in institutional contexts, to develop a theoretical basis for a model of implementation and regulation, and to indicate the nature and functions of a regulatory body for this context. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Institutional and Regulatory Economics of Electricity Market Reforms: the Evidence from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Bipulendu

Five South Asian countries-- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- embarked on electricity market reforms in the 1990's. The dissertation uses the framework of New Institutional Economics to assess the effects on electricity sector performance of both observables elements of reform (i.e. privatization, unbundling, establishment of independent regulatory agencies etc.) as well as the unobservable elements (informal beliefs, habit, norms and culture of the actors involved in reforms). The first part of the dissertation -- econometric analysis of the relationship between observable electricity market reform measures and performance indicators -- finds that for the most part electricity market reforms in South Asia are having a positive impact on the performance of the sector. This is particularly the case for reforms that have increased private sector participation in generation and distribution and have vertically unbundled utilities into generation, transmission and distribution entities. Many of the reforms are positively correlated with higher tariffs, indicating a cost to the consumers from the reforms. The relationship between independent regulation and performance indicators , however, is not established. The second part of the dissertation - analytical narrative of the reform experiences of Gujarat and Nepal -- examines the informal elements (such as beliefs, norms, culture) that motivate behavior and explains how and why reform outcomes differed in these two places. The dissertation finds that the strength of formal institutions rules and the nature of social norms and customs have a significant influence on the outcome of reforms. Aided by the strength of its formal institutional framework and more evolved social norms and customs that encouraged people to follow formal rules, reforms in the Indian state of Gujarat were a success. The weakness of the formal institutional framework and the predominance of relation-based norms and customs in

Ethics on the TEPCO bankruptcy, nuclear power plants and regulatory reform in the electric power industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koga, Shigeaki

2013-01-01

Although regulatory reform in the electric power industry had been considered as part of social system reform like in the finance and communications to liberalize the market, there still continued to exist regional monopoly, integrated system for power generation, transmission and distribution, and lack of competition. The Fukushima accident showed such electric power system was unethical as social system compared to ordinary industries, because electric power company getting profit could not be prepared for nuclear damage liability and would burden third unrelated parties with risk. Electric power company should be forced to insure nuclear power plants for nuclear accidents. Otherwise restart of nuclear power plant operation should not be allowed. Nuclear power had been justified to be entitled grant or subsidy from the government for public good, which would be unfair to people. This article presented speeding-up scheme of Fukushima accident treatment leading to TEPCO bankruptcy and discussed measures against concerns or comments about bankruptcy procedures, major part of which might be mitigation of fund-raising fear by government support. At the proceeding of bankruptcy procedure including spinning off of separate companies, regulatory reform in the electric power industry could be taken in advanced. (T. Tanaka)

On the Path to SunShot - Utility Regulatory Business Model Reforms forAddressing the Financial Impacts of Distributed Solar on Utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2016-05-01

Net-energy metering (NEM) with volumetric retail electricity pricing has enabled rapid proliferation of distributed photovoltaics (DPV) in the United States. However, this transformation is raising concerns about the potential for higher electricity rates and cost-shifting to non-solar customers, reduced utility shareholder profitability, reduced utility earnings opportunities, and inefficient resource allocation. Although DPV deployment in most utility territories remains too low to produce significant impacts, these concerns have motivated real and proposed reforms to utility regulatory and business models, with profound implications for future DPV deployment. This report explores the challenges and opportunities associated with such reforms in the context of the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative. As such, the report focuses on a subset of a broader range of reforms underway in the electric utility sector. Drawing on original analysis and existing literature, we analyze the significance of DPV’s financial impacts on utilities and non-solar ratepayers under current NEM rules and rate designs, the projected effects of proposed NEM and rate reforms on DPV deployment, and alternative reforms that could address utility and ratepayer concerns while supporting continued DPV growth. We categorize reforms into one or more of four conceptual strategies. Understanding how specific reforms map onto these general strategies can help decision makers identify and prioritize options for addressing specific DPV concerns that balance stakeholder interests.

The effect of regulatory governance on efficiency of thermal power generation in India: A stochastic frontier analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Ranjan; Kathuria, Vinish

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of institutional quality – typified as regulatory governance – on the performance of thermal power plants in India. The Indian power sector was reformed in the early 1990s. However, reforms are effective only as much as the regulators are committed in ensuring that they are implemented. We hypothesize that higher the quality of regulation in a federal Indian state, higher is the efficiency of electric generation utilities. A translog stochastic frontier model is estimated using index of state-level independent regulation as one of the determinants of inefficiency. The dataset comprises a panel of 77 coal-based thermal power plants during the reform period covering over 70% of installed electricity generation capacity. The mean technical efficiency of 76.7% indicates there is wide scope for efficiency improvement in the sector. Results are robust to various model specifications and show that state-level regulators have positively impacted plant performance. Technical efficiency is sensitive to both unbundling of state utilities, and regulatory experience. The policy implication is that further reforms which empower independent regulators will have far reaching impacts on power sector performance. - Highlights: • The impact of regulatory governance on Indian generation efficiency is investigated. • Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) on a panel dataset covering pre and post reform era. • Index of state-wise variation in regulation to explain inefficiency effects. • Results show improved but not very high technical efficiencies. • State-level regulation has positively impacted power plant performance.

LAND REFORM IN UKRAINE: HISTORIOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barantsov B.

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Modern land reform, that continues in Ukraine since the beginning of the 90-th of ХХ century, is a logical result of the functioning of society and the state.. It’s prerequisites becames, especially full monopolization of state on ownership of land; absence of payment for land as one of the means of ensuring the rational use of lands; absence on workers motivation for intensive work on the land, etc.. These and other preconditions contributed to soil degradation, production of agricultural products with exceeding of maximum allowable concentrations of pollutants, development of diseases, undermine the gene pool of nature and man. Mentioned reasons determined the goal and objectives of modern land reform, which were originally set out in the preamble to the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from December 18, 1990 «On Land Reform» with following changes and additions, and in the implementation of the land-reformation measures gained more complete content. Conducted analysis shows that land reform in Ukraine leads to a change of ownership of land, contributes to solving problems of citizens by land plots, enactment of payment for land usecreation of conditions for the development of land market. Thus changing land relations, is formed legal and regulatory framework of land reform and land market. However, positive developments in the implementation of land reform to end of the 90-th years have not led to a radical and effective upgrade of agricultural production, recovery of investment processes in other branches of industry, improving of welfare of the population. Land reform measures didn’t receive adequate financial support. The ultimate goal - an economically-effective and environmentally safe use of land in Ukraine - has not been achieved. Further reforming of land relations contributed to the adoption in October 2001 of the Land Code of Ukraine in the new edition that created the legal principles of land reform. Since it�

Reduction of regulatory risk: a network economic approach

OpenAIRE

Knieps, Günter; Weiß, Hans-Jörg

2007-01-01

Several definitions of regulatory risk are known from the literature. From the perspective of regulatory reform it is important to differentiate between the impact of a given regulatory scheme on the firm's risk exposure and the risk arising from discretionary behavior of regulatory agencies. Whereas the conse-quences of effective regulation in principle are known and accepted, excessive regulatory discretion may cause a strong need for regulatory reform. Regulatory reform focussing on the re...

The Brazilian electrical system reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendonca, A.F.; Dahl, C.

1999-01-01

Although the Brazilian electrical system has been a public monopoly, the threat of electricity shortages from a lack of investment triggered a comprehensive reform. In 1993 the government began a series of laws, decrees and regulations reforming the tariff policy, allowing privatization of utilities, foreign investments and independent power producers, and creating an independent transmission grid and a new electricity regulatory agency (ANEEL). The new regulatory framework is not completely defined but the proposed model intends to transform bulk electricity supply into a competitive market similar to that adopted in England. Our objective is to evaluate whether the proposed reform will succeed in attracting the required private capital, will allow an unregulated wholesale electricity market and will require a strict regulatory framework. The reform has been quite successful in privatizing the distribution companies but is allowing monopolistic rents, and has failed until now to attract private investments to expand generation capacity. The risk of blackouts has increased, and the proposed wholesale electricity market may not be appropriate because of barriers to constructing new hydroelectric units, now 90% of the system. Therefore, a new regulatory framework and a strong regulatory agency with a well-defined tariff policy should have preceded the privatization. (author)

Energy Analysis in Combined Reforming of Propane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Moon

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Combined (steam and CO2 reforming is one of the methods to produce syngas for different applications. An energy requirement analysis of steam reforming to dry reforming with intermediate steps of steam reduction and equivalent CO2 addition to the feed fuel for syngas generation has been done to identify condition for optimum process operation. Thermodynamic equilibrium data for combined reforming was generated for temperature range of 400–1000°C at 1 bar pressure and combined oxidant (CO2 + H2O stream to propane (fuel ratio of 3, 6, and 9 by employing the Gibbs free energy minimization algorithm of HSC Chemistry software 5.1. Total energy requirement including preheating and reaction enthalpy calculations were done using the equilibrium product composition. Carbon and methane formation was significantly reduced in combined reforming than pure dry reforming, while the energy requirements were lower than pure steam reforming. Temperatures of minimum energy requirement were found in the data analysis of combined reforming which were optimum for the process.

Energy deprivation dynamics and regulatory reforms in Europe: Evidence from household panel data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poggi, Ambra; Florio, Massimo

2010-01-01

The typical ingredients of energy reforms in the European Union (EU) in the 1990s were full or partial privatization, vertical disintegration and liberalization. This paper analyses the effects of energy reforms on the probability of households experiencing deprivation, defined as difficulty in paying the bills. We use two sets of micro-data. First, the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), a large EU survey, offers evidence on people who report having been unable to pay scheduled utility bills. We consider seven European countries: Denmark, Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, and eight ECHP waves (1994-2001), with around 28,000 observations. Second, we also use micro-data from the European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey (EU-SILC) 2004-2005, with around 84,000 observations. The countries included are Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden. As indicators of regulatory reforms in the same countries and years we use ECTR (formerly REGREF), a database provided by the OECD. In both samples we find evidence that privatization increases the probability of households experiencing deprivation. Vertical disintegration has a similar effect and also increases the persistence in the status of household deprivation. Liberalization has no statistically significant effect. We discuss possible interpretations of these findings.

Energy deprivation dynamics and regulatory reforms in Europe: Evidence from household panel data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poggi, Ambra [Department of Economics, University of Milan-Bicocca and LABORatorio Revelli, Collegio C. Alberto (Italy); Florio, Massimo, E-mail: massimo.florio@unimi.i [Department of Economics, Business and Statistics, University of Milan, Via Conservatorio 7, 20122 Milan (Italy)

2010-01-15

The typical ingredients of energy reforms in the European Union (EU) in the 1990s were full or partial privatization, vertical disintegration and liberalization. This paper analyses the effects of energy reforms on the probability of households experiencing deprivation, defined as difficulty in paying the bills. We use two sets of micro-data. First, the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), a large EU survey, offers evidence on people who report having been unable to pay scheduled utility bills. We consider seven European countries: Denmark, Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, and eight ECHP waves (1994-2001), with around 28,000 observations. Second, we also use micro-data from the European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey (EU-SILC) 2004-2005, with around 84,000 observations. The countries included are Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden. As indicators of regulatory reforms in the same countries and years we use ECTR (formerly REGREF), a database provided by the OECD. In both samples we find evidence that privatization increases the probability of households experiencing deprivation. Vertical disintegration has a similar effect and also increases the persistence in the status of household deprivation. Liberalization has no statistically significant effect. We discuss possible interpretations of these findings.

Energy deprivation dynamics and regulatory reforms in Europe. Evidence from household panel data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poggi, Ambra [Department of Economics, University of Milan-Bicocca and LABORatorio Revelli, Collegio C. Alberto (Italy); Florio, Massimo [Department of Economics, Business and Statistics, University of Milan, Via Conservatorio 7, 20122 Milan (Italy)

2010-01-15

The typical ingredients of energy reforms in the European Union (EU) in the 1990s were full or partial privatization, vertical disintegration and liberalization. This paper analyses the effects of energy reforms on the probability of households experiencing deprivation, defined as difficulty in paying the bills. We use two sets of micro-data. First, the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), a large EU survey, offers evidence on people who report having been unable to pay scheduled utility bills. We consider seven European countries: Denmark, Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, and eight ECHP waves (1994-2001), with around 28,000 observations. Second, we also use micro-data from the European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey (EU-SILC) 2004-2005, with around 84,000 observations. The countries included are Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden. As indicators of regulatory reforms in the same countries and years we use ECTR (formerly REGREF), a database provided by the OECD. In both samples we find evidence that privatization increases the probability of households experiencing deprivation. Vertical disintegration has a similar effect and also increases the persistence in the status of household deprivation. Liberalization has no statistically significant effect. We discuss possible interpretations of these findings. (author)

Pharma Opportunities and Risks Multiply as Regulatory Reform Remakes APAC: Expanded Accelerated Pathways Challenge Developer Value Story, Evidence Collection, and Market Access Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Grignolo, Alberto; Mingping, Zhang

2018-01-01

Sweeping reforms in the largest markets of the Asia-Pacific region are transforming the regulatory and commercial landscape for foreign pharmaceutical companies. Japan, South Korea, and China are leading the charge, establishing mechanisms and infrastructure that both reflect and help drive international regulatory convergence and accelerate delivery of needed, innovative products to patients. In this rapidly evolving regulatory and commercial environment, drug developers can benefit from reforms and proliferating accelerated pathway (AP) frameworks, but only with regulatory and evidence-generation strategies tailored to the region. Otherwise, they will confront significant pricing and reimbursement headwinds. Although APAC economies are at different stages of development, they share a common imperative: to balance pharmaceutical innovation with affordability. Despite the complexity of meeting these sometimes conflicting demands, companies that focus on demonstrating and delivering value for money, and that price new treatments reasonably and sustainably, can succeed both for their shareholders and the region's patient population.

Economic impact of regulatory reforms in the electricity supply industry: a panel data analysis for OECD countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattori, Toru; Tsutsui, Miki

2004-01-01

This paper re-examines the impact of the regulatory reforms on price in the electricity supply industry, using panel data for 19 OECD countries for the period 1987-1999, and compares the results with those found in an earlier study by Steiner (Regulation, industry structure and performance in the electricity supply industry, OECD Economics Department Working Paper, ECO/WKP, 2000, p. 11). We found that expanded retail access is likely to lower the industrial price and increase the price differential between industrial customers and household customers, as expected. We also found that the unbundling of generation and the introduction of a wholesale spot market did not necessarily lower the price and may possibly have resulted in a higher price. This finding is not consistent with expectations and differs from Steiner (2000), but it is plausible in the light of recent experiences in many countries. (author)

The Mexican electricity sector: Policy analysis and reform (1992–2009)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramírez-Camperos, Adriana María; Rodríguez-Padilla, Víctor; Guido-Aldana, Pedro Antonio

2013-01-01

This article analyses the cause–effect relation of the structural reform in the Mexican electricity sector, called the Public Electricity Service Act, from 1992 to 2009. One of the main arguments of the reform is to attract private investment in order to reduce the financial load of the government in infrastructure for the development of the National Electric Power System by means of six modalities (Power Self-Supply, Cogeneration, Small Power Production, Independent Power Production, Power Export and Power Import). The article presents the global context of reforms adopted in 1990. The major policies and events are presented in chronological order (before and after reform). In addition, it analyses the new institutional framework, the evolution of modalities, technologies of electricity generation and tariffs. The main conclusion is that the result of reform could be considered a partial progress. The Independent Power Production modality shows greater participation, while Power Self-Supply and Cogeneration are lower. The subsidy policy is maintained. Progress is needed in policies and strengthening, and also in updating regulatory and normative frameworks

Competitive effects and instruments of power sector reforms. International reform concepts blockade structures, risk distribution. A political economy analysis; Wettbewerbseffekte und Instrumente von Stromsektorreformen. Internationale Reformkonzepte, Blockadestrukturen, Risikoverteilung. Eine politoekonomische Analyse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liebchen, Armin [Liebchen Consulting, Berlin (Germany)

2014-07-01

Power sectors with weak or inadequate competition structures are the rule, despite numerous attempts at reform. But can afford modern economies this defect for a long time? Why can the implementation of competition are blocked so effectively? The author studied international reform experiences and opens up interesting insights that can also reflect on problems of the German energy turnaround: The difficulty of timing and coordination of the reform components, the development of resistance levels of individual interest groups, breach of contract as a rational alternative, causes unwanted price effects, shifting interest situations of major stakeholders, change dynamics impending regulatory risks, pending financing risks, stranded cost-conflict situations for power stations disconnected from the grid and facilities and instruments of a political and regulatory risk management for reforms. With numerous examples, background analyzes and instruments to reform analysis, this book is aimed at investors, policy planners and analysts. [German] Stromsektoren mit schwachen oder unzulaenglichen Wettbewerbsstrukturen sind trotz zahlreicher Reformversuche die Regel. Aber koennen sich moderne Volkswirtschaften diesen Mangel dauerhaft leisten? Warum kann die Einfuehrung von Wettbewerb so wirksam blockiert werden? Der Autor untersucht internationale Reformerfahrungen und eroeffnet interessante Einsichten, die sich auch auf Problemlagen der deutschen Energiewende spiegeln lassen: Die Schwierigkeit des richtigen Timings und der Abstimmung der Reformteile, dem Aufbau von Widerstandslinien einzelner Interessensgruppen, Vertragsbruch als rationaler Alternative, Ursachen unerwuenschter Preiseffekte, sich verschiebenden Interessenslagen wichtiger Akteure, Veraenderungsdynamik drohender Regulierungsrisiken, schwebenden Finanzierungsrisiken, stranded-cost-Konfliktlagen fuer vom Netz genommene Kraftwerke und Moeglichkeiten und Instrumenten eines politisch-regulatorischen Risikomanagements

Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Financial Sector Reforms on Savings Mobilization in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enobong Udoh

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper examines whether Nigeria witnessed considerable savings mobilization amidst financial sector reforms from 2007 to 2015 using the estimation method of Autoregressive Distributed Lag. Unlike previous papers in this area that mostly focused on interest rates liberalization thesis, this paper goes deeper by looking at financial reforms across money, capital and foreign exchange markets. The estimation results show that there are still structural rigidities in the money, foreign exchange and equity markets nexus. In that, the following variables that proxy financial sector reforms namely treasury bill yield, interest rate spread, market capitalization ratio and currency in circulation ratio (which proxy technological modernization of payment systems all went against a priori expectation. However, financial reforms had one success story in credit/loans advances to private/public sectors (financial deepening which posted its correct economic sign. In sum, except for the financial deepening variable it can be safely concluded that financial reforms in Nigeria is yet to positively impact savings mobilization. The regulatory and reform authorities must show effectiveness in reforms implementation.

Financial and ratepayer impacts of nuclear power plant regulatory reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turpin, A.G.

1985-01-01

Three reports - ''The Future Market for Electric Generating Capacity,'' ''Quantitative Analysis of Nuclear Power Plant Licensing Reform,'' and ''Nuclear Rate Increase Study'' are recent studies performed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory that deal with nuclear power. This presents a short summary of these three studies. More detail is given in the reports

On the Path to SunShot. Utility Regulatory and Business Model Reforms for Addressing the Financial Impacts of Distributed Solar on Utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbose, Galen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Miller, John [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sigrin, Ben [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Reiter, Emerson [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Cory, Karlynn [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); McLaren, Joyce [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Seel, Joachim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mills, Andrew [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Darghouth, Naim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Satchwell, Andrew [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-05-01

Net-energy metering (NEM) has helped drive the rapid growth of distributed PV (DPV) but has raised concerns about electricity cost shifts, utility financial losses, and inefficient resource allocation. These concerns have motivated real and proposed reforms to utility regulatory and business models. This report explores the challenges and opportunities associated with such reforms in the context of the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative. Most of the reforms to date address NEM concerns by reducing the benefits provided to DPV customers and thus constraining DPV deployment. Eliminating NEM nationwide, by compensating exports of PV electricity at wholesale rather than retail rates, could cut cumulative DPV deployment by 20% in 2050 compared with a continuation of current policies. This would slow the PV cost reductions that arise from larger scale and market certainty. It could also thwart achievement of the SunShot deployment goals even if the initiative's cost targets are achieved. This undesirable prospect is stimulating the development of alternative reform strategies that address concerns about distributed PV compensation without inordinately harming PV economics and growth. These alternatives fall into the categories of facilitating higher-value DPV deployment, broadening customer access to solar, and aligning utility profits and earnings with DPV. Specific strategies include utility ownership and financing of DPV, community solar, distribution network operators, services-driven utilities, performance-based incentives, enhanced utility system planning, pricing structures that incentivize high-value DPV configurations, and decoupling and other ratemaking reforms that reduce regulatory lag. These approaches represent near- and long-term solutions for preserving the legacy of the SunShot Initiative.

76 FR 30869 - Promoting Transmission Investment Through Pricing Reform

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-27

...] Promoting Transmission Investment Through Pricing Reform May 19, 2011. AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory... varied. \\1\\ Promoting Transmission Investment through Pricing Reform, Order No. 679, 71 FR 43294 (Jul. 31... issued Order No. 679, Promoting Transmission Investment through Pricing Reform, which was further refined...

Effects of regulatory reforms in the electricity supply industry on electricity prices in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagayama, Hiroaki

2007-01-01

Electric power sector reforms in the electricity supply industry have had an impact on industrial and household prices in developing countries in Latin America, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe. Using original panel data for 83 countries during the period from 1985 to 2002, we examine how each policy instrument of the reform measures influenced electricity prices for countries in the above regions. We found that variables such as entry of independent power producers (IPP), unbundling of generation and transmission, establishment of a regulatory agency, and the introduction of a wholesale spot market have had a variety of impacts on electricity prices, some of which were not always consistent with expected results. The research findings suggest that neither unbundling nor introduction of a wholesale pool market on their own necessarily reduces the electric power price. In fact, contrary to expectations, there was a tendency for the price to rise. However, coexistent with an independent regulator, unbundling may work to reduce electricity prices. Privatization and the introduction of foreign IPP and retail competition lower electricity prices in some regions, but not all

Experimental analysis of an autothermal reformer for automotive purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caners, C.; Peppley, B.; Harrison, S.; Oosthuizen, P.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the experimental analysis, concomitant with modeling research, to determine improved operating parameters and design of an autothermal reformer. The reformer, utilizing both partial oxidation and steam reforming reactions, along with the water gas shift phenomena is well suited for the mobile application of transportation. This is due to the novel geometry of the autothermal reformer, which seeks to improve the heat transfer characteristics of the process, whereby the exothermic partial oxidation reaction provides the heat energy required to drive the steam reforming reaction, to the point of a thermally neutral system. The paper will present data from the experimental results of reforming iso-octane as a surrogate for gasoline in the form of reformate composition, iso-octane conversion percentages and efficiencies in terms of hydrogen realized per mol of fuel input. (author)

Telecommunications Reform in Nigeria: The Marketing Challenges ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Telecommunications Reform in Nigeria: The Marketing Challenges. ... Journal of Research in National Development ... This paper discusses the telecommunications reforms process, the role of the regulatory body (Nigeria Commission, the current state of the telecommunication sector and the marketing challenges in ...

New institutional analysis of European electric power reforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, Yannick

2002-01-01

This research thesis reports a comparative analysis of reforms of the electric power sector implemented in European countries. In the first part, the authors proposes a presentation of the theoretical framework adopted for this analysis which is notably based on the New Institutional Economy approach. He also proposes an approach to the electric power industry based on the Transaction Cost Theory, and presents an overview of the various European reforms in the field of electricity, and of still unresolved problems which emerged after the creation of different power markets. The next part addresses an assessment of the attractive and desirable characters of reforms which have been implemented in the United Kingdom, in Germany and in Spain, with an attempt to identify winners and losers, and to classify these reforms. In the third part, the author defines a framework for the analysis of the feasibility of reforms which combine institutional and industrial dimensions, notably by reference to Noll and Williamson works. In the last part, the author sheds a new light on the concept of credibility. He introduces the conventional arbitrage of the Transaction Cost Theory between commitment stability and flexibility to generate uncertainty. He notably shows that the main problem in centralised institutional environments, is to guarantee the stability of commitments in front of opportunism, whereas in decentralised institutional environments, the main problem is to produce flexibility to manage uncertainty [fr

Rethinking capital markets reform: a reassessment of Olson problem and regulatory dualism in the German capital markets from a varieties of capitalism perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Ziccardi de Carvalho

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Since its proposition by Peter A. Hall and David Soskice the Varieties of Capitalism (VoC approach has been particularly important to explain the relationship between economic agents and sets of institutional arrangements that, even in regulatory scenarios that Law and Finance’s school would consider “less than optimal”, are able to generate sustainable economic growth. In this context the VoC approach has been consistently challenging the traditional “one fits all” approach towards capital markets reform usually endorsed by institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as by many scholars and capital markets regulators associated with La Porta’s Law and Finance School. As any theoretical framework, however, the VoC approach also faces its own challenges and still lacks the scientific maturity achieved by the Law and Finance School. Consequently a conciliation between the relational view of the firm proposed by the VoC approach and the overview of corporate governance practices throughout the world presented by the Law and Finance School would be instrumental to construe a more clear understanding of the competitive advantages generated by certain sets of institutions and, at the same time, more accurately assess impacts of reforms that, even if implemented with the legitimate goal of promoting firms’ transparency and higher corporate governance standards, may counter-intuitively generate unprecedented corporate and capital markets crisis. By analyzing two concepts proposed by Ronald J. Gilson, Henry Hansmann and Mariana Pargendler that have an apparent fundamental link to La Porta’s school of Law and Finance (i.e. Olson Problem and Regulatory Dualism through a varieties of capitalism approach, this study aims at rethinking the traditional “one fits all” approach towards capital markets reform and taking a further step in the direction of conciliating the VoC approach with La Porta’s Law

Legal principles of regulatory administration and nuclear safety regulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyeong Hui; Cheong, Sang Kee [Hannam Univ., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2000-12-15

This research presents a critical analysis and evaluation of principles of administrative laws in order to provide framework of structural reform on the nuclear safety regulation system. The focus of this analysis and evaluation is centered around the area of origin of regulatory administrative laws; authorities of regulation; procedures of regulatory actions; regulatory enforcement; and administrative relief system. In chapter 2 the concept of regulatory administration is analysed. Chapter 3 identifies the origin of regulatory administration and the principles of administration laws. It also examines legal nature of the nuclear safety standard. In relation to regulatory authorities. Chapter 4 identifies role and responsibility of administration authorities and institutions. It also examines fundamental principles of delegation of power. Then the chapter discusses the nuclear safety regulation authorities and their roles and responsibilities. Chapter 5 classifies and examines regulatory administration actions. Chapter 6 evaluates enforcement measure for effectiveness of regulation. Finally, chapter 7 discusses the administrative relief system for reviewing unreasonable regulatory acts.

Analysing success of regulatory policy transfers: Evidence from Turkish energy markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dastan, Seyit Ali

2011-01-01

Economic regulation of public utilities has become a worldwide phenomenon with the preceding privatisation stream. It is questionable to transfer regulatory models hastily without customising the policy options or introducing necessary institutional reforms enabling the achievement of expected results of regulatory reform. Institutional configuration of a country affects credibility of regulatory commitments, quality of regulatory design, and way of policy transfer. Turkey’s energy market regulation experience confirms the decisive role of institutions in shaping the regulatory framework. - Highlights: ► The last quarter of the 20th century witnessed public sector reforms all over the world. ► The British model of utility regulation swept globally. ► In Turkey’s adoption of the utility regulation model, different factors affected in various ways. ► Higher political stability and regulatory experience provide faith in the regulatory framework.

Cost-benefit analysis of reforming Israel's electricity industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tishler, A.; Newman, J.; Spekterman, I.; Woo, C.K.

2006-01-01

In June 2003, the Israeli government decided to reform the Israeli electricity industry, which is currently dominated by Israel electric corporation (IEC), a government-owned vertically integrated electric utility. The first step of the planned reform will be taken in 2006, when IEC will be functionally separated into generation, transmission, local distribution, and customer services. Immediately thereafter will be the second step, which by 2012 will result in the deregulation and privatization of the wholesale generation and customer services. Transmission and distribution (T and D) services will remain regulated but will be available to all T and D users under mandatory open access. This paper summarizes a cost-benefit analysis of the government's reform plan. Relative to a regulated regime, the government's plan, even if carried out flawlessly, may only yield a small net benefit. However, it entails a large increase in electricity producer profit and government tax receipt, at the expense of electricity consumers. A less-than-perfect transition to competition can easily wipe out the potential gain of the government plan. Market reform experience to date shows that electricity market reform can easily fail, and the factors for success do not exist in Israel. Since the outcome of a failing reform can be disastrous, it will be imprudent to implement the government's plan in 2006, when the current electricity law expires. Hence, we recommend performance-based regulation for the period of 2006-2010. Subject to an updated cost-benefit analysis, possible decentralization, privatization and competition may follow

Hurdles to regulatory reform: a former regulator's view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowden, M.A.

1978-01-01

The present paper reviews the numerous obstacles which should be overcome by reforming the regulations on nuclear installations; dual responsibilities of Federal and State Agencies, duplication of tasks entrusted to different Federal Agencies such as EPA and NRC. The sensitivity of public opinion towards nuclear decisions and political interferences are the source of other difficulties. The new Non-proliferation Act and the Licensing Reform Bill are analysed in the light of these considerations. In conclusion, the importance of the recent Supreme Court decision in the Vermont Yankee and Midland cases is emphasized in this context. (NEA) [fr

The regulatory reform in the European Union environmental policy: A first appraisal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leveque, Francois

1996-01-01

This paper is aimed to outline the expected outcome of the regulatory reform which is occurring in the European Union environmental policy: it intends to point out the new institutional procedures for rulemaking introduced by the Maastricht Treaty and the fifth Programme of Action, which would result in the use of market-based instruments and voluntary approaches oppositely to traditional command and control mechanisms. The paper consists of three sections: while the first one is plainly introductory, the following two sections represent a survey on eight recent pieces of European Union legislation, chiefly directives, showing the systematic decrease in the environmental objectives due to the presence of industrial interest groups, and the new problems affecting public intervention caused by the development of the above mentioned voluntary approaches. Moreover, the former provides an analytical model of a firm's involvement in the policy process, the latter an analytical apparatus on the very nature and failures of self-and co-regulation

Have Market-oriented Reforms Decoupled China’s CO2 Emissions from Total Electricity Generation? An Empirical Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Shang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Achieving the decoupling of electric CO2 emissions from total electricity generation is important in ensuring the sustainable socioeconomic development of China. To realize this, China implemented market-oriented reforms to its electric power industry at the beginning of 2003. This study used the Tapio decoupling index, the Laspeyres decomposition algorithm, and decoupling-related data from 1993 to 2012 to evaluate the effect of these reforms. Several conclusions can be drawn based on the empirical analysis. (1 The reforms changed the developmental trend of the decoupling index and facilitated its progress towards strong decoupling. (2 The results forecasted through fitting the curve to the decoupling index indicate that strong decoupling would be realized by 2030. (3 Limiting the manufacturing development and upgrading the generation equipment of the thermal power plants are essential for China to achieve strong decoupling at an early date. (4 China should enhance regulatory pressures and guidance for appropriate investment in thermal power plants to ensure the stable development of the decoupling index. (5 Transactions between multiple participants and electricity price bidding play active roles in the stable development of the decoupling index.

Reforming Brazil's offshore oil and gas safety regulatory framework: Lessons from Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendes, Pietro A.S.; Hall, Jeremy; Matos, Stelvia; Silvestre, Bruno

2014-01-01

We propose reforming the Brazilian regulatory safety framework (BRSF) for offshore oil and gas production and drilling operations. Brazil has emerged as a leading offshore producer with extensive proven reserves yet to be exploited. However, the BRSF has not been updated since 2007, and there are now major concerns about the industry's safety, particularly after the BP Deepwater Horizon accident, along with the technical challenges due to extreme conditions under which Brazil's resources are located. Drawing on experiences from three leading offshore oil and gas producers (Norway, the UK, and the US), we recommend the adoption of three best practices: the UK's ‘safety case’ approach (where operators are expected to provide convincing and valid arguments that a system is sufficiently safe for a given application in a specific environment), Norway's ‘barrier management’ (evidence that there are at least two tested and independent barriers to avoid accidents) and greater investment in safety research and development, as suggested by the US's National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. We discuss implications for policy reform and how best practices can be applied within the Brazilian context. - Highlights: • Description of the Brazilian regulatory safety framework (BRSF). • Comparison between BRSF and regulatory frameworks of leading offshore oil and gas jurisdictions (Norway, UK and US). • Recommendations for BRSF to include the safety case, barrier management and increased investment in safety technology

Reforming Mexico’s Energy Sector to Enhance Stability

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-27

requirement to reform Mexico’s energy sector. Subsequent analysis demonstrates government ownership of Petroleos Mexico (Pemex) is the fundamental...ownership of Petroleos Mexico (Pemex) is the fundamental destabilizing flaw in regulatory policy, by tracing various problems back to this root cause... Petroleos Mexico (Pemex) is the second largest company in Latin America and the seventh largest producer of oil in the world.1 The government of

Performance analysis of a SOFC under direct internal reforming conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janardhanan, Vinod M.; Deutschmann, Olaf [Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Engesserstr 20, D-76131 Karlsruhe, University of Karlsruhe (Germany); Heuveline, Vincent [Institute for Applied and Numerical Mathematics, Kaiserstr. 12, D-76128 Karlsruhe (Germany)

2007-10-11

This paper presents the performance analysis of a planar solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) under direct internal reforming conditions. A detailed solid-oxide fuel cell model is used to study the influences of various operating parameters on cell performance. Significant differences in efficiency and power density are observed for isothermal and adiabatic operational regimes. The influence of air number, specific catalyst area, anode thickness, steam to carbon (s/c) ratio of the inlet fuel, and extend of pre-reforming on cell performance is analyzed. In all cases except for the case of pre-reformed fuel, adiabatic operation results in lower performance compared to isothermal operation. It is further discussed that, though direct internal reforming may lead to cost reduction and increased efficiency by effective utilization of waste heat, the efficiency of the fuel cell itself is higher for pre-reformed fuel compared to non-reformed fuel. Furthermore, criteria for the choice of optimal operating conditions for cell stacks operating under direct internal reforming conditions are discussed. (author)

Performance analysis of a SOFC under direct internal reforming conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Janardhanan, Vinod M.; Heuveline, Vincent; Deutschmann, Olaf

This paper presents the performance analysis of a planar solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) under direct internal reforming conditions. A detailed solid-oxide fuel cell model is used to study the influences of various operating parameters on cell performance. Significant differences in efficiency and power density are observed for isothermal and adiabatic operational regimes. The influence of air number, specific catalyst area, anode thickness, steam to carbon (s/c) ratio of the inlet fuel, and extend of pre-reforming on cell performance is analyzed. In all cases except for the case of pre-reformed fuel, adiabatic operation results in lower performance compared to isothermal operation. It is further discussed that, though direct internal reforming may lead to cost reduction and increased efficiency by effective utilization of waste heat, the efficiency of the fuel cell itself is higher for pre-reformed fuel compared to non-reformed fuel. Furthermore, criteria for the choice of optimal operating conditions for cell stacks operating under direct internal reforming conditions are discussed.

A cross-country analysis of electricity market reforms: Potential contribution of New Institutional Economics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erdogdu, Erkan

2013-01-01

The paper explores whether the question of why some countries are able to implement more extensive reforms is closely related to the question of why some countries have better institutions than others. We analyze this question by using an empirical econometric model based on Poisson regression with cross-section data covering 51 states in the US, 13 provinces in Canada and 51 other countries. In the course of the study, we check the validity of three important arguments of New Institutional Economics (NIE) for the power market liberalization process. The first argument is the “path-dependency”. To test its impact on the reform progress, we try to explain whether the background of the chairperson of the regulatory agency when reforms started or that of the governor/minister responsible for energy policy at that time has an impact on the subsequent reform progress. The second argument is the impact of “democracy” as an institution on the reform progress. We look at the effect of two important indicators of democracy (i.e., civil liberties and political rights) on the reform progress. The final argument of NIE is about transaction costs. We concentrate on the level of corruption in a country as one of the key factors that determine transaction costs and try to explore its impact on the reforms. The results show that the backgrounds of the chairperson and the minister/governor, the level of democracy and corruption in a country are significantly correlated with how far reforms have gone in that country. The negative relationship between reform progress and civil liberties may indicate that reforms may be limited in democratic countries with strong civil society institutions such as trade unions or other organized structures in the society that may consider reforms as ‘harmful’ to their self-interest. - Highlights: • We model impact of institutions on the electricity market reforms. • Dataset covers 51 states in the US, 13 provinces in Canada and 51

Financial Market Implications of India’s Pension Reform

OpenAIRE

Helene Poirson Ward

2007-01-01

India's planned pension reform will set up a proper regulatory framework for the pension industry and open up the sector to private fund managers. Drawing on international experiences, the paper highlights pre-conditions for the reform to kick-start financial development, including: (i) the buildup of critical mass; (ii) sufficiently flexible investment guidelines and regulations, including on investments abroad; and (iii) concurrent reforms in capital markets. Given the limited scale of the ...

Impacts on investments, and transmission/distribution loss through power sector reforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagayama, Hiroaki

2010-01-01

This study analyses original panel data from 86 countries between 1985 and 2006. Econometric methods were used to identify the effects of different policy devices of power sector reforms on performance indicators (installed capacity per capita, transmission and distribution loss) in the countries analyzed. The research findings suggest that reform variables such as the entry of independent power producers (IPPs), unbundling of generation and transmission, establishment of regulatory agencies, and the introduction of a wholesale spot market are the driving forces of increasing generation capacity, as well as reducing transmission and distribution loss in the respective regions. In this study, we can assume that, firstly, different electric industry's reform policies/measures have different impacts on geographically and economically diverse countries. Secondly, a country's state of economic development has a different impact on policy effects of reforms. Thirdly, coexistent with independent regulatory agencies, reform policy becomes more powerful in realizing sector performances.

Dynamic modeling and controllability analysis of an ethanol reformer for fuel cell application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia, Vanesa M.; Serra, Maria; Riera, Jordi [Institut de Robotica i Informatica Industrial (CSIC-UPC), Llorens i Artigas 4-6, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Lopez, Eduardo [Institut de Tecniques Energetiques, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Diagonal 647, ed. ETSEIB, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Planta Piloto de Ingenieria Quimica (CONICET-UNS), Camino de la Carrindanga km7, 8000 Bahia Blanca (Argentina); Llorca, Jordi [Institut de Tecniques Energetiques, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Diagonal 647, ed. ETSEIB, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2010-09-15

This work presents a controllability analysis of a low temperature ethanol reformer based on a cobalt catalyst for fuel cell application. The study is based on a non-linear dynamic model of a reformer which operates in three separate stages: ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde and hydrogen, acetaldehyde steam reforming, and water-gas-shift reaction. The controllability analysis is focused on the rapid dynamics due to mass balances and is based on a linearization of the complex non-linear model of the reformer. RGA, CN and MRI analysis tools are applied to the linear model suggesting that a good performance can be obtained with decentralized control for frequencies up to 0.1 rad s{sup -1}. (author)

REFORM OF REGULATORY POLICY IN THE FIELD OF SUPERVISION OF AUDIT ACTIVITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iryna Kantsir

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Reforming the regulatory system and supervision of audit activity in Ukraine is a basic condition for Ukraine’s accession to the European Community, and the introduction of international standards in the field of audit and supervision of audit activity and quality assurance of audit services should be correlated with the standards of European and world audit practice. The dominant factor in the effective functioning of independent control is the choice of a model of supervision of the mechanism for its implementation; effectiveness of the system of monitoring the quality of audit services; effectiveness of legal and regulatory framework of audit activity. The regulation of audit activity is to coordinate direct and indirect actions aimed at the subject of audit activity with the purpose of ensuring the quality of audit services and minimizing the level of audit risk. The purpose of the research is: analysis of the basic models of regulation of audit activity aimed at improving the legal regulation of economic relations in general and subjects of audit activity in particular. Determination of expediency of implementation of public oversight as monitoring of the process of implementation of audit activity in the context of granting the right to conduct audit activities to individuals, implementation of standards of professional ethics and quality control of audit services, permanence of education and imposing sanctions for non-compliance by auditors with the requirements of the current legislation. Method (methodology. In the process of research, general scientific and special methods of scientific knowledge are used: abstract-logical (in the disclosure of theoretical and methodological foundations of public oversight; synthesis and system analysis (substantiation of the essential characteristics of the system of public oversight; system analysis and theoretical generalization (definition of institutional prerequisites for the introduction of

The Energy Regulatory Commission (1). Law of the Comision Reguladora de Energia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The Energy Regulatory Commission. Reforms to the Electric Energy Public Service Law (1992) and the Regulatory Law of Article 27 on Petroleum (1995) have brought about fundamental changes in the electric and natural gas industries. The legal reforms explicitly permit the private sector to construct, operate, and own, systems of electric generation and natural gas transportation, storage and distribution. The participation of the private sector in these areas required a redefinition in the government regulatory institutions. Accordingly the Federal Congress enacted the law of the Comision Reguladora de Energia (CRE) in 1995. The CRE law expands the scope of the CRE's authority and the breadth of its powers beyond those established when it was initially created in 1993. The CRE commenced operations in January 1994 as a decentralized technical and consultative body of the Energy Ministry. The decree that created the Commission limited the scope of its authority to an analysis and consultative role applicable only to the electric industry. (Author)

Regulatory Autonomy and Performance: The Reform of Higher Education Re-Visited

Science.gov (United States)

Enders, Jurgen; de Boer, Harry; Weyer, Elke

2013-01-01

The main aim of this article is to contribute to the understanding of organizational autonomy and control in higher education reform and related expectations as regards the performance of universities. Our analyses draws on principal-agent models as a normative theory of policy reform, and institutionalist approaches in public policy and…

Reformational direction of fish industry development in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. Glebova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Exploitation of aquatic bioresources in Ukraine was traditionally low. In order to provide the population of Ukraine with high-quality fish products, the task of fish industry workers in the country is to create appropriate conditions for increasing fish catches and improve the organization of labor and material provision at fish farms. Our immediate goal in the work was to identify the areas of reforms in the fish industry, which would ensure the progress in it and would be aimed at attracting investments in aquaculture, establishing fish protection bodies with a qualitative change in their working principles, forming a culture of socially responsible fishing, achieving transparency and openness in the work of the State Agency for Fisheries, as well as improving the efficiency of the functioning of state institutions. Methodology. The basis of the research is the scientific, statistical and reporting data in the fish industry of Ukraine. The research uses the methods of monitoring and retrospective analysis of recent research and publications. Findings. The information on the implementation of reforms in the field of fish industry in Ukraine is presented: change of territorial bodies, State Fisheries Agency, fisheries regimes, use of aquatic biological resources, regulatory framework, strengthening of international activities and use of foreign experience. In order to increase the capacity of the fish industry, it is being reformed in the direction of changing its structure, increasing funding, introducing foreign investment and using their expertise. Originality. The need for reforming the fish industry of Ukraine became highly important. Modern socio-economic conditions require changes in the approaches to the organization of the activity of f groups that are marked by significant technological, economic, organizational, regulatory and legal peculiarities that need to be taken into account in economic processes. In accordance with

Twin-Peak Financial Regulatory Regime in China: A Desirability Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Chenchen

2015-01-01

In the past two decades, the Chinese financial markets have witnessed an unprecedented development and expansion, changing the landscape of the whole financial markets. But it has also drawn controversy with many scholars warning the negative consequences of the behemoth size and the increasing...... speed of the expansion of shadow banking activities. The banking activity expansion and the emergence of financial conglomerates have been challenging the effectiveness of the current institutional regulatory structure: the fragmented "One Bank and Three Commissions" system and the "Joint Meeting...... as a "deep context". By drawing on the Australia experience of the twin-peak reform and discussing the new ecology of the Chinese financial markets, the article attempts to answer the question of the desirability of a twin-peak regulatory regime in China....

Safety analysis - current and future regulatory challenges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jamieson, T., E-mail: Terry.Jamieson@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca [Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2015-07-01

'Full text:' The current and future regulatory challenges associated with deterministic safety analysis are reviewed, including: 1. The CNSC's and safety control areas. 2. Traditional safety analysis approach. 3. Experience gained and impact. 4. Current analysis and regulatory approaches. 5. Current status. 6. Complexity and challenges In particular, the technical, regulatory and strategic aspects of these challenges are discussed. (author)

Safety analysis - current and future regulatory challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamieson, T.

2015-01-01

'Full text:' The current and future regulatory challenges associated with deterministic safety analysis are reviewed, including: 1. The CNSC's and safety control areas. 2. Traditional safety analysis approach. 3. Experience gained and impact. 4. Current analysis and regulatory approaches. 5. Current status. 6. Complexity and challenges In particular, the technical, regulatory and strategic aspects of these challenges are discussed. (author)

Power sector reform in India: current issues and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Anoop

2006-01-01

Power sector reforms in India were initiated at a juncture when the sector was plagued with commercial losses and burgeoning subsidy burden. Investment in the sector was not able to keep pace with growing demand for electricity. This paper takes stock of pre-reform situation in Indian power sector and identifies key concerns that led to initiation of the process of reform. The paper discusses major policy and regulatory changes undertaken since the early 1990s. The paper also illustrates changes in the market structure as we move along the reform process. We also discuss some of the major provisions of the recently enacted Electricity Act 2003 that aims to replace the prevailing acts which govern the functioning of the power sector in the country. In this context, we discuss two issues arising out of it, namely open access and multi-year tariff that we think would have a significant bearing on the performance of the sector in the near future. The paper also evaluates the reform process in the light of some of the regulatory changes undertaken. Finally, the paper briefly discusses the issues involved in introduction of competition in the power sector primarily through development of a market for bulk power

75 FR 28004 - Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets; Notice Establishing Date for Comments

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-19

... Proposed Rulemaking on Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets.\\1\\ Specifically, the... counterparty to transactions in their markets \\1\\ Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets, 130... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM10-13-000] Credit Reforms...

Putting Trade Logistics Reform “on the Map” in Armenia

OpenAIRE

Gabrielyan, Gagik; Huria, Ankur; Nazaryan, Arsen

2012-01-01

Armenia did it through trade logistics reform - with help from International Finance Corporation's (IFC's) Armenia doing business reform and regulatory simplification project, launched in February 2009. The project team builds constructive relationships-including well-designed and consistent communication-with the Ministry of Economy, the customs service, and the private sector to identify...

Forest policy reform in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

S. Bauch; E. Sills; L.C. Rodriguez Estraviz; K. McGinley; F. Cubbage

2009-01-01

Rapid deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, caused by economic, social, and policy factors, has focused global and national attention on protecting this valuable forest resource. In response, Brazil reformed its federal forest laws in 2006, creating new regulatory, development, and incentive policy instruments and institutions. Federal forestry responsibilities are...

An Asian perspective on global financial reforms

OpenAIRE

Morgan, Peter J.; Pontines, Victor

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to better understand the likely impact on Asian economies and financial institutions of various recent global financial reforms, including Basel III capital adequacy and liquidity rules. Part one reviews the lessons of the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2007–09 and their relevance for Asian economies. Part two describes the major regulatory reforms that have been announced and possible concerns about their impacts on emerging economies. Part three reviews the ...

