The Soft Underbelly of System Change: The Role of Leadership and Organizational Climate in Turnover during Statewide Behavioral Health Reform

OpenAIRE

Aarons, Gregory A.; Sommerfeld, David H.; Willging, Cathleen E.

2011-01-01

This study examined leadership, organizational climate, staff turnover intentions, and voluntary turnover during a large-scale statewide behavioral health system reform. The initial data collection occurred nine months after initiation of the reform with a follow-up round of data collected 18 months later. A self-administered structured assessment was completed by 190 participants (administrators, support staff, providers) employed by 14 agencies. Key variables included leadership, organizati...

Preliminary concept for statewide intercity bus and rail transit system : priority corridor ranking and analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-03-01

This product summarizes the preliminary concept and priority corridors for development of a potential : statewide intercity bus and rail network. The concept is based upon the results of Tasks 1 through 5 of Texas : Department of Transportation Proje...

Making an Impact Statewide to Benefit 21st-Century School Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

Hewitt, Kimberly Kappler; Mullen, Carol A.; Davis, Ann W.; Lashley, Carl

2012-01-01

How can institutions of higher education, local education agencies, and departments of education partner to build capacity for 21st-Century school leadership? The model (IMPACT V) we describe utilizes a systems-wide partnership approach to cultivate shared leadership within influenced middle and high schools statewide to leverage technology as a…

Criminal Justice Profile--Statewide, 1984. Supplement to "Crime and Delinquency in California."

Science.gov (United States)

California State Dept. of Justice, Sacramento. Bureau of Criminal Statistics and Special Services.

This California annual Criminal Justice Statewide Profile presents data which supplements the Bureau of Criminal Statistics' (BCS) annual Crime and Delinquency publication. This monograph summarizes and combines data pertaining to California's justice system. The profile consists of two sections. The first section consists of 12 tables displaying…

Effects of Road Salt on Connecticut's Groundwater: A Statewide Centennial Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassanelli, James P; Robbins, Gary A

2013-01-01

This study examined the extent to which development and road salting has affected Connecticut's groundwater. We gathered water quality data from different time periods between 1894 and the present and analyzed the data using maps generated with ESRI ArcGIS. Historical reports illustrate a statewide baseline trend of decreasing chloride concentration northward across the State (average, 2 ppm). Since then, statewide chloride concentrations in ground water have increased by more than an order of magnitude on average. Analysis indicates spatial correlation between chloride impacts and major roadways. Furthermore, increases in statewide chloride concentration parallel increases in road salt application. Projected trends suggest that statewide baseline concentrations will increase by an amount equal to five times background levels between the present and the year 2030. The analytical process outlined herein can be readily applied to any region to investigate salt impacts on large spatial and temporal scales. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

WisDOT statewide customer satisfaction survey.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and initiate a new customer satisfaction tool that would establish a set of baseline : departmental performance measures and be sustainable for future use. ETC Institute completed a statewide customer : survey...

Successful Statewide Walking Program Websites

Science.gov (United States)

Teran, Bianca Maria; Hongu, Nobuko

2012-01-01

Statewide Extension walking programs are making an effort to increase physical activity levels in America. An investigation of all 20 of these programs revealed that 14 use websites as marketing and educational tools, which could prove useful as the popularity of Internet communities continues to grow. Website usability information and an analysis…

Statewide improvement approach to clinician burnout: Findings from the baseline year

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather R. Britt

2017-12-01

We propose a socio-ecological framework for acting on burnout, using a data-driven quality improvement paradigm enabled by a statewide coalition, to ensure that continued efforts do not rest solely at the feet of individuals or systems. Despite high burnout levels, engagement and satisfaction with work are also high, suggesting there is still hope for stemming the tide of burnout.

How a College System Joined a TV Network

Science.gov (United States)

McAuliffe, Daniel G.

1978-01-01

Describes the evolution of a state-wide "TV College" system in Connecticut, including centralized administrative development, course selection and evaluation, scheduling, promotion and advertising, fee structures, and budgeting processes. (RT)

WiFi RFID demonstration for resource tracking in a statewide disaster drill.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Stacey L; Siddiqui, Javeed; Harry, David J; Sandrock, Christian E

2011-01-01

To investigate the capabilities of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking of patients and medical equipment during a simulated disaster response scenario. RFID infrastructure was deployed at two small rural hospitals, in one large academic medical center and in two vehicles. Several item types from the mutual aid equipment list were selected for tracking during the demonstration. A central database server was installed at the UC Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) that collected RFID information from all constituent sites. The system was tested during a statewide disaster drill. During the drill, volunteers at UCDMC were selected to locate assets using the traditional method of locating resources and then using the RFID system. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of RFID infrastructure in real-time resource identification and tracking. Volunteers at UCDMC were able to locate assets substantially faster using RFID, demonstrating that real-time geolocation can be substantially more efficient and accurate than traditional manual methods. A mobile, Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled RFID system was installed in a pediatric ambulance and connected to the central RFID database via secure cellular communication. This system is unique in that it provides for seamless region-wide tracking that adaptively uses and seamlessly integrates both outdoor cellular-based mobile tracking and indoor WiFi-based tracking. RFID tracking can provide a real-time picture of the medical situation across medical facilities and other critical locations, leading to a more coordinated deployment of resources. The RFID system deployed during this study demonstrated the potential to improve the ability to locate and track victims, healthcare professionals, and medical equipment during a region-wide disaster.

Road Map to Statewide Implementation of the Pyramid Model. Roadmap to Effective Intervention Practices #6

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlap, Glen; Smith, Barbara J.; Fox, Lise; Blase, Karen

2014-01-01

This document is a guide--a "Road Map"--for implementing widespread use of the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/pyramid_model. htm). It is a road map of systems change. The Road Map is written for statewide systems change, although it could be…

Tactical emergency medical support programs: a comprehensive statewide survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, William P; Morel, Benjamin M; Black, Timothy D; Winslow, James E

2012-01-01

Specially trained tactical emergency medical support (TEMS) personnel provide support to law enforcement special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams. These programs benefit law enforcement agencies, officers, suspects, and citizens. TEMS programs are increasingly popular, but there are wide variations in their organization and operation and no recent data on their prevalence. We sought to measure the current prevalence and specific characteristics of TEMS programs in a comprehensive fashion in a single southeastern state. North Carolina emergency medical services (EMS) systems have county-based central EMS oversight; each system was surveyed by phone and e-mail. The presence and selected characteristics of TEMS programs were recorded. U.S. Census data were used to measure the population impact of the programs. All of the 101 EMS systems statewide were successfully contacted. Thirty-three counties (33%) have TEMS programs providing medical support to 56 local law enforcement agencies as well as state and federal agencies. TEMS programs tend to be located in more populated urban and suburban areas, serving a population base of 5.9 million people, or 64% of the state's population. Tactical medics in the majority of these programs (29/33; 88%) are not sworn law enforcement officers. Approximately one-third of county-based EMS systems in North Carolina have TEMS programs. These programs serve almost two-thirds of the state's population base, using primarily nonsworn tactical medics. Comparison with other regions of the country will be useful to demonstrate differences in prevalence and program characteristics. Serial surveillance will help track trends and measure the growth and impact of this growing subspecialty field.

Effects of patient health literacy, patient engagement and a system-level health literacy attribute on patient-reported outcomes: a representative statewide survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaphingst, Kimberly A; Weaver, Nancy L; Wray, Ricardo J; Brown, Melissa L R; Buskirk, Trent; Kreuter, Matthew W

2014-10-07

The effects of health literacy are thought to be based on interactions between patients' skill levels and health care system demands. Little health literacy research has focused on attributes of health care organizations. We examined whether the attribute of individuals' experiences with front desk staff, patient engagement through bringing questions to a doctor visit, and health literacy skills were related to two patient-reported outcomes. We administered a telephone survey with two sampling frames (i.e., household landline, cell phone numbers) to a randomly selected statewide sample of 3358 English-speaking adult residents of Missouri. We examined two patient-reported outcomes - whether or not respondents reported knowing more about their health and made better choices about their health following their last doctor visit. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the independent contributions of predictor variables (i.e., front desk staff, bringing questions to a doctor visit, health literacy skills). Controlling for self-reported health, having a personal doctor, time since last visit, number of chronic conditions, health insurance, and sociodemographic characteristics, respondents who had a good front desk experience were 2.65 times as likely (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.13, 3.30) and those who brought questions were 1.73 times as likely (95% CI: 1.32, 2.27) to report knowing more about their health after seeing a doctor. In a second model, respondents who had a good front desk experience were 1.57 times as likely (95% CI: 1.26, 1.95) and those who brought questions were 1.66 times as likely (95% CI: 1.29, 2.14) to report making better choices about their health after seeing a doctor. Patients' health literacy skills were not associated with either outcome. Results from this representative statewide survey may indicate that one attribute of a health care organization (i.e., having a respectful workforce) and patient engagement through

Data integration for statewide transportation planning : final report

Science.gov (United States)

2009-08-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the data availability, accessibility, and interoperability issues arisen from the statewide : transportation planning activities undertaken at WisDOT and to identify possible approaches for addressing these i...

Building Statewide Infrastructure for the Academic Support of Students With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Gioia, Gerard A; Glang, Ann E; Hooper, Stephen R; Brown, Brenda Eagan

To focus attention on building statewide capacity to support students with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)/concussion. Consensus-building process with a multidisciplinary group of clinicians, researchers, policy makers, and state Department of Education personnel. The white paper presents the group's consensus on the essential components of a statewide educational infrastructure to support the management of students with mTBI. The nature and recovery process of mTBI are briefly described specifically with respect to its effects on school learning and performance. State and local policy considerations are then emphasized to promote implementation of a consistent process. Five key components to building a statewide infrastructure for students with mTBI are described including (1) definition and training of the interdisciplinary school team, (2) professional development of the school and medical communities, (3) identification, assessment, and progress monitoring protocols, (4) a flexible set of intervention strategies to accommodate students' recovery needs, and (5) systematized protocols for active communication among medical, school, and family team members. The need for a research to guide effective program implementation is stressed. This guiding framework strives to assist the development of support structures for recovering students with mTBI to optimize academic outcomes. Until more evidence is available on academic accommodations and other school-based supports, educational systems should follow current best practice guidelines.

A guide for statewide impaired-driving task forces.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

The purpose of the guide is to assist State officials and other stakeholders who are interested in establishing an : Impaired-Driving Statewide Task Force or who are exploring ways to improve their current Task Force. The guide : addresses issues suc...

Tobacco Smoke Pollution in Hospitality Venues Before and After Passage of Statewide Smoke-Free Legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

Buettner-Schmidt, Kelly; Boursaw, Blake; Lobo, Marie L; Travers, Mark J

2017-03-01

In 2012, North Dakota enacted a comprehensive statewide law prohibiting smoking in enclosed public places. Disparities in tobacco control exist in rural areas. This study's objective was to determine the extent to which the passage of a comprehensive, statewide, smoke-free law in a predominantly rural state influenced tobacco smoke pollution in rural and nonrural venues. A longitudinal cohort design study comparing the levels of tobacco smoke pollution before and after passage of the statewide smoke-free law was conducted in 64 restaurants and bars statewide in North Dakota. Particulate matter with a median aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 μm (a valid atmospheric marker of tobacco smoke pollution) was assessed. A significant 83% reduction in tobacco smoke pollution levels occurred after passage of the law. Significant reductions in tobacco smoke pollution levels occurred in each of the rural categories; however, no difference by rurality was noted in the analysis after passage of the law, in contrast to the study before passage. To our knowledge, this was the largest, single, rural postlaw study globally. A comprehensive statewide smoke-free law implemented in North Dakota dramatically decreased the level of tobacco smoke pollution in bars and restaurants. © 2016 The Authors. Public Health Nursing Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A case study: planning a statewide information resource for health professionals: an evidence-based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Chew, Katherine; Watson, Linda; Parker, Mary

2009-01-01

Question: What is the best approach for implementing a statewide electronic health library (eHL) to serve all health professionals in Minnesota? Setting: The research took place at the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Libraries. Methods: In January 2008, the authors began planning a statewide eHL for health professionals following the five-step process for evidence-based librarianship: formulating the question, finding the best evidence, appraising the evidence, assessing costs and benefits, and evaluating the effectiveness of resulting actions. Main Results: The authors identified best practices for developing a statewide eHL for health professionals relating to audience or population served, information resources, technology and access, funding model, and implementation and sustainability. They were compared to the mission of the eHL project to drive strategic directions by developing recommendations. Conclusion: EBL can guide the planning process for a statewide eHL, but findings must be tailored to the local environment to address information needs and ensure long-term sustainability. PMID:19851487

Implementing Statewide Severe Maternal Morbidity Review: The Illinois Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, Abigail R; Roesch, Pamela T; Garland, Caitlin E; Geller, Stacie E

2018-03-07

Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) rates in the United States more than doubled between 1998 and 2010. Advanced maternal age and chronic comorbidities do not completely explain the increase in SMM or how to effectively address it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have called for facility-level multidisciplinary review of SMM for potential preventability and have issued implementation guidelines. Within Illinois, SMM was identified as any intensive or critical care unit admission and/or 4 or more units of packed red blood cells transfused at any time from conception through 42 days postpartum. All cases meeting this definition were counted during statewide surveillance. Cases were selected for review on the basis of their potential to yield insights into factors contributing to preventable SMM or best practices preventing further morbidity or death. If the SMM review committee deemed a case potentially preventable, it identified specific factors associated with missed opportunities and made actionable recommendations for quality improvement. Approximately 1100 cases of SMM were identified from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017, yielding a rate of 76 SMM cases per 10 000 pregnancies. Reviews were conducted on 142 SMM cases. Most SMM cases occurred during delivery hospitalization and more than half were delivered by cesarean section. Hemorrhage was the primary cause of SMM (>50% of the cases). Facility-level SMM review was feasible and acceptable in statewide implementation. States that are planning SMM reviews across obstetric facilities should permit ample time for translation of recommendations to practice. Although continued maternal mortality reviews are valuable, they are not sufficient to address the increasing rates of SMM and maternal death. In-depth multidisciplinary review offers the potential to identify factors associated with SMM and interventions to prevent women from moving along the

Statewide Transportation Engineering Warehouse for Archived Regional Data (STEWARD).

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-01

This report documents Phase III of the development and operation of a prototype for the Statewide Transportation : Engineering Warehouse for Archived Regional Data (STEWARD). It reflects the progress on the development and : operation of STEWARD sinc...

Characteristics and Effects of a Statewide STEM Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey D. Weld

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive statewide STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics reform initiative enters its fifth year in the U.S. state of Iowa. A significant proportion of the state’s pre K-12 students and teachers participate in one or more of the twenty programs offered, ranging from classroom curricular innovations to teacher professional development, and from community STEM festivals to career exploration events. An external, inter-university evaluation consortium measures annual progress of the initiative through the Iowa STEM Monitoring Project. Results show citizens to be increasingly aware of and supporting of STEM education; students to be increasingly interested in STEM as well as outperforming nonparticipating peers on state math and science tests; and teachers more confident and knowledgeable in teaching STEM. Iowa’s STEM initiative has garnered national acclaim though challenges remain with regard to expanding the participation of learners of diversity, as well as ensuring the long-term sustainability of the programs and structures that define Iowa’s statewide STEM initiative.

Outcomes of a statewide anti-tobacco industry youth organizing movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Caroline L; Pirie, Phyllis L; Oakes, J Michael

2004-01-01

To outline the design and present select findings from an evaluation of a statewide anti-tobacco industry youth organizing movement. A telephone survey was administered to teenagers to assess associations between exposure to anti-industry youth organizing activities and tobacco-related attitudes and behaviors. A group-level comparison between areas high and low in youth organizing activities was planned. Methodological obstacles necessitated a subject-level analytic approach, with comparisons being made between youth at higher and lower levels of exposure. Six rural areas (comprising 13 counties) and two urban regions of Minnesota were selected for survey. The study comprised 852 youth, aged 15 to 17 years old, randomly selected from county-specific sampling frames constructed from a marketing research database. Exposure index scores were developed for two types of activities designed to involve youth in the anti-industry program: branding (creating awareness of the movement in general) and messaging (informing about the movement's main messages). Attitudinal outcomes measured attitudes about the tobacco industry and the effectiveness of youth action. Behavioral outcomes included taking action to get involved in the organization, spreading an anti-industry message, and smoking susceptibility. Branding index scores were significantly correlated with taking action to get involved (p strategy for involving youth in tobacco prevention and generating negative attitudes about the industry.

A California Statewide App to Simulate Fate of Nitrate in Irrigated Agricultural System

Science.gov (United States)

Diamantopoulos, E.; Walkinshaw, M.; Harter, T.; O'Geen, A. T.

2017-12-01

Groundwater resources are very important for California's economic development and environmental sustainability. Nitrate is by far the most widespread anthropogenic groundwater pollutant in California's mostly alluvial groundwater basins. Major sources are synthetic fertilizer and dairy manure, but also septic systems and urban wastewater effluent. Here, we evaluate agricultural soils in California according to their risk for nitrate leaching. We conducted over 1 million numerical simulations taking into account the effect of climate, crop type, irrigation and fertilization management scenarios across all 4,568 agricultural soil profiles occurring in California. The assessment was done solving 1-D Richards equation and the advection-dispersion equation numerically. This study is focused on the complex water and nitrate dynamics occurring at the shallow vadose zone (rootzone). The results of this study allow the construction of state-wide maps which can be used for the identification of high-risk regions and the design of agricultural nutrient management policy. We investigate how pollution risk can be minimized by adopting simple irrigation and fertilization methods. Furthermore, we show that these methods are more effective for the most permeable soil profiles along with high demanding crops in terms of fertilization amount and irrigation water. We also present how seasonal (winter) climate conditions contribute on nitrate leaching.

Nebraska Statewide Wind Integration Study: April 2008 - January 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

EnerNex Corporation, Knoxville, Tennessee; Ventyx, Atlanta, Georgia; Nebraska Power Association, Lincoln, Nebraska

2010-03-01

Wind generation resources in Nebraska will play an increasingly important role in the environmental and energy security solutions for the state and the nation. In this context, the Nebraska Power Association conducted a state-wide wind integration study.

Employment status matters: a statewide survey of quality-of-life, prevention behaviors, and absenteeism and presenteeism.

Science.gov (United States)

Merchant, James A; Kelly, Kevin M; Burmeister, Leon F; Lozier, Matt J; Amendola, Alison; Lind, David P; KcKeen, Arlinda; Slater, Tom; Hall, Jennifer L; Rohlman, Diane S; Buikema, Brenda S

2014-07-01

To estimate quality-of-life (QoL), primary care, health insurance, prevention behaviors, absenteeism, and presenteeism in a statewide sample of the unemployed, self-employed, and organizationally employed. A statewide survey of 1602 Iowans included items from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention QoL and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey prevention behavior questionnaires used to assess employee well-being; their indicator results are related to World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire-derived absenteeism and presenteeism scores. The unemployed exhibited poorer QoL and prevention behaviors; the self-employed exhibited many better QoL scores due largely to better prevention behaviors than those employed by organizations. Higher QoL measures and more prevention behaviors are associated with lower absenteeism and lower presenteeism. Employment status is related to measures of well-being, which are also associated with absenteeism and presenteeism.

Statewide and Metropolitan Transportation Planning Processes : a TPCB Peer Exchange

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-20

This report highlights key recommendations and noteworthy practices identified at Statewide and Metropolitan Transportation Planning Processes Peer Exchange held on September 9-10, 2015 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. This event was sponsored ...

California Statewide Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melaina, Marc; Helwig, Michael

2014-05-01

The California Statewide Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Assessment conveys to interested parties the Energy Commission’s conclusions, recommendations, and intentions with respect to plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) infrastructure development. There are several relatively low-risk and high-priority electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) deployment options that will encourage PEV sales and

Variations in statewide water quality of New Jersey streams, water years 1998-2009

Science.gov (United States)

Heckathorn, Heather A.; Deetz, Anna C.

2012-01-01

Statistical analyses were conducted for six water-quality constituents measured at 371 surface-water-quality stations during water years 1998-2009 to determine changes in concentrations over time. This study examined year-round concentrations of total dissolved solids, dissolved nitrite plus nitrate, dissolved phosphorus, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen; concentrations of dissolved chloride were measured only from January to March. All the water-quality data analyzed were collected by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the cooperative Ambient Surface-Water-Quality Monitoring Network. Stations were divided into groups according to the 1-year or 2-year period that the stations were part of the Ambient Surface-Water-Quality Monitoring Network. Data were obtained from the eight groups of Statewide Status stations for water years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08, and 2009. The data from each group were compared to the data from each of the other groups and to baseline data obtained from Background stations unaffected by human activity that were sampled during the same time periods. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine whether median concentrations of a selected water-quality constituent measured in a particular 1-year or 2-year group were different from those measured in other 1-year or 2-year groups. If the median concentrations were found to differ among years or groups of years, then Tukey's multiple comparison test on ranks was used to identify those years with different or equal concentrations of water-quality constituents. A significance level of 0.05 was selected to indicate significant changes in median concentrations of water-quality constituents. More variations in the median concentrations of water-quality constituents were observed at Statewide Status stations (randomly chosen stations scattered throughout the State of New Jersey) than at Background stations

Louisiana's statewide beach cleanup

Science.gov (United States)

Lindstedt, Dianne M.; Holmes, Joseph C.

1989-01-01

Litter along Lousiana's beaches has become a well-recognized problem. In September 1987, Louisiana's first statewide beach cleanup attracted about 3300 volunteers who filled 16,000 bags with trash collected along 15 beaches. An estimated 800,173 items were gathered. Forty percent of the items were made of plastic and 11% were of polystyrene. Of all the litter collected, 37% was beverage-related. Litter from the oil and gas, commercial fishing, and maritime shipping industries was found, as well as that left by recreational users. Although beach cleanups temporarily rid Louisiana beaches of litter, the real value of the effort is in public participation and education. Civic groups, school children, and individuals have benefited by increasing their awareness of the problems of trash disposal.

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program 2010-2013 : sorted by MPO and RPA.

Science.gov (United States)

2006-01-01

Iowas Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) has been : developed in conformance with the guidelines prescribed by 23 USC. The : STIP is generated to provide the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and : Federal Transit Administrati...

Successful long-term maintenance following Nutrition Care Process Terminology implementation across a state-wide health-care system.

Science.gov (United States)

Vivanti, Angela; O'Sullivan, Therese A; Porter, Jane; Hogg, Marion

2017-09-01

Three years following a state-wide Nutrition Care Process Terminology (NCPT) implementation project, the present study aimed to (i) assess changes in NCPT knowledge and attitudes, (ii) identify implementation barriers and enablers and (iii) seek managers' opinions post-implementation. Pre-implementation and three years post-implementation, all Queensland Government hospitals state-wide were invited to repeat a validated NCPT survey. Additionally, a separate survey sought dietetic managers' opinions regarding NCPT's use and acceptance, usefulness for patient care, role in service planning and continued use. A total of 238 dietitians completed the survey in 2011 and 82 dietitians in 2014. Use of diagnostic statement in the previous six months improved (P  0.05). Key elements in sustaining NCPT implementation over three years included ongoing management support, workshops/tutorials, discussion and mentor and peer support. The most valued resources were pocket guides, ongoing workshops/tutorials and mentor support. Dietetic managers held many positive NCPT views, however, opinions differed around the usefulness of service planning, safer practice, improving patient care and facilitating communication. Some managers would not support NCPT unless it was recommended for practice. Immediate improvements following the NCPT implementation project were sustained over three years. Moving forward, a professional focus on continuing to incorporate NCPT into standard practice will provide structure for process and outcomes assessment. © 2017 State of Queensland. Nutrition and Dietetics © 2017 Dietitians Association of Australia.

Development of a model web-based system to support a statewide quality consortium in radiation oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Jean M; Feng, Mary; Benedetti, Lisa A; Marsh, Robin; Griffith, Kent A; Matuszak, Martha M; Hess, Michael; McMullen, Matthew; Fisher, Jennifer H; Nurushev, Teamour; Grubb, Margaret; Gardner, Stephen; Nielsen, Daniel; Jagsi, Reshma; Hayman, James A; Pierce, Lori J

A database in which patient data are compiled allows analytic opportunities for continuous improvements in treatment quality and comparative effectiveness research. We describe the development of a novel, web-based system that supports the collection of complex radiation treatment planning information from centers that use diverse techniques, software, and hardware for radiation oncology care in a statewide quality collaborative, the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium (MROQC). The MROQC database seeks to enable assessment of physician- and patient-reported outcomes and quality improvement as a function of treatment planning and delivery techniques for breast and lung cancer patients. We created tools to collect anonymized data based on all plans. The MROQC system representing 24 institutions has been successfully deployed in the state of Michigan. Since 2012, dose-volume histogram and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine-radiation therapy plan data and information on simulation, planning, and delivery techniques have been collected. Audits indicated >90% accurate data submission and spurred refinements to data collection methodology. This model web-based system captures detailed, high-quality radiation therapy dosimetry data along with patient- and physician-reported outcomes and clinical data for a radiation therapy collaborative quality initiative. The collaborative nature of the project has been integral to its success. Our methodology can be applied to setting up analogous consortiums and databases. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statewide Transportation Improvement program 2011-2014 : sorted by MPO and RPA.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Iowas Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) has been : developed in conformance with the guidelines prescribed by 23 USC and 49 : USC. The STIP is generated to provide the Federal Highway Administration : (FHWA) and Federal Transit A...

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program 2012-2015 : sorted by MPO and RPA.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Iowas Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) has been : developed in conformance with the guidelines prescribed by 23 USC and 49 : USC. The STIP is generated to provide the Federal Highway Administration : (FHWA) and Federal Transit A...

A Statewide Partnership for Implementing Inquiry Science

Science.gov (United States)

Lytle, Charles

The North Carolina Infrastructure for Science Education (NC-ISE) is a statewide partnership for implementing standards-based inquiry science using exemplary curriculum materials in the public schools of North Carolina. North Carolina is the 11th most populous state in the USA with 8,000,000 residents, 117 school districts and a geographic area of 48,718 miles. NC-ISE partners include the state education agency, local school systems, three branches of the University of North Carolina, the state mathematics and science education network, businesses, and business groups. The partnership, based upon the Science for All Children model developed by the National Science Resources Centre, was initiated in 1997 for improvement in teaching and learning of science and mathematics. This research-based model has been successfully implemented in several American states during the past decade. Where effectively implemented, the model has led to significant improvements in student interest and student learning. It has also helped reduce the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students and among students from different economic levels. A key program element of the program is an annual Leadership Institute that helps teams of administrators and teachers develop a five-year strategic plan for their local systems. Currently 33 of the117 local school systems have joined the NC-ISE Program and are in various stages of implementation of inquiry science in grades K-8.

Development of a statewide motorcycle safety plan for Texas : technical report.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-01

The objective of this research project was to develop a statewide plan to reduce motorcycle crashes and : injuries in the state of Texas. The project included a review of published literature on current and proposed : countermeasures for reducing the...

The Soft Underbelly of System Change: The Role of Leadership and Organizational Climate in Turnover during Statewide Behavioral Health Reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Aarons, Gregory A; Sommerfeld, David H; Willging, Cathleen E

2011-01-01

This study examined leadership, organizational climate, staff turnover intentions, and voluntary turnover during a large-scale statewide behavioral health system reform. The initial data collection occurred nine months after initiation of the reform with a follow-up round of data collected 18 months later. A self-administered structured assessment was completed by 190 participants (administrators, support staff, providers) employed by 14 agencies. Key variables included leadership, organizational climate, turnover intentions, turnover, and reform-related financial stress ("low" versus "high") experienced by the agencies. Analyses revealed that positive leadership was related to a stronger empowering climate in both high and low stress agencies. However, the association between more positive leadership and lower demoralizing climate was evident only in high stress agencies. For both types of agencies empowering climate was negatively associated with turnover intentions, and demoralizing climate was associated with stronger turnover intentions. Turnover intentions were positively associated with voluntary turnover. Results suggest that strong leadership is particularly important in times of system and organizational change and may reduce poor climate associated with turnover intentions and turnover. Leadership and organizational context should be addressed to retain staff during these periods of systemic change.

Results of the 1992 State-Wide Business and Industry Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarrett, Carole, Comp.; And Others

As part of an effort to develop courses and programs that reflect California business and industry's current and future needs, two studies were performed by Solano Community College to examine statewide trends and issues related to office automation and marketing and management. In conducting the study of office automation, 5,000 surveys were…

Technical architecture of ONC-approved plans for statewide health information exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrows, Randolph C; Ezzard, John

2011-01-01

ONC-approved state plans for HIE were reviewed for descriptions and depictions of statewide HIE technical architecture. Review was complicated by non-standard organizational elements and technical terminology across state plans. Findings were mapped to industry standard, referenced, and defined HIE architecture descriptions and characteristics. Results are preliminary due to the initial subset of ONC-approved plans available, the rapid pace of new ONC-plan approvals, and continuing advancements in standards and technology of HIE, etc. Review of 28 state plans shows virtually all include a direct messaging component, but for participating entities at state-specific levels of granularity (RHIO, enterprise, organization/provider). About ½ of reviewed plans describe a federated architecture, and ¼ of plans utilize a single-vendor "hybrid-federated" architecture. About 1/3 of states plan to leverage new federal and open exchange technologies (DIRECT, CONNECT, etc.). Only one plan describes a centralized architecture for statewide HIE, but others combine central and federated architectural approaches.

State Systems Change Spotlight: Nevada. Transforming State Systems to Improve Outcomes for Children with Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Ruedel, Kristin; Nelson, Gena; Bailey, Tessie; Pierce, Jennifer

2018-01-01

Data show that effective and ongoing communication and evaluation can have a positive impact on local and statewide systems change. Local and statewide systems change requires ongoing communication and evaluation. The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) used a communication protocol to support implementation of the Assess-Plan-Teach (APT) model.…

Human bromethalin exposures reported to a U.S. Statewide Poison Control System.

Science.gov (United States)

Huntington, Serena; Fenik, Yelena; Vohra, Rais; Geller, Richard J

2016-03-01

Bromethalin is an increasingly used alternative to long-acting anticoagulant and cholecalciferol rodenticides. There are few reports of human exposures, and no existing professional society guidelines on medical management of bromethalin ingestions. The aim of this retrospective data review is to characterize bromethalin exposures reported to the California Poison Control System (CPCS) between 1997 and 2014. This is an observational retrospective case review of our statewide poison control system's electronic medical records. Following Institutional Board Review and Research Committee approvals, poison center exposures related to bromethalin were extracted using substance code and free text search strategies. Case notes of bromethalin exposures were reviewed for demographic, clinical, laboratory, and outcome information; inclusion criteria for the study was single-substance, human exposure to bromethalin. There were 129 calls related to human bromethalin exposures (three cases met exclusion criteria). The age range of cases was 7 months-90 years old, with the majority of exposures (89 cases; 70.6%), occurring in children younger than 5 years of age (median age of 2 years). Most exposures occurred in the pediatric population as a result of exploratory oral exposure. One hundred and thirteen patients (89.7%) had no effects post exposure, while 10 patients (7.9%) had a minor outcome. Adverse effects were minor, self-limited, and mostly gastrointestinal upset. There were no moderate, major, or fatal effects in our study population. The approximate ingested dose, available in six cases, ranged from 0.067 mg/kg to 0.3 mg/kg (milligrams of bromethalin ingested per kilogram of body weight), and no dose-symptom threshold could be established from this series. Exposures were not confirmed through urine or serum laboratory testing. The prognosis for most accidental ingestions appears to be excellent. However, bromethalin exposures may result in a higher number of

Pediatric Exposures to Topical Benzocaine Preparations Reported to a Statewide Poison Control System.

Science.gov (United States)

Vohra, Rais; Huntington, Serena; Koike, Jennifer; Le, Kevin; Geller, Richard J

2017-08-01

Topical benzocaine is a local anesthetic commonly used to relieve pain caused by teething, periodontal irritation, burns, wounds, and insect bites. Oral preparations may contain benzocaine concentrations ranging from 7.5% to 20%. Pediatric exposure to such large concentrations may result in methemoglobinemia and secondarily cause anemia, cyanosis, and hypoxia. This is a retrospective study of exposures reported to a statewide poison control system. The electronic health records were queried for pediatric exposures to topical benzocaine treated at a healthcare facility from 2004 to 2014. Cases of benzocaine exposure were reviewed for demographic and clinical information, and descriptive statistical analysis was performed. The query resulted in 157 cases; 58 were excluded due to co-ingestants, or miscoding of non-benzocaine exposures. Children four years of age and younger represented the majority of cases (93%) with a median age of 1 year. There were 88 cases of accidental/ exploratory exposure, while 6 cases resulted from therapeutic application or error, 4 cases from adverse reactions, and 1 case from an unknown cause. Asymptomatic children accounted for 75.5% of cases, but major clinical effects were observed in 5 patients. Those with serious effects were exposed to a range of benzocaine concentrations (7.5-20%), with 4 cases reporting methemoglobin levels between 20.2%-55%. Methylene blue was administered in 4 of the cases exhibiting major effects. The majority of exposures were accidental ingestions by young children. Most exposures resulted in minor to no effects. However, some patients required treatment with methylene blue and admission to a critical care unit. Therapeutic application by parents or caregivers may lead to adverse effects from these commonly available products.

State-wide performance criteria for international safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budlong-Sylvester, K.W.; Pilat, Joseph F.; Stanbro, W.D.

2001-01-01

Traditionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has relied upon prescriptive criteria to guide safeguards implementation. The prospect of replacing prescriptive safeguards criteria with more flexible performance criteria would constitute a structural change in safeguards and raises several important questions. Performance criteria imply that while safeguards goals will be fixed, the means of attaining those goals will not be explicitly prescribed. What would the performance objectives be under such a system? How would they be formulated? How would performance be linked to higher level safeguards objectives? How would safeguards performance be measured State-wide? The implementation of safeguards under performance criteria would also signal a dramatic change in the manner the Agency does business. A higher degree of flexibility could, in principle, produce greater effectiveness and efficiency, but would come with a need for increased Agency responsibility in practice. To the extent that reliance on prescriptive criteria decreases, the burden of justifying actions and ensuring their transparency will rise. Would there need to be limits to safeguards implementation? What would be the basis for setting such limits? This paper addresses these and other issues and questions relating to both the formulation and the implementation of performance-based criteria.

23 CFR 450.216 - Development and content of the statewide transportation improvement program (STIP).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Programming § 450.216 Development and content of the statewide transportation improvement program (STIP). (a... Equity Bonus funds; (5) Emergency relief projects (except those involving substantial functional...

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a statewide media campaign to promote adolescent physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Michael; Chandlee, Margaret; Abraham, Avron

2008-10-01

A cost-effectiveness analysis of a statewide social marketing campaign was performed using a statewide surveillance survey distributed to 6th through 12th graders, media production and placement costs, and 2000 census data. Exposure to all three advertisements had the highest impact on both intent and behavior with 65.6% of the respondents considering becoming more active and 58.3% reporting becoming more active. Average cost of the entire campaign was $4.01 per person to see an ad, $7.35 per person to consider being more active, and $8.87 per person to actually become more active, with billboards yielding the most positive cost-effectiveness. Findings highlight market research as an essential part of social marketing campaigns and the importance of using multiple marketing modalities to enhance cost-effectiveness and impact.

The trauma ecosystem: The impact and economics of new trauma centers on a mature statewide trauma system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciesla, David J; Pracht, Etienne E; Leitz, Pablo T; Spain, David A; Staudenmayer, Kristan L; Tepas, Joseph J

2017-06-01

Florida serves as a model for the study of trauma system performance. Between 2010 and 2104, 5 new trauma centers were opened alongside 20 existing centers. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of trauma system expansion on system triage performance and trauma center patients' profiles. A statewide data set was queried for all injury-related discharges from adult acute care hospitals using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes for 2010 and 2014. The data set, inclusion criteria, and definitions of high-risk injury were chosen to match those used by the Florida Department of Health in its trauma registry. Hospitals were classified as existing Level I (E1) or Level II (E2) trauma centers and new E2 (N2) centers. Five N2 centers were established 11.6 to 85.3 miles from existing centers. Field and overall trauma system triage of high-risk patients was less accurate with increased overtriage and no change in undertriage. Annual volume at N2 centers increased but did not change at E1 and E2 centers. In 2014, Patients at E1 and E2 centers were slightly older and less severely injured, while those at N2 centers were substantially younger and more severely injured than in 2010. The injured patient-payer mix changed with a decrease in self-pay and commercial patients and an increase in government-sponsored patients at E1 and E2 centers and an increase in self-pay and commercial patients with a decrease in government-sponsored patients at N2 centers. Designation of new trauma centers in a mature system was associated with a change in established trauma center demographics and economics without an improvement in trauma system triage performance. These findings suggest that the health of an entire trauma system network must be considered in the design and implementation of a regional trauma system. Therapeutic/care management study, level IV; epidemiological, level IV.

Pediatric Exposures to Topical Benzocaine Preparations Reported to a Statewide Poison Control System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rais Vohra

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Topical benzocaine is a local anesthetic commonly used to relieve pain caused by teething, periodontal irritation, burns, wounds, and insect bites. Oral preparations may contain benzocaine concentrations ranging from 7.5% to 20%. Pediatric exposure to such large concentrations may result in methemoglobinemia and secondarily cause anemia, cyanosis, and hypoxia. Methods: This is a retrospective study of exposures reported to a statewide poison control system. The electronic health records were queried for pediatric exposures to topical benzocaine treated at a healthcare facility from 2004 to 2014. Cases of benzocaine exposure were reviewed for demographic and clinical information, and descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: The query resulted in 157 cases; 58 were excluded due to co-ingestants, or miscoding of non-benzocaine exposures. Children four years of age and younger represented the majority of cases (93% with a median age of 1 year. There were 88 cases of accidental/ exploratory exposure, while 6 cases resulted from therapeutic application or error, 4 cases from adverse reactions, and 1 case from an unknown cause. Asymptomatic children accounted for 75.5% of cases, but major clinical effects were observed in 5 patients. Those with serious effects were exposed to a range of benzocaine concentrations (7.5–20%, with 4 cases reporting methemoglobin levels between 20.2%–55%. Methylene blue was administered in 4 of the cases exhibiting major effects. Conclusion: The majority of exposures were accidental ingestions by young children. Most exposures resulted in minor to no effects. However, some patients required treatment with methylene blue and admission to a critical care unit. Therapeutic application by parents or caregivers may lead to adverse effects from these commonly available products.

Validation of a risk stratification tool for fall-related injury in a state-wide cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

McCoy, Thomas H; Castro, Victor M; Cagan, Andrew; Roberson, Ashlee M; Perlis, Roy H

2017-02-06

A major preventable contributor to healthcare costs among older individuals is fall-related injury. We sought to validate a tool to stratify such risk based on readily available clinical data, including projected medication adverse effects, using state-wide medical claims data. Sociodemographic and clinical features were drawn from health claims paid in the state of Massachusetts for individuals aged 35-65 with a hospital admission for a period spanning January-December 2012. Previously developed logistic regression models of hospital readmission for fall-related injury were refit in a testing set including a randomly selected 70% of individuals, and examined in a training set comprised of the remaining 30%. Medications at admission were summarised based on reported adverse effect frequencies in published medication labelling. The Massachusetts health system. A total of 68 764 hospitalised individuals aged 35-65 years. Hospital readmission for fall-related injury defined by claims code. A total of 2052 individuals (3.0%) were hospitalised for fall-related injury within 90 days of discharge, and 3391 (4.9%) within 180 days. After recalibrating the model in a training data set comprised of 48 136 individuals (70%), model discrimination in the remaining 30% test set yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.74 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.76). AUCs were similar across age decades (0.71 to 0.78) and sex (0.72 male, 0.76 female), and across most common diagnostic categories other than psychiatry. For individuals in the highest risk quartile, 11.4% experienced fall within 180 days versus 1.2% in the lowest risk quartile; 57.6% of falls occurred in the highest risk quartile. This analysis of state-wide claims data demonstrates the feasibility of predicting fall-related injury requiring hospitalisation using readily available sociodemographic and clinical details. This translatable approach to stratification allows for identification of

A Statewide Survey for Container-Breeding Mosquitoes in Mississippi.

Science.gov (United States)

Goddard, Jerome; Moraru, Gail M; Mcinnis, Sarah J; Portugal, J Santos; Yee, Donald A; Deerman, J Hunter; Varnado, Wendy C

2017-09-01

Container-breeding mosquitoes are important in public health due to outbreaks of Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses. This paper documents the distribution of container-breeding mosquito species in Mississippi, with special emphasis on the genus Aedes. Five sites in each of the 82 Mississippi counties were sampled monthly between May 1 and August 31, 2016, and 50,109 mosquitoes in 14 species were collected. The most prevalent and widely distributed species found was Ae. albopictus, being found in all 82 counties, especially during July. A recent invasive, Ae. japonicus, seems to be spreading rapidly in Mississippi since first being discovered in the state in 2011. The most abundant Culex species collected were Cx. quinquefasciatus (found statewide), Cx. salinarius (almost exclusively in the southern portion of the state), and Cx. restuans (mostly central and southern Mississippi). Another relatively recent invasive species, Cx. coronator, was found in 20 counties, predominantly in the southern one-third of the state during late summer. Co-occurrence data of mosquito species found in the artificial containers were also documented and analyzed. Lastly, even though we sampled extensively in 410 sites across Mississippi, no larval Ae. aegypti were found. These data represent the first modern statewide survey of container species in Mississippi, and as such, allows for better public health readiness for emerging diseases and design of more effective vector control programs.

2011-2013 Indiana Statewide Imagery and LiDAR Program: Lake Michigan Watershed Counties

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Indiana's Statewide LiDAR data is produced at 1.5-meter average post spacing for all 92 Indiana Counties covering more than 36,420 square miles. New LiDAR data was...

Use of a Novel Accounting and Grouping Method for Major Trunk Injury-Analysis of Data from a Statewide Trauma Financial Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Joubert, Kyla D; Mabry, Charles D; Kalkwarf, Kyle J; Betzold, Richard D; Spencer, Horace J; Spinks, Kara M; Porter, Austin; Karim, Saleema; Robertson, Ronald D; Sutherland, Michael J; Maxson, Robert T

2016-09-01

Major trunk trauma is common and costly, but comparisons of costs between trauma centers (TCs) are rare. Understanding cost is essential to improve quality, manage trauma service lines, and to facilitate institutional commitment for trauma. We have used results of a statewide trauma financial survey of Levels I to IV TC to develop a useful grouping method for costs and clinical characteristics of major trunk trauma. The trauma financial survey collected billing and clinical data on 75 per cent of the state trauma registry patients for fiscal year 2012. Cost was calculated by separately accounting for embedded costs of trauma response and verification, and then adjusting reasonable costs from the Medicare cost report for each TC. The cost-to-charge ratios were then recalculated and used to determine uniform cost estimates for each patient. From the 13,215 patients submitted for the survey, we selected 1,094 patients with major trunk trauma: lengths of stay ≥ 48 hours and a maximum injury of AIS ≥3 for either thorax or abdominal trauma. These patients were then divided into three Injury Severity Score (ISS) groups of 9 to 15, 16 to 24, or 25+ to stratify patients into similar injury groups for analysis of cost and cost drivers. For abdominal injury, average total cost for patients with ISS 9 to 15 was $17,429. Total cost and cost per day increased with severity of injury, with $51,585 being the total cost for those with ISS 25. Similar trends existed for thoracic injury. Use of the Medicare cost report and cost-to-charge ratios to compute uniform costs with an innovative grouping method applied to data collected across a statewide trauma system provides unique information regarding cost and outcomes, which affects quality improvement, trauma service line management, and decisions on TC participation.

The smoking ban next door: do hospitality businesses in border areas have reduced sales after a statewide smoke-free policy?

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Elizabeth G; Hood, Nancy E

2015-01-01

Despite numerous studies demonstrating no significant economic effects on hospitality businesses following a statewide smoke-free (SF) policy, regional concerns suggest that areas near states without SF policies may experience a loss of hospitality sales across the border. The present study evaluated the impact of Ohio's statewide SF policy on taxable restaurant and bar sales in border and non-border areas. Spline regression analysis was used to assess changes in monthly taxable sales at the county level in full-service restaurants and bars in Ohio. Data were analyzed from four years prior to policy implementation to three years post-policy. Change in the differences in the slope of taxable sales for border (n = 21) and non-border (n = 67) counties were evaluated for changes following the statewide SF policy enforcement, adjusted for unemployment rates, general trends in the hospitality sector, and seasonality. After adjusting for covariates, there was no statistically significant change in the difference in slope for taxable sales for either restaurants (β = 0.9, p = 0.09) or bars (β = 0.2, p = 0.07) following the SF policy for border areas compared to non-border areas of Ohio. Border regions in Ohio did not experience a significant change in bar and restaurant sales compared to non-border areas following a statewide SF policy. Results support that Ohio's statewide SF policy did not impact these two areas differently, and provide additional evidence for the continued use of SF policies to provide protection from exposure to secondhand smoke for both workers and the general public. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmacy-based statewide naloxone distribution: A novel "top-down, bottom-up" approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, Kate J; Harrand, Brianna; Floyd, Carly Cloud; Schaefer, Craig; Acosta, Julie; Logan, Bridget Claire; Clark, Karen

To highlight New Mexico's multifaceted approach to widespread pharmacy naloxone distribution and to share the interventions as a tool for improving pharmacy-based naloxone practices in other states. New Mexico had the second highest drug overdose death rate in 2014 of which 53% were related to prescription opioids. Opioid overdose death is preventable through the use of naloxone, a safe and effective medication that reverses the effects of prescription opioids and heroin. Pharmacists can play an important role in providing naloxone to individuals who use prescription opioids. Not applicable. Not applicable. A multifaceted approach was utilized in New Mexico from the top down with legislative passage of provisions for a statewide standing order and New Mexico Department of Health support for pharmacy-based naloxone delivery. A bottom up approach was also initiated with the development and implementation of a training program for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Naloxone Medicaid claims were used to illustrate statewide distribution and utilization of the pharmacist statewide standing order for naloxone. Percent of pharmacies dispensing naloxone in each county were calculated. Trained pharmacy staff completed a program evaluation form. Questions about quality of instruction and ability of trainer to meet stated objectives were rated on a Likert scale. There were 808 naloxone Medicaid claims from 100 outpatient pharmacies during the first half of 2016, a 9-fold increase over 2014. The "A Dose of R x eality" training program evaluation indicated that participants felt the training was free from bias and met all stated objectives (4 out of 4 on Likert scale). A multi-pronged approach coupling state and community collaboration was successful in overcoming barriers and challenges associated with pharmacy naloxone distribution and ensured its success as an effective avenue for naloxone acquisition in urban and rural communities. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists

Predictors of Suicidal Ideation in a Statewide Sample of Transgender Individuals

OpenAIRE

Rood, Brian A.; Puckett, Julia A.; Pantalone, David W.; Bradford, Judith B.

2015-01-01

Transgender individuals experience violence and discrimination, which, in addition to gender transitioning, are established correlates of psychological distress. In a statewide sample of 350 transgender adults, we investigated whether a history of violence and discrimination increased the odds of reporting lifetime suicidal ideation (SI) and whether differences in SI were predicted by gender transition status. Violence, discrimination, and transition status significantly predicted SI. Compare...

Hawai'i Youth at Risk? Conceptual Challenges in Communicating a Statewide Mentoring Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollard, Vincent Kelly

This paper discusses several issues considered as part of a statewide mentoring initiative. It is divided into three sections. The first section summarizes the key issues associated with short-term mentoring and mentoring in a longer-term, socially transformative context. Data from Comprehensive School Alienation Program is discussed concerning…

Measurement of fine particles and smoking activity in a statewide survey of 36 California Indian casinos

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Ru O-Ting; Cheng, Ka I-Chung; Acevedo-Bolton, Viviana; Klepeis, Neil E; Repace, James L; Ott, Wayne R; Hildemann, Lynn M

2011-01-01

Despite California's 1994 statewide smoking ban, exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) continues in California's Indian casinos. Few data are available on exposure to airborne fine particles (PM2.5) in casinos, especially on a statewide basis. We sought to measure PM2.5 concentrations in Indian casinos widely distributed across California, exploring differences due to casino size, separation of smoking and non-smoking areas, and area smoker density. A selection of 36 out of the 58 Indian casinos throughout California were each visited for 1–3 h on weekend or holiday evenings, using two or more concealed monitors to measure PM2.5 concentrations every 10 s. For each casino, the physical dimensions and the number of patrons and smokers were estimated. As a preliminary assessment of representativeness, we also measured eight casinos in Reno, NV. The average PM2.5 concentration for the smoking slot machine areas (63 μg/m3) was nine times as high as outdoors (7 μg/m3), whereas casino non-smoking restaurants (29 μg/m3) were four times as high. Levels in non-smoking slot machine areas varied: complete physical separation reduced concentrations almost to outdoor levels, but two other separation types had mean levels that were 13 and 29 μg/m3, respectively, higher than outdoors. Elevated PM2.5 concentrations in casinos can be attributed primarily to SHS. Average PM2.5 concentrations during 0.5–1 h visits to smoking areas exceeded 35 μg/m3 for 90% of the casino visits. PMID:20160761

Statewide Dissemination of a Rural, Non-Chain Restaurant Intervention: Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Nothwehr, F.; Haines, H.; Chrisman, M.; Schultz, U.

2014-01-01

The obesity epidemic calls for greater dissemination of nutrition-related programs, yet there remain few studies of the dissemination process. This study, guided by elements of the RE-AIM model, describes the statewide dissemination of a simple, point-of-purchase restaurant intervention. Conducted in rural counties of the Midwest, United States,…

Taking Stock of Private-School Choice: Scholars Review the Research on Statewide Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Patrick J.; Harris, Douglas N.; Berends, Mark; Waddington, R. Joseph; Austin, Megan

2018-01-01

In the past few years, four states have established programs that provide public financial support to students who choose to attend a private school. These programs--a tax-credit-funded scholarship initiative in Florida and voucher programs in Indiana, Louisiana, and Ohio--offer a glimpse of what expansive statewide choice might look like. What…

A task force model for statewide change in nursing education: building quality and safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundt, Mary H; Clark, Margherita Procaccini; Klemczak, Jeanette Wrona

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe a statewide planning process to transform nursing education in Michigan to improve quality and safety of patient care. A task force model was used to engage diverse partners in issue identification, consensus building, and recommendations. An example of a statewide intervention in nursing education and practice that was executed was the Michigan Quality and Safety in Nursing Education Institute, which was held using an integrated approach to academic-practice partners from all state regions. This paper describes the unique advantage of leadership by the Michigan Chief Nurse Executive, the existence of a nursing strategic plan, and a funding model. An overview of the Task Force on Nursing Education is presented with a focus on the model's 10 process steps and resulting seven recommendations. The Michigan Nurse Education Council was established to implement the recommendations that included quality and safety. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Benchmarking statewide trauma mortality using Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's patient safety indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Darwin; McKenney, Mark; Norwood, Scott; Kurek, Stanley; Kimbrell, Brian; Liu, Huazhi; Ziglar, Michele; Hurst, James

2015-09-01

Improving clinical outcomes of trauma patients is a challenging problem at a statewide level, particularly if data from the state's registry are not publicly available. Promotion of optimal care throughout the state is not possible unless clinical benchmarks are available for comparison. Using publicly available administrative data from the State Department of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) patient safety indicators (PSIs), we sought to create a statewide method for benchmarking trauma mortality and at the same time also identifying a pattern of unique complications that have an independent influence on mortality. Data for this study were obtained from State of Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Adult trauma patients were identified as having International Classification of Disease ninth edition codes defined by the state. Multivariate logistic regression was used to create a predictive inpatient expected mortality model. The expected value of PSIs was created using the multivariate model and their beta coefficients provided by the AHRQ. Case-mix adjusted mortality results were reported as observed to expected (O/E) ratios to examine mortality, PSIs, failure to prevent complications, and failure to rescue from death. There were 50,596 trauma patients evaluated during the study period. The overall fit of the expected mortality model was very strong at a c-statistic of 0.93. Twelve of 25 trauma centers had O/E ratios benchmarking method that screens at risk trauma centers in the state for higher than expected mortality. Stratifying mortality based on failure to prevent PSIs may identify areas of needed improvement at a statewide level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A California statewide three-dimensional seismic velocity model from both absolute and differential times

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, G.; Thurber, C.H.; Zhang, H.; Hauksson, E.; Shearer, P.M.; Waldhauser, F.; Brocher, T.M.; Hardebeck, J.

2010-01-01

We obtain a seismic velocity model of the California crust and uppermost mantle using a regional-scale double-difference tomography algorithm. We begin by using absolute arrival-time picks to solve for a coarse three-dimensional (3D) P velocity (VP) model with a uniform 30 km horizontal node spacing, which we then use as the starting model for a finer-scale inversion using double-difference tomography applied to absolute and differential pick times. For computational reasons, we split the state into 5 subregions with a grid spacing of 10 to 20 km and assemble our final statewide VP model by stitching together these local models. We also solve for a statewide S-wave model using S picks from both the Southern California Seismic Network and USArray, assuming a starting model based on the VP results and a VP=VS ratio of 1.732. Our new model has improved areal coverage compared with previous models, extending 570 km in the SW-NE directionand 1320 km in the NW-SE direction. It also extends to greater depth due to the inclusion of substantial data at large epicentral distances. Our VP model generally agrees with previous separate regional models for northern and southern California, but we also observe some new features, such as high-velocity anomalies at shallow depths in the Klamath Mountains and Mount Shasta area, somewhat slow velocities in the northern Coast Ranges, and slow anomalies beneath the Sierra Nevada at midcrustal and greater depths. This model can be applied to a variety of regional-scale studies in California, such as developing a unified statewide earthquake location catalog and performing regional waveform modeling.

Preventing child maltreatment: Examination of an established statewide home-visiting program.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaiyachati, Barbara H; Gaither, Julie R; Hughes, Marcia; Foley-Schain, Karen; Leventhal, John M

2018-05-01

Although home visiting has been used in many populations in prevention efforts, the impact of scaled-up home-visiting programs on abuse and neglect remains unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of voluntary participation in an established statewide home-visiting program for socially high-risk families on child maltreatment as identified by Child Protective Services (CPS). Propensity score matching was used to compare socially high-risk families with a child born between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011 who participated in Connecticut's home-visiting program for first-time mothers and a comparison cohort of families who were eligible for the home-visiting program but did not participate. The main outcomes were child maltreatment investigations, substantiations, and out-of-home placements by CPS between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2013. In the unmatched sample, families who participated in home-visiting had significantly higher median risk scores (P home visiting. First substantiations also occurred later in the child's life among home-visited families. There was a trend toward decreased out-of-home placement (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.53-1.02, P = .06). These results from a scaled-up statewide program highlight the potential of home visiting as an important approach to preventing child abuse and neglect. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A School-Based Dental Program Evaluation: Comparison to the Massachusetts Statewide Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Culler, Corinna S; Kotelchuck, Milton; Declercq, Eugene; Kuhlthau, Karen; Jones, Kari; Yoder, Karen M

2017-10-01

School-based dental programs target high-risk communities and reduce barriers to obtaining dental services by delivering care to students in their schools. We describe the evaluation of a school-based dental program operating in Chelsea, a city north of Boston, with a low-income and largely minority population, by comparing participants' oral health to a Massachusetts oral health assessment. Standardized dental screenings were conducted for students in kindergarten, third, and sixth grades. Outcomes were compared in bivariate analysis, stratified by grade and income levels. A greater percentage of Chelsea students had untreated decay and severe treatment need than students statewide. Yet, fewer Chelsea third graders had severe treatment need, and more had dental sealants. There was no significant difference in the percentage of Chelsea students having severe treatment need or dental sealants by income level. Students participating in our program do not have lower decay levels than students statewide. However, they do have lower levels of severe treatment need, likely due to treatment referrals. Our results confirm that school-based prevention programs can lead to increased prevalence of dental sealants among high-risk populations. Results provide support for the establishment of full-service school-based programs in similar communities. © 2017, American School Health Association.

A Selection Method for COTS Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hedman, Jonas

new skills and methods supporting the process of evaluating and selecting information systems. This paper presents a method for selecting COTS systems. The method includes the following phases: problem framing, requirements and appraisal, and selection of systems. The idea and distinguishing feature...... behind the method is that improved understanding of organizational' ends' or goals should govern the selection of a COTS system. This can also be expressed as a match or fit between ‘ends' (e.g. improved organizational effectiveness) and ‘means' (e.g. implementing COTS systems). This way of approaching...

Improving Accuracy and Relevance of Race/Ethnicity Data: Results of a Statewide Collaboration in Hawaii.

Science.gov (United States)

Pellegrin, Karen L; Miyamura, Jill B; Ma, Carolyn; Taniguchi, Ronald

2016-01-01

Current race/ethnicity categories established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget are neither reliable nor valid for understanding health disparities or for tracking improvements in this area. In Hawaii, statewide hospitals have collaborated to collect race/ethnicity data using a standardized method consistent with recommended practices that overcome the problems with the federal categories. The purpose of this observational study was to determine the impact of this collaboration on key measures of race/ethnicity documentation. After this collaborative effort, the number of standardized categories available across hospitals increased from 6 to 34, and the percent of inpatients with documented race/ethnicity increased from 88 to 96%. This improved standardized methodology is now the foundation for tracking population health indicators statewide and focusing quality improvement efforts. The approach used in Hawaii can serve as a model for other states and regions. Ultimately, the ability to standardize data collection methodology across states and regions will be needed to track improvements nationally.

Contracting for Statewide Student Achievement Tests: A Review. Department of Public Instruction 98-4.

Science.gov (United States)

Wisconsin State Legislative Audit Bureau, Madison.

The Wisconsin legislature has required the Department of Public Instruction to adopt or approve standardized tests for statewide use to measure student attainment of knowledge and concepts in grades 4, 8, and 10. Although school districts generally gave high ratings to the contents of TerraNova (McGraw Hill), the testing instrument most recently…

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-01-01

Background: Although nearly all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, little research examines the effect of these policies on student bullying and health. Using a statewide sample, we investigated associations between the quality of school district anti-bullying policies and student bullying…

The relationship between processes and outcomes for injured older adults: a study of a statewide trauma system.

Science.gov (United States)

Saillant, N N; Earl-Royal, E; Pascual, J L; Allen, S R; Kim, P K; Delgado, M K; Carr, B G; Wiebe, D; Holena, D N

2017-02-01

Age is a risk factor for death, adverse outcomes, and health care use following trauma. The American College of Surgeons' Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) has published "best practices" of geriatric trauma care; adoption of these guidelines is unknown. We sought to determine which evidence-based geriatric protocols, including TQIP guidelines, were correlated with decreased mortality in Pennsylvania's trauma centers. PA's level I and II trauma centers self-reported adoption of geriatric protocols. Survey data were merged with risk-adjusted mortality data for patients ≥65 from a statewide database, the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), to compare mortality outlier status and processes of care. Exposures of interest were center-specific processes of care; outcome of interest was PTSF mortality outlier status. 26 of 27 eligible trauma centers participated. There was wide variation in care processes. Four trauma centers were low outliers; three centers were high outliers for risk-adjusted mortality rates in adults ≥65. Results remained consistent when accounting for center volume. The only process associated with mortality outlier status was age-specific solid organ injury protocols (p = 0.04). There was no cumulative effect of multiple evidence-based processes on mortality rate (p = 0.50). We did not see a link between adoption of geriatric best-practices trauma guidelines and reduced mortality at PA trauma centers. The increased susceptibility of elderly to adverse consequences of injury, combined with the rapid growth rate of this demographic, emphasizes the importance of identifying interventions tailored to this population. III. Descriptive.

New Mexico statewide geothermal energy program. Final technical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Icerman, L.; Parker, S.K. (ed.)

1988-04-01

This report summarizes the results of geothermal energy resource assessment work conducted by the New Mexico Statewide Geothermal Energy Program during the period September 7, 1984, through February 29, 1988, under the sponsorship of the US Dept. of Energy and the State of New Mexico Research and Development Institute. The research program was administered by the New Mexico Research and Development Institute and was conducted by professional staff members at New Mexico State University and Lightning Dock Geothermal, Inc. The report is divided into four chapters, which correspond to the principal tasks delineated in the above grant. This work extends the knowledge of the geothermal energy resource base in southern New Mexico with the potential for commercial applications.

Towards automated statewide land cover mapping in Wisconsin using satellite remote sensing and GIS techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cosentino, B.L.; Lillesand, T.M.

1991-01-01

Attention is given to an initial research project being performed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Environmental Remote Sensing Center in conjunction with seven local, state, and federal agencies to implement automated statewide land cover mapping using satellite remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) techniques. The basis, progress, and future research needs for this mapping program are presented. The research efforts are directed toward strategies that integrate satellite remote sensing and GIS techniques in the generation of land cover data for multiple users of land cover information. The project objectives are to investigate methodologies that integrate satellite data with other imagery and spatial data resident in emerging GISs in the state for particular program needs, and to develop techniques that can improve automated land cover mapping efficiency and accuracy. 10 refs

A Guide to Effective Statewide Laws/Policies: Preventing Discrimination against LGBT Students in K-12 Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York, NY.

This document presents guidance for stopping discrimination, harassment, and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in schools. Section 1, "Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund on the Legal Considerations for Creating and Changing Statewide Laws and Policies," discusses the various types of statewide…

Development of a central data warehouse for statewide ITS and transportation data in Florida phase III : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-15

This report documents Phase III of the development and operation of a prototype for the Statewide Transportation : Engineering Warehouse for Archived Regional Data (STEWARD). It reflects the progress on the development and : operation of STEWARD sinc...

Statewide Groundwater Recharge Modeling in New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, F.; Cadol, D.; Newton, B. T.; Phillips, F. M.

2017-12-01

It is crucial to understand the rate and distribution of groundwater recharge in New Mexico because it not only largely defines a limit for water availability in this semi-arid state, but also is the least understood aspect of the state's water budget. With the goal of estimating groundwater recharge statewide, we are developing the Evapotranspiration and Recharge Model (ETRM), which uses existing spatial datasets to model the daily soil water balance over the state at a resolution of 250 m cell. The input datasets includes PRISM precipitation data, MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), NRCS soils data, state geology data and reference ET estimates produced by Gridded Atmospheric Data downscalinG and Evapotranspiration Tools (GADGET). The current estimated recharge presents diffuse recharge only, not focused recharge as in channels or playas. Direct recharge measurements are challenging and rare, therefore we estimate diffuse recharge using a water balance approach. The ETRM simulated runoff amount was compared with USGS gauged discharge in four selected ephemeral channels: Mogollon Creek, Zuni River, the Rio Puerco above Bernardo, and the Rio Puerco above Arroyo Chico. Result showed that focused recharge is important, and basin characteristics can be linked with watershed hydrological response. As the sparse instruments in NM provide limited help in improving estimation of focused recharge by linking basin characteristics, the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, which is one of the most densely gauged and monitored semiarid rangeland watershed for hydrology research purpose, is now being modeled with ETRM. Higher spatial resolution of field data is expected to enable detailed comparison of model recharge results with measured transmission losses in ephemeral channels. The final ETRM product will establish an algorithm to estimate the groundwater recharge as a water budget component of the entire state of New Mexico. Reference ET estimated by GADGET

Automated Cancer Registry Notifications: Validation of a Medical Text Analytics System for Identifying Patients with Cancer from a State-Wide Pathology Repository.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Anthony N; Moore, Julie; O'Dwyer, John; Philpot, Shoni

2016-01-01

The paper assesses the utility of Medtex on automating Cancer Registry notifications from narrative histology and cytology reports from the Queensland state-wide pathology information system. A corpus of 45.3 million pathology HL7 messages (including 119,581 histology and cytology reports) from a Queensland pathology repository for the year of 2009 was analysed by Medtex for cancer notification. Reports analysed by Medtex were consolidated at a patient level and compared against patients with notifiable cancers from the Queensland Oncology Repository (QOR). A stratified random sample of 1,000 patients was manually reviewed by a cancer clinical coder to analyse agreements and discrepancies. Sensitivity of 96.5% (95% confidence interval: 94.5-97.8%), specificity of 96.5% (95.3-97.4%) and positive predictive value of 83.7% (79.6-86.8%) were achieved for identifying cancer notifiable patients. Medtex achieved high sensitivity and specificity across the breadth of cancers, report types, pathology laboratories and pathologists throughout the State of Queensland. The high sensitivity also resulted in the identification of cancer patients that were not found in the QOR. High sensitivity was at the expense of positive predictive value; however, these cases may be considered as lower priority to Cancer Registries as they can be quickly reviewed. Error analysis revealed that system errors tended to be tumour stream dependent. Medtex is proving to be a promising medical text analytic system. High value cancer information can be generated through intelligent data classification and extraction on large volumes of unstructured pathology reports.

Design and implementation of an integrated, continuous evaluation, and quality improvement system for a state-based home-visiting program.

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, Bridget K; Potash, Dru; Omohundro, Ellen; Taylor, Cathy R

2012-10-01

To describe the design and implementation of an evaluation system to facilitate continuous quality improvement (CQI) and scientific evaluation in a statewide home visiting program, and to provide a summary of the system's progress in meeting intended outputs and short-term outcomes. Help Us Grow Successfully (HUGS) is a statewide home visiting program that provides services to at-risk pregnant/post-partum women, children (0-5 years), and their families. The program goals are to improve parenting skills and connect families to needed services and thus improve the health of the service population. The evaluation system is designed to: (1) integrate evaluation into daily workflow; (2) utilize standardized screening and evaluation tools; (3) facilitate a culture of CQI in program management; and, (4) facilitate scientifically rigorous evaluations. The review of the system's design and implementation occurred through a formative evaluation process (reach, dose, and fidelity). Data was collected through electronic and paper surveys, administrative data, and notes from management meetings, and medical chart review. In the design phase, four process and forty outcome measures were selected and are tracked using standardized screening and monitoring tools. During implementation, the reach and dose of training were adequate to successfully launch the evaluation/CQI system. All staff (n = 165) use the system for management of families; the supervisors (n = 18) use the system to track routine program activities. Data quality and availability is sufficient to support periodic program reviews at the region and state level. In the first 7 months, the HUGS evaluation system tracked 3,794 families (7,937 individuals). System use and acceptance is high. A successful implementation of a structured evaluation system with a strong CQI component is feasible in an existing, large statewide program. The evaluation/CQI system is an effective mechanism to drive modest change in management

Design of a statewide radiation survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagda, N.L.; Koontz, M.D.; Rector, H.E.; Nifong, G.D.

1989-01-01

The Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR) recently sponsored a statewide survey to identify all significant land areas in Florida where the state's environmental radiation rule should be applied. Under this rule, newly constructed buildings must be tested for radiation levels unless approved construction techniques are used. Two parallel surveys - a land-based survey and a population-based survey - were designed and conducted to address the objective. Each survey included measurements in more than 3000 residences throughout the state. Other information sources that existed at the outset of the study, such as geologic profiles mapped by previous investigators and terrestrial uranium levels characterized through aerial gamma radiation surveys, were also examined. Initial data analysis efforts focused on determining the extent of evidence of radon potential for each of 67 counties in the state. Within 18 countries that were determined to have definite evidence of elevated radon potential, more detailed spatial analyses were conducted to identify areas of which the rule should apply. A total of 74 quadrangles delineated by the U.S. Geological Survey, representing about 7% of those constituting the state, were identified as having elevated radon potential and being subject to the rule

Selecting practice management information systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Worley, R; Ciotti, V

1997-01-01

Despite enormous advances in information systems, the process by which most medical practices select them has remained virtually unchanged for decades: the request for proposal (RFP). Unfortunately, vendors have learned ways to minimize the value of RFP checklists to where purchasers now learn little about the system functionality. The authors describe a selection methodology that replaces the RFP with scored demos, reviews of vendor user manuals and mathematically structured reference checking. In a recent selection process at a major medical center, these techniques yielded greater user buy-in and favorable contract terms as well.

Predictors of Suicidal Ideation in a Statewide Sample of Transgender Individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Rood, Brian A; Puckett, Julia A; Pantalone, David W; Bradford, Judith B

2015-09-01

Transgender individuals experience violence and discrimination, which, in addition to gender transitioning, are established correlates of psychological distress. In a statewide sample of 350 transgender adults, we investigated whether a history of violence and discrimination increased the odds of reporting lifetime suicidal ideation (SI) and whether differences in SI were predicted by gender transition status. Violence, discrimination, and transition status significantly predicted SI. Compared with individuals with no plans to transition, individuals with plans or who were living as their identified gender reported greater odds of lifetime SI. We discuss implications for SI disparities using Meyer's minority stress model.

Decision support system to select cover systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bostick, K.V.

1995-01-01

The objective of this technology is to provide risk managers with a defensible, objective way to select capping alternatives for remediating radioactive and mixed waste landfills. The process of selecting containment cover technologies for mixed waste landfills requires consideration of many complex and interrelated technical, regulatory, and economic issues. A Decision Support System (DSS) is needed to integrate the knowledge of experts from scientific, engineering, and management disciplines to help in selecting the best capping practice for the site

Avoiding a knowledge gap in a multiethnic statewide social marketing campaign: is cultural tailoring sufficient?

Science.gov (United States)

Buchthal, O Vanessa; Doff, Amy L; Hsu, Laura A; Silbanuz, Alice; Heinrich, Katie M; Maddock, Jay E

2011-03-01

In 2007, the State of Hawaii, Healthy Hawaii Initiative conducted a statewide social-marketing campaign promoting increased physical activity and nutrition. The campaign included substantial formative research to develop messages tailored for Hawaii's multiethnic Asian and Pacific Islander populations. The authors conducted a statewide random digital dialing telephone survey to assess the campaign's comparative reach among individuals with different ethnicities and different levels of education and income. This analysis suggests that the intervention was successful in reaching its target ethnic audiences. However, a knowledge gap related to the campaign appeared among individuals with incomes less than 130% of the poverty level and those with less than a high school education. These results varied significantly by message and the communication channel used. Recall of supermarket-based messages was significantly higher among individuals below 130% of the poverty level and those between 18 and 35 years of age, 2 groups that showed consistently lower recall of messages in other channels. Results suggest that cultural tailoring for ethnic audiences, although important, is insufficient for reaching low-income populations, and that broad-based social marketing campaigns should consider addressing socioeconomic status-related channel preferences in formative research and campaign design.

An Annual Report to the Legislature on Oregon Public Schools. Oregon Statewide Report Card. 2014-2015

Science.gov (United States)

Oregon Department of Education, 2015

2015-01-01

The Oregon Statewide Report Card is an annual publication required by law (ORS 329.115), which reports on the state of public schools and their progress towards the goals of the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century. The purpose of the Oregon Report Card is to monitor trends among school districts and Oregon's progress toward achieving the…

Filling the Void: The Roles of a Local Applied Research Center and a Statewide Workforce Training Consortium

Science.gov (United States)

Perniciaro, Richard C.; Nespoli, Lawrence A.; Anbarasan, Sivaraman

2015-01-01

This chapter describes the development of an applied research center at Atlantic Cape Community College and a statewide workforce training consortium run by the community college sector in New Jersey. Their contributions to the economic development mission of the colleges as well as their impact on the perception of community colleges by…

State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Clean Water Branch State-wide Water Quality Sampling Dataset 1999-2006 (NODC Accession 0013723)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Monitoring Section of the State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Clean Water Branch collects water quality data at over 300 coastal locations state-wide using...

State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Clean Water Branch State-wide Water Quality Sampling Dataset 1973-1998 (NODC Accession 0013724)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Monitoring Section of the State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Clean Water Branch collects water quality data at over 300 coastal locations state-wide using...

Development of a State-Wide 3-D Seismic Tomography Velocity Model for California

Science.gov (United States)

Thurber, C. H.; Lin, G.; Zhang, H.; Hauksson, E.; Shearer, P.; Waldhauser, F.; Hardebeck, J.; Brocher, T.

2007-12-01

We report on progress towards the development of a state-wide tomographic model of the P-wave velocity for the crust and uppermost mantle of California. The dataset combines first arrival times from earthquakes and quarry blasts recorded on regional network stations and travel times of first arrivals from explosions and airguns recorded on profile receivers and network stations. The principal active-source datasets are Geysers-San Pablo Bay, Imperial Valley, Livermore, W. Mojave, Gilroy-Coyote Lake, Shasta region, Great Valley, Morro Bay, Mono Craters-Long Valley, PACE, S. Sierras, LARSE 1 and 2, Loma Prieta, BASIX, San Francisco Peninsula and Parkfield. Our beta-version model is coarse (uniform 30 km horizontal and variable vertical gridding) but is able to image the principal features in previous separate regional models for northern and southern California, such as the high-velocity subducting Gorda Plate, upper to middle crustal velocity highs beneath the Sierra Nevada and much of the Coast Ranges, the deep low-velocity basins of the Great Valley, Ventura, and Los Angeles, and a high- velocity body in the lower crust underlying the Great Valley. The new state-wide model has improved areal coverage compared to the previous models, and extends to greater depth due to the data at large epicentral distances. We plan a series of steps to improve the model. We are enlarging and calibrating the active-source dataset as we obtain additional picks from investigators and perform quality control analyses on the existing and new picks. We will also be adding data from more quarry blasts, mainly in northern California, following an identification and calibration procedure similar to Lin et al. (2006). Composite event construction (Lin et al., in press) will be carried out for northern California for use in conventional tomography. A major contribution of the state-wide model is the identification of earthquakes yielding arrival times at both the Northern California Seismic

Correspondence of biological condition models of California streams at statewide and regional scales

Science.gov (United States)

May, Jason T.; Brown, Larry R.; Rehn, Andrew C.; Waite, Ian R.; Ode, Peter R; Mazor, Raphael D; Schiff, Kenneth C

2015-01-01

We used boosted regression trees (BRT) to model stream biological condition as measured by benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomic completeness, the ratio of observed to expected (O/E) taxa. Models were developed with and without exclusion of rare taxa at a site. BRT models are robust, requiring few assumptions compared with traditional modeling techniques such as multiple linear regression. The BRT models were constructed to provide baseline support to stressor delineation by identifying natural physiographic and human land use gradients affecting stream biological condition statewide and for eight ecological regions within the state, as part of the development of numerical biological objectives for California’s wadeable streams. Regions were defined on the basis of ecological, hydrologic, and jurisdictional factors and roughly corresponded with ecoregions. Physiographic and land use variables were derived from geographic information system coverages. The model for the entire state (n = 1,386) identified a composite measure of anthropogenic disturbance (the sum of urban, agricultural, and unmanaged roadside vegetation land cover) within the local watershed as the most important variable, explaining 56 % of the variance in O/E values. Models for individual regions explained between 51 and 84 % of the variance in O/E values. Measures of human disturbance were important in the three coastal regions. In the South Coast and Coastal Chaparral, local watershed measures of urbanization were the most important variables related to biological condition, while in the North Coast the composite measure of human disturbance at the watershed scale was most important. In the two mountain regions, natural gradients were most important, including slope, precipitation, and temperature. The remaining three regions had relatively small sample sizes (n ≤ 75 sites) and had models that gave mixed results. Understanding the spatial scale at which land use and land cover affect

Statewide dissemination of a rural, non-chain restaurant intervention: adoption, implementation and maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Nothwehr, F.; Haines, H.; Chrisman, M.; Schultz, U.

2014-01-01

The obesity epidemic calls for greater dissemination of nutrition-related programs, yet there remain few studies of the dissemination process. This study, guided by elements of the RE-AIM model, describes the statewide dissemination of a simple, point-of-purchase restaurant intervention. Conducted in rural counties of the Midwest, United States, the study targeted randomly selected, non-chain, family-style restaurants. Owners were recruited through mail, then telephone follow-up. Data were collected through telephone at baseline, and 3, 6, 12 and 18 months post-adoption. Using mixed methods, measures captured the program adoption rate, characteristics of adopters and non-adopters, program implementation and maintenance issues, and owner and customer satisfaction. Analyses involved descriptive statistics and summaries of qualitative data. The program adoption rate was 28%. Adopters were similar to responding non-adopters demographically, but varied in attitudes. The majority of restaurants maintained the program for at least 12 months. Adopters and their customers expressed satisfaction with the program. With some adjustments, the RE-AIM model was helpful in guiding evaluation of this process. Results provide implications for future dissemination of this and other programs with regard to research procedures and potential barriers that may be encountered. Research on alternative strategies for widespread dissemination of such programs is needed in this and other settings. PMID:24650944

Development of statewide geriatric patients trauma triage criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Werman, Howard A; Erskine, Timothy; Caterino, Jeffrey; Riebe, Jane F; Valasek, Tricia

2011-06-01

The geriatric population is unique in the type of traumatic injuries sustained, physiological responses to those injuries, and an overall higher mortality when compared to younger adults. No published, evidence-based, geriatric-specific field destination criteria exist as part of a statewide trauma system. The Trauma Committee of the Ohio Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Board sought to develop specific criteria for geriatric trauma victims. A literature search was conducted for all relevant literature to determine potential, geriatric-specific, field-destination criteria. Data from the Ohio Trauma Registry were used to compare elderly patients, defined as age >70 years, to all patients between the ages of 16 to 69 years with regards to mortality risk in the following areas: (1) Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score; (2) systolic blood pressure (SBP); (3) falls associated with head, chest, abdominal or spinal injury; (4) mechanism of injury; (5) involvement of more than one body system as defined in the Barell matrix; and (6) co-morbidities and motor vehicle collision with one or more long bone fracture. For GCS score and SBP, those cut-off points with equal or greater risk of mortality as compared to current values were chosen as proposed triage criteria. For other measures, any criterion demonstrating a statistically significant increase in mortality risk was included in the proposed criteria. The following criteria were identified as geriatric-specific criteria: (1) GCS score trauma; (2) SBP trauma. In addition, these data suggested that elderly patients with specific co-morbidities be given strong consideration for evaluation in a trauma center. The state of Ohio is the first state to develop evidence-based geriatric-specific field-destination criteria using data from its state-mandated trauma registry. Further analysis of these criteria will help determine their effects on over-triage and under-triage of geriatric victims of traumatic injuries and the impact on the

Technique Selectively Represses Immune System

Science.gov (United States)

... Research Matters December 3, 2012 Technique Selectively Represses Immune System Myelin (green) encases and protects nerve fibers (brown). A new technique prevents the immune system from attacking myelin in a mouse model of ...

Socioeconomic and travel demand forecasts for Virginia and potential policy responses : a report for VTrans2035 : Virginia's statewide multimodal transportation plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

VTrans2035, Virginia's statewide multimodal transportation plan, requires 25-year forecasts of socioeconomic and travel activity. Between 2010 and 2035, daily vehicle miles traveled (DVMT) will increase between 35% and 45%, accompanied by increases i...

Selecting a Cable System Operator.

Science.gov (United States)

Cable Television Information Center, Washington, DC.

Intended to assist franchising authorities with the process of selecting a cable television system operator from franchise applicants, this document provides a framework for analysis of individual applications. Section 1 deals with various methods which can be used to select an operator. The next section covers the application form, the vehicle a…

FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT FOR FORESTRY BIOFUEL STATEWIDE COLLABORATION CENTER (MICHIGAN)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LaCourt, Donna M.; Miller, Raymond O.; Shonnard, David R.

2012-04-24

A team composed of scientists from Michigan State University (MSU) and Michigan Technological University (MTU) assembled to better understand, document, and improve systems for using forest-based biomass feedstocks in the production of energy products within Michigan. Work was funded by a grant (DE-EE-0000280) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and was administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The goal of the project was to improve the forest feedstock supply infrastructure to sustainably provide woody biomass for biofuel production in Michigan over the long-term. Work was divided into four broad areas with associated objectives: • TASK A: Develop a Forest-Based Biomass Assessment for Michigan – Define forest-based feedstock inventory, availability, and the potential of forest-based feedstock to support state and federal renewable energy goals while maintaining current uses. • TASK B: Improve Harvesting, Processing and Transportation Systems – Identify and develop cost, energy, and carbon efficient harvesting, processing and transportation systems. • TASK C: Improve Forest Feedstock Productivity and Sustainability – Identify and develop sustainable feedstock production systems through the establishment and monitoring of a statewide network of field trials in forests and energy plantations. • TASK D: Engage Stakeholders – Increase understanding of forest biomass production systems for biofuels by a broad range of stakeholders. The goal and objectives of this research and development project were fulfilled with key model deliverables including: 1) The Forest Biomass Inventory System (Sub-task A1) of feedstock inventory and availability and, 2) The Supply Chain Model (Sub-task B2). Both models are vital to Michigan’s forest biomass industry and support forecasting delivered cost, as well as carbon and energy balance. All of these elements are important to facilitate investor, operational and policy decisions. All

Effective selection of transgenic papaya plants with the PMI/Man selection system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yun J; Agbayani, Ricelle; McCafferty, Heather; Albert, Henrik H; Moore, Paul H

2005-09-01

The selectable marker gene phospho-mannose isomerase (pmi), which encodes the enzyme phospho-mannose isomerase (PMI) to enable selection of transformed cell lines on media containing mannose (Man), was evaluated for genetic transformation of papaya (Carica papaya L.). We found that papaya embryogenic calli have little or no PMI activity and cannot utilize Man as a carbon source; however, when calli were transformed with a pmi gene, the PMI activity was greatly increased and they could utilize Man as efficiently as sucrose. Plants regenerated from selected callus lines also exhibited PMI activity but at a lower specific activity level. Our transformation efficiency with Man selection was higher than that reported using antibiotic selection or with a visual marker. For papaya, the PMI/Man selection system for producing transgenic plants is a highly efficient addition to previously published methods for selection and may facilitate the stacking of multiple transgenes of interest. Additionally, since the PMI/Man selection system does not involve antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes, its use might reduce environmental concerns about the potential flow of those genes into related plant populations.

Results from a Multi-Modal Program Evaluation of a Four Year Statewide Juvenile Sex Offender Treatment and Reentry Program

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, Lee A.; Dailey, Frances L. L.; Merino, Carrie; Crump, Yolanda

2015-01-01

The results of the Program Evaluation show the OJJ Statewide Sex Offender Treatment program is exceptionally productive in meeting over 90% of its established performance markers. These markers included successful screening and assessment of risk and psychosocial needs, completion of initial and master treatment plans, establishment of sex…

Changes in Obesity Awareness, Obesity Identification, and Self-Assessment of Health: Results from a Statewide Public Education Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Adam G.; Boyle, Tracy F.; Hill, James O.; Lindley, Corina; Weiss, Karl

2014-01-01

Background: Due to the high prevalence of obesity, individuals may be desensitized to weight as a personal health concern. Purpose: To evaluate changes in obesity awareness associated with a statewide public education campaign in Colorado. Methods: Cross-sectional random digit dial telephone surveys (n = 1,107 pre, n = 1101 post) were conducted…

[Wavelength Selection in Hemolytic Evaluation Systems with Spectrophotometry Detection].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hong; Su, Baochang; Ye, Xunda; Luo, Man

2016-04-01

Spectrophotometry is a simple hemolytic evaluation method commonly used in new drugs,biomedical materials and blood products.It is for the quantitative analysis of the characteristic absorption peaks of hemoglobin.Therefore,it is essential to select the correct detection wavelength when the evaluation system has influences on the conformation of hemoglobin.Based on the study of changes in the characteristic peaks over time of the hemolysis supernatant in four systems,namely,cell culture medium,phosphate buffered saline(PBS),physiological saline and banked blood preservation solution,using continuous wavelength scanning,the selections of detection wavelength were proposed as follows.In the cell culture medium system,the wavelength of 415 nm should be selected within 4h;,near 408 nm should be selected within 4~72h.In PBS system,within 4h,541 nm,577nm or 415 nm should be selected;4~72h,541 nm,577nm or near 406 nm should be selected.In physiological saline system,within 4h,414 nm should be selected;4~72h,near 405 nm should be selected;within 12 h,541nm or 577 nm could also be selected.In banked blood preservation solution system,within 72 h,415nm,540 nm or 576 nm should be selected.

Multiuser hybrid switched-selection diversity systems

KAUST Repository

Shaqfeh, Mohammad

2011-09-01

A new multiuser scheduling scheme is proposed and analyzed in this paper. The proposed system combines features of conventional full-feedback selection-based diversity systems and reduced-feedback switch-based diversity systems. The new hybrid system provides flexibility in trading-off the channel information feedback overhead with the prospected multiuser diversity gains. The users are clustered into groups, and the users\\' groups are ordered into a sequence. Per-group feedback thresholds are used and optimized to maximize the system overall achievable rate. The proposed hybrid system applies switched diversity criterion to choose one of the groups, and a selection criterion to decide the user to be scheduled from the chosen group. Numerical results demonstrate that the system capacity increases as the number of users per group increases, but at the cost of more required feedback messages. © 2011 IEEE.

Staff turnover in statewide implementation of ACT: relationship with ACT fidelity and other team characteristics

OpenAIRE

Rollins, Angela L.; Salyers, Michelle P.; Tsai, Jack; Lydick, Jennifer M.

2010-01-01

Staff turnover on assertive community treatment (ACT) teams is a poorly understood phenomenon. This study examined annual turnover and fidelity data collected in a statewide implementation of ACT over a 5-year period. Mean annual staff turnover across all observations was 30.0%. Turnover was negatively correlated with overall fidelity at Year 1 and 3. The team approach fidelity item was negatively correlated with staff turnover at Year 3. For 13 teams with 3 years of follow-up data, turnover ...

77 FR 63669 - Notice of FTA Transit Program Changes, Authorized Funding Levels and Implementation of the Moving...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-16

... public transit vehicles, and short headway bi-directional services for a substantial part of weekdays and... selected through an area-wide or statewide competitive selection process by the designated recipient. Under... transportation plan and must also be selected through an area-wide or statewide competitive selection process by...

Selecting concepts for a concept-based curriculum: application of a benchmark approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Giddens, Jean Foret; Wright, Mary; Gray, Irene

2012-09-01

In response to a transformational movement in nursing education, faculty across the country are considering changes to curricula and approaches to teaching. As a result, an emerging trend in many nursing programs is the adoption of a concept-based curriculum. As part of the curriculum development process, the selection of concepts, competencies, and exemplars on which to build courses and base content is needed. This article presents a benchmark approach used to validate and finalize concept selection among educators developing a concept-based curriculum for a statewide nursing consortium. These findings are intended to inform other nurse educators who are currently involved with or are considering this curriculum approach. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Selection Method for COTS Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hedman, Jonas; Andersson, Bo

2014-01-01

feature behind the method is that improved understanding of organizational ‘ends’ or goals should govern the selection of a COTS system. This can also be expressed as a match or fit between ‘ends’ (e.g. improved organizational effectiveness) and ‘means’ (e.g. implementing COTS systems). This way...

Expert System Model for Educational Personnel Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Héctor A. Tabares-Ospina

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The staff selection is a difficult task due to the subjectivity that the evaluation means. This process can be complemented using a system to support decision. This paper presents the implementation of an expert system to systematize the selection process of professors. The management of software development is divided into 4 parts: requirements, design, implementation and commissioning. The proposed system models a specific knowledge through relationships between variables evidence and objective.

Selection of nuclear power information database management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Shuxin; Wu Jianlei

1996-01-01

In the condition of the present database technology, in order to build the Chinese nuclear power information database (NPIDB) in the nuclear industry system efficiently at a high starting point, an important task is to select a proper database management system (DBMS), which is the hinge of the matter to build the database successfully. Therefore, this article explains how to build a practical information database about nuclear power, the functions of different database management systems, the reason of selecting relation database management system (RDBMS), the principles of selecting RDBMS, the recommendation of ORACLE management system as the software to build database and so on

Medicaid program choice, inertia and adverse selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Marton, James; Yelowitz, Aaron; Talbert, Jeffery C

2017-12-01

In 2012, Kentucky implemented Medicaid managed care statewide, auto-assigned enrollees to three plans, and allowed switching. Using administrative data, we find that the state's auto-assignment algorithm most heavily weighted cost-minimization and plan balancing, and placed little weight on the quality of the enrollee-plan match. Immobility - apparently driven by health plan inertia - contributed to the success of the cost-minimization strategy, as more than half of enrollees auto-assigned to even the lowest quality plans did not opt-out. High-cost enrollees were more likely to opt-out of their auto-assigned plan, creating adverse selection. The plan with arguably the highest quality incurred the largest initial profit margin reduction due to adverse selection prior to risk adjustment, as it attracted a disproportionate share of high-cost enrollees. The presence of such selection, caused by differential degrees of mobility, raises concerns about the long run viability of the Medicaid managed care market without such risk adjustment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hawaii DAR Dealer Reporting System Data

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — In 2000 January, the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) implemented a computerized data processing system for fish dealer data collected state-wide. Hawaii...

Establishment of a Web-based System for Collection of Patient-reported Outcomes After Radical Prostatectomy in a Statewide Quality Improvement Collaborative.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Steven M; Kim, Tae-Kyung; Ghani, Khurshid R; Miller, David C; Linsell, Susan; Starr, Jay; Peabody, James O; Hurley, Patrick; Montie, James; Cher, Michael L

2017-09-01

To report on the establishment of a unified, electronic patient-reported outcome (PRO) infrastructure and pilot results from the first 5 practices enrolled in the web-based collection system developed by the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative. Eligible patients were those undergoing radical prostatectomy of 5 academic and community practices. PRO was obtained using a validated 21-item web-based questionnaire, regarding urinary function, erection function, and sexual interest and satisfaction. Data were collected preoperatively, at 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Patients were provided a link via email to complete the surveys. Perioperative and PRO data were analyzed as reports for individual patients and summary performance reports for individual surgeons. Among 773 eligible patients, 688 (89%) were enrolled preoperatively. Survey completion rate was 88%, 84%, and 90% preoperatively, at 3 months, and 6 months. Electronic completion rates preoperatively, at 3 months, and 6 months were 70%, 70%, and 68%, respectively. Mean urinary function scores were 18.3, 14.3, and 16.6 (good function ≥ 17), whereas mean erection scores were 18.7, 7.3, and 9.1 (good erection score ≥ 22) before surgery, at 3 months, and 6 months. Variation was noted for erectile function among the practices. Collection of electronic PRO via this unified, web-based format was successful and provided results that reflect expected recovery and identify opportunities for improvement. This will be extended to more practices statewide to improve outcomes after radical prostatectomy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Linking resource selection and mortality modeling for population estimation of mountain lions in Montana

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Hugh S.; Ruth, Toni K.; Gude, Justin A.; Choate, David; DeSimone, Rich; Hebblewhite, Mark; Matchett, Marc R.; Mitchell, Michael S.; Murphy, Kerry; Williams, Jim

2015-01-01

To be most effective, the scale of wildlife management practices should match the range of a particular species’ movements. For this reason, combined with our inability to rigorously or regularly census mountain lion populations, several authors have suggested that mountain lions be managed in a source-sink or metapopulation framework. We used a combination of resource selection functions, mortality estimation, and dispersal modeling to estimate cougar population levels in Montana statewide and potential population level effects of planned harvest levels. Between 1980 and 2012, 236 independent mountain lions were collared and monitored for research in Montana. From these data we used 18,695 GPS locations collected during winter from 85 animals to develop a resource selection function (RSF), and 11,726 VHF and GPS locations from 142 animals along with the locations of 6343 mountain lions harvested from 1988–2011 to validate the RSF model. Our RSF model validated well in all portions of the State, although it appeared to perform better in Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) Regions 1, 2, 4 and 6, than in Regions 3, 5, and 7. Our mean RSF based population estimate for the total population (kittens, juveniles, and adults) of mountain lions in Montana in 2005 was 3926, with almost 25% of the entire population in MFWP Region 1. Estimates based on a high and low reference population estimates produce a possible range of 2784 to 5156 mountain lions statewide. Based on a range of possible survival rates we estimated the mountain lion population in Montana to be stable to slightly increasing between 2005 and 2010 with lambda ranging from 0.999 (SD = 0.05) to 1.02 (SD = 0.03). We believe these population growth rates to be a conservative estimate of true population growth. Our model suggests that proposed changes to female harvest quotas for 2013–2015 will result in an annual statewide population decline of 3% and shows that, due to reduced dispersal, changes to

Selective Attention in Multi-Chip Address-Event Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giacomo Indiveri

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Selective attention is the strategy used by biological systems to cope with the inherent limits in their available computational resources, in order to efficiently process sensory information. The same strategy can be used in artificial systems that have to process vast amounts of sensory data with limited resources. In this paper we present a neuromorphic VLSI device, the “Selective Attention Chip” (SAC, which can be used to implement these models in multi-chip address-event systems. We also describe a real-time sensory-motor system, which integrates the SAC with a dynamic vision sensor and a robotic actuator. We present experimental results from each component in the system, and demonstrate how the complete system implements a real-time stimulus-driven selective attention model.

Selective attention in multi-chip address-event systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartolozzi, Chiara; Indiveri, Giacomo

2009-01-01

Selective attention is the strategy used by biological systems to cope with the inherent limits in their available computational resources, in order to efficiently process sensory information. The same strategy can be used in artificial systems that have to process vast amounts of sensory data with limited resources. In this paper we present a neuromorphic VLSI device, the "Selective Attention Chip" (SAC), which can be used to implement these models in multi-chip address-event systems. We also describe a real-time sensory-motor system, which integrates the SAC with a dynamic vision sensor and a robotic actuator. We present experimental results from each component in the system, and demonstrate how the complete system implements a real-time stimulus-driven selective attention model.

Selection Process of ERP Systems

OpenAIRE

Molnár, Bálint; Szabó, Gyula; Benczúr, András

2013-01-01

Background: The application and introduction of ERP systems have become a central issue for management and operation of enterprises. The competition on market enforces the improvement and optimization of business processes of enterprises to increase their efficiency, effectiveness, and to manage better the resources outside the company. The primary task of ERP systems is to achieve the before-mentioned objectives. Objective: The selection of a particular ERP system has a decisive effect on th...

Developing and maintaining state-wide adolescent pregnancy prevention coalitions: a preliminary investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nezlek, J B; Galano, J

1993-09-01

This paper presents the results of a study of state-wide adolescent pregnancy prevention coalitions. Key informants in five states throughout the southern United States were given semi-structured interviews regarding the adolescent pregnancy prevention coalitions in their states. From these interviews and other documents, conclusions were drawn regarding the nature and importance of the environments within which these coalitions operate, the universe of activities in which coalitions engage, and the stages of development of these coalitions. Katz and Kahn's model of social organizations served as the basis for understanding coalitions in terms of these three considerations. Future research should consider the utility of organizational models that can explain more fully the organization--committee hybrid structure that tends to characterize these coalitions.

ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS BASED GEARS MATERIAL SELECTION HYBRID INTELLIGENT SYSTEM

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

X.C. Li; W.X. Zhu; G. Chen; D.S. Mei; J. Zhang; K.M. Chen

2003-01-01

An artificial neural networks(ANNs) based gear material selection hybrid intelligent system is established by analyzing the individual advantages and weakness of expert system (ES) and ANNs and the applications in material select of them. The system mainly consists of tow parts: ES and ANNs. By being trained with much data samples,the back propagation (BP) ANN gets the knowledge of gear materials selection, and is able to inference according to user input. The system realizes the complementing of ANNs and ES. Using this system, engineers without materials selection experience can conveniently deal with gear materials selection.

ERP systems selection in multinational enterprises: a practical guide

OpenAIRE

Moutaz Haddara

2018-01-01

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system selection is an early phase in the ERP adoption process. When organizations evaluate an ERP, they commonly develop their own selection criteria that usually involve various system and vendor related factors. While the selection process is critical, however, there is an apparent research gap in literature. The ERP selection effort also focuses on the system’s fit with the organizational requirements and needs. Thus, the selection phase is critical,...

Stuck in Neutral: Stalled Progress in Statewide Comprehensive Smoke-Free Laws and Cigarette Excise Taxes, United States, 2000–2014

Science.gov (United States)

King, Brian A.; Babb, Stephen D.

2016-01-01

Introduction Increasing tobacco excise taxes and implementing comprehensive smoke-free laws are two of the most effective population-level strategies to reduce tobacco use, prevent tobacco use initiation, and protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. We examined state laws related to smoke-free buildings and to cigarette excise taxes from 2000 through 2014 to see how implementation of these laws from 2000 through 2009 differs from implementation in more recent years (2010–2014). Methods We used legislative data from LexisNexis, an online legal research database, to examine changes in statewide smoke-free laws and cigarette excise taxes in effect from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2014. A comprehensive smoke-free law was defined as a statewide law prohibiting smoking in all indoor areas of private work sites, restaurants, and bars. Results From 2000 through 2009, 21 states and the District of Columbia implemented comprehensive smoke-free laws prohibiting smoking in work sites, restaurants, and bars. In 2010, 4 states implemented comprehensive smoke-free laws. The last state to implement a comprehensive smoke-free law was North Dakota in 2012, bringing the total number to 26 states and the District of Columbia. From 2000 through 2009, 46 states and the District of Columbia implemented laws increasing their cigarette excise tax, which increased the national average state excise tax rate by $0.92. However, from 2010 through 2014, only 14 states and the District of Columbia increased their excise tax, which increased the national average state excise tax rate by $0.20. Conclusion The recent stall in progress in enacting and implementing statewide comprehensive smoke-free laws and increasing cigarette excise taxes may undermine tobacco prevention and control efforts in the United States, undercutting efforts to reduce tobacco use, exposure to secondhand smoke, health disparities, and tobacco-related illness and death. PMID:27309417

Peer Crowd Identification and Adolescent Health Behaviors: Results From a Statewide Representative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Jeffrey W; Stalgaitis, Carolyn A; Charles, John; Madden, Patrick A; Radhakrishnan, Anjana G; Saggese, Daniel

2018-02-01

Peer crowds are macro-level subcultures that share similarities across geographic areas. Over the past decade, dozens of studies have explored the association between adolescent peer crowds and risk behaviors, and how they can inform public health efforts. However, despite the interest, researchers have not yet reported on crowd size and risk levels from a representative sample, making it difficult for practitioners to apply peer crowd science to interventions. The current study reports findings from the first statewide representative sample of adolescent peer crowd identification and health behaviors. Weighted data were analyzed from the 2015 Virginia Youth Survey of Health Behaviors ( n = 4,367). Peer crowds were measured via the I-Base Survey™, a photo-based peer crowd survey instrument. Frequencies and confidence intervals of select behaviors including tobacco use, substance use, nutrition, physical activity, and violence were examined to identify high- and low-risk crowds. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios for each crowd and behavior. Risky behaviors clustered in two peer crowds. Hip Hop crowd identification was associated with substance use, violence, and some depression and suicidal behaviors. Alternative crowd identification was associated with increased risk for some substance use behaviors, depression and suicide, bullying, physical inactivity, and obesity. Mainstream and, to a lesser extent, Popular, identities were associated with decreased risk for most behaviors. Findings from the first representative study of peer crowds and adolescent behavior identify two high-risk groups, providing critical insights for practitioners seeking to maximize public health interventions by targeting high-risk crowds.