PENSION FUNDS EVOLUTION, REFORMS AND TRENDS IN SOUTHAFRICA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nthabiseng Moleko

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a graphical and descriptive analysis of the historical trends ofthe South African pension fund sector in order to provide insights andunderstanding ofnon-banking finance. Using a combination of secondary data anda desk review of existing literature, we provide in-depth analysis of the differenttypes and number of pension funds, industry trends, policy reforms and legislativeframeworks enacted by theSouth African government for the development of thesector. The study identified the evolution of the pension fund industry to be in fourphases coinciding with different waves of industry policy reforms, namely: theinfancy phase (1911-1958; institutionalisation phase (1959-1984; separation andcontinued separation phase (1985-1994; and corporatisation and amalgamation(1995-2015 The industry growth analysis indicated that a compounded annualgrowth rate of 14 percent is the highest annual growth overthe past decade and thisgrowth exceeds the global market average of 6.5 percent over the same period. Theindustry trend analysis is indicative of an upward trend in terms of funds’membership with the trendline showing a steep rise to over 15 million membersfrom under 10 million memberships with the space of a decade. However, thenumber of pension funds operating in the industry has declined due to a steadymove towards umbrella funds. Although the South African pension fund industry isnot only movingin the right direction but also considered a beacon of successaround the world, there remains huge potential for growth of the sector. Therefore,maintaining sound regulatory policies and government interventions will continueto ensure that pension fundsare well managed and bad practices discouraged in thesector through the oversight functions of government regulatory institutions such asthe Pension Fund Registrar and Financial Services Board.

Electricity regulation and electricity market reforms in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngan, H.W.

2010-01-01

The electricity industry of China has been in a process of reforms since the 1980s. This paper gives a review on the three main stages of reforms in China so as to trace out key features of various reform measures including those for power investment financing, the separation between government and power enterprises, and the division between power generation firms and power grids. The findings suggest that further regulatory change in China's electricity market reform is necessary when integration of the electricity markets and increased competition are paving the way ahead for a market-oriented structure. Prospective electricity regulation in the form of a strong legal system and effective institutions that protect market competition and promote appropriate incentives for efficiency are suggested in the paper. (author)

Winners and losers of state electricity boards reforms an organisational analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruet, J.

2001-01-01

The power sector in India is often described - in newspapers, in official reports, in reform programmes - as too 'poor' in money... and too 'rich' in politicians. These analyses hence propose corporatisation, un-bundling, setting up of regulatory commissions, as a vade mecum. The sole problem is that they have proved insufficient in improving the health of State Electricity Boards (SEBs). The ultimate tool, privatisation, has also been a deceptive one. This paper suggests that the above analyses should be balanced and completed with another element: the internal organisation itself of SEBs has to be questioned, which, surprisingly enough, is not done in the current reforms. This is not done because SEBs actually behave and are organised as administrations, whose objectives are different from those of a public enterprise. This is not done because consultants implicitly regard SEBs as inefficient enterprises. This paper thus enters into the black box of SEBs, and shows why and how the behaviour of its agents is rational, given the administrative system in which they are. It gives some practical ways to change this system, by developing on the 'enterprisation' of SEBs (turning them from bodies with an administration-style way of running into actual public enterprises), a concept which was coined from the reforms in Eastern Europe. But ultimately reforms are not undertaken per se. Their final aim is a better quality and availability to the people. Their impact on various categories of users and stakeholders can be discussed within this framework of enterprisation, to establish on which conditions reforms can be beneficial to everybody but the 'waste consumer'. This article is mainly based on repeated field inquires in Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, at different stages of reform. In these States, the reform, far from precluding to analyse what are classical SEBs, brought to light some processes formerly in the dark. This

75 FR 27330 - Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets; Notice of Agenda for Technical Conference

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-14

... Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets Notice of Proposed Rulemaking\\1\\ regarding whether... Credit Reforms in Organized Electric Markets May 11, 2010 Commission Meeting Room Agenda 9-9:05 a.m... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM10-13-000] Credit Reforms...

Medical and Safety Reforms in Boxing

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Barry D.

1988-01-01

The continued existence of boxing as an accepted sport in civilized society has been long debated. The position of the American Medical Association (AMA) has evolved from promoting increased safety and medical reform to recommending total abolition of both amateur and professional boxing. In response to the AMA opposition to boxing, the boxing community has attempted to increase the safeguards in amateur and professional boxing. The United States of America Amateur Boxing Federation, which is the national regulatory agency for all amateur boxing in the United States, has taken several actions to prevent the occurrence of acute brain injury and is currently conducting epidemiologic studies to assess the long-term neuropsychologic consequences of amateur boxing. In professional boxing, state regulatory agencies such as the New York State Athletic Commission have introduced several medical interventions to prevent and reduce neurologic injury. The lack of a national regulatory agency to govern professional boxing has stimulated the formation of the Association of Boxing Commissions and potential legislation for the federal regulation of professional boxing by a federally chartered organization called the United States Boxing Commission. The AMA's opposition to boxing and the medical and safety reforms implemented by the proponents of boxing are discussed. PMID:3385788

Regulatory analysis technical evaluation handbook. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The purpose of this Handbook is to provide guidance to the regulatory analyst to promote preparation of quality regulatory analysis documents and to implement the policies of the Regulatory Analysis Guidelines of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NUREG/BR-0058 Rev. 2). This Handbook expands upon policy concepts included in the NRC Guidelines and translates the six steps in preparing regulatory analyses into implementable methodologies for the analyst. It provides standardized methods of preparation and presentation of regulatory analyses, with the inclusion of input that will satisfy all backfit requirements and requirements of NRC's Committee to Review Generic Requirements. Information on the objectives of the safety goal evaluation process and potential data sources for preparing a safety goal evaluation is also included. Consistent application of the methods provided here will result in more directly comparable analyses, thus aiding decision-makers in evaluating and comparing various regulatory actions. The handbook is being issued in loose-leaf format to facilitate revisions. NRC intends to periodically revise the handbook as new and improved guidance, data, and methods become available

Papers on the nuclear regulatory dilemma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barkenbus, J.N.; Freeman, S.D.; Weinberg, A.M.

1985-10-01

The four papers contained in this report are titled: (1) From Prescriptive to Performance-Based Regulation of Nuclear Power; (2) Nuclear Regulatory Reform: A Technology-Forcing Approach; (3) Improving the Regulation of Nuclear Power; and (4) Science and Its Limits: The Regulators' Dilemma. These four papers investigate issues relating to the long-term regulation of nuclear energy. They were prepared as part of the Institute for Energy Analysis' project on Nuclear Regulation funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation and a smaller grant by the MacArthur Foundation. Originally this work was to be supplemented by contributions from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and from the Department of Energy. These contributions were not forthcoming, and as a result the scope of our investigations was more restricted than we had originally planned.

Papers on the nuclear regulatory dilemma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barkenbus, J.N.; Freeman, S.D.; Weinberg, A.M.

1985-10-01

The four papers contained in this report are titled: (1) From Prescriptive to Performance-Based Regulation of Nuclear Power; (2) Nuclear Regulatory Reform: A Technology-Forcing Approach; (3) Improving the Regulation of Nuclear Power; and (4) Science and Its Limits: The Regulators' Dilemma. These four papers investigate issues relating to the long-term regulation of nuclear energy. They were prepared as part of the Institute for Energy Analysis' project on Nuclear Regulation funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation and a smaller grant by the MacArthur Foundation. Originally this work was to be supplemented by contributions from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and from the Department of Energy. These contributions were not forthcoming, and as a result the scope of our investigations was more restricted than we had originally planned

75 FR 20991 - Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets; Notice of Technical Conference

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-22

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM10-13-000] Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets; Notice of Technical Conference April 15, 2010. Take notice... related to the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale...

75 FR 26749 - Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets; Notice of Technical Conference

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-12

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM10-13-000] Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets; Notice of Technical Conference April 15, 2010. Take notice... related to the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale...

75 FR 27552 - Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets; Further Notice Concerning Technical...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-17

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM10-13-000] Credit Reforms in Organized Wholesale Electric Markets; Further Notice Concerning Technical Conference May 10, 2010... technical conference related to the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Credit Reforms in...

Tariffs and subsidies in Zimbabwe's reforming electricity industry: steering a utility through turbulent times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mangwengwende, S.E.

2002-01-01

In 1991, the Government of Zimbabwe adopted a public enterprise reform strategy as part of a World Bank driven Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP). For the electricity sector, the Government adopted a two-pronged programme of reform - a performance improvement programme (PIP) for the national utility, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), and a legal and regulatory reform programme for the electricity sector in general. Ten years later, significant success has been achieved in improving the utility's performance in technical operations and customer service. However, there has been very little progress on the legal and regulatory front. This has adversely affected the utility's financial performance, as well as frustrating the Government's efforts in attracting private sector investment. The centrality of the tariff question reflects the importance of the customer or end-user to the power sector reform process. This article outlines the power sector reform experiences in Zimbabwe with special focus on the tariff question. The paper suggests, from the perspective of a utility executive, reasons for the mixed results at ZESA, and lessons for other countries in the region undertaking similar reforms. (Author)

The evolving regulation of uranium recovery operations in the United States: Inovative approaches are necessary for cost effective regulatory oversight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, A.J.; Lehrenbaum, W.U.; Lashway, D.C.

2000-01-01

The US domestic uranium industry is at a crossroads. Historic low prices for uranium, combined with stringent and often irrational regulatory requirements, pose a very real threat to the industry's continued viability. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has taken a number of innovative steps to reform and rationalize its regulatory program. However, if the domestic uranium recovery industry is to remain viable, additional steps toward innovation and reform are needed, and effective implementation of reforms adopted by the Commission is essential. (author)

Numerical analysis of performance of steam reformer of methane reforming hydrogen production system connected with high-temperature gas-cooled reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Huaqiang; Jiang Shengyao; Zhang Youjie

2007-01-01

Methane conversion rate and hydrogen output are important performance indexes of the steam reformer. The paper presents numerical analysis of performance of the reformer connected with high-temperature gas-cooled reactor HTR-10. Setting helium inlet flow rate fixed, performance of the reformer was examined with different helium inlet temperature, pressure, different process gas temperature, pressure, flow rate, and different steam to carbon ratio. As the range concerned, helium inlet temperature has remarkable influence on the performance, and helium inlet temperature, process gas temperature and pressure have little influence on the performance, and improving process gas flow rate, methane conversion rate decreases and hydrogen output increases, however improving steam to carbon ratio has reverse influence on the performance. (authors)

Comprehensive School Reform and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Borman, Geoffrey D.; Hewes, Gina M.; Overman, Laura T.; Brown, Shelly

2003-01-01

This meta-analysis reviews research on the achievement effects of comprehensive school reform (CSR) and summarizes the specific effects of 29 widely implemented models. There are limitations on the overall quantity and quality of the research base, but the overall effects of CSR appear promising. The combined quantity, quality, and statistical…

 Railway Reforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asmild, Mette; Holvad, Torben; Hougaard, Jens Leth

This paper considers railway operations in 23 European countries during 1995-2001, where a series of reform initiatives were launched by the European Commission, and analyses whether these reform initiatives improved the operating efficiency of the railways. Efficiency is measured using Multi......-directional Efficiency Analysis, which enables investigation of how railway reforms affect the inefficiencies of specific cost drivers. The main findings are that the reform initiatives generally improve operating efficiency but potentially differently for different cost drivers. Specifically, the paper provides clear...

Private Investment in Power Sector in Developing Countries: Lessons from Reforms in Asian and Latin American Countries.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Anoop

2007-07-01

The demand for investment in the electricity sector in the world between 2000 and 2030 is estimated to be USD9.8 trillion. Developing countries would require more than half of this investment. Given the limited fiscal space for public investment, a number of developing countries have undertaken policy initiatives to improve the investment climate for the private sector. The pace, scope, sequencing and outcome of reform process varies across countries. This paper undertakes a comparative evaluation of policy and regulatory reforms in Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, PRC and Thailand. The paper concludes that apart from macroeconomic stability, the pace and sequencing of reforms influences private investment in the power sector. Distribution reforms and setting up of an independent regulatory institution reduces risk for investors. A peace-meal approach to reform keeps uncertainties alive for investors and does not translate in significant investment in the sector. (auth)

A numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer during the steam reforming process of ethane

Science.gov (United States)

Tomiczek, Marcin; Kaczmarczyk, Robert; Mozdzierz, Marcin; Brus, Grzegorz

2017-11-01

This paper presents a numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer during the steam reforming of ethane. From a chemical point of view, the reforming process of heavy hydrocarbons, such as ethane, is complex. One of the main issue is a set of undesired chemical reactions that causes the deposition of solid carbon and consequently blocks the catalytic property of a reactor. In the literature a carbon deposition regime is selected by thermodynamical analysis to design safe operation conditions. In the case of Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD, hereafter) models each control volume should be investigated to determinate if carbon deposition is thermodynamically favourable. In this paper the authors combine equilibrium and kinetics analysis to simulate the steam reforming of methane-ethane rich fuel. The results of the computations were juxtaposed with experimental data for methane steam reforming, and good agreement was found. An analysis based on the kinetics of reactions was conducted to predict the influence of temperature drop and non-equilibrium composition on solid carbon deposition. It was found that strong non-uniform temperature distribution in the reactor causes conditions favourable for carbon deposition at the inlet of the reformer. It was shown that equilibrium calculations, often used in the literature, are insufficient.

The evolving regulation of uranium recovery operations in the United States of America: Innovative approaches are necessary for cost effective regulatory oversight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, A.J.; Lehrenbaum, W.U.; Lashway, D.C.

2002-01-01

The US domestic uranium industry is at a crossroads. Historic low prices for uranium, combined with stringent and often irrational regulatory requirements, pose a very real threat to the industry's continued viability. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has taken a number of innovative steps to reform and rationalize its regulatory programme. However, if the domestic uranium recovery industry is to remain viable, additional steps toward innovation and reform are needed, and effective implementation of reforms adopted by the Commission is essential. (author)

Energy and exergy analysis of an ethanol reforming process for solid oxide fuel cell applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Tippawan, Phanicha; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2014-04-01

The fuel processor in which hydrogen is produced from fuels is an important unit in a fuel cell system. The aim of this study is to apply a thermodynamic concept to identify a suitable reforming process for an ethanol-fueled solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Three different reforming technologies, i.e., steam reforming, partial oxidation and autothermal reforming, are considered. The first and second laws of thermodynamics are employed to determine an energy demand and to describe how efficiently the energy is supplied to the reforming process. Effect of key operating parameters on the distribution of reforming products, such as H2, CO, CO2 and CH4, and the possibility of carbon formation in different ethanol reformings are examined as a function of steam-to-ethanol ratio, oxygen-to-ethanol ratio and temperatures at atmospheric pressure. Energy and exergy analysis are performed to identify the best ethanol reforming process for SOFC applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasma-catalytic reforming of ethanol: influence of air activation rate and reforming temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nedybaliuk, O.A.; Chernyak, V.Ya.; Fedirchuk, I.I.; Demchina, V.P.; Bortyshevsky, V.A.; Korzh, R.V.

2016-01-01

This paper presents the study of the influence that air activation rate and reforming temperature have on the gaseous products composition and conversion efficiency during the plasma-catalytic reforming of ethanol. The analysis of product composition showed that the conversion efficiency of ethanol has a maximum in the studied range of reforming temperatures. Researched system provided high reforming efficiency and high hydrogen energy yield at the lower temperatures than traditional conversion technologies

Public regulation of site selection for nuclear power plants. Present procedures and reform proposals: an annotated bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klema, E.D.; West, R.L.

1977-01-01

Part I of this bibliography contains literature which describes the process of power-plant siting as conducted by the utilities, siting procedures at the point of initiative, analytical tools employed or proposed for site assessment by enterprises in the industry, and the wide range of considerations which the utilities take into account in making site assessments. Part II contains studies and reports on the structure and process of public regulation of power plant siting: the licensing of nuclear facilities by the NRC under terms of the special Government powers in the field of nuclear energy that have evolved since World War II; the steady expansion of regulatory objectives bearing on site approval for nuclear power plants; local government, State, and other Federal agency regulation of siting; survey siting procedures in other countries; the role of regulatory delay in the long lead-time required for construction and operation of nuclear plants. Part III incudes citations on regulatory structure and practice that are unresponsive to the public interest; regulatory decision making's insufficient accessible to public scrutiny and participation; and regulatory procedures that encourage and protect inefficient practices of the regulated industries. Some legal decisions and case studies are included. Part IV, Reform Proposals, includes citations on regulatory reform and reform of siting regulations. Abstracts are provided with 157 of the citations with many more papers cited by title, author, and accession data

Thermal and chemical analysis of carbon dioxide reforming of methane using the out-of-pile test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Ziyong; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki

2000-03-01

In the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, a hydrogen production system is being designed to produce hydrogen by means of steam reforming of natural gas (its main composition is methane(CH 4 )) using nuclear heat (10 MW, 1178 K) supplied by the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR). Prior to coupling of the steam reforming system with the HTTR, an out-of-pile demonstration test was planned to confirm safety, controllability and performance of the steam reforming system under simulated operational conditions of the prototype. The out-of-pile test facility simulates key components downstream to an intermediate heat exchanger of the HTTR hydrogen production system on a scale of 1 : 30 and has a hydrogen production capacity of 110 Nm 3 /h using an electric heater as a reactor substitute. The test facility is presently under construction. Reforming of natural gas with carbon dioxide CO 2 (CO 2 reforming) using the out-of-pile test facility is also being considered. In recent years, catalytic reforming of natural gas with CO 2 to synthesis gas (CO and H 2 ) has been proposed as one of the most promising technologies for utilization of those two greenhouse gases. Numerical analysis on heat and mass balance has practical significance in CO 2 reforming when the steam reforming process is adopted in the out-of-pile test. Numerical analysis of CO 2 reforming and reforming of natural gas with CO 2 and steam (CO 2 +H 2 O reforming) have been carried out using the mathematical model. Results such as the methane conversion rate, product gas composition, and the components temperature distribution considering the effects of helium gas temperature, reforming pressure, molar ratio of process gases and so on have been obtained in the numerical analysis. Heat and mass balance of the out-of-pile test facility considering chemical reactions are evaluated well. The methane conversation rates are about 0.36 and 0.35 which correspond to the equilibrium at 1085 and 1100 K for

Thermal and chemical analysis of carbon dioxide reforming of methane using the out-of-pile test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang Ziyong [Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University (China); Ohashi, Hirofumi; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki [Department of Advanced Nuclear Heat Technology, Oarai Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan)

2000-03-01

In the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, a hydrogen production system is being designed to produce hydrogen by means of steam reforming of natural gas (its main composition is methane(CH{sub 4})) using nuclear heat (10 MW, 1178 K) supplied by the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR). Prior to coupling of the steam reforming system with the HTTR, an out-of-pile demonstration test was planned to confirm safety, controllability and performance of the steam reforming system under simulated operational conditions of the prototype. The out-of-pile test facility simulates key components downstream to an intermediate heat exchanger of the HTTR hydrogen production system on a scale of 1 : 30 and has a hydrogen production capacity of 110 Nm{sup 3}/h using an electric heater as a reactor substitute. The test facility is presently under construction. Reforming of natural gas with carbon dioxide CO{sub 2} (CO{sub 2} reforming) using the out-of-pile test facility is also being considered. In recent years, catalytic reforming of natural gas with CO{sub 2} to synthesis gas (CO and H{sub 2}) has been proposed as one of the most promising technologies for utilization of those two greenhouse gases. Numerical analysis on heat and mass balance has practical significance in CO{sub 2} reforming when the steam reforming process is adopted in the out-of-pile test. Numerical analysis of CO{sub 2} reforming and reforming of natural gas with CO{sub 2} and steam (CO{sub 2}+H{sub 2}O reforming) have been carried out using the mathematical model. Results such as the methane conversion rate, product gas composition, and the components temperature distribution considering the effects of helium gas temperature, reforming pressure, molar ratio of process gases and so on have been obtained in the numerical analysis. Heat and mass balance of the out-of-pile test facility considering chemical reactions are evaluated well. The methane conversation rates are about 0.36 and 0.35 which

Reform Drivers and Reform Obstacles in Natural Resource Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gezelius, Stig S.; Raakjær, Jesper; Hegland, Troels Jacob

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT: The ability to transform historical learning into institutional reform is a key to success in the management of common pool natural resources. Based on a model of institutional inertia and a comparative analysis of Northeast Atlantic fisheries management from 1945 to the present....... Institutional inertia entails that large-scale management reform tends to be crisis driven....

Land reform in Russia in 1990-2000-ies, or how land reform was "reformed" during the departmental reorganization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barsukova Svetlana, Yu.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The paper provides an overview of the land reform in Russia's recent history. Analysis of land reform, which started in 1990, shows what actions and what logic led the land sector in the state in which it was at the finish line of the quarter-century reform marathon. The reform process was not linear, it highlighted the steps differing objectives and strategies to achieve them. Land reform is presented as a struggle of different political forces, which were reflected in the redistribution of functions between agencies in lobbying for appointment to senior positions promoted various commands. The authors conclude about the gradual displacement of state regulation of land relations, the deliberate destruction of the land management as a basis for the development of land resources.

Comparative techno-economic analysis of biohydrogen production via bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yanan; Brown, Tristan R.; Hu, Guiping; Brown, Robert C.

2013-01-01

This paper evaluates the economic feasibility of biohydrogen production via two bio-oil processing pathways: bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming. Both pathways employ fast pyrolysis to produce bio-oil from biomass stock. The two pathways are modeled using Aspen Plus ® for a 2000 t d −1 facility. Equipment sizing and cost calculations are based on Aspen Economic Evaluation® software. Biohydrogen production capacity at the facility is 147 t d −1 for the bio-oil gasification pathway and 160 t d −1 for the bio-oil reforming pathway. The biomass-to-fuel energy efficiencies are 47% and 84% for the bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming pathways, respectively. Total capital investment (TCI) is 435 million dollars for the bio-oil gasification pathway and is 333 million dollars for the bio-oil reforming pathway. Internal rates of return (IRR) are 8.4% and 18.6% for facilities employing the bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming pathways, respectively. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that biohydrogen price, biohydrogen yield, fixed capital investment (FCI), bio-oil yield, and biomass cost have the greatest impacts on facility IRR. Monte-Carlo analysis shows that bio-oil reforming is more economically attractive than bio-oil gasification for biohydrogen production. -- Highlights: ► Biohydrogen production via bio-oil reforming has higher energy efficiency compared to gasification. ► Hydrogen price, fixed capital cost, and feedstock cost most strongly affect IRR. ► Lower risk investment is biohydrogen production via bio-oil reforming

The Dynamics of Reforming the Public Administration System in Ukraine: Monitoring and Analysis of Implementation of the Reform of Decentralization of Power

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaroshenko Igor V.

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The European integration choice of Ukraine, enshrined in the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, has defined the strategic direction of the country’s development for the near future. One of the main directions of the country modernization is the reform of administrative-territorial, political, public administration systems and establishment of the democratic institution of public power – the local self-government. Formation of foundations and principles of reforming the local self-government and territorial organization of power in Ukraine in accordance with the basic provisions of the European Charter of local self-government is an integral part of the national legislation in this sphere. Carrying out monitoring and analysis of the implementation of the reform of decentralization in Ukraine, as well as assessment of the level of its implementation and efficiency of functioning, identification of problematic issues and risks of implementation of the decentralization reform are very important for timely provision of recommendations for the appropriate solutions.

Public Administration reforms and results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Research on administrative reforms during the past thirty years indicates that reform efforts of countries differ. The Anglo Saxon states were at the forefront of the New Public Management movement while countries on mainland Europe were more hesitant and moved further towards the Neo-Weberian state. Academics have tried to explain different reform efforts within countries by looking at political, historical and cultural issues, values and economic factors to name just a few. Three hypotheses are put forward to explain reform efforts in different states. This research involves analysing the implementation of two different reform trends, New Public Management and the Neo-Weberian tradition. The analysis indicates that countries vary in their commitment to reform rather than in the emphasis on either New Public Management or the Neo-Weberian State. Decentralization, clear objectives and consultation with communities and experts are closely related to national reform efforts. However, Iceland does distinguish itself from Europe and the Nordic countries. The analysis reveals that although decentralization is high in the Icelandic system, autonomy of agencies does not have a strong relation to a varied use of administrative instruments. The second part of the article focuses on the results and achievements of reform programmes. The achievement of reform programmes are examined in relation to theories of bounded rationality, street level bureaucracy (bottom up and consensus decision making. Three hypotheses are presented and tested to explain what causes reforms programmes to be successful in some countries and not in others. The analysis reveals that countries are more likely to succeed if bounded rationality is applied with careful preparation and when stakeholders are consulted.

Transnational Veto Players and the Practice of Financial Reform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsingou, Eleni

reforms in the regulatory treatment of large financial institutions deemed ‘too big to fail’. Actors debating and developing policy on ‘too big to fail’ may have formal defined constituencies, as regulators, academics or lobbying organisations, but in their transnational interactions they are also...

Transnational Veto Players and the Practice of Financial Reform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsingou, Eleni

2015-01-01

reforms in the regulatory treatment of large financial institutions deemed ‘too big to fail’. Actors debating and developing policy on ‘too big to fail’ may have formal defined constituencies, as regulators, academics or lobbying organisations, but in their transnational interactions they are also...

The Economic Discourse of the Current Reform Aimed at Business Optimization in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Purdenko Olena A.

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to study the strengths and weaknesses of the current reforms and provide appropriate recommendations and proposals to improve the regulatory and economic business environment. The article analyzes the introduced reforms in the aspect of the regulatory field and the active current system of taxation with the detailing of the type and content of the basic implemented measures. There have been justified the advantages and disadvantages of the introduced system of taxation with respect to the main budget forming taxes, such as the enterprise income taxes, value added tax, individual income tax considering changes in the administering of unified social tax (UST and war tax, excise duty. On the basis of the results of the study it has been found that the introduced reforms only partially improved the tax administration system and in no way reduced the announced tax burden, the time spending of business for preparing the current report was not significantly reduced.

Switzerland; Financial Sector Assessment Program: Factual Update: Insurance Sector Market and Regulatory Developments

OpenAIRE

International Monetary Fund

2007-01-01

This paper presents a factual update of the Insurance Core Principles including insurance sector market and regulatory developments for Switzerland. Regulatory reforms since 2003 have updated Switzerland’s regulatory and supervisory regime for the insurance industry to bring it in line with international best practices. The Insurance Supervision Law (ISL) has reoriented the regulatory focus and expanded the regulatory scope to include group/conglomerate supervision, corporate governance, risk...

Russian electricity reform. Emerging challenges and opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

The Russian Government is pursuing a strategy of very high economic growth, with the objective of doubling gross domestic product in ten years. It recognises the central role the electricity sector has to play to achieve this target and has embarked on a highly ambitious program of electricity reform. If it is to succeed, the reform program will have to create market structures, market rules and a regulatory framework that will foster competitive wholesale and retail electricity markets. At the same time, it will have to deal with sensitive social issues related to tariff rebalancing and the removal of cross subsidies. Only competitive markets based on transparent prices that reflect costs can deliver the efficient, reliable and internationally competitive performance needed to meet the government's economic targets. Such markets are essential to attract new investment that will be required to ensure security of electricity supply after 2010. This book focuses on key aspects of the proposed reform that could have an important bearing on its success. It also raises concerns as to the pace of reform in related areas, such as the need for complementary reforms in the Russian natural gas sector. The IEA commends the Russian Government on its efforts to embrace this electricity reform - a key element critical to meeting the challenges ahead in terms of its economic growth and energy security. 17 figs., 10 tabs., 3 maps.

The African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative for Nurses and Midwives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McCarthy Carey F

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background More than thirty-five sub-Saharan African countries have severe health workforce shortages. Many also struggle with a mismatch between the knowledge and competencies of health professionals and the needs of the populations they serve. Addressing these workforce challenges requires collaboration among health and education stakeholders and reform of health worker regulations. Health professional regulatory bodies, such as nursing and midwifery councils, have the mandate to reform regulations yet often do not have the resources or expertise to do so. In 2011, the United States of America Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began a four-year initiative to increase the collaboration among national stakeholders and help strengthen the capacity of health professional regulatory bodies to reform national regulatory frameworks. The initiative is called the African Health Regulatory Collaborative for Nurses and Midwives. This article describes the African Health Regulatory Collaborative for Nurses and Midwives and discusses its importance in implementing and sustaining national, regional, and global workforce initiatives. Discussion The African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative for Nurses and Midwives convenes leaders responsible for regulation from 14 countries in East, Central and Southern Africa. It provides a high profile, south-to-south collaboration to assist countries in implementing joint approaches to problems affecting the health workforce. Implemented in partnership with Emory University, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the East, Central and Southern African College of Nursing, this initiative also supports four to five countries per year in implementing locally-designed regulation improvement projects. Over time, the African Health Regulatory Collaborative for Nurses and Midwives will help to increase the regulatory capacity of health professional organizations and ultimately improve regulation and

Reform in Mexico: imports, exports and investments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estrada, J.

1997-01-01

Terms of the policy and regulatory reform for the natural gas sector in Mexico since 1993 were described, and major changes taking place in the structure, organization and operations of the sector since the introduction of reforms were reviewed. Consequences that the structural changes are likely to have on the long-term balance of natural gas supply and demand in Mexico, have been assessed. The goal of full open access by November of 1997 was reiterated. Reforms to the electric power industry also have been undertaken. As with natural gas, the objective is to eliminate the State monopoly and to allow private power producers to participate in the expansion of the sector's generating capacity. Public investment will be directed towards the improvement of transmission and distribution networks. Over time, independent power producers are expected to become the principal source of funds for the expansion of electric power availability in Mexico. 3 tabs., 29 figs

Sensitivity analysis for missing data in regulatory submissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Permutt, Thomas

2016-07-30

The National Research Council Panel on Handling Missing Data in Clinical Trials recommended that sensitivity analyses have to be part of the primary reporting of findings from clinical trials. Their specific recommendations, however, seem not to have been taken up rapidly by sponsors of regulatory submissions. The NRC report's detailed suggestions are along rather different lines than what has been called sensitivity analysis in the regulatory setting up to now. Furthermore, the role of sensitivity analysis in regulatory decision-making, although discussed briefly in the NRC report, remains unclear. This paper will examine previous ideas of sensitivity analysis with a view to explaining how the NRC panel's recommendations are different and possibly better suited to coping with present problems of missing data in the regulatory setting. It will also discuss, in more detail than the NRC report, the relevance of sensitivity analysis to decision-making, both for applicants and for regulators. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Nudging towards nutrition? Soft paternalism and obesity-related reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Hector, Colin

2012-01-01

Obesity is one of the most contentious issues facing the United States today. Some researchers warn of an obesity "epidemic" that poses a grave threat to our nation's health, while others attack these claims as alarmist and misguided. This divide reinforces the political schism between advocates of government intervention and anti-regulatory groups. As a result, obesity science finds itself entangled in partisan battles that leave little room for compromise. This paper explores the potential for the political philosophy of soft paternalism to provide a regulatory framework that may appeal to both sides of the obesity reform debate. Soft paternalism draws upon social science research in order to develop policies that encourage better decision-making, while preserving individual choice. Applying this framework to the issue of obesity, I look at two areas of potential reform: 1) information-based policies such as nutritional label design, and 2) policies that affect default choices, such as portion size norms. I find that while soft paternalism is an appealing framework that offers many promising reforms, it is not a panacea. Instead, I argue that these proposals should be considered on their own merit, not as a complete solution precluding other measures. In addition, in light of potential criticism concerning the stigmatizing effect of some obesity-related measures, I suggest that reforms based on soft paternalism can and should be tailored to promote more mindful eating habits. With these concerns in mind, I conclude that soft paternalism is a promising approach that warrants serious consideration by policymakers.

Power sector reforms in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bajaj, Harbans L; Sharma, Deepak

2007-07-01

India faces endemic electrical energy and peaking shortages. The Power Sector is plagued with mounting commercial losses due various inefficiencies, colossal commercial and technical losses and increasing subsidy burden on the states. These shortages have had a very detrimental effect on the overall economic growth of the country. In order to re-vitalise the sector and improve the techno-economic performance, the Government of India has initiated the reform process in 1991. This paper analyses the pre-reform era and identifies the key concerns which led to the initiation of the reforms. It also analyses the likely impact of the major policy and regulatory initiatives that have been undertaken since 1991 including the provisions of the new enactments which have come into force eventually in the form of The Electricity Act, 2003. This paper details out the key features of the Act and its likely impact on the Indian electricity industry in the emerging scenario. The paper also discusses major issues like power trading, role of regulator in the new regime, issue of open access, introduction of power markets and role of Appellate Tribunal for Electricity in harmonizing the orders of the various regulators.

A retrospective content analysis of studies on factors constraining the implementation of health sector reform in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakyi, E Kojo

2008-01-01

Ghana has undertaken many public service management reforms in the past two decades. But the implementation of the reforms has been constrained by many factors. This paper undertakes a retrospective study of research works on the challenges to the implementation of reforms in the public health sector. It points out that most of the studies identified: (1) centralised, weak and fragmented management system; (2) poor implementation strategy; (3) lack of motivation; (4) weak institutional framework; (5) lack of financial and human resources and (6) staff attitude and behaviour as the major causes of ineffective reform implementation. The analysis further revealed that quite a number of crucial factors obstructing reform implementation which are particularly internal to the health system have either not been thoroughly studied or overlooked. The analysis identified lack of leadership; weak communication and consultation; lack of stakeholder participation, corruption and unethical professional behaviour as some of the missing variables in the literature. The study, therefore, indicated that there are gaps in the literature that needed to be filled through rigorous reform evaluation based on empirical research particularly at district, sub-district and community levels. It further suggested that future research should be concerned with the effects of both systems and structures and behavioural factors on reform implementation.

The telecom reform process in Europe and the upcoming challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henten, Anders

2013-01-01

of the whole information communications technology (ICT) area requiring new policy and regulatory answers. Originality/value – The paper provides a brief introduction to the European telecommunication reform process, its achievements, present challenges, and the policy responses of the European Union......Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to the telecommunication reform process in Europe, its status, and upcoming policy issues. Furthermore, it also aims to provide an overview of the papers in this special issue. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides...

Assessing the effectiveness of nuclear regulatory system in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gandhia, Sonal; Choi, Kwang Sik

2012-01-01

The Fukushima accident brought up the issue of regulatory effectiveness in the fore. One of the causes of the accident has been attributed to the problems in effectiveness of the Japanese regulatory system. Regulatory reform is underway in Japan and in other countries many efforts have also been made to improve the effectiveness and independence of the regulatory bodies. It is important that the regulatory bodies make self-assessment of their weaknesses and strengths, to achieve the ultimate regulatory goal of assuring acceptable level of nuclear safety. In this paper an assessment has been done for the effectiveness of Indian nuclear regulatory system as implemented by the Atomic Energy Regulatory board (AERB). A number of good practices of AERB have been found and some areas have been identified where improvements are necessary

Lessons learned from Brazilian natural gas industry reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathias, Melissa Cristina; Szklo, Alexandre

2007-01-01

Over the past decades many countries have reformed their infrastructure industries. Although these reforms have been broadly similar for the most part, aiming at introducing competition in potentially competitive segments, the contexts in which they have been carried out differ. This is due to the past regulatory experience in each country, the maturity of the industry and/or the number of agents when the reform process started. The Brazilian natural gas reform stands out due to the country's singular conditions. The development of the natural gas industry in Brazil was grounded on stepping up supplies through integration with neighboring nations (particularly Bolivia) and establishing a competitive environment by lowering the barriers hampering the arrival of new investors. However, natural gas is located at the crossroads of two main energy chains: oil and hydroelectricity. This article analyzes the Brazilian natural gas reform, and extracts lessons from this process. The low capillarity of transportation and distribution systems continues to be the main bottleneck of the country's natural gas industry. The challenges of the new legal framework are to encourage investments in networks and guarantee supply, to allow the industry to consolidate and mature, against a backdrop of rapid changes in the world market. (author)

Thermodynamic analysis of tar reforming through auto-thermal reforming process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nurhadi, N., E-mail: nurhadi@tekmira.esdm.go.id; Diniyati, Dahlia; Efendi, M. Ade Andriansyah [R& D Centre for Mineral and Coal Technology, Jln. Jend.Sudirman no. 623, Bandung. Telp. 022-6030483 (Malaysia); Istadi, I. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Diponegoro University, Jln. Jl. Prof. Soedarto, SH, Semarang (Malaysia)

2015-12-29

Fixed bed gasification is a simple and suitable technology for small scale power generation. One of the disadvantages of this technology is producing tar. So far, tar is not utilized yet and being waste that should be treated into a more useful product. This paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of tar conversion into gas producer through non-catalytic auto-thermal reforming technology. Tar was converted into components, C, H, O, N and S, and then reacted with oxidant such as mixture of air or pure oxygen. Thus, this reaction occurred auto-thermally and reached chemical equilibrium. The sensitivity analysis resulted that the most promising process performance occurred at flow rate of air was reached 43% of stoichiometry while temperature of process is 1100°C, the addition of pure oxygen is 40% and preheating of oxidant flow is 250°C. The yield of the most promising process performance between 11.15-11.17 kmol/h and cold gas efficiency was between 73.8-73.9%.The results of this study indicated that thermodynamically the conversion of tar into producer gas through non-catalytic auto-thermal reformingis more promising.

An Analysis of Missile Systems Cost Growth and Implementation of Acquisition Reform Initiatives Using a Hybrid Adjusted Cost Growth Model

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Abate, Christopher

2004-01-01

...) data with a hybrid adjusted cost growth (ACG) model. In addition, an analysis of acquisition reform initiatives during the treatment period was conducted to determine if reform efforts impacted missile system cost growth. A pre-reform...

Analysis of curricular reform practices at Chinese medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lei; Cai, Qiaoling; Cheng, Liming; Kosik, Russell; Mandell, Greg; Wang, Shuu-Jiun; Xu, Guo-Tong; Fan, Angela P

2014-01-01

A comprehensive search of the literature published between 2001 and 2010 was performed to gain a greater understanding of curricular reform practices at Chinese medical schools. There were 10,948 studies published between 2001 and 2010 that were retrieved from the database. Following preliminary screening, 76 publications from 49 different medical schools were selected. Thirty-one publications regarding clinical medicine curricular reforms were analyzed further. Of the 76 studies, 53 described curricular reforms that were instituted in theoretical courses, 22 described curricular reforms that were instituted in experimental courses, and 1 described curricular reforms that were instituted in a clinical skills training course. Of the 31 clinical medicine publications, 2 described reforms that were implemented for 3-year program medical students, 12 described reforms that were implemented for 5-year program medical students, 6 described reforms that were implemented for 7-year program medical students, and 2 described reforms that were implemented for 8-year program medical students. Currently, the majority of medical schools in China use the discipline-based curriculum model. Thirteen studies described transition to an organ-system-based curriculum model, 1 study described transition to a problem-based curriculum model, and 3 studies described transition to a clinical presentation-based curriculum model. In 7 studies educators decided to retain the discipline-based curriculum model while integrating 1 or several new courses to remedy the weaker aspects of the traditional curriculum, in 7 studies educators decided to integrate the preclinical courses with the clinical courses by using the systemic-integrating curricular system that dilutes classical disciplines and integrates material based on organ systems, and in 2 studies educators limited reforms to clinical courses only. Eight studies discussed the implementation of a formative evaluation system, 4 studies

Drug pricing reform in China: analysis of piloted approaches and potential impact of the reform

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yixi; Hu, Shanlian; Dong, Peng; Kornfeld, Åsa; Jaros, Patrycja; Yan, Jing; Ma, Fangfang; Toumi, Mondher

2016-01-01

Objectives In 2009, the Chinese government launched a national healthcare reform programme aiming to control healthcare expenditure and increase the quality of care. As part of this programme, a new drug pricing reform was initiated on 1 June 2015. The objective of this study was to describe the changing landscape of drug pricing policy in China and analyse the potential impact of the reform. Methods The authors conducted thorough research on the drug pricing reform using three Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, and Weipu), Chinese health authority websites, relevant press releases, and pharmaceutical blogs and discussion forums. This research was complemented with qualitative research based on targeted interviews with key Chinese opinion leaders representing the authorities’ and prescribers’ perspectives. Results With the current reform, the government has attempted to replace its direct control over the prices of reimbursable drugs with indirect, incentive-driven influence. Although the exact implementation of the reform remains unclear at the moment, the changes introduced so far and the pilot project designs indicate that China is considering adaptation of some form of internal and external reference pricing policies, commonly used in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Several challenges related to the potential new mechanism were identified: 1) the risk of hospital underfunding, if hospital funding reform is not prioritised; 2) the risk of promoting the use of cheap, low-quality drugs, if a reliable quality control system is not in place and discrepancy between the available drugs is present; 3) the risk of increasing disparity in access to care between poor and rich regions, in case of country-wide price convergence; and 4) the risk of industry underinvestment, resulting in reduced competition, issues with quality and sustainability of supply, and potentially negative social impact. Conclusions Foreign pricing policies

The Brazilian Experience with Agroecological Extension: A Critical Analysis of Reform in a Pluralistic Extension System

Science.gov (United States)

Diesel, Vivien; Miná Dias, Marcelo

2016-01-01

Purpose: To analyze the Brazilian experience in designing and implementing a recent extension policy reform based on agroecology, and reflect on its wider theoretical implications for extension reform literature. Design/methodology/approach: Using a critical public analysis we characterize the evolution of Brazilian federal extension policy…

New evidence on the impact of structural reforms on electricity sector performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polemis, Michael L.

2016-01-01

The evolution of electricity industry over the last decades has shown substantial differences between OECD countries. This paper empirically investigates to what extent different structural forms of regulation, competition and privatisation explain these international differences. It distinguishes three modes of electricity performance: a) net generation per capita, b) installed capacity and c) labour productivity. The empirical model spans the period 1975–2011 and uses panel data econometric techniques. Our analysis reveals that there is a strongly significant interaction impact on the level of electricity performance between regulation and competition. The empirical findings do confirm that a robust independent regulatory scheme must be implemented in order to achieve a competitive electricity market. - Highlights: •We assess the impact of structural reforms on OECD electricity sector performance. •Regulation has stronger impact on performance when interaction terms are present. •Privatisation has unambiguous effect on the elements of performance. •The combined effect of reforms on performance is more aggressive in the long run.

Telecommunications Law Reform. 1980, 96th Congress, 2nd Session.

Science.gov (United States)

American Enterprise Inst. for Public Policy Research, Washington, DC.

Arguments for and against the major legislative proposals pertaining to the reform of the nonbroadcast part of the nation's telecommunications law which are pending before the 96th Congress are analyzed. Background information is given regarding (1) the structure of the domestic telecommunications industry, (2) the regulatory authority which…

The long shadow of the past: risk pooling and the political development of health care reform in the States.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Anthony S; Weir, Margaret

2009-10-01

Why do the states seem to be pursuing different types of policy innovation in their health reform? Why so some seem to follow a "solidarity principle," while others seem guided by a commitment to "actuarial fairness"? Our analysis highlights the reciprocal influence of stakeholder mobilization and public policy over time. We find that early policy choices about how to achieve cost containment led the states down different paths of reform. In the 1970s and 1980s, states that featured oligopolistic or near-monopolistic markets for private insurance (usually dominated by Blue Cross) and strong urban-academic hospitals tended to adopt regulatory strategies for cost containment that led to broader forms of pooling and financing the costs of health risks--which subsequently positioned them to pursue major, solidaristic reform on favorable terms. On the other hand, states with competitive markets for private insurance and weak, decentralized hospitals tended to adopt market-based strategies for cost containment that led to the hypersegmentation of risk and the uneven financing of costs--thereby encouraging the proliferation of incremental policies that reinforce the principle of actuarial fairness. We illustrate our analysis with a brief comparison of Massachusetts and California, and we conclude with some thoughts on what our findings imply for the federal role in catalyzing health reform.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: reforming the health care reform for the new decade.

Science.gov (United States)

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Caraway, David L; Parr, Allan T; Fellows, Bert; Hirsch, Joshua A

2011-01-01

accounted for, we will be facing a significant increase in deficits rather than a reduction. When posed as a global question, polls suggest that public opinion continues to be against the health insurance reform. The newly elected Republican congress is poised to pass a bill aimed at repealing health care reform. However, advocates of the repeal of health care reform have been criticized for not providing a meaningful alternative approach. Those criticisms make clear that it is not sufficient to provide vague arguments against the ACA without addressing core issues embedded in health care reform. It is the opinion of the authors that while some parts of the ACA may be reformed, it is unlikely to be repealed. Indeed, the ACA already is growing roots. Consequently, it will be extremely difficult to repeal. In this manuscript, we look at reducing the regulatory burden on the public and providers and elimination of IPAB and PCORI. The major solution lies in controlling the drug and durable medical supply costs with appropriate negotiating capacity for Medicare, and consequently for other insurers.

Transforming Economies. The Case of the Norwegian Electricity Market Reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, Per Ingvar

2000-01-01

The topic of this thesis is the shaping of modern economies, represented by a case-study of the Norwegian electricity market reform process. The essential questions raised are: Why are industries and economies organized the way they are? and Why and how do they occasionally experience fairly radical transformations during which we come to see their organizational structures and associated behaviors in entirely different ways? To answer these questions, the author has followed a radical market-making economic reform process through its many projects, processes and rivalries, from its roots in specific historical controversies through its major breakthrough and into a stabilized new economic system. A major argument through out the analysis is that economics as a scientific activity and -community plays a particularly important role in the re-shaping of economic systems. Large scale economic reforms are found to be dependent upon scientific and political powers and legitimacy which results from broad consensus within the relevant scientific communities. In order to make his point, the author presents and discusses various historical economic reform initiatives both within the Norwegian electricity sector, within other sectors of the economy and in other countries. He also presents elements of a broad process of reorientation within economics during the 1970s and follows these new conceptions up to the electricity market reform process in the late 1980s. The analysis tries to explain why Norway became a hotbed for market reform of the technically integrated and institutionally complex and locked-in electricity system, but also fries to extract medium range insights about economic reform processes and to discuss more general implications for other large scale economic reform projects as well as for economic theories about economic change - through a rethinking of some of the basics in economic thought. The thesis is separated into four parts. The first part discusses

Transforming Economies. The Case of the Norwegian Electricity Market Reform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olsen, Per Ingvar

2000-07-01

The topic of this thesis is the shaping of modern economies, represented by a case-study of the Norwegian electricity market reform process. The essential questions raised are: Why are industries and economies organized the way they are? and Why and how do they occasionally experience fairly radical transformations during which we come to see their organizational structures and associated behaviors in entirely different ways? To answer these questions, the author has followed a radical market-making economic reform process through its many projects, processes and rivalries, from its roots in specific historical controversies through its major breakthrough and into a stabilized new economic system. A major argument through out the analysis is that economics as a scientific activity and -community plays a particularly important role in the re-shaping of economic systems. Large scale economic reforms are found to be dependent upon scientific and political powers and legitimacy which results from broad consensus within the relevant scientific communities. In order to make his point, the author presents and discusses various historical economic reform initiatives both within the Norwegian electricity sector, within other sectors of the economy and in other countries. He also presents elements of a broad process of reorientation within economics during the 1970s and follows these new conceptions up to the electricity market reform process in the late 1980s. The analysis tries to explain why Norway became a hotbed for market reform of the technically integrated and institutionally complex and locked-in electricity system, but also fries to extract medium range insights about economic reform processes and to discuss more general implications for other large scale economic reform projects as well as for economic theories about economic change - through a rethinking of some of the basics in economic thought. The thesis is separated into four parts. The first part discusses

78 FR 1562 - Improving Government Regulations; Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-08

... agenda incorporates the objective and criteria, when applicable, of the regulatory reform program under the Executive Order and other regulatory guidance. It contains DoD issuances initiated by DoD... statutory administration requirements as required. Starting with the fall 2007 edition, the Internet became...