Sensor Selection method for IoT systems – focusing on embedded system requirements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hirayama Masayuki

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, various types of sensors have been developed. Using these sensors, IoT systems have become hot topics in embedded system domain. However, sensor selections for embedded systems are not well discussed up to now. This paper focuses on embedded system’s features and architecture, and proposes a sensor selection method which is composed seven steps. In addition, we applied the proposed method to a simple example – a sensor selection for computer scored answer sheet reader unit. From this case study, an idea to use FTA in sensor selection is also discussed.

Seroprevalence of HCV and HIV infection among clients of the nation's longest-standing statewide syringe exchange program: A cross-sectional study of Community Health Outreach Work to Prevent AIDS (CHOW).

Science.gov (United States)

Salek, Thomas P; Katz, Alan R; Lenze, Stacy M; Lusk, Heather M; Li, Dongmei; Des Jarlais, Don C

2017-10-01

The Community Health Outreach Work to Prevent AIDS (CHOW) Project is the first and longest-standing statewide integrated and funded needle and syringe exchange program (SEP) in the US. Initiated on O'ahu in 1990, CHOW expanded statewide in 1993. The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalences of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and to characterize risk behaviors associated with infection among clients of a long-standing SEP through the analysis of the 2012 CHOW evaluation data. A cross-sectional sample of 130 CHOW Project clients was selected from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. Questionnaires captured self-reported exposure information. HIV and HCV antibodies were detected via rapid, point-of-care FDA-approved tests. Log-binomial regressions were used to estimate prevalence proportion ratios (PPRs). A piecewise linear log-binomial regression model containing 1 spline knot was used to fit the age-HCV relationship. The estimated seroprevalence of HCV was 67.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]=59.5-75.8%). HIV seroprevalence was 2.3% (95% CI=0-4.9%). Anti-HCV prevalence demonstrated age-specific patterns, ranging from 31.6% through 90.9% in people who inject drugs (PWID) HIV prevalence compared with HCV prevalence reflects differences in transmissibility of these 2 blood-borne pathogens and suggests much greater efficacy of SEP for HIV prevention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Implementation of Computer Assisted Test Selection System in Local Governments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Azis Basri

2016-05-01

Full Text Available As an evaluative way of selection of civil servant system in all government areas, Computer Assisted Test selection system was started to apply in 2013. In phase of implementation for first time in all areas in 2014, this system selection had trouble in several areas, such as registration procedure and passing grade. The main objective of this essay was to describe implementation of new selection system for civil servants in the local governments and to seek level of effectiveness of this selection system. This essay used combination of study literature and field survey which data collection was made by interviews, observations, and documentations from various sources, and to analyze the collected data, this essay used reduction, display data and verification for made the conclusion. The result of this essay showed, despite there a few parts that be problem of this system such as in the registration phase but almost all phases of implementation of CAT selection system in local government areas can be said was working clearly likes in preparation, implementation and result processing phase. And also this system was fulfilled two of three criterias of effectiveness for selection system, they were accuracy and trusty. Therefore, this selection system can be said as an effective way to select new civil servant. As suggestion, local governments have to make prime preparation in all phases of test and make a good feedback as evaluation mechanism and together with central government to seek, fix and improve infrastructures as supporting tool and competency of local residents.

46 CFR 108.404 - Selection of fire detection system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Selection of fire detection system. 108.404 Section 108... DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Fire Extinguishing Systems § 108.404 Selection of fire detection system. (a) If a... space. (b) The fire detection system must be designed to minimize false alarms. ...

Optimistic Selection Rule Better Than Majority Voting System

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiyama, Takuya; Obata, Takuya; Hoki, Kunihito; Ito, Takeshi

A recently proposed ensemble approach to game-tree search has attracted a great deal of attention. The ensemble system consists of M computer players, where each player uses a different series of pseudo-random numbers. A combination of multiple players under the majority voting system would improve the performance of a Shogi-playing computer. We present a new strategy of move selection based on the search values of a number of players. The move decision is made by selecting one player from all M players. Each move is selected by referring to the evaluation value of the tree search of each player. The performance and mechanism of the strategy are examined. We show that the optimistic selection rule, which selects the player that yields the highest evaluation value, outperforms the majority voting system. By grouping 16 or more computer players straightforwardly, the winning rates of the strongest Shogi programs increase from 50 to 60% or even higher.

ERP systems selection in multinational enterprises: a practical guide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moutaz Haddara

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP system selection is an early phase in the ERP adoption process. When organizations evaluate an ERP, they commonly develop their own selection criteria that usually involve various system and vendor related factors. While the selection process is critical, however, there is an apparent research gap in literature. The ERP selection effort also focuses on the system’s fit with the organizational requirements and needs. Thus, the selection phase is critical, because if an organization chooses an unfit ERP, the whole project could be predestined to fail. This research provides an overview of an ERP selection process at an overseas branch office of a multinational company. The process employed a simple multi-attribute rating technique (SMART for evaluation. In addition, this research presents how cross-border data protection laws between the parent company and its branch have influenced the selection process. As the ERP system has been implemented successfully, the method and the selection factors have been proven adequate for the selection process.

Personnel Selection Influences on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Human-System Integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Carretta, Thomas R; King, Raymond E

2015-08-01

Human-system integration (HSI) is a complex process used to design and develop systems that integrate human capabilities and limitations in an effective and affordable manner. Effective HSI incorporates several domains, including manpower, personnel and training, human factors, environment, safety, occupational health, habitability, survivability, logistics, intelligence, mobility, and command and control. To achieve effective HSI, the relationships among these domains must be considered. Although this integrated approach is well documented, there are many instances where it is not followed. Human factors engineers typically focus on system design with little attention to the skills, abilities, and other characteristics needed by human operators. When problems with fielded systems occur, additional training of personnel is developed and conducted. Personnel selection is seldom considered during the HSI process. Complex systems such as aviation require careful selection of the individuals who will interact with the system. Personnel selection is a two-stage process involving select-in and select-out procedures. Select-in procedures determine which candidates have the aptitude to profit from training and represent the best investment. Select-out procedures focus on medical qualification and determine who should not enter training for medical reasons. The current paper discusses the role of personnel selection in the HSI process in the context of remotely piloted aircraft systems.

Selecting a silvicultural system

Science.gov (United States)

Richard M. Godman

1992-01-01

Sometimes a name creates a problem. The name of a silvicultural system usually refers to the way a stand is cut to get regeneration-"single tree selection"-for example. Trouble is, the name suggests that the regeneration cut will be the first treatment applied to the stand. Not so. We are now mostly making "intermediate" cuts in our Lake States...

Comparison and selection of off-grid PV systems

Science.gov (United States)

Izmailov, Andrey Yu.; Lobachevsky, Yakov P.; Shepovalova, Olga V.

2018-05-01

This work deals with comparison, evaluation and selection of PV systems of the same type based on their technical parameters either indicated in their technical specifications or calculated ones. Stand-alone and grid backed up photoelectric systems have been considered. General requirements for photoelectric system selection and evaluation have been presented that ensure system operability and required efficiency in operation conditions. Generic principles and definition of photoelectric systems characteristics have been considered. The described method is mainly targeted at PV engineering personnel and private customers purchasing PV systems. It can be also applied in the course of project contests, tenders, etc.

Developing a statewide public health initiative to reduce infant mortality in Oklahoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Dooley, Suzanna; Patrick, Paul; Lincoln, Alicia; Cline, Janette

2014-01-01

The Preparing for a Lifetime, It's Everyone's Responsibility initiative was developed to improve the health and well- being of Oklahoma's mothers and infants. The development phase included systematic data collection, extensive data analysis, and multi-disciplinary partnership development. In total, seven issues (preconception/interconception health, tobacco use, postpartum depression, breastfeeding, infant safe sleep, preterm birth, and infant injury prevention) were identified as crucial to addressing infant mortality in Oklahoma. Workgroups were created to focus on each issue. Data and media communications workgroups were added to further partner commitment and support for policy and programmatic changes across multiple agencies and programs. Leadership support, partnership, evaluation, and celebrating small successes were important factors that lead to large scale adoption and support for the state-wide initiative to reduce infant mortality.

Process for Selecting System Level Assessments for Human System Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, James; Park, John

2006-01-01

The integration of many life support systems necessary to construct a stable habitat is difficult. The correct identification of the appropriate technologies and corresponding interfaces is an exhaustive process. Once technologies are selected secondary issues such as mechanical and electrical interfaces must be addressed. The required analytical and testing work must be approached in a piecewise fashion to achieve timely results. A repeatable process has been developed to identify and prioritize system level assessments and testing needs. This Assessment Selection Process has been defined to assess cross cutting integration issues on topics at the system or component levels. Assessments are used to identify risks, encourage future actions to mitigate risks, or spur further studies.

Selecting RMF Controls for National Security Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witzke, Edward L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-08-01

In 2014, the United States Department of Defense started tra nsitioning the way it performs risk management and accreditation of informatio n systems to a process entitled Risk Management Framework for DoD Information Technology or RMF for DoD IT. There are many more security and privacy contro ls (and control enhancements) from which to select in RMF, than there w ere in the previous Information Assurance process. This report is an attempt t o clarify the way security controls and enhancements are selected. After a brief overview and comparison of RMF for DoD I T with the previously used process, this report looks at the determination of systems as National Security Systems (NSS). Once deemed to be an NSS, this report addr esses the categorization of the information system with respect to impact level s of the various security objectives and the selection of an initial baseline o f controls. Next, the report describes tailoring the controls through the use of overl ays and scoping considerations. Finally, the report discusses organizatio n-defined values for tuning the security controls to the needs of the information system.

Under Pressure: Financial Effect of the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Initiative-A Statewide Analysis of Pressure Ulcer Development and Payment.

Science.gov (United States)

Meddings, Jennifer; Reichert, Heidi; Rogers, Mary A M; Hofer, Timothy P; McMahon, Laurence F; Grazier, Kyle L

2015-07-01

To assess the financial effect of the 2008 Hospital-Acquired Conditions Initiative (HACI) pressure ulcer payment changes on Medicare, other payers, and hospitals. Retrospective before-and-after study of all-payer statewide administrative data for more than 2.4 million annual adult discharges in 2007 and 2009 using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Datasets for California. How often and by how much the 2008 payment changes for pressure ulcers affected hospital payment was assessed. Nonfederal acute care California hospitals (N = 311). Adults discharged from acute-care hospitals. Pressure ulcer rates and hospital payment changes. Hospital-acquired pressure ulcer rates were low in 2007 (0.28%) and 2009 (0.27%); present-on-admission pressure ulcer rates increased from 2.3% in 2007 to 3.0% in 2009. According to clinical stage of pressure ulcer (available in 2009), hospital-acquired Stage III and IV ulcers occurred in 603 discharges (0.02%); 60,244 discharges (2.42%) contained other pressure ulcer diagnoses. Payment removal for Stage III and IV hospital-acquired ulcers reduced payment in 75 (0.003%) discharges, for a statewide payment decrease of $310,444 (0.001%) for all payers and $199,238 (0.001%) for Medicare. For all other pressure ulcers, the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Initiative reduced hospital payment in 20,246 (0.81%) cases (including 18,953 cases with present-on-admission ulcers), reducing statewide payment by $62,538,586 (0.21%) for all payers and $47,237,984 (0.32%) for Medicare. The total financial effect of the 2008 payment changes for pressure ulcers was negligible. Most payment decreases occurred by removal of comorbidity payments for present-on-admission pressure ulcers other than Stages III and IV. The removal of payment for hospital-acquired Stage III and IV ulcers by implementation of the HACI policy was 1/200th that of the removal of payment for other types of pressure ulcers that occurred in implementation of the

Illinois statewide gas utility plan, 1993-2002. Volume 1. Executive summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

The second Illinois Statewide Natural Gas Utility Plan is a continuation of the Least-Cost Planning effort introduced by the Public Utilities Act of 1986. The purpose of the Plan, like its predecessor, is to provide a framework and a set of policies which will allow and encourage local distribution companies to develop least-cost plans consistent with the goals of the Act: to provide efficient, environmentally sound, reliable, and equitable public utility service at the least possible cost. The Plan assesses natural gas demand and supply under five scenarios for the period 1993-2002. Key issues related to the development of least-cost natural gas plans are identified, and policies for addressing the issues are developed. The rationale and potential for natural gas demand side management (DSM) programs and policies are explored, and recommendations made with respect to utility DSM capability-building and DSM cost-recovery

Optimal Sensor Selection for Health Monitoring Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Santi, L. Michael; Sowers, T. Shane; Aguilar, Robert B.

2005-01-01

Sensor data are the basis for performance and health assessment of most complex systems. Careful selection and implementation of sensors is critical to enable high fidelity system health assessment. A model-based procedure that systematically selects an optimal sensor suite for overall health assessment of a designated host system is described. This procedure, termed the Systematic Sensor Selection Strategy (S4), was developed at NASA John H. Glenn Research Center in order to enhance design phase planning and preparations for in-space propulsion health management systems (HMS). Information and capabilities required to utilize the S4 approach in support of design phase development of robust health diagnostics are outlined. A merit metric that quantifies diagnostic performance and overall risk reduction potential of individual sensor suites is introduced. The conceptual foundation for this merit metric is presented and the algorithmic organization of the S4 optimization process is described. Representative results from S4 analyses of a boost stage rocket engine previously under development as part of NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) program are presented.

Production Systems and Supplier Selection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedraza-Acosta, Isabel; Pilkington, Alan; Barnes, David

2016-01-01

strategic stamping suppliers. Findings: Our contribution is the multi-phased production and product innovation process. This is an advance from traditional supplier selection and also an extension of ideas of supplier-located product development as it includes production system development, and complements...

Technology scan of future traveler information systems and applications in Georgia.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

Statewide traveler information provided in Georgia through its NaviGAtor/5-1-1 system is : primarily based on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) related to freeway traffic : management. The purpose of this study is to evaluate traveler informat...

Selection and implementation of a laboratory computer system.

Science.gov (United States)

Moritz, V A; McMaster, R; Dillon, T; Mayall, B

1995-07-01

The process of selection of a pathology computer system has become increasingly complex as there are an increasing number of facilities that must be provided and stringent performance requirements under heavy computing loads from both human users and machine inputs. Furthermore, the continuing advances in software and hardware technology provide more options and innovative new ways of tackling problems. These factors taken together pose a difficult and complex set of decisions and choices for the system analyst and designer. The selection process followed by the Microbiology Department at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital included examination of existing systems, development of a functional specification followed by a formal tender process. The successful tenderer was then selected using predefined evaluation criteria. The successful tenderer was a software development company that developed and supplied a system based on a distributed network using a SUN computer as the main processor. The software was written using Informix running on the UNIX operating system. This represents one of the first microbiology systems developed using a commercial relational database and fourth generation language. The advantages of this approach are discussed.

Using Logistic Regression for Validating or Invalidating Initial Statewide Cut-Off Scores on Basic Skills Placement Tests at the Community College Level

Science.gov (United States)

Secolsky, Charles; Krishnan, Sathasivam; Judd, Thomas P.

2013-01-01

The community colleges in the state of New Jersey went through a process of establishing statewide cut-off scores for English and mathematics placement tests. The colleges wanted to communicate to secondary schools a consistent preparation that would be necessary for enrolling in Freshman Composition and College Algebra at the community college…

Portable traffic management system smart work zone application : operational test evaluation report

Science.gov (United States)

1997-05-01

As part of its statewide Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) sponsored an operational test of the Portable Traffic Management System (PTMS) in a work zone application in cooperation with its pr...

A Fast Adaptive Receive Antenna Selection Method in MIMO System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaowei Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Antenna selection has been regarded as an effective method to acquire the diversity benefits of multiple antennas while potentially reduce hardware costs. This paper focuses on receive antenna selection. According to the proportion between the numbers of total receive antennas and selected antennas and the influence of each antenna on system capacity, we propose a fast adaptive antenna selection algorithm for wireless multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO systems. Mathematical analysis and numerical results show that our algorithm significantly reduces the computational complexity and memory requirement and achieves considerable system capacity gain compared with the optimal selection technique in the same time.

Real-time web-based assessment of total population risk of future emergency department utilization: statewide prospective active case finding study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhongkai; Jin, Bo; Shin, Andrew Y; Zhu, Chunqing; Zhao, Yifan; Hao, Shiying; Zheng, Le; Fu, Changlin; Wen, Qiaojun; Ji, Jun; Li, Zhen; Wang, Yong; Zheng, Xiaolin; Dai, Dorothy; Culver, Devore S; Alfreds, Shaun T; Rogow, Todd; Stearns, Frank; Sylvester, Karl G; Widen, Eric; Ling, Xuefeng B

2015-01-13

An easily accessible real-time Web-based utility to assess patient risks of future emergency department (ED) visits can help the health care provider guide the allocation of resources to better manage higher-risk patient populations and thereby reduce unnecessary use of EDs. Our main objective was to develop a Health Information Exchange-based, next 6-month ED risk surveillance system in the state of Maine. Data on electronic medical record (EMR) encounters integrated by HealthInfoNet (HIN), Maine's Health Information Exchange, were used to develop the Web-based surveillance system for a population ED future 6-month risk prediction. To model, a retrospective cohort of 829,641 patients with comprehensive clinical histories from January 1 to December 31, 2012 was used for training and then tested with a prospective cohort of 875,979 patients from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013. The multivariate statistical analysis identified 101 variables predictive of future defined 6-month risk of ED visit: 4 age groups, history of 8 different encounter types, history of 17 primary and 8 secondary diagnoses, 8 specific chronic diseases, 28 laboratory test results, history of 3 radiographic tests, and history of 25 outpatient prescription medications. The c-statistics for the retrospective and prospective cohorts were 0.739 and 0.732 respectively. Integration of our method into the HIN secure statewide data system in real time prospectively validated its performance. Cluster analysis in both the retrospective and prospective analyses revealed discrete subpopulations of high-risk patients, grouped around multiple "anchoring" demographics and chronic conditions. With the Web-based population risk-monitoring enterprise dashboards, the effectiveness of the active case finding algorithm has been validated by clinicians and caregivers in Maine. The active case finding model and associated real-time Web-based app were designed to track the evolving nature of total population risk, in a

Selective evolutionary generation systems: Theory and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Menezes, Amor A.

This dissertation is devoted to the problem of behavior design, which is a generalization of the standard global optimization problem: instead of generating the optimizer, the generalization produces, on the space of candidate optimizers, a probability density function referred to as the behavior. The generalization depends on a parameter, the level of selectivity, such that as this parameter tends to infinity, the behavior becomes a delta function at the location of the global optimizer. The motivation for this generalization is that traditional off-line global optimization is non-resilient and non-opportunistic. That is, traditional global optimization is unresponsive to perturbations of the objective function. On-line optimization methods that are more resilient and opportunistic than their off-line counterparts typically consist of the computationally expensive sequential repetition of off-line techniques. A novel approach to inexpensive resilience and opportunism is to utilize the theory of Selective Evolutionary Generation Systems (SECS), which sequentially and probabilistically selects a candidate optimizer based on the ratio of the fitness values of two candidates and the level of selectivity. Using time-homogeneous, irreducible, ergodic Markov chains to model a sequence of local, and hence inexpensive, dynamic transitions, this dissertation proves that such transitions result in behavior that is called rational; such behavior is desirable because it can lead to both efficient search for an optimizer as well as resilient and opportunistic behavior. The dissertation also identifies system-theoretic properties of the proposed scheme, including equilibria, their stability and their optimality. Moreover, this dissertation demonstrates that the canonical genetic algorithm with fitness proportional selection and the (1+1) evolutionary strategy are particular cases of the scheme. Applications in three areas illustrate the versatility of the SECS theory: flight

A Fuzzy-MOORA approach for ERP system selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prasad Karande

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In today’s global and dynamic business environment, manufacturing organizations face the tremendous challenge of expanding markets and meeting the customer expectations. It compels them to lower total cost in the entire supply chain, shorten throughput time, reduce inventory, expand product choice, provide more reliable delivery dates and better customer service, improve quality, and efficiently coordinate demand, supply and production. In order to accomplish these objectives, the manufacturing organizations are turning to enterprise resource planning (ERP system, which is an enterprise-wide information system to interlace all the necessary business functions, such as product planning, purchasing, inventory control, sales, financial and human resources into a single system having a shared database. Thus to survive in the global competitive environment, implementation of a suitable ERP system is mandatory. However, selecting a wrong ERP system may adversely affect the manufacturing organization’s overall performance. Due to limitations in available resources, complexity of ERP systems and diversity of alternatives, it is often difficult for a manufacturing organization to select and install the most suitable ERP system. In this paper, two ERP system selection problems are solved using fuzzy multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA method and it is observed that in both the cases, SAP is the best solution.

Staff turnover in statewide implementation of ACT: relationship with ACT fidelity and other team characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Rollins, Angela L; Salyers, Michelle P; Tsai, Jack; Lydick, Jennifer M

2010-09-01

Staff turnover on assertive community treatment (ACT) teams is a poorly understood phenomenon. This study examined annual turnover and fidelity data collected in a statewide implementation of ACT over a 5-year period. Mean annual staff turnover across all observations was 30.0%. Turnover was negatively correlated with overall fidelity at Year 1 and 3. The team approach fidelity item was negatively correlated with staff turnover at Year 3. For 13 teams with 3 years of follow-up data, turnover rates did not change over time. Most ACT staff turnover rates were comparable or better than other turnover rates reported in the mental health and substance abuse literature.

Selective tungsten deposition in a batch cold wall CVD system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, R.; Kang, S.; Harshbarger, W.R.; Susoeff, M.

1987-01-01

Selective deposition of tungsten offers many advantages for VLSI technology. The process can be used as a planarization technique for multilevel interconnect technology, it can be used to fill contacts and to provide a barrier layer between Al and Si materials, and the selective W process might be used as a self-aligned technology to provide low resistance layers on source/drain and gate conductors. Recent publications have indicate that cold wall CVD systems provide advantages for development of selective W process. Genus has investigated selective W deposition processing, and we have developed a selective W deposition process for the Genus 8402 multifilm deposition system. This paper describes the Genus 8402 system and the selective W process developed in this reactor. To further develop selective W technology, Genus has signed an agreement with General Electric establishing a joint development program. As a part of this program, the authors characterized the selective W process for encroachment, Si consumption and degrees of selectivity on various dielectrics. The status of this development activity and process characterization is reviewed in this paper

Goal Selection for Embedded Systems with Oversubscribed Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Rabideau, Gregg; Chien, Steve; McLaren, David

2010-01-01

We describe an efficient, online goal selection algorithm and its use for selecting goals at runtime. Our focus is on the re-planning that must be performed in a timely manner on the embedded system where computational resources are limited. In particular, our algorithm generates near optimal solutions to problems with fully specified goal requests that oversubscribe available resources but have no temporal flexibility. By using a fast, incremental algorithm, goal selection can be postponed in a "just-in-time" fashion allowing requests to be changed or added at the last minute. This enables shorter response cycles and greater autonomy for the system under control.

Development of decision support system for employee selection using Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

‘Azzam Abdullah

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The number of children day care is increasing from year to year. Children day care is categorized as service industry that help parents in caring and educate children. This type of service industry plays a substitute for the family at certain hours, usually during work hours. The common problems in this industry is related to the employee performance. Most of employees have a less understanding about the whole job. Some employees only perform a routine task, i.e. feeding, cleaning and putting the child to sleep. The role in educating children is not performed as well as possible. Therefore, the employee selection is an important process to solve a children day care problem. An effective decision support system is required to optimize the employee selection process. Adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS is used to develop the decision support system for employee selection process. The data used to build the system is the historical data of employee selection process in children day care. The data shows the characteristic of job applicant that qualified and not qualified. From that data, the system can perform a learning process and give the right decision. The system is able to provide the right decision with an error of 0,00016249. It means that the decision support system that developed using ANFIS can give the right recommendation for employee selection process.

Undergraduate Research and Economic Development: A Systems Approach in Wisconsin

Science.gov (United States)

Van Galen, Dean; Schneider-Rebozo, Lissa; Havholm, Karen; Andrews, Kris

2015-01-01

This chapter presents the state of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin System as an ongoing case study for best practices in systematic, intentional, statewide programming and initiatives connecting undergraduate research and economic development.

Measure Guideline: Selecting Ventilation Systems for Existing Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldrich, R. [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States)

2014-02-01

This report, developed by Building America research team CARB, addresses adding or improving mechanical ventilation systems to existing homes. The goal of this report is to assist decision makers and contractors in making informed decisions when selecting ventilation systems for homes. With more air-sealed envelopes, a mechanical means of removing contaminants is critical for indoor environmental quality and building durability. The purpose of ventilation is to remove contaminants from homes, and this report discusses where, when, and how much ventilation is appropriate in a home, including examination of relevant codes and standards. Choosing the "best" system is not always straightforward; selecting a system involves balancing performance, efficiency, cost, required maintenance, and several other factors.

Selective maintenance of multi-state systems with structural dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dao, Cuong D.; Zuo, Ming J.

2017-01-01

This paper studies the selective maintenance problem for multi-state systems with structural dependence. Each component can be in one of multiple working levels and several maintenance actions are possible to a component in a maintenance break. The components structurally form multiple hierarchical levels and dependence groups. A directed graph is used to represent the precedence relations of components in the system. A selective maintenance optimization model is developed to maximize the system reliability in the next mission under time and cost constraints. A backward search algorithm is used to determine the assembly sequence for a selective maintenance scenario. The maintenance model helps maintenance managers in determining the best combination of maintenance activities to maximize the probability of successfully completing the next mission. Examples showing the use of the proposed method are presented. - Highlights: • A selective maintenance model for multi-state systems is proposed considering both economic and structural dependence. • Structural dependence is modeled as precedence relationship when disassembling components for maintenance. • Resources for disassembly and maintenance are evaluated using a backward search algorithm. • Maintenance strategies with and without structural dependence are analyzed. • Ignoring structural dependence may lead to over-estimation of system reliability.

The system of employees motivation in a selected company

OpenAIRE

BEEROVÁ, Petra

2014-01-01

The system of employees motivation in a selected company is the title of this thesis that closely analyzes the system of employees motivation in a selected company and outlines some suggestions that could improve the management and performance in this area. Moreover, the focus is placed towards the motivation of employees in the workplace.

Streamflow alteration at selected sites in Kansas

Science.gov (United States)

Juracek, Kyle E.; Eng, Ken

2017-06-26

An understanding of streamflow alteration in response to various disturbances is necessary for the effective management of stream habitat for a variety of species in Kansas. Streamflow alteration can have negative ecological effects. Using a modeling approach, streamflow alteration was assessed for 129 selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the State for which requisite streamflow and basin-characteristic information was available. The assessment involved a comparison of the observed condition from 1980 to 2015 with the predicted expected (least-disturbed) condition for 29 streamflow metrics. The metrics represent various characteristics of streamflow including average flow (annual, monthly) and low and high flow (frequency, duration, magnitude).Streamflow alteration in Kansas was indicated locally, regionally, and statewide. Given the absence of a pronounced trend in annual precipitation in Kansas, a precipitation-related explanation for streamflow alteration was not supported. Thus, the likely explanation for streamflow alteration was human activity. Locally, a flashier flow regime (typified by shorter lag times and more frequent and higher peak discharges) was indicated for three streamgages with urbanized basins that had higher percentages of impervious surfaces than other basins in the State. The combination of localized reservoir effects and regional groundwater pumping from the High Plains aquifer likely was responsible, in part, for diminished conditions indicated for multiple streamflow metrics in western and central Kansas. Statewide, the implementation of agricultural land-management practices to reduce runoff may have been responsible, in part, for a diminished duration and magnitude of high flows. In central and eastern Kansas, implemented agricultural land-management practices may have been partly responsible for an inflated magnitude of low flows at several sites.

Statewide Policy Change in Pediatric Dental Care, and the Impact on Pediatric Dental and Physician Visits.

Science.gov (United States)

Zlotnick, Cheryl; Tam, Tammy; Ye, Yu

2017-10-01

Introduction In 2007, the California signed legislation mandating a dental visit for all children entering kindergarten or first grade; no such mandate was made for physician visits. This study examines the impact of this policy change on the risk factors associated with obtaining pediatric dental and physician health care visits. Methods Every 2 years, California Health Interview Survey conducts a statewide survey on a representative community sample. This cross-sectional study took advantage of these data to conduct a "natural experiment" assessing the impact of this policy change on both pediatric physician and dental care visits in the past year. Samples included surveys of adults and children (ages 5-11) on years 2005 (n = 5096), 2007 (n = 4324) and 2009 (n = 4100). Results Although few changes in risk factors were noted in pediatric physician visits, a gradual decrease in risk factors was found in pediatric dental visits from 2005 to 2009. Report of no dental visit was less likely for: younger children (OR -0.81, CI 0.75-0.88), insured children (OR 0.34, CI 0.22-0.53), and children who had a physician's visit last year (OR 0.37, CI 0.25-0.53) in 2005. By 2007, absence of insurance was the only risk factor related to having no dental visit (OR 0.34, CI 0.19-0.61). By 2009, no a priori measured risk factors were associated with not having a dental visit for children aged 5-11 years. Conclusions A statewide policy mandating pediatric dental visits appears to have reduced disparities. A policy for medical care may contribute to similar benefits.

Variation in the use of advanced imaging at the time of breast cancer diagnosis in a statewide registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, N Lynn; Braun, Thomas M; Breslin, Tara M; Gorski, David H; Silver, Samuel M; Griggs, Jennifer J

2017-08-01

Although national guidelines do not recommend extent of disease imaging for patients with newly diagnosed early stage breast cancer given that the harm outweighs the benefits, high rates of testing have been documented. The 2012 Choosing Wisely guidelines specifically addressed this issue. We examined the change over time in imaging use across a statewide collaborative, as well as the reasons for performing imaging and the impact on cost of care. Clinicopathologic data and use of advanced imaging tests (positron emission tomography, computed tomography, and bone scan) were abstracted from the medical records of patients treated at 25 participating sites in the Michigan Breast Oncology Quality Initiative (MiBOQI). For patients diagnosed in 2014 and 2015, reasons for testing were abstracted from the medical record. Of the 34,078 patients diagnosed with stage 0-II breast cancer between 2008 and 2015 in MiBOQI, 6853 (20.1%) underwent testing with at least 1 imaging modality in the 90 days after diagnosis. There was considerable variability in rates of testing across the 25 sites for all stages of disease. Between 2008 and 2015, testing decreased over time for patients with stage 0-IIA disease (all P diagnosis decreased over time in a large statewide collaborative. Additional interventions are warranted to further reduce rates of unnecessary imaging to improve quality of care for patients with breast cancer. Cancer 2017;123:2975-83. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

A GIS-Enabled, Michigan-Specific, Hierarchical Groundwater Modeling and Visualization System

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Q.; Li, S.; Mandle, R.; Simard, A.; Fisher, B.; Brown, E.; Ross, S.

2005-12-01

Efficient management of groundwater resources relies on a comprehensive database that represents the characteristics of the natural groundwater system as well as analysis and modeling tools to describe the impacts of decision alternatives. Many agencies in Michigan have spent several years compiling expensive and comprehensive surface water and groundwater inventories and other related spatial data that describe their respective areas of responsibility. However, most often this wealth of descriptive data has only been utilized for basic mapping purposes. The benefits from analyzing these data, using GIS analysis functions or externally developed analysis models or programs, has yet to be systematically realized. In this talk, we present a comprehensive software environment that allows Michigan groundwater resources managers and frontline professionals to make more effective use of the available data and improve their ability to manage and protect groundwater resources, address potential conflicts, design cleanup schemes, and prioritize investigation activities. In particular, we take advantage of the Interactive Ground Water (IGW) modeling system and convert it to a customized software environment specifically for analyzing, modeling, and visualizing the Michigan statewide groundwater database. The resulting Michigan IGW modeling system (IGW-M) is completely window-based, fully interactive, and seamlessly integrated with a GIS mapping engine. The system operates in real-time (on the fly) providing dynamic, hierarchical mapping, modeling, spatial analysis, and visualization. Specifically, IGW-M allows water resources and environmental professionals in Michigan to: * Access and utilize the extensive data from the statewide groundwater database, interactively manipulate GIS objects, and display and query the associated data and attributes; * Analyze and model the statewide groundwater database, interactively convert GIS objects into numerical model features

Measure Guideline: Selecting Ventilation Systems for Existing Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldrich, Robb [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2014-02-01

This document addresses adding -or improving - mechanical ventilation systems to existing homes. The purpose of ventilation is to remove contaminants from homes, and this report discusses where, when, and how much ventilation is appropriate in a home, including some discussion of relevant codes and standards. Advantages, disadvantages, and approximate costs of various system types are presented along with general guidelines for implementing the systems in homes. CARB intends for this document to be useful to decision makers and contractors implementing ventilation systems in homes. Choosing the "best" system is not always straightforward; selecting a system involves balancing performance, efficiency, cost, required maintenance, and several other factors. It is the intent of this document to assist contractors in making more informed decisions when selecting systems. Ventilation is an integral part of a high-performance home. With more air-sealed envelopes, a mechanical means of removing contaminants is critical for indoor environmental quality and building durability.

Method for Business Process Management System Selection

OpenAIRE

Westelaken, van de, Thijs; Terwee, Bas; Ravesteijn, Pascal

2013-01-01

In recent years business process management (BPM) and specifically information systems that support the analysis, design and execution of processes (also called business process management systems (BPMS)) are getting more attention. This has lead to an increase in research on BPM and BPMS. However the research on BPMS is mostly focused on the architecture of the system and how to implement such systems. How to select a BPM system that fits the strategy and goals of a specific organization is ...

System driven technology selection for future European launch systems

Science.gov (United States)

Baiocco, P.; Ramusat, G.; Sirbi, A.; Bouilly, Th.; Lavelle, F.; Cardone, T.; Fischer, H.; Appel, S.

2015-02-01

In the framework of the next generation launcher activity at ESA, a top-down approach and a bottom-up approach have been performed for the identification of promising technologies and alternative conception of future European launch vehicles. The top-down approach consists in looking for system-driven design solutions and the bottom-up approach features design solutions leading to substantial advantages for the system. The main investigations have been focused on the future launch vehicle technologies. Preliminary specifications have been used in order to permit sub-system design to find the major benefit for the overall launch system. The development cost, non-recurring and recurring cost, industrialization and operational aspects have been considered as competitiveness factors for the identification and down-selection of the most interesting technologies. The recurring cost per unit payload mass has been evaluated. The TRL/IRL has been assessed and a preliminary development plan has been traced for the most promising technologies. The potentially applicable launch systems are Ariane and VEGA evolution. The main FLPP technologies aim at reducing overall structural mass, increasing structural margins for robustness, metallic and composite containment of cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen propellants, propellant management subsystems, elements significantly reducing fabrication and operational costs, avionics, pyrotechnics, etc. to derive performing upper and booster stages. Application of the system driven approach allows creating performing technology demonstrators in terms of need, demonstration objective, size and cost. This paper outlines the process of technology down selection using a system driven approach, the accomplishments already achieved in the various technology fields up to now, as well as the potential associated benefit in terms of competitiveness factors.

Computerized adaptive testing item selection in computerized adaptive learning systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eggen, Theodorus Johannes Hendrikus Maria; Eggen, T.J.H.M.; Veldkamp, B.P.

2012-01-01

Item selection methods traditionally developed for computerized adaptive testing (CAT) are explored for their usefulness in item-based computerized adaptive learning (CAL) systems. While in CAT Fisher information-based selection is optimal, for recovering learning populations in CAL systems item

HPV vaccine hesitancy: findings from a statewide survey of health care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

McRee, Annie-Laurie; Gilkey, Melissa B; Dempsey, Amanda F

2014-01-01

Health care provider recommendations are critical for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake. We sought to describe providers' HPV vaccine recommendation practices and explore their perceptions of parental hesitancy. A statewide sample (n = 575) of Minnesota health care providers (20% pediatricians, 47% family medicine physicians, and 33% nurse practitioners) completed our online survey in April 2013. Only 76% of health care providers reported routinely recommending HPV vaccine for girls ages 11 to 12 years, and far fewer (46%) did so for boys (p parents' concerns (74%), but many lacked time to probe reasons (47%) or believed that they could not change parents' minds (55%). Higher levels of self-efficacy and outcome expectations were associated with routine recommendations (p HPV vaccine. Improving providers' self-efficacy to address hesitancy may be important for improving vaccination rates. Copyright © 2014 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use Contexts and Usage Patterns of Interactive Case Simulation Tools by HIV Healthcare Providers in a Statewide Online Clinical Education Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dongwen

2017-01-01

We analyzed four interactive case simulation tools (ICSTs) from a statewide online clinical education program. Results have shown that ICSTs are increasingly used by HIV healthcare providers. Smart phone has become the primary usage platform for specific ICSTs. Usage patterns depend on particular ICST modules, usage stages, and use contexts. Future design of ICSTs should consider these usage patterns for more effective dissemination of clinical evidence to healthcare providers.

Sequence Selection and Performance in DS/CDMA Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jefferson Santos Ambrosio

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this work key concepts on coding division multiple access (CDMA communication systems have been discussed. The sequence selection impact on the performance and capacity of direct sequence CDMA (DS/CDMA systems under AWGN and increasing system loading, as well as under multiple antennas channels was investigated.

Control Configuration Selection for Multivariable Descriptor Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaker, Hamid Reza; Stoustrup, Jakob

2012-01-01

Control configuration selection is the procedure of choosing the appropriate input and output pairs for the design of SISO (or block) controllers. This step is an important prerequisite for a successful industrial control strategy. In industrial practices it is often the case that the system, whi...... is that it can be used to propose a richer sparse or block diagonal controller structure. The interaction measure is used for control configuration selection of the linearized CSTR model with descriptor from....

A Statistical Graphical Model of the California Reservoir System

Science.gov (United States)

Taeb, A.; Reager, J. T.; Turmon, M.; Chandrasekaran, V.

2017-11-01

The recent California drought has highlighted the potential vulnerability of the state's water management infrastructure to multiyear dry intervals. Due to the high complexity of the network, dynamic storage changes in California reservoirs on a state-wide scale have previously been difficult to model using either traditional statistical or physical approaches. Indeed, although there is a significant line of research on exploring models for single (or a small number of) reservoirs, these approaches are not amenable to a system-wide modeling of the California reservoir network due to the spatial and hydrological heterogeneities of the system. In this work, we develop a state-wide statistical graphical model to characterize the dependencies among a collection of 55 major California reservoirs across the state; this model is defined with respect to a graph in which the nodes index reservoirs and the edges specify the relationships or dependencies between reservoirs. We obtain and validate this model in a data-driven manner based on reservoir volumes over the period 2003-2016. A key feature of our framework is a quantification of the effects of external phenomena that influence the entire reservoir network. We further characterize the degree to which physical factors (e.g., state-wide Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), average temperature, snow pack) and economic factors (e.g., consumer price index, number of agricultural workers) explain these external influences. As a consequence of this analysis, we obtain a system-wide health diagnosis of the reservoir network as a function of PDSI.

On the relationship between perceived importance of ERP systems selection characteristics and satisfaction with selected ERP systems in these characteristics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sudzina, Frantisek; Pucihar, Andreja; Lenart, Gregor

2011-01-01

of the relationship between the two. The paper focuses on the correlation between importance of ERP system selection criteria and the level of satisfaction with the chosen ERP systems in these characteristics. The research hypothesis is that there exists a correlation between the two. The analysis presented...

A neuromorphic VLSI device for implementing 2-D selective attention systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Indiveri, G

2001-01-01

Selective attention is a mechanism used to sequentially select and process salient subregions of the input space, while suppressing inputs arriving from nonsalient regions. By processing small amounts of sensory information in a serial fashion, rather than attempting to process all the sensory data in parallel, this mechanism overcomes the problem of flooding limited processing capacity systems with sensory inputs. It is found in many biological systems and can be a useful engineering tool for developing artificial systems that need to process in real-time sensory data. In this paper we present a neuromorphic hardware model of a selective attention mechanism implemented on a very large scale integration (VLSI) chip, using analog circuits. The chip makes use of a spike-based representation for receiving input signals, transmitting output signals and for shifting the selection of the attended input stimulus over time. It can be interfaced to neuromorphic sensors and actuators, for implementing multichip selective attention systems. We describe the characteristics of the circuits used in the architecture and present experimental data measured from the system.

MULTI-PERSON DECISION FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN ON IBS FLOOR SYSTEM SELECTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christiono Utomo

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Selecting a design solution (choice problem is one of the natures of design decision. If the problem is more complex and involves multi participants, decision aid is necessary. This paper discusses the nature of group judgment and negotiation on multi-criteria decision-making methodologies. It presents a conceptual model of negotiation support in a multi-person decision on building floor system selection. Decision technique (AHP was applied for decision process in a satisfying options and game theory for coalition formation. An n-person cooperative game is represented by a set of all players. The proposed coalition formation model enables each agent to select individually or coalition. It improves the value of building system decision. It further emphasizes the importance of performance evaluation in the design process and value-based decision. The support model can be extended to an automated negotiation and in different building system selection with proper  modification. Keywords: Multi-person, design decision, IBS, floor system selection.

Forging successful academic-community partnerships with community health centers: the California statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC) experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Fowkes, Virginia; Blossom, H John; Mitchell, Brenda; Herrera-Mata, Lydia

2014-01-01

Increased access to insurance under the Affordable Care Act will increase demands for clinical services in community health centers (CHCs). CHCs also have an increasingly important educational role to train clinicians who will remain to practice in community clinics. CHCs and Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) are logical partners to prepare the health workforce for the future. Both are sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration, and they share a mission to improve quality of care in medically underserved communities. AHECs emphasize the educational side of the mission, and CHCs the service side. Building stronger partnerships between them can facilitate a balance between education and service needs.From 2004 to 2011, the California Statewide AHEC program and its 12 community AHECs (centers) reorganized to align training with CHC workforce priorities. Eight centers merged into CHC consortia; others established close partnerships with CHCs in their respective regions. The authors discuss issues considered and approaches taken to make these changes. Collaborative innovative processes with program leadership, staff, and center directors revised the program mission, developed common training objectives with an evaluation plan, and defined organizational, functional, and impact characteristics for successful AHECs in California. During this planning, centers gained confidence as educational arms for the safety net and began collaborations with statewide programs as well as among themselves. The AHEC reorganization and the processes used to develop, strengthen, and identify standards for centers forged the development of new partnerships and established academic-community trust in planning and implementing programs with CHCs.

A Traceless Selection: Counter-selection System That Allows Efficient Generation of Transposon and CRISPR-modified T-cell Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo Mezzadra

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recent years have seen major breakthroughs in genome-engineering systems, such as transposon-mediated gene delivery systems and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome-editing tools. In these systems, transient expression of auxiliary genes is responsible for permanent genomic modification. For both systems, it would be valuable to select for cells that are likely to undergo stable genome modification. Importantly, in particular for clinical applications of genome-engineered cell products, it will also be of importance to remove those cells that, due to random vector integration, display an unwanted stable expression of the auxiliary gene. Here, we develop a traceless selection system that on the one hand allows efficient enrichment of modified cells, and on the other hand can be used to select against cells that retain expression of the auxiliary gene. The value of this system to produce highly enriched-auxiliary gene-free cell products is demonstrated.

Barriers, facilitators, and potential strategies for increasing HPV vaccination: A statewide assessment to inform action

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathleen B. Cartmell

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The objective was to investigate how state level strategies in South Carolina could maximize HPV vaccine uptake. Design: An environmental scan identified barriers, facilitators, and strategies for improving HPV vaccination in South Carolina. Interviews were conducted with state leaders from relevant organizations such as public health agencies, medical associations, K-12 schools, universities, insurers, and cancer advocacy organizations. A thematic content analysis design was used. Digital interview files were transcribed, a data dictionary was created and data were coded using the data dictionary. Results: Thirty four interviews were conducted with state leaders. Barriers to HPV vaccination included lack of HPV awareness, lack of provider recommendation, HPV vaccine concerns, lack of access and practice-level barriers. Facilitators included momentum for improving HPV vaccination, school-entry Tdap requirement, pharmacy-based HPV vaccination, state immunization registry, HEDIS measures and HPV vaccine funding. Strategies for improving HPV vaccination fell into three categories: 1 addressing lack of awareness about the importance of HPV vaccination among the public and providers; 2 advocating for policy changes around HPV vaccine coverage, vaccine education, and pharmacy-based vaccination; and 3 coordination of efforts. Discussion: A statewide environmental scan generated a blueprint for action to be used to improve HPV vaccination in the state. Keywords: HPV, HPV vaccines, Cervical cancer, Prevention, Health systems, Barriers, Facilitators, Strategies, South Carolina

The Critical Role of a Well-Articulated, Coherent Design in Professional Development: An Evaluation of a State-Wide Two-Week Program for Mathematics and Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Saderholm, Jon; Ronau, Robert N.; Rakes, Christopher R.; Bush, Sarah B.; Mohr-Schroeder, Margaret

2017-01-01

This evaluation study examined a state-wide professional development program composed of two institutes, one for mathematics teachers and one for science teachers, each spanning two weeks. The program was designed to help teachers transform their practice to align with Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and Next Generation Science…

Hybrid feature selection for supporting lightweight intrusion detection systems

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jianglong; Zhao, Wentao; Liu, Qiang; Wang, Xin

2017-08-01

Redundant and irrelevant features not only cause high resource consumption but also degrade the performance of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), especially when coping with big data. These features slow down the process of training and testing in network traffic classification. Therefore, a hybrid feature selection approach in combination with wrapper and filter selection is designed in this paper to build a lightweight intrusion detection system. Two main phases are involved in this method. The first phase conducts a preliminary search for an optimal subset of features, in which the chi-square feature selection is utilized. The selected set of features from the previous phase is further refined in the second phase in a wrapper manner, in which the Random Forest(RF) is used to guide the selection process and retain an optimized set of features. After that, we build an RF-based detection model and make a fair comparison with other approaches. The experimental results on NSL-KDD datasets show that our approach results are in higher detection accuracy as well as faster training and testing processes.

Selective adsorption of ions in charged slit-systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.Valiskó

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We study the selective adsorption of various cations into a layered slit system using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. The slit system is formed by a series of negatively charged membranes. The electrolyte contains two kinds of cations with different sizes and valences modeled by charged hard spheres immersed in a continuum dielectric solvent. We present results for various cases depending on the combinations of the properties of the competing cations. We concentrate to the case when the divalent cations are larger than the monovalent cations. In this case, size and charge have counterbalancing effects, which results in interesting selectivity phenomena.

Multi-criteria analysis on how to select solar radiation hydrogen production system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badea, G.; Naghiu, G. S., E-mail: naghiu.george@gmail.com; Felseghi, R.-A.; Giurca, I., E-mail: giurca-ioan@yahoo.com [Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Building Services Engineering, Boulevard December 21, no. 128-130, Cluj-Napoca, 400604 (Romania); Răboacă, S. [National R& D Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies, str. Uzinei, no. 4, Rm. Vălcea, 240050 (Romania); Aşchilean, I. [SC ACI Cluj SA, Avenue Dorobanţilor, no. 70, Cluj-Napoca, 400609 (Romania)

2015-12-23

The purpose of this article is to present a method of selecting hydrogen-production systems using the electric power obtained in photovoltaic systems, and as a selecting method, we suggest the use of the Advanced Multi-Criteria Analysis based on the FRISCO formula. According to the case study on how to select the solar radiation hydrogen production system, the most convenient alternative is the alternative A4, namely the technical solution involving a hydrogen production system based on the electrolysis of water vapor obtained with concentrated solar thermal systems and electrical power obtained using concentrating photovoltaic systems.

An Interaction Measure for Control Configuration Selection for Multivariable Bilinear Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaker, Hamid Reza; Stoustrup, Jakob

2013-01-01

are needed to be controlled, are nonlinear and linear models are insufficient to describe the behavior of the processes. The focus of this paper is on the problem of control configuration selection for a class of nonlinear systems which is known as bilinear systems. A gramian-based interaction measure...... for control configuration selection of MIMO bilinear processes is described. In general, most of the results on the control configuration selection, which have been proposed so far, can only support linear systems. The proposed gramian-based interaction measure not only supports bilinear processes but also...

GREY STATISTICS METHOD OF TECHNOLOGY SELECTION FOR ADVANCED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chien Hung WEI

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Taiwan is involved in intelligent transportation systems planning, and is now selecting its prior focus areas for investment and development. The high social and economic impact associated with which intelligent transportation systems technology are chosen explains the efforts of various electronics and transportation corporations for developing intelligent transportation systems technology to expand their business opportunities. However, there has been no detailed research conducted with regard to selecting technology for advanced public transportation systems in Taiwan. Thus, the present paper demonstrates a grey statistics method integrated with a scenario method for solving the problem of selecting advanced public transportation systems technology for Taiwan. A comprehensive questionnaire survey was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the grey statistics method. The proposed approach indicated that contactless smart card technology is the appropriate technology for Taiwan to develop in the near future. The significance of our research results implies that the grey statistics method is an effective method for selecting advanced public transportation systems technologies. We feel our information will be beneficial to the private sector for developing an appropriate intelligent transportation systems technology strategy.

Support System Model for Value based Group Decision on Roof System Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christiono Utomo

2011-02-01

Full Text Available A group decision support system is required on a value-based decision because there are different concern caused by differing preferences, experiences, and background. It is to enable each decision-maker to evaluate and rank the solution alternatives before engaging into negotiation with other decision-makers. Stakeholder of multi-criteria decision making problems usually evaluates the alternative solution from different perspective, making it possible to have a dominant solution among the alternatives. Each stakeholder needs to identify the goals that can be optimized and those that can be compromised in order to reach an agreement with other stakeholders. This paper presents group decision model involving three decision-makers on the selection of suitable system for a building’s roof. The objective of the research is to find an agreement options model and coalition algorithms for multi person decision with two main preferences of value which are function and cost. The methodology combines value analysis method using Function Analysis System Technique (FAST; Life Cycle Cost analysis, group decision analysis method based on Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP in a satisfying options, and Game theory-based agent system to develop agreement option and coalition formation for the support system. The support system bridges theoretical gap between automated design in construction domain and automated negotiation in information technology domain by providing a structured methodology which can lead to systematic support system and automated negotiation. It will contribute to value management body of knowledge as an advanced method for creativity and analysis phase, since the practice of this knowledge is teamwork based. In the case of roof system selection, it reveals the start of the first negotiation round. Some of the solutions are not an option because no individual stakeholder or coalition of stakeholders desires to select it. The result indicates

40 CFR 205.171-2 - Test exhaust system sample selection and preparation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Systems § 205.171-2 Test exhaust system sample selection and preparation. (a)(1) Exhaust systems... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test exhaust system sample selection and preparation. 205.171-2 Section 205.171-2 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...

Using Chronic Absence in a Multi-Metric Accountability System. Policy Memo 16-1

Science.gov (United States)

Hough, Heather

2016-01-01

With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, California must integrate additional measures of student and school performance into the state-wide accountability system. To support the conversation as policymakers consider if/how to include chronic absenteeism data in the state's accountability system, PACE has conducted an…

Optimal Parameter Selection of Power System Stabilizer using Genetic Algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Hyeng Hwan; Chung, Dong Il; Chung, Mun Kyu [Dong-AUniversity (Korea); Wang, Yong Peel [Canterbury Univeristy (New Zealand)

1999-06-01

In this paper, it is suggested that the selection method of optimal parameter of power system stabilizer (PSS) with robustness in low frequency oscillation for power system using real variable elitism genetic algorithm (RVEGA). The optimal parameters were selected in the case of power system stabilizer with one lead compensator, and two lead compensator. Also, the frequency responses characteristics of PSS, the system eigenvalues criterion and the dynamic characteristics were considered in the normal load and the heavy load, which proved usefulness of RVEGA compare with Yu's compensator design theory. (author). 20 refs., 15 figs., 8 tabs.

Neural mechanisms of selective attention in the somatosensory system.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez-Ramirez, Manuel; Hysaj, Kristjana; Niebur, Ernst

2016-09-01

Selective attention allows organisms to extract behaviorally relevant information while ignoring distracting stimuli that compete for the limited resources of their central nervous systems. Attention is highly flexible, and it can be harnessed to select information based on sensory modality, within-modality feature(s), spatial location, object identity, and/or temporal properties. In this review, we discuss the body of work devoted to understanding mechanisms of selective attention in the somatosensory system. In particular, we describe the effects of attention on tactile behavior and corresponding neural activity in somatosensory cortex. Our focus is on neural mechanisms that select tactile stimuli based on their location on the body (somatotopic-based attention) or their sensory feature (feature-based attention). We highlight parallels between selection mechanisms in touch and other sensory systems and discuss several putative neural coding schemes employed by cortical populations to signal the behavioral relevance of sensory inputs. Specifically, we contrast the advantages and disadvantages of using a gain vs. spike-spike correlation code for representing attended sensory stimuli. We favor a neural network model of tactile attention that is composed of frontal, parietal, and subcortical areas that controls somatosensory cells encoding the relevant stimulus features to enable preferential processing throughout the somatosensory hierarchy. Our review is based on data from noninvasive electrophysiological and imaging data in humans as well as single-unit recordings in nonhuman primates. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Rules for selection of computer system to support customer relationships management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Buchnowska

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The number of support systems for business management on the Polish market is increasing. Because of that, enterprises are facing a more and more difficult dilemma: which solution to choose? This paper will present stages of the selection process of applications for customer relationships management support, discuss selection criteria and present a decision making tool for the selection of management support system, allowing for multi-faceted and impartial comparison of business applications.

Reactor technology assessment and selection utilizing systems engineering approach

Science.gov (United States)

Zolkaffly, Muhammed Zulfakar; Han, Ki-In

2014-02-01

The first Nuclear power plant (NPP) deployment in a country is a complex process that needs to consider technical, economic and financial aspects along with other aspects like public acceptance. Increased interest in the deployment of new NPPs, both among newcomer countries and those with expanding programs, necessitates the selection of reactor technology among commercially available technologies. This paper reviews the Systems Decision Process (SDP) of Systems Engineering and applies it in selecting the most appropriate reactor technology for the deployment in Malaysia. The integrated qualitative and quantitative analyses employed in the SDP are explored to perform reactor technology assessment and to select the most feasible technology whose design has also to comply with the IAEA standard requirements and other relevant requirements that have been established in this study. A quick Malaysian case study result suggests that the country reside with PWR (pressurized water reactor) technologies with more detailed study to be performed in the future for the selection of the most appropriate reactor technology for Malaysia. The demonstrated technology assessment also proposes an alternative method to systematically and quantitatively select the most appropriate reactor technology.

California drug courts: outcomes, costs and promising practices: an overview of Phase II in a statewide study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Shannon M; Finigan, Michael; Crumpton, Dave; Waller, Mark

2006-11-01

The rapid expansion of drug courts in California and the state's uncertain fiscal climate highlighted the need for definitive cost information on drug court programs. This study focused on creating a research design that can be utilized for statewide and national cost-assessment of drug courts by conducting in-depth case studies of the costs and benefits in nine adult drug courts in California. A Transactional Institutional Costs Analysis (TICA) approach was used, allowing researchers to calculate costs based on every individual's transactions within the drug court or the traditional criminal justice system. This methodology also allows the calculation of costs and benefits by agency (e.g., Public Defender's office, court, District Attorney). Results in the nine sites showed that the majority of agencies save money in processing an offender though drug court. Overall, for these nine study sites, participation in drug court saved the state over 9 million dollars in criminal justice and treatment costs due to lower recidivism in drug court participants. Based on the lessons learned in Phases I and II, Phase III of this study focuses on the creation of a web-based drug court cost self-evaluation tool (DC-CSET) that drug courts can use to determine their own costs and benefits.

Economy system and operation of a selected retail chain

OpenAIRE

KALUSOVÁ, Monika

2011-01-01

The goal of the thesis Economy system and operation of a selected retail chain is to explore and analyze the sphere in which the retailer chain operates, and evaluate their financial situation. At the same time, the selected retail chain will compare with the selected sectoral competition. The first part of thesis covers the theoretical information about issues, in particular the definition of basic terms of trade and retail. The second part of thesis includes application theoretical knowledg...

Sewer System Management Plan.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holland, Robert C. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-08-01

A Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) is required by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) for Sanitary Sewer Systems (General Permit). DOE, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Sandia Field Office has filed a Notice of Intent to be covered under this General Permit. The General Permit requires a proactive approach to reduce the number and frequency of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) within the State. SSMPs must include provisions to provide proper and efficient management, operation, and maintenance of sanitary sewer systems and must contain a spill response plan.

77 FR 27263 - Computer Matching Between the Selective Service System and the Department of Education

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-09

... SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM Computer Matching Between the Selective Service System and the Department of Education AGENCY: Selective Service System. Action: Notice. In accordance with the Privacy Act of... of Participating Agencies The Selective Service System (SSS) and the Department of Education (ED). 2...

SADA: Ecological Risk Based Decision Support System for Selective Remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance (SADA) is freeware that implements terrestrial ecological risk assessment and yields a selective remediation design using its integral geographical information system, based on ecological and risk assessment inputs. Selective remediation ...

Operator psychological selection system for nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Xuhong; Huang Xiangrui

2004-01-01

Based on a detailed job analysis of nuclear power plant operator including operation procedures analysis, interview with personnel familiar with operator job, and 9 events happened in the past in the plant involved operator error analysis, several operator work characteristics and performance influence factors are obtained. According to these specific characteristics and factors, referring to the psychological selection research results in the other related critical occupational fields, a full psychological selection system of nuclear power plant operator is forwarded in this paper, including 21 dimensions in 3 facets as general psychological ability, personality and psychological healthy. Practical measurement methods for the proposed selection dimensions are discussed in the end

Designing a fuzzy expert system for selecting knowledge management strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ameneh Khadivar

2014-12-01

Full Text Available knowledge management strategy is mentioned as one of the most important success factors for implementing knowledge management. The KM strategy selection is a complex decision that requires consideration of several factors. For evaluation and selection of an appropriate knowledge management strategy in organizations, many factors must be considered. The identified factors and their impact on knowledge management strategy are inherently ambiguous. In this study, an overview of theoretical foundations of research regarding the different knowledge management strategies has been done And factors influencing the knowledge management strategy selection have been extracted from conceptual frameworks and models. How these factors influence the knowledge management strategy selection is extracted through the fuzzy Delphi. Next a fuzzy expert system for the selection of appropriate knowledge management strategy is designed with respect to factors that have an impact on knowledge management strategy. The factors which influence the selection of knowledge management strategy include: general business strategy, organizational structure, cultural factors, IT strategy, strategic human resource management, social level, the types of knowledge creation processes and release it. The factors which influence the knowledge management strategy selection include: business strategy general, organizational structure, cultural factors, IT strategy, human resource management strategies, socialization level, knowledge types and its creation and diffusion processes. According to identified factors which affect the knowledge management strategy, the final strategy is recommended based on the range of human-oriented and system-oriented by keep the balance of explicit and implicit knowledge. The Designed system performance is tested and evaluated by the information related to three Iranian organization.

Selection of examples in case-based computer-aided decision systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazurowski, Maciej A; Zurada, Jacek M; Tourassi, Georgia D

2008-01-01

Case-based computer-aided decision (CB-CAD) systems rely on a database of previously stored, known examples when classifying new, incoming queries. Such systems can be particularly useful since they do not need retraining every time a new example is deposited in the case base. The adaptive nature of case-based systems is well suited to the current trend of continuously expanding digital databases in the medical domain. To maintain efficiency, however, such systems need sophisticated strategies to effectively manage the available evidence database. In this paper, we discuss the general problem of building an evidence database by selecting the most useful examples to store while satisfying existing storage requirements. We evaluate three intelligent techniques for this purpose: genetic algorithm-based selection, greedy selection and random mutation hill climbing. These techniques are compared to a random selection strategy used as the baseline. The study is performed with a previously presented CB-CAD system applied for false positive reduction in screening mammograms. The experimental evaluation shows that when the development goal is to maximize the system's diagnostic performance, the intelligent techniques are able to reduce the size of the evidence database to 37% of the original database by eliminating superfluous and/or detrimental examples while at the same time significantly improving the CAD system's performance. Furthermore, if the case-base size is a main concern, the total number of examples stored in the system can be reduced to only 2-4% of the original database without a decrease in the diagnostic performance. Comparison of the techniques shows that random mutation hill climbing provides the best balance between the diagnostic performance and computational efficiency when building the evidence database of the CB-CAD system.

System and method for programmable bank selection for banked memory subsystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blumrich, Matthias A. (Ridgefield, CT); Chen, Dong (Croton on Hudson, NY); Gara, Alan G. (Mount Kisco, NY); Giampapa, Mark E. (Irvington, NY); Hoenicke, Dirk (Seebruck-Seeon, DE); Ohmacht, Martin (Yorktown Heights, NY); Salapura, Valentina (Chappaqua, NY); Sugavanam, Krishnan (Mahopac, NY)

2010-09-07

A programmable memory system and method for enabling one or more processor devices access to shared memory in a computing environment, the shared memory including one or more memory storage structures having addressable locations for storing data. The system comprises: one or more first logic devices associated with a respective one or more processor devices, each first logic device for receiving physical memory address signals and programmable for generating a respective memory storage structure select signal upon receipt of pre-determined address bit values at selected physical memory address bit locations; and, a second logic device responsive to each of the respective select signal for generating an address signal used for selecting a memory storage structure for processor access. The system thus enables each processor device of a computing environment memory storage access distributed across the one or more memory storage structures.

Quality assurance considerations for nuclear power system selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bender, M.

1977-01-01

The key quality assurance principle to be applied in nuclear system selection is to establish that the technological basis is understood and used properly. Knowledgeable and capable personnel with experience in the application are needed, and they must have access to appropriate engineering, laboratory, and manufacturing facilities. A suitable balance must be maintained between the responsibilities of the seller-supplier and the purchaser-owner to assure an even-handed treatment of the implementation program. Safety and reliability must be inherent to the regulatory framework. There must be flexibility in the purchaser-owner resources to overcome unanticipated adversity. Given these quality assurance elements, the nuclear system selection process should result in a high probability that the performance objectives will be satisfied

Select PC/windows flat to develop data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jin

1993-01-01

Through needing analysis, and also, considering user's ability of payment, the characteristic of China computer market, the computer developing tending, and the system's compatibility and up grade capability, PC/Windows flat are selected to develop a data acquisition system

Managing Selection for Electronic Resources: Kent State University Develops a New System to Automate Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Downey, Kay

2012-01-01

Kent State University has developed a centralized system that manages the communication and work related to the review and selection of commercially available electronic resources. It is an automated system that tracks the review process, provides selectors with price and trial information, and compiles reviewers' feedback about the resource. It…

Matching People and Jobs: Value Systems and Employee Selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Heflich, Debra L.

1981-01-01

Offers strategies, based on six value systems, to reduce employee turnover. Maintains that understanding the value systems of people as they relate to jobs is the key to improving the selection process, and that employees should be chosen in accordance with how well their value systems match their work and work environments.

ECMS--Educational Contest Management System for Selecting Elite Students

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Thorsten

2004-01-01

Selecting elite students out of a huge collective is a difficult task. The main problem is to provide automated processes to reduce human work. ECMS (Educational Contest Management System) is an online tool approach to help--fully or partly automated--with the task of selecting such elite students out of a mass of candidates. International tests…

Pattern Recognition Methods and Features Selection for Speech Emotion Recognition System.

Science.gov (United States)

Partila, Pavol; Voznak, Miroslav; Tovarek, Jaromir

2015-01-01

The impact of the classification method and features selection for the speech emotion recognition accuracy is discussed in this paper. Selecting the correct parameters in combination with the classifier is an important part of reducing the complexity of system computing. This step is necessary especially for systems that will be deployed in real-time applications. The reason for the development and improvement of speech emotion recognition systems is wide usability in nowadays automatic voice controlled systems. Berlin database of emotional recordings was used in this experiment. Classification accuracy of artificial neural networks, k-nearest neighbours, and Gaussian mixture model is measured considering the selection of prosodic, spectral, and voice quality features. The purpose was to find an optimal combination of methods and group of features for stress detection in human speech. The research contribution lies in the design of the speech emotion recognition system due to its accuracy and efficiency.

Effect Of A “No Superuser Opioid Prescription” Policy On ED Visits And Statewide Opioid Prescription

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zachary P. Kahler

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The U.S. opioid epidemic has highlighted the need to identify patients at risk of opioid abuse and overdose. We initiated a novel emergency department- (ED based interventional protocol to transition our superuser patients from the ED to an outpatient chronic pain program. The objective was to evaluate the protocol’s effect on superusers’ annual ED visits. Secondary outcomes included a quantitative evaluation of statewide opioid prescriptions for these patients, unique prescribers of controlled substances, and ancillary testing. Methods: Patients were referred to the program with the following inclusion criteria: ≥ 6 visits per year to the ED; at least one visit identified by the attending physician as primarily driven by opioid-seeking behavior; and a review by a committee comprising ED administration and case management. Patients were referred to a pain management clinic and informed that they would no longer receive opioid prescriptions from visits to the ED for chronic pain complaints. Electronic medical record (EMR alerts notified ED providers of the patient’s referral at subsequent visits. We analyzed one year of data pre- and post-referral. Results: A total of 243 patients had one year of data post-referral for analysis. Median annual ED visits decreased from 14 to 4 (58% decrease, 95% CI [50 to 66]. We also found statistically significant decreases for these patients’ state prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP opioid prescriptions (21 to 13, total unique controlled-substance prescribers (11 to 7, computed tomography imaging (2 to 0, radiographs (5 to 1, electrocardiograms (12 to 4, and labs run (47 to 13. Conclusion: This program and the EMR-based alerts were successful at decreasing local ED visits, annual opioid prescriptions, and hospital resource allocation for this population of patients. There is no evidence that these patients diverted their visits to neighboring EDs after being informed that they

Trends in hospitalization for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in New York City, 1997-2006: data from New York State's Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System.

Science.gov (United States)

Farr, Amanda M; Aden, Brandon; Weiss, Don; Nash, Denis; Marx, Melissa A

2012-07-01

To describe trends in hospitalizations with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection in New York City over 10 years and to explore the demographics and comorbidities of patients hospitalized with CA-MRSA infections. Retrospective analysis of hospital discharges from New York State's Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from 1997 to 2006. All patients greater than 1 year of age admitted to New York hospitals with diagnosis codes indicating MRSA who met the criteria for CA-MRSA on the basis of admission information and comorbidities. We determined hospitalization rates and compared demographics and comorbidities of patients hospitalized with CA-MRSA versus those hospitalized with all other non-MRSA diagnoses by multivariable logistic regression. Of 18,226 hospitalizations with an MRSA diagnosis over 10 years, 3,579 (20%) were classified as community-associated. The CA-MRSA hospitalization rate increased from 1.47 to 10.65 per 100,000 people overall from 1997 to 2006. Relative to non-MRSA hospitalizations, men, children, Bronx and Manhattan residents, the homeless, patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and persons with diabetes had higher adjusted odds of CA-MRSA hospitalization. The CA-MRSA hospitalization rate appeared to increase between 1997 and 2006 in New York City, with residents of the Bronx and Manhattan, men, and persons with HIV infection or diabetes at increased odds of hospitalization with CA-MRSA. Further studies are needed to explore how changes in MRSA incidence, access to care, and other factors may have impacted these rates.

Embedding EfS in Teacher Education through a Multi-Level Systems Approach: Lessons from Queensland

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Neus; Ferreira, Jo-Anne; Davis, Julie; Stevenson, Robert B.

2016-01-01

This article reports on the fourth stage of an evolving study to develop a systems model for embedding education for sustainability (EfS) into preservice teacher education. The fourth stage trialled the extension of the model to a comprehensive state-wide systems approach involving representatives from all eight Queensland teacher education…

A correction factor for estimating statewide agricultural injuries from ambulance reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Erika E; Earle-Richardson, Giulia; Krupa, Nicole; Jenkins, Paul

2011-10-01

Agriculture ranks as one of the most hazardous industries in the nation. Agricultural injury surveillance is critical to identifying and reducing major injury hazards. Currently, there is no comprehensive system of identifying and characterizing fatal and serious non-fatal agricultural injuries. Researchers sought to calculate a multiplier for estimating the number of agricultural injury cases based on the number of times the farm box indicator was checked on the ambulance report. Farm injuries from 2007 that used ambulance transport were ascertained for 10 New York counties using two methods: (1) ambulance reports including hand-entered free text; and (2) community surveillance. The resulting multiplier that was developed from contrasting these two methods was then applied to the statewide Emergency Medical Services database to estimate the total number of agricultural injuries for New York state. There were 25,735 unique ambulance runs due to injuries in the 10 counties in 2007. Among these, the farm box was checked a total of 90 times. Of these 90, 63 (70%) were determined to be agricultural. Among injury runs where the farm box was not checked, an additional 59 cases were identified from the free text. Among these 122 cases (63 + 59), four were duplicates. Twenty-four additional unique cases were identified from the community surveillance for a total of 142. This yielded a multiplier of 142/90 = 1.578 for estimating all agricultural injuries from the farm box indicator. Sensitivity and specificity of the ambulance report method were 53.4% and 99.9%, respectively. This method provides a cost-effective way to estimate the total number of agricultural injuries for the state. However, it would not eliminate the more labor intensive methods that are required to identify of the actual individual case records. Incorporating an independent source of case ascertainment (community surveillance) increased the multiplier by 17%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights

Space Station Freedom regenerative water recovery system configuration selection

Science.gov (United States)

Reysa, R.; Edwards, J.

1991-01-01

The Space Station Freedom (SSF) must recover water from various waste water sources to reduce 90 day water resupply demands for a four/eight person crew. The water recovery system options considered are summarized together with system configuration merits and demerits, resource advantages and disadvantages, and water quality considerations used to select the SSF water recovery system.

Sensor Selection and Data Validation for Reliable Integrated System Health Management

Science.gov (United States)

Garg, Sanjay; Melcher, Kevin J.

2008-01-01

For new access to space systems with challenging mission requirements, effective implementation of integrated system health management (ISHM) must be available early in the program to support the design of systems that are safe, reliable, highly autonomous. Early ISHM availability is also needed to promote design for affordable operations; increased knowledge of functional health provided by ISHM supports construction of more efficient operations infrastructure. Lack of early ISHM inclusion in the system design process could result in retrofitting health management systems to augment and expand operational and safety requirements; thereby increasing program cost and risk due to increased instrumentation and computational complexity. Having the right sensors generating the required data to perform condition assessment, such as fault detection and isolation, with a high degree of confidence is critical to reliable operation of ISHM. Also, the data being generated by the sensors needs to be qualified to ensure that the assessments made by the ISHM is not based on faulty data. NASA Glenn Research Center has been developing technologies for sensor selection and data validation as part of the FDDR (Fault Detection, Diagnosis, and Response) element of the Upper Stage project of the Ares 1 launch vehicle development. This presentation will provide an overview of the GRC approach to sensor selection and data quality validation and will present recent results from applications that are representative of the complexity of propulsion systems for access to space vehicles. A brief overview of the sensor selection and data quality validation approaches is provided below. The NASA GRC developed Systematic Sensor Selection Strategy (S4) is a model-based procedure for systematically and quantitatively selecting an optimal sensor suite to provide overall health assessment of a host system. S4 can be logically partitioned into three major subdivisions: the knowledge base, the down-select

Work flow management systems. Selection of Platforms and tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munoz Garcia, M.

1997-01-01

This paper addresses a formal procedure for selecting the Platform and tools necessary to implement a Work Flow system in a company's organisation. The proposed method is based on a preliminary study to ascertain the company's requirements; in other words, the tool is selected on the basis of the environment in which it is to be used, thus making it essential to know the frequency of use, the types of tasks to be executed, the complexity of work flow, etc. Once the preliminary study has been performed, the formal selection method does no differ greatly from that for selecting any other tool. The objective is to establish a series of weighted parameters so that each candidate configuration can be assessed and one finally selected. Lastly, the paper discusses some practical considerations which became evident during the selection of a work flow management tool for our own company. (Author)

Optimal Subinterval Selection Approach for Power System Transient Stability Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soobae Kim

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Power system transient stability analysis requires an appropriate integration time step to avoid numerical instability as well as to reduce computational demands. For fast system dynamics, which vary more rapidly than what the time step covers, a fraction of the time step, called a subinterval, is used. However, the optimal value of this subinterval is not easily determined because the analysis of the system dynamics might be required. This selection is usually made from engineering experiences, and perhaps trial and error. This paper proposes an optimal subinterval selection approach for power system transient stability analysis, which is based on modal analysis using a single machine infinite bus (SMIB system. Fast system dynamics are identified with the modal analysis and the SMIB system is used focusing on fast local modes. An appropriate subinterval time step from the proposed approach can reduce computational burden and achieve accurate simulation responses as well. The performance of the proposed method is demonstrated with the GSO 37-bus system.

Selectivity of power system protections at power swings in power system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Machowski

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The paper discusses out-of-step protection systems such as: generator pole slip protections, out of step tripping protections, distance protections of step-up transformer, distance protections of transmission lines and transformers, power swing blocking, and special out-of-step protection. It is shown that all these protections make up a protection system, to which a setting concept uniform for the entire power system has to be applied. If a power system is inappropriately equipped with these protections, or their settings are inappropriate, they may operate unselectively, thus contributing to the development of power system blackouts. In the paper the concepts for a real power system are given for the two stages: target stage fully compliant with selectivity criteria, and transitional stage between the current and target stages.

Pattern Recognition Methods and Features Selection for Speech Emotion Recognition System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavol Partila

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The impact of the classification method and features selection for the speech emotion recognition accuracy is discussed in this paper. Selecting the correct parameters in combination with the classifier is an important part of reducing the complexity of system computing. This step is necessary especially for systems that will be deployed in real-time applications. The reason for the development and improvement of speech emotion recognition systems is wide usability in nowadays automatic voice controlled systems. Berlin database of emotional recordings was used in this experiment. Classification accuracy of artificial neural networks, k-nearest neighbours, and Gaussian mixture model is measured considering the selection of prosodic, spectral, and voice quality features. The purpose was to find an optimal combination of methods and group of features for stress detection in human speech. The research contribution lies in the design of the speech emotion recognition system due to its accuracy and efficiency.

Statewide prevalence of school children at risk of anaphylaxis and rate of adrenaline autoinjector activation in Victorian government schools, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Loke, Paxton; Koplin, Jennifer; Beck, Cara; Field, Michael; Dharmage, Shyamali C; Tang, Mimi L K; Allen, Katrina J

2016-08-01

The prevalence of school students at risk of anaphylaxis in Victoria is unknown and has not been previously studied. Similarly, rates of adrenaline autoinjector usage in the school environment have yet to be determined given increasing prescription rates. We sought to determine time trends in prevalence of school children at risk of anaphylaxis across all year levels and the annual usage rate of adrenaline autoinjectors in the school setting relative to the number of students at risk of anaphylaxis. Statewide surveys from more than 1,500 government schools including more than 550,000 students were used and prevalence rates (%) with 95% CIs were calculated. The overall prevalence of students at risk of anaphylaxis has increased 41% from 0.98% (95% CI, 0.95-1.01) in 2009 to 1.38% (95% CI, 1.35-1.41) in 2014. There was a significant drop in reporting of anaphylaxis risk with transition from the final year of primary school to the first year of secondary school, suggesting a change in parental reporting of anaphylaxis risk among secondary school students. The number of adrenaline autoinjectors activated per 1000 students at risk of anaphylaxis ranged from 6 to 8 per year, with consistently higher activation use in secondary school students than in primary school students. Statewide prevalence of anaphylaxis risk has increased in children attending Victorian government schools. However, adrenaline autoinjector activation has remained fairly stable despite known increase in the rates of prescription. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A model selection support system for numerical simulations of nuclear thermal-hydraulics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gofuku, Akio; Shimizu, Kenji; Sugano, Keiji; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu; Wakabayashi, Jiro

1990-01-01

In order to execute efficiently a dynamic simulation of a large-scaled engineering system such as a nuclear power plant, it is necessary to develop intelligent simulation support system for all phases of the simulation. This study is concerned with the intelligent support for the program development phase and is engaged in the adequate model selection support method by applying AI (Artificial Intelligence) techniques to execute a simulation consistent with its purpose and conditions. A proto-type expert system to support the model selection for numerical simulations of nuclear thermal-hydraulics in the case of cold leg small break loss-of-coolant accident of PWR plant is now under development on a personal computer. The steps to support the selection of both fluid model and constitutive equations for the drift flux model have been developed. Several cases of model selection were carried out and reasonable model selection results were obtained. (author)

Selecting personnel to work on the interactive graphics system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, F.J.

1979-01-01

The paper established criteria for the selection of personnel to work on the interactive graphics system and mentions some of human behavioral patterns that are created by the implementation of graphic systems. Some of the social and educational problems associated with the interactive graphics system will be discussed. The project also provided for collecting objective data which would be useful in assessing the benefits of interactive graphics systems

Selecting personnel to work on the interactive graphics system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norton, F.J.

1979-11-30

The paper established criteria for the selection of personnel to work on the interactive graphics system and mentions some of human behavioral patterns that are created by the implementation of graphic systems. Some of the social and educational problems associated with the interactive graphics system will be discussed. The project also provided for collecting objective data which would be useful in assessing the benefits of interactive graphics systems.

An interactive roof bolting selection and performance system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agioutantis, Z.; Stiakakis, C.; Stiakakis, N. [Technical Univ. of Crete, Chania (Greece); Karmis, M. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (United States)

2001-07-01

In the last decades, bolting has become one of the most dominant support methods in underground construction, including both mining as well as civil engineering applications. A variety of bolt types has been developed in order to meet the support needs of different geological and geotechnical settings. The selection of the appropriate bolt type, as well as the troubleshooting procedures in case of failure or suspected failure, are often complex and require extensive experience. To facilitate bolt type selection as well as troubleshooting, various tools have been presented in the form of nomograms, computer programs or trouble shooting guides. The approach described in this paper incorporates information and data developed by laboratory and field investigations and has led to the development of a dynamic knowledge base system that can aid in the selection of appropriate bolting systems and, also, help troubleshoot existing installations. Additionally, the user can enhance the functionality of the existing database with site-specific information and geological behavior as experienced by field personnel. The package is developed as a Windows trademark based application, where data is stored in Microsoft Access trademark database. (orig.)

System of selective disemination of information at ININ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez G, M.A.

1981-01-01

A study of the systems of selective dissemination of information (SDI) is presented, the concepts for such systems outlined, and their developments traced in advanced countries, its forms of operation and implications for the special libraries. Also the operation of INIS at CIDN (Centro de Informacion y Documentacion Nuclear) is presented, together with recommendations and conclusions to improve the development of this service in Mexico. (author)

A systematic and practical method for selecting systems engineering tools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munck, Allan; Madsen, Jan

2017-01-01

analyses of the actual needs and the available tools. Grouping needs into categories, allow us to obtain a comprehensive set of requirements for the tools. The entire model-based systems engineering discipline was categorized for a modeling tool case to enable development of a tool specification...... in successful operation since 2013 at GN Hearing. We further utilized the method to select a set of tools that we used on pilot cases at GN Hearing for modeling, simulating and formally verifying embedded systems.......The complexity of many types of systems has grown considerably over the last decades. Using appropriate systems engineering tools therefore becomes increasingly important. Starting the tool selection process can be intimidating because organizations often only have a vague idea about what they need...

The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative: a statewide Collaborative Quality Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Victor; Schwalb, Jason M; Nerenz, David R; Pietrantoni, Lisa; Jones, Sharon; Jankowski, Michelle; Oja-Tebbe, Nancy; Bartol, Stephen; Abdulhak, Muwaffak

2015-12-01

OBJECT Given the scrutiny of spine surgery by policy makers, spine surgeons are motivated to demonstrate and improve outcomes, by determining which patients will and will not benefit from surgery, and to reduce costs, often by reducing complications. Insurers are similarly motivated. In 2013, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) and Blue Care Network (BCN) established the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) as a Collaborative Quality Initiative (CQI). MSSIC is one of the newest of 21 other CQIs that have significantly improved-and continue to improve-the quality of patient care throughout the state of Michigan. METHODS MSSIC focuses on lumbar and cervical spine surgery, specifically indications such as stenosis, disk herniation, and degenerative disease. Surgery for tumors, traumatic fractures, deformity, scoliosis, and acute spinal cord injury are currently not within the scope of MSSIC. Starting in 2014, MSSIC consisted of 7 hospitals and in 2015 included another 15 hospitals, for a total of 22 hospitals statewide. A standardized data set is obtained by data abstractors, who are funded by BCBSM/BCN. Variables of interest include indications for surgery, baseline patient-reported outcome measures, and medical history. These are obtained within 30 days of surgery. Outcome instruments used include the EQ-5D general health state score (0 being worst and 100 being the best health one can imagine) and EQ-5D-3 L. For patients undergoing lumbar surgery, a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale for leg and back pain and the Oswestry Disability Index for back pain are collected. For patients undergoing cervical surgery, a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale for arm and neck pain, Neck Disability Index, and the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association score are collected. Surgical details, postoperative hospital course, and patient-reported outcome measures are collected at 90-day, 1-year, and 2-year intervals. RESULTS As of July 1, 2015, a total of 6397 cases

Selected topics in special nuclear materials safeguard system design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, L.L.; Thatcher, C.D.; Clarke, J.D.; Rodriguez, M.P.

1991-01-01

During the past two decades the improvements in circuit integration have given rise to many new applications in digital processing technology by continuously reducing the unit cost of processing power. Along with this increase in processing power a corresponding decrease in circuit volume has been achieved. Progress has been so swift that new classes of applications become feasible every 2 or 3 years. This is especially true in the application of proven new technology to special nuclear materials (SNM) safeguard systems. Several areas of application were investigated in establishing the performance requirements for the SNM safeguard system. These included the improvements in material control and accountability and surveillance by using multiple sensors to continuously monitor SNM inventory within the selected value(s); establishing a system architecture to provide capabilities needed for present and future performance requirements; and limiting operating manpower exposure to radiation. This paper describes two selected topics in the application of state-of-the-art, well-proven technology to SNM safeguard system design

Distance based control system for machine vision-based selective spraying

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steward, B.L.; Tian, L.F.; Tang, L.

2002-01-01

For effective operation of a selective sprayer with real-time local weed sensing, herbicides must be delivered, accurately to weed targets in the field. With a machine vision-based selective spraying system, acquiring sequential images and switching nozzles on and off at the correct locations are

A statewide consortium's adoption of a unified nursing curriculum: evaluation of the first two years.

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, Alice M; Niederhauser, Victoria; Steffen, John J; Magnussen, Lois; Morrisette, Nova; Polokoff, Rachael; Chock, Johnelle

2014-01-01

This article provides an evaluation of the first two years of implementation of a statewide nursing consortium (SNC) curriculum on nursing faculty work life, teaching productivity, and quality of education. In response to the call for nursing education reform, the SNC incorporated new approaches to competency-based, student-centered learning and clinical education. Faculty and two cohorts of students were measured at three points over the first two years of the curriculum implementation. The expected positive impact of the SNC was documented at the start of the first year, but not sustained. Students reported having more confidence in their clinical skills at the start of the first year, yet demonstrated significantly less confidence in their ability after two years. Faculty indicated that the SNC allowed greater opportunity for collaboration, but that the experience did not alter their classroom performance or satisfaction beyond the first year.

The Impact of the State-Wide and District Dropout Prevention Plans on the Dropout Rates, Graduation Rates, GED Completions, and Truancy Rates of High School Teens in Mississippi

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Amanda Jean Martin

2011-01-01

In 2006, as part of the compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Mississippi implemented a state-wide dropout prevention plan. The Mississippi Department of Education through the Office of Dropout Prevention supplied a skeletal format to serve as a guideline for all 152 individual school districts within the state. The school…

Knowledge based expert system approach to instrumentation selection (INSEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Barai

2004-08-01

Full Text Available The selection of appropriate instrumentation for any structural measurement of civil engineering structure is a complex task. Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI can help in an organized use of experiential knowledge available on instrumentation for laboratory and in-situ measurement. Usually, the instrumentation decision is based on the experience and judgment of experimentalists. The heuristic knowledge available for different types of measurement is domain dependent and the information is scattered in varied knowledge sources. The knowledge engineering techniques can help in capturing the experiential knowledge. This paper demonstrates a prototype knowledge based system for INstrument SELection (INSEL assistant where the experiential knowledge for various structural domains can be captured and utilized for making instrumentation decision. In particular, this Knowledge Based Expert System (KBES encodes the heuristics on measurement and demonstrates the instrument selection process with reference to steel bridges. INSEL runs on a microcomputer and uses an INSIGHT 2+ environment.

On Secure NOMA Systems with Transmit Antenna Selection Schemes

KAUST Repository

Lei, Hongjiang; Zhang, Jianming; Park, Kihong; Xu, Peng; Ansari, Imran Shafique; Pan, Gaofeng; Alomair, Basel; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the secrecy performance of a two-user downlink non-orthogonal multiple access systems. Both single-input and single-output and multiple-input and singleoutput systems with different transmit antenna selection (TAS) strategies are considered. Depending on whether the base station has the global channel state information of both the main and wiretap channels, the exact closed-form expressions for the secrecy outage probability (SOP) with suboptimal antenna selection and optimal antenna selection schemes are obtained and compared with the traditional space-time transmission scheme. To obtain further insights, the asymptotic analysis of the SOP in high average channel power gains regime is presented and it is found that the secrecy diversity order for all the TAS schemes with fixed power allocation is zero. Furthermore, an effective power allocation scheme is proposed to obtain the nonzero diversity order with all the TAS schemes. Monte-Carlo simulations are performed to verify the proposed analytical results.

On Secure NOMA Systems with Transmit Antenna Selection Schemes

KAUST Repository

Lei, Hongjiang

2017-08-09

This paper investigates the secrecy performance of a two-user downlink non-orthogonal multiple access systems. Both single-input and single-output and multiple-input and singleoutput systems with different transmit antenna selection (TAS) strategies are considered. Depending on whether the base station has the global channel state information of both the main and wiretap channels, the exact closed-form expressions for the secrecy outage probability (SOP) with suboptimal antenna selection and optimal antenna selection schemes are obtained and compared with the traditional space-time transmission scheme. To obtain further insights, the asymptotic analysis of the SOP in high average channel power gains regime is presented and it is found that the secrecy diversity order for all the TAS schemes with fixed power allocation is zero. Furthermore, an effective power allocation scheme is proposed to obtain the nonzero diversity order with all the TAS schemes. Monte-Carlo simulations are performed to verify the proposed analytical results.

Selecting a Web Content Management System for an Academic Library Website

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth L. Black

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This article describes the selection of a web content management system (CMS at the Ohio State University Libraries. The author outlines the need for a CMS, describes the system requirements to support a large distributed content model and shares the CMS trial method used, which directly included content provider feedback side-by-side with the technical experts. The selected CMS is briefly described.

A Two-Pass Exact Algorithm for Selection on Parallel Disk Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Mi, Tian; Rajasekaran, Sanguthevar

2013-07-01

Numerous OLAP queries process selection operations of "top N", median, "top 5%", in data warehousing applications. Selection is a well-studied problem that has numerous applications in the management of data and databases since, typically, any complex data query can be reduced to a series of basic operations such as sorting and selection. The parallel selection has also become an important fundamental operation, especially after parallel databases were introduced. In this paper, we present a deterministic algorithm Recursive Sampling Selection (RSS) to solve the exact out-of-core selection problem, which we show needs no more than (2 + ε ) passes ( ε being a very small fraction). We have compared our RSS algorithm with two other algorithms in the literature, namely, the Deterministic Sampling Selection and QuickSelect on the Parallel Disks Systems. Our analysis shows that DSS is a (2 + ε )-pass algorithm when the total number of input elements N is a polynomial in the memory size M (i.e., N = M c for some constant c ). While, our proposed algorithm RSS runs in (2 + ε ) passes without any assumptions. Experimental results indicate that both RSS and DSS outperform QuickSelect on the Parallel Disks Systems. Especially, the proposed algorithm RSS is more scalable and robust to handle big data when the input size is far greater than the core memory size, including the case of N ≫ M c .

Monitoring soil carbon will prepare growers for a carbon trading system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma C. Suddick

2013-07-01

Full Text Available California growers could reap financial benefits from the low-carbon economy and cap-and-trade system envisioned by the state's AB 32 law, which seeks to lower greenhouse gas emissions statewide. Growers could gain carbon credits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon through reduced tillage and increased biomass residue incorporation. First, however, baseline stocks of soil carbon need to be assessed for various cropping systems and management practices. We designed and set up a pilot soil carbon and land-use monitoring network at several perennial cropping systems in Northern California. We compared soil carbon content in two vineyards and two orchards (walnut and almond, looking at conventional and conservation management practices, as well as in native grassland and oak woodland. We then calculated baseline estimates of the total carbon in almond, wine grape and walnut acreages statewide. The organic walnut orchard had the highest total soil carbon, and no-till vineyards had 27% more carbon in the surface soil than tilled vineyards. We estimated wine grape vineyards are storing significantly more soil carbon per acre than almond and walnut orchards. The data can be used to provide accurate information about soil carbon stocks in perennial cropping systems for a future carbon trading system.

Guidance, navigation, and control subsystem equipment selection algorithm using expert system methods

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Cheryl L.

1991-01-01

Enhanced engineering tools can be obtained through the integration of expert system methodologies and existing design software. The application of these methodologies to the spacecraft design and cost model (SDCM) software provides an improved technique for the selection of hardware for unmanned spacecraft subsystem design. The knowledge engineering system (KES) expert system development tool was used to implement a smarter equipment section algorithm than that which is currently achievable through the use of a standard data base system. The guidance, navigation, and control subsystems of the SDCM software was chosen as the initial subsystem for implementation. The portions of the SDCM code which compute the selection criteria and constraints remain intact, and the expert system equipment selection algorithm is embedded within this existing code. The architecture of this new methodology is described and its implementation is reported. The project background and a brief overview of the expert system is described, and once the details of the design are characterized, an example of its implementation is demonstrated.

Selective maintenance for multi-state series–parallel systems under economic dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dao, Cuong D.; Zuo, Ming J.; Pandey, Mayank

2014-01-01

This paper presents a study on selective maintenance for multi-state series–parallel systems with economically dependent components. In the selective maintenance problem, the maintenance manager has to decide which components should receive maintenance activities within a finite break between missions. All the system reliabilities in the next operating mission, the available budget and the maintenance time for each component from its current state to a higher state are taken into account in the optimization models. In addition, the components in series–parallel systems are considered to be economically dependent. Time and cost savings will be achieved when several components are simultaneously repaired in a selective maintenance strategy. As the number of repaired components increases, the saved time and cost will also increase due to the share of setting up between components and another additional reduction amount resulting from the repair of multiple identical components. Different optimization models are derived to find the best maintenance strategy for multi-state series–parallel systems. A genetic algorithm is used to solve the optimization models. The decision makers may select different components to be repaired to different working states based on the maintenance objective, resource availabilities and how dependent the repair time and cost of each component are

A Comparison between Human Selected, Derived and System ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

admpather

Using a prototype implementation of our scheme, we compare the results of human-selected, derived passwords and system generated to reveal the practical viability of our approach in terms of results achieved, ease of implementation and use. Keywords: Security, Biometric, Behavioral, Keystroke dynamics, Password.

A Comparison between Human Selected, Derived and System ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Using a prototype implementation of our scheme, we compare the results of human-selected, derived passwords and system generated to reveal the practical viability of our approach in terms of results achieved, ease of implementation and use. Keywords: Security, Biometric, Behavioral, Keystroke dynamics, Password ...

A methodology for selection of wind energy system locations using multicriterial analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sansevic, M.; Rabadan, Lj. Pilic [Croatia Univ., Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Split (Croatia)

1996-12-31

The effectiveness of a wind turbine generator depends not only on its performance but also on the site`s wind resource. Thus the problem of location selection should be approached systematically, by considering a set of relevant parameters particularly those having a significant economical and ecological impact. This paper presents the methodology used in location selection for the operation of wind energy system. It is based on a multicriterial analysis which enables comparison and ranking of locations according to a set of different parameters. Principal objectives (criteria) in location selection are: energy-economical, technical-technological, physical planning and environment and life protection objectives. For the mathematical modeling of this multicriterial problem the PROMETHEE method is chosen which is developed especially for the solution of rather ``poorly`` structured problems, thus justifying its application in the preliminary stage of site selection for the wind energy systems. The developed methodology is applied in selecting the locations in the island of Rhodes using the available database of the Geographic Information System and the wind potential data obtained by means of the AIOLOS program. (Author)

Evolution of branched regulatory genetic pathways: directional selection on pleiotropic loci accelerates developmental system drift.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Norman A; Porter, Adam H

2007-01-01

Developmental systems are regulated by a web of interacting loci. One common and useful approach in studying the evolution of development is to focus on classes of interacting elements within these systems. Here, we use individual-based simulations to study the evolution of traits controlled by branched developmental pathways involving three loci, where one locus regulates two different traits. We examined the system under a variety of selective regimes. In the case where one branch was under stabilizing selection and the other under directional selection, we observed "developmental system drift": the trait under stabilizing selection showed little phenotypic change even though the loci underlying that trait showed considerable evolutionary divergence. This occurs because the pleiotropic locus responds to directional selection and compensatory mutants are then favored in the pathway under stabilizing selection. Though developmental system drift may be caused by other mechanisms, it seems likely that it is accelerated by the same underlying genetic mechanism as that producing the Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities that lead to speciation in both linear and branched pathways. We also discuss predictions of our model for developmental system drift and how different selective regimes affect probabilities of speciation in the branched pathway system.

Selection of Fuel System for Modern Heavy Duty Diesel Engines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. M. Kukharonok

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Fuel systems of diesel engines have been analyzed. The paper shows components of the systems, peculiarities of their manufacturing process. Difference in efficiency of the systems, their application and market prospects are considered in the paper. While solving problems to design a power installation the essence of fuel system selection is given on the basis of an internal combustion engine.

Polycyclic selection system for the tropical rainforests of northern Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Glen T. Dale; Grahame B. Applegate

1992-01-01

The polycyclic selection logging system developed and practiced for many years in the tropical rainforests of north Queensland has been successful in integrating timber production with the protection of conservation values. The system has been used by the Queensland Forest Service to manage north Queensland rainforests. The Queensland system has considerable potential...

Employee Engagement Is Vital for the Successful Selection of a Total Laboratory Automation System.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hoi-Ying E; Wilkerson, Myra L

2017-11-08

To concretely outline a process for selecting a total laboratory automation system that connects clinical chemistry, hematology, and coagulation analyzers and to serve as a reference for other laboratories. In Phase I, a committee including the laboratory's directors and technologists conducted a review of 5 systems based on formal request for information process, site visits, and vendor presentations. We developed evaluation criteria and selected the 2 highest performing systems. In Phase II, we executed a detailed comparison of the 2 vendors based on cost, instrument layout, workflow design, and future potential. In addition to selecting a laboratory automation system, we used the process to ensure employee engagement in preparation for implementation. Selecting a total laboratory automation system is a complicated process. This paper provides practical guide in how a thorough selection process can be done with participation of key stakeholders. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Machine-Vision Systems Selection for Agricultural Vehicles: A Guide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonzalo Pajares

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Machine vision systems are becoming increasingly common onboard agricultural vehicles (autonomous and non-autonomous for different tasks. This paper provides guidelines for selecting machine-vision systems for optimum performance, considering the adverse conditions on these outdoor environments with high variability on the illumination, irregular terrain conditions or different plant growth states, among others. In this regard, three main topics have been conveniently addressed for the best selection: (a spectral bands (visible and infrared; (b imaging sensors and optical systems (including intrinsic parameters and (c geometric visual system arrangement (considering extrinsic parameters and stereovision systems. A general overview, with detailed description and technical support, is provided for each topic with illustrative examples focused on specific applications in agriculture, although they could be applied in different contexts other than agricultural. A case study is provided as a result of research in the RHEA (Robot Fleets for Highly Effective Agriculture and Forestry Management project for effective weed control in maize fields (wide-rows crops, funded by the European Union, where the machine vision system onboard the autonomous vehicles was the most important part of the full perception system, where machine vision was the most relevant. Details and results about crop row detection, weed patches identification, autonomous vehicle guidance and obstacle detection are provided together with a review of methods and approaches on these topics.