Designing effective power sector reform: A road map for the republic of Georgia

Science.gov (United States)

Kurdgelashvili, Lado

to those in economies of transition. The dissertation provides a guide for policy makers in the energy sector for implementing power sector reform. At first the dissertation offers a general overview of different models of power sector organization, regulatory frameworks and market arrangements, and the potential impact of reform on social welfare. This knowledge is then applied for analysis of power sector reform in the Republic of Georgia. Social welfare analysis (SWA) is a major analytical tool used in the research for assessing the potential impacts of different power sector organization models on various stakeholders. Through the research it was identified that power industry arrangements in different countries have their particularities; however, after some level of simplification, power sector organization models can fit into one of three broad categories: (1) Government control and regulation of generation and retail segments of the power industry. (2) Full scale competition in the generation segment and retail choice. (3) Partial government control of the generation segment and limited retail choice. For SWA of different power market arrangement scenarios, electricity supply and demand curves had to be derived; for this purpose electricity demand forecasting and power supply evaluation methodologies were developed. This dissertation combines SWA, accepted demand forecasting methods and established power supply evaluation techniques to assess power sector performance under specified policy scenarios relevant to the circumstances of economies in transition such as the Republic of Georgia. Detailed analyses are performed for understanding possible outcomes with the introduction of different reform models. In addition, specific options for incorporating sustainable energy alternatives in the energy planning process are identified and assessed in economic, environmental and social terms. Special attention is given to market-based instruments for promoting

Barcoded DNA-tag reporters for multiplex cis-regulatory analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jongmin Nam

Full Text Available Cis-regulatory DNA sequences causally mediate patterns of gene expression, but efficient experimental analysis of these control systems has remained challenging. Here we develop a new version of "barcoded" DNA-tag reporters, "Nanotags" that permit simultaneous quantitative analysis of up to 130 distinct cis-regulatory modules (CRMs. The activities of these reporters are measured in single experiments by the NanoString RNA counting method and other quantitative procedures. We demonstrate the efficiency of the Nanotag method by simultaneously measuring hourly temporal activities of 126 CRMs from 46 genes in the developing sea urchin embryo, otherwise a virtually impossible task. Nanotags are also used in gene perturbation experiments to reveal cis-regulatory responses of many CRMs at once. Nanotag methodology can be applied to many research areas, ranging from gene regulatory networks to functional and evolutionary genomics.

Emerging Markets: Theory & Practice / Turkey’s Reforms Post 2001 Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duygu Uckun

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The global financial downturn of 2001 affected broad swaths of the increasingly interconnected global economy. The global effects of the economic downturn in the U.S. in 2008 showed that decoupling had not occurred to the extent many thought, and showed that indeed emerging market countries, including Turkey, were not immune from economic trouble in America. This paper addresses the question, whether the fiscal, financial, and regulatory reforms in Turkey after the 2001 economic crisis cushion the global financial crisis world is facing toward the end of the decade. In doing so we analyze the policies implemented by Turkey before and after the 2001 global economic crisis and identify the successes as well as failures of those reforms. The results of our research show that despite significant reforms in key economic and regulatory areas in the post-2001 crisis period, vulnerabilities remained; especially concerning the large current account deficit, volatility of exchange rates, increased private sector indebtedness, and persistent unemployment. These vulnerabilities will be visible in the deteriorating liquidity conditions in the global financial markets. We conclude by recommending infrastructure, education and health spending as well as restructuring of the economy to further attract FDI and avoid reliance on speculative foreign capital in order to achieve a more balanced and sustained growth in the long run.

The ambiguity of contents and results in the Norwegian internal control of safety, health and environment reform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hovden, Jan

1998-05-01

The results of introducing a mandatory public reform in Norway with regard to the requirements on enterprises' management of safety, health and environment (SHE) systems are reviewed and discussed. The reform, named internal control (IC), implies a delegation of the direct control of SHE conditions to the enterprises, and introduces system auditing as the main tool for the regulatory bodies. A mixture of successes and failures in implementing the reform, including some perspectives for further adaptation and development of the IC concept are discussed.

Spectator Democracy: An Intersectional Analysis of Education Reform in Hamburg, Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Bale, Jeff

2016-01-01

This article uses the theoretical framework of intersectionality to analyze a partially failed school reform measure in Hamburg, Germany and the political conflict over it between 2008 and 2010. The analysis focuses on "the extent to which" and the "mechanisms by which" the interests of marginalized members of the proreform…

Aspects of financial history in Romania. Reform and reformers. The financial tax reform accomplished BY Nicolae Titulescu

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciobanu, R.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a brief history of the financial reform designed by Nicolae Titulescu at the beginning of the 1920’s. His tax reform law was formulated after thorough research of other European tax systems. He tried to implement it while he was Minister of Finance. Even though the law was adopted, it was never enacted. It met a certain amount of controversy in the Assembly of Deputies. The analysis made also tries to explain the cedular tax system.

Food safety regulatory systems in Europe and China：A study of how co-regulation can improve regulatory effectiveness

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Kevin Chen; WANG Xin-xin; SONG Hai-ying

2015-01-01

Food safety has received a great deal of attention in both developed and developing countries in recent years. In China, the numerous food scandals and scares that have struck over the past decade have spurred signiifcant food safety regulatory reform, which has been increasingly oriented towards the public-private partnership model adopted by the Europe Union’s (EU) food safety regulatory system. This paper analyzes the development of both the EU’s and China’s food safety regu-latory systems, identiifes the current chalenges for China and additionaly considers the role of public-private partnership. The success of co-regulation in the food regulatory system would bring signiifcant beneifts and opportunities for China. Finaly, this paper recommends additional measures like training and grants to improve the private’s sector effectiveness in co-regulating China’s food safety issues.

The reform of the Indian power sector: administrations for sale. Transforming the state electricity boards into enterprises; La reforme du secteur electrique de l'Inde: administrations a vendre. Transformer les state electricity boards en entreprises

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruet, J

2001-10-01

The present thesis is about the reforms in the electricity sector in India, and more specifically about those in the State Electricity Boards (SEBs), organisations responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity at the level of each of the States of India. The thesis is interested in practical questions of industrial economy such as: what is the impact of de-integration on the functioning of the SEBs?, impact of the creation of regulatory committees?, of privatisation?. Going beyond the critical analysis of the proposed reforms, the thesis also puts forward certain practical propositions as regards the way of reforming the SEBs. The thesis is divided in two parts (of four chapters each). The first part analyses and characterizes the functioning of a SEB. It presents practical description of the organisational characteristics, but also of their linking to the decision making mechanisms at work. On the theoretical plane, it settles the debate on the validity of the analytical concept of soft budget constraint for a SEB, and specifies the modalities of an analysis in terms of property rights, as well as the pertinence of several concepts derived from that of cost. The second part deals with the ongoing reforms and those to be implemented. It defines the concept of enterprising and proposes a critical discussion of the ongoing reforms, in the light of the normative criterion of enterprisation. It distinguishes conceptually and in the practical analysis, the 'structural' reforms (corporatisation, de-integration, and setting up of regulatory commissions) on the one hand and the questions of privatisation on the other. It proposes a model explaining the 'trade off' between public enterprisation and rapid privatisation. The first chapter situates the SEBs in the Indian power sector, shows the limit of the analyses in terms of lack of funds or political interference. Chapter 2 makes a critical presentation of the various tools

Analysis of the role of port labour systems and reforms on the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Analysis of the role of port labour systems and reforms on the competitiveness of ... Outline: - The study as a matter of order, presents as an introduction, the ... can play in the performance of a port, is presented using Ghana as a case study.

75 FR 68636 - President's Working Group Report on Money Market Fund Reform

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-08

... Sarah ten Siethoff at (202) 551-6792, Division of Investment Management, Securities and Exchange... question of whether further, more fundamental changes to the regulatory structure governing money market funds may be warranted.\\5\\ \\3\\ Money Market Fund Reform, Investment Company Act Release No. 29132 (Feb...

Regulatory compliance analysis for the closure of single-shell tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, E.H.; Boomer, K.D.; Letourneau, M.; Oakes, L.; Lorang, R.

1991-08-01

This document provides a regulatory compliance analysis of the baseline environmental protection requirements for the closure of single-shell tanks. In preparing this document, the Westinghouse Hanford Company has analyzed the regulatory pathways and decisions points that have been identified to data through systems engineering and related studies as they relate to environmental protection. This regulatory compliance analysis has resulted in several conclusions that will aid the US Department of Energy in managing the single-shell tank waste and in developing strategies for the closure of these tanks. These conclusions include likely outcomes of current strategies, regulatory rulings that are required for future actions, variances and exemptions to be pursued, where appropriate, and potential rulings that may affect systems engineering and other portions of the single-shell tank closure effort. The conclusions and recommendations presented here are based on analysis of current regulations, regulatory exemptions and variances, and federal facility agreements. Because the remediation of the single-shell tanks will span 30 years, regulations that have yet to be promulgated and future interpretations of existing laws and regulations may impact the recommendations and conclusions presented here. 50 refs., 22 figs

Nursing education reform in South Africa--lessons from a policy analysis study.

Science.gov (United States)

Blaauw, Duane; Ditlopo, Prudence; Rispel, Laetitia C

2014-01-01

Nursing education reform is identified as an important strategy for enhancing health workforce performance, and thereby improving the functioning of health systems. Globally, a predominant trend in such reform is towards greater professionalisation and university-based education. Related nursing education reform in South Africa culminated in a new Framework for Nursing Qualifications in 2013. We undertook a policy analysis study of the development of the new Nursing Qualifications Framework in South Africa. We used a policy analysis framework derived from Walt and Gilson that interrogated the context, content, actors, and processes of policy development and implementation. Following informed consent, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 key informants from national and provincial government; the South African Nursing Council; the national nursing association; nursing academics, managers, and educators; and other nursing organisations. The interviews were complemented with a review of relevant legislation and policy documents. Documents and interview transcripts were coded thematically using Atlas-ti software. The revision of nursing qualifications was part of the post-apartheid transformation of nursing, but was also influenced by changes in the education sector. The policy process took more than 10 years to complete and the final Regulations were promulgated in 2013. The two most important changes are the requirement for a baccalaureate degree to qualify as a professional nurse and abolishing the enrolled nurse with 2 years training in favour of a staff nurse with a 3-year college diploma. Respondents criticised slow progress, weak governance by the Nursing Council and the Department of Health, limited planning for implementation, and the inappropriateness of the proposals for South Africa. The study found significant weaknesses in the policy capacity of the main institutions responsible for the leadership and governance of nursing in South Africa, which

NASA's Agency-Wide Strategy for Environmental Regulatory Risk Analysis and Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Scroggins, Sharon; Duda, Kristen

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation gives an overview of NASA's risk analysis communication programs associated with changing environmental policies. The topics include: 1) NASA Program Transition; 2) Principal Center for Regulatory Risk Analysis and Communication (RRAC PC); and 3) Regulatory Tracking and Communication Process.

Promoting Regulatory Reform: The African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative (ARC) for Nursing and Midwifery Year 4 Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Maureen A; Spangler, Sydney A; Tison, Laura I; Johnson, Carla M; Callahan, Tegan L; Iliffe, Jill; Hepburn, Kenneth W; Gross, Jessica M

2017-10-01

As countries across sub-Saharan Africa work towards universal health coverage and HIV epidemic control, investments seek to bolster the quality and relevance of the health workforce. The African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative (ARC) partnered with 17 countries across East, Central, and Southern Africa to ensure nurses and midwives were authorized and equipped to provide essential HIV services to pregnant women and children with HIV. Through ARC, nursing leadership teams representing each country identify a priority regulatory function and develop a proposal to strengthen that regulation over a 1-year period. Each year culminates with a summative congress meeting, involving all ARC countries, where teams present their projects and share lessons learned with their colleagues. During a recent ARC Summative Congress, a group survey was administered to 11 country teams that received ARC Year 4 grants to measure advancements in regulatory function using the five-stage Regulatory Function Framework, and a group questionnaire was administered to 16 country teams to measure improvements in national nursing capacity (February 2011-2016). In ARC Year 4, eight countries implemented continuing professional development projects, Botswana revised their scope of practice, Mozambique piloted a licensing examination to assess HIV-related competencies, and South Africa developed accreditation standards for HIV/tuberculosis specialty nurses. Countries reported improvements in national nursing leaders' teamwork, collaborations with national organizations, regional networking with nursing leaders, and the ability to garner additional resources. ARC provides an effective, collaborative model to rapidly strengthen national regulatory frameworks, which other health professional cadres or regions may consider using to ensure a relevant health workforce, authorized and equipped to meet the emerging demand for health services.

A study on naphtha catalytic reforming reactor simulation and analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Ke-min; Guo, Hai-yan; Pan, Shi-wei

2005-06-01

A naphtha catalytic reforming unit with four reactors in series is analyzed. A physical model is proposed to describe the catalytic reforming radial flow reactor. Kinetics and thermodynamics equations are selected to describe the naphtha catalytic reforming reactions characteristics based on idealizing the complex naphtha mixture by representing the paraffin, naphthene, and aromatic groups by single compounds. The simulation results based above models agree very well with actual operation unit data.

A study on naphtha catalytic reforming reactor simulation and analysis

OpenAIRE

Liang, Ke-min; Guo, Hai-yan; Pan, Shi-wei

2005-01-01

A naphtha catalytic reforming unit with four reactors in series is analyzed. A physical model is proposed to describe the catalytic reforming radial flow reactor. Kinetics and thermodynamics equations are selected to describe the naphtha catalytic reforming reactions characteristics based on idealizing the complex naphtha mixture by representing the paraffin, naphthene, and aromatic groups by single compounds. The simulation results based above models agree very well with actual operation uni...

Assessment of the effectiveness of the LEU Reform Rule and its implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moran, B.W.; Nations, J.O.; Hammond, G.A.

1993-11-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) amended its material control and accounting (MC ampersand A) requirements in 1985 for licensees possessing and using special nuclear material (SNM) of low strategic significance in quantities larger than one effective kilogram (kg). The goal of the Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Reform Rule (i.e., 10CFR 74.31) was to establish MC ampersand A requirements for the LEU licensees at a level consistent with the safeguards risk associated with the relatively low strategic importance of such material. The amended requirements were written in a performance-oriented manner, rather than a prescriptive one, in an effort to allow the licensees the opportunity to choose the most cost-effective means of satisfying the requirements. The LEU Reform Rule was implemented in January 1988 and the fuel cycle facilities have had sufficient experience in implementing the rule to allow a meaningful review of its effectiveness. This document provides technical analysis and recommendations to assist the NRC in making a determination if the rule is achieving its intended purpose, and if not, to make the necessary changes to accomplish this

Thermochemical performance analysis of solar driven CO_2 methane reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuqiang, Wang; Jianyu, Tan; Huijian, Jin; Yu, Leng

2015-01-01

Increasing CO_2 emission problems create urgent challenges for alleviating global warming, and the capture of CO_2 has become an essential field of scientific research. In this study, a finite volume method (FVM) coupled with thermochemical kinetics was developed to analyze the solar driven CO_2 methane reforming process in a metallic foam reactor. The local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) model coupled with radiative heat transfer was developed to provide more temperature information. A joint inversion method based on chemical process software and the FVM coupled with thermochemical kinetics was developed to obtain the thermochemical reaction parameters and guarantee the calculation accuracy. The detailed thermal and thermochemical performance in the metal foam reactor was analyzed. In addition, the effects of heat flux distribution and porosity on the solar driven CO_2 methane reforming process were analyzed. The numerical results can serve as theoretical guidance for the solar driven CO_2 methane reforming application. - Highlights: • Solar driven CO_2 methane reforming process in metal foam reactor is analyzed. • FVM with chemical reactions was developed to analyze solar CO_2 methane reforming. • A joint inversion method was developed to obtain thermochemical reaction parameters. • Results can be a guidance for the solar driven CO_2 methane reforming application.

The reform of the Indian power sector: administrations for sale. Transforming the state electricity boards into enterprises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruet, J.

2001-10-01

The present thesis is about the reforms in the electricity sector in India, and more specifically about those in the State Electricity Boards (SEBs), organisations responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity at the level of each of the States of India. The thesis is interested in practical questions of industrial economy such as: what is the impact of de-integration on the functioning of the SEBs?, impact of the creation of regulatory committees?, of privatisation?. Going beyond the critical analysis of the proposed reforms, the thesis also puts forward certain practical propositions as regards the way of reforming the SEBs. The thesis is divided in two parts (of four chapters each). The first part analyses and characterizes the functioning of a SEB. It presents practical description of the organisational characteristics, but also of their linking to the decision making mechanisms at work. On the theoretical plane, it settles the debate on the validity of the analytical concept of soft budget constraint for a SEB, and specifies the modalities of an analysis in terms of property rights, as well as the pertinence of several concepts derived from that of cost. The second part deals with the ongoing reforms and those to be implemented. It defines the concept of enterprising and proposes a critical discussion of the ongoing reforms, in the light of the normative criterion of enterprisation. It distinguishes conceptually and in the practical analysis, the 'structural' reforms (corporatisation, de-integration, and setting up of regulatory commissions) on the one hand and the questions of privatisation on the other. It proposes a model explaining the 'trade off' between public enterprisation and rapid privatisation. The first chapter situates the SEBs in the Indian power sector, shows the limit of the analyses in terms of lack of funds or political interference. Chapter 2 makes a critical presentation of the various tools offered to the

Comparative analysis of aging policy reforms in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo, Esteban; Berho, Maureen; Roqué, Mónica; Amaro, Juan Sebastián; Morales, Fernando; Rivera, Emiliana; Gutiérrez Robledo, Luis Miguel F; López, Elizabeth Caro; Canals, Bernardita; Kornfeld, Rosa

2018-04-16

This investigation uses case studies and comparative analysis to review and analyze aging policy in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico, and uncovers similarities and relevant trends in the substance of historical and current aging policy across countries. Initial charity-based approaches to poverty and illness have been gradually replaced by a rights-based approach considering broader notions of well-being, and recent reforms emphasize the need for national, intersectoral, evidence-based policy. The results of this study have implications for understanding aging policy in Latin America from a welfare regime and policymakers' perspective, identifying priorities for intervention, and informing policy reforms in developing countries worldwide.

INSTITUTIONAL THEORY OF ECONOMIC REFORMS: BASIC IMPERATIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleg Sergeevich SUKHAREV

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The ability of institutional economic theory to explain various kinds of economic reforms (changes on the basis of theoretical ideas about the dysfunction of institutions and systems are investigated. A number of classifications of reforms and dysfunctions is introduced and kinds of institutional efficiency of economic systems are defined. Qualitative regularities of various reforms of the twentieth century in different countries are generalized. A number of criteria of effective institutional reforms, capable to lower the depth and the scale of dysfunctions of the functioning economic subsystems is formed. System approach to the analysis of economic systems reforming with underlining the importance of reform “management” factor which defines productivity of economic development is elaborated. Life cycle of institution and economic system in the process of its reforming is presented and correction of J. Hellmann’s model, describing the reforming logic of economy is made.

FORECAST: Regulatory effects cost analysis software annual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, B.; Sciacca, F.W.

1991-11-01

Over the past several years the NRC has developed a generic cost methodology for the quantification of cost/economic impacts associated with a wide range of new or revised regulatory requirements. This methodology has been developed to aid the NRC in preparing Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs). These generic costing methods can be useful in quantifying impacts both to industry and to the NRC. The FORECAST program was developed to facilitate the use of the generic costing methodology. This PC program integrates the major cost considerations that may be required because of a regulatory change. FORECAST automates much of the calculations typically needed in an RIA and thus reduces the time and labor required to perform these analysis. More importantly, its integrated and consistent treatment of the different cost elements should help assure comprehensiveness, uniformity, and accuracy in the preparation of needed cost estimates

Tariff-Tax Reforms and Market Access

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreickemeier, Udo; Raimondos-Møller, Pascalis

2006-01-01

Reducing tariffs and increasing consumption taxes is a standard IMF advice to countries that want to open up their economy without hurting government finances. Indeed, theoretical analysis of such a tariff-tax reform shows an unambiguous increase in welfare and government revenues. The present pa...... efficient proposal to follow both as far as it concerns market access and welfare.JEL code: F13, H20.Keywords: Market access; tariff reform, consumption tax reform....

The Land Value Tax in Jamaica:An Analysis and Options for Reform

OpenAIRE

David L. Sjoquist

2004-01-01

This Working Paper on the property tax contains an Executive Summary and four chapters. In Chapter One we describe how the Jamaican property tax functions. In Chapter Two we present an analysis of various problems and issues that surround of the property tax. Chapter Three, which was co-authored with Ki-Whan Choi, presents an analysis of a land value tax versus a capital value tax. Finally, in Chapter Four we present options for reform.

Taking the woman's perspective: Gender risks of regulatory reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Milagrosa, A.; Frickenstein, J.

2008-01-01

Despite acknowledgment of the significant role of women in economic growth, gender-biased development policies still persist worldwide. In this context, the paper reviews recent policy reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa that perpetuate gender inequality and female poverty for the already impoverished

Comparing Distributions of Environmental Outcomes for Regulatory Environmental Justice Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glenn Sheriff

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Economists have long been interested in measuring distributional impacts of policy interventions. As environmental justice (EJ emerged as an ethical issue in the 1970s, the academic literature has provided statistical analyses of the incidence and causes of various environmental outcomes as they relate to race, income, and other demographic variables. In the context of regulatory impacts, however, there is a lack of consensus regarding what information is relevant for EJ analysis, and how best to present it. This paper helps frame the discussion by suggesting a set of questions fundamental to regulatory EJ analysis, reviewing past approaches to quantifying distributional equity, and discussing the potential for adapting existing tools to the regulatory context.

Nursing education reform in South Africa – lessons from a policy analysis study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duane Blaauw

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Nursing education reform is identified as an important strategy for enhancing health workforce performance, and thereby improving the functioning of health systems. Globally, a predominant trend in such reform is towards greater professionalisation and university-based education. Related nursing education reform in South Africa culminated in a new Framework for Nursing Qualifications in 2013. Objective: We undertook a policy analysis study of the development of the new Nursing Qualifications Framework in South Africa. Design: We used a policy analysis framework derived from Walt and Gilson that interrogated the context, content, actors, and processes of policy development and implementation. Following informed consent, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 key informants from national and provincial government; the South African Nursing Council; the national nursing association; nursing academics, managers, and educators; and other nursing organisations. The interviews were complemented with a review of relevant legislation and policy documents. Documents and interview transcripts were coded thematically using Atlas-ti software. Results: The revision of nursing qualifications was part of the post-apartheid transformation of nursing, but was also influenced by changes in the education sector. The policy process took more than 10 years to complete and the final Regulations were promulgated in 2013. The two most important changes are the requirement for a baccalaureate degree to qualify as a professional nurse and abolishing the enrolled nurse with 2 years training in favour of a staff nurse with a 3-year college diploma. Respondents criticised slow progress, weak governance by the Nursing Council and the Department of Health, limited planning for implementation, and the inappropriateness of the proposals for South Africa. Conclusions: The study found significant weaknesses in the policy capacity of the main institutions

Pushing up against the Limit-Horizon of Educational Change: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Popular Education Reform Texts

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Ashlee; Aronson, Brittany; Ellison, Scott; Fairchild-Keyes, Sherrie

2015-01-01

With this article, we work to identify the limit-horizon of possible ideas, practices, and ways of talking about education reform and schooling via a critical discourse analysis of selected popular political and governmental texts. To do so, we explore the popular discourse of education reform in the United States through our analyses of three…

Drug Pricing Reforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaiser, Ulrich; Mendez, Susan J.; Rønde, Thomas

2015-01-01

Reference price systems for prescription drugs have found widespread use as cost containment tools. Under such regulatory regimes, patients co-pay a fraction of the difference between pharmacy retail price of the drug and a reference price. Reference prices are either externally (based on drug...... prices in other countries) or internally (based on domestic drug prices) determined. In a recent study, we analysed the effects of a change from external to internal reference pricing in Denmark in 2005, finding that the reform led to substantial reductions in prices, producer revenues, and expenditures...... for patients and the health insurance system. We also estimated an increase in consumer welfare but the size effect depends on whether or not perceived quality differences between branded and other drugs are taken into account....

78 FR 27235 - Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-09

... Justice in Regulatory Analysis.'' The purpose of this guidance is to provide EPA analysts with technical...-566-2363. Mail: Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0320; FRL-9810-5] Technical Guidance for Assessing...

Lagged impacts of reforms of government regulations of business on nations’ gross domestic product

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arch G. Woodside

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This article develops theory and examines relationships among reforms in government regulation of business, competitiveness, and national economic development in term of GDP per capita. The findings shed light on the ongoing debate of supporting versus refuting reducing/eliminating government regulations of business. Applying Campbell’s (1968, 1969 seminal contributions in examining the impact of reforms as quasi-experiments and Mill’s (1872/1973 method of differences, the study shows that the reforms in reductions and eliminations of government regulations of business help to increase national economic growth the lagged impact (e.g., 2, 3 years after introduction of reforms should be expected. Also, medium-to-large reductions in the ranking of government regulations of business (increase in competitiveness associate with increases in GDP per capita in comparison to a large increase in the ranking (decrease in competitiveness. The results also provide insights into the different regulatory environments (i.e., high vs. low government corruption and media-freedom vs. highly ethical behavior and lack of media-freedom may condition the impact of the reforms.

Thermodynamic performance analysis of a fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with solar-assisted methanol reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jiangjiang; Wu, Jing; Xu, Zilong; Li, Meng

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Propose a fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with solar-assisted methanol reforming. • Optimize the reaction parameters of methanol steam reforming. • Present the energy and exergy analysis under design and off-design work conditions. • Analyze the contributions of solar energy to the trigeneration system. - Abstract: A solar-assisted trigeneration system for producing electricity, cooling, and heating simultaneously is an alternative scheme to improve energy efficiency and boost renewable energy. This paper proposes a phosphoric acid fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with methanol and steam reforming assisted by solar thermal energy. The trigeneration system consists of a solar heat collection subsystem, methanol steam reforming subsystem, fuel cell power generation subsystem, and recovered heat utilization subsystem. Their respective thermodynamic models are constructed to simulate the system input/output characteristics, and energy and exergy efficiencies are employed to evaluate the system thermodynamic performances. The contribution of solar energy to the system is analyzed using solar energy/exergy share. Through the simulation and analysis of methanol and steam reforming reactions, the optimal reaction pressure, temperature, and methanol to water ratio are obtained to improve the flow rate and content of produced hydrogen. The thermodynamic simulations of the trigeneration system show that the system energy efficiencies at the summer and winter design work conditions are 73.7% and 51.7%, while its exergy efficiencies are 18.8% and 26.1%, respectively. When the solar radiation intensity is different from the design work condition, the total energy and exergy efficiencies in winter decrease approximately by 4.7% and 2.2%, respectively, due to the decrease in solar heat collection efficiency. This proposed novel trigeneration system complemented by solar heat energy and methanol chemical energy is favorable for improving the

Mind the Gap: An Initial Analysis of the Transition of a Second Level Curriculum Reform to Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Prendergast, Mark; Faulkner, Fiona; Breen, Cormac; Carr, Michael

2017-01-01

This article details an initial analysis of the transition of a second level curriculum reform to higher education in Ireland. The reform entitled 'Project Maths' involved changes to what second level students learn in mathematics, how they learn it, and how they are assessed. Changes were rolled out nationally on a phased basis in September 2010.…

Qualitative analysis of the dynamics of policy design and implementation in hospital funding reform.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen S Palmer

Full Text Available As in many health care systems, some Canadian jurisdictions have begun shifting away from global hospital budgets. Payment for episodes of care has begun to be implemented. Starting in 2012, the Province of Ontario implemented hospital funding reforms comprising three elements: Global Budgets; Health Based Allocation Method (HBAM; and Quality-Based Procedures (QBP. This evaluation focuses on implementation of QBPs, a procedure/diagnosis-specific funding approach involving a pre-set price per episode of care coupled with best practice clinical pathways. We examined whether or not there was consensus in understanding of the program theory underpinning QBPs and how this may have influenced full and effective implementation of this innovative funding model.We undertook a formative evaluation of QBP implementation. We used an embedded case study method and in-depth, one-on-one, semi-structured, telephone interviews with key informants at three levels of the health care system: Designers (those who designed the QBP policy; Adoption Supporters (organizations and individuals supporting adoption of QBPs; and Hospital Implementers (those responsible for QBP implementation in hospitals. Thematic analysis involved an inductive approach, incorporating Framework analysis to generate descriptive and explanatory themes that emerged from the data.Five main findings emerged from our research: (1 Unbeknownst to most key informants, there was neither consistency nor clarity over time among QBP designers in their understanding of the original goal(s for hospital funding reform; (2 Prior to implementation, the intended hospital funding mechanism transitioned from ABF to QBPs, but most key informants were either unaware of the transition or believe it was intentional; (3 Perception of the primary goal(s of the policy reform continues to vary within and across all levels of key informants; (4 Four years into implementation, the QBP funding mechanism remains

Qualitative analysis of the dynamics of policy design and implementation in hospital funding reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Karen S; Brown, Adalsteinn D; Evans, Jenna M; Marani, Husayn; Russell, Kirstie K; Martin, Danielle; Ivers, Noah M

2018-01-01

As in many health care systems, some Canadian jurisdictions have begun shifting away from global hospital budgets. Payment for episodes of care has begun to be implemented. Starting in 2012, the Province of Ontario implemented hospital funding reforms comprising three elements: Global Budgets; Health Based Allocation Method (HBAM); and Quality-Based Procedures (QBP). This evaluation focuses on implementation of QBPs, a procedure/diagnosis-specific funding approach involving a pre-set price per episode of care coupled with best practice clinical pathways. We examined whether or not there was consensus in understanding of the program theory underpinning QBPs and how this may have influenced full and effective implementation of this innovative funding model. We undertook a formative evaluation of QBP implementation. We used an embedded case study method and in-depth, one-on-one, semi-structured, telephone interviews with key informants at three levels of the health care system: Designers (those who designed the QBP policy); Adoption Supporters (organizations and individuals supporting adoption of QBPs); and Hospital Implementers (those responsible for QBP implementation in hospitals). Thematic analysis involved an inductive approach, incorporating Framework analysis to generate descriptive and explanatory themes that emerged from the data. Five main findings emerged from our research: (1) Unbeknownst to most key informants, there was neither consistency nor clarity over time among QBP designers in their understanding of the original goal(s) for hospital funding reform; (2) Prior to implementation, the intended hospital funding mechanism transitioned from ABF to QBPs, but most key informants were either unaware of the transition or believe it was intentional; (3) Perception of the primary goal(s) of the policy reform continues to vary within and across all levels of key informants; (4) Four years into implementation, the QBP funding mechanism remains misunderstood; and

Analysis of ATLAS LTC-04R Test for Loop Seal Reformation Phenomena using RELAP5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Sang-Gyu; Kim, Dae-Hun; Kim, Han-Gon [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

The loop seal reformation issue was selected to be the analysis topic of the DSP-04 based on the technical discussion between the participants and the operating agencies (KAERI and KINS) and domestic experts meetings. After that, KAERI performed LTC-04R test which is 4 inch top-slot cold-leg break test using ATLAS facility in December 27, 2015. KHNP CRI, as a participant of the DSP-04, performed the blind calculation and open calculation using RELAP5/Mod3.3 patch 3. This paper deals with the results of open calculation for ATLAS LTC-04R test. The results of several sensitivity analyses such as the critical flow modeling sensitivity and break flow system modeling sensitivity will be discussed. Several possible factors in the loop seal reformation behavior are examined in the sensitivity analysis. Heat loss modeling, fine break system modeling, fine loop seal nodalization and off-take modeling are not significant factor in the loop seal reformation. Still critical flow model and discharge coefficient are dominant factors. Based on the ATLAS LTC-04R, Ransom-Trapp model shows better prediction in the break flow than the Henry-Fauske model.

A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Universal Preschool Education: Evidence from a Spanish Reform

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Huizen, T.M.; Dumhs, E.; Plantenga, J.

2016-01-01

This study provides a cost-benefit analysis of expanding access to universal preschool education. We focus on a Spanish reform that lowered the age of eligibility for publicly provided universal preschool from age 4 to age 3. We extrapolate the benefits in terms of maternal employment and child

Role of in-house safety analysis and research activities in regulatory decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradhan, Santosh K.; Nagrale, Dhanesh B.; Gaikwad, Avinash J.

2015-01-01

Achievement of an acceptable level of nuclear safety is an essential requirement for the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy. The success of Global Nuclear Safety Regime is built upon a foundation of research. Such research has been sponsored by Governments and industry and has led to improved designs, safer and more reliable plant operation, and improvements in operating plant efficiency. A key element of this research has been the nuclear safety research performed or sponsored by regulatory organizations. In part, it has been the safety research performed or sponsored by regulatory organizations that has contributed to improved safety and has laid the foundation for activities such as risk-informed regulation, plant life extension, improved plant performance (e.g. power uprates) and new plant designs. The regulatory research program is meant to improve the regulatory authority’s knowledge where uncertainty exists, where safety margins are not well-characterized, and where regulatory decisions need to be confirmed in existing or new designs and technologies. The regulatory body get research initiated either in-house or by the licensee or through technical support organizations (TSOs). Research and analysis carried out within the regulatory body is of immense value in this context. This could be in the form of analysis of safety significant events, analysis of severe accidents, review of operating experience, independent checks of critical designs and even review of operator responses under different situations towards arriving at modifications to training programmes and licensing procedures for operating personnel. A latent benefit of regulatory research carried out by the regulators themselves is that it improves their technical competence considerably which in turn leads to high quality safety reviews and improved regulation in general. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of role of regulatory research and the in-house regulatory safety

Thermal and chemical analysis on steam reforming in an out-of-pile test facility (Contract research)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haga, Katsuhiro [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Research Establishment; Suyama, Kazumasa; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Hayashi, Kohji; Ogawa, Masuro

1999-08-01

An out-of-pile test facility of a hydrogen production system whose scale is 1/30th of the HTTR hydrogen production system is presently under construction at the Oarai Establishment of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. In this system, a steam generator works as a thermal buffer for mitigating the heat consumption fluctuation in a steam reformer so as not to affect an operation of the reactor system. To control the thermal buffer system properly, it is important to evaluate the effect of the steam reforming parameters on the heat fluctuation in advance. So, using the mass and thermal balance analysis code developed for a simulation of the out-of-pile test facility, the heat consumption fluctuation in the steam reformer was analyzed by various changes of the process gas flow rate, the process gas inlet temperature, the process gas composition etc. From the analytical results, it was found that the heat transfer augmentation of the reformer tube by using repeated fins was effective in increasing the hydrogen production rate of up to 12.5%. Also, the fluctuation of the process gas flow rate tended to greatly affect the heat consumption rate for the steam reforming reaction, so that the helium gas temperature increased from 586degC to 718degC. (author)

Thermodynamic analysis of ethanol reforming for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Shaohui; Yan, Wei; Sun, Peiqin; Chen, Junwu

2012-01-01

This work presents the simulated equilibrium compositions of ethanol steam reforming (SR), partial oxidation (POX) and auto-thermal reforming (ATR) at a large temperature range, steam-to-ethanol and oxygen-to-ethanol molar ratios. The simulation work shows that the moles of hydrogen yield per mole ethanol are of this order: SR > ATR > POX. The results are compared with other simulation works and fitted models, which show that all the simulation results obtained with different methods agree well with each other. And the fitted models are in highly consistency with very small deviations. Moreover, the thermal-neutral point in corresponding to temperature, steam-to-ethanol and oxygen-to-ethanol mole ratios of ethanol ATR is estimated. The result shows that with the increasing of oxygen-to-ethanol mole ratio, the T-N point moves to higher temperatures; with the increasing of steam-to-ethanol mole ratio, the T-N point moves to lower temperatures. Furthermore, the energy exchanges of the reforming process and the whole process and the thermal efficiencies are also analyzed in the present work and that the energy demands and generated in the whole process are greater than the reforming process can be obtained. Finally, the optimum reaction conditions are selected. -- Highlights: ► The equilibrium compositions simulated by different researchers with different methods are compared. ► The simulation results are fitted with polynomials for convenient reference. ► The energy balance and thermal efficiencies are analyzed. ► The optimum reaction conditions of ethanol POX, SR and ATR for hydrogen production are selected.

Economic analysis requirements in support of orbital debris regulatory policy

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Joel S.

1996-10-01

As the number of Earth orbiting objects increases so does the potential for generating orbital debris with the consequent increase in the likelihood of impacting and damaging operating satellites. Various debris remediation approaches are being considered that encompass both in-orbit and return-to-Earth schema and have varying degrees of operations, cost, international competitiveness, and safety implications. Because of the diversity of issues, concerns and long-term impacts, there is a clear need for the setting of government policies that will lead to an orderly abatement of the potential orbital debris hazards. These policies may require the establishment of a supportive regulatory regime. The Department of Transportation is likely to have regulatory responsibilities relating to orbital debris stemming from its charge to protect the public health and safety, safety of property, and national security interests and foreign policy interests of the United States. This paper describes DOT's potential regulatory role relating to orbital debris remediation, the myriad of issues concerning the need for establishing government policies relating to orbital debris remediation and their regulatory implications, the proposed technological solutions and their economic and safety implications. Particular emphasis is placed upon addressing cost-effectiveness and economic analyses as they relate to economic impact analysis in support of regulatory impact analysis.

Analysis of NRC Regulatory Guide 1.21 Revision 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sung Il; Yook, Dae Sik; Lee, Byung Soo [KINS, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

It is essential to have a degree of uniformity in the methods used for measuring, evaluating, recording, and reporting data on radioactive material in effluents and solid wastes. For this purpose, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) released a revised version of the Regulatory Guide 1.21 'Measuring, evaluating, and reporting radioactive material in liquid and gaseous effluents and solid waste' (revision 2) in 2009, updating the revision 1 version released in 1974. This study compares the previous revision 1 (1974) version with the revision 2 (2009) version to elaborate on the application of the guidelines to Korea. This study consists of an analysis of the 2009 Revision 2 version of the U.S. NRC Regulatory Guidelines 1.21 and an exposition of methods for its application in the domestic environment. Major revisions were made to allow for the adoption of a risk informed approach. Radionuclides with lower than 1% contribution to emission or radiation levels can be selected as principal radionuclides. Requirements for analysis of leaks and spills have been reinforced, with additional groundwater monitoring and hydrological data analysis becoming necessary.

Contribution of a fuzzy expert system to regulatory impact analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Antônio da Cunha

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA has been consolidating in Brazilian regulatory agencies throughout the last decades. The RIA methodology aims to examine the regulatory process, measure the costs and benefits generated, as well as other effects of social, political or economic nature caused by a new or an existing regulation. By analysing each regulatory option, the expert or regulator faces a myriad of variables, usually of qualitative nature, that are difficult to measure and with a high degree of uncertainty. This research complements the existing literature, given the scarcity of decision support models in RIA that – regardless of the problem treated – incorporate the tacit knowledge of the regulation expert. This paper proposes an exploratory approach using a Fuzzy Expert System, which therefore helps to enrich the decision process in the final stage of comparison of the regulatory options.

Qualitative analysis of governance trends after health system reforms in Latin America: lessons from Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Arredondo, A; Orozco, E; Recaman, A L

2018-03-01

Health policies in Latin America are centered on the democratization of health. Since 2003, during the last generation of reforms, health systems in this region have promoted governance strategies for better agreements between governments, institutions, and civil society. In this context, we develop an evaluative research to identify trends and evidence of governance after health care reforms in six regions of Mexico. Evaluative research was developed with a retrospective design based on qualitative analysis. Primary data were obtained from 189 semi-structured interviews with purposively selected health care professionals and key informants. Secondary data were extracted from a selection of 95 official documents on results of the reform project at the national level, national health policies, and lines of action for good governance. Data processing and analysis were performed using ATLAS.ti and PolicyMaker. A list of main strengths and weaknesses is presented as evidence of health system governance. Accountability at the federal level remains prescriptive; in the regions, a system of accountability and transparency in the allocation of resources and in terms of health democratization strategies is still absent. Social protection and decentralization schemes are strategies that have allowed for improvements with a proactive role of users and civil society. Regarding challenges, there are still low levels of governance and difficulties in the effective conduct of programs and reform strategies together with a lack of precision in the rules and roles of the different actors of the health system. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sociotechnical systems as a framework for regulatory system design and evaluation: Using Work Domain Analysis to examine a new regulatory system.

Science.gov (United States)

Carden, Tony; Goode, Natassia; Read, Gemma J M; Salmon, Paul M

2017-03-15

Like most work systems, the domain of adventure activities has seen a series of serious incidents and subsequent calls to improve regulation. Safety regulation systems aim to promote safety and reduce accidents. However, there is scant evidence they have led to improved safety outcomes. In fact there is some evidence that the poor integration of regulatory system components has led to adverse safety outcomes in some contexts. Despite this, there is an absence of methods for evaluating regulatory and compliance systems. This article argues that sociotechnical systems theory and methods provide a suitable framework for evaluating regulatory systems. This is demonstrated through an analysis of a recently introduced set of adventure activity regulations. Work Domain Analysis (WDA) was used to describe the regulatory system in terms of its functional purposes, values and priority measures, purpose-related functions, object-related processes and cognitive objects. This allowed judgement to be made on the nature of the new regulatory system and on the constraints that may impact its efficacy following implementation. Importantly, the analysis suggests that the new system's functional purpose of ensuring safe activities is not fully supported in terms of the functions and objects available to fulfil them. Potential improvements to the design of the system are discussed along with the implications for regulatory system design and evaluation across the safety critical domains generally. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FORECAST: Regulatory effects cost analysis software manual -- Version 4.1. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, B.; Sciacca, F.W.

1996-07-01

The FORECAST program was developed to facilitate the preparation of the value-impact portion of NRC regulatory analyses. This PC program integrates the major cost and benefit considerations that may result from a proposed regulatory change. FORECAST automates much of the calculations typically needed in a regulatory analysis and thus reduces the time and labor required to perform these analyses. More importantly, its integrated and consistent treatment of the different value-impact considerations should help assure comprehensiveness, uniformity, and accuracy in the preparation of NRC regulatory analyses. The Current FORECAST Version 4.1 has been upgraded from the previous version and now includes an uncertainty package, an automatic cost escalation package, and other improvements. In addition, it now explicitly addresses public health impacts, occupational health impacts, onsite property damage, and government costs. Thus, FORECAST Version 4.1 can treat all attributes normally quantified in a regulatory analysis

Misrecognition and science education reform

Science.gov (United States)

Brandt, Carol B.

2012-09-01

In this forum, I expand upon Teo and Osborne's discussion of teacher agency and curriculum reform. I take up and build upon their analysis to further examine one teacher's frustration in enacting an inquiry-based curriculum and his resulting accommodation of an AP curriculum. In this way I introduce the concept of misrecognition (Bourdieu and Passeron 1977) to open up new ways of thinking about science inquiry and school reform.

Beyond trend analysis: How a modified breakpoint analysis enhances knowledge of agricultural production after Zimbabwe's fast track land reform

Science.gov (United States)

Hentze, Konrad; Thonfeld, Frank; Menz, Gunter

2017-10-01

In the discourse on land reform assessments, a significant lack of spatial and time-series data has been identified, especially with respect to Zimbabwe's ;Fast-Track Land Reform Programme; (FTLRP). At the same time, interest persists among land use change scientists to evaluate causes of land use change and therefore to increase the explanatory power of remote sensing products. This study recognizes these demands and aims to provide input on both levels: Evaluating the potential of satellite remote sensing time-series to answer questions which evolved after intensive land redistribution efforts in Zimbabwe; and investigating how time-series analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) can be enhanced to provide information on land reform induced land use change. To achieve this, two time-series methods are applied to MODIS NDVI data: Seasonal Trend Analysis (STA) and Breakpoint Analysis for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST). In our first analysis, a link of agricultural productivity trends to different land tenure regimes shows that regional clustering of trends is more dominant than a relationship between tenure and trend with a slightly negative slope for all regimes. We demonstrate that clusters of strong negative and positive productivity trends are results of changing irrigation patterns. To locate emerging and fallow irrigation schemes in semi-arid Zimbabwe, a new multi-method approach is developed which allows to map changes from bimodal seasonal phenological patterns to unimodal and vice versa. With an enhanced breakpoint analysis through the combination of STA and BFAST, we are able to provide a technique that can be applied on large scale to map status and development of highly productive cropping systems, which are key for food production, national export and local employment. We therefore conclude that the combination of existing and accessible time-series analysis methods: is able to achieve both: overcoming demonstrated limitations of

An analysis of policy levers used to implement mental health reform in Australia 1992-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Grace, Francesca C; Meurk, Carla S; Head, Brian W; Hall, Wayne D; Carstensen, Georgia; Harris, Meredith G; Whiteford, Harvey A

2015-10-24

Over the past two decades, mental health reform in Australia has received unprecedented government attention. This study explored how five policy levers (organisation, regulation, community education, finance and payment) were used by the Australian Federal Government to implement mental health reforms. Australian Government publications, including the four mental health plans (published in 1992, 1998, 2003 and 2008) were analysed according to policy levers used to drive reform across five priority areas: [1] human rights and community attitudes; [2] responding to community need; [3] service structures; [4] service quality and effectiveness; and [5] resources and service access. Policy levers were applied in varying ways; with two or three levers often concurrently used to implement a single initiative or strategy. For example, changes to service structures were achieved using various combinations of all five levers. Attempts to improve service quality and effectiveness were instead made through a single lever-regulation. The use of some levers changed over time, including a move away from prescriptive, legislative use of regulation, towards a greater focus on monitoring service standards and consumer outcomes. Patterns in the application of policy levers across the National Mental Health Strategy, as identified in this analysis, represent a novel way of conceptualising the history of mental health reform in Australia. An improved understanding of the strategic targeting and appropriate utilisation of policy levers may assist in the delivery and evaluation of evidence-based mental health reform in the future.

Does reform work? An econometric examination of the reform-growth puzzle

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Babetskii, Ian; Campos, N. F.

-, č. 322 (2007), s. 1-40 ISSN 1211-3298 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : meta-regression analysis * reform * growth Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp322.pdf

Japan reforms its nuclear safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2013-01-01

The Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident deeply questioned the bases of nuclear safety and nuclear safety regulation in Japan. It also resulted in a considerable loss of public confidence in the safety of nuclear power across the world. Although the accident was caused by natural phenomena, institutional and human factors also largely contributed to its devastating consequences, as shown by the Japanese Diet's and Government's investigation reports. 'Both regulators and licensees were held responsible and decided to fully reconsider the existing approaches to nuclear safety. Consequently, the regulatory system underwent extensive reform based on the lessons learned from the accident,' Yoshihiro Nakagome, the President of Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organisation, an ETSON member TSO, explains. (orig.)

Improving the Business Trade Licensing Reform Environment

OpenAIRE

Gamser, Matthew

2003-01-01

This case study of Kenyan business trade licensing shows that red-tape costs can be cut if reform is championed strongly and there is a strong case in terms of costs and benefits. The reform of business registration, trade licensing and other business entry procedures is a cost effective and progressive way to promote indigenous private sector development. But, reform needs more than good cost-benefit analysis and legal drafting; it also requires building constituencies and continuous advocacy.

Regulatory analysis for USI A-1, Water Hammer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serkiz, A.W.