Real time alert system: a disease management system leveraging health information exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Anand, Vibha; Sheley, Meena E; Xu, Shawn; Downs, Stephen M

2012-01-01

Rates of preventive and disease management services can be improved by providing automated alerts and reminders to primary care providers (PCPs) using of health information technology (HIT) tools. Using Adaptive Turnaround Documents (ATAD), an existing Health Information Exchange (HIE) infrastructure and office fax machines, we developed a Real Time Alert (RTA) system. RTA is a computerized decision support system (CDSS) that is able to deliver alerts to PCPs statewide for recommended services around the time of the patient visit. RTA is also able to capture structured clinical data from providers using existing fax technology. In this study, we evaluate RTA's performance for alerting PCPs when their patients with asthma have an emergency room visit anywhere in the state. Our results show that RTA was successfully able to deliver "just in time" patient-relevant alerts to PCPs across the state. Furthermore, of those ATADs faxed back and automatically interpreted by the RTA system, 35% reported finding the provided information helpful. The PCPs who reported finding information helpful also reported making a phone call, sending a letter or seeing the patient for follow up care. We have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of electronically exchanging important patient related information with the PCPs statewide. This is despite a lack of a link with their electronic health records. We have shown that using our ATAD technology, a PCP can be notified quickly of an important event such as a patient's asthma related emergency room admission so further follow up can happen in near real time.

The implementation and evaluation of an evidence-based statewide prehospital pain management protocol developed using the national prehospital evidence-based guideline model process for emergency medical services.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Kathleen M; Hirshon, Jon Mark; Alcorta, Richard; Weik, Tasmeen S; Lawner, Ben; Ho, Shiu; Wright, Joseph L

2014-01-01

In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funded the development of a model process for the development and implementation of evidence-based guidelines (EBGs) for emergency medical services (EMS). We report on the implementation and evaluation of an evidence-based prehospital pain management protocol developed using this model process. An evidence-based protocol for prehospital management of pain resulting from injuries and burns was reviewed by the Protocol Review Committee (PRC) of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). The PRC recommended revisions to the Maryland protocol that reflected recommendations in the EBG: weight-based dosing and repeat dosing of morphine. A training curriculum was developed and implemented using Maryland's online Learning Management System and successfully accessed by 3,941 paramedics and 15,969 BLS providers. Field providers submitted electronic patient care reports to the MIEMSS statewide prehospital database. Inclusion criteria were injured or burned patients transported by Maryland ambulances to Maryland hospitals whose electronic patient care records included data for level of EMS provider training during a 12-month preimplementation period and a 12-month postimplementation period from September 2010 through March 2012. We compared the percentage of patients receiving pain scale assessments and morphine, as well as the dose of morphine administered and the use of naloxone as a rescue medication for opiate use, before and after the protocol change. No differences were seen in the percentage of patients who had a pain score documented or the percent of patients receiving morphine before and after the protocol change, but there was a significant increase in the total dose and dose in mg/kg administered per patient. During the postintervention phase, patients received an 18% higher total morphine dose and a 14.9% greater mg/kg dose. We demonstrated that the implementation of a revised

A New Selectable Marker System for Genetic Studies of Bacteria: Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parsons, D; Tolmasky, M; Chain, P; Segelke, B W

2011-03-18

Genetic manipulations in bacteria currently rely on the introduction of antibiotic resistance genes into a bacterial strain; for those organisms that will be used for commercial or industrial applications, the genetic cassette encoding the antibiotic resistance is sometimes removed after selection. it is clear that if alternative technologies could obviate the need to introduce antibiotic resistance into bacteria, they would most certainly become a standard tool in molecular micriobiology for commercial, industrial as well as research applications. Here, they present the development of a novel genetic engineering technology based on toxin-antitoxin systems to modify bacterial genomes without the use of antibiotic resistance in the mutagenesis process. The primary goal is to develop antibiotic-free selection for genetically altered select agent pathogens. They are adapting the toxinc-antitoxin system to enable gene replacement in select agent pathogens since the NIH restrictions introducing antibiotic resistance into select agent pathogens have hindered research with select agent pathogens.

A Statewide Examiniation of Mental Health Courts in Illinois: Program Characteristics and Operations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arthur J. Lurigio

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This study represents the only broad-based, statewide evaluation of mental health courts (MHCs conducted to date.  Data were collected from 2010 to 2013 at each of the nine active MHC programs operating in Illinois at the start of the study. The purpose of the study was to compare and contrast the adjudicatory and supervisory models of each established Illinois MHC program by utilizing a variety of research methodologies. A four-year recidivism analysis of case-level data from three Illinois MHCs was also conducted. Illinois MHCs were largely characterized by the '10 essential elements of an MHC', such as voluntary participation, informed choice and hybrid team approaches to case manage clients. Results of the recidivism analysis suggest that MHCs compare favorably to other types of probation. Overall, findings revealed that Illinois MHCs are delivering services effectively and efficiently in a well-coordinated, client-centered team approach. Differences found among the MHCs are not evidence of significant variance from the model, and instead represent responsiveness to the unique culture of the court, the niche-filling character of the program, the expectations of the program stakeholders and the nature and extent of the local service environment.

Economic values and selection index in different Angus-Nellore cross-bred production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, G M; Savegnago, R P; El Faro, L; Mosaquatro Roso, V; de Paz, C C P

2018-06-01

Bioeconomic models were developed to calculate economic values (EV) for economically important traits in beef cattle, to evaluate the impact of these traits on production profitability, to assess possible market changes with a payment system and to develop economic selection indexes for Angus cattle for two production systems. Two beef cattle production systems were simulated as follows: a cow-calf cycle (CC) and a complete cycle (CoC). Following selection, positive changes in the EV were observed. In the CC, each 1.0% increment in weaning weight (WW), weaning rate (WR) and pregnancy rate (PR) resulted in increases in US$ 1.30, US$ 3.68 and US$ 3.55 per cow/year in profit, respectively. In the CoC, EV of US$ 1.01, US$ 1.79, US$ 1.19, US$ 1.34, US$ 6.84 and US$ 7.86 per cow/year were obtained for WW, year weight, yearling weight, final weight, WR and PR, respectively. The payment system for carcass quality showed that the scenario considering that 100% of the animals displayed uniform carcasses exhibited the highest EV and was considered optimal. Considering the sensitivity analysis, the price paid per animal was the factor that most affected the EV in both systems. The selection indexes obtained may be used in similar production systems, and the use of EV and selection indexes are important tools for any production system with positive change in profit after selection. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Special Education Electronic Individualized Education Program (IEP) System. Fiscal Year 2016 Report to the Legislature. As Required by Minnesota Statutes, Section 125A.085

Science.gov (United States)

Minnesota Department of Education, 2016

2016-01-01

In 2013, the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $1.763M for Fiscal Year 2014 to create a statewide system for special education paperwork. In 2014, the Legislature greatly expanded the requirements of the system but did not appropriate additional resources to maintain ongoing operation of the system. The 2014 legislation codified the system in…

Corneal manifestations of selected systemic diseases: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wayne D.H. Gillan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The corneal manifestations of several selected systemic diseases are reviewed. Metabolic, immunologic and inflammatory and infectious diseases are included. A brief overview of each disease and how it manifests in the cornea is discussed. The importance of conducting a slit-lamp examination on every patient is emphasised.

A Selective Group Authentication Scheme for IoT-Based Medical Information System.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, YoHan; Park, YoungHo

2017-04-01

The technology of IoT combined with medical systems is expected to support advanced medical services. However, unsolved security problems, such as misuse of medical devices, illegal access to the medical server and so on, make IoT-based medical systems not be applied widely. In addition, users have a high burden of computation to access Things for the explosive growth of IoT devices. Because medical information is critical and important, but users have a restricted computing power, IoT-based medical systems are required to provide secure and efficient authentication for users. In this paper, we propose a selective group authentication scheme using Shamir's threshold technique. The property of selectivity gives the right of choice to users to form a group which consists of things users select and access. And users can get an access authority for those Things at a time. Thus, our scheme provides an efficient user authentication for multiple Things and conditional access authority for safe IoT-based medical information system. To the best of our knowledge, our proposed scheme is the first in which selectivity is combined with group authentication in IoT environments.

Empowering High School Students in Scientific Careers: Developing Statewide Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar, C.; Swartz, D.

2008-05-01

Center for Multiscale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes (CMMAP) is a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center focused on improving the representation of cloud processes in climate models. The Center is divided into three sections including Knowledge Transfer, Research, and Education and Diversity. The Science Education and Diversity mission is to educate and train people with diverse backgrounds in Climate and Earth System Science by enhancing teaching and learning and disseminating science results through multiple media. CMMAP is partnering with two local school districts to host an annual global climate conferences for high school students. The 2008 Colorado Global Climate Conference seeks "To educate students on global and local climate issues and empower them to se their knowledge." The conference is sponsored by CMMAP, The Governor's Energy Office, Poudre School District, Thompson School District, Clif Bar, and Ben and Jerry's Scoop Shop of Fort Collins. The conference seeks to inspire students to pursue future education and careers in science fields. Following an opening welcome from the Governor's Energy Office, Keynote Piers Sellers will discuss his experiences as an atmospheric scientist and NASA astronaut. Students will then attend 3 out of 16 breakout sessions including such sessions as "Hot poems, Cool Paintings, and the treasures of Antiquity of Climate Change", "Mitigation vs Adaptation", "Bigfoot Walks(What Size is our carbon footprint?)" "The Wedges: Reduc ing Carbon Emissions", and "We the People: Climate and Culture of Climate Change" to name a few. Using The Governor's High School Conference on the Environment sponsored by the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education as a model we are developing statewide partnerships to bring high school students together to look at global climate issues that will impact their future and of which they can be part of the solution through their education and career paths. In addition to

Our Selections and Decisions: Inherent Features of the Nervous System?

Science.gov (United States)

Rösler, Frank

The chapter summarizes findings on the neuronal bases of decisionmaking. Taking the phenomenon of selection it will be explained that systems built only from excitatory and inhibitory neuron (populations) have the emergent property of selecting between different alternatives. These considerations suggest that there exists a hierarchical architecture with central selection switches. However, in such a system, functions of selection and decision-making are not localized, but rather emerge from an interaction of several participating networks. These are, on the one hand, networks that process specific input and output representations and, on the other hand, networks that regulate the relative activation/inhibition of the specific input and output networks. These ideas are supported by recent empirical evidence. Moreover, other studies show that rather complex psychological variables, like subjective probability estimates, expected gains and losses, prediction errors, etc., do have biological correlates, i.e., they can be localized in time and space as activation states of neural networks and single cells. These findings suggest that selections and decisions are consequences of an architecture which, seen from a biological perspective, is fully deterministic. However, a transposition of such nomothetic functional principles into the idiographic domain, i.e., using them as elements for comprehensive 'mechanistic' explanations of individual decisions, seems not to be possible because of principle limitations. Therefore, individual decisions will remain predictable by means of probabilistic models alone.

Neuromorphic VLSI Models of Selective Attention: From Single Chip Vision Sensors to Multi-chip Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Indiveri, Giacomo

2008-09-03

Biological organisms perform complex selective attention operations continuously and effortlessly. These operations allow them to quickly determine the motor actions to take in response to combinations of external stimuli and internal states, and to pay attention to subsets of sensory inputs suppressing non salient ones. Selective attention strategies are extremely effective in both natural and artificial systems which have to cope with large amounts of input data and have limited computational resources. One of the main computational primitives used to perform these selection operations is the Winner-Take-All (WTA) network. These types of networks are formed by arrays of coupled computational nodes that selectively amplify the strongest input signals, and suppress the weaker ones. Neuromorphic circuits are an optimal medium for constructing WTA networks and for implementing efficient hardware models of selective attention systems. In this paper we present an overview of selective attention systems based on neuromorphic WTA circuits ranging from single-chip vision sensors for selecting and tracking the position of salient features, to multi-chip systems implement saliency-map based models of selective attention.

Neuromorphic VLSI Models of Selective Attention: From Single Chip Vision Sensors to Multi-chip Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giacomo Indiveri

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Biological organisms perform complex selective attention operations continuously and effortlessly. These operations allow them to quickly determine the motor actions to take in response to combinations of external stimuli and internal states, and to pay attention to subsets of sensory inputs suppressing non salient ones. Selective attention strategies are extremely effective in both natural and artificial systems which have to cope with large amounts of input data and have limited computational resources. One of the main computational primitives used to perform these selection operations is the Winner-Take-All (WTA network. These types of networks are formed by arrays of coupled computational nodes that selectively amplify the strongest input signals, and suppress the weaker ones. Neuromorphic circuits are an optimal medium for constructing WTA networks and for implementing efficient hardware models of selective attention systems. In this paper we present an overview of selective attention systems based on neuromorphic WTA circuits ranging from single-chip vision sensors for selecting and tracking the position of salient features, to multi-chip systems implement saliency-map based models of selective attention.

7 CFR 1780.17 - Selection priorities and process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... the population to be served by the proposed project is: (1) Less than the poverty line if the poverty line is less than 80% of the statewide nonmetropolitan median household income—30 points; (2) Less than... than the poverty line and between 80% and 100%, inclusive, of the State's nonmetropolitan median...

System for selecting relevant information for decision support.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalina, Jan; Seidl, Libor; Zvára, Karel; Grünfeldová, Hana; Slovák, Dalibor; Zvárová, Jana

2013-01-01

We implemented a prototype of a decision support system called SIR which has a form of a web-based classification service for diagnostic decision support. The system has the ability to select the most relevant variables and to learn a classification rule, which is guaranteed to be suitable also for high-dimensional measurements. The classification system can be useful for clinicians in primary care to support their decision-making tasks with relevant information extracted from any available clinical study. The implemented prototype was tested on a sample of patients in a cardiological study and performs an information extraction from a high-dimensional set containing both clinical and gene expression data.

Expert hierarchical selection of oil and gas distribution systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frankel, E.G.

1991-01-01

Selection and design of oil and gas distribution systems involves a large number of decision makers and interest groups, as well as many alternative technical, financial, network, operating, management and regulatory options. Their objectives and measures of performance are different. Decision models can be effectively represented by hierarchical structures. A simple deterministic analytic hierarchy process is presented with application to oil and gas distribution systems

A narrative account of implementation lessons learnt from the dissemination of an up-scaled state-wide child obesity management program in Australia: PEACH™ (Parenting, Eating and Activity for Child Health) Queensland.

Science.gov (United States)

Croyden, Debbie L; Vidgen, Helen A; Esdaile, Emma; Hernandez, Emely; Magarey, Anthea; Moores, Carly J; Daniels, Lynne

2018-03-13

PEACH™QLD translated the PEACH™ Program, designed to manage overweight/obesity in primary school-aged children, from efficacious RCT and small scale community trial to a larger state-wide program. This paper describes the lessons learnt when upscaling to universal health coverage. The 6-month, family-focussed program was delivered in Queensland, Australia from 2013 to 2016. Its implementation was planned by researchers who developed the program and conducted the RCT, and experienced project managers and practitioners across the health continuum. The intervention targeted parents as the agents of change and was delivered via parent-only group sessions. Concurrently, children attended fun, non-competitive activity sessions. Sessions were delivered by facilitators who received standardised training and were employed by a range of service providers. Participants were referred by health professionals or self-referred in response to extensive promotion and marketing. A pilot phase and a quality improvement framework were planned to respond to emerging challenges. Implementation challenges included engagement of the health system; participant recruitment; and engagement. A total of 1513 children (1216 families) enrolled, with 1122 children (919 families) in the face-to-face program (105 groups in 50 unique venues) and 391 children (297 families) in PEACH™ Online. Self-referral generated 68% of enrolments. Unexpected, concurrent and, far-reaching public health system changes contributed to poor program uptake by the sector (only 56 [53%] groups delivered by publicly-funded health organisations) requiring substantial modification of the original implementation plan. Process evaluation during the pilot phase and an ongoing quality improvement framework informed program adaptations that included changing from fortnightly to weekly sessions aligned with school terms, revision of parent materials, modification of eligibility criteria to include healthy weight children and

Statewide Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Early Elective Deliveries and Improve Birth Registry Accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Heather C; King, Eileen; White, Beth E; Ford, Susan E; Fuller, Sandra; Krew, Michael A; Marcotte, Michael P; Iams, Jay D; Bailit, Jennifer L; Bouchard, Jo M; Friar, Kelly; Lannon, Carole M

2018-04-01

To evaluate the success of a quality improvement initiative to reduce early elective deliveries at less than 39 weeks of gestation and improve birth registry data accuracy rapidly and at scale in Ohio. Between February 2013 and March 2014, participating hospitals were involved in a quality improvement initiative to reduce early elective deliveries at less than 39 weeks of gestation and improve birth registry data. This initiative was designed as a learning collaborative model (group webinars and a single face-to-face meeting) and included individual quality improvement coaching. It was implemented using a stepped wedge design with hospitals divided into three balanced groups (waves) participating in the initiative sequentially. Birth registry data were used to assess hospital rates of nonmedically indicated inductions at less than 39 weeks of gestation. Comparisons were made between groups participating and those not participating in the initiative at two time points. To measure birth registry accuracy, hospitals conducted monthly audits comparing birth registry data with the medical record. Associations were assessed using generalized linear repeated measures models accounting for time effects. Seventy of 72 (97%) eligible hospitals participated. Based on birth registry data, nonmedically indicated inductions at less than 39 weeks of gestation declined in all groups with implementation (wave 1: 6.2-3.2%, Pinitiative, they saw significant decreases in rates of early elective deliveries as compared with wave 3 (control; P=.018). All waves had significant improvement in birth registry accuracy (wave 1: 80-90%, P=.017; wave 2: 80-100%, P=.002; wave 3: 75-100%, Pinitiative enabled statewide spread of change strategies to decrease early elective deliveries and improve birth registry accuracy over 14 months and could be used for rapid dissemination of other evidence-based obstetric care practices across states or hospital systems.

Propagated failure analysis for non-repairable systems considering both global and selective effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chaonan; Xing Liudong; Levitin, Gregory

2012-01-01

This paper proposes an algorithm for the reliability analysis of non-repairable binary systems subject to competing failure propagation and failure isolation events with both global and selective failure effects. A propagated failure that originates from a system component causes extensive damage to the rest of the system. Global effect happens when the propagated failure causes the entire system to fail; whereas selective effect happens when the propagated failure causes only failure of a subset of system components. In both cases, the failure propagation that originates from some system components (referred to as dependent components) can be isolated because of functional dependence between the dependent components and a component that prevents the failure propagation (trigger components) when the failure of the trigger component happens before the occurrence of the propagated failure. Most existing studies focus on the analysis of propagated failures with global effect. However, in many cases, propagated failures affect only a subset of system components not the entire system. Existing approaches for analyzing propagated failures with selective effect are limited to series-parallel systems. This paper proposes a combinatorial method for the propagated failure analysis considering both global and selective effects as well as the competition with the failure isolation in the time domain. The proposed method is not limited to series-parallel systems and has no limitation on the type of time-to-failure distributions for the system components. The method is verified using the Markov-based method. An example of computer memory systems is analyzed to demonstrate the application of the proposed method.

Less Is More: Results of a Statewide Analysis of the Impact of Blood Transfusion on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Todd C; Magruder, J Trent; Fraser, Charles; Suarez-Pierre, Alejandro; Alejo, Diane; Bobbitt, Jennifer; Fonner, Clifford E; Canner, Joseph K; Horvath, Keith; Wehberg, Kurt; Taylor, Bradley; Kwon, Christopher; Whitman, Glenn J; Conte, John V; Salenger, Rawn

2018-01-01

Debate persists over the association between blood transfusions, especially those considered discretionary, and outcomes after cardiac operations. Using data from the Maryland Cardiac Surgery Quality Initiative, we sought to determine whether outcomes differed among coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients receiving 1 U of red blood cells (RBCs) vs none. We used a statewide database to review patients who underwent isolated CABG from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2016, across 10 Maryland cardiac surgery centers. We included patients who received 1 U or fewer of RBCs from the time of the operation through discharge. Propensity scoring, using 20 variables to control for treatment effect, was performed among patients who did and did not receive a transfusion. These two groups were matched 1:1 to assess for differences in our primary outcomes: operative death, prolonged postoperative length of stay (>14 days), and a composite postoperative respiratory complication of pneumonia or reintubation, or both. Of 10,877 patients who underwent CABG, 6,124 (56%) received no RBCs (group 1) during their operative hospitalization, and 981 (9.0%) received 1 U of RBCs (group 2), including 345 of 981 patients (35%) who received a transfusion intraoperatively. Propensity score matching generated 937 well-matched pairs. Compared with group 2, propensity-matched analysis revealed significantly greater 30-day survival in group 1 (99% vs 98%, p = 0.02) and reduced incidence of prolonged length of stay (3.7% vs 4.0%, p < 0.01). Our collaborative statewide analysis demonstrated that even 1 unit of blood was associated with significantly worse survival and longer length of stay after CABG. Multiinstitutional quality initiatives may seek to address discretionary transfusions and possess the potential to improve patient outcomes. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PACS-Graz, 1985-2000: from a scientific pilot to a state-wide multimedia radiological information system

Science.gov (United States)

Gell, Guenther

2000-05-01

1971/72 began the implementation of a computerized radiological documentation system as the Department of Radiology of the University of Graz, which developed over the years into a full RIS. 1985 started a scientific cooperation with SIEMENS to develop a PACS. The two systems were linked and evolved into a highly integrated RIS-PACS for the state wide hospital system in Styria. During its lifetime the RIS, originally implemented in FORTRAN on a UNIVAC 494 mainframe migrated to a PDP15, on to a PDP11, then VAX and Alphas. The flexible original record structure with variable length fields and the powerful retrieval language were retained. The data acquisition part with the user interface was rewritten several times and many service programs have been added. During our PACS cooperation many ideas like the folder concept or functionalities of the GUI have been designed and tested and were then implemented in the SIENET product. The actual RIS/PACS supports the whole workflow in the Radiology Department. It is installed in a 2.300 bed university hospital and the smaller hospitals of the State of Styria. Modalities from different vendors are connected via DICOM to the RIS (modality worklist) and to the PACS. PACSubsystems from other vendors have been integrated. Images are distributed to referring clinics and for teleconsultation and image processing and reports are available on line to all connected hospitals. We spent great efforts to guarantee optimal support of the workflow and to ensure an enhanced cost/benefit ratio for each user (class). Another special feature is selective image distribution. Using the high level retrieval language individual filters can be constructed easily to implement any image distribution policy agreed upon by radiologists and referring clinicians.

Energy and spectral efficiency analysis for selective ARQ multi-channel systems

KAUST Repository

Shafique, Taniya

2017-07-31

In this paper, we develop selective retransmission schemes for multiple-channel systems. The proposed schemes are selective automatic repeat request with fixed bandwidth (SARQ-FB), selective chase combining with fixed bandwidth (SCC-FB) and selective automatic repeat request with variable bandwidth (SARQ-VB). The main objective of the proposed schemes is to use the available power and bandwidth budget effectively along with the selective retransmission to deliver the required data successfully within a limited number of transmissions. To investigate the performance of each scheme, we first analyze the average spectral and energy efficiency and derive closed form expressions for each scheme. Then, we compare the EE and SE of each scheme through numerical results.

Palladium catalyzed selective distal C-H olefination of biaryl systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Maity, Soham; Hoque, Ehtasimul; Dhawa, Uttam; Maiti, Debabrata

2016-11-29

Palladium catalyzed selective distal C-H activation with nitrile based templates has been of significant research interest in recent times. In this report, we disclose the distal C-H olefination of biphenyl systems with high regio- and stereo-selectivity and useful synthetic yields. The utility of this method has been demonstrated through its wide olefin scope, its operation at the gram scale and the easy removal/recovery of the directing group.

Supplier Selection Using Fuzzy Inference System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

hamidreza kadhodazadeh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Suppliers are one of the most vital parts of supply chain whose operation has significant indirect effect on customer satisfaction. Since customer's expectations from organization are different, organizations should consider different standards, respectively. There are many researches in this field using different standards and methods in recent years. The purpose of this study is to propose an approach for choosing a supplier in a food manufacturing company considering cost, quality, service, type of relationship and structure standards of the supplier organization. To evaluate supplier according to the above standards, the fuzzy inference system has been used. Input data of this system includes supplier's score in any standard that is achieved by AHP approach and the output is final score of each supplier. Finally, a supplier has been selected that although is not the best in price and quality, has achieved good score in all of the standards.

Design of an operations manager selection system in service encounter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanawin Nunthaphanich

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to provide criteria for selecting operations managers at the ‘service encounter’ for mobile telecommunication companies, and develop a system for this multi-criteria decision-making scheme based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP. There are three main criteria for evaluating the capability of service-encounter operation managers: (1 the ability to design service process; (2 the ability to operate service process; (3 the ability to conduct improvement. The AHP operation manager selection tool was developed based on the complex problems at the service encounter. It was created as a decision support system which was used to recruit and evaluate operations managers’ capability for the purpose of career advancement.

A systems evaluation model for selecting spent nuclear fuel storage concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Postula, F.D.; Finch, W.C.; Morissette, R.P.

1982-01-01

This paper describes a system evaluation approach used to identify and evaluate monitored, retrievable fuel storage concepts that fulfill ten key criteria for meeting the functional requirements and system objectives of the National Nuclear Waste Management Program. The selection criteria include health and safety, schedules, costs, socio-economic factors and environmental factors. The methodology used to establish the selection criteria, develop a weight of importance for each criterion and assess the relative merit of each storage system is discussed. The impact of cost relative to technical criteria is examined along with experience in obtaining relative merit data and its application in the model. Topics considered include spent fuel storage requirements, functional requirements, preliminary screening, and Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) system evaluation. It is concluded that the proposed system evaluation model is universally applicable when many concepts in various stages of design and cost development need to be evaluated

Selection of detailed items for periodic safety review on PWR radwaste management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sung, K. B.; Ahn, Y. S.; Park, Y. S.; Kim, S. H.; Kim, J. T. [Korea Hydric and Nuclear Power Company, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2003-10-01

Selection of detailed-items for Periodic Safety Review on PWR radwaste management system, the main component could be faithfully clarified according to the purpose of establishment on each system and basic purpose. It is proper to select detailed-items those of radioactivities in the reactor coolant activity levels and the released volume of liquid and gaseous radioactive material on safety performance. It's also proper to select solid radwaste production quantities as detailed-item that it would be predict the next ten years trends after PSR.

Functional Analysis Of A Selected Airport’s System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dudek Ewa

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper two selected airport’s systems (Flight Information System and Public Address Voice Annunciation are defined and described. Then they are used to create an integrated unit, with the presentation of its way of functioning and a schematic picture. The author names main purposes of the integration process, serving to counteract negative consequences arising from implementation of the increasing number of systems on transport objects. In the following part of the article functional analysis of the integrated unit is carried out, defining system’s possible states of work and relations between them. Utilization of mathematical apparatus allows to calculate probabilities of system staying in the respective states, as well as system’s time indexes. Presented results are a fundament for the further analysis of this matter.

Deep convolutional neural network based antenna selection in multiple-input multiple-output system

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Jiaxin; Li, Yan; Hu, Ying

2018-03-01

Antenna selection of wireless communication system has attracted increasing attention due to the challenge of keeping a balance between communication performance and computational complexity in large-scale Multiple-Input MultipleOutput antenna systems. Recently, deep learning based methods have achieved promising performance for large-scale data processing and analysis in many application fields. This paper is the first attempt to introduce the deep learning technique into the field of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna selection in wireless communications. First, the label of attenuation coefficients channel matrix is generated by minimizing the key performance indicator of training antenna systems. Then, a deep convolutional neural network that explicitly exploits the massive latent cues of attenuation coefficients is learned on the training antenna systems. Finally, we use the adopted deep convolutional neural network to classify the channel matrix labels of test antennas and select the optimal antenna subset. Simulation experimental results demonstrate that our method can achieve better performance than the state-of-the-art baselines for data-driven based wireless antenna selection.

A threshold-based multiple optical signal selection scheme for WDM FSO systems

KAUST Repository

Nam, Sung Sik

2017-07-20

In this paper, we propose a threshold-based-multiple optical signal selection scheme (TMOS) for free-space optical systems based on wavelength division multiplexing. With the proposed TMOS, we can obtain higher spectral efficiency while reducing the potential increase in complexity of implementation caused by applying a selection-based beam selection scheme without a considerable performance loss. Here, to accurately characterize the performance of the proposed TMOS, we statistically analyze the characteristics with heterodyne detection technique over independent and identically distributed Log-normal turbulence conditions taking into considerations the impact of pointing error. Specifically, we derive exact closed-form expressions for the average bit error rate, and the average spectral efficiency by adopting an adaptive modulation. Some selected results shows that the average spectral efficiency can be increased with TMOS while the system requirement is satisfied.

A threshold-based multiple optical signal selection scheme for WDM FSO systems

KAUST Repository

Nam, Sung Sik; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Ko, Young-Chai; Cho, Sung Ho

2017-01-01

In this paper, we propose a threshold-based-multiple optical signal selection scheme (TMOS) for free-space optical systems based on wavelength division multiplexing. With the proposed TMOS, we can obtain higher spectral efficiency while reducing the potential increase in complexity of implementation caused by applying a selection-based beam selection scheme without a considerable performance loss. Here, to accurately characterize the performance of the proposed TMOS, we statistically analyze the characteristics with heterodyne detection technique over independent and identically distributed Log-normal turbulence conditions taking into considerations the impact of pointing error. Specifically, we derive exact closed-form expressions for the average bit error rate, and the average spectral efficiency by adopting an adaptive modulation. Some selected results shows that the average spectral efficiency can be increased with TMOS while the system requirement is satisfied.

Genome Structural Diversity among 31 Bordetella pertussis Isolates from Two Recent U.S. Whooping Cough Statewide Epidemics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowden, Katherine E; Weigand, Michael R; Peng, Yanhui; Cassiday, Pamela K; Sammons, Scott; Knipe, Kristen; Rowe, Lori A; Loparev, Vladimir; Sheth, Mili; Weening, Keeley; Tondella, M Lucia; Williams, Margaret M

2016-01-01

During 2010 and 2012, California and Vermont, respectively, experienced statewide epidemics of pertussis with differences seen in the demographic affected, case clinical presentation, and molecular epidemiology of the circulating strains. To overcome limitations of the current molecular typing methods for pertussis, we utilized whole-genome sequencing to gain a broader understanding of how current circulating strains are causing large epidemics. Through the use of combined next-generation sequencing technologies, this study compared de novo, single-contig genome assemblies from 31 out of 33 Bordetella pertussis isolates collected during two separate pertussis statewide epidemics and 2 resequenced vaccine strains. Final genome architecture assemblies were verified with whole-genome optical mapping. Sixteen distinct genome rearrangement profiles were observed in epidemic isolate genomes, all of which were distinct from the genome structures of the two resequenced vaccine strains. These rearrangements appear to be mediated by repetitive sequence elements, such as high-copy-number mobile genetic elements and rRNA operons. Additionally, novel and previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in 10 virulence-related genes in the epidemic isolates. Whole-genome variation analysis identified state-specific variants, and coding regions bearing nonsynonymous mutations were classified into functional annotated orthologous groups. Comprehensive studies on whole genomes are needed to understand the resurgence of pertussis and develop novel tools to better characterize the molecular epidemiology of evolving B. pertussis populations. IMPORTANCE Pertussis, or whooping cough, is the most poorly controlled vaccine-preventable bacterial disease in the United States, which has experienced a resurgence for more than a decade. Once viewed as a monomorphic pathogen, B. pertussis strains circulating during epidemics exhibit diversity visible on a genome structural

BiOSS: A system for biomedical ontology selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Romero, Marcos; Vázquez-Naya, José M; Pereira, Javier; Pazos, Alejandro

2014-04-01

In biomedical informatics, ontologies are considered a key technology for annotating, retrieving and sharing the huge volume of publicly available data. Due to the increasing amount, complexity and variety of existing biomedical ontologies, choosing the ones to be used in a semantic annotation problem or to design a specific application is a difficult task. As a consequence, the design of approaches and tools addressed to facilitate the selection of biomedical ontologies is becoming a priority. In this paper we present BiOSS, a novel system for the selection of biomedical ontologies. BiOSS evaluates the adequacy of an ontology to a given domain according to three different criteria: (1) the extent to which the ontology covers the domain; (2) the semantic richness of the ontology in the domain; (3) the popularity of the ontology in the biomedical community. BiOSS has been applied to 5 representative problems of ontology selection. It also has been compared to existing methods and tools. Results are promising and show the usefulness of BiOSS to solve real-world ontology selection problems. BiOSS is openly available both as a web tool and a web service. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relay selection in cooperative communication systems over continuous time-varying fading channel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Geng

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we study relay selection under outdated channel state information (CSI in a decode-and-forward (DF cooperative system. Unlike previous researches on cooperative communication under outdated CSI, we consider that the channel varies continuously over time, i.e., the channel not only changes between relay selection and data transmission but also changes during data transmission. Thus the level of accuracy of the CSI used in relay selection degrades with data transmission. We first evaluate the packet error rate (PER of the cooperative system under continuous time-varying fading channel, and find that the PER performance deteriorates more seriously under continuous time-varying fading channel than when the channel is assumed to be constant during data transmission. Then, we propose a repeated relay selection (RRS strategy to improve the PER performance, in which the forwarded data is divided into multiple segments and relay is reselected before the transmission of each segment based on the updated CSI. Finally, we propose a combined relay selection (CRS strategy which takes advantage of three different relay selection strategies to further mitigate the impact of outdated CSI.

Applying a statewide geospatial leaching tool for assessing soil vulnerability ratings for agrochemicals across the contiguous United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Ki, Seo Jin; Ray, Chittaranjan; Hantush, Mohamed M

2015-06-15

A large-scale leaching assessment tool not only illustrates soil (or groundwater) vulnerability in unmonitored areas, but also can identify areas of potential concern for agrochemical contamination. This study describes the methodology of how the statewide leaching tool in Hawaii modified recently for use with pesticides and volatile organic compounds can be extended to the national assessment of soil vulnerability ratings. For this study, the tool was updated by extending the soil and recharge maps to cover the lower 48 states in the United States (US). In addition, digital maps of annual pesticide use (at a national scale) as well as detailed soil properties and monthly recharge rates (at high spatial and temporal resolutions) were used to examine variations in the leaching (loads) of pesticides for the upper soil horizons. Results showed that the extended tool successfully delineated areas of high to low vulnerability to selected pesticides. The leaching potential was high for picloram, medium for simazine, and low to negligible for 2,4-D and glyphosate. The mass loadings of picloram moving below 0.5 m depth increased greatly in northwestern and central US that recorded its extensive use in agricultural crops. However, in addition to the amount of pesticide used, annual leaching load of atrazine was also affected by other factors that determined the intrinsic aquifer vulnerability such as soil and recharge properties. Spatial and temporal resolutions of digital maps had a great effect on the leaching potential of pesticides, requiring a trade-off between data availability and accuracy. Potential applications of this tool include the rapid, large-scale vulnerability assessments for emerging contaminants which are hard to quantify directly through vadose zone models due to lack of full environmental data. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Configuration Selection for Reconfigurable Control of Piecewise Affine Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tabatabaeipour, Mojtaba; Gholami, M.; Bak, T.

2015-01-01

the recongurability of the system and the optimal conguration in the architecture design phase. A recongurable control must ensure stability of the recongured system and, if possible, a graceful degradation in the performance. Therefore, in the proposed recongurability analysis, we consider both stabilizability......In this paper, the problem of conguration selection i.e. sensor/actuator placement for piecewise ane (PWA) systems subject to both sensor and actuator faults is considered. A method is proposed that provides a tool for the design phase to decide about the optimal placement of sensor/actuators where...... and performance of the system. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated on several numerical examples...

Promising System for Selecting Healthy In Vitro–Fertilized Embryos in Cattle

Science.gov (United States)

Sugimura, Satoshi; Akai, Tomonori; Hashiyada, Yutaka; Somfai, Tamás; Inaba, Yasushi; Hirayama, Muneyuki; Yamanouchi, Tadayuki; Matsuda, Hideo; Kobayashi, Shuji; Aikawa, Yoshio; Ohtake, Masaki; Kobayashi, Eiji; Konishi, Kazuyuki; Imai, Kei

2012-01-01

Conventionally, in vitro–fertilized (IVF) bovine embryos are morphologically evaluated at the time of embryo transfer to select those that are likely to establish a pregnancy. This method is, however, subjective and results in unreliable selection. Here we describe a novel selection system for IVF bovine blastocysts for transfer that traces the development of individual embryos with time-lapse cinematography in our developed microwell culture dish and analyzes embryonic metabolism. The system can noninvasively identify prognostic factors that reflect not only blastocyst qualities detected with histological, cytogenetic, and molecular analysis but also viability after transfer. By assessing a combination of identified prognostic factors—(i) timing of the first cleavage; (ii) number of blastomeres at the end of the first cleavage; (iii) presence or absence of multiple fragments at the end of the first cleavage; (iv) number of blastomeres at the onset of lag-phase, which results in temporary developmental arrest during the fourth or fifth cell cycle; and (v) oxygen consumption at the blastocyst stage—pregnancy success could be accurately predicted (78.9%). The conventional method or individual prognostic factors could not accurately predict pregnancy. No newborn calves showed neonatal overgrowth or death. Our results demonstrate that these five predictors and our system could provide objective and reliable selection of healthy IVF bovine embryos. PMID:22590579

Analyzing the Measurement Equivalence of a Translated Test in a Statewide Assessment Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Carvajal-Espinoza

2016-09-01

Full Text Available When tests are translated into one or more languages, the question of the equivalence of items across language forms arises. This equivalence can be assessed at the scale level by means of a multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA in the context of structural equation modeling. This study examined the measurement equivalence of a Spanish translated version of a statewide Mathematics test originally constructed in English by using a multi-group CFA approach. The study used samples of native speakers of the target language of the translation taking the test in both the source and target language, specifically Hispanics taking the test in English and Spanish. Test items were grouped in twelve facet-representative parcels. The parceling was accomplished by grouping items that corresponded to similar content and computing an average for each parcel. Four models were fitted to examine the equivalence of the test across groups. The multi-group CFA fixed factor loadings across groups and results supported the equivalence of the two language versions (English and Spanish of the test. The statistical techniques implemented in this study can also be used to address the performance on a test based on dichotomous or dichotomized variables such as gender, socioeconomic status, geographic location and other variables of interest.

A genetic replacement system for selection-based engineering of essential proteins

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Essential genes represent the core of biological functions required for viability. Molecular understanding of essentiality as well as design of synthetic cellular systems includes the engineering of essential proteins. An impediment to this effort is the lack of growth-based selection systems suitable for directed evolution approaches. Results We established a simple strategy for genetic replacement of an essential gene by a (library of) variant(s) during a transformation. The system was validated using three different essential genes and plasmid combinations and it reproducibly shows transformation efficiencies on the order of 107 transformants per microgram of DNA without any identifiable false positives. This allowed for reliable recovery of functional variants out of at least a 105-fold excess of non-functional variants. This outperformed selection in conventional bleach-out strains by at least two orders of magnitude, where recombination between functional and non-functional variants interfered with reliable recovery even in recA negative strains. Conclusions We propose that this selection system is extremely suitable for evaluating large libraries of engineered essential proteins resulting in the reliable isolation of functional variants in a clean strain background which can readily be used for in vivo applications as well as expression and purification for use in in vitro studies. PMID:22898007

A Quality Function Deployment-Based Expert System for Cotton Fibre Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Shankar; Prasad, Kanika

2018-06-01

The textile industries have seen resurgence in customers' demand for quality products during the preceding few years. This product range is extremely varied, with hand-spun and hand-woven products at one end of the spectrum, while products manufactured from the capital intensive sophisticated machineries at the other end. Since, cotton fibres are predominantly employed as the raw material for manufacturing these products, their proper selection is crucial for sustainable development of the textile/spinning industries. However, availability of numerous cotton fibre alternatives with various physical properties makes this selection process unwieldy and time consuming. Thus, there is need for a structured approach that can incorporate customers' demand into the selection process. This paper demonstrates the application of a structured and logical procedure of selecting the best cotton fibre type to fulfill a set of specified end product requirements through design and development of a quality function deployment (QFD)-based expert system. The QFD technique is employed here to provide due importance to the customers' spoken and unspoken needs, and subsequently calculate the priority weights of the considered cotton fibre properties. Two real time illustrative examples are presented to explicate the applicability and potentiality of the developed expert system to resolve cotton fibre selection problems.

A Quality Function Deployment-Based Expert System for Cotton Fibre Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Shankar; Prasad, Kanika

2018-01-01

The textile industries have seen resurgence in customers' demand for quality products during the preceding few years. This product range is extremely varied, with hand-spun and hand-woven products at one end of the spectrum, while products manufactured from the capital intensive sophisticated machineries at the other end. Since, cotton fibres are predominantly employed as the raw material for manufacturing these products, their proper selection is crucial for sustainable development of the textile/spinning industries. However, availability of numerous cotton fibre alternatives with various physical properties makes this selection process unwieldy and time consuming. Thus, there is need for a structured approach that can incorporate customers' demand into the selection process. This paper demonstrates the application of a structured and logical procedure of selecting the best cotton fibre type to fulfill a set of specified end product requirements through design and development of a quality function deployment (QFD)-based expert system. The QFD technique is employed here to provide due importance to the customers' spoken and unspoken needs, and subsequently calculate the priority weights of the considered cotton fibre properties. Two real time illustrative examples are presented to explicate the applicability and potentiality of the developed expert system to resolve cotton fibre selection problems.

Effects of bedding systems selected by manual muscle testing on sleep and sleep-related respiratory disturbances.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Ling-Ling; Liu, Hau-Min

2008-03-01

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of applying manual muscle testing (MMT) for bedding selection and examined the bedding effect on sleep. Four lay testers with limited training in MMT performed muscle tests for the selection of the bedding systems from five different mattresses and eight different pillows for 14 participants with mild sleep-related respiratory disturbances. For each participant individually, two bedding systems-one inducing stronger muscle forces and the other inducing weaker forces-were selected. The tester-participant pairs showed 85% and 100% agreement, respectively, for the selection of mattresses and pillows that induced the strongest muscle forces. The firmness of the mattress and the height of the pillow were significantly correlated with the body weight and body mass index of the participants for the selected strong bedding system but not for the weak bedding system. Finally, differences were observed between the strong and the weak bedding systems with regard to sleep-related respiratory disturbances and the percentage of slow-wave sleep. It was concluded that MMT can be performed by inexperienced testers for the selection of bedding systems.

Decision support systems in water and wastewater treatment process selection and design: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamouda, M A; Anderson, W B; Huck, P M

2009-01-01

The continuously changing drivers of the water treatment industry, embodied by rigorous environmental and health regulations and the challenge of emerging contaminants, necessitates the development of decision support systems for the selection of appropriate treatment trains. This paper explores a systematic approach to developing decision support systems, which includes the analysis of the treatment problem(s), knowledge acquisition and representation, and the identification and evaluation of criteria controlling the selection of optimal treatment systems. The objective of this article is to review approaches and methods used in decision support systems developed to aid in the selection, sequencing of unit processes and design of drinking water, domestic wastewater, and industrial wastewater treatment systems. Not surprisingly, technical considerations were found to dominate the logic of the developed systems. Most of the existing decision-support tools employ heuristic knowledge. It has been determined that there is a need to develop integrated decision support systems that are generic, usable and consider a system analysis approach.

Environmental and economical aspects of selected energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-11-01

An analysis of environmental and economical aspects of selected renewable energy systems is presented. The aim was to provide a basis for estimating the competitive status in each case, to review the consequences of technological development, to identify attractive markets and to evaluate the effects of various economic conditions. Calculation methods are described and individual solar heating systems are compared to oil-fired boilers, boilers fired with solid fuels are compared to oil-fired boilers and straw-fired cogeneration plants are compared with coal, fuel-oil and straw-fired district heating plants. Results are presented in the form of tables and graphs. (AB)

Development of a QFD-based expert system for CNC turning centre selection

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Kanika; Chakraborty, Shankar

2015-12-01

Computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools are automated devices capable of generating complicated and intricate product shapes in shorter time. Selection of the best CNC machine tool is a critical, complex and time-consuming task due to availability of a wide range of alternatives and conflicting nature of several evaluation criteria. Although, the past researchers had attempted to select the appropriate machining centres using different knowledge-based systems, mathematical models and multi-criteria decision-making methods, none of those approaches has given due importance to the voice of customers. The aforesaid limitation can be overcome using quality function deployment (QFD) technique, which is a systematic approach for integrating customers' needs and designing the product to meet those needs first time and every time. In this paper, the adopted QFD-based methodology helps in selecting CNC turning centres for a manufacturing organization, providing due importance to the voice of customers to meet their requirements. An expert system based on QFD technique is developed in Visual BASIC 6.0 to automate the CNC turning centre selection procedure for different production plans. Three illustrative examples are demonstrated to explain the real-time applicability of the developed expert system.

The mechanisms of neurotoxicity and the selective vulnerability of nervous system sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Maurer, Laura L; Philbert, Martin A

2015-01-01

The spatial heterogeneity of the structure, function, and cellular composition of the nervous system confers extraordinary complexity and a multiplicity of mechanisms of chemical neurotoxicity. Because of its relatively high metabolic demands and functional dependence on postmitotic neurons, the nervous system is vulnerable to a variety of xenobiotics that affect essential homeostatic mechanisms that support function. Despite protection from the neuroglia and blood-brain barrier, the central nervous system is prone to attack from lipophilic toxicants and those that hijack endogenous transport, receptor, metabolic, and other biochemical systems. The inherent predilection of chemicals for highly conserved biochemical systems confers selective vulnerability of the nervous system to neurotoxicants. This chapter discusses selective vulnerability of the nervous system in the context of neuron-specific decrements (axonopathy, myelinopathy, disruption of neurotransmission), and the degree to which neuronal damage is facilitated or ameliorated by surrounding nonneural cells in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electricity decision-making: New techniques for calculating statewide economic impacts from new power supply and demand-side management programs

Science.gov (United States)

Tegen, Suzanne Isabel Helmholz

This dissertation introduces new techniques for calculating and comparing statewide economic impacts from new coal, natural gas and wind power plants, as well as from demand-side management programs. The impetus for this work was two-fold. First, reviews of current literature and projects revealed that there was no standard way to estimate statewide economic impacts from new supply- and demand-side electricity options. Second, decision-makers who were interviewed stated that they were overwhelmed with data in general, but also lacked enough specific information about economic development impacts to their states from electricity, to make informed choices. This dissertation includes chapters on electricity decision-making and on economic impacts from supply and demand. The supply chapter compares different electricity options in three states which vary in natural resource content: Arizona, Colorado and Michigan. To account for differing capacity factors, resources are compared on a per-megawatt-hour basis. The calculations of economic impacts from new supply include: materials and labor for construction, operations, maintenance, fuel extraction, fuel transport, as well as property tax, financing and landowner revenues. The demand-side chapter compares residential, commercial and industrial programs in Iowa. Impact calculations include: incremental labor and materials for program planning, installation and operations, as well as sales taxes and electricity saved. Results from supply-side calculations in the three states analyzed indicate that adding new wind power can have a greater impact to a state's economy than adding new gas or coal power due to resource location, taxes and infrastructure. Additionally, demand-side management programs have a higher relative percentage of in-state dollar flow than supply-side solutions, though demand-side programs typically involve fewer MWh and dollars than supply-side generation. Methods for this dissertation include researching

Cost-Effectiveness of a Community Exercise and Nutrition Program for Older Adults: Texercise Select.

Science.gov (United States)

Akanni, Olufolake Odufuwa; Smith, Matthew Lee; Ory, Marcia G

2017-05-20

The wide-spread dissemination of evidence-based programs that can improve health outcomes among older populations often requires an understanding of factors influencing community adoption of such programs. One such program is Texercise Select , a community-based health promotion program previously shown to improve functional health, physical activity, nutritional habits and quality of the life among older adults. This paper assesses the cost-effectiveness of Texercise Select in the context of supportive environments to facilitate its delivery and statewide sustainability. Participants were surveyed using self-reported instruments distributed at program baseline and conclusion. Program costs were based on actual direct costs of program implementation and included costs of recruitment and outreach, personnel costs and participant incentives. Program effectiveness was measured using quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained, as well as health outcomes, such as healthy days, weekly physical activity and Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test scores. Preference-based EuroQol (EQ-5D) scores were estimated from the number of healthy days reported by participants and converted into QALYs. There was a significant increase in the number of healthy days ( p nutrition-related outcomes among participants, this study supports the use of Texercise Select as an intervention with substantial health and cost benefits.

Using the AHP Method to Select an ERP System for an SME Manufacturing Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kłos Sławomir

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process method to support decision making regarding the selection of an Enterprise Resource Planning system in a manufacturing company. The main assumption of the work is that the management of the selection of an ERP system should consider that the most important selection criteria are concerned with the functionality of the ERP system. Besides this, the aspects of total cost of ownership, technical support and implementation time or vendor experience are taken into consideration to guarantee a successful ERP implementation. The proposed procedure of an ERP system selection is dedicated for small and medium manufacturing enterprises. A structure of attributes for the AHP method is proposed on the basis of an analysis and identification of critical success factors. Different kinds of production (make-to-stock, make-to-order and engineer-to-order are taken into consideration. Illustrative examples are also given.