1984-03-01

This is the staff's regulatory analysis dealing with the resolution of the Unresolved Safety Issue A-1, Water Hammer. This report contains the value-impact analysis for this issue, public comments received, and staff response, or action taken, in response to those comments. The staff's technical findings regarding water hammer in nuclear power plants are contained in NUREG-0927

The Energy Regulatory Commission. The Regulation of Natural Gas in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

In May of 1995 the Congress approved amendments to the Regulatory Law of Constitutional article 27 on Petroleum. This legal reform fundamentally redefined the petroleum industry and authorizes the private sector to construct, operate, and own natural gas transportation, storage and distribution systems-activities previously reserved to the state. To complement these reforms and to implement the legislative mandate of the Regulatory Law on Petroleum, the Natural Gas Regulation (Reglamento de Gas Natural) was issued in November 1995. The regulation reconciles the interests of the various natural gas industry participants and signifies a Federal Commitment to promote comprehensive development of the industry. In parallel with the development of the substantive legal framework, the law of the Comision Reguladora de Energia (CRE) was also enacted by Congress in October 1995 to strength the institutional framework and implemented the legal changes. This law defines the CRE as an agency of the Energy Ministry with technical, operational, and budgetary autonomy, and responsibility for implementing natural gas industry regulation. (Author)

Precious metal assay analysis of fresh reforming catalyst by x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McElroy, F.C.; Mulhall, J.M.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that precious metal analysis of fresh reforming catalysts are typically performed by both the catalyst manufacturer and buyer to arrive at a financial settlement on the quantity of metal in each lot of commercial catalyst. Traditional assay methods involve a variety of fire assay or wet chemical acid digestion schemes coupled with gravimetric, colorimetic, or titrimetric measurement for precious metals. Methods must have sufficient precision and accuracy to afford interlaboratory agreement of within one half of one percent relative between the catalyst supplier and purchaser. To meet this requirement many laboratories rely on classical methods. Unfortunately these proceeders are labor intensive and time consuming. X-ray fluorescence has the inherent instrument precision to achieve typical intralaboratory precision of 0.5% RSD on a wide variety of elements and numerous sample types. We have developed an X-ray fluorescence method for the assay quality analysis of fresh reforming catalyst containing platinum, rhenium, and iridium. This method was applied to numerous samples over the past five years

Evaluation of Large-Scale Public-Sector Reforms: A Comparative Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Breidahl, Karen N.; Gjelstrup, Gunnar; Hansen, Hanne Foss; Hansen, Morten Balle

2017-01-01

Research on the evaluation of large-scale public-sector reforms is rare. This article sets out to fill that gap in the evaluation literature and argues that it is of vital importance since the impact of such reforms is considerable and they change the context in which evaluations of other and more delimited policy areas take place. In our…

Effective Strategies for Achieving Scope of Practice Reform in Pennsylvania.

Science.gov (United States)

Carthon, J Margo Brooks; Wiltse Nicely, Kelly; Altares Sarik, Danielle; Fairman, Julie

2016-05-01

Current regulatory impediments prohibit advanced practice registered nurses from practicing to their full capacity. To examine the process of successful removal of scope of practice barriers in Pennsylvania under the Rx4PA legislation introduced in 2007. We used qualitative research techniques, including purposeful sampling of participants. Twelve stakeholder informed interviews were conducted between October 2013 and May 2014. Participants were closely involved with the development of the Rx4PA legislation. Thematic content analysis was performed to analyze our interviews. Interviews identified overarching themes, including the importance of leveraging years of grass roots advocacy, identifying political allies, and recognizing mutually beneficial compromises. The combination of timing, careful political maneuvering, and compromise were key to scope of practice reform in Pennsylvania and may be useful strategies for other states seeking similar practice changes. © The Author(s) 2016.

Transcriptional Regulatory Network Analysis of MYB Transcription Factor Family Genes in Rice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuchi eSmita

2015-12-01

Full Text Available MYB transcription factor (TF is one of the largest TF families and regulates defense responses to various stresses, hormone signaling as well as many metabolic and developmental processes in plants. Understanding these regulatory hierarchies of gene expression networks in response to developmental and environmental cues is a major challenge due to the complex interactions between the genetic elements. Correlation analyses are useful to unravel co-regulated gene pairs governing biological process as well as identification of new candidate hub genes in response to these complex processes. High throughput expression profiling data are highly useful for construction of co-expression networks. In the present study, we utilized transcriptome data for comprehensive regulatory network studies of MYB TFs by top down and guide gene approaches. More than 50% of OsMYBs were strongly correlated under fifty experimental conditions with 51 hub genes via top down approach. Further, clusters were identified using Markov Clustering (MCL. To maximize the clustering performance, parameter evaluation of the MCL inflation score (I was performed in terms of enriched GO categories by measuring F-score. Comparison of co-expressed cluster and clads analyzed from phylogenetic analysis signifies their evolutionarily conserved co-regulatory role. We utilized compendium of known interaction and biological role with Gene Ontology enrichment analysis to hypothesize function of coexpressed OsMYBs. In the other part, the transcriptional regulatory network analysis by guide gene approach revealed 40 putative targets of 26 OsMYB TF hubs with high correlation value utilizing 815 microarray data. The putative targets with MYB-binding cis-elements enrichment in their promoter region, functional co-occurrence as well as nuclear localization supports our finding. Specially, enrichment of MYB binding regions involved in drought-inducibility implying their regulatory role in drought

Impacts Of Electricity Market Reform And Non-Reform Factors On Technology Uptake: Philippines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Structure and ownership: The first phase of the reform (1992–2000) encouraged private participation in the generation segment. By 1998, foreign-owned IPPs accounted for around 4800 MW of generating capacity. During the 1990s, over 90% of the new capacity was built by foreign-owned IPPs [86]. In the second phase of the reform (2001 to present), the vertically integrated electricity utility was unbundled, regulatory arrangements including open access to network services were developed and the WESM was created. These changes further promoted private participation in the power sector. Price signals generated from the competitive electricity market act as the main driving force to make new investments in generation. Besides, the pressure from market competition pushes investors to select the most efficient and advanced generating technologies to meet growing demand. In the Visayas region, for example, rapid growth in electricity demand drove up electricity prices, which attracted private investors to build three new coal fired power plants in 2010 and 2011. These plants use low cost and highly efficient circulating fluidized bed technology. Regulatory arrangements: The EPIRA of 2001 established the ERC to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure customer choice and penalize abuse of market power in the electricity industry. The ERC is also mandated by law to maintain a level playing field in the competitive sectors (generation and supply) and to regulate the transmission and distribution sectors. The EPIRA also mandates the ERC to enforce market share limitations wherein no generation company can own, operate or control more than 30% of the total installed generating capacity of a grid and/or more than 25% of the total national installed capacity. The ERC must also ensure that before a generation company can operate and supply power, it must secure a certificate of compliance with all the appropriate licences or clearances (health, environment and

Reforming health care in Hungary.

Science.gov (United States)

Császi, L; Kullberg, P

1985-01-01

Over the past two decades Hungary has initiated a series of social and economic reforms which have emphasized decentralization of control and the reintroduction of market mechanisms into the socialized economy. These reforms both reflect and reinforce a changing social structure, in particular the growing influence of upper class special interest groups. Market reforms are an expression of concurrent ideological shifts in Hungarian society. We examined the political significance of three recent proposals to reform health services against the backdrop of broader social and economic changes taking place. The first proposes a bureaucratic reorganization, the second, patient co-payments, and the third, a voucher system. The problems each proposal identifies, as well as the constituency each represents, reveal a trend toward consolidation of class structure in Hungary. Only one of these proposals has any potential to democratize the control and management of the heath care system. Moreover, despite a governmental push toward decentralization, two of these proposals would actually increase centralized bureaucratic control. Two of the reforms incorporate market logic into their arguments, an indication that the philosophical premises of capitalism are re-emerging as an important component of the Hungarian world-view. In Hungary, as well as in other countries, social analysis of proposed health care reforms can effectively illuminate the social and political dynamics of the larger society.

A Theory of the Reform of Bureaucratic Institutions

OpenAIRE

Susanto Basu; David Li

2000-01-01

By bureaucratic institutions or bureaucracy, we mean the rules and regulations that are implemented by government agencies. Burdensome bureaucratic institutions are leading obstacles to economic development and therefore the target of economic reform of many countries in today's world. In this paper, we provide a theoretical framework to analyze the reform of bureaucratic institutions. The analysis shows the key to the reform is to properly incentivize the incumbent generation of bureaucrats,...

Financial accessibility and user fee reforms for maternal healthcare in five sub-Saharan countries: a quasi-experimental analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Leone, Tiziana; Cetorelli, Valeria; Neal, Sarah; Matthews, Zoë

2016-01-28

Evidence on whether removing fees benefits the poorest is patchy and weak. The aim of this paper is to measure the impact of user fee reforms on the probability of giving birth in an institution or undergoing a caesarean section (CS) in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Cameroon and Nigeria for the poorest strata of the population. Women's experience of user fees in 5 African countries. Using quasi-experimental regression analysis we tested the impact of user fee reforms on facilities' births and CS differentiated by wealth, education and residence in Burkina Faso and Ghana. Mapping of the literature followed by key informant interviews are used to verify details of reform implementation and to confirm and support our countries' choice. We analysed data from consecutive surveys in 5 countries: 2 case countries that experienced reforms (Ghana and Burkina Faso) by contrast with 3 that did not experience reforms (Zambia, Cameroon, Nigeria). User fee reforms are associated with a significant percentage of the increase in access to facility births (27 percentage points) and to a much lesser extent to CS (0.7 percentage points). Poor (but not the poorest), and non-educated women, and those in rural areas benefitted the most from the reforms. User fees reforms have had a higher impact in Burkina Faso compared with Ghana. Findings show a clear positive impact on access when user fees are removed, but limited evidence for improved availability of CS for those most in need. More women from rural areas and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds give birth in health facilities after fee reform. Speed and quality of implementation might be the key reason behind the differences between the 2 case countries. This calls for more research into the impact of reforms on quality of care. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Safety analysis in support of regulatory decision marking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomier Baez, L.; Troncoso Fleitas, M.; Valhuerdi Debesa, C.; Valle Cepero, R.; Hernandez, J.L.

1996-01-01

Features of different safety analysis techniques by means of calculation thermohydraulic a probabilistic and severe accidents used in the safety assessment, as well as the development of these techniques in Cuba and their use in support of regulatory decision making are presented

Regulatory control analysis and design for sewer systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mollerup, Ane Loft; Mikkelsen, Peter Steen; Thornberg, Dines

2015-01-01

A systematic methodology for regulatory control analysis and design is adapted for sewer system operation and evaluated. The main challenge with adapting the methodology is the handling of the stochastic and transient nature of the rainfall disturbances, inherent to sewer system operation...

Policy reforms, rice production and sustainable land use in China: A macro-micro analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heerink, N.; Qu, F.; Kuiper, M.H.; Shi Xiaoping, X.; Tan Shuhao,

2007-01-01

This paper presents a macro¿micro analysis of the impact of policy reforms in China on agricultural production, input use and soil quality change for a major rice-producing area, namely Jiangxi province. This is done in three steps. First, a quantitative assessment is made of the impact of market

XcisClique: analysis of regulatory bicliques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grene Ruth

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Modeling of cis-elements or regulatory motifs in promoter (upstream regions of genes is a challenging computational problem. In this work, set of regulatory motifs simultaneously present in the promoters of a set of genes is modeled as a biclique in a suitably defined bipartite graph. A biologically meaningful co-occurrence of multiple cis-elements in a gene promoter is assessed by the combined analysis of genomic and gene expression data. Greater statistical significance is associated with a set of genes that shares a common set of regulatory motifs, while simultaneously exhibiting highly correlated gene expression under given experimental conditions. Methods XcisClique, the system developed in this work, is a comprehensive infrastructure that associates annotated genome and gene expression data, models known cis-elements as regular expressions, identifies maximal bicliques in a bipartite gene-motif graph; and ranks bicliques based on their computed statistical significance. Significance is a function of the probability of occurrence of those motifs in a biclique (a hypergeometric distribution, and on the new sum of absolute values statistic (SAV that uses Spearman correlations of gene expression vectors. SAV is a statistic well-suited for this purpose as described in the discussion. Results XcisClique identifies new motif and gene combinations that might indicate as yet unidentified involvement of sets of genes in biological functions and processes. It currently supports Arabidopsis thaliana and can be adapted to other organisms, assuming the existence of annotated genomic sequences, suitable gene expression data, and identified regulatory motifs. A subset of Xcis Clique functionalities, including the motif visualization component MotifSee, source code, and supplementary material are available at https://bioinformatics.cs.vt.edu/xcisclique/.

Economic democracy and financial reform in Vanuatu

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pacheco Cueva, Vladimir

2007-01-01

This article identifies the rationale and trajectory of finance sector reform as part of the donor-sponsored Comprehensive Reform Program (CRP) in Vanuatu and provides an analysis of the problems associated with the lack of affordable credit for sectors of the population that do not fulfill...... commercial lending criteria. The article relies on financial hegemony theory in order to explain Vanuatu's role within larger international financial structures and rationale for reform. The discussion shows that foreign banking institutions are not interested in broadening credit access to poorer sections...

Eight attention points when evaluating large-scale public sector reforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Morten Balle; Breidahl, Karen Nielsen; Furubo, Jan-Eric

2017-01-01

This chapter analyses the challenges related to evaluations of large-scale public sector reforms. It is based on a meta-evaluation of the evaluation of the reform of the Norwegian Labour Market and Welfare Administration (the NAV-reform) in Norway, which entailed both a significant reorganization...... sector reforms. Based on the analysis, eight crucial points of attention when evaluating large-scale public sector reforms are elaborated. We discuss their reasons and argue that other countries will face the same challenges and thus can learn from the experiences of Norway....

Thinking on Sichuan-Chongqing gas pipeline transportation system reform under market-oriented conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Yanzhi

2017-01-01

The gas pipeline networks in Sichuan and Chongqing (Sichuan-Chongqing) region have formed a fully-fledged gas pipeline transportation system in China, which supports and promotes the rapid development of gas market in Sichuan-Chongqing region. In the circumstances of further developed market-oriented economy, it is necessary to carry out further the pipeline system reform in the areas of investment/financing system, operation system and pricing system to lay a solid foundation for improving future gas production and marketing capability and adapting itself to the national gas system reform, and to achieve the objectives of multiparty participated pipeline construction, improved pipeline transportation efficiency and fair and rational pipeline transportation prices. In this article, main thinking on reform in the three areas and major deployment are addressed, and corresponding measures on developing shared pipeline economy, providing financial support to pipeline construction, setting up independent regulatory agency to enhance the industrial supervision for gas pipeline transportation, and promoting the construction of regional gas trade market are recommended.

Regulatory environment and its impact on the market value of investor-owned electric utilities

Science.gov (United States)

Vishwanathan, Raman

While other regulated industries have one by one been exposed to competitive reform, electric power, for over eighty years, has remained a great monopoly. For all those years, the vertically integrated suppliers of electricity in the United States have been assigned exclusive territorial (consumer) franchises and have been closely regulated. This environment is in the process change because the electric power industry is currently undergoing some dramatic adjustments. Since 1992, a number of states have initiated regulatory reform and are moving to allow retail customers to choose their energy supplier. There has also been a considerable federal government role in encouraging competition in the generation and transmission of electricity. The objective of this research is to investigate the reaction of investors to the prevailing regulatory environment in the electric utility industry by analyzing the market-to-book value for investor-owned electric utilities in the United States as a gauge of investor concern or support for change. In this study, the variable of interest is the market valuation of utilities, as it captures investor confidence to changes in the regulatory environment. Initially a classic regression model is analyzed on the full sample (of the 96 investor-owned utilities for the years 1992 through 1996), providing a total number of 480 (96 firms over 5 years) observations. Later fixed- and random-effects models are analyzed for the same full-sample model specified in the previous analysis. Also, the analysis is carried forward to examine the impact of the size of the utility and its degree of reliability on nuclear power generation on market values. In the period of this study, 1992--1996, the financial security markets downgraded utilities that were still operating in a regulated environment or had a substantial percentage of their power generation from nuclear power plants. It was also found that the financial market was sensitive to the size of

Heat supply analysis of steam reforming hydrogen production process in conventional and nuclear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Alimah; Djati Hoesen Salimy

2015-01-01

Tile analysis of heat energy supply in the production of hydrogen by natural gas steam reforming process has been done. The aim of the study is to compare the energy supply system of conventional and nuclear heat. Methodology used in this study is an assessment of literature and analysis based on the comparisons. The study shows that the heat sources of fossil fuels (natural gas) is able to provide optimum operating conditions of temperature and pressure of 850-900 °C and 2-3 MPa, as well as the heat transfer is dominated by radiation heat transfer, so that the heat flux that can be achieved on the catalyst tube relatively high (50-80 kW/m"2) and provide high thermal efficiency of about 85 %. While in the system with nuclear energy, due to the demands of safety, process operating at less than optimum conditions of temperature and pressure of 800-850 °C and 4.5 MPa, as well as the heat transfer is dominated by convection heat transfer, so that the heat flux that can be achieved catalyst tube is relatively low (1020 kW/m"2) and it provides a low thermal efficiency of about 50 %. Modifications of reformer and heat utilization can increase the heat flux up to 40 kW/m"2 so that the thermal efficiency can reach 78 %. Nevertheless, the application of nuclear energy to hydrogen production with steam reforming process is able to reduce the burning of fossil fuels which has implications for the potential decrease in the rate of CO2 emissions into the environment. (author)

Steepest Ascent Tariff Reform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raimondos-Møller, Pascalis; Woodland, Alan

2014-01-01

. In undertaking this task, and by focusing on tariff reforms, we introduce the concept of a steepest ascent policy reform, which is a locally optimal reform in the sense that it achieves the highest marginal gain in utility of any feasible local reform. We argue that this reform presents itself as a natural......The policy reform literature is primarily concerned with the construction of reforms that yield welfare gains. By contrast, this paper’s contribution is to develop a theoretical concept for which the focus is upon the sizes of welfare gains accruing from policy reforms rather than upon their signs...... benchmark for the evaluation of the welfare effectiveness of other popular tariff reforms such as the proportional tariff reduction and the concertina rules, since it provides the maximal welfare gain of all possible local reforms. We derive properties of the steepest ascent tariff reform, construct...

A comparison of higher education reforms in Egypt and Morocco

OpenAIRE

Kohstall, Florian

2012-01-01

This doctoral thesis examines the impact of international aid agencies on the reform agenda of North African countries. It analyses and compares the paths of higher education reform (1997-2007) in Egypt and Morocco, using analytical instruments pertaining to new approaches in public policy theory. For a long time, both countries appeared relatively immune against reform pressure from outside. Still, the analysis of their reform processes shows that the internationalization of higher educa...

The Role of the Unit of Analysis in Tax Policy Reform Evaluations

OpenAIRE

John Creedy; Rosanna Scutella

2003-01-01

This paper examines the implications, for overall social welfare and inequality comparisons, of using different definitions of the unit of analysis - the income recipient - in computing summary measures. Comparisons are made using the Melbourne Institute Tax and Transfer Simulator (MITTS), a simulation model of the Australian direct tax and benefit system, of the effects of flattening the marginal tax rate structure. The reform was found to reduce inequality in all cases. However, it was not ...

Direct internal steam reforming of ethanol in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) - A thermodynamic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima da Silva, Aline; De Fraga Malfatti, Celia; Heck, Nestor Cesar; Melo Halmenschlager, Cibele

2003-01-01

Among the various types of fuel cells, the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has attracted considerable interest due to the possibility for operation with an internal reformer and higher system efficiency. In SOFC, high operative temperature allows the direct conversion of ethanol into H 2 and CO to take place in the electrochemical cell. Ethanol is considered to be an attractive fuel because it is a renewable energy source and presents some advantages over other green fuels such as safety in storage and handling. Direct internal reforming of ethanol, however, can produce undesirable products that diminish system efficiency and, in the case of carbon deposition over the anode, promote the growth of carbon filaments attached to the anode crystallites which generate massive forces within the electrode structure leading to its rapid breakdown. In this context, a thermodynamic analysis is fundamental to predict the product distribution as well as the conditions favorable for carbon to precipitate inside the cell. Despite of such importance, there are few works in literature dealing with thermodynamic analysis of the direct internal steam reforming of ethanol in fuel cell systems. Hence, the aim of this work is to find appropriate ranges for operating conditions where carbon deposition in SOFC with direct internal reforming operation is not feasible, in temperature range of 500- 1200K. The calculation here is more complicated than that for a reformer because the disappearance of hydrogen and the generation of H 2 O from electrochemical reaction must be taken into account. In the present study, the effects of hydrogen consumption on anode components and on carbon formation are investigated. Equilibrium determinations are performed by the Gibbs energy minimization method, considering the following species: H 2 , H 2 O, CH 4 , CO, CO 2 and C gr . (graphite). The effect of the type of solid electrolyte (oxygen-conducting and hydrogen-conducting) on carbon formation is also

Rethinking Critical Mathematics: A Comparative Analysis of Critical, Reform, and Traditional Geometry Instructional Texts

Science.gov (United States)

Brantlinger, Andrew

2011-01-01

This paper presents findings from a comparative analysis of three similar secondary geometry texts, one critical unit, one standards-based reform unit, and one specialist chapter. I developed the critical unit as I took the tenets of critical mathematics (CM) and substantiated them in printed curricular materials in which to teach as part of a…

Dynamics of productivity change in the Australian electricity industry: Assessing the impacts of electricity reform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aghdam, Reza Fathollahzadeh, E-mail: reza_f_a@yahoo.com [Department of Finance and Economics, College of Industrial Management, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, PO Box 257, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia)

2011-06-15

The Australian electricity industry has undergone a significant reform, since the mid-1990s. Key changes comprised functional unbundling, market restructuring, regulatory reform, public corporatisation and privatisation. Technological development has been another indisputable constituent of these changes, in the wake of ICT revolution. The principle rationale behind these changes has been that they would improve productivity of the industry and social well-being of people. This paper examines the dynamics of productivity changes in the Australian electricity industry and conducts several hypotheses-testings to identify whether industry's efficiency measures are truly improved as a result of the reform-driven changes. Malmquist Total Factor Productivity Index approach and ANOVA are used for this purpose. The results reveal that the productivity gains in the industry have been largely driven by technological improvements and, to a lesser extent, by reform-induced comparative efficiency gains. On average at national level and for the entire industry, there are efficiency gains that, to large extents, can be attributed to functional unbundling and public corporatisation and, to a lesser extent, to market restructuring and privatisation. The results, however, reveal that the reform-driven changes have made insignificant contribution to comparative efficiency, at the level of thermal generation. - Highlights: > Dynamics of productivity changes in Australian electricity industry are examined. > Several hypotheses are also tested against reform-driven changes. > Technology impact is proved to be far larger than reform-induced impacts. > Unbundling and corporatisation had larger impacts than market restructuring and privatisation. > At thermal generation level, no reform-induced impact is encountered.

Dynamics of productivity change in the Australian electricity industry: Assessing the impacts of electricity reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aghdam, Reza Fathollahzadeh

2011-01-01

The Australian electricity industry has undergone a significant reform, since the mid-1990s. Key changes comprised functional unbundling, market restructuring, regulatory reform, public corporatisation and privatisation. Technological development has been another indisputable constituent of these changes, in the wake of ICT revolution. The principle rationale behind these changes has been that they would improve productivity of the industry and social well-being of people. This paper examines the dynamics of productivity changes in the Australian electricity industry and conducts several hypotheses-testings to identify whether industry's efficiency measures are truly improved as a result of the reform-driven changes. Malmquist Total Factor Productivity Index approach and ANOVA are used for this purpose. The results reveal that the productivity gains in the industry have been largely driven by technological improvements and, to a lesser extent, by reform-induced comparative efficiency gains. On average at national level and for the entire industry, there are efficiency gains that, to large extents, can be attributed to functional unbundling and public corporatisation and, to a lesser extent, to market restructuring and privatisation. The results, however, reveal that the reform-driven changes have made insignificant contribution to comparative efficiency, at the level of thermal generation. - Highlights: → Dynamics of productivity changes in Australian electricity industry are examined. → Several hypotheses are also tested against reform-driven changes. → Technology impact is proved to be far larger than reform-induced impacts. → Unbundling and corporatisation had larger impacts than market restructuring and privatisation. → At thermal generation level, no reform-induced impact is encountered.

Renewable energy policy and electricity market reforms in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherni, Judith A.; Kentish, Joanna

2007-01-01

The article examines the potential effectiveness of the renewable energy policy in China and its regulatory Law framework. It frames the option of renewable energy technology within the background of the long-lasting electricity problems that China has faced including serious supply shortages, reliance on coal, and severe environmental contamination. Its dual administrative and ownership system based on state and privately owned industry is discussed together with the market reform measures adopted in the sector. Current renewable energy policy is analysed, and the scope of the 2005 Renewable Energy Promotion Law is investigated. This is conducted within the context of the electricity sector reform that China adopted, and its effects upon the prospects of encouraging as well as expanding the development of renewable energy. This study draws upon primary information collected from interviews with stakeholders on the policy adequacy, and identifies three main types of shortcomings that have interfered with a more successful expansion of renewable energy in China. (author)

Analysis of Worldwide Regulatory Framework for On-Line Maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Sang Kyu; Oh, Kyu Myung; Lee, Chang Ju

2010-01-01

With the increasing economic pressures being faced and the potential for shortening outage times under the conditions of deregulated electricity markets in the world, licensees are motivated to get an increasing amount of online maintenance (OLM). OLM means a kind of planned maintenance of nuclear reactor facilities, including structure, systems, and components (SSCs), during power operation. In Korea, a similar situation is made up, so it needs to establish a regulatory framework for OLM. A few years ago, foreign countries' practices related to OLM were surveyed by the Working Group on Inspection Practices (WGIP) of OECD/NEA/CNRA. The survey results and additional new information of countries' status will be helpful to establish our own regulatory framework for OLM, which are analyzed in this paper. From the analysis, some considerable points to be addressed for establishing a regulatory framework for OLM are suggested

Non-catalytic recuperative reformer

Science.gov (United States)

Khinkis, Mark J.; Kozlov, Aleksandr P.; Kurek, Harry

2015-12-22

A non-catalytic recuperative reformer has a flue gas flow path for conducting hot flue gas from a thermal process and a reforming mixture flow path for conducting a reforming mixture. At least a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is embedded in the flue gas flow path to permit heat transfer from the hot flue gas to the reforming mixture. The reforming mixture flow path contains substantially no material commonly used as a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbon fuel (e.g., nickel oxide, platinum group elements or rhenium), but instead the reforming mixture is reformed into a higher calorific fuel via reactions due to the heat transfer and residence time. In a preferred embodiment, extended surfaces of metal material such as stainless steel or metal alloy that are high in nickel content are included within at least a portion of the reforming mixture flow path.

Biopsychosocial law, health care reform, and the control of medical inflation in Colorado.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruns, Daniel; Mueller, Kathryn; Warren, Pamela A

2012-05-01

A noteworthy attempt at health care reform was the 1992 Colorado workers' compensation reform bill, which led to the creation of what has been called "biopsychosocial laws." These laws mandated the use of treatment guidelines for patients with injury or chronic pain, which advocated a biopsychosocial model of rehabilitation, and aspired to use a "best practice" approach to controlling costs. The purpose of this study was to examine the financial impact of this health care reform process, and to test the hypothesis that this approach can be an effective strategy to contain costs while providing good care. This study utilized a dataset collected prospectively from 1992 to 2007 in 45 U.S. states for regulatory purposes. These data summarized the medical treatment and disability costs of 520,314 injured workers in Colorado, and an estimated 28.6 million injured workers nationally. As no other state passed a comparable bill, the Colorado worker compensation reform bill created a natural experiment, where a treatment group was created by legally enforceable medical treatment guidelines. In the 15 years following the implementation of the reform, the inflation of medical costs in Colorado workers' compensation was only one third that of the national average, saving an estimated $859 million on patients injured in 2007 alone. Although there were confounding variables, and causality could not be determined, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that Colorado's 1992 legislative efforts to reform workers compensation law using the biopsychosocial model worked as intended to provide good care while controlling costs. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Analysis on Operating Parameter Design to Steam Methane Reforming in Heat Application RDE

Science.gov (United States)

Dibyo, Sukmanto; Sunaryo, Geni Rina; Bakhri, Syaiful; Zuhair; Irianto, Ign. Djoko

2018-02-01

The high temperature reactor has been developed with various power capacities and can produce electricity and heat application. One of heat application is used for hydrogen production. Most hydrogen production occurs by steam reforming that operated at high temperature. This study aims to analyze the feasibility of heat application design of RDE reactor in the steam methane reforming for hydrogen production using the ChemCAD software. The outlet temperature of cogeneration heat exchanger is analyzed to be applied as a feed of steam reformer. Furthermore, the additional heater and calculating amount of fuel usage are described. Results show that at a low mass flow rate of feed, its can produce a temperature up to 480°C. To achieve the temperature of steam methane reforming of 850°C the additional fired heater was required. By the fired heater, an amount of fuel usage is required depending on the Reformer feed temperature produced from the heat exchanger of the cogeneration system.

Health complaints and regulatory reform: Implications for vulnerable populations?

Science.gov (United States)

Carney, Terry; Beaupert, Fleur; Chiarella, Mary; Bennett, Belinda; Walton, Merrilyn; Kelly, Patrick J; Satchell, Claudette S

2016-03-01

Complaints and disciplinary processes play a significant role in health professional regulation. Many countries are transitioning from models of self-regulation to greater external oversight through systems including meta-regulation, responsive (risk-based) regulation, and "networked governance". Such systems harness, in differing ways, public, private, professional and non-governmental bodies to exert influence over the conduct of health professionals and services. Interesting literature is emerging regarding complainants' motivations and experiences, the impact of complaints processes on health professionals, and identification of features such as complainant and health professional profiles, types of complaints and outcomes. This article concentrates on studies identifying vulnerable groups and their participation in health care regulatory systems.

Translating agency reform: rhetoric and culture in comparative perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smullen, A.

2010-01-01

Through comparative analysis this book examines and explains the official rhetoric of agency reform across consensus and adversarial political cultures. It traces the trajectory of talk about agency reform in The Netherlands, Sweden and Australia and identifies the national styles of speaking that

Curriculum Reform in Higher Education: A Contested Space

Science.gov (United States)

Shay, Suellen

2015-01-01

Drawing on the theoretical and analytical tools from the sociology of education, in particular the work of Basil Bernstein and Karl Maton, the paper explores the tensions within curriculum reform discourses and how these tensions play out in different global contexts. The analysis focuses on two curriculum reform policies--Hong Kong and South…

Reforming the Belgian market for orthotic braces: what can we learn from the international experience?

Science.gov (United States)

Simoens, Steven; De Coster, Sandra; Moldenaers, Ingrid; Guillaume, Paul; Depoorter, Antony; Van den Steen, Dirk; Van de Sande, Stefaan; Debruyne, Hans; Ramaekers, Dirk; Lona, Murielle

2008-05-01

This article aims to review regulation governing outpatient orthotic braces (neck, wrist and knee braces) in France, the Netherlands and Sweden with a view to reforming the Belgian market. Information about the regulatory framework was derived from an analysis of legal texts and a survey completed by national experts. Strategies to keep down prices include public procurement in Sweden, maximum prices in France, and exclusion of expensive braces from reimbursement in the Netherlands. Reimbursement is linked to a medical indication or a chronic condition in France, the Netherlands and Sweden. To gain reimbursement, the cost-effectiveness of orthotic braces needs to be demonstrated in France and the Netherlands. Orthotic braces tend to be initially prescribed by a specialist physician and distributed by orthotists, medical equipment shops and/or community pharmacies. Extensive government intervention exists in the outpatient orthotic brace market in the countries studied. Our recommendations to reform the Belgian market for prefabricated orthotic braces are to separate reimbursement for service provision from reimbursement for braces; to set prices by means of a tendering process or an international price comparison; and to make reimbursement conditional on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of braces.

Reforming Organizational Structures

OpenAIRE

Van de Walle, Steven

2016-01-01

textabstractPublic sectors have undergone major transformations. Public sector reform touches upon the core building blocks of the public sector: organizational structures, people and finances. These are objects of reform. This chapter presents and discusses a set of major transformations with regard to organizational structures. It provides readers a fairly comprehensive overview of the key reforms that have taken place in Western public sectors. Structural reforms in the public sector show ...

Thermodynamic analysis of ethanol/water system in a fuel cell reformer with the Gibbs energy minimization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima da Silva, Aline; De Fraga Malfatti, Celia; Heck, Nestor Cesar

2003-01-01

The use of fuel cells is a promising technology in the conversion of chemical to electrical energy. Due to environmental concerns related to the reduction of atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gases emissions such as CO 2 , NO x and hydrocarbons, there have been many researches about fuel cells using hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen gas can be produced by several routes; a promising one is the steam reforming of ethanol. This route may become an important industrial process, especially for sugarcane producing countries. Ethanol is renewable energy and presents several advantages over other sources related to natural availability, storage and handling safety. In order to contribute to the understanding of the steam reforming of ethanol inside the reformer, this work displays a detailed thermodynamic analysis of the ethanol/water system, in the temperature range of 500-1200K, considering different H 2 O/ethanol reforming ratios. The equilibrium determinations were done with the help of the Gibbs energy minimization method using the Generalized Reduced Gradient algorithm (GRG). Based on literature data, the species considered in calculations were: H 2 , H 2 O, CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , C 2 H 4 , CH 3 CHO, C 2 H 5 OH (gas phase) and C gr . (graphite phase). The thermodynamic conditions for carbon deposition (probably soot) on catalyst during gas reforming were analyzed, in order to establish temperature ranges and H 2 O/ethanol ratios where carbon precipitation is not thermodynamically feasible. Experimental results from literature show that carbon deposition causes catalyst deactivation during reforming. This deactivation is due to encapsulating carbon that covers active phases on a catalyst substrate, e.g. Ni over Al 2 O 3 . In the present study, a mathematical relationship between Lagrange multipliers and the carbon activity (with reference to the graphite phase) was deduced, unveiling the carbon activity in the reformer atmosphere. From this, it is possible to foreseen if soot

Dynamics of risk management tools and auctions in the second phase of the Brazilian Electricity Market reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Souza, Fabio Cavaliere; Legey, Luiz Fernando Loureiro

2010-01-01

In 2004, the reform of the Brazilian Electricity Market underwent a thorough revision. One of its causes was the electricity rationing that began in June 2001 and lasted until February 2002. Among other measures, the 2004 revision devised new mechanisms intended to reduce risks associated to contracts settled in electricity auctions and those related to investments in new generation plants. As 4 years have passed since the onset of the reform's revision, sufficiently enough data are now available for an analysis of the post-revision dynamics of the Brazilian Electricity Market. This is the purpose of the present paper. We focus on the dynamics of the different types of electricity auctions and on the so-called Mechanism for Compensation of Surpluses and Deficits, both created in the wake of the 2004 revision. The ultimate goal is to understand the behavior of the agents involved in auctions - notably buyers and sellers of electricity - and propose remedial actions to eliminate existing loopholes in the present regulatory framework. To achieve this goal, four steps were necessary. Firstly, a data base to support the analysis was built. Then, the main drivers of the dynamics of the risk management tools were identified. Finally, consequences of the implemented changes were discussed and corrections for observed pitfalls proposed. (author)

Reforms to the European Union Financial Supervisory and Regulatory Architecture and Their Implications for Asia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Z. Darvas (Zsolt); D. Schoenmaker (Dirk); N. Véron (Nicolas)

2017-01-01

textabstractEuropean Union (EU) countries offer a unique experience of financial regulatory and supervisory integration, complementing various other European integration efforts following the Second World War. Financial regulatory and supervisory integration was a very slow process before 2008,

Model-based analysis of CO2 revalorization for di-methyl ether synthesis driven by solar catalytic reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luu, Minh Tri; Milani, Dia; Sharma, Manish; Zeaiter, Joseph; Abbas, Ali

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Solar energy applied for synthesis of di-methyl ether via dry methane reforming. • Concentrated solar energy at receiver reaction zone for syngas generation. • H 2 /CO molar ratio of ‘1’ is maintained via two alternative processing routes. • Assessed three days of operation under different insolation levels. • Improvements of 18.7%, 32.2% and 20% for methane, energy and CO 2 emission intensities. - Abstract: The application of solar energy is investigated for the synthesis of di-methyl ether (DME) in a solar irradiated dry methane reformer (DMR). Solar radiations are concentrated onto a receiver and distributed to the reaction zone to provide necessary energy for syngas (CO and H 2 ) generation. In order to maintain a H 2 /CO molar ratio of ‘1’, as required in DME synthesis, the produced syngas is processed via two alternative routes: solar reformer coupled in parallel with a non-solar reformer (SoR-NSoR) and solar reformer integrated with a water-gas shift reactor (SoR-WGS). It is found that steam methane reforming (SMR) is the most suitable methodology when coupled with a solar reformer due to high H 2 content in the SMR syngas. Further performance analysis is conducted by simulating three days of operation under different insolation levels (high, medium and low irradiations). The simulation results showed that the SoR-WGS configuration produces the highest improvements of 18.7%, 32.2% and 20% in terms of methane, energy and CO 2 emission intensity respectively. This enhanced process performance originates from the exothermic nature of the WGS process which helps in controlling the overall syngas composition, whereas the SoR-NSoR requires fossil based thermal energy to drive the NSoR process to similar control targets. This promising improvement of all metrics in SoR-WGS may stimulate in-depth techno-economic feasibility of this unique solar integration for DME and other synthetic fuels production.

The Rise and Fall in Out-of-Pocket Costs in Australia: An Analysis of the Strengthening Medicare Reforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Chun Yee; Greene, Jessica; Dolja-Gore, Xenia; van Gool, Kees

2017-08-01

After a period of steady decline, out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for general practitioner (GP) consultations in Australia began increasing in the mid-1990s. Following the rising community concerns about the increasing costs, the Australian Government introduced the Strengthening Medicare reforms in 2004 and 2005, which included a targeted incentive for GPs to charge zero OOP costs for consultations provided to children and concession cardholders (older adults and the poor), as well as an increase in the reimbursement for all GP visits. This paper examines the impact of those reforms using longitudinal survey and administrative data from a large national sample of women. The findings suggest that the reforms were effective in reducing OOP costs by an average of $A0.40 per visit. Decreases in OOP costs, however, were not evenly distributed. Those with higher pre-reform OOP costs had the biggest reductions in OOP costs, as did those with concession cards. However, results also reveal increases in OOP costs for most people without a concession card. The analysis suggests that there has been considerable heterogeneity in GP responses to the reforms, which has led to substantial changes in the fees charged by doctors and, as a result, the OOP costs incurred by different population groups. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Reconstruction and Analysis of Gene Regulatory Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Guangyong; Huang, Tao

2018-01-01

In post-genomic era, an important task is to explore the function of individual biological molecules (i.e., gene, noncoding RNA, protein, metabolite) and their organization in living cells. For this end, gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are constructed to show relationship between biological molecules, in which the vertices of network denote biological molecules and the edges of network present connection between nodes (Strogatz, Nature 410:268-276, 2001; Bray, Science 301:1864-1865, 2003). Biologists can understand not only the function of biological molecules but also the organization of components of living cells through interpreting the GRNs, since a gene regulatory network is a comprehensively physiological map of living cells and reflects influence of genetic and epigenetic factors (Strogatz, Nature 410:268-276, 2001; Bray, Science 301:1864-1865, 2003). In this paper, we will review the inference methods of GRN reconstruction and analysis approaches of network structure. As a powerful tool for studying complex diseases and biological processes, the applications of the network method in pathway analysis and disease gene identification will be introduced.

Water Institutional Reforms in Scotland: Contested Objectives and Hidden Disputes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio A.R. Ioris

2008-10-01

Full Text Available One fundamental limitation of the contemporary debate over water institutional reforms has been the excessive concentration on scientific assessments and management techniques, with insufficient consideration of the underlying politics of decision-making and socio-economic asymmetries. This article examines the 'sociology of water regulation' to demonstrate how the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD in Scotland is profoundly influenced by broader political and economic circumstances. The ongoing reforms of regulatory institutions became entangled in the reorganisation of a devolved Scottish Administration in the late 1990s, which has directly influenced the channels of representation and the overall decision-making processes. It is claimed here that, despite a discursive construction around sustainability and public participation, the new institutional landscape has so far failed to improve long-term patterns of water use and conservation. The article also analyses how the exacerbation of the economic dimension of water management has permeated the entire experience, serving as a political filter for the assessment of impacts and formulation of solutions. The ultimate conclusion is that formal changes in the legislation created a positive space for institutional reforms, but the effective improvement of water policy and catchment management has been curtailed by political inertia and the hidden balance of power.

Is an inequality-neutral flat tax reform really neutral?

OpenAIRE

Juan Prieto Rodríguez; Juan Gabriel Rodríguez; Rafael Salas

2004-01-01

. Let us assume a revenue- and inequality-neutral flat tax reform shifting from a graduated-rate tax. Is this reform really neutral in terms of the income distribution? Traditionally, there has been a bias toward the inequality analysis, forgetting other relevant aspects of the income distribution. This kind of reforms implies a set of composite transfers, both progressive and regressive, even though inequality remains unchanged. This paper shows that polarization is a useful tool for charact...

Dostoevsky v. The Judicial Reforms of 1864: How and Why One of Nineteenth-Century Russia’s Greatest Writers Criticized the Nation’s Most Successful Reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Conlon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The legal reforms of 1864 marked a shift in Russian legal culture from an amorphous, corrupt, pre-modern system of procedure, structure, and customary law to an independent, modern, and westernized system as liberal as that of any nation. These reforms were nearly universally lauded by legal and cultural critics, both at the time they were introduced and in historical accounts. Despite the apparent necessity and success of the new courts, one of the leading figures in nineteenth-century Russian literature (and indeed the history of world literature, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, continually criticized the new system in both his fiction and non-fiction.Through the synthesis of historical, legal, and literary analysis, this study will examine why Dostoevsky had an adverse reaction to the reforms, the literary techniques he used, and whether Dostoevsky presented a viable alternative to the reformed courts. In order to fully comprehend Dostoevsky’s reaction to the reforms, this study will contrast the pre and post-reform judicial systems in Imperial Russia. This study will explore the scope and evolution of Dostoevsky’s criticism of the law through analysis of his pre-reform fiction, including ‘House of the Dead’ and ‘Crime and Punishment,’ his post-reform fiction, including ‘The Idiot,’ ‘Demons,’ and ‘Brothers Karamazov,’ and portions of his experimental literary periodical, ‘A Writer’s Diary.’

Property rights and water markets in Australia: An evolutionary process toward institutional reform

Science.gov (United States)

Pigram, John J.

1993-04-01

In the past decade far-reaching reforms have taken place in the Australian water industry. Extensive restructuring of water administration has been accompanied by increased evidence of willingness by public agencies to consider alternative institutional arrangements to the traditional regulatory approach to water allocation and use. In irrigated agriculture, a market-based system linked to enforceable property rights to water is seen as preferable to rule-based management of water resources. However, significant social and economic considerations and political realities constrain the unfettered operation of water markets. The challenge facing the irrigation industry in Australia is to put in place institutional arrangements which reflect the most appropriate mix of incentive-based and regulatory mechanisms for water management.

An Analysis of Merit Pay Reforms in Educational Institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Brulle

2006-05-01

Full Text Available With roots in behaviorist philosophy, performance pay for teachers is often linked to accountability regimes in school reform. The theory girding such programs suggests that pay as an economic incentive can help cause teachers to increase student outcomes as measured by standardized test scores. What is little noticed by many educationists, but particularly by policy makers, is how programmatic effects affect the ontology of educational environment. There are several ways to approach the viability of such programs. In this study of three pay-for-performance programs, two in the U.S. and one in the UK, we provide theoretic insights in light of three variables: (i their psychological framework, (ii teacher efficacy and the teacher-student relationship, and (iii how the psychological impact of such programs coincides with larger institutional forces. Using theory to examine pay-for-performance is necessary in order to get beneath mere data and secure more thorough understandings of the phenomenological impacts of performance pay. And better understanding of these foundational features is necessary, even critical, in order to fully appreciate the economic and informational trade-offs in implementation. Our study suggests that as a small-scale reform measure and when it specifically accounts for complexities of educational production, performance pay may be a viable reform option.

The Greek Electricity Market Reforms: Political and Regulatory Considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danias, Nikolaos; Kim Swales, John; McGregor, Peter

2013-01-01

The paper tracks the evolution of the Greek electricity market since the beginning of the liberalization process. Its progress is benchmarked against the criteria suggested by Littlechild (2006b). The Littlechild framework highlights key remaining deficiencies in the stances and policies adopted which need to be resolved in order for liberalization to proceed successfully. The focus is on the agendas of the Greek government, other domestic political forces and the European Union. A central requirement is the clear commitment to liberalization by the Greek government. In particular the government needs to give up political control over the previous vertically integrated, state-controlled electricity firm, Public Power Company (PPC), and allow more decision making powers and genuine independence to the market regulator. Liberalization is rendered more difficult by the present financial and economic crisis in Greece. - Highlights: • Greek electricity market liberalization is benchmarked against the Littlechild standard electricity market reform model. • Although the majority of the model requirements are met, liberalization in Greece is only partially successful. • Some elements of liberalization are qualitatively more significant than others. • More fundamental political economy issues need to be addressed in order for the liberalization to progress. • Financial crisis in Greece adds extra challenges

7 CFR 1700.32 - Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Administrator with respect to management, information systems, budgets, and other such matters. (a) The... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis. 1700.32... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL INFORMATION Agency Organization and Functions § 1700.32 Program...

The Rhetoric of a Reform: The Construction of "Public", "Management" and the "New" in Norwegian Education Reforms of the 1990s

Science.gov (United States)

Trippestad, Tom Are

2011-01-01

This article presents a critical rhetorical analysis of the governing and reform ideology of the Norwegian school system of the 1990s. It uses Karl Popper's "The Open Society and its Enemies" as a critical resource in the reading of the reforms, and discusses some of the consequences of the regime's models of leadership and public…

Improvements of reforming performance of a nuclear heated steam reforming process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hada, Kazuhiko

1996-10-01

Performance of an energy production process by utilizing high temperature nuclear process heat was not competitive to that by utilizing non-nuclear process heat, especially fossil-fired process heat due to its less favorable chemical reaction conditions. Less favorable conditions are because a temperature of the nuclear generated heat is around 950degC and the heat transferring fluid is the helium gas pressurized at around 4 MPa. Improvements of reforming performance of nuclear heated steam reforming process were proposed in the present report. The steam reforming process, one of hydrogen production processes, has the possibility to be industrialized as a nuclear heated process as early as expected, and technical solutions to resolve issues for coupling an HTGR with the steam reforming system are applicable to other nuclear-heated hydrogen production systems. The improvements are as follows: As for the steam reformer, (1) increase in heat input to process gas by applying a bayonet type of reformer tubes and so on, (2) increase in reforming temperature by enhancing heat transfer rate by the use of combined promoters of orifice baffles, cylindrical thermal radiation pipes and other proposal, and (3) increase in conversion rate of methane to hydrogen by optimizing chemical compositions of feed process gas. Regarding system arrangement, a steam generator and superheater are set in the helium loop as downstream coolers of the steam reformer, so as to effectively utilize the residual nuclear heat for generating feed steam. The improvements are estimated to achieve the hydrogen production rate of approximately 3800 STP-m 3 /h for the heat source of 10 MW and therefore will provide the potential competitiveness to a fossil-fired steam reforming process. Those improvements also provide the compactness of reformer tubes, giving the applicability of seamless tubes. (J.P.N.)