KPI (KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS APPLICATION ON BALLAST WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM SELECTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gülçin Vural

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Every day, more than 7,000 different marine species are transferred to different ecosystems via ballast water in ships. The introduction of invasive species can cause problems for native species. After realizing the serious potential problems associated with the transport of organisms in ballast water, national and international regulations were developed. In 2004, the International Maritime Organization introduced the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments. With these regulations, the problems caused by ballast water have attracted attention and many companies have started to research and develop technologies for the management of ballast water. Today, there are hundreds of different systems for ballast-water treatment, and the selection of the most suitable system for a specific vessel is an increasingly important issue as the Convention nears enforcement on September 8, 2017. The goal of this study is to demonstrate that the application of key performance indicators (KPIs to the selection of a ballast-water treatment system (BWTS leads to a very useful tool with which shipyards can compare BWTSs. This allows them to make better choices and to designate the most suitable system for each of their ships. In this study, we examine two types of vessel from a shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey. They have different ballast-water capacities and equipment, and the most suitable system for each is selected by using the KPI method.

Building America Case Study: Selecting Ventilation Systems for Existing Homes (Fact Sheet)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2014-12-01

This document addresses adding -or improving - mechanical ventilation systems to existing homes. The purpose of ventilation is to remove contaminants from homes, and this report discusses where, when, and how much ventilation is appropriate in a home, including some discussion of relevant codes and standards. Advantages, disadvantages, and approximate costs of various system types are presented along with general guidelines for implementing the systems in homes. CARB intends for this document to be useful to decision makers and contractors implementing ventilation systems in homes. Choosing the "best" system is not always straightforward; selecting a system involves balancing performance, efficiency, cost, required maintenance, and several other factors. It is the intent of this document to assist contractors in making more informed decisions when selecting systems. Ventilation is an integral part of a high-performance home. With more air-sealed envelopes, a mechanical means of removing contaminants is critical for indoor environmental quality and building durability.

Selectivity of radiation-induced processes in hydrocarbons, related polymers and organized polymer systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldman, V.I.; Sukhov, F.F.; Zezin, A.A.; Orlov, A.Yu.

1999-01-01

Fundamental aspects of the selectivity of radiation-induced events in polymers and polymeric systems were considered: (1) The grounds of selectivity of the primary events were analyzed on the basis of the results of studies of model compounds (molecular aspect). Basic results were obtained for hydrocarbon molecules irradiated in low-temperature matrices. The effects of selective localization of the primary events on the radical formation were examined for several polymers irradiated at low and superlow temperatures (77 and 15 K). A remarkable correlation between the properties of prototype ionized molecules (radical cations) and selectivity of the primary bond rupture in the corresponding polymers were found for polyethylene, polystyrene and some other hydrocarbon polymers. The first direct indication of selective localization of primary events at conformational defects was obtained for oriented high-crystalline polyethylene irradiated at 15 K. The significance of dimeric ring association was proved for the radiation chemistry of polystyrene. Specific mechanisms of low-temperature radiation-induced degradation were also analyzed for polycarbonate and poly(alkylene terephthalates). (2) Specific features of the localization of primary radiation-induced events in microheterogeneous polymeric systems were investigated (microstructural aspect). It was found that the interphase processes played an important role in the radiation chemistry of such systems. The interphase electron migration may result in both positive and negative non-additive effects in the formation of radiolysis products. The effects of component diffusion and chemical reactions on the radiation-induced processes in microheterogeneous polymeric systems were studied with the example of polycarbonate - poly(alkylene terephthalate) blends. (3) The effects of restricted molecular motion on the development of the radiation-chemical processes in polymers were investigated (dynamic aspect). In particular, it

STRATEGY FOR EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF SYSTEMS FOR ELECTRONIC LEARNING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dubravka Mandušić

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Today`s technology supported and accelerated learning time requires constant and continuous acquisition of new knowledge. On the other hand, it does not leave enough time for additional education. Increasing number of E-learning systems, withdraws a need for precise evaluation of functionality that those systems provide; so they could be reciprocally compared. While implementing new systems for electronic learning, it is very important to pre-evaluate existing systems in order to select the one that meets all defined parameters, with low costs/investment. Proper evaluation can save time and money.

An Antibiotic Selection System For Protein Overproducing Bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rennig, Maja; Nørholm, Morten

2015-01-01

Introduction: Protein overproduction is a major bottleneck for analyses of membrane proteins and for the construction of cell factories. Screening for optimized protein production can be very time consuming. In this study we show that the coupling of antibiotic resistance to poorly produced...... membrane proteins of Escherichia coli can be used as a fast and simple selection system for protein overproduction.Methods: We designed an expression plasmid encoding the gene of interest and an additional, inducible antibiotic resistance marker. Both genes were linked by a hairpin structure...... that translationally couples the genes. Consequently, high expressing gene variants also allow for higher production of the coupled antibiotic resistance marker. Therefore, high expressing gene variants in a library can be determined either by plating the expression library on selection plates or by growing...

Molten salt thermal energy storage systems: salt selection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maru, H.C.; Dullea, J.F.; Huang, V.S.

1976-08-01

A research program aimed at the development of a molten salt thermal energy storage system commenced in June 1976. This topical report describes Work performed under Task I: Salt Selection is described. A total of 31 inorganic salts and salt mixtures, including 9 alkali and alkaline earth carbonate mixtures, were evaluated for their suitability as heat-of-fusion thermal energy storage materials at temperatures of 850 to 1000/sup 0/F. Thermophysical properties, safety hazards, corrosion, and cost of these salts were compared on a common basis. We concluded that because alkali carbonate mixtures show high thermal conductivity, low volumetric expansion on melting, low corrosivity and good stability, they are attractive as heat-of-fusion storage materials in this temperature range. A 35 wt percent Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/-65 wt percent K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ (50 mole percent Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/-50 mole percent K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/) mixture was selected as a model system for further experimental work. This is a eutectoid mixture having a heat of fusion of 148 Btu/lb (82 cal/g) that forms an equimolar compound, LiKCO/sub 3/. The Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/-K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ mixture is intended to serve as a model system to define heat transfer characteristics, potential problems, and to provide ''first-cut'' engineering data required for the prototype system. The cost of a thermal energy storage system containing this mixture cannot be predicted until system characteristics are better defined. However, our comparison of different salts indicated that alkali and alkaline earth chlorides may be more attractive from a salt cost point of view. The long-term corrosion characteristics and the effects of volume change on melting for the chlorides should be investigated to determine their overall suitability as a heat-of-fusion storage medium.

Online-Expert: An Expert System for Online Database Selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahir, Sajjad; Chang, Chew Lik

1992-01-01

Describes the design and development of a prototype expert system called ONLINE-EXPERT that helps users select online databases and vendors that meet users' needs. Search strategies are discussed; knowledge acquisition and knowledge bases are described; and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a decision analysis technique that ranks databases,…

Select Components and Finish System Design of a Window Air Conditioner with Propane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Bo [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Abdelaziz, Omar [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-05-01

This report describes the technical targets for developing a high efficiency window air conditioner (WAC) using propane (R-290). The baseline unit selected for this activity is a GE R-410A WAC. We established collaboration with a Chinese rotary compressor manufacturer, to select an R-290 compressor. We first modelled and calibrated the WAC system model using R-410A. Next, we applied the calibrated system model to design the R-290 WAC, and decided the strategies to reduce the system charge below 260 grams and achieve the capacity and efficiency targets.

A selectable and excisable marker system for the rapid creation of recombinant poxviruses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia L Rintoul

Full Text Available Genetic manipulation of poxvirus genomes through attenuation, or insertion of therapeutic genes has led to a number of vector candidates for the treatment of a variety of human diseases. The development of recombinant poxviruses often involves the genomic insertion of a selectable marker for purification and selection purposes. The use of marker genes however inevitably results in a vector that contains unwanted genetic information of no therapeutic value.Here we describe an improved strategy that allows for the creation of marker-free recombinant poxviruses of any species. The Selectable and Excisable Marker (SEM system incorporates a unique fusion marker gene for the efficient selection of poxvirus recombinants and the Cre/loxP system to facilitate the subsequent removal of the marker. We have defined and characterized this new methodological tool by insertion of a foreign gene into vaccinia virus, with the subsequent removal of the selectable marker. We then analyzed the importance of loxP orientation during Cre recombination, and show that the SEM system can be used to introduce site-specific deletions or inversions into the viral genome. Finally, we demonstrate that the SEM strategy is amenable to other poxviruses, as demonstrated here with the creation of an ectromelia virus recombinant lacking the EVM002 gene.The system described here thus provides a faster, simpler and more efficient means to create clinic-ready recombinant poxviruses for therapeutic gene therapy applications.

Decision Analysis System for Selection of Appropriate Decontamination Technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebadian, M.A.; Boudreaux, J.F.; Chinta, S.; Zanakis, S.H.

1998-01-01

The principal objective for designing Decision Analysis System for Decontamination (DASD) is to support DOE-EM's endeavor to employ the most efficient and effective technologies for treating radiologically contaminated surfaces while minimizing personnel and environmental risks. DASD will provide a tool for environmental decision makers to improve the quality, consistency, and efficacy of their technology selection decisions. The system will facilitate methodical comparisons between innovative and baseline decontamination technologies and aid in identifying the most suitable technologies for performing surface decontamination at DOE environmental restoration sites

A model for strategic selection of feeder management systems: A case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Hsing Hung [Faculty of Management and Administration, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenue Wei Long, Taipa, Macau (China); Lee, Amy H.I. [Department of Industrial Management, Chung Hua University, No. 707, Sec. 2, Wu Fu Rd., Hsinchu 300 (China); Kang, He-Yau [Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, 35, Lane 215, Sec. 1, Chung San Rd., Taiping, Taichung 411 (China)

2010-06-15

The move to integrating distribution management system (DMS) and feeder management system (FMS) in China is becoming the main trend in recent years, in addition to upgrading and rebuilding existing energy management system (EMS) and DMS. However, with increasing complexity in the social environments along with rapidly changing technologies, how to select a suitable contractor and a FMS project is becoming an important issue for electric power companies. This paper first briefly introduces FMS and then lists its critical success criteria. A model that applies a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method, an analytic network process (ANP) associated with benefits, opportunities, costs and risks (BOCR), is constructed to help power companies to select the most suitable FMS project. (author)

Resource evaluation and site selection for microalgae production systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maxwell, E.L.; Folger, A.G.; Hogg, S.E.

1985-05-01

Climate, land, and water resource requirements of microalgae production systems (MPS) were examined relative to construction costs, operating costs, and biomass productivity. The objective was the stratification of the southwestern United States into zones of relative suitability for MPS. Maps of climate (insolation, freeze-free period, precipitation, evaporation, thunderstorm days), land (use/cover, ownership, slope), and water (saline groundwater) resource parameters were obtained. These maps were transformed into digital overlays permitting the cell-by-cell compositing of selected resource parameters to form maps representing relative productivity, make-up water, climate suitability, land suitability, water suitability, and overall suitability. The Southwest was selected for this study because of its high levels of insolation, saline water resources, and large areas of relatively low valued land. The stratification maps cannot be used for the selection of specific sites because of their low resolution (12,455-acre cells). They can be used to guide future resource studies and site selection efforts, however, by limiting these efforts to the most suitable regions. Future efforts should concentrate on saline water resources, for which only limited data are currently available. 13 refs., 44 figs., 5 tabs.

Selection of Non-Restorable Reserved Energy Process Control and Management Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Anischenko

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper considers problems pertaining to selection of non-restorable continuously reserved discrete control and management systems of electric and heat and power processes. Two problems concerning system optimization on the basis of the following criteria – their reliability and cost have been solved in the paper. 

DISCUSSANT'S COMMENTS FOR AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING, SELECTED PAPERS SESSION SP-2BB: "FOOD DEMAND, FOOD POLICY, AND FOOD MARKET ISSUES"

OpenAIRE

Jonk, Yvonne

1998-01-01

These papers investigate issues in food demand, food processing, and food markets. Policy issues are examined, both in the context of the food stamp program in the domestic market and the industrial policy options in the food sector in emerging Central European economies. The Effect of an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) System on Food Expenditure of Food Stamp Recipients: Evidence from the Maryland Statewide Implementation, J. William Levedahl. Incorporating Nutrients in Food Demand Analysi...

Study and distortion correction in a selective dissemination of information system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitas Queiroz, I.O. de.

1978-03-01

The Selective Dissemination of Information (S D I) system of the Nuclear Information Center (Brazil) was presented, and some parameters, for the evaluation of performance and distortion were defined. These parameters were quantified for a sample of 35 user's profiles and 25.818 documents. Possible distortion factors were analysed, and some were selected, so that they could be automatically processed. The 35 profiles were up-dated by use of two algorithms developed for this purpose. For the up-dated profiles new values of the parameters were determined and showed that distortion decreased and efficiency improved. Critical points of the system were identified and new studies, on topics investigated superficially, were proposed. (Author) [pt

Phenotypic selection in natural populations: what limits directional selection?

Science.gov (United States)

Kingsolver, Joel G; Diamond, Sarah E

2011-03-01

Studies of phenotypic selection document directional selection in many natural populations. What factors reduce total directional selection and the cumulative evolutionary responses to selection? We combine two data sets for phenotypic selection, representing more than 4,600 distinct estimates of selection from 143 studies, to evaluate the potential roles of fitness trade-offs, indirect (correlated) selection, temporally varying selection, and stabilizing selection for reducing net directional selection and cumulative responses to selection. We detected little evidence that trade-offs among different fitness components reduced total directional selection in most study systems. Comparisons of selection gradients and selection differentials suggest that correlated selection frequently reduced total selection on size but not on other types of traits. The direction of selection on a trait often changes over time in many temporally replicated studies, but these fluctuations have limited impact in reducing cumulative directional selection in most study systems. Analyses of quadratic selection gradients indicated stabilizing selection on body size in at least some studies but provided little evidence that stabilizing selection is more common than disruptive selection for most traits or study systems. Our analyses provide little evidence that fitness trade-offs, correlated selection, or stabilizing selection strongly constrains the directional selection reported for most quantitative traits.

Selection of fluids for tritium pumping systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chastagner, P.

1984-02-01

The degradation characteristics of three types of vacuum pump fluids, polyphenyl ethers, perfluoropolyethers and hydrocarbon oils were reviewed. Fluid selection proved to be a critical factor in the long-term performance of tritium pumping systems and subsequent tritium recovery operations. Thermal degradation and tritium radiolysis of pump fluids produce contaminants which can damage equipment and interfere with tritium recovery operations. General characteristics of these fluids are as follows: polyphenyl ether has outstanding radiation resistance, is very stable under normal diffusion pump conditions, but breaks down in the presence of oxygen at anticipated operating temperatures. Perfluoropolyether fluids are very stable and do not react chemically with most gases. Thermal and mechanical degradation products are inert, but the radiolysis products are very corrosive. Most of the degradation products of hydrogen oils are volatile and the principal radiolysis product is methane. Our studies show that polyphenyl ethers and hydrocarbon oils are the preferred fluids for use in tritium pumping systems. No corrosive materials are formed and most of the degradation products can be removed with suitable filter systems

Preventing Elder Abuse: The Texas Plan for a Coordinated Service Delivery System. Collaborative Elder Abuse Prevention Project.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniel, Garry L.

The Texas Department of Human Services, in collaboration with 13 other public and private organizations, co-sponsored a statewide Collaborative Elder Abuse Prevention project. The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive, long-range plan for the prevention of elder abuse, a method for achieving a coordinated service delivery system for…

Corrosion behaviour of materials selected for FMIT lithium system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazinet, G.D.; Brehm, W.F.

1983-09-01

The corrosion behavior of selected materials in a liquid lithium environment was studied in support of system and component designs for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) Facility. Testing conditions ranged from about 3700 to about6500 hours of exposure to flowing lithium at temperatures from 230/sup 0/ to 270/sup 0/C and static lithium at temperatures from 200/sup 0/ to 500/sup 0/C. Principal areas of investigation included lithium corrosion/erosion effects on FMIT lithium system baseline and candidate materials. Material coupons and full-size prototypic components were evaluated to determine corrosion rates, fatigue crack growth rates, structural compatibility, and component acceptability for the lithium system. Based on the results of these studies, concerns regarding system materials and component designs were satisfactorily resolved to support a 20-year design life requirement for the FMIT lithium system.

Corrosion behaviour of materials selected for FMIT lithium system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazinet, G.D.; Brehm, W.F.

1983-01-01

The corrosion behavior of selected materials in a liquid lithium environment was studied in support of system and component designs for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) Facility. Testing conditions ranged from about 3700 to about6500 hours of exposure to flowing lithium at temperatures from 230 0 to 270 0 C and static lithium at temperatures from 200 0 to 500 0 C. Principal areas of investigation included lithium corrosion/erosion effects on FMIT lithium system baseline and candidate materials. Material coupons and full-size prototypic components were evaluated to determine corrosion rates, fatigue crack growth rates, structural compatibility, and component acceptability for the lithium system. Based on the results of these studies, concerns regarding system materials and component designs were satisfactorily resolved to support a 20-year design life requirement for the FMIT lithium system

Addressing College Drinking as a Statewide Public Health Problem: Key Findings From the Maryland Collaborative.

Science.gov (United States)

Arria, Amelia M; Jernigan, David H

2018-03-01

Excessive drinking among college students is a serious and pervasive public health problem. Although much research attention has focused on developing and evaluating evidence-based practices to address college drinking, adoption has been slow. The Maryland Collaborative to Reduce College Drinking and Related Problems was established in 2012 to bring together a network of institutions of higher education in Maryland to collectively address college drinking by using both individual-level and environmental-level evidence-based approaches. In this article, the authors describe the findings of this multilevel, multicomponent statewide initiative. To date, the Maryland Collaborative has succeeded in providing a forum for colleges to share knowledge and experiences, strengthen existing strategies, and engage in a variety of new activities. Administration of an annual student survey has been useful for guiding interventions as well as evaluating progress toward the Maryland Collaborative's goal to measurably reduce high-risk drinking and its radiating consequences on student health, safety, and academic performance and on the communities surrounding college campuses. The experiences of the Maryland Collaborative exemplify real-world implementation of evidence-based approaches to reduce this serious public health problem.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-03-01

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

Adding value to innovation : Impressionism and the transformation of the selection system in visual arts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijnberg, N.M.; Gemser, G.

2000-01-01

Valuation of cultural products tends to be problematic. In this paper, we provide insight into how valuation of cultural products takes place by describing the changing role and significance of different types of selection systems. Three basic types of selection systems are distinguished: market

A prototype knowledge-based system for material selection of ceramic matrix composites of automotive engine components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sapuan, S.M.; Jacob, M.S.D.; Mustapha, F.; Ismail, N

2002-12-15

A prototype knowledge based system (KBS) for material selection of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) for engine components such as piston, connecting rod and piston ring is proposed in this paper. The main aim of this research work is to select the most suitable material for the automotive engine components. The selection criteria are based upon the pre-defined constraint value. The constraint values are mechanical, physical properties and manufacturing techniques. The constraint values are the safety values for the product design. The constraint values are selected from the product design specification. The product design specification values are selected from the past design calculation and some values are calculated by the help of past design data. The knowledge-based system consists of several modules such as knowledge acquisition module, inference module and user interface module. The domains of the knowledge-based system are defined as objects and linked together by hierarchical graph. The system is capable of selecting the most suitable materials and ranks the materials with respect to their properties. The design engineers can choose the required materials related to the materials property.

BIM-Based Decision Support System for Material Selection Based on Supplier Rating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abiola Akanmu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Material selection is a delicate process, typically hinged on a number of factors which can be either cost or environmental related. This process becomes more complicated when designers are faced with several material options of building elements and each option can be supplied by different suppliers whose selection criteria may affect the budgetary and environmental requirements of the project. This paper presents the development of a decision support system based on the integration of building information models, a modified harmony search algorithm and supplier performance rating. The system is capable of producing the cost and environmental implications of different material combinations or building designs. A case study is presented to illustrate the functionality of the developed system.

A Dynamic Supramolecular System Exhibiting Substrate Selectivity in the Catalytic Epoxidation of Olefins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jonsson, Stefan; Odille, Fabrice G. J.; Norrby, Per-Ola

2005-01-01

A dynamic supramolecular system involving hydrogen bonding between a Mn(III) salen catalyst and a Zn(II) porphyrin receptor exhibits selectivity for pyridine appended cis-beta-substituted styrene derivatives over phenyl appended derivatives in a catalytic epoxidation reaction.......A dynamic supramolecular system involving hydrogen bonding between a Mn(III) salen catalyst and a Zn(II) porphyrin receptor exhibits selectivity for pyridine appended cis-beta-substituted styrene derivatives over phenyl appended derivatives in a catalytic epoxidation reaction....

Level and Intensity of Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: The Impact of Child, Family, System, and Community-Level Factors on Service Provision

Science.gov (United States)

Hallam, Rena A.; Rous, Beth; Grove, Jaime; LoBianco, Tony

2009-01-01

Data from a statewide billing and information system for early intervention are used to examine the influence of multiple factors on the level and intensity of services provided in a state early intervention system. Results indicate that child and family factors including entry age, gestational age, Medicaid eligibility, access to third party…

Materials Selection for Aerospace Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Steven M.; Cebon, David; Ashby, Mike

2012-01-01

A systematic design-oriented, five-step approach to material selection is described: 1) establishing design requirements, 2) material screening, 3) ranking, 4) researching specific candidates and 5) applying specific cultural constraints to the selection process. At the core of this approach is the definition performance indices (i.e., particular combinations of material properties that embody the performance of a given component) in conjunction with material property charts. These material selection charts, which plot one property against another, are introduced and shown to provide a powerful graphical environment wherein one can apply and analyze quantitative selection criteria, such as those captured in performance indices, and make trade-offs between conflicting objectives. Finding a material with a high value of these indices maximizes the performance of the component. Two specific examples pertaining to aerospace (engine blades and pressure vessels) are examined, both at room temperature and elevated temperature (where time-dependent effects are important) to demonstrate the methodology. The discussion then turns to engineered/hybrid materials and how these can be effectively tailored to fill in holes in the material property space, so as to enable innovation and increases in performance as compared to monolithic materials. Finally, a brief discussion is presented on managing the data needed for materials selection, including collection, analysis, deployment, and maintenance issues.

Learning Analytics across a Statewide System

Science.gov (United States)

Buyarski, Catherine; Murray, Jim; Torstrick, Rebecca

2017-01-01

This chapter explores lessons learned from two different learning analytics efforts at a large, public, multicampus university--one internally developed and one vended platform. It raises questions about how to best use analytics to support students while keeping students responsible for their own learning and success.

Office-based preventive dental program and statewide trends in dental caries.

Science.gov (United States)

Achembong, Leo N; Kranz, Ashley M; Rozier, R Gary

2014-04-01

To evaluate the impact of a North Carolina Medicaid preventive dentistry program in primary care medical offices (Into the Mouths of Babes Program [IMBP]) on decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) of kindergarten students statewide and in schools with a large proportion of students from low-income families. An ecologic study using panel data of 920,505 kindergarten students with 11,694 school-year observations examined the effect of the IMBP on dmft scores from 1998 to 2009. Ordinary least squares regression with fixed effects determined the association between IMBP visits per child 0 to 4 years of age per county and mean dmft scores per kindergarten student per school, controlling for school-level poverty and ethnicity, county-level Medicaid enrollment, and supply of dentists and physicians. Mean dmft per kindergarten student per school increased from 1.53 in 1998 to 1.84 in 2004, then decreased to 1.59 in 2009. The mean number of IMBP visits per child 0 to 4 years of age per county increased from 0.01 in 2000 to 0.22 in 2009. A 1-unit increase in IMBP visits per county was associated with a 0.248 (95% confidence interval, -0.40 to -0.10) decrease in dmft per kindergarten student per school. For schools with more students at high risk for dental disease, a 1-unit increase in IMBP visits was associated with a 0.320 (95% confidence interval, -0.55 to -0.09) decrease in dmft. IMBP reduced dental caries among targeted vulnerable children, which helped reduce oral health disparities among preschool-aged children in North Carolina.

An integrated multi-criteria decision-making methodology for conveyor system selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pairat Jiamruangjarus

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Material handling equipment (MHE is important for every industry because it has an effect on the productivity of manufacturing. Conveyor systems are presently one popular type of MHE. This paper presents an integration of the analytic network process (ANP with the benefits, opportunities, costs and risk (BOCR model in order to select the best conveyor system. The proposed model established a network with four merits, six strategies criteria, and twenty six sub-criteria with four alternatives (present, roller conveyor, chain conveyor, and monorail. The ANP is to determine the relative weights of an evaluative criteria and decision alternatives. Therefore, the final ranking of the alternatives are calculated by synthesizing the score of each alternative under BOCR. The results showed that the best alternative under all five methods is the chain conveyor. These research results can be easily applied, adapted and used to improve performance of selecting the conveyer system in small and medium enterprises through large industries.

Comparison of multimedia system and conventional method in patients’ selecting prosthetic treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baghai R

2010-12-01

Full Text Available "nBackground and Aims: Selecting an appropriate treatment plan is one of the most critical aspects of dental treatments. The purpose of this study was to compare multimedia system and conventional method in patients' selecting prosthetic treatment and the time consumed."nMaterials and Methods: Ninety patients were randomly divided into three groups. Patients in group A, once were instructed using the conventional method of dental office and once multimedia system and time was measured in seconds from the beginning of the instruction till the patient had came to decision. The patients were asked about the satisfaction of the method used for them. In group B, patients were only instructed using the conventional method, whereas they were only exposed to soft ware in group C. The data were analyzed with Paired-T-test"n(in group A and T-test and Mann-Whitney test (in groups B and C."nResult: There was a significant difference between multimedia system and conventional method in group A and also between groups B and C (P<0.001. In group A and between groups B and C, patient's satisfaction about multimedia system was better. However, in comparison between groups B and C, multimedia system did not have a significant effect in treatment selection score (P=0.08."nConclusion: Using multimedia system is recommended due to its high ability in giving answers to a large number of patient's questions as well as in terms of marketing.

Selection on the Major Color Gene Melanocortin-1-Receptor Shaped the Evolution of the Melanocortin System Genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda Dib

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Modular genetic systems and networks have complex evolutionary histories shaped by selection acting on single genes as well as on their integrated function within the network. However, uncovering molecular coevolution requires the detection of coevolving sites in sequences. Detailed knowledge of the functions of each gene in the system is also necessary to identify the selective agents driving coevolution. Using recently developed computational tools, we investigated the effect of positive selection on the coevolution of ten major genes in the melanocortin system, responsible for multiple physiological functions and human diseases. Substitutions driven by positive selection at the melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R induced more coevolutionary changes on the system than positive selection on other genes in the system. Contrarily, selection on the highly pleiotropic POMC gene, which orchestrates the activation of the different melanocortin receptors, had the lowest coevolutionary influence. MC1R and possibly its main function, melanin pigmentation, seems to have influenced the evolution of the melanocortin system more than functions regulated by MC2-5Rs such as energy homeostasis, glucocorticoid-dependent stress and anti-inflammatory responses. Although replication in other regulatory systems is needed, this suggests that single functional aspects of a genetic network or system can be of higher importance than others in shaping coevolution among the genes that integrate it.

System for illuminating a region for isotopically selective photoexcitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debaryshe, P.G.; Janes, G.S.; Levy, R.H.; Lindenmeier, C.W.

1979-01-01

A method is described to improve laser beam utilization in isotope separation techniques (using laser induced isotopically selective photoexcitation) by increasing the probability of photon absorption without extreme beam propagation lengths. For this purpose an optical reflection system has been designed for illuminating substantially all of three-dimensional space of a transversely flowing vapor with multiple traversals of a beam of radiation. (UK)

Spectroscopic Characteristics of Highly Selective Manganese Catalysis in Acqueous Polyurethane Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miroljub Barac

2006-11-01

Full Text Available The latest investigations on producing more efficient catalytic aqueouspolyurethane systems are in the domain of metal complexes with mixed ligands. In ourprevious research works, the high selectivity for the isocyanate-hydroxyl reaction inaqueous polyurethane systems has been shown by the manganese(III mixed-ligandcomplexes. The two new complexes have been prepared with two acetylacetonate (acacligands and one maleate ligand and its hydroxylamine derivative of the general formula[Mn(C5H7O22L]. Their structures have been established by using the fundamental analyses,the FTIR and UV/VIS spectroscopic methods, as well as the magnetic measurements. Inorder to explain the different selectivity of the manganese(III mixed-ligand complexes, theUV and ESR spectroscopy have been employed to determine the kinetics of the complexes’decomposition. The thermal stability of the complexes has been determined by way of thedynamic TG method at the heating rate of 5°C⋅min-1 and at the temperature ranged 20-550°C. It suggests the decomposition of the complexes by loss of acid ligand. The main factor in the selective catalysis control in theaqueous polyurethane systems is the nature of the acid ligands and their impact on themanganese(II/manganese(III equilibrium.

An Evaluation Model To Select an Integrated Learning System in a Large, Suburban School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Curlette, William L.; And Others

The systematic evaluation process used in Georgia's DeKalb County School System to purchase comprehensive instructional software--an integrated learning system (ILS)--is described, and the decision-making model for selection is presented. Selection and implementation of an ILS were part of an instructional technology plan for the DeKalb schools…

System Quality Characteristics for Selecting Mobile Learning Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed SARRAB

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The majority of M-learning (Mobile learning applications available today are developed for the formal learning and education environment. These applications are characterized by the improvement in the interaction between learners and instructors to provide high interaction and flexibility to the learning process. M-learning is gaining increased recognition and adoption by different organizations. With the high number of M-learning applications available today, making the right decision about which, application to choose can be quite challenging. To date there is no complete and well defined set of system characteristics for such M-learning applications. This paper presents system quality characteristics for selecting M-learning applications based on the result of a systematic review conducted in this domain.

Sensor selection of helicopter transmission systems based on physical model and sensitivity analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lyu Kehong

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In the helicopter transmission systems, it is important to monitor and track the tooth damage evolution using lots of sensors and detection methods. This paper develops a novel approach for sensor selection based on physical model and sensitivity analysis. Firstly, a physical model of tooth damage and mesh stiffness is built. Secondly, some effective condition indicators (CIs are presented, and the optimal CIs set is selected by comparing their test statistics according to Mann–Kendall test. Afterwards, the selected CIs are used to generate a health indicator (HI through sen slop estimator. Then, the sensors are selected according to the monotonic relevance and sensitivity to the damage levels. Finally, the proposed method is verified by the simulation and experimental data. The results show that the approach can provide a guide for health monitoring of helicopter transmission systems, and it is effective to reduce the test cost and improve the system’s reliability.

Effectiveness of a Statewide Abusive Head Trauma Prevention Program in North Carolina.

Science.gov (United States)

Zolotor, Adam J; Runyan, Desmond K; Shanahan, Meghan; Durrance, Christine Piette; Nocera, Maryalice; Sullivan, Kelly; Klevens, Joanne; Murphy, Robert; Barr, Marilyn; Barr, Ronald G

2015-12-01

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a serious condition, with an incidence of approximately 30 cases per 100,000 person-years in the first year of life. To assess the effectiveness of a statewide universal AHT prevention program. In total, 88.29% of parents of newborns (n = 405 060) in North Carolina received the intervention (June 1, 2009, to September 30, 2012). A comparison of preintervention and postintervention was performed using nurse advice line telephone calls regarding infant crying (January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2010). A difference-in-difference analysis compared AHT rates in the prevention program state with those of other states before and after the implementation of the program (January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2011). The Period of PURPLE Crying intervention, developed by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, was delivered by nurse-provided education, a DVD, and a booklet, with reinforcement by primary care practices and a media campaign. Changes in proportions of telephone calls for crying concerns to a nurse advice line and in AHT rates per 100,000 infants after the intervention (June 1, 2009, to September 30, 2011) in the first year of life using hospital discharge data for January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2011. In the 2 years after implementation of the intervention, parental telephone calls to the nurse advice line for crying declined by 20% for children younger than 3 months (rate ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.73-0.87; P programmatic efforts and evaluation are needed to demonstrate an effect on AHT rates.

Multipurpose Compensation Scheme for Voltage Sag/Swell and Selective Harmonics Elimination in Distribution Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Inci

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Voltage harmonics, sag, and swell are the most harmful disturbances in distribution systems. This paper introduces a novel effective controller method for simultaneous compensation of both voltage sag/swell and voltage harmonics by using multifunctional dynamic voltage restorer. In proposed controller method called FFT with integrated ISRF, ISRF detects the magnitudes of voltage sag/swell quickly and precisely, and FFT extracts the selective components of voltage harmonics very effectively. The proposed method integrates the superior properties of ISRF and FFT methods. FFT integrated ISRF is applied for the first time to provide the compensation of both sag/swell and selective harmonics together. The proposed system has ability to compensate symmetrical/asymmetrical sag/swell and symmetrical/asymmetrical selective harmonics which are 5th, 7th, 11th and 13th. The controlled system is modelled in PSCAD/EMDTC and compared with conventional methods. The performance results verify that the proposed method compensates voltage disturbances effectively in the system.

Interference-aware random beam selection for spectrum sharing systems

KAUST Repository

Abdallah, Mohamed M.

2012-09-01

Spectrum sharing systems have been introduced to alleviate the problem of spectrum scarcity by allowing secondary unlicensed networks to share the spectrum with primary licensed networks under acceptable interference levels to the primary users. In this paper, we develop interference-aware random beam selection schemes that provide enhanced throughput for the secondary link under the condition that the interference observed at the primary link is within a predetermined acceptable value. For a secondary transmitter equipped with multiple antennas, our schemes select a random beam, among a set of power- optimized orthogonal random beams, that maximizes the capacity of the secondary link while satisfying the interference constraint at the primary receiver for different levels of feedback information describing the interference level at the primary receiver. For the proposed schemes, we develop a statistical analysis for the signal-to-noise and interference ratio (SINR) statistics as well as the capacity of the secondary link. Finally, we present numerical results that study the effect of system parameters including number of beams and the maximum transmission power on the capacity of the secondary link attained using the proposed schemes. © 2012 IEEE.

Proposed plan for public benefit programs funded by System Benefits Charge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

As the electric industry in New York State moves through deregulation toward retail competition, it will be important to ensure the vital public benefit programs of energy efficiency, research and development, low income services, and environmental protection. The Public Service Commission's (PSC) Opinion No. 98-3, effective January 30, 1998, established a system for funding such programs with a non-passable System Benefits Charge (SBC) and designated the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as the administrator of the statewide SBC-funded public benefit programs

ERP system implementation costs and selection factors of an implementation approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Björn; Sudzina, Frantisek; Newman, Mike

2011-01-01

, which influence the implementation approach in an ERP project, cause also an increase of the project cost in a European context? Our survey was conducted in Denmark, Slovakia and Slovenia and focused on this issue. Our main findings are that: 1) the number of implemented modules influences selection......Different approaches on implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERPs) systems exist. In this article, we investigate relationship between factors influencing selection of implementation approach and companies' ability to stay within budget when implementing ERPs. The question is: do factors...... of an implementation approach; 2) companies with information strategies are more likely to stay within budget regarding ERP systems implementation. However, we also found that: 3) implementation approach does not significantly influence ability to stay within budget; 4) a clear relationship between factors influencing...

Low complexity transmit antenna selection with power balancing in OFDM systems

KAUST Repository

Park, Kihong

2010-10-01

In this paper, we consider multi-carrier systems with multiple transmit antennas under the power balancing constraint, which is defined as the constraint that the power on each antenna should be limited under a certain level due to the linearity of the power amplifier of the RF chain. Applying transmit antenna selection and fixed-power variable-rate transmission per subcarrier as a function of channel variations, we propose an implementation-friendly antenna selection method which offers a reduced complexity in comparison with the optimal antenna selection scheme. More specifically, in order to solve the subcarrier imbalance across the antennas, we operate a two-step reallocation procedure to minimize the loss of spectral efficiency. We also provide an analytic lower bound on the spectral efficiency for the proposed scheme. From selected numerical results, we show that our suboptimal scheme offers almost the same spectral efficiency as the optimal one. © 2010 IEEE.

Factors involved in the selection of limestone reagents for use in wet FGD systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarvis, J.B.; Roothaan, E.S.; Meserole, F.B.; Owens, D.R.

1992-01-01

With recent activity in the design and construction of retrofit flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems, many utilities are faced with the task of selecting limestones which will allow FGD systems to function as designed, and at the same time, provide cost-effective operation. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has sponsored research to identify factors which should be considered in the reagent selection process. A set of capabilities has been developed which is currently being employed to assist six utilities in selecting cost-effective reagent sources. The major elements in the selection package consist of an analytical characterization of candidate limestones; grindability, reactivity, and magnesium availability testing; and performance modeling utilizing EPRI's FGD PRocess Integration and Simulation Model (FGDPRISM). The results from these measurements are used to perform a site-specific economic analysis which can be used to rank the candidate limestones and quantify the impact of various limestone properties on plant operating costs. This paper includes a description of each element in the selection package along with a review of current research activities aimed at improving predictions of limestone reactivity and magnesium availability. An example is presented which illustrates how reactivity and magnesium availability affect both the performance of an FGD system and plant operating costs

Sandia National Laboratories, California sewer system management plan.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holland, Robert C.

2010-02-01

A Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) is required by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) for Sanitary Sewer Systems (General Permit). DOE, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Sandia Site Office has filed a Notice of Intent to be covered under this General Permit. The General Permit requires a proactive approach to reduce the number and frequency of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) within the State. SSMPs must include provisions to provide proper and efficient management, operation, and maintenance of sanitary sewer systems and must contain a spill response plan. Elements of this Plan are under development in accordance with the SWRCB's schedule.

New detection systems of bacteria using highly selective media designed by SMART: selective medium-design algorithm restricted by two constraints.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takeshi Kawanishi

Full Text Available Culturing is an indispensable technique in microbiological research, and culturing with selective media has played a crucial role in the detection of pathogenic microorganisms and the isolation of commercially useful microorganisms from environmental samples. Although numerous selective media have been developed in empirical studies, unintended microorganisms often grow on such media probably due to the enormous numbers of microorganisms in the environment. Here, we present a novel strategy for designing highly selective media based on two selective agents, a carbon source and antimicrobials. We named our strategy SMART for highly Selective Medium-design Algorithm Restricted by Two constraints. To test whether the SMART method is applicable to a wide range of microorganisms, we developed selective media for Burkholderia glumae, Acidovorax avenae, Pectobacterium carotovorum, Ralstonia solanacearum, and Xanthomonas campestris. The series of media developed by SMART specifically allowed growth of the targeted bacteria. Because these selective media exhibited high specificity for growth of the target bacteria compared to established selective media, we applied three notable detection technologies: paper-based, flow cytometry-based, and color change-based detection systems for target bacteria species. SMART facilitates not only the development of novel techniques for detecting specific bacteria, but also our understanding of the ecology and epidemiology of the targeted bacteria.

Tailoring NIST Security Controls for the Ground System: Selection and Implementation -- Recommendations for Information System Owners

Science.gov (United States)

Takamura, Eduardo; Mangum, Kevin

2016-01-01

. Certain protective measures for the general enterprise may not be as efficient within the ground segment. This is what the authors have concluded through observations and analysis of patterns identified from the various security assessments performed on NASA missions such as MAVEN, OSIRIS-REx, New Horizons and TESS, to name a few. The security audits confirmed that the framework for managing information system security developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the federal government, and adopted by NASA, is indeed effective. However, the selection of the technical, operational and management security controls offered by the NIST model - and how they are implemented - does not always fit the nature and the environment where the ground system operates in even though there is no apparent impact on mission success. The authors observed that unfit controls, that is, controls that are not necessarily applicable or sufficiently effective in protecting the mission systems, are often selected to facilitate compliance with security requirements and organizational expectations even if the selected controls offer minimum or non-existent protection. This paper identifies some of the standard security controls that can in fact protect the ground system, and which of them offer little or no benefit at all. It offers multiple scenarios from real security audits in which the controls are not effective without, of course, disclosing any sensitive information about the missions assessed. In addition to selection and implementation of controls, the paper also discusses potential impact of recent legislation such as the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 - aimed at the enterprise - on the ground system, and offers other recommendations to Information System Owners (ISOs).

Model Selection and Risk Estimation with Applications to Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equation Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Frederik Vissing

eective computational tools for estimating unknown structures in dynamical systems, such as gene regulatory networks, which may be used to predict downstream eects of interventions in the system. A recommended algorithm based on the computational tools is presented and thoroughly tested in various......Broadly speaking, this thesis is devoted to model selection applied to ordinary dierential equations and risk estimation under model selection. A model selection framework was developed for modelling time course data by ordinary dierential equations. The framework is accompanied by the R software...... package, episode. This package incorporates a collection of sparsity inducing penalties into two types of loss functions: a squared loss function relying on numerically solving the equations and an approximate loss function based on inverse collocation methods. The goal of this framework is to provide...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Saarland, Germany: a statewide admission prevalence screening study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathias Herrmann

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The screening of hospital admission patients for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA is of undisputed value in controlling and reducing the overall MRSA burden; yet, a concerted parallel universal screening intervention throughout all hospitals of an entire German Federal State has not yet been performed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: During a four-week period, all 24 acute care hospitals of the State of Saarland participated in admission prevalence screening. Overall, 436/20,027 screened patients revealed MRSA carrier status (prevalence, 2.2/100 patients with geriatrics and intensive care departments associated with highest prevalence (7.6/100 and 6.3/100, respectively. Risk factor analysis among 17,975 admission patients yielded MRSA history (OR, 4.3; CI₉₅ 2.7-6.8, a skin condition (OR, 3.2; CI₉₅ 2.1-5.0, and/or an indwelling catheter (OR, 2.2; CI₉₅ 1.4-3.5 among the leading risks. Hierarchical risk factor ascertainment of the six risk factors associated with highest odd's ratios would require 31% of patients to be laboratory screened to allow for detection of 67% of all MRSA positive admission patients in the State. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: State-wide admission prevalence screening in conjunction with risk factor ascertainment yields important information on the distribution of the MRSA burden for hospitals, and allows for data-based decisions on local or institutional MRSA screening policies considering risk factor prevalence and expected MRSA identification rates.

Impact of Maine's statewide nutrition policy on high school food environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Whatley Blum, Janet E; Beaudoin, Christina M; O'Brien, Liam M; Polacsek, Michele; Harris, David E; O'Rourke, Karen A

2011-01-01

We assessed the effect on the food environments of public high schools of Maine's statewide nutrition policy (Chapter 51), which banned "foods of minimal nutritional value" (FMNV) in public high schools that participated in federally funded meal programs. We documented allowable exceptions to the policy and describe the school food environments. We mailed surveys to 89 high school food-service directors to assess availability pre-Chapter 51 and post-Chapter 51 of soda, other sugar-sweetened beverages, and junk food. Frequency data were tabulated pre-Chapter 51 and post-Chapter 51, and Fisher exact test was used to assess significance in changes. We conducted food and beverage inventories at 11 high schools. The survey return rate was 61% (N = 54). Availability of soda in student vending significantly decreased pre-Chapter 51 versus post-Chapter 51 (P = .04). No significant changes were found for other sugar-sweetened beverages and junk food. Exceptions to Chapter 51 were permitted to staff (67%), to the public (86%), and in career and technical education programs (31%). Inventories in a subset of schools found no availability of soda for students, whereas other sugar-sweetened beverages and junk food were widely available in à la carte, vending machines, and school stores. Candy, considered a FMNV, was freely available. Soda advertisement on school grounds was common. Student vending choices improved after the implementation of Chapter 51; however, use of FMNV as the policy standard may be limiting, as availability of other sugar-sweetened beverages and junk food was pervasive. School environments were not necessarily supportive of the policy, as advertisement of soda was common and some FMNV were available. Furthermore, local exceptions to Chapter 51 likely reduced the overall effect of the policy.

45 CFR 1355.52 - Funding authority for statewide automated child welfare information systems (SACWIS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... welfare information systems (SACWIS). 1355.52 Section 1355.52 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to... welfare information systems (SACWIS). (a) States may receive Federal reimbursement at the 75 percent match... information system, to the extent such system: (1) Provides for the State to collect and electronically report...

Numerical and classical analysis of V/STOL aircraft using selected propulsion systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, S. B., III; Kidwell, G. H., Jr.; Christiansen, R. S.

1981-01-01

The development needed for the evolution of selected V/STOL research vehicles into optimized antisubmarine warfare (ASW) aircraft configurations, using numerical procedures and traditional analytical methods, has been examined. Three propulsion systems, which represent state-of-the-art development aimed at solving the thrust-vectoring and attitude-control problems of V/STOL aircraft, are analyzed. The use of NASA computer programs for aircraft synthesis (ACSYNT), and for optimizing configurations (COMMIN), coupled with contractor-supplied propulsion system data provides for accurate performance prediction of the selected ASW configurations. Particular emphasis on the transition phase between the research vehicle and the optimized configuration demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of using generic research aircraft instead of building prototypes to demonstrate new technology

Variationally optimal selection of slow coordinates and reaction coordinates in macromolecular systems

Science.gov (United States)

Noe, Frank

To efficiently simulate and generate understanding from simulations of complex macromolecular systems, the concept of slow collective coordinates or reaction coordinates is of fundamental importance. Here we will introduce variational approaches to approximate the slow coordinates and the reaction coordinates between selected end-states given MD simulations of the macromolecular system and a (possibly large) basis set of candidate coordinates. We will then discuss how to select physically intuitive order paremeters that are good surrogates of this variationally optimal result. These result can be used in order to construct Markov state models or other models of the stationary and kinetics properties, in order to parametrize low-dimensional / coarse-grained model of the dynamics. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, European Research Council.

Selection of procurement systems in the South African construction industry: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. D. Thwala

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose of this paper: Procurement systems are vital in ensuring the successful implementation of construction projects precisely in all the phases of any particular project. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate in a systematic manner the factors that influence the selection of a procurement system in the South African construction industry. Research methodology: An extensive theory and literature review of procurement systems was conducted. The literature reviewed included a sample of case studies of procurement systems successfully implemented in completed building and civil engineering projects in South Africa. A questionnaire using a four-round Delphi survey method was used to conduct the empirical study in order to obtain participants' opinions about factors influencing the selection of procurement systems as well as the utility value of various procurement systems on each factor as identified. Finally, data analysis of both qualitative and quantitative techniques was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS. Findings: After qualitative analysis, findings of the literature reviewed suggest that factors that influence the selection of procurement systems cut across all the phases of the project as identified in this paper. Therefore, these factors are categorically classified into internal and external factors. Factors from the internal environment were further classified into client characteristics and project characteristics, with client characteristics comprising of variables such as clients' level of knowledge and control, political and social consideration, familiarity of procurement systems, competition, funding arrangement, government public/private sector projects and risk allocation whereas project characteristics comprise of factors (variables such as size and technical complexity of the project, influence of the project life cycle, expedited project delivery, time, quality and price certainty. Factors

Adding evidence-based behavioral weight loss strategies to a statewide wellness campaign: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Leahey, Tricia M; Thomas, Graham; Fava, Joseph L; Subak, Leslee L; Schembri, Michael; Krupel, Katie; Kumar, Rajiv; Weinberg, Brad; Wing, Rena R

2014-07-01

We determined the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of adding an evidence-based Internet behavioral weight loss intervention alone or combined with optional group sessions to ShapeUp Rhode Island 2011 (SURI), a 3-month statewide wellness campaign. We randomized participants (n = 230; body mass index = 34.3 ±6.8 kg/m(2); 84% female) to the standard SURI program (S) or to 1 of 2 enhanced programs: SURI plus Internet behavioral program (SI) or SI plus optional group sessions (SIG). The primary outcome was weight loss at the end of the 3-month program. Weight losses differed among all 3 conditions (S: 1.1% ±0.9%; SI: 4.2% ±0.6%; SIG: 6.1% ±0.6%; Ps ≤ .04). Both SI and SIG increased the percentage of individuals who achieved a 5% weight loss (SI: 42%; SIG: 54%; S: 7%; Ps < .001). Cost per kilogram of weight loss was similar for S ($39) and SI ($35); both were lower than SIG ($114). Although weight losses were greatest at the end of SURI with optional group sessions, the addition of an Internet behavioral program was the most cost-effective method to enhance weight losses.

Information Management System for the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)

Science.gov (United States)

Heald, T. C.; Redmann, G. H.

1973-01-01

A study was made to establish the requirements for an integrated state-wide information management system for water quality control and water quality rights for the State of California. The data sources and end requirements were analyzed for the data collected and used by the numerous agencies, both State and Federal, as well as the nine Regional Boards under the jurisdiction of the State Board. The report details the data interfaces and outlines the system design. A program plan and statement of work for implementation of the project is included.

Non-Precious Bimetallic Catalysts for Selective Dehydrogenation of an Organic Chemical Hydride System

KAUST Repository

Shaikh Ali, Anaam

2015-07-06

Methylcyclohexane (MCH)-Toluene (TOL) chemical hydride cycles as a hydrogen carrier system is successful with the selective dehydrogenation reaction of MCH to TOL, which has been achieved only using precious Pt-based catalysts. Herein, we report improved selectivity using non-precious metal nickel-based bimetallic catalysts, where the second metal occupies the unselective step sites.