Applying Concepts of Critical Pedagogy to Qatar's Educational Reform

Science.gov (United States)

Romanowski, Michael H.; Amatullah, Tasneem

2016-01-01

Qatar is in the midst of a systemic education reform, Education For a New Era, steered by RAND's (a nonprofit research organization) analysis and report of Qatar's Educational system. Driven by a neoliberal agenda, the reform includes international curricula, curriculum standards, teacher licensure, and professional standards for school leaders…

Drawing on international experience to reform the Belgian market for ostomy appliances.

Science.gov (United States)

Simoens, Steven; Van den Steen, Dirk; Vanleene, Veerle; De Maré, Luc; Moldenaers, Ingrid; Debruyne, Hans; Ramaekers, Dirk

2007-02-01

This article aims to review the regulatory framework governing the Belgian ostomy appliance market in the light of the experience of Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Ontario (Canada) with regulation of ostomy appliances. Information about the regulatory framework was derived from the international literature, analysis of legal texts and a survey completed by national experts. The comparative analysis revealed that these countries have adopted varying approaches towards regulating their domestic ostomy appliance market. Strategies to keep down prices include public procurement in Denmark, maximum prices in France and exclusion of expensive appliances from reimbursement in the Netherlands. To contain public expenditure on ostomy appliances, consumption patterns are monitored in the Netherlands, the quantity of reimbursed appliances is limited in Belgium and public reimbursement is restricted in Ontario. Ostomy appliances are generally distributed by community pharmacies and medical equipment shops. In countries that emphasise home care delivery such as Denmark, domiciliary distributors dominate the market to the detriment of community pharmacies which do not seem to be able to offer this service at a competitive price. An avenue for reforming the Belgian ostomy appliance market is proposed which valorizes the role of ostomy care nurses in guiding the choice of ostomy appliances. Furthermore, it is recommended that a competitive tendering process determines the price of ostomy appliances, that reimbursement for service provision by distributors is separated from reimbursement of appliances, and that patients receive a fixed grant from the third-party payer to buy ostomy appliances.

Radiant non-catalytic recuperative reformer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khinkis, Mark J.; Kozlov, Aleksandr P.

2017-10-31

A radiant, non-catalytic recuperative reformer has a flue gas flow path for conducting hot exhaust gas from a thermal process and a reforming mixture flow path for conducting a reforming mixture. At least a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is positioned adjacent to the flue gas flow path to permit heat transfer from the hot exhaust gas to the reforming mixture. The reforming mixture flow path contains substantially no material commonly used as a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbon fuel (e.g., nickel oxide, platinum group elements or rhenium), but instead the reforming mixture is reformed into a higher calorific fuel via reactions due to the heat transfer and residence time. In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is positioned outside of flue gas flow path for a relatively large residence time.

Implementing a Nation-Wide Mental Health Care Reform: An Analysis of Stakeholders' Priorities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorant, Vincent; Grard, Adeline; Nicaise, Pablo

2016-04-01

Belgium has recently reformed its mental health care delivery system with the goals to strengthen the community-based supply of care, care integration, and the social rehabilitation of users and to reduce the resort to hospitals. We assessed whether these different reform goals were endorsed by stakeholders. One-hundred and twenty-two stakeholders ranked, online, eighteen goals of the reform according to their priorities. Stakeholders supported the goals of social rehabilitation of users and community care but were reluctant to reduce the resort to hospitals. Stakeholders were averse to changes in treatment processes, particularly in relation to the reduction of the resort to hospitals and mechanisms for more care integration. Goals heterogeneity and discrepancies between stakeholders' perspectives and policy priorities are likely to produce an uneven implementation of the reform process and, hence, reduce its capacity to achieve the social rehabilitation of users.

A flood-based information flow analysis and network minimization method for gene regulatory networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlogiannis, Andreas; Mozhayskiy, Vadim; Tagkopoulos, Ilias

2013-04-24

Biological networks tend to have high interconnectivity, complex topologies and multiple types of interactions. This renders difficult the identification of sub-networks that are involved in condition- specific responses. In addition, we generally lack scalable methods that can reveal the information flow in gene regulatory and biochemical pathways. Doing so will help us to identify key participants and paths under specific environmental and cellular context. This paper introduces the theory of network flooding, which aims to address the problem of network minimization and regulatory information flow in gene regulatory networks. Given a regulatory biological network, a set of source (input) nodes and optionally a set of sink (output) nodes, our task is to find (a) the minimal sub-network that encodes the regulatory program involving all input and output nodes and (b) the information flow from the source to the sink nodes of the network. Here, we describe a novel, scalable, network traversal algorithm and we assess its potential to achieve significant network size reduction in both synthetic and E. coli networks. Scalability and sensitivity analysis show that the proposed method scales well with the size of the network, and is robust to noise and missing data. The method of network flooding proves to be a useful, practical approach towards information flow analysis in gene regulatory networks. Further extension of the proposed theory has the potential to lead in a unifying framework for the simultaneous network minimization and information flow analysis across various "omics" levels.

Analytical study on carbon dioxide reforming of natural gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohashi, Hirofumi; Sakaki, Akihiro; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki

2001-01-01

In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to carbon dioxide reforming of natural gas, namely CO 2 reforming, since it can produce synthesis gas with low hydrogen-to-carbon ratio preferentially used for production of liquid hydrocarbons in the Fischer-Tropsch and methanol syntheses. This reaction has also very important environmental implications because CO 2 , a green house gas, may be converted into valuable feedstock. In JAERI, CO 2 reforming using the out-of-pile test facility, which is a 1/30 scale model of the HTTR hydrogen production system, is also being considered as an application of steam reforming. For the purpose to estimate the reformer performance in the facility, numerical analysis of natural gas reforming processes of CO 2 and combined reactions with steam and CO 2 has been carried out using mathematical model on heat and mass balance accompanied by chemical reactions. The reformer performance was evaluated in the effect of pressure, temperature, process gas composition and reaction rate constants of the catalyst on conversion, product gas composition and heat consumption of He gas. And also, the potential of carbon formation by CH 4 cracking reaction and Boudouard reaction was estimated. (author)

Regulation and the nuclear option: Summary of a workshop on long-range nuclear power regulatory issues, August 20-21, 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barkenbus, J.N.; Weinberg, A.M.

1987-01-01

Nuclear reactor regulation is discussed in the light of institutional and technological changes and analytical tools for failure and risk analysis. It is suggested that distinctions be drawn between higher risk and lower risk reactor operations and that lower-risk operations be afforded more autonomy. Discussion of public acceptability emphasized political accommodation entailing development of a future generation of inherently safe reactors and a commitment to fix existing reactors and increase solar energy research. Several statements on regulatory reform are appended as well as the NRC's advanced reactor policy

Steepest Ascent Tariff Reforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raimondos-Møller, Pascalis; Woodland, Alan D.

2006-01-01

a theoretical concept where the focus is upon the size of welfare gains accruing from tariff reforms rather than simply with the direction of welfare effects that has been the concern of theliterature.JEL code: F15.Keywords: Steepest ascent tariff reforms; piecemeal tariff policy; welfare; market access; small......This paper introduces the concept of a steepest ascent tariff reform for a small open economy. By construction, it is locally optimal in that it yields the highest gain in utility of any feasible tariff reform vector of the same length. Accordingly, it provides a convenient benchmark...... for the evaluation of the welfare effectiveness of other well known tariff reform rules, as e.g. the proportional and the concertina rules. We develop the properties of this tariff reform, characterize the sources of the potential welfare gains from tariff reform, use it to establish conditions under which some...

Pre-salt new regulatory mark and the economic order: constitutionality analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinheiro, Marcela Brasil Pedrosa; Araujo, Mayara de Carvalho; Xavier, Yanko Marcius; Guimaraes, Patricia Borba Vilar

2010-01-01

The discovery of vast reserves of hydrocarbons in the pre-salt layer that extends from Espirito Santo to Santa Catarina, added with the economic and strategic value of oil and natural gas, has brought discussion about the reasonableness of the regulatory model adopted so far. Would be prudent to explore these resources through the concession model? From detailed analysis of the doctrinal and bills that aim to inaugurate the new regulatory bills, we sought to answer this question, based majorly on the principles of economic activity applied in our constitutional system. Motivated by the analysis of these constitutional principles proposed, the State is seen as a regulating agent of the economic activities, fulfilling its role to supervise, encourage and plan the direction of national economic system. The sharing model gives greater state involvement and is able to convert the wealth of pre-salt in citizenship, but only if well implemented. Thus, based on constitutional principles and the notion of development as freedom, the conclusion of this paperwork is for the constitutionality of the new regulatory bills. (author)

Health system reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortolon, Ken

2009-06-01

A vote on reforming the nation's health care system seems likely this summer as President Obama makes good on a campaign pledge. Although the Democratic leadership in Congress appears ready to push through reform legislation before the next election, TMA and AMA leaders say very little is known about what that "reform" likely will look like.

Medical Education and Curriculum Reform: Putting Reform Proposals in Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Kam Yin Chan, MD, MB.BS, MHA

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to elaborate criteria by which the principles of curriculum reform can be judged. To this end, the paper presents an overview of standard critiques of medical education and examines the ways medical curriculum reforms have responded to these critiques. The paper then sets out our assessment of these curriculum reforms along three parameters: pedagogy, educational context, and knowledge status. Following on from this evaluation of recent curriculum reforms, the paper puts forward four criteria with which to gauge the adequacy medical curriculum reform. These criteria enable us to question the extent to which new curricula incorporate methods and approaches for ensuring that its substance: overcomes the traditional opposition between clinical and resource dimensions of care; emphasizes that the clinical work needs to be systematized in so far as that it feasible; promotes multi-disciplinary team work, and balances clinical autonomy with accountability to non-clinical stakeholders.

Institutional change and corporate governance reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harilaos Mertzanis

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The global financial crisis has posed challenges to financial institutions governance. Meeting these challenges requires an understanding of governance dynamics in relation to institutions’ performance within a changing environment. The nature and scope of institutional response to a changing environment depends upon inherited governance structures, including socioeconomic conventions and rules of behavior at the macro level and time, expertise and common commitment of directors at the micro level. Innovation and learning-by-doing in governance can be an effective reform strategy. Innovation in governance may include the establishment of new norms of economic behavior and the transformation of decision-making process and the reallocation of responsibilities to directors and senior management. This may also inform regulatory approaches in strengthening financial institutions governance, based on improved disclosure, independent and competent boards

The Spanish income tax reform of 2015: analysis of the effects on poverty and redistribution using microsimulation tools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuria Badenes-Plá

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this work we analyze the effects of the 2015 reform of the Spanish personal income tax (PIT on tax revenue, liquidity, redistribution, progressivity, and poverty, using microdata. Tax reform has increased the redistributive effect. The applicable legislation in 2016 is almost 6.3% more redistributive than that in 2011, as measured by the Reynolds-Smolensky index. This is a remarkable achievement since greater redistribution has been attained through significantly lower tax revenue. The 2016 legislation has produced 4.4% lower tax revenue, but progressivity, as measured by Kakwani index, has increased by 12.2% from the 2011 legislation. The redistributive and progressivity analysis has been conducted with the use of microsimulation tools developed in the Instituto de Estudios Fiscales (IEF, in Spain. The poverty analysis is made using EUROMOD, a tax-benefit microsimulation model for the European Union.

The reform in the Turkish natural gas market: A critical evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cetin, Tamer; Oguz, Fuat

2007-01-01

Turkey is in a strategically advantageous position in terms of its natural gas market. Being in the middle of Europe and energy-rich countries of Central Asia, it can be an energy corridor between these two regions. It can import gas from a number of countries and diversify its sources. This situation may also provide motivation for a competitive gas market. The recent reform in the market, which began in 2001, was an attempt to strengthen the natural gas market to this end. However, the reform has not worked out as expected so far. This article discusses recent restructuring efforts in the Turkish natural gas market. We focus on the legal structure and economic consequences of the legal change within the international economic relations. After presenting a detailed discussion of the legal framework, we draw attention to the problems of the industry and difficulties in the transition to a more competitive market structure. In the end, we touch upon some regulatory issues and potential conflicts. (author)

Latin America: market mechanisms and supply adequacy in power sector reforms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammons, T.J. [University of Glasgow, Glasgow (United Kingdom); Barroso, L.A. [PSR, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Rudnick, H. [Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago (Chile)

2011-03-15

The process of transformation in government and operations in the power sector leads to interaction between increasing integrated markets and public agencies in charge of policy making, regulation and control. This is examined for Latin America where state and marketing power sector planning, contract auctions to assure supply adequacy in an uncertain market environment, cross-border contracts, financing challenges for generation investments, and auctions of contracts to secure supply adequacy in the second stage of power sector reform are discussed. First, the state and market in power sector planning reform and state policies in Latin America are considered. Here, present concerns; the state-market relationship (the position of regulation, globalisation, internationalisation), and state market in the energy sector (correction and adjustments) are reviewed. Case studies for Argentina and Brazil are briefly outlined. The paper then examines contract auctions to assure supply adequacy in an uncertain energy environment that are being explored to face supply problems over recent years in the Chilean electricity market, taking into account the unexpected restrictions in natural gas transfers from Argentina. Also discussed are supply adequacy mechanisms and cross-border contracts in the Central American regional electricity market including firm transmission rights and financing challenges for generation investments. The final part of the paper discusses auctions of contracts and energy call options to ensure supply adequacy in the Brazilian power sector reform. Here, first stage of power sector reform, what went wrong, the second stage of reform and the move towards energy supply auctions, energy supply auctions so far and what's next in the challenges of environmental constraints and electricity-gas integration are reviewed. The reform being proposed to the electric regulatory framework for wholesale transactions in Peru is also reviewed. Considered are bids for

Economic and Social Models in Europe and the Importance of Reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Heipertz

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on European economic and social models. It provides a comparative assessment of fiscal and regulatory policies in 17 industrialised countries (the EU15, US and Japan and presents the records of these countries in attaining key economic and social objectives. Social and economic systems that feature efficient public sectors and flexible market structures tend to experience reasonably sustainable public finances, high economic growth, education standards and employment, and well-functioning markets. Anglo-Saxon countries broadly fit this mould, albeit, seemingly, at some cost of income equality. A more pronounced emphasis on welfare state policies and the corresponding relatively high levels of public spending bring benefit to income distribution in the Nordic countries while the resulting inefficiencies in their economies are counterbalanced by flexibility in labour and particularly product markets. Also, a number of reform-minded European countries have improved their fiscal and regulatory policies while significantly enhancing the functioning of markets, fiscal sustainability and economic performance. This was generally attained without jeopardising social objectives. On the other hand, those continental and Mediterranean countries that maintain market inefficiencies and at the same time sustain expensive and inefficient welfare states generally suffer from low growth and employment and less well-functioning markets and face serious risks to their economies’ fiscal sustainability. The findings of this note support calls for the comprehensive reform of fiscal policies, as well as of product and labour markets.

Quantitative Analysis of Science and Chemistry Textbooks for Indicators of Reform: A complementary perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Kahveci, Ajda

2010-07-01

In this study, multiple thematically based and quantitative analysis procedures were utilized to explore the effectiveness of Turkish chemistry and science textbooks in terms of their reflection of reform. The themes gender equity, questioning level, science vocabulary load, and readability level provided the conceptual framework for the analyses. An unobtrusive research method, content analysis, was used by coding the manifest content and counting the frequency of words, photographs, drawings, and questions by cognitive level. The context was an undergraduate chemistry teacher preparation program at a large public university in a metropolitan area in northwestern Turkey. Forty preservice chemistry teachers were guided to analyze 10 middle school science and 10 high school chemistry textbooks. Overall, the textbooks included unfair gender representations, a considerably higher number of input and processing than output level questions, and high load of science terminology. The textbooks failed to provide sufficient empirical evidence to be considered as gender equitable and inquiry-based. The quantitative approach employed for evaluation contrasts with a more interpretive approach, and has the potential in depicting textbook profiles in a more reliable way, complementing the commonly employed qualitative procedures. Implications suggest that further work in this line is needed on calibrating the analysis procedures with science textbooks used in different international settings. The procedures could be modified and improved to meet specific evaluation needs. In the Turkish context, next step research may concern the analysis of science textbooks being rewritten for the reform-based curricula to make cross-comparisons and evaluate a possible progression.

Regulatory activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

This publication, compiled in 8 chapters, presents the regulatory system developed by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) of the Argentine Republic. The following activities and developed topics in this document describe: the evolution of the nuclear regulatory activity in Argentina; the Argentine regulatory system; the nuclear regulatory laws and standards; the inspection and safeguards of nuclear facilities; the emergency systems; the environmental systems; the environmental monitoring; the analysis laboratories on physical and biological dosimetry, prenatal irradiation, internal irradiation, radiation measurements, detection techniques on nuclear testing, medical program on radiation protection; the institutional relations with national and international organization; the training courses and meeting; the technical information

Analysis of the National Modernizers Network for the Support of the Public Administration Reform Process from Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alina PROFIROIU

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The reform process of the state and implicitly of the public administration was a priority for the past governments of Romania. During 2004- 2009, within the reform process, the main actors involved in the coordination, implementation and monitoring of reform measures were: the Prime Minister, the Superior Council for Public Administration Reform, Public Policy Coordination and Structural Adjustment, the Ministry of Public Finance, the General Secretariat of Government, Ministry of Administration and Interior (renamed for a short time Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform, the Central Unit for Public Administration Reform, National Institute of Administration, the National Agency of Civil Servants, and the National Modernizers Network. For evaluation of aspects related to the reform process it was designed a selective research within the members of the National Modernizers Network, for assessing their perception of the public administration reform undertaken by the institutions presented above. Evaluating their opinion can be an important point in the revitalization of the area of the administration reform process. Also, the research conducted aimed at assessing the degree of modernizers’ involvement in activities related to important aspects of the reform process: strategic planning, formulating and evaluating public policies, financial management, human resources management, decentralization, introduction of new information and communication technologies and administrative simplification.

Reform despite politics? The political economy of power sector reform in Fiji, 1996–2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dornan, Matthew

2014-01-01

Attempts to reform the electricity sector in developing countries have achieved mixed results, despite the implementation of similar reforms in many developed countries, and concerted effort by donors to transfer reform models. In many cases, political obstacles have prevented full and effective implementation of donor-promoted reforms. This paper examines the political economy of power sector reform in Fiji from 1996 to 2013. Reform has been pursued with political motives in a context of clientelism. Policy inconsistency and reversal is explained by the political instability of ethnic-based politics in Fiji. Modest success has been achieved in recent years despite these challenges, with Fiji now considered a model of power sector reform for other Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific. The experience demonstrates that reform is possible within difficult political environments, but it is challenging, takes time and is not guaranteed. The way in which political motives have driven and shaped reform efforts also highlights the need for studies of power sector reform to direct greater attention toward political drivers behind reform. - Highlights: • This is the first study of power sector reform in Fiji or other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Pacific. • The clientelist nature of politics in Fiji is found to have both driven and shaped reform efforts. • There has been modest success in recent years despite these obstacles, with Fiji now considered a model for other SIDS. • The experience demonstrates that reform is possible within difficult political environments, but it is challenging, takes time and is not guaranteed

The reform of the Moldovan nuclear and radiological regulatory infrastructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buzdugan, Artur

2008-01-01

Establishment of an independent and efficient regulatory body was recognized as a high level state priority in the last years. On May 11, 2006, the Parliament approved the new Law 111-XVI 'On safe deployment of nuclear and radiological activities'. According to the Law, there is being established a single regulatory body - National Agency for Regulation of Nuclear and Radiological Activities (further 'Regulator') and replaced those four domestic domestic regulatory bodies, being earlier in force. On february 28, 2007, the government has approved its Regulation and structure. The Regulator is established under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, but having the necessary financial and decision independence, The Director General of the Regulator is appointed by the Prime-Minister upon the recommendation of the respective Minister. The Regulator is responsible for the authorization, review and assessment on regulation, norms, inspection and enforcement. The mains kinds of activities with ionizing radiation sources are subjects of authorization by licensing of registration. The authorizations are issued if the user respects fully the conditions of legal norms forwarded by the Regulator. Authorizations are delivered under the form of license or certificates of registration, respective for I-III or IV-V categories of used ionizing radiation sources. For the first time, it is introduced in practice the categorization of radioactive sources, based on IAEA recommendations. Certificates of registration are issued by the Regulator, contrary to the licenses, which are issued or revoked by the Chamber of Licensing, on the base of the Regulator written notification. All services of the Regulator are free of charge. The Inspectorate is established as the subdivision of the Regulator. It is subordinated directly to the Director General of the Regulator, who is the Main State Inspector from the office. The inspectors have the right to perform inspections independent or

Genome-wide comparative analysis reveals human-mouse regulatory landscape and evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Denas, Olgert; Sandstrom, Richard; Cheng, Yong; Beal, Kathryn; Herrero, Javier; Hardison, Ross C; Taylor, James

2015-02-14

Because species-specific gene expression is driven by species-specific regulation, understanding the relationship between sequence and function of the regulatory regions in different species will help elucidate how differences among species arise. Despite active experimental and computational research, relationships among sequence, conservation, and function are still poorly understood. We compared transcription factor occupied segments (TFos) for 116 human and 35 mouse TFs in 546 human and 125 mouse cell types and tissues from the Human and the Mouse ENCODE projects. We based the map between human and mouse TFos on a one-to-one nucleotide cross-species mapper, bnMapper, that utilizes whole genome alignments (WGA). Our analysis shows that TFos are under evolutionary constraint, but a substantial portion (25.1% of mouse and 25.85% of human on average) of the TFos does not have a homologous sequence on the other species; this portion varies among cell types and TFs. Furthermore, 47.67% and 57.01% of the homologous TFos sequence shows binding activity on the other species for human and mouse respectively. However, 79.87% and 69.22% is repurposed such that it binds the same TF in different cells or different TFs in the same cells. Remarkably, within the set of repurposed TFos, the corresponding genome regions in the other species are preferred locations of novel TFos. These events suggest exaptation of some functional regulatory sequences into new function. Despite TFos repurposing, we did not find substantial changes in their predicted target genes, suggesting that CRMs buffer evolutionary events allowing little or no change in the TFos - target gene associations. Thus, the small portion of TFos with strictly conserved occupancy underestimates the degree of conservation of regulatory interactions. We mapped regulatory sequences from an extensive number of TFs and cell types between human and mouse using WGA. A comparative analysis of this correspondence unveiled the

Pension reform in the European periphery: the role of EU reform advocacy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stepan, M.; Anderson, K.A.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY: This paper analyzes the impact of international reform advocacy on national pension reforms. We analyze European Union (EU) reform advocacy in two EU member states: Greece and Hungary. Although the EU has articulated a fairly coherent template for sustainable pensions, its use of soft

Steam reforming of methane over Pt/Rh based wire mesh catalyst in single channel reformer for small scale syngas production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sigurdsson, Haftor Örn; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2012-01-01

of a catalytic parallel plate type heat exchanger (CPHE) reformer stack, where coated Pt/Rh based wire mesh is used as a catalyst. Heat is supplied to the endothermic reaction with infrared electric heaters. All the experiments were performed under atmospheric pressure and at stable operating conditions......The purpose of this study is to investigate a small scale steam methane reformer for syngas production for a micro combined heat and power (mCPH) unit under different operational conditions. The study presents an experimental analysis of the performance of a specially built single channel...... to evaluate the effect of flow maldistribution in a CPHE reformer stack on the CH4 conversion and H2 yield....

Visions of regulatory renewal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edgeworth, A.

1998-01-01

The economic contribution of the CEPA (Canadian Energy Pipeline Association) member companies to Canada's trade balance was discussed. CEPA member companies transport 95 per cent of the crude oil and natural gas produced in Canada to domestic and export markets. This represents a total of 5.6 Tcf of gas annually. Half of Canada's natural gas and oil production is exported to U.S. markets. All of these exports are transported by pipeline. CEPA member companies operate 90,000 km of pipeline from British Columbia to Quebec. Expansions are needed as a result of a significant increase in demand for natural gas and crude oil since 1990. Several issues exist for regulatory renewal. They include the need to create a level playing field, the overseeing of tolls and contract renewal terms, changing risk/reward trade-offs, the right to confidentiality of information and price discovery mechanism. The drivers for regulatory reform at Westcoast Energy are the need for pricing flexibility, customers desire for toll certainty, decontracting and opposition to rolled-in expansions for gathering and processing. An overview of Westcoast Energy's negotiated toll settlement, its implications, and the components of Westcoast Energy's 'light handed regulation' (LHR) was presented

Early Educational Provision--Emphasised in Education Policy Reforms in Norway? An Analysis of Education Policy Documents

Science.gov (United States)

Bjørnsrud, Halvor; Nilsen, Sven

2014-01-01

The article analyses how the intentions of early provision in Norwegian schools have been expressed in the education policy reforms in Norway from the 1970s to the present day. The first area deals with the intentions that most explicitly cover early provision; prevention, early detection and intervention. The second area of analysis relates to…

Planes, straws and oysters: the use of metaphors in healthcare reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Millar, Ross; Dickinson, Helen

2016-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to examine the metaphors used by senior managers and clinicians in the delivery of healthcare reform. A study of healthcare reform in England carried out a series of semi structured interviews with senior managers and clinicians leading primary and secondary care organisations. Qualitative data analysis examines instances where metaphorical language is used to communicate how particular policy reforms are experienced and the implications these reforms have for organisational contexts. The findings show how metaphorical language is used to explain the interactions between policy reform and organisational contexts. Metaphors are used to illustrate both the challenges and opportunities associated with the reform proposals for organisational change. The authors provide the first systematic study of patterns and meanings of metaphors within English healthcare contexts and beyond. The authors argue that these metaphors provide important examples of "generative" dialogue in their illustration of the opportunities associated with reform. Conversely, these metaphors also provide examples of "degenerative" dialogue in their illustration of a demarcation between the reform policy proposals and existing organisational contexts.

The new reform in tunisia: the democratic challenge of the manuals analysis and teaching

OpenAIRE

Maria Lucenti

2017-01-01

Tunisia is affected by many changes, including the reform of the education system that plays a crucial role. The Ministry of Education together with Trade Unions (UGTT) and the Arab Institute of Human Rights are tracing the outlines of the reform, through an experiment of participatory democracy, synthesized through the preparation of a national report, which is analyzed here. The reform aims to change profoundly the current educational system: programs, manuals, the training of teachers, tea...

What lessons have been learned in reforming the Renewables Obligation? An analysis of internal and external failures in UK renewable energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, Geoffrey; Dow, Stephen

2011-01-01

Despite operating a delivery programme for RES-E since 1990, UK targets and policy goals have not been achieved. In response, the Government reformed the RO. This article re-examines UK renewable energy policy by analysing the internal and external failures of the various mechanisms to determine if Government has learnt from previous experience in reforming the RO. Government did not learn from their own actions during the NFFO/RO transition, evidenced by high-levels of similarity in internal/external failures. The reformed-RO is expected to significantly increase deployment, has provided a 'renewables package' by comprehensively addressing both internal/external failures but major internal failures (price/financial risk) still remain, resulting in contiguous failures over two decades and two mechanism changes (NFFO, RO, RO/reformed-RO). Success will again be heavily dependent on a select few technologies and new/untested measures to combat external failures. Mechanism-extension to 2037 is probably the single most important factor underlying potential deployment increases. However, introducing a FIT-like system via the sheer number of 'bolt-on' reforms to counter policy failures indicates loss of direction and clarity. Overall, although Government appears to have learnt some of its lessons from the past two-decades, significant doubt remains whether renewable energy policy objectives will be met via the latest mechanism change. - Research highlights: → Review of UK renewable energy policy learning behaviour via the 2009 Renewable Obligation reform. → Applies key lessons and analysis of NFFO/RO, RO reform and possible FIT schemes. → Finds UK Government has learnt some lessons from the past but some failures remain contiguous over two decades. → In contrast to previous changes, 2009 reform provided a comprehensive reform package. → Significant doubt remains whether objectives will be met via latest mechanism change.

Development of Regulatory Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis System (RETAS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, Seung-Hoon; Kim, In-Goo; Kim, Hho-Jung; Cho, Yong Jin [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-10-15

A review is provided of the reasons why the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety needs improvement of the existing codes employed for a regulatory audit. The proposed new organization of the codes, developed or to be developed, is presented together with illustrative applications. Inspection of the quality assurance activities is planned to ensure the robustness of MARS (Multi-dimensional Analysis for Reactor Safety) code, served as a pivot of the organization.

Development of Regulatory Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis System (RETAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Seung-Hoon; Kim, In-Goo; Kim, Hho-Jung; Cho, Yong Jin

2007-01-01

A review is provided of the reasons why the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety needs improvement of the existing codes employed for a regulatory audit. The proposed new organization of the codes, developed or to be developed, is presented together with illustrative applications. Inspection of the quality assurance activities is planned to ensure the robustness of MARS (Multi-dimensional Analysis for Reactor Safety) code, served as a pivot of the organization

Cloning and bioinformatic analysis of lovastatin biosynthesis regulatory gene lovE.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xin; Li, Hao-ming

2009-08-05

Lovastatin is an effective drug for treatment of hyperlipidemia. This study aimed to clone lovastatin biosynthesis regulatory gene lovE and analyze the structure and function of its encoding protein. According to the lovastatin synthase gene sequence from genebank, primers were designed to amplify and clone the lovastatin biosynthesis regulatory gene lovE from Aspergillus terrus genomic DNA. Bioinformatic analysis of lovE and its encoding animo acid sequence was performed through internet resources and software like DNAMAN. Target fragment lovE, almost 1500 bp in length, was amplified from Aspergillus terrus genomic DNA and the secondary and three-dimensional structures of LovE protein were predicted. In the lovastatin biosynthesis process lovE is a regulatory gene and LovE protein is a GAL4-like transcriptional factor.

Reforming Romanian energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, S.

1993-01-01

Success in reforming energy sector depends on the implementation of the programme of economic reform agreed in February 1993. The difficulty of the negotiations between the International Monetary Fund and the Romanian government reflects the wider difficulties faced by the economy as a whole. They can be blamed in part on the legacy of uneconomic and inflexible industrial development and in part on opposition from interest groups which stand to lose from reform. Nonetheless, in spite of hesitant approach, the government does appear committed to the economic reform necessary to establish a market-oriented economy. But as the danger of a financial crisis engendered by the inadequately supported short-term borrowing of foreign exchange becomes urgent, the question is whether economic reform can be now implemented fast enough to protect economic enterprises and saving from a debt crisis. The scope for further delay in implementing the 1993 economic reform programme is fast disappearing. Procrastination should not be allowed to threaten the success of the reforms achieved in the energy and other sectors of the economy. 8 refs., 2 figs

Curriculum reform at Chinese medical schools: what have we learned?

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lei; Cheng, Liming; Cai, Qiaoling; Kosik, Russell Olive; Huang, Yun; Zhao, Xudong; Xu, Guo-Tong; Su, Tung-Ping; Chiu, Allen Wen-Hsiang; Fan, Angela Pei-Chen

2014-12-01

Curriculum reform at Chinese medical schools has attracted a lot of attention recently. Several leading medical schools in China have undergone exploratory reforms and in so doing, have accumulated significant experience and have made considerable progress. An analysis of the reforms conducted by 38 Chinese medical colleges that were targeted by the government for upgrade was performed. Drawing from both domestic and international literature, we designed a questionnaire to determine what types of curricular reforms have occurred at these institutions and how they were implemented. Major questions touched upon the purpose of the reforms, curricular patterns, improvements in teaching methods post-reform, changes made to evaluation systems post-reform, intra-university reform assessment, and what difficulties the schools faced when instituting the reforms. Besides the questionnaire, relevant administrators from each medical school were also interviewed to obtain more qualitative data. Out of the 38 included universities, twenty-five have undergone major curricular reforms. Among them, 60.0% adopted an organ system-based curriculum model, 32.0% adopted a problem-based curriculum model, and 8.0% adopted a hybrid curriculum model. About 60.0% of the schools' reforms involved both the "pre-clinical" and the "clinical" curricula, 32.0% of the schools' reforms were limited to the "pre-clinical" curricula, and 8.0% of the schools' reforms only involved the "clinical" curricula. Following curricular reform, 60.0% of medical schools experienced an overall reduction in teaching hours, 76.0% reported an increase in their students' clinical skills, and 60.0% reported an increase in their students' research skills. Medical curricular reform is still in its infancy in China. The republic's leading medical schools have engaged in various approaches to bring innovative teaching methods to their respective institutions. However, due to limited resources and the shackle of traditional

Guideline for regulatory agencies in evaluating contents of root cause analysis by operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hata, Takaya; Makino, Maomi; Kosaka, Atsuhiko

2008-01-01

'Guideline for Regulatory Agencies in Evaluating Contents of Root cause Analysis by Operators' was enacted as the policy for new inspection system in Japan. The objective is to indicate the view point to verify the appropriateness of the corrective actions and preventive actions implemented by operators based on root cause analysis and its analysis results. This guideline is leading to take four points into special consideration for adequate application. They are encouragement of further activities of the operators, flexible interpretation of the intention, versatility of the analysis methods and concepts and consideration of no blame culture. Moreover, as view point for regulatory agencies, it indicates with special emphasis that neutrality of the analyzing party, objectivity of analysis result, and logicality of the analysis method are ensured. This guideline shall be continuously reviewed through integration of lessons learned from active use in future. (author)

Nuclear regulatory legislation, 104th Congress. Volume 2, No. 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-12-01

This document is the second of two volumes compiling statutes and material pertaining to nuclear regulatory legislation through the 104th Congress, 2nd Session. It is intended for use as a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) internal resource document. Legislative information reproduced in this document includes portions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, various acts pertaining to low-level radioactive waste, the Clean Air Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, the West Valley Demonstration Project Act, Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Export Licensing Statutes, and selected treaties, agreements, and executive orders. Other information provided pertains to Commissioner tenure, NRC appropriations, the Chief Financial Officers Act, information technology management reform, and Federal civil penalties

Nuclear regulatory legislation, 104th Congress. Volume 2, No. 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-01

This document is the second of two volumes compiling statutes and material pertaining to nuclear regulatory legislation through the 104th Congress, 2nd Session. It is intended for use as a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) internal resource document. Legislative information reproduced in this document includes portions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, various acts pertaining to low-level radioactive waste, the Clean Air Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, the West Valley Demonstration Project Act, Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Export Licensing Statutes, and selected treaties, agreements, and executive orders. Other information provided pertains to Commissioner tenure, NRC appropriations, the Chief Financial Officers Act, information technology management reform, and Federal civil penalties.

Education System Reform in China after 1978: Some Practical Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Miantao

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an overview of education system reform in China since 1978, and its practical implications. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from literature review and interview. An overview of education system reform and its practical implications was found through data analysis. Findings: There has been two…

Integrative Genetic and Epigenetic Analysis Uncovers Regulatory Mechanisms of Autoimmune Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Shooshtari, Parisa; Huang, Hailiang; Cotsapas, Chris

2017-07-06

Genome-wide association studies in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (AID) have uncovered hundreds of loci mediating risk. These associations are preferentially located in non-coding DNA regions and in particular in tissue-specific DNase I hypersensitivity sites (DHSs). While these analyses clearly demonstrate the overall enrichment of disease risk alleles on gene regulatory regions, they are not designed to identify individual regulatory regions mediating risk or the genes under their control, and thus uncover the specific molecular events driving disease risk. To do so we have departed from standard practice by identifying regulatory regions which replicate across samples and connect them to the genes they control through robust re-analysis of public data. We find significant evidence of regulatory potential in 78/301 (26%) risk loci across nine autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and we find that individual genes are targeted by these effects in 53/78 (68%) of these. Thus, we are able to generate testable mechanistic hypotheses of the molecular changes that drive disease risk. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transitions in state public health law: comparative analysis of state public health law reform following the Turning Point Model State Public Health Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, Benjamin Mason; Hodge, James G; Gebbie, Kristine M

2009-03-01

Given the public health importance of law modernization, we undertook a comparative analysis of policy efforts in 4 states (Alaska, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Nebraska) that have considered public health law reform based on the Turning Point Model State Public Health Act. Through national legislative tracking and state case studies, we investigated how the Turning Point Act's model legal language has been considered for incorporation into state law and analyzed key facilitating and inhibiting factors for public health law reform. Our findings provide the practice community with a research base to facilitate further law reform and inform future scholarship on the role of law as a determinant of the public's health.

ANALYSIS ON CONFLICTS OF CHINA’S COAL TAX REFORM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the conflicts which are resulted from coal tax reform in China from economic and public policy perspectives. An analytical framework involving actors, values, interests and institution has been applied. China’s central government eagers to achieve fiscal revenue increase, environmental protection and energy conversation goals by a good governance of coal system. As a traditional and feasible policy instrument, taxation is regarded for dealing with energy issues in politics and governance. However, coal tax reform proposal has induced many controversies in China. The causes of that include value conflicts of all actors, competing interests of all parties and institutional barriers of economic, politics and legislation. Therefore, the government cannot regulate coal issues only through taxation. The case reveals that good governance on coal cannot be achieved only by economic tools as coal system contains so high stake and involves so many players.

Evaluation of Large-scale Public Sector Reforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breidahl, Karen Nielsen; Gjelstrup, Gunnar; Hansen, Hanne Foss

2017-01-01

and more delimited policy areas take place. In our analysis we apply four governance perspectives (rational-instrumental, rational-interest based, institutional-cultural and a chaos perspective) in a comparative analysis of the evaluations of two large-scale public sector reforms in Denmark and Norway. We...

Ethical modernization: research misconduct and research ethics reforms in Korea following the Hwang affair.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jongyoung; Park, Kibeom

2013-06-01

The Hwang affair, a dramatic and far reaching instance of scientific fraud, shocked the world. This collective national failure prompted various organizations in Korea, including universities, regulatory agencies, and research associations, to engage in self-criticism and research ethics reforms. This paper aims, first, to document and review research misconduct perpetrated by Hwang and members of his research team, with particular attention to the agencies that failed to regulate and then supervise Hwang's research. The paper then examines the research ethics reforms introduced in the wake of this international scandal. After reviewing American and European research governance structures and policies, policy makers developed a mixed model mindful of its Korean context. The third part of the paper examines how research ethics reform is proactive (a response to shocking scientific misconduct and ensuing external criticism from the press and society) as well as reactive (identification of and adherence to national or international ethics standards). The last part deals with Korean society's response to the Hwang affair, which had the effect of a moral atomic bomb and has led to broad ethical reform in Korean society. We conceptualize this change as ethical modernization, through which the Korean public corrects the failures of a growth-oriented economic model for social progress, and attempts to create a more trustworthy and ethical society.

Probabilistic risk analysis and its role in regulatory activity in a developing country

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arredondo-Sanchez, C.

1985-01-01

The author discusses the criterion adopted for regulatory activity in a developing country with a nuclear power plant. He describes the problems that have to be overcome as a result of changes in the regulations during construction of the plant. There is discussion of the action taken by the regulatory body when introducing the method of probabilistic risk analysis. The part played by this form of analysis in quantifying the safety objectives proposed in the USA together with its limitations and the problems involved in this methodology are examined. Lastly, the author gives an opinion on the use that probabilistic risk analysis should be put to in developing countries such as Mexico. (author)

Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Design Research on Self-Regulatory Interventions for Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Valerie; Albeg, Loren; Tung, Catherine

2012-01-01

The current study examined the effects of self-regulatory interventions on reading, writing, and math by conducting a meta-analysis of single-case design research. Self-regulatory interventions have promise as an effective approach that is both minimally invasive and involves minimal resources. Effects of the interventions were analyzed by…

Reliable in their failure: an analysis of healthcare reform policies in public systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Contandriopoulos, Damien; Brousselle, Astrid

2010-05-01

In this paper, we analyze recommendations of past governmental commissions and their implementation in Quebec as a case to discuss the obstacles that litter the road to healthcare system reform. Our analysis shows that the obstacles to tackling the healthcare system's main problems may have less to do with programmatic (what to do) than with political and governance (how to do it) questions. We then draw on neo-institutional theory to discuss the causes and effects of this situation. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenges and policy implications of gas reform in Italy and Ukraine: Evidence from a benchmarking analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncharuk, Anatoliy G.; Storto, Corrado lo

2017-01-01

This paper presents a cross-country benchmarking study of natural gas distribution to final consumers and compares two samples of companies in Italy and Ukraine. A 2-stage DEA procedure calculating efficiency of gas providers and identifying critical context factors and policy issues that affect it is implemented. Both countries are low performing in terms of operators’ technical and scale efficiency and there is room to design more efficient market configurations. Some issues need attention to develop an effective gas market policy: a) search for efficiency requires accurate investigation of its main drivers that depend on context factors; b) while greater efficiency is necessary to reduce cost and increase service quality, at different stages of progress of the reform process other goals may be more important; c) gas industry reform process should be planned adopting a systemic perspective as its development does not remain confined to the sector, but implies changes in the whole country economy, particularly when the gas market is of primary relevance to the economy; d) a more comprehensive package of reforms may be necessary to make gas market reform successful; e) even though the gas market reform is an economic process, it has unavoidably social and political implications. - Highlights: • Benchmarking of natural gas distribution industry in Italy and Ukraine is performed. • Average industry inefficiency is about 27% and decreasing returns to scale are dominant. • Gas industry reform process should be planned adopting a systemic perspective. • Gas reform needs a more comprehensive package of reforms and/or supporting legislation to be successful. • Gas industry reform has social and political implications.

A flexible regulatory framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvennoinen, T.

2000-01-01

Regulatory reform of the Finnish electricity market meant opening up potentially competitive parts of the electricity sector to competition and eliminating all unnecessary forms of regulation covering generation, wholesale supply, retail supply, and foreign trade in electricity. New types of control and regulatory mechanisms and institutions were set up for those parts of the electricity industry that were excluded from competition, such as network operations. Network activities now have to be licensed, whereas no licence is needed for generation or supply. A new sector-specific regulatory authority was established in 1995 to coincide with the implementation of the Electricity Market Act, known as the Electricity Market Authority. This is responsible for regulating network activities and retail supply to captive customers. The core function of the authority, which employs some 14 people, is to promote the smooth operation of the Finnish electricity market and to oversee the implementation of the Electricity Market Act and its provisions. Its most important duties are linked to overseeing the process by which network companies price their electricity. As price regulation no longer exists, all the companies in the electricity sector set their tariffs independently, even network companies. The job of controlling the pricing of network services is handed by the Electricity Market Authority, following the principles of competition control. Pricing control takes place ex post - after a pricing system has been adopted by a company and concentrates on individual cases and companies. There is no ex ante system of setting or approving prices and tariffs by the regulator. The tariffs and pricing of network services can be evaluated, however, by both the Electricity Market Authority and the Finnish Competition Authority, which have overlapping powers as regards the pricing of network activities. The Finnish regulatory framework can be described as a system of light

A Concise Analysis of Argentina’s Post-Junta Reform of Its Major Security Services

Science.gov (United States)

2006-12-01

Carlos Menem (1989–99), respectively a radical and a Peronist, implemented civil-military reform of the security forces. Initially, the reforms...purging the ranks, while Menem used indirect methods, while pointing to the on-going economic crisis to legitimize continuation of his reforms. In all...Politics 35, no. 1 (October 2002): 1. 93 Ibid., 2 94 David Pion-Berlin, 110. 39 civilian government, whereas Menem took advantage of the general

Institutional determinants of power sector reform in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullah, Kafait; Arentsen, Maarten J.; Lovett, Jon C.

2017-01-01

The electricity supply sector in Pakistan has performed poorly in recent years. Reforms were introduced in the mid-1990s to improve the sector, but progressed slowly with no significant impacts on pre-reform performance. This study uses new institutional economics as a theoretical basis to elucidate reasons for the failure of power sector reforms in Pakistan to make improvements. Interviews with 23 experts using Q-methodology generated 215 statements that were used as a Q concourse. Of these, 51 statements were selected for the Q sample and ranked by 34 respondents depending on their importance. Analysis revealed four important discourses on the determinants of power sector reform failure in Pakistan. These included weak governance structure, country and sectoral endowments, inefficient regulator and unspecified political institutions or unfriendly political contexts. The study recommends establishment of institutions that support a market based power supply sector and improvements to the contractual arrangements between stakeholders to reduce opportunistic behaviour. - Highlights: • This study utilizes New Institutional Approach to study power sector reforms in Pakistan. • Work of Douglass North and Oliver Williamson help create analytical frame. • Q methodology helps overcome data limitations. • Results reveal institutional aspects as important for poor performance of reforms. • Study suggests policy recommendations to improve institutional environment and governance of power sector in Pakistan.

Thermodynamic analysis of direct internal reforming of methane and butane in proton and oxygen conducting fuel cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biesheuvel, P.M.; Geerlings, J.J.C.

2008-01-01

We present results of a thermodynamic analysis of direct internal reforming fuel cells, based on either a proton conducting fuel cell (FC-H+) or an oxygen ion conducting fuel cell (FC-O2-). We analyze the option of methane as fuel as well as butane. The model self-consistently combines all chemical

Stakeholder learning for health sector reform in Lao PDR.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Simone; Pholsena, Soulivanh; Gao, Jun; Oliveira Cruz, Valeria

2016-09-01

Development organizations and academic institutions have expressed the need for increased research to guide the development and implementation of policies to strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries. The extent to which evidence-based policies alone can produce changes in health systems remains a point of debate; other factors, such as a country's political climate and the level of actor engagement, have been identified as influential variables in effective policy development and implementation. In response to this debate, this article contends that the success of health sector reform depends largely on policy learning-the degree to which research recommendations saturate a given political environment in order to successfully inform the ideas, opinions and perceived interests of relevant actors. Using a stakeholder analysis approach to analyze the case of health sector reform in Lao PDR, we examine the ways that actors' understanding and interests affect the success of reform-and how attitudes towards reform can be shaped by exposure to policy research and international health policy priorities. The stakeholder analysis was conducted by the WHO during the early stages of health sector reform in Lao PDR, with the purpose of providing the Ministry of Health with concrete recommendations for increasing actor involvement and strengthening stakeholder support. We found that dissemination of research findings to a broad array of actors and the inclusion of diverse stakeholder groups in policy design and implementation increases the probability of a sustainable and successful health sector reform. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Progress and outcomes of health systems reform in the United Arab Emirates: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Koornneef, Erik; Robben, Paul; Blair, Iain

2017-09-20

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government aspires to build a world class health system to improve the quality of healthcare and the health outcomes for its population. To achieve this it has implemented extensive health system reforms in the past 10 years. The nature, extent and success of these reforms has not recently been comprehensively reviewed. In this paper we review the progress and outcomes of health systems reform in the UAE. We searched relevant databases and other sources to identify published and unpublished studies and other data available between 01 January 2002 and 31 March 2016. Eligible studies were appraised and data were descriptively and narratively synthesized. Seventeen studies were included covering the following themes: the UAE health system, population health, the burden of disease, healthcare financing, healthcare workforce and the impact of reforms. Few, if any, studies prospectively set out to define and measure outcomes. A central part of the reforms has been the introduction of mandatory private health insurance, the development of the private sector and the separation of planning and regulatory responsibilities from provider functions. The review confirmed the commitment of the UAE to build a world class health system but amongst researchers and commentators opinion is divided on whether the reforms have been successful although patient satisfaction with services appears high and there are some positive indications including increasing coverage of hospital accreditation. The UAE has a rapidly growing population with a unique age and sex distribution, there have been notable successes in improving child and maternal mortality and extending life expectancy but there are high levels of chronic diseases. The relevance of the reforms for public health and their impact on the determinants of chronic diseases have been questioned. From the existing research literature it is not possible to conclude whether UAE health system reforms are

Reforming science: methodological and cultural reforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Casadevall, Arturo; Fang, Ferric C

2012-03-01

Contemporary science has brought about technological advances and an unprecedented understanding of the natural world. However, there are signs of dysfunction in the scientific community as well as threats from diverse antiscience and political forces. Incentives in the current system place scientists under tremendous stress, discourage cooperation, encourage poor scientific practices, and deter new talent from entering the field. It is time for a discussion of how the scientific enterprise can be reformed to become more effective and robust. Serious reform will require more consistent methodological rigor and a transformation of the current hypercompetitive scientific culture.

Various Transport Phenomena and Modeling in a Methane Reformer Duct for PEMFCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jinliang Yuan; Fuan Ren; Jinliang Yuan; Bengt Sunden

2006-01-01

There are various physical processes (such as mass, heat and momentum transport) integrated with catalytic chemical reactions in a methane steam reforming duct. It is often found that endothermic and exothermic reactions in the ducts are strongly coupled by heat transfer from adjacent catalytic combustion ducts. In this paper, a three-dimensional calculation method is developed to simulate and analyze steam reforming of methane, and the effects on various transport processes in a steam reforming duct. The reformer conditions such as mass balances associated with the reforming reactions and gas permeation to/from the porous catalyst layer are applied in the analysis. The predicted results are presented and discussed for a composite duct consisting of a porous catalyst reaction area, the gas flow duct and solid layers. Parametric studies are conducted and the results show that the variables, such as fuel reformer temperatures and catalyst loadings, have significant effects on the transport processes and reformer performance. (authors)

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) Characterization of Reformate-operated High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell Stack

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sahlin, Simon Lennart; Simon Araya, Samuel; Andreasen, Søren Juhl

2017-01-01

their effects on a reformate-operated stack. Polarization curves were also recorded to complement the impedance analysis of the researched phenomena. An equivalent circuit model was used to estimate the different resistances at varying parameters. It showed a significantly higher low frequency resistance......, λanode= 1.6 for reformate operation and λcathode= 4.The work also compared dry hydrogen, steam reforming and autothermal reforming gas feeds at160 ◦Cand showed appreciably lower performance in the case of autothermal reforming at the same stoichiometry, mainly attributable to mass transport related...

Autonomy and Accountability in Standards-Based Reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan Watson

2001-08-01

Full Text Available In this article we discuss the effects of one urban school district's efforts to increase the autonomy and accountability of schools and teams of teachers through a standards-based reform known as team- based schooling. Team-based schooling is designed to devolve decision-making authority down to the school level by increasing teachers' autonomy to make decisions. Increased accountability is enacted in the form of a state-level standards-based initiative. Based on our evaluation over a two-year period involving extensive fieldwork and quantitative analysis, we describe the ways that teachers, teams and school administrators responded to the implementation of team-based schooling. What are the effects of increasing school-level autonomy and accountability in the context of standards- based reform? Our analysis highlights several issues: the "lived reality" of teaming as it interacts with the existing culture within schools, the ways that teachers respond to the pressures created by increased internal and external accountability, and the effects of resource constraints on the effectiveness of implementation. We conclude by using our findings to consider more broadly the trade-off between increased autonomy and accountability on which standards-based reforms like team-based schooling are based.

Non-audit services in Ukraine: the need for regulatory harmonization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.О. Makarenko

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Tightening the requirements for the audit profession and improving the quality of non-audit services led to best practice sharing of such services. The article analyzes the key trends in the provision of non-audit services in Ukraine in the context of implementing global experience. The comparative analysis of the requirements for separation of audit and non-audit services is conducted. The need for harmonization to ensure the independence of auditors in Ukraine is grounded. The author gives the particular attention to contemporary approaches to the regulation of such services in the EU and the US. So, the deep analysis of Directive 2014/56/EU «On statutory audits of annual accounts and consolidated accounts», Directive 2014/95/EU «Оn disclosure of non-financial and diversity information» and Sarbanes-Oxley Act is used by authors. In this regard, the gaps in regulatory control of audit and non-audit services in Ukraine are identified and the ways of their solution in the context of the reform of audit and convergence of accounting and auditing standards are underlined.

The new reform in tunisia: the democratic challenge of the manuals analysis and teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Lucenti

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Tunisia is affected by many changes, including the reform of the education system that plays a crucial role. The Ministry of Education together with Trade Unions (UGTT and the Arab Institute of Human Rights are tracing the outlines of the reform, through an experiment of participatory democracy, synthesized through the preparation of a national report, which is analyzed here. The reform aims to change profoundly the current educational system: programs, manuals, the training of teachers, teaching, all these aspects will be included. Faced with the current economic situation and the problems affecting the country, from the religious extremism to the economic crisis, attempts have been made to examine the solutions proposed by various players involved. After a brief historical reconstruction of the reforms that have affected the Tunisian school system, a current reform is discussed, focusing especially on the school textbooks and on the image of Europe that they carry. Based on the opening to the other, discussed in the manuals, how can one explain the diffusion of religious fanaticism among certain groups of young people? How can the school consolidate the emerging democracy? These are the questions that are tried to be answered, leaving open the possibility of different interpretations.

A CGE analysis for quantitative evaluation of electricity market changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Won-Sik; Lee, Jeong-Dong

2015-01-01

Risk and uncertainty entailed by electricity industry privatization impose a heavy burden on the political determination. In this sense, ex ante analyses are important in order to investigate the economic effects of privatization or liberalization in the electricity industry. For the purpose of fulfilling these quantitative analyses, a novel approach is developed, incorporating a top-down and bottom-up model that takes into account economic effects and technological constraints simultaneously. This study also examines various counterfactual scenarios after Korean electricity industry reform through the integrated framework. Simulation results imply that authorities should prepare an improved regulatory system and policy measures such as forward contracts for industry reform, in order to promote competition in the distribution sector as well as the generation sector. -- Highlights: •A novel approach is proposed for incorporating a top-down and bottom-up model. •This study examines various counterfactual scenarios after Korean electricity industry reform. •An improved regulatory system and policy measures are required before the reform

The indonesia’s Police Reform Police in the Reform Era New Institutionalism Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ACHMAD NURMAND

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Since the reformation and democratization movement in 1998, Indonesians have faced a chronic corruption problem. At the beginning of reformation era in 1998 to fight against corruption, the Indonesian government reforms the organization structure of the Indonesia Police to be an independent body separated from the Military organization. The police reforms begun in 1999 and got legal foundation with Act No. 2/2002. However, since fourteen years, the level of police reform has not yet succeed because of low community satisfaction on police service and the intense conflicts always occur whenever ACA investigates the case of corruptions conducted by police leaders. Three conflicts between police institution and ACA have taken placed. By using institutionalism approach, this research focus on the reform in police themselves are major actors on how reforms are organized and managed. This study is interpretative in nature gained only through social constructions such as language, consciousness, shared meanings, documents, tools, and other artefacts’. This finding revealed that this unsuccessful institutionalization process took place in a context of the main task of police for communicty service. Second, the study has demonstrated that three concepts from institutional theory as aforementioned provided vocabularies and insights to explain the phenomenon under study.

Do labour market reforms reduce labour productivity growth? A panel data analysis of 20 OECD countries (1960–2004)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vergeer, R.; Kleinknecht, A.

2014-01-01

Based on comprehensive regression analysis, the authors find that weak wage growth and a smaller labour share of national income significantly reduce labour productivity growth. They conclude that supply-side labour market reforms have contributed to reducing labour productivity growth: this cannot

Common morality and moral reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, K A

2009-01-01

The idea of moral reform requires that morality be more than a description of what people do value, for there has to be some measure against which to assess progress. Otherwise, any change is not reform, but simply difference. Therefore, I discuss moral reform in relation to two prescriptive approaches to common morality, which I distinguish as the foundational and the pragmatic. A foundational approach to common morality (e.g., Bernard Gert's) suggests that there is no reform of morality, but of beliefs, values, customs, and practices so as to conform with an unchanging, foundational morality. If, however, there were revision in its foundation (e.g., in rationality), then reform in morality itself would be possible. On a pragmatic view, on the other hand, common morality is relative to human flourishing, and its justification consists in its effectiveness in promoting flourishing. Morality is dependent on what in fact does promote human flourishing and therefore, could be reformed. However, a pragmatic approach, which appears more open to the possibility of moral reform, would need a more robust account of norms by which reform is measured.

Factors affecting science reform: Bridging the gap between reform initiatives and teaching practices

Science.gov (United States)

Pensak, Karl John

In response to the perceived deficiencies in science education today, and to the expressed need for research into the culture of schools (due primarily to the failure of many science reforms in the past), this study used a broad based approach to study the gap between science education research and science education practice. This study identified 47 factors that may encourage or inhibit science curriculum reform. A survey was conducted to determine which factors were perceived to be important by local and national K-12 classroom teachers, science supervisors/coordinators, and college/university professors. Continual staff development (scheduled as part of teachers' work day/week/month), funding (for long-term staff development, teacher training and support, science laboratory facilities and materials), teacher motivation and "ownership" of the reform, the need for collaborative opportunities for classroom teachers, teachers' college preparation, textbook reform, community support, and reform initiatives that are "in tune" with assessment, are major factors identified as having a substantial affect on the successful adoption, implementation, and institutionalization of science reforms.

Life cycle inventory analysis of hydrogen production by the steam-reforming process: comparison between vegetable oils and fossil fuels as feedstock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marquevich, M.; Sonnemann, G.W.; Castells, F.; Montane, D.

2002-01-01

A life cycle inventory analysis has been conducted to assess the environmental load, specifically CO 2 (fossil) emissions and global warming potential (GWP), associated to the production of hydrogen by the steam reforming of hydrocarbon feedstocks (methane and naphtha) and vegetable oils (rapeseed oil, soybean oil and palm oil). Results show that the GWPs associated with the production of hydrogen by steam reforming in a 100 years time frame are 9.71 and 9.46 kg CO 2 -equivalent/kg H 2 for natural gas and naphtha, respectively. For vegetable oils, the GWP decreases to 6.42 kg CO 2 -equivalent/kg H 2 for rapeseed oil, 4.32 for palm oil and 3.30 for soybean oil. A dominance analysis determined that the part of the process that has the largest effect on the GWP is the steam reforming reaction itself for the fossil fuel-based systems, which accounts for 56.7% and 74% of the total GWP for natural gas and naphtha, respectively. This contribution is zero for vegetable oil-based systems, for which harvesting and oil production are the main sources of CO 2 -eq emissions.(author)

Catalytic reforming methods

Science.gov (United States)

Tadd, Andrew R; Schwank, Johannes

2013-05-14

A catalytic reforming method is disclosed herein. The method includes sequentially supplying a plurality of feedstocks of variable compositions to a reformer. The method further includes adding a respective predetermined co-reactant to each of the plurality of feedstocks to obtain a substantially constant output from the reformer for the plurality of feedstocks. The respective predetermined co-reactant is based on a C/H/O atomic composition for a respective one of the plurality of feedstocks and a predetermined C/H/O atomic composition for the substantially constant output.

Reforming Organizational Structures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.G.J. Van de Walle (Steven)

2016-01-01

textabstractPublic sectors have undergone major transformations. Public sector reform touches upon the core building blocks of the public sector: organizational structures, people and finances. These are objects of reform. This chapter presents and discusses a set of major transformations with

The Impact of Judicial Reform on Crime Victimization and Trust in Institutions in Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco, Luisa

2016-01-01

This article studies the impact of judicial reform in Mexico. It does so using a survey about crime victimization and perceptions of insecurity (Encuesta Nacional Sobre la Inseguridad [ENSI]) collected in 2005, 2008, and 2009 in 11 Mexican cities, 3 of which implemented the reform in 2007 and 2008. This analysis shows that judicial reform not only reduces victimization but also lowers perceptions of security. Although we find that judicial reform has a negative effect on trust in the local and federal police, judicial reform reduces the probability of being asked by the transit police for a bribe.

Multi-fuel reformers for fuel cells used in transportation. Phase 1: Multi-fuel reformers

Science.gov (United States)

1994-05-01

DOE has established the goal, through the Fuel Cells in Transportation Program, of fostering the rapid development and commercialization of fuel cells as economic competitors for the internal combustion engine. Central to this goal is a safe feasible means of supplying hydrogen of the required purity to the vehicular fuel cell system. Two basic strategies are being considered: (1) on-board fuel processing whereby alternative fuels such as methanol, ethanol or natural gas stored on the vehicle undergo reformation and subsequent processing to produce hydrogen, and (2) on-board storage of pure hydrogen provided by stationary fuel processing plants. This report analyzes fuel processor technologies, types of fuel and fuel cell options for on-board reformation. As the Phase 1 of a multi-phased program to develop a prototype multi-fuel reformer system for a fuel cell powered vehicle, the objective of this program was to evaluate the feasibility of a multi-fuel reformer concept and to select a reforming technology for further development in the Phase 2 program, with the ultimate goal of integration with a DOE-designated fuel cell and vehicle configuration. The basic reformer processes examined in this study included catalytic steam reforming (SR), non-catalytic partial oxidation (POX) and catalytic partial oxidation (also known as Autothermal Reforming, or ATR). Fuels under consideration in this study included methanol, ethanol, and natural gas. A systematic evaluation of reforming technologies, fuels, and transportation fuel cell applications was conducted for the purpose of selecting a suitable multi-fuel processor for further development and demonstration in a transportation application.

Thermodynamic analysis of application of organic Rankine cycle for heat recovery from an integrated DIR-MCFC with pre-reformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vatani, Ali; Khazaeli, Ali; Roshandel, Ramin; Panjeshahi, Mohammad Hassan

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Using an integrated pre-reformer before feeding a DIR-MCFC is proposed. ► An ORC with different working fluid is used for waste heat recovery from the proposed plant. ► Performance of compound system is evaluated by thermodynamic analysis. ► An improvement on simultaneously heat integration between the units and waste heat recovery is performed. ► Overall energy and exergy efficiencies are found to be 60.45% and 57.75%. - Abstract: This work deals with waste heat recovery from a proposed direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell (DIR-MCFC), including an integrated pre-reformer. In this regard, some advantages are attainable over exhaust gas recycling. For instance, due to low temperature in the pre-reformer, carbon deposition and coke formation resulting from higher hydrocarbons can be eliminated. In this study, the cathode outlet provides the heat requirement for the pre-reforming process. After partial heat recovery from the cathode outlet, the stream still has a considerable energy and exergy (352.55 °C and 83.687 kW respectively). This study investigates waste heat recovery from the proposed DIR-MCFC, using an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with two different configurations. In the first case, the cathode outlet provides the heat requirement for the pre-reforming process; then, it enters the heat recovery vapor generator of the organic Rankine cycle. In the second case, the cathode outlet is split into two streams for using in an ORC and supplying the pre-reforming process required heat. Several substances are selected as working fluids in order to compare their performance in the waste heat recovery system. The overall results at optimum conditions indicate that the energy and exergy efficiencies of the compound system are increased and its exergy loss is decreased with cathode splitting for all substances (1.1% average over all fluids). It is concluded that cathode splitting has a significant impact on the substances which

Hydrogen production from methane reforming: thermodynamic assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assis, A.J.; Hori, Carla E.; Avila Neto, Cicero; Franco, Tatiana [Federal University of Uberlandia (UFU), MG (Brazil). School of Chemical Engineering]. E-mail: adilsonjassis@gmail.com

2008-07-01

The main contributions of this study are to conduct a comparative thermodynamic analysis of methane reforming reactions and to asses the influence of key operational variables on chemical equilibrium using an in-house code, developed in the open-source software Scilab{sup c} INRIA-ENPC (www.scilab.org). Equilibrium compositions are calculated by two distinct methods: evaluation of equilibrium constants and Lagrange multipliers. Both methods result in systems of non-linear algebraic equations, solved numerically using the Scilab function 'fsolve'. Comparison between experimental and simulated equilibrium data, published in the literature, was used to validate the simulated results. Effects of temperature, pressure, initial H{sub 2}O/CH{sub 4} ratio (steam reforming), initial CH{sub 4}:CO{sub 2}:N{sub 2} ratio (dry reforming) and initial O{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} ratio (partial oxidation) on the reaction products were evaluated. (author)

The role of consent in medical research: breaking or building walls? A call for legislative reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Dangata, Yohanna Yanshiyi

2011-12-01

Research has been integral to the practice of medicine for almost as long as the discipline has existed. Until fairly recently research used to be conducted on human subjects without mandatory requirement for their consent. However, over time medical research became associated with significant cruelty resulting in an outcry for regulation of research actives. This resulted in significant legislation in place for monitoring. Today it is mandatory to obtain consent from subjects before embarking on medical research, and indeed treatment. Its significant regulatory role notwithstanding, the issue of consent at times becomes a hindrance to research. This paper examines the issue of consent in relation to medical research in the context of present legislation. It lays out the background to medical research with respect to purpose, scope, standard protocol and related issues; it then addresses the issue of consent in various scenarios, highlighting problems and the need for legislative reform. It is maintained that while regulatory measures have brought a lot of sanity to medical research and the medical profession, some measures are building walls inhibitory to research activities. Research being integral to the development and growth of healthcare delivery, there is need for reformation of current medical law for balance between patient protectionism and progress in medical research for effective patient care.

Transcription regulatory networks analysis using CAGE

KAUST Repository

Tegnér, Jesper N.

2009-10-01

Mapping out cellular networks in general and transcriptional networks in particular has proved to be a bottle-neck hampering our understanding of biological processes. Integrative approaches fusing computational and experimental technologies for decoding transcriptional networks at a high level of resolution is therefore of uttermost importance. Yet, this is challenging since the control of gene expression in eukaryotes is a complex multi-level process influenced by several epigenetic factors and the fine interplay between regulatory proteins and the promoter structure governing the combinatorial regulation of gene expression. In this chapter we review how the CAGE data can be integrated with other measurements such as expression, physical interactions and computational prediction of regulatory motifs, which together can provide a genome-wide picture of eukaryotic transcriptional regulatory networks at a new level of resolution. © 2010 by Pan Stanford Publishing Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Chinese health care regulatory institutions in an era of transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Jing

2008-02-01

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of Chinese health care regulation in an era of transition. It describes the major health care regulatory institutions operating currently in China and analyzes the underlying factors. The paper argues that in the transition from a planned to a market economy, the Chinese government has been employing a hybrid approach where both old and new institutions have a role in the management of emerging markets, including the health care market. This approach is consistent with the incremental reform strategy adopted by the Party-state. Although a health care regulatory framework has gradually taken shape, the framework is incomplete, with a particular lack of emphasis on professional self-regulation. In addition, its effectiveness is limited despite the existence of many regulatory institutions. In poor rural areas, the effectiveness of the regulatory framework is further undermined or distorted by the extremely difficult financial position that local governments find themselves in. The interpretations of the principle of 'rule of law' by policy makers and officials at different levels and the widespread informal network of relations between known individuals (Guanxi) play an important role in the operation of the regulatory framework. The findings of this paper reveal the complex nature of regulating health care in transitional China.

Fossil fuel subsidy reform: lessons from the Indonesian case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savatic, Filip

2016-10-01

Global assessments of consumption and the Indonesian case show the relevance of non-household consumers of subsidized energy products. As shown in this study, understanding in more nuance how reforms affect them has the potential to improve the reforms that will be developed by policy-makers worldwide. Further study can reinforce the many benefits of successful reform for the countries and societies slowly turning away from these policies of the past. Estimates regarding the amount of public funds utilized to subsidize the production or consumption of fossil fuels are staggering. For 2011, they range from $83 billion in OECD member states, to nearly $4.1 trillion worldwide if environmental externalities are considered. Numerous studies have demonstrated that subsidies repress economic growth, undermine energy sector investment, increase public debt, benefit wealthy citizens over the poor, instigate a rise in illicit activities, and engender greater global and local pollution. The negative effects of fossil fuel subsidies have led numerous governments to reform their energy policies. There has also been a growing international consensus in favor of reform. While the components of successful reform programs have been identified through past case studies, the nature of reforms adopted by several governments that target non-households have not been systematically examined. Since the late 1990s, the Indonesian government has implemented numerous reforms of its fossil fuel subsidies, including measures targeting household as well as non-household energy consumption. In doing so, it has incurred significant fiscal savings. However, an innovative budgetary analysis reveals that households receive a minority, and a declining share, of fossil fuel subsidy funds. This is the case despite the fact that subsidies were implemented to ensure poor households have access to cheap energy. These findings demonstrate the need to consider non-household sectors in the design of fossil

Development of regulatory technology for thermal-hydraulic safety analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bang, Young Seok; Lee, S. H.; Ryu, Y. H.

2001-02-01

The present study aims to develop the regulation capability in thermal-hydraulic safety analysis which was required for the reasonable safety regulation in the current NPP, the next generation reactors, and the future-type reactors. The fourth fiscal year of the first phase of the research was focused on the following research topics: Investigation on the current status of the thermal-hydraulic safety analysis technology outside and inside of the country; Review on the improved features of the thermal-hydraulic safety analysis regulatory audit code, RELAP5/MOD3; Assessments of code with LOFT L9-3 ATWS experiment and LSTF SB-SG-10 multiple SGTR experiment; Application of the RELAP5/CANDU code to analyses of SLB and LBLOCA and evaluation of its effect on safety; Application of the code to IAEA PHWR ISP analysis; Assessments of RELAP5 and TRAC with UPTF downcomer injection test and Analysis of LBLOCA with RELAP5 for the performance evaluation of KNGR DVI; Setup of a coupled 3-D kinetics and thermal-hydraulics and application it to a reactivity accident analysis; and Extension of database and improvement of plant input decks. For supporting the resolution of safety issues, loss of RHR event during midloop operation was analyzed for Kori Unit 3, issues on high burnup fuel were reviewed and performance of FRAPCON-3 assessed. Also MSLB was analyzed to figure out the sensitivity of downcomer temperature supporting the PTS risk evaluation of Kori Unit 1. Thermal stratification in pipe was analyzed using the method proposed. And a method predicting the thermal-hydraulic performance of IRWST of KNGR was explored. The PWR ECCS performance criteria was issued as a MOST Article 200-19.and a regulatory guide on evaluation methodology was improved to cover concerns raised from the related licensing review process

Solar central receiver reformer system for ammonia plants

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

Details of the conceptual design, economic analysis, and development plan for a solar central receiver system for retrofitting the Valley Nitrogen Producers, Inc., El Centro, California 600 ST/SD Ammonia Plant are presented. The retrofit system consists of a solar central receiver reformer (SCRR) operating in parallel with the existing fossil fired reformer. Steam and hydrocarbon react in the catalyst filled tubes of the inner cavity receiver to form a hydrogen rich mixture which is the syngas feed for the ammonia production. The SCRR system displaces natural gas presently used in the fossil reformer combustion chamber. The solar reformer retrofit system characteristics and its interface with the existing plant are simple, incorporating state of the art components with proven technology. A northfield composed of one thousand forty second generation heliostats provides solar energy to the receiver which is positioned on top of a 90 meter high steel tower. The overall economics of this system can provide over 20% discount cash flow rate of return with proper investment and market conditions.

Wombs for rent: an examination of prohibitory and regulatory approaches to governing preconception arrangements.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Melody

2003-02-01

On October 9, 2002, Bill C-13 had its first reading in the Canadian House of Commons. Bill C-13 was in the same form as Bill C-56 of the First Session of the Thirty-seventh Parliament, which had its first reading on May 9, 2002. Bill C-13, an Act respecting assisted human reproduction, prohibits the practice of commercial surrogacy or preconception agreements in Canada, under threat of criminal sanction. In the first half of the article, the author discusses the deficiencies of the Bill's prohibitory approach to governing surrogacy agreements. These problems include the difficulty of implementing a criminal regime, the weak constitutional basis on which the federal government claims jurisdiction to enact a criminal prohibition of commercial surrogacy and the legislation's inability to prevent exploitation and coercion of vulnerable parties in surrogacy arrangements. In the second half of the article, the author examines an alternative regulatory scheme proposed by the Ontario Law Reform Commission and compares it to the prohibitory approach. The author concludes that the regulatory approach is much more effective than the prohibitory approach in governing the practice of commercial and non-commercial surrogacy arrangements. Regulation minimises the potentially exploitative aspects of surrogacy and provides legal protection to both parties in the agreement. The regulatory scheme proposed by the Ontario Law Reform Commission is also more effective in protecting the best interests of the child born as a result of a preconception agreement.

A feasible reform for the electricity supply industry in Hong Kong

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngan, H.W.; Wang, J.H.; Engriwan, W.; Lo, K.L.

2006-01-01

With the current scheme of control regulation for the Hong Kong electricity supply industry expiring in 2008, the Government has sent out a consultation paper seeking views from the general public on its reform and possible future development. This paper investigates the characteristics of the current agreement and the rationale for feasible reform of the Hong Kong ESI. It leads to a discussion on a proposed feasible reform using performance-based regulation approach modeling and the associated implementation issues related to price capping, risk analysis, performance indices, quality monitoring and governance

The electoral feedback effects of welfare reform in mature European welfare states

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndt, Christoph

2012-01-01

The electoral hazard of welfare state reforms in mature welfare states has been a widely acknowledged feedback effect in the literature. However, the literature does typically no distinct between party families when it comes to the electoral consequences of welfare state reforms and treats...... electorates as unity. This paper analysis the feedback effects of social policy retrenchment under Third Way social democracy since 1994. The paper argues that Third Way reforms resulted in lasting electoral setback for social democracy since these reforms went against the social policy preferences of social....... The restructuring of mature Western welfare states thus accounts for changing patterns of political behaviour as a consequence of policy feedback....

Payment Reform: Unprecedented and Evolving Impact on Gynecologic Oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Apte, Sachin M; Patel, Kavita

2016-01-01

With the signing of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act in April 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is now positioned to drive the development and implementation of sweeping changes to how physicians and hospitals are paid for the provision of oncology-related services. These changes will have a long-lasting impact on the sub-specialty of gynecologic oncology, regardless of practice structure, physician employment and compensation model, or local insurance market. Recently, commercial payers have piloted various models of payment reform via oncology-specific clinical pathways, oncology medical homes, episode payment arrangements, and accountable care organizations. Despite the positive results of some pilot programs, adoption remains limited. The goals are to eliminate unnecessary variation in cancer treatment, provide coordinated patient-centered care, while controlling costs. Yet, meaningful payment reform in oncology remains elusive. As the largest payer for oncology services in the United States, CMS has the leverage to make cancer services more value based. Thus far, the focus has been around pricing of physician-administered drugs with recent work in the area of the Oncology Medical Home. Gynecologic oncology is a unique sub-specialty that blends surgical and medical oncology, with treatment that often involves radiation therapy. This forward-thinking, multidisciplinary model works to keep the patient at the center of the care continuum and emphasizes care coordination. Because of the breadth and depth of gynecologic oncology, this sub-specialty has both the potential to be disrupted by payment reform as well as potentially benefit from the aspects of reform that can align incentives appropriately to improve coordination. Although the precise future payment models are unknown at this time, focused engagement of gynecologic oncologists and the full care team is imperative to assure that the practice remains patient centered

Payment Reform: Unprecedented and Evolving Impact on Gynecologic Oncology

Science.gov (United States)

Apte, Sachin M.; Patel, Kavita

2016-01-01

With the signing of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act in April 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is now positioned to drive the development and implementation of sweeping changes to how physicians and hospitals are paid for the provision of oncology-related services. These changes will have a long-lasting impact on the sub-specialty of gynecologic oncology, regardless of practice structure, physician employment and compensation model, or local insurance market. Recently, commercial payers have piloted various models of payment reform via oncology-specific clinical pathways, oncology medical homes, episode payment arrangements, and accountable care organizations. Despite the positive results of some pilot programs, adoption remains limited. The goals are to eliminate unnecessary variation in cancer treatment, provide coordinated patient-centered care, while controlling costs. Yet, meaningful payment reform in oncology remains elusive. As the largest payer for oncology services in the United States, CMS has the leverage to make cancer services more value based. Thus far, the focus has been around pricing of physician-administered drugs with recent work in the area of the Oncology Medical Home. Gynecologic oncology is a unique sub-specialty that blends surgical and medical oncology, with treatment that often involves radiation therapy. This forward-thinking, multidisciplinary model works to keep the patient at the center of the care continuum and emphasizes care coordination. Because of the breadth and depth of gynecologic oncology, this sub-specialty has both the potential to be disrupted by payment reform as well as potentially benefit from the aspects of reform that can align incentives appropriately to improve coordination. Although the precise future payment models are unknown at this time, focused engagement of gynecologic oncologists and the full care team is imperative to assure that the practice remains patient centered

Payment Reform: Unprecedented and Evolving Impact on Gynecologic Oncology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sachin eApte

2016-04-01

Full Text Available With the signing of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA in April 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS is now positioned to drive the development and implementation of sweeping changes to how physicians and hospitals are paid for the provision of oncology related services. These changes will have a long-lasting impact on the sub-specialty of gynecologic oncology, regardless of practice structure, physician employment and compensation model, or local insurance market. Recently, commercial payers have piloted various models of payment reform via oncology specific clinical pathways, oncology medical homes, episode payment arrangements, and accountable care organizations. Despite the positive results of some pilot programs, adoption remains limited. The goals are to eliminate unnecessary variation in cancer treatment, provide coordinated patient-centered care, while controlling costs. Yet, meaningful payment reform in oncology remains elusive. As the largest payer for oncology services in the United States, CMS has the leverage to make cancer services more value-based. Thus far, the focus has been around pricing of physician-administered drugs with recent work in the area of the Oncology Medical Home. Gynecologic oncology is a unique sub-specialty which blends surgical and medical oncology, with treatment that often involves radiation therapy. This forward-thinking, multi-disciplinary model works to keep the patient at the center of the care continuum and emphasizes care coordination. Because of the breadth and depth of gynecologic oncology, this sub-specialty has both the potential to be disrupted by payment reform as well as potentially benefit from the aspects of reform which can align incentives appropriately to improve coordination. Although the precise future payment models are unknown at this time, focused engagement of gynecologic oncologists and the full care team is imperative to assure that the

Plasma devices for hydrocarbon reformation

KAUST Repository

Cha, Min Suk

2017-02-16

Plasma devices for hydrocarbon reformation are provided. Methods of using the devices for hydrocarbon reformation are also provided. The devices can include a liquid container to receive a hydrocarbon source, and a plasma torch configured to be submerged in the liquid. The plasma plume from the plasma torch can cause reformation of the hydrocarbon. The device can use a variety of plasma torches that can be arranged in a variety of positions in the liquid container. The devices can be used for the reformation of gaseous hydrocarbons and/or liquid hydrocarbons. The reformation can produce methane, lower hydrocarbons, higher hydrocarbons, hydrogen gas, water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or a combination thereof.

Thermal analysis of cylindrical natural-gas steam reformer for 5 kW PEMFC

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Taehyun; Han, Junhee; Koo, Bonchan; Lee, Dohyung

2016-11-01

The thermal characteristics of a natural-gas based cylindrical steam reformer coupled with a combustor are investigated for the use with a 5 kW polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. A reactor unit equipped with nickel-based catalysts was designed to activate the steam reforming reaction without the inclusion of high-temperature shift and low-temperature shift processes. Reactor temperature distribution and its overall thermal efficiency depend on various inlet conditions such as the equivalence ratio, the steam to carbon ratio (SCR), and the fuel distribution ratio (FDR) into the reactor and the combustor components. These experiments attempted to analyze the reformer's thermal and chemical properties through quantitative evaluation of product composition and heat exchange between the combustor and the reactor. FDR is critical factor in determining the overall performance as unbalanced fuel injection into the reactor and the combustor deteriorates overall thermal efficiency. Local temperature distribution also influences greatly on the fuel conversion rate and thermal efficiency. For the experiments, the operation conditions were set as SCR was in range of 2.5-4.0 and FDR was in 0.4-0.7 along with equivalence ratio of 0.9-1.1; optimum results were observed for FDR of 0.63 and SCR of 3.0 in the cylindrical steam reformer.

How did China's foreign exchange reform affect the efficiency of foreign exchange market?

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Ye; Wang, Yiming; Su, Chi-wei

2017-10-01

This study compares the market efficiency of China's onshore and offshore foreign exchange markets before and after the foreign exchange reform on August 11, 2015. We use the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis of the onshore and offshore RMB/USD spot exchange rate series as basis. We then find that the onshore foreign exchange market before the reform has the lowest market efficiency, which increased after the reform. The offshore foreign exchange market before the reform has the highest market efficiency, which dropped after the reform. This finding implies the increased efficiency of the onshore foreign exchange market and the loss of efficiency in the offshore foreign exchange market. We also find that the offshore foreign exchange market is more efficient than the onshore market and that the gap shrank after the reform. Changes in intervention of the People's Bank of China since the reform is a possible explanation for the changes in the efficiency of the foreign exchange market.

The political economy of reforms: Empirical evidence from post- communist transition in the 1990s

OpenAIRE

Byung-Yeon Kim; Jukka Pirttilä

2003-01-01

Using a novel data set from post-communist countries in the 1990s, this paper examines linkages between political constraints, economic reforms and growth. A dynamic panel analysis suggests public support for reform is negatively associated with income inequality and unemployment. Both the ex post and ex ante political constraints of public support affect progress in economic reform, which in turn influences economic growth. The findings highlight that while economic reforms are needed to fos...

Comparative thermoeconomic analysis of hydrogen production by water electrolysis and by ethanol steam reforming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riveros-Godoy, Gustavo; Chavez-Rodriguez, Mauro; Cavaliero, Carla [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP (Brazil). Mechanical Engineering School], Email: garg@fem.unicamp.br

2010-07-01

Hydrogen is the focus of this work that evaluates in comparative form through thermo economic analysis two hydrogen production processes: water electrolysis and ethanol steam reforming. Even though technical-economical barriers still exist for the development of an economy based on hydrogen, these difficulties are opportunities for the appearance of new business of goods and services, diversification of the energy mix, focus of research activities, development and support to provide sustainability to the new economy. Exergy and rational efficiency concept are used to make a comparison between both processes. (author)

Application of flexible micro temperature sensor in oxidative steam reforming by a methanol micro reformer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Lee, Shuo-Jen; Shen, Chia-Chieh; Yeh, Chuin-Tih; Chang, Chi-Chung; Lo, Yi-Man

2011-01-01

Advances in fuel cell applications reflect the ability of reformers to produce hydrogen. This work presents a flexible micro temperature sensor that is fabricated based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and integrated into a flat micro methanol reformer to observe the conditions inside that reformer. The micro temperature sensor has higher accuracy and sensitivity than a conventionally adopted thermocouple. Despite various micro temperature sensor applications, integrated micro reformers are still relatively new. This work proposes a novel method for integrating micro methanol reformers and micro temperature sensors, subsequently increasing the methanol conversion rate and the hydrogen production rate by varying the fuel supply rate and the water/methanol ratio. Importantly, the proposed micro temperature sensor adequately controls the interior temperature during oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM), with the relevant parameters optimized as well.

Application of Flexible Micro Temperature Sensor in Oxidative Steam Reforming by a Methanol Micro Reformer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Man Lo

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Advances in fuel cell applications reflect the ability of reformers to produce hydrogen. This work presents a flexible micro temperature sensor that is fabricated based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS technology and integrated into a flat micro methanol reformer to observe the conditions inside that reformer. The micro temperature sensor has higher accuracy and sensitivity than a conventionally adopted thermocouple. Despite various micro temperature sensor applications, integrated micro reformers are still relatively new. This work proposes a novel method for integrating micro methanol reformers and micro temperature sensors, subsequently increasing the methanol conversion rate and the hydrogen production rate by varying the fuel supply rate and the water/methanol ratio. Importantly, the proposed micro temperature sensor adequately controls the interior temperature during oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM, with the relevant parameters optimized as well.

GIS-assisted spatial analysis for urban regulatory detailed planning: designer's dimension in the Chinese code system

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yang; Zeng, Zheng

2009-10-01

By discussing the causes behind the high amendments ratio in the implementation of urban regulatory detailed plans in China despite its law-ensured status, the study aims to reconcile conflict between the legal authority of regulatory detailed planning and the insufficient scientific support in its decision-making and compilation by introducing into the process spatial analysis based on GIS technology and 3D modeling thus present a more scientific and flexible approach to regulatory detailed planning in China. The study first points out that the current compilation process of urban regulatory detailed plan in China employs mainly an empirical approach which renders it constantly subjected to amendments; the study then discusses the need and current utilization of GIS in the Chinese system and proposes the framework of a GIS-assisted 3D spatial analysis process from the designer's perspective which can be regarded as an alternating processes between the descriptive codes and physical design in the compilation of regulatory detailed planning. With a case study of the processes and results from the application of the framework, the paper concludes that the proposed framework can be an effective instrument which provides more rationality, flexibility and thus more efficiency to the compilation and decision-making process of urban regulatory detailed plan in China.

An overview of the UK regulatory expectation for design basis accident analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trimble, Andy

2013-01-01

The UK Health and Safety Executive published its most recent regulatory expectations in the 2006 version of it's safety assessment principles (SAPs). This built on experience regulating the full range of facilities for which it is responsible. Thus the principles underpinning all regulatory safety case assessment are the same but the implementation differs depending on the application. This paper will describe the published design basis accident analysis (DBAA) logic in context with other technical aspects of the regulatory expectation for safety cases. It will further illustrate the DBAA methodology with practical examples from actual experience on reprocessing plant gained over the last 15 years or so. Among the examples will be the relevance of conventional safety fault initiators to nuclear safety assessment. It will further demonstrate the derivation of facility limits and conditions necessary for nuclear safety. (authors)

China's Insurance Regulatory Reform, Corporate Governance Behavior and Insurers' Governance Effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huicong; Zhang, Hongliang; Tsai, Sang-Bing; Qiu, Aichao

2017-10-17

External regulation is an important mechanism to improve corporate behavior in emerging markets. China's insurance governance regulation, which began to supervise and guide insurance corporate governance behavior in 2006, has experienced a complex process of reform. This study tested our hypotheses with a sample of 85 firms during 2010-2011, which was obtained by providing a questionnaire to all of China's shareholding insurance companies. The empirical study results generally show that China's insurance governance effectiveness has significantly improved through strict regulation. Insurance corporate governance can improve business acumen and risk-control ability, but no significant evidence was found to prove its influence on profitability, as a result of focusing less attention on governance than on management. State ownership is associated with higher corporate governance effectiveness than non-state ownership. Listed companies tend to outperform non-listed firms, and life insurance corporate governance is more effective than that of property insurers. This study not only contributes to the comprehensive understanding of corporate governance effectiveness but also to the literature by highlighting the effect of corporate governance regulation in China's insurance industry and other emerging economies of the financial sector.

Statistical Reform in School Psychology Research: A Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Swaminathan, Hariharan; Rogers, H. Jane

2007-01-01

Statistical reform in school psychology research is discussed in terms of research designs, measurement issues, statistical modeling and analysis procedures, interpretation and reporting of statistical results, and finally statistics education.

School Finance and Courts: Does Reform Matter, and How Can We Tell?

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Bruce D.; Welner, Kevin G.

2011-01-01

Background/Context: School finance litigation has often prompted funding reforms, but what happens as a result is the subject of considerable dispute. Purpose: This article explores design problems encountered in studies examining the nature and effects of those reforms. Analysis: After describing the development and current status of school…

Constitutional reform as process

OpenAIRE

Schultze, Rainer-Olaf (Prof.)

2000-01-01

Constitutional reform as process. - In: The politics of constitutional reform in North America / Rainer-Olaf Schultze ... (eds.). - Opladen : Leske + Budrich, 2000. - S. 11-31. - (Politikwissenschaftliche paperbacks ; 30)

Reforming Technical and Technological Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, David N.

1993-01-01

Review of technical and technological educational reform in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sweden shows that reform takes time to complete effectively, long-term approaches are needed, and reform is linked to industrial development, regional cooperation, and decentralized decision making. (SK)

An Econometric Analysis of Two Possible Land Reform Strategies in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper argues that for the agricultural sector to be developed, there would be need for a detailed research to determine a possible land reform strategy suitable particularly, to sub-regions – North/South - and their social and cultural relations to land.

Analysis and development of an ethanol compact reformer for hydrogen production for fuel cell; Analise e modelagem de reformador compacto de etanol para obtencao de hidrodenio para celula a combustivel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueroa, P.R.F.; Oliveira, A.A.M. [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Mecanica. Lab. de Combustao e Engenharia de Sistemas Termicos], e-mail: renzo@labcet.ufsc.br, e-mail: amirol@emc.ufsc.br

2006-07-01

The objective of this work is to analyze the ethanol steam reforming for hydrogen production in a compact and modular reforming unit designed for the generation of 1 kw of electrical power. For this, initially the thermodynamic limits for the steam reforming of ethanol are calculated in order to assess the limits in the production of hydrogen and other by-products and to select the best values of process stoichiometry, temperature and pressure for maximum hydrogen selectivity and minimum coke formation. In the following, a First and second Laws analysis is performed to analyze the equilibrium conditions of the main chemical reactions and to estimate the magnitude of the heat transfer required by the heating, evaporation, superheating and reforming of ethanol. Then, the catalytic reformer reactor is analyzed and sized, basing the analysis into the application of the equation for the conservation of mass of the chemical species and a model for the chemical kinetics. A basic reactor design is then proposed accompanied by the corresponding sizes and operating conditions. (author)

Pension Reforms in Countries with Developed and Transitional Economies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey Anatolyevich Belozyorov

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The subject matter of the research is as follows: pension reforms conducted by some states define the transformation of pension systems. The choice of countries is stipulated by the fact that each of them has different types of pension systems and preconditions for reforms. The purpose is to develop an approach that allows comparing and evaluating changes in disparate systems. The hypothesis is that the ongoing pension reforms, regardless of initial conditions and their type lead to a similar trajectory of pension systems development in all countries. The methodology rests on the comparative analysis that was carried out on the basis of a single algorithm that allows to determine significant modifiable parameters and the overall direction of reform. The novelty is that the authors research the ongoing pension reform from the viewpoint of pension rights formation and distribution of risks. The results are a single trajectory of reforms implementation for the studied countries, which confirms the authors’ hypothesis. The specific features of the Russian pension system do not affect the reform trajectory, which is similar to all countries. The conclusions are the following: the reducing pressure on pension system requires increasing revenues and limiting the number of potential participants. This is achieved by expanding sources of financing, increasing the dependence of pension on an employee’s contributions, transferring the risks of old age into the individual level, and employment motivation during the retirement period. The principle of the intergenerational solidarity loses its value. The obtained results can be used for the pension reform modification in the Russian Federation, the development of voluntary pension insurance based on the experience of other countries and risks faced by the modern Russian pension system.

Ecological tax reform - an optimal solution?. Critical remarks on the DIW study ''Economic effects of an ecological tax reform''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boehringer, C.; Fahl, H.; Voss, A.

1994-01-01

Through the latest expertise of the German institute for economic research (DIW) regarding an ecological tax reform, the discussion about a tax system considering the shortage of the ressource environment and a deficiency of demand regarding the ressource work is newly provoked. The focus of this article is a critical dealing with the methodical procedure of the German institute for economic reserarch when analyzing the national economic effect of a concretely formulated ecological tax law scenario. When assessing the overall economic consequences of a tax reform, it is recommended to use an analysis instrument, which is farly more consistent compared to the instruments by DIW, and which is more problem adequate through the increased resort to financial knowledge. Based on the obvious weakness of the DIW study, a more extensive comprehension for an ecological tax reform is pleaded for, standing out for an application of taxes based on division of labour and oriented to the objective. (orig./UA) [de

Ontario regulatory update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, P.

1998-01-01

This paper provides a summary of recent events which when combined add up to a gradual but unmistakable movement of the energy sector in Ontario towards a fully competitive market. Some of the events precipitating this movement towards competition include the passing of the Energy Competition Act of 1998 (Bill 35), electricity deregulation, regulatory reform of the natural gas sector, and changes to the consumer protection legislation. The role of the Ontario Energy Board was also updated to bring it in line with the demands of the competitive marketplace. Among the new roles that the Board will assume are to facilitate competition, to maintain fair and reasonable rates, and to facilitate rational expansion. Another objective is to provide opportunities for including energy efficiency in government policies. Implications of the changes in the OEB's mandate for market participants were also discussed, including (1) regulated gas sales and delivery mechanisms, (2) transactional services, (3) contract restructuring, (4) consumer protection, (5) supervision of competitive market participants, and (6) market surveillance

The Political Economy and Coalitions in Botswana’s Water Sector Reform 2009-13: to what extent can the process of reform be understood?

OpenAIRE

Colman, Anthony John

2013-01-01

This thesis examines the process of water sector reform in Botswana, focusing on barriers to effective delivery of clean water and improved sanitation services (WSS) to all, and water resource management (WRM), in a water insecure country, dependent for surface water on international river basin organisations. The study provides a crtitical analysis of policy change in progress. The impact of the water reforms on the poor and the process of centralising control of WSS, from both tribal and lo...

High temperature ceramic-tubed reformer

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Joseph J.; Rosenberg, Robert A.; McDonough, Lane J.

1990-03-01

The overall objective of the HiPHES project is to develop an advanced high-pressure heat exchanger for a convective steam/methane reformer. The HiPHES steam/methane reformer is a convective, shell and tube type, catalytic reactor. The use of ceramic tubes will allow reaction temperature higher than the current state-of-the-art outlet temperatures of about 1600 F using metal tubes. Higher reaction temperatures increase feedstock conversion to synthesis gas and reduce energy requirements compared to currently available radiant-box type reformers using metal tubes. Reforming of natural gas is the principal method used to produce synthesis gas (primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide, H2 and CO) which is used to produce hydrogen (for refinery upgrading), methanol, as well as several other important materials. The HiPHES reformer development is an extension of Stone and Webster's efforts to develop a metal-tubed convective reformer integrated with a gas turbine cycle.

The Discourse of Partnership and the Reality of Reform: Interrogating the Recent Reform Agenda at Initial Teacher Education and Induction Levels in Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith Harford

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade, teacher education in Ireland has experienced radical reconceptualization and restructuring at both initial teacher education [ITE] and induction levels, with reform of continuous professional development now in the planning phase. The establishment of the Teaching Council (2006 as a statutory, regulatory body, with a role in the review and accreditation of teacher education, increased the visibility of and policy focus on teacher education. Significant reform of initial teacher education was announced in 2011 that included both an extension of the duration of programmes and, most notably, the period the student teachers were to be engaged in school-based professional development. This increased period has been accompanied by a shift in the understanding of what is involved in practicum and implies a redefinition of the respective roles of the university and the school, and the development of a new form of partnership between both agencies. The period of induction and probation has also become an area of reform with an emphasis on school-based coaching and the evaluation of newly qualified teachers, which devolves decisions on teachers’ full recognition and membership of the profession, to principals and colleagues. This shift, which changes the established approach to induction for primary level teachers, has resulted in the withdrawal of cooperation with this policy by the main teacher union and to the implementation process being stymied. Both policy developments bring the concept of partnership within Irish education into sharp focus: a partnership between schools and universities in ITE, but also partnership in policy development and implementation in the case of induction.

Administrative reform in the Venezuelan Ministry of Education: A case analysis of the 1970's

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, E. Mark

1984-06-01

Democracy arrived in Venezuela in 1958, and reforming the rigid, centralized and unrepresentative institutions of government subsequently assumed a high priority. This article, based on data gathered in Venezuela several times over a twelve-year period by means of a standard field research methodology, represents a longitudinal case study of efforts through the 70's to generate administrative reform in the Ministry of Education. Specifically, the reform proposed to decentralize and regionalize the organization and management of education in order to promote regional socio-economic development. The study describes and discusses political and organizational factors which disrupted and frustrated the reform process, including: (1) lack of political continuity and maturity; (2) lack of appropriate structures within the system and of real desire on the part of ministry officials to initiate an effective delegation of powers and responsibilities; (3) lack of adequate mechanisms for gathering, processing and distributing information; and (4) lack of sufficient personnel within the ministry with the training and sustained experience to manage complex programs. As in many other countries, the ideals of the reform in Venezuela outstripped the political and human realities of the situation there. Comparative research is now needed to enable other nations to learn from this experience.