A Selection Method for Power Generation Plants Used for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaiyong Hu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available As a promising and advanced technology, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS can be used to generate electricity using deep geothermal energy. In order to better utilize the EGS to produce electricity, power cycles’ selection maps are generated for people to choose the best system based on the geofluids’ temperature and dryness conditions. Optimizations on double-flash system (DF, flash-organic Rankine cycle system (FORC, and double-flash-organic Rankine cycle system (DFORC are carried out, and the single-flash (SF system is set as a reference system. The results indicate that each upgraded system (DF, FORC, and DFORC can produce more net power output compared with the SF system and can reach a maximum net power output under a given geofluid condition. For an organic Rankine cycle (ORC using R245fa as working fluid, the generated selection maps indicate that using the FORC system can produce more power than using other power cycles when the heat source temperature is below 170 °C. Either DF or DFORC systems could be an option if the heat source temperature is above 170 °C, but the DF system is more attractive under a relatively lower geofluid’s dryness and a higher temperature condition.

Establishing a Peer Client-Server Internet Architecture for Virginia's Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Bull, Glen; And Others

1996-01-01

Virginia's Public Education Network (PEN) was one of the first statewide public school Internet systems. PEN began as a regional pilot that led to the establishment of a regional prototype, Teacher-LINK. Teacher-LINK in turn became the basis for the statewide K-12 Internet system. Topics include PEN's educational content, Internet services, and…

Family-friendliness in Medical Studies in Baden-Württemberg. Results of a state-wide study.

Science.gov (United States)

Niehues, Johanna; Prospero, Katrin; Fegert, Jörg M; Liebhardt, Hubert

2012-01-01

This paper describes the results of the study on "Family-friendliness of the Medical Studies in Baden-Württemberg" carried out in 2009-2011 by the working group "Family, Time policy and E-Learning" of the University Hospital of Ulm, supported by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg. This state-wide survey of the studying conditions and personal circumstances of medical students with children at the five medical schools in Baden-Württemberg aims to describe existing and necessary factors of family-friendliness. A total of 238 students with children participated in the quantitative online survey conducted during the summer semester 2010 which was based on topics from previous qualitative interviews with student parents.The data shows that even though founding a family while at university is usually planned, student parents are faced with significant compatibility issues, demonstrating the need for additional measures to individualise course organisation and to make the curriculum more flexible. At the same time, the need to significantly increase information and advisory services alongside the establishment of additional support services for student parents is discernable. The study contributes to the debate on the family-friendliness of universities and university hospitals and adds practice-oriented approaches to solutions.

An optical authentication system based on imaging of excitation-selected lanthanide luminescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Carro-Temboury, Miguel R; Arppe, Riikka; Vosch, Tom; Sørensen, Thomas Just

2018-01-01

Secure data encryption relies heavily on one-way functions, and copy protection relies on features that are difficult to reproduce. We present an optical authentication system based on lanthanide luminescence from physical one-way functions or physical unclonable functions (PUFs). They cannot be reproduced and thus enable unbreakable encryption. Further, PUFs will prevent counterfeiting if tags with unique PUFs are grafted onto products. We have developed an authentication system that comprises a hardware reader, image analysis, and authentication software and physical keys that we demonstrate as an anticounterfeiting system. The physical keys are PUFs made from random patterns of taggants in polymer films on glass that can be imaged following selected excitation of particular lanthanide(III) ions doped into the individual taggants. This form of excitation-selected imaging ensures that by using at least two lanthanide(III) ion dopants, the random patterns cannot be copied, because the excitation selection will fail when using any other emitter. With the developed reader and software, the random patterns are read and digitized, which allows a digital pattern to be stored. This digital pattern or digital key can be used to authenticate the physical key in anticounterfeiting or to encrypt any message. The PUF key was produced with a staggering nominal encoding capacity of 7 3600 . Although the encoding capacity of the realized authentication system reduces to 6 × 10 104 , it is more than sufficient to completely preclude counterfeiting of products.

Multicriteria analysis in selecting the optimal variant of solar system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radziejowska Aleksandra

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Alternative energy sources are becoming more serious competition to traditional ways of generating energy. It becomes real integration of eco-energy with ecology, as well as the innovative technologies with low-energy construction. Apart from the cost an important issue are technical parameters of the equipment, durability, ease of installation, etc. The investor therefore is facing with the problem of decision-making to choose the best solution from the point of view of many criteria. In the article, the authors present the proposal to apply the methods of multi-criteria analysis to select the most beneficial variant of the solar system solutions. In this purpose will be use among other method: multivariate analysis of Saaty’s AHP, the taxonomic method of weighting factors and, belonging to a group of methods using outranking relations, the Promethee II method. Proposed comparative analysis can be used as a method for decision support during the selection of the most beneficial technological solution of solar installation and to evaluate operational efficiency existing buildings which will have implemented new systems.

Cultural selection drives the evolution of human communication systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamariz, Monica; Ellison, T Mark; Barr, Dale J; Fay, Nicolas

2014-08-07

Human communication systems evolve culturally, but the evolutionary mechanisms that drive this evolution are not well understood. Against a baseline that communication variants spread in a population following neutral evolutionary dynamics (also known as drift models), we tested the role of two cultural selection models: coordination- and content-biased. We constructed a parametrized mixed probabilistic model of the spread of communicative variants in four 8-person laboratory micro-societies engaged in a simple communication game. We found that selectionist models, working in combination, explain the majority of the empirical data. The best-fitting parameter setting includes an egocentric bias and a content bias, suggesting that participants retained their own previously used communicative variants unless they encountered a superior (content-biased) variant, in which case it was adopted. This novel pattern of results suggests that (i) a theory of the cultural evolution of human communication systems must integrate selectionist models and (ii) human communication systems are functionally adaptive complex systems.

A Soft Computing Based Approach Using Modified Selection Strategy for Feature Reduction of Medical Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kursat Zuhtuogullari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The systems consisting high input spaces require high processing times and memory usage. Most of the attribute selection algorithms have the problems of input dimensions limits and information storage problems. These problems are eliminated by means of developed feature reduction software using new modified selection mechanism with middle region solution candidates adding. The hybrid system software is constructed for reducing the input attributes of the systems with large number of input variables. The designed software also supports the roulette wheel selection mechanism. Linear order crossover is used as the recombination operator. In the genetic algorithm based soft computing methods, locking to the local solutions is also a problem which is eliminated by using developed software. Faster and effective results are obtained in the test procedures. Twelve input variables of the urological system have been reduced to the reducts (reduced input attributes with seven, six, and five elements. It can be seen from the obtained results that the developed software with modified selection has the advantages in the fields of memory allocation, execution time, classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values when compared with the other reduction algorithms by using the urological test data.

A soft computing based approach using modified selection strategy for feature reduction of medical systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuhtuogullari, Kursat; Allahverdi, Novruz; Arikan, Nihat

2013-01-01

The systems consisting high input spaces require high processing times and memory usage. Most of the attribute selection algorithms have the problems of input dimensions limits and information storage problems. These problems are eliminated by means of developed feature reduction software using new modified selection mechanism with middle region solution candidates adding. The hybrid system software is constructed for reducing the input attributes of the systems with large number of input variables. The designed software also supports the roulette wheel selection mechanism. Linear order crossover is used as the recombination operator. In the genetic algorithm based soft computing methods, locking to the local solutions is also a problem which is eliminated by using developed software. Faster and effective results are obtained in the test procedures. Twelve input variables of the urological system have been reduced to the reducts (reduced input attributes) with seven, six, and five elements. It can be seen from the obtained results that the developed software with modified selection has the advantages in the fields of memory allocation, execution time, classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values when compared with the other reduction algorithms by using the urological test data.

Selected papers from the 2nd IEEEE Nordic Circuits and Systems Conference (NorCAS), 2016

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sparsø, Jens

2018-01-01

This special issue includes selected papers from the 2nd IEEEE Nordic Circuits and Systems Conference (NorCAS), held in Linköping, Sweden, October 24-25, 2016. The IEEE NorCAS conference is the main circuits and systems event of the Nordic and Baltic countries representing both academia and the e......This special issue includes selected papers from the 2nd IEEEE Nordic Circuits and Systems Conference (NorCAS), held in Linköping, Sweden, October 24-25, 2016. The IEEE NorCAS conference is the main circuits and systems event of the Nordic and Baltic countries representing both academia...

Effects of a Statewide Protocol for the Management of Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis on Microbial Profiles and Antimicrobial Susceptibilities: A Retrospective Five-Year Review.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, Amanda L; Carson, Christine F; Inglis, Timothy J J; Chakera, Aron

2015-12-01

♦ Peritonitis is a major complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early empirical antibiotic therapy is recommended, with the choice of agents guided by local resistance patterns. As routine use of specific antimicrobial agents can drive resistance, regular assessment of causative organisms and their susceptibility to empirical therapy is essential. ♦ We conducted a retrospective review of all PD peritonitis cases and positive PD fluid cultures obtained over a 5-year period in Western Australia following the introduction of a statewide protocol for the initial management of PD peritonitis with intraperitoneal vancomycin and gentamicin. ♦ The incidence of PD peritonitis decreased from 1 in 16 patient months (0.75/year at risk) to 1 in 29 patient months (0.41/year at risk) over the 5 years. There were 1,319 culture-positive samples and 1,069 unique isolates identified. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 69.9% of positive cultures, with vancomycin resistance averaging 2% over the study period. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 25.4% of positive cultures, with gentamicin resistance identified in an average of 8% of organisms. No increase in antimicrobial resistance to vancomycin or gentamicin occurred over the 5 years and there was no change in the proportion of gram-positive (69.9%), gram-negative (25.4%) or fungal (4.4%) organisms causing PD peritonitis. ♦ Over time, the peritonitis rates have dramatically improved although the profile of causative organisms remains similar. Empirical treatment of PD peritonitis with intraperitoneal vancomycin and gentamicin remains efficacious, with high levels of susceptibility and no evidence that the introduction of this statewide empirical PD peritonitis treatment protocol is driving resistance to these agents. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

Selective catalytic reduction system and process using a pre-sulfated zirconia binder

Science.gov (United States)

Sobolevskiy, Anatoly; Rossin, Joseph A.

2010-06-29

A selective catalytic reduction (SCR) process with a palladium catalyst for reducing NOx in a gas, using hydrogen as a reducing agent is provided. The process comprises contacting the gas stream with a catalyst system, the catalyst system comprising (ZrO.sub.2)SO.sub.4, palladium, and a pre-sulfated zirconia binder. The inclusion of a pre-sulfated zirconia binder substantially increases the durability of a Pd-based SCR catalyst system. A system for implementing the disclosed process is further provided.

Use of public health nurse competencies to develop a childcare health consultant workforce.

Science.gov (United States)

Wold, Judith Lupo; Gaines, Sherry K; Leary, Janie M

2006-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the efforts in the state of Georgia to train public health nurse-childcare health consultants (PHN-CCHCs) using the framework of the "Core competencies for public health practice." The goal of the training was twofold: (1) to prepare a statewide cadre of PHNs as the primary workforce for Georgia's emerging childcare health consultation (CCHC) system and (2) to prepare their district nurse directors to lead and support CCHCs. Administrators attended a 2-day workshop followed by access to executive coaching for their management teams. PHNs participated in a three-phase training program, with phases 1 and 3 offered as 3-day workshops with field experiences, and phase 2 offered online and as a practicum. Forty-four administrators and over 85 PHN-CCHCs completed the training. Graduates of the program reported satisfaction with training and reported the use of PHN core competencies in CCHC. Graduates also found enhanced skills in using core competencies to be applicable to a variety of population-based practices. Beyond CCHC being instituted in selected health districts, interest in CCHC has occurred statewide. The PHN-CCHC program enhanced the knowledge and use of core competencies and heightened interest in CCHC statewide.

Michigan Pharmacists Transforming Care and Quality: Developing a Statewide Collaborative of Physician Organizations and Pharmacists to Improve Quality of Care and Reduce Costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Choe, Hae Mi; Lin, Alexandra Tungol; Kobernik, Kathleen; Cohen, Marc; Wesolowicz, Laurie; Qureshi, Nabeel; Leyden, Tom; Share, David A; Darland, Rozanne; Spahlinger, David A

2018-04-01

Inappropriate drug use, increasing complexity of drug regimens, continued pressure to control costs, and focus on shared accountability for clinical measures drive the need to leverage the medication expertise of pharmacists in direct patient care. A statewide strategy based on the collaboration of pharmacists and physicians regarding patient care was developed to improve disease state management and medication-related outcomes. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) partnered with Michigan Medicine to develop and implement a statewide provider-payer program called Michigan Pharmacists Transforming Care and Quality (MPTCQ), which integrates pharmacists within physician practices throughout the state of Michigan. As the MPTCQ Coordinating Center, Michigan Medicine established an infrastructure integrating clinical pharmacists into direct patient care within patient-centered medical home (PCMH) practices and provides direction and guidance for quality and process improvement across physician organizations (POs) and their affiliated physician practices. The primary goal of MPTCQ is to improve patient care and outcomes related to Medicare star ratings and HEDIS measures through integration of clinical pharmacists into direct patient care. The short-term goal is to adopt and modify Michigan Medicine's integrated pharmacist practice model at participating POs, with the long-term goal of developing a sustainable model of pharmacist integration at each PO to improve patient care and outcomes. Initially, pharmacists are delivering disease management (diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) and comprehensive medication review services with future plans to expand clinical services. In 2015, 10 POs participated in year 1 of the program. In collaboration with the MPTCQ Coordinating Center, each PO identified 1 "pharmacist transformation champion" (PTC). The PTC implemented the integrated pharmacist model at 2 or 3 practice sites with at least 2 practicing physicians per

The selection criteria elements of X-ray optics system

Science.gov (United States)

Plotnikova, I. V.; Chicherina, N. V.; Bays, S. S.; Bildanov, R. G.; Stary, O.

2018-01-01

At the design of new modifications of x-ray tomography there are difficulties in the right choice of elements of X-ray optical system. Now this problem is solved by practical consideration, selection of values of the corresponding parameters - tension on an x-ray tube taking into account the thickness and type of the studied material. For reduction of time and labor input of design it is necessary to create the criteria of the choice, to determine key parameters and characteristics of elements. In the article two main elements of X-ray optical system - an x-ray tube and the detector of x-ray radiation - are considered. Criteria of the choice of elements, their key characteristics, the main dependences of parameters, quality indicators and also recommendations according to the choice of elements of x-ray systems are received.

THE PROJECT OF THE EXPERT SYSTEM TO SUPPORTING OF SELECTION OF PARTS AND ASSEMBLIES OF MACHINES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian RZYDZIK

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper the design of the expert system that supports mechanical engineer in the process of selecting the parts and assemblies was presented. In the description of the proposed expert system, was made reference to the general form of such systems, that consist of such components as: user interface, inference engine, knowledge base and database. It also, scenario that describes the steps of the use of the proposed expert system was presented. Finally, an example of the use the expert system during the selection of the components of the drive system was shown.

A Novel Greeting Selection System for a Culture-Adaptive Humanoid Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriele Trovato

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Robots, especially humanoids, are expected to perform human-like actions and adapt to our ways of communication in order to facilitate their acceptance in human society. Among humans, rules of communication change depending on background culture: greetings are a part of communication in which cultural differences are strong. Robots should adapt to these specific differences in order to communicate effectively, being able to select the appropriate manner of greeting for different cultures depending on the social context. In this paper, we present the modelling of social factors that influence greeting choice, and the resulting novel culture-dependent greeting gesture and words selection system. An experiment with German participants was run using the humanoid robot ARMAR-IIIb. Thanks to this system, the robot, after interacting with Germans, can perform greeting gestures appropriate to German culture in addition to a repertoire of greetings appropriate to Japanese culture.

Safety Standard for Oxygen and Oxygen Systems: Guidelines for Oxygen System Design, Materials Selection, Operations, Storage, and Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

1996-01-01

NASA's standard for oxygen system design, materials selection, operation, and transportation is presented. Minimum guidelines applicable to NASA Headquarters and all NASA Field Installations are contained.

Safety approach to the selection of design criteria for the CRBRP reactor refueling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meisl, C.J.; Berg, G.E.; Sharkey, N.F.

1979-01-01

The selection of safety design criteria for Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) refueling systems required the extrapolation of regulations and guidelines intended for Light Water Reactor refueling systems and was encumbered by the lack of benefit from a commercially licensed predecessor other than Fermi. The overall approach and underlying logic are described for developing safety design criteria for the reactor refueling system (RRS) of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP). The complete selection process used to establish the criteria is presented, from the definition of safety functions to the finalization of safety design criteria in the appropriate documents. The process steps are illustrated by examples

Fabrication and comparison of selective, transparent optics for concentrating solar systems

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Robert A.; Hewakuruppu, Yasitha; DeJarnette, Drew; Otanicar, Todd P.

2015-09-01

Concentrating optics enable solar thermal energy to be harvested at high temperature (solar) wavelengths, but highly reflective at long (thermal emission) wavelengths. If a solar system requires an analogous transparent, non-absorbing optic - i.e. a cover material which is highly transparent at short wavelengths, but highly reflective at long wavelengths - the technology is simply not available. Low-e glass technology represents a commercially viable option for this sector, but it has only been optimized for visible light transmission. Optically thin metal hole-arrays are another feasible solution, but are often difficult to fabricate. This study investigates combinations of thin film coatings of transparent conductive oxides and nanoparticles as a potential low cost solution for selective solar covers. This paper experimentally compares readily available materials deposited on various substrates and ranks them via an `efficiency factor for selectivity', which represents the efficiency of radiative exchange in a solar collector. Out of the materials studied, indium tin oxide and thin films of ZnS-Ag-ZnS represent the most feasible solutions for concentrated solar systems. Overall, this study provides an engineering design approach and guide for creating scalable, selective, transparent optics which could potentially be imbedded within conventional low-e glass production techniques.

Energy Efficiency Analysis of Antenna Selection Techniques in Massive MIMO-OFDM System with Hardware Impairments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anuj Singal

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In massive multiple-input multiple-output (M-MIMO systems, a large number of antennas increase system complexity as well as the cost of hardware. In this paper, we propose an M-MIMO-OFDM model using per-subcarrier antenna selection and bulk antenna selection schemes to mitigate these problems. Also, we derive a new uplink and downlink energy efficiency (EE equation for the M-MIMO-OFDM system by taking into consideration the antenna selection schemes, power scaling factor (g=0.25,  0.5, and a range of hardware impairments {κBS, κUEϵ (0, 0.052, 0.12}. In addition, we investigate a trend of EE by varying various parameters like number of base station antennas (BSAs, SNR, level of hardware impairments, total circuit power consumption, power optimization, antenna selection schemes, and power scaling factor in the proposed M-MIMO-OFDM model. The simulation results thus obtained show that the EE increases with increase in the value of SNR. Also, it increases abruptly up to 100 number of BSA. However, the increase in the EE is not significant in the range of 125 to 400 number of BSA. Further, the bulk antenna selection technique has comparatively more EE than the per-subcarrier antenna selection. Moreover, EE gaps between antenna selection schemes decrease with increase in the value of hardware impairments and power scaling factor. However, as the hardware degradation effect increases, the EE of the bulk antenna selection scheme suffers more degradation as compared to the Per-subcarrier antenna selection scheme. It has also been observed that EE performance is inversely proportional to the total circuit power consumption (λ+γ and it increases with the power optimization.

PROJECT W-551 INTERIM PRETREATMENT SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY SELECTION SUMMARY DECISION REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CONRAD EA

2008-01-01

This report provides the conclusions of the tank farm interim pretreatment technology decision process. It documents the methodology, data, and results of the selection of cross-flow filtration and ion exchange technologies for implementation in project W-551, Interim Pretreatment System. This selection resulted from the evaluation of specific scope criteria using quantitative and qualitative analyses, group workshops, and technical expert personnel

Evaluation of a prototype decision support system for selecting trench cap designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paige, G.B.; Stone, J.J.; Lane, L.J.

1996-01-01

A computer-based prototype decision support system (PDSS) to assist the risk manager in selecting an appropriate trench cap design for waste disposal sites is evaluated. The selection of the open-quotes bestclose quotes design among feasible alternatives requires consideration of multiple and often conflicting objectives. The methodology used in the selection process consists of. selecting and parameterizing decision variables, using data, simulation models, or expert opinion; selecting feasible trench cap design alternatives; ordering the decision variables and ranking the design alternatives. The simulation models incorporated in the PDSS are the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model which is used to simulate the trench cap water balance and the Chemicals, Runoff, and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems (CREAMS) erosion component that is used to simulate trench cap erosion. The decision model is based on multi-objective decision theory and uses a unique approach to order the decision variables and rank the design alternatives. The PDSS is evaluated using the Hill Air Force Base landfill cover demonstration project. The water balance and surface erosion of four alternative landfill cover designs were monitored for a 4-yr period. Two of the cover designs were used to calibrate and test the simulation models. The results of the PDSS, using both data from all four designs and long-term simulations from two of the designs, illustrate the relative advantages of each of the cover designs and which cover is the open-quotes bestclose quotes alternative for a given set of criteria and a particular importance order of those decision criteria. 22 refs., 6 figs., 4 tabs

34 CFR 361.23 - Requirements related to the statewide workforce investment system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... technology for individuals with disabilities; (ii) The use of information and financial management systems... resources and specification of the financial responsibility of each partner of the One-Stop service delivery... the Act, this part, other Federal requirements, and State law; and (vi) The specification of...

Research on ration selection of mixed absorbent solution for membrane air-conditioning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiu-Wei; Zhang, Xiao-Song; Wang, Fang; Zhao, Xiao; Zhang, Zhuo

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We derive models of the membrane air-conditioning system with mixed absorbents. • We make analysis on system COP, cost-effectiveness and economy. • The paper provides a new method for ideal absorbent selection. • The solutes concentration of 50% achieves the best cost-effectiveness and the economy. - Abstract: Absorption air-conditioning system is a good alternative to vapor compression system for developing low carbon society. To improve the performance of the traditional absorption system, the membrane air-conditioning system is configured and its COP can reach as high as 6. Mixed absorbents are potential for cost reduction of the membrane system while maintaining a high COP. On the purpose of finding ideal mixed absorbent groups, this paper makes analysis on COP, cost-effectiveness and economy of the membrane system with mixed LiBr–CaCl 2 absorbent solution. The models of the system have been developed for the analysis. The results show the COP is higher for the absorbent groups with lower concentration of the total solute and higher concentration ratio of LiBr. It also reveals when the total solutes concentration is about 50%, it achieves the best cost-effectiveness and the economy. The process of the analysis provides a useful method for mixed absorbents selection

Non-antibiotic selection systems for soybean somatic embryos: the lysine analog aminoethyl-cysteine as a selection agent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwanyuen Prachuab

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In soybean somatic embryo transformation, the standard selection agent currently used is hygromycin. It may be preferable to avoid use of antibiotic resistance genes in foods. The objective of these experiments was to develop a selection system for producing transgenic soybean somatic embryos without the use of antibiotics such as hygromycin. Results When tested against different alternate selection agents our studies show that 0.16 μg/mL glufosinate, 40 mg/L isopropylamine-glyphosate, 0.5 mg/mL (S-(2 aminoethyl-L-cysteine (AEC and the acetolactate synthase (ALS inhibitors Exceed® and Synchrony® both at 150 μg/mL inhibited soybean somatic embryo growth. Even at the concentration of 2 mg/mL, lysine+threonine (LT were poor selection agents. The use of AEC may be preferable since it is a natural compound. Unlike the plant enzyme, dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHPS from E. coli is not feed-back inhibited by physiological concentrations of lysine. The dapA gene which codes for E. coli DHPS was expressed in soybean somatic embryos under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter. Following introduction of the construct into embryogenic tissue of soybean, transgenic events were recovered by incubating the tissue in liquid medium containing AEC at a concentration of 5 mM. Only transgenic soybeans were able to grow at this concentration of AEC; no escapes were observed. Conclusion Genetically engineered soybeans expressing a lysine insensitive DHPS gene can be selected with the non-antibiotic selection agent AEC. We also report here the inhibitory effects of glufosinate, (isopropylamine-glyphosate (Roundup®, AEC and the ALS inhibitors Exceed® and Synchrony® against different tissues of soybean

Selection of engineering materials for heat exchangers (An expert system approach)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, K.; Abou-Ali, M.; Bassuni, M.

1997-01-01

The materials selection as a part of the design process of the heat exchangers is one of the most important steps in the whole industry. The clear recognition of the service requirements of the different types of the heat exchangers is very important to select the adequate and economic materials to meet such requirements. of course the manufacturer should ensure that failure does not occur in service specially it is one of the main and fetal component of the nuclear reactor, pressurized water type (PWR). It is necessary to know the possible mechanisms of failure. Also the achievement of the materials selection using the expert system approach in the process sequence of heat exchanger manufacturing is introduced. Different parameters and requirements controlling each process and the linkage between these parameters and the final product will be shown. 2 figs., 3 tabs

Materials selection guidelines for geothermal energy utilization systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellis, P.F. II; Conover, M.F.

1981-01-01

This manual includes geothermal fluid chemistry, corrosion test data, and materials operating experience. Systems using geothermal energy in El Salvador, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States are described. The manual provides materials selection guidelines for surface equipment of future geothermal energy systems. The key chemical species that are significant in determining corrosiveness of geothermal fluids are identified. The utilization modes of geothermal energy are defined as well as the various physical fluid parameters that affect corrosiveness. Both detailed and summarized results of materials performance tests and applicable operating experiences from forty sites throughout the world are presented. The application of various non-metal materials in geothermal environments are discussed. Included in appendices are: corrosion behavior of specific alloy classes in geothermal fluids, corrosion in seawater desalination plants, worldwide geothermal power production, DOE-sponsored utilization projects, plant availability, relative costs of alloys, and composition of alloys. (MHR)

Facilitators and Barriers of Implementing a Measurement Feedback System in Public Youth Mental Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotte, Amelia; Hill, Kaitlin A; Mah, Albert C; Korathu-Larson, Priya A; Au, Janelle R; Izmirian, Sonia; Keir, Scott S; Nakamura, Brad J; Higa-McMillan, Charmaine K

2016-11-01

This study examines implementation facilitators and barriers of a statewide roll-out of a measurement feedback system (MFS) in a youth public mental health system. 76 % of all state care coordinators (N = 47) completed interviews, which were coded via content analysis until saturation. Facilitators (e.g., recognition of the MFS's clinical utility) and barriers (e.g., MFS's reliability and validity) emerged paralleling the Exploration, Adoption/Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment framework outlined by Aarons et al. (Adm Policy Mental Health Mental Health Serv Res, 38:4-23, 2011). Sustainment efforts may leverage innovation fit, individual adopter, and system related facilitators.

A Novel Extension Decision-Making Method for Selecting Solar Power Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-Hui Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the complex parameters of a solar power system, the designer not only must think about the load demand but also needs to consider the price, weight, and annual power generating capacity (APGC and maximum power of the solar system. It is an important task to find the optimal solar power system with many parameters. Therefore, this paper presents a novel decision-making method based on the extension theory; we call it extension decision-making method (EDMM. Using the EDMM can make it quick to select the optimal solar power system. The paper proposed this method not only to provide a useful estimated tool for the solar system engineers but also to supply the important reference with the installation of solar systems to the consumer.

Sensor selection and chemo-sensory optimization: toward an adaptable chemo-sensory system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander eVergara

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past two decades, despite the tremendous research effort performed on chemical sensors and machine olfaction to develop micro-sensory systems that will accomplish the growing existent needs in personal health (implantable sensors, environment monitoring (widely distributed sensor networks, and security/threat detection (chemo/bio warfare agents, simple, low-cost molecular sensing platforms capable of long-term autonomous operation remain beyond the current state-of-the-art of chemical sensing. A fundamental issue within this context is that most of the chemical sensors depend on interactions between the targeted species and the surfaces functionalized with receptors that bind the target species selectively, and that these binding events are coupled with transduction processes that begin to change when they are exposed to the messy world of real samples. With the advent of fundamental breakthroughs at the intersection of materials science, micro/nano-technology, and signal processing, hybrid chemo-sensory systems have incorporated tunable, optimizable operating parameters, through which changes in the response characteristics can be modeled and compensated as the environmental conditions or application needs change.The objective of this article, in this context, is to bring together the key advances at the device, data processing, and system levels that enable chemo-sensory systems to adapt in response to their environments. Accordingly, in this review we will feature the research effort made by selected experts on chemical sensing and information theory, whose work has been devoted to develop strategies that provide tunability and adaptability to single sensor devices or sensory array systems. Particularly, we consider sensor-array selection, modulation of internal sensing parameters, and active sensing. The article ends with some conclusions drawn from the results presented and a visionary look toward the future in terms of how the

Components of formalized description of selecting tools for ensuring stability of banking system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.P. Pogorelenko

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A banking system is one of the key elements of a financial market of any country. Effectiveness and functional orientation of a banking system provide continuous and targeted financial resources flowing between different sectors of economy and this allows to perform economic activities of various entities. Thus, a banking system plays an essential role in the formation of market relations. A question of stable functioning of a banking system can be defined as a key one. The basic task is to improve the management of a banking system by achieving its stability. The disclosure of formalized description of the definition of tools to influence the selection procedure for ensuring stability of a banking system should be determined as the primary objective. For reaching the goal a comparative study has been introduced and generalized concerning the concept definition of «banking system» and the ideology of its management according to the circumstances and factors of influence. The combination of individual components is to determine the instruments of influence on the banking system activity in the form of chain ties. On the base of the analysis carried out the article grounds the necessity of the generalized use of formalized description of the procedures for selecting instruments for ensuring stability of a banking system. For the purpose of this procedure the author has also grounded, determined and disclosed some of its components. To implement the relevant qualitative phase of formalization the author has proposed the use of chain patterns, and to quantify the individual parameters of such a procedure the methodology of border stochastic analysis has been offered. As a scientific novelty of the present research it is necessary to note the qualitative and quantitative phases for formal presentation of describing procedures for the selection of tools to ensure banking system stability as well as the introduction of chain schemes for the

Noninvasive imaging systems for gametes and embryo selection in IVF programs: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Omidi, Marjan; Faramarzi, Azita; Agharahimi, Azam; Khalili, Mohammad Ali

2017-09-01

Optimizing the efficiency of the in vitro fertilization procedure by improving pregnancy rates and reducing the risks of multiple pregnancies simultaneously are the primary goals of the current assisted reproductive technology program. With the move to single embryo transfers, the need for more cost-effective and noninvasive methods for embryo selection prior to transfer is paramount. These aims require advancement in a more acquire gametes/embryo testing and selection procedures using high-tech devices. Therefore, the aim of the present review is to evaluate the efficacy of noninvasive imaging systems in the current literatures, focusing on the potential clinical application in infertile patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatments. In this regards, three advanced imaging systems of motile sperm organelle morphology examination, polarization microscopy and time-lapse monitoring for the best selection of the gametes and preimplantation embryos are introduced in full. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

Selected parameters of moulding sands for designing quality control systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Jakubski

2010-07-01

Full Text Available One of the modern methods of production optimisation are artificial neural networks. Neural networks owe their popularity to the fact thatthey are convenient tools, which can be utilised in a wide scope of problems. They are capable of reflecting complex functions. Especiallytheir non-linearity should be emphasised. They are gaining wider and wider application in the foundry industry, among others, to controlmelting processes in cupolas and arc furnaces, designing castings and supply systems, control of moulding sands treatments, prediction ofproperties of cast alloys as well as selecting die casting.An attempt of the application neural networks to the quality control of moulding sands with bentonite is presented in the paper. This isa method of assessing the suitability of moulding sands by finding correlations in between individual parameters, by means of artificialneural network systems. The presented investigations were performed with the application of the Statistica 8.0 program.The investigations were aimed at the selection of the proper kind of a neural network for prediction a sand moistness on the bases ofcertain moulding sand properties such as: permeability, compactibility and friability. These parameters – determined as sand moistness functions - were introduced as initial parameters.Application of the Statistica program allowed for an automatic selection of the most suitable network for the reflection of dependencies and interactions existing among the proposed parameters. The best results were obtained for unidirectional multi-layer perception network (MLP. The neural network sensitivity to individual moulding sand parameters was determined, which allowed to reject not important parameters when constructing the network.

Equivalence of Linear MMSE Detection in DS-CDMA and MC-CDMA Systems over Time and Frequency Selective Channels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamer A. Kadous

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of this paper is to compare the performance of the linear minimum mean square error (MMSE detector for a class of code division multiple access (CDMA systems in time and frequency selective channels. Specifically, we consider direct sequence (DS-CDMA, multicarrier (MC-CDMA, and the MC-DS-CDMA systems. Two key tools are used in our development. First, a general time-frequency framework that includes the different CDMA systems as special cases. Second, the duality between time and frequency domains that is used to derive equivalences between the different CDMA systems operating over purely frequency selective and purely time selective channels. We then combine the insights obtained from these special cases to assess the performance of CDMA systems over time and frequency selective channels. We provide sufficient conditions for the codes employed by the CDMA systems for the equivalences to hold. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the results.

Selecting, adapting, and sustaining programs in health care systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zullig LL

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Leah L Zullig,1,2 Hayden B Bosworth1–4 1Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; 2Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; 3School of Nursing, 4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Abstract: Practitioners and researchers often design behavioral programs that are effective for a specific population or problem. Despite their success in a controlled setting, relatively few programs are scaled up and implemented in health care systems. Planning for scale-up is a critical, yet often overlooked, element in the process of program design. Equally as important is understanding how to select a program that has already been developed, and adapt and implement the program to meet specific organizational goals. This adaptation and implementation requires attention to organizational goals, available resources, and program cost. We assert that translational behavioral medicine necessitates expanding successful programs beyond a stand-alone research study. This paper describes key factors to consider when selecting, adapting, and sustaining programs for scale-up in large health care systems and applies the Knowledge to Action (KTA Framework to a case study, illustrating knowledge creation and an action cycle of implementation and evaluation activities. Keywords: program sustainability, diffusion of innovation, information dissemination, health services research, intervention studies 

A statewide review of postnatal care in private hospitals in Victoria, Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Forster Della A

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Concerns have been raised in Australia and internationally regarding the quality and effectiveness of hospital postnatal care, although Australian women receiving postnatal care in the private maternity sector rate their satisfaction with care more highly than women receiving public maternity care. In Victoria, Australia, two-thirds of women receive their maternity care in the public sector and the remainder in private health care sector. A statewide review of public hospital postnatal care in Victoria from the perspective of care providers found many barriers to care provision including the busyness of postnatal wards, inadequate staffing and priority being given to other episodes of care; however the study did not include private hospitals. The aim of this study was replicate the review in the private sector, to explore the structure and organisation of postnatal care in private hospitals and identify those aspects of care potentially impacting on women's experiences and maternal and infant care. This provides a more complete overview of the organisational structures and processes in postnatal care in all Victorian hospitals from the perspective of care providers. Methods A mixed method design was used. A structured postal survey was sent to all Victorian private hospitals (n = 19 and key informant interviews were undertaken with selected clinical midwives, maternity unit managers and obstetricians (n = 11. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and interview data analysed thematically. Results Private hospital care providers report that postnatal care is provided in very busy environments, and that meeting the aims of postnatal care (breastfeeding support, education of parents and facilitating rest and recovery for women following birth was difficult in the context of increased acuity of postnatal care; prioritising of other areas over postnatal care; high midwife-to-woman ratios; and the number and

Comparison between genetic fuzzy system and neuro fuzzy system to select oil wells for hydraulic fracturing; Comparacao entre genetic fuzzy system e neuro fuzzy system para selecao de pocos de petroleo para fraturamento hidraulico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, Antonio Orestes de Salvo [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Ferreira Filho, Virgilio Jose Martins [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil)

2004-07-01

The hydraulic fracture operation is wide used to increase the oil wells production and to reduce formation damage. Reservoir studies and engineer analysis are made to select the wells for this kind of operation. As the reservoir parameters have some diffuses characteristics, Fuzzy Inference Systems (SIF) have been tested for this selection processes in the last few years. This paper compares the performance of a neuro fuzzy system and a genetic fuzzy system used for hydraulic Fracture well selection, with knowledge acquisition from an operational data base to set the SIF membership functions. The training data and the validation data used were the same for both systems. We concluded that, in despite of the genetic fuzzy system would be a younger process, it got better results than the neuro fuzzy system. Another conclusion was that, as the genetic fuzzy system can work with constraints, the membership functions setting kept the consistency of variables linguistic values. (author)

Selecting effective persuasive strategies in behavior change support systems: Third International Workshop on Behavior Change Support Systems (BCSS 2015)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kelders, Saskia Marion; Kulyk, Olga Anatoliyivna; van Gemert-Pijnen, Julia E.W.C.; Oinas-Kukkonen, Harri; Kelders, Saskia; Kulyk, Olga; van Gemert-Pijnen, Lisette; Oinas-Kukkonen, Harri

2015-01-01

The Third International Workshop on Behavior Change Support Systems provides a place to discuss recent advances in BCSS research. The selected papers show that research into behavior change support systems is expanding: not only by trying to reach more and other people, but also by expanding the

Costs and effects of a state-wide health promotion program in primary schools in Germany - the Baden-Württemberg Study: A cluster-randomized, controlled trial.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorothea Kesztyüs

Full Text Available To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the state-wide implementation of the health promotion program "Join the Healthy Boat" in primary schools in Germany.Cluster-randomized intervention trial with wait-list control group. Anthropometric data of 1733 participating children (7.1 ± 0.6 years were taken by trained staff before and after a one year intervention period in the academic year 2010/11. Parents provided information about the health status, and the health behaviour of their children and themselves, parental anthropometrics, and socio-economic background variables. Incidence of abdominal obesity, defined as waist-to-height ratio (WHtR ≥ 0.5, was determined. Generalized linear models were applied to account for the clustering of data within schools, and to adjust for baseline-values. Losses to follow-up and missing data were analysed. From a societal perspective, the overall costs, costs per pupil, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER to identify the costs per case of averted abdominal obesity were calculated.The final regression model for the incidence of abdominal obesity shows lower odds for the intervention group after an adjustment for grade, gender, baseline WHtR, and breakfast habits (odds ratio = 0.48, 95% CI [0.25; 0.94]. The intervention costs per child/year were €25.04. The costs per incidental case of averted abdominal obesity varied between €1515 and €1993, depending on the different dimensions of the target group.This study demonstrates the positive effects of state-wide, school-based health promotion on incidental abdominal obesity, at affordable costs and with proven cost-effectiveness. These results should support allocative decisions of policymakers. An early start to the prevention of abdominal obesity is of particular importance because of its close relationship to non-communicable diseases.German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS, Freiburg University, Germany, DRKS-ID: DRKS00000494.

Social assessment of siting a low-level radioactive waste storage facility in Michigan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoffle, R.W.; Traugott, M.J.; Stone, J.V.; McIntyre, P.D.; Davidson, C.C.; Jensen, F.V.; Coover, G.E.

1990-01-01

This report presents findings from a social assessment of siting a low-level radioactive waste storage facility in Michigan. Social assessments derive from direct interaction between researchers and study participants. The report is organized into five chapters. Chapter One, Summary of Findings, focuses on key findings from the statewide telephone surveys and the in-depth ethnographic study conducted by the SNR/ISR study team. These and additional findings are discussed in greater detail in the three subsequent chapters. Chapter Two, Statewide Telephone Survey Findings, presents the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs statewide residents have regarding the LLRW project. Chapter Three, Statewide Demographic Findings, presents a detailed examination of differences among various demographic groups and includes regional analysis. Chapter Four, Hillsdale-area Ethnographic Study Findings, discusses perceived impacts of the proposed LLRW storage facility on local residents who mistakenly came to believe that their area had been specially selected as the location for the facility. Specifically, the chapter presents the development, spread, shape and persistence of what is termed a risk perception shadow in the greater Hillsdale area. Possible causes of the shadow also are discussed, and comparisons are made between statewide and Hillsdale-area survey populations. Chapter Five, Research Methods, presents a discussion of the social assessment research methods used to derive these findings

Airbreathing engine selection criteria for SSTO propulsion system

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkami, Yoshiaki; Maita, Masataka

1995-02-01

This paper presents airbreathing engine selection criteria to be applied to the propulsion system of a Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO). To establish the criteria, a relation among three major parameters, i.e., delta-V capability, weight penalty, and effective specific impulse of the engine subsystem, is derived as compared to these parameters of the LH2/LOX rocket engine. The effective specific impulse is a function of the engine I(sub sp) and vehicle thrust-to-drag ratio which is approximated by a function of the vehicle velocity. The weight penalty includes the engine dry weight, cooling subsystem weight. The delta-V capability is defined by the velocity region starting from the minimum operating velocity up to the maximum velocity. The vehicle feasibility is investigated in terms of the structural and propellant weights, which requires an iteration process adjusting the system parameters. The system parameters are computed by iteration based on the Newton-Raphson method. It has been concluded that performance in the higher velocity region is extremely important so that the airbreathing engines are required to operate beyond the velocity equivalent to the rocket engine exhaust velocity (approximately 4500 m/s).

Installation of spectrally selective imaging system in RF negative ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, K.; Kisaki, M.; Nagaoka, K.; Nakano, H.; Osakabe, M.; Tsumori, K.; Kaneko, O.; Takeiri, Y.; Wünderlich, D.; Fantz, U.; Heinemann, B.; Geng, S.

2016-01-01

A spectrally selective imaging system has been installed in the RF negative ion source in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor-relevant negative ion beam test facility ELISE (Extraction from a Large Ion Source Experiment) to investigate distribution of hydrogen Balmer-α emission (H α ) close to the production surface of hydrogen negative ion. We selected a GigE vision camera coupled with an optical band-path filter, which can be controlled remotely using high speed network connection. A distribution of H α emission near the bias plate has been clearly observed. The same time trend on H α intensities measured by the imaging diagnostic and the optical emission spectroscopy is confirmed

An expert system for estimating production rates and costs for hardwood group-selection harvests

Science.gov (United States)

Chris B. LeDoux; B. Gopalakrishnan; R. S. Pabba

2003-01-01

As forest managers shift their focus from stands to entire ecosystems alternative harvesting methods such as group selection are being used increasingly. Results of several field time and motion studies and simulation runs were incorporated into an expert system for estimating production rates and costs associated with harvests of group-selection units of various size...

Development of a selection support expert system of mathematical models for dynamic simulation of liquid-vapor two-phase flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gofuku, Akio; Shimizu, Kenji; Sugano, Keiji; Morimoto, Takashi; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu; Wakabayashi, Jiro

1992-01-01

This paper deals with computerized supporting techniques of a numerical simulation of complex and large-scale engineering systems like nuclear power plants. As an example of the intelligent support systems of dynamic simulation, a prototype expert system is developed on an expert system development tool to support the selection of mathematical model which is a first step of numerical simulation and is required both wide expert knowledge and high-level decision making. The expert system supports the selection of liquid-vapor two phase flow models (fluid model and constitutive equations) consistent with simulation purpose and condition in the case of thermal-hydraulic simulation of nuclear power plants. The possibility of the expert system is examined for various selection support cases by both investigation of the appropriateness of the selection support logic and comparison between support results and decision results of several experts. (author)

Selecting a pharmacy layout design using a weighted scoring system.

Science.gov (United States)

McDowell, Alissa L; Huang, Yu-Li

2012-05-01

A weighted scoring system was used to select a pharmacy layout redesign. Facilities layout design techniques were applied at a local hospital pharmacy using a step-by-step design process. The process involved observing and analyzing the current situation, observing the current available space, completing activity flow charts of the pharmacy processes, completing communication and material relationship charts to detail which areas in the pharmacy were related to one another and how they were related, researching applications in other pharmacies or in scholarly works that could be beneficial, numerically defining space requirements for areas within the pharmacy, measuring the available space within the pharmacy, developing a set of preliminary designs, and modifying preliminary designs so they were all acceptable to the pharmacy staff. To select a final layout that could be implemented in the pharmacy, those layouts were compared via a weighted scoring system. The weighted aspect further allowed additional emphasis on categories based on their effect on pharmacy performance. The results produced a beneficial layout design as determined through simulated models of the pharmacy operation that more effectively allocated and strategically located space to improve transportation distances and materials handling, employee utilization, and ergonomics. Facilities layout designs for a hospital pharmacy were evaluated using a weighted scoring system to identify a design that was superior to both the current layout and alternative layouts in terms of feasibility, cost, patient safety, employee safety, flexibility, robustness, transportation distance, employee utilization, objective adherence, maintainability, usability, and environmental impact.

Reconceptualization of the Diffusion Process: An Application of Selected Principles from Modern Systems Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Silver, Wayne

A description of the communication behaviors in high innovation societies depends on the application of selected principles from modern systems theory. The first is the principle of equifinality which explains the activities of open systems. If the researcher views society as an open system, he frees himself from the client approach since society…

A Multidisciplinary Research Team Approach to Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) System Selection. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Franken, Ken; And Others

A multidisciplinary research team was assembled to review existing computer-aided drafting (CAD) systems for the purpose of enabling staff in the Design Drafting Department at Linn Technical College (Missouri) to select the best system out of the many CAD systems in existence. During the initial stage of the evaluation project, researchers…

Outcome of the 'Drip-and-Ship' Paradigm among Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Results of a Statewide Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Qureshi, Adnan I; Chaudhry, Saqib A; Rodriguez, Gustavo J; Suri, M Fareed K; Lakshminarayan, Kamakshi; Ezzeddine, Mustapha A

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: The 'drip-and-ship' paradigm denotes a treatment regimen in patients in whom intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is initiated at the emergency department (ED) of a community hospital, followed by transfer within 24 h to a comprehensive stroke center. Although the drip-and-ship paradigm has the potential to increase the number of patients who receive IV rt-PA, comparative outcomes have not been assessed at a population-based level. METHODS: Statewide estimates of thrombolysis, associated in-hospital outcomes, and hospitalization charges were obtained from 2008-2009 Minnesota Hospital Association data for all patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Patients who were assigned the drip-and-ship code [International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) V45.88] were classified under the drip-and-ship paradigm. Patients who underwent thrombolysis (ICD-9-CM code 99.10) without drip-and-ship code were classified as primary ED arrival. Patient outcomes were analyzed after stratification into patients treated with IV rt-PA through primary ED arrival or drip-and-ship paradigm. RESULTS: Of the 21,024 admissions, 602 (2.86%) received IV rt-PA either through primary ED arrival (n = 473) or the drip-and-ship paradigm (n = 129). IV rt-PA was administered in 30 hospitals, of which 13 hospitals used the drip-and-ship paradigm; the number of patients treated with the drip-and-ship paradigm varied from 1 to 40 between the 13 hospitals. The rates of secondary intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage were higher in patients treated with IV rt-PA through primary ED arrival compared with those treated with the drip-and-ship paradigm (8.5 vs. 3.1%, respectively; p = 0.038). The in-hospital mortality rate was similar among ischemic stroke patients receiving IV rt-PA through primary ED arrival or the drip-and-ship paradigm (5.9 vs. 7.0%, respectively). The mean hospital charges were USD

A multichip aVLSI system emulating orientation selectivity of primary visual cortical cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimonomura, Kazuhiro; Yagi, Tetsuya

2005-07-01

In this paper, we designed and fabricated a multichip neuromorphic analog very large scale integrated (aVLSI) system, which emulates the orientation selective response of the simple cell in the primary visual cortex. The system consists of a silicon retina and an orientation chip. An image, which is filtered by a concentric center-surround (CS) antagonistic receptive field of the silicon retina, is transferred to the orientation chip. The image transfer from the silicon retina to the orientation chip is carried out with analog signals. The orientation chip selectively aggregates multiple pixels of the silicon retina, mimicking the feedforward model proposed by Hubel and Wiesel. The chip provides the orientation-selective (OS) outputs which are tuned to 0 degrees, 60 degrees, and 120 degrees. The feed-forward aggregation reduces the fixed pattern noise that is due to the mismatch of the transistors in the orientation chip. The spatial properties of the orientation selective response were examined in terms of the adjustable parameters of the chip, i.e., the number of aggregated pixels and size of the receptive field of the silicon retina. The multichip aVLSI architecture used in the present study can be applied to implement higher order cells such as the complex cell of the primary visual cortex.

BioEnergy transport systems. Life cycle assessment of selected bioenergy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forsberg, Goeran

1999-07-01

Biomass for energy conversion is usually considered as a local resource. With appropriate logistic systems, access to biomass can be improved over a large geographical area. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used as method to investigate the environmental impacts of selected bioenergy transport chains. As a case study, chains starting in Sweden and ending in Holland have been investigated. Biomass originates from tree sections or forest residues, the latter upgraded to bales or pellets. The study is concentrated on production of electricity, hot cooling water is considered as a loss. Electricity is, as the main case, produced from solid biomass in the importing country. Electricity can also be produced in the country of origin and exported via the trans-national grid as transportation media. As an alternative, a comparison is made with a coal cycle. The results show that contribution of emissions from long-range transportation is of minor importance. The use of fuels and electricity for operating machines and transportation carriers requires a net energy input in bioenergy systems which amounts to typically 7-9% of delivered electrical energy from the system. Emissions of key substances such as NO{sub x}, CO, S, hydrocarbons, and particles are low. Emissions of CO{sub 2} from biocombustion are considered to be zero since there is approximately no net contribution of carbon to the biosphere in an energy system based on biomass. A method to quantify non-renewability is presented. For coal, the non-renewability factor is calculated to be 110%. For most of the cases with bioenergy, the non-renewability factor is calculated to be between 6 and 11%. Reclamation of biomass results in certain losses of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and base cations such as K, Ca and Mg. These are balanced by weathering, vitalisation or ash recirculation procedures. Withdrawal of N from the ecological system is approximately 10 times the load from the technical

The rare and undiagnosed diseases diagnostic service - application of massively parallel sequencing in a state-wide clinical service.

Science.gov (United States)

Baynam, Gareth; Pachter, Nicholas; McKenzie, Fiona; Townshend, Sharon; Slee, Jennie; Kiraly-Borri, Cathy; Vasudevan, Anand; Hawkins, Anne; Broley, Stephanie; Schofield, Lyn; Verhoef, Hedwig; Walker, Caroline E; Molster, Caron; Blackwell, Jenefer M; Jamieson, Sarra; Tang, Dave; Lassmann, Timo; Mina, Kym; Beilby, John; Davis, Mark; Laing, Nigel; Murphy, Lesley; Weeramanthri, Tarun; Dawkins, Hugh; Goldblatt, Jack

2016-06-11

The Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases Diagnostic Service (RUDDS) refers to a genomic diagnostic platform operating within the Western Australian Government clinical services delivered through Genetic Services of Western Australia (GSWA). GSWA has provided a state-wide service for clinical genetic care for 28 years and it serves a population of 2.5 million people across a geographical area of 2.5milion Km(2). Within this context, GSWA has established a clinically integrated genomic diagnostic platform in partnership with other public health system managers and service providers, including but not limited to the Office of Population Health Genomics, Diagnostic Genomics (PathWest Laboratories) and with executive level support from the Department of Health. Herein we describe report presents the components of this service that are most relevant to the heterogeneity of paediatric clinical genetic care. Briefly the platform : i) offers multiple options including non-genetic testing; monogenic and genomic (targeted in silico filtered and whole exome) analysis; and matchmaking; ii) is delivered in a patient-centric manner that is resonant with the patient journey, it has multiple points for entry, exit and re-entry to allow people access to information they can use, when they want to receive it; iii) is synchronous with precision phenotyping methods; iv) captures new knowledge, including multiple expert review; v) is integrated with current translational genomic research activities and best practice; and vi) is designed for flexibility for interactive generation of, and integration with, clinical research for diagnostics, community engagement, policy and models of care. The RUDDS has been established as part of routine clinical genetic services and is thus sustainable, equitably managed and seeks to translate new knowledge into efficient diagnostics and improved health for the whole community.

Perceptual Color Space Representations in the Oculomotor System Are Modulated by Surround Suppression and Biased Selection

OpenAIRE

Kehoe, Devin H.; Rahimi, Maryam; Fallah, Mazyar

2018-01-01

The oculomotor system utilizes color extensively for planning saccades. Therefore, we examined how the oculomotor system actually encodes color and several factors that modulate these representations: attention-based surround suppression and inherent biases in selecting and encoding color categories. We measured saccade trajectories while human participants performed a memory-guided saccade task with color targets and distractors and examined whether oculomotor target selection processing was...

Toward the development of the direct and selective detection of nitrates by a bioinspired Mo-Cu system.

Science.gov (United States)

Marom, Hanit; Popowski, Yanay; Antonov, Svetlana; Gozin, Michael

2011-10-21

The development of a new platform for the direct and selective detection of nitrates is described. Two thioether-based chemosensors and the corresponding sulfoxides and sulfones were prepared, and their photophysical properties were evaluated. Upon selective sulfoxidation of these thioethers with nitrates via an oxygen-transfer reaction promoted by a bioinspired Mo-Cu system, significant fluorescence shifts were measured. A selective response of these systems, discriminating between nitrate salts and H(2)O(2), was also shown. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Selection of initial events of accelerator driven subcritical system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Qianglong; Hu Liqin; Wang Jiaqun; Li Yazhou; Yang Zhiyi

2013-01-01

The Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) is an important tool in reactor safety analysis and a significant reference to the design and operation of reactor. It is the origin and foundation of the PSA for a reactor to select the initial events. Accelerator Driven Subcritical System (ADS) has advanced design characteristics, complicated subsystems and little engineering and operating experience, which makes it much more difficult to identify the initial events of ADS. Based on the current design project of ADS, the system's safety characteristics and special issues were analyzed in this article. After a series of deductions with Master Logic Diagram (MLD) and considering the relating experience of other advanced research reactors, a preliminary initial events was listed finally, which provided the foundation for the next safety assessment. (authors)

Proposed system for the use of evaluation factors in the source selection of service contractors

OpenAIRE

Pingel, Richard Douglas

1981-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Technical personnel are increasingly being required to perform vital functions as proposal evaluators in the source selection process for which they have not been properly trained. This research effort provides a comprehensive system for source selection using price and other factors in a form aimed at the technical professionals that support field acquisition activities. All examples selected are from the general acquisition area of...

Information-theoretic model selection for optimal prediction of stochastic dynamical systems from data

Science.gov (United States)

Darmon, David

2018-03-01

In the absence of mechanistic or phenomenological models of real-world systems, data-driven models become necessary. The discovery of various embedding theorems in the 1980s and 1990s motivated a powerful set of tools for analyzing deterministic dynamical systems via delay-coordinate embeddings of observations of their component states. However, in many branches of science, the condition of operational determinism is not satisfied, and stochastic models must be brought to bear. For such stochastic models, the tool set developed for delay-coordinate embedding is no longer appropriate, and a new toolkit must be developed. We present an information-theoretic criterion, the negative log-predictive likelihood, for selecting the embedding dimension for a predictively optimal data-driven model of a stochastic dynamical system. We develop a nonparametric estimator for the negative log-predictive likelihood and compare its performance to a recently proposed criterion based on active information storage. Finally, we show how the output of the model selection procedure can be used to compare candidate predictors for a stochastic system to an information-theoretic lower bound.

Year 2000 Compliance of Selected Mission Critical Command, Control, and Communications Systems Managed by The Defense Information Systems Agency

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1999-01-01

...) has adequately planned for and managed year 2000 conversion risks to avoid undue disruption to selected mission critical command, control, and communications systems used in support of Unified...

Mode Selection Rules for a Two-Delay System with Positive and Negative Feedback Loops

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Kin'ya; Kobayashi, Taizo

2018-04-01

The mode selection rules for a two-delay system, which has negative feedback with a short delay time t1 and positive feedback with a long delay time t2, are studied numerically and theoretically. We find two types of mode selection rules depending on the strength of the negative feedback. When the strength of the negative feedback |α1| (α1 0), 2m + 1-th harmonic oscillation is well sustained in a neighborhood of t1/t2 = even/odd, i.e., relevant condition. In a neighborhood of the irrelevant condition given by t1/t2 = odd/even or t1/t2 = odd/odd, higher harmonic oscillations are observed. However, if |α1| is slightly less than α2, a different mode selection rule works, where the condition t1/t2 = odd/even is relevant and the conditions t1/t2 = odd/odd and t1/t2 = even/odd are irrelevant. These mode selection rules are different from the mode selection rule of the normal two-delay system with two positive feedback loops, where t1/t2 = odd/odd is relevant and the others are irrelevant. The two types of mode selection rules are induced by individually different mechanisms controlling the Hopf bifurcation, i.e., the Hopf bifurcation controlled by the "boosted bifurcation process" and by the "anomalous bifurcation process", which occur for |α1| below and above the threshold value αth, respectively.

Optimization of cell line development in the GS-CHO expression system using a high-throughput, single cell-based clone selection system.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Tsuyoshi; Omasa, Takeshi

2015-09-01

Therapeutic antibodies are commonly produced by high-expressing, clonal and recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. Currently, CHO cells dominate as a commercial production host because of their ease of use, established regulatory track record, and safety profile. CHO-K1SV is a suspension, protein-free-adapted CHO-K1-derived cell line employing the glutamine synthetase (GS) gene expression system (GS-CHO expression system). The selection of high-producing mammalian cell lines is a crucial step in process development for the production of therapeutic antibodies. In general, cloning by the limiting dilution method is used to isolate high-producing monoclonal CHO cells. However, the limiting dilution method is time consuming and has a low probability of monoclonality. To minimize the duration and increase the probability of obtaining high-producing clones with high monoclonality, an automated single cell-based clone selector, the ClonePix FL system, is available. In this study, we applied the high-throughput ClonePix FL system for cell line development using CHO-K1SV cells and investigated efficient conditions for single cell-based clone selection. CHO-K1SV cell growth at the pre-picking stage was improved by optimizing the formulation of semi-solid medium. The efficiency of picking and cell growth at the post-picking stage was improved by optimization of the plating time without decreasing the diversity of clones. The conditions for selection, including the medium formulation, were the most important factors for the single cell-based clone selection system to construct a high-producing CHO cell line. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SELECTED REQUIREMENTS OF INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS BASED ON PAS 99 SPECIFICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paweł Nowicki

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The aim this research was to analyze the ways of integration of management systems in food sector. The study involved the documentation, audits, corrective and preventive actions and management's review phases described in the specification PAS 99, which is one of common elements of integrated management systems. Four organizations were selected for the study. The organizations had introduced and certified at least two standardized management systems. It was assumed that the investigated organizations should have implemented the HACCP system. Studies were conducted as a case study. The employees responsible for the functioning of management systems were interviewed in all four organizations. The study was conducted in the form of in-depth interviews based on pre-prepared script. The scenario was developed based on the PAS 99 guideline. The process of integration of management systems implemented in the studied companies reveals the full compliance of an integrated management system with PASS 99 in the policy area.

Experiment selection for the discrimination of semi-quantitative models of dynamical systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vatcheva, [No Value; de Jong, H; Bernard, O; Mars, NJI

Modeling an experimental system often results in a number of alternative models that are all justified by the available experimental data. To discriminate among these models, additional experiments are needed. Existing methods for the selection of discriminatory experiments in statistics and in

Costs and effects of a state-wide health promotion program in primary schools in Germany – the Baden-Württemberg Study: A cluster-randomized, controlled trial

Science.gov (United States)

Kesztyüs, Tibor; Kilian, Reinhold; Steinacker, Jürgen M

2017-01-01

Aim To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the state-wide implementation of the health promotion program “Join the Healthy Boat” in primary schools in Germany. Methods Cluster-randomized intervention trial with wait-list control group. Anthropometric data of 1733 participating children (7.1 ± 0.6 years) were taken by trained staff before and after a one year intervention period in the academic year 2010/11. Parents provided information about the health status, and the health behaviour of their children and themselves, parental anthropometrics, and socio-economic background variables. Incidence of abdominal obesity, defined as waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) ≥ 0.5, was determined. Generalized linear models were applied to account for the clustering of data within schools, and to adjust for baseline-values. Losses to follow-up and missing data were analysed. From a societal perspective, the overall costs, costs per pupil, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) to identify the costs per case of averted abdominal obesity were calculated. Results The final regression model for the incidence of abdominal obesity shows lower odds for the intervention group after an adjustment for grade, gender, baseline WHtR, and breakfast habits (odds ratio = 0.48, 95% CI [0.25; 0.94]). The intervention costs per child/year were €25.04. The costs per incidental case of averted abdominal obesity varied between €1515 and €1993, depending on the different dimensions of the target group. Conclusion This study demonstrates the positive effects of state-wide, school-based health promotion on incidental abdominal obesity, at affordable costs and with proven cost-effectiveness. These results should support allocative decisions of policymakers. An early start to the prevention of abdominal obesity is of particular importance because of its close relationship to non-communicable diseases. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), Freiburg University, Germany

Development of a statewide transportation data warehousing and mining system under the Louisiana Transportation Information System (LATIS) Program.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-01

The objectives of this study are to assess whether introducing a data warehousing/data mining system in Louisiana would be feasible and beneficial. The study sets out to identify the features of the most suitable system for the state as well as to ou...

Hemi-ordered nanoporous carbon electrode material for highly selective determination of nitrite in physiological and environmental systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Shenghai; Wu, Hongmin; Wu, Ying; Shi, Hongyan; Feng, Xun; Jiang, Shang; Chen, Jian; Song, Wenbo, E-mail: wbsong@jlu.edu.cn

2014-08-01

Hemi-ordered nanoporous carbon (HONC) was obtained from a mesoporous silica template through a nano-replication method using furfuryl alcohol as the carbon source. The structure and morphology of HONC were characterized and analyzed in detail by X-ray diffraction, N{sub 2}-sorption, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. HONC was then demonstrated as active electrode material for selective determination of nitrite in either physiological or environmental system. Well separated oxidation peaks of ascorbic acid, dopamine, uric acid and nitrite were observed in physiological system, and simultaneous discrimination of catechol, hydroquinone, resorcinol and nitrite in environmental system was also accomplished. Distinctly improved performances for selective determination of nitrite (such as significantly fast and sensitive current response with especially high selectivity) coexisted with ascorbic acid, dopamine and uric acid in the physiological system, as well as with catechol, hydroquinone and resorcinol in the environmental system were achieved at HONC electrode material. The excellent discriminating ability and high selectivity for NO{sub 2}{sup −} determination were ascribed to the good electronic conductivity, unique hemi-ordered porous structure, large surface area and large number of edge plane defect sites contained on the surface of nanopore walls of HONC. Results in this work demonstrated that HONC is one of the promising catalytic electrode materials for nitrite sensor fabrication. - Highlights: • Hemi-ordered nanoporous carbon as an active electrode material • Good discriminating ability towards NO{sub 2}{sup −} from physiological or environmental system • Highly selective determination of nitrite with fast and sensitive current response.

Coaching and Quality Assistance in Quality Rating Improvement Systems: Approaches Used by TA Providers to Improve Quality in Early Care and Education Programs and Home-Based Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Sheila; Robbins, Taylor; Schneider, Will; Kreader, J. Lee; Ong, Christine

2012-01-01

Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRISs) commonly offer on-site technical assistance (TA) and coaching to help early care and education settings achieve quality improvements and a higher QRIS rating. In surveys of administrators overseeing statewide QRISs, almost all states reported the use of on-site TA and coaching in both center-based and…

Selection of an Alternate Biocide for the ISS Internal Thermal Control System Coolant, Phase 2

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Mark E.; Cole, Harold; Weir, Natalee; Oehler, Bill; Steele, John; Varsik, Jerry; Lukens, Clark

2004-01-01

The ISS (International Space Station) ITCS (Internal Thermal Control System) includes two internal coolant loops that utilize an aqueous based coolant for heat transfer. A silver salt biocide had previously been utilized as an additive in the coolant formulation to control the growth and proliferation of microorganisms within the coolant loops. Ground-based and in-flight testing demonstrated that the silver salt was rapidly depleted, and did not act as an effective long-term biocide. Efforts to select an optimal alternate biocide for the ITCS coolant application have been underway and are now in the final stages. An extensive evaluation of biocides was conducted to down-select to several candidates for test trials and was reported on previously. Criteria for that down-select included: the need for safe, non-intrusive implementation and operation in a functioning system; the ability to control existing planktonic and biofilm residing microorganisms; a negligible impact on system-wetted materials of construction; and a negligible reactivity with existing coolant additives. Candidate testing to provide data for the selection of an optimal alternate biocide is now in the final stages. That testing has included rapid biocide effectiveness screening using Biolog MT2 plates to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (amount that will inhibit visible growth of microorganisms), time kill studies to determine the exposure time required to completely eliminate organism growth, materials compatibility exposure evaluations, coolant compatibility studies, and bench-top simulated coolant testing. This paper reports the current status of the effort to select an alternate biocide for the ISS ITCS coolant. The results of various test results to select the optimal candidate are presented.

Optical Selection Rule of Excitons in Gapped Chiral Fermion Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoou; Shan, Wen-Yu; Xiao, Di

2018-02-01

We show that the exciton optical selection rule in gapped chiral fermion systems is governed by their winding number w , a topological quantity of the Bloch bands. Specifically, in a CN-invariant chiral fermion system, the angular momentum of bright exciton states is given by w ±1 +n N with n being an integer. We demonstrate our theory by proposing two chiral fermion systems capable of hosting dark s -like excitons: gapped surface states of a topological crystalline insulator with C4 rotational symmetry and biased 3 R -stacked MoS2 bilayers. In the latter case, we show that gating can be used to tune the s -like excitons from bright to dark by changing the winding number. Our theory thus provides a pathway to electrical control of optical transitions in two-dimensional material.

A natural language query system for Hubble Space Telescope proposal selection

Science.gov (United States)

Hornick, Thomas; Cohen, William; Miller, Glenn

1987-01-01

The proposal selection process for the Hubble Space Telescope is assisted by a robust and easy to use query program (TACOS). The system parses an English subset language sentence regardless of the order of the keyword phases, allowing the user a greater flexibility than a standard command query language. Capabilities for macro and procedure definition are also integrated. The system was designed for flexibility in both use and maintenance. In addition, TACOS can be applied to any knowledge domain that can be expressed in terms of a single reaction. The system was implemented mostly in Common LISP. The TACOS design is described in detail, with particular attention given to the implementation methods of sentence processing.

Selective harmonic elimination strategy in eleven level inverter for PV system with unbalanced DC sources

Science.gov (United States)

Ghoudelbourk, Sihem.; Dib, D.; Meghni, B.; Zouli, M.

2017-02-01

The paper deals with the multilevel converters control strategy for photovoltaic system integrated in distribution grids. The objective of the proposed work is to design multilevel inverters for solar energy applications so as to reduce the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) and to improve the power quality. The multilevel inverter power structure plays a vital role in every aspect of the power system. It is easier to produce a high-power, high-voltage inverter with the multilevel structure. The topologies of multilevel inverter have several advantages such as high output voltage, lower total harmonic distortion (THD) and reduction of voltage ratings of the power semiconductor switching devices. The proposed control strategy ensures an implementation of selective harmonic elimination (SHE) modulation for eleven levels. SHE is a very important and efficient strategy of eliminating selected harmonics by judicious selection of the firing angles of the inverter. Harmonics elimination technique eliminates the need of the expensive low pass filters in the system. Previous research considered that constant and equal DC sources with invariant behavior; however, this research extends earlier work to include variant DC sources, which are typical of lead-acid batteries when used in system PV. This Study also investigates methods to minimize the total harmonic distortion of the synthesized multilevel waveform and to help balance the battery voltage. The harmonic elimination method was used to eliminate selected lower dominant harmonics resulting from the inverter switching action.

Prognostic Health Management System: Component Selection Based on Risk Criteria and Economic Benefit Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham, B.T.; Agarwal, V.; Lybeck, N.J.; Tawfik, M.S.

2012-01-01

Long-term operation (LTO), i.e., beyond 60 years, of the current fleet of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is an important element in the overall energy stability of the United States in coming decades. Problem Statement and Proposed Approach: - For LTO of NPPs, early and proactive diagnosis of degradation at systems, structures, and components (SSCs) level is required; - Periodic maintenance versus Proactive maintenance; - Prognostic Health Monitoring (PHM) can be used to better manage aging and degradation mechanisms, including emerging mechanisms; - Selection of components is crucial for implementing the PHM system; - Approach is to develop a quantitative framework that aids systematic identification of plant components that are selected for cost-effective PHM.

Radiator selection for Space Station Solar Dynamic Power Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Mike; Hoehn, Frank

A study was conducted to define the best radiator for heat rejection of the Space Station Solar Dynamic Power System. Included in the study were radiators for both the Organic Rankine Cycle and Closed Brayton Cycle heat engines. A number of potential approaches were considered for the Organic Rankine Cycle and a constructable radiator was chosen. Detailed optimizations of this concept were conducted resulting in a baseline for inclusion into the ORC Preliminary Design. A number of approaches were also considered for the CBC radiator. For this application a deployed pumped liquid radiator was selected which was also refined resulting in a baseline for the CBC preliminary design. This paper reports the results and methodology of these studies and describes the preliminary designs of the Space Station Solar Dynamic Power System radiators for both of the candidate heat engine cycles.

Prognostic Health Monitoring System: Component Selection Based on Risk Criteria and Economic Benefit Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham, Binh T.; Agarwal, Vivek; Lybeck, Nancy J.; Tawfik, Magdy S.

2012-01-01

Prognostic health monitoring (PHM) is a proactive approach to monitor the ability of structures, systems, and components (SSCs) to withstand structural, thermal, and chemical loadings over the SSCs planned service lifespan. The current efforts to extend the operational license lifetime of the aging fleet of U.S. nuclear power plants from 40 to 60 years and beyond can benefit from a systematic application of PHM technology. Implementing a PHM system would strengthen the safety of nuclear power plants, reduce plant outage time, and reduce operation and maintenance costs. However, a nuclear power plant has thousands of SSCs, so implementing a PHM system that covers all SSCs requires careful planning and prioritization. This paper therefore focuses on a component selection that is based on the analysis of a component's failure probability, risk, and cost. Ultimately, the decision on component selection depends on the overall economical benefits arising from safety and operational considerations associated with implementing the PHM system. (author)

Performance-Based Technology Selection Filter description report. INEL Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration System Analysis project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O`Brien, M.C.; Morrison, J.L.; Morneau, R.A.; Rudin, M.J.; Richardson, J.G.

1992-05-01

A formal methodology has been developed for identifying technology gaps and assessing innovative or postulated technologies for inclusion in proposed Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) remediation systems. Called the Performance-Based Technology Selection Filter, the methodology provides a formalized selection process where technologies and systems are rated and assessments made based on performance measures, and regulatory and technical requirements. The results are auditable, and can be validated with field data. This analysis methodology will be applied to the remedial action of transuranic contaminated waste pits and trenches buried at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL).

Using automated environmental management information systems to enable compliance: Ten questions to answer before selecting a software system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilbert, J.B.

1999-07-01

As technology invades the arena of environmental information management, hundreds of software packages have become available in the marketplace. How does the already overwhelmed environmental manager or IT professional decide what's right for the organization? Is there a software package that meets the needs of the organization, and is there a successful way to implement the system? Does this require abandoning existing systems with which users are comfortable? Can the system really save time and/or money? This paper discusses three topics: What drives the need for a system; Ten questions to aid in selecting a system that is right for your organization; and enabling technology and software systems available today, and the future application of technology to environmental data management. Motivating factors for EMIS include regulatory, business and IT drivers. Because of the ever-increasing regulatory burden, the need to demonstrate compliance often is the strongest driver. But they cannot ignore business and IT drivers from the discussion, especially with issues such as Enterprise Resource Planning and The Year 2000 impacting many systems projects. Before selecting a system, the organization should address, at a minimum, the following ten issues: (1) Organization objectives; (2) Organization readiness; (3) High-level processes to be automated; (4) Integration and interfaces; (5) User community and needs; (6) Technical requirements; (7) Degree of customization; (8) Project timing; (9) Implementation resource needs; and (10) System justification. Today, there are hundreds of EH and S software packages available too help automate daily business processes. Only a few are multimedia packages, and all require significant implementation efforts. The EMIS market is still evolving, and software vendors continue to enhance product features and usability.

ptxD gene in combination with phosphite serves as a highly effective selection system to generate transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Pandeya, Devendra; Campbell, LeAnne M; Nunes, Eugenia; Lopez-Arredondo, Damar L; Janga, Madhusudhana R; Herrera-Estrella, Luis; Rathore, Keerti S

2017-12-01

This report demonstrates the usefulness of ptxD/phosphite as a selection system that not only provides a highly efficient and simple means to generate transgenic cotton plants, but also helps address many of the concerns related to the use of antibiotic and herbicide resistance genes in the production of transgenic crops. Two of the most popular dominant selectable marker systems for plant transformation are based on either antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes. Due to concerns regarding their safety and in order to stack multiple traits in a single plant, there is a need for alternative selectable marker genes. The ptxD gene, derived from Pseudomonas stutzeri WM88, that confers to cells the ability to convert phosphite (Phi) into orthophosphate (Pi) offers an alternative selectable marker gene as demonstrated for tobacco and maize. Here, we show that the ptxD gene in combination with a protocol based on selection medium containing Phi, as the sole source of phosphorus (P), can serve as an effective and efficient system to select for transformed cells and generate transgenic cotton plants. Fluorescence microscopy examination of the cultures under selection and molecular analyses on the regenerated plants demonstrate the efficacy of the system in recovering cotton transformants following Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Under the ptxD/Phi selection, an average of 3.43 transgenic events per 100 infected explants were recovered as opposed to only 0.41% recovery when bar/phosphinothricin (PPT) selection was used. The event recovery rates for nptII/kanamycin and hpt/hygromycin systems were 2.88 and 2.47%, respectively. Molecular analysis on regenerated events showed a selection efficiency of ~ 97% under the ptxD/Phi system. Thus, ptxD/Phi has proven to be a very efficient, positive selection system for the generation of transgenic cotton plants with equal or higher transformation efficiencies compared to the commonly used, negative selection systems.

Pure-Phase Selective Excitation in Fast-Relaxing Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zangger, Klaus; Oberer, Monika; Sterk, Heinz

2001-09-01

Selective pulses have been used frequently for small molecules. However, their application to proteins and other macromolecules has been limited. The long duration of shaped-selective pulses and the short T2 relaxation times in proteins often prohibited the use of highly selective pulses especially on larger biomolecules. A very selective excitation can be obtained within a short time by using the selective excitation sequence presented in this paper. Instead of using a shaped low-intensity radiofrequency pulse, a cluster of hard 90° pulses, delays of free precession, and pulsed field gradients can be used to selectively excite a narrow chemical shift range within a relatively short time. Thereby, off-resonance magnetization, which is allowed to evolve freely during the free precession intervals, is destroyed by the gradient pulses. Off-resonance excitation artifacts can be removed by random variation of the interpulse delays. This leads to an excitation profile with selectivity as well as phase and relaxation behavior superior to that of commonly used shaped-selective pulses. Since the evolution of scalar coupling is inherently suppressed during the double-selective excitation of two different scalar-coupled nuclei, the presented pulse cluster is especially suited for simultaneous highly selective excitation of N-H and C-H fragments. Experimental examples are demonstrated on hen egg white lysozyme (14 kD) and the bacterial antidote ParD (19 kD).

Multi-diversity combining and selection for relay-assisted mixed RF/FSO system

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Li; Wang, Weidong

2017-12-01

We propose and analyze multi-diversity combining and selection to enhance the performance of relay-assisted mixed radio frequency/free-space optics (RF/FSO) system. We focus on a practical scenario for cellular network where a single-antenna source is communicating to a multi-apertures destination through a relay equipped with multiple receive antennas and multiple transmit apertures. The RF single input multiple output (SIMO) links employ either maximal-ratio combining (MRC) or receive antenna selection (RAS), and the FSO multiple input multiple output (MIMO) links adopt either repetition coding (RC) or transmit laser selection (TLS). The performance is evaluated via an outage probability analysis over Rayleigh fading RF links and Gamma-Gamma atmospheric turbulence FSO links with pointing errors where channel state information (CSI) assisted amplify-and-forward (AF) scheme is considered. Asymptotic closed-form expressions at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are also derived. Coding gain and diversity order for different combining and selection schemes are further discussed. Numerical results are provided to verify and illustrate the analytical results.

77 FR 71449 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Benefit...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-30

... Accuracy (PCA) and Denied Claims Accuracy (DCA). States conduct intensive audits of statewide random... with software to edit the sampling frame files and to select the weekly PCA and DCA samples. This...

Perceptions of electronic health record implementation: a statewide survey of physicians in Rhode Island.

Science.gov (United States)

Wylie, Matthew C; Baier, Rosa R; Gardner, Rebekah L

2014-10-01

Although electronic health record use improves healthcare delivery, adoption into clinical practice is incomplete. We sought to identify the extent of adoption in Rhode Island and the characteristics of physicians and electronic health records associated with positive experience. We performed a cross-sectional study of data collected by the Rhode Island Department of Health for the Health Information Technology Survey 2009 to 2013. Survey questions included provider and practice demographics, health record information, and Likert-type scaled questions regarding how electronic health record use affected clinical practice. The survey response rate ranged from 50% to 65%, with 62% in 2013. Increasing numbers of physicians in Rhode Island use an electronic health record. In 2013, 81% of physicians used one, and adoption varied by clinical subspecialty. Most providers think that electronic health record use improves billing and quality improvement but has not improved job satisfaction. Physicians with longer and more sophisticated electronic health record use report positive effects of introduction on all aspects of practice examined (P electronic health record introduction (P electronic health record vendors most frequently used in Rhode Island, 5 were associated with improved job satisfaction. We report the largest statewide study of electronic health record adoption to date. We found increasing physician use in Rhode Island, and the extent of adoption varies by subspecialty. Although older physicians are less likely to be positive about electronic health record adoption, longer and more sophisticated use are associated with more positive opinions, suggesting acceptance will grow over time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BICM-based cooperative communication systems with relay selection: Constellation and multiplexer design

KAUST Repository

Malik, Muhammad Talha

2014-09-01

We propose a new bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM)-based cooperative communication system where different BICM modules can be optimized jointly considering the average signal to noise ratios of the direct and the two-hop Rayleigh fading channels. As such, the full benefit of BICM can be exploited in the context of cooperative communication. Our design considers cooperative communication systems with so called max-min relay selection scheme that has no loss in performance in terms of diversity- multiplexing trade off in orthogonal cooperation. The presented numerical results for rate 1/2 convolutional code with 8-ary pulse amplitude modulation equivalently 64-ary quadrature amplitude modulation show that the proposed design can offer gains up to 1.4 dB over the traditional BICM design for a target bit error rate of 10-6. Moreover the results show that the amount of gain depends on the relays\\' positions and increases with the number of relays available for selection.

Evaluating RITES, a Statewide Math and Science Partnership Program

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, D. P.; Caulkins, J. L.; Burns, A. L.; de Oliveira, G.; Dooley, H.; Brand, S.; Veeger, A.

2013-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology-Enhanced Science project (RITES) is a NSF-MSP Program that seeks to improve science education by providing professional development to science teachers at the 5th through 12th grade levels. At it's heart, RITES is a complex, multifaceted project that is challenging to evaluate because of the nature of its goal: the development of a large, statewide partnership between higher education and K12 public school districts during a time when science education strategies and leadership are in flux. As a result, these difficulties often require flexibility and creativity regarding evaluation, study design and data collection. In addition, the research agenda of the project often overlaps with the evaluator's agenda, making collaboration and communication a crucial component of the project's success. In it's 5th year, RITES and it's evaluators have developed a large number of instruments, both qualitative and quantitative, to provide direction and feedback on the effectiveness of the project's activities. RITES personnel work closely with evaluators and researchers to obtain a measure of how RITES' 'theory-of-action' affects both student outcomes and teacher practice. Here we discuss measures of teacher and student content gains, student inquiry gains, and teacher implementation surveys. Using content questions based on AAAS and MOSART databases, teachers in the short courses and students in classrooms showed significant normalized learning gains with averages generally above 0.3. Students of RITES-trained teachers also outperformed their non-RITES peers on the inquiry-section of the NECAP test, and The results show, after controlling for race and economic status, a small but statistically significant increase in test scores for RITES students. Technology use in the classroom significantly increased for teachers who were 'expected implementers' where 'expected implementers' are those teachers who implemented RITES as the project was designed. This

Non-Precious Bimetallic Catalysts for Selective Dehydrogenation of an Organic Chemical Hydride System

KAUST Repository

Shaikh Ali, Anaam; Jedidi, Abdesslem; Cavallo, Luigi; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2015-01-01

Methylcyclohexane (MCH)-Toluene (TOL) chemical hydride cycles as a hydrogen carrier system is successful with the selective dehydrogenation reaction of MCH to TOL, which has been achieved only using precious Pt-based catalysts. Herein, we report

Data book: Space station/base food system study. Book 3: Study selection rationale sheets

Science.gov (United States)

1970-01-01

The supporting rationale sheets are presented which were utilized in the selection and support of the concepts considered in the final phase of the study. Each concept, conceived to fulfill a specific function of the food system, was assessed in terms of the eight critical factors depicted on the rationale sheet. When weighted and totaled, the resulting selection factor was used as a guide in making the final decision.

SELECTING A MANAGEMENT SYSTEM HOSPITAL BY A METHOD MULTICRITERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vitorino, Sidney L.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this report is to assess how the multi-criteria method Analytic Hierarchy Process [HP] can help a hospital complex to choose a more suitable management system, known as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP. The choice coated is very complex due to the novelty of the process of choosing and conflicts generated between areas that did not have a single view of organizational needs, generating a lot of pressure in the department responsible for implementing systems. To assist in this process, he was hired an expert consultant in decision-making and AHP, which in its role of facilitator, contributed to the criteria for system selection were defined, and the choice to occur within a consensual process. We used the study of a single case, based on two indepth interviews with the consultant and the project manager, and documents generated by the advisory and the tool that supported the method. The results of this analysis showed that the method could effectively collaborate in the system acquisition process, but knowledge of the problems of employees and senior management support, it was not used in new decisions of the organization. We conclude that this method contributed to the consensus in the procurement process, team commitment and engagement of those involved.

OPEN SPATIAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM: CASE FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL SITE SELECTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dario Perković

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In recent years the scientific and professional circles frequently discussed about radioactive waste and site selection for radioactive waste disposal. This issue will be further updated with accession of Republic of Croatia to the European Union and the only issue is politicized view of the fact that nuclear power plant Krško Croatia shares with neighbouring Republic of Slovenia. All the necessary studies have been made and these are attended by experts from different areas. Also, all Croatian residents should be familiar with this subject matter in a manner accessible to the general public through all available media. There are some questions: What are the institutions have taken on the issue of informing the public and can it be enough? When selecting a suitable site, with many parameters, the basic element is suitable geological formation, although the landfill must be socially acceptable. Well established methods used in the selection of eligible areas are multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA, geographic information system (GIS and combined GIS-MCDA method. The application of these methods is of great help in making decisions about the location of disposal of radioactive waste. Presentation of results, designed in the form of an open spatial decision support system, could help in education and informing the general public (the paper is published in Croatian.

A review and guidance for pattern selection in spatiotemporal system

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chunni; Ma, Jun

2018-03-01

Pattern estimation and selection in media can give important clues to understand the collective response to external stimulus by detecting the observable variables. Both reaction-diffusion systems (RDs) and neuronal networks can be treated as multi-agent systems from molecular level, intrinsic cooperation, competition. An external stimulus or attack can cause collapse of spatial order and distribution, while appropriate noise can enhance the consensus in the spatiotemporal systems. Pattern formation and synchronization stability can bridge isolated oscillators and the network by coupling these nodes with appropriate connection types. As a result, the dynamical behaviors can be detected and discussed by developing different spatial patterns and realizing network synchronization. Indeed, the collective response of network and multi-agent system depends on the local kinetics of nodes and cells. It is better to know the standard bifurcation analysis and stability control schemes before dealing with network problems. In this review, dynamics discussion and synchronization control on low-dimensional systems, pattern formation and synchronization stability on network, wave stability in RDs and neuronal network are summarized. Finally, possible guidance is presented when some physical effects such as polarization field and electromagnetic induction are considered.

Addressing selected problems of the modelling of digital control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedlak, J.

2004-12-01

The introduction of digital systems to practical activities at nuclear power plants brings about new requirements for their modelling for the purposes of reliability analyses required for plant licensing as well as for inclusion into PSA studies and subsequent use in applications for the assessment of events, limits and conditions, and risk monitoring. It is very important to assess, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the effect of this change on operational safety. The report describes selected specific features of reliability analysis of digital system and recommends methodological procedures. The chapters of the report are as follows: (1) Flexibility and multifunctionality of the system. (2) General framework of reliability analyses (Understanding the system; Qualitative analysis; Quantitative analysis; Assessment of results, comparison against criteria; Documenting system reliability analyses; Asking for comments and their evaluation); and (3) Suitable reliability models (Reliability models of basic events; Monitored components with repair immediately following defect or failure; Periodically tested components; Constant unavailability (probability of failure to demand); Application of reliability models for electronic components; Example of failure rate decomposition; Example modified for diagnosis successfulness; Transfer of reliability analyses to PSA; Common cause failures - CCF; Software backup and CCF type failures, software versus hardware). (P.A.)

Selection of emitter material for application on a radioisotope thermophotovoltaic (RTPV) power system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kramer, D.P.; Frohlich, N.D.; Koehler, F.A.; Ruhkamp, J.D.; Miller, R.G.; McDougal, J.R.; Pugh, B.K.; Barklay, C.D.; Howell, E.I. [EGG Mound Applied Technologies Building 88, P.O. Box 3000 Miamisburg, Ohio45343 (United States)

1997-01-01

Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (RTPV) power systems are being considered for long duration space missions due to their predicted high thermal to electrical conversion efficiencies. One critical aspect of these power systems is the selection of an appropriate emitter material which will efficiently radiate the thermal energy generated by the heat source to the photovoltaics. The photovoltaics are {open_quotes}tuned{close_quotes} to convert the infrared wavelengths radiated by the emitter into electrical energy. The emphasis of this paper is on the selection and optimization of an appropriate emitter material which would meet all of the mission requirements. A Kepner Tregoe analysis was performed in order to rank the various candidate refractory materials in relationship to their physical and chemical properties. The results of the analysis and material recommendations are discussed. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

Storm water best management practices for local roadways.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

Local communities and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) are required by the Ohio : Environmental Protection Agencys (Ohio EPA) statewide Construction General Permit for Storm : Water Discharges OHC000004 (CGP) to select, design, constru...

Optimal selective renewal policy for systems subject to propagated failures with global effect and failure isolation phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maaroufi, Ghofrane; Chelbi, Anis; Rezg, Nidhal

2013-01-01

This paper considers a selective maintenance policy for multi-component systems for which a minimum level of reliability is required for each mission. Such systems need to be maintained between consecutive missions. The proposed strategy aims at selecting the components to be maintained (renewed) after the completion of each mission such that a required reliability level is warranted up to the next stop with the minimum cost, taking into account the time period allotted for maintenance between missions and the possibility to extend it while paying a penalty cost. This strategy is applied to binary-state systems subject to propagated failures with global effect, and failure isolation phenomena. A set of rules to reduce the solutions space for such complex systems is developed. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the modeling approach and the use of the reduction rules. Finally, the Monte-Carlo simulation is used in combination with the selective maintenance optimization model to deal with a number of successive missions

Statewide Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement, Complications, and Retrievals: Epidemiology and Recent Trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Charalel, Resmi A; Durack, Jeremy C; Mao, Jialin; Ross, Joseph S; Meltzer, Andrew J; Sedrakyan, Art

2018-03-01

Public awareness of inferior vena cava (IVC) filter-related controversies has been elevated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety communication in 2010. To examine population level trends in IVC filter utilization, complications, retrieval rates, and subsequent pulmonary embolism (PE) risk. A retrospective cohort study. Patients receiving IVC filters during 2005-2014 in New York State. IVC filter-specific complications, new PE occurrences and IVC filter retrievals were evaluated as time-to-event data using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Estimated cumulative risks were obtained at various timepoints during follow-up. There were 91,873 patients receiving IVC filters between 2005 and 2014 in New York State included in the study. The average patient age was 67 years and 46.6% were male. Age-adjusted rates of IVC filter placement increased from 48 cases/100,000 in 2005 to 52 cases/100,000 in 2009, and decreased afterwards to 36 cases/100,000 in 2014. The estimated risks of having an IVC filter-related complication and filter retrieval within 1 year was 1.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4%-1.6%] and 3.5% (95% CI, 3.4%-3.6%). One-year retrieval rate was higher post-2010 when compared with pre-2010 years (hazard ratio, 2.70; 95% CI, 2.50-2.91). Among the 58,176 patients who did not have PE events before or at the time of IVC filter placement, the estimated risk of developing subsequent PE at 1 year was 2.0% (95% CI, 1.9%-2.1%). Our findings suggest that FDA communications may be effective in modifying statewide clinical practices. Given the 2% observed PE rate following prophylactic IVC filter placement, large scale pragmatic studies are needed to determine contemporary safety and effectiveness of IVC filters.

Analytic Hierarchy Process & Multi Attribute Utility Theory Based Approach for the Selection of Lighting Systems in Residential Buildings: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Othman Alshamrani

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an approach developed for selecting lighting systems in residential buildings using an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP and the Multi Criteria Decision Making Technique (MCDMT. The developed approach considers four selection criteria of lighting systems: life-cycle cost, illumination, environmental performance, and life-span. The criteria of selection, along with the most widely used lighting systems in residential buildings, were determined through questionnaire surveys with suppliers, maintenance managers, and lighting experts. The Analytic Hierarchy Process and Multi Attribute Utility Theory were utilized to assess the significant influence of the identified main and sub-criteria on the selection process, from the design point of view. The developed approach was tested on a real case project in selecting the lighting system for aresidential building in Saudi Arabia. The obtained results show that the life-cycle cost and illumination proprieties, followed by the service life were found to be the most influential measures in the selection process. The results also show that Light-Emitting Diode(LED lighting systems prove to bear the highest initial cost while sustaining the best overall performance.

Selected examples of intelligent (micro) sensor systems: state-of-the-art and tendencies

Science.gov (United States)

Hauptmann, Peter R.

2006-03-01

The capability of intelligent sensors to have more intelligence built into them continues to drive their application in areas including automotive, aerospace and defense, industrial, intelligent house and wear, medical and homeland security. In principle it is difficult to overestimate the importance of intelligent (micro) sensors or sensor systems within advanced societies but one characteristic feature is the global market for sensors, which is now about 20 billion annually. Therefore sensors or sensor systems play a dominant role in many fields from the macro sensor in manufacturing industry down to the miniaturized sensor for medical applications. The diversity of sensors precludes a complete description of the state-of-the-art; selected examples will illustrate the current situation. MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) devices are of special interest in the context of micro sensor systems. In past the main requirements of a sensor were in terms of metrological performance. The electrical (or optical) signal produced by the sensor needed to match the measure relatively accurately. Such basic functionality is no longer sufficient. Data processing near the sensor, the extraction of more information than just the direct sensor information by signal analysis, system aspects and multi-sensor information are the new demands. A shifting can be observed away from aiming to design perfect single-function transducers and towards the utilization of system-based sensors as system components. In the ideal case such systems contain sensors, actuators and electronics. They can be realized in monolithic, hybrid or discrete form—which kind is used depends on the application. In this article the state-of-the-art of intelligent sensors or sensor systems is reviewed using selected examples. Future trends are deduced.

Hybrid Multicriteria Group Decision Making Method for Information System Project Selection Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Guo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Information system (IS project selection is of critical importance to every organization in dynamic competing environment. The aim of this paper is to develop a hybrid multicriteria group decision making approach based on intuitionistic fuzzy theory for IS project selection. The decision makers’ assessment information can be expressed in the form of real numbers, interval-valued numbers, linguistic variables, and intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs. All these evaluation pieces of information can be transformed to the form of IFNs. Intuitionistic fuzzy weighted averaging (IFWA operator is utilized to aggregate individual opinions of decision makers into a group opinion. Intuitionistic fuzzy entropy is used to obtain the entropy weights of the criteria. TOPSIS method combined with intuitionistic fuzzy set is proposed to select appropriate IS project in group decision making environment. Finally, a numerical example for information system projects selection is given to illustrate application of hybrid multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM method based on intuitionistic fuzzy theory and TOPSIS method.

Selection and verification of safety parameters in safety parameter display system for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yuangfang

1992-02-01

The method and results for safety parameter selection and its verification in safety parameter display system of nuclear power plants are introduced. According to safety analysis, the overall safety is divided into six critical safety functions, and a certain amount of safety parameters which can represent the integrity degree of each function and the causes of change are strictly selected. The verification of safety parameter selection is carried out from the view of applying the plant emergency procedures and in the accident man oeuvres on a full scale nuclear power plant simulator

Residual tree damage during selection cuts using two skidding systems in the Missouri Ozarks

Science.gov (United States)

Robert L. Ficklin; John P. Dwyer; Bruce E. Cutter; Tom Draper

1997-01-01

Today, there is an interest in using alternative silvicultural systems like selection and two-aged management, because the public finds these systems more acceptable than clearcutting. However, repeated entries into forest stands to remove timber increase the risk of residual stand damage. Harvest techniques are desirable that (1) reduce the risk of stand damage and (2...

A versatile selection system for folding competent proteins using genetic complementation in a eukaryotic host

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyngsø, C.; Kjaerulff, S.; Muller, S.

2010-01-01

in vivo selection system for folded proteins. It is based on genetic complementation of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe growth marker gene invertase fused C-terminally to a protein library. The fusion proteins are directed to the secretion system, utilizing the ability of the eukaryotic protein quality...

A risk index for multicriterial selection of a logging system with low environmental impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horodnic, Sergiu Andrei, E-mail: horodnic@usv.ro

2015-02-15

Setting up the working stages in forest operations is conditioned by environmental protection and forest health requirements. This paper exposes a method for improving the decision-making process by choosing the most environmentally effective logging systems according to terrain configuration and stand characteristics. Such a methodology for selecting machines or logging systems accounting for environment, safety as well as economics, becomes mandatory in the context of sustainable management of forest with multiple functions. Based on analytic hierarchy process analysis the following classification of the environmental performance for four considered alternatives was obtained: skyline system (42.43%), forwarder system (20.22%), skidder system (19.92%) and horse logging system (17.43%). Further, an environmental risk matrix for the most important 28 risk factors specific to any work equipment used in forest operations was produced. In the end, a multicriterial analysis generated a risk index RI ranging between 1.0 and 3.5, which could help choosing the optimal combination of logging system and logging equipment with low environmental impact. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed approach, a simple application in specific conditions of a harvesting site is presented. - Highlights: • We propose a decision-making algorithm to select eco-friendly logging systems. • Analytic hierarchy process was applied for ranking 4 types of logging systems. • An environmental risk matrix with 28 risk factors in forest operations was made up.

A risk index for multicriterial selection of a logging system with low environmental impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horodnic, Sergiu Andrei

2015-01-01

Setting up the working stages in forest operations is conditioned by environmental protection and forest health requirements. This paper exposes a method for improving the decision-making process by choosing the most environmentally effective logging systems according to terrain configuration and stand characteristics. Such a methodology for selecting machines or logging systems accounting for environment, safety as well as economics, becomes mandatory in the context of sustainable management of forest with multiple functions. Based on analytic hierarchy process analysis the following classification of the environmental performance for four considered alternatives was obtained: skyline system (42.43%), forwarder system (20.22%), skidder system (19.92%) and horse logging system (17.43%). Further, an environmental risk matrix for the most important 28 risk factors specific to any work equipment used in forest operations was produced. In the end, a multicriterial analysis generated a risk index RI ranging between 1.0 and 3.5, which could help choosing the optimal combination of logging system and logging equipment with low environmental impact. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed approach, a simple application in specific conditions of a harvesting site is presented. - Highlights: • We propose a decision-making algorithm to select eco-friendly logging systems. • Analytic hierarchy process was applied for ranking 4 types of logging systems. • An environmental risk matrix with 28 risk factors in forest operations was made up

Sub-Circuit Selection and Replacement Algorithms Modeled as Term Rewriting Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2008-12-16

of Defense, or the United States Government . AFIT/GCO/ENG/09-02 Sub-circuit Selection and Replacement Algorithms Modeled as Term Rewriting Systems... unicorns and random programs”. Communications and Computer Networks, 24–30. 2005. 87 Vita Eric D. Simonaire graduated from Granite Baptist Church School in...Service to attend the Air Force Institute of Technol- ogy in 2007. Upon graduation, he will serve the federal government in an Information Assurance

A decision-making support system to select forages according to environmental conditions in Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blanca Aurora Arce Barboza

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Low food supply is a major problem affecting a large percentage of the livestock population in Colombia and is largely associated to inappropriate choice of forage species; and thus not well adapted to the environmental conditions of a specific region. To mitigate this problem, without incurring increasing costs associated to changing environmental conditions, it is possible to match the adaptive capacity of species to the environment in which they grow. A decision support system was developed to select suitable forage species for a given environment. The system is based on the use of existing information about requirements of the species rather than specific experimentation. From the information gathered, a database was generated and implemented on ASP.NET in C # and SQL Server database. This system allows users to search and select pastures and forage species for specific soil and climatic conditions of a particular farm or region, through a user-friendly web platform.

Where neuroscience and dynamic system theory meet autonomous robotics: a contracting basal ganglia model for action selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Girard, B; Tabareau, N; Pham, Q C; Berthoz, A; Slotine, J-J

2008-05-01

Action selection, the problem of choosing what to do next, is central to any autonomous agent architecture. We use here a multi-disciplinary approach at the convergence of neuroscience, dynamical system theory and autonomous robotics, in order to propose an efficient action selection mechanism based on a new model of the basal ganglia. We first describe new developments of contraction theory regarding locally projected dynamical systems. We exploit these results to design a stable computational model of the cortico-baso-thalamo-cortical loops. Based on recent anatomical data, we include usually neglected neural projections, which participate in performing accurate selection. Finally, the efficiency of this model as an autonomous robot action selection mechanism is assessed in a standard survival task. The model exhibits valuable dithering avoidance and energy-saving properties, when compared with a simple if-then-else decision rule.