Implementing health care reform: implications for performance of public hospitals in central Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Manyazewal, Tsegahun; Matlakala, Mokgadi C

2018-06-01

Understanding the way health care reforms have succeeded or failed thus far would help policy makers cater continued reform efforts in the future and provides insight into possible levels of improvement in the health care system. This work aims to assess and describe the implications of health care reform on the performance of public hospitals in central Ethiopia. A facility-based, cross-sectional study was carried out in five public hospitals with different operational characteristics that have been implementing health care reform in central Ethiopia. The reform documents were reviewed to assess the nature and targets of the reform for interpretive analysis. Adopting dimensions of health system performance as the theoretical framework, a self-administered questionnaire was developed. Consenting health care professionals who have been involved in the reform from inception to implementation filled the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha was measured to ensure internal consistency of the instrument. Descriptive statistics, weighted median score, χ 2 , and Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for data analysis. s Despite implementation of the reform, the health care system in public hospitals was still fragmented as confirmed by 50% of respondents. Limited effects were reported in favour of quality (48%), access (50%), efficiency (51%), sustainability (53%), and equity (61%) of care, while poor effects were reported in patient-provider (41%) and provider-management (32%) interactions. Though there was substantial gain in infrastructure and workspace, stewardship of health care resources was less benefited. The predominant hindrances of the reform were the working environment (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 2.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-4.47), financial resources (aOR = 3.54, 95%CI = 1.97-6.33), management (aOR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.15-4.47), and information technology system (aOR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.57-6.32). s The Ethiopian

Medicine and abortion law: complicating the reforming profession.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuinness, Sheelagh; Thomson, Michael

2015-01-01

The complicated intra-professional rivalries that have contributed to the current contours of abortion law and service provision have been subject to limited academic engagement. In this article, we address this gap. We examine how the competing interests of different specialisms played out in abortion law reform from the early twentieth-century, through to the enactment of the Abortion Act 1967, and the formation of the structures of abortion provision in the early 1970s. We demonstrate how professional interests significantly shaped the landscape of abortion law in England, Scotland, and Wales. Our analysis addresses two distinct and yet related fields where professional interests were negotiated or asserted in the journey to law reform. Both debates align with earlier analysis that has linked abortion law reform with the market development of the medical profession. We argue that these two axes of debate, both dominated by professional interests, interacted to help shape law's treatment of abortion, and continue to influence the provision of abortion services today. © The Author [2015]. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

РOLICY OF INSURANCE PROTECTION AND STRATEGY OF ITS REFORM IN UKRAINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Zaletov

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the essence of the role and tasks of the insurance policy in modern conditions. Insurance is defined as a system of policy measures authorities and business entities to use the tools of insurance and financial resources of insurers in order to effectively manage risks and ensure the implementation of the goals and objectives of socio-economic development of the country (region and business entities. Allocated to the insurance policy of the state, the corporate sector, households and insurance (reinsurance companies. The economic, social and informational categories of state regulation in the insurance industry, underlined the need to reform the insurance market taking into account the influence of external and internal threats. Define the objectives and principles of the strategy of reforming the system of state regulation of the insurance market of Ukraine. Proposed priorities for the development of the insurance market on the basis of deregulation and simplification of the regulatory environment, improvement of activity control and efficiency of state supervision, protecting the interests of insurance consumers and restore confidence in the insurance market.

[Impact of Anthropologic Psychiatry on Psychiatrie-Enquete and Psychiatric Reform in West Germany].

Science.gov (United States)

Söhner, Felicitas; Becker, Thomas; Fangerau, Heiner

2017-07-01

Objectives Analysis of the perception of effects of anthropological psychiatry on the Psychiatrie-Enquete and psychiatric reform in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). Methods Qualitative content analysis of expert interviews and systematic literature search. Results Literary sources and expert interviews point to the impact of the anthropologic concept on discourse on and approach to those suffering from mental illness. The attention focused on the visualisation of material-social and subjective living conditions of persons with mental illness. Reform approaches of anthropological psychiatrists were perceived as a basis for the development of social psychiatry. Academic departments of psychiatry in Frankfurt (Zutt, Kulenkampff) and Heidelberg (von Baeyer, Kisker, Häfner) were considered important centres of innovation and reform. Conclusion The thinking of phenomenological-anthropological psychiatry was understood as a facilitator of the Psychiatrie-Enquete and psychiatric reform in West Germany. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Expressions of agency within complex policy structures: science teachers' experiences of education policy reforms in Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Ryder, Jim; Lidar, Malena; Lundqvist, Eva; Östman, Leif

2018-03-01

We explore the experiences of school science teachers as they enact three linked national curriculum and assessment policy reforms in Sweden. Our goal is to understand teachers' differing responses to these reforms. A sample of 13 teachers engaged in 2 interviews over a 6-9-month period. Interviews included exploration of professional background and school context, perceptions of the aims of the policy reforms and experiences of working with these reforms in the classroom. Analysis was guided by an individual-oriented sociocultural perspective on professional agency. Here teaching is conceptualised as an ongoing interplay between teachers' knowledge, skills and personal goals, and the characteristics of the social, institutional and policy settings in which they work. Our analysis shows that navigating the ensuing continuities and contradictions results in many different expressions of teacher agency, e.g. loss of autonomy and trust, pushing back, subversion, transfer of authority, and creative tensions. Typically, an individual teacher's enactment of these reforms involved several of these expressions of agency. We demonstrate that the sociocultural perspective provides insights into teachers' responses to education policy reform likely to be missed by studies that focus largely on individual teacher knowledge/beliefs about reform or skills in 'implementing' reform practices.

[Impact of the funding reform of teaching hospitals in Brazil].

Science.gov (United States)

Lobo, M S C; Silva, A C M; Lins, M P E; Fiszman, R

2009-06-01

To assess the impact of funding reform on the productivity of teaching hospitals. Based on the Information System of Federal University Hospitals of Brazil, 2003 and 2006 efficiency and productivity were measured using frontier methods with a linear programming technique, data envelopment analysis, and input-oriented variable returns to scale model. The Malmquist index was calculated to detect changes during the study period: 'technical efficiency change,' or the relative variation of the efficiency of each unit; and 'technological change' after frontier shift. There was 51% mean budget increase and improvement of technical efficiency of teaching hospitals (previously 11, 17 hospitals reached the empirical efficiency frontier) but the same was not seen for the technology frontier. Data envelopment analysis set benchmark scores for each inefficient unit (before and after reform) and there was a positive correlation between technical efficiency and teaching intensity and dedication. The reform promoted management improvements but there is a need of further follow-up to assess the effectiveness of funding changes.

Sheep skeletal muscle transcriptome analysis reveals muscle growth regulatory lncRNAs.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Tianle; Ji, Zhibin; Hou, Lei; Wang, Jin; Zhang, Chunlan; Wang, Guizhi; Wang, Jianmin

2018-01-01

As widely distributed domestic animals, sheep are an important species and the source of mutton. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the regulatory lncRNAs associated with muscle growth and development between high production mutton sheep (Dorper sheep and Qianhua Mutton Merino sheep) and low production mutton sheep (Small-tailed Han sheep). In total, 39 lncRNAs were found to be differentially expressed. Using co-expression analysis and functional annotation, 1,206 co-expression interactions were found between 32 lncRNAs and 369 genes, and 29 of these lncRNAs were found to be associated with muscle development, metabolism, cell proliferation and apoptosis. lncRNA-mRNA interactions revealed 6 lncRNAs as hub lncRNAs. Moreover, three lncRNAs and their associated co-expressed genes were demonstrated by cis-regulatory gene analyses, and we also found a potential regulatory relationship between the pseudogene lncRNA LOC101121401 and its parent gene FTH1. This study provides a genome-wide resolution of lncRNA and mRNA regulation in muscles from mutton sheep.

78 FR 39284 - Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0320; FRL-9830-1] Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice... Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued for public comment a document entitled, ``Technical Guidance for...

Working on reform. How workers' compensation medical care is affected by health care reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Himmelstein, J; Rest, K

1996-01-01

The medical component of workers' compensation programs-now costing over $24 billion annually-and the rest of the nation's medical care system are linked. They share the same patients and providers. They provide similar benefits and services. And they struggle over who should pay for what. Clearly, health care reform and restructuring will have a major impact on the operation and expenditures of the workers' compensation system. For a brief period, during the 1994 national health care reform debate, these two systems were part of the same federal policy development and legislative process. With comprehensive health care reform no longer on the horizon, states now are tackling both workers' compensation and medical system reforms on their own. This paper reviews the major issues federal and state policy makers face as they consider reforms affecting the relationship between workers' compensation and traditional health insurance. What is the relationship of the workers' compensation cost crisis to that in general health care? What strategies are being considered by states involved in reforming the medical component of workers compensation? What are the major policy implications of these strategies?

[The reform of primary health care: the economic, care and satisfaction results].

Science.gov (United States)

Durán, J; Jodar, G; Pociello, V; Parellada, N; Martín, A; Pradas, J

1999-05-15

To compare the overall effect on the general public before and after the primary care reform, its economic outcome and professional satisfaction, following the model of the European Foundation for Quality Management. A descriptive analysis of results at reformed primary care centres compared with results at non-reformed centres in the same city. The study was conducted at Sant Boi de Llobregat, a town of 77,591 inhabitants in Baix Llobregat county (Barcelona). 32.7% of the population was covered by two reformed centres. The rest was covered by one single non-reformed primary care centre. Clinical audits and data on pharmaceutical prescription quality were used to find attendance. For economic results, the formula of attribution of cost/inhabitant and cost/inhabitant seen, including the costs of labour, structure, referral, further tests and pharmacy, were used. The satisfaction of the outside customer (user) was measured by a population survey. Internal customer satisfaction was measured by a survey of the professionals. Results were compared with those for 1997. The study showed that the reformed primary care sector's results, measured in terms of professional satisfaction, user-outside customer, attendance, economic results and social impact, were better than the non-reformed sector's. Inside and outside customers' satisfaction was higher in the reformed network. The cost per inhabitant in the reformed network was 31,874 pesetas, against 25,177 in the non-reformed network. The cost per inhabitant seen was 34,482 and 44,603, respectively. The reform creates efficient resource management and greater satisfaction of the general public and professionals, when an indicator sensitive to the real use of services is used.

Administrative Reform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plum, Maja

Through the example of a Danish reform of educational plans in early childhood education, the paper critically addresses administrative educational reforms promoting accountability, visibility and documentation. Drawing on Foucaultian perspectives, the relation between knowledge and governing...... of administrative technology, tracing how the humanistic values of education embed and are embedded within ‘the professional nursery teacher' as an object and subject of administrative practice. Rather than undermining the humanistic potential of education, it is argued that the technology of accounting...

Health care reforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Marušič, Dorjan; Prevolnik Rupel, Valentina

2016-09-01

In large systems, such as health care, reforms are underway constantly. The article presents a definition of health care reform and factors that influence its success. The factors being discussed range from knowledgeable personnel, the role of involvement of international experts and all stakeholders in the country, the importance of electoral mandate and governmental support, leadership and clear and transparent communication. The goals set need to be clear, and it is helpful to have good data and analytical support in the process. Despite all debates and experiences, it is impossible to clearly define the best approach to tackle health care reform due to a different configuration of governance structure, political will and state of the economy in a country.

STEP TO CIVIL SOCIETY (ON HISTORICAL ROLE OF JUDICIAL REFORM OF 1864

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Анна Дмитриевна Попова

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the importance of the judicial reform of 1864 for the course of Alexander's modernization and analyzes the role of the judicial reforms for various aspects of life in the post-reform Russia. There is used a wide range of sources - archival materials, memoirs of contemporaries of that period, publications of periodicals. The author concludes that the judicial reform of 1864 should be considered as a significant step towards civil society. The analysis of the sources shows that the judicial reform of 1864 contributed to the increase in the protection of human rights and freedoms. The activities of new courts changed the public consciousness - in the society there was growing representation of rule of law, necessity to respect the rights and freedoms of others, to meet obligations. The judicial reform played a major role in the process of merging classes, the development of market relations. Thus, the introduction of the controversial independent public trial not only improved the justice, but was also an important step in the formation of civil society in Russia.

People, Governance and Forests—The Stumbling Blocks in Forest Governance Reform in Latin America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnoldo Contreras-Hermosilla

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This article examines common barriers to achieving adequate levels of forest resource governance in countries of Latin America. It looks at the deficiencies of the policy and regulatory frameworks affecting forests, the common failure to impose the rule of law, the main factors that constrain the effectiveness of government actions in the forest sector and at the political barriers to introducing reforms for change in governance structures. The elimination of these barriers acquires new importance in the implementation of successful REDD+ programs in the countries of the region.

Analysis of Private Sector Care Reform Authorities and Savings

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

coordination, and promotion of health outcomes—in short, it was not a sustainable business model. FFS purchasing remains an element of an overall...primarily focused on the cost (or supply side) of delivering the healthcare services. The reforms examined in this paper (VBP of purchased care) affect ...J. Kerstein. “How do financial incentives affect physicians’ clinical decisions and the financial performance of health maintenance organizations

The interplay between societal concerns and the regulatory frame on GM crops in the European Union.

Science.gov (United States)

Devos, Yann; Reheul, Dirk; De Waele, Danny; Van Speybroeck, Linda

2006-01-01

Recapitulating how genetic modification technology and its agro-food products aroused strong societal opposition in the European Union, this paper demonstrates how this opposition contributed to shape the European regulatory frame on GM crops. More specifically, it describes how this opposition contributed to a de facto moratorium on the commercialization of new GM crop events in the end of the nineties. From this period onwards, the regulatory frame has been continuously revised in order to slow down further erosion of public and market confidence. Various scientific and technical reforms were made to meet societal concerns relating to the safety of GM crops. In this context, the precautionary principle, environmental post-market monitoring and traceability were adopted as ways to cope with scientific uncertainties. Labeling, traceability, co-existence and public information were installed in an attempt to meet the general public request for more information about GM agro-food products, and the specific demand to respect the consumers' and farmers' freedom of choice. Despite these efforts, today, the explicit role of public participation and/or ethical consultation during authorization procedures is at best minimal. Moreover, no legal room was created to progress to an integral sustainability evaluation during market procedures. It remains to be seen whether the recent policy shift towards greater transparency about value judgments, plural viewpoints and scientific uncertainties will be one step forward in integrating ethical concerns more explicitly in risk analysis. As such, the regulatory frame stands open for further interpretation, reflecting in various degrees a continued interplay with societal concerns relating to GM agro-food products. In this regard, both societal concerns and diversely interpreted regulatory criteria can be inferred as signaling a request - and even a quest - to render more explicit the broader-than-scientific dimension of the actual

The evaluator as technical assistant: A model for systemic reform support

Science.gov (United States)

Century, Jeanne Rose

This study explored evaluation of systemic reform. Specifically, it focused on the evaluation of a systemic effort to improve K-8 science, mathematics and technology education. The evaluation was of particular interest because it used both technical assistance and evaluation strategies. Through studying the combination of these roles, this investigation set out to increase understanding of potentially new evaluator roles, distinguish important characteristics of the evaluator/project participant relationship, and identify how these roles and characteristics contribute to effective evaluation of systemic science education reform. This qualitative study used interview, document analysis, and participant observation as methods of data collection. Interviews were conducted with project leaders, project participants, and evaluators and focused on the evaluation strategies and process, the use of the evaluation, and technical assistance. Documents analyzed included transcripts of evaluation team meetings and reports, memoranda and other print materials generated by the project leaders and the evaluators. Data analysis consisted of analytic and interpretive procedures consistent with the qualitative data collected and entailed a combined process of coding transcripts of interviews and meetings, field notes, and other documents; analyzing and organizing findings; writing of reflective and analytic memos; and designing and diagramming conceptual relationships. The data analysis resulted in the development of the Multi-Function Model for Systemic Reform Support. This model organizes systemic reform support into three functions: evaluation, technical assistance, and a third, named here as "systemic perspective." These functions work together to support the project's educational goals as well as a larger goal--building capacity in project participants. This model can now serve as an informed starting point or "blueprint" for strategically supporting systemic reform.

Barred from better medicine? Reexamining regulatory barriers to the inclusion of prisoners in research.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Elaine; Cauley, Jacqueline; Wagner, Jennifer K

2017-04-01

In 2015, President Obama announced plans for the Precision Medicine Initiative ® (PMI), an ambitious longitudinal project aimed at revolutionizing medicine. Integral to this Initiative is the recruitment of over one million Americans into a volunteer research cohort, the All of Us SM Research Program. The announcement has generated much excitement but absent is a discussion of how the All of Us Research Program-to be implemented within the context of social realities of mass incarcerations and racial disparities in criminal justice and healthcare-might excaberate health disparities. We examine how attainment of Initiative's stated goals of reflecting the diversity of the American population and including all who are interested in participating might be impeded by regulatory and administrative barriers to the involvement of participants who become incarcerated during longitudinal studies. Changes have been proposed to the federal policy for human subjects research protections, but current regulations and administrative policies-developed under a protectionist paradigm in response to scandalous research practices with confined populations-dramatically limit research involving prisoners. Our review provides rationale for the development of Initiative policies that anticipate recruitment and retention obstacles that might frustrate inclusivity and exacerbate health disparities. Furthermore, we question the effective ban on biomedical and behavioral research involving prisoners and advocate for regulatory reforms that restore participatory research rights of prisoners. Disparities in health and justice are intertwined, and without regulatory reforms to facilitate participatory research rights of prisoners and careful planning of viable and responsible recruitment, engagement, and retention strategies, Initiative could miss discovery opportunities, exacerbate health disparities, and increase levels of distrust in science.

The multidimensionality of electricity reform - an Australian perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Deepak

2003-01-01

The electricity industry in Australia has over the last decade undergone fundamental and profound change. The industry has been functionally unbundled. The generation and retail segments of the industry have been exposed to competition. The transmission and distribution monopolies have been reoriented to foster competition. The customers are being offered increasing choice in the selection of their energy providers. The ownership of the industry is generally moving away from the public domain to the private domain. The rules for the governance of the industry have been developed in the form of a variety of market codes and regulation. Much of the debate about industry reform is being conducted exclusively in the economic domain. There is a general lack of any serious analysis and debate on the political, social, environmental and other dimensions of reform despite a wide consensus on the criticality of such dimensions. This is clearly unhelpful and could lead to obfuscation of the real challenges confronting the industry and preclude the development of responsible policy prescriptions to meet such challenges. There is an obvious need to devote some direct attention to these neglected dimensions of reform. This paper is one such attempt. It draws together the various dimensions of reform and provides a firmer basis for meaningful analyses and concrete debate on the issues. While the discussion focuses on Australian experience, the messages are relevant for other countries engaged in electricity reform

Impact of reform and privatization on consumers: A case study of power sector reform in Orissa, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kundu, Goutam Kumar; Mishra, Bidhu Bhusan

2011-01-01

Orissa is the first state in India to have undergone reform in the power sector, with the government withdrawing its control. The model of this reform is known as the WB-Orissa model. The goal of this paper is to examine the impact of this reform on consumers of electricity, which has been measured using multiple regression models. The variables represent the parameters that consumers are most interested in, and the regression coefficients represent the weights of the corresponding variables. The data were collected using a survey methodology. The impact of reform was found to be mixed. Some groups of consumers saw benefits, while others felt a negative impact. A focus group study was conducted to identify the variables of interest to consumers of electricity. The model was used to estimate consumer benefit and was validated using primary data and structural equation modeling. The study revealed beneficial aspects of reform and areas with no benefits. - Highlights: → Linear regression model with seven variables explains consumer benefit. → Governance issue exists after power sector reform of Orissa. → Reform benefited most consumers with a few exceptions. → Reform affected agricultural consumers.

Strengthening Regulatory Competence in a Changing Nuclear Regulatory Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Illizastigui, P.F.

2016-01-01

The paper addresses the approach followed by the Cuban National Center for Nuclear Safety for the management of current and new competences of its regulatory staff with the aim of allowing those staff to effectively fulfill their core regulatory functions. The approach is realized through an Integrated System for Competence Building, which is based on the IAEA recommendations, shown to be effective in ensuring the necessary competence in the relevant areas. In the author’s opinion, competence of the regulatory staff in the area of human and organizational factors is of paramount importance and needs to be further strengthened in order to be able to assess safety performance at the facilities and detect early signs of deteriorating safety performance. The former is defined by the author as the core regulatory function “Analysis” which covers the entire spectrum of assessment tasks carried out by the regulatory staff to: a) detect declining safety performance, b) diagnose latent weaknesses (root causes) and c) make effective safety culture interventions. The author suggests that competence associated with the fulfillment of the analysis function is distinctly identified and dealt with separately in the current system of managing regulatory competence. (author)

Regulatory activities; Actividades regulatorias

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

This publication, compiled in 8 chapters, presents the regulatory system developed by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) of the Argentine Republic. The following activities and developed topics in this document describe: the evolution of the nuclear regulatory activity in Argentina; the Argentine regulatory system; the nuclear regulatory laws and standards; the inspection and safeguards of nuclear facilities; the emergency systems; the environmental systems; the environmental monitoring; the analysis laboratories on physical and biological dosimetry, prenatal irradiation, internal irradiation, radiation measurements, detection techniques on nuclear testing, medical program on radiation protection; the institutional relations with national and international organization; the training courses and meeting; the technical information.

Recent Advances in Drug Development and Regulatory Science in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jie; Zhao, Naiqing

2018-01-01

As the second largest pharmaceutical market with a great potential for future growth, China has drawn much attention from the global pharmaceutical community. With an increasing government investment in biomedical research, the domestic biopharmaceutical (biotechnological) companies in China are turning their attention to the development of innovative medicines and targeting the global market. To introduce innovative products to Chinese patients sooner, to improve the efficiency of its review and approval processes, and to harmonize its regulatory science with international standards, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has initiated a series of major changes to its policies and regulations. This paper presents a snapshot of China's pharmaceutical market, and research and development status, and introduces technical guidelines pertaining to clinical trials and new drug applications. The recent wave of ground-breaking reforms in CFDA's regulatory science is discussed. Examples of clinical trials and new drug applications are provided throughout the discussion.

Health care reforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marušič Dorjan

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In large systems, such as health care, reforms are underway constantly. The article presents a definition of health care reform and factors that influence its success. The factors being discussed range from knowledgeable personnel, the role of involvement of international experts and all stakeholders in the country, the importance of electoral mandate and governmental support, leadership and clear and transparent communication. The goals set need to be clear, and it is helpful to have good data and analytical support in the process. Despite all debates and experiences, it is impossible to clearly define the best approach to tackle health care reform due to a different configuration of governance structure, political will and state of the economy in a country.

Introducing a complex health innovation--primary health care reforms in Estonia (multimethods evaluation).

Science.gov (United States)

Atun, Rifat Ali; Menabde, Nata; Saluvere, Katrin; Jesse, Maris; Habicht, Jarno

2006-11-01

All post-Soviet countries are trying to reform their primary health care (PHC) systems. The success to date has been uneven. We evaluated PHC reforms in Estonia, using multimethods evaluation: comprising retrospective analysis of routine health service data from Estonian Health Insurance Fund and health-related surveys; documentary analysis of policy reports, laws and regulations; key informant interviews. We analysed changes in organisational structure, regulations, financing and service provision in Estonian PHC system as well as key informant perceptions on factors influencing introduction of reforms. Estonia has successfully implemented and scaled-up multifaceted PHC reforms, including new organisational structures, user choice of family physicians (FPs), new payment methods, specialist training for family medicine, service contracts for FPs, broadened scope of services and evidence-based guidelines. These changes have been institutionalised. PHC effectiveness has been enhanced, as evidenced by improved management of key chronic conditions by FPs in PHC setting and reduced hospital admissions for these conditions. Introduction of PHC reforms - a complex innovation - was enhanced by strong leadership, good co-ordination between policy and operational level, practical approach to implementation emphasizing simplicity of interventions to be easily understood by potential adopters, an encircling strategy to roll-out which avoided direct confrontations with narrow specialists and opposing stakeholders in capital Tallinn, careful change-management strategy to avoid health reforms being politicized too early in the process, and early investment in training to establish a critical mass of health professionals to enable rapid operationalisation of policies. Most importantly, a multifaceted and coordinated approach to reform - with changes in laws; organisational restructuring; modifications to financing and provider payment systems; creation of incentives to enhance

Reform and Backlash to Reform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard Jensen, Svend E.; Hagen Jørgensen, Ole

Using a stochastic general equilibrium model with overlapping generations, this paper studies (i) the effects on both extensive and intensive labor supply responses to changes in fertility rates, and (ii) the potential of a retirement reform to mitigate the effects of fertility changes on labor s...

The anti-politics of health reform: household power relations and child health in rural Senegal.

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Ellen E

2009-04-01

This article employs ethnographic evidence from rural Senegal to explore two dimensions of health sector reform. First, it makes the case that health reforms intersect with and exacerbate existing social, political, and economic inequalities. Current equity analysis draws attention to the ways that liberal and utilitarian frameworks for health reform fail to achieve distributive justice. The author's data suggest that horizontal power relations within households and small communities are equally important for understanding health disparities and the effects of health reform. Second, the article explores how liberal discourses of health reform, particularly calls for 'state-citizen partnerships' and 'responsiblization', promote depoliticised understandings of health. Discourses associated with health reform paradoxically highlight individual responsibility for health while masking the ways that individual health practice is constrained by structural inequalities.

A Critical Examination of Education Reforms Implemented in the Early Years of the Turkish Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaya Yılmaz

2011-05-01

Full Text Available A wide variety of fundamental reforms in different spheres of Turkey’s institutions were swiftly implemented in a top-down manner in the early years of the Turkish Republic under Atatürk’s leadership. The purpose of this article is to critically examine the alphabet and language reforms put into practice in the years between the 1920s and 1930s. Since an analysis of socio-cultural and socio-political context is fundamental to understanding any reform initiatives, the article examines the alphabet and language reforms within the larger social, cultural, and political context within which they were carried out. In order to evaluate these reforms from a broader perspective, the article also scrutinizes the assumptions, beliefs, ideologies, and goals of those politicians or reformers who implemented them.

Liabilities for the decommissioning and disposal in the nuclear area. Analysis and concept of reformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, Bettina

2012-01-01

The contribution under consideration examines the adequacy of the reserves for decommissioning / dismantling and disposal in order to finance long-term tasks. A reform concept is presented. The two key components of the reformation are the establishment of a public fund for the long-term obligations and a stronger insolvency protection of medium-term nuclear liabilities.

Political Parties, Clientelism, and Bureaucratic Reform

OpenAIRE

Cruz, Cesi; Keefer, Philip

2015-01-01

The challenge of public administration reform is well-known: politicians often have little interest in the efficient implementation of government policy. Using new data from 439 World Bank public sector reform loans in 109 countries, we demonstrate that such reforms are significantly less likely to succeed in the presence of non-programmatic political parties. Earlier research uses evidence from a small group of countries to conclude that clientelistic politicians resist reforms that restrict...

Education Reform in Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Dowson

2000-05-01

Full Text Available Since the early 1990s, the pace of educational reform in Hong Kong has accelerated and broadened to incorporate almost all areas of schooling. The reforms introduced during this period can be subsumed under what has generally been labelled the quality movement. In this paper, we review and comment on a number of policy reform initiatives in the four areas of "Quality Education," English Language Benchmarking, Initial Teacher Training and the Integration of Pupils with Special Needs into Ordinary Classrooms. Following a brief description of each policy initiative, the reforms are discussed in terms of their consistency, coherence and cultural fit.

Steam reformer with catalytic combustor

Science.gov (United States)

Voecks, Gerald E. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A steam reformer is disclosed having an annular steam reforming catalyst bed formed by concentric cylinders and having a catalytic combustor located at the center of the innermost cylinder. Fuel is fed into the interior of the catalytic combustor and air is directed at the top of the combustor, creating a catalytic reaction which provides sufficient heat so as to maintain the catalytic reaction in the steam reforming catalyst bed. Alternatively, air is fed into the interior of the catalytic combustor and a fuel mixture is directed at the top. The catalytic combustor provides enhanced radiant and convective heat transfer to the reformer catalyst bed.

Reform at the top: What's next for the WTO? A second life? A socio-political analysis

OpenAIRE

Daniel Drache

2011-01-01

A fundamental change is taking place in the global economy, and the standoff in the Doha Round has raised many questions about the World Trade Organization’s troubled architecture (Khor, 2009). So far, the quest for renewed policy coherence in the rules-based multilateral system has produced stalemate rather than reform. The analysis that follows explores the proposition that, without the metaphoric ‘knife at its throat’ to shock it to its senses, the WTO will continue in the short term to be...

Introduction to the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-26

... Regulatory Commission Federal Housing Finance Agency Federal Maritime Commission Federal Mediation and... that the Regulatory Flexibility Act may require a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, actions selected for.... Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required -- whether an analysis is required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act...

Influence of Steam Reforming Catalyst Geometry on the Performance of Tubular Reformer – Simulation Calculations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franczyk Ewelina

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A proper selection of steam reforming catalyst geometry has a direct effect on the efficiency and economy of hydrogen production from natural gas and is a very important technological and engineering issue in terms of process optimisation. This paper determines the influence of widely used seven-hole grain diameter (ranging from 11 to 21 mm, h/d (height/diameter ratio of catalyst grain and Sh/St (hole surface/total cylinder surface in cross-section ratio (ranging from 0.13 to 0.37 on the gas load of catalyst bed, gas flow resistance, maximum wall temperature and the risk of catalyst coking. Calculations were based on the one-dimensional pseudo-homogeneous model of a steam reforming tubular reactor, with catalyst parameters derived from our investigations. The process analysis shows that it is advantageous, along the whole reformer tube length, to apply catalyst forms of h/d = 1 ratio, relatively large dimensions, possibly high bed porosity and Sh/St ≈ 0.30-0.37 ratio. It enables a considerable process intensification and the processing of more natural gas at the same flow resistance, despite lower bed activity, without catalyst coking risk. Alternatively, plant pressure drop can be reduced maintaining the same gas load, which translates directly into diminishing the operating costs as a result of lowering power consumption for gas compression.

Electricity market reform failures: UK, Norway, Alberta and California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chikeung Woo; Lloyd, Debra; Tishler, Asher

2003-01-01

An analysis of electricity market reforms already taken place in the UK, Norway, Alberta (Canada) and California (USA) leads to our overall conclusion that the introduction of a competitive generation market, of itself, has failed to deliver reliable service at low and stable prices. The market reform failures are attributed to market power abuse by few dominant sellers (especially at times of transmission congestion), poor market design that invites strategic bidding by suppliers, the lack of customer response to price spikes, capacity shortage caused by demand growth not matched by new capacity, and thin trading of forward and futures contracts that are critical for price discovery and risk management. The paper then explains why an electricity market reform can easily fail to deliver the promised gains of better service at lower and more stable prices. The policy implication is that an electric market reform can be extremely risky, and may lead to a disastrous outcome. Thus, it is imprudent to implement such a reform in countries with limited sites for new generation and no indigenous fuels (e.g., Israel and Hong Kong). These countries should therefore consider introducing performance-based regulation that can immediately benefit electricity consumers in terms of lower prices, more stable prices, improved reliability, more choices, while encouraging the electric sector to pursue efficient operation and investment. (Author)

Electricity market reform failures: UK, Norway, Alberta and California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, C.-K.; Lloyd, Debra; Tishler, Asher

2003-01-01

An analysis of electricity market reforms already taken place in the UK, Norway, Alberta (Canada) and California (USA) leads to our overall conclusion that the introduction of a competitive generation market, of itself, has failed to deliver reliable service at low and stable prices. The market reform failures are attributed to market power abuse by few dominant sellers (especially at times of transmission congestion), poor market design that invites strategic bidding by suppliers, the lack of customer response to price spikes, capacity shortage caused by demand growth not matched by new capacity, and thin trading of forward and futures contracts that are critical for price discovery and risk management. The paper then explains why an electricity market reform can easily fail to deliver the promised gains of better service at lower and more stable prices. The policy implication is that an electric market reform can be extremely risky, and may lead to a disastrous outcome. Thus, it is imprudent to implement such a reform in countries with limited sites for new generation and no indigenous fuels (e.g., Israel and Hong Kong). These countries should therefore consider introducing performance-based regulation that can immediately benefit electricity consumers in terms of lower prices, more stable prices, improved reliability, more choices, while encouraging the electric sector to pursue efficient operation and investment

A Meta-Analysis of Multiple Matched Copy Number and Transcriptomics Data Sets for Inferring Gene Regulatory Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Richard; Wernisch, Lorenz

2014-01-01

Inferring gene regulatory relationships from observational data is challenging. Manipulation and intervention is often required to unravel causal relationships unambiguously. However, gene copy number changes, as they frequently occur in cancer cells, might be considered natural manipulation experiments on gene expression. An increasing number of data sets on matched array comparative genomic hybridisation and transcriptomics experiments from a variety of cancer pathologies are becoming publicly available. Here we explore the potential of a meta-analysis of thirty such data sets. The aim of our analysis was to assess the potential of in silico inference of trans-acting gene regulatory relationships from this type of data. We found sufficient correlation signal in the data to infer gene regulatory relationships, with interesting similarities between data sets. A number of genes had highly correlated copy number and expression changes in many of the data sets and we present predicted potential trans-acted regulatory relationships for each of these genes. The study also investigates to what extent heterogeneity between cell types and between pathologies determines the number of statistically significant predictions available from a meta-analysis of experiments. PMID:25148247

The politics of health sector reform in developing countries: three cases of pharmaceutical policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Reich, M R

1995-01-01

This paper examines the political dynamics of health sector reform in poor countries, through a comparative study of pharmaceutical policy reform in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. The paper first reviews five reasons why policy reform is political. It then presents three political economic models of the policy reform process: the political will, political factions, and political survival models. Next, the paper describes the three cases of national pharmaceutical policy reform, and identifies common conditions that made these reforms politically feasible. The paper's analysis suggests that health sector reform is feasible at certain definable, and perhaps predictable, political moments, especially in the early periods of new regimes. The most important and manipulable political factors are: political timing, which provides opportunities for policy entrepreneurs to introduce their ideas into public debate, and political management of group competition, which allows leaders to control the political effects of distributional consequences and protect the regime's stability. A strong and narrow political coalition improves the capacity of political leaders to resist the pressures of concentrated economic costs (both inside and outside national boundaries). The paper argues that for reform to succeed, policy-makers need effective methods to analyze relevant political conditions and shape key political factors in favor of policy reform. The method of Political Mapping is briefly introduced as a technique that can help policy-makers in analyzing and managing the political dimensions of policy reform and in improving the political feasibility of reform.

Energy subsidies: lessons learned in assessing their impact and designing policy reforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moltke, A. von; McKee, C.; Morgan, T.

2004-02-01

This book, which is based on the work carried out by the International Energy Agency and UNEP, explores the potential impacts of energy subsidies and provides guidelines for policy makers on how to implement reform of energy subsides. The background on energy subsidies is traced and an analytical framework is presented covering defining and measuring energy subsidies, the size of the subsidies, and analysis of the impact of subsidies and their reform. Energy subsidies in OECD countries, Czech and Slovak Republics, Russia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Iran and Senegal are examined along with the impact of removing energy subsidies in Chile, the findings of country case studies, and the design and implementation of energy subsidies reforms. Methodological approaches to analysing the economic, environmental and social effects of energy subsidy reform are considered in the Annex

Globalization, statist political economy, and unsuccessful education reform in South Korea, 1993-2003.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ki Su Kim

2005-02-01

Full Text Available This article examines the relationship between globalization and national education reforms, especially those of educational systems. Instead of exploring the much debated issues of how globalization affects national educational systems and how the nations react by what kinds of systemic education reform, however, it focuses on what such a method often leaves out, viz., the internal conditions of a nation that facilitates or hampers reform efforts. Taking South Korea as an example, it explores that country's unique national context which restricts and even inhibits education reforms. Especially noted here is the established "statist" political economy in education. In the paper's analysis, although South Korea's statist political economy has made a substantial contribution to economic and educational development, it is now considered increasingly unviable as globalization progresses. Nevertheless, the internal conditions, resultant from the previous statist policies, set limits on policy makers' efforts to alter the existing educational system. The analysis suggests that a fuller assessment of globalization's impact upon national educational systems or their reforms requires a perspective which is broad enough to encompass not only the concepts and/or theories of globalization and nation states but also the power relations and ideological setup of individual nations.

Regulatory analysis for final rule on nuclear power plant license renewal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-12-01

This regulatory analysis provides the supporting information for the final rule (10 CFR Part 54) that defines the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's requirements for renewing the operating licenses of commercial nuclear power plants. A set of four specific alternatives for the safety review of license renewal applications is defined and evaluated. These are: Alternative A-current licensing basis; Alternative B-extension of Alternative A to require assessment and managing of aging; Alternative C -- extension of Alternative B to require assessment of design differences against selected new-plant standards using probabilistic risk assessment; and Alternative D -- extension of Alternative B to require compliance with all new-plant standards. A quantitative comparison of the four alternatives in terms of impact-to-value ratio is presented, and Alternative B is the most cost-beneficial safety review alternative

Security Sector Reform in Albania

OpenAIRE

Abazi, Enika; Bumci, Aldo; Hide, Enri; Rakipi, Albert

2009-01-01

International audience; This paper analyses security sector reform (SSR) in Albania. In all its enterprises in reforming the security sector,Albania is assisted by different initiatives and projects that provide expertise and financial support. To assesswhether reforms improved the overall security environment (national and human) of the country, it is necessaryto measure the effectiveness of the various initiatives and projects. This is gauged by how well the initiatives andprojects achieved...

Analysis on Conflicts of China’s Coal Tax Reform

OpenAIRE

Wang, Dong

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the conflicts which are resulted from coal tax reform in China from economic and public policy perspectives. An analytical framework involving actors, values, interests and institution has been applied. China’s central government eagers to achieve fiscal revenue increase, environmental protection and energy conversation goals by a good governance of coal system. As a traditional and feasible policy instrument, taxation is regarded for dealing with energy issues in poli...

Environmental fiscal reforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashish Chaturvedi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The paper presents concepts and instruments of environmental fiscal reforms (EFR and their application in the Indian context. EFR can lead to environmental improvement more efficiently and cost effectively than traditional regulation. There is substantial experience of successful EFR implementation in the European Union. India has also adopted some EFR measures such as deregulation of petrol prices, coal cess, and subsidy for setting up common effluent treatment plants. The challenges of implementing EFR measures in India are also discussed, including inadequate analysis, policy framework and institutional capacity, as well as conflict with poverty reduction and building political support.

Power sector reform in Maharashtra, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Totare, Ninad P.; Pandit, Shubha

2010-01-01

In early 1990 the power sector in India required an initial set of reforms due to the scarcity of financial resources and its deteriorating technical and commercial efficiency. The Indian power sector is now going through a second stage of reforms in which restructuring of electric supply utilities has taken place. The Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) initiated reforms in 2005 by dividing the state electricity board into four separate companies. In this paper, the situations that led to the reform of the MSEB and the scope of the work required for an action plan initiated by the state electricity distribution company in the context of the proposed Key Performance Index are discussed. The post-reform status of the distribution company is analyzed with selected key parameters. The study also analyzes the electricity supply model implemented and the effect of a multi-year tariff plan as one of the key milestones of the tariff structure. The various new projects implemented by the distribution company to improve consumer services and the reform experiences of the other states are discussed, along with the future scope of the present reform process. (author)

Reforming primary healthcare: from public policy to organizational change.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Frédéric; Denis, Jean-Louis; Lamothe, Lise; Beaulieu, Marie-Dominique; D'amour, Danielle; Goudreau, Johanne

2015-01-01

Governments everywhere are implementing reform to improve primary care. However, the existence of a high degree of professional autonomy makes large-scale change difficult to achieve. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the change dynamics and the involvement of professionals in a primary healthcare reform initiative carried out in the Canadian province of Quebec. An empirical approach was used to investigate change processes from the inception of a public policy to the execution of changes in professional practices. The data were analysed from a multi-level, combined contextualist-processual perspective. Results are based on a longitudinal multiple-case study of five family medicine groups, which was informed by over 100 interviews, questionnaires, and documentary analysis. The results illustrate the multiple processes observed with the introduction of planned large-scale change in primary care services. The analysis of change content revealed that similar post-change states concealed variations between groups in the scale of their respective changes. The analysis also demonstrated more precisely how change evolved through the introduction of "intermediate change" and how cycles of prescribed and emergent mechanisms distinctively drove change process and change content, from the emergence of the public policy to the change in primary care service delivery. This research was conducted among a limited number of early policy adopters. However, given the international interest in turning to the medical profession to improve primary care, the results offer avenues for both policy development and implementation. The findings offer practical insights for those studying and managing large-scale transformations. They provide a better understanding of how deliberate reforms coexist with professional autonomy through an intertwining of change content and processes. This research is one of few studies to examine a primary care reform from emergence to implementation

Effects of coverage gap reform on adherence to diabetes medications.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Feng; Patel, Bimal V; Brunetti, Louis

2013-04-01

To investigate the impact of Part D coverage gap reform on diabetes medication adherence. Retrospective data analysis based on pharmacy claims data from a national pharmacy benefit manager. We used a difference-in-difference-indifference method to evaluate the impact of coverage gap reform on adherence to diabetes medications. Two cohorts (2010 and 2011) were constructed to represent the last year before Affordable Care Act (ACA) reform and the first year after reform, respectively. Each patient had 2 observations: 1 before and 1 after entering the coverage gap. Patients in each cohort were divided into groups based on type of gap coverage: no coverage, partial coverage (generics only), and full coverage. Following ACA reform, patients with no gap coverage and patients with partial gap coverage experienced substantial drops in copayments in the coverage gap in 2011. Their adherence to diabetes medications in the gap, measured by percentage of days covered, improved correspondingly (2.99 percentage points, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-5.48, P = .019 for patients with no coverage; 6.46 percentage points, 95% CI 3.34-9.58, P gap in 2011. However, their adherence did not increase (-0.13 percentage point, P = .8011). In the first year of ACA coverage gap reform, copayments in the gap decreased substantially for all patients. Patients with no coverage and patients with partial coverage in the gap had better adherence in the gap in 2011.

COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY FROM HEALTH CHECK DECISIONS TO THE POST-2013 REFORM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niculescu Oana Marilena

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The paper proposed for being presented belongs to the field research International Affairs and European Integration. The paper entitled Common Agricultural Policy from Health Check decisions to the post-2013 reform aims to analyze the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP from the Health Check adoption in November 2008 to a new reform post-2013. The objectives of the paper are the presentation of the Health Check with its advantages and disadvantages as well as the analysis of the opportunity of a new European policy and its reforming having in view that the analysis of Health Check condition was considered a compromise. The paper is related to the internal and international research consisting in several books, studies, documents that analyze the particularities of the most debated, controversial and reformed EU policy. A personal study is represented by the first report within the PhD paper called The reform of CAP and its implications for Romanias agriculture(coordinator prof. Gheorghe Hurduzeu PhD, Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, Faculty of International Business, research studies in the period 2009-2012. The research methodology used consists in collecting and analysis data from national and international publications, their validation, followed by a dissemination of the results in order to express a personal opinion regarding CAP and its reform. The results of the research consist in proving the opportunity of a new reform due to the fact that Health Check belongs already to the past. The paper belongs to the field research mentioned, in the attempt to prove the opportunity of building a new EU agricultural policy. The challenges CAP is facing are: food safety, environmental and climate changes, territorial balance as well as new challenges-improving sustainable management of natural resources, maintaining competitiveness in the context of globalization growth, strengthening EU cohesion in rural areas, increasing the support of CAP for

Welfare implication of reforming energy consumption subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breton, Michèle; Mirzapour, Hossein

2016-01-01

Reforming energy consumption subsidies, in particular for fossil fuels, has been frequently referred to as a quick-win policy to enhance environmental mitigation. In addition, the removal of such subsidies may release a sizeable portion of a country's national budget for use on more productive targets. One of the most recognized challenges of such reform is “selling” the new energy prices to citizens, particularly those with a more fragile purchasing power. Several empirical and technical studies have prescribed that the reform might be supported by a direct compensation mechanism in order to ensure feasibility. This is what was done during the recent energy subsidy reform in Iran. However, the compensation mechanism implemented in Iran's reform was successful at the beginning, but did not proceed as expected. This has raised questions about the feasibility and sustainability of the direct compensation mechanism, and even of the reform policy itself. In this paper, we consider a stylized model where direct compensation is the instrument proposed to restore consumers’ utility against increased energy prices. We find that, when prices of Other Goods are affected by the announced reform policy, the feasibility of a subsidy reform critically depends on the value of certain parameters: the initial subsidization rate, the share of energy in the consumers’ bundle, and the energy portion of price of Other Goods. - Highlights: • A model of energy subsidy reform with direct compensation is proposed. • Feasibility of the reform is related to three key parameters. • An illustrative example using data from the recent Iranian reform is discussed.

Singular Perturbation Analysis and Gene Regulatory Networks with Delay

Science.gov (United States)

Shlykova, Irina; Ponosov, Arcady

2009-09-01

There are different ways of how to model gene regulatory networks. Differential equations allow for a detailed description of the network's dynamics and provide an explicit model of the gene concentration changes over time. Production and relative degradation rate functions used in such models depend on the vector of steeply sloped threshold functions which characterize the activity of genes. The most popular example of the threshold functions comes from the Boolean network approach, where the threshold functions are given by step functions. The system of differential equations becomes then piecewise linear. The dynamics of this system can be described very easily between the thresholds, but not in the switching domains. For instance this approach fails to analyze stationary points of the system and to define continuous solutions in the switching domains. These problems were studied in [2], [3], but the proposed model did not take into account a time delay in cellular systems. However, analysis of real gene expression data shows a considerable number of time-delayed interactions suggesting that time delay is essential in gene regulation. Therefore, delays may have a great effect on the dynamics of the system presenting one of the critical factors that should be considered in reconstruction of gene regulatory networks. The goal of this work is to apply the singular perturbation analysis to certain systems with delay and to obtain an analog of Tikhonov's theorem, which provides sufficient conditions for constracting the limit system in the delay case.

Bio-oil steam reforming, partial oxidation or oxidative steam reforming coupled with bio-oil dry reforming to eliminate CO{sub 2} emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xun [State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Lu, Gongxuan [State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2010-07-15

Biomass is carbon-neutral and utilization of biomass as hydrogen resource shows no impact on atmospheric CO{sub 2} level. Nevertheless, a significant amount of CO{sub 2} is always produced in biomass gasification processes. If the CO{sub 2} produced can further react with biomass, then the biomass gasification coupled with CO{sub 2} reforming of biomass will result in a net decrease of CO{sub 2} level in atmosphere and produce the chemical raw material, syngas. To achieve this concept, a ''Y'' type reactor is developed and applied in bio-oil steam reforming, partial oxidation, or oxidative steam reforming coupled with CO{sub 2} reforming of bio-oil to eliminate the emission of CO{sub 2}. The experimental results show that the reaction systems can efficiently suppress the emission of CO{sub 2} from various reforming processes. The different coupled reaction systems generate the syngas with different molar ratio of CO/H{sub 2}. In addition, coke deposition is encountered in the different reforming processes. Both catalysts and experimental parameters significantly affect the coke deposition. Ni/La{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst shows much higher resistivity toward coke deposition than Ni/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst, while employing high reaction temperature is vital for elimination of coke deposition. Although the different coupled reaction systems show different characteristic in terms of product distribution and coke deposition, which all can serve as methods for storage of the carbon from fossil fuels or air. (author)

Getting reforms done in inhospitable institutional environments: untying a Gordian Knot in India's power distribution sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tankha, Sunil; Misal, Annasahed B.; Fuller, Boyd W.

2010-01-01

When grand institutional reforms based on idealized models are stalled by the poor institutional environments and difficult politics which often surround large infrastructure systems in developing countries, partial reforms whose design and implementation take into account the different interests of the key stakeholders can provide valuable and immediate benefits while moving these systems from low- towards higher-level equilibria. Strategically negotiated, experimentally partial and purposefully hybrid, these reforms are based on careful stakeholder analysis and strategic coalition building that avoid rigid positions based on idealized models. Our findings are based on a study of power sector reforms in India, where we performed a micro-level and in-depth analysis of a partial and innovative experiment which has allowed private sector participation in electricity distribution within a hostile institutional environment.

Biomaterials Evaluation: Conceptual Refinements and Practical Reforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Masaeli, Reza; Zandsalimi, Kavosh; Tayebi, Lobat

2018-01-01

Regarding the widespread and ever-increasing applications of biomaterials in different medical fields, their accurate assessment is of great importance. Hence the safety and efficacy of biomaterials is confirmed only through the evaluation process, the way it is done has direct effects on public health. Although every biomaterial undergoes rigorous premarket evaluation, the regulatory agencies receive a considerable number of complications and adverse event reports annually. The main factors that challenge the process of biomaterials evaluation are dissimilar regulations, asynchrony of biomaterials evaluation and biomaterials development, inherent biases of postmarketing data, and cost and timing issues. Several pieces of evidence indicate that current medical device regulations need to be improved so that they can be used more effectively in the evaluation of biomaterials. This article provides suggested conceptual refinements and practical reforms to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing regulations. The main focus of the article is on strategies for evaluating biomaterials in US, and then in EU.

Economic Reforms and Constitutional Transition

OpenAIRE

Jeffrey D. Sachs; Wing Thye Woo; Xiaokai Yang

2000-01-01

This paper investigates the relationship between economic reforms and constitutional transition, which has been neglected by many transition economists. It is argued that assessment of reform performance might be very misleading if it is not recognized that economic reforms are just a small part of large scale of constitutional transition. Rivalry and competition between states and between political forces within each country are the driving forces for constitutional transition. We use Russia...

77 FR 8082 - Regulatory Flexibility Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-13

... Required: Yes. Agency Contact: Alicia Goldin, Division of Trading and Markets, Securities and Exchange.../01/11 Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes. Agency Contact: Alicia Goldin, Division of... Withdrawn 10/01/11 Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes. Agency Contact: Alicia Goldin, Division of...

Impact of reform and privatisation on employees a case study of power sector reform in Orissa, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kundu, Goutam Kumar; Mishra, Bidhu Bhusan

2012-01-01

Orissa is the first state in India to have undergone reform in the power sector with the Government withdrawing its control. The state government owned integrated Electricity Board which was responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity was unbundled into separate generating, transmitting, distributing and trading companies. The structure and ownership changed. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the reform and privatization on employees. The impact of reform on employees was measured with the help of multiple regression models. The variables represent the parameters that employees are most interested in, and the regression coefficients represent the weights of the corresponding variables. The data were collected using a survey methodology. The impact of reform was observed to be mixed one. Some employees felt benefits while others mentioned negative impact. The study revealed beneficial aspects of reform and areas with no benefits. - Highlights: ► Employee benefit is a linear function of 11 variables. ► Eleven variables predict 95.8% of employees benefit. ► Money received by the employees increased after reform. ► Employees benefit due to reform is a mixed one.

China’s Insurance Regulatory Reform, Corporate Governance Behavior and Insurers’ Governance Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongliang; Qiu, Aichao

2017-01-01

External regulation is an important mechanism to improve corporate behavior in emerging markets. China’s insurance governance regulation, which began to supervise and guide insurance corporate governance behavior in 2006, has experienced a complex process of reform. This study tested our hypotheses with a sample of 85 firms during 2010–2011, which was obtained by providing a questionnaire to all of China’s shareholding insurance companies. The empirical study results generally show that China’s insurance governance effectiveness has significantly improved through strict regulation. Insurance corporate governance can improve business acumen and risk-control ability, but no significant evidence was found to prove its influence on profitability, as a result of focusing less attention on governance than on management. State ownership is associated with higher corporate governance effectiveness than non-state ownership. Listed companies tend to outperform non-listed firms, and life insurance corporate governance is more effective than that of property insurers. This study not only contributes to the comprehensive understanding of corporate governance effectiveness but also to the literature by highlighting the effect of corporate governance regulation in China’s insurance industry and other emerging economies of the financial sector. PMID:29039781

China’s Insurance Regulatory Reform, Corporate Governance Behavior and Insurers’ Governance Effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huicong Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available External regulation is an important mechanism to improve corporate behavior in emerging markets. China’s insurance governance regulation, which began to supervise and guide insurance corporate governance behavior in 2006, has experienced a complex process of reform. This study tested our hypotheses with a sample of 85 firms during 2010–2011, which was obtained by providing a questionnaire to all of China’s shareholding insurance companies. The empirical study results generally show that China’s insurance governance effectiveness has significantly improved through strict regulation. Insurance corporate governance can improve business acumen and risk-control ability, but no significant evidence was found to prove its influence on profitability, as a result of focusing less attention on governance than on management. State ownership is associated with higher corporate governance effectiveness than non-state ownership. Listed companies tend to outperform non-listed firms, and life insurance corporate governance is more effective than that of property insurers. This study not only contributes to the comprehensive understanding of corporate governance effectiveness but also to the literature by highlighting the effect of corporate governance regulation in China’s insurance industry and other emerging economies of the financial sector.

Exergetic analysis and optimization of a solar-powered reformed methanol fuel cell micro-powerplant

Science.gov (United States)

Hotz, Nico; Zimmerman, Raúl; Weinmueller, Christian; Lee, Ming-Tsang; Grigoropoulos, Costas P.; Rosengarten, Gary; Poulikakos, Dimos

The present study proposes a combination of solar-powered components (two heaters, an evaporator, and a steam reformer) with a proton exchange membrane fuel cell to form a powerplant that converts methanol to electricity. The solar radiation heats up the mass flows of methanol-water mixture and air and sustains the endothermic methanol steam reformer at a sufficient reaction temperature (typically between 220 and 300 °C). In order to compare the different types of energy (thermal, chemical, and electrical), an exergetic analysis is applied to the entire system, considering only the useful part of energy that can be converted to work. The effect of the solar radiation intensity and of different operational and geometrical parameters like the total inlet flow rate of methanol-water mixture, the size of the fuel cell, and the cell voltage on the performance of the entire system is investigated. The total exergetic efficiency comparing the electrical power output with the exergy input in form of chemical and solar exergy reaches values of up to 35%, while the exergetic efficiency only accounting for the conversion of chemical fuel to electricity (and neglecting the 'cost-free' solar input) is increased up to 59%. At the same time, an electrical power density per irradiated area of more than 920 W m -2 is obtained for a solar heat flux of 1000 W m -2.

Power sector reforms in Brazil and its impacts on energy efficiency and research and development activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jannuzzi, G.M. de

2005-01-01

Since the mid-nineties Brazil has implemented significant changes in the country's power sector, including privatization, introduction of competition and the creation of regulatory agency. As reform started in Brazil traditional support to energy efficiency and energy research and development suffered a discontinuation, budget cuts and re-definition of roles of the public agents in charge. At the same time, new regulatory measures and the creation of a national public interest fund have helped to maintain and potentially enhance the country's effort to promote energy efficiency and investments in energy R and D. This paper analyses the impacts of these changes in the areas of energy efficiency and energy research and development and argues for an increased role of developing countries to provide solutions for a meeting energy demand requirements more suitable to their internal markets

49 CFR 260.13 - Credit reform.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... appropriations, direct payment of a Credit Risk Premium by the Applicant or a non-Federal infrastructure partner... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Credit reform. 260.13 Section 260.13... REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT FINANCING PROGRAM Overview § 260.13 Credit reform. The Federal Credit Reform Act...

Effect of a diffuser on performance enhancement of a cylindrical methanol steam reformer by computational fluid dynamic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perng, Shiang-Wuu; Horng, Rong-Fang; Wu, Horng-Wen

2017-01-01

Highlights: •We enhance performance of a cylindrical MSR to get higher net power of fuel cell. •We study diffuser angle and length and wall temperature on net power of fuel cell. •We study methanol conversion, hydrogen production, CO of a novel reformer. •Diffuser in catalyst bed upstream raises methanol conversion, hydrogen production. •The MSR raises hydrogen production up to 44.6% and net fuel cell power up to 24.6%. -- Abstract: Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) connected with a methanol steam reformer designed to enhance its performance is considered as a promising future power source. Enhancing the performance of a cylindrical methanol steam reformer due to diffuser effects was then investigated applying three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics by the SIMPLE-C algorithm and an Arrhenius form of reaction model. The effect of the angle and length of the diffuser, and wall temperature have been explored on heat and fluid flow, methanol conversion, hydrogen production, carbon monoxide reduction, as well as estimated net power of fuel cell with the same catalyst volume and entrance condition in a cylindrical methanol steam reformer. The results indicate that the diffuser obviously enhances methanol conversion and hydrogen production of a cylindrical methanol steam reformer. In comparison with a traditional reformer, the reformer with a diffuser of θ d = 6° and L d = 75 mm obtains the maximum enhancement of 22.96% in methanol conversion, 44.62% in hydrogen production, and 24.59% in estimated net power of fuel cell at wall temperature of 250 °C. In addition, the novel reformer with a diffuser of θ d = 9° and L d = 100 mm generates the maximum reduction of 44.17% in CO production at T W = 250 °C.

Flow cytometric analysis of regulatory T cells during hyposensitization of acquired allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, Kathleen; Abbas, Mariam; Hull, Peter R

2014-01-01

We previously demonstrated that repeated intradermal steroid injections administered at weekly intervals into positive patch-test sites induce hyposensitization and desensitization. To examine changes in CD4CD25CD127lo/ regulatory T cells during the attenuation of the patch-test response. Ten patients with known allergic contact dermatitis were patch tested weekly for 10 weeks. The patch-test site was injected intradermally with 2 mg triamcinolone. At weeks 1 and 7, a biopsy was performed on the patch-test site in 6 patients, and flow cytometry was performed assessing CD4CD25CD127lo/ regulatory T cells. Secondary outcomes were clinical score, reaction size, erythema, and temperature. Statistical analysis included regression, correlation, and repeated-measures analysis of variance. The percentage of CD4CD25CD127lo/ regulatory T cells, measured by flow cytometry, increased from week 1 to week 7 by an average of 19.2%. The average grade of patch-test reaction decreased from +++ (vesicular reaction) to ++ (palpable erythema). The mean drop in temperature following treatment was 0.28°C per week. The mean area decreased 8.6 mm/wk over 10 weeks. Intradermal steroid injections of weekly patch-test reactions resulted in hyposensitization of the allergic contact dermatitis reaction. CD4CD25CD127lo/ regulatory T cells showed a tendency to increase; however, further studies are needed to determine if this is significant.

High School Diversification against Educational Equality: A Critical Analysis of Neoliberal Education Reform in South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Jeongran

2011-01-01

Recent reforms of high school education in Korea have focused on transforming the uniform and standardized system into a deregulated and diversified system that has an emphasis on school choice and competition. Situating the high school diversification policy in the context of the recent controversy of the neoliberal educational reform, this study…

The role of independent agents in the success of health insurance market reforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, M A

2000-01-01

The impact of reforms on the health insurance markets cannot be understood without more information about the role played by insurance agents and a closer analysis of their contribution. An in-depth, qualitative study of insurance-market reforms in seven illustrative states forms the basis for this report on how agents help to shape the efficiency and fairness of insurance markets. Different types of agents relate to insurers in their own ways and are compensated differently. This study shows agents to be almost uniformly enthusiastic about guaranteed-issue requirements and other components of market reforms. Although insurers devise strategies for manipulating agents in order to avoid undesirable business, these opportunities are limited and do not appear to be seriously undermining the effectiveness of market reforms. Despite the layer of cost that agents add to the system, they play an important role in making market reforms work, and they fill essential information and service functions for which many purchasers have no ready substitute.

Analysis and evaluation of regulatory uncertainties in 10 CFR 60 subparts B and E

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiner, R.F.; Patrick, W.C.

1990-01-01

This paper presents an attribute analysis scheme for prioritizing the resolution of regulatory uncertainties. Attributes are presented which assist in identifying the need for timeliness and durability of the resolution of an uncertainty

Energy efficiency of a direct-injection internal combustion engine with high-pressure methanol steam reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poran, Arnon; Tartakovsky, Leonid

2015-01-01

This article discusses the concept of a direct-injection ICE (internal combustion engine) with thermo-chemical recuperation realized through SRM (steam reforming of methanol). It is shown that the energy required to compress the reformate gas prior to its injection into the cylinder is substantial and has to be accounted for. Results of the analysis prove that the method of reformate direct-injection is unviable when the reforming is carried-out under atmospheric pressure. To reduce the energy penalty resulted from the gas compression, it is suggested to implement a high-pressure reforming process. Effects of the injection timing and the injector's flow area on the ICE-SRM system's fuel conversion efficiency are studied. The significance of cooling the reforming products prior to their injection into the engine-cylinder is demonstrated. We show that a direct-injection ICE with high-pressure SRM is feasible and provides a potential for significant efficiency improvement. Development of injectors with greater flow area shall contribute to further efficiency improvements. - Highlights: • Energy needed to compress the reformate is substantial and has to be accounted for. • Reformate direct-injection is unviable if reforming is done at atmospheric pressure. • Direct-injection engine with high-pressure methanol reforming is feasible. • Efficiency improvement by 12–14% compared with a gasoline-fed engine was shown

Identification of a cis-regulatory element by transient analysis of co-ordinately regulated genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allan Andrew C

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transcription factors (TFs co-ordinately regulate target genes that are dispersed throughout the genome. This co-ordinate regulation is achieved, in part, through the interaction of transcription factors with conserved cis-regulatory motifs that are in close proximity to the target genes. While much is known about the families of transcription factors that regulate gene expression in plants, there are few well characterised cis-regulatory motifs. In Arabidopsis, over-expression of the MYB transcription factor PAP1 (PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT 1 leads to transgenic plants with elevated anthocyanin levels due to the co-ordinated up-regulation of genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. In addition to the anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, there are a number of un-associated genes that also change in expression level. This may be a direct or indirect consequence of the over-expression of PAP1. Results Oligo array analysis of PAP1 over-expression Arabidopsis plants identified genes co-ordinately up-regulated in response to the elevated expression of this transcription factor. Transient assays on the promoter regions of 33 of these up-regulated genes identified eight promoter fragments that were transactivated by PAP1. Bioinformatic analysis on these promoters revealed a common cis-regulatory motif that we showed is required for PAP1 dependent transactivation. Conclusion Co-ordinated gene regulation by individual transcription factors is a complex collection of both direct and indirect effects. Transient transactivation assays provide a rapid method to identify direct target genes from indirect target genes. Bioinformatic analysis of the promoters of these direct target genes is able to locate motifs that are common to this sub-set of promoters, which is impossible to identify with the larger set of direct and indirect target genes. While this type of analysis does not prove a direct interaction between protein and DNA

Tri-reforming and combined reforming of methane for producing syngas with desired hydrogen/carbon monoxide ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Wei

This dissertation is an exploratory study of a new process concept for direct production of synthesis gas (CO + H2) with desired H 2/CO ratios (1.5--2.0) for methanol synthesis and F-T synthesis, using CO2 together with steam and unconverted O2 in flue gas from fossil fuel-fired electric power plants to react with methane or natural gas. This new process is called tri-reforming, referring to simultaneous CO2-steam-O2 reforming of methane or natural gas. This study included (1) The investigation of carbon formation in the tri-reforming process. For comparison, carbon formation in the combined reforming and CO2 reforming reaction was studied as well. (2) The effect of reaction conditions and feed compositions on equilibrium composition (e.g. H2/CO ratio) and equilibrium conversions in the tri-reforming process. (3) The role of catalysts in the tri-reforming process, especially the effect of catalysts on CO2 conversion in the presence of H 2O and O2. It was clearly evidenced from this study that CO in the product stream is probably the major source of carbon over Ni/Al2O3 in the equimolar CO2-CH4 reforming at 650°C and 1 atm. Addition of either O2 or H2O into the CO 2 reforming reaction system can suppress carbon formation. It was demonstrated that carbon-free operation can be achieved in the tri-reforming process. A thermodynamic comparison of tri-reforming with feed compositions of (H2O+CO2+0.5O2)/CH4 (mol ratio) = 1 showed that O2 improves equilibrium CH4 conversion, yet greatly decreases equilibrium CO2 conversion. H2O in tri-reforming has a significant effect on the H2/CO ratio in the products, while O2 has a minor effect. A kinetic study and catalytic performance tests indicated that the support in a supported catalyst has a significant role in enhancing CO2 conversion to CO in the presence of H2O and O2 in tri-reforming. The Ni/MgO catalyst showed superior performance with close to equilibrium CH4 and CO2 conversions at 850°C, 1 atm, and 32,000 ml

Reforming Social Policy: Changing Perspectives on Sustainable ...

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

Reforming Social Policy presents an overview of social policy reforms currently ... It shows how some experimental approaches to reform have worked in different ... and students in development studies and social sciences; policymakers and ...

Plasma devices for hydrocarbon reformation

KAUST Repository

Cha, Min

2017-01-01

Plasma devices for hydrocarbon reformation are provided. Methods of using the devices for hydrocarbon reformation are also provided. The devices can include a liquid container to receive a hydrocarbon source, and a plasma torch configured

Kinetic Study of Nonequilibrium Plasma-Assisted Methane Steam Reforming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongtao Zheng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available To develop a detailed reaction mechanism for plasma-assisted methane steam reforming, a comprehensive numerical and experimental study of effect laws on methane conversion and products yield is performed at different steam to methane molar ratio (S/C, residence time s, and reaction temperatures. A CHEMKIN-PRO software with sensitivity analysis module and path flux analysis module was used for simulations. A set of comparisons show that the developed reaction mechanism can accurately predict methane conversion and the trend of products yield in different operating conditions. Using the developed reaction mechanism in plasma-assisted kinetic model, the reaction path flux analysis was carried out. The result shows that CH3 recombination is the limiting reaction for CO production and O is the critical species for CO production. Adding 40 wt.% Ni/SiO2 in discharge region has significantly promoted the yield of H2, CO, or CO2 in dielectric packed bed (DPB reactor. Plasma catalytic hybrid reforming experiment verifies the reaction path flux analysis tentatively.

Environmental consequences of electricity sector reforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wohlgemuth, N.

1999-01-01

Worldwide, the electricity industry is in the process of undergoing fundamental transitions. The reform process typically involves one or more of the following changes: commercialisation, privatisation, unbundling/restructuring and introduction of competition. The environmental impacts of these changes pull in different directions. There is concern that restructured electricity markets may not always incorporate adequately the environmental impacts of electricity resource development and consumption decisions. However, the electricity sector reform process also offers an opportunity to promote positive environmental changes: because the sector is already in flux, it may be easier to address environmental issues. The paper gives an overview of power sector reform in six countries where reforms have already been implemented, and concludes that reform measures will have to be accompanied by competitively neutral regulations in order to stimulate investment in environmentally sound technologies, including renewable and energy efficient technologies. (author)

HISTORIOGRAPHY GENERAL, REGIONAL AND SPECIAL STUDIES OF JUDICIAL REFORM IN RUSSIA 1864

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergei Evgenievich Strakhov

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In today's world, a crucial role is played by the judiciary. In the period lasting judicial reform, it is important to explore this institution not only at the present stage, but also to trace the history of its development, including - through analysis and synthesis of existing studies of the judiciary and judicial reforms.The purpose of this study - to explore the historiography of general, special and regional studies of judicial reform of1864 inRussia, to classify research on history and on the subject of the study.Scientific, theoretical and practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the study of this topic will summarize the significant weight of the studies of the judicial reform of 1864 and classified by facilitating orientation interested in individuals in the study subjects.The author uses historical, comparative, hermeneutical, mathematical methods, as well as general methods of scientific research.The author analyzes the historiography of general, special and regional studies of the judicial reform of1864 inRussia, introducing a classification of such studies in chronological order (pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern stages and subject matter (common - affecting all aspects of judicial reform, special - dedicated to a particular aspect (legal agencies, prosecutors, legal, etc. and regional - dedicated to judicial reform, or some aspects of it in some regions of Russia.The results of this study are scientific and practical value, because they can be useful for teaching students - in industry disciplines "judiciary", "advocacy", "notary public", "public prosecutor's supervision" and general theoretical "History of State and Law," "History of the fatherland" ; in science - by picking up information about the historiography of the judicial reform, and in practice - said work can serve as a guide to research judicial reform, which may be useful to practitioners of judicial and investigative bodies, as well as - prosecutors

Comparative analysis of chromatin landscape in regulatory regions of human housekeeping and tissue specific genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dasgupta Dipayan

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Global regulatory mechanisms involving chromatin assembly and remodelling in the promoter regions of genes is implicated in eukaryotic transcription control especially for genes subjected to spatial and temporal regulation. The potential to utilise global regulatory mechanisms for controlling gene expression might depend upon the architecture of the chromatin in and around the gene. In-silico analysis can yield important insights into this aspect, facilitating comparison of two or more classes of genes comprising of a large number of genes within each group. Results In the present study, we carried out a comparative analysis of chromatin characteristics in terms of the scaffold/matrix attachment regions, nucleosome formation potential and the occurrence of repetitive sequences, in the upstream regulatory regions of housekeeping and tissue specific genes. Our data show that putative scaffold/matrix attachment regions are more abundant and nucleosome formation potential is higher in the 5' regions of tissue specific genes as compared to the housekeeping genes. Conclusion The differences in the chromatin features between the two groups of genes indicate the involvement of chromatin organisation in the control of gene expression. The presence of global regulatory mechanisms mediated through chromatin organisation can decrease the burden of invoking gene specific regulators for maintenance of the active/silenced state of gene expression. This could partially explain the lower number of genes estimated in the human genome.

Power and process: The politics of electricity sector reform in Uganda

Science.gov (United States)

Gore, Christopher David

In 2007, Uganda had one of the lowest levels of access to electricity in the world. Given the influence of multilateral and bilateral agencies in Uganda; the strong international reputation and domestic influence of its President; the country's historic achievements in public sector and economic reform; and the intimate connection between economic performance, social well-being and access to electricity, the problems with Uganda's electricity sector have proven deeply frustrating and, indeed, puzzling. Following increased scholarly attention to the relationship between political change, policymaking, and public sector reform in sub-Saharan Africa and the developing world generally, this thesis examines the multilevel politics of Uganda's electricity sector reform process. This study contends that explanations for Uganda's electricity sector reform problems generally, and hydroelectric dam construction efforts specifically, must move beyond technical and financial factors. Problems in this sector have also been the result of a model of reform (promoted by the World Bank) that failed adequately to account for the character of political change. Indeed, the model of reform that was promoted and implemented was risky and it was deeply antagonistic to domestic and international civil society organizations. In addition, it was presented as a linear, technical, apolitical exercise. Finally the model was inconsistent with key principles the Bank itself, and public policy literature generally, suggest are needed for success. Based on this analysis, the thesis contends that policymaking and reform must be understood as deeply political processes, which not only define access to services, but also participation in, and exclusion from, national debates. Future approaches to reform and policymaking must anticipate the complex, multilevel, non-linear character of 'second-generation' policy issues like electricity, and the political and institutional capacity needed to increase

Regulatory agencies and regulatory risk

OpenAIRE

Knieps, Günter; Weiß, Hans-Jörg

2008-01-01

The aim of this paper is to show that regulatory risk is due to the discretionary behaviour of regulatory agencies, caused by a too extensive regulatory mandate provided by the legislator. The normative point of reference and a behavioural model of regulatory agencies based on the positive theory of regulation are presented. Regulatory risk with regard to the future behaviour of regulatory agencies is modelled as the consequence of the ex ante uncertainty about the relative influence of inter...

The case for regulatory reform in the business and healthcare environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Younis, Mustafa Z; Barhem, Belal; Hamidi, Samir; Inungu, Joseph; Prater, Gwendolyn S; O'Keefe, Arthur

2009-01-01

Government regulations affect corporations and consumers on a daily basis. For example, environmental and safety regulations in the workplace are administrated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the Department of Labor. OSHA sets and enforces standards in work environment to ensure the safety and health of workers. Other regulatory agencies, such as the National Highway and Transportation Agency (NHTSA), oversee the transportation and the safety of the automobile and truck industry. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a major role in approving new drugs on the market and in monitoring drug safety, and it has the power to remove drugs from the market if they are proved to be safety and health problems to the public. However, the mere existence of these regulations often causes impediments to businesses, and the extent of their ultimate usefulness is examined and analyzed in this paper

A case study of different configurations for the performance analysis of solid oxide fuel cells with external reformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kang Hun; Woo, Hyun Tak; Yu, Sang Seok; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Young Duk; Kang, Sang Gyu; Ahn, Kook Young

2012-01-01

A planar solid oxide fuel cell (PSOFC) is studied in its application in a high temperature stationary power plant. Even though PSOFCs with external reformers are designed for application from the distributed power source to the central power plant, such PSOFCs may sacrifice more system efficiency than internally reformed SOFCs. In this study, modeling of the PSOFC with an external reformer was developed to analyze the feasibility of thermal energy utilization for the external reformer. The PSOFC system model includes the stack, reformer, burner, heat exchanger, blower, pump, PID controller, 3-way valve, reactor, mixer, and steam separator. The model was developed under the Matlab/Simulink environment with Thermolib'R'modules. The model was used to study the system performance according to its configuration. Three configurations of the SOFC system were selected for the comparison of the system performance. The system configuration considered the cathode recirculation, thermal sources for the external reformer, heat up of operating gases, and condensate anode off gas for the enhancement of the fuel concentration. The simulation results show that the magnitude of the electric efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 2 is 12.13% higher than that for Case 1 (reference case), and the thermal efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 3 is 76.12%, which is the highest of all the cases investigated

A Critical Analysis of The Holmes Group's Proposals for Reforming Teacher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, Willis D.

1986-01-01

The Holmes Group proposals for reforming teacher education are evaluated by looking at the effects on teacher knowledge and competence, attraction and retention of talented teachers, organization of schools and the teaching profession, and cost effectiveness. (MT)

A Benefit-Risk Analysis Approach to Capture Regulatory Decision-Making: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Raju, G K; Gurumurthi, K; Domike, R; Kazandjian, D; Blumenthal, G; Pazdur, R; Woodcock, J

2016-12-01

Drug regulators around the world make decisions about drug approvability based on qualitative benefit-risk analyses. There is much interest in quantifying regulatory approaches to benefit and risk. In this work the use of a quantitative benefit-risk analysis was applied to regulatory decision-making about new drugs to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Benefits and risks associated with 20 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decisions associated with a set of candidate treatments submitted between 2003 and 2015 were analyzed. For benefit analysis, the median overall survival (OS) was used where available. When not available, OS was estimated based on overall response rate (ORR) or progression-free survival (PFS). Risks were analyzed based on magnitude (or severity) of harm and likelihood of occurrence. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was explored to demonstrate analysis of systematic uncertainty. FDA approval decision outcomes considered were found to be consistent with the benefit-risk logic. © 2016 American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

General Education Today. A Critical Analysis of Controversies, Practices, and Reforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaff, Jerry G.

The range of controversies and changes emerging from the current revival of general education are examined, and many ideas, examples, and recommendations for achieving realistic and successful curricular reform are offered. Instead of either offering an apology for general education or advocating any particular approach, the book draws on solid…

78 FR 44275 - Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-23

... Rights. National Park Service--Completed Actions Regulation Sequence No. Title Identifier No. 200 Winter.... Timetable: Action Date FR Cite NPRM 07/00/13 Final Action 05/00/14 Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required...: Action Date FR Cite NPRM 10/00/14 Final Action 10/00/14 Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes...

Russian regulatory approaches to seismic design and seismic analysis of NPP piping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaliberda, Y.V.

2003-01-01

The paper presents an overview of Russian regulatory approaches to seismic design and seismic analysis of NPP piping. The paper is focused on categorization and seismic analysis of nuclear power plant items (piping, equipment, supports, valves, but not building structures). The paper outlines the current seismic recommendations, corresponding methods with the examples of calculation models. The paper considers calculation results of the mechanisms of dynamic behavior and the problems of developing a rational and economical approaches to seismic design and seismic protection. (author)

1978 National Gas Survey: report to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by the Technical Advisory Committee on Finance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1978-06-01

An overview is given of the gas industry and its financial problems, which have continued to worsen over the past several years. Actions needed to attract capital and regulatory reforms which are needed are discussed. Causes of inflation are examined. Information on projected capital expenditures of the gas industry are surveyed and evaluated. The gas production, transmission, and distribution sectors are considered separately. (DLC)

Public Benefits and Power Sector Reform. Report from an International Workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsson, Lars J.; Arvidson, Anders; Eberhard, Anton (eds.)

2003-10-01

-offs between potentially conflicting objectives should not be underestimated. However, if reforms are framed around broader development goals priorities will be more explicit, and better informed trade-offs can be made. Perceived conflicts may be removed in the process. Training and capacity building are key approaches to advancing public benefits. Training needs are changing and more specialised training, by topic or country, is needed as reforms evolve. In addition, the target audience should be extended to include a broader range of stakeholders than energy ministries and regulators alone. The international donor community has a specific responsibility to enhance its own capacity in this area as well as to support training and capacity building in order to advance public benefits. Research based analysis and knowledge should be developed and used in training and capacity building, ultimately contributing to shaping policy.

Public Benefits and Power Sector Reform. Report from an International Workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, Lars J.; Arvidson, Anders; Eberhard, Anton

2003-10-01

-offs between potentially conflicting objectives should not be underestimated. However, if reforms are framed around broader development goals priorities will be more explicit, and better informed trade-offs can be made. Perceived conflicts may be removed in the process. Training and capacity building are key approaches to advancing public benefits. Training needs are changing and more specialised training, by topic or country, is needed as reforms evolve. In addition, the target audience should be extended to include a broader range of stakeholders than energy ministries and regulators alone. The international donor community has a specific responsibility to enhance its own capacity in this area as well as to support training and capacity building in order to advance public benefits. Research based analysis and knowledge should be developed and used in training and capacity building, ultimately contributing to shaping policy

Investment Incentives in Closely Held Corporations and Finland's 2005 Tax Reform

OpenAIRE

Seppo Kari; Hietala; Harri

2006-01-01

This paper analyses the effects of the recent Finnish income tax reform on the behaviour of a closely held corporation (CHC) and its owners. The main elements of the reform are cuts in corporate and capital income tax rates and the replacement of the current full imputation system by a partial double taxation of distributed profits. Considerable exemptions are applied to relieve the taxation of dividends from CHCs. The analysis indicates that the change in the CHC?s cost of capital depends on...

Applications of solar reforming technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spiewak, I. [Weizmann Inst. of Science, Rehovoth (Israel); Tyner, C.E. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Langnickel, U. [Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Koeln (Germany)

1993-11-01

Research in recent years has demonstrated the efficient use of solar thermal energy for driving endothermic chemical reforming reactions in which hydrocarbons are reacted to form synthesis gas (syngas). Closed-loop reforming/methanation systems can be used for storage and transport of process heat and for short-term storage for peaking power generation. Open-loop systems can be used for direct fuel production; for production of syngas feedstock for further processing to specialty chemicals and plastics and bulk ammonia, hydrogen, and liquid fuels; and directly for industrial processes such as iron ore reduction. In addition, reforming of organic chemical wastes and hazardous materials can be accomplished using the high-efficiency destruction capabilities of steam reforming. To help identify the most promising areas for future development of this technology, we discuss in this paper the economics and market potential of these applications.

Job satisfaction of village doctors during the new healthcare reforms in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Fang, Pengqian

2016-04-01

Objective China launched new healthcare reforms in 2009 and several policies targeted village clinics, which affected village doctors' income, training and duties. The aim of the present study was to assess village doctors' job satisfaction during the reforms and to explore factors affecting job satisfaction. Methods Using a stratified multistage cluster sampling process, 935 village doctors in Jiangxi Province were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire that collected demographic information and contained a job satisfaction scale and questions regarding their work situation and individual perceptions of the new healthcare reforms. Descriptive analysis, Pearson's Chi-squared test and binary logistic regression were used to identify village doctors' job satisfaction and the factors associated with their job satisfaction. Results Only 12.72% of village doctors were either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs and the top three items leading to dissatisfaction were pay and the amount of work that had to be done, opportunities for job promotion and work conditions. Marriage, income, intention to leave, satisfaction with learning and training, social status, relationship with patients and satisfaction with the new healthcare reforms were significantly associated with job satisfaction (Pjob satisfaction. For future healthcare reforms, policy makers should pay more attention to appropriate remuneration and approaches that incentivise village doctors to achieve the goals of the health reforms. What is known about the topic? Village doctors act as gatekeepers at the bottom tier of the rural health system. However, the policies of the new healthcare reform initiatives in China were centred on improving the quality of care delivered to the rural population and reducing fast-growing medical costs. There have been limited studies on village doctors' reactions to these reforms. What does this paper add? The findings of the present study indicate that in the

Two-dimensional thermal analysis of radial heat transfer of monoliths in small-scale steam methane reforming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cui, Xiaoti; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2018-01-01

Monolithic catalysts have received increasing attention for application in the small-scale steam methane reforming process. The radial heat transfer behaviors of monolith reformers were analyzed by two-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling. A parameter study was conducted...... by a large number of simulations focusing on the thermal conductivity of the monolith substrate, washcoat layer, wall gap, radiation heat transfer and the geometric parameters (cell density, porosity and diameter of monolith). The effective radial thermal conductivity of the monolith structure, kr......,eff, showed good agreement with predictions made by the pseudo-continuous symmetric model. This influence of the radiation heat transfer is low for highly conductive monoliths. A simplified model has been developed to evaluate the importance of radiation for monolithic reformers under different conditions...

Education, Dictatorship and Democracy in Spain: An Analysis of Administrative Reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, E. Mark

Spain's transition from dictatorship to pacific and stable democracy without producing major national convulsions is remarkable in a world where many such attempts have been made and most have failed. Within the context of government reform, this study identifies and examines strengths and weaknesses of the regionalization process in education 10…

Present regulatory situation in South East European and Black Sea countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenow, K.

2000-01-01

Recently, after the energy reforms beginning, various regulatory models are either actually used or contemplated in the countries of Southeastern Europe and the Black Sea region. The 'models' are country-specific and five of them are described in this report. Certain common issues emerge specific to these countries can be grouped in three categories. The first category, called 'framework issues', includes the policy issues that determine the context in which the regulator will have to evolve. The second category, called 'regulatory issues proper', includes licensing, setting of prices, tariffs, transmission fees, establishment of codes for markets, grids and metering. The third category, called 'international issues', includes these issues requiring the international cooperation among regulators. The countries in Southeastern Europe and around the Black Sea have a long experience with regulation of grid-based energies and this experience should be adapted to the market-oriented context bearing in mind the benefits of competition and of regional integration and markets

Gender equity and health sector reform in Colombia: mixed state-market model yields mixed results.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewig, Christina; Bello, Amparo Hernández

2009-03-01

In 1993, Colombia carried out a sweeping health reform that sought to dramatically increase health insurance coverage and reduce state involvement in health provision by creating a unitary state-supervised health system in which private entities are the main insurers and health service providers. Using a quantitative comparison of household survey data and an analysis of the content of the reforms, we evaluate the effects of Colombia's health reforms on gender equity. We find that several aspects of these reforms hold promise for greater gender equity, such as the resulting increase in women's health insurance coverage. However, the reforms have not achieved gender equity due to the persistence of fees which discriminate against women and the introduction of a two-tier health system in which women heads of household and the poor are concentrated in a lower quality health system.

A Concise Analysis of Argentina's Post-Junta Reform of Its Major Security Services

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kitt, John J

2006-01-01

.... The implementation of appropriate security-sector reform by transitional governments in areas of regional instability, such as Iraq, Argentina, and El Salvador, is an issue of considerable concern...

Transcription regulatory networks analysis using CAGE

KAUST Repository

Tegné r, Jesper N.; Bjö rkegren, Johan L M; Ravasi, Timothy; Bajic, Vladimir

2009-01-01

and the fine interplay between regulatory proteins and the promoter structure governing the combinatorial regulation of gene expression. In this chapter we review how the CAGE data can be integrated with other measurements such as expression, physical

Development of ATSR (Auto Thermal Steam Reformer)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, J.; Yoshino, Y.; Kuwabara, T.; Fujisima, S.; Kobayashi, S.; Maruko, S.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' Auto-thermal reformers are used popularly for fuel cell vehicle because they are compact and can start up quickly. On the other hand, steam reformers are used for stationary fuel cell power plant because they are good thermal efficiency. While, there are many cases using the auto- thermal reformer for stationary use with expectation of cost reduction in USA, as well. However, they are still insufficient for its durability, compactness and cost. We have been developing the new type of fuel processing system that is auto-thermal steam reformer (ATSR), which is hybrid of a conventional steam reformer (STR) and a conventional auto-thermal reformer (ATR). In this study, some proto-type of ATSR for field test were designed, tried manufacturing and tested performance and durability. And we have tried to operate with fuel cell stack to evaluate the system interface performance, that is, operability and controllability. (author)

Financing of private power development and power sector reform in emerging nations: an essential nexus?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lock, Reinier

1995-01-01

This article attempts to demonstrate and illustrate important relationships between the concept of the independent economic regulator and the evolution of emerging nation electric power sectors from patterns of government dominance that have undermined both their efficiency and their receptivity to substantial private sector involvement. It re-emphasizes the important relationships between industry structure, competition, market mechanisms and regulation; and the important distinctions between the different roles government can and should play in the power sector in different stages of evolution -as owner, manager, regulator and political policy maker. It seeks to put content and meaning into the concept of the independent regulator in the broader context of power sector reform. It distills from the experience of those countries with developed regulatory systems a series of practical guidelines or principles that may be helpful in the design and implementation of regulatory regimes for electricity and other infrastructural industries in emerging nations in the process of transformation from government dominated monopolies. (author)

The new reform educational in the Ecuador and its application in education special

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rocio Ernestina García Liscano

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The Ecuador over the years, the government of the citizen revolution has made drastic changes in the education system,with the aim of improving the quality of learning of Ecuadorians. This article is aimed at analyzing the educational reform in Ecuador from the new institutions of the country, which constitutes the government of Econ. Rafael Correa Delgado with the new educational model that began in January 2010, from this restructuring conducted an analysis of special education in our country, if considered in the reforms and if taken due importance concerning the preparation of disabled people. This analysis also helps to demonstrate what are the benefits generated by the educational reform within specialized educational units, based on the perspective of before and after, and as by their application has been made to strengthen the processes of quality improvement, relevance, equity and efficiency of special education in Ecuador.

Impacts of the Interim Federal Health Program reforms: A stakeholder analysis of barriers to health care access and provision for refugees.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonipillai, Valentina; Baumann, Andrea; Hunter, Andrea; Wahoush, Olive; O'Shea, Timothy

2017-11-09

Changes to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) in 2012 reduced health care access for refugees and refugee claimants, generating concerns among key stakeholders. In 2014, a new IFHP temporarily reinstated access to some health services; however, little is known about these changes, and more information is needed to map the IFHP's impact. This study explores barriers occurring during the time period of the IFHP reforms to health care access and provision for refugees. A stakeholder analysis, using 23 semi-structured interviews, was conducted to obtain insight into stakeholder perceptions of the 2014 reforms, as well as stakeholders' position and their influence to assess the acceptability of the IFHP changes. The majority of stakeholders expressed concerns about the 2014 IFHP changes as a result of the continuing barriers posed by the 2012 retrenchments and the emergence of new barriers to health care access and provision for refugees. Key barriers identified included lack of communication and awareness, lack of continuity and comprehensive care, negative political discourse and increased costs. A few stakeholders supported the reforms as they represented some, but limited, access to health care. Overall, the reforms to the IFHP in 2014 generated barriers to health care access and provision that contributed to confusion among stakeholders, the transfer of refugee health responsibility to provincial authorities and the likelihood of increased health outcome disparities, as refugees and refugee claimants chose to delay seeking health care. The study recommends that policy-makers engage with refugee health stakeholders to formulate a policy that improves health care provision and access for refugee populations.

A population dynamics analysis of the interaction between adaptive regulatory T cells and antigen presenting cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Fouchet

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Regulatory T cells are central actors in the maintenance of tolerance of self-antigens or allergens and in the regulation of the intensity of the immune response during infections by pathogens. An understanding of the network of the interaction between regulatory T cells, antigen presenting cells and effector T cells is starting to emerge. Dynamical systems analysis can help to understand the dynamical properties of an interaction network and can shed light on the different tasks that can be accomplished by a network. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used a mathematical model to describe a interaction network of adaptive regulatory T cells, in which mature precursor T cells may differentiate into either adaptive regulatory T cells or effector T cells, depending on the activation state of the cell by which the antigen was presented. Using an equilibrium analysis of the mathematical model we show that, for some parameters, the network has two stable equilibrium states: one in which effector T cells are strongly regulated by regulatory T cells and another in which effector T cells are not regulated because the regulatory T cell population is vanishingly small. We then simulate different types of perturbations, such as the introduction of an antigen into a virgin system, and look at the state into which the system falls. We find that whether or not the interaction network switches from the regulated (tolerant state to the unregulated state depends on the strength of the antigenic stimulus and the state from which the network has been perturbed. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggest that the interaction network studied in this paper plays an essential part in generating and maintaining tolerance against allergens and self-antigens.

PENSION FUNDS EVOLUTION, REFORMS AND TRENDS IN SOUTHAFRICA

OpenAIRE

Nthabiseng Moleko; Sylvanus Ikhide

2017-01-01

This paper presents a graphical and descriptive analysis of the historical trends ofthe South African pension fund sector in order to provide insights andunderstanding ofnon-banking finance. Using a combination of secondary data anda desk review of existing literature, we provide in-depth analysis of the differenttypes and number of pension funds, industry trends, policy reforms and legislativeframeworks enacted by theSouth African government for the development of thesector. The s...

Exergy analysis of the biogas sorption-enhanced chemical looping reforming process integrated with a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasemanand, Sarunyou; Im-orb, Karittha; Tippawan, Phanicha; Wiyaratn, Wisitsree; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A biogas reforming and fuel cell integrated process is considered. • Energy and exergy analyses of the integrated process are performed. • Increasing the nickel oxide-to-biogas ratio decreases the exergy efficiency. • The exergy destruction of the fuel cell increases with increasing cell temperature. • The exergy efficiency of the process is improved when heat integration is applied. - Abstract: A biogas sorption-enhanced chemical looping reforming process integrated with a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell is analyzed. Modeling of such an integrated process is performed by using a flowsheet simulator (Aspen plus). The exergy analysis is performed to evaluate the energy utilization efficiency of each unit and that of the integrated process. The effect of steam and nickel oxide to biogas ratios on the exergetic performance of the stand-alone biogas sorption-enhanced chemical looping reforming process is investigated. The total exergy destruction increases as the steam or nickel oxide to biogas ratio increases. The main exergy destruction is found at the air reactor. For the high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell, the main exergy destruction is found at the cathode. The total exergy destruction increases when cell temperature increases, whereas the inverse effect is found when the current density is considered as a key parameter. Regarding the exergy efficiency, the results show opposite trend to the exergy destruction. The heat integration analysis is performed to improve the exergetic performance. It is found that the integrated process including the heat integration system can improve the exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of 48% and 60%, respectively.

Comparative Studies of Traditional (Non-Energy Integration and Energy Integration of Catalytic Reforming Unit using Pinch Analysis

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M. Alta

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Energy Integration of Catalytic Reforming Unit (CRU of Kaduna Refinery and petrochemicals Company Kaduna Nigeria was carried out using Pinch Technology. The pinch analysis was carried out using Maple. Optimum minimum approach temperature of 20 °C was used to determine the energy target. The pinch point temperature was found to be 278 °C. The utilities targets for the minimum approach temperature were found to be 72711839.47 kJ/hr and 87105834.43 kJ/hr for hot and cold utilities respectively. Pinch analysis as an energy integration technique was found to save more energy and utilities cost than the traditional energy technique. Key words: Pinch point, CRU, Energy Target, Maple

Development of a basic numerical model of an isooctane catalytic autothermal reformer for an automobile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, V.C.L.; Harrison, S.; Oosthuizen, P.; Peppley, B.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' A numerical study of the performance of an isooctane catalytic autothermal reformer for a fuel cell automobile has been undertaken. The prototype reformer considered in this study, which is a tubular reformer with three annular sections, was designed and built at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). The flow within the reformer was assumed to be steady. The different chemical reactions, along with the reaction rate constants, that take place over the autothermal reforming catalyst (a ceria-based platinum catalyst), were obtained through the analysis and regression of the experimental results from the literature. By neglecting the radial gradients in the concentrations and the velocities of the various species in the flow and in the temperature of the reformer, a one-dimensional numerical model, based on the molar flow rate differential equations and energy equation, was developed to simulate the composition and temperature profiles along the length of the catalyst bed. The results obtained from the numerical model were verified against published results. Numerical results were obtained for a range of total inlet flow rates, different inlet temperatures of the fuel mixture and different oxygen concentrations in feed air at the inlet of the reformer. (author)

Analysis of deterministic cyclic gene regulatory network models with delays

CERN Document Server

Ahsen, Mehmet Eren; Niculescu, Silviu-Iulian

2015-01-01

This brief examines a deterministic, ODE-based model for gene regulatory networks (GRN) that incorporates nonlinearities and time-delayed feedback. An introductory chapter provides some insights into molecular biology and GRNs. The mathematical tools necessary for studying the GRN model are then reviewed, in particular Hill functions and Schwarzian derivatives. One chapter is devoted to the analysis of GRNs under negative feedback with time delays and a special case of a homogenous GRN is considered. Asymptotic stability analysis of GRNs under positive feedback is then considered in a separate chapter, in which conditions leading to bi-stability are derived. Graduate and advanced undergraduate students and researchers in control engineering, applied mathematics, systems biology and synthetic biology will find this brief to be a clear and concise introduction to the modeling and analysis of GRNs.

Preliminary design of steam reformer in out-pile demonstration test facility for HTTR heat utilization system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haga, Katsuhiro; Hino, Ryutaro; Inagaki, Yosiyuki; Hata, Kazuhiko; Aita, Hideki; Sekita, Kenji; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Sudo, Yukio [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Research Establishment; Yamada, Seiya

1996-11-01

One of the key objectives of HTTR is to demonstrate effectiveness of high-temperature nuclear heat utilization system. Prior to connecting a heat utilization system to HTTR, an out-pile demonstration test is indispensable for the development of experimental apparatuses, operational control and safety technology, and verification of the analysis code of safety assessment. For the first heat utilization system of HTTR, design of the hydrogen production system by steam reforming is going on. We have proposed the out-pile demonstration test plan of the heat utilization system and conducted preliminary design of the test facility. In this report, design of the steam reformer, which is the principal component of the test facility, is described. In the course of the design, two types of reformers are considered. The one reformer contains three reactor tubes and the other contains one reactor tube to reduce the construction cost of the test facility. We have selected the steam reformer operational conditions and structural specifications by analyzing the steam reforming characteristics and component structural strength for each type of reformer. (author)

Investment Incentives in Closely Held Corporations and Finland's 2005 Tax Reform